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

Chapter 202 Preparing to Enter Shu
With Cao Wenzhao captured alive, the last vestige of resistance on the battlefield vanished.

Speaking of which, Cao Wenzhao is also Jiang Han's old rival.

From Shanxi and Henan to Shaanxi, Jiang Han's troops fought against him across the three provinces, engaging in more than ten battles of varying sizes. Both sides had their share of victories and defeats, but neither side was able to completely defeat the other.

Now, this long-time adversary has finally been captured alive, and Li Laowai is so excited that his face is flushed.

He personally stepped forward, tied Cao Wenzhao up like a rice dumpling, threw him onto the horse's back, and then triumphantly escorted him to chase after Jiang Han's main force with Shao Yong.

After this battle, Hong Chengchou lost most of his cavalry.

Only Cao Bianjiao remained, leading four or five hundred defeated soldiers, fleeing back to the main camp in a sorry state, no longer daring to pursue Jiang Han.

Without the pressure of pursuers, Jiang Han's troops advanced unimpeded, and the soldiers along the way fled at the mere sight of them, with no one daring to stop them.

Thus, Jiang Han, Li Laowai, Shao Yong, and others successfully joined forces and took advantage of the situation to break through Xiaoguan Pass, marching back to the Guanzhong Plain in a mighty force.

Time flies, and July is here in the blink of an eye.

The entire land of Shaanxi seemed to have become a giant furnace, with the scorching sun hanging in the sky, mercilessly baking everything.

The official road was sweltering, without even a breath of wind, and the air itself was slightly distorted by the intense heat.

Meanwhile, Jiang Han had already captured Fengxiang Prefecture and firmly occupied the Chencang County area.

Once he had established himself, the first thing Jiang Han needed to do was deal with Cao Wenzhao, this menace.

To be honest, Cao Wenzhao doesn't have many days left to live.

Previously on the battlefield, his right palm was pierced by an arrow from Shao Yong. In this hot weather, the wound quickly became inflamed and suppurated, his entire palm swelled up, emitting a foul odor, and he developed a high fever, on the verge of death.

Despite Jiang Han's principle of "the prisoner must be kept alive" and having the best medic in the army treat him, it was ultimately too late; the wound's rotting trend could not be stopped.

"Chopped."

Jiang Han's command was simple and cold.

Upon receiving the order, the physician immediately chopped off Cao Wenzhao's right hand with an axe. Then, amidst Cao Wenzhao's screams, he used a red-hot branding iron to disinfect and stop the bleeding.

The intense pain caused Cao Wenzhao to faint several times, but fortunately, his life was temporarily saved.

Jiang Han went to such great lengths to save his life, certainly not out of any kindness.

His purpose in doing this was to bring Cao Wenzhao, the executioner who wantonly slaughtered the people, back to the people of Guanzhong alive.

When Cao Wenzhao was suppressing bandits in Shaanxi, he caused a lot of trouble for the people of Guanzhong.

Now that Jiang Han has captured him alive, he intends to publicly execute him in front of the people of Guanzhong, displaying his head as a warning to all.

Jiang Han originally wanted to find someone to cut Cao Wenzhao into a thousand pieces.

To his utter surprise, after searching the entire Fengxiang Prefecture for executioners, he found not a single one who knew the skill of "slicing people apart".

This is a delicate technical job, requiring the skill to "slice flesh without drawing blood, and cut the feet a thousand times without killing the prisoner."

Ordinary executioners who only know how to behead people simply cannot do this job.

In ancient times, this craft was passed down secretly within families or between masters and apprentices, and was never revealed to outsiders.

Left with no other option, Jiang Han had to settle for a public beheading.

He posted notices, inviting people from several counties and prefectures near Fengxiang Prefecture to come and watch the execution.

Ordinary people have little interest in killing. In these chaotic times, it's just a matter of someone dying; it's rare for someone not to die every day.

But when they heard that the person to be killed was actually the imperial general, Cao Wenzhao, who had previously slaughtered and plundered people all over Guanzhong, the entire Fengxiang Prefecture was in an uproar!

Countless people flocked from all directions to the prefectural city, eager to witness Cao Wenzhao's fate.

Before the execution, Jiang Han specially arranged for a prison van to parade Cao Wenzhao through the streets.

Although the people didn't have rotten eggs in their hands, they could easily find stones, mud, and rotten tree roots by the roadside.

Wherever the prison van passed, it drew huge crowds, their emotions running high.

Countless debris rained down on Cao Wenzhao. If it weren't for the soldiers stopping him, Cao Wenzhao would probably have been beaten to death by the angry crowd before he even reached the execution ground.

Jiang Han, mounted on his horse, looked at Cao Wenzhao, covered in blood, in the prison cart, feeling immense satisfaction.

He asked with a cold smile:
"Hey, how's it going, Mr. Cao?"

"Back then, you committed countless atrocities in Shaanxi, burning, killing, and looting everywhere. Did you ever imagine that you would end up like this?"

Cao Wenzhao wiped the blood from his face with his only remaining left hand, gritted his teeth, and turned his head, his eyes filled with resentment:

"Hmph! You surnamed Jiang, you're quite the hero of your own right."

"Now you're resorting to all sorts of underhanded means to deliberately humiliate me. Don't you think that's utterly despicable?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Han burst into laughter:
"I deliberately humiliated you? Cao Wenzhao, you overestimate yourself!"

He pointed his riding crop at the agitated crowd, his voice suddenly turning cold:
"I am carrying out a just and lawful execution; I am killing you, and my execution is justified and justified!"

"Open your dog eyes and take a good look. In the Fengxiang area alone, so many people have come specifically to watch you be executed."

Instead of reflecting on your own actions and the heinous crimes you've committed, you think I'm deliberately humiliating you?

Cao Wenzhao, however, remained stubbornly defiant:
"Reflect on what?"

"As the General of the Ming Dynasty, I am entrusted with the Emperor's mandate to protect the borders and the people, and to quell the bandits. What crime have I committed?!"

"Protect the territory and ensure the safety of the people?"

"Hahaha, how dare you say that? You're utterly shameless!"

Jiang Han's laughter stopped abruptly, his face darkening.
"You and your nephew Cao Bianjiao, how many villages have you slaughtered in Shanxi and Shaanxi? How much innocent blood have you spilled on your hands? Don't you know the answer to that?"

"Aren't these people considered 'citizens'?"

"Or is it that in your eyes, only those bloated, wealthy merchants and gentry, and well-dressed officials and princes, are considered commoners?"

"Are these millions of struggling, impoverished people just destined to be treated worse than pigs and dogs, to be slaughtered and plundered at your mercy?!"

A series of questions struck Cao Wenzhao's heart like a heavy hammer.

He was speechless, his face turning from red to white, and in the end he could only turn his head away in embarrassment, not daring to look at Jiang Han again.

The execution ground was filled with a cacophony of voices.

Jiang Han stood proudly on the execution platform, while Cao Wenzhao was forced to kneel down by two burly soldiers.

The surrounding area was dark, filled with soldiers and civilians who had come to watch the execution, their eyes burning with anger.

Jiang Han slowly scanned the entire room, finally fixing his gaze on Cao Wenzhao.

He picked up the list of crimes that Zhao Sheng had already prepared, cleared his throat, and read it aloud:
"...Cao Wenzhao, the deputy commander of the Yansui East Route, has allowed his troops to slaughter civilians and plunder everywhere, treating the people like dirt. His actions are a hundred times more brutal than those of bandits!" "You are called government soldiers, but in reality you are bandits; wherever you go, lives are lost and everything is scorched earth!"

"This is an outrage against Heaven and the people, an unforgivable crime!"

"Today, I, Jiang Han, will act on behalf of Heaven to punish the wicked and avenge the people!"

The execution ground was completely silent. Jiang Han's words were firm and powerful, clearly echoing in every corner of the execution ground.

As soon as he finished speaking, he grabbed the command token, threw it to the ground, and shouted sternly:

"Guards! Behead him and display his head as a public spectacle!"

With a loud shout from Jiang Han, Li Laowai, who had been waiting for a long time, stepped forward.

He was shirtless, revealing his bulging muscles, and he held his hundred-times-forged steel sword in his hand.

He walked behind Cao Wenzhao, and imitating the executioner, spat twice into his palms and gripped the hilt of the knife tightly with both hands.

Cao Wenzhao, who was ahead, seemed to sense something and stopped struggling. He slowly raised his head, looked at the horizon, and had a complicated look in his eyes, as if he was thinking about something.

Li Laowai took a deep breath, his arm muscles bulged, and with all his might, he swung the knife down at the back of Cao Wenzhao's neck!

puff!

With a jet of blood shooting into the sky, Cao Wenzhao's head rolled to the ground, and the blood instantly stained the entire execution platform red.

"it is good!!"

"Well done!!"

After a brief silence, thunderous cheers erupted around the execution ground. Countless people embraced each other and wept with excitement, bowing their heads to Jiang Han on the execution platform and shouting, "Your Honor, the Upright Judge!"

As Jiang Han watched Cao Wenzhao's head fall to the ground, a sense of regret arose in his heart.

To be honest, looking at the entire late Ming Dynasty, Cao Wenzhao was definitely one of the most capable and daring generals.

Unfortunately, these people's vision and character are just like that of the emperor sitting in the Forbidden City; they never regard the common people at the bottom of society as human beings.

Historically, Cao Wenzhao's most significant achievement was suppressing peasant armies.

However, he is by no means what many people say: "expert in internal warfare, but incompetent in external warfare."

During his time guarding Datong, this man took the initiative to attack the Later Jin Tartars several times and repelled the Qing troops. There is no truth to the claim that he fled at the first sign of trouble.

(Although Zhen Chen did not achieve a major victory in Cao Wenzhao, he provided support in all directions. His actions included the surprise attack on the Sanggan River camp, the beheading at Shili River, the desperate battle under the city walls, the capture of the enemy's enemy, the fierce battle at the fortified the enemy, the pursuit of the enemy after the enemy was captured, and the swift rush to the east to provide reinforcements. All of these were his achievements. —Ming and Qing Historical Materials, Volume A, Book 9, page 802)
This man, hailed as "the best general of the late Ming Dynasty," became an accomplice to tyranny and slaughtered the people.

Ultimately, it fell into Jiang Han's hands. It was tragic and lamentable, but it was also deserved.

After executing Cao Wenzhao, Jiang Han was about to begin preparations for entering Shu.

Although it is currently the height of summer and the heat is unbearable, making it unsuitable for a large army to undertake a long-distance campaign, pre-battle planning is still necessary.

After several days of careful consideration, and in conjunction with the intelligence gathered by his generals, Jiang Han finally finalized the marching route into Shu.

To enter Sichuan, one must first pass through Guanzhong and enter Hanzhong.

In ancient times, there were four official roads to choose from to cross the Qinling Mountains from Guanzhong and enter the Hanzhong Basin: Baoxie Road, Ziwu Road, Tangluo Road, and Chencang Ancient Road.

After carefully comparing and analyzing the four routes, Jiang Han finally chose to take the Chencang Ancient Road.

The decision to take the Chencang Ancient Road was based on the current situation and geographical conditions.

The Baoxie Road passes through Mei County, the Tangluo Road passes through Zhouzhi, and the Ziwu Road is right under the nose of Xi'an Prefecture.

However, the starting point of the Chencang Road is in Chencang County, where Jiang Han's troops are currently stationed.

Blocking his way was the famous Sanguan Pass.

This place is the Sanguan Pass mentioned in the poem by Lu You, a poet of the Southern Song Dynasty: "Warships sail through the snowy night at Guazhou Ferry, iron horses gallop through the autumn wind at Dasanguan Pass."

Sanguan Pass during the Southern Song Dynasty was the front line of the war between the Song and Jin dynasties. Its strategic location was extremely important, and it was a key military town for resisting the Jin army's entry into Sichuan from Shaanxi.

The location of Dasanguan Pass is extremely important, as clearly recorded in the Fangyu Jiyao (Records of Geography):

"The Guanzhong Plain is a confluence of mountains and rivers, controlling the intersection of North and South. Without it, the North cannot open up Liangyi; without it, the South cannot conquer Guanzhong."

However, times have changed. In the Ming Dynasty, the military function of Dasanguan Pass had been greatly weakened, and it had basically become an ordinary transportation hub with extremely lax defenses.

This is undoubtedly a huge advantage for Jiang Han, who wants to take the Chencang route.

To travel along the ancient Chencang road, one must first breach the Dasanguan Pass.

Jiang Han's plan was to start from Chencang, take Sanguan first, then march south, pass Huangniupu to reach Fengzhou, then turn southeast from Fengzhou, pass Liuba, and finally arrive at Mianxian, the gateway to Hanzhong.

(Note: Turning southwest from Fengzhou, the route goes through Qingni Ridge, Lueyang, and Mian County. This route was the main route of Chencang Road before the Tang Dynasty, but it was changed and no longer passes through this area during the Ming Dynasty. Changzhai in the map is Mian County, a key location controlling the Jinniu Road and Micang Road.)
The biggest advantage of Chencang Road lies in its road conditions.

This route was also known as the "Lianyun Plank Road" in the Ming Dynasty, but it was no longer the traditional wooden plank road built along the cliff.

Instead, it underwent large-scale renovations by the government and was rebuilt into a more sturdy and durable "Bian Road".

A "bianlu" is a road that is carved directly into the mountainside in areas with rapid water flow or steep cliffs, with one side against the mountain and the other facing the river.

Its roadbed is made of earth and stone, which is much stronger than wooden boardwalks and has a greater load-bearing capacity. Furthermore, due to its higher elevation, it is less likely to be destroyed by flash floods in summer and autumn.

The "Yu Cheng Ji" records: "The plank road in Shaanxi is 420 li long, starting from Caolianglou in Feng County, where the plank road was first built."

It is also recorded in Wang Shixing's "Guangzhiyi" from the Ming Dynasty:

"The plank road has been known as dangerous since ancient times, but it is no longer so today. It has been repaired and rebuilt over the years, and can now be traveled side by side by two sedan chairs and four horses."
"Although the plank road is called Sichuan, it is actually in Shaanxi today."
"The plank roads of today are not what they used to be; they can now be used by carriages and horses side by side, making them a thoroughfare."

This means that Jiang Han's supply wagons, heavy artillery, and thousands of cavalry can all pass smoothly on this road.

The plan was perfect, and the route had been chosen, but there was a fatal problem.

Jiang Han did not have a single guide familiar with the Qinling Mountains.

The Qinling Mountains stretch for thousands of miles, crisscrossed by ravines. Even with the official roads, the hidden paths, ambush passes, campsites, and water sources along the way cannot be fully depicted on a map.

Without a reliable guide, the army's reckless entry into these unfamiliar, towering mountains would be tantamount to placing themselves and their soldiers in grave danger.

This is something Jiang Han absolutely cannot accept.

Therefore, he specially sent people to inquire everywhere, hoping to find Li Zicheng's whereabouts.

However, the intelligence they finally received was not optimistic.

Deng Qi, the deputy commander of Sichuan, relentlessly pursued Li Zicheng. He led his elite troops, braving hardships, and spent several months trekking through the forests of the Qinling Mountains, determined to annihilate Li Zicheng.

Li Zicheng had no choice but to retreat deep into the Qinling Mountains, and it is now unknown which ravine he is hiding in to recuperate.

Jiang Han couldn't find Li Zicheng and his troops for the time being.

　I fell asleep while researching yesterday, lying in a chair until three or four in the morning.
　　sorry
　　
　
(End of this chapter)