Chapter 288: 286 Zhang Xianzhong

Anqing.

Zhang Xianzhong, with over a hundred thousand troops, had been besieging the city for half a month.

He could not take it.

The Anqing garrison numbered only three thousand, but their resolve was united, and even the common people came to help, terrified that if the city fell they would be looted clean.

Zhang Xianzhong had sent all his cavalry out, his scouts extending in a circle of twenty li. If government troops came to relieve Anqing, and the relief force was small, they would take the initiative and annihilate it; if the relief force was large, they would turn tail and slip away.

As of today, Zhang Xianzhong no longer wanted to go to Sichuan either.

Zhang Xianzhong harbored great ambitions and had always wanted to fight his way across the Yangtze. Using Nanjing as his base, holding the rich and fertile lands of Jiangnan, he could rule at least half the realm!

Historically, Zhang Xianzhong's headlong plunge into Sichuan was purely at the instigation of his advisor Wang Zhaoling. Later, when Zhang Xianzhong wanted to march the entire army out of Sichuan to seize the northwest and contend for the realm, Wang Zhaoling again sowed discord, saying that once Zhang Xianzhong left, the generals left to hold Sichuan would surely rebel and set themselves up independently.

The large-scale massacres Zhang Xianzhong carried out in Sichuan were also Wang Zhaoling stirring up trouble.

Of course, he certainly did not kill as many as the history books claim.

Although the author of The Azure Blood of Shu vilified Zhang Xianzhong in every way, he did record one fair observation: "(Zhang Xianzhong) after breaking Wuchang, harbored great ambitions and did not engage in excessive slaughter."

…

The peasant army advanced step by step, and in the blink of an eye they reached the moat. The soldiers on the city wall began shooting arrows.

Suddenly, someone on the wall shouted: "Pirate ships!"

On Zhang Xianzhong's side, a scout rider also came galloping swiftly: "The government naval squadron is here, the government naval squadron is here!"

The peasant army in the midst of assaulting the city was immediately recalled by the sounding of gongs.

Both sides, attacker and defender, inside the city and out, were all stunned by the fleet on the river.

The Jiangxi naval squadron, expanded to four thousand men, now possessed over a hundred warships large and small. In normal times, apart from drilling, they assisted the transport commissioners in moving official funds and grain within Jiangxi.

At this very moment, ten large 400-liao vessels and thirty medium 200-liao vessels came sweeping down majestically from upstream.

Zhang Xianzhong personally rode to the riverbank and muttered to himself: "The government naval squadron is not this imposing. Those look like the banners of the rebel Zhao from Jiangxi."

"Lame General" Bai Wenxuan followed him over and asked, puzzled: "Is the rebel Zhao going to attack Jiangnan?"

"I'm afraid he really is." Zhang Xianzhong felt somewhat dejected.

A naval fleet of such majesty was enough to sever the natural barrier of the Yangtze. Zhang Xianzhong had no hope at all of crossing the river to take Nanjing.

"Fuck his mother!"

Zhang Xianzhong spat out a curse: "Pass the word to all units: abandon the siege of Anqing. The entire army is to march north immediately and go help that bastard Li Zicheng!"

Since the rebel Zhao from Jiangxi was preparing to attack Jiangnan, and had such a mighty naval squadron to boot, what the hell was Zhang Xianzhong still doing besieging Anqing? This wretched place was easily trapped by government troops. He might as well head north to Henan and help Li Zicheng.

Of course, the helping was a pretense; the real aim was to disrupt the government forces' dispositions.

He would make a show of heading for Henan, drawing various government armies to encircle and intercept him, then seek a gap and immediately push west, breaking out of the encirclement to return to Huguang (Hubei).

Seeing Zhang Xianzhong suddenly withdraw his troops, the garrison inside the city was bewildered and suspicious, not daring to lead their troops out in pursuit.

In fact, even several days after Zhang Xianzhong had left, the Anqing garrison still dared not make any rash moves, fearful that the roving bandits would wheel around and strike again — Zhang Xianzhong often pulled that trick!

After marching thirty li, they halted to set up camp.

Zhang Xianzhong summoned his generals for a council. Apart from generals like Bai Wenxuan, his four adopted sons — Sun Kewang, Li Dingguo, Liu Wenxiu, and Ai Nengqi — were all present.

"That Heavenly King Zhao in Jiangxi can probably take Jiangnan this year," Zhang Xianzhong told his assembled generals. "Let us not attack Jiangbei. Even if we took all of the Huai region, we would just be stuck out here, serving as a shield for that fellow Zhao."

"Father," Sun Kewang produced a copy of The Great Unity Collection, "your son found this in a landlord's house."

Zhang Xianzhong could recognize a few characters. As for his level of learning, it was probably on par with a child half a year into school. He glanced at the title and asked: "A book from the Shanxi side?"

Sun Kewang said: "Father, this is the Datong of 'Great Unity under Heaven,' not the Datong over in Shanxi."

"That Heavenly King Zhao's book?" Zhang Xianzhong asked.

"Yes," Sun Kewang said. "Your son consulted a tutor and has already grasped the meaning of this first essay."

Zhang Xianzhong laughed: "Go on then, tell me what sort of essay this fellow Zhao wrote."

Sun Kewang said: "'Great Unity under Heaven' means that the realm belongs to everyone, not to any one family or one surname. Officials must be chosen for their virtue and ability, and trustworthiness must be upheld…"

"Well said. That fellow Zhao has some learning in his belly." Zhang Xianzhong nodded in approval.

Sun Kewang continued: "People must treat one another as kin, regarding others' family as their own family, others' sons as their own sons. The old will have someone to see them to their end, the able-bodied can find a livelihood, and children can survive to grow up. Widowers, widows, the crippled — all will be provided for. Men can take wives, women can find husbands… Scholars will not plot with cunning, common folk will not turn to banditry, and at night there will be no need to bar the doors."

Zhang Xianzhong listened, then fell silent for a long while.

"Ah," Zhang Xianzhong sighed. "Who wouldn't want to live such good days? I couldn't even dream of it. What else is written further on?"

Sun Kewang said: "Your son knows few characters and only half-understands it. I have not yet consulted the tutor."

"Bring the tutor here," Zhang Xianzhong said.

Sun Kewang said: "During today's withdrawal, the tutor tried to flee. Your son killed him."

Zhang Xianzhong instructed: "Find another one tomorrow."

The previous year in Gucheng, Zhang Xianzhong had listened to Sunzi's Art of War expounded for several months. Although he still did not grasp much of the content, he still felt he had benefited greatly.

A pity, though — that tutor who explained Sunzi's Art of War had actually run off when the army relocated.

After another day's march, Zhang Xianzhong not only found a tutor, but also got hold of a copy of The Record of Great Unity's Women Generals.

Because it had illustrations, Zhang Xianzhong was quite intrigued and had the tutor first lecture on the Women Generals.

This book could be listened to as a collection of tales. After hearing it, Zhang Xianzhong clapped and praised: "This fellow Zhao is interesting — to actually have so many Sun Er'niangs and Hu Sanniangs in his army." He then told his generals, "Women have ability too. We can select sturdy women for military service. Who knows, we might produce a few Sun Er'niangs and Hu Sanniangs ourselves."

"Yes!" the generals responded.

In truth, these generals were all letting their imaginations run wild. They had seen the illustrations in the book and were far more focused on the beauty of the women.

As for selecting sturdy women for military service?

When Zhang Xianzhong was at his lowest ebb, his generals had one after another killed their wives to demonstrate their resolve!

The tutor then tremblingly lectured on the Discourse on Status. Zhang Xianzhong had not taken it seriously at first. But over the next few days, he also heard the Discourse on Land Distribution, the Discourse on Manumission, and the Discourse on Family, State, and Realm, and was immediately won over by Zhao Han's whole set of rebellion theories.

Another day passed. Zhang Xianzhong summoned his generals and said: "I have decided to go to the Yunyang area, seize a piece of territory, and learn from that fellow Zhao. First, distribute land to the soldiers, then distribute land to the common people, and free all the servants of the wealthy households."

Li Dingguo said: "Father, if the soldiers and common people are given land and property, they will naturally be loyal supporters. But as soon as government troops come, we will have to flee. Wouldn't the land distribution be for nothing then?"

Zhang Xianzhong pondered for a long while. "Let's try it first."

After a long pause, Zhang Xianzhong spoke again: "That Heavenly King Zhao of Jiangxi has a ringing name — seems he has some real ability. Once we've led the government troops around by the nose and reached the Henan border, we'll break out and run southwest. When we get to Huangmei County, we'll send someone to make contact with that fellow Zhao. We're all rebels — let's see if we can help each other out and fight the government troops together when the time comes."

Meanwhile, Xu Fengcai, Xu Nianzu, Liu Rushi, and the others had also encountered the Jiangxi naval fleet midway.

Standing on the deck, Xu Nianzu said in a daze, "Are we about to strike Jiangnan?"

"Brother, look at the sides of those ships." Xu Fengcai pointed at the warships.

Xu Nianzu gazed into the distance and saw that on both sides of every ship, massive logs were bound with ropes — the logs were lashed together and floating on the water's surface.

"Why are they carrying so much timber?" Xu Nianzu asked, puzzled. "Could it be for building siege engines?"

Xu Fengcai said, "You wouldn't use timber this massive to build siege engines."

Li Fenglai walked over. "That's sawtooth oak, used for building seagoing ships. Last year, every prefecture and county in Jiangxi posted notices banning the felling of sawtooth oak. If anyone found a sawtooth oak thick enough for two or three men to wrap their arms around, they were to report it to the authorities at once. If the report proved true, the informant would receive a reward of one tael of silver."

"Are they shipping it to... Guangdong?" Xu Nianzu exclaimed in alarm.

"Most likely to Guangdong," Li Fenglai said.

When the Jiangxi naval fleet reached Nanjing, it actually moored at the docks and went no further.

The Nanjing officials were thrown into a panic. Zhang Guowei, the Nanjing Minister of War, immediately ordered the city gates shut and commanded the officials to prepare materials for the city's defense.

Sword-bearing scholars suddenly appeared within the city and went straight to request an audience.

"You lot still dare show yourselves inside the city? Seize them and display their heads as a warning!" Zhang Guowei roared in fury.

One of the sword-bearing scholars said, "Minister Zhang, do not be angered. The reason we show ourselves now is that we have some words to discuss with the Ministry of War."

Zhang Guowei sneered. "Come to persuade this old man to join the rebels, have you?"

The sword-bearing scholar said, "Not at all. The Heavenly King Zhao is aware that the Southern Metropolitan Region is suffering from famine. Though Jiangxi has little surplus grain, the summer harvest will be ready in another month. Therefore, the Heavenly King Zhao has ordered grain to be purchased in Jiangxi and shipped here in quantity, to be sold at a fair price to the Nanjing authorities for famine relief. We ask Minister Zhang to send men aboard the ships to inspect the grain — we guarantee the price will be far below the market rate. We are not selling directly to the Jiangnan merchants for fear they will hoard it and drive up the price."

Zhang Guowei fell silent at once. He did not believe the rebel Zhao was so kindhearted, yet there seemed no need for trickery.

Of course — it must be to curry favor with the common people!

Zhang Guowei dispatched over twenty men, who were lowered from the city wall in baskets to inspect the cargo. Half a day later, these men returned and reported: "Apart from sailors, there are no soldiers hidden aboard. Some ships carry grain; some carry porcelain."

They really came to sell grain?

For a moment, the officials of the Six Ministries in Nanjing stood atop the gate tower, buzzing with debate.

The majority of the officials recommended buying the grain, because the price of rice in the Southern Metropolitan Region was far too high that year. Famine had already broken out in many villages, and the price of rice inside Nanjing city had soared to 1.5 taels of silver per shi — if this continued, it would surely break past 2 taels per shi.

Gu Gao, Chen Zhenhui, Wu Yingji, Huang Zongxi, and other scholars of the Restoration Society — several dozen of them in all — came together to the foot of the city wall, bowed with clasped hands in unison, and said, "If Jiangxi truly intends to sell grain at a fair price, we beg Minister Zhang to consider the people's welfare."

Immediately after, the commoners of Nanjing, hearing that Jiangxi had shipped grain here, came running in droves to find out what was happening.

Zhang Guowei was struck with shock and dread. If he blocked the purchase of grain, the people inside the city might well rise in revolt.

Yet among the Six Ministries in Nanjing, the Minister of War was the chief. The moment he purchased grain from rebels, the crime of colluding with the enemy and betraying the state would be set in stone!

This was roasting him over a fire — whatever he did would be wrong, and he'd end up despised by both sides.

Even if he bought the grain, how was it to be distributed then?

The nobles and merit-families were like sharks — they would surely come swarming at the scent of blood. If he did not sell the grain to the nobles, they would certainly make trouble; if he did sell the grain to the nobles, it would inevitably set the people seething with rage.

Zhang Guowei was on the verge of going mad!

(End of Chapter)