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

Chapter 260 Chaos in the Capital, Lu Xiang-sheng Ordered to Suppress Bandits
In late autumn of October, the memorial from Zhu Zhishu, the Prince of Shu, pleading for help, finally traveled across mountains and rivers and arrived in the capital.

However, this urgent report found itself mired in the quagmire of the imperial court in the capital.

In the seventh year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, Wen Tiren ascended to the top by stepping over Zhou Yanru's "corpse," becoming the nominal second-in-command of the Ming Empire.

But this prime minister spent 99% of his time trying to figure out the emperor's intentions and eliminating dissidents.

Wen Tiren had recently used the help of censor Gao Jie and others to bring down Zhou Yanru, and now he wanted to repeat the same trick to bring down another cabinet colleague, Wu Zongda, who was at odds with him.

The court was shrouded in the shadow of factional strife, and the noise was as loud as a marketplace. Who had any interest in the war and chaos thousands of miles away?

Amidst this chaotic and unsettling atmosphere, Minister of Revenue Hou Xun, under immense pressure, proposed a remarkably bold strategy:

"Start your Majesty!"

"Sichuan Province is in turmoil, and the bandit leader Jiang Han has spread like wildfire. Only swift and decisive measures can quell this!"

"Your Majesty, I request that the Governor-General of Five Provinces, Hong Chengchou, lead his elite Qin army out of Hanzhong and march into northern Sichuan!"

"We also request Governor Lu Xiang-sheng of Xunyang to unite the elite troops from Huguang and Henan, and launch a strong attack on the Qutang Gorge by sailing up the Yangtze River!"

"With two armies totaling 100,000 men, advancing from the east and west, they will surely sweep away Jiang Han's bandits and annihilate them in Shu!"

However, not long after Hou Xun's memorial was submitted, the entire court was in an uproar, with voices of opposition everywhere.

An army of 100,000?!
As the Minister of Revenue, does Hou Xun not know that the national treasury is already in dire need of funds?

The warehouses are so empty you could let a mouse slip through. Where are we going to get the money and supplies to raise an army of 100,000?!

Shaanxi, Henan, Hubei and Hunan – which of these places isn't desperately in need of food?
The Ming Dynasty's finances were already riddled with problems, and maintaining the existing battlefields was already a struggle. Opening up the Sichuan battlefield would only make matters worse.

Hong Hengjiu was confronting the Chahar Mongols in the three border regions of Shaanxi, while Lu Jiandou was suppressing bandits in Huguang, both of whom were struggling to cope.

If we withdraw our elite troops to Sichuan, Shaanxi, Henan, and Hubei will be left vulnerable, and the Mongol bandits will inevitably rise again. Isn't this just robbing Peter to pay Paul?

Furthermore, how difficult would it be for an army of 100,000 to enter Sichuan?

With the horse administration now in disarray, even dealing with the bandit cavalry in the Central Plains is proving difficult; where would they find surplus animal power to send into Sichuan for a campaign?
The imperial court in the capital has now fallen into a vicious cycle: whenever a problem arises, few people are able to step forward and offer effective solutions.

But once someone actually proposes a solution, voices of doubt come from all directions.

Fortunately, Hou Xun was in his prime. If it had been an older official, he might have been so angry that he would have fallen ill and never recovered.

Just as everyone was arguing, Gao Qiqian, the supervising eunuch in Liaodong, learned of the situation and offered a plan to Emperor Chongzhen.

"I am deeply grateful to the officials of the court for their concern for the affairs of the country."

"Since the national treasury is facing temporary cash flow difficulties, why not call upon all officials in the capital to donate several months' salary?"

"Many grains of sand make a tower, and many small contributions make a fur coat. Using this donated salary to buy warhorses to supply the army, is this not a loyal and righteous act of a subject sharing the burdens of his sovereign?"

As soon as Gao Qiqian's memorial was published, the entire imperial court in the capital fell silent, fearing that the emperor might be plotting against them.

Just when everyone was silent, the chief minister Wen Tiren immediately seized the political opportunity and took the lead in supporting the proposal.

"To share the nation's burdens is the duty of a subject!"

"Your subject, Wen Tiren, is willing to donate three months' salary as a first act to set an example for the world!"

"We humbly request Your Majesty's permission to summon all civil and military officials in the capital to join in this righteous cause!"

In the imperial palace, Wen Tiren raised his arm and rallied the troops, portraying himself as a vanguard of loyalty to the emperor and patriotism.

Upon hearing this, Wen Tiren's colleagues around him were itching to speak.
"You scoundrel, you think you're so high and mighty, huh?!"

"Now that you've become the Grand Secretary, you certainly won't lack a salary, but what about the rest of us?"

But this was exactly the result Wen Tiren wanted.

He was among the first to respond to the call, and his first action was to cater to the emperor's preferences.

Zhu Youjian hated the extravagance of his ministers and often boasted of his frugality.

Wen Tiren's performance of donating his salary was so well-received by the emperor that it perfectly matched his ideal of an "honest and loyal minister."

Furthermore, Wen Tiren also needed to find a pretext to extricate himself from the situation.

With war raging across the Ming Dynasty and public resentment boiling over, Grand Secretary Wen has an inescapable responsibility for this.

By raising the seemingly respectable issue of "donating salary," the attack from both the government and the public was instantly diverted from "why the suppression of bandits was unsuccessful" to "whether or not to donate, and how much to donate," cleverly concealing their incompetence and dereliction of duty.

Finally, he even linked the donation of his salary with loyalty to the emperor and patriotism, using this as a means to suppress dissent.

Anyone who doesn't donate, or donates too little, is considered disloyal and unjust, and should naturally be removed from the court.

For example, Liu Zongzhou, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, could not stand Wen Tiren's shameless behavior and angrily submitted a memorial to denounce him:
"The Grand Secretary is merely seeking fame and fortune; this proposal is like cutting flesh to heal a wound, and is by no means the way to govern the country and ensure its stability!"

However, the result of the memorial was that Wen Tiren instructed his cronies to impeach Liu Zongzhou for "harboring resentment and slandering the government."

With a series of swift actions, this upright official was ousted from the court and silenced completely.

At this point, even those with discerning eyes could see that the emperor was backing Wen Tiren up; otherwise, how could he have dared to be so audacious?

And they were right; when Zhu Youjian received Gao Qiqian's memorial, he was indeed deeply moved.

There are no fewer than a thousand officials in Beijing. If each of them could contribute some money, the military expenses would surely be covered.

But reality slapped Zhu Youjian hard in the face.

For some low-ranking officials, the meager salaries of the Ming Dynasty were barely enough to support their families, let alone have any surplus grain to donate.

For high-ranking officials at the ministerial level, the truly lucrative jobs are all shady and cannot be done in the open.

To expect these corrupt officials, who are used to lining their own pockets, to donate the wealth they have obtained through embezzlement and illegal means, is nothing short of a pipe dream.

They can be loyal to the emperor and love their country, but they can't be bribed.

As a result, officials at all levels in the imperial court began to cry poverty without prior agreement.

"Your Majesty, I am utterly destitute. My elderly mother is bedridden with a serious illness, and we have no means to provide her with medicine. I am truly powerless to help."

"My salary is meager, and I have a family of five to feed; I am truly struggling to make ends meet."

Of course, there were also some who were "generous in their donations."
"I would gladly die to share the nation's burdens!"

"This is two hundred taels of silver that I saved by scrimping and saving! Although it is but a drop in the ocean, it represents my sincere sincerity!"

Some people complained of being poor, some pretended to be sick, some wiped away tears, and others pulled out some loose change to get by.
The silver finally raised was barely enough to buy a few dozen cart horses, let alone military supplies!

This political farce, ignited by Gao Qiqian and fanned by Wen Tiren, started with a resounding bang, but ultimately ended in a disgraceful and inconclusive manner amidst the tacit resistance and complaints of poverty from the entire court.

Although they didn't make much money, the bandits still had to be suppressed; they couldn't let the bandits in Sichuan grow any stronger.

At the court meeting, Emperor Chongzhen's face was pale and bluish, with a sickly flush.

Looking at the group of loyal ministers and generals in the main hall, he felt a surge of evil fire rushing to the top of his head, burning his vision until it went black.

"Enough! Let's drop the matter of donating our salaries!"

"Same as always, more supplies!"

"Hou Xun!"

"Immediately issue an edict to the northern provinces, ordering an additional 2.3 million taels of silver to be allocated this autumn!"

"These funds are earmarked for quelling the rebellion in Sichuan! Anyone who delays will be punished as a traitor and executed without mercy!"

Hou Xun, who was below, wanted to speak again to persuade the emperor, but the emperor did not give him a chance to speak.

Zhu Youjian turned to look at Zhang Fengyi, the Minister of War, and uttered each word with force in the hall:

"Ministry of War!"

"Order Hong Chengchou to temporarily transfer the defenses of Shaanxi and Shanxi, and concentrate on dealing with the bandits in Sichuan, and find a way to enter Sichuan from the Hanzhong direction to suppress them."

"Order the Governor-General of Xuanfu and the Governors of Datong and Xuanfu to strictly guard against the Mongols and Later Jin Tartars taking advantage of the situation to invade the border!"

"Furthermore, Lu Xiang-sheng is hereby promoted!"

Emperor Chongzhen's gaze sharpened. After much deliberation, he finally decided to clarify the allocation of authority and responsibility.
"Lu Xiang-sheng is hereby removed from his post as Governor of Yunyang!"

"He is hereby appointed to oversee the military affairs of the five provinces of Southern Zhili, Henan, Shandong, Huguang, and Sichuan, and is granted the imperial sword, which permits him to execute first and report later!"

"Immediately assemble the troops and be sure to personally lead the main force from Huguang into Sichuan next spring, so as to coordinate with Hanzhong from the east and west."

"We must annihilate the bandit leader Jiang Han and his henchmen within Sichuan!"

"Sweep it out on the appointed day, without fail!"

"The necessary provisions and military supplies during this period should be raised by yourselves, and the imperial provisions will arrive the next day!"

But this is not the end.

In order to completely liberate Hong Chengchou from the bandits and the Mongol Tartars, and also to hold accountable the Later Jin army for breaking through the pass and attacking Xuanfu Wanquan Left Guard.

Zhu Youjian also made a series of important personnel adjustments.

Zhang Zongheng, the governor-general of Xuanhua and Datong, suffered a defeat in battle and lost territory, and was stripped of his official position and sent to the border. Yang Sichang was promoted to succeed him as governor-general of Xuanhua and Datong.

Jiao Yuanqing, the governor of Xuanfu, was stripped of his post and exiled for failing to govern the region effectively; Chen Xinjia succeeded him as governor of Xuanfu.

Hu Zhan'en, the governor of Datong, was convicted of the same crime and stripped of his post, then exiled; his position was taken over by Jiao Yuanpu. (Jiao Yuanpu was Jiao Yuanqing's cousin.)

Dai Jun'en, the governor of Shanxi, was held accountable and was stripped of his post and exiled; Wu Sheng succeeded him as governor of Shanxi.

The emperor's edict was quickly delivered to the two frontline commanders, Hong Chengchou and Lu Xiangshan.

Both frontline commanders were very worried about procuring their own food supplies.

Hong Chengchou was worried because Shaanxi had been ravaged by natural disasters and man-made calamities for more than a decade, leaving the land barren and the fields littered with corpses of the starving.

The common people are all poor, so what profit can be squeezed out of them?
Unlike Hong Chengchou, Lu Xiang-sheng was worried because Xunyang Prefecture under his jurisdiction had just begun to show some improvement; now, he really couldn't bring himself to ask him to procure grain and fodder.

Unlike Hong Chengchou, an official who came from a humble background but had no compassion for the common people.

Although Lu Xiang-sheng came from a prestigious family and belonged to the landlord class, he still had the compassion of a traditional scholar for the common people.

Lu Xiang-sheng came from the prestigious Mingling Lu family of Yixing in Jiangnan. Lu Zhaolin, one of the Four Great Poets of the Early Tang Dynasty, was an ancestor of the Lu family.

The Lu family settled in Yixing during the Southern Song Dynasty, passing down their tradition of farming and scholarship through generations, and possessing both literary and military talents.

When it comes to dealing with peasant uprisings, Lu Xiang-sheng also has a strong family background in this field. His ancestor, Lu Zhi, a famous minister of the Eastern Han Dynasty, was also adept at dealing with the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

But Lu Xiang-sheng's illustrious background was not the most frightening aspect; what was even more terrifying was his exceptional intelligence and diligence from a young age.

Lu Xiang-sheng entered a private school at the age of six, passed the provincial examination at the age of twenty-two, and became a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) at the age of twenty-three.

Lu Xiang-sheng did not like the Four Books and Five Classics, which were books for preparing for examinations.

He preferred Sun Tzu's Art of War, the Three Strategies and Six Secret Teachings, and often lamented the fates of Yue Fei, Yu Qian, and others, taking a similar stance himself.

While scholars in Jiangnan were frequenting brothels and indulging in wine and women, Lu Xiang-sheng was fond of lifting stone weights and wielding a large sword.

Moreover, it was a large sword, ten feet long and weighing one hundred and thirty pounds.

Lu Xiang-sheng was not only skilled in both literature and martial arts, but also an extremely sentimental person.

This can be seen from both his personal marriage and his future career.

In the early years of the Tianqi reign, Lu Xiang-sheng married a woman from a prominent family, surnamed Wang, at the behest of his parents.

After their marriage, the couple lived in perfect harmony and were deeply in love. Lu Xiang-sheng never took a concubine.

In an era when it was common for people in Jiangnan to have one wife and multiple concubines, this behavior was undoubtedly proof of his affection for Lady Wang.

Even when Lu Xiang-sheng was on a business trip to Yangzhou, some beautiful women were attracted to him and offered to redeem themselves and even pay him for their services, but Lu Xiang-sheng refused them outright.

"How can one dismiss beauty with a mere spirit?"

However, the good times didn't last long. Just as the news of Lu Xiang's passing the imperial examination arrived, a series of bad news came from his family.

His revered grandfather passed away, and his wife, surnamed Wang, contracted a terminal illness and never recovered.

Upon hearing the news, Lu Xiang-sheng immediately rushed home, where he took care of his grandfather's funeral arrangements and his wife, Wang, staying by her side at all times.

Only after Wang's dying pleas did Lu Xiang-sheng reluctantly remarry.

Although he could remarry, Lu Xiang-sheng's affections remained for his deceased wife, and he often wrote poems in remembrance of her:

"Whose wife is this, so steadfast and devoted? Her fragrant soul has followed the cuckoo westward; a thousand miles away, the pass hangs in the distance, a hundred years have passed, and I gaze in vain at the distant mountains."

The successive deaths of his grandfather and wife left Lu Xiang-sheng heartbroken, and the once strong man became emaciated in a short period of time.

Lu Xiang-sheng was only twenty-three years old at the time.

According to etiquette, Lu Xiang-sheng was required to wear mourning clothes for his grandfather and observe a two-year mourning period.

But in those two years, Lu Xiang-sheng left his lofty, secluded mansion and went to the fields.

In the past two years, he has witnessed too many joys and sorrows of ordinary people.

The true story of the charcoal seller was unfolding before his eyes, and the tragedies of selling children were constantly being staged, gradually maturing Lu Xiang-sheng's mindset.

The plight of ordinary people and the harsh realities of life profoundly educated him, enabling Lu Xiang-sheng to deeply understand the true meaning of serving the people.

Back then, Emperor Taizu launched a rebellion, fought for more than ten years, sacrificed millions of lives, and finally overthrew the corrupt Yuan Dynasty.
But today, the Zhu family has transformed into parasites who ride roughshod over the people.

Countless heroes shed their blood, only to bring about the current state of affairs.

Lu Xiang-sheng felt he could no longer afford to be depressed; he had to do something to change the status quo and change the Ming Dynasty.

But one's position determines one's perspective; Lu Xiang-sheng's family background and class made it impossible for him to choose to reopen the Great Tong.

The best solution he could think of was reform, learning from the upright officials and capable ministers.

Be as outspoken as Hai Rui, and reform as Zhang Juzheng.

And so, with compassion for the common people, Lu Xiang-sheng stepped out of the cemetery where he had been confined for two years.

Sure enough, during his subsequent term in office, Lu Xiang-sheng was filled with compassion for the people under his rule.

In the fourth year of the Tianqi reign, in order to avoid the factional strife in the court, Lu Xiang-sheng requested to be transferred to Linqing to manage the local canal transport and agriculture.

During his three years in Linqing, he adhered to the principles of integrity, prudence, and diligence, ensuring that the local people were well-fed and clothed, and truly implemented work relief, which benefited both officials and the people.

During his reign, he "accumulated several thousand taels of silver and cleared thirty-one thousand taels of arrears, achieving remarkable accomplishments." He consistently received the highest honors in examinations, greatly pleasing the carpenter emperor, who even personally issued an edict to commend him.

He was later promoted to Prefect of Daming for his merits, and he promoted his people-loving philosophy throughout the prefecture.

At that time, Daming Prefecture was plagued by corruption. Powerful officials colluded with local magnates to seize land and shift taxes onto the people, leaving them with nowhere to stand, while taxes and corvée labor were twice as much as before.

After taking office, Lu Xiangsheng personally checked the household registration and land register, re-registered the lands concealed by powerful families, and distributed them according to the principle of "equal tax and service per mu". At the same time, he severely punished corrupt officials.

He himself lived a simple life, "wearing plain clothes and eating simple food, and having no private wealth," setting an example for his subordinates.

After reforming the bureaucracy, he also promoted water conservancy projects and provided disaster relief. In the fourth year of Chongzhen's reign, there was a severe drought. In addition to applying to the court for disaster relief, he also took the lead in donating his salary to set up soup kitchens.

He decreed that "all the elderly, weak, women and children should have one bowl of porridge every day without interruption." According to the "Records of Daming Prefecture," this measure "saved tens of thousands of people."

In addition, he trained local militia to handle defense, creating a fighting force that stopped the Later Jin invasion and looting.

Lu Xiang-sheng was an outstanding administrator in Daming Prefecture, and the people called him "Lu the Upright Official".

According to the "Chronicle of Lu Zhongsu," when he left office, "the people of Daming knelt down to see him off along the streets, their cries echoing for dozens of miles. An old man offered him a bowl of wheat porridge, saying, 'When you leave, who will remember our suffering?'"

The local people later erected a shrine in his honor, the inscription of which reads:
"When the Duke comes, the fields are not left uncultivated, taxes are not heavy, and doors are not locked at night; when the Duke leaves, the people miss him as if they were starving and thirsty."

After that, Lu Xiang-sheng succeeded the unfortunate Jiang Yun-yi as the governor of Xunyang.

When Lu Xiang-sheng took over, Yunyang was in a state of utter ruin.

Due to the large-scale suppression organized by Chen Qiyu, the governor of five provinces, various bandits and government troops joined forces in Yunyang Prefecture, squeezing countless layers of land.

Due to war and famine, there were no fewer than a million refugees in various places, and many of them relied on the rebel army for survival.

Faced with this situation, Lu Xiang-sheng proposed a policy of appeasement before suppression. He designated wasteland as reclamation areas, distributed seeds and oxen to displaced people, and stipulated that no taxes would be levied on reclaimed land for three years.

Moreover, he personally led people to the valleys where refugees gathered, persuading people from all walks of life to return to the rule of the imperial court. In just six months, he recruited and pacified more than 100,000 refugees.

Thanks to Lu Xiang-sheng's various measures, Yunyang Prefecture finally regained some vitality.

When he left office, the people of Yunyang spontaneously built a shrine, and the incense burned continuously.

A folk song goes: "When Lord Lu came, the refugees returned; when Lord Lu left, who will protect his clothes?"

Even the refugees who had participated in the uprising lamented, "If only we had had Lord Lu earlier, we wouldn't be in this situation!"

Of course, Lu Xiang-sheng was not only capable of governing when he was off horseback, but he could also charge into battle when he was on horseback.

Facing the hundreds of thousands of peasant rebels led by Gao Yingxiang and Zhang Xianzhong, Lu Xiang-sheng showed no fear whatsoever.

Not long ago, he personally led his Ming army of less than 10,000 men, marching day and night, and successfully intercepted Gao Yingxiang's main force of tens of thousands of men in the Ruzhou area of ​​Henan.

Lu Xiang-sheng personally donned armor and charged at the forefront of the entire army.

Historical records indicate that during battles, he often "wounded himself with two arrows, yet his soldiers were all as fierce as a hundred men."

Lu Xiang-sheng's reckless fighting style instilled an unprecedented fear in the bandits who were already accustomed to fighting against Ming generals.

Some people tried to stop him, and together they knocked Lu Xiang-sheng off his horse.

Even after dismounting, Lu Xiang-sheng continued to fight to the death, stubbornly withstanding the siege of hundreds of men, wielding his Guan Dao and wreaking havoc.

Seeing that they couldn't capture him, the remaining bandits could only flee in disarray.

In this battle, Lu Xiang-sheng achieved a great victory.

He not only successfully defeated Gao Yingxiang's main force, but also beheaded more than 3,000 enemy soldiers, captured more than ten bandit leaders, and seized a large number of mules, horses and supplies.

After this battle, Lu Xiang-sheng's reputation soared, and a nickname that was both respected and feared by the bandits began to circulate among them: "Lu the King of Hell".

After that, Lu Xiang-sheng did not give Gao Ying-xiang, Zhang Xian-zhong, and others any chance to catch their breath.

He led his various Ming armies in a long pursuit that lasted for months and covered thousands of miles against the fleeing bandits.

He pursued the bandits from Henan all the way into Huguang, and fought more than ten large-scale battles with them in places such as Guang Prefecture, Xinyang Prefecture, and De'an Prefecture.

In the Qizhou and Huangzhou areas, he once again inflicted a major defeat on Zhang Xianzhong's forces, beheading thousands and drowning countless others in the Yangtze River.

During the pursuit, Lu Xiang-sheng's army once ventured deep into the mountainous areas of western Hunan, where supplies ran low.

When the army ran out of food for three days, Lu Xiang-sheng also went without food for three days, only drinking water every day, sharing the hardships with his soldiers.

Throughout the entire army, not a single person complained, and not a single person deserted.

This powerful cohesion was unmatched by any other Ming army at the time.

After more than a year of his unremitting efforts, Gao Yingxiang and Zhang Xianzhong have been driven from the heart of the Central Plains to the mountains and valleys in the west.

Just when he was about to annihilate the bandits, the emperor's edict was delivered to him.

Lu Xiang-sheng actually opposed the campaign to suppress the rebellion in Sichuan.

He repeatedly wrote letters arguing that it would be best to first eliminate the outlying bandits and then suppress the bandits in Sichuan.

Anyway, these bandits have already taken root, and even if they run, they can't escape the Sichuan Basin.

But Emperor Chongzhen was a stubborn man who wouldn't listen to advice. Once he made up his mind, not even eight horses could pull him back.

After his petitions were rejected several times, Lu Xiang-sheng recognized reality and began to make full preparations for entering Sichuan to suppress bandits.

After several days of deliberation, he finally devised a plan to suppress the bandits by both water and land.

First, there's the waterway. Kuizhou hasn't fallen yet, so Lu Xiang-sheng plans to travel up the Yangtze River through the Three Gorges to enter Sichuan.

The main force of the Ming army in Huguang should have completed its assembly in Jingzhou, which is an important hub in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, with smooth water and land transportation, making it convenient to mobilize troops and supplies from various parts of Huguang.

Subsequently, the naval fleet set sail from Jingzhou and headed west against the current.

The key to this battle lies in whether we can seize the strategic pass of the Three Gorges before the enemy can react.

Therefore, Lu Xiang-sheng specially found a capable team to secretly infiltrate Sichuan from Shizhouwei by land.

Shizhouwei was located in the Wuling Mountains. Its western land route was opened up by Fu Youde in the early Ming Dynasty and was designed specifically for military operations.

The route starts from Shizhouwei, passes through Jianshi and Badong, crosses Qiyue Mountain into Shizhu, Chongqing, and then follows the Longhe River Valley to Zhongzhou, successfully avoiding the treacherous Three Gorges.

If Governor Hong of Hanzhong can tie down some of the rebel troops' attention, then Lu Xiang-sheng will have a better chance of taking over Kuizhou ahead of schedule.

　Having a cold is really awful, damn it!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)