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

Chapter 304 The Miserable Deng Qi
After his harrowing escape from Heishuiyu, Gao Yingxiang was like a frightened bird, never daring to entertain any thought of heading north again.

He now only wants to retreat south as soon as possible, to escape through the Shu Road into the relatively safe territory of Sichuan, and seek Jiang Han's protection.

However, Sun Chuanting clearly did not intend to give him that opportunity.

According to Sun Chuanting, although Gao Yingxiang's forwards suffered heavy losses, some of his key players still survived.

If we were to allow the rebel leader to escape into Sichuan and join forces with the river bandits, it would be like releasing a tiger back into the mountains, with endless troubles to come.

We must take advantage of their recent defeat and their lingering shock to completely annihilate them in the Hanzhong Basin!
Therefore, he immediately issued a strict order in the name of the Governor of Shaanxi to all Ming armies in Hanzhong to approach and encircle Shiquan County, where Gao Yingxiang was entrenched, and to form a trap to catch the enemy without letting a single soldier escape.

At this time, there were three main Ming armies stationed around Hanzhong Prefecture that were theoretically available for deployment:

The troops of Fang Guoan, the military commander of Jiezhou, the troops of Deng Yang, the military commander of Fenxi, and the troops of Deng Qi, the deputy commander-in-chief of Sichuan.

The three groups together numbered approximately eight thousand.

Logically speaking, 8,000 regular soldiers should have been more than enough to encircle and annihilate Gao Yingxiang, who had just suffered heavy losses and was left with only remnants of his army.

The problem is that none of the commanders of these three Ming armies were normal people.

Deng Yang, needless to say, was an undercover agent infiltrating the Ming army.

Fang Guoan, the military commander of Jiezhou, and Deng Qi, the deputy commander-in-chief of Sichuan, were both known for their "obeying orders but not proclamations," often outwardly complying with orders from their superiors while inwardly disobeying them.

In particular, Deng Qi, the deputy commander-in-chief of Sichuan, and his Sichuan troops were in the most difficult and dangerous situation.

Due to prolonged food and pay shortages, the morale of these Sichuan soldiers was extremely unstable, and the troops were often on the verge of mutiny.

It is worth mentioning that in the original history, Deng Qi should have died in the Fancheng Mutiny in the eighth year of Chongzhen's reign.

At that time, Deng Qi was ordered by Hong Chengchou to garrison Fancheng. However, his subordinate Wang Yuncheng instigated a mutiny on the grounds of embezzling military pay.

In the chaos, Deng Qi's servants were killed by the mutinous soldiers, while Deng Qi himself panicked and climbed the building and over the wall, only to fall to his death.

In this timeline, Deng Qi was placed under Lu Xiang-sheng's command and followed Premier Lu in suppressing bandits.

Lu Xiang-sheng was a capable man who was also very willing to treat his soldiers well.

He tried every means to raise funds and supplies, and managed to barely maintain the organization and combat effectiveness of Deng Qi's Sichuan army.

Later, Lu Xiang-sheng was transferred to Xuanda University, and Deng Qi's troops were reassigned to Hong Cheng-chou's command.

Hong Chengchou also knew that this Sichuan army was a hot potato, so he simply threw them to Hanzhong for garrison duty to avoid any unexpected incidents during the suppression of the bandits.

The History of Ming Dynasty describes Deng Qi as follows:
"Qi You, a junior officer, fought hundreds of battles, large and small, and was victorious in every one."

"Having been stationed there for a long time, he indulged his subordinates in lewdness and plunder. Grand Secretary Wang Yingxiong protected him because of his hometown, which made Qi even more unscrupulous. When he died, people thought he had escaped punishment."

The gist is that Deng Qi was a skilled and courageous general, but due to his long-term service on the frontier, he harbored resentment and allowed his subordinates to commit adultery and plunder. Furthermore, with the protection of officials in the court, he dared to act so recklessly.

Until his eventual death in a mutiny, people believed that Deng Qi had reaped what he sowed.

This assessment suggests that Deng Qi was skilled in warfare but not in commanding troops, and that the reason for the poor discipline of his army was attributed to Deng Qi's indulgence and protection.

However, objectively speaking, this assessment is inaccurate.

To be honest, Deng Qi's Sichuan Army was a very strong fighting force.

The killing of An Bangyan and the assassination of Zijin Liangwang Ziyong, an important leader of the uprising, were both achievements of this Ming army.

The core problem is that since Deng Qi led 6,000 Sichuan soldiers to Beijing to defend the emperor in the second year of Chongzhen's reign, it has been seven years since these Sichuan Ming soldiers returned home.

During these seven years, this Sichuan army fought across the north and south, from the capital to Shandong, and then from the Central Plains to the Qinling Mountains. They suffered heavy losses and were exhausted all the way, but they never got a chance to rest or replenish their troops.

The imperial court's grain and salary payments have been intermittent, and even now they are still in arrears for a long time.

Even the strongest army cannot withstand such endless attrition.

Under the dual pressure of material and mental strain, this formidable team from central Sichuan is on the verge of collapse.

In particular, a group of officers and soldiers, represented by the troublemaker Wang Yuncheng, had long been openly defying orders and refusing to obey commands.

Deng Qi knew that his men were suffering, so he could only turn a blind eye.

It wasn't that he wanted to let his troops plunder, but rather that he was simply unable to solve the problems of food supplies and homesickness.

If military law is used to suppress the unrest, a mutiny will likely break out immediately, and the situation will completely collapse.

That's why when Sun Chuanting's order to suppress the rebellion reached Hanzhong, hardly anyone responded.

Upon receiving the order, Deng Qi refused to send troops, citing the reason that "there is a lack of food and pay, and the soldiers may riot and cause trouble."

Although Fang Guoan outwardly accepted the military order, he acted slowly.

He only symbolically dispatched a team of about a thousand people, who slowly moved towards Shiquan, clearly intending to just go through the motions.

Of the three Ming armies, the one who responded most actively was Deng Yang, who was an undercover agent.

With Sichuan as its backing, it naturally didn't need to worry about food and supplies.

At the same time, in order to avoid giving others a pretext for criticism, he led his troops to Shiquan County, putting on an act of obeying orders.

But as an undercover agent, Deng Yang couldn't possibly actually go and attack the city.

So he simply set up camp and arrayed his troops below the city, firing a few cannon shots aimlessly at the city walls every day, and that was considered completing the task assigned by Sun Chuanting.

Even so, Deng Yang's "proactiveness" aroused Deng Qi's attention and made him uneasy.

Upon learning that Deng Yang had actually led his troops to Shiquan, Deng Qi appeared quite surprised and displeased:
"We are all Ming soldiers, and we are all short of food and living a very frugal life."

Why are you working so hard, Deng Yang?

"You're being so enthusiastic, doesn't that make Fang Guoan and me look like generals who are afraid of the enemy, avoid battle, and neglect military orders?"

If the military authorities blame us, wouldn't we be the first ones to be punished?

No, we must stop Deng Yang's behavior!

If we're going to slack off, let's all slack off together. What kind of nonsense is it for you to stand out by yourself? That's really detrimental to unity.

With this in mind, Deng Qi actually abandoned his troops and rushed to the front line with only a few personal guards, wanting to have a good talk with Deng Yang.

Meanwhile, Deng Yang was leisurely flipping through a popular folk tale in the central command tent, looking quite content.

Deng Yang is becoming increasingly adept at handling the undercover mission assigned to him by Jiang Han.

He didn't need to personally brave arrows and stones to fight on the front lines; moreover, he could play a crucial role, which perfectly met his expectations.

When he first accepted the mission, Deng Yang was still very cautious and apprehensive, and even felt quite resistant to it.

At that time, Jiang Han was just a rebel leader, while the opposing side was the behemoth that was the imperial court.

In Deng Yang's view, he had simply boarded a pirate ship, and there was absolutely no hope in following Jiang Han.

It's likely that Jiang Han will be wiped out by the imperial court in a few years, and I myself will probably be imprisoned and punished for colluding with the rebels.

Unexpectedly, in just a few years, this bandit leader won a series of victories, defeating various government troops.

Last year, he even annexed Sichuan and transformed himself into the King of Han, who controlled a region and began to rival the imperial court.

The speed was far beyond Deng Yang's imagination.

Meanwhile, his mindset was also quietly changing.

From initial fear and passivity, they have now become actively engaged and even begun to aspire to "achieve merit by following the dragon's lead."

Just as Deng Yang was lost in thought, a messenger suddenly came to report from outside the tent:
"General Deng, a group of people have arrived outside the camp gate."

"The leader identified himself as Deng Qi, the deputy commander-in-chief of Sichuan, and said he had important matters to discuss with you."

Upon hearing this, Deng Yang jumped up from his chair, dropping the storybook he was holding to the ground.

"what?!"

He strode up to the messenger, staring intently at him:

"How many people have come? Are they armed? Are they here to capture us?"

In that instant, Deng Yang thought his undercover identity had been exposed, and he was so shocked that cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

But the messenger quickly shook his head:
"Don't worry, Lieutenant General, there are only three to five people."

"Our cavalry stationed on the outskirts did not detect any unusual movements from the main force of the government troops."

Hearing this, Deng Yang breathed a slight sigh of relief. Three or five people shouldn't be able to cause any trouble.

But he still dared not let his guard down, so he gave instructions to the two guards outside the tent:

"Liu Yu, go down and prepare. Take two hundred axemen and hide behind the tent. They will obey my orders!"

"Fang Shaohua, go to the camp immediately and spread the word to alert the brothers!"

"If any outsiders come, keep your mouths shut and don't give anything away!"

After making the arrangements, Deng Yang took a deep breath and said to the messenger:

"Go, bring the person in first."

"Remember, bring them directly to my tent, don't let them wander around the camp."

Without a word, the messenger clasped his hands in acceptance and left.

Watching his departing figure, Deng Yang frowned, feeling extremely uneasy.

I've never really had any dealings with Deng Qi, so why did he suddenly come here?
Soon, the messenger arrived at the camp gate.

Deng Qi, accompanied by three personal guards, had been waiting there for quite some time.

Upon seeing the four of them, the messenger immediately stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and said:

"General Deng, you've been waiting a long time. My lieutenant general invites you."

Deng Qi nodded without giving it much thought, and led his men to follow the messenger into Deng Yang's camp.

It was dinnertime, and smoke was rising from the cooking fires in the military camp as soldiers lined up to receive their meals.

Deng Qi subconsciously peeked out and carefully observed the camp and the condition of the soldiers.

The camp was well-organized inside and out, with clear trenches and tight sentry posts.

What surprised him even more was the soldiers' meals. From a distance, he saw that each person had a large bowl of white rice, with even a small amount of meat mixed in.

Compared to his pale-faced soldiers who were often starving, it was a world of difference.

He also noticed that the entire meal was unusually quiet, without the usual commotion and noise of soldiers.

The soldiers either ate in silence or talked in hushed tones.

Most of them merely glanced indifferently at the arrival of these unfamiliar officers before continuing to eat, maintaining strict discipline.

Deng Qi was increasingly alarmed as he looked around. He had long heard that Deng Yang's troops were not short of food and pay, and seeing it with his own eyes today confirmed it.

What kind of supernatural power does this General Deng possess that allows him to ensure his subordinates are well-fed and well-clothed in this day and age?
He couldn't help but feel a growing sense of doubt.

The group passed through the camp and soon arrived at the central command tent.

Deng Qi took the lead, lifting the curtain and going inside.

As soon as they entered the tent, they saw a table laden with food and wine in the center, with Deng Yang sitting at the table.

Upon seeing Deng Qi, Deng Yang immediately stood up and went to greet him:
"General Deng! Your presence is an honor. I am deeply sorry for not welcoming you properly. Please forgive me!" "It is lunchtime, so I have specially ordered some simple food and wine to be prepared. If you do not mind, General Deng, please do me the honor of joining us."

Deng Qi was taken aback when he saw this; he had originally intended to question the matter.

He was surprised by the other party's polite and considerate manner, which made him feel a little embarrassed.

He quickly bowed and declined.
"General Deng, you're too kind. My visit this time has already been an intrusion..."

But Deng Yang didn't give him any chance to refuse. He stepped forward, grabbed Deng Qi's arm, and forced him to sit down at the table.

At the same time, he gave instructions to the guards beside him:
"Go, take these brothers down there and treat them well. They'll have plenty of food and drink!"

Deng Qi was caught off guard by this sudden enthusiasm and didn't know how to begin the reprimand he had prepared.

After all, don’t hit the smiling person with your hand.

Deng Yang, on the other hand, seemed very familiar with the situation. He picked up the wine jar and personally poured Deng Qi a large bowl full.

"Come, come, General Deng, let's drink and chat!"

“We’re all commanders, so let’s just use bowls. It’s better than using wine cups, which makes us look like women.”

As he spoke, he picked up a bowl himself, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp.

After finishing his drink, Deng Yang deliberately showed the bottom of the bowl, then stared blankly at Deng Qi.

Deng Qi, being quite sensible, also picked up his wine bowl and drank it all in one gulp.

He had just put down his bowl and was about to get down to business when Deng Yang quickly refilled it:

"General, you have a huge appetite! One more, please!"

Before he could speak, Deng Yang downed another bowl, and Deng Qi could only follow suit and drink it all in one gulp.

After being persuaded to drink four or five bowls in succession, Deng Qi felt a burning sensation in his stomach and his head was spinning.

He waved his hands repeatedly, begging for mercy:
"Wait...wait a minute, Lieutenant General Deng, let's hold on a bit, let's get down to business, getting down to business is the most important thing..."

Seeing that the time was right, Deng Yang put down the wine jar and asked with a smile:
"General Deng has personally come to my humble military camp today. May I ask what important matter you wish to discuss with me?"

After a few bowls of wine, Deng Qi's initial accusatory tone had largely dissipated, and his words softened somewhat.

He pondered for a moment, then offered a subtle suggestion:
"Ah, Lieutenant General Deng."

"Your decision to send troops to Shiquan... was a bit ill-considered."

"My troops and General Fang's troops haven't even set off yet, so why did you lead your troops to Shiquan alone to besiege the city and suppress the bandits?"

"We are all officials and soldiers of the imperial court, and we should advance and retreat together. Only in this way can we demonstrate unity and solidarity."

"It's a good thing that Lieutenant General Deng is young, promising, and enterprising."

"But that's precisely why I feel compelled to remind you: never be the first to stick your neck out!"

Deng Yang was stunned after hearing this.

He thought Deng Qi had come all the way from Hanzhong to give him some important instructions.

Even while drinking, he kept a close eye on Deng Qi's every move.

If Deng Qi made any unusual move, he would immediately smash a bowl as a signal to order the executioners to take him down.

But to my utter surprise, the other party traveled all this way just to say this?

How can I tell myself not to be "too proactive"?
Seeing Deng Yang's bewildered silence, Deng Qi assumed he hadn't grasped the implications and continued to explain:

“We both have the surname Deng, and we were one family five hundred years ago. I am older than you, so I will speak frankly.”

"In our Great Ming Dynasty, the most taboo thing for soldiers is to be unconventional and stand out!"

He raised his wine bowl, sighed heavily, and a bitter expression appeared on his face.
“Alas, back then I was just like you, proud and full of passion.”

"His only thought was to gallop across the battlefield, serve his sovereign and father, gain a title and honor for his wife and children, and bring glory to his ancestors..."

"But what's the result?"

His tone suddenly became agitated.
"Seven years have passed since I led troops into the capital to defend the emperor, and I have been constantly on the move."

Of the six thousand men who followed me out of Sichuan, less than three thousand remain; the rest have died in foreign lands.

"In the end, not even their remains could be returned home. I, as their brother, have failed them."

As he spoke, Deng Qi's voice choked up, and his eyes reddened.

He stopped urging others to drink, and instead took another big gulp, his weariness and sorrow evident in his expression.

Deng Yang, watching this scene, felt conflicted and didn't know how to respond.

It was quite unexpected that a deputy commander-in-chief would come to his camp to pour out his grievances.

Helpless, Deng Yang could only try to comfort him:
"Brother, there's no need to grieve too much. Your efforts and military achievements have been seen by the court... the court will certainly not treat you unfairly in the future..."

But the moment he mentioned the word "military achievements," it seemed to ignite Deng Qi's suppressed anger.

Deng Qi slammed his wine bowl down on the table, splashing wine all over the floor, and then angrily cursed:
"What utter nonsense about war achievements!"

“Our brothers and I traveled from Sichuan to the capital, from the capital to Shandong, and from Shandong to Hanzhong, covering almost half of the Ming Dynasty.”

"The soldiers shed their blood and gave their lives for the court, but what did they get in return?"

"Food and provisions? None!"

"Compassion? Absolutely not!"

"Those censors in the court are always impeaching me for letting my troops harm the people! They're impeaching me for being incompetent in managing the army!"

His eyes were bloodshot, and he was breathing heavily.

"What the hell can I do but not let them find their own food?"

"Are we just going to stand by and watch them starve to death?"

"The brothers were so homesick they cried their eyes out, and the camp was filled with resentment. There were several mutinies along the way!"

"If I don't let them go out to gather grain, do you believe they'll immediately join the bandits?!"

"Damn it, if things get out of hand, won't the imperial court behead me, Deng?!"

Seeing Deng Qi's predatory gaze, Deng Yang quickly poured him more wine and whispered, "I'm sorry."
"Brother, please calm down! You can't say things like that!"

"If someone with ulterior motives overhears this, they could be charged with 'harboring resentment and slandering the court,' which is no laughing matter!"

Deng Qi was reminded of this and immediately became more alert, breaking out in a cold sweat.

Realizing he had misspoke, he quickly composed himself and changed the subject:

"Uh... absolutely, absolutely."

"I'm a bit tipsy and have been talking nonsense. Please don't take offense, brother."

He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, then changed the subject.
"Speaking of which, as I walked from the camp gate, I saw that your soldiers not only had enough to eat, but they even had meat to accompany their meals."

"This is truly remarkable."

"Could it be that Governor Sun has shown exceptional leniency and allocated special provisions and salaries to your unit?"

"But as far as I know, Governor Sun is currently engaged in a major campaign to clear out the military settlements in Guanzhong and is temporarily unable to issue rations and pay."

"Brother, your grain..."

Upon hearing this, alarm bells rang in Deng Yang's mind, but he feigned nonchalance and waved his hand dismissively, saying:

"Oh, it's nothing."

"It's just that he uses his connections with the Prince of Qin's mansion and the Prince of Rui's mansion to do some small business and supplement the military supplies."

"Not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning."

But to everyone's surprise, Deng Qi showed great interest in this. He leaned forward slightly and asked in a low voice:

"Brother, could you... explain in more detail?"

"I'm not afraid to tell you this, but my position as deputy commander-in-chief is now practically a shell of its former self."

"The brothers under my command were short of food and drink, and they didn't obey orders at all. Some of them even ran away and became bandits!"

"Brother, if you really have connections, could you lend me a hand?"

"I don't ask for great wealth or status, I only ask that my old brothers who are still with me can have a few full meals and receive some pay to make ends meet."

"I guess I've done right by them..."

Hearing Deng Qi's almost pleading words, Deng Yang quickly began to calculate in his mind.

What happened today is truly unbelievable.

A deputy commander-in-chief suddenly came to his camp, first complaining, then inquiring about the source of his food and salary, and finally asking for help.

Was this a genuine expression of emotion, or a test by Deng Qi?

You should know that their own provisions and pay were all transported from Sichuan, just under the guise of trade.

This is a top-secret matter.

Looking at the deputy commander in front of him, who was drowning his sorrows in alcohol and whose face was weathered, Deng Yang weighed the pros and cons in his mind.

Deng Qi's words were indeed true. Almost all the Ming troops in Hanzhong knew that a group of troublemakers under his command had deserted and become bandits, disobeying orders.

So, is it possible to... take the opportunity to turn him against his own side and bring him into our camp?

This is a risky move, but if it succeeds, the rewards will be substantial.

However, Deng Yang did not dare to make a decision on his own, as he was well aware of the importance and irreplaceability of his position.

If the current situation continues to develop, the King of Han will surely head north and enter Hanzhong in the future.

If I can help the King of Han take Hanzhong, I might actually be able to become a duke or marquis.

This Deng Qi might actually become a helpful asset.

The matter of turning a deputy commander-in-chief to defect is of great importance and cannot be decided by me on my own.

After much deliberation, Deng Yang decided to remain silent and leave the decision to Jiang Han.

So, he looked troubled and carefully said:

“What you said, elder brother, was heartbreaking, and I felt the same way.”

"However... dealing with the Prince's Mansion is complicated, and I can only barely keep the headquarters afloat."

"Let me think about it some more carefully. Is there a safer way to help my brother solve his urgent problem without causing any controversy?"

Upon hearing this, a hint of disappointment flashed in Deng Qi's eyes, and he sighed.

"Very well, I was being presumptuous, brother."

"Then... I'll have to trouble you, brother."

(End of this chapter)