Chapter 83

Previously, it was a mistake to say Dongjiang; it should be Beijiang.

...

Beijiang, located in the northern part of Lingnan, is mostly a series of hills that slope from east to west. Together with the dense network of tributaries of the Pearl River, these hills divide the Beiling region into various interconnected plains and slopes of different sizes.

Then, following the other two main tributaries of the Pearl River, in the outer area of Guannan, known as the capital region, the three major administrative divisions of Lingdong were formed, named Sanjiangdao.

We had just crossed the ferry bridge on the Xinfeng River, leaving the jurisdiction of Beijiang and entering Dongjiang, or Longchuandao. In the small county of Xinfeng, where we briefly rested, we encountered our first unexpected incident and mishap.

"Protect the Emperor, kill all the corrupt officials."

With a few hoarse shouts,

On the road, as the fleeing crowd surged, armed thugs suddenly rose to slash and drive them away, causing a chaotic tide of people crying and screaming. The local militia and volunteers, armed with bamboo spears and short knives, responsible for maintaining order, were quickly scattered.

The county magistrate and several local militia leaders, who bravely stood at the city gate to control the crowd, were the first to be stabbed or dragged down and beheaded, then trampled.

"Let's go quickly."

After cutting, pushing, and kicking our way through the fleeing crowd and rushing out of the other end of the county, I looked back.

This small city was already doomed to fall, but we had gathered enough horses and carriages. As long as we followed the road, most of them, relying only on their legs, wouldn't be able to catch up. If it were a small group of scouts, they wouldn't be able to either.

However, just as we rushed to the other end of the county, we saw another group of people with mixed skin tones and some surprised expressions, stopping on the spot, raising what looked like muskets, and aiming at us.

I knew it was bad and quickly hid behind Red Tiger. All I could hear was the sound of gunfire like popping beans in the fields, a puff of white smoke rising from the distance, and the whistling of bullets and the sound of them hitting the ground.

Fortunately, they were not very accurate, and most of the bullets flew off course.

Thus, under the cover of the horses, the riders and their mounts were almost unharmed. Instead, they used crossbows and pistols to take down a few who had advanced too close. In the end, only a donkey carrying supplies was hit by a stray bullet, bleeding and moaning, and was left behind.

To be honest, I was both relieved and disappointed. I was disappointed that the power and effect of the firearms of this era were not very impressive, but relieved that they couldn't pose a threat to us unless they were at a certain distance and formed a dense enough line of fire.

After mounting and pulling away to a certain distance, we easily shook them off, even though a few scouts were still determined to pursue us.

But when these riders turned and charged, they were easily cut down, like slicing through melons. This gave us a dozen or so additional pack horses.

At the cost of the animals, a day later, we entered the territory of Xunzhou. Once we crossed Heyuan County, we would be in the core area of Guannan, the heart of the Southern Dynasty.

"They're following again."

Bo Fu, responsible for rear security, rode up and whispered to me.

I rubbed my forehead. Plans can't keep up with changes. Originally, things were going smoothly, but I seemed to have overlooked something.

People seem to have a tendency to follow blindly. After we raised our banner and marched, we found that many people were following us, civilians and soldiers alike, even though they didn't know our purpose or direction. They just felt safer following us.

This inadvertently made our target too obvious and made it easy for spies and hostile forces to mix in. Therefore, we strictly prohibited them from getting close.

"Should we disperse them?"

Feng Juanqi also rode over and asked.

"No."

I thought for a moment. It wasn't worth the effort and time, and if used well, they could serve as a buffer and early warning.

Perhaps, like the story of Liu Bei fleeing to Jingzhou, a flash of inspiration came to me.

I looked at Feng Juanqi and Han Liangchen, a mix of officers, lower-ranking officers, experienced veterans, and savvy old militia members. This might be an opportunity.

"A Luo, what do you think?"

I walked over to Yuwen Luolu, who was rubbing her arms and legs.

"Can we do something?"

"You want to recruit soldiers and gather resources here? That's a pipe dream."

"Is it impossible?"

"Do you have money and authority?"

"Authority can be borrowed, and equipment and supplies will be available as soon as we have a city."

I said calmly, the initial flash of inspiration now taking shape.

"You're really daring."

Her young face showed a mix of admiration and ridicule.

"Flattery, but we're all in this together, aren't we?"

"But you need to convince Lady Chen to take on this responsibility."

She poured cold water on my idea.

"Isn't there you?"

"You really think highly of me."

Her eyes sparkled as she suddenly said,

"Actually, you have another solution."

"What? What do you mean?"

I was taken aback.

"You can reveal your identity early."

"..."

"Although it might cause some trouble later, it can solve your current needs."

"You mean..."

I searched my memory and recalled a nearly forgotten law.

"The Decree on the Authority of the Feudal Lords to Suppress Rebellions?"

This decree was issued after the failure of the Yongjia Great March, when the overseas feudal lords suffered severe damage and faced counterattacks from local indigenous forces and hostile foreign tribes, making the situation within their territories very difficult.

Given the geographical characteristics of many feudal territories, waiting for troops from Guangzhou to come to their aid would be impractical. Therefore, this decree granted post-facto authorization to the heads and heirs of the feudal lords to take action as they saw fit.

The Southern Dynasty not only needed to reclaim the Central Plains through military campaigns but also to expand its territory among the barbarian tribes overseas.

Although the shogunate later reclaimed many powers, this decree was stubbornly retained by the Feudal Council, albeit with many restrictions.

At the same time, the resource competition between the campaigns to reclaim the Central Plains and the gradual expansion overseas, known as the land-sea dispute, led to internal struggles and vacillations in the Southern Dynasty's national policies over generations.

"You are one of the legitimate heirs of the Luo clan of Borneo, so this decree applies to you."

She became excited and continued,

"Moreover, this decree theoretically applies to all territories under the jurisdiction of the Southern Dynasty, including the seven regions outside the Lingnan region, unless otherwise specified."

"Doesn't this increase our chances of convincing Lady Chen?"

"Perhaps we can try."

Thus, half a day later, we gained a group of followers.

After crossing the hill, we saw a battlefield outside Heyuan County. The sounds of weapons clashing, shouts, and the crackling of musket volleys indicated a chaotic battle between the flag-mixed rebels and the regular army under green banners.

I finally saw the typical combat style of the Southern Dynasty's army. Although both sides had similar formations and tactics,

The sequence for long-range suppression and killing was generally muskets in the front row and archers in the back, firing in volleys. After closing in, the sword and shield soldiers and spearmen on both flanks moved to the front, forming a line to thrust and fight, a kind of mixed tactics.

It was a conventional yet thrillingly brutal and beautiful sight, far from the two-dimensional representation of battles controlled by keyboards and mice, where blood flows like a river.

"We can move now."

A moment later, following my order, over a hundred mounted guards led their horses down the hill and disappeared into the woods.

This group, though only a hundred strong, were genuine armored cavalry, not the mounted infantry typically listed in the Southern Dynasty's army. Their horses were fine steeds from the north.

Once they emerged from the woods and reappeared on the battlefield, their momentum was overwhelming. The dust and smoke billowed, and they charged like a wave, creating the illusion of a thousand-strong force.

Facing the unprepared faces and the hoarse shouts of the rebel commanders, it was like a heavy blow to the softest part of their bodies. Broken bodies, weapons, armor, and flags flew like straw.

The cavalry continued to charge, breaking through the disintegrating ranks, causing a large area to collapse and disintegrate.

In a single charge, they shattered the rebels' morale.

"Great job."

I pounded my fist. I had merely suggested the right moment to attack, and they acted according to their experience, making the best tactical decisions.

With such a group, even a hundred strong, their combat experience and military skills would be enough to make a name for themselves in this chaotic era.

Unfortunately, this momentary success and victory was a fleeting sense of achievement that quickly brought me back to reality.

They were not my loyal subordinates but elite troops directly under the Southeastern Pacification Commission, temporarily following orders from Lady Chen.

The Southern Dynasty's army, no matter how dull, would not miss this opportunity to turn the tide. They quickly pursued the collapsing rebels, forcing them to retreat in disarray.

Then, they flanked the rebels, compressing them into a small area of the battlefield.

The rebels, crying and moaning, made a last desperate stand, only to be mowed down by archers. Eventually, they surrendered in groups, kneeling and begging for mercy.