Chongzhen's domineering

Chapter 313 Liangyu Strikes, Xianzhong Retreats (Part 1)
Zhang Xianzhong launched a surprise attack on the Baoxie Road, and Hanzhong was in grave danger.

At this moment, most of the Hanzhong army is in the Wangwu Mountain and Taihang Mountain line, and there is no time to rush back to reinforce them. They also cannot mobilize so many ships to pull the main force of the Hanzhong army back in a short period of time.

Therefore, Lu Xiang-sheng proposed to send musketeers from the Beijing garrison directly to reinforce them.

This is because not too many musketeers need to be transferred. Ten thousand musketeers from the Beijing garrison are enough to withstand the fierce attack of more than one hundred thousand rebels. Ten thousand musketeers would only require about two hundred small Zhiyuan merchant ships to transport them, and they can mobilize that number of ships immediately.

The problem is that if these 10,000 musketeers from the Beijing garrison are transferred there, he will no longer be able to hide the fact that he is raising troops in Hanzhong.

Zhu Jue was in a dilemma. If he directly sent the Beijing garrison musketeers to support the rebels, where would he put his face? Would he still care about his reputation?
As emperor, he not only harbored rebels but also allowed them to target members of the royal family. Wouldn't that make him a bizarre figure throughout history?

Sometimes people can be shameless, but an emperor still has to have some sense of shame.

He was struggling with this when he suddenly noticed a place name.

Chongqing Prefecture, Zhongzhou, Shizhu Pacification Commission!

The Sichuan Army's White-Spear Soldiers were Zhang Xianzhong's nemesis.

Historically, the Sichuan Army's White Spear Soldiers numbered no more than ten thousand, yet Zhang Xianzhong was defeated by Qin Liangyu several times.

At this point, the Sichuan Army's White Spear Soldiers numbered a staggering 50,000. Dealing with Zhang Xianzhong would be a piece of cake.
The key point is that Chongqing Prefecture is less than a thousand miles away from Hanzhong Prefecture, and there is a waterway connecting them.

He examined the map carefully and then asked, "Jiandou, Yunteng, do you know where the northernmost point of the Jialing River waterway leads?"

Uh, why are you suddenly asking about the Jialing River waterway?

Lu Xiang-sheng was taken aback when he heard this. He wasn't from that area and wasn't very familiar with the Jialing River waterway.

Pan Yunteng pointed to the map and said as if he knew it by heart: "Your Majesty, the Jialing River has been an important waterway for grain transport since ancient times."

During the Three Kingdoms period, Zhuge Liang's northern expeditions relied heavily on the Jialing River for supplies. During the Sui and Tang dynasties, the Jialing River was dredged to the Huizhou area of ​​Gongchang Prefecture. During the Southern Song dynasty, the Northern Yuan used Mianzhou (also known as Lueyang) as a grain depot when attacking Bashu.

Nowadays, the section from Chongqing Fucheng to Lueyang can be traversed by 800-liao (a unit of weight) grain transport boats, and the section from Lueyang to Huizhou can be traversed by 400-liao (another unit of weight) grain transport boats.

This means that a small merchant ship like the Zhiyuan could easily travel from Chongqing Prefecture directly to Lueyang.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Jue asked with great interest, "How far is Lueyang from Shimen Pass?"

Pan Yunteng estimated, "Your Majesty, these two places should be less than two hundred li apart."

well.

Zhu Jue thought for a moment, then said to Zheng Zhilong, who was idling to the side, "Marquis of Nan'an, why don't you go to Zhongzhou for me?"

what?
Why do you call me Marquis of Nan'an?

I'm going to Chungju?

Oh, right, there's also a Marquis of Loyalty in Zhongzhou.

Zheng Zhilong was taken aback for a moment, then cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, if I may be so bold, do you have something to entrust to Marquis Zhongzhen?"

Hmm, not bad, you're not bad at all.

Zhu Jue nodded slightly and said, "Right now, the closest troops to Guanzhong are the White-Spear Soldiers under the command of Marquis Zhongzhen. If we mobilize hundreds or thousands of ships to carry the White-Spear Soldiers through the Jialing River, we can reach Lueyang in a day."

The White-Spear Soldiers can traverse the mountains and forests as if they were on flat ground. They should be able to reach the two hundred li from Lueyang to Shimen Pass in three or four days. It should also take you about three or four days to get there.

In other words, you only had less than ten days to rush to Zhongzhou to reinforce Hanzhong. In such a short time, Zhang Xianzhong's troops would have had a hard time even getting out of the Baoxie Road, let alone breaking through it.

Oh, so you want the White-Spear Soldiers under the Marquis of Loyalty to support the Hanzhong Army.

Zheng Zhilong slowly nodded and said, "Your Majesty, do you mean for me to mobilize warships to take the White-Spear Army to Lueyang?"

Zhu Jue nodded without hesitation and said, "Yes, you should send someone to tell Zhi Bao to quickly gather small Zhiyuan merchant ships near Chongqing Prefecture to recruit the White Banner Army in Zhongzhou."

As for how many troops are enough, you can discuss it with Marquis Zhongzhen. Anyway, Zhang Xianzhong only has about 100,000 to 200,000 rebels under his command. Send as many troops as you think can defeat them.

The reason I sent you there is not only to mobilize the ships, but also to be responsible for mobilizing the supplies and provisions needed by the White-Clad Army.

Uh, Zhang Xianzhong only had a few hundred thousand rebels under his command?

"The White-Spear Soldiers seem to number only 50,000!" Zheng Zhilong asked cautiously. "Your Majesty, if I may be so bold, do you mean that the White-Spear Soldiers can fight five rebels at once?"

You underestimate the White-Spear Soldiers. Fighting five against one, or even ten against rebels, is nothing to them.

Historically, Zhang Xianzhong had more than 200,000 troops; even less than 10,000 White Spear Soldiers could drive Zhang Xianzhong into chaos.

At this time, the White-Spear Soldiers did not seem to have made a name for themselves, because they had only participated in the Battle of Hunhe, and in that battle they faced the elite of the Jurchen Eight Banners, and were outnumbered. The elite White-Spear Soldiers were almost completely wiped out.

As for the historical battles to defend the capital and suppress rebels, the White-Spear Soldiers had not yet had the chance to participate, hence their fame was not yet widespread.

That's good too. Zhang Xianzhong, unaware of the White-Spear Soldiers' reputation, will probably foolishly charge in and give it a shot. Then we'll have a good show to watch.

Zhu Jue thought for a moment, then said mysteriously, "You don't need to worry about that. Just focus on mobilizing ships, provisions, and supplies."

Okay, then I'll leave it at that.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Zhilong nodded without hesitation and said, "Your Majesty, I understand."

Zhu Jue thought for a moment, then carefully instructed, "Yun Teng, after you return, immediately send a messenger with an urgent message to the garrison commander of Hanzhong, telling him not to concern himself with the White-Spear Soldiers."

Just treat the White-Spear Soldiers as an army sent to suppress the rebels. Wherever they go, the Hanzhong army should retreat and avoid them, and not block their path.

Uh, will this work?
Upon hearing this, Pan Yunteng cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, do you mean to cede Lueyang and Shimen Pass to the White-Spear Army?"

This is natural.

Zhu Jue nodded without hesitation and said, "You can give Lueyang and Shimen Pass to the White-Spear Soldiers. This way, you will have more troops to guard the other five passages in the Qinling Mountains."

Alright, since you've said so, then we'll step aside and see what the White-Spear Soldiers are capable of.

Upon hearing this, Pan Yunteng nodded repeatedly and said, "This subordinate understands."

Now we can legitimately go and beat up Zhang Xianzhong.

Zhu Jue thought about it carefully again, and then decisively said: "Ruoyu, draft an imperial edict to order the Marquis of Nan'an to inspect Sichuan and the Marquis of Zhongzhen to march into Hanzhong to suppress the rebels."

Uh, who are you issuing this decree for?
Upon hearing this, Liu Ruoyu was taken aback for a moment before pulling out a blank imperial edict and writing furiously.

Zhu Jue, however, stared at the map, frowning in deep thought.

Zhang Xianzhong's surprise attack on Hanzhong was truly ruthless.

If Zhang Yun, the King of Hanzhong, were not Pan Yunteng, and had no reinforcements from his troops, this move would have been enough to cause the Hanzhong army a great deal of trouble.

This is because the main force of the Hanzhong army is currently in the Wangwu Mountain and Taihang Mountain line. It would take at least a month to get back. By the time the main force of the Hanzhong army gets back to reinforce, Zhang Xianzhong will have already broken through the Baoxie Road. The city of Hanzhong will probably have been captured by this guy. Who knows how many more cities in Hanzhong will be captured by this guy.

This will definitely throw Hanzhong into chaos, and the loss of their stronghold will certainly have a significant impact on the morale of the Hanzhong army.

More importantly, once the main force of the Hanzhong army returned, they would switch from defending the city to attacking it, and even 200,000 troops might not be enough.

If the Hanzhong army were to send back 300,000 to 400,000 troops, they would have little advantage against Gao Yingxiang's 800,000-plus troops, especially when Gao Yingxiang was defending the city and the Hanzhong army was attacking it.

In other words, without his reinforcements, this move could have broken the Hanzhong army's constant threat to the strongholds of the three powerful clans and eight imperial merchants in Puzhou.

This was a carefully laid plan of his, and these guys almost ruined it.

Are the three powerful clans and eight imperial merchants of Puzhou courting death?

He originally planned to deal with Huang Taiji first before dealing with the three powerful clans and eight imperial merchants in Puzhou.

It seems he underestimated these guys. If they were to interfere, it wouldn't be so easy for him to deal with Huang Taiji.

This can't go on. We need to find a way to deal with the three powerful clans and eight imperial merchants in Puzhou as soon as possible.

After thinking it over carefully, he decisively said, "Zhenghua, order someone to convey my oral decree, instructing Wenwei to return to the capital immediately for an audience."

This time, the Hanzhong army attacked Zezhou, Lu'an Prefecture, Liaozhou, and Qinzhou with a large number of secret guards. It is unknown how well the secret guards were deployed.

(End of this chapter)