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

Zhang Da's first and most sincere letter was to Prince Fu. Although Prince Fu couldn't command the soldiers in Luoyang, Zhang Da believed that as a source of moral support, once Prince Fu made up his mind, the other two would at least agree to send troops out of consideration for him.

"Your Highness Prince Fu, please bear witness! Zhang Da, the Assistant Commissioner of Nanyang, was originally a countryman, but was promoted by Grand Secretary Yang to the position of Assistant Military Supervisor of Henan and Military Advisor, stationed in Nanyang, guarding a key position against the rebel leader Li Zicheng. Naturally, he will repay the Grand Secretary's kindness with his life."

I have a matter of life and death to discuss with Your Highness, and I risk my life to present it to you.

The rebel leader Li Zicheng, having barely survived his ordeal in the Shangluo Mountains, has amassed tens of thousands of followers in just six months, conquering several counties in western Henan and setting his sights on the Central Plains. Your Highness, residing in Luoyang, commands immense wealth, a fortified city, and a powerful army; you are the rock of the Central Plains, relied upon by the entire nation. Therefore, Your Highness is bound to be coveted by the rebel leader Li Zicheng.

However, although the rebels seemed powerful, their elite troops numbered less than ten thousand, while the rest were a motley crew of starving civilians, unarmed and untrained, untrained in battle, and mere petty villains. Their provisions and supplies were all in the mountains of Lushi, Luoning, and Yiyang, far from Luoyang but close to Nanyang. Now that the rebels had come out in full force to attack Nanyang, leaving their stronghold empty and their rear unprepared, this was a godsend opportunity to defeat them and a victory that would last for generations!

Your Highness, consider this: If the rebels launch a full-scale attack on Nanyang, and Nanyang holds firm and refuses to retreat, the rebels will inevitably be bogged down beneath the fortified city, suffering heavy casualties and demoralized. At that time, Your Highness can then send out elite troops from Luoyang, advancing swiftly with light cavalry, directly attacking the Lu family's old camp, burning their provisions, capturing their families, and disrupting their foundation. Upon hearing this, the rebels will surely be thrown into chaos, collapsing without a fight, and hastily retreating to defend their city. The Nanyang defenders can then pursue and ambush them, creating a pincer attack from the north and south. Li Zicheng will surely be captured!

This battle will quell the rebellion, bring peace to Henan, and allow Your Highness's prestige to shake the world. It will comfort the emperor, bring peace to the people, and benefit the nation for generations to come.

Your Majesty's wealth and honor can be passed down for thousands of generations!

Furthermore, I must speak frankly at the risk of my life: the bandits are inherently greedy, and Your Highness is the richest man in the land. They covet Luoyang's wealth day and night. If they conquer Nanyang, Luoyang will surely be next. At that time, the city will fall, people will die, all the wealth will be seized by the bandits, and your wives, concubines, and children will be lost. What good will Your Highness's millions of gold and silver do then?

If we send troops now, we can protect our wealth and lives; if we send troops now, we can achieve great success and fame; if we send troops now, we can enjoy wealth and honor forever. But if we... we will sit and wait for the enemy to come. If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold, and disaster will not be far away.

As to what has been gained and what has been lost, Your Highness is wise and will surely be able to make the decision.

Your Highness, Fu Wei, quickly mobilized the righteous soldiers to kill the crazy bandits together. The Central Plains is very lucky, and the Ming Dynasty is very lucky!

Zhang Da, Assistant Military Supervisor of Henan, bows deeply and pays his respects.

……

After Zhang finished writing, he blew on the ink to dry it, gently folded the letter, and sealed it with sealing wax.

He kept changing his mind, saying that there was no risk in going to war, that there would be great merit in going to war, and that if he didn't go to war, he would be doomed and would lose all his wealth, wife, and children.

If this fatso still dares to hesitate and look around, Zhang Da won't be able to do anything about it.

The second letter was written by Zhang Da to Wang Shaoyu.

"I have long admired the general's mighty might, his defense of Luoyang, and the respect and admiration of the three armies. Zhang Da, the vice commander, was ordered by Minister Yang, the military governor, to assist in the military affairs of Henan and to guard Nanyang."

Now, the rebel Li Zicheng has brought all his troops to attack Nanyang. His old camp in the Lushi and Luoning areas is weak and poorly defended. This is a great achievement bestowed upon the general by Heaven, allowing him to win without fighting!

At this time, the enemy's elite troops have all been deployed, leaving only the old, weak, disabled soldiers, provisions, supplies, women, and children in the old camp. If the general were to send several thousand light cavalry, marching at double speed, to directly attack the enemy's lair, a bloody battle would be unnecessary. Simply burning the provisions and creating a false impression of strength would surely cause the enemy to collapse. The garrison of Nanyang would then hold them off from the front, allowing the general to achieve a complete victory without shedding a drop of blood. The news of the victory would reach the commander-in-chief and the capital, and the reward of being ennobled would be within reach in no time.

The general commands a large army in Luoyang; he has raised them for a thousand days, only to use them in a single day.

If we do not act now, and the enemy breaks through Nanyang and sweeps eastward, Luoyang will be the first to be hit. As a general, you have a responsibility to defend the territory. If you are defeated, you will die, your reputation will be ruined, your family will be destroyed, and you will be unable to escape the blame. Even if you can defend it, you will have no merit or demerit and will still be just an ordinary general.

Firstly, one can launch a light-armed surprise attack, reap great rewards without the risk of bloodshed, and receive the reward of being ennobled.

Both sides, if they sit idly by and watch, will be in danger when the enemy arrives, and will die if their army is defeated, their crimes will be heinous.

Comparing the two paths, the superiority of the latter is immediately apparent.

I have received the Commander-in-Chief's order to command the armies of Nanyang and Yunyang. If you, General, send troops, I am willing to claim the greatest credit for you before the Commander-in-Chief. All the credit for the victory shall be given to you, General. I dare not argue with you.

General, please act swiftly and seize this golden opportunity!

I was the one who fought desperately against Li Zicheng, so you, you good-for-nothing, should take the credit. If he still cowers in fear after that, Zhang Da will be helpless.

Following the steps outlined above, Zhang Da sealed the letter and then wrote the third one.

"Master Li Futai Junjian:

My humble servant Zhang Da was selected by Governor Yang of the Ministry of Personnel to serve as the Assistant Military Supervisor of Henan and Military Advisor, stationed in Nanyang to suppress the rebel Li Zicheng.

The current situation in Henan is extremely precarious.

Li Zicheng regrouped after his return from Shangluo, conquering prefectures and counties in succession, amassing tens of thousands of followers, and wreaking havoc in western Henan. If he were not eliminated soon, he would surely become a major threat. Fortunately, thanks to Your Excellency's skillful control and proper management, the important city of Luoyang remained unshaken, and the people of the Central Plains all relied on Your Excellency as a bulwark.

Now that the bandits have invaded Nanyang, their main force has been deployed, leaving their stronghold vulnerable. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to defeat the bandits without a fight.

Your Excellency has issued an order to the troops in Luoyang to swiftly advance on light cavalry to Lushi and Yiyang, burn the rebel strongholds, and demoralize the rebel army. The garrison in Nanyang will hold the line and contain the rebel forces. With coordinated efforts from the north and south, the rebels will surely collapse without a fight. Once this strategy is successful, Henan will be pacified, the rebel threat will be completely eliminated, the worries of the court will be alleviated, and the suffering of the people will be relieved. Your Excellency's achievement will be worthy of being recorded in history, and the Emperor will surely appreciate it, and the Commander-in-Chief will surely praise it.

Moreover, the laws and regulations of the court, as well as the military and political affairs of Henan, are all under Your Excellency's control. If you sit idly by and watch the rebels attack Nanyang without sending a single soldier to its aid, and if Nanyang falls, the rebels' power will only grow stronger. Your Excellency's responsibility to defend the territory will be difficult to escape public criticism, impeachment by censors, and accountability by the military governor. None of these are things I wish to see.

If we send troops now, we will achieve great merit, secure our official positions, and gain widespread fame; if we do not send troops, we will miss the opportunity, be unable to escape punishment, and face a bleak future in our careers.

A wise and far-sighted person will surely make sound judgments.

While I was in Nanyang, I led the soldiers and civilians in a desperate battle, awaiting Your Excellency's arrival of righteous troops so that we could achieve great merit and repay the court.

Zhang Da, Assistant Military Supervisor of Henan, bows deeply and pays his respects.

By the time the three letters were finished, it was nearly midnight, and the candlelight had burned down to almost nothing.

Sweating profusely, Zhang Da placed the three letters into separate envelopes, affixing his official seal as the Vice-Commissioner of the Military Supervisory Commissioner and the small seal of the Military Advisor at the Commander-in-Chief's Headquarters to ensure his identity was correct. He then summoned two close attendants.

"grown ups."

Zhang Da pointed to the three letters on the table and said in a steady tone...

"These three letters must be immediately dispatched by three reliable fast horses in three separate routes to Luoyang. They must not be delayed, lost, or opened."

The first letter should be sent directly to the Prince of Fu's residence, and must be presented to His Highness in person.

The second letter was delivered to Wang Shaoyu, the General of Luoyang, who personally handed it to him.

The third letter is to be sent to the office of Li Xianfeng, the Governor of Henan, without error.

"Here you go!"

Two close attendants bowed and accepted the order, immediately going to make arrangements.

Zhang Da stood up, walked to the window, and pushed open the window.

The autumn night wind in Henan was biting and extremely cold.

Zhang Da suddenly realized that if the three men in Luoyang didn't send troops... he might have to slink back to Xiangyang or Shaoyang in the cold wind, which would be the best-case scenario...

"Man proposes, God disposes."

Zhang Da sighed softly and said this again.

If all else fails, we can always retreat to Xiangyang; if that still doesn't work, we'll have no choice but to surrender to Li Zicheng...

"Anyway, I'll find a way to survive."

Consoling himself, Zhang Da had a personal guard lead him a brown horse. Not wanting to linger in this coffin-like city, Zhang Da mounted the horse and aimed its head towards the city walls.

"Go to Sanya Road"