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

Chapter 329 Gao Yingxiang's Base Area

As Sichuan began its vigorous promotion of the new currency, Gao Chuangwang, who had recently left Sichuan, also began to plan his future.

Mobile warfare is not a long-term solution; he plans to follow Jiang Han's example and establish his own base.

There was nothing he could do; he was simply too envious of Sichuan, the land of abundance.

Not only do they have a stable source of soldiers and provisions, but they can also establish workshops to manufacture weapons.

However, the location of the base was really hard to find. After leaving Sichuan from Kuizhou, Gao Yingxiang did not choose to go deep into the hinterland of Hubei and Hunan, but occupied the mountainous area west of Jingchu, with Sichuan behind him.

The Yangtze River slows down slightly here due to the constraints of the Qutang and Wu Gorges, but the banks are still lined with continuous, steep mountains.

The two small cities of Badong and Guizhou are like bird nests on the cliffs of the riverbank, overlooking the ever-flowing river below.

The two cities were short of soldiers and food, and fell into Gao Yingxiang's hands with almost no effort.

However, these two cities were too small, and the surrounding area was hilly, leaving little room for development.

Gao Yingxiang's plan was to capture Yiling Prefecture at the west mouth of the Yangtze River.

Yiling Prefecture occupies an extremely important strategic position, bordering the Wushan Mountains to the west and the Jianghan Plain to the east, serving as a vital passage connecting Sichuan and Hubei.

As long as the Ming army firmly holds Yiling, it can prevent the Sichuan rebels from advancing eastward into Huguang.

Because of its extremely important strategic location, Lu Xiang-sheng strengthened the defense of Yiling Prefecture early on when he was leading troops in Huguang.

He not only replenished the troops of Yiling Guard, but also repaired the city walls, replenished firearms, and reinforced the artillery emplacements.

Faced with such a fortified city, Gao Yingxiang's four or five thousand men were completely helpless.

Gao Yingxiang never expected that he would be chased all the way by Lu Xiangsheng in Chuzhou, Nanyang and other places, suffering heavy losses.

Now, after going around in circles, he went to Sichuan, and Lu Xiang-sheng was transferred to Xuanda University. As a result, he still has to find a way to break through the defenses set up by Lu Xiang-sheng.

"Alas, the Ming Dynasty has lasted for nearly three hundred years, and it was on the verge of collapse, but there were always capable ministers who stepped forward to save the day."

“There was Hong Chengchou, then Lu Xiangshan, and now Sun Chuanting has emerged.”

"It's difficult."

Gao Yingxiang stood on the bank of the Yangtze River, sighing deeply towards Yiling.

Just as he was worrying, some exciting good news suddenly came from Jingmen Prefecture and Dangyang area.

According to the report from the soldiers, they discovered the troops of Zhang Xianzhong, the Eighth King, in Dangyang.

Upon hearing the news, Gao Yingxiang was overjoyed. He immediately sent someone to contact Zhang Xianzhong, hoping to form an alliance with Zhang Xianzhong once again.

After parting ways with Gao Yingxiang, Zhang Xianzhong fled into the Dabie Mountains to evade government troops.

It wasn't until Lu Xiang-sheng was transferred to the position of Governor-General of Xuan-Da that Zhang Xianzhong dared to lead his troops out of Macheng and westward into De'an Prefecture.

At this time, Zhang Xianzhong had just won a battle in Yuan'an County and captured a great deal of spoils.

However, he also faces the predicament of lacking a stable foothold.

Just then, Gao Yingxiang's messenger brought a very tempting offer:

Chuang and Xian joined forces to attack Yiling Prefecture!

Once they occupy Yiling Prefecture, they will be able to control the vast fertile lands nearby and establish their own base.

Moreover, after occupying the Yangtze River crossing, they could connect with Sichuan to the west to obtain military equipment and go east to the Jianghan Plain to plunder grain and supplies. They were backed by mountains and had a clear position to advance or retreat.

Zhang Xianzhong did not hesitate for long and almost immediately agreed to the proposal.

The part about "connecting with Sichuan to obtain military equipment" was particularly attractive to him.

A saying is now circulating among the rebel armies in various places:
The Han army's artillery was of high quality and powerful, especially the medium-sized cannons weighing four or five hundred catties, which were excellent weapons for killing, looting, and conquering cities.

Jiang Han was able to win battle after battle and advance into Sichuan, where he established himself as king, thanks to the power of artillery.

With this in mind, Zhang Xianzhong readily agreed to join forces with Gao Yingxiang.

Following Gao Yingxiang's instructions, he led his main force south and stationed troops near Bailizhou, adopting a posture of threatening Jingzhou Prefecture.

To bolster his forces, Zhang Xianzhong also ordered the abduction of a group of refugees, expanding his army to 50,000.

Seeing the enemy troops launching a massive attack, the prefect of Jingzhou panicked and sent people everywhere to seek help.

At this time, Wang Jiazhen, who came from the background of being the governor of Gansu, succeeded Lu Xiang-sheng as the premier of seven provinces.

Although Wang Jiazhen did a good job as governor, he was simply not capable of shouldering the heavy responsibility of being the governor of seven provinces.

The History of Ming records:

"At that time, the bandits all rushed to the north of the Yangtze River, and the capital was shocked. Some people said that Jia Zhen was ordered to suppress the bandits in Anqing and never went out of the central region."

Wang Jiazhen failed to see through Zhang Xianzhong's feint and immediately ordered the Yiling Guard troops to come to Jingzhou Prefecture to provide reinforcements.

As long as the Yiling Guard troops are mobilized, they can attack the enemy troops from both the east and west.

Upon learning that the Yiling garrison had left the city, Zhang Xianzhong cunningly left the refugees and civilians outside the city while he led the main force of the Western Camp to quietly arrive at the city of Yiling.

Meanwhile, Gao Yingxiang had been waiting for a long time, and with the help of Chuang Xian, they easily captured Yiling Prefecture.

The soldiers of Yilingwei were unaware that their home had been robbed. After arriving in Jingzhou Prefecture in a great hurry, they immediately launched an attack on the "bandit soldiers" below the city.

What was expected to be a fierce battle turned into a nightmare as soon as the two sides made contact. The officers and soldiers found that the "bandit soldiers" had no will to fight and only knew how to run away in panic.

After capturing and interrogating several prisoners, they realized they had been tricked; the main force of the bandits had already fled.

Realizing the situation was dire, the commander of Yiling Guard immediately led his troops back to reinforce, only to be ambushed by the combined forces of the rebels on the way. They were routed and their elite troops were wiped out.

After defeating the government troops, the allied forces gained a great boost in strength and completely controlled the vast lands near Yiling Prefecture.

After a great victory, we can officially establish a base.

Standing in the prefectural government office, Gao Yingxiang enthusiastically described to Zhang Xianzhong what he had seen and heard in Sichuan.

"Eighth Prince, Jiang Han's methods in Sichuan really worked!"

"We have our own territory, we can grow our own food and manufacture our own weapons, and we no longer have to depend on the government troops for our livelihood,"

"Now that we have occupied Yiling, we can use this as a base to develop and manage our territory!"

He pointed to the rolling mountains outside the door and explained:
“There are people and land here, which is a good opportunity to implement the policy of equal land distribution.”

"I found out everything in Sichuan. First, we measured the fields and divided the farmland into three grades: upper, middle, and lower, and then distributed them to the displaced people and military families within the territory."

“Follow Jiang Han’s example and set up a simple government office to register the population so that everyone can focus on production.”

"As long as we can get through the first year, we will have a foundation."

Zhang Xianzhong stroked his chin, his face full of interest.

To be honest, he was quite tired after traveling to several provinces and wandering around for many years.

Gao Yingxiang's description, coupled with the fact that Yiling was indeed both offensive and defensive, and that he could rely on Jiang Han's powerful backing, made it impossible for him not to be tempted.

"What the rebel leader said makes sense. Running away all the time is not a solution."

"This place is indeed excellent, strategically located at the neck of the Yangtze River. As long as we can establish ourselves here, we will surely grow bigger and stronger in the future and create new glories!"

"Done!"

After reaching a consensus, the Chuangxian Allied Forces embarked on a grand entrepreneurial endeavor.

The first step was to issue the "Equal Land Distribution Order".

To show his sincerity, Gao Yingxiang first distributed all the flat land and terraced fields in the river valleys near Badong and Guizhou to the families of soldiers and poor farmers and tenants.

Zhang Xianzhong followed suit, handing over the Yilingwei military farmland under his control to the local people.

To promote this matter, Zhang Xianzhong also sent Sun Kewang to oversee it.

Sun Kewang lived up to expectations and began to demonstrate his extraordinary talent in domestic affairs.

He selected all literate officials and clerks from various regions and personally led teams to survey the fields and register the population.

Faced with the problem of fragmented and barren fields in places like Badong and Guizhou, he also developed a set of acreage calculation methods to ensure fair distribution based on factors such as soil fertility and the distance to water sources.

At the same time, he organized experienced farmers in the army to start planting drought-resistant crops such as corn, millet, and buckwheat on the slopes. After that, Sun Kewang gathered craftsmen to begin building irrigation canals along the main channel and branches of the Yangtze River in an effort to increase crop yields.

In comparison, Gao Yingxiang and Zhang Xianzhong were the two most relaxed, only needing to wait for Sun Kewang's report.

“Father, King Chuang, as you instructed, the hillside west of the city has been designated as a military settlement.”

"The main farmers are wounded veterans and their families. The harvest is divided 40/60, which can both provide for the wounded and supplement the army's food rations."

“In the land of Bagui, the people are poor and the land is barren, so it is not easy to implement major policies suddenly; we should prioritize the well-being of the people, reduce taxes and levies, and ensure that they can have enough to eat before we can talk about long-term stability.”

"The priority right now is to encourage land reclamation, stockpile grain and fodder, and ensure the smooth flow of trade routes with Kuizhou."

"Therefore, I have arranged for my men to search for cargo ships everywhere, and soon we will be able to go up the river and exchange them for military supplies with Kuizhou."

After listening to Sun Kewang's report, Gao Yingxiang nodded in satisfaction and sighed to Zhang Xianzhong beside him:
"Eighth Prince, your adopted son is truly a fine candidate for governing this region!"

"No matter how big or small the matter is, it can be handled clearly."

To be honest, Gao Yingxiang was quite envious of Zhang Xianzhong. His adopted sons were now all growing up.

Sun Kewang is just one of them. I heard there is also Li Dingguo, who has also become Jiang Han's trusted and beloved general.

Gao Yingxiang also didn't know why Zhang Xianzhong's adopted son had gone to Guizhou to lead troops in battle.

There might be some hidden story behind it, but he didn't want to ask too many questions. He could only repeatedly praise Sun Kewang in front of him.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xianzhong laughed heartily, feeling greatly honored.

"This kid is a bit clever, but our foundation still depends on this!"

As he spoke, he patted the hilt of the knife at his waist forcefully.

But Gao Yingxiang shook his head and retorted:

"Alas, how could I not know?"

"But now the road into Shaanxi is blocked, and recruiting soldiers is becoming increasingly difficult. We can only develop slowly."

"Fortunately, I have someone under my command who understands the way of dividing the land for trade, so I can rest assured."

And so, under Sun Kewang’s leadership, the barren lands of Badong and Guizhou began to slowly begin to show signs of life.

Terraced fields were successively reclaimed in the mountains, and irrigation canals were built to bring in mountain springs, with military and civilian settlements developing in tandem.

Later, a market spontaneously formed in Guizhou City, where people exchanged mountain products and medicinal herbs for salt and iron.

Everything was progressing slowly and laboriously in the direction Gao Yingxiang had hoped for.

At the same time, the Allied forces' connection with Kuizhou became increasingly close, and the Yangtze River waterway became a lifeline.

The allied forces transported the looted gold and silver, as well as timber, tung oil, and other supplies, to Kuizhou in exchange for ship after ship of heavy weapons, armor, and gunpowder.

The most valuable items were the fifty medium-sized cannons.

With this sophisticated equipment, the coalition's combat effectiveness was significantly enhanced.

Gao Yingxiang and Zhang Xianzhong led their troops to capture several cities in succession, causing the Huguang government troops to retreat in defeat and retreat into the city, watching the allied forces plunder everywhere.

The two leaders watched all this with a sense of accomplishment.

If things continue like this, they will be able to completely occupy Huguang within two years, and then threaten Southern Zhili.

However, fate seemed determined to make things difficult for these two.

The good weather didn't last long; after summer arrived, the weather became unusual.

The plum rains that should have arrived in early summer did not come as expected; the sky remained crystal clear, without a single cloud in sight.

The sun grew increasingly scorching each day, and even the steam rising from the Yangtze River carried a sweltering heat.

Sun Kewang was the first to become alert, and he anxiously reported to Gao and Zhang:

"Father, King Chuang, the celestial phenomena are unusual; a severe drought is imminent."

"The existing irrigation canals within the territory are insufficient to irrigate 30-40% of the area, and we need to make plans as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, Gao Yingxiang immediately took it seriously:
"Kewang, what's your plan?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Kewang explained:

"Firstly, an immediate order should be issued to ensure that water is allocated rationally among all villages and hamlets, and to prohibit the unauthorized digging of ditches to compete for water;"

"Secondly, organizing manpower to dig deep wells in the low-lying areas of the river valley might allow us to extract some groundwater for use."

"Thirdly, before the severe drought arrives, quickly send people to buy grain from nearby areas to prepare for the army's needs."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xianzhong's brows immediately furrowed.
"We have to spend money to buy grain again?"

"We've invested almost all of our savings in land reclamation and arms production, and now our stockpiles are almost empty."

"or."

Zhang Xianzhong wanted to suggest abandoning disaster relief, but he couldn't bring himself to say it.

In recent times, the allied forces have made considerable efforts for this base of operations.

Now that everything is basically on track and the harvest season is just around the corner, he is finding it difficult to make a decision.

While Zhang Xianzhong hesitated, Gao Yingxiang had already made a decision: he intended to do everything he could to help with disaster relief.

Thus, with Gao Yingxiang's support, the Allied forces began to implement a policy of frugality and rationing of food supplies.

Sun Kewang led his men to survey the area, attempting to dig wells for water.

Zhang Xianzhong also led his guards to patrol various places, suppressing armed conflicts caused by disputes over water and food, and trying to maintain order.

Through these measures, the coalition forces managed to barely maintain the situation, but they also nearly exhausted their reserves.

However, there are still no signs of the drought improving.

The cracks in the land grew wider and wider, mountain springs dried up, and even some small tributaries of the Yangtze River exposed their riverbeds.

The seepage well dug by Sun Kewang and his team produced a pitifully small amount of water.

The newly sprouted green rice seedlings withered and turned yellow in large swaths.
Zhang Xianzhong, however, was becoming increasingly impatient with this.

As he looked at the dwindling granaries and the growing discontent among his soldiers, his resentment grew stronger with each passing day.

He repeatedly suggested to Gao Yingxiang that they should simply stop the disaster relief efforts, take everything they could, and completely abandon the disaster area.

With two capitals and thirteen provinces under the Ming Dynasty, where couldn't one go? Why hang oneself on one tree?

Logically speaking, Zhang Xianzhong's approach was perfectly correct, but Gao Yingxiang seemed to be possessed, single-mindedly wanting to establish his own territory.

Zhang Xianzhong finally realized that although the rebel king had only stayed in Sichuan for a few months, he had been completely brainwashed by Jiang Han and would not listen to any advice.

After all, they were old comrades-in-arms, and Zhang Xianzhong wanted to try to persuade the rebel king again.

But before he could speak again, an even greater disaster struck.

Accompanied by a chilling buzzing sound, a locust plague swept in from the horizon, shattering Gao Yingxiang's illusions.

At first, the allied forces only saw a dark shadow on the horizon, but in the blink of an eye, the shadow turned into a thick dark cloud, even blocking out the scorching sun.

Countless locusts swarmed down, their scavenging sounds sending chills down everyone's spines.

Locusts swept across the mountains, leaving the once withered forests bare of branches in an instant;
They pounced on the fields, and some of the still sturdy and drought-resistant crops were devoured in the blink of an eye.

All relief efforts seemed futile after the locusts passed through.

With no harvest to be made, hunger began to spread like a plague through military camps and among civilians.

"It's over...it's all over..."

Gao Yingxiang stared at the desolate fields, his voice hoarse and trembling slightly.

His painstaking efforts to promote land distribution and ensure people's well-being, and his attempts to build order by imitating Jiang Han, proved utterly fragile and vulnerable in the face of successive natural disasters.

(End of this chapter)