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

Chapter 221 Chen Qiyu's Helplessness
It's too early to talk about the Tibetan Plateau.

Tsering didn't understand what the spirit of resistance was, so Li Zicheng decided to take him with him so he could see what was happening beyond the plateau.

It's okay if he doesn't understand now; he'll gradually understand once he's in the military.

Li Zicheng also came from a poor background; before his rebellion, he was a submissive citizen and a coward.

He only hopes that one day, Tsering will understand the true meaning of "Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?" and bring it to the people of the snowy region.

While the spirit of resistance is valuable, things become much more complicated once the banner of "punishing the guilty and relieving the people" is raised and one stands on the opposite side of the imperial court.

At this very moment, in the mountains of Hanzhong, thousands of miles away from the snowy region.

Tsering's predecessors, who were "making revolution," were all being chased around like chickens and dogs by the five provincial governors of the imperial court.

After Gao Yingxiang killed Wang Laipin in battle, he led tens of thousands of his soldiers into the continuous Qinling-Bashan Mountains in southern Hebei.

The rebel army's destination was to join forces with Jiang Han. If they could unite with Jiang Han's elite border troops, they would surely be able to easily crush the Ming court's encirclement and suppression.

However, the government troops would not let them succeed so easily.

How could someone who could become the governor of five provinces not have some real skills?

After Gao Yingxiang's troops entered the mountains of Hannan, Chen Qiyu keenly realized that the destination of this band of bandits was likely Sichuan.

Things will get complicated if these rebels join forces with the insurgents.

Chen Qiyu acted decisively, immediately dispatching Deng Qi and Lian Guoshi's troops from Hanzhong to march rapidly southeastward day and night, firmly blocking several key passes on the mountain roads leading to Sichuan and cutting off the enemy's escape route to the west.

At the same time, he ordered Lu Xiangsheng's troops stationed in Zhushan County and Tang Hui's troops stationed in Nanzhang County to launch a pincer movement from the northeast to the Hannan mountainous area where Gao Yingxiang might be hiding.

A large net was thus cast.

Originally, Chen Qiyu was worried that the bandits would split into several groups and slip away through some inconspicuous path, taking advantage of their familiarity with the mountains.

After all, the Qinling-Bashan Mountains stretch for thousands of miles, with ravines and gullies, so finding a few small groups of bandits scattered within them is like finding a needle in a haystack.

To his surprise, Lady Luck seemed to be on the side of the Ming Dynasty this time.

Gao Yingxiang's team lost their way in the mountains of Hannan.

But this is not surprising. Back then, in order to enter Sichuan from Guanzhong, Jiang Han deliberately left Li Zicheng and others to fight guerrilla warfare in the Guanzhong and Hanzhong areas.

This was all to find an escape route in advance and to find out the specific conditions of the several plank roads.

Gao Yingxiang fled in panic while being pursued by the Ming army, and had no time to make any preparations.

They couldn't even find many local guides before hastily venturing into these unfamiliar mountains.

For more than half a month, Gao Yingxiang's tens of thousands of troops wandered around in these towering mountains, unable to find a way out.

The grain plundered from Xing'an Prefecture was far from enough for these tens of thousands of people to squander, and it was all gone in no time. The rebels could only hunt and pick wild vegetables and fruits to fill their stomachs.

Springtime in the mountains of southern Han is, unfortunately, a season of continuous rain.

Fine rain fell endlessly from the sky, soaking through the tattered armor of the rebel soldiers, making their already cold bodies even stiffer.

Moreover, the rebels' weapons were also damaged to varying degrees.

The bowstrings loosened due to moisture and lost their strength; the waist knife and spear began to rust under the erosion of rainwater.
The warhorses' hooves were worn through on the slippery, muddy mountain road, and they collapsed and died by the roadside.

Hunger, cold, and disease quickly spread through the army.

Just as the morale and physical strength of the rebel army were on the verge of collapse, Chen Qiyu's several armies finally completed the encirclement.

They trapped all of Gao Yingxiang, Zhang Xianzhong's, and other main forces in a desperate place called "Chexiang Gorge".

Chexiang Gorge is a canyon located on the Hanzhong Plank Road. It is more than ten miles long from east to west, but only four or five miles wide.

The two walls are sheer cliffs, towering into the clouds.

The only exit is through two narrow valleys, one to the east and one to the west.

Now, these two valleys have been completely blocked by Deng Qi and Lu Xiang-sheng's heavy troops.

Within the canyon, the mountains are high and the roads are steep, the forests are dense and the grass is thick, and the population is sparse, making it extremely difficult to even find something to eat.

When Chen Qiyu learned that the main force of the rebel army was besieged in Chexiang Gorge, he immediately led his troops to Chexiang Gorge without hesitation.

He wanted to personally witness the downfall of these bandits.

If we were to ask which battle during the more than ten years of the Ming Dynasty's suppression of the rebel army at the end of the Ming Dynasty was most likely to have wiped out the rebels, it would undoubtedly be the Battle of Chexiang Gorge.

At this time, those who were tightly surrounded in the canyon included almost all the prominent figures of the peasant uprising army at the end of the Ming Dynasty.

This includes figures such as Gao Yingxiang (the rebel leader), Zhang Xianzhong (the Eight Great Kings), Luo Rucai (Cao Cao), Ma Shouying (the Hui Muslim), Liu Guoneng (the rebel leader who collapsed the sky), and Zhang Yichuan (the sweeping king).
It is no exaggeration to say that if Chen Qiyu could annihilate this band of rebels here, he could at least extend the life of the crumbling Ming Dynasty by a few more years, if not save the country.

At this moment, the Chexiang Gorge was filled with mournful cries and a gloomy atmosphere.

Gao Yingxiang, Zhang Xianzhong, and other leaders gathered in a dilapidated temporary shed, their faces as black as the bottom of a pot.

"Shopkeeper, we can't wait any longer! If we wait any longer, the brothers will starve to death here before the Ming army attacks!"

"Let's break through! Let's escape as many as we can!"

Zhang Xianzhong was extremely impatient, pacing back and forth in the thatched hut, which annoyed everyone watching.

Gao Yingxiang pointed towards the valley entrance, his voice hoarse.

"How are we supposed to fight? Look outside!"

"The government troops have blocked the exit like an iron barrel, how are we supposed to break through?"

"Besides, the brothers below haven't had a proper meal in days. They don't even have the strength to speak. How can they fight the government troops?"

Everyone fell silent; the current situation seemed to be a dead end.

Gao Yingxiang sighed:
"In my opinion, we should just lower our prices if it doesn't work out."

"Just like when we crossed the river to break out, we'll feign surrender first, and then charge out once the government troops are off guard."

Zhang Xianzhong hesitated upon hearing this:

"Master, even if these Ming soldiers are stupid, they should be able to see that we are feigning surrender."

"With past examples already laid out before them, do they really think they'll agree?"

Gao Yingxiang shook his head. Who can say for sure about such things?

"Let's try anything, even if it's a long shot."

"What? Surrender and offer amnesty?"

When Chen Qiyu heard the news brought by the rebel messenger, he almost burst out laughing on the spot.

He sat upright in the central command tent, looking down at the messenger inside, his face full of mockery.

"Do you take me for a three-year-old child?"

"Since the second year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, how many times have you surrendered and how many times have you rebelled?"

Chen Qiyu was not one of those hotheads who only knew how to talk the talk. He had dealt with these rebels in Shaanxi for many years and was very familiar with their tricks and tactics.

The talk of surrender and amnesty is nothing but a delaying tactic.

Once they catch their breath and leave this canyon, these fickle and unruly people will turn around and raise the flag of rebellion again, continuing to wreak havoc on the area.

He had seen this kind of scene dozens of times.

Chen Qiyu snorted coldly, his tone chilling:

"Men, drag this messenger out and behead him!"

"Throw the heads back, so those bandits will know that I only want their heads, not their surrender documents!"

When the leaders saw the messenger's head, their faces turned ashen.

The methods that used to work every time are completely useless now; it seems there's no escaping this time.

The atmosphere inside the thatched hut was extremely oppressive, with the shadow of death looming over everyone's hearts.

Zhang Xianzhong suddenly stood up, drew his sword,

"Damn it, let's fight them!"

"Even if I die, I'll die on the way to the front lines! I'd rather die a cowardly death!"

At this moment, all the other leaders remained silent, and no one stood up to respond to Zhang Xianzhong.

Even Gao Yingxiang, the overall manager, was somewhat dejected and couldn't muster any enthusiasm.

Just at this moment of despair, a voice suddenly came from a corner of the thatched hut:
"Don't give up yet, I have another plan!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Luo Rucai, nicknamed Cao Cao, standing out from the corner.

"Chen Qiyu is indestructible and won't fall for our tricks; but what about the generals around him?"

Everyone was immediately drawn to his words. Luo Rucai gave a cold laugh and continued:

"These government troops have been chasing us for almost half a year, enduring wind and rain, and suffering many casualties. Don't they have any thoughts about this?"

“If we win the battle, the credit will go to Chen Qiyu, and he can certainly be promoted and given a higher rank.”

"But what about the soldiers and officers below? As far as I know, the Ming court doesn't have that much reward money to distribute."

"In my opinion, we should use a large sum of money to bribe the people around Chen Qiyu and get them to exert their influence!"

Luo Rucai's words instantly invigorated the leaders present.

Yup!

In the Ming Dynasty's officialdom, from top to bottom, how many officials were not greedy for money?

Since the gold and silver treasures captured by the army were piled up like mountains and had been carried around with the army all along, they were a burden. It would be better to distribute them all and open up a way to survive.

Without further ado, the leaders immediately began searching for target candidates.

Soon, they spotted the general guarding the eastern pass.

This man is named Tang Tong. He is currently the garrison commander of Yulin and is considered part of the border army system. He was specially transferred from Yulin by Chen Qiyu to participate in the encirclement and suppression.

Many of the rebels came from Yulin and had connections with Tang Tong's subordinates, so they could talk to each other.

That night, Luo Rucai personally led several trusted men, carrying two heavy boxes, and secretly infiltrated Tang Tong's camp.

Tang Tong never expected that these bandits would be so bold as to sneak into his camp.

His first thought was that the enemy soldiers were using a trap and wanted to break through his defenses.

But when the two chests were opened in front of him, revealing neatly stacked gold and silver inside, Tang Tong fell silent.

Luo Rucai, observing the situation, leaned closer and whispered,
"General Tang, rest assured, we only want to survive and will never implicate you."

"This is just a deposit; ten more boxes will be delivered later."

Ten boxes?!
Upon hearing the figure, Tang Tong's last shred of reason was instantly overwhelmed by greed. Without a word, he accepted the silver and began to offer advice.

He knew that he, a mere garrison commander, was not enough to influence Chen Qiyu's decision.

To get things done, you need to bring in a powerful figure.

He introduced Luo Rucai to Fang Jin, the supervising eunuch in the army.

Fang Jin was originally a eunuch in the palace. He knew nothing about military affairs and had no courage. His only hobby was accumulating wealth.

At first, Fang Jin remained highly vigilant when Tang Tong mysteriously introduced him to a man who claimed to be a lobbyist.

Luo Rucai was a man of both flexibility and humility. The moment he saw Fang Jin, he knelt down and began to sob and plead his case:

"My lord, we were forced into becoming outlaws, but in reality we are all loyal subjects of the Ming Dynasty."

"We've come here only to ask that you, sir, intervene and show us the way!"

He wiped away his tears while glancing frequently at his trusted confidants behind him. Several of them understood and huffed and puffed as they carried in twenty chests of gold and silver.

"General Luo, what is the meaning of this?"

Fang Jin squinted and looked at Luo Rucai at her feet with a serious expression.

Luo Rucai sighed and continued to argue:
"Father-in-law, you flatter us. This is just a small token of our appreciation. We only ask that you put in a good word for us."

"We were framed by corrupt officials and had no other choice."

Fang Jin nodded, bent down, casually picked up a silver ingot, and smiled with narrowed eyes:
"Easy to say, easy to say!"

“Our family has always been compassionate and cannot stand fighting and killing.”

"Since you are willing to surrender to the court, I will naturally put in a good word for you with Governor Chen."

At this moment, a young eunuch beside Fang Jin whispered a reminder:

"Godfather, could there be a trap in this?"

"You know Governor Chen's temper; he's extremely intolerant of any wrongdoing. What if this is a trick by thieves?"

Fang Jin's eyes widened, and he casually tossed the official silver into the box, saying coldly:
"Who gave you the right to speak here?!"

“I saw it with my own eyes. General Luo was sincere and tearful. How could it be fake?”

"Besides, even if it's false, we're just passing on their message. Whether or not to accept it is up to Governor Chen to decide."

"If we can capture these tens of thousands of bandits without shedding a drop of blood, that would be an enormous achievement!"

"When His Majesty is greatly pleased, we will both benefit!"

Thus, tempted by gold and silver and fantasizing about making a name for himself, Fang Jin decided to have a serious talk with Chen Qiyu at the mobilization meeting a few days later.

Three days later, Chen Qiyu summoned his generals to discuss the general offensive.

He was in high spirits, excitedly planning the attack routes and timing for each force.

Just as he was about to give the order for the general offensive, a strange, sarcastic voice suddenly rang out from the corner.

"Governor Chen, wait a moment."

The speaker was Fang Jin, the supervising eunuch. He stood up slowly, fanning himself with a fan.

Chen Qiyu frowned, but still patiently asked:

"What advice does Eunuch Fang have for me?"

Fang Jin said with a forced smile,
"Don't take advice seriously."

"I heard yesterday that the bandits in the valley intend to surrender. I wonder what Your Excellency plans to do with them?"

Chen Qiyu's face darkened, and he said decisively:
"I have already reached a conclusion on this matter! This must be a feigned surrender. The enemy soldiers are cunning and treacherous, and should not be trusted."

"At dawn tomorrow, we will launch a general offensive as planned. There is no need for further discussion!"

Upon hearing this, Fang Jin's face revealed an extremely disdainful expression.

He didn't look at Chen Qiyu again, but turned to the little eunuch next to him and whispered in a low voice, interspersed with a few light laughs, extremely frivolous.

This behavior is the most blatant contempt for the authority of the head coach.

The generals in the tent immediately fell silent, and the atmosphere became extremely awkward.

Chen Qiyu's anger surged up instantly. He slammed his hand on the table, glared at Fang Jin, and shouted sharply:
"Eunuch Fang! Why must you say it in private?"

"Matters of national importance are not to be discussed here as if they were child's play!"

His voice, as loud as a bell, echoed in the command tent.

"Why don't we speak out and let everyone hear it? Let's see what brilliant ideas Eunuch Fang has!"

Despite Chen Qiyu's furious outburst, Fang Jin remained completely unfazed.

He leaned back in his chair, a sinister smile on his face, and slowly said:

"I say, the Governor is absolutely right!"

He paused, deliberately drawing out his words:

"The fact that he could decide whether to surrender and be granted amnesty based solely on his own conjecture shows that he was absolutely right."

"In my opinion, Governor Chen is comparable to the legendary Zhuge Liang!"

The sarcasm in those words was obvious even to a fool.

Before Chen Qiyu could lash out again, Fang Jin changed the subject:
"But I still feel that Governor Chen's decision was somewhat inappropriate."

"What if the thieves genuinely want to surrender this time?"

"That's tens of thousands of soldiers. If we can recruit them, we might be able to use them to wipe out the major bandits in Sichuan!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Qiyu trembled with anger.

That damned eunuch must have taken bribes from the thieves, otherwise why would he suddenly step forward to cause trouble?

However, Chen Qiyu had no evidence, and Fang Jin's proposal was procedurally sound.

Who would dare to stop someone from submitting a memorial to the emperor?
Who would dare to exterminate tens of thousands of soldiers who "intend to surrender" without the emperor's approval?
Chen Qiyu cannot bear this responsibility.

Looking at Fang Jin's smug face, Chen Qiyu felt weak all over and then slumped into a chair.

　There is now a theory that the Chexiang Gorge incident was fabricated by Chen Qiyu to claim credit.

　　The main argument is that the Chexiang Gorge location was never found, therefore the story is false.

　　But I don't think Chen Qiyu would dare to do that. With all sorts of people and tens of thousands of soldiers watching, would he dare to fabricate a non-existent battlefield?
　　Moreover, Lian Guoshi and others have submitted memorials to the court on this matter, so I think it's probably not fake; they just haven't found the right place yet.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)