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

Whether it was due to Zhang Da's lust or his desire to dispel Yang Sichang's suspicion of him, Zhang Da was inseparable from the several maids, almost never leaving his room, preoccupied with...

This situation has continued for seven or eight days.

However, time waits for no one, and the world is gradually undergoing tremendous changes.

Yang Sichang took the lead in doing several major things

Firstly, as Zhang Da said, he placed the main defensive focus on the border between Sichuan and Hubei.

He ordered Zuo Liangyu, the General Commander of Huguang, to lead 20,000 troops to garrison Yiling and Jingzhou, and to block the Yangtze River's Three Gorges waterway.

He ordered He Renlong, the general of Shaanxi, to lead 15,000 troops to garrison Hanzhong and Guangyuan, blocking Zhang Xianzhong's escape route to Shaanxi.

He ordered Deputy Commanders Zhang Yingyuan and Wang Yunfeng to lead 7,000 elite troops to garrison Kuizhou and Wanxian, guarding the land route into Sichuan;

He then ordered Shao Jiechun, the governor of Sichuan, to mobilize 20,000 Sichuan soldiers to deploy along the Chongqing-Luzhou line, implement a scorched-earth policy, burn grain and fodder in eastern Sichuan, and cut off Zhang Xianzhong's supplies.

Furthermore, in order to enforce military discipline, Huang Chaoxuan was publicly beheaded in the bustling marketplace of Xiangyang for "losing the army and disgracing the country, and fleeing in fear of the enemy," and his head was sent to various military camps. Song Yihe, the governor of Huguang, and Huang Shu, the imperial inspector, were dismissed from their posts but allowed to remain in their posts for "ineffective suppression of bandits and indulgence of local officials," and were to redeem themselves through meritorious service.

I wonder what Zhang Da thinks when he hears this news.

As for Zhang Xianzhong... although after his disastrous defeat at Daning Pass, he led his remaining troops of over ten thousand men to flee in panic into the Wushan and Daning Mountains in eastern Sichuan.

The journey was horrific.

At this time, the mountains had not yet been blocked by heavy snow, but the cold wind was like a knife. The soldiers lacked clothing and food, their armor and weapons were damaged, and the wounded had no one to treat them. More than two thousand people died of cold and hunger over the past few days.

The once invincible "Eight Kings" who dominated seven provinces now wore a tattered black cloak, his face scarred and purple from the cold, and his beard covered in ice.

Even so, he remains the same "Eighth Prince".

As a warlord in a chaotic era, he displayed astonishing resilience in dire circumstances.

Today, Zuo Liangyu's large army marches east out of the Three Gorges, He Renlong's elite troops advance north into Hanzhong, and the Tusi (local chieftains) territory lies to the south in Yunnan and Guizhou.

We have no choice but to fight to the death!

Zhang Xianzhong then ordered Sun Kewang and Li Dingguo to divide their troops and enter the mountains to gather the scattered soldiers, and also ordered the coercion of refugees.

Eastern Sichuan was already impoverished, and years of drought had left countless refugees and starving people everywhere. Wherever Zhang Xianzhong's army went, they opened granaries and released the little grain they had left, declaring to the people, "The government is oppressive and the wealthy are exploiting us. Follow me in our rebellion, and you will have food to eat, land to cultivate, and no taxes to pay."

The refugees were already struggling to survive, and seeing that Zhang Xianzhong's army was giving them food, they flocked to join the army. In just twenty days, Zhang Xianzhong's forces surged from over ten thousand to over thirty thousand.

The new recruits were reorganized into five battalions: "Front, Rear, Left, Right, and Center," with Sun Kewang, Li Dingguo, Liu Wenxiu, Ai Nengqi, and Liu Jinzhong each commanding one battalion. Veteran soldiers served as the backbone, while new recruits were used as cannon fodder, barely restoring the fighting strength.

The defenses of the government troops in eastern Sichuan were weak, the castles were small, and the guards were mostly old and weak.

Zhang Xianzhong then attacked Daming first, and the county magistrate abandoned the city and fled.

They attacked Wushan again, and the defending general was killed in battle.

The three attacks on Fengjie were unstoppable.

After conquering each city, Zhang Xianzhong would strictly discipline his soldiers in an effort to win over the hearts of the people.

Then, due to the numerous chieftains in eastern Sichuan, they went to bribe them.

Speaking of Tusi (chieftains)... among them, Qin Liangyu, the Tusi of Shizhu, was the most powerful. Qin Liangyu was the only female Tusi in the Ming Dynasty, loyal, brave, and skilled in battle. Her "White-Spear Soldiers" were renowned throughout the southwest, so Zhang Xianzhong naturally couldn't possibly bribe her.

Zhang Xianzhong sent men with gold, silver, and silk to the chieftains of Shizhou and Youyang, promising that "after conquering Sichuan, the chieftains will govern themselves, and no grain will be levied or troops will be sent." He also gave the chieftains captured armor and weapons in exchange for their secret passage and the supply of provisions...

Another major event was his falling out with Luo Rucai.

Since his disastrous defeat in Sichuan, Luo Rucai's troops have become increasingly alienated from Zhang Xianzhong, repeatedly disobeying orders and looting civilians, leading to a decline in morale.

Kill!

Zhang Xianzhong then publicly beheaded seven leaders who had abducted women and slaughtered more than 300 mutinous soldiers. Although he suppressed the trend, Luo Rucai, seeing Zhang Xianzhong's ruthlessness, dared not openly resist him anymore. He led his troops to secretly break away from the main force and move towards the Sichuan-Hubei border in order to protect themselves.

Unlike Zhang Xianzhong's spectacular rise to power, Li Zicheng was at the lowest point in his life at this time.

After his defeat, Li Zicheng hid like a rat in the deep mountains of Lushi County, Henan Province.

Since the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Tongguan Nanyuan in the eleventh year of Chongzhen's reign, Li Zicheng lost his wife and daughters. Eighteen of his cavalrymen broke through the encirclement. Fortunately, core generals such as Liu Zongmin, Tian Jianxiu, Li Guo, and Gao Yigong stayed by his side and were able to hold on until today. However, these men wandered around the mountains of southern Shaanxi and western Henan, looking like wild men.

Therefore, Li Zicheng and his men hid during the day and went out at night, living in caves, eating wild vegetables and peeling tree bark. Sometimes they went for several days without a full meal. The soldiers were dressed in tattered clothes, looking like beggars, and were almost found by government troops several times.

However, with a shrewd and ambitious nature, Li Zicheng felt the time was almost ripe.

Henan was plagued by natural disasters, suffering from drought and locust plagues since the tenth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign. The land was parched and barren, with no harvest. Adding to this, the government continued to demand the collection of taxes, so it was no wonder the people were bewildered.

Li Zicheng then ordered Li Guo and Gao Yigong to infiltrate various prefectures and counties in Henan to contact local famine leaders, post station workers, miners, and rebel soldiers... They also befriended disillusioned scholars in Henan such as Niu Jinxing and Song Xianze.

The two men joined Li Zicheng one after the other, offering him advice and strategies.

Among them, Song Xianze even presented a prophecy.

"The Eighteenth Son, the main artifact."

Li Zicheng was overjoyed and used this as a signal to spread the word secretly, causing the starving people across the land to spread the rumor that "Young Master Li is destined to rule the world."

Therefore, wherever Li Zicheng went, he only killed corrupt officials, gentry and bullies, opened granaries to distribute grain, and relieved the starving people.

The people were deeply grateful and called him "Young Master Li" or "Li the Rebel King," and even secretly enshrined his memorial tablet.

Unlike Zhang Xianzhong's "coercion," Li Zicheng's people voluntarily joined him.

At this time, Yang Sichang was fully engaged in suppressing Zhang Xianzhong, and the main force of the government army had been transferred south, leaving Henan with a depleted military presence. Li Zicheng was only engaging in minor skirmishes, and often said...

"Based on the Heluo region, he will establish order throughout the land."

"Win over the hearts of the people and delay declaring yourself king."

In November of the twelfth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, the famine in Henan reached its peak, with millions of people starving and uprisings breaking out everywhere, which the government was powerless to suppress...

Li Zicheng gazed towards Beijing like a hungry tiger, waiting only for the order to tear this dying dynasty apart.

The area outside the Great Wall during the Ming Dynasty was also in ruins... At this time, the "Later Jin"... no, it's no longer the Later Jin, it should be called the Qing Dynasty.

Since Huang Taiji ascended the throne, he was determined to reform, adding the Mongol Eight Banners and the Han Eight Banners in addition to the Manchu Eight Banners, bringing the total number of troops to over 120,000! He learned the firearms technology of the Ming army, cast the Red Cannon, and established a firearms battalion, making its combat power far superior to that of the Ming border troops.

In the ninth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, Huang Taiji changed the name of the country to the Great Qing, formally proclaimed himself emperor, and established his capital in Shengjing (Shenyang), thus becoming a rival to the Ming Dynasty.

In September of the twelfth year of the Chongzhen reign, the Qing army had already entered the pass once, captured four cities in eastern Beijing, plundered hundreds of thousands of people and millions of gold and silver, and returned home laden with spoils.

But Huang Taiji was not satisfied. So he discussed with the princes and beile and decided to launch another large-scale invasion of the border next spring, with his troops heading straight for Shandong and Hebei, to capture cities and plunder people and grain!

The Qing army's fighting style was very primitive, similar to that of the Mongols.

They did not occupy land, did not defend cities, focused on plundering, and fought and returned quickly, using war to sustain war, constantly depleting the Ming Dynasty's manpower, material resources, and financial resources, leaving the Ming Dynasty without troops or funds to suppress the bandits.

Yet it was precisely this primitive fighting style that allowed such a vast dynasty to gradually decline...

Meanwhile, border generals Zu Dashou and Wu Sangui were constantly being persuaded to surrender, with promises of high-ranking positions, rich rewards, and titles of kings and marquises. Zu Dashou's family in Shengjing were also treated well, a combination of kindness and coercion.

Zu Dashou was trapped in Jinzhou at this time, with no reinforcements from outside and no food supplies inside, and he was already considering surrendering.

"The Ming Dynasty is like rotten wood, plagued by endless internal strife. We should wait for it to decay on its own before marching into the pass and pacifying the world."

Inside the Shengjing Imperial Palace, Huang Taiji gazed south, his eyes gleaming with ambition to conquer the world. The Qing Dynasty, this mighty eagle of the northeast, had already folded its wings, waiting only for the opportune moment to soar into the sky, crush the Shanhaiguan Pass, and take over the Central Plains.