Chapter 111: Hold, Brothers, Hold!

Three hours later.

“Unruly peasants! They’re all unruly peasants!”

Yang Xin indignantly cursed behind him and even spat. In the carriage beside him, Magistrate Zhang was urging his driver in a panic. The carriage jolted violently as it charged towards the wide-open city gate, with shrieks from his concubine coming from inside from time to time. Next to the carriage, several household servants were on horseback, carrying various bundles. A young maidservant fell and cried for help.

“Magistrate Zhang, where are we going?”

Yang Xin casually scooped her up, placed her in front of him on his horse, and then asked Magistrate Zhang inside the carriage…

Alright, Yuncheng had fallen.

Of course, the word ‘fallen’ might be a bit exaggerated.

After Yang Xin had wreaked havoc in Xu Village, the fleeing cultists immediately reported to Xu Hongru. Upon hearing, Xu Hongru had no time, nor any way, to verify the claims. The Wang brothers were over a thousand miles away. Fully believing it, Xu Hongru made a decisive order to rise in rebellion immediately. He had no other choice. This region represented twenty years of his hard work. Leaving it meant he had no ability to establish his earthly paradise. So, a desperate fight was the only option.

The Incense-Smelling Sect had long established a complete and strict system in this area.

At the order from their leader, essentially the sect master, the local village heads passed it down. They gathered the able-bodied men among their followers, brought out the weapons stockpiled long ago, and within half a day, armed over ten thousand men. Then, taking advantage of the unprepared government forces, they launched a surprise attack on Yuncheng. While Yang Xin was still in the county office extorting the local tyrants and evil gentry, their cavalry had already arrived outside the county town. The cultists inside the city had been waiting, and as soon as they arrived, they acted. Once the city gates were opened, there was no point in arguing anymore.

Best to run!

After all, Righteous Yang was still seriously wounded and not recovered.

Besides, at this time, the county town had no military force besides a few archers used for catching thieves. They couldn’t just arm the yamen runners, could they? And besides, many of those runners believed in the Incense-Smelling Sect.

Magistrate Zhang made a swift decision…

“To Juye!”

He said.

“Magistrate Zhang, rest assured! Even if I must sacrifice my own life, I will protect you all the way to Juye!”

Yang Xin said resolutely.

“Righteous Yang, my family’s lives depend on you. If we can escape with our lives, I am willing to give my beloved concubine to you as a gift!”

Magistrate Zhang pointed to his beloved concubine as he spoke.

She stopped crying instantly, widening her eyes and looking eagerly at Yang Xin.

“As for this… It would be improper for me to take what you love!”

Yang Xin firmly declined.

It was said this concubine was originally a famous courtesan, bought for a large sum of money. Righteous Yang felt it was wrong to accept such a heavy gift.

The concubine began crying again.

Of course, no one cared about her feelings at that moment. This group, along with the fleeing local tyrants and evil gentry, chaotically poured out of the already fallen Yuncheng, fleeing for their lives towards Juye. On horseback, Yang Xin looked back at the flames of Yuncheng under the night sky and showed a faint, satisfied smile. This was actually what he wanted. Rather than letting the Incense-Smelling Sect’s rebellion drag on until the second year of the Tianqi era, it was better to lance this boil early, taking advantage of the current moment when the Jiannu had turned towards Joseon and She Chongming in the southwest hadn’t rebelled yet.

Their rebellion was inevitable.

And Yang Xin had no power to change it. This wasn’t a small-scale disturbance; they had planned for many years and made ample preparations. When Xu Hongru was captured and taken to the execution ground, he lamented that two million followers hadn’t been able to achieve their great cause. One could imagine their strength.

These people had been spreading their teachings in the north for decades.

It wasn’t just Yuncheng or Juye. The entire Western Shandong, eastern Henan, and southern Hebei regions were involved. Their influence had long been established, and they already possessed the ability to rebel; they were just waiting for the right opportunity. Xu Hongru was not only ambitious but also very intelligent. He wasn’t the kind of rebel with a low level of knowledge. Over nearly twenty years, he had developed followers through preaching and had made detailed plans with Incense-Smelling Sect leaders in various places. Yet, he remained patient and waiting, never revealing any traces.

Until the second year of the Tianqi era in the original history, when the Jiannu in the north captured Guangning and An Bangyan in the south besieged Guiyang, the Great Ming Dynasty was thoroughly plunged into internal troubles and external threats, fighting on two fronts. Especially when a magnitude six earthquake struck the border area of Hebei, Shandong, and Henan, centered on Yuncheng and Juye…

The earthquake affected a wide area.

Not just this region, even Jinan was affected.

It must be said Tianqi had many disasters.

This series of events finally made Xu Hongru feel everything was ready.

Then all that remained was for him to raise his arm and call for action. Immediately after, the entire Western Shandong, even Southern Shandong, and Southern Hebei descended into utter chaos. Hundreds of thousands of Incense-Smelling Sect troops swept through the areas.

Countless disaster victims whose families were ruined by the earthquake were also coerced into joining.

The Grand Canal was completely cut off.

The Great Ming Dynasty, beset by internal troubles and external threats, had to face the crisis of its main artery being severed. In an already difficult situation of fighting on two fronts, it had to pull troops to face a third enemy.

But now their timing was far from ripe.

Acting hastily, their strength had not developed to the point where one call would bring a hundred responses. There were no large numbers of disaster victims created by an earthquake among the populace to coerce. Nor did they have time to contact other regions. In the original history, when Xu Hongru raised his army, there were many responses across this area. But this time, they simply didn’t have time to contact followers in other places. Also, at this time in the Ming court, the Wanli Emperor was still holding power. Reclusive as he was, after half a century as emperor, he still had some deterrent power among the people. The Great Ming Dynasty had sufficient ability to quickly resolve this matter.

Especially since southern armies like the Sichuan Army and Zhejiang Army were still waiting to cross the Yellow River and head north.

Wanli had enough elite troops he could mobilize.

So Yang Xin deliberately provoked them into action.

As for the damage they were bound to cause, what did that have to do with him? Xu Hongru’s followers were poor people; they were just attacking the local tyrants and evil gentry.

Wasn’t that something to be happy about?

Even if they took Qufu and plundered the Kong family again, he would only applaud them.

Besides, if they acted two years later, their destructive power would be even greater.

This actual mastermind, after igniting this war, immediately began escorting Magistrate Zhang — who saw him as family — in a frantic escape, heading straight south to Juye. They ran through the night by torchlight and finally reached Juye at dawn. Then, together with the magistrate of Juye County, they quickly mustered a force. However, because Righteous Yang’s old injury had flared up from the jolting during the escape protecting Magistrate Zhang, this army was commanded by the Anxingji patrol inspector. They marched with intimidating momentum to recapture Yuncheng, but unfortunately, more than half had run away before even reaching Yuncheng.

Then they encountered Xu Hongru’s head-on assault. The government troops scattered like sheep as soon as the fighting began.

Xu Hongru then pursued them and reached Juye.

“Hold, hold! When I, your grandfather, was in Shenyang, even a hundred thousand Jiannu couldn’t break through! Cough! Cough! I need to take some medicine first!”

Righteous Yang continued his performance.

He had internal injuries.

Though the arrow wound itself had healed, the arrowhead was poisoned. The poisoned blood had severely damaged his internal organs.

Only someone with exceptional natural gifts like Righteous Yang could survive this. An ordinary person would have been dead from the poison long ago.

Anyway, that’s how it was. He was now like a woman in confinement after childbirth. He needed careful tending. Not only did he need silver for his upkeep, but he also couldn’t be overworked. What if he suddenly died from a relapse of the poison due to fighting bravely? Who could bear that responsibility? Next time the Jiannu invaded Liaodong, who would protect Liaodong for Your Majesty without him? Was the safety of Liaodong more important, or was your small, broken county town more important?

Nevertheless, Juye was ultimately held.

After all, Xu Hongru had little ability to attack cities. As long as no one opened the gates from inside, it was difficult for him to capture a city with real defenses.

Just as Xu Hongru, frustrated by the setback at Juye, had to withdraw his troops, Yan Tiaogeng, the Military Defense Circuit intendant of Western Yanzhou, arrived at Yuncheng with government troops scraped together from Caozhou and Puzhou. Encouraged by this good news, Righteous Yang resolutely went into battle despite his injuries. Together with Yan Tiaogeng’s troops, they attacked Xu Hongru from north and south, defeating him soundly beneath the walls of Yuncheng and recapturing the city in one move. Righteous Yang, dragging his severely wounded body, personally opened the gates of Yuncheng.

Xu Hongru led his remaining forces to retreat and hold the Incense-Smelling Sect’s headquarters at Liangjialou.

However, although Righteous Yang fought bravely, personally killing several dozen rebels, it ultimately caused his old injury to worsen again. Then, at the victory banquet in Juye, he collapsed and was confined to bed.

Fortunately, the situation in Western Yanzhou stabilized.

Having suffered heavy losses, Xu Hongru lacked the strength to attack Juye again and could only retreat to hold Liangjialou.

But this area was the core region of the Incense-Smelling Sect. The vast majority here were its followers. The government troops were essentially powerless to leave the cities to clear them out. The countryside was their territory. Once outside the city walls, they would be immersed in an ocean of people’s war. So, before more reinforcements arrived or Righteous Yang’s fighting strength recovered, they could only let the situation be. Thus, Western Yanzhou entered a temporary stalemate. Just like Northern China during the War of Resistance, on one side were the Incense-Smelling followers with a broad mass base, essentially turning the entire population into soldiers. On the other side were the government troops, trapped in the cities, afraid to venture out unless in large numbers.

Both sides were waiting.

The government troops waited for reinforcements from various places.

Xu Hongru waited for followers in other places, hearing the news, to rise in response.

In the end, he was the victor in this wait.

On the very same day Yang Xin fell, Zhang Dongbai, the Incense-Smelling Sect leader in Eastern Yanzhou, rose in rebellion in Zou County. By then, the government troops from Zou County had already been sent to reinforce Yuncheng, leaving the city almost defenseless. Consequently, Zhang Dongbai captured Zou County in one battle. The county magistrate abandoned the city and fled.

But Meng Chengguang, the hereditary Doctor of the Five Classics and a descendant of the Second Sage, who could not flee, had to bravely resist with his household servants and local militia. In the end, he was unable to turn the tide. Both father and son died for their country.

Shortly after, the Meng family estate was razed to the ground by the treasonous faction.

Although his official rank was not high, this became the most severe loss of this war.

Also on that same day, Shen Zhi, the sect leader in Tengxian County, rose and laid siege to Tengxian. The hastily assembled townsfolk defenders fled without a fight. The unfortunate Tengxian County Magistrate was captured alive. The government troops from Jining, Rencheng, and other places, originally heading to reinforce Juye, had to turn back to counterattack the cities of Zou and Teng. However, the commander of the government troops, the Military Defense Circuit intendant of Eastern Yanzhou, was careless. At Zoucheng, he was caught in a pincer attack from north and south by Zhang Dongbai and Shen Zhi. After a disastrous defeat, the government troops had to turtle up in Jining and Yanzhou. Even Qufu now faced the flames of war. After defeating the Jining government troops, Zhang Dongbai remained in Zou County, fortifying the small city into a stronghold. Shen Zhi led his forces south to capture Yicheng. Eventually, the two of them effectively established a connected controlled area spanning Zou, Teng, and Yi counties.

The situation in Western and Southern Shandong had completely descended into chaos.