The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 406 Collapse
"In late August, General Li Qingshan of the Wanmin Army led his troops to capture Dongping, Shouzhang, Dong'e, Zhangqiu and other cities, killed Zhiliang, the commander of the Dongping Anshan Camp, and the county magistrate Wang Fangwu fled.

"On September 15, Li Qingshan and Wang Jun's forces met in Jining, Yanzhou Prefecture, Shandong."

"According to our intelligence, Li Qingshan's army has more than 40,000 troops, 3,000 elite cavalry, and 100 naval vessels. Wang Jun's army has 30,000 soldiers and 4,000 elite cavalry."

"The two divisions will meet at one place and form a camp, with Wang Jun as the commander and Li Qingshan as the deputy commander."

"The Shandong people's army blocked the Anshan sluice gates around Jining, intercepted the grain transport and burned the boats, and drove the grain transport boats to attack Linqing, repeatedly defeating the government troops and shaking the left side of the mountain."

Chen Wang sat at the top, listening to the news reported.

When Chen Wang heard that the Shandong Wanmin Army was led by Wang Jun, he frowned slightly, a little surprised.

"Wang Jun and Li Qingshan are both generals. They are joining forces, and Li Qingshan is under Wang Jun's command. Is he willing to do that?"

Chen Wang knew Li Qingshan very well.

Although no one had ever seen it, Li Qingshan's deeds were recorded in the history books of later generations.

In history, Li Qingshan started an uprising in Shandong, resisted government troops, intercepted grain transport, attacked the provincial capital, and repeatedly captured nearby counties and prefectures, shocking Shandong.

During its heyday, the eight sluices along the canal, including Anshan and Hanzhuang, controlled the government. All grain ships passing through were required to pay three-tenths of the grain they carried before they were allowed to pass. The problem of logistical supply for the army was solved by intercepting the grain.

The reason for the limited interception of the grain transport is not only because of sustainability, but also because Li Qingshan, like Song Jiang, wants to be recruited.

Historically, when Zhou Yanru was ordered to go to the capital and took a boat from Yixing north along the canal through Liangshan, Li Qingshan met him and wanted him to convey a message to the court seeking amnesty.

However, due to some reasons, they were not able to be recruited.

Afterwards, the number of encirclement and suppression troops increased day by day, and Li Qingshan was finally defeated and surrendered.

Ironically, Li Qingshan's surrender did not have a good ending.

The general Yang Yufan who recruited him was imprisoned because of rumors. Li Qingshan was worried that he would be imprisoned as well, so he rebelled again. He was later captured and sent to the capital to be crucified.

Li Qingshan is weak-willed and a speculator.

However, the army of the people is now so powerful that I am afraid they have no intention of surrendering for the time being.

Chen Wang could guess a little about Li Qingshan's inner thoughts.

The Wanmin Army is now at its peak and has won victory after victory along the way.

It has the momentum to sweep across the world and the ambition to conquer the world.

All these deeds also show that Li Yan was truly a heroic leader.

Whether it was winning the hearts of the various volunteer armies in Henan or abolishing the Left Fifth Battalion and joining the Wanmin Army, it all showed that Li Yan was a leader with great charisma.

Follow such a heroic leader and join such a force.

Perhaps I can really follow him in achieving great things, creating the world, and following the dragon's merits, I can get a title for my wife and children, and become a founding duke!
Even if he cannot do so and loses power in the future, as long as the troops under his command are not lost, he can be a lieutenant general or a guerrilla commander like the commander of the 36th Battalion in Shaanxi.

A speculator like Li Qingshan would not be willing to be inferior to his peers and accept adaptation.

"Li Qingshan occupied Liangshan and imitated the Water Margin, raising the banner of "doing justice for the heavens" and arranging the positions of leaders, so there was a lot of green forest spirit in the army."

Chen Gong took a step forward and explained.

"Before Wang Jun started the uprising, he was already a well-known local knight. He was famous among the Shandong outlaws for his generosity and bravery."

"After the uprising, many Shandong green forest figures came and went, so they were able to travel across the land of Yandong and defeat various government troops. Later, they were elected as the leader by the Shandong green forest."

"All the Shandong green foresters are proud to know Wang Jun."

"The Supervisory Office reported that Li Qingshan did not want to join the group, but it was difficult to convince the leaders under him. Although he was unwilling to join the group as deputy, it did not help."

"and……"

Chen Gong paused and then spoke.

"In order to unify the two groups of Li Qingshan and Wang Jun, Li Yan also sent a special envoy."

Chen Wang raised his eyebrows and asked.

"Who?"

"Song Xiance."

Chen Wang's eyes narrowed slightly. He knew Song Xiance's abilities very well.

If it was tested on leading troops in battles and giving advice, Song Xiance would be just average at best.

But when it comes to lobbying eloquence, Song Xiance can be ranked the best.

If Song Xiance were put in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, he might have become a famous lobbyist like Li Shiqi.

After all, Song Xiance became a guest of honor of the Qing army after the defeat.

The "Northern Travel Record" written by Tan Qian recorded the deeds of Song Xiance. There is a sentence in it: "The Manchus valued his skills and put them under their banner. He went in and out with a large number of riders."

Knowing that Song Xiance had already gone to Jining, Chen Wang also knew that the combination of Wang Jun and Li Qingshan's forces could no longer be stopped.

"How is the battle situation in Pizhou?"

The three armies of the Wanmin Army marched eastward and attacked the canal line fiercely. Sun Chuanting went to lead the troops to resist.

The battlefield extended southward from Pizhou, west of Huai'an Prefecture in Southern Zhili, to Gaoyou and Yangzhou.

However, the most eye-catching and important battlefield was Pizhou in the north.

It is not only because the Wanmin Army has 150,000 soldiers stationed in the south of Suqian, which almost gathers more than 60% of the elite troops of the Wanmin Army.

It was also because the commander-in-chief of the Wanmin Army's Eastern Expedition was replaced.

Originally, the commander of the Wanmin Army that marched east to Suqian was Yuan Shizhong, but not long ago, Li Yan suddenly left Fengyang and went to Pizhou to take over the command.

Then Wang Jun joined Li Qingshan and they headed south together.

Pizhou battlefield.

The Wanmin Army was divided into two routes, north and south, with 70,000 men in the north and 150,000 in the south, for a total of 220,000 soldiers and horses.

However, the Ming army led by Sun Chuanting had only 23,000 people.

Even if we count the 15,000 troops led by Yang Yufan, Liu Zeqing and others from Shandong camp, the total number is less than 40,000, and the difference in military strength is huge.

Previously, because of the failure in the suppression of Wang Jun, Yang Yufan was ordered to handle the suppression of bandits while serving his sentence.

However, Liu Zeqing was demoted to the position of Right General and was stationed in charge of Shandong's coastal defense because of his poor command and the loss of troops.

However, Liu Zeqing has now been reinstated and is still the commander-in-chief of Shandong.

When Zhou Yanru returned to Beijing, Liu Zeqing found out the ship Zhou Yanru was on, boarded the ship himself, and presented Zhou Yanru with a gift that he could not refuse.

Liu Zeqing's reinstatement was also due to Zhou Yanru's contribution.

Originally, when Sun Chuanting convened a meeting of generals, Liu Zeqing was only guarding the coastal defense and leading the navy.

Now Liu Zeqing has transformed himself into the general of Shandong, leading the Shandong troops.

"The Shandong People's Army has gathered together and moved south along the Grand Canal via Jining. They have initially established contact with Xuzhou."

"Yang Yufan and Liu Zeqing led their troops to retreat to Pei County. Relying on Pei County, they temporarily stabilized their defense line and blocked the attacking Shandong Wanmin Army."

Chen Gong stepped forward, moved the flag on the map, and spoke to Chen Wang.

"According to the intelligence we have now, the officers and soldiers from Shandong can only hold off the Shandong Wanmin Army for half a month at most."

"In Pizhou, Sun Chuanting's troops relied on the geographical advantages of the canal and the navy's warships to barely maintain an undefeated situation."

"But once the Shandong army breaks through Pei County and goes down the canal, the Huaibei officers and soldiers will have no land and boats to rely on, and may even be surrounded."

The combat effectiveness of the current Wanmin Army is not comparable to the 36 battalions of bandits in Shaanxi at the beginning of the civil uprising.

The Wanmin Army has a neat formation, strict discipline and high morale, just like the founding armies of the nation in history!
The soldiers under Sun Chuanting's command had been in arrears of pay for years, and had been traveling all the way. They were already exhausted and their morale was low.

Not to mention, the Wanmin Army had five times the strength of the Ming Army.

The chances of the Huaibei Ming army winning... are really slim...

"The outcome of the battle of Pizhou will be clear in a few months..."

Chen Wang looked solemn and remained silent. Chen Gong stood beside the map and continued.

"If Pizhou is defeated, the Ming army will no longer have a foothold in Huaibei. The Wanmin Army will be connected from north to south, and will be even stronger if they join forces."

"According to the Nanjing Supervisory Office, the soldiers in the southern towns are weak and most of them are naked and skinny, like beggars."

"Although there are 50,000 troops in name, only half of them are capable of fighting. Once the main force of the Ten Thousand People's Army moves south, we will not be able to resist them at all."

Chen Wang pondered for a moment, his eyes left the place where Nanzhili was located, and looked towards the northwest.

Chen Gong understood and reported the news from the northwest without waiting for Chen Wang to ask.

"On September 20th, Li Zicheng conquered Longxi and once again defeated the Ming army on three fronts. He chased them for hundreds of miles, and the imperial edict, imperial sword, and seal of Shaanxi Governor Ding Qirui were all lost."

"On September 25, the court transferred Fu Zonglong to Qin to manage the three border military affairs and resist the rebels. Ding Qirui was dismissed from his post as governor of Shaanxi, and was arrested and imprisoned for his failure."

Chen Gong walked to the location of Shaanxi on the map.

There are four red flags in Gongchang Prefecture in Shaanxi.

"Now, in Shaanxi, the only organized troops left are the four battalions of He Renlong, Li Guoqi, Luo Shangwen, and Zuo Xian, with a total of 27,000 soldiers and horses."

These four battalions of troops are the last resort of Xi'an Prefecture.

"The imperial court has already planned to abandon Gongchang Prefecture and retreat to Fengxiang and Pingliang, and do its utmost to protect Xi'an Prefecture."

At the end of the fourteenth year of Chongzhen.

The Ming Dynasty was almost coming to an end.

Liaodong was defeated, the northwest was lost, and the southeast was no longer safe.

The collapse of the Ming Dynasty was faster and more violent than in any other history.

Chen Gong placed his hand on the city of Xi'an and said solemnly.

"The Ministry of War has ordered half of the troops to be withdrawn from Hanzhong and sent north to support Xi'an."

"The order has been sent, requiring us to set out on time without delay."

Chen Wang's eyes narrowed slightly, his expression slightly gloomy.

Although he was mentally prepared, Chen Wang still felt a sinking feeling in his heart when he heard the order.

"The court finally couldn't bear it anymore..."

First, he promoted Zhou Yumao to deputy general, hoping to use Zhou Yumao to share his military power.

After realizing that Zhou Yumao had become his confidant, he began to think of other ways to share power.

Not long ago, the imperial court appointed Yuan Jixian as the governor of Yunyang, in charge of all matters related to the suppression of Huguang.

Chen Wang has now lost the official command of the Huguang Sixth Battalion.

Now the court has dispatched the troops left behind in Hanzhong Town to the north to provide assistance to Xi'an.

On the surface, there is no problem.

The troops in the three borders suffered heavy losses, with only more than 20,000 people left, making it difficult to defend Shaanxi. There was no problem in mobilizing the powerful Hanzhong Town troops to the north to provide assistance.

But this is undoubtedly the court's method, because the court occupies the name of righteousness.

One doesn't have to guess what the consequences would be if Hu Zhiyi really led his troops north.

Chen Wang shook his head and said.

"You can't leave Hanzhong. Once you leave Hanzhong, you can't come back."

As long as Hu Zhiyi led his troops north to rescue Xi'an, it would be difficult for him to return to Hanzhong, and there would be endless wars and conquests in the future.

Just like He Renlong, Zuo Liangyu, and a group of soldiers from other camps in the late Ming Dynasty.

Never ending, never stopping.

"Zuo Liangyu, the former deputy general of Changping, never returned to Changping after he left."

"The imperial court's order..."

Chen Gong placed his hand on the map on the table and looked up at Chen Wang. He looked a little hesitant and said.

"How should I respond..."

The imperial court has a reputation for righteousness, so naturally it cannot act arbitrarily.

Chen Wang pondered for a moment and made a decision in his heart.

"Hanzhong Town has been in arrears of wages for half a year, so they are using this as an excuse to make a fuss."

The Ming court has been in deficit for a long time. If it had been able to come up with money, how could the country have ended up in such a state today?

At most, you can tear down the east wall and repair the west wall, but this also takes time.

What Chen Wang needs now is time.

"What about Zhou Yumao and the Sixth Battalion of Huguang?"

Chen Gong nodded, and then asked again.

The Sixth Battalion of Huguang had undergone several reorganizations, and all the old and weak had been eliminated. The remaining ones were elite soldiers who had been trained, fought in battles, and seen blood.

It took them a lot of effort to integrate the Six Huguang Battalions, and most of the salaries of the Six Huguang Battalions were paid by themselves.

The six battalions of Huguang actually had 13,000 soldiers, but the silver distributed by the court every quarter was only enough to support 6,000 of them, which was more than half of the original amount.

Chen Gong was naturally unwilling to give up the Sixth Battalion of Huguang in this way.

"Since the imperial court wants to take back the military power of the Six Huguang Battalions, let the imperial court take it back..."

Chen Wang raised his hand and signaled Chen Gong to calm down.

The current battalion commanders of the Huguang Sixth Battalion were all promoted by him.

War is fierce and dangerous, swords and guns are merciless.

In today's situation, the death of one or two guerrillas and lieutenant generals is too normal.

A few well-edited Tangbao reports can naturally replace the camp generals.

It is still wartime, so only local people can be selected. It is impossible for the imperial court to airdrop troops over.

There is no time to wait, and war cannot wait even longer.

Zuo Liangyu did this, and so did He Renlong.

The families of the commanders of the six battalions of Huguang were also under the control of Hanzhong Town.

It is not a big problem to temporarily give up the command of the Sixth Battalion of Huguang.

However, it would not be a feasible plan to let Zhou Yumao lead the Sixth Battalion of Huguang to suppress Zhang Xianzhong.

"Yuan Jixian..."

Chen Wang picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip.

This man who went into the camp alone and persuaded Zuo Liangyu in history was undoubtedly a capable official.

During the period when he took over the administration of Yunyang, he also managed Yunyang in an orderly manner.

However, Yuan Jixian, like most of the civil servants in the Ming court at that time, knew nothing about military affairs.

"Since the imperial court has given the Sixth Battalion of Huguang to the governor of Yunyang, let Hu Zhili find something useful for our governor in Yunyang to do so that he can focus on Yunyang."

The mountain people in the Yunyang Mountain area had long been brought under the jurisdiction of Hanzhong Town, and had even united to train community soldiers.

If the imperial court's control over the Yunyang Mountain area is one, then Hanzhong Town's control over the Yunyang Mountain area is nine.

In Henan, it is still possible to incite a civil uprising.

Then why couldn’t a civil uprising be instigated in the Yunyang mountainous area as well?