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

21st, midnight

The Baima Pass marks the border between Sichuan and Hubei provinces.

This pass is the most dangerous part of the salt road, with sheer cliffs hundreds of feet high on both sides and a stone gate in the middle, only wide enough for two people to walk side by side.

So the Ming army set up a beacon tower here, stationing thirty soldiers, thinking that one man could hold off ten thousand. Unfortunately, the soldiers here were all old and weak garrison troops, who usually only checked for smuggled salt and accepted bribes. As for guarding the pass... well...

The night was pitch black, and the cold wind whistling through the treetops created a mournful, ghostly sound, which perfectly blocked out all sight and sound.

Then, in the dense forest on the west side of the pass, dark shadows surged forth like a tide.

Perhaps this operation was of great importance, a matter of life or death, so Zhang Xianzhong, dressed in black and wielding a thick-backed broadsword, took the lead and personally participated in the battle on the front lines to boost morale.

Behind Zhang Xianzhong were 1,200 veteran soldiers, each armed with a short knife and ropes, holding their breath as low as possible, ready to strike...

"superior!"

With a low shout, the group rushed straight to the stone gate of the pass.

At this moment, the Ming soldiers guarding the pass were gambling around the stove, the door bolt was ajar, and there wasn't even a sentry on duty. Zhang Xianzhong cleaved the bolt in two with a single stroke, the blade penetrating deep into the wood, and then shouted fiercely...

"kill!"

Flames suddenly erupted, and screams instantly tore through the darkness.

Caught off guard, the Ming army hadn't even touched their weapons before being cut down by the veteran soldiers. The centurion guarding the pass had just grabbed his sword when Zhang Xianzhong leaped forward, his blade slashing horizontally, sending a head flying into the air, blood splattering everywhere.

"Quickly! Light the beacon fires—"

A soldier rushed towards the beacon fire with his life on the line, but before he could finish speaking, he was pierced through the chest by three short arrows at the same time and fell onto the pile of firewood, convulsing.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, all thirty guards were killed, with no survivors, and not even a complete alarm could be sounded.

Zhang Xianzhong ordered the stone gate to be opened, and then strode into the pass. At this moment, blood dripped from his blade, blooming into blood plum blossoms on the bluestone slabs, as sacred as lotus flowers blooming with each step.

Zhang Xianzhong looked up towards the east, where the sky was beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn—he had once again arrived in the Hubei and Hunan region.

"Send the order!" Zhang Xianzhong's voice echoed through the valley, "The entire army must advance at full speed without stopping, and march straight for Zhushan County!"

At this time, Li Dingguo and Sun Kewang's feigned attack had entangled Zuo Liangyu at Daning Pass, which was precisely the time for Zhang Xianzhong's troops to launch a full-scale attack.

Military orders are absolute, and the veteran soldiers of the old camp swept eastward like a black wind along the salt road.

Salt merchants and mountain dwellers along the way, upon seeing the army pass by, were not afraid at all. Instead, they brought food and drink and knelt by the roadside to see them off.

During the Ming Dynasty, official salt was extremely expensive, and smuggled salt was strictly controlled. Salt workers toiled year-round, yet often went hungry, and harbored deep resentment towards the government. Meanwhile, Zhang Xianzhong opened granaries and distributed grain along the way to relieve famine. In just half a day, over a thousand mountain dwellers and salt workers along the route joined his army and marched eastward with the main force.

At dawn, the army arrived outside Zhushan County.

The county town's four gates were tightly closed, and there were very few soldiers guarding the city walls. The county magistrate was fast asleep with his wives and concubines in his arms, and he thought that a victory report had come from Daning Pass. He even forgot to strengthen the defenses on the city walls.

Zhang Xianzhong stood at the foot of the city wall, gazing once more at the low walls he had once conquered, and sneered.

"This tiny little town dares to block my way? Set up your cannons!"

Ten small red cannons were quickly set up behind him, their muzzles aimed at the city gate.

"fire!"

The deafening roar shook the heavens and the city gates shattered, splintering wood everywhere. The elite soldiers of the old camp swarmed in, and the defenders on the city walls collapsed at the first touch, scattering and fleeing in all directions.

As the sun rose over the eastern mountains, Zhang Xianzhong had already set foot in the Zhushan County government office. The county magistrate was dragged out of bed and knelt down begging for mercy.

However, Zhang Xianzhong didn't even look at him, and with a single stroke of his sword, he ended the corrupt official's life.

"Take inventory of the supplies!"

Zhang Xianzhong strode up to the city wall, gazing at the vast plains of Hubei and Hunan to the east. Beyond the endless mountains of Sichuan, not only his vision broadened, but his heart also felt expansive once more. His eyes gleamed with ambition to conquer the world.

At this moment, Zhang Xianzhong's generals and others all knelt on one knee, ready to receive his next order.

The army was divided into three routes.

The first route, led by Liu Wenxiu with 3,000 men, was to capture Fang County.

The second force, led by Ai Nengqi, consisted of two thousand men. They were to capture Xingshan and Guizhou, control the ferry crossings on the north bank of the Yangtze River, and guard against the Huguang navy advancing down the river!

The third route then followed the lord to Zhushan, where they cleared out the remaining troops, pacified the people, and gathered displaced people. After a day of rest, they headed south!

The generals responded with a thunderous roar, their voices echoing across the fields.

Just as Zhang Xianzhong was deploying his troops, a spy, covered in dust and scrambling through the air, rushed into the county government office, knelt down, and urgently reported...

"Reporting to the Eighth Prince! Urgent report from central Hunan—martial law is in effect throughout Baoqing Prefecture. Wugang Prefecture and Shaoyang County have kept their city gates closed for days, with strict checks on entry and exit. Rumors are circulating…rumors are circulating that Zhang Da has been assassinated!"

Zhang Xianzhong whirled around, his eyes gleaming, and strode up to the spy, grabbing him by the collar and demanding an explanation.

"Assassinated?! Is she dead?! What about Zhang Feng'e?!"

"No... I don't know! Baoqing Prefecture has strictly controlled the news, only saying that Zhang Da 'caught a slight cold and is resting at home.' However, in the past eight or nine days, Zhang Da has not been seen at all. The prefectural government office and military camp are under the temporary management of Zhang Wen and Zhou Wenqu. Martial law is in effect everywhere, and the atmosphere is extremely strange. That's why some people are making this speculation!"

"Nine days..." Zhang Xianzhong released his grip and slowly retreated, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

How could Zhang Xianzhong not hate Zhang Da?

This man fawned on Yang Sichang, offering schemes to blockade eastern Sichuan, repeatedly thwarting his plans. It's pitiful that he had previously tried to win over Zhang Da.

They should have been eliminated long ago!

Now, Zhang Da has been assassinated and his fate is unknown, while Zhang Feng'e has disappeared without a trace.

Zhang Xianzhong closed his eyes, and the image of Zhang Feng'e's resolute back before her departure flashed through his mind.

Nine days have passed without any news... Given Zhang Da's personality, if he were still alive, he would definitely show up immediately to stabilize morale and intimidate all sides; he would never have remained silent for nine days.

"Haha...good...good Zhang Da! Haha!" Zhang Xianzhong suddenly opened his eyes, threw his head back and laughed, his laughter carrying a hint of ruthlessness and a hint of relief. "In the end, I still fell into Feng'e's hands! Hehe, in the end, it was because I was not in the favor of Heaven that I died so young. It seems that I can no longer compete with you."

Now that Zhang Da is dead, isn't Baoqing Prefecture vulnerable? We can take advantage of this situation!

This is exactly what I wanted!

"Heaven has eyes!" Zhang Xianzhong swung his sword, cleaving the corner of the table in two. "With Zhang Dayi dead, the dragons of central Hunan are leaderless. The four counties and one prefecture of Baoqing are now ours! Without his right-hand man, let's see how Yang Sichang will try to stop me!"

Liu Wenxiu stepped forward and bowed.

"Father, now that Zhang Da is dead, should our army immediately march south, seize Baoqing, and occupy the granary of central Hunan?"

Zhang Xianzhong waved his hand, showing no panic upon hearing the news of Zhang Da's death.

"No rush. Baoqing is right there. Yang Sichang's main force is still in eastern Sichuan. Our army has just entered Huguang and its foundation is not yet stable. We should first take the important places with money and grain, and the fiefdoms of the princes to replenish military supplies, expand the army and prepare for war, and then it will not be too late to take Hunan."

Zhang Xianzhong walked up to the map and said fiercely.

"The Ming Dynasty is ruined by its vassal kings. These members of the Zhu Ming imperial family have seized fertile land and hoarded gold and silver, which has long aroused the wrath of the people. By taking action against them, we can not only seize grain to support our army, but also win over the hearts of the people."

Since the incident involving Zhu Di, the vassal kings have completely lost their military power.

They have a lot of money and are easy to bully.

If we don't fight them, who should we fight?

Zhang Xianzhong looked at the territory designated for his fiefdom on the map and began to consider it carefully.

"Qizhou, the fiefdom of the Prince of Jing, is the gateway to the south of Hubei and Hunan. Prince Zhu Cikui of Jing has inherited this place. His royal palace has accumulated millions in wealth and has mountains of grain. Moreover, after taking Qizhou, he can control the Yangtze River waterway."

"We will take Jingzhou, the fiefdom of King Hui, to the west. Jingzhou was originally a strategically important military location, and it also housed the former residences of three generations of vassal kings: the King of Chu, the King of Xiang, and the King of Liao. Its wealth was immense!"

"There are also the Prince of Gui and the Prince of Ji—Prince Gui, Zhu Changying, is enfeoffed in Hengzhou, and Prince Ji, Zhu Jianjun, is enfeoffed in Changsha. These two princes occupy northern Hunan, possessing vast tracts of fertile land and grain ships lining the river. It is the most prosperous region in Huguang, and the closest to Baoqing. Once our army has captured Jingzhou and Qizhou, we will immediately march south and sweep across northern Hunan. At that time, Baoqing will be isolated and helpless, and will surrender without a fight!"

With each place mentioned, Zhang Xianzhong would make a heavy mark on the map, his imposing manner as if the entire Hubei and Hunan provinces were already in his grasp.

However, Ai Nengqi was somewhat uneasy at this moment, and frowned as he asked...

"The Prince of Gui and the Prince of Ji are only a few hundred miles from Baoqing. If our army marches south, will it alert the garrison in central Hunan and force them to prepare for battle ahead of schedule?"

"So be it, let them disturb us!" Zhang Xianzhong laughed heartily, displaying the full force of a ruthless warlord.

"Zhang Da is dead, and Hunan is leaderless, a disorganized mess! They're barely able to protect themselves, how dare they send troops to rescue the prince? By the time they realize what's happening, we'll have already captured Hengzhou and Changsha, reached the Xiang River, and our army will be heading straight for Baoqing!"

He paused, his tone becoming increasingly harsh.

"At that time, refugees from all over the world will flock to join us. Within a month, our army will expand to 100,000. Then, not only Baoqing, but the entire Huguang, Sichuan, and Henan regions will be ours!"

The generals were also filled with fervor upon hearing this, and they all bowed in unison.

"Your Majesty's vision is truly admirable!"

Zhang Xianzhong walked to the entrance of the county government office, gazing at the rising sun in the east. The cold wind whipped his cloak, making it flutter loudly.

He seemed to have already seen:

When Jingzhou fell, Prince Hui, Zhu Changrun, knelt down and begged for mercy.

After the fall of Qizhou, the Prince of Jing's mansion was piled high with gold and silver.

The banners bearing the character "闯" (Chuang, meaning "brave") of the Great Western Army were planted atop the city walls of Hengzhou and Changsha.

Baoqing in central Hunan surrendered without a fight, becoming the granary heartland for his quest to conquer the world.

"Send the order!" Zhang Xianzhong's voice shook the surrounding area. "At dawn tomorrow, divide your forces into three routes and march straight for Qizhou, Jingzhou, and Hengzhou!"

"Here you go!"

The three armies responded in unison, their voices shaking the heavens and startling countless birds into flight from the forest.