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

Chapter 257 Peasant uprisings alone cannot accomplish anything (Combined chapters for achieving a high-quality rating)
The grievances of the people in central Sichuan had been suppressed for a long time, and finally found an outlet under the pressure of the government's successive levy orders.

The first outbreak point was Xiayang Township, which is under the jurisdiction of Mianzhou.

When the people of Xiayang Township heard that officials and tax collectors were still coming out to collect summer taxes even though the floodwaters had just receded and every household had no harvest, everyone's eyes turned red with anger.

Even the rebels in northern Sichuan knew to open the granaries and distribute grain to relieve the disaster victims.

These self-proclaimed orthodox officials not only refused to provide any money or food, but also extorted money from the disaster victims.

They're even worse than traitors!
Anger brews and ferments silently.

When Feng Hui and a dozen or so officials and tax collectors swaggered into the territory of Xiayang Township, they were no longer greeted by the fearful yet fawning smiles of the people they once knew.

Instead, they were pairs of eyes filled with bloodshot veins and hatred.

"Stop standing there, you bastards!"

Feng Hui kicked open the gate of a villager's house and shouted curses at the trembling couple inside.
"Hurry up and hand over all the money!"

However, before he could finish speaking, a rusty hoe flew past him with a "whoosh" and slammed heavily against the earthen wall behind him!
"Which bastard?!"

Feng Hui broke out in a cold sweat.

He turned around abruptly and saw that outside the courtyard gate, there was a dense crowd of villagers holding all sorts of farm tools.

The leader was Zheng Yao, who had previously received relief in Long'an Prefecture.

"Dog officer!"

Zheng Yao's eyes were fierce, and his tone was icy.
"This year's grain has all been washed away by the flood."

"How are we supposed to pay this tax?!"

Seeing the villagers gathered around him, Feng Hui not only showed no fear, but instead displayed disdain:
"You bunch of peasants, are you planning a rebellion?"

"The imperial court has its own laws; who are you to interfere?"

As he spoke, he waved his hand and pointed at Feng Hui and his group, who were leading the group:
"Somebody come!"

"Take down this troublemaker right here and now!"

"Take them all back to the capital and let the brothers in the prison teach them a good lesson about the law!"

As soon as he finished speaking, several constables behind him moved in response and pounced on Zheng Yao and his group, who were in the lead.

But today is different from the past.

The anger that had been building up in the hearts of the disaster victims for too long, coupled with the huge psychological gap brought about by Long'an Prefecture, erupted like a long-suppressed volcano!

"Fight them!"

In the crowd, someone threw the first stone, and then hoes, carrying poles, rakes—anything that could be grabbed became a weapon!
Hundreds and thousands of disaster victims, driven to the brink of despair, roared in defiance and, with red eyes, surged toward the still arrogant officials and tax collectors.

"Reverse! Reverse!"

Feng Hui was terrified. He hurriedly drew his knife to fight back, but just as he pulled the knife halfway out, a flying stone slammed into his wrist, causing him to scream in pain as the knife flew out of his hand.

The yamen runners had just raised their fire and water sticks when they were tackled to the ground by several men, who then pounded them down with hoes and carrying poles. Their screams were instantly drowned out by the angry crowd.

The scene was completely out of control. The officials, who usually acted arrogantly, were now utterly humiliated and wished they had been born with two more legs.

They were surrounded and divided by an angry mob, and clubs and fists rained down on them.

Feng Hui desperately pushed through the crowd, his hat long gone, his body and face covered in footprints.

He scrambled to run away, but Zheng Yao, with sharp eyes, caught up with him in one swift step and kicked him to the ground.

"You bastard! Weren't you so cocky just now?!"

Zheng Yao grabbed the knife at his feet, raised it high, and was about to chop it down on Feng Hui's head, thus killing the ringleader of the scourge.

But at this critical moment, a gaunt old man stopped him.

"Yaowazi! Don't kill him!"

"Killing the officials would be a real rebellion. What if the imperial court sends troops to suppress it?"

Zheng Yao's arm was grabbed, his waist knife hanging in mid-air, and he looked at the old man who had stopped him with a shocked expression.

"Third uncle!"

"We've already taken action; what's the difference between that and a rebellion?"

"Listen to me, kill these bastards, and our whole village will go to Long'an Prefecture!"

"Long'an Prefecture is involved in rebellion. We won't suffer any losses if we go there. Besides, the rebel army there treats the people very well."

But the old man shook his head upon hearing this:

"Yaowazi, we Xiayang Township have been honest farmers for generations. Now you want us to take up arms and rebel?"

"Of the nearly one thousand people in the village, how many would dare to do something that could cost them their lives?"

Upon hearing this, the villagers, who had just been indignant, revealed a hint of fear and hesitation in their eyes.

Many people instinctively took a half step back and hid behind the crowd.

Killing officials and rebelling was something these honest, hardworking farmers who had spent their entire lives cultivating the land could hardly imagine.

"Brothers Zheng, calm down, calm down."

Several elderly women surrounded him, crying and pleading.

"We've already fought and vented our anger. If someone had really been killed, our whole village wouldn't have been able to escape when the government troops came."

"Take my advice, auntie, and maybe we should let them go."

Some of the young and strong hesitated, their hands gripping the farm tools tightening and loosening.

"Yeah, Brother Yao, we've taught him a lesson enough, but to really kill him... that's..."

Seeing this, Feng Hui and several constables on the ground grasped at straws, ignoring the blood on their faces, and kowtowed repeatedly.
"Good sir, good sir, spare my life!"

"I was blind and didn't recognize you. I didn't know you were a hero from Long'an Prefecture!"

"We will never dare to do it again! Please have mercy!"

"I swear, I will keep my mouth shut when I get back, and pretend this never happened! I will never set foot in Xiayang Township again!"

"May I break my promise and be struck by lightning!"

The oaths and vows made by Feng Hui and others stirred up a sliver of hope in the villagers' hearts.

They would rather believe the wolf's temporary pleas for mercy than bear the consequences of killing an official and rebelling.

"Yaowazi, even he says that."

"Yes, let him go. He even swore an oath."

Listening to the utterly unbelievable oaths of Feng Hui and the others, and looking at his own waist knife hanging in mid-air, Zheng Yao felt an overwhelming sense of powerlessness and indignation surge into his heart.

He looked around incredulously, still wanting to continue persuading:
"Uncles and elders! You're all confused!"

As the saying goes, if you don't kill a snake, you'll suffer the consequences!

"You let these wolves escape today, do you really expect him to be kind enough to let us go too?!"

"You hesitated today, but little did you know that your own families are in grave danger!"

Upon hearing this, someone spoke up in rebuttal:

"Brother Zheng, you can't say that."

“We didn’t initially intend to kill the officials and rebel; it was you who incited the villagers to gather together!”

"Don't worry, even if the authorities come looking for trouble, we won't expose you. Besides, they've already sworn a solemn oath."

"Yes! Yes! We swear! We will never cause any trouble!"

Feng Hui quickly echoed, but a hint of resentment lurked deep in his eyes.

Looking at his fellow villagers who dared not fully resist and still clung to unrealistic fantasies, Zheng Yao felt a surge of grief and indignation, a mixture of pity for their misfortune and anger at their lack of resistance.

He slammed the knife in his hand into the mud, splashing up a cloud of mud!
"Fine! Fine! Fine! You believe me! Release them!"

Zheng Yao's voice trembled with extreme anger and disappointment. He pointed at the yamen runners at his feet, then at the villagers watching.

"You'll never regret this!"

"When these jackals turn back with their soldiers, lock you in jail, seize your land, and force your children to their deaths, don't regret it!"

Having said that, he stopped looking at anyone, turned to his childhood friends who were equally angry but helpless, and whispered:
"It's not a good time to stay here, let's go!"

"Staying here is just going to be buried with these idiots!"

He abruptly pushed aside the villagers who were blocking his way and trying to persuade him, and strode away without looking back.

The men beside Zheng Yao glared at the yamen runner pretending to be dead on the ground and the bewildered villagers around them. They followed closely behind Zheng Yao, pushed through the crowd, and disappeared behind the ruins at the village entrance.

The remaining people looked at each other, some feeling that Zheng Yao was too extreme, while others felt uneasy.

Seeing the miserable state of Feng Hui and the others on the ground, and remembering their solemn oath, the villagers' unease was gradually suppressed by a sliver of hope.

"Quickly help the officer up!"

Some people hesitated before stepping forward.

"Thank you, fellow villagers! Thank you, heroes, for sparing my life!"

Feng Hui was helped up, his face covered in blood. He bowed and scraped, but a sinister glint flashed in his eyes.

He and several other constables supported each other, stumbling and fleeing in a sorry state towards Mianzhou City like stray dogs.

Mianzhou, the back hall of the prefectural government office.

"They've rebelled! They've defied the heavens!"

"A bunch of troublemakers!"

Upon hearing the report from Feng Hui and the others, Prefect Shen Yao was so angry that his face turned ashen, and he smashed the covered bowl in his hand to pieces.

His face was contorted with rage, and he gritted his teeth.

"How dare they gather a crowd to beat up government officials and resist the law! This trend must not be allowed to continue!"

"We must make an example of him to deter others! Otherwise, where in Mianzhou will the law still exist?!"

He slammed his hand on the table.
"Somebody come!"

"Immediately summon the patrol inspector and have him muster all the archers and prepare to leave the town to quell the civil unrest!"

"Furthermore, immediately summon the wealthy Li, Wang, and Zhao families in the city... and gather all their capable guards and servants for me!"

"Tell them that the rebels will bring disaster upon their families!"

"If we don't exert our efforts now, when will we?"

"Send someone to invite Eunuch Liu again, and tell him that some unruly people have gathered to rebel and are obstructing the Prince's Palace from purchasing land, and ask him to help them at all costs!"

Shen Yao's orders were quickly relayed.

Soon, the two or three hundred archers from the patrol office were assembled.

Several wealthy families in the city also dispatched their hired thugs and guards, totaling about a hundred men, each armed with knives, spears, and clubs, their faces gleaming menacingly. Upon receiving the news, Eunuch Liu, the manager of the Wang Mansion's money exchange in Mianzhou, sent hundreds of his men, specifically thugs and ruffians responsible for collecting debts and rent, to bolster their power.

And so, a “rebellion-suppressing” team, composed of archers from the patrol office, guards from wealthy households, and henchmen from the royal palace, led by the prefectural magistrate himself, followed Feng Hui and his men, and stormed out of Mianzhou City with great momentum.

Their target was clear—Xiayang Township, the epicenter of the crime!
The lean horses kicked up dust, and the swords and spears reflected a cold light as this ragtag army charged headlong into Xiayang Township, which was still immersed in joy.

Without warning or decree, archers and wicked servants kicked open the village's dilapidated doors like wolves, dragging the terrified villagers out of their houses and corners like dead dogs.

"Speak! Where are the thieves who instigated this disturbance?!"

"And where are his followers hiding?!"

The magistrate, mounted on his horse, demanded an explanation in a stern voice.

The yamen runners and wicked servants brandished whips and clubs, beating the people on the ground mercilessly.

Cries, screams, and the sound of flesh tearing were incessant.

An old man, holding his head, tried to step forward and explain:
"Sir, Yaowa and his gang... they ran away after beating people up, they're really not in the village."

Feng Hui rushed forward and kicked the old man hard, knocking him to the ground.
"fart!"

"I recognize you, you scoundrel! This fellow is that thief's third uncle; he's definitely protecting his relatives!"

"Beat them! Beat them to death!"

Upon hearing this, several wicked servants surrounded him and began to punch and kick him.

The archers searched the entire dilapidated village but could not find any trace of Zheng Yao and his men.

The head magistrate's face darkened upon hearing the news. He didn't believe what these unruly villagers were saying at all, and assumed that the whole village was covering for them.

"Good! Very good!"

"The unruly villagers of Xiayang Township resisted the government and shielded the ringleaders; their crimes are compounded!"

"Guards! Lock these unruly commoners up! Take them back to the prefectural jail for thorough interrogation!"

"I'll see just how stubborn they are!"

The cold shackles were put around the necks of the people of Xiayang Township, and the crowd was chained together like livestock.

The cries of agony and pleas for mercy were heart-wrenching.

But the prefect didn't even look at it, waved his hand, and shouted sternly:

"Go, take them back to the capital!"

"The rest of you, come with me to the neighboring Longfeng Town. I want to see which other fools dare to rebel!"

With his command, the group of officials and thugs continued their march in a grand procession, heading towards Longfeng Town, which was not far away.

The situation in Longfeng Town was slightly better than in Xiayang Township, where the resistance movement was more intense.

Led by a few daring villagers, the people of Longfeng Town not only killed several tax collectors and yamen runners who came to forcibly collect taxes, but also seized a lot of weapons for self-defense.

Thousands of desperate refugees gathered together, shouting slogans such as "Kill the corrupt officials" and "Open the granaries and distribute grain," and attempted to storm the city.

Their goal was to seize the city's armory and arm themselves.

A massive crowd filled the main road outside the town, their roars deafening.

But they mostly carried farm tools such as hoes and sickles, and many of them were barely clothed, walking unsteadily, relying entirely on their courage to keep going.

Just as the massive wave of refugees was desperately storming the city gates, the suppression team led by the prefect of Mianzhou finally arrived outside the city.

Looking at the chaotic, disorganized mob before him, the prefect's lips curled into a cruel smile:

"A bunch of ignorant peasants!"

"Fire arrows! Shoot these arrogant traitors to death!"

Upon hearing the sound, the archers from the patrol office immediately stepped forward and formed two sparse rows.

"Prepare—release!"

Although these archers were usually poorly trained and had terrible archery skills, they didn't need to aim at such a dense crowd.

At the commander's command, a sparse but deadly volley of arrows soared into the air, whistling through the air, and pierced the crowd at the front!
Pfft— Pfft—

The sound of an arrow piercing flesh is enough to make your teeth ache.

The first few dozen strong young men, like wheat being cut down, fell to the ground screaming in agony.

Blood instantly stained the muddy official road red.

The leader of the group, carrying a stolen knife, tried to lead his men to rush forward and stop the soldiers from firing arrows.

But then a volley of arrows rained down, and one of the man's arrows pierced through his chest. He looked down in disbelief at the arrowhead protruding from his chest, opened his mouth weakly as if to say something, but in the end he only spat out a mouthful of blood and fell straight down.

"The soldiers have opened fire!"

"Run!"

The sudden rain of arrows instantly shattered the people who had gathered together.

Faced with the slow advance of the government troops, these farmers finally remembered the fear of being controlled by the government.

The deafening roar just moments before instantly turned into terrified screams and cries.

The line immediately stirred, with people in the back involuntarily backing away, and some even turning around and running away.

"Useless! A bunch of rabble!"

The prefect, seeing everything clearly from horseback, smiled smugly.

"Charge! Scatter them! Capture them alive! Anyone who resists, kill them without mercy!"

The patrolmen, servants of wealthy families, and henchmen of the royal palace, who had been unable to contain themselves for so long, charged into the chaotic crowd like a pack of vicious dogs, brandishing knives, spears, and clubs!

"Kill!"

"Arrest the traitors!"

The sticks slammed down hard on his back and head, making a dull cracking sound.

A flash of light appeared, followed by bursts of warm blood.
The wicked slaves grinned maliciously, their iron rods targeting people's joints and ribs, beating them until their bones broke and their groans filled the air.

Someone tried to resist, raising a hoe to strike a servant who rushed at him, but was slashed in the arm by a soldier next to him, fell down screaming, and was then swallowed up by the crowd.

The laughter of the suppressing soldiers mingled with the cries and pleas for mercy of the people, creating a scene resembling a living hell.

The insurgents collapsed and scattered like ants being doused with boiling water.

Hundreds of corpses and dying wounded lay on the ground, a scene of utter devastation.

The prefect looked on with satisfaction at this "illustrious victory" and ordered all the rioters who had not escaped and had been knocked to the ground to be tied up with ropes, strung together in long chains, and taken to the Mianzhou City prison.

In this way, a vigorous uprising was easily suppressed by the government.

The news spread quickly, and Zheng Yao and the others who had escaped earlier could only sigh when they heard it.

The group dared not delay and, taking advantage of the darkness, chose to travel along a narrow path, fleeing desperately towards Jiangyou County, hoping to inform the rebel army in Long'an Prefecture and ask them to take action.

Little did they know that the spies planted in caravans throughout Chengdu Prefecture had already relayed the news back to Li Laowai in Jiangyou County.

Li Laowai paced back and forth in the county government office with his hands behind his back. Mianzhou was the eastern gateway to Chengdu Prefecture, and the city's prison held hundreds, even thousands, of disaster victims who had been forced to rebel.

With the government acting so perversely, the people's resentment must have reached its boiling point. As long as I lead my troops there, I will surely be able to take the city in one battle.

But this matter is of great importance. Without Jiang Han's military order, even if he had a hundred times the courage, he would not dare to mobilize the army on his own.

Li Laowai had already dispatched a fast horse to Baoning Prefecture to deliver the message, but it would take at least seven or eight days for the round trip.

But the opportunity was fleeting, and he felt restless, as if a cat was scratching at his heart.

After careful consideration, Li Laowai felt that he couldn't just wait idly; he had to do something to support the uprisings of the people in various places.

He knew very well that these people had plenty of courage, but lacked real fighting skills.

Even though the main force of the government troops had been annihilated, there were still quite a few guards and soldiers defending the city.

Even if these people are not good at field battles, it won't take them too much effort to deal with a group of unarmed civilians who have never been on the battlefield.

Since the main army could not be easily mobilized, Li Laowai could only find his subordinate captain Fan Gang and ask him to lead a few elite squads to infiltrate Mianzhou and other places first.

The number of people could not be too large, so Fan Gang only selected 600 elite troops and left Jiangyou County quietly.

The 600 elite troops split into two groups, one heading towards An County and the other towards Mianzhou.

Their goal was not to fight, but to secretly contact and support the people in various places, and wait for the right opportunity.

On the way, the team heading to Mianzhou encountered Zheng Yao and others who came to ask for help.

After some interrogation, Fan confirmed the identities of the group and had them lead the way.

Under Zheng Yao's leadership, one of the teams of three hundred men led by Fan Gang and Ren Cheng secretly sneaked back to the vicinity of Xiayang Township, hiding during the day and moving at night to avoid the eyes and ears of the government troops.

Even though they were mentally prepared, the scene before them still made Zheng Yao and the others feel dizzy:
The village was completely deserted. The already dilapidated houses were reduced to ashes, and the corpses of some villagers who could not be buried in time emitted a foul stench.

I learned from the refugees that all the people of Xiayang Township had been captured and taken to Mianzhou City. The prison was already overcrowded, and every day corpses were dragged out of the prison and thrown into the mass grave outside the city to be eaten by wild dogs.

People who dared to resist were slaughtered in various places, and the remaining disaster victims were all taken away. The city even allocated a piece of land specifically to imprison these disaster victims.

The prince's henchmen, armed with land deeds, extorted the remaining farmland from the disaster victims.

Only those who pressed their fingerprints could leave the prison alive; those who disobeyed were subjected to severe torture.

"My lords, please save the people of Mianzhou!"

Zheng Yao, his eyes red, looked at Captain Fan Gang and Commander Ren Cheng standing to the side.

Fan Gang stroked the stubble on his chin, squinted at the ravaged village, and a bold plan formed in his mind.

He looked at Ren Cheng, the commander beside him:

"Old Ren, what do you think?"

"People from all over have been arrested, and we can't contact anyone for the time being."

He lowered his voice and said mysteriously,
"What do you think about me leading a group to infiltrate the city and break into the prison?"

"The soldiers in the city are nothing more than archers and yamen runners from the patrol office, and at most some servants and guards from wealthy families, and lackeys from the royal palace."

"It's nothing but a clay chicken and a clay dog."

Ren Cheng was taken aback upon hearing this, his eyes widening in surprise:
"You've got some nerve."

"We only have about three hundred men under our command, and you think you can take over the state capital?"

"If I gave you three thousand men, you'd probably dare to attack Chengdu!"

Fan Gang waved his hand upon hearing this:

"Times have changed. The government troops in Sichuan have long been annihilated by the commander-in-chief."

"How can a bunch of rabble stop our three hundred brothers?"

(End of this chapter)