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

After being welcomed into Nanyang City by Chen Yongfu and Zuo Guangxian, Zhang Da was utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally. Chen Yongfu and the others, naturally aware of this, had prepared a feast in the back hall of the government office, slaughtering several fat pigs and preparing a few jars of aged yellow wine, intending to first welcome this military supervisor personally appointed by the Grand Coordinator and then discuss military affairs at a later time.

Unexpectedly, as Zhang Dagang entered the city gate and heard the words "feast," he immediately refused.

"The rebel leader is currently causing trouble in western Henan, and his army is only two or three days' march from Nanyang. The military situation is critical, so how can we have the leisure to drink and make merry? The banquet should be cleared immediately, and there is no need to prepare anything more. Let me and the generals gather directly to discuss military matters."

Chen Yongfu and Zuo Guangxian thought to themselves that they were just putting on an act, and then led Zhang Da toward the Zhenlu Hall on the west side of the Nanyang government office.

This Zhenlu Hall was originally a military commander's residence left over from the previous dynasty. Inside the hall, there were two rows of heavy solid wood chairs on the left and right sides, with a wide-backed grand master chair in the center as the main seat.

At this moment, a huge map of the entire Henan province hung in the center of the hall, while the west and north walls were respectively covered with a map of the defense deployment around Nanyang and a map of the bandit situation in western Henan.

After entering the hall, Zhang Da sat down in a chair on the east side near the front, and said impatiently...

"Gentlemen, I, the Vice Commander, have been ordered by the Grand Commander to come to Nanyang to assist in the suppression of the bandits and to control the troops in Nanyang and Yunyang. I hereby issue this order: all officers of the rank of Assistant Commander and above, and all officers of the rank of Garrison Commander and above, who are in command of troops within Nanyang City, shall immediately assemble at the Zhenlu Hall. No one shall be absent or delayed."

Before long, Zhang Dayin vaguely heard some sparse cursing, but it was eventually drowned out by the clanging of armor plates and the thud of boots.

A group of generals filed in

Once everyone had arrived, Zhang Da stood up and walked to the map in the hall.

"I, Zhang Da, hereby appoint you as the Vice Military Commissioner of Henan and Military Advisor to the Commander-in-Chief, under the orders of the Commander-in-Chief. I carry the Commander-in-Chief's token and command the armies of Nanyang and Yunyang. The first matter today is that all generals step forward in turn and state their names, official positions, troop strength, and garrison locations."

Since the Song Dynasty, the status of military generals had steadily declined. Even in the Ming Dynasty, civil officials controlled the military, and even the most arrogant generals dared not publicly criticize or oppose Zhang Da, a figure who held the imperial command token and had a written document personally written by Yang Sichang.

After a moment, Chen Yongfu, the commander-in-chief of Nanyang, spoke first.

"General Chen Yongfu of Nanyang was ordered to garrison the entire Nanyang region. He commanded a total of over 4,300 soldiers, including 1,200 elite cavalry and infantry, with the remainder being mostly elderly, weak, and newly recruited civilians from the garrisons. They were stationed in five locations: 2,100 men in Nanyang city, 800 men in Dengzhou, 500 men in Xinye, 400 men in Tang County, and 300 men in Zhenping..."

As soon as Chen Yongfu finished speaking, his deputy general Zuo Guangxian stepped forward.

"The deputy general under the command of Zuo Guangxian has been ordered by the cabinet to rush to the aid of Nanyang. He has 2,300 elite troops from the Shaanxi border army under his command, all of whom are mixed infantry and cavalry, with more than 700 warhorses. They are currently stationed at the Neixiang and Xixia passes, guarding the important road from Shangluo into Henan and protecting the western gateway of Nanyang."

With these two men speaking, the generals then stepped forward one by one to announce their names, their voices rising and falling in a cacophony.

"Liu Hongji, the adjutant, commanded 1,100 soldiers, stationed at Fangcheng, guarding the eastern passage of Nanyang. Most of his soldiers were newly recruited and their combat strength was weak."

"Commander Ma Jinlu... commands 900 soldiers, stationed in Wuyang to guard against bandits roaming from the direction of Ruzhou. His troops are exhausted and lack armor and weapons."

"Guerrilla General Zhou Shilu commanded 600 soldiers, specializing in the defense, patrolling, and guarding of Nanyang City, and was well-versed in city defense matters."

"Commander Wang Dingguo, with 500 soldiers, was stationed in Nanzhao to protect the northern route of Nanyang and control the Funiu Mountain pass."

"Huang Degong, the adjutant general in the Yunyang direction, commands 1,500 elite and skilled soldiers. He is currently assisting in the defense of the southwest of Nanyang to prevent enemy troops from sneaking in from Yunyang."

Within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the full details of all the troops in Nanyang and Yunyang were laid bare.

At this time, the total strength of the government army was about 11,600 men, but the key was that less than 4,000 of them were truly capable of field battles. The rest were mostly old, weak, and new recruits, who could barely defend the city, let alone fight in the field.

With its scattered garrisons, scarce food supplies, outdated weaponry, and low morale, the once-important town of Nanyang was riddled with defensive holes.

Zhang Da listened quietly, without saying a word, his expression growing increasingly somber.

He only spoke slowly after the last person had finished reporting.

"Well... thank you all in advance. Now that we've explained our situation, I'd like to trouble you all to tell me the real situation of the rebel Li Zicheng—what places does he currently occupy? What is his total military strength? How many core generals does he have? How many troops does each of them lead? Where are they stationed? The more detailed the better, every move he makes."

Chen Yongfu stepped forward first, pointed to the "Map of the Bandit Situation in Western Henan" on the wall, and said in a deep voice...

"Zhang Qianshi, Li Zicheng has already captured several counties in western Henan, including Lushi, Songxian, Luanchuan, Luoning, and Yiyang. He has burned down county government offices, executed officials, and looted the granaries of wealthy households. His base is now secure."

Their main force was stationed at the border of Lushi County and Shangluo, where the continuous Funiu Mountains provided excellent concealment, making it difficult for government troops to encircle and annihilate them.

Immediately afterwards, Zuo Guang added details about the bandit general.

"Li Zicheng had many core and fierce generals under his command, all of whom were loyal followers who had served him for many years. Liu Zongmin had more than 5,000 elite troops, all of whom were old thieves, skilled in field battles and charges, and were currently stationed in Yiyang."

Li Guo was Li Zicheng's nephew, nicknamed "One Tiger." He was fierce and skilled in battle, commanding more than 4,000 soldiers stationed in Luoning to protect the flank of the rebel leader.

Tian Jianxiu commanded over 3,000 soldiers and was stationed at the old camp of the Lu family to guard the grain and supplies.

Gao Yigong. He commanded 2,500 soldiers, stationed in Luanchuan, where he suppressed local militias and gathered displaced people.

Li Shuangxi was Li Zicheng's adopted son. He commanded two thousand soldiers and served as Li Zicheng's elite personal guard.

In addition, there were several newly arrived leaders of displaced people, each leading several thousand men, who coerced the common people and amassed considerable power.

"Li Zicheng's army is now at its peak, occupying the mountains of western Henan and commanding over 30,000 men. He is no longer the petty bandit he once was, but a formidable villain with ambitions to conquer the Central Plains!"

The generals nodded in agreement, their faces showing worry. Nanyang was very close to western Henan, and if Li Zicheng marched east, Nanyang would be the first to be hit. With the current strength of the Ming army, it would be difficult to resist.

Zhang Da remained silent, staring at the map, seemingly pondering or weighing his options.

Seeing that he remained silent, Chen Yongfu assumed that he was pondering the movements of the rebel troops, and immediately spoke up, expressing the consensus of all the generals in the hall.

"Commander Zhang, according to my discussion with the generals, Li Zicheng now occupies western Henan. His next step will undoubtedly be to expand his territory, seize supplies, and strengthen his army. And if he wants to dominate the Central Plains, he must first capture a crucial city—Luoyang!"

As soon as these words were spoken, a chorus of agreement immediately arose in the hall.

"General Chen is absolutely right! Luoyang is an ancient capital of the Central Plains, bordering the Yellow River to the north and controlling the Ru and Luo rivers to the south. It boasts high walls, deep moats, abundant resources, and the immense wealth of Prince Fu, Zhu Changxun. If Li Zicheng captures Luoyang, he will not only gain access to countless provisions and weapons, but also intimidate the entire world, multiplying his power many times over!"

"That's right! The rebel leader will definitely attack Luoyang first! Once Luoyang falls, there will be no major city in the Central Plains that can stop him!"

"He is currently stationed in Yiyang, which is only a hundred li from Luoyang. A light cavalry could reach it in a day. He is clearly accumulating strength, preparing to take Luoyang in one fell swoop!"

"In my opinion, within ten days, Li Zicheng will surely lead his army eastward, heading straight for Luoyang! We only need to hold Nanyang and prevent the rebels from sending troops to harass us!"

The generals became increasingly certain as they spoke, all believing that Li Zicheng's next move would inevitably be to attack Luoyang. They even began discussing how to divide their troops to reinforce Luoyang and how to defend Nanyang to protect themselves.

For a time, discussions were rife in Zhenlu Hall, with almost all of them advocating for an attack on Luoyang.

Just then, Zhang Da, who had been silent all along, suddenly raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the entire room. His eyes were sharp as knives, carrying a calmness that seemed to see through the situation, instantly silencing the noisy hall.

He spoke slowly, his tone clearly conveying dissatisfaction, each word spoken with conviction:

"Have all the generals finished speaking? They all say that Li Zicheng will definitely attack Luoyang. Does anyone have another opinion?"

Chen Yongfu was taken aback, then cupped his hands in greeting.

"Zhang Qianshi's position in Luoyang is well-known throughout the land, with ample funds and provisions. How could Li Zicheng possibly let him go?"

Zuo Guangxian also said, "Your Excellency, Yiyang is close to Luoyang but far from Nanyang. It makes perfect sense for the enemy troops to attack the city that is closest to them!"

The generals all nodded in agreement, feeling that Zhang Da's questioning was completely unreasonable.

Zhang Da slowly shook his head.

"I think that if Li Zicheng didn't want to court death, he would definitely not have attacked Luoyang."