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

It is said that the urgent message sent from the Huguang Governor's Office to Xiangyang and the pacification mission of the Fubiao Lieutenant General to Shaoyang left the city at almost the same time. The fast horses galloped through the autumn frost, and the most prominent one went northwest directly to the headquarters of Xiong Wencan, the Prime Minister of Six Provinces, in Xiangyang.

Inside the Xiangyang headquarters, there were no reports of the imperial patrol on the desk, but wine jugs and snacks were piled high. Xiong Wencan would sip a small cup of wine and eat a small snack, repeating this routine. This should have been a very comfortable pastime for a middle-aged man, but at this moment it seemed oppressive and gloomy.

Only Xiong Wencan himself knows that whether he will be able to drink alcohol and eat food in the future is already an unknown.

In July, Zuo Liangyu suffered a defeat at Luohou Mountain, and I bear the main responsibility. After all, it was I who panicked when I heard that Zhang Xianzhong had rebelled again in Gucheng. Ignoring the objections of my generals, I insisted on forcing Zuo Liangyu to quickly quell the rebellion, which led to this great defeat. Moreover, if I hadn't strongly advocated for pacifying Zhang Xianzhong before this, that rebel should have been torn to pieces by now...

Due to a combination of factors, the once-powerful Premier of six provinces was immediately labeled a traitor to the imperial court and subjected to public condemnation.

Xiong Wencan knew he was at fault, and so did the court. Enraged, Emperor Chongzhen stripped him of his title of Minister. Although he was allowed to continue his duties as a prisoner and remain in charge of military affairs in Huguang, Xiong knew he was doomed. Saving his life was the best outcome he could hope for.

In his despair, Xiong Wencan suddenly recalled a conversation he had with the monk Kongyin on Mount Lu:

The monk asked, "Do you believe your troops are sufficient to subdue the enemy and bring them to their deaths?"

The answer was: "No."

"Are there any generals among you who can be entrusted with important matters, command a region, and pacify the situation without requiring further orders?"

"It is unknown what the outcome will be."

"Since neither of them can be considered thieves, the emperor specially appointed them to serve under his name, placing high expectations on them. If they fail to perform, they will be executed."

At the time, Xiong Wencan found it both infuriating and laughable that a monk who had barely left the temple was discussing military matters with him.

Looking back now, I truly regret it!

Sure enough, after this major defeat, the generals under his command had long since lost their minds. Zuo Liangyu was completely out of control, stationed with a large army in Yunyang, and refused to obey orders on the grounds of insufficient troops and pay. The other generals of various towns also paid lip service to the order. As a result, the military orders of the Six Provinces General Headquarters, which had been enjoying great power for a time, disappeared without a trace after leaving Xiangyang.

The imperial court wasn't stupid; they could see Xiong Wencan's current predicament and had no choice but to send another highly respected person to manage the army.

By the end of August, the imperial court was deliberating on appointing Yang Sichang as the Grand Counselor, in charge of all military affairs related to the suppression of bandits nationwide. They were simply waiting for Yang Sichang to take office so that he could hand over military power.

So when the courier delivered the urgent report that Shaoyang County had fallen and Zhang Da had killed officials and seized the city, Xiong Wencan only glanced at it before casually pushing it aside and downing a cup of bitter wine.

"It's really kind of you to show this matter to me first, but now my power is not what it used to be. Even those lowly seventh-rank county magistrates look down on me."

After saying this, Xiong Wencan waved his hand without caring what the courier thought of him, and said, "Send the original report to the Governor's Headquarters and hand it over to Lord Yang for disposal."

So the urgent report was sealed again and sent by fast horse to Yang Sichang's direction...

At this time, Yang Sichang had just received the order to be the commander-in-chief in Beijing and bid farewell to Emperor Chongzhen before heading south. He traveled all the way to the territory of Nanyang Prefecture in Henan Province, and was less than 300 li away from Xiangyang in Huguang Province.

Yang Sichang was indeed a capable official. He passed the imperial examination in the 38th year of the Wanli reign (1619). During his tenure as an official in the Tianqi reign (1620), he refused to curry favor with the eunuch faction led by Wei Zhongxian, and thus remained at home to observe mourning for his parents.

This loyal minister, who remained steadfast in his principles, was naturally reinstated during the Chongzhen reign and served successively as Vice Minister of Revenue and Minister of War, earning the deep trust of Emperor Chongzhen.

However, his expression and mood were not good at this moment.

While other officials worried about not being recognized for their talents, he was somewhat doubtful of his own abilities.

Although Xiong Wencan was the mastermind behind the attempt to appease Zhang Xianzhong, it was he who secretly supported it...

He himself had arrived as the commander-in-chief precisely because of Xiong Wencan's defeat, but if he failed to suppress the bandits, his fate would be no better than Xiong Wencan's.

You must know that His Majesty in the capital, thousands of miles away, is quite fickle.

Alas, it is truly difficult to annihilate the rebels!

Battle reports kept coming from the Yunxiang area. Zhang Xianzhong led tens of thousands of troops to garrison in the mountains of Fang County and Zhushan. Generals such as Zuo Liangyu refused to obey orders, and the encirclement could not be formed for a long time.

Food and provisions were scarce in various parts of Huguang, the garrison troops were exhausted, and the situation for suppressing the bandits had deteriorated.

Yang Sichang was troubled by these problems, and there was absolutely no possibility of completely eradicating them in a short period of time!

So... will His Majesty in the capital dismiss himself from his post because of this?

Just as Yang Sichang was frowning and sighing as he looked at the map of Huguang, an urgent report from Shaoyang County, forwarded by Xiong Wencan from Xiangyang, arrived at the Nanyang headquarters.

Yang Sichang opened the scroll, glanced at it, slammed his fist on the table, and burst into a tirade that echoed throughout the post station.

His personal guards and accompanying generals were all alarmed and rushed in to pay their respects. They found Yang Sichang with a flushed face, his urgent report crumpled in his hand, and his usually refined face full of anger. He even uttered some vulgarities—a sight that none of his companions had ever seen before.

The generals thought that the rebel Zhang Xianzhong had made some big move again. Upon seeing this, they hurriedly took the urgent report and passed it around. However, after reading it, they all looked at each other in bewilderment.

What is this?

It's just some obscure little county that's been taken over by a mob.

What's there to be angry about?

Although the county attached to Baoqing Prefecture has been lost, at worst the new prefect can be temporarily stationed in Xinhua County and the county can be recaptured at another opportune time. Moreover, Shaoyang has no mountains to rely on, unlike the Fangzhu Mountains occupied by Zhang Xianzhong. It should not be too difficult for the local troops from Huguang to suppress it. In the context of the current situation of suppressing bandits, it can even be considered an easy achievement!

This is a good thing; I can now claim credit from my superiors!

Moreover, judging from the letter this young man wrote, he is still quite wary of the imperial court; his tone and behavior can be described as humble, as if he could be easily subdued without a major military campaign.

However, what the generals didn't know was that Yang Sichang's anger wasn't because Zhang Da had occupied Shaoyang, but because Zhang Da's actions were so similar to Zhang Xianzhong's that they had broken his guard.

What about paying grain tax, cutting hair to swear an oath, and releasing family members?

It's all fake! It's all fake! This despicable tactic of feigning surrender is exactly the same as Zhang Xianzhong's feigned surrender and acceptance of the peace in Gucheng while secretly amassing military power!

I trusted that scoundrel Zhang Xianzhong back then, which led to the devastation of Chu. Now I see another Zhang Da doing the same thing, causing chaos in Chu.

What is this if not a provocation?

Yang Sichang grew angrier the more he thought about it. His face had turned deathly pale, and his whole body was trembling slightly. He said in a deep, angry voice...

"If this traitor is not eliminated, I swear I am not worthy to be a man! I hereby order that troops be dispatched to annihilate the rebel Zhang Da, and that we wipe him out in one fell swoop while his base is still unstable!"

Upon hearing this, all the generals in the tent looked troubled, and the first to speak up and dissuade them was General Meng Ruhu (real name).

"Commander, please reconsider! Central Hunan is not the core area for suppressing the bandits; it is mountainous and far away. Moreover, this man seems... to be able to speak reasonably. It would be better to send someone to appease him and stabilize his mind first. After the bandits are pacified, if he still dares to rebel, it will not be too late to return and suppress him!"

The other generals echoed this sentiment, all saying that the priority at this time should be to besiege Zhang Xianzhong, and that the matter of Shaoyang could be delayed rather than rushed, so there was no need for the commander-in-chief to spend time mobilizing troops.

Upon hearing this, Yang Sichang burst into laughter, unable to stop for a moment, yet his laughter was filled with only coldness and bitterness.

"Back then, all the officials secretly promised Xiong Wencan to keep Zhang Xianzhong in check and wait for him to relax before making a move. What was the result? Now, Zhang Da's actions are just another Zhang Xianzhong. If we continue to seek stability, the entire Chu region will fall into the hands of the enemy!"

He pointed to Shaoyang County on the map, his voice suddenly rising.

"The generals only talk about encircling and surrendering the enemy, but they do not consider that if Hunan is in chaos, or if the north and south coordinate, our army will be attacked from both sides! Although Zhang Da is insignificant, he dares to openly defy orders. If we do not eliminate him quickly, how can we establish our military prestige?"

"Wouldn't it be enough to have the local troops of Huguang suppress them? Why not send elite troops for a swift and decisive battle, both to quell the minor unrest in Hunan and to deter the bandits in Chu? What could be better?"

Yang Sichang's words caused a moment of silence in the tent, but some generals still hesitated. Seeing that the generals still had objections, he looked at Wan Yuanji, the assistant commissioner beside him.

"Yuanji, you are known for your strategic thinking. What are your thoughts on this matter?"

Wan Yuanji had served Yang Sichang since Yang Sichang was Minister of War. Yang Sichang's request for his opinion this time was naturally intended to elicit his voice.

"The Commander-in-Chief is wise; what he says is absolutely right."

After hesitating for a moment, Wan Yuanji finally went against his conscience and said those words.

"good!"

Just as Yang Sichang was about to give the order, someone in the tent spoke up again to object. This person was He Renlong, the general of Shaanxi.

He Renlong, a soldier by origin, was brave and skilled in battle, known as "Crazy He." He had followed Sun Chuanting and Hong Chengchou in suppressing bandits and enjoyed high prestige in the army. This time, Yang Sichang, the military governor, ordered him to lead his troops in a joint suppression campaign. He Renlong was stationed in Yunxiang with Zheng Chongjian, the governor of Shaanxi's three border regions, when they happened to be discussing matters at the Nanyang headquarters. He then spoke out against the order.

"Commander-in-Chief, I still maintain that Shaoyang County is just an isolated city, and that bandit is nothing but a rabble. If we really want to fight, the Huguang military commander can lead the local troops to wipe them out. Why bother mobilizing so many troops? Now that Fangzhu is about to be besieged, we should focus on dealing with Zhang Xianzhong. This small matter in Hunan can be handled by the Huguang governor. There is really no need for you to be distracted!"

After saying this, He Renlong was met with a glare from Yang Sichang. However, after glaring at He Renlong for a moment, he finally sighed softly and compromised.

"Order Huang Chaoxuan, the military commander of Huguang, to lead 1,000 soldiers from the surrounding garrisons of Shaoyang County and 500 soldiers from the camps, and head north from Changsha directly to Shaoyang County."

He also ordered Zhou Fengqi, the deputy general of Yunxiang, to lead 500 light cavalry as a feint and garrison north of Baoqing Prefecture to prevent Zhang Da from fleeing north and joining forces with Zhang Xianzhong!

Within one month, Zhang Da must be pacified and his head brought to the emperor. This matter will be overseen by Song Yihe, the governor of Huguang. There is no need to... deploy elite troops from the north."

……

……

Nanyang Prefecture in Henan was cooler than Huguang. In the dead of night, Yang Sichang tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He got up and went to the high platform of Nanyang Post Station. He looked at the southern sky and then stared at the bright, white moon, lost in thought.

He raised his hand and stroked the imperial sword at his waist, murmuring...

"May God bless the Ming Dynasty... May God bless the Ming Dynasty!"