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

Three days later, outside Xiangyang City.

A biting north wind howled, snowflakes fluttered, banners waved atop Xiangyang city walls, and the commander-in-chief's personal guards stood in formation outside the city, their armor gleaming and their weapons like a forest.

Zhang Da rushed as fast as he could, and the day finally arrived.

At this moment, Yang Sichang, like the Prince of Fu, was dressed in a python robe and personally led his civil and military officials to stand by the roadside, waiting for Zhang Da to return.

Such courtesy has only been shown to Zuo Liangyu during his great victory since he took command of the army. The fact that it is now being used on a young vice commander who is not yet twenty years old shows how highly he regards him.

Before long, a group of cavalrymen came cruising through the snow at the end of the distant official road.

The leader, dressed in a green robe and brocade belt, with a handsome face, was none other than Zhang Da, who looked weary from his travels.

Upon seeing Yang Sichang personally welcoming him from afar, he immediately reined in his horse, dismounted, and ran quickly for several hundred meters before kneeling on one knee and loudly proclaiming:

"This humble servant, Zhang Da, has been ordered to return to the camp and pays his respects to the Grand Councilor! I am deeply grateful for the Grand Councilor's personal welcome; I would be utterly unworthy of such an honor!"

Yang Sichang quickly stepped forward and personally helped him up. Although Zhang Da looked exhausted, his eyes were sharp, as if he were expecting something. Yang Sichang naturally knew this and laughed heartily.

"Commander Zhang has successfully defeated the enemy a thousand miles away, a great achievement indeed! It is only right that I, the Governor, personally welcome you! Quickly, follow me inside; a celebratory banquet has been prepared in the hall to welcome you back!"

Zhang Da stood up, bowed respectfully, and said in a humble yet assertive manner, "Your Excellency is too kind. This is due to the soldiers' bravery and Your Excellency's skillful command. I merely followed the trend and dare not claim credit."

"No need for such modesty." Yang Sichang took his arm and led him into the city, his tone intimate. "Your contributions are evident to everyone in the court. This return to Xiangyang is a good opportunity to discuss with me in detail how to completely quell the bandits and stabilize the Central Plains."

"Oh shit!"

Zhang Da cursed Yang Sichang inwardly for his lack of consideration. Why bring this up now instead of discussing rewards? Was he trying to renege on his promise? What if he was trying to discard him after using him...?

Zhang Da entered the Grand Hall of the Governor with trepidation. The host and guests were seated in the hall, with civil and military officials standing on both sides. Their eyes were all on Zhang Da, some with admiration, some with curiosity, and some with fear.

The Ming army had a strict set of rules for celebrating victories by its commanders-in-chief. First, the official in charge of ceremonies would announce the greetings, and civil and military officials would bow to the commander-in-chief in turn. Then, Yang Sichang would publicly praise the achievements of the battle, briefly recounting the details of Zhang Da's raid that broke through the enemy lines and burned down the grain camp. Three cannon salutes were fired, and drums and music would play softly.

After the ceremony, the chefs served the dishes in turn. First came four cold appetizers: cured meats, pickled vegetables, dried game, and candied fruit—all winter specialties of Hubei and Hunan. Then, hot dishes were served in succession: stewed mutton, roasted venison, braised pork, and steamed river fish, a balanced mix of meat and vegetables.

The wine vessel is a white porcelain cup, filled with aged rice wine from Hubei and Hunan. The wine is mellow and has a rich aroma.

According to custom, the first toast was raised by Commander-in-Chief Yang Sichang, followed by a toast from all civil and military officials to Heaven and Earth, to the fallen soldiers, and then to the meritorious officials of this battle. The banquet then commenced.

Zhang Da hadn't eaten anything good for the past few days, but even though he was starving, he had no appetite.

What about my reward? It can't just be this meal!

After the three rounds of toasts, the rigid etiquette dissipated, and the atmosphere in the hall instantly became lively.

Everyone raised their glasses to toast Zhang Da, their words filled with jokes and praise.

Some say he's a rare talent; others say he's skilled in both literature and martial arts; still others tell him to drink until he's completely drunk.

The atmosphere was relaxed and lively, with laughter filling the lobby.

However, Zhang Da remained remarkably rational, showing neither joy nor sorrow. He would occasionally offer a perfunctory smile, drinking and eating little, as if he had missed some important event while drunk.

However, no one mentioned the reward he was expecting...

The charcoal crackled, the wine was fragrant, the table was laden with delicious food, and laughter filled the air...

Joyful times always pass quickly. After the victory banquet, Yang Sichang dismissed his attendants, leaving only his trusted guards. Only he and Zhang Da remained in the hall.

The atmosphere instantly became quiet.

Yang Sichang picked up his teacup, took a small sip as if trying to sober up, and then slowly began to tentatively speak.

"Zhang Da, you have made a great contribution to the country by rushing a thousand miles to burn the enemy's supplies, relieving the siege of Nanyang, and stabilizing Henan. I have already prepared a memorial to the throne, which will be sent to the capital by express courier in a few days to recommend you for commendation."

Zhang Da cursed under his breath. Hearing such casual remarks, was he just going to give me some money?

But he still had to put on an act, so Zhang Da quickly stood up and bowed.

"This humble official only wishes to do his best for the court and dares not seek personal credit."

"Oh?" Yang Sichang put down his teacup, looking directly at Zhang Da. "You risked your life to achieve merit, not for fame, but for what?"

"Your humble servant requests neither high office nor generous salary, nor gold, silver, or silk. He only wishes to defend the gateway to central Hunan for the court, using Shaoyang as a base to pacify the people, strengthen the army, and forever eliminate the threat of bandit raids!"

Hearing Zhang Da's hypocritical words, Yang Sichang simply smiled, sensing a hint of ambition within him, and then calmly said...

"Good lad, but... if we're going to defend the gateway to central Hunan, isn't Shaoyang County enough to hold the line?"

Faced with Yang Sichang's feigned ignorance, Zhang Da finally understood that the reason the other generals hadn't mentioned his reward at the banquet was probably because Yang Sichang wanted to gauge his opinion.

"Your Excellency, in your wise judgment, Shaoyang is a small place with scarce grain, few soldiers, a small population, and an isolated city, insufficient to withstand a large-scale invasion by bandits. In contrast, Baoqing Prefecture governs four counties and one prefecture—Shaoyang, Xinhua, Xinning, Wugang, and Chengbu—a strategically important location with abundant resources and a fiercely independent populace. If we could unite them, train a strong army, recruit over ten thousand soldiers, cultivate land and store grain, secure the people internally, and defend against powerful enemies externally, we could defend against Li Zicheng to the north, Zhang Xianzhong to the west, control the chieftains of Yunnan and Guizhou to the south, and aid the heartland of Huguang to the east, becoming an impregnable bulwark in southwestern Hubei and Hunan!"

As Zhang Da spoke, he prayed that Yang Sichang would act like a decent human being, so his tone became increasingly earnest, eventually even bordering on humble.

"It must have been tough for you to say so much in one breath. I'm sure you've thought a lot about these things." Seeing Zhang Da reveal his ambition, Yang Sichang felt a sense of triumph from the game, but also sensed that this man was somewhat dangerous.

"How about this... I will petition His Majesty to grant you, Zhang Da, full military and political power over Baoqing Prefecture, governing four counties and one prefecture, with both civil and military authority, subject to orders but not summons, managing your own finances and grain, recruiting and training your own troops, with the court not sending supervisors or interfering with your military and political affairs, and only requiring you to pay a fixed amount of grain tax each year. What do you think?"

After hearing this, Zhang Da knelt down on one knee again, but suddenly felt that wasn't enough, so he knelt on both knees. He then hurriedly knelt, his whole body trembling, and his voice trembling with tears.

"Why would the Commander-in-Chief make such a statement!"

"What's wrong with making such remarks?"

"Such treasonous remarks are unacceptable everywhere! The Grand Coordinator is wise and mighty. Does he mean to imply that I, Zhang Da, am disloyal by saying such things? Does he want to use this as an excuse to get rid of me? Then please, Grand Coordinator, order the executioners outside the hall to act quickly. I, Zhang Da, will die without complaint! But there is one thing I want to say to Grand Coordinator Wu."

"What do you mean?"

Zhang Ziran was terrified that Yang Sichang might suddenly order the men outside to rush in and kill him, so he quickly kowtowed and wept.

"I hope the Commander-in-Chief will remember that I, Zhang Da, am by no means a traitor who brings disaster to the country and its people. I also hope that after my death, the Commander-in-Chief will inscribe me on my tombstone as a loyal subject of the Ming Dynasty!"

Upon hearing this, the hall fell into a deathly silence, broken only by the howling wind and snow outside the window.

Yang Sichang remained silent for a long time, his gaze fixed on Zhang Da, as if trying to see through him completely.

Yang Sichang was certain this man wanted the power of the Hunan Central Region, but he hadn't expected to be so generous as to grant him such a large amount of power.

After a long while, Yang Sichang slowly stood up, stepped down from the main seat, and personally walked to Zhang Da, gently taking his arm in his hand.

"Get up, there's no need to be so afraid."

He gently helped Zhang Da to his feet, and seeing the man's still-tearful and shaken appearance, he slowly began to explain.

"What I just said was not a test, nor was it intended to frame you; it was a thought I had given after careful consideration."

"The world is in chaos now, bandits roam freely, government troops are exhausted, the imperial court is short of food and supplies, and troops in various places are fighting independently. The territory of Huguang is vast, the defense line is long, the imperial court's troops are insufficient, food and supplies are difficult to continue, and everywhere is stretched thin."

"Baoqing is located in a strategic location in central Hunan, but it is far in the southwest, making it inconvenient to deploy troops and difficult to transport supplies. Rather than the court spending money to station troops thousands of miles away, with layers of management and slow-moving orders, it would be better to delegate power to you. This way, the court will not need to allocate extra money and supplies, reducing the pressure on the central government; and secondly, it will be able to defend against the enemy nearby and react quickly, achieving multiple benefits in one fell swoop."

"Commander, please..."

Zhang Da, still shaken, was undoubtedly overjoyed, but he couldn't show it, and he had to refuse! What if Yang Sichang was still playing tricks on him? However, Zhang Da's refusal was met with a firm rejection from Yang Sichang.

"As long as you remain loyal to the Ming Dynasty and have your heart set on the Ming, I will petition the court to grant you this privilege. In times of chaos and extraordinary circumstances, extraordinary measures must be taken."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Da's expression gradually calmed, his grief subsided, and he became solemn. He respectfully clasped his hands, bowed deeply, and raised his hand to swear an oath to the heavens.

"Rest assured, Your Excellency! Zhang Dasheng is a citizen of the Ming Dynasty, and will die a ghost of the Ming Dynasty. No matter how much power the court grants me, or even if I am given only a minor official position, my loyalty and righteousness will never change, and my heart to protect the land and its people will never waver."

"I will dedicate my life to guarding Hunan, resisting bandits, pacifying the people, obeying the imperial court's orders, never harboring any rebellious thoughts, never betraying the recommendations of the ministers, and never failing the Ming Dynasty! If I break this oath, may Heaven and Man forsake me!"