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

Chapter 259 The Massive Uprising in Sichuan

As Tongzhi Yao Xi issued his orders, the panicked wealthy families in the city quickly found their anchor.

The families dared not neglect their duties and sent out all the men who guarded their homes, gathering a total of four or five hundred men who then gathered in a chaotic manner in front of the government office.

Liu, the eunuch of the Prince's mansion, was well aware of the seriousness of the situation. He sent a messenger on horseback to Chengdu Prefecture to report the news, and at the same time dispatched all the guards and thugs he had kept in the Prince's mansion.

Looking at the seven or eight hundred people who had barely managed to gather, Yao Xi felt somewhat relieved.

All that's needed now is for the archers from the patrol office to arrive, which should be enough to gather about a thousand men, and suppressing the rebellion should be a piece of cake.

But just then, the clerk he had sent to the patrol office came running back, panting and out of breath:

"Prefect Yao! Something terrible has happened!"

"The patrol headquarters is surrounded by thieves! I can't get in at all!"

Upon hearing this, Yao Xi was struck dumb. He grabbed the minor official by the collar and demanded an explanation in a stern voice:
"what?!"

"The patrol and inspection bureau has fallen?"

The minor official, panting heavily, shook his head:
"I don't know! I didn't dare to go closer."

"I could only see from afar a large number of civilians in prison uniforms and men in black carrying weapons, fiercely attacking the gate of the patrol office!"

"These guys look like they came from the armory!"

Yao Xi frowned upon hearing this. It seemed that the armory had fallen and the rioters had taken weapons and begun to besiege the patrol office.

The patrol office still has nearly three hundred archers, making it the only official force in the city with any fighting capability.

If the patrol office is breached again...

He dared not think further and immediately gave an order to the people in front of him:

"quick!"

"Everyone, follow me to the Inspection Station!"

"We must drive back the thieves and rescue everyone!"

"The heads of each household have agreed beforehand that a reward of ten taels of silver will be given for killing one person! A reward of one hundred taels of silver will be given for killing the bandit leader!"

Thus, lured by the large reward, this ragtag army, cobbled together from servants, guards, local ruffians, and royal palace guards, charged menacingly toward the patrol office.

By this time, the patrol station was already completely surrounded by rioting civilians.

The heavy gate creaked loudly under the repeated impacts of the crowd.

Inside the gate, many fleeing yamen runners were desperately holding back the gate, while the archers of the patrol office were fighting desperately against the gate opening and the low walls on both sides.

"Hold it! Hold it!"

The patrol inspector hid behind the gate tower, shouting hoarsely, his face ashen.

He never expected that just a while ago he was swaggering around in various villages and towns, but in the blink of an eye he would be cornered in his own den by this mob.

Click——!
With a loud crash, the heavy door bolt finally gave way and broke in half, sending the patrol office gate flying open.

"Charge in! Kill the corrupt official!"

Driven by hatred, the people roared and surged into the government office!
People carried all sorts of weapons, including rusty spears, chipped and dull knives, and even muskets that had long since been reduced to firewood.

"Fire the arrow! Fire the arrow quickly!"

Seeing the gate being breached, the patrolman let out a series of roars.

Inside the courtyard, three rows of archers, who had been waiting for a long time, unleashed a volley of fire at the dense crowd at the command of their officer.

The close-range volley was incredibly powerful; the dozen or so civilians at the front were instantly riddled with bullets, screaming as they collapsed to the ground.

But then, a number of men carrying long shields squeezed out from behind and stood in front of the crowd.

Tuk-tuk-tuk!
The second volley of arrows struck the shield hard.

Splinters flew everywhere, and the enormous impact made the arms of the men holding shields go numb and their feet stagger.

Fortunately, although the shield was old and worn, it was covered with a layer of cowhide, so it was not easily penetrated by the bullet.

"quick!"

"Hey, hold the line! Charge in and slaughter these bastards!"

Just as the crowd was about to rush into the patrol office, a series of chaotic footsteps and noises came from the other end of the street!
It was Yao Xi, the Assistant Magistrate, who finally arrived at the patrol station with his men.

Yao Xi glanced at the chaotic crowd not far away, then abruptly drew his sword and shouted sternly at his subordinates:

"Quick! The thief is here!"

"Form ranks and raise your crossbows! Slaughter them!"

At his command, dozens of guards from the Prince's Palace stepped forward, each carrying a crossbow, and stood at the front of the line.

The servants, guards, and thugs followed closely behind, forming a single file on the narrow street, slowly advancing towards the patrol station not far away.

Seeing this, Fan Gang and Ren Cheng quickly exchanged a glance.

"Old Ren, you're in charge of these guys outside."

"Give me half an incense stick's time, and I'll lead my men in and slaughter the guards inside."

Fan Gang spoke rapidly and with unwavering conviction.

Ren Cheng nodded upon hearing this, then turned to the crowd gathered around him and shouted:
"Fellow villagers, the corrupt official is here with his henchmen!"

"These bastards want to use your heads as a reward, they want to put you back in jail, do you agree or not?!"

The people, who had just escaped from prison, couldn't bear to hear these words and roared in unison:

"No way!!"

"Alright! Those with eggs, follow me! Form ranks and prepare for battle!"

Ren Cheng's voice was booming, demonstrating the commander's signature skill in boosting morale.

"Those holding shields are in the first and second rows!"

"Those in the back, press your chests against the backs of those in front!"

"Place your weapons on the shoulders of the people in front of you and keep them level!"

"On my command, advance step by step!"

Under Ren Cheng's command and with the assistance of a few veterans, this group of farmers with no military experience lined up haphazardly on the narrow street, forming an unusually tight infantry square.

In the front row were more than a dozen long, scarred leather shields of varying sizes, while in the back row, the people stretched out their arms, holding all sorts of weapons, which were densely packed out from the gaps in the shields.

Seeing this scene from not far away, Yao Xi sneered repeatedly.

The armory in the city had long been a mere formality, and the equipment inside was in disrepair. How could these peasants think they could rebel with a bunch of junk?

Simply looking for death!
"Fire the crossbow bolts! Fire them now!"

"Shoot these reckless rioters to death!"

At his command, the guards at the forefront of the palace pulled the triggers in their hands.

Whoosh whoosh—

The crossbow bolts shot out with great force, piercing through several already rotten and dilapidated long shields!
The man holding the shield screamed in agony as an arrow pierced his chest and he collapsed.

Several shields nearby were also violently shaken by the arrows, and the shield-bearers' hands were split open, bleeding profusely.

Several crossbow bolts easily pierced the shields, turning the people behind them into bloody gourds.

"what!"

Screams echoed through the formation, causing a slight commotion.

"Hold it!"

"Those in the back, push forward with all your might!"

At this critical moment, Ren Cheng's roars rang out repeatedly, boosting morale.

The veterans at the rear of the battle line kept pushing with all their might, pushing the crowd forward.

With everyone exerting their strength, the army formation, which had just been halted by casualties, began to move slowly again, steadily advancing step by step forward.

Yao Xi, who was on the other side of the street, almost popped her eyes out when she saw this.

How...how is this possible?!
How did this rabble change overnight?
In the past, if a single volley of crossbow fire killed seven or eight people, this group would have scattered and fled long ago. Why did they suddenly change their tune today?
The firepower must not be concentrated enough!

Yao Xiqiang tried to remain calm and gave an order to the guards of the Prince's Palace who were holding crossbows at the front:

"Put it back!"

"Keep playing it!"

"I refuse to believe we can't scatter these peasants!"

At his command, another volley of crossbow bolts was fired, and several screams came from the opposite army formation as many men fell to the ground.

Surprisingly, the leading formation only paused slightly before pressing forward again.

With less than thirty paces between them, the guards in the front row could even see the predatory gazes of the people opposite them!

"crazy!"

"These people are insane! Aren't they afraid of dying?!"

Seeing this, Yao Xi gritted his teeth in hatred.

What he didn't know was that the civilians in the opposite formation were also terrified.

Many people in the front row watched their companions fall, blood splattering on their faces, their legs went weak, and their hands gripping their shields trembled violently.

Some timid people hesitated at the sight of casualties, and some even considered turning around and running away.

But when you're in the middle of a battle formation, you can't just run away whenever you want.

Looking around, crowds surrounded him from all sides, and a tremendous force came from behind him.

Countless chests pressed firmly against their backs, making it impossible for them to retreat.

The entire formation was like a giant rock being squeezed, only able to move forward.

This is the advantage of forming a tight military formation.

It can eliminate individual fear and forcibly unite everyone's will and strength into one.

For infantry, the only option is to stick together in formation; if they scatter, they will be defeated one by one.

Countless historical events have already proven this point.

When reading history books, many people, upon seeing tales like the bloody Battle of Hunhe, where the White-Clad Soldiers and Zhejiang Soldiers endured heavy arrows and cannon fire from the Later Jin to maintain their dense formations, often presumptuously offer their opinions:
Do these people even know how to fight? Why don't they just scatter when faced with artillery fire?

However, on ancient battlefields with cold weapons and even early firearms, dense and orderly formations were the lifeline for infantry who lacked mobility.

Once the formation breaks down, no matter how elite the soldiers are, they will have an uncontrollable urge to flee.

This is not something that can be overcome by individual bravery, but rather an ironclad rule determined by the psychology of the group and the battlefield environment. Therefore, many times, officers would rather withstand heavy enemy fire than break formation.

And that's exactly what Ren Cheng did at that time.

He knew very well that only by bringing these people together and driving them forward could he overcome their fear of battle and block the government's reinforcements.

At this moment, the two groups of people had already clashed violently together.

kill--!
With a deafening roar, countless spears, sabers, and short axes shot out from between the shields and fiercely attacked the government reinforcements.

puff!puff!puff!

The sounds of sharp blades piercing flesh rang out frequently!
Although the guards of the royal palace and the servants of wealthy families were better equipped, they had never seen such a reckless fighting style before.
The people in the front row were caught off guard and were instantly stabbed through more than a dozen times.

Screams erupted, and the formation instantly fell into chaos.

"Hold it! Hold it!"

"Charge back! Double the reward!"

Yao Xi brandished his steel knife and shouted wildly, but his voice was drowned out by the chaos and screams.

On one side are ragtag teams willing to risk their lives for money, and on the other side are disaster victims burdened with blood feuds and with nowhere else to retreat.

The moment the two sides made contact, the difference in strength was immediately apparent.

The loose defensive line formed by the prince's guards and servants collapsed rapidly when faced with the fearless onslaught of the people, as if its spine had been broken by a heavy hammer.

People in the front row were desperately trying to back up, while those in the back row were still pushing forward, resulting in countless people trampling on each other.

"Kill these corrupt officials!"

The surviving civilians were also stirred up with courage and charged into the chaotic crowd with a roar.

Under the blows of swords and axes, the servants and guards who usually acted arrogantly and domineeringly were exposed for what they truly were, becoming beaten dogs in the water.

Meanwhile, the battle inside the patrol office had ended, and all the archers hiding in the shadows were dragged out and killed.

The inspector was killed by Fan Gang, who cut off his head on the spot.

After eliminating the remaining enemy forces, Fan Gang immediately led his men out of the patrol station to support Rencheng.

But by this time, the ragtag army that Yao Xi had brought had already collapsed, and many people were crying out for their parents and fleeing in all directions.

Yao Xi, realizing that the situation was hopeless, tried to slip away in the chaos with the cowardly officials around him.

However, Fan Gang, who was prepared in advance, had already led his men through the alley from the other end and blocked Yao Xi's retreat.

"You scoundrel! Trying to run away?"

The group immediately surrounded Yao Xi and the minor official beside him.

"Spare me! Hero, spare me!"

"I surrender! I surrender!"

Yao Xi was so frightened that he turned pale and knelt down with a thud, tears streaming down his face. He had lost all semblance of the dignity of an imperial official.

Looking at this spineless coward in front of him, Fan Gang felt nothing but contempt.

He grabbed Yao Xi by the collar, lifted him up like a dead dog, and demanded an explanation:

"You want to live, huh? Fine!"

"You lead the way and point out the wealthy families in Mianzhou City!"

"Point out to me which are the bullies who abuse their power and which are the lackeys of the Prince's mansion!"

"I forgot one, I'll chop you up and feed you to the dogs!"

At this moment, Yao Xi was desperate to save his life, so he didn't care about colleague relationships or the dignity of a local gentry.
Trembling, he spilled the beans, revealing in detail the names of the most ruthless exploiters in the city, several money lenders that lent money at exorbitant interest rates for the Prince's mansion, and some scholars and officials who ran rampant in the countryside and monopolized lawsuits.

Fan Gang sneered after hearing this, then handed Yao Xi to his personal guards and told them to lead the way.

Meanwhile, Ren Cheng seized the opportunity to climb to a higher position and launched a general mobilization campaign for the people who had just won a great victory:
"Folks!"

"The government's henchmen have been eliminated! Now Mianzhou City is ours!"

"But there are still plenty of bloodsucking bedbugs in the city; we can't let a single one get away!"

"Follow me! Follow the path this corrupt official points out, and kill them one by one!"

"Open the granaries and distribute the grain! Avenge our grievances!"

"Open the granaries and distribute grain! Avenge our grievances!" The earth-shattering roar echoed in the night sky above Mianzhou City.

This roar announced the change of ownership of Mianzhou City and also marked the beginning of the purge.

The news of the overnight upheaval in Mianzhou spread like wildfire throughout Chengdu Prefecture and even the entire central Sichuan region.

This is not just the fall of a city, but a clear signal that the righteous army in northern Sichuan has arrived!

As soon as Jiang Han learned of the uprising of the people in Sichuan, he immediately mobilized troops and ordered three armies to march towards Chengdu Prefecture at the same time.

Li Laowai from Jiangyou County, Shao Yong from Zitong, and Li Zicheng from Shiquan County all mobilized to support the uprising of the people in Chengdu Prefecture.

With the support of the rebel army, the people who had previously been quiet and subdued immediately perked up, organized themselves, and raised the banner of rebellion!

The clerks and runners in various prefectures and counties were the first to be purged.

As henchmen of the government, they were always on the front lines, exploiting the people on behalf of the officials and gentry behind the scenes.

Since the city of Mianzhou was occupied, all the clerks and runners in the yamen who had committed misdeeds were beaten to death on the spot by the angry people, without even giving Fan Gang and others a chance to be tried.

In other prefectures and counties, such as Maozhou and Anxian, the people, upon hearing the news, spontaneously organized themselves to storm the government offices, demolish the houses of the clerks, and kill hundreds of corrupt officials.

The local officials were so frightened that they shut their doors tightly and dared not utter a sound, for fear of being implicated.

Even after beating up the corrupt officials, the angry people still refused to give up.

They then turned their attention to the gang of lackeys who had surrendered to the Prince's Palace and arbitrarily ruled the countryside.

After the fall of Mianzhou, the Shu King's bank and villa in the city were destroyed by angry people, and the eunuch in charge was even burned alive.

Local thugs and ruffians who relied on the royal palace and bullied others were dragged out, beaten to death, and their property was confiscated and distributed to the poor.

Next came the local tyrants and bullies who ran rampant in the countryside and preyed on the people.

Faced with the surging tide of people, this group had long lost its former prestige, and was either captured and killed by the people on their own initiative or fled in panic.

Those servants and wicked men who relied on the power and influence of their officials and masters to bully and oppress the good were also included in the list of those to be dealt with.

In Qiongzhou, the home of Yang Tianguan, who had long since retired from officialdom, was ransacked by angry people wielding knives, spears, and clubs. His wicked servants were beaten to death, and his mountain of wealth was looted.

Some scholars and students of the Imperial Academy who were of bad character, colluded with the government, monopolized lawsuits, and bullied their neighbors were not spared either.

The people of Sichuan stripped these people naked and dressed them up like livestock, parading them through the streets as a public spectacle.

After stripping them of all their civility, he delivered another blow, ending the lives of these academic scoundrels.

On the vast Chengdu Plain, the people spontaneously organized themselves and turned their spearheads against the entire class of officials, gentry, and landlords who were riding on their backs, launching a struggle movement called "Eliminating the Five Vermin".

Even in some areas where Han and non-Han people lived together, the struggle movement found fertile ground.

The Han and Tu people united to settle accounts with those corrupt officials, landlords, and chieftains who sowed discord among the various ethnic groups and exploited both sides.

Seeing the situation worsen, many local officials tried to appease and dissuade the authorities, attempting to downplay the seriousness of the matter and resolve it peacefully.

However, a single spark can start a prairie fire; it cannot be easily extinguished with a few buckets of water.
The people completely ignored the government's advice, and the storm of struggle raged on, sweeping through various prefectures and counties, until the situation was completely out of control.

Faced with the overwhelming public opinion, local officials in various prefectures and counties dared not provoke them. They either abandoned their cities and fled, or closed their offices and trembled in fear, letting the people rebel.

The lessons of Mianzhou City were still fresh in everyone's minds, and no one dared to organize a force to suppress the people's uprising.

Besides, even if the people are suppressed, what difference does it make? A large band of bandits are watching from behind.

Thus, a peculiar scene emerged in the various counties and prefectures of Chengdu:

People from all over the country spontaneously organized themselves to besiege government offices, settle scores with powerful local magnates, and open granaries to distribute grain.

After conquering a place, their first thought was not to declare themselves kings, but to immediately send people to find the nearest rebel army and plead with them to send troops into the city to take charge of the overall situation.

Scenes of "welcoming the king's army with food and drink" were commonplace. For these people, only the righteous army in northern Sichuan could protect the fruits of their struggle.

In a short time, more than twenty counties and prefectures, including Luojiang, Deyang, Mianzhu, Anxian, and Maozhou, fell to the enemy.

Even in Tongchuan Prefecture and Shunqing Prefecture to the south, people heard the news and began to organize resistance.

The entire northern and eastern parts of Chengdu Prefecture were engulfed in flames of war and fell into the hands of Jiang Han.

While the land of Sichuan was engulfed in flames and public resentment was boiling, the city of Chengdu remained peaceful.

After the successive annihilation of several capable armies led by Hou Liangzhu, Qin Liangyu, Zhang Ling, and Liu Hanru, the officials and gentry of Chengdu Prefecture were plunged into utter despair.

Anyone with eyes to see clearly is that the rebel army's takeover of Sichuan is an unstoppable trend; it's just a matter of time.

With the northern gateway wide open, Kuizhou to the east too far away, the southern borders bordered by Tusi (local chieftains) and the even more chaotic Yunnan and Guizhou regions, and the western borders by snow-capped mountains and plateaus, they were already trapped like turtles in a jar.

These officials and gentry now have nowhere to escape.

Even if they escape, the crime of losing their troops and territory would be enough to cost them their heads.

Under immense pressure, many local officials and gentry began their final frenzy.

Since we can't see tomorrow, let's seize the last moments to enjoy ourselves and make as much money as we can!

Therefore, when faced with the floods, no one offered any relief. Instead, local officials and gentry took the opportunity to exploit the affected people even more.

This brutal act of draining the pond to catch all the fish, in turn, accelerated the resistance of the people in various places, creating a vicious cycle.

Zhu Xieyuan, the governor-general of the three provinces who was stationed in Chengdu, could only let out a helpless sigh at this moment.

He locked himself in the governor's residence and refused to go out.

Zhu Xieyuan wanted to advise those crazy local officials, but it was all in vain.

With the entire elite army of Sichuan wiped out, he was already a criminal.

Well-informed officials learned that the court was furious and the emperor had dispatched the Imperial Guards to bring Zhu Xieyuan to the capital for questioning.

However, the mountains were high and the roads were long, and with the smoke of war everywhere, the roads were blocked, so the Imperial Guards would not be able to arrive for a while.

Without the protection of his official position, Zhu Xieyuan's admonitions were rendered meaningless and no one paid any attention to them.

Left with no other choice, Zhu Xieyuan, the nominal supreme commander of the southwest, could only remain under house arrest at the governor's residence, watching helplessly as the situation in Sichuan deteriorated and slid into the abyss.

Meanwhile, Liu Hanru, the governor of Sichuan, had long since died in battle, leaving his position vacant.

The entire Chengdu Prefecture, and even the core area of ​​Sichuan, fell into a state of anarchy with a power vacuum.

With no leader and each faction acting independently, the scene resembled an apocalyptic landscape.

Faced with this situation, Zhu Zhishu, the Prince of Shu, who was trapped in the isolated city, could no longer sit still.

He hurriedly dispatched his trusted confidant with a heart-wrenching plea for help, sending it on an urgent journey of 800 li to the capital for assistance.

In his memorial, he exaggerated the strength of the rebels, the devastation of Sichuan province, and implored His Majesty the Emperor to quickly dispatch imperial troops to save the imperial vassal states.

　Summer colds are awful; the constant switching between hot and cold almost killed me.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)