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

Chapter 192 The Lower-Ranking Imperial Clan of the Ming Dynasty

Inside the commander's tent, the flickering candlelight illuminated the map hanging in the center, casting it in a dim and intermittent light.

Zhao Sheng's account book hung like a sword over everyone's heads. In order to support his army, Jiang Han decided to target the Qing family in Yinchuan.

However, Ningxia Town, as one of the nine important border towns, and its most important town, Yinchuan, were not easy to capture.

Jiang Han needs to develop a detailed action plan.

Yinchuan City is located behind Lingzhou Post, where Ma Shilong is stationed, a straight-line distance of more than 120 li, with the Yellow River, a natural barrier in between.

General Ma Shilong of Ningxia stood guard on the only road to Yinchuan, like a roadblock.

Furthermore, he gathered the garrison troops from the nearby fortified outposts and deployed them along the Lingzhou line, clearly intending to rely on the fortified outposts to confront the enemy troops.

Ma Shilong was stalling for time, waiting for the imperial court's reinforcements.

Jiang Han was well aware of this, and after some discussion, he decided to split the forces into two groups.

One route, led by Shao Yong, bypassed the Lingzhou defense line, crossed the border from Ning'an Fort, followed the Helan Mountains, and arrived directly at the city of Yinchuan.

On the other side, he personally led the main force, adopting a posture of launching a strong attack to attract Ma Shilong's attention.

Jiang Han had figured it out: even if he led his army to break through Lingzhou Fortress from the front, Ma Shilong would still lead his troops back to Yinchuan to defend it.

Rather than fighting a hard-fought siege, it would be better to send men around to the rear and see if we could break through Yinchuan from the inside.

If that doesn't work, then create chaos within the city to force Ma Shilong to return to reinforce, and then send troops to intercept and kill the reinforcements.

With this in mind, Jiang Han handed over all the surrendered soldiers in Ningxia Town to Shao Yong, instructing him to carefully select several guides to prevent them from getting lost.

Because Ma Shilong had recalled all the border troops in the nearby fortresses to the rear, Shao Yong easily crossed the border wall and headed north.

Five days later, a dusty "caravan" appeared outside Yinchuan City.

Yinchuan, the capital of Ningxia, is protected by the Helan Mountains to the west and the Yellow River to the east, making it an impregnable fortress.

The entire city is rectangular in shape, longer in the east and west and shorter in the north and south. The city wall has a circumference of nine li, a height of three zhang and five chi, and a base width of two zhang. Outside the city, there is a moat that is two zhang deep and ten zhang wide, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Shao Yong originally thought that it would be very difficult to infiltrate Yinchuan City, but when he actually got close to the city gate, he found that the so-called "impregnable fortress" was just a facade.

Where the hell are there soldiers?
Apart from the deserting border soldiers and the elite troops that Ma Shilong had transferred to the front line in Lingzhou, the rest of the people left in the city were all the old, weak, sick and disabled.

Ningxia Town, once known as a vital border town, is now like a prostitute, where anyone can come and go as they please.

The six city gates were wide open, and the city guards, half-dead, leaned against the walls, basking in the sun, completely ignoring the passersby.

Shao Yong led five hundred elite soldiers disguised as merchants and swaggered in through the West Gate and Zhenyuan Gate.

Apart from the gatekeeper officer who shamelessly extorted a few taels of "entry tax" from him, no one asked him what they did for a living.

For these city guerrillas, every day was a day they could live.

As long as you have a Han Chinese face, they won't bother to say a word.

Entering the city through Zhenyuan Gate, after walking only a few steps, two magnificent mansions come into view.

Shao Yong initially thought it was the Prince of Qing's residence, but after inquiring, he learned that it was just the residence of two princes.

Shao Yong stared at the towering inner walls, somewhat speechless.

If the Prince of the County's mansion is this grand, then what must the Prince of the First Rank's mansion be like?

However, he did not linger for long. Instead, he led his team to a secluded area in the southwest corner of the city, where he booked several adjacent inns and settled his men and horses.

He climbed to the top floor of the inn and gazed into the distance.

Inside those princely mansions, there were carved beams and painted rafters, gardens and pavilions, artificial hills and flowing water, all extremely luxurious.

Well-dressed servants came and went in an endless stream, and the water mill and bamboo grove were filled with abundant fruits and vegetables, creating a scene of peace and prosperity.

Shao Yong had lived most of his life and had never seen such a prosperous scene.

Grand gates and courtyards, royal mansions and pavilions, shops lining the streets, vermilion walls and green tiles everywhere, the nobles dressed in their finest clothes constantly moving between the pavilions, as if living in another world.

In stark contrast, in the southwest corner of the city, there was a dense cluster of drafty thatched houses, and outside those houses, the poorly clothed people with blank expressions.

After settling everything in, Shao Yong, along with several capable guards, began a detailed reconnaissance of the situation in Yinchuan City.

The layout of the city is not complicated.

The core administrative and military areas were concentrated in the city center, where the Provincial Surveillance Commission, the Regional Military Commission, the Censorate, and even the residences of the garrison eunuchs were located.

What Shao Yong was most concerned about was the deployment of military units within the city.

The garrison posts of the five garrisons, including the Left Garrison and the Right Garrison, were distributed throughout the city.

Key military facilities such as the Shenji Battalion, the Miscellaneous Weapons Workshop, and the Armory Factory were concentrated in the northwest corner near Zhenwu Gate.

Several large granaries, such as Ningxia Granary and Reserve Granary, are located in the Pingtan Lane area.

After getting a general idea of ​​the situation in the city, Shao Yong discovered that, apart from that, the entire city of Yinchuan was filled with royal palaces!

There are as many as ten of them, of various sizes.

Outside the tall walls of each prince's mansion, as if it were a fixed scene, people who came to ask for work stood there.

The men bowed low, rolled up their trousers, and groveled before the gatekeeper, begging the nobleman in the palace to be lenient and give them a job.

Among the crowd were a large number of women, some of whom had lost their fathers or husbands, with straw tags stuck in their hair, wanting to sell themselves into the royal palace as slaves or maids.

Being a servant isn't so bad; at least you can at least get enough to eat.

Shao Yong witnessed a eunuch in a brocade robe covering his mouth and nose with a clean white handkerchief, standing outside the courtyard wall with a look of disgust on his face, looking at the group of smelly commoners.

Ahead were several eunuchs, picking and choosing among the crowd as if buying livestock, and finally led out three or five women who looked fairly presentable.

Those who were chosen felt as if they had been granted a pardon, and overjoyed, they kowtowed repeatedly to the gate of the Prince's mansion in gratitude.

Those who weren't chosen would cry and wail, clinging to the guards and tearing at their clothes, trying to get their way back until the guards beat them severely, leaving them bloodied and bruised, before they would finally let go.

But they didn't cry. They just wrapped their wounds in rags, feeling wronged, and continued to huddle silently at the base of the palace wall, secretly observing the pair of cold and majestic stone lions at the palace gate, waiting for the next opportunity.

Shao Yong noticed that among these ten princely mansions, the Shouyang Princely Mansion next to Bao'en Temple had the largest crowd gathered outside, while the Gongchang Princely Mansion, which they had passed earlier, was relatively deserted in comparison.

He didn't quite understand, but later the shopkeeper told him that these royal residences would purchase maids from time to time.

The Prince of Shouyang, having spent years practicing vegetarianism and chanting Buddhist prayers, had a slightly better temper than other princes; at least he wouldn't easily beat or kill his servants.

The Prince of Gongchang was known for his violent temper and often took pleasure in torturing his servants. It is said that no fewer than a hundred corpses were carried out of his mansion every year.

Shao Yong frowned deeply upon hearing this, a murderous intent rising within him.

He recalled a phrase the commander-in-chief often repeated:

"Sooner or later, we'll hang every single one of these Zhu bastards on the streetlights!"

Shao Yong didn't understand what a streetlamp was, but as he looked up at the signboard hanging high outside the inn, he silently murmured to himself:
"Hanging it here should be nice."

(Map of Yinchuan City)
Shao Yong only brought a little over five hundred men with him. It would be difficult for him to wreak havoc on the vast city of Yinchuan with such a small force. Although the city's garrison soldiers seemed to be having a rough time, Shao Yong couldn't very well just barge into the garrison and ask each of them if they wanted to join him in a rebellion, could he?
Therefore, he urgently needed to find a reliable inside man.

Before leaving, the commander-in-chief instructed that it would be best to look around the workshops and taverns in the city to see if there were any garrison soldiers who came out to do odd jobs.

Alternatively, they could simply use the pretext of recruiting workers for a caravan to see if they could contact a suitable inside agent.

Shao Yong first went to the area near the lumber mill in the northwest of the city, which was a residential area for military families and artisans.

He did find a few soldiers who had secretly come out to do odd jobs, but without exception, they all had families with them.

All they wanted was a few coins to supplement their household income. They would immediately become wary and avoid any sensitive topics.

Subsequently, Shao Yong tried recruiting workers at the entrances of the Zuotunwei and Youtunwei camps, saying that his caravan needed a group of laborers to move goods and that the wages were generous.

To his surprise, all those who came forward to take on the jobs were officers such as garrison commanders and guerrilla fighters.

Shao Yong knew all too well that these people were ostensibly trying to find a way out for their soldiers, but in reality, they were using them as laborers.

The morning and evening roll call was essential, and Shao Yong tried several times but couldn't find an opportunity to take advantage of it.

Just when he was at his wit's end, the appearance of one person brought a turning point to the situation.

This person came to us on their own initiative.

His name is Zhu Xing.

That day, as Shao Yong and his guards were discussing their next move, the innkeeper led in a thin, pale-faced young man.

"Sir, I heard your caravan is hiring. I have a young man I know well; see if he's suitable."

Shao Yong carefully examined the young man before him, and was about to refuse when the man seemed to have noticed something and quickly stepped forward, bowing respectfully.
"Esteemed sir, I am Zhu Xing. I've heard your merchant caravan is hiring. I am literate and can help you with your bookkeeping and accounting."

"If it's heavy work, I can help carry bags, as long as it's enough to make a living."

Upon hearing the man's words, Shao Yong's eyes narrowed instantly.

Surname Zhu? Could it be...?

After careful questioning, Shao Yong finally confirmed Zhu Xing's identity: a fallen member of the imperial family, a descendant of the dragon who had been demoted to a commoner.

Shao Yong saw the value in Zhu Xing and immediately recruited him into his team, paying him a considerable wage under the title of "bookkeeper".

Over time, the two became quite familiar with each other.

Shao Yong's generosity and respect allowed Zhu Xing, who had long suffered from humiliation and poverty, to feel a long-lost warmth and dignity, and he gradually came to regard Shao Yong as a confidant.

Seeing that the time was almost ripe, Shao Yong specially prepared a table of food and wine in the room and took the initiative to invite Zhu Xing to come and have a drink.

During the meal, Shao Yong frequently poured wine and added dishes for Zhu Xing, his words full of admiration and respect for the Zhu family.

Zhu Xing was not a good drinker to begin with, and with his heart full of frustration, after a few cups of strong liquor, his face turned red and he became more talkative.

"What are the advantages of having the surname Zhu?"

"The thing I hate most in my life is this character 'Zhu'! Once you're born, you can never get rid of it!"

He held his wine glass, looking at Shao Yong with a bitter expression.

"If I weren't surnamed Zhu, and if I weren't a member of the imperial clan, I could have taken the imperial examinations and earned a degree just like any other scholar!"

"With my talent and learning, I might be able to gain a good social standing?"

"But because of this surname, I can't do anything! All the government's stipends are given to the main branches, and we, the collateral branches, can hardly even get a sip of soup!"

"What kind of damn relatives are they? They don't even blink when it comes to profiting from someone who has no family to support. I only spoke out for justice, and I was removed from the imperial register and reduced to a commoner."

He grew angrier and angrier as he spoke, and at the height of his anger, he slammed the wine glass in his hand to the ground with a loud thud.

"I hate it! I hate that my surname is Zhu! I hate this damned Qing Prince!"

He slumped onto the table and burst into tears.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Shao Yong slowly moved closer to Zhu Xing.
"Brother Zhu, do you want to rebel?"

Under Zhu Xing's astonished gaze, Shao Yong slowly revealed his identity and looked at him solemnly.

"Done!"

Without the slightest hesitation or doubt, Zhu Xing made a resolute decision.

In fact, Zhu Xing's decision to rebel was not made on a whim.

This seed of rebellion had been buried in his heart for many years, just waiting for the right opportunity to take root and sprout.

His hatred stemmed from more than just poverty.

What torments people more than poverty is the daily humiliation.

The face of a servant who used to grovel before him, now able to boss him around;

It was the contemptuous look in the eyes of those wealthy members of the royal family who were his "uncles and brothers" that left him with the leftovers after the banquet, as if they were throwing them away to wild dogs.

It was also his elderly mother who, due to lack of money for medical treatment, could only groan in pain on her sickbed, and he was powerless to help her.

With Zhu Xing's promise, Shao Yong's plan was instantly put into action.

Relying on his familiarity with the intricate network of relationships in Yinchuan, Zhu Xing, along with Shao Yong, began to secretly make connections in the city's dark corners.

He contacted other members of the royal family who were also living in poverty and harboring resentment;
They also found many low-ranking garrison soldiers who were owed military pay and oppressed by officers;
They even made connections with some salt and iron smuggling gangs in the city.

During the contact, Zhu Xing told Shao Yong about Ningxia Town's unique "rebellious tradition".

Unlike mutinies in other border towns, the most famous rebellion in Ningxia Town's history was initiated by surrendered Mongol soldiers.

Back in the Jiajing era, the "Bo Bai Rebellion" broke out in Ningxia Town, shaking the Northwest.

At that time, Ningxia's military was in disarray, and its officials and generals were rampant.

The five guards, nominally stationed with 54,000 soldiers, had more than half deserted by the mid-Jiajing period, and those remaining were mostly old and weak, with little to no knowledge of archery, horsemanship, or firearms.

Meanwhile, the officers were rampant in seizing military farmland. Among them, the deputy commander-in-chief, Bo Bai, who was originally a Mongol who had surrendered, was the most greedy. He privately seized more than a thousand hectares of military farmland, causing ordinary soldiers to have "no crops in spring and no clothes in winter," and their complaints were widespread.

Finally, on New Year's Eve of the 27th year of the Jiajing reign, Bo Bai, taking advantage of the opportunity to reward his troops, incited his Mongol "Tuda" soldiers to mutini. With the help of those inside and outside, the rebel army quickly captured Ningxia Town.

Historical precedents gave Zhu Xing immense confidence and also gave Shao Yong hope for success.

Everything is ready, except for the final push.

Shao Yong immediately wrote a secret letter and entrusted it to one of his most trusted guards. Under the cover of night, the guard slipped out of the city through a weak point in the wall and returned to report to Jiang Han.

The letter contained only one short sentence:

"Firewood is ready in Yinchuan City. The fire will be lit in three days!"

　I've started working overtime again these past two days. I'll update more tomorrow.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)