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

Chapter 239 The fish takes the bait
After leaving behind hundreds of corpses, the government troops retreated in disarray to Shangling Village.

The entire camp was shrouded in an atmosphere of oppression and fear.

Several attacks were easily repelled by the enemy soldiers, and the morale of the army plummeted.

The remaining two thousand soldiers, like a flock of frightened quails, stayed huddled in their camp in Xialing Village all day long, never venturing out of their homes.

But the government troops remained entrenched and refused to move, and the rebel army in the mountains would not let them off easily.

Li Zicheng scattered his troops into dozens of small teams, launching round-the-clock, all-around harassment against the soldiers in Xialing Village.

The outposts outside the camp were attacked multiple times. Even though the sentries were on high alert, they couldn't withstand the elusive nature of the enemy soldiers, who managed to eliminate all the outposts outside the camp within a few days.

It's getting colder and colder in the mountains, but no soldier dares to go into the forest to cut firewood. Those who do have long since become the victims of the bandits' arrows.

The laborers sent out never returned; it is unknown whether they were captured or killed by the bandits.

At night, the camp would inexplicably catch fire. Yesterday it was the stable, today it was the granary, and the soldiers were busy carrying buckets of water.

The most critical issue is the water source.

There are no wells in Xialing Village; the village relies entirely on a small river that flows outside the village for water.

But now, upstream of this river, countless animal carcasses have been thrown by bandits, turning the river water into a strange blue-green color, with a layer of oil floating on top, and it smells foul.

Several soldiers who didn't believe in superstitions wanted to boil the water before drinking it, but that night they drank it and suffered from vomiting and diarrhea, feeling weak all over, and could only lie on their sickbeds groaning.

In no time, the camp was filled with soldiers clutching their stomachs and groaning, and the medicinal herbs brought with them were quickly gone.
Although the losses were not significant each time, these insidious tactics tormented the officers and soldiers to the point of near collapse.

No one dared to sleep soundly at night, and they lived in constant fear during the day. In just a few days, these government troops were so exhausted that they had dark circles under their eyes and could barely walk.

Inside the command tent, the two main generals, Liu Hanru and Ding Yunxiang, were even more troubled.

The two sat in the tent, staring at each other, neither able to come up with an effective solution.

They both knew that morale was low and the army was demoralized.

It was no longer possible to wipe out the bandits in the mountains; continuing the fight would only result in total annihilation.

The problem is, neither of them dared to suggest withdrawing the troops.

Three thousand Ming soldiers and four or five thousand laborers set out on the expedition, but after less than a month, they accomplished almost nothing except capturing an empty city that was of no value.

Instead, they were driven out of their posts by the bandits' ragtag army of less than two thousand men and forced to cower in their camp.

If this gets out, neither of them—one a governor, the other a military commander—will escape punishment.

At the very least, they would be dismissed from their posts and sent back to their hometowns.

If things go wrong and reach the capital, and those censors add fuel to the fire, the two of them could be escorted back to the capital and imprisoned in the imperial prison for questioning.

Given the current emperor's temper, the two of them might even make a trip to the execution ground.

"Damn it!"

Ding Yunxiang smashed his teacup on the floor in a fit of rage.
"If this drags on, half of our brothers will be worn down and killed before the enemy even arrives!"

Liu Hanru sat to the side, sighing and rubbing his fingers on the general's seal on the table. His future seemed bleak, and he didn't know how much longer he could remain governor.

Another commotion arose outside the tent; it was the soldiers on patrol shouting.

Two more sentries were found with their throats slit, their bodies hanging from pine trees outside the camp, their eyes wide open.

Just as the two were at their wits' end, a messenger suddenly rushed in from outside the camp gate:

"Report! He Mingsheng from Shangling Village requests an audience!"

Upon hearing He Mingsheng's name, Liu Hanru subconsciously pursed his lips.

What's with this pedantic scholar causing trouble again?

Last time he cried and complained in the central command tent, which made him lose face. What kind of trouble is he trying to cause now?

Liu Hanru, looking impatient, waved his hand at the messenger outside the tent:

"Get out of here! Tell him to get as far away as possible! I have no interest in listening to his complaints!"

"Don't send any more reports from this bookish idiot who doesn't know what's good for him!"

"Over fifty years old, and still hasn't even passed the imperial examination to become a scholar—he's utterly hopeless!"

But the messenger outside the tent did not set off immediately; instead, he said urgently:
"Reporting to Your Excellency, this fellow is not alone; he brought several villagers with him."

"According to him, several villagers discovered traces of the bandits, which is likely their hideout."

Upon hearing this news, Liu Hanru suddenly stood up:

"really!"

"Quickly! Quickly, invite them in!"

The tent flap was quickly lifted, and He Mingsheng, his neck hunched, was followed by three trembling men—Zheng Yu and his two companions. Upon seeing Liu Hanru, the three knelt down with a thud.
"My lord, we went into the mountains to gather herbs and accidentally discovered the traces of bandits."

"It's just north of Shangxiong Pass; it must be a bandit's den!"

Liu Hanru squinted at the three peasants, his eyes full of suspicion:
"How do you know that's the bandits' lair?"

"I recently sent out scouts all over the north of Shiquan County, but even the scouts couldn't find any trace of the bandits. How come you guys just happened to see them?"

Ding Yunxiang even drew his knife and demanded menacingly:
"that is!"

"The scouts reported a few days ago that there's no one at Shangxiong Pass!"

Zheng Yu knelt on the ground, his forehead pressed against the cold floor.

Ding Yunxiang's knife tip was pressed against the back of his neck, making him so frightened that his voice trembled.

"Sir, I personally saw the bandits in red coats heading towards the north mountain!"

"They were transporting grain carts, and we secretly followed them all the way. We saw them disappear into the mountain valley."

Zheng Yu swallowed hard.
"That place is north of Shangxiong Pass, called Shimen Valley. There is only a hidden path that can get around it."

Zheng Yu stammered and struggled to clearly articulate the story that Li Zicheng had prepared for him.

After listening, Liu Hanru pondered for a long time. It was no longer possible to break through the enemy's defenses from the front. Moreover, the camp was leaky and vulnerable to attack from all sides.

But now it's even more impossible to get Liu Hanru to withdraw his troops.

Rather than being escorted to the capital and imprisoned, it's better to take a gamble and see if the news is true.

Having figured this out, Liu Hanru immediately instructed Ding Yunxiang beside him:
"General Ding, take five hundred men to scout the outer perimeter of Shimen Valley. Remember, do not venture too deep."

"If that's true, then we'll discuss it further."

Ding Yunxiang acted quickly. That very night, he secretly led his men out of the camp and, under the guidance of Zheng Yu and the other two, went to Beishan to investigate.

Two days later, he brought back the news.

Indeed, numerous traces of bandit activity were discovered in the mountain valleys around Beishan.

Not only were there newly built shacks, but also several half-foot-deep ruts, and some scattered rice grains nearby, which looked like they had been accidentally spilled.

Upon receiving accurate information, Liu Hanru was greatly encouraged. He summoned Zheng Yu and the other two again and questioned them carefully:
What is the terrain like leading to Shimen Valley?

"Could we allow the main force of government troops to pass through?"

Zheng Yu's eyes darted around, his expression one of absolute certainty:

"Two or three thousand people shouldn't be a problem!"

"There is a small path north of Shangxiong Pass that can bypass Songpan and go around to Shimen Valley, but it has been in disrepair for many years and is not easy to walk."

Liu Hanru stared at Shangxiong Pass on the map, pondering for a long time.

After much deliberation, Liu Hanru decided to take the gamble.

"Prepare the troops!"

He slammed his hand on the table and shouted sharply.

"We will set out from the camp at midnight tomorrow and launch a surprise attack on Shimen Valley!"

To avoid being noticed by the bandits, Liu Hanru and Ding Yunxiang made thorough preparations.

They left all the laborers and wounded soldiers in the camp, and even specially invited the cooks to hold a grand banquet, making the entire camp lively and bustling.

They wanted to use this to draw the attention of the enemy scouts.

At the third watch of the night, while the front camp was enjoying a lively feast, Liu Hanru and Ding Yunxiang led their troops in batches and quietly left the camp from the rear camp.

After the two thousand men had eaten and drunk their fill and carried five days' worth of rations, they headed straight for the Xiong Pass.

They thought their plan was foolproof, but their every move had already been heard by the sentries in the darkness.

Soon, Li Zicheng in the camp received news that the government troops had set out under cover of night.

Seeing that the fish had taken the bait, Li Zicheng immediately ordered the troops to regroup, and all the squads that were harassing outside had to return to their posts within a day.

He then brought out all his soldiers, militiamen, and even laborers who could wield knives, gathering a force of over 2,500 men.

Li Zicheng led his troops to Shimen Valley behind Shangxiong Pass ahead of time, quietly waiting for the arrival of government troops.

He was determined to annihilate this Ming army in this battle.

　There will be more later; I'll finish writing this part of the story in one go today.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)