In Fengxiang Prefecture, Shaanxi Province, Sun Chengzong summoned the generals to discuss matters related to attacking the thieves in yellow.
He has been in Shaanxi for two months, and has been familiar with the army here, waiting for the arrival of materials from the court.
He had become familiar with the generals of the army a month ago and could command them to encircle and suppress the Yellow Turban bandits.
However, the last batch of supplies from the imperial court, which was also the largest, had not yet arrived in Shaanxi.
Sun Chengzong did not dare to start the war lightly. Once he launched an attack, there would be insufficient food and grass supplies, and the war would be lost.
He blocked the Hou Jin Dynasty in Liaodong, and was suddenly transferred to Shaanxi by Emperor Chongzhen to take charge of the work of encircling and suppressing the yellow-clothed thieves.
He is an old man and cannot live up to the trust of Emperor Chongzhen.
We must try our best to do every step well, completely annihilate the thieves in yellow, and solve the serious problem of Ming Dynasty.
Sun Chengzong's master was introducing the basic situation of the yellow-robed bandit army to the generals of the Ming army.
Hong Chengchou, the governor of the three sides, opened the door and walked in.
He nodded towards Sun Chengzong and said: "Master Sun, you asked me to count the materials shipped by the imperial court this time. I have already counted all the materials."
After Hong Chengchou finished speaking, he handed a completed form to Sun Chengzong for viewing.
Sun Chengzong asked his master to help him take the form from Hong Chengchou's hand.
He carefully read the grain and grass material data on the table.
His brows gradually wrinkled, then quickly calmed down.
"Governor Hong, have all the grain and grass supplies shipped by the imperial court arrived at the designated place?
The quantity you recorded is correct!"
Shaanxi has suffered from severe drought in recent years, and there have been areas disturbed by bandits.
The local food and grass supplies are very scarce, and there is no way to support more than 200,000 troops in combat.
These grains and grasses were all laboriously transported from Henan and Jiangnan areas.
Sun Chengzong had commanded the army for many years and knew that transporting grain and grass on the road consumes a lot of money.
People in the imperial court kept writing to the roads and canals that transporting grain would be too expensive and asked the imperial court to transport it by sea.
Millions of water workers depend on their food and clothing, and water transport will not move lightly.
Add Liao's salary, and Suhe will be born. Cut off the post station, and Li Zicheng will be born.
One occupies parts of Sichuan and Shaanxi.
One made a big fuss in northern Shaanxi and turned Shanxi into a pot of porridge. They were unable to spare any troops to support the encirclement and suppression of the yellow-robed thieves.
Now no one dares to mention the abolition of canal works.
Water transportation is also related to the interests of many bigwigs in the imperial court, and this will never be cancelled.
However, according to the data recorded by Hong Chengchou, there was too little food, which accounted for the biggest loss in land transportation.
The actual grain that arrived was much lower than what should have been shipped.
Sun Chengzong has led troops for so many years, and he knows this phenomenon.
The supplies on paper and the supplies that actually arrived did not match up at all.
But like now, he was very surprised that the gap was so big.
The Ming Dynasty has reached a critical moment of life and death.
If the thief in yellow cannot be defeated, the Ming Dynasty will probably end here.
During this critical period, there are still people who use their own hands to carry out large-scale drifting of materials for the frontline troops.
Sun Chengzong's face was ashen, and he was helpless about this phenomenon.
This is no longer the case. Killing one or two corrupt officials can reverse this trend.
The entire officialdom has become decayed.
Hong Chengchou looked at Sun Chengzong, who had replaced him as the most powerful official in Shaanxi when he arrived in Shaanxi.
Emperor Chongzhen sent higher-level officials to direct the war.
He also felt more relaxed, the yellow-robed thieves were really powerful.
Yellow-robed thieves are completely different from ordinary street thieves.
They have a well-organized army, their firearms are sharper than those of the Ming Dynasty, and their army has a strong will to fight.
Hong Chengchou commanded the Ming army to fight against the Mongols.
He felt that the strength of the thieves in yellow was higher than that of the Mongolian army.
Hong Chengchou was not optimistic about this encirclement and suppression of the yellow bandits.
He suggested that the imperial court should forge guns and accumulate them to a certain extent.
At the very least, every soldier must be equipped with a musket.
The firepower density is similar to that of the yellow-robed thief's army.
Relying on the Ming Dynasty's huge army and logistical supplies, it was possible to collide with the thieves in yellow and have hope of victory.
Now that the thieves in yellow have just conquered Sichuan, it is the time when the army and horses are strong.
The thief in yellow is now very arrogant. Su He, a very cautious man, has publicly proclaimed himself king and held the imperial examination. This is preparing to dominate the world.
The thieves in yellow have become so powerful that the court is only now worried.
The thieves in yellow could lose this war many times, but the court would not allow any mistakes.
Even if the imperial court mobilizes heavy troops, the thieves in yellow will not be wiped out.
The thief in yellow will become a big man, and many people in the world will no longer regard the thief in yellow as a rebel.
Some people who think they have unappreciated talents will also rush to join the thieves in yellow.
Hong Chengchou was thinking when he heard Sun Chengzong's inquiry.
He immediately hugged Sun Chengzong and hugged his fists.
"Master Sun, I personally took people to count the grain, grass and supplies. The trees are exactly the same.
The grain and grass transferred to Shaanxi by the imperial court could sustain the army for half a year.
Materials are somewhat scarce, especially medicines, and there are basically no new medicines.
There was quite a lot of armor shipped, and there were a lot of old-fashioned blunderbuss.
The muskets, artillery and ammunition shipped by the imperial court this time were very small.
They can only arm 50,000 people.
Especially for cotton coats, only 30,000 pieces were shipped, and I have distributed them all according to Mr. Sun's request.
Except for the cotton coat I encountered the first time, there were no cotton coats in the subsequent supplies.
The weather outside is extremely cold now. Without cotton coats, many soldiers will freeze to death."
Sun Chengzong listened to Hong Chengchou's report that the 200,000 troops could eat food for three years instead of half a year.
This level of dissipation is simply too much.
There are also too few new guns and artillery.
All kinds of materials can be destroyed.
He had seen the muskets of the thieves in yellow, forming a dense military formation. Without muskets and cannons, it would be too difficult to fight against the thieves in yellow.
Sun Chengzong looked at Guan Ningjun's ancestors, Dashou, He Kegang, Wu Xiang, Song Wei and others.
He applied to the court again, but there were only so many supplies.
On the surface, the imperial court has issued supplies that exceed combat needs.
Now we can only rely on the strength of Guan Ning's army, especially the strength of Guan Ning's cavalry, to open a breakthrough.
"General Zu, General He, and General Wu. We want to break through the defense line of the thieves in yellow.
It still depends on the performance of your cavalry."
Zu Dashou looked at Sun Chengzong, this was his old Shangguan.
His Shangguan Yuan Chonghuan was executed. He was Yuan Chonghuan's confidant and had the experience of escaping from Houjin.
Zu Dashou was afraid every day that he might be captured by the Jin Yiwei.
Wherever he goes, he will bring a large number of personal soldiers with him, and he will rarely leave the army unless there is nothing wrong.
This time the imperial court suppressed the yellow thief, and the old Shangguan Sun Chengzong wrote to him personally and brought him here to perform meritorious service.
He has made meritorious deeds and demonstrated his abilities.
As long as he performs meritorious deeds, Master Sun Chengzong promises to personally act as guarantee and will ensure that he is safe and sound.
He wouldn't be suddenly taken away by Jin Yiwei one day.
Zu Dashou knelt down on one knee, raised his head and said, "Master Sun, the thief in yellow will be handed over to our Guan Ning army.
Our Guan Ning army, especially the Guan Ning cavalry, can break through the yellow-clothed thieves' defense line at any time in the plain area.
The thieves in yellow don't wear armor at all, and their muskets have a limited range.
Our cavalry roamed around the formation of the yellow-clothed thieves, searching for the weak points of the yellow-clothed thieves' formation through shooting.
As long as there is a flaw in the formation of the yellow-clothed thieves, I will lead Guan Ning's cavalry into the yellow-clothed men's formation.
The thieves in yellow are all soldiers without armor. If the cavalry rushes in, it will be no different from dealing with unarmed people.
The cavalry disrupted the formation of the yellow-clothed thieves, and the infantry followed to cover them up.
To deal with an army without cavalry like the Yellow Robes.
Even if our victory is smaller, we will never be defeated on a large scale.
It's just a matter of how to lure the thief in yellow out.
Our place and Hanzhong are separated by the Qinling Mountains.
After crossing the Qinling Mountains, there are no large plains in Hanzhong, which is not conducive to cavalry maneuvers."
Sun Chengzong was very satisfied when he heard Zu Dashou's confident words.
"Don't worry, Commander-in-Chief Zu, we don't need to attack Hanzhong, we can only attack Baoji.
Baoji's defense line along the Wei River is covered with artillery, making it very difficult to conquer.
But the Wei River is very long and our army is large in number. We can use part of our troops to attract the attention of the yellow-clad thieves on the Wei River.
The cavalry and the main force crossed the Wei River upstream and took advantage of the high mobility of the cavalry to capture Baoji directly.
The thieves in yellow were very protective of their shortcomings. After our army captured Baoji.
The thieves in yellow will definitely come out and prepare to snatch Hanzhong from our army.
If they really dare to do this, they have fallen into a trap."
The generals present heard Sun Chengzong's plan.
They all felt that Sun Chengzong's plan had hope of victory.
Sun Chengzong looked at the generals and asked with majestic eyes: "If you have any doubts, you can tell them now.
Once the war officially begins, anyone who dares to hesitate or disturb the morale of the army will be killed by me, Sun Chengzong."
After Sun Chengzong finished speaking, he raised the Shangfang sword in his hand.
He knew that many armies of the Ming army were completely corrupted, and most of the armies could only fight against the odds.
If the casualties are slightly greater, these troops will turn around and flee.
In this crucial war, he will definitely use strict military laws to prevent such behavior.
Kong Youde, the commander-in-chief of Denglai, and the artillery built by Sun Yuanhua, the former governor of Denglai, were ordered to enter Shaanxi and participate in the encirclement and suppression of the yellow-clothed thieves.
When he heard Sun Chengzong's question, he immediately knelt down and asked: "Master Sun, I am a villain, Denglai Commander-in-Chief Kong Youde.
May I ask Lord Sun, when will we set off for the expedition?
Most of my men do not have cotton coats to wear and cannot bear the severe cold here in Shaanxi. Now they can only hide in tents to keep warm.
If your lord wants us to go on an expedition, at the very least, you must ensure that we won't die of cold or starvation.
We want to kill the enemy and perform meritorious service, but we don’t want to freeze to death here without seeing the thief in yellow."
As soon as Kong Youde finished speaking, other generals also agreed.
Only the Guan Ning army was given priority in cotton coats, guest troops from Shandong and other places and local troops from Shaanxi.
None of them were given cotton coats, and they worried not about scarcity but about inequality.
This unfair treatment made many generals complain.
Sun Chengzong also saw that many generals were dissatisfied, and he knew that he could not let these dissatisfaction continue to accumulate.
The imperial court issued a sufficient supply of cotton coats, but these cotton coats would be reduced by half when leaving the capital. By the time he got them, this was all he had left.
He could only give priority to the cotton-padded clothes to Guan Ning's army, which obeyed his command the most and had the strongest combat effectiveness.
Sun Chengzong coughed slightly, and the room immediately became quiet.
"Generals, don't worry, the weather is very cold now, and occasionally there will be cold winds and blizzards.
We will not go on an expedition at this time of year. Everyone will spend the New Year's Eve with peace of mind. We will go on an expedition again when the weather gets a little warmer after the new year.
If we go on an expedition early, I will try my best to get most of the soldiers to wear cotton coats."
As soon as Sun Chengzong finished his promise, his own soldiers came over to report.
"Master Sun, the eunuch sent by His Majesty the Emperor to deliver the order has arrived outside the room with the royal guards.
The eunuch delivering the decree insists on barging in to announce the decree, and we can hardly stop him."
Sun Chengzong immediately ordered: "Let the eunuch who delivers the order come in alone, and the guards in golden clothes will block the door."
The eunuchs who delivered orders represented the authority of the emperor.
Sun Chengzong must be treated with caution and must not give excuses to officials.
He led everyone in the room to prepare for the ceremony to receive the order.
Gao Qiqian held the imperial edict and walked into the room.
The last time he was tricked by Yang He, Yang He died in the hands of thieves in yellow. Those who escaped were also angered by Emperor Chongzhen.
Most of the generals who led the troops were imprisoned, and many of them were sent to the army.
As a eunuch who oversaw the army, he also lost the trust of Emperor Chongzhen.
He was not imprisoned for smoothing the relationship, and was demoted to the lowest eunuch.
Now being ordered by others, he can only act as a eunuch delivering orders without any authority.
Gao Qiqian walked into the house and read Emperor Chongzhen's imperial edict in public.
The content of the imperial edict was very concise, allowing the Ming army to attack on New Year's Eve and catch the yellow-clad thieves by surprise.
Sun Chengzong looked at this imperial edict and took it as if it were a hot potato.
The troops were sent out on New Year's Eve. What genius thought of the time to send out troops?
Emperor Chongzhen has issued an imperial edict, and it is impossible for him to refuse it.
We can only think of ways to complete the content of this imperial edict.
Sun Chengzong couldn't help but sigh, Emperor Chongzhen still didn't change his impatient character.
The risk of sending troops now is too great, and the thieves in yellow don't even need to fight them.
Just relying on the strong cold wind, his army, which lacks cotton coats, will cause heavy casualties.
It was impossible to refuse this imperial edict. Looking at the content of the edict, it was not just issued to his family.
All the armies responsible for encircling and suppressing the thieves in yellow have probably received this imperial edict by now.
If he stands still, he will be the main culprit of defeat.
Sun Chengzong knelt on the ground, raised his hands above his head, and accepted the imperial edict.
"My lord, Sun Chengzong has accepted the decree. Long live our emperor."
Sun Chengzong accepted this imperial edict and asked Gao Qiqian to leave the room directly on the grounds of discussing military secrets.
He said to everyone: "Everyone has heard the content of the imperial edict. We will go to war on New Year's Eve.
Everyone is ready, there are not many days left before the expedition.
I will try my best to find ways to wear cotton coats so that everyone will not get cold.
This time the whole country is paying attention to the suppression of the thieves in yellow.
The merits you have made will never be taken away by others.
I guarantee with my own reputation that those who have made meritorious deeds will definitely receive the rewards they deserve.
When the time comes, promotion to a knighthood will be a piece of cake."
Sun Chengzong promised many generals that the imperial court would clearly distinguish rewards and punishments.
Let these generals prepare for the expedition according to the plan just discussed.
These people quickly left the room and returned to their own army to prepare for the expedition.
Outside Fengxiang Mansion, a few inconspicuous pigeons quickly flew out.
…………………………
In Xunyang Mansion, Huguang, Governor Hou Xun looked at the two generals in front of him.
One is his old partner You Shiwei, and the other is Zuo Liangyu, the confidant he trained.
With his support, these two men have used the troops in their hands to integrate the local troops in Huguang.
Hou Xun now fully controls the Ming army in Huguang, with a total of 100,000 Ming troops, and the yellow-clad thieves opposite are less than 50,000.
He was confident that he could hold back the yellow thief's troops.
"Commander You, Commander Zuo, His Majesty the Emperor has sent an imperial edict, asking us to send troops on New Year's Eve to attack the thieves in yellow.
You two need to organize your troops and horses, and when the time comes, immediately launch an attack from Xunyang Mansion to Xing'an Prefecture."
You Shiwei was very familiar with Hou Xun, so he asked directly: "Master Hou, the predecessor Master Zhu, led most of the elite Huguang Ming Army, but they have not conquered the Hanyin defense line of the yellow-robed thieves.
We only have 100,000 troops, and most of them are still Huguang's original troops.
Under Lord Zhu's command, they failed to break through the Hanyin defense line of the thieves in yellow.
I don't think my commanding ability is better than Master Zhu's.
The Guan Ning army under my command is not good at attacking cities.
Breaking through the defense line of the thieves in yellow depends on these people.
I can't defeat the yellow-robed thieves' defense just by relying on the few inferior cannons shipped by the imperial court."
You Shiwei directly expressed his concerns.
Hou Xun smiled calmly and said, "I can also see the problems you mentioned.
His Majesty the Emperor sent four armies to attack the thieves in yellow.
Our troops may be strong or weak, and each road has different tasks.
The army led by Master Sun is the strongest. They attack the yellow-clothed thieves from the north.
His Majesty the Emperor has high hopes for Master Sun.
He also led the most powerful Guan Ning cavalry.
Most of the newly produced muskets and artillery produced by Sun Yuanhua were shipped to Mr. Sun.
The white-pole soldiers led by Chen Hongfan and Qin Liangyu, the commander-in-chief of Henan in Jingzhou, are our main force in the direction of Huguang.
Our Xunyang Mansion is just a partial force.
The main purpose is to attract the main force of thieves in yellow to stop us here.
The thieves in yellow don't have many available troops, so Hanzhong is where their leader is located.
This is a city that the thieves in yellow have been running for a long time, and they will never give up.
It is impossible for them to let us attack Hanzhong from Xing'an Prefecture.
Our purpose is to contain part of the main force of the yellow-robed thieves.
The thieves in yellow don't have enough troops. Master Sun may lead his troops into Sichuan.
Jingzhou Qin Liangyu and Chen Zongbing may break through the yellow-robed thieves' defense line and capture Sichuan directly, cutting off the yellow-robed thieves' escape route.
The main task of the troops in Guangxi and Yunnan-Guizhou is to contain the thieves in yellow.
Create an excellent opportunity for Qin Liangyu and Chen Zongbing to capture Sichuan.
The thieves in yellow are even weaker in Sichuan. Once they divide their forces, they will not be able to stop the attack of Qin Liangyu and General Chen."
When You Shiwei heard what Hou Xun said, he felt relieved.
Master Zhu's experience and lessons are too heavy, in order to prevent the secret from being leaked.
Only Mr. Sun, Mr. Hou and others had discussed the general plan when they came to Beijing to meet the Holy Spirit.
These general soldiers are only responsible for execution and do not know the overall strategic situation.
Now that the attack is about to be launched, this information no longer needs to be kept strictly confidential.
Even if the thieves in yellow knew now, they would not be able to mobilize their troops in a short time.
You Shiwei assured confidently: "Master Hou, please rest assured that we do not have the strength to break through the Hanyin defense line of the yellow-robed thieves.
There is absolutely no problem in holding back part of the main force of the yellow thieves in Xing'an Prefecture."
Zuo Liangyu also assured at the side: "Sir, please rest assured, our soldiers and horses are confronting the thieves in yellow, there is absolutely no problem in doing so.
I observed the thieves in yellow clothes in Xing'anzhou area and found that they are good at defending but not good at attacking."
When Hou Xun heard the two commander-in-chief's statements, he laughed with satisfaction.
He had too many political opponents in the court. This time he eliminated the thieves in yellow, not seeking merit, but seeking no fault.
…………………………
Qin Liangyu hugged his fists towards Henan Commander-in-Chief Chen Hongfan.
"His Majesty the Emperor's imperial edict has arrived, and I hope our two armies can cooperate closely.
I led the army to take the lead, crossed the Three Gorges area, and captured Fengjie.
General Chen then led the army to follow. As long as we capture Chongqing and keep Chongqing intact, we will achieve the most basic goal of this war."
Chen Hongfan saw Qin Liangyu and took the initiative to take the most dangerous job.
He was very happy in his heart, following Qin Liangyu to make meritorious deeds. This was easy and he could get a lot of meritorious deeds.
He also clasped his fists and said happily: "Thank you to General Qin for your hard work. General Qin's white-pole soldiers are better at mountain warfare.
You are also familiar with the terrain of Sichuan.
Unlike the soldiers under my command, there are many people here who are acclimatized.
I can only rely more on General Qin and your white-armed soldiers.
You are truly a woman, and the white-armed soldiers under your command are far more powerful than us guardsmen."
Qin Liangyu and Chen Hongfan discussed the plan for the expedition, and they each returned to their own armies.
Ma Xianglin said happily: "Mom, I think Henan Commander-in-Chief Chen Hongfan is very easy to get along with.
It shouldn't be too difficult for us to work with him.
Most Han people look down on us soldiers and our female generals, and treat us very badly."
Qin Liangyu looked at his son who had only one eye left.
"Xiang Lin, you have to know that Mr. Chen is so talkative that he asked us to take the lead and test out the true identity of the thief in yellow.
He only said a few nice words and left the hard work to us. When it comes time to earn merit, these people's faces will be exposed."
When Ma Xianglin heard his mother's words, he lowered his head in shame.
He can't play tricks on these Han people.
Ma Xianglin looked at the soldiers in front waiting for them to return to camp.
He sighed deeply and said, "I don't know what happened to Wannian.
With the behavior of the thieves in yellow, our village is probably doomed.
People who escaped said that the thieves in yellow were very cruel to Tusi villages like ours.
The top chieftains will be arrested, a few will be shot, and most will be arrested for mining.
They moved in large numbers of Han people, robbed our land, and plundered our people."
Qin Liangyu directly hit Ma Xianglin hard on the back with the tip of the gun.
"Xianglin, cheer up, as the chieftain, you are the backbone of everyone.
We cannot show our decadence to the outside world, we must boost morale, fight back to Sichuan, and avenge our relatives."
"Revenge, revenge."
Ma Xianglin's eyes were firm, and only the thought of revenge was left in his heart.
He didn't even dare to listen. The chief chieftain who had escaped came back and complained about the cruel methods of the thieves in yellow.
Every time he thought of his relatives being treated like this, his heart felt like a knife.
…………………………
Xu Chengming, the commander-in-chief of Guizhou Province, threw the edict directly on the table.
"What are you urging me to do? I know how to do it all day long."
Zhang Gui, the commander-in-chief of Guangxi, looked at Xu Chengming's crazy appearance.
In order to gain credit, Xu Chengming gained the support of a large number of chieftains and felt that his military strength could overwhelm the thieves in yellow.
He led 20,000 Ming troops, 2,000 of whom were armed with muskets.
There are only more than 3,000 yellow-clad thieves on the opposite side, and they are still stationed in several cities.
More than a thousand thieves in yellow guard Zunyi City.
He underestimated the enemy and advanced rashly, hoping to capture Zunyi City.
In the valley south of Zunyi, I was ambushed by thieves in yellow clothes.
The firearms of the thieves in yellow were so sharp that they blew up all the grass in the valley.
Of the 20,000 Guizhou soldiers and horses, only more than a thousand returned.
Most of the chieftain soldiers fled on the spot.
When Zhang Gui heard about this achievement, he was immediately frightened. He brought 50,000 troops from Guangdong and Guangxi, and seemed to have the upper hand.
But the thieves in yellow on the opposite side have increased their troops. They are no longer just over 3,000 people.
Instead, the number has increased more than tenfold, and there are at least 40,000 yellow-clad thieves in the entire Zunyi Prefecture.
With his small amount of troops, in the past, he was totally destined to die.
It would be lucky if the thieves in yellow didn't send troops to attack them.
They simply didn't have the strength to launch an attack on the thieves in yellow.
"We have accepted the imperial edict, Brother Xu, we are now grasshoppers on a rope.
Do you have any ideas that can help our brothers avoid this crisis?"
Xu Chengming knew that he was completely ruined. He had lost many troops and generals, and Emperor Chongzhen would never spare him.
The only way to survive is to recruit more chieftain soldiers and support them in remote Guizhou.
He was going to borrow some troops from Zhang Gui, and he certainly couldn't let Zhang Gui lose now.
After Xu Chengming thought carefully, he said: "General Zhang, the specific results of the battle here are not based on the words of the two of us.
As long as the article is well written, every day will be a success.”
Zhang Gui's eyes lit up after hearing this. In an area like Guizhou where the mountains are high and the emperor is far away, it is very difficult to fool the emperor.
As long as defeat is written as victory and transfer, he will never be able to transfer to Guilin victoriously.