Chapter 351: Nanchang Siege and Defense

Chengdu Prefecture.

Upon hearing the news of the Guanzhong rebellion, the entire Sichuan officialdom felt their world had collapsed.

After the rebel forces surrounded the city, the psychological pressure on everyone grew day by day.

The reason they had held out this long was largely due to faith—hoping for imperial reinforcements to arrive.

Now everything was finished.

The operation to steal Chongqing had failed, preventing the Huguang reinforcements from crossing over.

With Guanzhong in chaos now, northern reinforcements were gone as well.

“Your Excellency, Chengdu cannot be held much longer—we must break out and retreat northward into Sichuan!”

“Even if we lose Sichuan, we must preserve the path for the court’s future counteroffensive. We absolutely cannot let the Sichuan-Shaanxi rebels join forces.”

Lu Junliang spoke with a grave expression.

The rebels now controlled the most vital regions of Sichuan; the remaining prefectures still loyal to the court were few and far between.

“Tell all the native chieftains that I, the Viceroy, accept their terms.

As long as they send troops to help the court suppress the rebellion, the court will expand their jurisdictions and hand over all official posts in their native administrations to them.

Allow them to levy taxes freely, establish…”

Xu Wenyue spoke coldly.

Rather than retreat directly, he chose to drink poison to quench his thirst.

The native chieftains’ power in Sichuan was already great; once restrictions were lifted, they would become new frontier warlords.

Compared to the external rebel forces, the rise of these local powers posed an even greater threat.

But now there was no choice.

Only an ignorant fool unfamiliar with warfare would imagine that after retreating from Chengdu, the army could march orderly into northern Sichuan.

After years of military service, Xu Wenyue was no longer the military novice he once was.

He knew full well that under the current situation, if the garrison attempted to break out, it would collapse instantly.

Alternating cover and orderly withdrawal existed only in theory.

Even the elite troops of the Nine Borders would collapse under such circumstances.

Since Sichuan was lost, continuing to restrain the local chieftains served no purpose.

Lifting restrictions on them would ensure these local snakes would fight the rebels without the court lifting a finger.

In fact, even without his order, these chieftain factions would never remain passive.

Earlier, when conscripting native troops for battle, they had refused outright; Xiang Dayu’s control over these men had grown increasingly weak.

“Your Excellency, without the Emperor’s imperial edict, unilaterally allowing the chieftains to grow powerful is a capital offense!”

Provincial Administration Commissioner Li Yongliang spoke up as a warning.

Xu Wenyue was a regent appointed by the late Emperor and held high prestige among the scholarly faction.

If he erred on the chieftain issue, the Emperor might merely dismiss him and strip him of office—his life was unlikely to be at risk.

But those of us who participated were different.

We were already the root cause of Sichuan’s deterioration; now, by overstepping on the chieftain issue, we risk becoming the scapegoat the Emperor sacrifices to warn others.

“At a time of national crisis, how can we retreat?

You fear blame—I do not.

If the Emperor wishes to punish me or execute me, I accept it!”

Xu Wenyue declared with righteous indignation.

Everything depends on comparison.

On the matter of suppressing the rebellion, those noble generals had charged into battle with ferocious vigor.

With one strike, they killed a rebel king and reclaimed vast territories.

Now they pressed forward again, targeting the largest rebel leader in the realm.

From the current situation, the imperial forces have a very high probability of victory.

While his colleagues achieved brilliant victories in suppressing the rebellion, his own incompetence stood starkly exposed.

He moved in the same circles as them—he had his pride to uphold.

If he lacked the ability to defeat the rebels, he must at least prevent them from carving out a stronghold in Sichuan; otherwise, his reputation before and after death would be ruined.

Compared to these, acting unilaterally on the chieftain issue was a minor matter.

If the Emperor wished to hold him accountable, he must first survive to return.

If he unfortunately died on the battlefield, all his prior promises could vanish with the wind.

The civil official bloc, which controlled the narrative, had always had a tradition of glorifying their own.

Empty promises like these, never fulfilled, would be instinctively downplayed—or simply omitted from records.

Had it not been for the skillful manipulation of historical records, those officials who abandoned Jiaozhi would never have become celebrated ministers of Great Ming.

…

Jiujiang Front.

“Jiujiang is easy to defend and hard to take; it cannot be breached in a short time. I intend to split our forces and launch a rapid land assault on Anqing.

My lords, who is willing to take on this critical mission?”

Li Yuan asked.

After reclaiming the entire Wuchang region, both Jiujiang and Anqing prefectures were within reach.

Simply from a map perspective, he could either advance on Jiujiang or strike directly at Anqing.

Choosing Jiujiang as the main target was primarily to seize control of the Yangtze River route, allowing the army to sail downstream.

In naval warfare, whoever holds the upper reaches holds the advantage.

Taking Jiujiang first, then Anqing, was the orthodox military strategy.

But focusing on Jiujiang did not mean Anqing could not be attacked.

As long as the fire was lit, whether or not Anqing fell, it would disrupt the rebels’ deployment.

“Your Grace, we have already captured all counties under Jiujiang; the enemy now holds only a lone city.

With one more push, we can take Jiujiang Prefecture—there’s no need to risk an assault on Anqing!”

Provincial Governor Fei Songde immediately objected.

Under a strong Viceroy, his position as Provincial Governor had become miserable, his authority severely squeezed.

Worse still, while he was in the capital, Li Yuan had issued Huguang public bonds under the name of the Provincial Governor’s office.

The outcome was undoubtedly successful.

But he had known nothing of it at the time, yet still bore the blame, later facing a barrage of impeachment memorials from censors.

Subsequent official appointments, though he had not touched them, were still issued under the Provincial Governor’s office.

All these unpopular reforms had been carried out under his banner as Provincial Governor.

All the achievements were claimed by the Viceroy; every blame fell squarely on his head—who wouldn’t be bitter?

“Governor Fei, you know nothing of military affairs; your ignorance is understandable.

Splitting forces to attack Anqing does not mean only we will send troops—Jiangxi will also contribute.

They will besiege Nanchang while sending detachments toward Poyang Lake; in no time, we can jointly hunt Anqing.

Beyond Anqing, even Huizhou and Ningguo prefectures can become targets.

With Zhejiang imperial troops providing support, deep penetration poses little real danger.”

Li Yuan’s explanation wounded Fei Songde deeply.

There was no help for it—civil-military rivalry had always been this brutal.

As the leader of the noble faction, Li Yuan would never share credit with him.

Unless the operation failed and someone needed to take the blame, his name would never appear on the battle reports sent to the capital.

As for bypassing Jiujiang and Nanchang to split forces and advance southward, it existed only in theory.

To achieve such a goal, one must not only contain the enemy garrison inside the city and prevent them from disrupting operations, but also ensure the army’s logistical supply.

Allied forces could offer temporary logistical support only to small detachments.

Doing so now was primarily to disrupt the enemy’s troop deployment and find their weaknesses.

Once fighting began, it would descend into total chaos.

And that was precisely what they wanted.

In terms of officer competence and troop combat effectiveness, the imperial forces held clear advantages.

As long as they lured the rebels out of their shells, the subsequent battles would be easier.

“Your Excellency, I volunteer for this mission!”

Bai Yifeng stepped forward first to declare his willingness.

He had no choice but to be proactive—Li Yuan was no longer the previous civil Viceroy; he had his own military faction.

His reliance on militia forces was negligible.

If not for these troops not requiring pay from the Viceroy’s office, they would likely have been disbanded already.

“Good!”

“Governor Bai, your willingness to shoulder responsibility is a blessing for the state.

This expedition to Anqing aims to draw out the enemy.

If we can capture Anqing Prefecture, all the better; if not, we must not let the enemy rest easy.”

Once we reach the front, how to fight is none of my concern.

There is only one principle: disrupt the enemy’s rear with maximum force and weaken the rebel army’s war potential.

Also, tighten military discipline—we are imperial troops, not bandits.

Seeing Bai Yifeng understood, Li Yuan added a final warning.

The court does not pay the militia’s wages; they must fend for themselves, so going out to raid is understandable.

But what Bai Yifeng’s troops have done is truly excessive.

They burn, kill, and loot—almost every evil act imaginable.

The name “Butcher” is not an exaggeration at all.

Had he slaughtered only enemy soldiers, and had the court not been in desperate need of manpower, he would have been dismissed long ago.

Not moving against him now does not mean we won’t settle accounts later.

The militia’s atrocities have angered many.

Trying to clean up his reputation and go legitimate is no small challenge.

Had this feint attack on Anqing not carried the risk of total annihilation, Bai Yifeng wouldn’t have been given this mission at all.

“Thank you, Marquis, I swear I will spare no effort to complete the mission!”

Bai Yifeng immediately pledged.

By now, he had no way back.

With tens of thousands of militia under his command, even those who despised him could do nothing.

If he truly enforced discipline, the supply lines would collapse his militia.

Lose his army, and all those he’d offended would rush to kill him.

He accepted the risky mission mainly to curry favor with Li Yuan.

Civil officials commanding the army lack deep roots and dare not easily strike at him—but the noble families are different.

Controlling over ninety percent of the elite forces in the southeast, if they turned on him, they could truly kill him.

In officialdom, he, a militia commander without a standard imperial examination background, was an oddity.

Rather than face his colleagues’ suspicious glances, better to break free from the cage and seek new breakthroughs.

How many merits he earns matters little; the key is to forge a truly battle-worthy elite force.

He finally understood: in chaotic times, only those who hold troops can speak with authority.

…

“Boom… boom… boom…”

Outside Nanchang City, the thunder of artillery fire marked the beginning of the assault.

“Nanchang won’t be easy to take!”

Watching shell after shell strike the walls, barely scratching the surface, the Marquis of Wuyang sighed.

“Hmm.”

“The rebel garrison commander knows his business—he not only fortified and cleared the countryside in advance, but also burned down homes near the walls.

We can’t use nearby buildings to launch attacks on the walls.

Those ruins over there, they say, were the famed Tengwang Pavilion—now reduced to ashes by war.

Our men tried digging tunnels, but the enemy discovered them and inflicted heavy losses.

The garrison commander likely buried large jars near the walls to detect digging vibrations.

Even the moat has been turned to advantage; those interwoven ditches are natural enemies of tunnels.”

Li Mu nodded.

The rebel garrison commander’s performance surpassed most generals of this era.

Without rich combat experience, one could hardly notice so many details.

That the rebels had talent didn’t surprise him.

Anyone who could rise above imperial suppression in chaotic times surely had capable generals.

The smooth progress of earlier suppression campaigns wasn’t because the rebels were weak—it was because they never got the chance to show their strength.

The defense of Nanchang was different; the enemy had prepared for at least half a year.

As long as the rebel commander wasn’t foolish, he had anticipated every scenario and taken countermeasures.

He not only strengthened the city walls but also neutralized tunnel warfare.

The imperial army’s only option now is to mass troops and launch a direct assault.

Yet that was precisely what Li Mu least wanted.

Training a skilled soldier is hard; a frontal assault would demand too great a cost.

To take Nanchang by throwing lives at it—even if the imperial army won, he would be the biggest loser.

“Director Li, we cannot remain passive—we must strike back quickly.

If we have no better plan, then conscript civilians and fill the trenches with their lives!”

The Marquis of Wuyang spoke slowly.

One general’s glory is built on ten thousand bones.

A commander must never be soft-hearted.

From a strategic standpoint, if we can retake Nanchang, the cost is worth it.

We can’t afford to lose elite troops—use civilians as cannon fodder.

The Great Yu Dynasty has no shortage of people; losing tens of thousands beneath Nanchang’s walls won’t shake its foundation.

“Wait a little longer!

We are the attackers; right now, the besieged are the ones in a hurry.

General Qin has already led troops southward, and Huguang has dispatched the Butcher to feint against Anqing.

If we swiftly capture Nanchang, we may shock the enemy—but we’ll also kill their will to fight outside the walls.

If we make no breakthrough here, we shift our focus to Songjiang Prefecture.

Once we take Suzhou Prefecture, our fire reaches Nanjing—then we seize the capital by force.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Li Mu revealed his true operational plan.

The battles of Jiujiang, Nanchang, Hangzhou, and Anqing—all were decoys.

The real objective had always been Nanjing alone.

Everything done so far was meant to convince the rebels he intended to advance down the Yangtze.

Only when the enemy shifted their main forces here and their rear grew vulnerable would be the perfect moment to strike.

For the Great Yu Dynasty, retaking Nanjing meant winning this campaign.

If Nanjing fell, the Wu regime the rebels had established would lose its people’s loyalty.

“Can you be sure of retaking Nanjing?”

The Marquis of Wuyang asked in surprise.

He had expected to capture Nanchang, Jiujiang, Hangzhou, and reclaim Jiangxi and Zhejiang entirely by year’s end—that would be victory.

The campaign in Nanzhili was next year’s task.

Pinning the rebels in one corner and grinding them down slowly would quell the rebellion.

Li Mu’s plan was far more aggressive.

All three main battlefields were merely illusions, designed solely to create an opening for the imperial army to strike Suzhou and retake Nanjing.

“The battlefield changes in an instant—there’s never a hundred percent guarantee.

A campaign of this scale is essentially a contest of who makes fewer mistakes.

We’ve dug a pit for the rebels—they still choose whether to jump in.

If the enemy high command uncovers the truth and prepares countermeasures, waiting for us to walk into their trap…

Of course, if the situation turns favorable, we can turn the deception into reality and make our current plan genuine.”

Li Mu explained solemnly.

The finest deception is one that even your own side believes.

To increase the odds of success, Li Mu had told no one the truth beforehand.

Even now, what he told the Marquis of Wuyang was only a portion of the plan.

Truth and falsehood, falsehood and truth.

Until the final moment, no one would know which version of his plan was real.

…

(End of Chapter)