There is no such thing as the Kangxi and Qianlong eras

Chapter 469 Lu Yu
In the current era, Guanzhong is indeed still the foundation of imperial power.

Although this imperial land gradually declined as early as the Tang and Song dynasties, it still had the advantage of a strategic location, a dense population, and a generally decent economy.

Otherwise, how could Li Zicheng have had the resources to destroy the Ming Dynasty at the end of the Ming Dynasty?

Even in modern times, this place remains a strategic location.

However, Zhang Yanshan analyzed the general situation of the world for the White Lotus Sect and selected Shaanxi as the new territory for the White Lotus Sect's development.

He seemed to have a logical explanation, but he clearly overlooked one problem: Shaanxi is no longer the Guanzhong Plain it was hundreds of years ago.

After the Ming and Qing dynasties, coupled with continuous soil erosion and floods and droughts, the population and economy here have long been in decline.

The White Lotus Sect's entry into Shaanxi is at best a means of self-preservation, and even that is proving difficult.

Because the Governor-General of Sichuan and Shaanxi, Na Yancheng, had previously trained troops in Shaanxi, causing great harm to the people of Shaanxi.

In other words, it was actually easy for the White Lotus Sect to take over Shaanxi, but while taking over was easy, governing Shaanxi was difficult.

Shaanxi is short of food, short of money, short of everything!
Even if Liu Zhixie truly possessed great talent and ambition and was able to solve these problems, it still wouldn't be enough for him to take over Shaanxi. Shaanxi had declined too drastically and was further tormented by the Qing court's continuous meddling.

To establish Shaanxi as the foundation of an imperial dynasty, it is also necessary to acquire Sichuan and Shanxi, connecting the three provinces into one, and simultaneously opening up corridors to Gansu and Xinjiang.

The idioms "having gained Long, one desires Shu" and "a friendship between Qin and Jin" are not without reason.

The former fully illustrates that Longxi and Shu must be connected as one, otherwise there will inevitably be a shortage of food, or it will be easy to defend and difficult to attack, so that outsiders cannot get in and you cannot get out.

The latter is even more important. As mentioned earlier, Guanzhong is like a big bird with its beak pointing towards the Central Plains. Shanxi is its left wing, and Jingxiang is its right wing.

If you don't take down the left wing of Shanxi, you won't even be able to take off.

This explains why, despite Jin's repeated breaches of faith, Qin persisted in using force to forge alliances and maintained a constant ally relationship with Jin. Jin's occupation of Shanxi blocked the Guanzhong Plain, forcing Guanzhong to ensure its strategic security by appeasing and winning over Jin.

The White Lotus Sect found it easy to take over Shaanxi, but not Shanxi and Sichuan.

In Sichuan, the Qing army, the Han army, and Zhang Zhengmo (Marquis of Shu of the Great Han) are all fighting. If Liu Zhixie dares to interfere, he will definitely be beaten by the three sides in a mixed attack.

While the fighting strength of the White Lotus Rebellion in Henan was evolving, the Qing army in Sichuan consisted mainly of fierce soldiers from Shaanxi, and Zhang Zhengmo had evolved even earlier than the White Lotus Rebellion in Henan. Even the local militias in Sichuan were not to be underestimated, with several grassroots generals such as Luo Siju.

Shanxi was even more of a disaster zone, a true military hotspot. It was incredibly difficult to conquer there, not only because of the mountainous terrain but also because of the constant back-and-forth between the White Lotus Rebellion and the Qing army. The White Lotus Rebellion, unfamiliar with the area, had no choice but to conquer Shanxi city by city, taking it one step at a time.

If you don't knock out a few of the White Lotus Sect's teeth, don't even think about taking over Shanxi. Even if you do manage to take it over, you'll suffer from indigestion.

Liu Zhixie didn't consider these issues at all, perhaps because he was having too much success in Shaanxi.

Before winter even arrived, Tongzhou Prefecture and Huayin County had already fallen. Shaanxi's military defenses were indeed too weak. All the Manchu and Han troops that could be mobilized had been transferred away by Na Yancheng, leaving the remaining prefectures and counties almost completely unarmed.

This was the norm in the local areas during the Qing Dynasty. Not only were troops mobilized without any planning or contingency, but the corruption and understaffing of local armies were also extremely serious.

This was the situation in Hubei at the beginning of the Han army's uprising. To suppress the Miao rebellion in western Hunan, the Qing government mobilized troops from seven provinces, leaving only 400 Eight Banner soldiers stationed in Hubei's provincial capital. Other prefectures and counties...
It was practically a formality, with a maximum garrison of no more than fifty men, and in some places, none at all.

Tongzhou Prefecture and Huayin County were captured. Huazhou City (Hua County) west of the Wei River and Chaoyi County east of Tongzhou Prefecture both sent envoys to surrender before the White Lotus Sect even attacked.

Less than a month after entering Shaanxi, Liu Zhixie easily captured the entire prefecture, a battle that was much easier than any of his battles in Henan.

Liu Zhixie's confidence soared, and he immediately decided that he could take Weinan County further west before winter.

Xi'an Prefecture.

"Report!"

"The White Lotus rebels have broken through Huazhou and are attacking Weinan County along the Wei River."

When the Shaanxi governor, Taibu, received the news, he was immediately alarmed.

The White Lotus Sect arrived at the worst possible time, just as the war in Sichuan was going badly. Governor Na Yancheng had transferred the Eight Banners troops stationed in Xi'an from Shaanxi, and even the remaining troops were sent away.

Now, not just Xi'an Prefecture, but the entire Shaanxi province is severely lacking in military strength.

Despite the crisis, Shaanxi Provincial Governor Tai Feiyin remained calm and quickly reminded Tai Bu, "Now that the White Lotus rebels have captured Tongzhou and then broken through Weinan County, they can advance straight along the Wei River and take Xi'an. At this critical juncture, Your Excellency should immediately step forward to call on the gentry of Xi'an Prefecture to donate money and raise troops to resist the rebels!"

Taibu said, "It is only right to raise troops to fight the bandits, but the gentry of Xi'an have already donated a lot to the court to suppress the bandits, and it may be difficult to donate more." Tai Feiyin sneered, "Sir, you don't need to worry. Just tell the gentry of Xi'an that the bandits coming are the White Lotus Sect bandits who are rampaging in Henan, and they will take the initiative to donate money to help you raise troops to fight the bandits."

These words reminded Taibu that the White Lotus Sect still had a terrible reputation. Although the White Lotus Sect in Henan had evolved somewhat, its infamy of wreaking havoc in Henan for years and indiscriminately killing gentry had already spread far and wide to Shaanxi.

Moreover, even if they have evolved now, the White Lotus Sect will still kill landlords as they please, but they will be willing to distribute the land they seize to soldiers and rent it out to the people.

Taibu, having received a reminder from Taifeiyin and possessing some military capabilities, immediately made corresponding deployments.

He simply spread the news of the White Lotus bandits' attack, and the gentry of Xi'an Prefecture didn't even need him to call on them. They all immediately took the initiative to contribute money and manpower, and even their sons were sent out to help the government defend the city and resist the bandits.

With some usable troops at his disposal, Taibu immediately issued orders to the surrounding prefectures of Xi'an, including Fengxiang Prefecture, Fuzhou (Fuxian County), Yan'an Prefecture, and Shangzhou (Shangxian County), granting them the authority to mobilize their officials to recruit and train local militias to reinforce Xi'an Prefecture.

At the same time, he quickly dispatched people south through Hanzhong Prefecture to Chengdu Prefecture to seek the governor's assistance.

Although it might be too late, or even impossible for him to come, he had to notify them; otherwise, even if he managed to hold Xi'an Prefecture, he would likely face repercussions from the imperial court.

Even if this dynasty might not last more than a few years.

……

Meanwhile, the White Lotus Sect completely abandoned its home base in Henan and concentrated its forces to launch a fierce attack on Shaanxi, which had nothing to do with the Han army.

Whether the White Lotus Sect gives up Nanyang and Luoyang or not, the Han army will still fight, and it won't make much difference in the outcome.

The White Lotus followers who remained in the two prefectures, upon seeing that the enemy was the Han army, did not even dare to defend the city.

They either fled in panic to Shaanxi, or they simply surrendered on the spot and continued to be obedient subjects of the Han Dynasty.

Despite the fact that the White Lotus sect had been entrenched in Henan for several years, they were constantly engaged in a protracted war with the Qing army and had almost no time to undertake infrastructure development or win over the hearts and minds of the people.

The fact that the White Lotus Sect is now willing to distribute land to soldiers and provide low-rent land for the common people signifies that the sect's control has weakened. It can no longer unite people's hearts through doctrine and needs to use practical benefits to bind and win over its followers.

As the White Lotus Sect's longest-standing stronghold, Nanyang Prefecture's people lived a life virtually indistinguishable from that under the Qing Dynasty. While the policy was to provide for the people with low rents, it was indeed very low, and many of the loans and taxes owed under the Qing Dynasty were waived.

However, Nanyang Prefecture was a major source of soldiers for the White Lotus Sect. Many young and strong families here were recruited to serve as cannon fodder for the White Lotus Sect, and a large number of households were abandoned and fled, accounting for almost half of the prefecture's peak population.

A cult is still a cult. Even if it has evolved, it hasn't changed at its core and doesn't know how to govern a place.

Restoring the livelihood of people in a region requires more than just reducing taxes and corvée labor; it also requires investing heavily in disaster relief and people's well-being. The people need a stable living environment, not just the simple relief of unpaid taxes and rent, which doesn't guarantee they will be content to grow crops and produce food.

The White Lotus sect packed up and left, leaving the Han army feeling somewhat disgusted.

Wei Xinrong's original intention was to kill two birds with one stone, to take advantage of the great victory to recover the entire territory of Henan, and at the same time, to send new recruits to the battlefield for training and practice.

But when he actually fought his way through, he realized that Henan was truly awful!
Literally, it was a state of utter devastation. Many prefectures and counties were repeatedly ravaged by the Qing army and the White Lotus Rebellion. While it's not accurate to say that nine out of ten houses were empty, they were certainly as if they had been plowed by oxen.

In many prefectures and counties, land has been abandoned for years and is now overgrown with weeds. Even in Nanyang Prefecture, the core territory of the White Lotus Sect, mentioned earlier, the population has suffered heavy losses.

The Han army was so busy with disaster relief and restoring production that they were overwhelmed, and food supplies were completely insufficient.

When the news reached Qufu County, Shandong, Nie Yu could only sigh helplessly: "They can't fight anymore in Henan, what a pity!"

There was nothing they could do. Henan had been ravaged by the Qing army and the White Lotus Rebellion, and even Shandong, a relatively wealthy province in the north, had been severely ravaged by the Qing government. Even the wealthy landlords were running out of food; beggars and refugees were not uncommon, but they were a frequent sight.

Henan is no longer a viable battleground. On the Shandong side, Jinan Prefecture has just been captured, and Governor Yue Qi has committed suicide. His head has been cut off and sent to various prefectures and counties in Shandong to persuade them to surrender.

Looking at the battle reports from Henan and Shandong provinces, Nie Yu had a pretty good idea of ​​how far the Northern Expedition would go this year.

It's not that the Han Dynasty doesn't want to fight anymore, it's just that its finances are really struggling. The newly opened customs trade and sales channels for salt and glass are simply not enough to fill the bottomless pit of war.

After a series of northern expeditions, the number of soldiers and laborers mobilized by the Han Dynasty exceeded 100,000.

The Han Dynasty court had to spend money to provide relief and support for the large number of soldiers and laborers, the horses, and the various weapons, artillery, and ammunition. In addition, the newly recovered Jiangbei, Henan, and Shandong provinces, which were close to three provinces, all required the court to spend money to provide relief and support.

It's fine not to provide relief, but that would just be a waste of effort and resources.

If it weren't for Nie Yu's ability to maneuver a little, the Han Dynasty's current treasury reserves, even with the opening of maritime trade, would absolutely not be able to support the consumption of expanding into three provinces at once.

(End of this chapter)