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

Chapter 333 The Peace Mission Enters Sichuan
In the autumn of the tenth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, in order to raise funds for the army to suppress the bandits, the Ming Dynasty did not hesitate to extend its sickle.

The largest share was allocated to Shanxi, Shaanxi, Henan, Huguang, and Beizhili.

The people, already struggling under the combined effects of drought and locusts, were utterly desperate.

Some starving people, defeated soldiers, and even villagers and miners who were originally waiting to see what would happen rose up in rebellion.

As long as someone raises their arms and calls, a large number of people will respond. The angry people gather into a torrent, smash government offices, open government granaries, and kill all officials and gentry who dare to resist.

In a short time, war broke out all over the Central Plains, and rebels were everywhere.

These emerging resistance forces, like rivers flowing into the sea, quickly converged on the three most powerful bandit groups.

The troops under Gao Yingxiang, Zhang Xianzhong, and Luo Rucai expanded at a rate that was almost visible to the naked eye.

In many surrounding counties, even before the peasant army attacked, the overburdened people would cooperate from within and without, opening the city gates and welcoming the king's army with food and drink.

For example, in Guanghua County, north of Xiangyang Prefecture, the magistrate wanted to implicate the villagers and forcibly arrest them because the local people failed to pay their taxes on time.

That night, hunters and woodcutters from the village, along with laborers from the city, launched a surprise attack on the county government office, killing the magistrate and a group of his servants.

After capturing the city, the villagers immediately opened the city gates and sent messengers to contact Gao Yingxiang's troops who were nearby.

By the time Gao Yingxiang's detachment arrived, the city walls had already been adorned with banners bearing the character "闯" (chuǎng, meaning "break through" or "storm")

In the surrounding counties and prefectures of Xiangyang Prefecture, Gao Yingxiang led his main force to cultivate the land and began to build the base he had longed for.

Gao Yingxiang showed his magnanimity towards newly surrendered people and counties that voluntarily submitted to him.

Opening granaries and distributing grain was inevitable. He even appointed some down-on-their-luck scholars as county and prefectural officials to maintain order and restore production.

As for the Ming soldiers who surrendered, he simply waved his hand and dispersed them all, incorporating them into his old camp for day and night training.

In the old camp, these Ming soldiers not only had three meals a day, but also received a salary.

After this news spread, no fewer than a thousand soldiers from the three garrisons near Xiangyang deserted and chose to join the peasant army.

With the addition of these soldiers, Gao Yingxiang's old camp grew rapidly. Although it was not as large as before, it was still a considerable fighting force.

With the addition of tens of thousands of newly incorporated people, he even considered taking over Xiangyang, a major town in Huguang.

Meanwhile, the fertile Nanyang Basin to the north has long since become Luo Rucai's paradise.

He was not in a hurry to attack fortified cities like Nanyang Prefecture. Instead, he dispersed his troops to surrounding prefectures, counties and villages, plundering wealthy households while also pacifying refugees.

He followed Gao Yingxiang's example and began to try land reclamation in the occupied areas, distributing land to surrendered farmers and military dependents for cultivation in order to achieve long-term development.

Although the regulations were not yet perfect, they greatly stabilized the rear, enabling Luo Rucai's troops to establish a firm foothold in the Nanyang area and contend with the government troops.

Among them, the one who changed the most was Zhang Xianzhong.

Faced with this unexpectedly favorable situation, Zhang Xianzhong, who was known for his bloodthirstiness and tyranny, unusually restrained his temper.

When attacking the prefectures and counties near Jingzhou, he surprisingly deviated from his usual practice and issued strict orders to his subordinates:

"After the city falls, anyone who dares to kill a single person will pay with their life; anyone who dares to plunder the people's property will be severely punished!"

Not only that, Zhang Xianzhong also distributed a portion of the confiscated grain to the common people and posted notices everywhere to reassure them.

In the proclamation, he declared that his uprising was solely for the purpose of killing corrupt officials and overthrowing the Ming Dynasty, and had nothing to do with the common people.

While this may be somewhat exaggerated, it is far better than the oppressive and tyrannical government.

At Zhang Xianzhong's call, many people immediately joined the Western Camp, willing to fight and charge into battle for him.

His power grew like a snowball, and his army marched straight towards Jingzhou Prefecture.

Overall, within the triangular region centered on Xiangyang, Nanyang, and Jingzhou, the rebel army was in a very favorable position and was thriving.

They were no longer destroyers, but instead began to try to build;
The former bandits now have a relatively stable area of ​​operation and a steady stream of manpower and supplies.

On the other hand, the Ming army seemed somewhat constrained.

At this time, Xiong Wencan, who was in charge of the military affairs of the provinces under the Prime Minister, had not yet taken office, while the current Prime Minister Wang Jiazhen was only thinking about avoiding war and waiting for Xiong Wencan to come and hand over military affairs.

During this lull, the Ming army could only cower in the city, watching helplessly as the rebel army grew stronger and stronger, conquering cities and strongholds everywhere.

Just as the war intensified in the Central Plains, a small team quietly set off from the capital, marched westward along the border wall, and after a long journey, arrived in Hanzhong.

This was a peace delegation secretly dispatched by Zhu Youjian, led by a eunuch named Gong Weihua who served in the Directorate of Ceremonial.

Perhaps to save face, or perhaps to avoid trouble, Zhu Youjian dared not let his ministers know about the peace talks.

He could only secretly send palace eunuchs to Sichuan and Jiang Han to try to negotiate.

However, once the delegation arrived in Hanzhong, Gong Weihua seemed to have nails in his feet and refused to move even half a step further south.

He spent his days hiding in the post station, either claiming to have a splitting headache or complaining of being unaccustomed to the local environment and having an upset stomach.

Gong Weihua tried every excuse imaginable, but refused to set foot in Sichuan.

Although he was not in a hurry, Wang Zaitai, the prefect of Hanzhong, was anxious.

If this eunuch continues to linger in Hanzhong, delaying important matters of the court, he will inevitably be implicated.

So, he pretended not to know what was going on and summoned all the famous doctors around Hanzhong.

You damned eunuch, didn't you claim to be sick? I'll personally watch over you and force-feed you your medicine!
Various tonics and decoctions were delivered to the post station in a continuous stream.

After being given traditional Chinese medicine for four or five consecutive days, Gong Weihua finally couldn't take it anymore.

He dismissed his attendants and, with a pained expression, told Wang Zaitai the truth:
“Lord Wang, let me tell you the truth today.”

"I'm really afraid of going to Sichuan to negotiate peace; you don't know, the news has already spread all over the capital!"

"Everyone says that the bandit leader surnamed Jiang is a ruthless killer who takes pleasure in disemboweling people!"

"If I, with my small frame, go there, wouldn't I be like a lamb entering a tiger's den, with no chance of returning?"

"This...this isn't peace talks, it's suicide!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Zaitai felt utterly contemptuous, but outwardly remained extremely respectful.
"Your Excellency, this is His Majesty's secret decree. This humble official... this humble official is powerless to do anything about it."

Seeing that Wang Zaitai was making excuses, Gong Weihua grabbed his sleeve and pleaded:
"Lord Wangfu, please have mercy and send some soldiers to protect us!"

"Not many, just one or two hundred elite soldiers will suffice. With officers and soldiers protecting us, we can feel more at ease."

Wang Zaitai sighed and looked at him with a troubled expression:
"Your Excellency is wise; I am merely a prefect and have no authority to mobilize troops."

"You'll have to ask Governor Sun of Shaanxi for help with this; I can't do anything about it."

He paused for a moment, then changed the subject.
"However... I can point you in the right direction."

"Deng Yang, the military commander who guards the Jinniu Road in the Mian County area south of the prefectural city, is a fierce general with a good command of troops and a well-known reputation."

"It is precisely because of his presence that the Sichuan bandits, though fierce, never dared to trespass on Jinniu Road."

“I think you could go to him and ask for some elite soldiers to protect you.”

Upon hearing this, Gong Weihua's eyes lit up. After expressing his gratitude profusely, he hurriedly set off for Mian County with generous gifts.

"what?"

"Should I send men to escort you into Sichuan?"

Upon hearing Gong Weihua's request, Deng Yang frowned, his eyes filled with vigilance.

Despite Gong Weihua's attempts to conceal his identity, the stench of urine mixed with incense on his body had already given away his status as a eunuch.

A eunuch, sneaking off to Sichuan? What does he want to do?
"Indeed, General, please do me this favor."

Gong Weihua dared not be negligent and could only keep smiling ingratiatingly.

Deng Yang looked at him in surprise, his tone somewhat stiff:

"I have been ordered to guard Jinniu Road, with the aim of repelling and preventing thieves!"

"How can we voluntarily send someone to escort you into Sichuan, thus aiding the enemy and colluding with them?" Gong Weihua had no choice but to speak out. He was on a secret mission and could not reveal the peace talks to the public.

But this warrior in front of him refused to make any exceptions, and without the escort of government soldiers, he would never dare to enter Sichuan.

Although he knew that if something really happened, these guards would be useless, it was still a psychological comfort.

Seeing that Deng Yang was unyielding, Gong Weihua had no choice but to pull him aside to a quiet place and whisper:

"General Deng, to be honest, I am here on the Emperor's secret orders."

"Now that bandits are rampant in the Central Plains, His Majesty intends to mobilize a large army to suppress them. Therefore, he specially sent us to Sichuan to negotiate peace with the river bandits in order to stabilize the southwest."

"This matter concerns national policy and is extremely confidential. Please, General Deng, do not let anyone know about it!"

Upon hearing this, Deng Yang suddenly realized what was going on. He immediately put on a smiling face and waved his hand:

"Rest assured, angel, I will keep this secret!"

“Since it is His Majesty’s secret decree, I will send a team of thirty elite men to escort you, sir, into Sichuan.”

Upon hearing this, Gong Weihua was overjoyed and repeatedly bowed in gratitude.

Deng Yang then used the excuse that he needed to select soldiers to ask Gong Weihua to wait a moment before leaving the main tent with his men.

He quickly walked to a secluded barracks, immediately wrote a letter, and sent it to Chengdu Prefecture with utmost speed.

After everything was arranged, Deng Yang summoned his subordinate Yu Hongchang and ordered him to lead a team to escort the peace delegation to Sichuan.

Thus, under the protection of a group of bandits, Gong Weihua and his party finally embarked on their journey into Sichuan.

Their chosen route was through Guangyuan, Jianzhou, Zitong, Mianzhou, and other places, finally arriving in Chengdu.

This was naturally arranged in advance, and the local officials responsible for receiving and guiding along the way were all specially replaced with unfamiliar faces.

After all, Gong Weihua and his group came from the Ming court, so they might know some officials who had surrendered.

Jiang Han has some former Ming officials under his command whose hometowns are not in Sichuan. If they are recognized, their families may be implicated.

The expected wild and chaotic scene did not appear along the way; instead, Gong Weihua and the others were dumbfounded.

Compared to the desolate landscape and widespread famine outside, Sichuan before our eyes is like a paradise on earth.

It was harvest season, and the fields were covered with golden rice, stretching as far as the eye could see, undulating and surging in the autumn wind.

The farmers were working in the fields, their faces covered in sweat, but they showed no signs of distress; on the contrary, they were full of energy.

After making some inquiries, it was discovered that these farmers only received a mere 50% of the land rent.

This infuriated Gong Weihua and his men, who slapped their thighs in anger. They had already collected 70-80% of the taxes from outside, so why were these bandits in Sichuan suddenly reducing rent?

How could such a large sum of money be distributed to the poor?
When passing through some tax checkpoints, Gong Weihua could see the people queuing up in an orderly manner to pay their taxes, and talking to the tax officials with composure, unlike the people outside who were terrified of the officials.

Through limited communication and observation, Gong Weihua vaguely learned that the bandits were implementing a system called "Yingzhuang" on a large scale in Sichuan.

Most of the land in these military camps was confiscated from officials, gentry, and wealthy households in various places. It was directly controlled by the government, which employed local people or arranged for military families to cultivate it.

Apart from keeping enough food and seeds, most of the produce from the camp was directly handed over to the government as taxes.

Because of its relatively centralized management and the elimination of layers of intermediaries, its tax collection efficiency was extremely high, providing a stable and sufficient source of grain and provisions.

Looking at this vibrant scene, and recalling the desolation and chaos in the Central Plains and even the capital region, Gong Weihua and his group became increasingly terrified.

He had initially thought Jiang Han was just a stronger bandit leader, but now it seemed that he or his subordinates were not lacking in talent for governing and managing the people.

While the delegation was still on their way, Jiang Han received a secret letter from Deng Yang.

He immediately summoned his trusted civil and military advisors to discuss the matter.

Inside the Chengyun Hall, Jiang Han sat high on the throne, with Zhao Sheng, Cao Er, Hei Zi, Li Zicheng, and others all present.

After circulating Deng Yang's secret letter among everyone, he went straight to the point and asked:

"The imperial court has actually sent envoys to negotiate peace. What do you all think?"

Zhao Sheng thought for a moment and spoke first:

"Your Majesty, peace talks might be a good thing."

"If we can reach an agreement, even if it's only temporary, we can withdraw some of the garrison troops from Baoning Prefecture and Kuizhou Prefecture."

"General Li is currently preparing to attack Yunnan and is short of troops. If we can send reinforcements, it will definitely speed up the process."

Currently, Sichuan mainly has four military corps, which are stationed in Chengdu Prefecture, Baoning Prefecture, Kuizhou Prefecture, and Sichuan Provincial Military Command, respectively.

Chengdu Prefecture was the main force of Jiang Han's central army, responsible for protecting the capital and serving as a reserve force, which goes without saying.

In Baoning Prefecture and Kuizhou Prefecture, a considerable number of troops were stationed to guard against the Ming army.

Dong Erzhu was stationed in Jianzhou, Baoning Prefecture, commanding more than 13,000 people and responsible for guarding the Jinniu, Micang, and Lizhi routes.
Li Laowai, on the other hand, was stationed in Kuizhou Prefecture, leading 5,000 troops to defend against the Ming army from Huguang.

In contrast, Li Zicheng's forces in Sichuan were stretched thin, numbering only 10,000.

This number of men was definitely not enough to conquer Yunnan, which is why Zhao Sheng agreed to the peace talks so that he could concentrate his forces to attack Yunnan.

His proposal was echoed by many present, since taking Yunnan first and then thoroughly integrating the three southwestern provinces was the established strategic policy of the military.

But Jiang Han hesitated upon hearing this, and carefully said:

"I feel like something's not quite right."

“Take a close look at Deng Yang’s secret letter. It mentions that the imperial court intends to wage war against the Central Plains.”

"In addition to the recent uproar over the suppression of military pay, I estimate that the scale of the imperial court's conscription this time is no less than 100,000."

"Although Gao Yingxiang, Zhang Xianzhong, and Luo Rucai were powerful for a time, they were probably still powerless against the full force of the imperial court."

"Once the rebel army in the Central Plains is wiped out, will the 100,000 newly recruited soldiers of the imperial court simply be disbanded?"

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions tightened, and they realized that something was wrong.

Li Zicheng, standing to the side, added:

"According to Your Majesty's opinion, the court has recruited so many soldiers, there must be a place for them to go."

"Currently, the Ming Dynasty has a total of three battlefields, two inside the pass and one outside the pass."

"The area beyond the Great Wall is too far, and I've heard that the Eastern barbarians are skilled in battle, so there's a high chance that the imperial court will turn its attention to Sichuan."

Jiang Han nodded and affirmed:

"Yes, that's what I meant."

"This so-called peace talks are nothing more than a delaying tactic by the Ming court to lull us into complacency."

"Only if we do not interfere in the war in the Central Plains can the Ming army concentrate on besieging and suppressing Gao Yingxiang and others."

Zhao Sheng nodded thoughtfully:

"If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold."

"If the Chuang and Xian tribes are wiped out, we'll probably be next."

"What is your opinion, Your Majesty?"

Jiang Han stood up, strode to the center of the crowd, and said in a deep voice:
"Peace talks are impossible; we must fight in Yunnan, and this must not be wavered."

"As for the war in the Central Plains, we don't necessarily have to get involved."

"The emperor is just trying to buy time, to fight and negotiate at the same time. Of course, we can fight and negotiate at the same time too, and see who is more impatient."

He turned to look at Li Zicheng beside him and emphasized:
"The plan to conquer Yunnan remains unchanged. Your troops must make preparations quickly, and once the time is right, immediately march south!"

“In a few days, when the imperial messenger arrives, I’ll see if I can lend you a hand by discussing the peace talks.”

(End of this chapter)