Chapter 233: The Fall of Jiujiang

"Boom—"

After a loud noise, a huge gap was blown into the city wall.

Countless rebel soldiers immediately killed their way in from the gap, engaging in hand-to-hand combat with the defenders.

"Digging the city wall again; is that all the rebel army knows how to do!"

Regional Commander Zheng could not help but curse angrily.

Digging a tunnel to the bottom of the city wall, filling it with gunpowder, and blowing up the city wall after lighting it.

The whole process was done in one go; this had already become the standard siege method of the White Lotus Sect rebel army.

The method was simple and old-fashioned, but it was effective.

Gunpowder had developed to the present, and its purity had been greatly improved.

As long as the amount of medicine filled was sufficient, even the sturdiest city wall could be blown open.

Facing the rebel army's offensive, the imperial army had also summarized a set of countermeasures.

It was just that no matter how they guarded against it, it was impossible to take care of all areas.

Once a gap was blown in the city wall, they could only send elites to hold it and then urgently rush to repair the city defense works.

From the results, as long as a gap was blown open, there had not yet been a city that could be held in the end.

"Hold on!

Everyone hold on for me!

Once the rebel army breaks the city, everyone will die!

……"

Seeing that the situation was not good, Regional Commander Zheng hurriedly ordered.

The Battle of Jiujiang had been too tragic, angering the rebel kings outside the city.

To boost morale, the rebel army had already announced that they would not seal their blades for three days after breaking the city.

This struck a blow to the defenders' morale, but it also forced the defenders into a dead end.

Now everyone's last belief was that reinforcements would arrive tomorrow.

However, as the defending general, Regional Commander Zheng knew very well that reinforcements arriving tomorrow was just a smokescreen.

Linjiang City had fallen five days ago, and the flames of war had now burned to Nanchang; Jiangxi was unable to take care of itself.

The reinforcements from Nanzhili and Zhejiang had stopped moving after arriving in Anqing.

He knew best what kind of ideas these colleagues were playing.

It was nothing more than worrying about being intercepted by the rebel army and suffering losses on the way to reinforce.

At this moment, Nanzhili and Zhejiang seemed to have an allied army of over 100,000, but the troops that could truly fight totaled only 20,000 to 30,000.

If they were truly lost in Jiujiang, the Jiangnan land would be left for the rebel army to gallop across.

For the sake of strategic security, and also for their own official hats, directly holding Anqing was undoubtedly the best choice.

No one could afford the consequences of Jiangnan falling; even if the court knew afterward that they had stood by and watched, it would choose to handle it lightly.

……

In the Prefectural Yamen.

"Second Brother, don't hesitate anymore.

Surrendering at this time can still gain the Holy Kingdom's preferential treatment.

If the Holy Kingdom's army kills their way in, they will slaughter the city.

For the sake of the people in the whole city, you should order……"

The middle-aged man's persuasion plunged Hu Yuzhe into endless hesitation.

Unlike other officials, his ancestral home was in Changsha, which had already fallen into the hands of the rebel army.

He knew that since he served as the Prefect of Jiujiang, the rebel army had not only not confiscated his family but had treated them with courtesy.

No matter how courteous, the whole family was still at the mercy of others.

The middle-aged man acting as a lobbyist in front of him was his cousin.

Judging from the other party's anxious expression, once he refused to open the city and surrender, his clansmen would definitely suffer a great disaster.

"The White Lotus Sect does not tolerate gentry clans; no matter how prominent they are, it is just a reflection in the mirror.

If one truly defects, even if one can temporarily save one's life, it will be difficult to escape the fate of being liquidated in the future."

Hu Yuzhe said slowly.

In feudal dynasties, the greatest wealth was land.

The Great Dayu's land annexation was very serious; the gentry controlled a large amount of social wealth, and the White Lotus Holy Kingdom wanted to reform the world, destined to stand on the opposite side of the gentry.

If they didn't take action against the gentry clans, they simply couldn't afford to support a million-strong army.

Not to mention that people risked the punishment of exterminating the nine clans to rebel; they certainly wanted to share the meat.

If they didn't take action against the gentry clans, where would the remaining bit of profit be enough for so many shareholders to divide?

Looking at history, the replacement of dynasties in all ages could not avoid a reshuffling of interests.

Whichever group controlled the most social wealth was the object to be purged.

If there was no reshuffling, then the lifespan of the new regime would certainly not be long.

To escape the fate of being purged, one must choose a "hidden dragon" at the appropriate time to place a bet.

The Great Dayu was indeed heading toward decline, but from the current situation, it had not yet reached the time of destruction.

The White Lotus Sect played "unity of politics and religion"; the Confucian theory, they simply didn't buy it.

Even if the gentry defected, it would be difficult to find a place of their own.

The officials who had surrendered previously lived very stifling lives.

Seemingly promoted and reused, the actual power was approximately zero, purely a bird in a cage.

Being excluded from the gentry circle and suffering abuse from the outside world was one thing, but they also had to worry about the court's liquidation at all times.

"Second Brother, those are all old almanacs.

The one currently in charge of Jiangnan is the Southern Prince; this person has great ambitions and does not hate the gentry.

Among his staff, there is no lack of scholars from Liangguang and Jiangxi.

There are also many scholars from Huguang under his command, just troubled by not having a leader, so they were suppressed by them.

If Second Brother, you could go over, the situation would immediately be very different.

The White Lotus Sect cannot become a great vessel, which does not mean the Southern Prince has no chance to compete for the world.

At the very least, he can carve out a territory and enjoy decades of wealth."

The middle-aged man persuaded with all his might.

Rebel groups with religion as a bond are all fierce in the early stages.

By the middle and late stages of the rebellion, the sect members' knowledge had broadened, and they were not so easy to fool, which would derive a series of problems.

Living within a religious group and developing one's own small force was a good choice.

An immature political system was inherently suitable for warlords to grow big.

At this moment, the White Lotus Sect had a trend of different-surname kings growing big.

With the addition of scholars, it further intensified the internal contradictions of the White Lotus Holy Kingdom.

No matter how loyal, it could not withstand the instigation of subordinates.

A slight contradiction would, under the guidance of interested people, become a thorn in the heart.

"You mean the Southern Prince intends to break away from the White Lotus Holy Kingdom?"

"Not appropriate!"

"At this moment, the White Lotus Holy Kingdom, once a split occurs, will inevitably be……"

Halfway through the sentence, Hu Yuzhe immediately realized he had made a slip of the tongue.

As an official of the Great Dayu, standing on the side of the White Lotus Holy Kingdom to consider problems was clearly telling the other party his choice.

"Congratulations, Second Brother, for making the correct choice!"

Hearing his cousin's words, Hu Yuzhe did not feel happy.

Having exposed his position in advance, how could he negotiate terms?

Although the two were cousins, in the face of power, everyone had to prioritize their own interests.

"Enough!

Notify the outside of the city to slow down the siege; tonight I will set up a banquet and invite the defending generals to come and talk.

If I can persuade them to surrender together, that would be best.

If an accident occurs, you arrange for people to do them all in.

I suppose the people you infiltrated into the city can complete this task, right?"

Hu Yuzhe sighed and said.

He was ultimately not a loyal official who could abandon the lives of his entire clan and die for the court.

Since he decided to defect to the White Lotus Holy Kingdom, he had to increase his weight as much as possible.

If the Southern Prince truly had great ambitions as his cousin said, he would certainly not treat him unfairly afterward.

If the bet was lost, then he would just admit his bad luck.

……

Xiangyang City.

"Sigh!"

Compared to half a year ago, Xu Wenyue had aged more than ten years.

The more information he knew, the more indignant he became.

It was simply too pit-digging; after Zhu Jingyi took office, he hadn't done a single human thing.

If it weren't for Zhu Jingyi dying early, Xu Wenyue would really want to pry open his brain to see what was inside.

To curry favor with the Emperor and engage in "opening sources and reducing expenditure," it was a pure act of seeking death.

Personal seeking of death was one thing, but he also pitted him, an old official in mourning.

The originally excellent situation, besides being a bit expensive, basically had no major problems.

By this time, it was no longer a simple money and grain problem, but one that threatened the Great Dayu's mountains and rivers.

At this moment, being forced to take office while in mourning, looking around, it was all a mess.

To better suppress the rebellion, Xu Wenyue submitted memorials to the court many times, hoping to draw generals to command the three armies and assist him in presiding over the suppression of the rebellion.

Unfortunately, Emperor Yongning did not grasp his true meaning and directly took the content of the memorial to the court for discussion; the result was naturally a chorus of scolding.

"Using civil officials to govern the military" was national policy; even if he was the leader of the "pure stream," he could not change the consensus of the civil official group.

"Grand Secretary, Marquis Wuyang appointed Regional Military Commissioner Li to command the three-province army, and at this moment, they are launching an attack on the rebel army in three routes.

To hold Yongzhou Prefecture, the rebel army had to draw main armies from various battlefields.

It is said that Xiangyang line alone had 100,000 main troops drawn away; Xiangyang City is saved!"

The Prefect of Xiangyang said with joy.

Having been besieged for so long, this was the best news he had received.

The rebel army drawing main troops away meant the pressure on the defenders would inevitably be greatly reduced.

Added to the reinforcements gathered from various places, a turning point was about to appear in the siege of Xiangyang.

"Oh!"

"Appointing Li Mu as Regional Commander is also reasonable.

It seems Marquis Wuyang has more courage than me; this old man is ashamed of his inferiority!"

Xu Wenyue could not help but sigh.

Whether it was Li Mu or Marquis Wuyang, they were his old acquaintances.

Although there had been unpleasantness, that was just a temporary power struggle, not a political death enemy.

Especially Li Mu; the position of Guangxi Regional Military Commissioner was something he had broken the rules to promote.

This appointment directly reversed the situation in Guangxi.

Looking at it now, the support at that time was still not enough.

If he had been more decisive and directly transferred the person to Huguang to command the allied armies of various provinces, it might have been a different ending.

But this was just thinking about it; even if it were done again, it would be impossible to achieve.

Being able to break the rules to promote him was because the Guangxi imperial army had been wiped out, leaving only the Yangzhou Camp and Huai'an Camp that had gone to suppress the rebellion.

At that time, it was in the era of regency, and Li Mu, who came from a famous family, naturally would not have any resistance to acting as the Guangxi Regional Military Commissioner.

Changing to the Huguang battlefield, the military establishment was complete, which was completely different.

The appointment and removal of high-level generals must go through court public discussion.

Marquis Wuyang's current approach was itself a violation of procedural rules, which would inevitably lead to criticism from the court and the public.

If it weren't for him being the Emperor's uncle and having the Empress Dowager supporting him in the palace, he probably wouldn't dare to play so big.

"Grand Secretary, that cannot be said.

You are a veteran in the court; doing things requires considering the influence and must follow the rules.

Marquis Wuyang is a relative by marriage and is used to being arrogant and domineering; naturally, he wouldn't care about criticism."

From the disdainful expression, one could see the Xiangyang Prefect's prejudice against relatives by marriage.

But it was precisely because of this prejudice that everyone's tolerance for Marquis Wuyang's out-of-line performance was actually higher.

A relative by marriage who follows the rules and never causes trouble—is that still a relative by marriage?

Seeing that the other party had disguisedly saved Xiangyang, he would not submit a memorial to impeach him.

If it were a civil official who dared to do this, it would be a heinous crime.

"Forget it, let's not talk about this.

The rebel army drew troops from various places; does that include Jiujiang?"

Xu Wenyue asked with concern.

Unlike the Viceroy of the five provinces before, after being re-appointed, his official title became "Viceroy of Military Affairs of Yungui, Huguang, and Jiangxi four provinces."

The jurisdiction had one less province, but the troubles faced were not reduced but increased.

Once Jiujiang fell, he, the unlucky Viceroy, would still be one of the main responsible persons.

"Report!"

"Grand Secretary, something bad has happened!"

"Jiujiang…… Jiujiang has fallen!"

Before the Xiangyang Prefect could speak, he received the bad news of Jiujiang's fall; Xu Wenyue's body could not stand steady.

Fortunately, the Xiangyang Prefect on the side was quick-eyed and fast-handed, supporting Xu Wenyue in time, otherwise, it would have been another accident.

"What happened in Jiujiang?

Why did it fall into the hands of the rebel army so quickly?"

Xu Wenyue asked, enduring the discomfort.

To hold Jiujiang Prefecture, the court had gathered a full 20,000 main army and 10,000 militia in Jiujiang, and also recruited 30,000 able-bodied men.

The strength of the defenders was no less than that of Xiangyang; under normal circumstances, holding out for a few months would not be a problem.

Not to mention that Jiujiang was divided into inner and outer cities; even if it really couldn't be held, it would be losing the outer city first and then losing the inner city after a period of time.

"It is said that the defenders opened the city gates and let the rebel army into the city.

What exactly happened is currently under investigation.

It is highly probable that someone defected to the enemy, which led to the rapid fall of the city!"

……

In May, Huguang had already entered the hot summer.

Facing the scorching sun of midsummer, the army marched forward in a mighty force, when suddenly dark clouds began to gather in the sky.

"Pass the order down: set up camp on the spot and do a good job of rain protection!"

Li Mu ordered immediately.

Marching in the rainy season, nature is the greatest enemy.

Although the soldiers were all southerners and were already familiar with the changeable climate, they still could not take it lightly.

In this era of backward medical conditions, an ordinary cold could take away a vibrant life.

"Commander, I just received news from Jiangxi that Jiujiang Prefecture fell five days ago!"

The sudden bad news gave Li Mu a fright.

Intuition told him that things were going to be bad.

"Quick, bring the map!"

Li Mu ordered the guards immediately.

Launching the Yongzhou offensive with great fanfare, besides eyeing the rebel army's family foundation, was also to share military pressure for other battlefields.

From the intelligence gathered before, the enemy was drawing main armies from various places to reinforce.

Li Mu had already written the script, using Yongzhou as bait to implement "besieging the point to strike reinforcements" against various reinforcements.

To leave enough time for the enemy to mobilize troops, he had deliberately controlled the marching speed.

Never did he expect that before the big play had even begun, Jiujiang Prefecture would fall a step ahead.

Losing the important fulcrum on the Yangtze River, half of Jiangnan was exposed to the rebel army's blade.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 234 =====