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

Chapter 337 Reactions from Various Parties in Yunnan
The smoke of battle had barely cleared in Qujing when the Han army quickly began post-war strategic planning, striving to transform this newly occupied territory into a forward base for advancing into the entire Yunnan province.

The most urgent task is to carry out rectification and appeasement work in the local area.

Following old tradition, the Han army immediately launched a major purge of corrupt officials, gentry, and powerful figures in Qujing Prefecture and its subordinate counties.

He Hong, the former Director of the Bureau of Guests, has now transformed into the temporary Prefect of Qujing Prefecture.

Accompanied by his deputy, he swiftly dealt with a number of Ming Dynasty officials and gentry who had aroused great public resentment, based on reports from people in various regions.

Proclamations to reassure the people were posted all over the streets and alleys, clearly announcing that the Han army would "only punish the ringleaders and not disturb the good people."

The notice also emphasized the abolition of various exorbitant taxes levied by the Ming government, encouraged shops to reopen, and urged farmers to return to their hometowns as soon as possible in order to stabilize social order.

As for the more complex and core tasks such as registering the population, measuring land, and reconstructing the Yellow Register, these were temporarily put on hold.

He Hong has already sent a letter to Chengdu, requesting Jiang Han to send a group of specialists from Sichuan to take charge.

After initially stabilizing the situation in Qujing, Li Zicheng immediately convened a military conference at the newly established headquarters of the General Who Pacifies the South.

A map of Yunnan hangs high in the hall, while Li Zicheng stands to the side holding a long stick, pointing to its core location—Kunming.

"Everyone,"

Li Zicheng coughed lightly and slowly began to speak.

"With Qujing now under control, the gateway to eastern Yunnan is wide open."

"Our army's primary objective right now is Kunming."

"But Kunming is, after all, the provincial capital, and with the Mu family's century-long management, its defenses are solid and should not be underestimated."

"According to reports and documents, Kunming was one of the cities with the most complete defense system in central Yunnan."

"Its design combines the characteristics of mountainous terrain and lakeside city, relying on natural barriers such as Dianchi Lake and Panlong River, as well as brick and stone city walls, making its overall defensive capabilities extremely strong."

He then changed the subject and explained,
"But the good news is that there are not many Ming troops left in Yunnan now."

"In order to guard against our army, the Governor of Yunnan and the Duke of Qian mobilized tens of thousands of troops and stationed them in Qujing."

“Now, Yunnan has reached a point where there are no soldiers available.”

"Therefore, I decided to take a two-pronged approach: first, clear away the external obstacles to isolate the fortified city of Kunming."

Li Zicheng lightly slid the long staff in his hand, pointing it southwest:
"Our main force will remain stationary for the time being, feigning a period of rest and recuperation to lull the Yunnan officials into a false sense of security."

"At the same time, two detachments were dispatched to attack from the north and south respectively, sweeping away the outskirts of Kunming."

"The northern route, led by Li Guo, is headed straight for Songming Prefecture!"

"Taking this place will open up the road between Qujing and Kunming and protect the flank of the main force."

"The southern route, led by Liu Ning, will attack Yiliang County!"

"Yiliang is the southern gateway to Kunming and is located in the fertile central Yunnan region, making it an important grain-producing area."

"Occupying Yiliang will not only allow us to threaten Kunming from the south and create a pincer movement, but also enable us to obtain food supplies locally, thus relieving the logistical pressure on our army."

Li Zicheng emphasized:

"The two flanking forces, one in the north and one in the south, must make full use of our army's advantage in mobile warfare and advance rapidly with elite troops."

"For the small garrisons and prefectures encountered along the way, we should focus on persuading them to surrender, and strive to settle them by sending out proclamations, so as to avoid unnecessary losses and delays."

After explaining the general strategy, Li Zicheng turned his gaze to Hei Zi beside him and politely inquired:
"General Fang, what do you think of this plan?"

"Is there anything that needs to be added or adjusted?"

Although he is now the General of Pingnan and the commander-in-chief of the front line, Hei Zi is, after all, a veteran who followed Jiang Han in raising an army, and should be given enough respect both morally and logically.

Hei Zi's left hand was still injured. He had only come to listen to the meeting, but he didn't expect to be asked a question by Li Zicheng.

He grinned, waved his hand, and laughed:

"You're too kind, General."

"The main task His Majesty sent me to this battle was to escort the delegation and infiltrate Qujing as an inside agent to break the deadlock."

"Now that the city has fallen, my mission is complete."

“You, Old Li, are the General Who Pacifies the South and Commander-in-Chief, appointed by the King himself. How to deploy the army is naturally your decision, so I won’t interfere.”

He paused, his tone tinged with emotion:
"I left the main force in Shanxi and was ordered to infiltrate the Ming court. It has been more than five years since then, and it is almost the sixth year."

"Over the years, Lao Deng and I have mostly been doing things in secret, and we haven't been on the front lines for a long time, so our skills have become rusty."

Li Zicheng quickly advised:
"General Fang is too modest!"

"The reason we were able to capture Qujing so quickly is thanks to your team infiltrating the city and working together from the inside."

“If you hadn’t assassinated the prefect and key officials in the city, thus holding back the garrison, we wouldn’t have been able to breach the city so easily.”

"In my opinion, General Fang deserves the greatest credit!"

But Kuroko remained unmoved, only shaking his head and sighing:
"It was all thanks to Your Majesty's strategic planning and the bravery of the soldiers; I was merely following the plan."

He shrugged his injured left shoulder and said self-deprecatingly,

"I'm ashamed to have gotten injured while fighting in such a small place as Qujing."

"In the upcoming battles, I will focus on protecting the rear and ensuring the smooth flow of supplies."

"The specific battle plan is still to be arranged by you, Lao Li. There's no need to ask me again."

This was not a humble remark.

Since parting ways in Shanxi, Hei Zi and Deng Yang have been infiltrating the Ming army for five or six years.

When the uprising first started, he was able to lead over a thousand men into battle, but now he is no longer up to the task.

Nowadays, the Han army often numbers in the tens of thousands, and its command system and tactical application are much more complex, which is indeed not his forte.

In contrast, Li Zicheng, after following Jiang Han, had been commanding battles on the front lines and had more experience.

Jiang Han's main task for him this time was not to lead troops into battle, but to carry out a surprise attack to seize the gate and ensure logistical support.

Seeing his resolute attitude, Li Zicheng did not press the matter further and nodded, saying:
"In that case, we will trouble General Fang to guard the rear and ensure the supply lines."

"General Lao Fang is also cooperating with He Langzhong's civil affairs."

Having said that, he straightened up and swept his gaze over the assembled generals in the hall, his voice suddenly rising.

"All units shall follow my strategy, return to their respective preparations, and set off after five days of rest!"

"Follow the order!"

The generals responded with a resounding roar, rose, clasped their hands in salute, and then filed out, each returning to their respective camps.

Soon, news of the fall of Qujing spread rapidly throughout Yunnan.

Inside the main hall of the Duke of Qian's mansion, a young man dressed in a python robe and with a jade belt around his waist paced back and forth restlessly, like an ant on a hot pan.

He clutched a newspaper tightly in his hand, his face full of anxiety and fear, and he even sighed from time to time.

This person is none other than Mu Tianbo, the current Duke of Qian and the General Commander-in-Chief guarding Yunnan.

He was only nineteen years old at the time, and had only inherited the title a few years prior.

Wearing a python robe, he didn't exude any composure; instead, it only highlighted his current panic.

The glory of the Duke of Qian's mansion and the responsibility of guarding Yunnan were far too heavy for this young man who was not yet twenty, especially when facing such a fierce foreign enemy.

"Oh dear... what should we do..."

"If Qujing falls, the gates will be wide open, and the enemy troops could arrive at any moment..."

Just then, a shout suddenly came from outside the lobby:
"A dignified Duke of the Great Ming Dynasty, destined to govern Yunnan, how could he be so panicked and sigh in vain in the face of trouble?!"

Mu Tianbo turned his head at the sound, his face lit up with joy, as if he had found his pillar of support, and immediately went to greet him.

"grandmother!"

Outside the door, surrounded by a group of maids and servants, an elderly woman with white hair, dressed in the robes of a noblewoman, walked in steadily, leaning on a phoenix-headed cane. Her face was thin and wrinkled, but her eyes were not cloudy at all; on the contrary, they were sharp and bright.

This is Mu Tianbo's grandmother, Madam Song, who personally poisoned her son and is now the pillar of the Mu family.

Beside him was Mu Tianbo's mother, Madam Chen.

Madam Song looked at Mu Tianbo with a disappointed expression, her cane pausing slightly in her hand:
"You have come of age and inherited the title; you are the head of a prefecture and the hope of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians in Yunnan!"

"With such impatience, what will your soldiers and the people of the city think of you?"

"How can I feel at ease following you to defend against powerful enemies?!"

After being scolded, Mu Tianbo lowered his head in shame and said:
"Grandson knows he was wrong..."

"But... but the Han army came too fiercely, and Qujing was captured in just a few days. It is really alarming."

Madam Song sighed, her tone softening slightly:
"What's the use of panicking?"

Even if the sky falls, we must find a way to hold it up!

"My Mu family has been favored by the emperor for generations, guarding Yunnan. What storms haven't we weathered?"

"During the Luchuan Rebellion, when the Burmese invaded, it was no less dangerous. Didn't our ancestors manage to wipe them all out?"

"The most important thing right now is to calm down and discuss countermeasures!"

Just then, a guard came to announce from outside the door:
"The Governor of Yunnan has arrived!"

Soon, Wang Shide, the Yunnan governor with a solemn expression, also strode into the main hall.

Upon seeing that Madam Song and Madam Chen were also present, he quickly bowed in greeting.
"Greetings, Madam, Madam Chen, and Duke."

Madam Song nodded and gestured to her side, saying:

"Governor Wang, there's no need for such formalities. The military situation is urgent, and I need your consultation."

Wang Shide didn't mince words and went straight to the point:

"Lord Duke, Madams, Qujing has now fallen, and the invasion of Yunnan by bandits is a foregone conclusion."

"Although Kunming has high walls and thick fortifications, I really can't predict whether it can be defended for long."

"To be on the safe side, I believe we need to make two preparations."

"Firstly, in the name of the Duke of Qian's Mansion, he summoned the various chieftains within the territory, explained the advantages and disadvantages, and thus gathered troops."

"Kunming is a fortified city with ample food supplies. If we can get help from the local chieftains, we might be able to defeat the rebel army!"

"However... people's hearts are unpredictable, and at this critical juncture, we must be cautious in managing the chieftain's troops."

Everyone present nodded in agreement. What Wang Shide said was the right plan and a long-standing tradition of the Duke of Qian's mansion.

Whenever there was unrest within the territory or foreign invasion, the Mu family would gather the local chieftain's troops and combine them with the Ming army to quell the rebellion and defend against the enemy.

However, the number of Ming troops is now small, and with the bandits coming in with great force, it remains to be seen whether they can turn the tide.

Immediately afterwards, Wang Shide asked Song to dismiss her attendants and whispered:

"Secondly, it is about seeking a way out."

"If we are unable to do so, we can follow the example of the Southern Song Dynasty."

"They either went west to Burma or south to Annam, using the available routes to find boats to sail out to sea, eventually reaching Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, and even Nanjing, in order to plan their next move."

Everyone present was stunned upon hearing this.

What? You're leaving Yunnan?
Upon hearing this, Mu Tianbo's face showed even more struggle. It was by no means an easy task for him to escape the place that his ancestors had guarded for generations.

Madam Song sighed softly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

"Governor Wang's words are mature and prudent."

"But I believe that a retreat plan can be discussed, but it should not be proposed first, so as not to shake the morale of the army."

"Our Mu family is guarding Yunnan on behalf of the Emperor. How can we easily give up and retreat without a fight?"

"Let's first gather the various chieftains to hold the line. The Duke of Qian's mansion has a century of prestige and influence; they should be able to lend a hand at this critical moment."

As she spoke, she turned to look at Mu Tianbo:
"Go ahead, first issue a document in the name of the Duke of Qian and the Garrison Commander to request troops from Mengzi Sha Dingzhou, Yuanjiang Nasong, Shiping Long Zaitian and others."

"Have them lead their elite troops to Kunming immediately to provide assistance!"

"This battle is a matter of life and death, so we must not be stingy with rewards. We must make sure they see the determination and sincerity of the Mu family!"

With his grandmother's decision and instructions, Mu Tianbo finally calmed down:

"Understood, grandson will take care of it right away!"

The Mu family's messengers left the city from all directions and soon arrived in Mengzi area of ​​Lin'an Prefecture.

This is the territory of Sha Dingzhou, a chieftain of the Yi ethnic group.

Inside the official residence, the pine wood in the hearth was burning brightly, illuminating the people in the room.

Sha Dingzhou's brother-in-law, Tang Jiabin, who was also his chief strategist, spoke first:

"Brother-in-law, the Han army is coming with great force; we should not underestimate them."

"I heard that when these bandits were in Guizhou, they were extremely cruel to the chieftains who did not obey their orders, often massacring entire villages."

"Given the current mobilization of the Mu family, I think it would be best to first join forces with the Duke of Qian's mansion, concentrate our strength, and hold off the Han army's advance."

"If Kunming is lost, we will be in danger of losing our own lips and teeth, and we will probably not be able to escape unscathed."

Tang Jiabin's suggestion was rather conservative, hoping to first rely on the Mu family's strength to jointly defend against external enemies.

However, Sha Dingzhou had a completely different idea.

He snorted coldly, his fingers unconsciously tapping the armrest of the chair.

"Hmph, the Duke of Qian's mansion is already all bark and no bite!"

"What skills could Mu Tianbo, a mere boy who hasn't even reached adulthood, possibly have?"

"So many skilled and decorated Ming soldiers in Sichuan were defeated, how could he possibly hold off the enemy's ferocious army?!"

"Now that Qujing has been lost, the Ming army in Yunnan is already depleted in strength and morale is low."

He stood up, walked to the center of the hall, and began to bewitch him.
"Instead of being a shield for the Mu family, why don't we... take the initiative and strike?!"

"We are now quite well-equipped and strong. Why not take advantage of Kunming's weak defenses, capture the provincial capital in one fell swoop, and destroy the Mu family's stronghold?"

"Then, take the heads of Kunming and the Duke of Qian to negotiate with the Han army!"

Seeing Tang Jiabin's surprised and uncertain look, Sha Dingzhou grinned.
"What's so great about being a mere chieftain?"

"Once we take Kunming and the Mu family, won't we have enough leverage?"

"At that time, we might just be able to replace the Duke of Qian's mansion!"

Tang Jiabin was shocked upon hearing this and hurriedly advised:

"Brother-in-law, this plan is far too dangerous!"

"Now that the Han army is powerful, how could they easily agree?"

"Judging from his policies in Sichuan and Guizhou, he probably has quite ambitious goals."

Before he could finish speaking, Sha Dingzhou abruptly waved his hand, interrupting him:

"Of course there are risks!"

"But these thieves are newcomers and their base is unstable. They also need people familiar with the local conditions and people's lives to help them stabilize the situation."

"Even if we don't actively pledge allegiance, occupying the fortified city of Kunming gives us leverage in our negotiations!"

(End of this chapter)