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

Chapter 302: Pioneer for the King
Should we give Yingxiang a boost?

Jiang Han looked at the secret report in his hand, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the paper, weighing the options in his mind, unable to make a decision.

Gao Yingxiang had met him once before.

Back in Shanxi, he took over the mission to attack Jingyue County from Wang Jiayin and himself.

To be honest, he did a good job, showing a good understanding of military strategy and tactics.

If they could be brought in as an ally, it would surely help them deflect a great deal of pressure from the Ming court.

However, five or six years have passed in the blink of an eye, and Gao Yingxiang is no longer the little leader he used to be.

Given their current poverty and hardship, it's truly difficult to predict whether bringing them to Sichuan would be a blessing or a curse.

"One person's wisdom is limited."

Jiang Han stroked his chin, then put away the secret letter and instructed Wang Chengbi and Ding Jun beside him:
"That's how we'll handle things regarding the academy."

"Master Wang, please get the children into school as soon as possible. This is a matter of great importance and cannot be delayed."

"That's all for today. You'll come back to the Prince's residence with me."

Immediately afterwards, he gave instructions to the guards beside him:
"Issue the order to summon all department heads and officers to the Chengyun Hall immediately, as there are important matters to discuss."

Inside the Chengyun Hall, candles burned brightly, illuminating the vast palace as if it were daytime.

Jiang Han's core civil and military officials, such as Li Xinghuai, the chief of the Ministry of Agriculture, Xue Zhiheng, the chief of the Ministry of Justice, as well as the generals Cao Er and Li Laowai who remained behind, have all been summoned.

The crowd stood on either side of the main hall, their expressions still showing some confusion, wondering why the King of Han had suddenly summoned them after nightfall.

Jiang Han stepped past the crowd and ascended the steps, his gaze slowly sweeping over everyone present.

Seeing that the core civil and military officials had all gathered, he didn't waste any words and directly handed the secret letter in his arms to Wang Chengbi, who was closest to him, indicating that everyone should read it.

"Take a look, everyone. This is a message that just arrived from Hanzhong."

The letter circulated among the people, and a murmur of discussion arose in the hall.

"That's probably what happened."

"Deng Yang from Hanzhong sent word that Gao Yingxiang has arrived in Hanzhong, right under our noses."

"I reckon he was too ashamed to come to Sichuan to ask me for help, hoping to make a comeback on his own."

“Now the valley entrances of Chencang, Tangluo, and Baoxie are all heavily guarded by Ming troops, so he can’t break through them, nor does he dare to.”

"He will definitely take the Meridian Path."

Jiang Han paused, then emphasized his words:

"But the problem is that the newly appointed governor of Shaanxi, Sun Chuanting, is not easy to deal with; he is by no means an incompetent person."

"If Gao Yingxiang were to set foot on the Meridian Path, given his current strength, he would undoubtedly be captured alive by Sun Chuanting, with no chance of survival!"

"I have gathered you all here today to discuss this matter thoroughly: whether or not we should lend a hand to this Gao Chuangwang?"

After hearing Jiang Han's words, a brief silence fell over the Chengyun Hall.

Everyone looked at each other, clearly processing this sudden news.

They knew Gao Yingxiang, but they had never heard of the newly appointed governor of Shaanxi.

Li Xinghuai, who was at the front, spoke first, breaking the silence:
"Your Majesty, please forgive my ignorance."

"Who is this Sun Chuanting? Why does the King value him so highly?"

"As far as I know, he has only been in office for half a year."

"Now, the main force of the Shaanxi government army has been taken to Shanxi by Hong Chengchou, leaving him with only some remnants and weak soldiers who can barely defend the city."

"In addition, Shaanxi has suffered from natural disasters and wars year after year, with droughts and locusts following one after another, famine raging, and people's livelihoods extremely impoverished."

"I really can't imagine what methods he has that have enabled him to build such a strong army in such a short time."

"Why is Your Majesty so certain that Gao Yingxiang is doomed to defeat?"

Xue Zhiheng, the chief clerk of the Ministry of Justice standing to the side, nodded and echoed:
“What Master Li said is absolutely right.”

"As far as I know, Shaanxi is currently a complete mess."

"Even if Sun Chuanting has extraordinary talent, he has no soldiers or food. Even a skilled cook cannot cook without rice."

"Although Gao Yingxiang suffered a setback, his troops were all seasoned veterans who had fought on many battlefields and traveled through several provinces, and they were extremely resilient."

"Even if he encounters government troops blocking his way in the Ziwu Valley, and is no match for them, he can simply retreat the way he came."

"It seems...there's no need to worry too much, is there?"

The views of the two officials represented the thoughts of many officers present, and many showed expressions of agreement on their faces.

But Jiang Han shook his head after hearing this:
"I want to remind you all not to underestimate the heroes of the world, nor to underestimate the foundation of a dynasty."

“Even a broken ship has three thousand nails, let alone the Ming Dynasty, which spans thousands of miles and has ruled for nearly three hundred years?”

"At this time of dynastic change, heroes emerge from chaos, as do capable ministers and generals."

"Aren't people like Hong Chengchou and Lu Xiangshan among the best?"

"Believe me, this Sun Chuanting is no worse than them."

“The Ming army in Hanzhong is not just for show. As long as Gao Yingxiang leads his troops into the Ziwu Valley, the Ming army in Hanzhong will follow closely and block his retreat.”

"There's no need to discuss this matter further. I called you here today to discuss whether or not to save them. Let's not get sidetracked."

Seeing Jiang Han's certainty, although everyone still had some doubts, they didn't press the matter further and could only continue the discussion based on the premise he had set.

Cao Er, who was positioned on the left side of the main hall, stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and said:

"Your Majesty!"

"In my humble opinion, this matter is inappropriate; it would be better not to offer assistance!"

"Although Hanzhong is very close to Sichuan, it is extremely difficult to pass through due to its high mountains, treacherous roads, and narrow paths."

"If the army is mobilized, the cost of supplies, weapons, and laborers for transportation will be a considerable expense."

"We have only recently taken over Sichuan, and General Shao is still fighting in Guizhou. We are already stretched thin in terms of food, supplies, and manpower."

"If we were to launch another attack on the northern front now, it would mean fighting on two fronts. It would be a terrible waste to fight Gao Yingxiang."

Old Li, standing to the side, echoed in a muffled voice:
"What Cao Lao Er said makes sense!"

"That guy surnamed Gao is already at his wit's end. What benefit would we get from saving him?"

"His troops are probably just remnants; he doesn't even have a foothold; and forget about money and provisions!"

"This is a completely unprofitable deal, and..."

Li Laowai paused, a hint of disgust appearing on his face:
"Moreover, most of his men are bandits who have fought in various provinces. They are used to burning, killing, and looting, and their military discipline has probably long been corrupt."

"What if we let these people into our territory, and they relapse into their old ways and harass the local people?"

"If we recruit these people, how badly will military discipline deteriorate?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Han glanced at Li Laowai and Cao Er with considerable surprise.

Things are different after you establish your own territory.

These rough-around-the-edges soldiers are now surprisingly starting to think about problems from the perspectives of cost and governance.

It seems that after he declared himself king and established his regime, the mindset and sense of identity of these original members have been quietly changing.

Subconsciously, they already regarded armed forces like Gao Yingxiang's as "bandits" that needed to be guarded against.

This is an interesting transformation.

From the perspectives of military costs, practical benefits, and internal stability, the military commanders were inclined not to provide assistance.

However, the civil officials present had different considerations.

After a long pause, Li Xinghuai stepped forward again:

"But I believe that Gao Yingxiang might be worth saving."

He looked around and slowly analyzed:
"The reason is simple: Gao Yingxiang's troops, and indeed all the rebel armies operating outside, are still an indispensable shield for Sichuan."

"Their presence can relieve a lot of pressure for us."

"I would like to remind everyone that last year, the two main forces of the government army stationed troops in Hanzhong and Huguang, but then hastily withdrew."

"Why did the government troops suddenly retreat? Did they have a change of heart?"

"No, it is precisely because the various rebel armies are roaming freely within the territory of the Ming Dynasty that they have been holding back the Ming army for us."

"In particular, Gao Yingxiang, Zhang Xianzhong and others set fire to the Fengyang Imperial Mausoleum, which shocked the world and attracted the main force of Lu Xiangshan and Hong Chengchou."

"If it weren't for their stirring up trouble outside, we probably would have faced a massive siege by the imperial army as soon as we entered Sichuan."

"It was precisely because of the existence of the external rebel forces that we were given an extremely valuable respite and time to develop."

Wang Chengbi, who was standing to the side, nodded in deep agreement and continued to add:
“What Master Li said is absolutely right.” “Saving Gao Yingxiang is not just about saving him alone, but also about maintaining the anti-Ming momentum.”

"After the early bandits such as Wang Jiayin and Wang Ziyong were defeated and killed one after another, Gao Yingxiang was elected as the leader by various rebel armies and can be called a banner among the rebel armies."

"If what Your Majesty says is true, he will soon be captured and killed by Sun Chuanting."

"Once the news spreads, it will inevitably severely damage the morale of the various rebel armies, and many people will likely be afraid and surrender at the first sign of trouble."

"At that time, the morale of the government troops will surely be greatly boosted, and their momentum in suppressing the bandits will be even stronger."

"Everyone, think about this carefully. If all the bandits on the outskirts have been pacified or recruited, who will be the next target of the imperial court's all-out attack?"

Wang Chengbi swept his gaze across the crowd and said decisively,

"It must be my Sichuan!"

"Therefore, protecting Gao Yingxiang is protecting the overall situation of the anti-Ming movement, which is beneficial to all forces resisting the tyrannical Ming."

"For us, it also means that we have preserved a vital external barrier."

"To be the vanguard of the king, that is the principle."

Compared to military generals, civil officials clearly had a more macro-level perspective.

Rescuing Gao Yingxiang was not only a military matter, but also a comprehensive consideration of overall planning, political impact, and long-term development.

Li Xinghuai, who was in charge of the Ministry of Agriculture, was well aware of the difficulties in obtaining food and supplies and the people's labor, so he preferred to maintain a favorable external environment at the lowest possible cost.
When Wang Chengbi was in charge of the Ministry of Education and participated in the selection of talents, his vision naturally focused on the general trend of the world and the support of the people.

They were well aware that Sichuan's foundation was still weak at this time, and it needed time to digest the results and accumulate strength.

A chaotic external environment is clearly in Sichuan's best interest at present.

After hearing the two completely different opinions from his civil and military subordinates, Jiang Han made a decision.

He actually leaned more towards the views of the civil servants.

There's no other reason than that Gao Yingxiang's banner cannot fall yet.

If Gao Chuangwang were to die, it's doubtful that the rebel army could find another figure capable of leading the alliance and uniting all anti-Ming forces.

At that time, not only will Gao Yingxiang's main force be wiped out, but also major rebel leaders such as Tuo Yangkun of Scorpion Band will surrender one after another.

The entire wave of peasant uprisings at the end of the Ming Dynasty would be abruptly interrupted.

In the original history, after Gao Yingxiang's death, Li Zicheng was able to take up the cause of rebelling against the Ming Dynasty and deal with various government troops.

The problem is that Li Chuang no longer exists in this timeline; Li Zicheng has already submitted to Jiang Han and it is impossible for him to establish his own independent regime.

As for Zhang Xianzhong... Jiang Han shook his head inwardly; the King of the Great Western Kingdom was clearly not a reliable candidate.

Given Zhang Xianzhong's strength and personality, dealing with even a Zuo Liangyu would be difficult, let alone facing top-notch officials like Sun Chuanting and Hong Chengchou.

Historically, even Li Zicheng was once defeated by Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting, leaving him with only eighteen horsemen who fled into the Shangluo Mountains. How much more so Zhang Xianzhong?
Among his adopted sons, Sun Kewang was good at internal affairs, but when it came to leading troops in battle, Li Dingguo was superior.

Unfortunately, Li Dingguo was also recruited by Jiang Han and is now undergoing training on the front lines in Guizhou. He is a second-generation general whom Jiang Han is focusing on developing.

That's why Jiang Han felt it was even more necessary to elevate Yingxiang, allowing him to continue attracting the main force of the Ming army and stirring up trouble on all sides.

Moreover, there is one more crucial issue.

In Jiang Han's strategic plan, he does not intend to leave the southwest for the time being.

It should be noted that this is now the ninth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign.

The severe drought that struck several provinces at the end of the Ming Dynasty and lasted for more than ten years has quietly spread to various places and is gradually entering its most devastating stage.

Take the Hanzhong region as an example; the "Continued Records of Hanzhong Prefectures" records:
"In the first year of Chongzhen's reign, the sky over Shaanxi was as red as blood."

"Five years of famine, six years of floods, seven years of autumn locusts and famine, eight years of drought in the western countryside in September, and floods in Lueyang, all the houses were submerged."

"Nine years of drought and locusts, ten years of barren autumn crops, eleven years of summer locusts darkening the sky... thirteen years of severe drought... fourteen years of drought."

Hanzhong is a major grain-producing area known as the "Little Jiangnan of Qinba," not to mention other regions.

Due to its unique geographical and climatic advantages, the southwest region has been relatively less affected.

But in the Central Plains and even Shaanxi, it had long been a living hell with corpses of the starving.

—From the Journal of Sun Yat-sen University, "The Spatiotemporal Evolution and Climatic Background of Clustered Disasters in China from 1635 to 1643"

It should be noted that the drought during the Chongzhen era was the longest-lasting and most widespread drought event in my country in the past five hundred years.

Even in later, more productive times, a disaster of this magnitude would have resulted in a 40-50% reduction in grain production.

Moreover, in this day and age?
Jiang Han knew he was powerless; he couldn't fight against the natural disaster, nor could he save so many starving people.

All he could do was seize this precious window of opportunity, manage his small plot of land in the southwest well, and wait for the weather to change.

Not long ago, the Grain Tax Bureau and the Ministry of Agriculture just released statistics on the population and arable land of Sichuan Province.

The entire Sichuan province has a population of approximately 8.53 million, with about 16 million mu of registered arable land.

(The original data on cultivated land comes from the official records of the sixth year of the Wanli reign. Sichuan reported approximately 1348 million mu of cultivated land.)
(In his book "Land and Population Data," Ho Ping-ti estimated that the national population in 1600 was about 1.5 million. Based on the fact that Sichuan accounted for about 4% of the national population, this figure was about 600 million people.)
Such a ratio of people to land can be maintained in good years.

However, it is somewhat inadequate to cope with widespread natural disasters and support large-scale external expansion.

Jiang Han must prioritize ensuring food security and development needs in Sichuan.

Therefore, the existence of external forces such as Gao Yingxiang and Zhang Xianzhong is particularly important.

In other words, the head steward Zhao Sheng was still in Guizhou supervising the transport of grain. If Zhao Sheng were present, he would probably have directly pointed out the key to the matter.

To survive this catastrophe, people must die.

It might even require enough deaths to effectively alleviate the food pressure caused by overpopulation.

Only by letting these bandits serve as the vanguard can the Ming army and population be continuously depleted, making it easier for Jiang Han to leave Sichuan in the future.

Of course, given his status, Jiang Han couldn't possibly voice these thoughts.

He can only explain his decision from the perspective of opposing the Ming Dynasty's greater good and strategic security.

Jiang Han took a deep breath, glanced at the assembled civil and military officials, and said loudly:
"What you all said makes sense."

"The two generals are mature and prudent in considering the difficulties of the army leaving Sichuan; the two officials in charge are looking at the overall situation and are also thinking about our foundation."

He first affirmed both sides, then changed the subject...
"But from the perspective of opposing the Ming dynasty, we still have to praise Yingxiang."

"If Gao Yingxiang falls, I'm afraid that in an instant, all the other rebel armies will collapse and surrender at the mere sight of him."

"At that time, the Ming court will concentrate its forces to besiege and suppress my Sichuan."

"Although we are not afraid of war, we will try our best to avoid fighting if possible."

"By keeping Gao Yingxiang, we can buy ourselves some more time to develop."

Seeing that Jiang Han had already made up his mind, Cao Er, Li Laowai, and the others said no more.

Li Xinghuai then stepped forward again and added:

"Although His Majesty has made a decision, we still have some suggestions."

"First and foremost, how do we save Gao Yingxiang?"

"In my humble opinion, we should not send troops into Hanzhong."

"General Cao is right. We are still fighting in Guizhou. It is not advisable to fight on two fronts, as the burden of food and supplies is too heavy."

"Besides, General Deng is hiding in Hanzhong and building a network of relationships, so we can't act rashly."

"General Deng's hidden move will be a crucial aid for our northward advance into Hanzhong."

"It would be a huge waste to rescue Gao Yingxiang if it led to General Deng's premature exposure."

"Secondly, to what extent should we try to save them?"

"In my opinion, a half-dead Gao Yingxiang would be more in our best interest."

"If he becomes too powerful and difficult to control, he will become a problem for us."

Jiang Han nodded after listening:

"That's right, that makes sense."

"I have no plans to send troops to Hanzhong for the time being."

He pondered for a moment and then revealed his plan:

"Here's what I'll do. I'll send a messenger disguised to Shiquan to make contact with Gao Yingxiang first."

"The most urgent task is to stop him from taking the Meridian Path. As long as he doesn't go in, there is still room for maneuver."

“I can use Gao Yingxiang as a route, and provide him with a batch of grain and military equipment, so that he can go out and stir up trouble.”

"It would be best to head towards Huguang, as I've heard that Zhang Xianzhong is also waging guerrilla warfare in that area."

"As for Deng Yang, I'll tell him to be careful."

(End of this chapter)