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

Chapter 353 Lure the enemy deeper
Upon hearing Gao Yingxiang's instructions, Liu Zhe and Gao Ying'en dared not delay and immediately obeyed the order.

They found several different barracks and imprisoned the three personal guards brought by Zhao Shicheng separately, completely isolating them to prevent them from colluding.

The two men personally oversaw the operation, and also brought along many veteran soldiers skilled in interrogation.

Although torture was inconvenient, there were plenty of other methods available. Interrogators took turns asking questions one after another.

He questioned Zhao Shicheng repeatedly about everything, from the reasons for his beating and the details of the execution to the general situation of the government troops stationed there.

Sometimes during questioning, interrogators will ask questions suddenly, and the questions will be very unpredictable.

The conversation quickly shifted from casual conversation about how Zhao Baihu treated you to crucial questions like how many personal guards Hong Chengchou brought on the day of the conflict.

They were trying to disrupt the group's thoughts and find contradictions in their words through these methods.

Liu Zhe and Gao Ying'en even resorted to deception, lying to the group that their companion had confessed that Zhao Shicheng was a spy sent by Hong Chengchou, and then observing the group's reaction.

But to their utter surprise, among these people, only Zhao Shicheng was the key to knowing the entire plan.

These three guards were completely unaware of the plan; all they knew was that their own centurion had indeed been severely punished for offending the governor and had been forced to flee for refuge.

Therefore, when faced with various questions, they described their own personal experiences and true feelings without any fabrication.

After several interrogations, the three men's testimonies were almost identical, with virtually no errors or omissions.

After hearing Liu Zhe and Gao Ying'en's reports, Gao Yingxiang's doubts were finally largely dispelled.

However, out of caution, he still sent out spies from the army, disguised as refugees and merchants, to secretly infiltrate Nanyang Prefecture to gather information.

These spies split into several groups, some of whom mingled in teahouses and taverns chatting with people;
Some used money to pave the way, bribing low-level officials and junior officers to extract information about the reorganization of Nanyang Guard and the troop movements.

Some bolder and more meticulous individuals would even approach the outer perimeter of the government troops' camp to observe flag numbers, the amount of smoke from cooking fires, and other indicators to determine the true situation.

Their caution played right into Hong Chengchou's hands.

The brilliance of his carefully planned ruse lies in the fact that he not only had to deceive the enemy, but also his own people first.

The massive purge in Nanyangwei and the public punishment of Zhao Shicheng were all staged for their own people.

Only by making the soldiers and civilians of Nanyangwei believe that Zhao Shicheng was truly forced into rebellion can they pass on intelligence to the rebels' spies through their mouths.

It must be said that during the late Ming Dynasty, the peasant armies and the Later Jin dynasty outside the Great Wall paid remarkable attention to and utilized intelligence in warfare.

Peasant armies, by taking advantage of their high mobility and close ties with the lower strata of society, were often able to build extensive and effective intelligence networks through refugees, merchants, and even surrendered government soldiers.

The Later Jin dynasty was even more advanced. They not only bribed merchants but also offered high prices to attract Ming generals. In addition, they dispatched spies to obtain a large amount of key military and political intelligence, giving them a significant advantage in every battle.

In contrast, the Ming army's intelligence work has deteriorated year by year since the elimination of night watchmen.

Especially on the imperial court side, apart from a few who pay attention to intelligence and secrecy, everyone else is leaking information everywhere.

The imperial gazette was often like a public document, and even military deployments were leaked in advance due to infighting among party factions or greed for money.

However, Hong Chengchou is clearly not among them.

After all, he was a veteran who had been through many battles. As early as the fourth year of the Chongzhen reign, he had sent an inside agent to eliminate Wang Jiayin, the first leader of the rebel army.

Now, he has resorted to the same old trick and set his sights on the second-generation leader of the rebel army.

A few days later, the spies Gao Yingxiang had sent out all brought back news one after another:

"Commander, it's been confirmed!"

"That centurion surnamed Zhao was publicly flogged thirty times for leading the opposition against Hong Chengchou's clearing of the military garrisons to pay the military expenses. His skin was torn and bleeding. Many people witnessed it, so it can't be faked!"

"Not only that, Hong Chengchou also publicly announced that he would confiscate the property of the Zhao family and send the entire clan to the frontier."

"Now there is widespread discontent in Nanyang Guard. Many officers are feeling a sense of shared fate and are extremely dissatisfied with Hong Chengchou!"

Meanwhile, the garrison commanders on the outskirts also brought back more crucial military intelligence:
"Commander, the main force of the government troops has indeed made unusual movements!"

"Two units of officers and soldiers broke camp a few days ago and headed west. Judging from the flags they were carrying, they seemed to be the troops of Cao Bianjiao and He Renlong."

"I heard he was transferred by imperial decree to guard against an attack from Sichuan." "Also, Hong Chengchou's main force is packing up its supplies; some wagons and provisions from the rear camp have already begun to retreat northward. It seems they really are relocating!"

What excited Gao Yingxiang even more was that in the past few days, several small groups of deserters from different camps came to join him.

The messages they brought were basically the same:
"The intensified infighting between Hong Chengchou and Xiong Wencan led to chaos in the command of the government troops."

"After being reprimanded by the imperial court, Hong Chengchou was disheartened and prepared to retreat to the banks of the Yellow River."

"The northwest defense line has a huge gap due to Cao Bianjiao's sudden withdrawal, which is a golden opportunity to break out!"

Thus, Hong Chengchou's meticulously planned ruse finally came to a successful conclusion.

From the plight of Zhao Shicheng, a victim, to the internal turmoil in Nanyang Prefecture, to the troop movements of the government army, and finally to the evidence of desertion.

These pieces of intelligence from different channels, layered upon each other, corroborated each other, ultimately dispelling Gao Yingxiang's doubts completely.

Without further hesitation, he immediately summoned the leaders of all the tribes and ordered them to pack up their supplies and prepare to break out to the northwest!

At this time, Gao Yingxiang had only 18,000 soldiers under his command, and with the families of his soldiers and the refugees he had taken hostage, he could barely be called 50,000.

At his command, the army marched in a mighty force straight to Xichuan in the north.

According to the intelligence revealed by Zhao Shicheng, only a small group of Ming troops are currently stationed in the Xichuan area—the troops of Sun Chuanting, the governor of Shaanxi.

Upon hearing the name "Sun Chuanting," Gao Yingxiang's heart tightened.

He instantly recalled the story of how his entire army was almost wiped out in Heishuiyu, and his heart couldn't help but pound with apprehension, causing him to hesitate a bit.

Seeing this, Zhao Shicheng immediately transformed into a lackey and advised:
"King Chuang need not worry too much."

"As far as I know, most of Sun Chuanting's troops are newly trained soldiers, having been formed only a year ago, and their combat effectiveness is far inferior to that of Hong Chengchou's border troops."

"As long as our army can win a quick battle and take Xichuan, then advance north along the Dan River, break through Jingzi Pass, and then follow the ancient Shangyu Road to directly penetrate the Guanzhong Plain!"

Seeing that Gao Yingxiang was tempted, he continued to entice him.
"Guanzhong is the stronghold of the Ming army in the Northwest. Sun Chuanting has been cultivating land here for a year and managed to salvage a lot of grain from natural disasters, filling the treasury to the brim!"

"If we can break into Guanzhong in one fell swoop and seize the granaries there, not only will our army be free from food shortages, but we will also cut off the foundation of the Ming army in the Northwest!"

"At that time, the tens of thousands of troops under Sun Chuanting and Hong Chengchou will have no food and will inevitably fall into chaos without a fight!"

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

Upon hearing the words "Guanzhong Granary," Gao Yingxiang was overjoyed and immediately ordered his army to head straight for Xichuan.

Meanwhile, in Xichuan, Sun Chuanting had already made all the necessary arrangements.

He followed Hong Chengchou's instructions and symbolically stationed a garrison of two thousand men in Xichuan City and the surrounding passes.

Sun Chuanting secretly signaled to the defending general that he should abandon the position after putting up only a little resistance, so as to create the illusion for Gao Yingxiang that the defenses on this route were weak.

He personally led 8,000 main force troops to ambush Gao Yingxiang in the Danshui River Valley near Jingziguan, waiting for him to break in.

Sure enough, when Gao Yingxiang's army arrived at the city of Xichuan, the Ming soldiers defending the city, as planned, fired a few arrows in a panic and then scattered like birds and beasts.

After easily capturing Xichuan, Gao Yingxiang was complacent, thinking he had made the right choice.

Overwhelmed by the joy of his initial victory, he ordered his troops to rest briefly before immediately marching north along the Dan River, advancing relentlessly towards Zijing Pass.

The route he chose was to go north from Dengzhou, through Neixiang, and directly to Xichuan.

This area is located at the junction of the Funiu Mountains and the Nanyang Basin. The terrain begins to undulate, but there are still passageways.

After passing Xichuan, there lies the crucial passage to Shaanxi – Jingziguan.

Jingziguan Pass is located on the banks of the Dan River. Its strategic location has earned it the reputation of being the "gateway to southwestern Henan".

Taking Jingziguan Pass would mean having one foot in the Guanzhong Plain.

(End of this chapter)