Chapter 142: 140: Four Provinces Encircle and Suppress Zhao Han (For Alliance Leader

After this year's autumn harvest, not only did the peasant army in Ruijin County grow stronger, but a peasant uprising also erupted in Longquan County.

Longquan County is what later became Suichuan County — mountainous, with little arable land, and desperately poor.

There was a Longquan Centurion station here; though only a minor Centurion, it had been developing for two hundred years and had even produced a military-register jinshi.

What little farmland there was had been carved up entirely by military officers and the gentry.

When word came that Zhao Han had seized the three counties of central Gan, Longquan County — separated by only two counties' distance — erupted in a military-household uprising as well. The military households joined with tenant farmers, killed the officers and landlords, then stormed the county seat and killed the County Magistrate, even hoisting a great banner on the gate tower reading "Execute Heaven's Justice."

Regional Inspector Censor Chen Yuding had come to Jiangxi full of cheerful anticipation, but the moment he took office, his scalp went numb!

This fellow reached Nanchang in mid-October. First he heard that the rebel Zhao had seized three counties; then that the Southern Gan Assistant Regional Commander had been killed; and then that Longquan County, too, had fallen to the rebels.

On closer inquiry — good heavens — Nanfeng County had long since been lost, and Yanshan County also had sectarian rebels rising up.

"Lord Daying, why have you taken no action at all?" Chen Yuding demanded.

Left Provincial Administration Commissioner He Yingrui replied, "Who says nothing has been done? The three provincial offices of Jiangxi are fully assisting the Governor in suppressing the bandits. Otherwise, where would Governor Li's troops and provisions come from?"

Chen Yuding said urgently, "You've been suppressing them for the better part of a year, and the Duchang rebels still occupy the county seat. What sort of bandit suppression is this?"

"The Lake Poyang water bandits have been thoroughly wiped out. The Duchang rebels are also besieged within the city and will certainly be taken before the year is out!" He Yingrui had no desire to bandy words with Chen Yuding. He was spending money to pull strings and would soon be transferred back to the capital.

This cursed Jiangxi — let whoever wants to be an official here come. He Yingrui only wanted to leave as soon as possible.

The two men found no common ground and parted on bad terms.

Returning to his temporary residence, a household slave reported that a juren named Xiao Puyun sought an audience. Chen Yuding hastily had the man brought in.

Xiao Puyun burst into tearful complaint the moment they met: "Regional Inspector, permit me to report — that rebel Zhao slaughters landlords indiscriminately, distributes the fields of law-abiding folk to tenant farmers, and is a master at deluding the people. Even… even Li Meng'an has gone over to the rebels!"

"You mean Li Meng'an, the Minister of War from a few years ago?" Chen Yuding said in alarm.

Xiao Puyun said, "The very same!"

Chen Yuding felt the gravity of the situation deepening and quickly asked, "Who else has joined the rebels?"

"Many have joined the rebels," Xiao Puyun said. Furious that the authorities had not promptly dispatched troops to Ji'an Prefecture, which had led to the deaths of his father and elder brother, he now made a false accusation: "The Jiangzhou Military Defense Circuit Assistant Commissioner Wang Siren — his examination patron was Liu Yingqiu of Jishui, and Liu Yingqiu's son Liu Tongsheng has also joined the rebels. That Wang Siren is surely in collusion with the rebel Zhao, which is why he lingers at Duchang and refuses to march south to suppress the rebels!"

Chen Yuding asked, puzzled, "When the roving bandits ran amok in the north, the gentry mostly died with their families for the dynasty. Why are so many Jiangxi gentry joining the rebels?"

Xiao Puyun said, "The northern roving bandits kill people, seize grain, and flee elsewhere — how could the gentry join them? Even if they wanted to join, the roving bandits would cut them down with a single stroke. This Luling rebel Zhao is different. He himself is a xiucai from Jishui. As long as the gentry surrender their land, he does not plunder their money or grain, nor does he kill indiscriminately. To preserve their clansmen's lives, the gentry are often forced to submit. And then this scoundrel distributes all the landlords' fields to the common folk, and the little people are utterly deluded by him! Does the Regional Inspector know what slogan the rebel Zhao shouts for his rebellion?"

"What does he shout?" Chen Yuding asked.

Xiao Puyun said through gritted teeth, "Great Unity under Heaven!"

"Great Unity under Heaven?" Chen Yuding thought he had misheard.

"Exactly," Xiao Puyun said. "In the three counties of Luling, Jishui, and Anfu, many impoverished scholars, merely because they were allotted a few mu of land, have been deluded by that rebel Zhao and have voluntarily flocked to his side one after another — utterly devoid of any scholar's integrity! Now, in the three counties of central Gan, the common people know only the rebel Zhao, and know nothing of the Great Ming Emperor!"

Chen Yuding questioned him closely for more details, and Xiao Puyun poured out everything in a torrent.

That night, Chen Yuding lit a lamp and drafted a memorial.

He impeached not only the Jiangxi officials for their failure to suppress the bandits, but also the previous Regional Inspector Censor — he had no intention of taking the blame for his predecessor.

Furthermore, in his memorial, Chen Yuding requested the establishment of a Jiangxi Regional Commander post and asked the Governor-General of Liangguang to dispatch troops.

Having finished the memorial, Chen Yuding felt utterly exhausted. He knew he had landed in serious trouble — that Luling rebel Zhao was no ordinary rebel!

Incidentally, the historical Chen Yuding first surrendered to the Manchu Qing, was later dismissed from office, and went on to become Zheng Chenggong's teacher.

When Zheng Chenggong's resistance against the Qing failed, Chen Yuding was captured by Qing troops and beheaded. His last words before death were to the effect of: "At the end of the Ming, only Li Dingguo and Zheng Chenggong could still fight; the rest were all idiots. That I could follow Zheng Chenggong in resisting the Qing and die for it — I die without regret."

Another complicated official — surrendering to the Qing without the slightest psychological burden, yet resisting the Qing to the death without regret.

Fearing his memorial would be delayed, Chen Yuding paid out of his own pocket and had a household servant hire a boat to race straight to the capital, entrusting his patron to submit the memorial.

In just a month and a half, Chongzhen saw the memorial and was so enraged he kicked his writing desk askew.

He summoned the Grand Secretariat and ministry officials at once, pounded the table, and roared, "Jiangxi has rotted to this extent, and I only learn of it today! What in blazes have the Jiangxi three provincial offices and the Jiangxi Governor been doing?"

The ministers were too terrified to speak. There had been far too many calamities this year.

In the summer, Hong Taiji had unified the Southern Mongols. On his way back from the western campaign against the Chahar, he had conveniently swung by Xuan-Da to plunder. This meant the Tartars no longer needed to come through the east — they could attack directly from Shanxi!

Just days ago, the grand army of five provinces had encircled the roving bandits, only to stage a defeat at Luonan, where even the Huguang Vice Regional Commander was cut down by the rebels.

These ministers, summoned in haste, had thought it was to discuss the roving bandits — they never expected it to be about the Jiangxi rebels.

"See for yourselves!" Chongzhen hurled the memorial out.

Chief Grand Secretary Wen Tiren hastily picked it up. After reading it quickly, he passed the memorial to the Second Grand Secretary.

Though Wen Tiren did no real work, his achievements this year were piled high. The Minister of Personnel Li Changgeng, the Minister of Justice Hu Yingtai, and the Minister of Works Zhou Shipu had all been toppled by Wen Tiren. All three ministerial posts had been replaced with mortal enemies of the Donglin Faction.

The survivors of the eunuch faction and the Qi-Chu-Zhe faction were locked in mutual savagery with the Donglin Faction, while Wen Tiren stood to the side, playing the solitary minister and watching the show!

Chen Yuding's memorial made the rounds among the senior ministers of the Grand Secretariat, but still no one was willing to speak first.

Chongzhen burned with fury, even laughing in his rage: "A rebel, shouting 'Great Unity under Heaven' to raise his rebellion. Absurd beyond measure, ludicrous beyond belief! And that Li Banghua — a senior minister who once served as Minister of War — actually led the way in joining the bandits!"

Minister of Personnel Xie Sheng, of the Lu faction, finally spoke: "All members of the Gucun Li clan of Jiangxi currently serving as officials at court should be imprisoned and interrogated."

Chongzhen said furiously, "Imprison them — arrest them all!"

Minister of Works Liu Zunxian said, "The Jiangxi three provincial offices and the Jiangxi Governor should all be recalled to the capital to answer for their crimes."

This was a political rival on the attack. Minister of Revenue Hou Xun quickly said, "Your Majesty, Censor Chen's memorial states that the Jiangxi three offices and the Governor are currently campaigning against the rebels at Duchang. Duchang County is of the utmost importance. Why not wait until they have exterminated the Duchang rebels before marching south to campaign against the Luling rebels? The urgent task is to order the Governor-General of Liangguang, Shen Youlong, to assemble the troops of Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, and Jiangxi — four provinces — to first exterminate the Southern Gan bandits. Then advance from north and south together, joining forces to encircle and annihilate the Luling rebel Zhao."

Minister of Rites Li Kangxian seconded this: "Minister Hou's words are most sound. Jiangxi can be made to press for the autumn grain levy and recruit more troops to exterminate the bandits."

"Press the levy, press the levy, always pressing the levy," Chongzhen said angrily. "When has Jiangxi's money and grain not been pressed for? Since I ascended the throne, Jiangxi's taxes have never once been paid in full!"

No one dared speak. The Emperor was at the height of his fury.

After a long while, Chongzhen finally spoke: "Order the Governor of Fujian to assist the Governor-General of Liangguang. First exterminate those Southern Gan bandits, then march north to campaign against the Luling rebel Zhao!"

Governor-General of Liangguang Shen Youlong, though he knew nothing of military strategy, was adept at employing men and understood that fighting wars should be left to professionals.

Governor of Fujian Zou Weilian had, two years prior, joined forces with Zheng Zhilong to destroy the lair of the pirate Liu Xiang. Last year, he had fought a bloody eight-day battle, driving the Dutch out of Xiamen and capturing the Dutch colonial leader.

With the two of them joining hands, it would be enough to give Zhao Han a hard time.

Fortunately, Chief Grand Secretary Wen Tiren was there. The historical Zou Weilian had been framed and dismissed from office by none other than Wen Tiren.

Zou Weilian was unlucky too — dismissed despite winning his battles, he fell ill and died in his hometown the very next year.

At this moment, Wen Tiren remained silent, simply waiting for Shen Youlong and Zou Weilian to make a mistake. If the two of them failed to exterminate Zhao Han over a long period, or if they suffered a defeat, then they could just wait to bear the Emperor's wrath — Wen Tiren would certainly not let such a fine opportunity slip by.

Supervising Secretary Xue Guoguan suddenly spoke: "Your Majesty, according to what Censor Chen stated in his memorial, Wang Siren, the Assistant Military Commissioner of Jiangzhou, may be suspected of secretly communicating with the rebels."

"Utter nonsense," Li Kangxian said furiously. "Censor Chen's memorial already made it clear. That Wang Siren is secretly communicating with the rebels is merely something he reports upon hearing rumor; he did not dare assert it as fact, nor did he dare conceal it!"

Minister of War Zhang Fengyi also said: "Wang Siren's character is still worthy of trust. He is absolutely incapable of colluding with rebels."

Wen Tiren suddenly furrowed his brow. Although Zhang Fengyi was not his partisan, he could still be counted as an ally. Why was he speaking up for the Donglin Faction instead?

It could only prove that Wang Siren was simply too well-liked.

Li Changgeng, the Minister of Personnel whom Wen Tiren had brought down this year, likewise held Wang Siren in high regard.

Sensing Wen Tiren's displeasure, Zhang Fengyi immediately changed the subject: "Your Majesty, should we establish a Regional Commander for Jiangxi?"

The Chongzhen Emperor pondered carefully, then said abruptly: "Li Ruolian, Assistant Regional Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, may serve as Regional Commander of Jiangxi."

This appointment made the ministers very much want to grumble, but they all held back and said nothing.

Although the Chongzhen Emperor had done a pile of muddle-headed things, there was one thing he had done right, and that was establishing the palace examination for the military track.

In the past, the military examinations only produced military jinshi, supervised by civil officials. Only from the Chongzhen reign onward did the military zhuangyuan come into being, and these martial men could also become disciples of the Son of Heaven.

The military jinshi were profoundly grateful for this, and many emerged who fought to the death for their country.

For example, this Li Ruolian, facing Li Zicheng's assault, fought in Beijing to the very last moment.

With this, the court finally began to take Zhao Han seriously. The Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, the Governor of Fujian, the Governor of Jiangxi, and the Regional Commander of Jiangxi all made Zhao Han their ultimate target for punitive expedition.

Having finished wrangling over Jiangxi matters, sovereign and ministers began discussing the roving bandit affairs once more.

Chen Qiyu, Governor-General of Five Provinces — that unlucky wretch was certainly finished. Having suffered such a massive defeat, even if he kept his life he would be stripped of rank; the best outcome for him was banishment to the frontier.

The Chongzhen Emperor and his ministers wrangled continuously for several days, and finally settled on the candidate for the new Governor-General of Five Provinces — Hong Chengchou!

(Thanks to 99玖玖久久 for the alliance-leader reward, and thanks to all the readers who tipped and subscribed!)

(End of chapter)