The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the border troops, it was overthrown and the Qing Dynasty was destro

Chapter 106 The Ming Army After Taking the Drug
The news that Governor-General Yang He of the Three Border Regions had moved his post to Ningzhou was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly causing an uproar among the generals in Shaanxi!

"What?! Yang He has gone to the front lines in Ningzhou?!"

"Damn it, isn't this pedantic censor all talk and no action? He actually dares to risk his life?"

After a brief moment of shock, a chorus of curses erupted.

Which of these generals leading troops wasn't a seasoned veteran who had been in office for many years?
They could naturally see the intention behind Yang He's move: to force these cowardly fellows to immediately send troops to relieve the siege of Qingyang!
Despite their cursing, they still had to immediately muster their troops and head towards Qingyang Prefecture.

If Yang He really dies at the hands of the bandits, then every single one of those generals who stood by and watched their superior die will suffer the consequences!

When the court is enraged, they will be dismissed and investigated at best, and their property confiscated and they beheaded at worst.

"Pass down the order! Mobilize troops immediately! Rush to the aid of Qingyang!"

General Wang Chengen, who was still serving his sentence in Yulin Town, pulled out almost every last man who could move in Yulin Town, barely managing to gather more than 3,000 men, and hurriedly headed south to Ansai County.

The bandits were powerful, so he needed to join forces with He Huchen first, and together they would head towards Qingyang Prefecture.

He Huchen was also full of grievances at this time. He was not one of those who intentionally shirked responsibility or avoided the battle.

There was only one reason why he didn't go to Qingyang Prefecture: his troops urgently needed rest and recuperation.

The soldiers under He Huchen's command suffered a terrible fate. They had braved heavy snow to go on a campaign to wipe out Tan Xiong. Although they won the battle, the casualties were considerable.

Of his men, not many actually died in battle, but quite a few died from frostbite!

Before they could even catch their breath, they received orders to go and fight Shen Yikui to the death.

But there was nothing he could do. His superior, Yang He, had gone to Ningzhou to risk his life, so even if he was unwilling, he could only grit his teeth and urge his soldiers, who were suffering from frostbite, to head to Qingyang Prefecture.

Hong Chengchou, who was originally in charge of the pacification work in northern Shaanxi, directly abandoned the peasant army that had surrendered and then rebelled again, and personally led his elite troops straight towards Ningzhou!

Hong Chengchou was furious.

He had always scoffed at Yang He's policy of appeasement, believing it to be nothing but womanly compassion that would only breed trouble.

However, he couldn't fight against the powerful; both his superiors and the emperor wanted to appease him, so he could only dawdle in places like Qingjian and Yansui.

He even hoped that Shen Yikui would cause an even bigger disturbance, and that he could take Qingyang Prefecture in one fell swoop, so that the court would see Yang He's incompetence.

Then, in a fit of anger, the emperor dismissed Yang He from his post and investigated him, and then appointed himself as the governor of the three border regions.

Unexpectedly, Yang He has now used himself as bait to go to the front line. Now he has to lead his troops to rescue him. After all, it is a small matter if Yang He dies, but his official hat cannot be damaged.

When Yang He and his entourage appeared at the gates of Ningzhou, officials at all levels throughout Ningzhou were stunned.

Why did the Governor-General of the Three Borders come in person?

Zhou Riqiang, the prefect of Ningzhou, led a group of officials and nervously welcomed Yang He into the government office. The Ningzhou officials who had secretly packed their valuables and prepared to slip away could only give up on that idea and obediently went to greet Yang He.

After all, the governor-general has come to Ningzhou to take charge, where else can they run to?
"Governor Yang, why have you come to this?!"

On Sunday, with a pained expression, he advised,

"Ningzhou is directly facing the enemy's advance; it is far too dangerous! You are the pillar of the court in the northwest; how can you put yourself in such a perilous situation?"

"In my humble opinion, I would like to ask Governor Yang to temporarily retreat to Yijun County in the rear, and wait until the generals leading the troops have defeated the bandits before moving to Ningzhou."

Yang He sneered disdainfully, slammed his hand on the table, and said sharply:
"Refund my ass!"

"With the heart of Shaanxi behind me, where else can I retreat to? Are we to let these bandits march all the way to Xi'an and alert His Highness the Prince of Qin?!"

He surveyed the trembling officials below, his voice resolute.
"Tell the soldiers and civilians in the city that I am watching from this city wall! Even if I die, I will never retreat a single step!"

"I want to see whether I, the governor, will die first on the walls of Ningzhou, or whether those generals and adjutants will be the first to drive back Shen Yikui!"

At the same time, Shen Yikui, who was besieging Qingyang Prefecture, also keenly sensed that something was wrong.

He had just dispatched a portion of his troops to capture the neighboring Heshui County and take the county magistrate Jiang Yingchang prisoner. He was preparing to concentrate his main force to take Qingyang Prefecture City in one fell swoop.

Suddenly, the various government troops who had been beaten so badly that they dared not show their faces suddenly rushed towards him from all directions as if they had gone mad!

Their offensive was swift and fierce, showing no fear of death; they were completely different from the army of the previous few days!
"What's going on?! Have these government troops taken the wrong medicine?! They're fighting like they don't care about their lives."

Shen Yikui sat in the makeshift central command tent, listening to the various messages coming from his subordinates, his brows furrowed.

Zhang Yingchang, the deputy commander-in-chief who had been defeated by him, led his elite troops to join forces with the guerrilla battalion of guerrilla general Zuo Guangxian.

(The Ming Dynasty's border army was organized as follows: the General Commander led the standard troops, the Deputy General Commander led 3,000 men as the surprise troops, the Lieutenant General led 3,000 men as the mobile troops, and the Assistant Generals guarded various cities to provide support and reinforcements.)
The two government troops, like a sharp knife, pierced straight into the city of Qingyang from the direction of Huachi County in the east, and together with the defending army, launched a fierce attack on the main force besieging the city!
Meanwhile, in the direction of Heshui County to the east, the two generals, Wang Chengen and He Huchen, also mobilized their entire army to launch a fierce attack on the Heshui County city that they had just captured!
Soon after, reinforcements from Hong Chengchou, the governor of Yansui, arrived at the battlefield and joined the siege of Heshui County!
Under the relentless onslaught of the government troops, the troops sent by Shen Yikui to garrison Heshui County were the first to succumb and were declared lost in just two days!
The thousands of peasant soldiers who remained were all slaughtered!

Meanwhile, Shen Yikui's main force, which was besieging Qingyang Prefecture, was also forced into retreat by the combined attack of Zhang Yingchang and Zuo Guangxian, suffering heavy casualties.

The scales of victory seemed to tip in favor of the government troops overnight!
Just as Shen Yikui's main force was about to be surrounded in Qingyang Prefecture, the generals of various government armies prepared to make a final push to completely annihilate this peasant army.

An unexpected order came from Ningzhou in the rear!
"Cease the attack! Appease Shen Yikui's troops!"

It turned out that just as the government troops had captured Heshui County, Yang He, sitting in Ningzhou, keenly realized that Shen Yikui was about to be jointly annihilated.

He immediately dispatched his personal guards, carrying the governor's flag and command arrows, to the front line, ordering all units to immediately cease their attack and remain in place!
The generals were all puzzled when they received the order, and they grabbed the messenger demanding an explanation.

But the messenger stammered and couldn't get a clear answer.

No one could understand why, at this crucial moment, Yang He had suddenly remembered his long-cherished policy of appeasement.

(End of this chapter)