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

Inside the lobby, the air was slightly heavy with the smell of alcohol, and the room was bustling with noise.

Zhang Da was so confused that he didn't know whether he was drunk or had misheard.

What? Yang Sichang wants to become my disciple? And he calls himself a worthless student?

I think I've had too much to drink.

"Please be quiet for now."

Yang Sichang raised his hand and pressed down, and the once noisy hall instantly fell silent; you could hear a pin drop.

Zhang Da also fully recovered from his drunkenness.

"Magistrate Zhang, the voices of the generals and local officials under your command were a bit loud just now, and you couldn't hear them clearly, so let me repeat myself—today, I, Yang, also wish to be a 'seeker of knowledge' and ask you about a very important matter. I hope you will answer all my questions without reservation."

Zhang Da was completely dumbfounded.

Is it true?

He stood there, stunned, his mind blank, unable to react for a moment.

Yang Sichang? The Grand Coordinator of the Imperial Army, wielding the Imperial Sword and controlling the troops of six provinces, Yang Sichang, who held immense power in the court, actually dared to ask this country bumpkin a question.

"Your Excellency... Your Excellency, what you say is truly... I dare not accept such praise. Please ask whatever you wish, and I will answer to the best of my knowledge!"

Yang Sichang was very satisfied with the reply and nodded slowly.

"Bring me that map of mountains and rivers from before."

Before long, the enormous "Map of the World's Mountains and Rivers" was carried in by several people and placed aside. Everyone's gaze immediately fell upon the Sichuan region.

"After his defeat at Daning Pass, Zhang Xianzhong led his remaining troops into Sichuan, where he has been for over a month. According to the Sichuan Eastern Patrol Report, since entering Sichuan, he has been gathering refugees, looting government treasuries, recruiting defectors, reorganizing his army, and rebuilding his power!"

Having said that, Yang Sichang immediately turned around and looked at Zhang Da.

"Lord Zhang, you have won the hearts of the rebels so deeply. Tell me, what will Zhang Xianzhong's next move be after entering Sichuan? Will he first seize the prefectures and counties in eastern Sichuan, or will he march straight to Chengdu? Will he defend his position in a strategic location, or will he wander and cause chaos? At present, the main force of the government troops is still in Huguang and Henan, and it is difficult to enter Sichuan to encircle and suppress them for the time being. We cannot do anything to him for the time being. So how should we plan to curb the expansion of his power and eliminate future troubles?"

Inside the lobby, everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on Zhang Da.

Military officers like He Renlong and Zhang Yingyuan leaned forward, their expressions tense; while civil officials like Wan Yuanji quietly picked up their pens and ink, laid out hemp paper, and prepared to record anything at any moment, afraid of missing a single detail.

Zhang Da did not answer immediately.

He simply stepped up to the map and looked up at the meticulously marked world map.

The land of Sichuan is surrounded by mountains and has a treacherous terrain, known as "the road to Shu is more difficult than ascending to heaven". To the east is the danger of the Three Gorges, to the north is the defense of Jianmen Pass, to the south is the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, and to the west is the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, making it a natural separatist region.

Completely eradicating them...that's difficult!

Zhang Da stared at the map, his mind racing as he pieced together the threads of history and the current situation. Memories from his past life intertwined with his experiences in this one, scrutinizing every detail.

After a long silence, Zhang Dacai slowly spoke.

"Your Excellency, I believe that Zhang Xianzhong's next plan after entering Sichuan will proceed in three steps."

"Which three steps!" Yang Sichang's eyes gleamed with a sudden burst of light.

Zhang raised his hand, pointed to the area of ​​Daning, Wushan, and Fengjie in eastern Sichuan on the map, and said in a deep voice:

"The first step is to establish a foothold in eastern Sichuan and consolidate his base. Zhang Xianzhong has just suffered a defeat, his soldiers are exhausted, his food supplies are scarce, and his core troops have lost more than half of their strength. He would never dare to venture deep into Sichuan rashly. He will definitely use eastern Sichuan as his base first, occupy the four counties of Daning, Wushan, Fengjie, and Yunyang, and rely on the natural barrier of the Three Gorges to block the government troops entering Sichuan. At the same time, he will gather refugees in eastern Sichuan. In addition, eastern Sichuan is barren and the government troops are weak in defense, making it the best place for him to recuperate and rebuild."

Then, Zhang Da's hand moved westward.

"The second step is to conquer southern Sichuan and expand our strength. Once eastern Sichuan is secured and our forces have grown to over 30,000 with sufficient supplies, Zhang Xianzhong will surely march south to capture Chongqing and Luzhou. Taking Chongqing will give us control of the Yangtze River waterway, allowing us to sail down the river to threaten Hubei and Hunan, or sail up the river to directly threaten Chengdu."

Luzhou was a vital town in southern Sichuan, rich in grain, salt, and iron. Taking Luzhou would solve the fundamental problems of food supplies and weaponry. More importantly, southern Sichuan was home to numerous local chieftains with weak military forces, allowing Zhang Xianzhong to seize the opportunity to incorporate their armed forces and further expand his power.

Finally, Zhang Da's large finger landed heavily on Chengdu Prefecture.

"The third step is to besiege Chengdu and seize control of Sichuan. Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan, a land of plenty, with fertile plains, abundant resources, and a population of one million. Zhang Xianzhong's ultimate goal will undoubtedly be to besiege Chengdu, occupy the entire province of Sichuan, and emulate Liu Bei in establishing himself in Sichuan, challenging the imperial court. Once he occupies Chengdu and integrates the resources of the entire province, it will be extremely difficult for the government troops to enter Sichuan and suppress him, making him a formidable threat!"

After he finished speaking, the hall fell silent.

Everyone stared at the map, following Zhang Da's directions, and saw Zhang Xianzhong clearly, as if Zhang Da were standing right next to him, watching him make his deployments...

The generals remained speechless for a long time, unsure of what to say.

Zhang Yingyuan, on the other hand, wrote furiously, his pen gliding rapidly across the hemp paper, recording Zhang Da's words word for word, as if he were about to perform another world-shaking feat.

Wan Yuanji stroked his beard, nodding repeatedly, his eyes full of admiration.

"A remarkable person! Precise, extremely precise."

Yang Sichang stood there, trembling slightly, his eyes filled with shock.

He saw through Zhang Xianzhong's ambition so clearly; his talent was truly extraordinary!

"Excellent! What a brilliant three-step plan!" Yang Sichang exclaimed repeatedly, his voice trembling with excitement. "Then, in your opinion, since the government troops are temporarily unable to enter Sichuan, how can we contain Zhang Xianzhong and prevent him from successfully implementing this three-step plan?"

Zhang Da answered without hesitation.

"To contain Zhang Xianzhong, the key lies in locking down his gates, severing his arms, and disrupting his foundation; none of these can be omitted!"

He pointed to the map and explained in detail one by one.

"The first strategy is to guard the Three Gorges and block their eastward route. Immediately dispatch the Huguang navy to garrison Yiling and Jingzhou to block the Yangtze River Three Gorges waterway. Even if Zhang Xianzhong captures Chongqing, without a navy, he will never dare to sail down the river to invade Huguang. As long as the Three Gorges are not lost, he will be trapped in Sichuan, like a turtle in a jar, unable to coordinate with the bandits in the Central Plains and Huguang."

"The second strategy is to contact the local chieftains and cut off their source of expansion. There are many chieftains in eastern and southern Sichuan. Although the rebellions of Yang Yinglong and She Chongming have been quelled, their power remains. The imperial court should immediately issue an edict to bestow titles and rewards upon the chieftains of various routes in Sichuan, promising them high-ranking positions and generous stipends, ordering them to defend their cities and resist Zhang Xianzhong. The chieftains' troops are familiar with mountain warfare and can constantly harass Zhang Xianzhong's supply lines and camps, preventing him from settling down to cultivate land and train troops, thus hindering his rapid expansion."

"The third route involves stationing troops in northern Sichuan to block his path into Shaanxi. General He Renlong of Shaanxi will be dispatched to lead his troops to Hanzhong and Guangyuan, securing the vital passage through northern Sichuan. If Zhang Xianzhong is blocked in Sichuan, he will inevitably try to flee north to Shaanxi to join forces with local bandits. As long as Hanzhong and Guangyuan are secure, he will be surrounded on all sides, forced to eke out a living in a corner of Sichuan. Once the imperial forces are freed up, they can encircle him from three sides and wipe him out in one fell swoop!"