Late Ming Dynasty: Starting with the overthrow of the county magistrate, a rebellion was launched to

Nighttime

The Baoqing military camp outside Hengzhou City was shrouded in a heavy, deathly silence.

At this moment, the campfire in the military camp flickered in the cold wind, its orange light barely illuminating the open space in front of the tent. At this level, one could just see the wounded soldiers scattered on the ground, as well as the tattered banners and bloodstained swords and spears.

The main reason was the Battle of Qingcaopo. Although the Baoqing Army forced Li Dingguo to retreat and defend Hengzhou, it also paid a near-pyrrhic price. Zhang Da's 7,000 elite soldiers were almost half lost, and countless newly formed refugee troops also fled in disarray.

It's as if the entire Huguang region is cursed with bad feng shui this year, making it unsuitable for fighting.

Meanwhile, the central command tent was filled with the smell of medicine.

Zhang Da was lying casually on the couch covered with coarse cloth, his eyes closed and his face pale.

He was so exhausted and covered in wounds that he actually fainted on the battlefield.

He had been unconscious for a full half-day, and after waking up, he spent several days looking at his body...

"Brother... what are your orders?"

Seeing Zhang Da's eyelashes flutter slightly and then he slowly open his eyes, Zhou Wenqu, who was standing guard by the bed, was overjoyed. He quickly got up, took the warm water from the side, and carefully brought it to Zhang Da's lips.

"Drink slowly, don't choke."

So Zhang Da took a few small sips of warm water, his voice hoarse, and after recovering a little, he forced himself to sit up.

"What are the casualties in the army? And what has happened since Li Dingguo retreated into Hengzhou? Is that scoundrel Feng Shuangli still holed up in the city, too afraid to come out?"

Zhang Dayi bombarded Zhou Wenqu with a barrage of questions, leaving him unsure of what to say first.

"My lord, in the Battle of Qingcaopo, our army suffered 1,267 dead and more than 700 seriously wounded or disabled. Now, only a little over 7,000 elite soldiers are left who can still fight. As for food supplies, the grain we brought from Baoqing, plus what we collected along the way, is only enough for five days. Two of our small cannons have been destroyed, and more than half of our muskets and bows and arrows have been lost. Our weapons and supplies are almost exhausted."

Zhou Wenqu paused for a moment, then continued, "After Li Dingguo retreated into Hengzhou, he joined forces with Feng Shuangli and ordered the four gates to be closed. I sent people outside the city to challenge and insult them, but no matter what I did, I couldn't provoke the defenders on the city walls to come out and fight. They didn't say a word and didn't even fire a single arrow."

"It seems they're determined to hold out and wait for us to run out of supplies before retreating."

Zhang Da frowned deeply, his words revealing a profound sense of helplessness. He knew they couldn't outlast them; the vassal king had left them a legacy. As long as they didn't relapse, Hengzhou was practically impregnable, and the defending force was a renowned general like Li Dingguo.

It's almost impossible to take Hengzhou now...

Since we can't capture Hengzhou, we can't march north to support the government troops. And since we can't support them, what's the point of staying here and wasting supplies? We should go back as soon as possible to train our troops and prepare for future attacks from Zhang Xianzhong.

Zhang Da had already decided to quit.

"That son of a bitch Li Dingguo! Holding out to the bitter end... holding out to the bitter end, what a disgrace to heroism!"

Feeling deeply frustrated, Zhang Da could only soothe his emotions by muttering angry curses under his breath.

"Brother, we've already said that, but it's had no effect."

Zhou Wenqu answered, then his eyes became somewhat unfocused and hesitant.

"Since we can't achieve anything here, I'm wondering why we don't retreat and make plans for another day?"

After saying this, Zhou Wenqu narrowed his eyes, mentally preparing himself for Zhang Da's righteous indignation, or even a scolding.

However, nothing happened.

Zhou Wenqu suddenly noticed that Zhang Da had also fallen silent, which was less a protest and more an admission of guilt...

Zhou Wenqu was overjoyed and was about to say a few more words of persuasion when suddenly a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the tent, accompanied by a slightly flustered report from his personal guards.

"My lord! Urgent news! A messenger from Xiangyang has arrived outside the camp with an urgent message, demanding that you come out of your tent immediately to receive the imperial decree!"

"An imperial edict?"

Zhang Da suddenly felt a sense of foreboding.

With Emperor Chongzhen far away in the capital, the sudden issuance of this imperial edict could not possibly be a good thing.

You should know that he can be considered a micro-management master.

"Don't think that just because the government troops are fighting fiercely in Jingzhou and Xiangyang, you can transfer me there."

Zhang Da prayed silently to himself, unsure of what to do.

"Chongzhen was just a dictator, not stupid... He should also know that I didn't intentionally avoid going to the aid of the government troops. If I had skipped Hengzhou, I would have surely died before even reaching Jingzhou."

Zhang Da silently chanted Amitabha Buddha in his heart. Then, enduring the excruciating pain all over his body, he struggled to get up with the help of Zhou Wenqu and two personal guards. He put on an outer robe and walked out of the central army tent in a slightly disheveled manner.

At this moment, the cold wind howled outside the tent, and standing in the wind was a court messenger dressed in brocade robes and wearing a black gauze hat. He was standing on a high platform that had been temporarily erected by Zhang Da, looking travel-worn. He held a bright yellow imperial edict in his hands with a solemn expression. Under the light of the campfire, the red and yellow color appeared particularly majestic.

Below the high platform, the Baoqing Army soldiers, who had been summoned long ago, gathered together, their faces filled with curiosity and unease—awaiting the orders of the supreme ruler of the land.

Seeing that the protagonist, Zhang Da, had left the tent, the messenger naturally felt it was time to deliver the official pronouncement. So he cleared his throat, unfurled the imperial edict, and proclaimed in a shrill voice...

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: The bandit Zhang Xianzhong has wreaked havoc in Jingzhou and Xiangyang, and has invaded Huguang. The princes have been imprisoned, the people have suffered, and the ancestral temples have been shaken."

Zhang Da, the Deputy Military Commissioner of Baoqing in Huguang, was loyal, brave, and decisive, and had repeatedly defeated bandits and had a long history of military achievements.

"The nation is in grave danger, and the survival of Jingzhou and Xiangyang hangs by a thread. Therefore, Zhang Da is hereby ordered to immediately lead all his troops, marching day and night north to aid Jingzhou and Xiangyang, to join forces with the Grand Counselor Yang Sichang to annihilate the rebels and pacify Hunan and Hubei. No one may delay or jeopardize the campaign. This is the imperial decree."

Oh shit!

Yang Sichang finally lost his temper and, using Chongzhen's name, forced him to go north to Jingzhou and Xiangyang in the harshest tone, completely disregarding his current desperate situation of exhausted troops, lack of supplies, and being attacked from both sides.

Zhang Da cursed under his breath. Seeing that his worst fears had come true, he could only resign himself to his fate and close his eyes.

Heaven is against me! I can't go; going means certain death. Should I defy the imperial decree... or should I rebel too? But if I do that, I'm afraid I won't be able to survive in either the imperial court or the rebel army...

In that instant, Zhang Da considered far too many ways to cope. He really didn't want to die so inexplicably and confusedly.

"Lord Zhang, why haven't you received the imperial decree yet?"

After regaining his senses in a daze, Zhang Da slowly bowed and knelt down to receive the icy cold imperial edict.

"Your subject Zhang Da... obeys the imperial decree and expresses his gratitude. Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

Zhang Da was numb, but Zhang Wen, Zhou Wenqu, and the others kneeling behind him had bulging veins and were even considering an attack.

But they ultimately didn't do it... The messenger breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this. Perhaps he also felt it wasn't right, so he gave a forced smile, took two steps forward, and whispered words of comfort to Zhang Da.

"Lord Zhang, the Commander-in-Chief is already overwhelmed with problems at the Jingxiang front. Zuo Liangyu is seriously injured, and the Ming army has suffered more than half its casualties. If you do not send troops soon, Jingxiang will fall, and the entire Huguang region will fall into the hands of bandits. At that time, even your Baoqing will be difficult to secure."

Zhang raised his eyes and glanced at the messenger, causing the messenger to feel a chill and dare not meet his gaze.

"I understand. Please have the messenger report back to the commander-in-chief. I will handle the matter properly and will not disappoint the court."

Upon hearing this, the messenger said no more. After exchanging a few polite words, he hurriedly went to the camp to rest under the escort of his personal guards, awaiting Zhang Da's reply regarding sending troops.

At this moment, Zhang Da held the imperial edict, slowly stood up, looked at the soldiers below the stage who were discussing among themselves, and felt a mix of emotions.

I absolutely can't go!