Sweep Yuan

Chapter 218 Zhang Jiu Si, Skilled in Both Military and Political Affairs
It was mid-October, a time when the moon should be bright and the stars should be few, but tonight, thick clouds covered the sky, obscuring the light of the stars and moon and plunging the world into a pitch-black darkness.

The wilderness was silent, save for the rustling of the cold wind as it swept through the withered reeds, which only accentuated the suffocating atmosphere before the battle.

Behind the towering crenellations of the city wall of Hailing, the seat of Taizhou, two patrolling soldiers, shivering in the cold wind, leaned against the icy parapet, muttering complaints about the awful weather and the tense situation of being trapped from both the east and west.

Suddenly, a gust of wind briefly lifted a corner of the clouds, and a few pale rays of moonlight suddenly fell, illuminating a large area in the northeast of Taizhou city.

The moonlight is limited in brightness and cannot illuminate the fields as brightly as day, but even a faint glimmer of light in the pitch-black night can reveal many hidden dangers.

A sharp-eyed soldier suddenly widened his eyes—in that instant when light and shadow intertwined, he clearly saw countless dark shadows writhing in the once pitch-black wilderness outside the city, like ghosts emerging from the ground.

"Look, what is that?"

His companion, with better eyesight, immediately exclaimed in alarm, recalling the rebel Zhang Shicheng who had already fled to Taizhou.

"Enemy... Enemy attack! It's Zhang Jiu Si! Zhang Jiu Si is coming!!"

A piercing, distorted scream shattered the stillness of the night, followed by the sound of gongs, signaling an immediate call to storm the city walls and engage in battle.

Zhang Shicheng's ancestors had been salt producers in Baijuchang for generations, and they had deep roots in the local area. He also used the wealth and connections he had accumulated over the years of selling smuggled salt to gather a large number of ruthless and desperate men under his command.

Over the years, Zhang Shicheng had thoroughly investigated the intricate network of rivers and mudflats in Huaidong, as well as the backgrounds of some important figures.

After he raised his army, he cleverly used these geographical and popular advantages to evade the eyes and ears of the Gaoyou Prefecture government troops and marched nearly two hundred miles to quietly enter the heart of Taizhou.

Zhao Shi'an, the prefect of Taizhou, was not an incompetent or corrupt official. After receiving the warning that Zhang Shicheng was plotting a rebellion, he dared not be negligent in the slightest. He immediately ordered the garrison to strengthen patrols and also ordered the prefectural judge Li Huafu to personally lead elite cavalry out of the city to patrol the various transportation routes.

Zhao Shi'an believed that he had set up layers of defenses and made sufficient preparations. Even if he could not annihilate this newly risen band of rebels outside the city, he could at least detect the enemy's situation in advance and buy precious time for defending the city.

But he never expected that his painstakingly planned scheme would be completely ineffective!
The rebel army appeared at the foot of Taizhou City in the middle of the night without anyone noticing, as if they possessed the ability to teleport.

When Zhao Shi'an, panting heavily, ran up the east city wall surrounded by his personal guards, the scene before him made his heart sink instantly—below the city, in the once pitch-black wilderness, at least five or six thousand torches were now lit.

Outside the city, the flickering flames seemed to form a vast sea of ​​stars. Although he was too far away to see the enemy's formation clearly, he could imagine the fierce and bloodthirsty faces of the enemy soldiers illuminated by the torches, and what fate awaited him once the city fell.

Under the firelight reflected from the city wall, Prefect Zhao's face turned ashen. He suddenly shouted, his voice sharp with shock and anger.

"Judge Li!"

According to the Yuan dynasty system, a prefectural judge was only a seventh-rank official, whose primary duty was to handle criminal cases. However, due to the turmoil in the country, the court also added the responsibility of apprehending thieves and suppressing bandits. Li Huafu, the prefectural judge of Taizhou, was responsible for his duties and dared not stray far from the city wall. He was currently following closely behind the prefect. Hearing the commotion, he knew something was wrong, but he still stepped forward with a stiff upper lip.

"The subordinate is here!"

Zhao Shi'an abruptly turned his head, his gaze piercing like a knife as he stared intently at Li Huafu, his voice icy as he rebuked him:

"Judge Li! I ordered you to lead your men out of the city, guard the key roads, and conduct thorough patrols! How could you allow the rebel army to enter our territory so easily, without us even noticing?! How could you possibly fulfill your duty?!"

Li Huafu felt a tightness in his chest and an overwhelming sense of injustice.

He did indeed strictly carry out the orders of Prefect Zhao, personally leading his troops out of the city to search carefully for nearly thirty miles in the east and north directions. They found no enemy activity. It wasn't until dusk that his soldiers urged him to return, and he hurriedly returned to the city to report back. He dared not slacken his efforts in the slightest.

As a result, he not only failed to gain any credit or any hard work, but now that the enemy is pressing in, he is being blamed.

Seeing that Prefect Zhao was trying to shirk responsibility, Li Huafu knew that this matter concerned his life and family, and he could not suffer in silence. He immediately straightened his neck, raised his voice eight octaves, and argued forcefully:
"Your Honor! I strictly followed your orders and patrolled until nightfall before returning to the city. I did not find any trace of the bandits along the way! The hundreds of brothers who accompanied me out of the city today can all testify to this! If Your Honor wishes to impeach me for dereliction of duty because of the bandits' cunning and stealth, I fear it will be difficult to convince the people!"

The imperial court had just executed a group of officials who had fled and lost territory a few months ago. Zhao Shi'an was worried that Taizhou could not be defended, and he was indeed thinking of finding someone to take the blame for him should the city fall.

But with the enemy army about to attack the city, he still needed to rely on a rough and uncouth man like Li Huafu, who was knowledgeable in military affairs, to help him. He dared not push too far, so he suppressed his anger, softened his tone, and pressed on:
"In your opinion, did these thousands of bandits somehow fly here on wings?!"

Li Huafu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, his mind becoming active again. Having spent many years in the martial world before entering officialdom, he was well-informed and immediately focused his attention on observing the scene below the city. By the light of the enemy's torches, he quickly noticed the strange objects around the rebel soldiers, and suddenly realized what was happening, saying:
"My lord, please look! The bandits are carrying a large number of salt boats, bamboo rafts, and also, quite a few large bathtubs! These are the most convenient items, and are adept at navigating shallow rivers and even muddy swamps."

Zhang Shicheng must have received guidance from local strongmen, using the city's network of waterways and deliberately choosing unguarded narrow ditches and muddy beaches to march through, avoiding the key passes on our patrol routes, and then stealthily sneaking to the city walls under cover of darkness!

Understanding why the rebel army had quietly appeared beneath the city walls only slightly alleviated the doubts and panic of the defenders on the city walls. As for how to repel the rebel attack, words alone wouldn't suffice. Just as Zhao Shi'an was about to ask Li Huafu for a strategy to defeat the enemy, he suddenly heard the latter shout urgently:
"My lord, quickly take cover! The bandits are about to attack the city!"

Flames surged below the city walls, and the enemy's formation began to shift, clearly indicating that an attack was imminent!

Zhang Shicheng was indeed as Li Huafu understood him: not only was he brave and daring in battle, but he was also deeply strategic and charismatic. He always led from the front in battle and was highly respected by his subordinates.

A few days ago, he swore a blood oath with his younger brothers Shiyi, Shide, Shixin, and eighteen other brothers, including Li Bosheng, and then decisively launched a surprise attack on the Baijuchang Commandery, killing Qiu Yi, the commander who oppressed the salt farmers, and a group of wealthy and unscrupulous salt farmers, and burning down the government office, thus declaring his rebellion against the Yuan Dynasty.

Subsequently, he quickly opened the granaries and distributed grain, and with a resolute attitude of "either rebel or die," he rallied thousands of oppressed salt farmers and boat people, and started the initial uprising.

Baijuchang belonged to Gaoyou Prefecture, bordering Xinghua to the west and Yancheng to the north. Attacking these two cities should have been easier, but Zhang Shicheng knew that with his ragtag group of soldiers lacking armor and training, even if he managed to capture Yancheng and Xinghua, he would hardly amount to anything.

He decisively set his first strategic target on Taizhou, a more distant and prosperous prefecture to the south. He planned to use the war as training grounds, honing his troops and accumulating resources by attacking major salt fields along the way.

The first battle was against his nemesis, Liu Ziren, a salt smuggler in Dingxi.

The battle was exceptionally fierce, with Zhang Shicheng's troops suffering heavy casualties, nearly a thousand killed or routed, including his younger brother Zhang Shiyi who was killed by an arrow. But Zhang Shicheng gritted his teeth and fought to the very end, finally defeating Liu Ziren and seizing valuable provisions and the first batch of decent military equipment.

The bloody lesson of this battle made Zhang Shicheng realize that a ragtag army was of no use.

He quickly reorganized the troops, rewarded the meritorious soldiers, and strictly enforced military discipline. In every battle thereafter, the troops grew rapidly in the crucible of war. After capturing Dongtaichang, they gradually began to resemble a "righteous army," no longer the bandits who had just started their uprising.

When attacking Liangduochang, he received the full support of Pan Yuanshao, a hero of the town; when attacking Anfengchang, he was joined by another hero, Lü Zhen, who led his men to join him.

In this way, Zhang Shicheng's forces expanded to nearly four thousand men. Unlike the initial group of cookers and boat people who were just filling in, these new recruits were mostly brave and strong young men with good morale and fighting spirit, and they had initially acquired the strength to attack the city.

However, Zhang Shicheng remembered the lesson from Dingxichang and did not blindly lead his entire army directly to the walls of Taizhou.

He adopted the advice of locals such as Pan Yuanshao and Lü Zhen, and selected more than 2,000 elite troops (mainly due to a lack of river-crossing tools). Using the complex terrain of ditches, reed marshes and mudflats as cover, he evaded the patrols of government troops and planned to sneak to the city of Taizhou under cover of night and steal the city.

Unfortunately, the vigilance of the Taizhou garrison exceeded Zhang Shicheng's expectations.

Before the rebel army could even get close to the city walls, they were spotted by the patrolling soldiers on the walls. The alarm was spread throughout the city in an instant, and a large number of the garrison troops immediately went up the walls to defend, and the sneak attack plan failed.

Seeing that a surprise attack was hopeless, Zhang Shicheng was not discouraged. Instead, he improvised and decisively ordered everyone in the army to carry two torches to create the illusion of a large army approaching, thus intimidating the defenders, demoralizing them, and gaining a psychological advantage for his attack on the city. However, he was well aware that these methods alone would not be enough to capture Taizhou.

Taizhou was, after all, a prefectural city, with walls 26 feet high and 12 li in circumference, equipped with water gates and a wide moat. After the imperial court issued the "order to repair the city", Zhao Shi'an organized manpower to reinforce the city's defenses, adding ramparts and arrow towers, making its defenses far superior to those of those dilapidated small cities.

Zhang Shicheng knew that if he did not launch a decisive attack while the defending troops were still in a panic upon scaling the city walls, and if the soldiers and civilians inside the city were to figure out his strengths and weaknesses and stabilize their situation, then he would surely lose the battle. If the battle dragged on until dawn, he might even lose his entire army.

Once he made up his mind, Zhang Shicheng had no more hesitation.

He strode to the front of the formation, faced his soldiers, and spoke in a steady yet powerful voice that clearly resonated throughout the quiet ranks:

"Brothers! We've arrived in such a hurry that we don't have time to build any big siege equipment! If we want to break through Taizhou City, seize the grain, provisions, gold, and silver inside, and seize future wealth, we can only rely on the salt boats, bamboo rafts, and bathtubs we have!"

Zhang Shicheng suddenly drew his sword, pointed it at the towering Taizhou city wall in the darkness, and roared:

"When we attack the city, I, Zhang Jiu Si, will be the first to charge! If you're a real man, if you want to get rich, if you're not afraid to die, then follow me! Once we break through the city, take whatever you want from inside!"

Generals such as Zhang Shide, Zhang Shixin, Li Bosheng, Pan Yuanshao, and Lü Zhen were all inspired by his heroic spirit and their blood boiled with patriotic fervor as they volunteered to lead the vanguard. However, Zhang Shicheng waved his hand and insisted on personally leading the first wave of assault troops.

His tactics were simple yet practical: by thickly coating the bottom of salt boats, bamboo rafts, and bathtubs with wet mud, and then turning them upside down, they formed mobile, simple shields that could effectively block arrows and projectiles.

After the troops approached the city gate with these "shields" on their backs, they used straw and oil to burn through the gate.

Under Zhang Shicheng's personal leadership, the rebel army, braving the sporadic arrows raining down from the city walls, successfully advanced to the east gate. Dry firewood and straw were quickly piled up, oil was poured on top, and a torch was thrown; with a deafening roar, flames shot into the sky, swiftly engulfing the heavily fortified iron gate!
However, Zhang Shicheng underestimated the fortifications of the city gates. Although the fire was fierce, it was difficult to burn through and destroy them in a short time. Under the supervision of their officers, the defending soldiers on the city walls began to frantically throw sand and pour cool water onto the gates to fight the flames.

The rebels lacked heavy long-range weapons, and their limited bamboo bows and inferior arrows had little effect on suppressing the defenders on the city walls. Instead, they suffered continuous casualties under the enemy's powerful crossbows and bows, and their offensive stalled.

At this critical moment, Zhang Shicheng saw, through the chaotic firelight on the city wall, Judge Li Huafu, who was shouting and directing firefighting and gate-blocking efforts near the city gate tower.

Having roamed Huaidong for many years, he had extensive connections with all sorts of people, including Li Huafu, and knew his background and past well. A sudden inspiration struck him, and he immediately gathered his strength and shouted loudly towards the city wall:

"Is that Li Huafu, the second brother, on the city wall?! My old friend Zhang Jiusi is here! Second brother Li, do you still remember Wang Kerou, the eldest brother?!"

Upon hearing this, Li Huafu, who was organizing the defense with all his might, was struck dumb. His movements suddenly froze, and his expression instantly became extremely complicated.

Wang Kerou was also a prominent figure in Taizhou. Despite his wealth, he was generous and chivalrous, and particularly enjoyed associating with江湖豪杰 (jianghu heroes) and wandering knights-errant, making him highly respected in the area. Seeing the corruption of the Yuan court and the suffering of the people, he secretly gathered a crowd, plotting a great undertaking.

Unexpectedly, before the great plan could be accomplished, the news leaked out and was discovered by Li Qi, the prefect of Gaoyou, who devised a plan to capture and imprison him.

Li Huafu was a well-known hero in Taizhou. He had received many favors from Wang Kerou in the past and had even participated in his conspiracy. After Wang Kerou was arrested, Li Huafu was afraid that Wang Kerou would implicate him. So, he made a desperate decision and gathered a group of several hundred people to forcibly break him out of prison.

At that time, Shishan had just defeated the Yuan army in Chuzhou and his prestige shook the Jianghuai region. The Huaidong Road Pacification Commissioner's forces were weak and fearing that the Red Flag Battalion would take advantage of the victory to advance eastward, so he hurriedly dispatched troops from Gaoyou Prefecture to the south to protect Jiangdu City, the seat of Yangzhou.

Prefect Li Qi of Gaoyou was worried that Li Huafu would cause trouble and make the situation uncontrollable, so he hurriedly sent Wang Kerou to the Jiangdu prison.

Taking advantage of the government's weakened military strength, Li Huafu rapidly expanded his forces, amassing thousands of men and becoming a major threat to Huaidong Road.

It wasn't until the establishment of Huainan Province that the first Huainan Pingzhang Zhengshi, Huang Huoerbuhua, was eager to stabilize the internal situation and concentrate his forces to fight against the Red Flag Battalion. He then instructed Li Qi to recruit Li Huafu and promised him the position of judge of Taizhou.

This sensational surrender incident occurred just six months ago.

Li Huafu entered officialdom as a rebel who had accepted amnesty, and his foundation was already weak, making him a target of suspicion in official circles. Now that Zhang Shicheng had managed to quietly bring his army to the city gates, the prefect Zhao Shi'an immediately suspected that Li Huafu was secretly colluding with Zhang Shicheng!
At this moment, with Zhang Shicheng openly revealing this most sensitive past in front of both armies, Li Huafu was immediately thrown into a state of turmoil, cold sweat pouring down his face, and he was at a loss for how to respond.

Zhang Shicheng, observing clearly from below the city walls, knew that Li Huafu was already tempted. Seizing the opportunity, he spoke even louder, each word striking directly at Li Huafu's heart:
"Brother Li! Even though you accepted the imperial pardon and became this judge, have you had a single day of peace in the past six months? Have you ever truly been treated as one of our own by those officials?"

"Today, I, Zhang Jiu Si, have suddenly appeared here. Regardless of your past mistakes, you will absolutely not escape the charges of negligence and collusion with bandits! Even if you are fortunate enough to defend the city, if I retreat safely, you will still be punished without any merit to report to your superiors!"

Zhang Shicheng paused, then his tone became highly inflammatory, and he said:
"Back then, Brother Li, you roamed the martial world freely, living a life of chivalry and vengeance. What a hero you were! But today you've become a lackey of the imperial court, at the mercy of others, and easily offended. The world is now in chaos, and the imperial court's 100,000 elite troops were wiped out in a single battle in Xuzhou by Shi Jingxing."

The Mongol Yuan dynasty's fate is sealed; its demise is inevitable! Brother Li, you are a wise man. Why continue to serve this crumbling Tartar court? Why not rebel now! Open these city gates, and we brothers can unite in righteousness, share wealth and glory, and carve out a new world together. Wouldn't that be wonderful?!

Upon hearing this, Li Huafu was torn between his inner turmoil and instinctively looked up at the arrow tower not far away—he saw that the prefect Zhao Shi'an was hiding inside, his eyes staring coldly at him through the arrow slits.

There was no trust in those eyes, only undisguised fear, suspicion, and scheming!

Li Huafu felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave. He finally understood that regardless of whether the defense of the city succeeded or failed today, he would become Zhao Shi'an's scapegoat and would definitely face retribution afterward. At best, he would lose his official position; at worst... his life would be in danger!

"You bastard official! This is too much!"

A surge of anger welled up inside Li Huafu, and a resolute glint flashed in his eyes. He quickly made his decision, abruptly turning around and shouting at his trusted subordinates:

"Brothers! Hear my command! Open the city gates! Welcome our 94 brothers into the city! Let's gamble on a rich and prosperous future!"

The moment the city gates opened, the torchlight illuminated Zhang Shicheng's resolute face.

Instead of rushing into the city, he raised his arm and sternly ordered the restless crowd behind him to calm down.

"Brothers, listen to my command! After entering the city, you must not disturb the people or plunder the shops. Anyone who disobeys will be executed!"

Its roar was like thunder, clearly audible amidst the chaos of the battlefield, instantly suppressing the burning greed in the eyes of some soldiers who were now facing the impending fall of the city. Zhang Shicheng knew all too well that to achieve great things, one could not rely solely on brute force; winning the hearts and minds of the people was the fundamental solution.

Li Huafu defected at the last minute and launched a sudden attack, killing the prefect Zhao Shi'an and other resisting officials, soldiers, and civilians.

After entering the city, Zhang Shicheng immediately dispatched his trusted generals, including Zhang Shixin, Zhang Shide, Li Bosheng, Pan Yuanshao, and Lü Zhen, each leading a team of elite troops, to quickly take control of key locations such as the treasury, armory, and government offices, extinguish the remaining fires at the city gates, and suppress any sporadic resistance that might occur within the city.

At dawn, Zhang Shicheng personally supervised the opening of the state granaries to distribute grain and provide relief to the disaster victims. He also strictly disciplined his troops to prevent them from plundering the people's property, and the markets were able to resume normal business that same day, greatly stabilizing the morale of the city.

In addition, Zhang Shicheng ordered the release of poor people who were unjustly imprisoned or imprisoned for failing to pay rent or taxes, which won him another wave of popular support.

As for the gentry and powerful families in the city, he did not simply and brutally confiscate their property, but instead adopted an attitude of winning them over and cooperating with them. He personally visited several respected local elders and wealthy households, earnestly requesting them to come out of retirement to help maintain the local order and appease the people.

Within a few days, Zhang Shicheng established a simple administrative system led by himself and composed of local officials and surrendered gentry.

By the time the Yuan army's counterattack forces arrived, the hearts and minds of the people of Taizhou no longer belonged to the Yuan court.

(End of this chapter)