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

Compared to the capital, November in the Huguang region isn't actually too cold; it's just occasionally damp and foggy.

For example, today, fog rolled in before dawn, covering the mountains, fields, and the entire city of Shaoyang in a white blanket.

As a result of this thick fog, the withered grass on the field ridges was covered with white frost, the maple trees in the mountains lost all their leaves, and the dark brown clods of soil in the fields froze solid...

However, on this frosty, misty morning, the crisp sound of horses' hooves broke the silence of the countryside.

Zhang Da wore a slightly worn blue cotton robe, over which he wore a short light armor, and a felt hat. He rode a jet-black, glossy warhorse—he'd heard it was Zhou Fengqi's mount.

Zhang was skeptical, but it was indeed outstanding in terms of physique and speed.

Behind Zhang Da stood over three hundred riders in neat rows, men and horses standing at attention.

Although the armor and weapons were covered in mist, and the formation was not very orderly, Zhang Da thought they looked very cool. How could he think they were not good-looking when he had raised them himself? These were the Shaoyang cavalry that he had painstakingly trained over three months.

"Brother, come again!"

The one who reined in his horse and turned around was Li Er.

His face was tanned dark, and after a few days, the calluses on his face and hands had become more pronounced. He was now the de facto commander of this cavalry unit. Li Er pulled his horse aside, smiling as he cracked his whip.

"Whoever gets to that old maple tree first, the brothers' drinks today will be theirs!"

The cavalrymen behind him burst into laughter, and the atmosphere instantly became lively.

Zhang Da smirked and lightly lashed the horse's belly with the whip: "Good! You keep your word!"

"drive!"

The two riders dashed out almost simultaneously.

Whether it was because Li Er's horse was bad, or because he wanted to treat everyone, during the race, Li Er would subtly control the reins, keeping the speed consistently half a horse's head slower. The cavalry behind him tacitly understood this; no one actually charged forward, deliberately slowing down and following at a distance. ...

In the time it takes to smoke half a cigarette, Zhang Da's dark horse had already rushed to the old maple tree and stopped steadily.

He reined in his horse, turned around, and looked at Li Er and his cavalrymen who were panting as they caught up. He laughed heartily.

"You're too kind! You're too kind!"

"Young Master, what excellent riding skills you have!"

"Our county magistrate is really something!"

Laughter and cheers erupted one after another.

Even knowing that these brothers were giving him face and deliberately letting him pass, Zhang Da was still incredibly pleased. His youthful pride was written all over his face, and he immediately waved his hand.

"A reward! Five hundred coins each! Go to town and buy wine and meat to warm yourselves up!"

The cavalrymen cheered and clasped their fists in unison.

"Xie Dalang!"

For a moment, they were incredibly powerful!

However, beneath this imposing exterior, only Zhang Da himself knew how much effort and money he had invested in building this force.

The amount of feed a single horse needs to consume in a day—beans, hay, and fine grains—is equivalent to the rations of three strong men. With over three hundred horses, this would be a huge expense every day.

There were also armor, weapons, saddles, and horseshoes, all salvaged from the armory or retrieved from the battlefield, then painstakingly repaired and forged by the county blacksmiths.

Finally, in order to train the cavalry well, he even filled up most of the silver and grain stored in the county treasury with the money...

Fortunately, it was very effective.

"Alas, Zhang Gong is truly a young hero. In just a few months, he has trained such an elite force. He is truly admirable and remarkable."

A sigh of admiration came from the side, but Zhang Da felt it was more of a soft sigh.

The speaker was a middle-aged man. Beneath his unassuming appearance, his hands bore calluses from years of wielding knives. This man was none other than Wang Er, the envoy sent by Zhang Xianzhong.

At this moment, Wang Er stood under the maple tree by the roadside, looking at the cavalry on the drill ground, his eyes filled with admiration.

Zhang Da felt he still had to give Zhang Xianzhong face, after all, what if he needed to rely on him in the future?

Who can predict what will happen in the future?

So Zhang Da reined in his horse, walked slowly over, dismounted, and smiled while bowing.

"Brother Wang, you flatter me. We are just local militia guarding a small plot of land in Shaoyang. We can't compare to the iron cavalry under the Eighth Prince who have swept across seven provinces."

"Zhang Gong is too modest." Wang Er stepped forward, his voice sincere. "I came all the way from Fang County. The whole of Huguang was in ruins, and the people were displaced. Only in Shaoyang were shops open, fields still cultivated, streets and alleys peaceful, and troops well-organized... Not to mention Baoqing Prefecture, you can't find another place like this in the whole of Huguang."

Just as Zhang Da was about to exchange a few polite words as usual, he suddenly saw Wang Er's eyes redden, and two lines of tears streamed down his face. His shoulders trembled, and in front of everyone, he was momentarily choked up and unable to speak.

Zhang Da was taken aback and quickly stepped forward.

"Brother Wang, what's wrong? Have I failed to entertain you properly? Did the food not suit your taste?"

"no……"

"Is it because the inn is cold and you can't sleep well? I'll have someone change you to a sunny, superior room and add an extra quilt!"

"No, not exactly."

"So...you're homesick?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Zhang Da realized how foolish he had been. Wang Er had followed Zhang Xianzhong on his wanderings, and his hometown was long gone…

But Wang Er nodded upon hearing this, and cried even harder, his voice hoarse as he said...

"I miss my husband so much... I wonder if he's alive or dead..."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Da immediately felt embarrassed.

A month ago, after Yang Sichang's great victory in the ambush against Zhang Xianzhong at Daning Pass, Yang Sichang was eager to spread the news throughout the world.

Not only was the message sent to Beijing by express courier, but victory reports were also plastered throughout Huguang, Henan, and Sichuan, proclaiming that Zhang Xianzhong's main force had been annihilated, suffering tens of thousands of casualties, and that he had only managed to escape to Sichuan with a few remaining soldiers, and was no longer capable of fighting back for the time being.

When the news first reached Shaoyang, Wang Er refused to believe it, pounding his fist on the table and arguing with Zhang Da. He said that if the lips were gone, the teeth would be cold; if the imperial court wiped out Zhang Xianzhong, Shaoyang would definitely be next. He advised Zhang Da to prepare early and join forces with the rebel army to resist the Ming Dynasty.

Unable to dissuade him, Zhang Da simply showed him the original victory report issued by Yang Sichang throughout the province, and had the merchants who had returned from Xinhua and Wugang describe the battle situation in detail, even clarifying the number of heads captured and weapons seized by the government troops...

Looking at the written agreement and listening to the testimonies, Wang Er was utterly devastated. He slumped into his chair, speechless for a long time, before finally covering his face and bursting into tears.

Because he was covering his face while crying, he couldn't see Zhang Da's strange expression...

From that day on, he was always frowning. Today, seeing Zhang Da's strong army and peaceful life, he was overwhelmed with emotion and finally couldn't help but burst into tears.

Out of guilt, Zhang Da actually paid out of his own pocket to let Wang Er stay there permanently.

"Lord Zhang, my commander has already fled to Sichuan and can no longer cause any trouble..." Wang Er wiped away his tears, his voice trembling with anxiety, "But what will you do if the government troops are free to attack your Shaoyang?!"

Zhang Da didn't take it seriously, gently shook his head, and said calmly, "No."

"How could they not?!" Wang Er stepped forward anxiously, grabbing his arm. "The imperial court is the most ruthless of all. The commander-in-chief was appeased and then rebelled again; they hold a grudge. How could they trust you? How could they allow you to occupy a county and hold onto your own troops?"

How dare you say the imperial court is heartless?

After mentally complaining, Zhang Da began to explain.

"The imperial court is too busy right now." Zhang Da brushed his hand away, gazing at the misty mountains in the distance, and slowly spoke, "We are beset by internal and external troubles, and I am the most insignificant force. Yang Sichang just drove Zhang Xianzhong into Sichuan, would he dare to stop? What if Zhang Xianzhong recovers and launches another attack? Wouldn't all our efforts have been in vain?"

He paused, then spoke with certainty:

"Even if Zhang Xianzhong is defeated, the imperial court will never send its main force to attack my small town of Shaoyang. It would be a losing proposition."

Wang Er choked, still unwilling to give up, and pleaded in a low voice, "Lord Zhang! Why are you so fixated on this one county town? Shaoyang is a tiny place, surrounded by enemies on all sides. Even if the imperial court doesn't come for now, trouble will surely follow! A true man born in troubled times should seize the opportunity to rise up and conquer the world, how can you be trapped here, waiting for amnesty?"

Zhang Da remained unmoved.

I'm not an emperor, how can I expect everyone to listen to me?

Now, throughout Shaoyang County, from local gentry and landlords to ordinary people and even his own brothers, no one wants to fight anymore.

With land distributed and grain provided, people no longer had to be exploited by corrupt officials or live in constant fear. The gentry longed for a stable income from rent, the common people longed for a stable life farming, and the brothers longed for a stable life to support their families... Everyone's heart was set on the word "stability".

If I were to suddenly declare a rebellion now, I'm afraid I'd be the one who dies.

"Brother Wang, in these chaotic times, it's enough to protect the peace of the people in one region," Zhang Da said calmly.

Wang Er opened his mouth, wanting to persuade her further, when suddenly he heard soft footsteps, accompanied by a woman's soft laughter.

Everyone turned to look.

A group of people walked slowly through the frost, led by a young woman—a gentle and graceful woman with curved eyebrows and a slender figure and waist.

It was Zhang Da's wife, Zhou Nianhui.

The two women who had been with her earlier followed behind, carrying food boxes, their steps slow and their expressions gentle.

Zhang laughed and strode forward, ignoring the people around him, and reached out to tightly grasp her slightly cool hand.

"Niannian, it's so cold outside, why did you come?"

Zhou Nianhui blushed slightly as he held her hand in public, but she didn't pull away. She just smiled softly and said, "I know you were practicing riding horses at the training ground and were freezing all morning, so I specially made some mutton soup to warm you up."

Wang Er swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

At this point, saying anything is useless.

"Brother Wang, matters of great importance cannot be decided in a day or two. You don't need to persuade me any further."

"I'll have someone arrange a job for you in the county. You can do things like guarding the warehouse or keeping accounts. You'll have land and a house, and you won't have to worry about food or drink. You can live here in peace."

"I'll send someone to take you back when I hear news of your commander."

Having said all that, even the slow-witted Wang Er understood. He sighed deeply, bowed deeply to Zhang Da, and turned away dejectedly.

Zhang Da ignored them and simply held Zhou Nianhui's soft little hand, standing side by side under the frosty sky.

Before them stood orderly and elite cavalry, behind them lay a peaceful and well-ordered county town, and in the distance, the mountains were shrouded in white mist, with wisps of smoke rising from chimneys.

In chaotic times, with a beautiful wife by one's side, an army at one's command, a city to defend, and people living in peace—what more could a husband ask for?

He was feeling quite relaxed when he suddenly saw a figure with a head full of frost and mist rushing towards him from the direction of the city gate. The figure was panting heavily and looked flustered.

It's Zhou Wenqu.

He raised his voice from afar, his tone urgent, and shouted:

"Young Master! The imperial court has sent another envoy, telling us to prepare ourselves well."