You have truly caused me great suffering!

Chapter 107 Suppressing the Rebellion in Jiangnan
Hongzhou.

The troops, who had been prepared in advance, immediately set off upon receiving the order.

After leaving Fuyan Road, the army sailed down the river.

The imperial court ordered Chen Shao to send 10,000 Dingnan troops south to quell the rebellion, but after careful consideration, Chen Shao only brought 2,000 of his own troops, plus 3,000 barbarian soldiers, claiming a total of 20,000.

Moreover, no laborers were conscripted; the food, clothing, and other necessities for the five thousand people were all transported by merchant caravans hired from within the Dingnan army.

Their efficiency was more than ten times faster than that of ordinary laborers.

Chen Shao departed from Yan'an Prefecture and went directly to Jingzhao Prefecture to await their rendezvous.

At the same time, Zhao Ji appointed Tan Zhen as the military commissioner of Liangzhe, leading troops south to join Chen Shao's two armies.

Historically, a large number of troops from the northwest were dispatched to suppress the Fang La Rebellion, which seriously affected the subsequent campaign against the Liao Dynasty.

Because of Chen Shao's forces, Tan Zhen only led 50,000 Imperial Guards south this time, led by Guo Zhongxun, the Deputy Commander of the Palace Guard, and He Guan, the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard Infantry Division.

These were all trusted confidants that Tong Guan had placed in the Imperial Guard by abusing the power of the Three Military Offices.

This is a good opportunity for them to follow Chen Shao and gain some military merits, which will make them more likely to be promoted in the future.

Although Tong Guan deeply resented Chen Shao, he still acknowledged his abilities. Despite the large-scale peasant uprising in Jiangnan, he believed that Chen Shao would surely prevail.

The Northwest Frontier Army and the generals of the Northern Expedition remained stationed in Hebei, actively preparing for the invasion of Liao.

Outside Bianliang City, watching Tan Zhen about to set off on his campaign, Tong Guan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

If Chen Shao hadn't taken the initiative to extend a friendly gesture, offering to pacify Jiangnan, I would have had to go myself this time.

If I go myself, I cannot afford to fail; I must quell Fang La's rebellion with swift and decisive action. I might have to bring the entire elite of the Western Army, which would leave me with no energy left to attack the Liao.

If the war had lasted three to five years, the Jin army might have already destroyed the Liao dynasty.

Now, all that is needed is to send his trusted confidant Tan Zhen south, and he can also take the opportunity to transfer away the already scarce number of capable soldiers in the Imperial Guard.

This was to help Cai Jing reorganize the finances of the Imperial Guards and prevent them from threatening him.

Those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with trifles! Chen Shao's initiative to show goodwill has been a great help!

After we conquer Liao and pacify the various vassal states in the northwest, I originally planned to punish you and execute you at will, but now it seems I'll just let you live as a leisurely and wealthy country gentleman.

Inside the pavilion, Tan Zhen, seeing Tong Guan's cheerful expression, chimed in, "It's freezing cold, yet Commander Xuan personally came to see us off on our expedition. It truly warms our hearts."

Tong Guan laughed and said, "When you go, remember one thing: do not be soft-hearted. Since ancient times, rebellious people have been a source of trouble. The worst thing is to not eliminate them completely, otherwise there will be endless troubles!"

"Come, I'll see you off! I look forward to your early triumph!"

After speaking, Tong Guan raised his wine cup and drank with Tan Zhen, He Guan, Guo Zhongxun, and other trusted generals in the pavilion.

Among the troops that marched south, Yuwen Xuzhong, who was appointed as a staff officer, was considered to have entered Tan Zhen's staff.

He looked at the few people in the pavilion with a worried expression.

Why did the imperial court send such a large force south to quell the rebellion, and why were they even imperial guards?
He spent the longest time in the capital and knew all too well the strength and capabilities of the Imperial Guards.

We can only hope for another force, which I heard is the Northwest Frontier Army. They should still be able to put up a fight.

Both armies set off simultaneously, with Chen Shao's side employing a pay-to-win strategy.

The caravan delivered his supplies by waterway well in advance, and the soldiers were all cavalry, with an average of two horses per person.
-
In November, Fang La breached the walls of Muzhou City and opened the gates of the armory.

With weapons and armor in hand, Fang La's army's combat effectiveness rapidly increased. The soldiers were all like wolves and tigers, and the local government troops found it difficult to fight against this group of crazy, desperate men.

Along their journey of conquering cities and seizing territories, apart from the heavily fortified cities of Gaocheng and Dafu, which were difficult to breach due to their high walls and thick fortifications, and which Fang La was unwilling to expend a large number of troops to capture, no other army of the imperial court could rival them in open battle.

Ordinary county towns also fell one after another. In less than a month, Fang La's bloated army launched attacks on all sides, capturing Muzhou, Shezhou, and Quzhou, and gaining control of the upper reaches of the Qiantang River.

They then occupied Shouchang, Fenshui, Tonglu, and Suian counties, controlling the key points of the Grand Canal and making the deployment of government troops even more difficult.

Jiangnan Circuit had been repeatedly exploited by Wang Fu and Zhu Mian, and the people were already struggling to survive. They were on the verge of a major outbreak, and the situation was rapidly escalating.

Just like the attitude of the people near Hengshan towards the Western Xia, no matter who you are, the people of Hengshan will help you fight the Western Xia; in Jiangnan, it's the same as who you are, if you fight the Song Dynasty, we will all join in.

In Changping Town, the post station was temporarily requisitioned. Tan Zhen and a group of advisors looked at the battle report, their brows furrowed into a deep frown.

After they left the capital, the rebels gained more and more momentum, and the situation deteriorated.

Fang La's army grew larger and larger, with countless oppressed people from Jiangnan joining its ranks. Moreover, they acquired a large number of weapons captured from government troops, making them not only well-equipped, but his personal guards even had warhorses.

He didn't know exactly how many men he had, or how many of them were capable fighters; he just kept attacking.

He claimed to have a million men and had won a series of victories. In order to expand his gains, Fang La led his troops north and captured Xincheng, Fuyang and other counties with unstoppable momentum.

In order to maintain a strong fighting force and drive his soldiers to fight for him, Fang La abandoned the principles he had initially adhered to, such as not abducting the old and young and not raping women. His army's discipline was extremely poor, leaving ruins wherever it went, and countless women were raped and killed.

In chaotic times, people are treated worse than dogs; and these people are far more than just ordinary citizens.
The powerful in chaotic times are often the lowly commoners who were once as lowly as dogs in times of peace. They take up arms and thus can decide the life and death of others, but at the same time, this also hastens their own demise.

However, the people's suffering didn't end there. Although the Song Dynasty's local militia were weak and easily defeated, they were still capable of oppressing the people. Especially when the small, scattered units were no longer under the control and supervision of the imperial laws, they became even more cruel and greedy than Fang La's forces.

"Bandits are like combs, soldiers are like hairpins." Fang La was eager to expand, so he quickly plundered and satisfied his lust before hurrying on his way. The government troops following behind him were unscrupulous and used the same methods to humiliate the people.

Their actions forced more desperate people to join Fang La, transforming them from kind, oppressed citizens into beasts, harming other good people. They became ruthless to survive, and shameless because of their uncertain future, creating a vicious cycle of utter depravity.

Throughout history, the rebellions of displaced people have always been like this, no different from the passage of locusts.

It will destroy everything.

The officials of Liangzhe were not unaware of these circumstances, but in this chaotic time, they were already overwhelmed with mobilizing troops to fight Fang La. As for the remnants of the defeated army who had broken away from the main force during the battle and were committing atrocities, they could only turn a blind eye to avoid provoking a mutiny and adding fuel to the fire.

The situation in Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces deteriorated further as a result, and no one held any hope of quickly quelling the rebellion anymore; everyone felt that there was no end in sight.

Some even thought that the Song Dynasty was doomed! With the country on the verge of destruction, wealthy people began to move north early on, taking waterways to escape to the Central Plains.

Fang La's army moved swiftly, often overtaking them. Along the way, they frequently encountered wealthy landowners fleeing north with their families, carrying gold, silver, and valuables. The men of these wealthy families lost their lives, and the women became their playthings. Their gold, jewels, and precious stones were essentially bundled up and handed over to Fang La as military supplies.

Yuwen Xuzhong said, "Commander Tan, the situation in Jiangnan is already difficult to control. Rather than letting them roam around, it would be better to confine them in a large city."

"In my humble opinion, among the cities of Liangzhe, only Hangzhou is the most suitable. It would be better to have the officials of Hangzhou temporarily abandon the city in order to slow down the expansion of the bandits."

Tan Zhen pondered for a moment and said, "Shutong is right, but the fall of the city will likely cause controversy in the court and among the people."

The impact of a place like Hangzhou falling would be enormous.

Many powerful officials in the court had families residing in Hangzhou.

Yuwen Xuzhong did not continue speaking. He also knew that while keeping the rebel leader Fang La in Hangzhou would minimize strategic losses, it would cause too much public outcry.

"Only by reaching Liangzhe can we suppress the bandits. For now, we must speed up our march. By the way, where is Chen Shao?"
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To be honest, it's not that far from the capital region to Zhejiang.

Zhao Gou only took three days to escape from Shangqiu to Yangzhou, during which time he experienced many important events.

However, the Imperial Guards were dragging their feet on their march, and after ten days they still hadn't left Kaifeng.

Although Tan Zhen was a eunuch, he had always served by Tong Guan's side and could be considered a veteran of many battles.

He had never seen such troops before. In his eyes, Liu Yanqing's Fuyan Army was practically invincible.

Compared to the Imperial Guards, they were simply the elite of the elite.

Many others simply deserted halfway through the journey. These ordinary soldiers of the Imperial Guards were used as slaves by the Imperial Guard families for years, living worse than cattle and horses.

Now that we have a chance to escape, it's better to go anywhere than to go back, not to mention we still have to fight the rebels in Jiangnan.

Fearing that half the troops would be lost before they even arrived, Tan Zhen could only strengthen management, which slowed down the march even further.

Chen Shao had already arrived by then.

In Wuhu City, after dismounting, Chen Shao led a dozen or so personal guards to the temporary Liangzhe Road Transport Commissioner's Office.

The Transport Commissioner of Liangzhe Circuit, who should have been based in Hangzhou, fled to Wuhu upon seeing the strength of the rebels. Liangzhe Circuit was a major financial center, accounting for a quarter of the total grain transport volume of the Song Dynasty. The Transport Commissioner could use his financial advantage to intervene in military operations, such as allocating military provisions and conscripting laborers.

It possesses complete command authority during wartime.

Although it was a temporary government office, it was still very neat and tidy, with some Zhejiang soldiers standing on both sides.

Transport Commissioner Chen Jian and Deputy Transport Commissioner Wang Fu both felt somewhat uncomfortable as they watched the barbarian soldiers from the Northwest stride in.

Chen Shao's official rank was lower than theirs, and the area under his jurisdiction was not as important.

So logically, he should have paid his respects first. Chen Shao slammed his riding whip on the table and said, "Which one is from Zhejiang?"

Chen Jian looked displeased. "I am the one."

"Bring me the military report, and also the Nine Regions Guardian Map!"

Chen Jian snorted coldly and said, "I am the Zhejiang Transport Commissioner, and you were transferred by the imperial court to assist in suppressing bandits. Don't try to impress the crowd."

Wang Fu also said, "The Nine Regions Guardian Map is a secret of the imperial court; how can it be given away so easily?"

How can you fight without a map?

After Chen Shao finished speaking, he waved his hand, and the guards behind him were about to take away the map.

"Be bold!"

Chen Jian slammed his fist on the table, and the Zhejiang soldiers rushed forward. Just as they were about to stop him, the barbarian soldiers from the Northwest immediately drew their swords.

The gleaming light of the blades made them all somewhat dazed.

Aren't these our own people?
Seeing that Dong Dahu was about to make a move, Chen Shao quickly grabbed him and scolded, "Don't do it, it hasn't come to that yet."

Although Da Hu is useful, he is difficult to control. He is too strong and can kill people easily.

"Oh." Da Hu quickly stood aside and stopped moving.

"Are you going to rebel too?!" Chen Jian's beard trembled with anger.

Without hesitation, Pang Ge raised his knife and stood right in front of him, ready to cut him to the ground with a single blow.

None of the Zhejiang soldiers dared to step forward, watching as the others absconded with the confidential maps and some documents from the Transport Commissioner's Office.

"Send them back after the war is over. Stop with the fuss. We came all this way only because you're incompetent. If you were even slightly capable, would you have been unable to defeat a few petty, troublesome commoners?"

After Chen Shao finished speaking, he didn't stay any longer to discuss military matters and walked away.

Of course, staying is not an appropriate option either.
The group of people in the hall all felt extremely aggrieved. Chen Jian cursed, "This scoundrel has the ambition of a wolf. He took away the 'Nine Regions Guardian Map' of Liangzhe. I'm afraid he will rebel in the future!"

Wang Fu quietly approached him, tugged at his sleeve, and said, "This matter must not be made public."

Chen Jian suddenly remembered that losing these blueprints was also a serious crime.

I was just saying he rebelled in anger. How could Chen Shao, with only 20,000 or 30,000 troops, possibly rebel?

Moreover, if he were to rebel, he would be caught in a pincer movement between the Western Xia and the Song Dynasty.

If he really only did it to suppress bandits and returned it afterwards, let's just pretend it never happened.
Upon returning to his camp, Chen Shao immediately ordered his clerks and staff officers from Youzhou to create a copy of the map.

Organize military reports and extract the useful ones to send to yourself.

He led his troops to rest in the suburban camp for a night. Upon hearing that Fang La was approaching Hangzhou, Chen Shao quickly rewarded his troops and then prepared for battle.

The next day, Chen Shao led his troops through Wuhu, passed through Xuancheng, and headed straight for Taihu Lake.

His men distributed all the supplies that had been shipped.

Each soldier had two horses: one for riding and the other to carry his own supplies and rations.

Changing horses back and forth also allows them to rest.

The cavalry moved swiftly along the main roads of Jiangnan, and Chen Shao finally understood why the resistance encountered by the foreign tribes was so weak once they broke through the Yangtze River.

It's incredibly mobile, and there are no natural barriers to stop it; the land is completely flat!
Fang La had already controlled the entrance to the Grand Canal and the Qiantang River, cutting off the lifeline of the Song Dynasty's grain transport. This line was responsible for transporting 600 million shi of grain northward every year.

Chen Shao wanted to take it back as soon as possible, otherwise Tong Xuanshuai would have objections.

This morning, there was no drumming or bugling in the army. Chen Shao had already mounted his horse and was leading a troop of personal guards to patrol around the camp.

The warhorse's muscles were taut, and the heavy clatter of its hooves was full of power. He was growing to love riding horses more and more.

Speed ​​and power often made Chen Shao feel that he also had great power!

Especially when Da Hu was by his side, Chen Shao felt that the two of them together could go anywhere in the world.

The pontoon bridges over the Jingxi River were once again shrouded in a thick white fog early in the morning. The muddy ground on the south bank had become extremely hard after being trampled by countless people and horses.

The thousands of troops of yesterday are no longer here; only piles of white corpses remain on the ground.

Clothes were considered property in this era, and few of the murdered people were fully clothed; most had been stripped naked.

Only a few scattered horsemen were wandering on the north bank. The riders' bodies rose and fell slightly on their backs as they turned to observe the opposite bank of the pontoon bridge.

Just then, a whooshing sound came from the sky, and an arrow pierced through the air!

One of the Dingnan Army knights was startled and kicked his horse's belly. At that moment, the arrow landed on the hard ground next to him with a "thud," and the fletching was still trembling violently.

The remaining soldiers immediately drew their swords and scattered to search.

A group of ambushers emerged from the reeds on the opposite bank. They were all dressed in ordinary clothes and carried a variety of weapons.

The leader, a young man with fierce-looking eyes, stared intently at the scouts.

The rider on horseback remained calm. After giving the signal, he reined in his horse and rode off the bridge, where he drew his arrow and returned fire from his horse.

Chen Shao looked at the signal and immediately directed the troops to proceed. As they galloped along, he was puzzled as to why there were enemies here as well.

They were definitely not Fang La's people; they were probably other rebels who joined in the uprising after seeing Fang La's success.

He gazed into the distance from horseback, but could see nothing in the white fog. At times like this, Chen Shao would feel a little envious of Han Shizhong, wondering how he could have such good eyesight.

Before long, a large cavalry force arrived. These men were dressed in bright and neat armor, and should be Song Dynasty government troops, but their uniforms were different from those of the regular government troops.

And they all came on horseback.

The rebels had never seen so many cavalry charges before; they had recently gone mad, fighting fearlessly.

But that was mostly a misconception created by the massacre of ordinary people.

When the battle-hardened veterans from the Northwest charged forward, they shattered this illusion.

Chen Shao took out a military report from his pocket, first looking at Jingxi in front of him, then turning his head east, where there should be a lake.

However, things are not clear at a distance now... The thick fog in front of us, which was originally meant to help us advance stealthily, has now become a disadvantage.

Because the rioters scattered and fled, it was impossible to determine their direction or which one was the leader of the rioters.

After Fang La's uprising, rebellions broke out all over Jiangnan.

Shi Sheng from Suzhou, Lu Xing'er from Gui'an County, Huzhou, Zhu Yan and Wu Bang from Lingshandong, Lanxi County, Wuzhou, Chen Shisi from Fangyanshan, Yongkang County, Huo Chengfu and Chen Gutong from Jinyun County, Chuzhou, and others all rose up in rebellion.

Lu Shinang from Xianju County, Taizhou; Qiu Rixin (nicknamed Qiu Daoren) from Shan County, Yuezhou; and Zheng Mowang from Quzhou also led their local Manichaean secret organizations to rise up in response.

The entire Jiangnan region was in complete chaos.
Chen Shao scattered Lu Xing'er's men today, and the corpses below Jingxi were also their doing.

“It’s pointless to hunt down these rebels. Only by capturing the ringleader Fang La can we gradually quell the unrest in Jiangnan.”

Chen Shao ordered that they not pursue the enemy and continue their advance towards Wuzhong.

(End of this chapter)