The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the border troops, it was overthrown and the Qing Dynasty was destro

Chapter 269 The Army Marches on Chengdu

After Jiang Han's rectification efforts, the chaos in various parts of central Sichuan gradually subsided.

The mob was dispersed, the masterminds who instigated it were severely punished, and wrongful convictions were retried.

Families who suffered heavy losses due to the earlier mob attacks have received due compensation.

These measures have yielded remarkable results, and many students and small and medium-sized landowners who were initially wary of the rebel army have gradually changed their views in the process.

The fields, markets, and streets are beginning to regain their former vitality.

Although life was still difficult, at least there was no more needless warfare, and we could finally settle down and resume production.

After order was restored, discussions frequently broke out in the prefectures, counties, and countryside. Compared to the tyrannical court and the lawless mob, the rules of the righteous army were perhaps... not unacceptable.

After quelling the unrest, Jiang Han did not hesitate any longer. He immediately dispatched messengers to order the troops to assemble and prepare to march on Chengdu Prefecture.

Once this obstacle is removed, the entire Sichuan province will be completely under the Jiang family's control.

With his command, the war machine roared into action once more.

Tens of thousands of laborers were organized and moved like ants, transporting cartloads of food and supplies from the rear warehouses to the front lines.

On the official road leading to Chengdu, dust billowed, and besides the marching army, there was also a huge logistics team.

In addition to supplies and provisions, the troops also occasionally carried heavy siege equipment, such as towers, ladders, shields, and battering rams.

The most eye-catching items were several heavy Hongyi cannons, each weighing over a thousand kilograms, that were dragged out from Pingwu County.

This cannon was meticulously forged by Zhuang Qirong of the Ministry of Works and several cannon makers, and now it comes in handy.

The cannon, weighing a thousand catties, required dozens of people to work together to load it onto an oxcart. Fortunately, the Fu River was not far from Pingwu County, and cargo ships could quickly transport it to the Mianzhou area of ​​Chengdu Prefecture by waterway.

They will be the key to breaching the fortified city.

In the northwest, Li Zicheng led his 8,000 troops southward along the Minjiang River Gorge, from Wenchuan and Guanxian, with his army heading straight for the prefectural city.

Jiang Han and Shao Yong met in Tongchuan Prefecture and led their main force of 20,000 westward in a grand procession, heading straight for Longquan Town, south of Chengdu Prefecture.

Li Laowai and Heizi led 15,000 men from Luojiang and Deyang, heading east towards Chengdu.

The three armies, totaling more than 43,000 men, terrified the prefectures and counties along the way, who surrendered without a second thought and dared not offer any resistance.

Of this army of 40,000, only a little over 5,000 were actual combat soldiers.

The remaining three thousand soldiers were firmly stationed in Baoning Prefecture and Kuizhou Prefecture, constantly on guard against the Shaanxi and Huguang regions.

The other 30,000-plus people advancing with the main army at this moment were mainly local militia led by militia leaders like Yang Ping from Huangzhu Village, as well as Sichuan Ming soldiers who had surrendered in various battles.

News of the bandits' large-scale advance quickly reached Chengdu, causing widespread panic throughout the city.

Inside the Shu King's Palace, a place that was once a luxurious place with the sounds of bells and drums and the constant music of silk and bamboo instruments, is now completely shrouded in panic.

"what?!"

"Forty...forty thousand bandits?!"

Upon receiving the news from the front lines, Zhu Zhishu, the Prince of Shu, turned deathly pale.
"Quickly...quickly help me change my clothes!"

Zhu Zhishu jumped up suddenly, his voice becoming shrill and distorted.
"Of the thirty-six stratagems, running away is the best; Chengdu cannot be defended!"

"I...I'm going to Yunnan!"

"Yunnan has not yet fallen; I am going to seek refuge with the Duke of Qian!"

"The Duke of Qian has been stationed in Yunnan for generations. He must have a large army and many generals, which will surely ensure my safety!"

But Zhu Zhishu's plan was clearly flawed.

At this time, panic was already gripping Chengdu, with many wealthy families and officials trying to flee the city.

The city gates surrounding the prefectural city were packed with carriages and horses, and the cries of the surrounding people were deafening, creating an extremely chaotic scene.

If this Prince of Shu were willing to set aside his pride, put on some tattered clothes, and mingle with the fleeing crowd, he might actually have a chance to slip away.

But Zhu Zhishu couldn't bear to give up his gold, silver, treasures, beautiful wives and concubines.

"Load the carts! Quickly load all the gold, silver, valuables, antiques, and paintings from the manor onto the carts, and have the chief steward transport them out of the city first!"

"I will arrive shortly with the Princess!"

Soon, a very conspicuous convoy assembled in front of the Shu King's Palace.

A hundred or so large trucks filled the road to capacity, their heavy ruts deeply embedded in the bluestone pavement.

The carriages were loaded with the wealth accumulated by the Shu Kingdom over the past century, and behind them were a dozen or so carriages adorned with pearls and jade, filled with the weeping and wailing wives and concubines of the King of Shu.

Zhu Zhishu himself sat in the most luxurious carriage at the front, constantly urging the guards of the Prince's Palace to set off.

This massive yet slow-moving convoy passed through the city in a grand procession, heading straight for the South Gate, under the astonished gazes of the people and officials of Chengdu.

Judging from this scene, it's not a refugee's trip at all; it's clearly a prince's outing.

"Look, it's the carriage from the Shu Prince's residence!"

"It's over, the King of Shu is also fleeing, Chengdu is doomed!"

Someone in the crowd shouted something that instantly ignited the entire street.

Countless people poured in from all directions, instantly blocking the entire long street like a tidal wave, completely surrounding the Shu Prince's convoy.

"Stop the King of Shu!"

"If this guy gets away, the bandits will come after us."

Upon hearing the news, wealthy people rushed to the scene and blocked the road, refusing to let the convoy pass.

Not far away, the soldiers guarding the city were utterly disheartened when they saw this scene.

"Son of a bitch!"

"That son of a bitch usually bullies everyone in the city, but now that the bandits are here, he wants to sell us out and run away with his wife?"

"Go ahead and dream!"

A gatekeeper, in a fit of rage, issued an order:
"Close the city gates for me!"

"No one is allowed to drive without my order! In particular, the Prince's entourage must not be allowed to leave!"

News of the King of Shu's attempt to flee quickly spread throughout the city.

Upon hearing the news, Imperial Censor Liu Zhibo, Judge Liu Shidou, Magistrate of Huayang Shen Yunzuo, and other civil and military officials were both shocked and furious, and rushed over to stop the emperor.

Shen Yunzuo, the magistrate of Huayang County, took the lead, rushed to Zhu Zhishu's carriage, and grabbed the reins tightly:

"I urge Your Highness to reconsider!"

"Now is the time for everyone to unite as one, hold firm, and await reinforcements."

"The morale must be boosted, not dampened. If you leave, the morale of the entire army in the city will collapse in an instant!"

"You're helping the rebels break through the city, Your Highness!"

Judge Liu Shidou, his face ashen, stepped forward and stopped the carriage:

"Your Majesty!"

"You are a descendant of the founding emperor and the ruler of Shu. You should live and die with the city and your people!"

"How can we abandon the ancestral temples and the people?!"

The notoriously hot-tempered Imperial Censor Liu Zhibo was so enraged that his beard trembled, and he pointed at Zhu Zhishu in the carriage, practically roaring:
"King of Shu!"

"Look at the people of this city, and then look at the soldiers on the city walls."

"If you escape from the city today, how will you face your ancestors in the afterlife?"

"If you insist on escaping today, I will immediately order you to cease resistance and surrender the city to that traitor!"

The officials chimed in, some expressing deep sorrow, others speaking with righteous indignation, until Prince Zhu Zhishu of Shu was red-faced and cowered in his carriage, too ashamed to utter a word.

On the streets and outside the city gates, there were excited crowds of people and soldiers, while officials of all ranks chattered incessantly beside the motorcade.

Zhu Zhishu also realized that there was no way he could leave the city today.

If he continues to act recklessly as before, he might really be torn to shreds by these angry peasants and soldiers.

Finally, Zhu Zhishu, like a defeated rooster, waved his hand listlessly:
"Never mind... let's go back to the Prince's Mansion."

And so, the convoy, stretching for miles, turned back in disgrace under the scornful gazes of onlookers, and returned to the Prince's Palace in the city.

The farce ended abruptly.

The news that the King of Shu was unreliable was like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the last glimmer of hope in the hearts of the officials and gentry in Chengdu.

In the midst of the panic, everyone remembered Zhu Xieyuan, the Governor-General of the Three Provinces, who was still imprisoned in the city.

A group of civil and military officials rushed to Zhu Xieyuan's residence as if they had found a savior, and half-pulled, half-dragged Zhu Xieyuan out of the house.

"Maohe, save Chengdu!"

"The rebel army has marched out in full force, and the people inside and outside the city are in a state of panic. Only you, as the Governor-General of the Three Provinces, can step forward and take charge of the situation!"

The imperial censor Liu Zhibo grasped Zhu Xieyuan's hand, tears streaming down his face.

Looking at his colleagues, who were filled with fear, Zhu Xieyuan sighed deeply.

If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have bothered in the first place. I tried to persuade these people countless times with all my heart, but not a single one of them could truly listen.

He shook his head and said helplessly:
"That's all, that's all..."

"I'll sell these old bones of mine to Chengdu..."

Although he was appointed to this critical mission, Zhu Xieyuan did not complain at all and took on the heavy responsibility of city defense without hesitation.
Upon assuming office, he immediately set about raising funds and recruiting local militia.

Having led troops for many years, Zhu Xieyuan knew all too well the principle that without money and food, it was impossible to move an inch.

He immediately set up a banquet in the government office, summoning prominent officials, gentry, and wealthy households from the city to attend.

"Everyone!"

"The enemy troops will soon be at the city gates. I am not only short of food and supplies, but also short of men to defend the city."

"You have all probably heard about how the thieves operated in Long'an and Baoning Prefecture."

"In addition to the widespread civil unrest in various places, everyone should be clear that the enemy and we are already locked in a life-or-death struggle."

"I reiterate, if the rebels really breach the city, not only will your heads be in danger, but your family savings and ancestral lands will also be confiscated by the rebels!"

"If we cannot unite as one at this moment and contribute our money and effort to overcome these difficult times, we may never have another chance."

"Do we have to wait until the enemy soldiers breach the city and hold steel knives to your necks before you realize what's happening?"

Zhu Xieyuan's words were like a knife, piercing straight to the hearts of all the officials, gentry, and wealthy people present.

They had long been terrified by the rumors of "land reform" throughout central Sichuan, which kept them awake at night.

At this moment, in order to save their lives and property, they were unprecedentedly generous and obedient.

Everyone present gave them money and food as they asked.

Each household also conscientiously contributed all their servants and guards, which were incorporated into the militia and placed under the command of Zhu Xieyuan.

After the banquet, Zhu Xieyuan easily raised a considerable amount of money, grain, and manpower.

Although the officials, gentry, and wealthy households in the city enthusiastically donated money and grain, it was still a drop in the ocean for the defending army. Left with no other option, he turned his attention to the most powerful local figure in the city, the Shu King's Mansion.

Zhu Xieyuan, accompanied by the imperial inspector Liu Zhibo, went straight to the gate of the Prince of Shu's residence.

The Shu King's mansion was now completely empty.

Upon learning of the enemy's attack, the servants of the royal palace had already fled, leaving only the Shu vassal faction to hold the royal city.

Having failed to escape, Prince Zhu Zhishu of Shu was already disheartened and was now leisurely enjoying the flowers and reciting poetry in the garden.

Zhu Xieyuan suppressed his anger, bowed, and directly stated his purpose:
"Your Highness, I am now in charge of the city's defenses and need a large sum of money and grain to reward the garrison and recruit local militia."

“All the officials, gentry and wealthy households in the city have donated money, but the cost of defending the city is huge, and the soldiers are hungry and unable to carry their weapons.”

"We urge Your Highness to prioritize the well-being of the nation and open the treasury to reward the troops and boost morale!"

Zhu Zhishu looked astonished, as if he had heard something unbelievable:
"Everyone donated? Including those few misers?"

He looked up at Zhu Xieyuan and smiled contemptuously.
"Since they've all donated, why are you still coming to me?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Xieyuan nearly choked on his breath. He patiently explained:
"Your Highness, the Shu Kingdom was granted control of Sichuan for over two hundred years, and it is the wealthiest place in the world."

"From a public standpoint, you are the ruler of Chengdu; from a private standpoint, defending the city is also protecting the foundation of the Prince's estate and your own safety."

"I am about to summon the officers and soldiers of the Four Guards of Chengdu to enter the city to await reinforcements. I hope that Your Highness will be generous and distribute funds from the treasury to boost morale."

Although Zhu Zhishu was trapped in the capital, he understood this principle.

He hesitated for a long time before reluctantly extending one finger:
"Alright, I'll give them... um... one thousand taels, one thousand taels of cash."

"With so much silver, those soldiers should be able to defend the city properly, right?"

Zhu Zhishu looked pained, clearly feeling he had been incredibly generous.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Xieyuan felt a wave of dizziness and quickly tried to dissuade him:
"Your Highness, what can you do with a thousand taels of silver?"

"Once it's distributed to each person, it'll probably be less than two taels of silver!"

"How can I motivate the defending troops and get them to fight for their lives with such a small amount of money?"

"Two coins aren't enough?"

Zhu Zhishu barked as if his tail had been stepped on.

"How much rice can two qian of silver buy?"

"Fine, fine. For your sake, Governor Zhu, I'll add another thousand taels!"

"Two thousand taels of silver in cash will be distributed to each person, which will amount to more than three coins. That should be enough, right?"

At this moment, Zhu Xieyuan was already cursing the heavens in his heart. If it weren't for the money, he would have already pointed his finger at the Prince of Shu and started cursing.

"Your Majesty!"

"With war raging everywhere, grain prices in Chengdu have already skyrocketed."

"Three coins of silver can't even buy a peck of rice; it's just a drop in the ocean!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhishu resolutely shook his head and refused:
"That's all, that's all!"

"The money and grain in the treasury are limited. We recently acquired a lot of land, and we haven't been able to collect the interest from the loans we lent out. We really have no surplus grain!"

As he was talking, his eyes lit up and he suddenly came up with a "brilliant plan".

Zhu Zhishu excitedly grabbed Zhu Xieyuan's sleeve.

"In that case, I, the King, will take the lead and contribute two thousand taels; that's the most I can offer!"

"You, go to the city and find my uncles, brothers, princes and generals."

"You can't just target my main clan for profit. There are over 20,000 clansmen in my Shu region. Let them all contribute as well!"

"Pass on my order: have them donate according to their respective ranks!"

"The Prince will contribute one thousand taels, the General Who Guards the State will contribute five hundred, the General Who Assists the State will contribute two hundred, and the General Who Supports the State will contribute one hundred..."

"If you put all these together, it should amount to at least fifty or sixty thousand taels."

"At worst, you can leave 40,000... no, 30,000 taels with me for emergencies."

"The rest is enough to pay the soldiers' wages!"

"..."

Looking at the King of Shu's face, Zhu Xieyuan felt a surge of blood rush to his head, and he almost vomited blood on the spot.

At this critical juncture, this guy still wants to take advantage of the situation to make a quick buck?
Seeing that he could no longer obtain money and provisions from the Prince of Shu's residence, Zhu Xieyuan could only suppress the urge to draw his sword and, carrying the absurd "order" from the Prince of Shu, went to find other members of the royal family in the city.

Those princes and generals were naturally extremely unwilling, and they all complained about being poor and incompetent, passing the buck to each other.

But when they learned that even the miserly Prince of Shu had shed blood and had set rules for them, these members of the royal family could only scrape together tens of thousands of taels of silver.

After scraping together enough supplies, Zhu Xieyuan finally managed to gather enough provisions and began to work on strengthening the city's defenses.

Since the silver was hard-earned, in order to prevent anyone from embezzling it, Zhu Xieyuan had to personally supervise the distribution of the full amount of silver to the soldiers guarding the city as soon as possible.

Seeing his soldiers regain their spirits slightly after receiving their pay, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

In order to defend the city, Zhu Xieyuan immediately sent people to withdraw all the troops of the four Chengdu guards (Chengdu Guard, Left Guard, Right Guard, and Central Guard) and Ningchuan Guard around the city and reorganize them.

Although there were five guards surrounding Chengdu Prefecture, Zhu Xieyuan only managed to gather a little over six thousand men after taking a count.

He knew without even thinking that the remaining vacancies would be filled by people who were receiving salaries without working.

But now is not the time to worry about these things. Zhu Xieyuan also incorporated the servants and guards contributed by the officials, gentry and wealthy households in the city, as well as the young men and students recruited in the city, into the city's garrison.

That's how they managed to gather a little over 12,000 people.

He dispersed all the recruited guards, servants, and militia, mixed them up in a way that allowed the old to mentor the new, and after retraining them, assigned them to various sections of the city wall.

Zhu Xieyuan carefully selected several relatively loyal officers from various garrisons to serve as his deputies, and established strict rules and regulations for them.

Anyone who deserts their post or disrupts the morale of the troops will be executed without mercy!

After resolving the manpower issue, he immediately began to reinforce the city's defenses.

Although Chengdu is the capital of a province, the city walls have been damaged in many places due to the long period of peace.

Zhu Xieyuan mobilized his soldiers, civilians, and the people of the city to move bricks, stones, and timber day and night to raise and reinforce the battlements and repair the collapses.

As for the defense outside the city, he personally led the able-bodied men to dig deep moats; in the open areas near the city walls, he also placed layers of deer antlers, chevaux-de-frise, and even caltrops.

To prevent the bandits from surrounding the city without attacking and cutting off the waterways, Zhu Xieyuan also diverted two streams of fresh water into the city.

Oil, logs, stones, arrows, and other military equipment were continuously sent to the city walls, where they were ready for battle.

At the foot of the city wall, large pots were already prepared, ready to simmer the golden broth at any time.

Zhu Xieyuan knew that when the rebels attacked the city, they would often send spies into the city to collude with the starving people and defeated soldiers.

To guard against internal collaborators, Zhu Xieyuan implemented a strict curfew in the city.

Anyone who goes out on the street at night without a valid reason will be arrested and interrogated.

In each ward and alley, the system of mutual responsibility and mutual surveillance was implemented, with neighbors monitoring each other.

Anyone acting suspiciously, being an unfamiliar face, or spreading rumors must be reported immediately; concealing such activity will be considered a crime.

He also established a special patrol team to frequently inspect inns, warehouses, dilapidated temples, and the base of city walls, places where it was easy to hide.

Patrol teams would conduct random checks on the population of each village after nightfall to prevent thieves from posing as residents and infiltrating the city.

He strictly inspected anyone attempting to approach key locations such as city gates, granaries, and armories, and no one was allowed to move without his order.

On the fifth day of the third month of the eighth year of Chongzhen's reign, while Zhu Xieyuan was still making intensive preparations for defending the city, Jiang Han had already arrived at the city walls.

At the foot of Longquan Mountain in the northern suburbs of Chengdu, the three armies met as scheduled.

The camps stretched as far as the eye could see, and 40,000 troops completely surrounded Chengdu.

Before the battle, Jiang Han even held a special rally to mobilize the troops.

He strode up the command platform, clad in golden armor.

Below the stage was a sea of ​​people, stretching as far as the eye could see. Many of the newly surrendered soldiers and recruited local militia were seeing the Supreme Commander for the first time.

"Bros!"

He held up a tin megaphone, looking at the faces below the stage, some enthusiastic, some nervous.
"Chengdu is just ahead of us!"

"Chengdu is the last nail the imperial court has driven into Sichuan. Once Chengdu is taken, there will be no more obstacles in the entire Shu region."

"I've heard that the Shu King's stronghold is in Chengdu. The Zhu family has been entrenched in Chengdu for over two hundred years, and I don't know how much wealth they've plundered from the people of Sichuan!"

As he spoke, Jiang Han pointed to the giant city not far away, his voice suddenly rising in pitch.
"It's the princes, corrupt officials, and powerful figures in this city! They eat the grain grown by us ordinary people, wear the cloth woven by us ordinary people, and live in magnificent mansions, yet they treat us like livestock!"

"They levy exorbitant taxes and levies, squeezing every last drop of marrow from our bones, forcing countless villagers to sell their children and causing their families to be destroyed!"

Upon hearing this, the tens of thousands of local militiamen and laborers below the stage began to breathe heavily, their fists clenched tightly.

"Not only that, there are also many brothers from the Ming army in the army!"

"Think about it carefully. When you were starving and running to Yunnan and Guizhou to quell the rebellion of the chieftains, what were these officials, gentry and wealthy people in the city doing?"

"I also come from the Ming army. Our brothers in the Northwest have been owed wages for years, and we are forced to go beyond the Great Wall to fight and enter the capital to defend the emperor."

There's an old saying that goes, "Even an emperor doesn't skimp on starving soldiers. Are we just supposed to be sent to our deaths by these old men?"

"that is!"

"Kill these officials!"

When painful memories were brought up, the soldiers in the audience roared in anger, their emotions instantly ignited.

"That's right!"

"I, Jiang, raised an army in rebellion and took up arms to seek justice for my fellow countrymen and my brothers in the army!"

His gaze swept across the entire room, his voice deep and powerful:

"Along the way, we killed corrupt officials, eliminated local tyrants, and distributed land!"

“But this is not enough!”

"As long as the Zhu family's banner still stands, those parasites will always feel they have a powerful backer, and they will always think about making a comeback and putting the shackles back around our necks!"

"So today I have mobilized a large army here to crush Chengdu and wipe out these bloodsucking officials, gentry, and princes in one fell swoop!"

"Break through Chengdu! Capture the King of Shu alive!"

"Break through Chengdu! Capture the King of Shu alive!"

Below the stage, more than 40,000 people roared like a mountain collapsing, the sound waves shaking the earth, and countless swords and spears were raised high, gleaming with a chilling light.

Seeing the jubilant soldiers, Jiang Han shouted:

"On my command, attack the city at dawn tomorrow!"

"The first to reach the summit will be promoted three ranks and rewarded with ten thousand taels of silver!"

(End of this chapter)