Chapter 214

"Boom..."

After the loud noise, a huge gap appeared in the sturdy Changsha city wall, and countless rebel soldiers swarmed in.

For a time, the sound of killing pierced the sky, and the earth trembled along with it.

"Regional Commander, something bad has happened!

The rebel army dug a tunnel, blew up the eastern city wall, and has now broken into the city..."

The news brought by the personal guard gave Han Song a fright.

The defense of Changsha had been fought more than once, and he had long since stopped taking the rebel army's siege to heart.

What was different from the previous few times was that this time the number of rebel troops was exceptionally large, and their siege tactics had also achieved a qualitative breakthrough.

"Pass the order down, let Assistant Regional Commander Du immediately take people to block the gap and drive the rebel army out of the city!"

Han Song ordered decisively.

Changsha has huge strategic significance and is the strategic hub of the central part of the empire; it must not be lost.

Once Changsha falls, the land of Huguang will fall into endless flames of war.

"Regional Commander, Assistant Regional Commander Du has died for his country!"

The personal guard's answer was like a basin of cold water poured in winter, chilling Han Song to the bone.

The great battle had just begun, and his most trusted subordinate general had died for his country; it was undoubtedly an ominous sign.

"Since Assistant Regional Commander Du is dead, let his deputy take his place.

In short, the lost gap must be recaptured.

I will go find Prefect Shen, visit the Prince of Changsha together, and ask him to fund the reward for the three armies!"

Han Song added immediately.

After continuous great battles, the soldiers had long been exhausted.

The reduction of money and grain treatment from above had also dealt a heavy blow to the morale of the army.

Although the Provincial Governor's office promised to raise money and grain on its own to fill their gap, this was just a big cake that could be seen but not touched.

The credibility of the government had long been exhausted in the previous great battles.

When needed, various promises were given non-stop.

Once the war situation eased, these promises were all discounted.

Some shameless officials even simply refused to acknowledge the account.

Developing to the present, the soldiers had long since stopped believing in the pie drawn from above.

To boost the morale of the army, real gold and silver must be distributed.

Prince of Changsha's Mansion.

"The Prince is ill; if you lords have anything to do, you might as well come back another day."

The old steward said angrily.

In order to hold Changsha city, the Prince's mansion had already paid five times to reward the three armies.

The city was held, but the Prince's mansion's savings had plummeted.

Every time they said they had severely defeated the rebel army, but after every fight, it wouldn't be long before the rebel army would come back again.

After continuous tossing, the Prince of Changsha also lost his patience.

Now he felt worried whenever he saw these officials, so he simply chose to pretend to be ill and avoid seeing them.

"Steward Liu, the military situation is urgent; today we must see the Prince of Changsha!"

Shen Yunqi said seriously.

As the Prefect of Changsha, he also knew it was wrong to keep shearing the wool off one sheep, but there was no better choice now.

After experiencing the previous few Changsha defense battles, the gentry and merchants in the city had all run away, and those left behind were poor ghosts with nowhere to run.

In order to raise supplies for defending the city, they had already repeatedly imposed levies on the people.

The current Changsha city had long since lost its past prosperity, and walking on the street, all trades were withered.

The only remaining fat sheep were the imperial clan members enfeoffed here.

"The military situation is urgent, so you should hurry up and deal with it!

The Prince is lying in bed and needs rest, so you don't need to waste time here."

The old steward said angrily.

Every time this group of people came, it was definitely not a good thing.

Although it wasn't his own money being spent, the accumulation of several generations of the Prince's mansion also had a share of his credit.

Now he even suspected that the Changsha crisis was these guys nurturing bandits to bolster their own power, with the purpose of emptying the Prince's mansion.

"Steward Liu, let's stop talking nonsense; today we must see the Prince.

If Changsha falls because of your obstruction, can you bear the consequences?"

Shen Yunqi questioned sternly.

Whether it was coercion or intimidation, the money to reward the three armies had to be raised.

If the Prince of Changsha didn't pay, he couldn't be expected to pay out of his own pocket!

"Humph!"

"Defending Changsha is your duty; you don't think of ways to defend the city, but run to the Prince's mansion to run wild.

Even if it were a mountain of gold and silver, it would have long been emptied by you.

Affected by the war, the Prince's mansion has long been unable to make ends meet.

In order to reduce expenses, the Prince only eats twelve dishes for every meal.

Since Prefect Shen is here, let's settle the arrears of the imperial clan's salary together!

In the three years since you took office, the imperial clan members have only received eight months of salary in total, ninety percent of which was paid in paper money."

Steward Liu immediately scolded angrily.

According to the Great Dayu law, the expenses of the imperial clan are mainly borne by local finance, and the central finance supplements a portion.

However, this is just a beautiful assumption; both the central government and the local government of Great Dayu are poor.

Paying the full salary in grain could only be done in the early years of the founding of the country.

As the empire's finance fell into a predicament, arrears of the imperial clan's salary became the norm.

Local officials look at people to serve dishes; the salaries of the close branches of the imperial family can basically be paid in full.

The distant branches related to the Emperor became the biggest victims.

First, it was paid in paper money, and later, it was simply in arrears.

Complaining is useless; the local officials have sufficient reasons, and the Emperor has no ability to fill this hole.

Developing to the later stage, in order to limit the number of imperial clan members, the imperial court also created the Imperial Clan Record.

It artificially stipulated the number of imperial clan members registered each year, and the imperial court did not recognize those who exceeded the number.

In order to get the quota, some princes and commandery princes had to pay bribes to officials.

Just as the two sides were in a stalemate, the sound of killing outside got closer and closer.

Relying on his many years of military career, Han Song immediately realized that the situation was not good.

"My Lord, the rebel army has... entered the city!"

As the bad news came, both sides who were in a stalemate were stunned.

"Regional Commander Han, hurry up and find a way to drive the rebel army out of the city!"

Shen Yunqi's words made Han Song half-dead with anger.

If he had the ability to drive the rebel army out, the enemy would never have been able to break in.

The sturdy city wall did not stop the enemy army; wanting to defeat the rebel army in street fighting was simply impossible.

The number of rebel troops outside the city was too large, and they could crush the defenders just by their numbers.

"Lord Shen, hurry up and order to retreat into the inner city to hold firm!"

Han Song said, forcing himself to be calm.

Whether he could hold Changsha, he had no bottom in his heart.

The request for help had already been sent out; now all he could do was try his best and listen to fate.

Wuchang Prefecture.

"Bastard!"

"What is the Xiang Army doing, why haven't they arrived in Changsha yet?"

No one answered Zhu Jingyi's questioning.

During wartime, if you dare to cut the soldiers' money and grain, you must be prepared to be bitten back.

First there were the armies of Guangxi and Yunnan-Guizhou reaching out to demand departure fees.

Now the Xiang Army, which should have reinforced Changsha, also delayed the war opportunity because of slow action.

Deep down, the various officials greeted Zhu Jingyi's ancestors for eighteen generations.

Clearly the situation at the front was excellent, but this one insisted on doing some increasing revenue and reducing expenditure.

The crude increasing revenue and additional levies offended the people.

The one-size-fits-all reducing expenditure hurt the morale of the army.

It seemed to save money and grain, but in reality, it made the situation a mess.

"Minister, now is not the time to hold anyone accountable.

Changsha has reached the most dangerous time and could fall at any time.

Just relying on one Xiang Army, it is simply powerless to lift the siege of Changsha.

The only way now is to mobilize more reinforcements to ensure Changsha is not lost."

Lu Jingxuan advised tactfully.

He thought his military level was bad enough, but he didn't expect this Minister of War in front of him to be a paper-talker too.

Originally, the E Army was stationed in Changsha, but because of this person's layout, the E Army and the Xiang Army had to be swapped.

Saying that if the army is in the local area, it can better exert combat effectiveness.

Theoretically, there is no problem, but the embarrassing thing is that the military mobilization was only half done, and Changsha was about to fall.

Looking back at this theory, it's dog shit; the main battlefield of Huguang is in Hunan, and anywhere is the home field of the Xiang Army.

The two lakes are one, and both the E Army and the Xiang Army are local recruits of Huguang.

Military mobilization is essentially political.

If Zhu Jingyi wants to enter the cabinet, he must make achievements.

Undoubtedly, the difficulty of wanting to make a breakthrough on the battlefield in a short time is too great.

In order to prove to the imperial court that he is doing things, he must make some noise.

Increasing revenue and reducing expenditure and adjusting the deployment of troops in various places are all indispensable links.

Facts have proved that doing so politically is absolutely fine.

As Regional Commander, Zhu Jingyi has been commended by the Emperor twice since taking office.

Once because of the recovery of Guilin, and the other time was his big move.

Relying on this series of operations, Zhu Jingyi successfully passed the court recommendation and became the most popular candidate for cabinet minister, just missing the final appointment edict.

The whole country has high hopes for him, believing that he can quell the Bai Lian rebellion as soon as possible.

"Hmm!

Pass the order down, let the E Army immediately turn around and join the Xiang Army to reinforce Changsha together.

Order the armies of the three provinces of Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guangxi to immediately launch an attack on the rebel army in Yongzhou.

Order the armies of Fujian and Jiangxi to immediately launch a full-scale offensive.

Tell them, launch an attack at all costs, and must! Make achievements on the battlefield!"

Zhu Jingyi ordered immediately.

No matter whether there is a problem with the strategic deployment, he must insist on going down now.

The struggle for the cabinet is not only his personal career but also concerns the future of the party.

The Minister of War in Nanjing can slack off, but the front-line Viceroy who controls the armies of multiple provinces cannot.

Wuzhou Prefecture.

Looking at the dilapidated city, the joy on the faces of the Guangxi officials disappeared without a trace.

Completing the last piece of the puzzle, the entire Guangxi territory returned to the hands of Great Dayu.

It should have been a happy event, but the devastation made people unable to be happy.

The destructive power of the war was too great, and for a long time in the future, they would have to worry about post-war reconstruction.

The imperial court's allocation cannot be counted on, and local areas cannot raise enough reconstruction funds; just thinking about it, one knows how miserable the days ahead will be.

"The Viceroy has strictly ordered that we must immediately move north to attack Yongzhou and cannot drag it out any longer."

Zhang Sihan said with a difficult expression.

Earlier they had already agreed to slack off, but they never expected Changsha to have an accident.

Now only the inner city is holding firm; if the inner city is not preserved, the situation in Huguang will rot.

The collapse of the Huguang front will deal a heavy blow to the great cause of suppressing the rebellion.

Even if Guangdong is recovered, it cannot fill the sequelae brought by the fall of Huguang.

Originally, the price of grain was high, but if the grain and grass of Huguang were lost, it would not be a problem of high grain prices.

I am afraid that even if there is money in hand, it may not be possible to buy enough grain.

Whether for Guangxi or Great Dayu, it is disastrous.

"Viceroy Zhu is about to enter the cabinet; if we refuse again, I'm afraid it will be difficult to explain."

Jia Bo nodded and said.

There are no secrets in the Great Dayu court, and the rumors of Zhu Jingyi entering the cabinet after the court recommendation were rampant.

He was originally promoted by the Emperor and counted as at least half a confidant; Emperor Yongning didn't need to make things difficult for him in entering the cabinet.

The delay in issuing the edict was because there was an endless dispute over another cabinet minister candidate.

In the Great Dayu court, the cabinet is a unique existence, and any cabinet minister is a powerful figure in the empire.

They have very high decision-making power over major affairs of the empire.

Unless the backing is particularly strong, offending a cabinet minister to death basically means one can announce the end of one's career.

"What's hard to explain!

Zhu Jingyi entering the cabinet is just a rumor.

As long as there is no official imperial edict for one day, there are variables.

Even if he really enters the cabinet, he must first clean up the current mess.

You don't think that with our little strength, we can conquer Yongzhou and severely damage the rebel army, do you?"

Li Mu teased with a smile.

Compared to everyone else, he was much more pessimistic about the current situation and didn't think Zhu Jingyi could sit firmly in the position of Viceroy at all.

Changsha is lost, Huguang is rotting; such a big hole must be held accountable by someone.

The imperial court demanded to compress military expenditure, but the one responsible for execution was Zhu Jingyi.

Either throw the black pot to Emperor Yongning, or he carries it himself.

Throwing the pot upward is not strange, but throwing the pot directly to the Emperor is a test of operation.

No matter what the final result is, Zhu Jingyi will not have a good ending.

"Report!"

"My Lord, an urgent report from the front: the Yunnan-Guizhou coalition army was ambushed by the rebel army while marching.

Many officials, including the Guizhou Provincial Governor, died in battle, and the main army suffered heavy losses..."

The news brought by Xiang Xinghan caused the expressions of the officials present to change drastically.

Many people were secretly rejoicing that they had luckily played it safe and didn't rush to chase the enemy army.

If they had really plunged into Yongzhou Prefecture, it might have been them who were unlucky now.

The specific casualties of the Yunnan-Guizhou coalition army have not yet been counted, but the Guizhou Provincial Governor has died in battle; how could the army's losses be small?

After this battle, the Yunnan-Guizhou coalition army can only regretfully exit the stage.

With one less fresh force, the situation of the imperial army will become even worse.

"Pass the order down, the whole army will set off for Guangdong to recover Guangdong together with Regional Commander Jing."

Li Mu ordered immediately.

At a critical moment, he could no longer care about discussing with everyone.

With the Yunnan-Guizhou coalition army gone and the Huguang line in jeopardy, Great Dayu has reached its most dangerous moment.

The best choice now is to send troops to recover Guangdong and complete the meeting with the Fujian main army in Guangdong.

Gathering more than 100,000 troops from three provinces, they will pose a threat to the rebel army in the rear.

As for the colleagues in Huguang and Jiangxi, they can no longer be taken care of.

In any case, strategically, the rebel army's area of operation must be compressed, otherwise Great Dayu will be in danger.

Changsha City.

The bitter defense of the defenders did not wait for reinforcements, but instead received the bad news that the Yunnan-Guizhou coalition army had been severely damaged.

The morale of the army, which was already on the verge of collapse, became even more sluggish.

"Regional Commander, the hearts of the people in the city are floating; I'm afraid we have to prepare a way out."

The words of his confidant made Han Song very disappointed.

Everyone knows that Changsha is dangerous, but the problem is that Changsha's strategic value is too high, and he cannot afford the responsibility of losing Changsha.

If he runs away at this time, when the imperial court settles the account later, he, the Regional Commander, will definitely not escape death.

"Shut up!"

"How can these words be said randomly?

Pass the order down, anyone who dares to talk about retreating will be killed without mercy!"

Han Song scolded immediately.

Even if he really wants to run, he can't say it directly; running for his life has always been done quietly.

What to do next, he has no bottom in his heart, but one thing is certain: now he must state his position of living and dying with the city.

It would be best if the Changsha Prefect or the Prince of Changsha could order to abandon the city, and he would be forced to execute the order.

Unfortunately, they are not fools either; knowing the consequences are serious, they naturally won't take this blame.

Late at night, bursts of meat fragrance drifted from the rebel camp, accompanied by the spring breeze and sent into the city.

"Damn rebel army, stewing meat in the middle of the night, making his grandfather crave it to death..."

The thin, dark man cursed incessantly.

He was already not full, and now that he smelled the meat, his belly was even hungrier.

"Forget it, Er Lengzi.

Being able to smell the scent is already not bad.

Those official masters have big fish and meat, we don't even have the qualifications to smell it!"

Hearing his companion's words, the anger on Er Lengzi's face increased a bit more.

The last time he ate meat was at the victory banquet after the Changsha defense battle a month ago.

However, there were many troops in the city, and the number of livestock was limited, so it was impossible for everyone to eat meat.

The good meat was all divided by the officers, and small soldiers like him only saw the meat and were divided into a bowl of meat soup.

He had almost forgotten what meat tasted like.

"What do you mean by saying this, do you want to?"

Er Lengzi asked in horror.

Disaster comes from the mouth; talking nonsense will cost you your head.

Small soldiers like them have always only cursed the official masters in their hearts, but they would never dare to say it out loud.

"It's just what you think; people outside said that as long as we are willing to go over, we will be promoted three levels.

Those wine and meat outside will all be ours, enough to eat!"

While speaking, the hawk-eyed youth also swallowed his saliva.

The Bai Lian Sect is widely spread among the people, and these bottom-level soldiers have always been the focus of the Bai Lian Sect's preaching.

Although they didn't join, they had contact with Bai Lian Sect believers.

"What are you afraid of!

As long as there is meat to eat, I'm not afraid of death!

In any case, we people don't have tomorrow after today.

Instead of starving to death, it's better to fight before dying and be a full ghost!"

Er Lengzi stated his position immediately.

Being promoted three levels is too empty, and the Bai Lian Sect's officials are not worth much, but the meat really exists.

The performance of the two singing and harmonizing caused a commotion among the defending soldiers.

"You want to rebel, it's simply..."

The hundred-household official who discovered something was wrong hadn't finished speaking when he was stabbed through the body by a soldier behind him.

"Simply a fart, I've long since found you unpleasant.

Daring to whip the young master, today I'll let you know the young master's power!"

The sudden killing of the official made the soldiers of the defending army realize something was wrong.

It seemed they hadn't promised anything, so how did they join the rebel army.

"Kill!"

The battle unfolded on the city wall, and countless soldiers joined the battle in a daze.

(End of chapter)