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

Chapter 261 Governor Hong's Great Looting of Hanzhong

In the winter of the seventh year of the Chongzhen reign, Hong Chengchou led 40,000 elite Qin soldiers on a long and arduous journey to Hanzhong.

These 40,000 troops were elite forces he had carefully selected from the three border regions of Shaanxi, but even so, their numbers were still too small to break through the treacherous Shu Road.

Moreover, in order to guard against the Mongols taking advantage of the situation to seize the border and to prevent local bandits from causing trouble, he had to allocate 10,000 troops to Li Qiao, the governor of Shaanxi, to protect Shaanxi.

Only about 30,000 people remained to follow him south to Hanzhong, preparing to enter Sichuan to quell the rebellion.

Inside the Hanzhong Prefectural Government Office, Hong Chengchou sat upright in the main hall, his face cold and his gaze sharp as a knife.

A topographical map of Sichuan and Shaanxi was spread out on his desk, clearly marking the locations of the passes on the three mountain roads leading into Sichuan: Jinniu Road, Micang Road, and Lizhi Road.

The generals below stood solemnly, the atmosphere heavy.

Ai Wannian, Zuo Guangxian, Bai Guang'en, He Renlong, and Zhang Yingchang were all fierce generals who fought against bandits and Tartars on the battlefields of Shaanxi and Shanxi.

Many of them were old acquaintances of Jiang Han. (Cao Bianjiao returned to his hometown to recuperate due to illness.)
They all looked solemn, their backs ramrod straight, but their eyes revealed a hint of weariness and bewilderment that was hard to conceal.

The other three generals below appeared even more cramped.

These men were all imperial generals responsible for guarding the Hanzhong plank road, namely:
Fenxi Military Commander Deng Yang led two thousand men to garrison Yangping Pass and guard the Jinniu Road;

Fang Guoan, the military commander of Jiezhou, led two thousand men to garrison Bayuguan and guard the Micang Road;

Jiao Bo, the military commander of Xing'an, led 1,500 men to garrison Raofeng Pass and guard the Lychee Road.

"Everyone,"

Hong Chengchou's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly penetrated the entire hall.
"The King of Shu has sent a message of emergency. Sichuan Province is in ruins, and the bandit leader Jiang Han has become a major threat."

"His Majesty is furious and has issued a strict decree ordering us to wipe out the bandits within a specified time!"

His gaze swept over the crowd, lingering for a moment on the faces of Deng Yang, Fang Guoan, and Jiao Bo:
"The imperial court has issued a strict order that we must coordinate with Lu Xiang-sheng's troops in Huguang and launch a simultaneous attack from the north and south to enter Sichuan!"

"Our mission is to draw away the main force of the bandits, creating an opportunity for Premier Lu to go up the river and strike at the Qutang Gorge."

"This battle concerns the safety of our nation; you must all work together with one heart and one mind, and there must be no mistakes!"

All the generals below responded in unison, but Deng Yang alone lowered his head, his eyes flickering slightly.

This spy was out of place among the government troops, fearing that Hong Chengchou's sharp eyes would see through him.

But Hong Chengchou had no intention of letting him off the hook, and questioned him carefully:
“The bandits have been entrenched in Sichuan for a long time. I am new to this place and do not know much about the enemy situation.”

"General Deng, General Fang, General Jiao, you have been stationed in Hanzhong for a long time, facing the enemy directly."

"What are Jiang Han's current movements in northern Sichuan? How many troops does he have? What is the defense of the various plank roads?"

"Tell me everything in detail, without hiding anything!"

Fang Guoan, the military commander of Jiezhou, was a man of integrity and uprightness. He was the first to step forward with his hands clasped in front of him.
"Reporting to the General, the enemy's strength is indeed as the King of Shu reported, extremely rampant!"

"Some of the rebel troops were stationed in the Bazhong and Nanjiang areas, guarding key strategic locations such as the Micang Road and the Lizhi Road leading into Sichuan."

"According to reports from scouts, after the rebels occupied Baoning Prefecture, they actively built fortifications at various passes, dug deep trenches and erected high walls, and were heavily guarded."

"I have sent out small teams to investigate many times, but they were all intercepted and killed by the bandits, resulting in considerable losses."

“Travelers have almost completely stopped. Only a few daring and desperate individuals might be able to detour through the treacherous paths, but less than one in ten survives.”

His tone was somber, clearly indicating his pessimism about a direct assault on the Yonekura Road.

Jiao Bo, standing nearby, quickly stepped forward to add, his face showing worry:

"General Hong, you are wise to see that the road to the lychee tree is even more rugged and difficult to traverse as I am stationed at Raofeng Pass!"

"Although the bandits did not gather in large numbers in front of the pass, they set up checkpoints and ambushes along the dangerous passes."

"Moreover, the Lychee Road is treacherous and difficult to traverse, making it extremely difficult to transport grain. If the army were to take this route, the supply line would be long and easily cut off by the bandits."

"In my humble opinion, only a surprise attack can achieve this."

It was Deng Yang's turn.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the tension in his heart, and stepped forward, trying to keep his voice steady:

"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, the bandits have also deployed heavy troops along the Guangyuan and Chaotian Pass line to guard the strategic points of Jinniu Road, which I am guarding."

"However."

He hesitated for a moment, but then spoke.
"However, trade routes have not been completely severed."

"Business ethics?"

Upon hearing this, Hong Chengchou's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly, and his sharp gaze pierced Deng Yang like a tangible object.
Where can trade take place?

When Deng Yang was stared at by Hong Chengchou, his back was instantly soaked with cold sweat, as if he were being watched by some flood or wild beast.

Fang Guoan and Jiao Bo, standing to the side, subconsciously turned to look at Deng Yang, clearly somewhat surprised by the matter of trade.

Facing the gazes of the crowd, Deng Yang forced himself to remain calm and replied with a stiff upper lip:

"Reporting to the Governor, it is mainly some merchant groups that travel between Guanzhong, Hanzhong and Sichuan, and they can still travel along the Jinniu Road and Lianyun Plank Road."

"Oh?"

"What kind of merchant groups are they? And what are they transporting?"

"They actually managed to pass through right under your nose, General Deng?"

Hong Chengchou's voice was unreadable, but every question struck Deng Yang's heart like a heavy hammer.

Deng Yang's Adam's apple bobbed as his mind raced:
"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, most of them are local merchants from Xi'an and Hanzhong who have used the connections of the Prince of Qin's Mansion and the Prince of Rui's Mansion."

"Recently, a number of exquisite glass vases were transported from Sichuan and delivered to the Prince's Palace."

"It's all the Prince's business, so I can only turn a blind eye."

"The Prince's Mansion?"

A strange light flashed in Hong Chengchou's eyes after hearing this, and then he slowly nodded. Since it was the business of the Zhu family princes, he couldn't say anything more.

So he stopped looking at Deng Yang and turned to the crowd:
"According to the three of you, the bandits are guarding key routes and have a tight defense, so a direct attack is not the best strategy."

"I will give this matter further consideration."

"You guys go back first."

Just as Hong Chengchou was about to turn and leave, Fang Guoan, who was below the steps, suddenly called out to him.

Fang Guoan looked worried and stammered as he replied:
"General!"

"Winter is just around the corner, and the brothers still don't have any provisions."

"In addition, we will be advancing into Sichuan in the spring. What do you think? Should we issue the rations and pay first so that the brothers can have a comfortable winter?"

Hong Chengchou nodded after listening and explained:

"His Majesty has issued a decree to increase the rations, so the grain and provisions should be able to reach Hanzhong before the end of the year."

"But distant water cannot quench immediate thirst. The food and military supplies needed during this period will need to be raised by you yourselves."

"The situation is difficult, and I hope that everyone will work together to overcome the difficulties!"

"Yes!"

The generals responded in unison.

The meaning behind the phrase "raise funds on our own" is perfectly clear to all the generals present.

Thus, government troops were mobilized everywhere in and around Hanzhong Prefecture, ostensibly to "suppress the remaining bandits," but in reality, they wantonly plundered the local people.

When Jiang Han entered Sichuan, he passed through Hanzhong and launched many movements to destroy temples and suppress Buddhism in various places, which gave the government troops an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

Generals led by He Renlong led their troops into the countryside, entering every village they encountered, and beating the people if they resisted even slightly.

Even some moderately wealthy families were not spared; their fields and livestock were looted, and the cries of the people were deafening.

Deng Yang and Hei Zi were stationed at Yangping Pass. Looking at the chaotic scene outside Hanzhong Prefecture, they cursed Hong Chengchou in their hearts for being shameless.

The two thousand soldiers under their command were paid by Jiang Han through secret transport from Guangyuan County, so they did not need to participate in the looting.

However, Deng Yang keenly sensed that if they remained inactive, it might arouse Hong Chengchou's suspicion.

In the dead of night, Deng Yang and Hei Zi held a secret meeting in their tent.

Deng Yang said in a low voice:
"General Fang, right now all the units are scavenging for supplies everywhere. If we don't make a move, that guy surnamed Hong will get suspicious sooner or later."

"If he investigates the source of our supplies, what will we say to cover it up?"

Hei Zi was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, then realized what was happening:

"You mean we should also plunder our neighbors?"

He scratched his head and tentatively asked:

"Or should we say that the grain was purchased through trade?"

"The Golden Bull Road Merchant Guild travels frequently, so buying some grain isn't unreasonable, is it?"

Deng Yang shook his head with a wry smile:

"General Fang, you have no idea how outrageous grain prices are in Hanzhong right now!" "A liter of rice is almost five qian of silver!"

"We're government troops now, where are we going to get so much silver to buy food?"

"That man surnamed Hong is very shrewd; he's probably not easy to fool."

Hei Zi gasped upon hearing this:
"Wow, five cents a liter of rice? That's expensive!"

"So, does that mean the Commander-in-Chief has to spend several thousand taels of silver every month to support these two thousand men?!"

"Then what do you suggest we do? Are we really going to go down and rob them like He Renlong and his gang?"

"There are regulations in the army that anyone who loots without permission will be executed."

Deng Yang pondered for a moment, his gaze resolute:
"This time, that time."

"We are behind enemy lines, and in order to complete the mission assigned by the commander-in-chief, some compromises are inevitable."

"The commander-in-chief has gone to great lengths to place us among the government troops; we must not let small things cause us to lose big ones."

Hei Zi frowned and said:
"How about I take some men for a stroll around the village, and come back before dark to fool them?"

Deng Yang flatly rejected the idea, a flicker of lingering fear crossing his eyes:
“A few days ago at the government office, a man surnamed Hong asked me about business, and I was almost scared out of my wits.”

"This person isn't easy to fool; if we're going to do it, we need to do it properly!"

"We must break into the village, ransack it, and make as much chaos as possible."

"At worst, you can tell your brothers in advance to be careful when they search, so they don't actually rob the people of all their food."

Hei Zi listened with skepticism:
"Will this... work?"

Deng Yang patiently analyzed:

"As long as we lead our troops in, the other government troops will likely not come back once they see that the village has already been searched."

"The most urgent task at present is to convey Hong Chengchou's plan to Baoning Prefecture so that the commander-in-chief can make preparations as soon as possible."

After hearing this, Kuroko finally nodded:
"Alright! Let's split up."

"I'll take some people to the countryside to put on a show; you send someone to Baoning Prefecture to deliver a message!"

The next morning, Hei Zi led three hundred soldiers in a grand procession toward Xiping Village.

Xiping Village is a small village near Hanzhong Prefecture. Most of the villagers make a living by farming. They usually do business with Hei Zi and his gang of Yangping Pass garrison soldiers, and they are quite familiar with each other.

When Old Wang, the village head, saw Hei Zi leading his troops, he assumed they were there to buy food again, and greeted them with a smile:

"General Fang, you've come to patronize our village's business again?"

What would you like to order this time?

To his surprise, the usually amiable, dark-faced general was now tough-looking and spoke in a cold tone:

"Shut up!"

"We are here on the orders of Commander-in-Chief Hong to investigate spies and collaborators with the bandits and to procure provisions for the suppression of the rebellion!"

"Your Xiping Village has half a day to hand over 500 jin of grain!"

"Anyone who dares to hide or resist will be treated as an accomplice to the enemy and executed without exception!"

Upon hearing this, Old Wang's smile instantly froze:

"Five hundred jin?"

He fell to his knees with a thud, his voice trembling with tears.

"General, please have mercy!"

"This year's harvest is poor, and there's been a severe drought. Where does the village get so much grain?"

"Please, have mercy on us and spare our lives!"

The surrounding villagers also knelt down, and cries of sorrow filled the air.

Seeing the scene before him, Hei Zi steeled his resolve, abruptly turned around, and gave the order to his lieutenant behind him:

"Search!"

The deputy general behind him, Feng Lao Er, understood immediately and led his soldiers into the house, driving all the men, women, and children inside to the open space outside.

The group ransacked the house, their actions rough and crude. Pots and pans were overturned at will, and bedding and clothes were scattered all over the floor.

The entire Xiping Village was thrown into chaos, leaving it in complete disarray.

Amidst the chaos, the soldiers' eyes darted quickly across hidden spots such as under the bed, around the stove, and in the woodpile.

When they saw a half-sack of grain hidden under a haystack and covered with a rag, or a few strings of copper coins stuffed under a water jar, they would either pretend not to see it or deliberately use a knife sheath or gun barrel to move it to a more concealed place.

Some people even deliberately turn their backs to the hiding place while searching, blocking any possible view from outside.

When Feng Lao Er, the leader, lifted the lid of the rice jar, he noticed something beneath the shallow layer of brown rice at the bottom. He immediately slammed the lid back on and shouted:
"Empty! What bad luck!"

Then, with a wave of his hand, he led the soldiers behind him and left the house without looking back.

The large-scale search lasted for almost half a day, but in the end, Heizi took very little with him.

When the villagers returned home trembling with fear, ready to clean up the mess, they were pleasantly surprised to find that most of the grain was still there.

That night, the villagers who had survived the disaster secretly slipped out of their homes under the cover of darkness, intending to hide the surviving grain.

Just as they reached the halfway point of the mountain, Old Wang, the village head, bumped into his neighbor Li San, who was also sneakily hiding something.

The two men, each carrying a bag of grain, looked at each other in bewilderment.

Li San lowered his voice:

"Village chief, what about your grain?"

Old Wang was taken aback and whispered:
"After the government troops left in the morning, I went back to tidy up and found that there was still a lot left in the house."

"Could it be that you are one of them?"

Li San looked surprised:
"Me too, the doll discovered it."

"Could it be that those bastards had a backup plan?"

The two exchanged a glance, their minds filled with doubts, but now was not the time to think about it.

They quickly buried the grain in the cave, covered it with dry branches, and agreed that no one should make a sound, for fear that the government troops might launch a surprise attack.

As expected, caution was the right thing to do. In less than two days, Xiping Village welcomed another group of government troops, led by He Renlong.

He led his deputy Guo Hao to the village head in a menacing manner, demanding a thousand catties of grain.

But the village head had already hidden the grain, and confidently deflected the blame:

"Sir, you've come at an inopportune time."

"The government troops came a few days ago and confiscated all the grain from the village!"

He Renlong narrowed his eyes, half believing and half doubting:

"Yangping Pass? Deng Yang's men?"

He winked at Guo Hao behind him.
"Go, take some men and search the area!"

Guo Hao accepted the order and led a dozen soldiers into the house, ransacking it.

But the villagers were prepared; they hid all the grain in the caves, leaving only some broken household items in the houses.

Guo Hao searched for a long time but found nothing. Frustrated, he interrogated the villagers, and all the answers he received were the same: the government troops had taken everything.

Upon learning the news, He Renlong had no choice but to lead his team away in a huff.

After the government troops had gone far away, the villagers gathered at the village entrance and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness those soldiers ahead showed mercy, otherwise our Xiping Village really wouldn't have survived this winter!"

While the government troops were causing chaos in various parts of Hanzhong, Deng Yang had already dispatched his trusted confidant to deliver the message to Jiang Han in Baoning Prefecture.

The letter detailed Hong Chengchou's troop strength and battle plan.

Thirty thousand men from Hanzhong marched overland to draw Jiang Han's main force, while Lu Xiang-sheng from Huguang led his troops into Sichuan from Kuizhou, launching a pincer attack from the east and west.

But Jiang Han was surprised when he received the letter. Had Zhu Youjian gone mad?
Gao Yingxiang and Zhang Xianzhong are still alive, so why are they suddenly causing him trouble? They really don't take the King of Chuang and the King of the Great Western Kingdom seriously.

Right now, outside the city of Chengdu, only a few counties are struggling to survive. Unexpectedly, the imperial court suddenly remembered him.

Left with no other choice, Jiang Han ordered his troops to split into two groups, with himself leading the troops to Kuizhou to defend against Lu Xiangshan.

As for Hanzhong, he entrusted Dong Erzhu with full responsibility.

In Jiang Han's view, all three routes into Sichuan have been blocked, and no matter how capable Hong Chengchou is, he can't possibly send 30,000 men into Sichuan from Hanzhong.

　I got back late, so I'll post this first and revise it later!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)