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

Chapter 235 The Grassroots

Zhu Xieyuan's military orders were quickly relayed throughout Sichuan.

At the foot of Jiangyou City, Hou Liangzhu looked at the sternly worded command arrow in his hand, his face extremely gloomy.

Those damned civil officials, the moment they open their mouths, they have to lead their men to fight the bandits to the death.

Even if we win the battle, who knows how much of the military merit will be embezzled by them! It's simply outrageous!
Despite his complaints, Hou Liangzhu dared not continue to dawdle.

Otherwise, if Zhu Xieyuan were to impeach him, he would also be in a bad situation.

Hou Liangzhu put away the military order and waved his hand impatiently:
"Send the order!"

"Gather your troops and march towards Baoning Prefecture!"

While orders can be issued, there is always some room for maneuver in their execution.

Hou Liangzhu led his troops slowly and deliberately, clearly intending to delay the inevitable and avoid encountering the main force of the enemy prematurely.

On the other hand, the situation was completely different for Lieutenant General Ding Yunxiang.

He led three thousand elite troops and, urged on by Liu Hanru, the governor of Sichuan, who was traveling with him, quickly set off for Shiquan County in the west.

Liu Hanru failed to achieve anything at the gates of Jiangyou County. Instead, he was pursued and killed by Shao Yong's troops for hundreds of miles, suffering heavy losses and losing face.

From then on, he harbored a deep resentment and wanted to get revenge on the thieves.

He was overjoyed to receive Zhu Xieyuan's military order.

In his view, the main force of the rebel army was currently concentrated in the Baoning Prefecture area, leaving the rear vulnerable, which presented him with a great opportunity to make a name for himself.

Liu Hanru estimated that he would be able to break through the small town of Shiquan and strike at the enemy's lair in no more than three days.

Shiquan County was roughly located in the area of ​​present-day Beichuan Qiang Autonomous County, Sichuan Province. The area was mostly mountainous and had a rugged terrain.

More than three thousand Ming soldiers marched into this remote mountainous area, which naturally did not escape the eyes of the scouts along the way.

At this time, Li Zicheng had already received the warning and was working intensively to evacuate the people around Shiquan County.

To be honest, if he had enough manpower, he wouldn't have been willing to give up this county so easily.

Because of its proximity to Songpan Garrison, Shiquan County was once a frontline stronghold for the imperial court in governing the Qiang ethnic region during the Ming Dynasty.

Therefore, the city has a very advantageous geographical location, with a favorable situation where it is backed by high mountains and bordered by rivers on both sides.

However, due to years of disrepair, the east and south walls of the city had long since collapsed, and in a short period of time, it was impossible to find enough stone blocks to repair the walls.

According to reports from scouts at the front, the Ming army estimated that they would be at the city gates in two days at most.

With no other option, Li Zicheng had to abandon the defense of the city and instead withdraw the defensive line to the more dangerous northern mountainous area.

Fortunately, Shiquan County has a small population and only three or four villages in the surrounding area, so it is not difficult to relocate the people to the mountains for refuge.

He had already ordered the village heads and magistrates to organize the people to clear the fields and move all edible food and usable supplies to the mountains in advance.

Now, all that's left is for the last village, Shangling Village, to be evacuated, so that Li Zicheng can go all out and make a big splash.

He had already arranged for a large number of stone mines to be prepared in advance.

Once all the civilians had left, the militia under his command could lay stone mines on the official road, completely blocking the government army's northward advance.

Just as Li Zicheng was anxiously waiting, his militia captains Yu Chengye and Li Dingguo brought him bad news.

He Mingsheng, the village head of Shangling Village, rallied the villagers to openly defy orders and refuse to evacuate.

"What does that old man surnamed He mean?!"

"Why did things suddenly start commotion?"

Li Zicheng frowned as he looked at Yu Chengye, who had come to deliver the message.

Yu Chengye spat on the ground and roared:

"I don't know, that old man seems completely unyielding!"

“I’ve tried to persuade him several times, but he just won’t budge.”

Li Zicheng stroked his chin, utterly perplexed.

Where did these people get the audacity to disobey orders?

Could it be that after enjoying a few good days, they've already forgotten the court's grave shortcomings and immoral conduct?

"Let's go and have a look!"

He then led two teams of militiamen and rushed to Shangling Village.

At the village entrance, a group of villagers, led by the village head He Mingsheng, had been waiting for a long time.

He Mingsheng was an old scholar who had repeatedly failed the imperial examinations. In a remote place like Shangling Village, producing a scholar was already a remarkable achievement.

That's why the villagers elected him as the village head to manage village affairs.

Although He Mingsheng is over sixty years old, he still looks very energetic.

Instead of being afraid when he saw Li Zicheng, he greeted him with a smile:

"I was unaware of your presence, General. I apologize for not welcoming you properly."

He first gave a sour bow, then asked in a sarcastic tone:
"The government troops are currently marching towards Shiquan County. How can the general still have the mind to come to my Xialing Village?"

"Could it be that they've come here for sightseeing?"

Upon hearing this, Li Zicheng gave He Mingsheng a cold glance.

Besides corrupt officials, what he hated most in his life was this group of poor, arrogant people who thought they were superior just because they had read a few books of sages.

Those who spend their days spouting classical Chinese phrases will never achieve anything significant in their lives.

Li Zicheng was well aware of why He Mingsheng was so fearless.

It was simply because Jiang Han's troops were disciplined and never easily committed mass killings that he dared to openly lead the villagers in disobeying orders.

If it were me with my old temper from when I was in Shaanxi, this guy would have been hacked to death long ago.

How could they possibly have the patience to come and persuade them in person?
But now that he has joined Jiang Han's army, he must change all his bandit habits and do everything according to the rules.

"Li Zheng, the military situation is urgent, so I won't beat around the bush with you."

Li Zicheng said in a deep voice

"The officers and soldiers are now heading towards Shiquan County. I have ordered all the soldiers and civilians in the county to fortify their positions and retreat into the mountains."

Why are you so slow to move towards Shangling Village?

He Mingsheng shook his head, looking relaxed:
"General, you are mistaken."

“We are all citizens of the Ming Dynasty, and have lived in Shangling Village for generations.”

"The government troops have come, so why must we take our families and retreat into those deep mountains and forests?"

"Winter is just around the corner, and my old bones can't take any more stress."

Li Zicheng suppressed his anger and patiently explained:
“He Lizheng has lived in the mountains for a long time and is unaware of this.”

“The government troops are not as easy to talk to as our troops.”

"At that time, no matter if you are from a good family or not, as long as you have food at home, no one can escape being robbed."

He Mingsheng narrowed his eyes and asked in return:
"is it?"

"But why do I feel that the imperial army isn't targeting us ordinary people at all?"

"The royal army has entered the country to suppress bandits and pacify the people. We are all good and law-abiding citizens, so why should we run away?"

These words, seemingly respectful, were actually a veiled criticism of Li Zicheng and his ilk as the true bandits.

Upon hearing this, Li Zicheng's eyes instantly turned cold.

He stared at the slick old man in front of him, patiently, and finally explained:
"He Lizheng, you've got it wrong. In this world, officials are just bandits!"

“When the government troops arrive, they will not show any mercy just because you call yourselves law-abiding citizens.”

"They will only steal your food and burn down your houses!"

"The only way to survive is for them to come into the mountains with us!"

But He Mingsheng waved his hand:
"Alas, General Li, you are mistaken."

"We common people don't understand anything about world affairs. We only know that we should guard the family property left by our ancestors and pay our taxes on time. That is our duty."

"General, you have a heavy responsibility. You should quickly take your troops and hide in the mountains."

"We will not cause the general any trouble."

After saying this, he bowed slightly to Li Zicheng, intending to order the guests to be seen off.

Li Zicheng shook his head, preparing to walk around him:
“Your opinion alone is not enough; I need to ask the other villagers in Shangling Village.”

But He Mingsheng directly blocked his way:

"No need, General Li."

"I am not very talented, but I have been teaching in the village for many years, and the villagers basically listen to me."

“I said I wouldn’t leave, and they absolutely won’t leave.” With that, He Mingsheng turned around and looked at the villagers behind him.

The villagers immediately understood and shouted:

"That's right! Old He is absolutely right!"

"We are the people who obey the imperial court, how could the government troops possibly lay a hand on us!"

"I don't think you've got any good intentions!"

"Could it be that they're trying to lure us into the mountains and kill us all?"

Li Zicheng, looking at the group of ignorant and stubborn villagers before him, completely lost his patience.

"Hey you guys, I'll ask you one last time, are you leaving or not?"

He Mingsheng snorted coldly and refused decisively:
"General Li, I'll say this one last time: I'd rather die than go!"

"General, please leave as soon as possible. Considering that your army did not wreak havoc in my Shangling Village, I will not mention your army's whereabouts to the court."

After receiving the reply, Li Zicheng didn't waste any more words and turned to leave with his militia.

He sat on his horse, turned back and gave a deep look at Shangling Village not far away, and sneered repeatedly.

It's true what they say, you can't reason with a damned devil.

When the executioner's blade really falls on their heads, these people will know what pain is.

On the way back to the city, Yu Chengye, who was standing beside him, finally couldn't help but ask:

"General Li, the old man is so defiant because he's convinced we won't come back to cause him trouble."

"Why...why not just kill them all?"

Li Zicheng glanced at him:
"What are you thinking, kid?"

He looked at Yu Chengye with a serious expression:
"First of all, the military order clearly states that civilians must not be slaughtered at will."

"Although this group of people disobeyed orders, they were at best a bunch of brainless opportunists."

"I suspect they heard that the imperial court had sent troops, so they wanted to return to the imperial court's rule."

"We have only occupied Long'an Prefecture for less than a year. Although many people pretend to submit on the surface, they have many ulterior motives."

"These opportunists always turn to whoever feeds them."

"As soon as we show the slightest sign of weakness, someone will start to get restless."

After listening, Yu Chengye nodded thoughtfully.

Li Zicheng then continued to explain:
"Besides, we only have 1,500 people in total right now."

"Among them, there are nearly a thousand local militiamen from Long'an Prefecture."

"If we slaughtered Shangling Village in front of them, what would these militiamen think of us?"

"If morale is low, it's hard to lead the team."

"Throughout the entire Ming Dynasty, in both the two capitals and thirteen provinces, whether it's Shaanxi or Sichuan, aren't the government troops all the same?"

"Just wait, the government troops will take good care of these opportunists for us."

A few days later, Liu Hanru led three thousand soldiers and stormed into Shiquan County with murderous intent.

He had originally thought that attacking the city would take a lot of effort, but to his surprise, the enemy soldiers only put up a little resistance before abandoning the city and fleeing.

Liu Hanru was overjoyed. The enemy troops were indeed weak, and it was time for him to finally get his revenge.

But when he led his troops into Shiquan County, he was greeted by an empty city.

Nine out of ten people in the city had already moved to the mountains.

Just as he was filled with doubt and uncertainty, a commotion suddenly came from the direction of the county government office not far away.

Liu Hanru and his commander, Ding Yunxiang, looked on warily as they slowly led their troops to surround the area.

But when they got closer, they found an elderly man in his sixties standing not far away, leading hundreds of villagers, kneeling respectfully outside the county government office.

"Student He Mingsheng, leading all the villagers of Shangling Village, respectfully welcomes the King's Army!"

The elderly man at the head of the group was He Mingsheng, the village head of Shangling Village.

He bowed and wiped away his tears as he stepped forward:
"May I ask who this superior is?"

Seeing He Mingsheng's tearful appearance and hearing him refer to himself as "student," Liu Hanru's heart stirred:
Are you a scholar who passed the county-level imperial examination or a graduate who passed the provincial-level imperial examination?

He Mingsheng bowed deeply and replied respectfully:
“My junior, He Mingsheng, was a student of the Confucian Academy in Shiquan County in the eighteenth year of the Wanli reign.”

Liu Hanru nodded after hearing this. So he was a scholar. At least he had someone to talk to.

He dismounted, helped He Mingsheng to his feet, and asked urgently:

"I am Liu Hanru, the Governor of Sichuan. Let me ask you, what is the matter with Shiquan County?"

"What about the people in the city?"

Upon hearing this, He Mingsheng immediately switched into acting mode and burst into tears:
"Governor Liu, you've finally arrived!"

"Governor, you have no idea. Ever since those rebels occupied Shiquan County, we honest and law-abiding citizens have not had a single day of peace!"

"Those bandits acted perversely, not only seizing farmland but also levying exorbitant taxes!"

"The students' families own only about a hundred acres of land, and they managed to take half of it away!"

"Not long ago, the bandits heard that the royal army was going to attack Shiquan County, and they went even further and kidnapped people from several nearby villages, taking them with them as they fled into the mountains."

"The students led the villagers to hide in various places, which barely saved their lives."

"We've been waiting with bated breath, and finally the imperial army has arrived!"

After listening to He Mingsheng's tearful pleas, Liu Hanru's doubts vanished instantly.

So it wasn't a massacre of the city, but rather the abduction of its inhabitants! That makes sense now.

He looked at He Mingsheng in front of him, a smile appearing on his face, and gently comforted him:
"Rest assured, Scholar He, your loyalty to the court is commendable, and I have seen it all."

"Now that the royal army has arrived, you no longer need to live in fear."

After offering some reassurance, Liu Hanru immediately got to the point:
Do you know where those bandits have fled to?

"How many soldiers do they have? And who is their leader?"

Upon hearing this, He Mingsheng was overjoyed, knowing that his opportunity had arrived.

Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately sold out all the information about Li Zicheng and his men.

"Reporting to the governor, those bandits have all hidden in the valley to the north."

"The leader of the bandits was surnamed Li, but his full name is unknown."

"He doesn't have many troops; according to the students, there are no more than two thousand men, many of whom are newly recruited militia."

He Mingsheng perfectly embodies the character of a fence-sitter.

Back when he was under Li Laowai's rule, and half of his land was taken away, he didn't dare utter a single word.

He even personally put on a smiling face and went to conduct the land survey with the military commander, pretending to be a compliant citizen.

But after Li Laowai was transferred away and Li Zicheng took over the defense, He Mingsheng heard rumors that government troops were coming.

When he heard the news, He Mingsheng immediately realized that his chance to rise to prominence had come!
He was a scholar who had tried to pass the imperial examinations his whole life but never succeeded.

Although he was respectfully addressed as Mr. He in the surrounding villages, He Mingsheng had had enough of being a teacher and did not want to spend his whole life teaching and educating people in the mountains.

As long as he can assist the government in wiping out this band of bandits entrenched in the mountains.

Perhaps he could get a minor official position and bring glory to his ancestors.

When Liu Hanru heard He Mingsheng's intelligence, he was overjoyed.

Less than two thousand people? And there are militia members too?

Looking at this loyal student in front of him, he found him more and more pleasing to the eye.

He patted He Mingsheng on the shoulder and promised:

"He Mingsheng, right? I'll remember you."

"You have done a great service by providing military intelligence this time."

"Once I have wiped out the bandits in the mountains, I will personally write to the Governor-General to request credit for you!"

He Mingsheng was waiting for this sentence:

"Thank you, Governor Liu! Thank you, Governor Liu!"

Liu Hanru, full of vigor, turned around and gave an order to Ding Yunxiang, the adjutant behind him:
"Send the order! The army shall rest and reorganize in the city for three days!"

"Three days later, the entire army will march north!"

　I didn't get back until 10 PM, so I had no choice but to send it out first and revise it later. Sorry.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)