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

Chapter 330: Before fighting against the outside world, one must first make peace with the inside
The atmosphere inside the Yiling Prefecture government office was extremely heavy.

After suffering such a great disaster, Gao Yingxiang seemed to have lost his soul, and could only sigh and lament.

Seeing his behavior, Zhang Xianzhong slammed his fist on the table and roared:

"King Chuang! Now is not the time for sighs and lamentations!"

"Food! Food is the most important thing right now!"

"The camp is about to run out of food. How many pots can your soup kitchens possibly cook tomorrow?!"

"If we don't come up with something soon, the brothers are going to start a riot!"

Upon hearing this, Gao Yingxiang took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down:
"I...I have ordered people to inventory the treasury; it can last for at most half a month."

"In addition, I have dispatched additional fast ships to Kuizhou Prefecture to try to purchase grain from Sichuan..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhang Xianzhong immediately interrupted him:

"Half a month?! That's just a drop in the ocean!"

"As for buying grain from Sichuan, I advise you, King Chuang, to wake up. It's absolutely impossible!"

"With natural disasters occurring frequently these days, which place doesn't lack food?"

"It is true that Jiang Han controls two provinces, but if he also wants to raise an army and build up his population, why would he easily allocate grain?"

"Don't forget, when we purchased weapons before, besides the hard-earned silver, didn't we always have to pay an extra 20% in grain?"

"All things considered, we have already sent tens of thousands of shi of grain to Sichuan!"

Zhang Xianzhong paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, appearing extremely agitated.

"If you ask me, we should take advantage of the fact that our brothers can still wield swords and immediately launch an attack, marching down the Yangtze River!"

"Attack Jingzhou, attack Wuling, and rob them all!"

But Gao Yingxiang only moved his lips, hesitating to speak, his face full of hesitation.

To be honest, after several major defeats in Chuzhou, his most elite veteran cavalry had been almost completely wiped out.

The strength of the rebel army today is far less than before; it consists mostly of displaced people they have coerced and newly recruited soldiers.

If they were to run away again and wander aimlessly, they might be ambushed by government troops and could be wiped out.

Although Yiling Prefecture and other places suffered from disasters and were poor, they were at least a place to stay.

If we really reach a dead end, we can simply abandon the city and retreat the entire army into the mountains behind us.
Alternatively, they could retreat directly into Sichuan, relying on its strategic location to hold their ground and await reinforcements, thus preserving at least some of their strength for future plans.

Seeing that he remained silent, Zhang Xianzhong became angry.

Damn it, I was doing well as a guerrilla fighter in the Dangyang area, living a good life. Although I had no roots, I didn't lack food, clothing, or other necessities.

As a result, you, Gao Chuangwang, gave a call to action, speaking in glowing terms, and that's how I ended up coming to Yiling Prefecture to help you reclaim wasteland and farm the land.

Now, all the hard work of the past six months, which was about to be harvested, has been completely destroyed by a severe drought and locusts, and all the efforts have gone down the drain.

How could he not be angry?
"Just keep guarding! All you ever do is guard!"

"Are we just going to starve to death here?!"

Zhang Xianzhong was practically roaring.
"Chuang Wang, have you been bewitched by Jiang Han?! Do you really think you can sit back and relax like him?"

"He has the Sichuan Basin, the Land of Abundance, to wreak havoc on. What do we have? This barren, desolate land. If we continue to hold on, we'll only face certain death!"

"Unless you completely disband your troops and are willing to become Jiang Han's henchman like the rebel general Li Zicheng, how can he possibly accept you sincerely?"

He abruptly stopped, stared at Gao Yingxiang, and said, word by word:

"Now that things have come to this, King Chuang, you should think it over carefully."

"If all else fails, then let's part ways as soon as possible and each find our own way to make a living!"

After saying that, Zhang Xianzhong angrily sat down and turned his head away, refusing to look at Gao Yingxiang again.

The tent fell silent instantly, everyone holding their breath, awaiting Gao Yingxiang's final decision.

After a long silence, Gao Yingxiang slowly raised his head and finally spoke:

"Time is also fate."

"Well, it seems that the path of 'establishing defenses and storing grain to build a foundation' is not feasible."

"As for seeking refuge in Sichuan and living under someone else's roof, that is not what I want."

"Perhaps... there is another way we can go."

"What way?"

Zhang Xianzhong suddenly turned his head and asked urgently.

Gao Yingxiang stroked his chin and recalled:

"The previous battle of Chuzhou has proven that relying solely on our two troops, led by Chuang and Xian, is no match for the elite government troops on the main battlefield."

"If we can unite another force, perhaps we can turn the tide."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xianzhong stood up and looked at him suspiciously:
"Unite? Who else could we unite with?"

"Old Huihui and Chuang Tatian are too far away, and people like Ge Liyan and Zuo Jinwang are even less capable and unlikely to succeed."

"Looking around, these days in the Huguang and Henan regions, only your and my two units have any fighting strength."

Gao Ying shook his head and slowly uttered a name:
"Go find Luo Rucai."

Zhang Xianzhong was taken aback upon hearing this, and was quite surprised:

"Cao Cao? Wasn't he always active in Shanxi?"

"I heard that some time ago, he was driven out of the Lüliang Mountains by Hong Chengchou and fled in a sorry state."

Gao Yingxiang nodded, and then ordered someone to spread out a map:

"That's right. A few days ago I received some scattered news from Henan that Luo Rucai was in Shanxi and was being besieged by Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting, suffering considerable losses."

“He has now fled to the Yunxi area and is not too far from us.”

"Cao Cao was a cunning and resourceful man who was flexible in his use of troops. Even when he was defeated, he did not collapse and still had a group of soldiers under his command who could fight."

"More importantly, now that he has just suffered a defeat, he should be in urgent need of finding allies to fight against the government troops in order to catch his breath and develop."

Zhang Xianzhong stared at the map, his eyes darting around as he weighed the pros and cons in his mind.

Joining forces with Luo Rucai does sound like a good idea, as Cao Cao's reputation and abilities still have some influence among the rebels.

The problem is that both the rebels and the generals are already running out of supplies, and if they were to add Luo Rucai's troops to the mix...

Gao Yingxiang had already planned for this:
"The three of us don't need to join forces. That would make us too conspicuous and would easily deplete our supplies."

"Ideally, each should occupy several areas, forming a mutually supporting defensive position."

"I've already decided on my route; I'll head towards the area surrounding Yunxi, Nanyang, and Xiangyang."

As he spoke, Gao Yingxiang picked up a charcoal pencil and lightly sketched a rough triangle on the map.

Zhang Xianzhong also came over and examined it carefully.

"Look at the Yunxi area, located at the junction of three provinces, with continuous mountain ranges, it's perfect for us to hide, rest, and replenish our troops."

“Nanyang is a traditional grain-producing area. Even if there is a disaster, its resources are better than ours, and it is relatively easier for them to find food.”

"Moreover, the Funiu Mountains lie to the north of Nanyang, which is also a good place to hide;"

"Xiangyang goes without saying. It is a strategic location in Huguang, with convenient water and land transportation. As long as we can find a way to take it, we can control this large area."

“Our three forces will not hold onto any one city or place, but will use this triangular area as a general area to support each other and conduct mobile operations.”

"When the government troops come to suppress us, we will avoid their strength and attack their weakness, and move our battle elsewhere."

"This place is at the junction of three provinces, and the government troops are scattered, making it difficult for the governors and generals of each province to coordinate. This is exactly what we need to do!"

As Zhang Xianzhong listened, his eyes gradually brightened.

This plan not only satisfied his desire to avoid being confined, but also seemed more organized than blindly wandering around.

In particular, the strategy of "seeking food from the enemy and avoiding their strength while attacking their weakness" was the old trick of the rebel army, which suited his intentions perfectly.

"It's from Mr. Ge!"

Zhang Xianzhong slapped his thigh, the gloom of the past few days vanishing instantly. "This method is excellent! It's much better than being trapped and dying in this disaster area!"

He turned to his adopted son, Aichineng, behind him and gave the order:
"Go, immediately select a messenger and send him to Yunxi to contact Luo Rucai!"

"Take Gao Chuangwang and our old Zhang for example. They sincerely invited him to join them and work together on a great cause!"

"If the three of us join forces, we will surely turn this Central Plains upside down!"

Looking at Zhang Xianzhong, who had regained his spirits, Gao Yingxiang felt a mix of emotions.

Joining forces with Luo Rucai would mean reverting to the old path of mobile warfare, which would also mean the complete shattering of his dream of establishing a base.

But there's no other way right now; survival is the top priority.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his resentment, and finally made the decision:

"it is good."

"As the Eighth Prince said, immediately send a messenger to Yunxi tonight to find Luo Rucai!"

Soon, messengers sent by Gao Yingxiang and Zhang Xianzhong arrived in Yunxi and successfully located Luo Rucai's troops.

Seeing the sincere invitation from the two, Luo Rucai did not hesitate for long and nodded in agreement.

The three major rebel forces quickly formed an alliance and took Yunxi, Nanyang, and Xiangyang as their areas of operation.

They sometimes divided their forces to seize territory, and sometimes joined forces to attack key targets, avoiding the strong and attacking the weak, traversing the border area of ​​these three provinces.

With the addition of Luo Rucai, the rebel army was more robust, and the military equipment and artillery purchased from Sichuan greatly increased the fighting power of the allied forces.

In a short time, war broke out in the vast area west of Huguang and south of the Yellow River, with various prefectures and counties repeatedly reporting emergencies.

Wang Jiazhen, the governor-general of seven provinces in charge of coordinating the suppression of the rebels, also had a lot of headaches dealing with this rebel army.

Due to a shortage of troops and supplies, the officers and soldiers in various provinces either hesitated to advance or fought independently, making it impossible to form an effective encirclement.

They could only be led by the nose by this coalition, constantly running around in exhaustion.

Seeing the urgency of the situation, Wang Jiazhen had no choice but to submit a memorial to the court, explaining the pros and cons and requesting the dispatch of more elite troops and generals, as well as additional provisions and pay, to relieve the threat to his heart.

Inside the main building near the Wenyuan Pavilion in the Forbidden City, the lights were on.

The newly appointed Minister of War, Yang Sichang, was buried in a mountain of reports and memorials, sometimes frowning, sometimes sighing.

On his desk were urgent military reports from three directions:
First, in the southwest, the rebel Jiang Han, who has usurped the title of king, has spread his influence to Guizhou and is threatening Yunnan.

Meanwhile, in the northeast, the Later Jin dynasty was at the height of its power, Korea had submitted, and Pi Island had fallen.

Not only that, even the last soldiers and civilians on Pi Island were forced to rebel. Shen Zhixiang led his remaining troops to surrender to the Later Jin, the enemy who killed his father.

What made him feel most uneasy was the urgent message from the heart of the Central Plains:
The three major bandit groups, namely Li Zicheng, Xian Yu, and Cao Cao, merged and roamed around Yunxiang and Nanyang, gaining immense power.

Wang Jiazhen, the governor-general of seven provinces, sent a series of urgent memorials, his words filled with distress and despair.

Recently, he has been working tirelessly, neglecting sleep and meals, to figure out how to deal with these three forces.

The map behind him was densely covered with his deduced military strategies, so numerous that it was dazzling to look at.

After days of dedicated research and careful consideration, a clear strategic vision gradually took shape in his mind.

After organizing his thoughts, Yang Sichang picked up his pen and wrote a memorial in a flowing style, preparing to present it to the emperor in person.

"To resist foreign aggression, we must first stabilize the country?"

When Zhu Youjian picked up Yang Sichang's memorial, "A Memorial on the First Priority of Pacifying the Interior," his eyes lit up.

He leaned forward and pressed on:
"Minister Yang, please tell me in detail what your views are on the current situation of our Great Ming Dynasty?"

"Please speak frankly; I am all ears."

Upon hearing this, Yang Sichang immediately bowed and said in a flustered manner:
"Your humble servant dares not presume to say such a thing; it is merely my own opinion."

"If we consider our Great Ming Dynasty as a strong, healthy man, then these three rebel groups are like a disease in a man."

"As the saying goes, one should always prioritize the head of state."

"Currently, the southwest and northeast regions seem like ailments of the shoulders and arms, while the bandits in the Central Plains are like a scourge to the heart!"

“A ailment of the shoulder and arm can be treated; but an ailment of the abdomen and heart will lead to death.”

"That's why I said, to repel external threats, we must first secure internal stability!"

In Yang Sichang's view, Jiang Han in the southwest, although he has overstepped his authority, seems to be content with merely controlling the Sichuan and Chongqing region and managing Yunnan and Guizhou.

His troops never launched a major eastward advance to threaten the core area of ​​the middle reaches of the Yangtze River.

Furthermore, the roads to Sichuan are difficult to traverse, and the region is easy to defend but difficult to attack, so in the short term, the southwest is not an urgent matter.

The Jurchens in Liaodong, though fierce and invincible, had plundered the country last year and recently conquered Korea, reaping considerable spoils, which would take time to digest.

In the short term, the possibility of it moving south again is very low.

Moreover, with the Guan Ning Army, including Zu Dashou, stationed in Liaodong, they could maintain a defensive posture even if they couldn't advance.

Furthermore, with Lu Xiang-sheng having managed Xuan-Da, the army is now strong and powerful, a far cry from what it used to be, making it difficult for the Jurchens to invade through Xuan-Da again.

Therefore, we can temporarily set aside the situation in Liaodong and other areas.

But the situation in the heart of the Central Plains is completely different!

The rebels led by Li Zicheng, Li Xian, and Cao Cao roamed the border areas of Henan, Huguang, and Southern Zhili, a region that was the center of the country, a hub for grain transport, and a vital source of wealth.

If we allow them to grow too powerful and capture important cities like Xiangyang and Nanyang, the grain transport will be cut off, the north and south will be separated, and the whole country will be shaken!
Unlike local bandits, roving bandits were more destructive and had no fixed abode.

If it cannot be extinguished as soon as possible, its spread will grow stronger and stronger, eventually ravaging several provinces and becoming uncontrollable.

At that time, the imperial court will be in a desperate situation, with bandits ravaging its heartland and powerful enemies eyeing it covetously from the outside!

After listening to Yang Sichang's explanation and carefully reviewing the memorial, Zhu Youjian nodded in satisfaction.

This strategic idea coincided with his own.

"You are in charge of the troops; do you have any good strategies to teach me?"

Yang Sichang straightened his clothes and calmly laid out his plan:

"I believe that the southwest and Liaodong regions can still hold out, but adjustments must be made in the Central Plains."

"As long as the bandits are not eliminated, our hearts will remain uneasy."

"The most urgent task is to select a capable minister to take over the position of premier of the seven provinces and be dedicated to suppressing the bandits!"

Emperor Chongzhen listened intently and couldn't help but nod in agreement:
"Wang Zhengzhi's abilities are indeed lacking. How about I transfer Minister Lu back?"

But Yang Sichang shook his head:
"No."

"Your Majesty, Governor Lu is currently stationed in Xuanda, which is the time for him to cultivate land and train troops. He should not be moved lightly."

"I recommend Xiong Wencan, the Governor of Guangdong, to succeed Wang Jiazhen and take charge of suppressing the bandits."

"I heard that Xiong Wencan single-handedly persuaded the pirate Zheng Zhilong to surrender and eliminated the pirate Liu Xiang and others."

"Judging from this, Xiong Wencan should be quite capable."

Zhu Youjian nodded after listening. He also knew Xiong Wencan and thought he was a good candidate.

But out of caution, he decided to investigate further before making a decision.

"Yes, I've got it."

"What else can you teach me, Minister Yang?"

Yang Sichang bowed and responded:
"I dare not, but there are two matters that I hope Your Majesty will make plans for as soon as possible."

Zhu Youjian picked up the hot tea, moistened his throat, and gestured for him to continue:

"What is it? Please speak freely!"

Yang Sichang hesitated for a moment, then knelt down with a thud.

Zhu Youjian was very surprised to see this. He was about to ask a question, but Yang Sichang's next words surprised him greatly.

"Your Majesty, I request that we negotiate peace with Liaodong and Sichuan!"

"Furthermore, please increase the amount of funds required for the suppression!"

(End of this chapter)