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

Feng Shuangli was a ruthless man. He was a veteran general under Zhang Xianzhong, having fought alongside him for over ten years. He was fierce, cunning, and ruthless in his military tactics. His troops were mostly veteran soldiers from Sichuan, far superior to the soldiers from the Huguang garrison.

With 30,000 soldiers (likely an exaggeration) and 50,000 refugees, their fighting power is astonishing. If he were to take Hengzhou, the consequences would be unimaginable!

Everyone in the tent understood this reasoning and supported Zhang Da's decision to fight this battle.

"Therefore, we must fight this battle, and we must fight it immediately with all our might! There is only one goal—to rush to Hengzhou's aid and defeat Feng Shuangli!" Zhang Da said decisively, leaving no room for doubt.

At this moment, Zhang Wen, who was standing to the side, said anxiously

"Brother, should we send out all our forces? Baoqing is our base. If we send out all our main forces, our rear will be vulnerable. What if we lose it..."

This was precisely what everyone was most worried about. Zhang Da's direct elite troops numbered only 3,800, plus newly formed local militia and civilians, totaling 12,000 men, which amounted to no more than 16,000. If four-fifths of them were to be sent on the expedition, leaving only 3,000 soldiers to garrison cities like Shaoyang, Wugang, and Xinhua, the risk would be extremely high.

However, Zhang Da was confident, thinking that everything should be fine here.

"This is a minor matter. We are already well-positioned here, with the city and mountains crisscrossing each other. Moreover, I have ordered the censorate to burn down the plank roads and bridges along the way, and left three thousand troops to guard the three major passes of Baima Pass, Jukou Pass, and Fengmuling Pass. They will not be able to break in."

"Brother, what if?"

This time it was Zhou Wenqu who spoke up. Even after hearing his thoughts, he was still very worried.

"Brother, don't underestimate the enemy. You must know that Zhang Xianzhong has been able to roam Huguang and Sichuan for so long. He wouldn't have survived this long without some siege capabilities. What if..."

"There's no 'what if'!"

Zhang Da was getting annoyed. In his opinion, the probability of him fighting Feng Shuangli and losing to him, or Zhang Xianzhong opening up the other two routes and then leading his troops to attack him again, was much greater than the probability of him launching a sneak attack on his main camp.

Moreover, war is inherently risky; it's all about whether you can withstand the risks and take appropriate precautions.

We are all still too much like scholars!

"Since I took charge of Baoqing, I have executed corrupt officials, distributed land, abolished exorbitant taxes, and provided refugee shelter. The people live in peace and prosperity, and everyone is willing to fight to the death for me. If any enemy troops manage to take advantage of the situation and invade, then I will have the generals stationed in the city organize the local people and militia to defend the city."

Zhang Da felt everything was foolproof, and after thinking about it carefully, he said...

"Moreover, Zhang Xianzhong's veteran troops have been on a long and arduous campaign, exhausted and surely running out of supplies and demoralized. Feng Shuangli, on the other hand, has penetrated deep into enemy territory alone, with no reinforcements in sight. Zhang Xianzhong's main force is still outside Changsha and unable to provide timely support. I simply don't believe they would dare to come after all this. And if they did, could they possibly defeat us?"

Even so, the generals were still somewhat fearful, and some even wanted to persuade Zhang Da to leave more troops in Shaoyang County, at least to protect Shaoyang, since his family was there...

"Gentlemen, there's no need for further discussion. Feng Shuangli's army has penetrated deep into enemy territory alone and is not yet firmly established. As long as our army launches a swift and decisive attack, we can defeat them in one fell swoop. Sending troops now is precisely to catch them off guard and strike when they are exhausted and retreating!"

After speaking, Zhang Da looked at everyone, his gaze sweeping over Zhang Wen, Zhou Wenqu, Wang Tui, Li Dan, Sun Liu, Li Er, and all the key members, and began to arrange the division of labor for this battle.

"In this battle, I will personally lead the army! Zhou Wenqu will serve as the strategist, advising on military matters; Zhang Wen will lead the vanguard, with a thousand elite soldiers clearing the way; Wang Tui will lead the reconnaissance department, with scouts scattered to investigate the enemy's movements; Li Dan will lead the criminal investigation department, supervising the battle and maintaining discipline to prevent the army's morale from wavering; Sun Liu and Li Er will each lead a contingent of soldiers to accompany my main force to reinforce Hengzhou!"

"All generals will accompany the army on the expedition! Baoqing will remain in charge, with only elderly and weak officials and local militia entrusted to the two ladies and the prefect of Wugang!"

Left with no other choice, everyone could only nod in agreement.

"I will obey your command, my lord! I will go through fire and water, even unto death!"

Afterwards, when Zhang Da learned that Li Dingguo had also come to participate in the battle and was very close to him, he was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat.

When Li Dingguo learned that Zhang Da had actually sent out all his troops, he was filled with regret and slapped his thigh in frustration.

Of course, that's all in the future.

At this time, Zhang Da was only concerned with other military matters.

"How is the military reorganization progressing?"

Zhou Wenqu bowed

"Reporting to Lord Baoqing, everything is ready! Baoqing Prefecture, which administers four counties and one prefecture—Shaoyang, Xinhua, Xinning, Chengbu, and Wugang—has assembled 13,000 soldiers, local militia, and civilian laborers at the drill ground on the banks of the Zi River! Weapons, provisions, and tents are all prepared, awaiting only your order to depart immediately!"

Zhou Wenqu paused, then added.

"There are also ten small red-coated cannons, two hundred muskets, three thousand long spears, and four thousand curved swords, all of which have been provided."

"Alright!" Zhang Da's eyes flashed with a sharp light as he suppressed his pain. "Follow me out of the tent, let's swear an oath and go to war!"

As they were talking, the crowd surrounded Zhang Da and led him out of the Wugang headquarters.

Outside, a biting wind howled, low-hanging clouds hung in the sky, and the Zi River roared eastward with thunderous waves. On the riverbank, the grass and trees were withered and yellow, and the frost was biting, presenting a desolate scene of a chaotic world.

On this training ground by the river, thirteen thousand soldiers stood in formation, their armor gleaming, their swords and spears like a forest, their banners obscuring the sky.

This is the elite force that Zhang Da painstakingly trained over six months.

The three thousand eight hundred soldiers were all from good families, clad in iron armor, strong and well-trained. The nine thousand local militia and civilians, though poorly equipped, were all young men who had experienced the chaos of war and longed for peace. They carried machetes and hoes at their waists, their eyes resolute. They had all received the kindness of Zhang Da's tax reduction and land redistribution and were willing to fight to the death for their homeland.

The entire army was divided into three armies: the vanguard, the central force, and the rearguard. On the left were 500 cavalry, and on the right were 12,500 infantry. Ten small red-coated cannons were set up in front of the battle lines, and supply wagons, medical wagons, and ordnance wagons were lined up in order.

Zhanbing's chest was embroidered with the two characters "Baoqing" (originally, they wanted to embroider the character "Zhang", but Zhang Da thought it would be too conspicuous, so they gave up on that idea).

The local militia wore blue headscarves and white cloths wrapped around their arms.

At this moment, sunlight pierced through the clouds, shining on the swords and spears, reflecting a chilling light. The river wind stirred the banners, and the large banner with the character "Zhang" and the military flag of "Baoqing" fluttered loudly, their sound echoing across the fields.

Very magnificent... wait, something seems off?

Standing on the command platform, Zhang Da's gaze swept over the soldiers below, but he keenly sensed something amiss.

The soldiers stood upright, but few showed any fighting spirit. Many had dull eyes, and some even looked resentful and confused.

"Little Zhuge, have you been shortchanging the brothers on provisions? Why is it like this?"

Zhou Wenqu also noticed this phenomenon, and Zhang Da, who was standing next to him, had already changed his expression and hurriedly began to explain.

"Brother, several of our brothers are reluctant to fight this battle..."

Damn it! Soldiers who don't fight battles are strolling around West Lake with women—they deserve to die!

Zhang Da was about to start cursing when he suddenly noticed Zhou Wenqu's hesitant expression. After a moment's thought, he suddenly understood the reason.

Indeed, even sons from respectable families have their flaws.

These soldiers were mostly local residents of Baoqing. In the past, countless people had suffered from the government's exorbitant taxes and levies, resulting in the destruction of their families and the deaths of many. Naturally, they harbored deep hatred for the Ming Dynasty.

Zhang Xianzhong's rebellion, launched under the banner of killing corrupt officials, distributing land, and "acting on behalf of Heaven," made him a genuine "righteous army" in the eyes of the people.

If it weren't for Zhang Da's administration of Baoqing, which reduced taxes, distributed land, and protected the people, giving them a way to survive, they would probably have already secretly run away to join Zhang Xianzhong.

They've already shown Zhang Da enough respect; why would they want them to fight as a righteous army "acting on behalf of Heaven"? How could they possibly be willing to serve the oppressive princes and the imperial court?

This is bad. The morale of the troops is already low before the battle even begins. This battle is bound to end badly.

It won't work if we don't calm the morale of the troops.

Zhang Da took a deep breath, stepped to the front of the command platform, and slowly swept his gaze over the thirteen thousand soldiers, beginning his brainwashing.

"It seems that you brothers harbor resentment, confusion, and discontent!"

The entire arena fell silent. Countless soldiers raised their heads to look at the pale yet upright figure on the stage.

"Brothers, you hate the Ming government, you hate the exorbitant taxes and levies, you hate the corrupt officials and gentry, you hate the princes who seize fertile land and drain the people's wealth! Don't I, Zhang Da, hate them just as much as you do?"

"My father was extorted and driven to despair by the grain commissioner, and died with resentment! I raised an army in Shaoyang, killed corrupt officials, and opened the granaries, all to uphold justice, to ensure that everyone has food to eat, clothes to wear, and land to cultivate, so that they can survive in this chaotic world!"

At this point, Zhang Da suddenly raised his voice, as if all his bodily functions had been restored, his tone sharp and stern.

"But is Zhang Xianzhong today the same Zhang Xianzhong who stood up for the people back then?!"

"Since Zhang Xianzhong entered Sichuan, he has slaughtered cities and harmed the people, leaving thousands of miles deserted. He has taken refugees with him, abandoned the old and weak by the roadside, and forced women and children into prostitution. Wherever he goes, no one is spared and all houses are destroyed! His so-called opening of granaries and distribution of grain is nothing more than using the people's blood and sweat to buy their hearts. He then turns around and levies exorbitant taxes. He is hypocritical and cruel."

"Did he really do it for the people by dividing his forces into three routes to attack the four vassal states of Jing, Hui, Ji, and Gui? It was nothing more than to plunder the vassal kings' gold, silver, treasures, fertile land, and grain to expand his own power, become his founding emperor, and make you all his cannon fodder and slaves!"

"He sent assassins to infiltrate my Baoqing and kill me, all in order to raze central Hunan and utterly destroy the land, food, and peaceful life you have just gained! To make you vagrants again, with wives and children separated, and families destroyed!"

Zhang Da suddenly realized how important it was to seize the high ground in public opinion; no wonder military expeditions always required a legitimate reason. Pointing towards Hengzhou, Zhang Da said...

"Feng Shuangli has captured Hengyang, slaughtered three thousand civilians, and burned over a hundred villages. Wherever he goes, there is only lamentation! He is not a righteous army, but a pack of wolves! A man-eating demon! The people of Hengyang, who were living in peace and prosperity, have become ghosts because of the invasion of bandits. Do you want Baoqing to become the next Hengyang?!"

"We are sending troops today not for the Ming Dynasty, nor for those arrogant and domineering princes!"

"It's to protect our own homes! To protect the land we were allocated! To protect our wives, children, and elderly parents! To protect this rare and pristine land of Baoqing!"

"We do not oppose the people, nor do we oppose justice, but we oppose the bandits who slaughter our compatriots! We oppose the jackals who destroy our homeland!"

"Zhang Xianzhong wants to destroy our homes, so we'll take up arms and drive him out! Feng Shuangli wants to kill our loved ones, so we'll fight to the death and tear him to pieces!"

By this time, the crowd below had already reacted. Zhang Da felt the time was right, so he drew his sword from his waist, the blade pointing towards the sky, its cold light gleaming.

"Today, I, Zhang Da, hereby swear: I will live and die with my brothers, and I will not return until the bandits are defeated! Those who harm my brothers, I will kill! Those who destroy my homes, I will annihilate!"