The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

"Li Ziguo really kept a low profile and bided his time..."

Yang Sichang lowered his eyebrows, his eyes were full of murderous intent, and his heart was full of cold thoughts.

As early as the eleventh year of Chongzhen, Li Zicheng's sudden defeat made Yang Sichang realize that something was wrong.

Yang Sichang had already drawn up an encirclement and suppression plan, preparing to mobilize heavy troops from Sichuan and Shaanxi to search the mountains and surround the valleys. He would kill Li Zicheng even if he had to dig three feet into the ground, and kill all the remnants of the intruders who had fled into the deep mountains and old forests. Kill to avoid future trouble.

It was just that the Qing army's sudden move south broke all Yang Sichang's plans.

Facing the Qing army that marched south to invade, the emperor believed that now that the rogue bandits in the pass had weakened, he could dispatch elite troops from three sides to defend the capital and come to serve the king.

Yang Sichang did not agree with the recruitment of the Shaanxi Bingqin King from the beginning, but the emperor's golden words did not allow him to refuse.

At that time, Shaanxi was still unstable, and Li Zicheng's sudden defeat also made Yang Sichang feel full of mysteries.

At that time, Li Zicheng was clearly at the peak of the sun, fighting in places thousands of miles away, affecting the armies of the three sides, repeatedly jumping out of the encirclement of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses from Sichuan and Shaanxi, and then even defeated the government troops in a row, advancing with great success.

But in the end, they plunged into a desperate situation, gave up their advantage of mobility, and instead started fighting positional warfare, which they were least good at.

original.

All of this is just a temporary bid to hide one's capabilities and bide one's time, just waiting to take off!

Looking at the vast white countryside, Yang Sichang stretched out his hand and slowly stroked the white snow on the wall in front of him.

The icy chill penetrated deep into the bone marrow along the melting white snow, sobering up Yang Sichang's originally groggy mind.

"The situation has changed now, and it is completely different from when the bandits first started."

Yang Sichang raised his hand. The ice and snow in his hand had melted, leaving only a little ice water.

The more he learned, the more Yang Sichang realized how chaotic and complicated the current situation was.

"The civil uprising in Guan Nei started in the seventh year of the Apocalypse. It has been twelve years now. It has gone through several ups and downs, but in the end it cannot be extinguished. Instead, it has become more and more intense."

After a year of rest and development, today's bandits are already far different from when they first started, and this year's development is more rapid than the previous twelve years.

The heart-stopping killing intent circulated in Yang Sichang's eyes.

In the ninth year of Chongzhen, Gao Yingxiang defeated Heishui Valley. The bandits were silent and thousands of horses were silent. It was the best time to eliminate the rogue bandits.

It was a pity that Lu Xiangsheng was transferred to the north because of the border situation in the North. In the end, the position of prime minister of the six provinces fell to Xiong Wencan.

The originally good situation was ruined by Xiong Wencan, a common man.

Yang Sichang's heart became colder, and his hatred for Xiong Wencan became deeper and deeper. However, Yang Sichang still did not lose his temper due to anger, and everything finally turned into a sigh.

"In the end, it is still my responsibility that led to the current situation..."

Yang Sichang sighed softly and said that the reason why Xiong Wencan was able to take office was because he didn't know people well and misbelieved the rumors, thinking that Xiong Wencan was a really capable minister, which led to this situation now.

If you do something wrong, you do something wrong. Yang Sichang has never been the kind of person who refuses to admit his mistakes.

It is precisely because people know where they went wrong, and precisely because they know where they went wrong, that they can correct their mistakes and make continuous progress.

"If you are not a saint, how can you know everything?"

Ye Guanming saw that Yang Sichang was in a low mood, and after pondering for a moment, he spoke.

"Xiong Wencan is good at serving as an official and is quiet about finding a career. He is located in a remote place in Guangdong and Guangxi. By chance, he was able to subdue the bandits in the southeast and has the reputation of being a capable minister."

"All the ministers and ministers in the court thought that this person could really succeed. It is only human nature for Duke Ming to misunderstand him."

It turned out that many things were covered up and whitewashed by Xiong Wencan, and the ministers of the Manchu Dynasty regarded Xiong Wencan as a capable minister.

As time went by, what Xiong Wencan did became more and more wrong. After investigation, Yang Sichang learned that the reason why Xiong Wencan was able to quell the Southeast pirates was actually because Zheng Zhilong had long wanted to join him.

When Xiong Wencan was the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, not only did he have no achievements, but he also made mistakes. Everything that was originally a sure thing was ruined because of his greed for money.

"The current chaos within the customs is far from being out of control."

"It's never too late to look after the dog when you see a rabbit; it's never too late to mend a lost sheep."

After his father Yang He was convicted, Yang Sichang stood firm in the court as a lone minister, gained Chongzhen's trust, and was even promoted to a cabinet minister. Naturally, he was not an ordinary person.

For Yang Sichang, his depression was extremely short-lived, and he could recover quickly even without Ye Guanming.

"You are right. Although the current situation is extremely bad, it is indeed not out of control yet."

Yang Sichang's expression softened slightly, and the gloom in his eyes dissipated a lot.

After suffering a setback, he gained wisdom. After what happened with Xiong Wencan, Yang Sichang became much more prudent again.

Hearing is believing, seeing is believing. Yang Sichang confirmed many things again and again.

The main reason why he left Chen Wang to guard Yunyang and Hanzhong this time was indeed because Hanzhong and Yunyang were extremely important and must be guarded by a heavy general.

The secondary reason was an investigation of Chen Wang, to see what kind of mentality Chen Wang had, whether he was loyal, talented, and whether he could be utilized.

The victory at Qingshan Pass only proved Chen Wang's bravery and the elite troops under his command.

At present, it seems that Chen Wang is not only brave, but also a talented general, and he is loyal to the country.

The military orders he issued were always followed. Although there were times when they were not implemented immediately due to the war situation, messages were sent out explaining the details.

Yang Sichang tried several times, and after Chen Wang sent the message, he issued an order to force Chen Wang to advance and suppress. Then Chen Wang followed his plan and went to suppress, without disobeying.

So now I have a very good impression of Chen Wang and Yang Sichang.

It is a pity that Hanzhong and Yunyang Prefectures are crucial in the entire suppression, and they must have a heavy general to defend them.

"Nowadays, rogue bandits are everywhere and wars are everywhere. Wiping them all out will not happen overnight."

"What Ming Gong said is the solution to the current crisis."

Ye Guanming bowed slightly and agreed.

"Six provinces are attacking at the same time, and they are attacking from all sides. The current situation looks very threatening, but in fact the only rogue bandits that have become popular are Li Zicheng, Zhang Luo, and the three troops of the Fifth Battalion of Gezuo."

"As long as these three bandits are defeated, the reputation of the bandits will surely plummet, and they can be eliminated with just a hand."

"Do not."

Yang Sichang slowly shook his head and rejected Ye Guanming's statement.

"Not three, only two."

Ye Guanming looked slightly stern and said doubtfully.

"Please forgive the students for their ignorance, and please give me some guidance."

Yang Sichang withdrew his hand, stood with his hands behind his back, raised his head and said calmly. "The five camps of Gezuo are entrenched in the Yinghuo Mountains. They base their camps on the mountains and form formations. Although there are many people and powerful forces, the damage is limited. They have the intention of settling in a corner and have no ambition to plan for the world. In fact, it is not enough."

"There are only two thieves in the world, Li Zicheng and Zhang Luo."

The scale of rogue bandits was much smaller than in the early days of the civil uprising, and they were no longer in the tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands.

The combined main force of Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai is only 20,000 people, and Li Zicheng, who is currently stirring up trouble in Shaanxi, only has more than 10,000 people.

But precisely because of this, the resurgence of the rogue bandits this time is even more terrifying.

Because this proves that the rogue bandits are changing their previous tactics and ideas. They are beginning to develop in the direction of power. They are improving their troops and streamlining their administration, and even restricting military discipline so as not to harm the people.

Whether it was Li Zicheng, Zhang Xianzhong, or Luo Rucai, they seldom burned, killed, or looted when they raised their troops. They hardly harmed ordinary people. Instead, they made good friends, restrained the army, used the people as eyes and ears, and pointed the finger at local officials. On the body of the gentry and landlord.

All these prove that Li Zicheng, Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai are developing in the direction of the peasant army and the forces of the separatist regime.

No matter how powerful the rogues are, they are not interested in production but only in robbery. After all, they are like rootless ducks and will be wiped out sooner or later.

But if it is allowed to transform into a peasant army, once it separates itself and becomes a king, it will greatly shake the foundation of the country.

Using copper as a mirror, you can straighten your clothes; using history as a mirror, you can know the ups and downs.

Yang Sichang read a lot of books, but he didn't understand the rise and fall of various dynasties.

The number of the Gezuo Fifth Battalion entrenched in the Yinghuo Mountains is said to exceed 50,000. Counting the surrounding bandits and bandits who rely on it, the number will be another 20,000 to 30,000.

However, the fifth battalion of Gezuo was still a rogue bandit, with no intention of separatist rule. It still coerced hungry people, drove people away, and plundered everywhere as before.

Therefore, Yang Sichang only sent Huang Digong and Sun Yingyuan to lead the Yongwei battalion to suppress the formation, and handed over the task of suppression to the local governor.

"What Mr. Ming said is true, but the student got it wrong."

Ye Guanming frowned tightly with a heavy expression. What Yang Sichang said was indeed true. The Gezuo Fifth Battalion did not pose much of a threat and had no development prospects.

Yang Sichang lowered his head slightly and lowered his voice.

"If I remember correctly, Zhang Xianzhong was in Dazhou not long ago. He defeated the Sichuan troops led by Chen Yilong and Wu Shenghua. He went north to Taiping County and headed straight towards Hanzhong Prefecture."

"Ming Gong remembers it well."

Ye Guanming looked solemn and heavy as he spoke.

"After more than ten days of stalemate, Zhang Xianzhong took advantage of the lax defense of the incoming Sichuan troops led by Chen Yilong and Wu Shenghua, and suddenly launched an attack, broke out of the siege, and headed straight for Taiping County. Now he has entered Taiping County. It seems that the plan should be We are preparing to enter Hanzhong Mansion."

There are two ways to go from Taiping County to Hanzhong Prefecture.

One is to cross Ziyang, go to Xing'an, and then go straight from Xing'an to Hanyin.

The other is the Long Drive Trail, which goes straight to Xixiang along the Yangshui River. You can walk directly into the hinterland of Hanzhong Prefecture.

Zhang Xianzhong's direct troops suffered heavy losses in the previous encirclement and suppression campaigns. Now, most of his subordinates are composed of mountain people from the Yunxiang Mountains. Walking through mountains and rivers is almost like walking on flat ground.

Shao Jiechun set up many barriers in the counties in Kuizhou Prefecture, but Zhang Xianzhong finally broke through the encirclement.

Although Shao Jiechun's commanding ability was poor and caused many mistakes, Kuizhou's mountains were high and the roads were far away and the terrain was dangerous. Zhang Xianzhong was able to break out every time. It can still be seen that Zhang Xianzhong's troops are indeed elite and adaptable.

"Zhang Xianzhong's intention to march in this way is obvious. He should be heading straight to Xixiang with the intention of entering the hinterland of Hanzhong Prefecture. It is very likely that he wants to join forces with Li Zicheng."

"Now Li Zicheng is stirring up trouble in Shaanxi, and Fengxiang, Gongchang, Pingliang, Xi'an, and Qingyang are all affected by him. Li Guoqi can barely keep Xi'an."

Yang Sichang frowned. If Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong were allowed to join forces and enter Shaanxi, there would be no way to suppress the civil uprising, and they would be trapped in a protracted pursuit and escape battle.

"The civil uprising started in Shaanxi, and the rogue bandits are familiar with the geographical location. Hong Heng's many encirclement and suppression campaigns ended in vain. We must not give up entering Hanzhong Mansion."

Ye Guanming looked relaxed and said with a smile.

"Don't worry, Ming Gong. General Chen's army swept away the rogue bandits in the northern part of Yunyang Prefecture and then returned to Xing'an. After receiving the defeat of the Dazhou Sichuan Army, he immediately led his troops to the edge of the provincial border to prevent the traitors from escaping north."

Hearing Chen Wang's name, Yang Sichang's frown relaxed a little, but soon became frowned again.

"The Sichuan troops went south, Li Guoqi went north, Cao Bianjiao was transferred to Chengtian Mansion by me, and Chen Hongfan needs to be on guard against the Yunnan bandits."

"Zhang Xianzhong is now fighting in consecutive battles, and it is difficult to defeat him. With the troops under Chen Wang's command alone..."

Ye Guanming replied.

"Commander Chen is good at training troops, and the soldiers under his command are very brave. In the past few months, the weak guards under the Hanzhong Guards have been transformed into brave soldiers who dare to fight in the wild without falling behind."

"It has been more than two months since Mr. Chen returned to Hanzhong Mansion. His main camp and his younger brother's reinforcement camp have been fully recruited. They must be quite capable."

"He also has a group of native soldiers under his command, numbering about three thousand, who are very good at fighting in the mountains. There are also more than a thousand elite soldiers led by the divine crossbow general Zhang Ling, and the total force has reached more than 12,000."

"Although Mr. Chen has many new soldiers under his command now, according to Mr. Chen's ability, he will definitely be able to defend the provincial borders and repel the invading enemies."

Ye Guanming didn't think Zhang Xianzhong had a chance to escape.

Chen Wang won two victories in two battles, one at Baituguan and one at Daliangshan. He first killed Bai Gui, the king of Xiao Qin, and then killed Chang Guoan, the king of Tuotian. This shows that he is indeed good at training troops and has skills in guarding generals.

"Zhang Xianzhong has now entered Taiping County. He is extremely powerful with consecutive victories, but in fact he is already in a desperate situation and cannot escape."

"Half an hour ago, students have received news that General Qin's eight thousand troops arrived in Wanxian County the day before yesterday. He has not had time to report to Duke Ming."

Yang Sichang's originally gloomy eyes suddenly brightened up, and his expression was no longer as heavy as before, and he smiled.

"Since General Qin has arrived at Wanxian County, Xian and you have nothing to fear."

There is only one person in the entire Ming Dynasty who can be called Old General Qin, and that is Qin Liangyu, who currently serves as the Shizhu Ambassador!

Since Qin Liangyu became a general, he has made great military achievements, and he has not been inferior to men. In the Battle of Bozhou, he defeated Yang Yinglong's army. Qin Liangyu ranked first in military achievements on the Nanchuan Road, even surpassing her husband Ma Qiancheng.

During the She'an Rebellion, She Chongming surrounded Chengdu. Zhu Xieyuan, the governor of Sichuan, sent orders to the chieftains from various towns to go and conquer.

The chieftains everywhere were greedy for bribes from the bandits and did not move.

The soldiers in each town were afraid of the momentum of the rebels and did not dare to attack.

Only Qin Liangyu led the lone army to march forward, beating drums and marching westward. He drove straight into Chengdu, defeated She Chongming, and relieved the siege of Chengdu.

The reason why the She'an Rebellion was put down was Qin Liangyu's greatest contribution.

So she was given the title of Madam, Xigaoming, the governor of Qianshi, and the commander-in-chief of the army.

As a result, the Ma and Qin clans received many awards and served as deputy generals, generals, and guards.

Since the civil revolution, Qin Liangyu's prestige has not diminished, and he has defeated the rogue bandits in succession, so that the rogue bandits' expressions changed after they talked about nothing.

With Qin Liangyu stationed in eastern Sichuan, the two thieves Xian and Ru have nothing to fear.

Qin Liangyu is the pillar of the Southwest!

(End of this chapter)