There is no such thing as the Kangxi and Qianlong eras

Chapter 449 Henan Battle Situation
Kaifeng.

"Guide Prefecture has fallen into the hands of the Southern Army? How is this possible?" Liu Yong looked at the urgent report delivered by the messenger with disbelief on his face.

He has returned to Kaifeng very quickly. Almost immediately after receiving the imperial decree appointing him as governor, he parted ways with Yinghe in Shanxi and then rushed back to Kaifeng without stopping.

As a result, despite rushing back to Kaifeng, he was bombarded with a series of bad news as soon as he arrived.

First, the White Lotus Rebellion rebels had a brief resurgence, and while he and Yinghe were leading troops to Shanxi to quell the rebellion, they suddenly emerged and attacked cities and territories everywhere.

Following that, the White Lotus sects in Chenzhou and Xuzhou clashed with the Han army that marched north from Runing Prefecture.

As expected, the Han army easily defeated the White Lotus sect's rabble and subsequently seized Chenzhou Prefecture and Xuzhou Prefecture.

This was certainly not good news for Liu Yong. The White Lotus Sect was a rabble. No matter how fast their territory expanded, in Liu Yong's eyes they were like grasshoppers in autumn, destined to give back what they had taken in sooner or later.

However, although the White Lotus Sect has indeed relinquished its territory, the territory it relinquished has been swallowed up by the Han army.

The Han army captured Chenzhou and Xuzhou, and the White Lotus Sect had also recently taken Luoyang.

Liu Yong repeatedly confirmed the urgent report in his hand. The report came from the magistrate of Ningling County. Ningling County was very close to Guide Prefecture, so the authenticity of the news should be beyond doubt.

Guide Prefecture is indeed gone!
Seeing Liu Yong's grim expression and his silence for a long time, Kaifeng Prefect Alejinga asked anxiously, "Prefect Liu, now that Guide Prefecture has fallen, and counting Chenzhou, Xuzhou, and Luoyang, Kaifeng Prefecture is completely surrounded by the Southern Army and the (White Lotus) rebels. What should we do?"

How to deal with it?

Even Liu Yong didn't know the answer!

It must be said that Liu Yong still finds it hard to believe. Before he and Yinghe left Henan, they had just driven the White Lotus Sect back to Nanyang and recovered most of the prefectures and counties occupied by the White Lotus Sect.

How much time has passed? Guide, Luoyang, Chenzhou and other prefectures have all been completely lost.

Are all these officials in Henan just sitting around doing nothing?

The White Lotus Rebellion's bandits couldn't defeat them, nor could the Han army, and they couldn't even defeat ordinary rebel armies.

After pondering for a long time over the urgent report, Liu Yong finally made arrangements for the defense of the city: "My lord, immediately issue this order to summon all the Green Standard Army troops in the city, and prepare more defensive supplies such as molten gold, oil cauldrons, boulders, and rolling logs!"

"Subordinate to obey!"

Liu Yong gave the instructions, and although Alejinga felt something was amiss, he could only obediently follow orders.

Although Liu Yong was a Han Chinese, he was registered as a Manchu and was promoted by the Emperor. His connections in the court were far stronger than those of me, a Manchu. I should try my best not to offend him.

Alejing'a suddenly asked again, "Governor Liu, should we make these wealthy and powerful families in the prefectural city contribute money and grain free of charge to recruit and train soldiers for the government?"

Liu Yong understood what Alejinga meant. After thinking it over, he did not stop him, but instructed him: "It is fine to contribute money and grain, but the matter of recruiting soldiers should not be handed over to these wealthy and powerful families, lest they turn against the government and surrender the city at the critical moment."

"I understand."

As the capital of Henan Province, Kaifeng Prefecture had a total of three Green Standard Army battalions: the left and right battalions of the Henan Governor's Guard, and the Kaifeng Battalion under the jurisdiction of Hebei Garrison. The total strength of the three battalions was about 1800 people.

Liu Yong himself went south and brought more than 1000 Eight Banner soldiers, so the total number of Qing troops was about 3000.

Three thousand defenders are still not enough, far from enough.

Liu Yong dared not relax at all. After issuing several orders for defending the city, he immediately began to personally supervise and arrange the work.

The Han army's record was truly terrifying. Others might not know what the Han army was like, but Liu Yong, who had advised both Emperor Qianlong and Emperor Jiaqing to treat the situation with caution, knew it all too well.

……

Meanwhile, Liu Yong of Kaifeng was still preparing for the defense of the city, while the 7th Division of the Han Army from Chenzhou and Xuzhou in the south had already marched north to start the war.

The Han army split into three routes, attacking Kaifeng Prefecture from the east, west, and south respectively.

The Eastern Route Han Army mobilized 2000 regular soldiers and more than 2000 civilian laborers, for a total force of about 4000, and prioritized heading north to take over the Guide Prefecture city, which had just rebelled and surrendered.

Then, with Guide Prefecture as the center, they advanced westward to capture Ningling, Suizhou (Suixian), and Zhecheng counties.

The magistrate of Zhecheng County simply lay down and surrendered as soon as the Han army arrived, without even a moment's hesitation.

The magistrates of Ningling and Suizhou were somewhat more assertive.

The magistrate of Ningling County had just sent a message to Kaifeng, informing them that Guide Prefecture had been captured by the Han army and requesting that Kaifeng immediately send troops to its aid. Aid? Aid my foot! Liu Yong, the governor of Henan, simply glanced at the distance between Ningling County and Guide Prefecture on the map and decisively abandoned Ningling County.

Even Suizhou County, which was some distance from Guide but closer to the jurisdiction of Fengfu, was abandoned by Liu Yong.

Less than three days after the Eastern Route Army advanced westward, it successively recaptured Ningling and Suizhou counties.

There was no way to stop them; they simply couldn't hold them off. These two counties didn't have many garrison troops at all.

They were completely unable to resist the Han army's attack.

The magistrate of Ningling County was captured and killed by civil officials and yamen runners. His head was cut off and given to the Han army as a pledge of allegiance to surrender the city.

The magistrate of Suizhou County was terrified, fearing that he would also be killed. He hurriedly led his subordinates from the Suizhou County government out of the city to surrender to the Han army and save their lives.

Along with Suizhou County, Qi County, located on the south bank of the Huiji River, also surrendered.

Qi County was under the jurisdiction of Kaifeng Prefecture, but it was very close to Guide Prefecture, almost right next to the boundary of Guide Prefecture.

When the magistrate of Suizhou County surrendered, the magistrate of Qi County followed suit without hesitation.

Times have changed. The situation in the Qing Dynasty is getting worse and worse, and the Qing officials are increasingly distrustful of Han officials. Naturally, the Han officials are no longer willing to work hard or be loyal to the Qing.

Only a Han Chinese bannerman like Yang Hu, the former prefect of Xuzhou, a staunch traitor under the Qing dynasty, would have faced certain death even after surrendering, and would not have been able to rest in peace after death. That's why he followed the Qing dynasty down this dark path.

The Han army on the eastern route captured four counties in three days.

The southern route of the Han army was to advance through Fugou County, then proceed by land and water along the Jialu River, heading north to directly attack Kaifeng Prefecture.

The counties of Weishi and Tongxu, located on the east and west banks of the Jialu River, saw the Han army approaching.

Although the Han army, including civilian laborers, numbered only a little over 4000, it still terrified the magistrates of both counties.

The magistrates of Tongxu and Weishi counties, without prior agreement, chose to change their allegiance and submit to the Han Dynasty.

With Weishi and Tongxu counties surrendering, Yanling County, further south and sandwiched between Xuzhou and Chenzhou, also surrendered when all hope seemed lost.

The western route of the Han army had an easier time, departing directly from Xuzhou (Xuchang).

Xuzhou was the capital city built by Cao Cao when he held the emperor hostage to command the other lords. It governed four counties: Changge, Xiangcheng, Linying, and Yancheng (Luohe).

The Western Route Army can march north from Xuzhou and enter Kaifeng Prefecture via any waterway. Moreover, every waterway's docks and strategic points are bound to be lined with wealthy and prosperous cities.

Xinzheng, Weichuan, and Yuzhou are county towns built along the river.

The three counties were far from Kaifeng, but very close to Xuzhou, from which the Han army was advancing from the north. The county magistrates, too lazy to even feign surrender, decisively opened the city gates and defected to the Han army.

These days, where are there any loyal ministers or lackeys left?

It's almost reached the "Northern and Southern Dynasties" stage, so naturally, whoever comes first will be chosen.

Even if one person surrenders, there might be pressure, but if three people surrender together, the pressure is naturally much less.

Throughout history, whoever controls the Central Plains controls the world!

Before the Han army entered Henan, they thought that a fierce battle was inevitable there.

After all, the White Lotus Sect had been locked in a tug-of-war with the Qing army in Henan for more than two years, almost turning the Central Plains into ruins. Every year, nearly 100,000 refugees fled south to Henan under the rule of the Han Dynasty.

As a result, since the Seventh Division of the Han Army marched into Henan, the three armies were about to converge in Kaifeng.

Let alone fierce battles, they never even had a decent major battle with the Qing army.

The only major battle was fought when they seized Xuzhou and Chenzhou from the White Lotus Sect, and it was against the White Lotus Sect's rabble.

Weird, so weird!

Did the Manchus lose their minds, or were they truly at their wits' end, no longer caring about something as important as the Central Plains?

(End of this chapter)