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

Chapter 305: Inviting people to join the gang
After seeing Deng Qi off, Deng Yang dared not delay and immediately wrote a letter, preparing to send it to Chengdu.

In the secret letter, he not only detailed the process of Deng Qi's visit, the miserable situation of his Sichuan army, and the resentment and plea for help that Deng Qi expressed in his words;
At the end, he also emphasized his own views:
Deng Qi and his troops were demoralized and under immense pressure to survive. Coupled with their longing for home, this led to the Ming army becoming increasingly disloyal to the court, making them vulnerable to being won over and turned against the Ming.

We humbly request the King of Han to make a decision.

After carefully sealing the secret letter with sealing wax, Deng Yang summoned his trusted confidant and ordered him to set off immediately that night, deliver it to Chengdu via the Micang Road, and present it to the King of Han in person.

At almost the same time, Gao Yingxiang, who was trapped in Shiquan County, also sent a secret letter to Chengdu.

Gao Yingxiang was helpless. He originally planned to go south to Sichuan via the nearby Lychee Road, but a Ming army was stationed outside the city, blocking his retreat.

The battle of Heishuiyu left a huge psychological scar on him, making him timid and hesitant.

The Ming army below the city, in particular, only fired two cannon shots at the city walls each day, showing no fighting spirit whatsoever.

The more the Ming army tried to create a fuss, the more uncertain Gao Yingxiang felt, fearing that if he left the city, he would be ambushed by the Ming army again and suffer the fate of annihilation.

Left with no other choice, Gao Yingxiang had to write a letter himself, asking Jiang Han for help.

His idea was for Jiang Han to launch a feigned attack to draw the Ming army's attention, so that he could take the opportunity to slip away.

And so, the two groups of messengers, one after the other, quietly traveled south along the Micang Ancient Road, entered the territory of Baoning Prefecture, and hurried to Chengdu Prefecture day and night.

By this time, it was already late autumn.

The autumn harvest in various prefectures and counties of Sichuan has basically ended, leaving only tranquility in the fields.

The entire province of Sichuan was focused on the last major event – ​​the autumn imperial examination.

Unlike the previous temporary examinations held in Boryeong Province.

This autumn imperial examination was a province-wide examination held after Jiang Han established the system, with the aim of selecting successful candidates from among the students.

According to the regulations formulated by Wang Chengbi, the head of the Academic Affairs Department, the autumn examination was scheduled for September 10th.

Moreover, several months ago, various states and counties had already issued notices clarifying the scope of the exam and providing a list of reference books.

It incorporates a great deal of practical knowledge, such as "Complete Treatise on Agriculture", "Essential Techniques for the Common People", and "Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art".

During this period, all the students in Sichuan who aspired to official careers devoted themselves to studying these "miscellaneous books" that were quite unfamiliar to them, day and night.

Those who participated in this examination included not only scholars who had passed the county-level imperial examinations, but also a group of successful candidates who had passed the provincial-level imperial examinations during the Ming Dynasty.

These successful candidates needed to pass this exam to change their status from "successful candidates of the Ming Dynasty" to "successful candidates of the new imperial examination".

Only in this way can they participate in the imperial examinations the following year and obtain the title of Jinshi.

However, compared to the number of scholars who applied for the county-level examination, the number of candidates who passed the provincial-level examination was pitifully small.

Apart from a few stubborn old men, only 21 people from Sichuan Province participated in the provincial examination this time, while there were more than 3,800 scholars.

The reasons for this huge disparity are multifaceted.

Besides the difference in difficulty between the provincial and prefectural examinations, the impact of war was also significant.

In particular, the "Eliminating the Five Vermin" campaign that swept through Sichuan earlier physically eliminated a group of Ming Dynasty scholars.

Among the so-called "five vermin," one important one is the "academic vermin," which refers to scholars and officials who rely on their academic titles and privileges to run rampant in the countryside and oppress the people.

The Juren (举人) served as the de facto dividing line between officials and commoners, enjoying far greater privileges and exemptions than the Xiucai (秀才).

During the Ming Dynasty, those who passed the imperial examinations could be exempted from heavy corvée labor, labor service, postal service, and related expenses.

Although in theory they still needed to pay land tax, the vast majority of successful candidates would circumvent it by means of "deceptive registration" (registering land under someone else's name) and "split registration" (dispersing land registrations to lower the tax threshold).

In addition to handling lawsuits and accepting land donations, a scholar's annual income could reach hundreds or even thousands of taels of silver.

(This part has been censored; it's a bit outrageous.)
Therefore, during the previous rebellion, the scholars and officials in various parts of Sichuan almost all became the focus of their surveillance.

They were either destroyed by angry people, their homes ransacked, and their families wiped out, or their land and property were confiscated, falling from grace overnight and left to fend for themselves.

Later, even some relatively innocent families of scholars and officials were affected.

Although Jiang Han later sent troops to stop it in time, the impact has lasted to this day.

Many survivors, or scholars from other prefectures and counties, upon hearing of this, were filled with doubt, fear, and even hostility toward Jiang Han's new regime.

Therefore, for this autumn imperial examination, fewer than four thousand people from the entire Sichuan province registered to take the exam, including both the provincial and county-level scholars.

Jiang Han didn't pay much attention to this situation.

In his eyes, most of these old-fashioned literati were rigid in their thinking and had no other merits besides the eight-legged essay style; they were people who urgently needed to be eliminated.

Some old fogies will be swept into the dustbin of history.

What he placed high hopes on was the newly established "Tianfu Academy" in the western suburbs of Chengdu.

The new education system he meticulously planned was implemented there, emphasizing Confucianism as the foundation and practical learning for application, which he believed was the future model of education.

If the first phase of the academy's pilot program is successful, he will order its promotion throughout Sichuan, gradually replacing the old Confucian education system.

Furthermore, Jiang Han not only changed the exam content for this autumn imperial examination, but also made a major institutional adjustment.

He ordered the removal of the quota restrictions for admissions.

In the past, the imperial examination system of the Ming Dynasty had strict quota limits for each level of examination.

Taking the provincial examinations in Sichuan Province as an example, during the Chongzhen era, the number of successful candidates for each provincial examination was usually only around sixty-five.

The number of successful candidates in the metropolitan examination was even smaller; only about three hundred people nationwide could pass the examination and become a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examination).

In the "medium-sized" region of Sichuan, only about a dozen places are usually allocated.

This contrasts sharply with the large number of test takers, and also leads to extremely fierce competition.

Although Fan Jin's success in the imperial examination is a work of literature, it is not an exaggeration at all.

The imperial court set quota limits for several reasons:

The main reason for this was to control the size of the bureaucracy and ensure the "scarcity" and "value" of imperial examination titles.

The imperial court had a general estimate of the number of vacancies in the bureaucratic system, and the number of recruits was roughly matched with the number of vacancies, which could also avoid the problem of too many candidates for office causing delays and management difficulties.

The Ming court's policy of admitting students based on region and quota was also able to effectively balance the political interests between different regions and maintain the stability and unity of the vast territory.

By allocating quotas for the imperial examinations, the Ming Dynasty incorporated local elites into the central system, thus alleviating regional conflicts.

However, Jiang Han's considerations behind removing the quota limit this time are completely different.

The first point is the urgent need for talent.

Sichuan experienced war, and although the situation has stabilized initially, there are still many vacant official positions.

Many Ming Dynasty officials died for their country, so Jiang Han urgently needed a large number of educated people who could handle practical government affairs to fill government positions at all levels.

At the same time, removing the quota limit means that as long as candidates' scores meet a certain standard, they can pass the exam.

This provided a pathway for more scholars from humble backgrounds who possessed genuine talent and learning to advance their careers, helping to break the old bureaucratic group's monopoly on local officialdom.

Finally, it is also to guide the academic atmosphere.

By significantly increasing the number of students admitted and providing exams that emphasize practical knowledge, we are vigorously guiding the study habits of Sichuan students.

This will gradually shift them from the lofty Four Books and Five Classics and the words of sages to a more practical and worldly direction.

In addition, as this is the first province-wide recruitment, it is necessary to demonstrate the stability and legitimacy of the new regime to the people and students of central Sichuan in a generous manner, so as to attract more people to serve the government.

Therefore, the central government of Chengdu Prefecture attached great importance to this autumn imperial examination and regarded it as a top priority.

While Jiang Han was preparing for the talent selection ceremony in Chengdu, Deng Yang and Gao Yingxiang's messengers delivered secret letters to the Prince of Han's residence almost simultaneously.

Gao Yingxiang's letter was nothing special; it simply requested that he send troops in a feigned attack and then open the Lychee Road to allow him to enter Sichuan.

What Jiang Han didn't expect was that the one who blocked Gao Yingxiang's escape route was actually the undercover agent he had sent.

This saved him the trouble of launching a feigned attack; he only needed to have Deng Yang's troops withdraw from Shiquan County and return to their garrison.

Since both Fang Guoan's and Deng Qi's Ming armies were dragging their feet and not making any progress, Deng Yang didn't need to be too proactive.

If the imperial court discovers that he is "loyal and dedicated" and orders him to be transferred away from his crucial position in Hanzhong, that would be disastrous.

Once Deng Yang withdraws, Gao Yingxiang will naturally be able to retreat into Sichuan via the Lychee Road.

Compared to Gao Yingxiang, the secret letter sent by Deng Yang made Jiang Han feel that it was a bit more difficult to handle.

The situation of Deng Qi's Sichuan army was so miserable?

It's quite unbelievable that a highly decorated deputy commander would come to the battalion commander's camp to complain and ask for help.

Is it a genuine expression of emotion, or a test with ulterior motives?
Especially since Jiang Han wasn't present, it's even harder to make a judgment.

However, Deng Yang seemed quite confident in the letter, believing that there was an opportunity to win over Deng Qi.

After much deliberation, Jiang Han decided to let Deng Yang give it a try. After all, it was a good thing for his subordinates to have initiative, and he couldn't just criticize them.

In his reply, Jiang Han instructed:

You can give it a try, but you must do so without revealing your identity.

Exercise extreme caution and focus on tentative contact. Do not rush into anything or attempt to forcibly turn someone to your side.

In Jiang Han's view, the best outcome would be to simply bring in Deng Qi's entire force, just like when he had previously persuaded Ma Ke to surrender.

To the outside world, they should claim it was a mutiny or rebellion. This would maximize Deng Yang's safety and prevent him from being exposed.

After writing his reply and sealing it with sealing wax, Jiang Han summoned his personal guards:
"Go and deliver the secret letter to Deng Yang's messenger."

"In addition, order Dong Erzhu, the garrison commander of Jianzhou, to raise a batch of grain and provisions in Guangyuan and prepare to send them to Dengyang in Hanzhong."

Soon, Deng Yang, who lived outside Shiquan County, received a reply from Jiang Han.

Seeing that the King of Han had agreed to his plan, Deng Yang felt even more confident.

In his view, taking down Deng Qi was a piece of cake, especially since the other party had handed him a weakness.

Don't forget, he himself came from the Ming army and knew all too well the weaknesses and thoughts of these soldiers and officers.

Deng Yang then followed orders to withdraw the siege of Shiquan and led his troops back to their garrison near Mian County.

No sooner had he left than Gao Yingxiang, who was in the city, slipped out of Shiquan County and led his troops toward the vicinity of Xixiang.

Since the northern entrances to Jinniu Road and Micang Road were still under the control of the Ming army, Gao Yingxiang dared not risk a direct assault.

He had no choice but to take the more rugged but relatively safer Lychee Road south into Sichuan.

The journey through towering mountains and deep valleys would take the rebel army at least half a month to reach Sichuan.

Upon returning to his post in Mian County, Deng Yang immediately took action.

He first allocated a batch of grain from his own supply depot, and then personally escorted it to the garrison of Deng Qi's troops—Tonggou Temple.

Tonggou Temple is located at the foot of Zhaobi Mountain, near the Han River, in a rather remote location.

It must be said that Deng Qi's Ming army was indeed in a miserable state, as their garrison was located in such a desolate place.

Unable to endure the hunger, some troublemakers in Deng Qi's camp led a group of men to run away and become bandits.

Therefore, Prince Rui, Zhu Changhao, and Prefect Wang Zaitai of Hanzhong Prefecture were worried that Deng Qi's troops would collude with these "bandits" to attack the prefectural city.

They simply found an excuse to send Deng Qi to the vicinity of Tonggou Temple.

This place is not too far from Mian County, where Deng Yang was stationed. In theory, if Deng Qi's troops mutinied, there would still be Ming troops to suppress them.

Deng Yang led his supply train and traveled less than fifty li before arriving at Deng Qi's camp.

As soon as he approached the camp gate, the scene before him astonished Deng Yang.

This so-called camp was so rudimentary that it didn't resemble a camp at all; it was more like a slum.

The outer fence was crooked, the moat was shallow, and there was no one in sight on the watchtower.

The soldiers in the camp were ragged, emaciated, and mostly sat or lay on the ground sunbathing listlessly, their eyes vacant and lifeless.

There was no semblance of proper training or vigilance; the air was thick with a sour stench and filled with despair.

It's no wonder Deng Qi was frustrated; his camp was worlds apart from Deng Yang's camp, which was orderly and full of energy.

Deng Yang and his group swaggered into the military camp, and it wasn't until quite some time later that someone noticed them and stepped forward to stop them.

The man who arrived was Deng Qi's personal guard, who had previously accompanied Deng Qi to Shiquan County.

Because of those few meals of wine and meat, he had a particularly deep impression of Deng Yang, this wealthy and powerful military officer.

The guard saw Deng Yang from afar and hurried over, his tone even carrying a hint of flattery:
"General Deng! What brings you here?"

"Please wait a moment, we'll go and inform the General!"

After saying that, he dashed out in a flash.

Deng Yang was about to stop him to ask him a question when the kid disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving him and his group standing there looking at each other in bewilderment.

Deng Yang didn't wait long before Deng Qi rushed over.

His face still showed surprise and a hint of embarrassment:
"Brother Deng?"

"It's only been a few days since we last met in Shiquan. What brings you here to my humble abode today?"

Deng Yang sighed, forcing a sincere expression on his face:

"Well, to be honest, brother."

"That night, while we were drinking, I heard my brother say something that was sincere and full of bitterness."

"After returning home, I pondered the matter repeatedly and felt uneasy. My brother was in a difficult situation, yet he loved his soldiers like his own children. He is truly a role model for us all."

"This trip was specifically to bring some grain from the camp to you, brother, just to do my bit."

After saying that, he gestured to the guard beside him with his lip and gave him a wink.

The guards understood and immediately ordered the baggage train behind them to lift the tarpaulins off the carts.

Deng Qi looked up and saw more than a dozen large carts piled high with sacks of grain, and even a few carts loaded with salted pork!
His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the scene before him.

He had only mentioned it casually while venting his frustrations after drinking. After being rejected by Deng Yang, he didn't take it to heart. After all, food was extremely precious these days, and everyone hoarded it and was unwilling to share it.

Unexpectedly, Deng Yang actually took it seriously and even sent such a generous gift!

Looking at Deng Qi in front of him, Deng Yang simply smiled slightly:
"How are you, bro?"

"There wasn't much, just about a hundred bushels of coarse grain and a hundred or so catties of cured meat, all of which were seized from some bandits and outlaws in the vicinity."

"I still have some surplus in my camp, and I really can't bear to see my brother's men go hungry and cold."

"Hurry up and accept it. Let the brothers have a good treat. It's important to keep morale high!"

Deng Qi instinctively wanted to decline, after all, he and Deng Yang only had a drinking session together, and these grains and cured meats were clearly not something that could be exchanged for such a relationship.

There's a saying that goes, "Those who offer unsolicited kindness are either up to no good or are thieves."

Deng Qi was timid and dared not easily accept these things.

The problem was, before he could even utter his refusal, a large number of soldiers had already surrounded him!
These are all soldiers from Deng Qi's battalion.

When they saw the grain on the supply wagons, they had already rushed over, drawn by the smell.

The area in front of the trucks loaded with cured meat was especially crowded.

Pairs of hungry, green eyes stared intently at the cured meat on the truck, and the sound of swallowing saliva could be heard from time to time.

If it weren't for the fact that Commander Deng Qi was still present, the soldiers would probably have already started looting.

Seeing this, Deng Qi couldn't bring himself to say the excuse he was about to make.

He sighed deeply, his expression complex, and finally bowed deeply to Deng Yang.

"Brother, you've helped me in my time of need; I'm deeply grateful!"

Deng Yang simply waved his hand, feigning concern, and said:

"You're too kind, brother."

"The brothers are starving, let's get the cooks to start cooking."

"Judging from this situation, if we drag this out any longer, things might really get out of hand."

Deng Qi nodded after hearing this, and immediately called his personal guards to lead the supply train to the rear camp to unload the grain.

The soldiers around them followed the convoy closely, crowding around the grain carts as they rushed toward the rear camp, afraid that the grain would slip away before their eyes.

Deng Yang saw all of this and was secretly pleased.

His reason for choosing to display the grain in full view of everyone was to deliberately make it impossible for Deng Qi to refuse.

These Sichuan soldiers were starving; he didn't believe Deng Qi would dare refuse his "aid."

If Deng Qi had dared to refuse, he might have been torn to pieces by his soldiers.

Now, Deng Qi not only has to accept the provisions, but also has to thank him.

Sure enough, seeing the jubilant look on his soldiers' faces, Deng Qi immediately added:
"A bunch of unruly bastards! Aren't you going to thank Lieutenant General Deng for saving your lives?!"

"Without General Deng's righteous help, you'd be living on thin porridge again today!"

Upon hearing this, the surrounding soldiers turned around, first bursting into cheers, then shouting at Deng Yang all at once:

"Thank you very much, Lieutenant General Deng!"

"Thank you for your kindness, General!"

Hearing such words, Deng Yang smiled and waved to them.

Only after the grain carts and soldiers disappeared from sight did Deng Qi speak:

"Thanks to my brother!"

"Come with me into the tent, we brothers must have a good drink and catch up!"

Without saying a word, Deng Qi grabbed Deng Yang's hand and led him into the central command tent.

Deng Yang didn't stop him, but simply signaled his personal guards to bring two jars of wine and follow him.

Soon, the two began drinking and exchanging toasts in the main tent.

Deng Qi raised his wine bowl, his emotions running high:
"Thank you so much, brother. I'll remember your kindness in helping me out of this difficult time!"

"From now on, if anything happens to you, just give me a call, and I'll go through fire and water for you!"

After saying that, he raised his wine bowl and drank it all in one gulp, even excitedly downing three more bowls in a row.

Deng Yang didn't stop him; after drinking a bowl with him, he simply sighed.

"Hey, brother, we're family, no need for formalities."

"Excuse my bluntness, but this isn't a long-term solution."

"We can't rely on the imperial court right now, so we'll have to find a way to provide food and supplies ourselves."

"Otherwise, the brothers below will become disloyal and sooner or later, there will be big trouble."

Deng Qi agreed wholeheartedly and nodded heavily; these words truly resonated with him.

Of the three Ming armies in Hanzhong, he, as the deputy commander-in-chief, held the highest rank, yet he was also the most frustrated and humiliated.

Some people in the camp even went so far as to become bandits, which is utterly laughable.

Seeing this, Deng Yang pressed his advantage, saying:

"Relying solely on my occasional financial assistance from my brothers is ultimately just a drop in the ocean."

"I'm not very talented, but I have a way. I wonder if you dare to do it?"

Upon hearing this, Deng Qi sobered up a bit and leaned forward to ask:
"Oh? Brother, you have connections?"

Deng Yang leaned forward and lowered his voice:
"Although the Prince's business is very lucrative, we can't get involved. At most, we can only scrape by and collect some tolls."

"However... we can run our own smuggled salt business!"

"Buying and selling smuggled salt?!"

Deng Qi was so shocked he almost jumped up from his seat; his face turned pale.
"This...this is a serious crime, and besides, we are government troops..."

Deng Yang raised his hand to interrupt him, and asked indifferently:

What happened to the government troops?

"Who says government troops can't do some business to supplement their military supplies?!"

"Brother, you're also a soldier, haven't you heard about the Nine Borders?"

"The border generals of Xuanfu and Datong are smuggling grain; the border generals of Gansu and Ningxia are dealing in tea bricks..."

"Not only that, some of the bolder ones even dared to sell weapons and ironware to the Mongol tribes."

"They're willing to risk their lives for something as dangerous as selling salt. We're just making a living by selling salt. At most, we'll get a beating. What's there to be afraid of?"

"Let me tell you, well salt in Sichuan is very cheap. Even if it is transported to Hanzhong, the price is much lower than that of official salt. The profit margin is quite large."

"Moreover, grain prices in Sichuan are lower than in Hanzhong."

"We can collect some mountain products and furs from the Qinling Mountains and transport them there. We can make a profit on both the round trip!"

After hearing Deng Yang's analysis, Deng Qi slowly sat down, but his face still showed some surprise and uncertainty.

There was nothing he could do. Deng Qi wasn't a reckless person; otherwise, he wouldn't have been so terrified by his subordinates' mutiny that he panicked and fell to his death from a wall.

If it were someone bolder, they would have agreed much sooner.

But Deng Yang was in no hurry, because he still had a trump card up his sleeve, a condition that Deng Qi could hardly refuse.

He picked up his wine bowl and continued:
"Brother, didn't you say last time that your men had been away from home for seven years and were longing for their hometown?"

"Our smuggling business not only brings profits to the army and solves the problem of food and pay, but also allows the brothers to go back to their hometowns for a visit!"

"Oh?"

Deng Qi's eyes suddenly lit up.

Deng Yang leaned closer and whispered:
"Brother, let me explain in detail."

"We always need to send troops to escort the goods, right? Send one team each time, rotating them."

“The journey from Guangyuan to Hanzhong is not short; a round trip would take at least a month.”

"In time, won't all the brothers in your camp be able to take turns going back to their hometowns to visit their families?"

"This is a win-win situation, solving both the food and pay problem and alleviating the brothers' homesickness. Isn't that wonderful?!"

Upon hearing this, Deng Qi suddenly felt a sense of enlightenment.

Deng Yang's smuggling plan solved all his problems perfectly!
To be honest, ever since Sichuan was captured by the rebels, the Sichuan soldiers in Deng Qi's camp had been restless for a long time.

Everyone wanted to go home and see if their family had been affected by the war.

Having fought against bandits for many years, these Sichuan soldiers knew the bandits' habits well and were afraid that something might happen to their own families.

It's one thing to have your money stolen, but another to lose your life.

Deng Qi was very interested in this smuggling plan. This route seemed to have manageable risks and could yield substantial profits.

After much deliberation and weighing of the pros and cons, his sense of responsibility towards his subordinates ultimately prevailed.

Deng Qi slapped his thigh suddenly, having made up his mind:
"Done!"

"Brother, your approach is great! I'm sticking with you!"

He raised his wine bowl, but then a practical problem came to mind, and his face showed reluctance:

"But... I don't know how we should divide the work?"

"To be honest, brother, I'm short of money right now, and it takes capital to go to Sichuan to buy salt."

"You've seen the situation in my camp, brother; we simply can't afford to invest any more."

Deng Yang thought there would be some difficult problem, but it turned out to be just a small matter.

So he waved his hand and patted his chest heartily:

"No problem at all! I'll cover the initial investment!"

“We’re partners, brother. You just need to provide some reliable people to escort and transport the goods.”

"We just need to use the name of trade to transport goods, and no one can find fault with that."

Upon hearing this, Deng Qi was deeply moved and felt that Deng Yang was practically his second parent.

He kept offering toasts and downed several bowls in a row.

Whether it was the effects of the alcohol or emotional excitement, Deng Qi, holding Deng Yang's hand, slurred his words:

"Good...brother! You're a true friend!"

As he spoke, he pulled Deng Yang up from the chair.

"Let's... let's emulate the Oath of the Peach Garden today, burn yellow paper and drink blood wine to become sworn brothers!"

"From now on, we'll share both good times and bad!"

Despite Deng Yang's refusal, Deng Qi insisted on ordering people to prepare an incense table, yellow paper, and other items.

So, in this simple central command tent, two generals surnamed Deng burned incense and kowtowed before the hastily written tablet of "Lord Guan Sheng".

Deng Qi muttered to himself:

"Heaven above and Earth below as my witness, I, Deng Qi, hereby vow to become sworn brothers with Deng Yang."

"From this day forward, we entrust our lives to each other, share joys and sorrows, and support each other in times of trouble..."

Deng Qi looked solemn, even with tears welling in his eyes, as if he had found a great confidant in his life.

Seeing Deng Qi's drunken yet incredibly serious demeanor, Deng Yang felt both amused and exasperated.

Unexpectedly, a mere few hundred bushels of grain and a mere pie in the sky were enough to so easily bind a deputy commander of the Ming Dynasty to his war chariot.

The reason Deng Yang went to great lengths to get Deng Qi to do business with him was to make Deng Qi an "accomplice" in effect by binding their interests together, and gradually break him out of the constraints of the Ming court system.

Secondly, Deng Qi's troops, having tasted the sweetness of smuggling, gradually became accustomed to this "self-reliance" model, and naturally began to despise, and even loathe, the meager rations and pay from the imperial court.

The loyalty of this Ming army will inevitably decline sharply.

When Deng Qi's entire unit relied on this smuggling route, Jiang Han effectively controlled their economic lifeline and the hearts and minds of the people.

At that time, all it would take is a shout, and Deng Qi would have no choice but to be turned against him.

The most crucial point is that Deng Qi's Sichuan army, supposedly returning home to visit relatives, actually had very few soldiers willing to rejoin the army.

The situation in Sichuan and Hanzhong today is completely different. Any officer or soldier with a sound mind knows which side to take.

At that time, more and more people will likely take the opportunity to leave the army, go home and live their lives, or simply stay in Sichuan and never come back.

Deng Qi's forces will only be diluted and lost in the process, eventually leading to their complete collapse.

This gentle knife is more difficult to defend against than a sharp blade.

Deng Qi, however, failed to see this at all. Instead, he took out his waist knife and forcefully cut a gash in his palm, letting the blood drip into the wine bowl.

He solemnly handed the waist knife to Deng Yang, who did not refuse and followed suit, dripping a bowl of blood wine and handing it to Deng Qi opposite him.

"Brother, brother, this isn't me plotting against you."

"I'm pulling you out of this fire pit so we can share in wealth and glory!"

And so, the two men, each with their own ulterior motives, raised their wine bowls together and drank the blood wine in one gulp.

(End of this chapter)