The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 772 Xingyang Conference
After leaving the capital, Jia Huan passed through Juyong Pass and headed west to Xuanfu and Datong. He traveled day and night, and when he returned to Qingyang Prefecture in Shaanxi Province, it was already mid-February. The weather was getting warmer, spring was returning to the earth, and the grass and trees were turning green again.

However, Shaanxi had just experienced a major war and had suffered a severe drought before the war, resulting in a sharp decline in the province's population. It would not be easy to recover. Therefore, the landscape was still very desolate and barren. Many fields were completely abandoned due to lack of cultivation, and irrigation systems had been neglected for many years and were overgrown with weeds.

Therefore, Jia Huan's next priority was to restore production, while eliminating the remaining rebels became a secondary task.

As the saying goes, "The year's plan starts in spring." In an agricultural society where people rely on the weather for their livelihood, spring plowing is of paramount importance and cannot be taken lightly. Moreover, food is the most important thing for people. If the people cannot fill their stomachs, it will be the root cause of rebellion. Only by solving the problem of food can the problem be eradicated!

Jia Huan was always decisive and efficient. After returning to the Qingyang Governor's Mansion, he immediately ordered all prefectures and counties to devote all their efforts to promoting spring plowing. The government funded the purchase of seeds and farm tools and distributed them to the people. It also provided free rental of livestock such as oxen, donkeys, and mules to the people and worked hard to dredge waterways and repair water conservancy facilities.

In addition, Jia Huan had Zhang Huangyan try planting corn and sweet potatoes in Taozhou last summer, and the results were quite good. So this year, the planting can be expanded to the whole province. Sweet potatoes and corn are both high-yield crops with strong adaptability and can be harvested in three or four months. After the autumn harvest, the grain shortage in Shaanxi will be greatly alleviated.

As the saying goes, "With grain in hand, one has nothing to fear." When ordinary people have food to eat, they naturally won't wander around anymore and follow those lawless people in rebellion.

Of course, while focusing on production, Jia Huan also did not forget to deal with the remaining bandit troops, launching a second large-scale sweep across the entire territory.

Although most of the main force of the bandits was wiped out last year, many of them still lurked in the mountains and dense forests of various prefectures and counties, occasionally coming out to plunder. Although they did not pose a significant threat, they were still quite annoying and had a certain impact on the recovery of production. They must be eradicated completely.

Jia Huan's arrogant and fierce soldiers were bored out of their minds, so when they received the governor's order, they were as excited as if it were New Year's Day. They divided up the territory and got to work. In less than three months, they wiped out the bandits in Shaanxi. Even Zhang Xianzhong's remnants, who were active in the Hanzhong area, had to flee in panic to the Jingxiang area.

Originally, Yan'an Prefecture in Shaanxi already had a formidable figure, King Lu, but now an even more powerful figure, Jia the Killer, has arrived. King Lu at least protected only Yan'an Prefecture, but Jia the Killer oversees the entire Shaanxi Province, inspiring fear in all who hear of him. Now, no foolish rebel army dares to enter Shaanxi territory to cause trouble.

Well, in a few months, even if someone foolishly tries to cause trouble in Shaanxi, they probably won't be able to. Once the sweet potatoes and corn are harvested in abundance, the local people will have enough to eat, and only a fool would follow you in causing trouble!

Compared to the calm and peaceful Shaanxi Province, the neighboring Henan Province is in deep trouble!

Last winter, Li Zicheng was being chased by Shi Tou Xingwei to the banks of the Yellow River. He thought he had no chance of escaping, but his fate was not to die. Suddenly, a heavy snow fell, lasting for a day and a night, accumulating several feet deep. The Yellow River was frozen over. Li Zicheng took the opportunity to lead his remaining troops across the frozen river and escape into Henan Province. The local officials were caught off guard, and Mianchi County quickly fell to the enemy.

It's said that Mianchi County was unlucky. It had just been captured by Zhang Cunmeng, the "Mud-Free Zhang," two years ago, and less than half a year after its recapture, it was taken over by Li Zicheng. The acting magistrate hadn't even settled into his post before he had to abandon the city and flee to Luoyang in panic. Li Zicheng had been utterly defeated by Jia Huan in Shaanxi and was barely clinging to life with less than two thousand troops left. However, after capturing Mianchi County, he quickly "recovered," seizing a large amount of supplies and rapidly restoring his forces to seven or eight thousand.

By this time, Li Zicheng was no longer the cynical young man he once was. His experiences over the years had tempered him, making him more composed and mature, his will more resolute, and his strategies more skillful. His defeat in Shaanxi also taught him a lesson: defeat the enemy by retreating.

Could this be described as defeating the enemy by retreating?

To put it simply, we should not engage in direct confrontation with well-equipped government troops, nor should we concern ourselves with the gains or losses of a single city or town. We should not stay in one place for too long, but rather wage mobile warfare and guerrilla warfare against the government troops, keeping them constantly on the move and preventing them from forming an encirclement.

Li Zicheng's strategy was undoubtedly correct. The rebel army was far inferior to the government army in terms of equipment and combat strength. They were at a great disadvantage in both defending cities and fighting in the field. At this time, they could only keep moving around, looking for favorable opportunities in the movement, and constantly strengthening themselves in the movement, while achieving the goal of wearing down the government army.

In addition, Li Zicheng put forward the slogan of "equal land distribution and tax exemption", strictly restrained his rebel army, and prohibited them from plundering the people. Wherever they went, they not only did not commit any offenses, but also opened granaries to distribute grain to relieve disaster victims.

As a result, Li Zicheng's reputation among the people grew louder and louder. The people even composed a folk song called "Welcome King Chuang, King Chuang is here and we will not pay taxes." They also rushed to join Li Zicheng's ranks. As recorded in the historical books: "Famine-stricken people from far and near went with their hoes. The response was like a flowing river, day and night. With one call, a million people joined him, and his momentum was like a wildfire that could not be extinguished!"

Tsk tsk, spring has arrived in the thirteenth year of the Qiansheng reign, and spring has also arrived for Li Zicheng. With his effective strategies, Li Zicheng has captured seven or eight prefectures and counties in Henan with unstoppable momentum. His strength has expanded rapidly, and in just a few months, his army has exceeded 100,000, making him the new "Chuang King" and the most powerful among the many rebel armies.

The governor of Henan Province, Cao Wenzhao, was in a panic. He hurriedly mobilized elite troops to suppress the rebellion and at the same time sought help from the imperial court. Unfortunately, the effect was minimal. The slogan of "equal land distribution and tax exemption" was too attractive, and refugees from all over the country flocked to the area. The flames of war broke out across the Central Plains and even spread to Hebei, Shandong, and Huguang, making the situation increasingly critical.

Of course, this was a great opportunity for Li Zicheng. He himself did not expect that he would turn the tables in just a few months. However, he was not satisfied with this because he knew Jia Huan's strength. If this boy led his troops from Shaanxi, he might not be able to resist him. Therefore, he wanted to integrate the various rebel armies, act in unison, and fight the enemy together.

At the end of March in the thirteenth year of the Qiansheng reign, Li Zicheng captured Xingyang City and obtained tens of thousands of shi of grain from Rongyang Granary. His prestige soared, and he immediately sent out "heroic invitations" to various rebel armies, inviting their leaders to Xingyang for a "Xingyang Conference" to discuss a major plan to deal with the government army.

As soon as Li Zicheng sent out this invitation, leaders of various rebel armies responded one after another, rushing to Xingyang overnight. A total of thirteen families and seventy-two battalions formed, with a force of a terrifying five hundred thousand men, making their momentum quite frightening.

(End of this chapter)