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

While Zhang Da and Zhou Nianhui were spending their days cuddling after their marriage, under the same sky... Zhang Da's predecessor, Zhang Xianzhong, was also quite satisfied with his victory.

At this time, Zhang Xianzhong was in the Gunzi River area outside Fang County, Yunyang Prefecture, Huguang Province. This was his main battlefield after his rebellion in Gucheng, and also the place where he personally achieved a great victory!

First, they lured and killed Zhang Yingyuan, the General of Huguang, and Zhang Qimo, the Military Commissioner, here. Then, they ambushed and defeated Zuo Liangyu's 5,000 elite troops, beheading more than 1,000 and seizing countless armor, weapons, grain, and supplies!

At this moment, the camps of tens of thousands of peasant soldiers stretched for miles, their banners obscuring the sun. The soldiers were repairing their armor, lighting fires, and cooking. After several great victories, their morale was high, a stark contrast to their previous miserable state of being "besieged in Fangzhu."

Zhang Xianzhong, the instigator of this incident, set up his central command tent on a high slope beside the Gunzi River.

Inside the tent, the charcoal brazier was burning brightly, and the firelight shining from the overflowing brazier was very comfortable. On the table was a map of Fang County and the surrounding area, with the government troops' strongholds, granaries, and troop distribution marked with cinnabar.

The protagonist, Zhang Xianzhong, was thirty-five years old at this time. His face was as purple as sauce, his beard was as thick as needles, and the scar on his left cheek was still conspicuous, but he no longer had the gloom he had felt when he was in distress.

He was sitting upright in a tiger-skin chair, stroking his beard with one hand and flipping through the list of battle damage and spoils handed to him by Feng Shuangli with the other, a smile playing on his lips.

The tent was filled with his core leaders and allied generals, all with joyful expressions, whispering among themselves, celebrating the great victory.

However, although the battle was won and the situation eased, there are still hidden dangers.

Zhang Xianzhong's situation of being besieged by government troops remains unchanged.

At this time, Yang Sichang was stationed in Xiangyang, still using the "ten-sided net" to trap the bandits.

To the north, He Renlong led the Shaanxi border troops to advance to the seat of Yunyang Prefecture, guarding the vital road between Yunyang and Xiangyang;

In the east, although Zuo Liangyu was defeated, his troops were not wiped out. He was currently stationed in Gucheng with General Li Guodong, waiting for an opportunity to counterattack.

To the south, Wang Yunfeng led the Huguang government troops to Junzhou, blocking the road south to Jingzhou and Changsha;

To the west, although the Shennongjia Mountains are dangerous, the government troops sent light cavalry to guard the passes and prevent them from fleeing westward to eastern Sichuan.

Although some grain and fodder were captured, the amount was small, enough to support the 10,000 elite troops for only two months. The consumption of the tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians under his command was enormous, and Fang County itself was barren, making long-term resupply difficult...

The morale of the allied forces is also wavering... especially that beast Luo Rucai!

When Zhang Xianzhong first raised his army, he sensed something was off about this man. After spending some time with him, he finally saw through his true nature.

In Zhang Xianzhong's view, Luo Rucai's nickname in the martial arts world, "Cao Cao," was a disgrace to Cao Cao's reputation.

He was absolutely unwilling to be dependent on me for the long term; in other words, he harbored rebellious intentions. Winning the battle was one thing, but if we lost, he would definitely be the first to turn against me.

Zhang Xianzhong's previously joyful mood was ruined again.

So Zhang Xianzhong looked around again, finding solace only in the sight of his own valiant and skilled men inside the tent.

On the left, Sun Kewang stared at the map, analyzing the government troops' deployment; on the right, Li Dingguo discussed the next route of advance with his generals.

There was also Liu Wenxiu checking the provisions and weapons; and Ai Nengqi, standing with his hand on his sword, proposing to take advantage of the victory to attack Yunyang and directly threaten the government army's supply lines.

And Liu Jinzhong, Feng Shuangli, Ma Yuanli, and others... almost all of them were young men in their twenties who had won battles, and at this moment everyone was in high spirits.

Just as Zhang Xianzhong was sizing up the crowd, Ai Nengqi had already devised a plan for the future. Unable to contain himself any longer, he slapped his thigh and exclaimed loudly...

"General! Now that Zuo Liangyu has been defeated and He Renlong has just arrived and his position is not yet secure, we should attack Yunyang to the north, strike directly at He Renlong's camp, seize the Yunyang prefecture, and control the vital Han River route. Then the government troops will find it difficult to encircle us!"

Li Dingguo was only seventeen this year, the same age as Zhang Da! His extremely high martial arts skills meant he didn't need to be as obsequious as Zhang Da, and at this age, he was naturally inclined to war, so he immediately echoed and praised him.

"I agree! Yunyang is the strategic pass between Huguang and Shaanxi. Taking Yunyang allows us to advance to attack Xiangyang or retreat to defend the Han River. Our army has just won a victory and is in high spirits; we are ready to fight He Renlong! I am willing to be the vanguard!"

After saying that, Li Dingguo seemed to feel that this was not grand enough, and then said...

"If I am defeated, I am willing to offer my head as a reward!"

Sun Kewang, seemingly afraid that Zhang Xianzhong would be influenced by his boldness, hurriedly shook his head violently to stop him, pointing to Yunyang on the map.

"No, absolutely not! He Renlong's men are from the Shaanxi border army, skilled in field battles and city defense. Yunyang is a high city with deep moats, and our army only has enough food for two months. If we can't take it after a long siege, we will inevitably be surrounded by government troops. Moreover, although Zuo Liangyu was defeated, he still has 20,000 government troops under his command. If our army attacks north, we will be attacked from both sides."

Luo Rucai, who was standing to the side, put down his wine glass and looked at Zhang Xianzhong, joining in the fun.

"General, in my opinion, returning to Gucheng is the best course of action. Gucheng is our old territory; we know the people and the roads well, and the granaries haven't been completely destroyed. We only need to gather our old troops to establish a foothold. Yang Sichang has just mobilized troops to encircle us, and Gucheng's defenses are weak, making it easy to take and defend."

Before Luo Rucai had even finished speaking, Zhang Xianzhong already knew the idea was incredibly stupid, so stupid that even the inept Liu Wenxiu began to object.

"General Luo, although Gucheng is an old territory, Yang Sichang has already ordered a scorched earth policy, and Zuo Liangyu is stationed on the opposite bank of Gucheng. If our army advances eastward, it will be tantamount to walking into a trap."

Could it be that this person, seeing that our army cannot win, has secretly conspired with the imperial court to act as a spy and cause our army to suffer a great defeat?

At this moment, Liu Jinzhong, who had been silent all along, also stood up, as if he had thought of the most suitable route, and excitedly said...

"General, although the Shennongjia Mountains are treacherous, they provide a route westward into eastern Sichuan. The government troops in eastern Sichuan are weak! Moreover, the garrison troops in Wushan and Daning number less than a thousand, and Sichuan is rich with ample supplies. We can use Shennongjia as cover to sneak into Sichuan, occupy the prefectures and counties in eastern Sichuan, and then our army will be as free as a dragon roaming the world. Establishing a state and setting up a name for ourselves is not out of the question..."

When it was Ma Shouying's turn, he waved his hand in refusal.

"No, no! The miasma in eastern Sichuan is severe, and the mountain roads are rugged. If tens of thousands of troops enter Sichuan, it will be difficult to transport supplies, and the soldiers will be prone to disease. Furthermore, if Yang Sichang deploys Sichuan troops to encircle and suppress us, the complex terrain in Sichuan will leave us with little way to retreat."

"General, it would be better to hold Fang County... and not venturing out..."

"Fang County is barren and sparsely populated. A prolonged siege will deplete our supplies. We cannot afford to..."

The tent erupted into chaos. Four opposing views—attack to the north, retreat to the east, advance to the west, and hold firm—each had its own logic, yet no one could convince the others. The people, who had just been basking in the joy of victory, were now hurling insults at each other over their differing political and strategic views. Li Dingguo and others even considered leaving the tent to resolve the issue by force…

"What the hell is all that noise about!"

Zhang Xianzhong sat upright in the main seat, and after a furious roar, all eyes were focused on him...

What should we do?

Zhang Xianzhong's mind raced...

Attacking Yunyang from the north is not advisable.

Returning to Gucheng is not an option.

Holding onto Fang County is not an option.

Heading west into eastern Sichuan... Is the mountain road really that rugged?

What about advancing eastward into Henan? Henan is suffering from a severe drought this year, with refugees everywhere and soldiers scattered all over the land... Moreover, the government troops in Henan are dispersed and there is no commanding general.

Yes! Go to Henan, completely break free from the encirclement of the Hubei and Hunan government troops, and gain the strategic initiative!

Just as Zhang Xianzhong was about to finalize the subsequent marching route, a sudden gust of evil wind blew in from outside the tent.

The military tent used for the meeting was a makeshift structure, so the wind was able to easily whip up sand and dust, causing Zhang Xianzhong to be blown over.

The crowd hurriedly blocked the tent flap and helped Zhang Zhaozhong up...

Could it be divine intervention? Advancing eastward into Henan would be a death trap.

"General, what should we do?"

Li Dingguo asked anxiously.

Zhang Xianzhong took out a handkerchief and wiped his eyes, speaking firmly.

"Enter Sichuan!"