Chapter 26

In July of Chongzhen's fifth year (1632), Kong Youde gathered a group in Lai Zhou under the pretext of protesting against low pay, and the court immediately ordered Zhu Dadian to serve as the governor of Shandong to rescue Lai Zhou. Zhu Dadian led several ten thousand troops and the elite forces of Guanzhong to Dezhou, where he killed the rebel leader Chen You. Then, the troops were divided into three routes: Jin Guoqi led the central route to Changping, General Chen Hongfan led the southern route, and Deputy General Wang Zhifu led the northern route. All the troops carried three days' worth of food to Shahu, where Kong Youde engaged them in battle but was defeated. On the 20th, the siege of Lai Zhou was lifted, and Kong Youde was forced to surrender to the Later Jin with his remaining forces.

The coastal regions of the Ming Dynasty had just seen the end of the smoke of war, but another impending conflict was quietly brewing. In mid-August, the climate in Shanxi was still pleasant, and a sudden heavy rain relieved the prolonged drought of the past half year. Countless tenant farmers and peasants celebrated this timely rain, taking out their farming tools and cherished seeds to sow the hope for the next year.

However, while the farmers were satisfied, some were not. On the 16th of August, three groups of people gathered on a small hill outside Danning City. The leaders were named Gao Yingxiang, Luo Ruzhai, and Zhang Xianzhong.

"King of the Uprising, what do you think? Should we immediately take action against Shanxi? I've heard that the situation in Shanxi is not good; it hasn't rained for half a year. I believe the people there must be looking forward to our righteous army coming to save them," said a middle-aged man with a lean build and a slightly yellow complexion, a beard of sixteen inches, and a demeanor that mixed rudeness and cunning. His name was Zhang Xianzhong, born in Liuqu Village, Haotan Township, Dingbian County, Shaanxi Province (anciently known as Liushujiang Fort). Despite his rough appearance and background as a butcher, Zhang Xianzhong was not illiterate. He had studied in his youth and later joined the military in Yan'an. However, he was expelled from the army for violating military rules and wandered among the people. In Chongzhen's third year, Zhang Xianzhong, a speculator at heart, gathered several hundred like-minded brothers and began a grand rebellion, styling himself as the "Eighth King." Due to his education and military training, he was intelligent, brave, and quick-witted, quickly displaying his leadership skills. His forces grew from a few hundred to over ten thousand, making him a well-known rebel leader in Shaanxi.

Zhang Xianzhong said this because the previous afternoon, a thousand-strong border army suddenly arrived in Danning City. The leaders of the peasant army were very cautious about this sudden arrival and held a meeting to discuss their next steps.

Zhang Xianzhong's words made Gao Yingxiang, a man in his forties with a long beard, hesitate. He glanced at Luo Ruzhai, nicknamed "Cao Cao," and then said solemnly, "Brother Luo, what do you think? Should we attack Danning, Xizhou, Zezhou, and Shouyang?"

Luo Ruzhai, nicknamed "Cao Cao," was known for his strategic skills, which was why Gao Yingxiang valued him. Hearing Gao Yingxiang's question, Luo Ruzhai smiled slightly and said, "King of the Uprising, have you forgotten that indecision is a great taboo in warfare? We came to Shanxi to find a way out for tens of thousands of our brothers. Now that we're here, why are you hesitating?"

"But Danning now has over a thousand troops from Xuancheng. If we attack, won't we collide head-on with them? Your people, mostly starving peasants, won't mind, and you can easily leave after a defeat. But my troops are elite, forged through hard battles. Can we be the same?" Zhang Xianzhong was very dissatisfied with Luo Ruzhai's casual attitude and couldn't help but mock him.

Luo Ruzhai immediately became angry: "Hey, Zhang Xianzhong, how long has it been since you put down your butcher's knife? Do you really think you're the Eighth King now?" Even with his great tolerance, Luo Ruzhai was furious and retorted, "I'll tell you, Zhang Xianzhong, if you want to leave, I won't stop you. But you won't get a share of anything in Shanxi, understand?"

"Rubbish! Want me to give up on Shanxi? No way!" Zhang Xianzhong, hearing that he should give up on Shanxi's interests, couldn't hold back and stood up red-faced, ready to confront Luo Ruzhai.

"Enough! Stop arguing! Sit down!" At this moment, Gao Yingxiang, who had been silent, slapped a nearby small tree with a loud "crack," breaking it into two pieces. Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Ruzhai quickly shut up. Although they were also influential figures from Shaanxi, they were far inferior to Gao Yingxiang, who had become the de facto leader of the Thirty-Six Camps after the death of its leader, Wang Ziyong.

Gao Yingxiang glanced at Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Ruzhai and said coldly, "If any of you are afraid, say so now. I won't force anyone. But if you stay and don't fight well, don't blame me for not showing brotherly affection. Now, I order, in the name of the King of the Uprising, that the entire army have a full meal tonight and begin the attack at dawn tomorrow."

"Yes!"

Soon, Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Ruzhai responded.

On August 18th of Chongzhen's fifth year, King of the Uprising Gao Yingxiang led Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Ruzhai's three peasant armies, totaling about seventy to eighty thousand, to launch an attack on Danning City...

Danning is about 300 kilometers from Wulizhai. In modern times, this distance is just a phone call away, but in this era, it is the entire life span of most peasants. Under such conditions, the isolation of information is evident, so Yueyang knew nothing about the events hundreds of kilometers away.

This morning, Yueyang, dressed in military attire, stood on a platform in the training ground, watching the hundreds of armored soldiers standing motionless before him. He nodded in satisfaction.

Two months is neither long nor short, but for Yueyang, it was the most important time of his life. During these two months, Yueyang almost lived in the camp, and his training methods were incomprehensible to everyone. He focused most of his time on drilling the new recruits in formations and marching, and only a small portion of the time was spent on gun and sword training.

Influenced by modern military practices, Yueyang believed that discipline was the most important aspect of an army. Once an army had strict discipline, it was not far from victory. Conversely, a lax army might win a few battles, but it would ultimately be like a fleeting flower.

"Master, the brothers have been training all morning. Should we let them rest for a while?" Shunbao, also dressed in military attire, panted and whispered to Yueyang.

The scorching sun of August hung high in the sky, mercilessly pouring its heat. Yueyang's Gothic plate armor, brought from the modern world, looked impressive but was extremely heavy. The soldiers, carrying heavy swords and shields, had to bear a weight of over forty pounds, which was quite daunting. If anyone doubted this, they could try carrying a forty-pound backpack in the sun for a few hours.

"If you can't take it, you can leave, but don't say you're my man!" Yueyang said coldly without turning his head.

Shunbao stuck out his tongue and fell silent. If he were really driven away by his master, his father, Yuelai Fu, would break his legs.

After scolding Shunbao, Yueyang continued to watch the soldiers on the training ground, nodding in satisfaction. These soldiers were trained by his own hands. To transform a group of farmers who had just put down their hoes into disciplined soldiers in two months was indeed a source of pride. However, the process was not harmonious. During these two months, Yueyang's only punishment for soldiers who failed to understand orders or made mistakes was a wooden stick.

Yes, a wooden stick. During training, Hu Laosan and a dozen servants would constantly scold the new recruits. Anyone who was distracted, spoke, or performed actions incorrectly would be immediately struck with a stick, causing the new recruits to cry out in pain. Due to Hu Laosan's cruelty, the new recruits gave him the nickname "Hu Yanwang."

However, the strict training yielded significant results. After two months, although the actual combat ability of these new recruits was unknown, their formation training and discipline were among the best in the Ming Dynasty.

Yueyang looked up at the sky and nodded. "Yes, it's time. We should start the combat training next!"

"Now, I order, attention!"

"Boom..."

A loud,整齐的响声传来，四百多名士兵用力抬起右脚重重踏在地上，发出了沉重的响声。

“现在听我口令，所有人预备……”

“少爷，应州府来报，大宁城被流寇攻陷了！”

就在岳阳要下达命令的时候，一名家丁匆匆跑来在岳阳的耳边说出了一个令人震惊的消息……

PS: 兄弟们，有谁忘了投免费的推荐票和收藏了吗？

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A loud,整齐的响声传来，四百多名士兵用力抬起右脚重重踏在地上，发出了沉重的响声。

"Now, listen to my command, everyone, get ready..."

"Master, a report from Yingzhou says that Danning City has been captured by the bandits!"

Just as Yueyang was about to give his order, a servant rushed over and whispered a shocking message in his ear...

PS: Brothers, has anyone forgotten to cast their free recommendation votes and add to their favorites?