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

Chapter 215 Martial Arts Champion? I'll slaughter the Martial Arts Champion!
The government troops' encirclement was like a tightening noose, strangling the rebels.

An atmosphere of despair permeated every corner.

After the rebel army's "chief commander" Wang Ziyong died from his injuries, the army completely lost its backbone.

The series of crushing defeats completely eroded their remaining spirit.

Inside the command tent, a semblance of calm could be maintained; but outside the tent, many soldiers and officers were already harboring their own ulterior motives and plotting their own schemes.

Some people thought of preserving their strength and finding an opportunity to break away from the main force and bypass the government troops' encirclement by taking a side road;
Some were even secretly plotting whether to surrender to the government troops with the heads of their comrades in exchange for wealth and glory.

Just when the army was on the verge of collapse, after an emergency discussion among the leaders of various battalions, Gao Yingxiang, the rebel leader, was elected as the new commander-in-chief of the rebel army.

Although Gao Yingxiang was appointed to take charge in a time of crisis, he was not happy at all.

He knew very well what a mess he had inherited.

After taking office, Gao Yingxiang immediately convened leaders of all ranks to hold a meeting and unify their thinking.

The atmosphere in the dimly lit command tent was incredibly oppressive.

Gao Yingxiang sat at the head of the table, his gaze slowly sweeping over the many leaders below, each with their own thoughts.

After a long silence, he spoke in a hoarse voice, his tone earnest and earnest:

"Brothers!"

“I know that many of you pushed me into this position simply to use me, Gao, as a scapegoat.”

"I'm afraid you've already planned in your hearts that when I lead the main force to fight the government troops to the death, you will switch sides and join the government troops, isn't that right?"

These words, though spoken lightly, struck everyone's hearts like a heavy hammer.

Inside the tent, a deathly silence fell instantly; you could hear a pin drop.

The leaders present initially thought that Gao Yingxiang had summoned everyone here simply to offer some old rhetoric to boost morale, agree to fight the enemy together, and not to be cowardly.

But to their utter surprise, Gao Yingxiang immediately saw through their little scheme.

Looking at the expressions of astonishment, shame, or anger on the faces of the crowd, Gao Yingxiang sneered and continued:

"I've gathered everyone here today because I want to ask you all some questions."

"Do you think that if I, Gao, die, the government troops will really let you go?"

"Putting everything else aside, just take Hong Chengchou for example. Who doesn't know his reputation for killing surrendered soldiers?"

"Even if you are lucky enough to escape Hong Chengchou and successfully surrender to the government troops, do you think the court will allow you to continue leading troops?"

"The best outcome would be to strip you of your military power and send you to live as wealthy men."

Gao Yingxiang sighed and patted his chest.
"Ask yourselves honestly, if you didn't have soldiers or power, could you live a stable life as wealthy men?"

"Forget about prefects and magistrates; by then, even a lowly clerk will be able to ride roughshod over you!"

"Have you all forgotten the days when you were treated like slaves by the imperial court?"

"That's all I have to say. Whether you follow me and fight your way out or kneel down and go back to be the court's dogs, you should think it over carefully."

After saying that, Gao Yingxiang put his hands in front of his chest, leaned back in his chair, and began to close his eyes to rest.

Upon hearing this, the leaders present exchanged bewildered glances, somewhat at a loss for words.

Upon closer examination, Gao Yingxiang's words do indeed make some sense.

Along their journey, they plundered quite a lot of gold and silver treasures.

But the question is, if the government troops surrender, can these things be preserved?
The imperial court has been going back on its word and discarding its tools after they've served their purpose for a long time, and no one dares to risk their life for it.

But the encirclement by government troops is tightening.

They made more than a dozen attempts to break through the siege, suffering heavy losses, including the death of the previous commander-in-chief, Pan Wang Ziyong, who was seriously wounded.

If they could win, who would be willing to surrender?
The rebel army is now in a dilemma: if they fight, they can't win; if they surrender, they fear being punished later.

Suddenly, a heated argument broke out among the people inside the tent.

Some people say that we should break out in small groups, so that we are smaller targets and it will be easier to break through.
Some people said that we should concentrate all our superior forces in order to break through the government troops' encirclement.

In any case, both sides have their own reasons, and neither can convince the other.

At this moment, Gao Yingxiang remained seated at the head of the table, not saying a word, but simply listening to the arguments of the leaders inside the tent.

After a long argument, things finally calmed down inside the tent.

Seeing that they couldn't reach a conclusion by arguing, everyone could only place their hopes on Gao Yingxiang.

We want this newly appointed manager to come up with some rules and regulations.

Seeing this, Gao Yingxiang slowly straightened up and analyzed in a deep voice:

"It's probably too late to try to break out now. The imperial army is very close, and we can't shake them off anytime soon."

“Small units are likely to be unable to break through the government troops’ defenses and will only be divided, surrounded, and defeated one by one.”

"In my opinion, we should concentrate our forces and find a weak point in the government troops' defenses to break through."

Having said that, he slowly rose and unfolded the map:

"I plan to return to Xing'an Prefecture and break out from the vicinity of Pingli County."

Upon hearing this, the assembled leaders immediately erupted in uproar.

"Xing'an Prefecture?"

"Stop taking the plate! Absolutely not!"

Zhang Yingjin, the "King of Chaos," immediately stepped forward, his face filled with astonishment.
"Didn't we just go to the Xing'an Prefecture area a while ago?"

"Wang Laiping, the garrison commander of Xing'an Prefecture, is unstoppable."

"He only brought twelve riders, yet he routed us. Has the manager forgotten?"

"I've also heard that this guy is the martial arts champion personally selected by the emperor, and he's the bravest warrior in the army. Should we...should we go and cause him trouble?"

"This isn't breaking out; it's practically suicide!"

As soon as Zhang Yingjin said this, dissenting voices rose and fell in the command tent. Most of the leaders present disagreed with breaking out from the Xing'an Prefecture area.

Upon seeing this, Gao Yingxiang slammed his hand on the table, the loud noise silencing everyone else.

With a fierce determination in his heart and his eyes bloodshot, he roared, enunciating each word clearly:

"What's wrong with the martial arts champion?"

"I'll kill the martial arts champion!"

Everyone was stunned, not understanding why Gao Yingxiang insisted on taking on this tough challenge.

Gao Yingxiang glanced around at everyone and coldly explained:

"You only saw Wang Laipin's bravery, but you didn't see his stupidity!"

"Why did we lose last time? Let me tell you!"

He stood up and paced back and forth in the lobby, carefully analyzing the previous battle:
"First of all, we just suffered a major defeat at the hands of King Lu in Zhushan County. With the recent loss of our commander, Pan Xinsang, morale was already low, and everyone was afraid to fight."

"Furthermore, when Wang Laipin charged into the enemy lines, his momentum was truly terrifying. Many of the brothers in the army were intimidated by him and dared not go forward."

"Think about it carefully. How many of you have already chickened out before the battle even starts, afraid to lead your troops forward for fear of being slaughtered by this guy?"

"Finally, and most importantly, the various battalions among us are not of one mind when fighting, and are simply unable to form a united force."

"Otherwise, even if Wang Laipin really had three heads and six arms, he still couldn't break through an army of tens of thousands!"

Gao Yingxiang's words were reasonable and well-founded.

He ruthlessly exposed the biggest weakness of this rebel army: a lack of unity among its members.

Although the rebel army was nominally under a general leader, they each led their own armies in actual battles.

Many people only want to preserve their strength and have no intention of fighting a tough battle.

But Zhang Yingjin was still somewhat unconvinced and stubbornly retorted:
"Even if we are truly united this time, how can we guarantee that we will definitely defeat that guy surnamed Wang?"

"To say that you're in charge of the plate is far too optimistic."

"This fellow is a true warrior!"

Gao Yingxiang shook his head, a cold smile curling at the corner of his lips:
"you are wrong!"

"To put it nicely, he's a fierce general; to put it bluntly, he's a reckless brute!"

"I could tell from our last encounter that this guy is overconfident in his strength and underestimates his opponent."

"He relied on his martial arts skills and became arrogant. When fighting, he relied entirely on his courage and had no strategy whatsoever."

"What this guy likes most is to lead his personal guards deep into enemy territory, leaving his main force far behind."

"To deal with this kind of reckless brute, we can set a trap for him and surround him somewhere!"

After hearing Gao Yingxiang's words, Zhang Yingjin still hesitated and subconsciously wanted to refute them:

"But……"

Gao Yingxiang suddenly raised his hand, interrupting him, and shouted sharply:

"There are no 'buts' anymore! If we hesitate any longer and keep looking back, none of us will escape!"

"You rascal! If you have a better idea, then say it in front of all the brothers!"

"Don't just open your mouth to object!"

"If everyone thinks your method is feasible, I, Gao Yingxiang, am willing to step down!"

"You take the lead and lead us out of here!"

Having said all that, Zhang Yingjin could only awkwardly back down, not daring to utter another word.

Seeing that no one else dared to step forward, the other leaders could only nod in agreement.

Seeing this, Gao Yingxiang nodded in satisfaction.

He looked around at everyone and said in a deep voice:
"I'm here today to tell you all the truth."

"This is a matter of life and death."

"Either we all unite as one and fight our way out of the government troops, or we should kneel down and surrender as soon as possible to avoid wasting our energy!"

“Since no one is willing to surrender, from today onwards, all battalion commanders and all brothers must obey my command.”

"Anyone who dares to shrink back, to be afraid of battle, or to avoid fighting, will be the first to have their head sacrificed as a sacrifice to the flag, regardless of our past relationship!"

"The choice is yours!"

His words were filled with murderous intent and carried a resounding weight.

The leaders present also understood that things had come to this point and there was no turning back.

They exchanged a glance, finally made up their minds, and together clasped their hands in a fist salute to Gao Yingxiang, shouting:

"They are at the mercy of the keeper!"

……

Gao Yingxiang's plan was simple: lure the enemy deep into his territory, then ambush and kill them.

Although it sounds a bit old-fashioned, it will surely be very effective in dealing with a brute like Wang Laipin.

Gao Yingxiang personally surveyed the terrain near Xing'an Prefecture repeatedly and finally chose a narrow pass as the ambush site.

Surrounded by mountains on two sides and lush forests all around, this place is known locally as "Chestnut Tree Flat".

After selecting the location, Gao Yingxiang gathered the elite veterans of the army and quietly hid them in the dense forests on both sides.

Then, he ordered Ma Shouying to lead the main force of cavalry and hide behind a hill not far away.

As soon as the signal sounded, Ma Shouying immediately led his troops to outflank the government troops and seal off the pass.

After doing all this, Gao Yingxiang called his younger brother, Gao Ying'en, nicknamed "Zhongdouxing," to his side.

He ordered Gao Ying'en to lead three thousand old, weak, sick, and disabled men as the vanguard to lure the enemy. Then, he had Zhang Xianzhong lead a supply train loaded with gold, silver, and silk closely behind Gao Ying'en's troops.

After everything was arranged, Gao Ying'en and Zhang Xianzhong embarked on their journey to the capital to lure the enemy.

Just as Gao Yingxiang had predicted.

When Wang Laipin's scouts discovered the approaching bandits, he was overjoyed.

He immediately led his Jizhou soldiers out of the city, intending to wipe out this reckless band of rebels in one fell swoop.

He had assumed that the bandits, having suffered a great loss in Xing'an Prefecture, would not dare to return anytime soon.

Unexpectedly, military merit still came knocking on my door.

When Wang Laipin led his troops to meet the enemy, the old and weak men under Gao Ying'en only put up a token resistance before kneeling down and surrendering.

Gao Ying'en and Zhang Xianzhong were terrified upon seeing this. They immediately led their personal guards and fled in disarray toward Lishuping, completely disregarding the troops and supplies ahead.

"Chase me!"

"We must capture the bandit leader!"

Seeing this, Wang Laipin immediately spurred his warhorse and led his cavalry to the front of the column without saying a word.

He had neither the time nor the inclination to care about the kneeling soldiers and baggage train.

Wang Laipin's eyes were fixed on the two figures frantically fleeing not far ahead.

His only thought was to kill the bandit leader in front of him and achieve great merit.

Although Wang Laipin charged out first, his infantrymen couldn't keep up.

They could only huff and puff, following desperately behind their commander.

The newly surrendered bandits were also cunning. They seized the opportunity to overturn several large wagons carrying supplies, scattering the gold, silver, and silk inside all over the ground.

Upon seeing this dazzling array of spoils, the Jizhou soldiers, who had just been chasing their commander, were instantly immobilized.

Ignoring Wang Laipin ahead, they immediately stopped and began to scramble for the gold, silver, and silk on the ground.

Many officers and soldiers even started fighting on the spot over a bolt of silk or a few ingots of silver.

Wang Laipin was unaware of all of this.

He had already led his cavalry far ahead, chasing the bandit leader to the outskirts of Chestnut Tree Flat.

Before us lay a narrow pass, flanked by deep, dense forests.

Upon seeing this, Wang Laipin's personal guard captain quickly stepped forward to dissuade him:
"General! We can't pursue them any further!"

"This place is treacherous; be careful, it might be a trap set by thieves!"

But Wang Laipin was already blinded by victory, how could he just watch his military achievements slip away?

So he turned and shouted angrily:
"What kind of ambush could a bunch of defeated soldiers have?"

"With over a hundred elite cavalrymen, are we afraid of him?"

"If you dare to utter another word and disrupt the morale of the army, I will execute you without mercy!"

Having said that, he ignored the advice of his personal guards and plunged headlong into the encirclement carefully set up by Gao Yingxiang.

Wang Laipin came from a poor family and was often ridiculed by others.

Before joining the army, he was a commoner with no official position and no formal military experience.

It wasn't until Wang Laipin passed the imperial martial arts examination that Emperor Chongzhen overruled public opinion and promoted him fourteen ranks, forcibly elevating him to the position of deputy commander-in-chief.

Zhu Youjian's original intention was to cultivate his own loyal followers in the army.

This naturally aroused dissatisfaction among other generals in the army.

There were quite a few capable generals during the late Ming Dynasty.

Almost all of them climbed up step by step with their own blood and sweat in real battles against the Mongol invaders.

Even military men from military families like Zuo Guangxian and Ai Wannian rose through the ranks by accumulating military merits from the bottom.

But now, this martial arts expert, who appeared out of nowhere, passed the imperial examination with his brute strength and caught the emperor's eye. He was able to rise to the same level as them and even become a deputy commander-in-chief.

How can they accept this?

Even if someone is the top scholar in the imperial examination, it's impossible for them to become a high-ranking official at the ministerial level right away, right?

When leading troops into battle, is it only a matter of individual martial arts skills?
A dignified deputy commander of Jizhou had never fought a single serious battle before taking office; it would be a laughing stock if word got out.

Ultimately, this matter boils down to Zhu Youjian's old habit of being eager to cultivate his own loyalists in the army without considering any other issues.

But the officials and generals below dared not pin the blame on the emperor.

Therefore, they could only band together to ostracize Wang Laipin, claiming that he was unworthy of his title and was just a "nepotism hire".

The phrase "not living up to its name" was like a thorn, deeply embedded in the heart of Wang Laipin, the newly appointed martial arts champion.

Ever since he became deputy commander-in-chief, he had been holding back a lot of anger.

Wang Laipin not only wanted to repay the emperor's kindness, but also wanted to prove his strength to everyone with a resounding victory and shed the label of "favored minister".

That's why Wang Laipin was so eager to fight and make a name for himself in battle.

But on the battlefield, the most taboo thing is "impatience".

Throughout history, countless valiant warriors have ultimately fallen victim to this.

As Wang Laiping led his personal guards, preparing to continue through the pass and pursue the bandit leader ahead...

A deep and long horn sound suddenly rang out from the mountaintop!
"Woo——"

Suddenly, thousands of elite veterans, who had been lying in ambush for a long time, rushed out from the dense forest on both sides of the pass!
The first to emerge were the archers and musketeers.

They emerged from the woods and, without even aiming, unleashed a torrent of fire at the narrow pass!

Gao Yingxiang has staked everything on this.

He gathered up all the gunpowder and arrows that the army had, determined to kill Wang Laipin, the deputy commander, in one battle.

A dense barrage of lead bullets rained down like a downpour, followed by a sky-covering rain of arrows.

However, Wang Laipin was wearing two layers of armor, one visible and one concealed, for cross-defense.

Although he was hit by several arrows, none of them pierced his armor, so he was not fatally wounded.

But his personal guards were not so lucky.

Many people didn't even have time to scream before they were shot off their horses in droves.

At this narrow pass, they had nowhere to hide and could only be used as live targets.

"Withdraw! Quickly withdraw!"

Without a second thought, Wang Laipin shouted the order to retreat.

At this moment, Ma Shouying's cavalry had already surrounded Wang Laipin from the outside, completely blocking his retreat.

The elite infantrymen of the old camp followed closely behind, surrounding Wang Laipin and his dozen or so personal guards.

Without a word, the infantrymen swarmed forward, intending to kill Wang Laipin on the spot.

Seeing himself surrounded and with nowhere to retreat, the first martial arts champion of the Ming Dynasty unleashed astonishing fighting power.

He grabbed a long spear and used it to protect himself completely, leaving no opening.

Any bandit soldiers who dared to step forward to fight were either stabbed through the throat by his spear or swept far away by his club!

Seeing this, Wang Laipin's personal guards also grabbed their swords and followed closely behind him, trying to fight their way out.

Wang Laipin was covered in blood. Relying on his courage and martial arts skills, he charged through the crowd, reaping the lives of the bandits.

He was like an unstoppable force in the crowd, unstoppable.

With a sweeping, powerful swing of his spear, he casually slashed, parried, thrust, and stabbed, and several bandits fell dead on the spot.

Even his personal guards dared not approach, and could only watch in amazement as their commander fought valiantly among the crowd.

As one veteran soldier after another fell, no one dared to step forward to fight anymore, and many leaders relapsed into their old habits.

As they watched Wang Laipin's bloodied figure fight, their hearts began to waver once again.

Seeing this from not far away, Gao Yingxiang almost bit his back teeth to pieces.

Damn it, what a bunch of rabble!
Despite having surrounded and killed the enemy general, they were instead forced into a series of defeats and forced to retreat, too afraid to advance.

He immediately drew his sword, pointed it at the cowering leaders, and roared:

"Listen to me!"

"This guy is already trapped. No matter how good he is at fighting, he's just a man with two shoulders supporting a head!"

"If you don't even dare to go up here, then you shouldn't even be thinking about rebelling!"

"Go home and take care of your children!"

Having said that, Gao Yingxiang took the lead and charged forward with his personal guards, determined to kill Wang Laipin on the spot.

Seeing Gao Yingxiang fighting bravely on the battlefield, the surrounding leaders also realized what was happening:
"The shopkeeper is right. We're all born of the same parents, so who's afraid of whom?"

"Brothers, follow me and kill this damn martial arts champion!"

Led by their respective leaders, the soldiers around them, their eyes red, surged forward from all directions like a tidal wave.

Although Wang Laipin was exceptionally brave, he was ultimately just a mortal.

Faced with the relentless attacks of the rebel army, his personal guards gradually succumbed and died one after another.

Although Wang Laipin was still fighting, he had already suffered several wounds and was gradually losing strength. The long spear in his hand was becoming heavier and heavier.

Finally, with a roar of resentment, he was pierced through the body by dozens of spears at the same time and pinned to the ground.

After surrounding and killing the government army's commander, Gao Yingxiang did not hesitate at all.

He immediately ordered his men to chop off Wang Laipin's head, hang it high in front of the battle lines, and then charged towards Xing'an Prefecture.

Meanwhile, the Jizhou soldiers on the outskirts had just finished dividing their spoils and were searching everywhere for their commander.

As a result, when they turned around, they found that their commander's head had been hung on the enemy's banner, swaying back and forth with the flag.

Seeing the enemy soldiers charging towards them, the soldiers from Jizhou turned tail and ran without saying a word.

But Ma Shouying's cavalry had already surrounded them and blocked their retreat.

Seeing no hope of escape, the government troops had no choice but to throw down their weapons and kneel down to surrender.

In this way, the main force of the government troops in the Xing'an Prefecture area was wiped out by Gao Yingxiang.

The rebel army successfully captured the prefectural city and the nearby Pingli County. After a period of extensive looting, their food supplies were replenished.

But their good days were short-lived, as pursuers surrounded them from all sides.

Lu Xiang-sheng on the eastern route, Deng Qi on the western route, and Cao Bian-jiao and He Ren-long on the rear route, once again formed a new encirclement.

"Master, the government troops are catching up again. Where should we go next?"

Inside the government office, many leaders looked at Gao Yingxiang, hoping he would come up with another idea.

After beheading Wang Laipin and capturing Xing'an Prefecture, Gao Yingxiang's prestige in the army increased significantly, and he finally secured his position as the overall commander.

He gazed at the map, pondered for a long time, and then slowly spoke:

“I heard that Jiang Han, the leader of the Western Route Army, has already established a foothold in Sichuan.”

He raised his head, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

"How about we head to Sichuan?"

"Let's see if we can join forces with Jiang Han to resist the government troops' encirclement and suppression."

(End of this chapter)