Xixia County…
Chen Dajin and Zuo Liangyu had both been in a terrible mood lately.
After being brutally shelled by their own side's artillery in Yunyang Prefecture, the two of them had been genuinely furious for quite some time.
One was a palace eunuch, the other a tyrannical warlord—when had either of them ever suffered such humiliation?
They holed up in Yunyang Prefecture, suspended all military action, and spent their days arguing endlessly. In the end, they managed to pin all the blame onto Yunyang Pacification Commissioner Jiang Yunyi, throwing him straight into prison. They then welcomed the newly appointed Yunyang Pacification Commissioner, Lu Xiangheng, with great fanfare.
Only after venting their anger did the two finally feel satisfied enough to resume the campaign to pursue and suppress the rebels.
After a long and grueling chase, Zuo Liangyu's army finally caught up with the rebel forces on Erlong Mountain, northeast of Xixia County.
From afar, they could see the large Chuǎng banner fluttering proudly on the mountainside.
A huge number of rebels were entrenched along the slopes of Erlong Mountain, occupying the high ground and guarding the rugged terrain. Their posture was clear at a glance:
We're not running. If you want us, come and fight.
Seeing this, Zuo Liangyu couldn't help but laugh loudly.
"A bunch of wretched bandits!" he sneered. "They don't even dare flee at the sight of this general, and instead choose to hole up on a mountainside? Are they tired of living?"
Chen Dajin also laughed.
"Perfect. We can wipe them out in one net."
Zuo Liangyu didn't bother with further words.
"Attack the mountain!"
However, the moment his troops began the assault, he immediately sensed that something was wrong.
The rebels on the mountainside suddenly moved in unison. With a synchronized motion, they pulled out hundreds of matchlock muskets and Three-Eyed Arquebuses.
Zuo Liangyu: "???"
The next instant, gunfire erupted across the mountainside like strings of exploding firecrackers. Dense volleys of lead shot poured down toward Zuo Liangyu's army.
Zuo Liangyu's face turned green.
"What the hell?! Where did these rebels get firearms?"
Chen Dajin was equally startled.
"It's not strange for them to have firearms—they loot everywhere, so getting a few isn't surprising. But where did they get this much gunpowder and lead shot?"
The two men stood safely in the rear, directing the formation, merely shocked by what they saw.
But the government troops assaulting the mountain weren't just shocked—they were being cut down.
The bravest soldiers at the front collapsed in大片 swathes in the blink of an eye.
Then, as if on cue, the rebels switched weapons again. They pulled out large numbers of repeating crossbows—clearly well-crafted, far superior to the crude hunting bows and light bows they had used in the past.
Repeating crossbows were also much easier to use than standard bows. Even without strong arms or refined archery skills, the rebels could operate them with ease.
Arrows poured down in a relentless storm, indiscriminately blanketing the slopes below.
The government troops, already scattered by the musket volleys, were immediately shredded by the rain of crossbow bolts. Their formation collapsed almost instantly. In less than a moment, the front line could no longer hold, and the troops began to retreat.
Then panic erupted.
With a collective roar, the entire army broke and fled down the mountain.
No matter how furiously Zuo Liangyu stomped his feet or cursed, it was useless. His soldiers retreated in one chaotic mass.
The rebels on the mountain burst into laughter.
"Zuo Liangyu, you bastard!" they shouted. "You chased us from Shanxi to Henan, then from Henan into Yunyang. What's wrong—can't keep up anymore? We don't fear you at all now!"
Zuo Liangyu was livid.
"How is this possible?" he roared. "How can these bandits possess such fine weapons? These are arms supplied exclusively to border armies! How could they possibly have them?!"
Chen Dajin said firmly,
"They must have looted them. They definitely looted them."
Zuo Liangyu clenched his fists.
"Someone sabotaged me! This is sabotage—without a doubt! Damn it all!"
What he didn't know was that at this very moment, a few dozen li north of the battlefield, Zhai Tang was sitting comfortably in a small grove, happily counting money.
These very weapons—originally meant to be sold to the Manchus—had instead been sold by him to the rebels at double the price.
And the rebels had been exceptionally generous buyers.
They didn't even bother to haggle.
After all, their money had nowhere else to go.
Gold, silver, and jewels were meaningless to rebels. What they wanted were powerful weapons and full bellies. As for Zhai Tang's prices, they couldn't care less.
Zhai Tang laughed to himself.
"Whose money isn't worth earning? As long as there's money to be made, anything goes. Hahahaha!"
—
Meanwhile, Chen Qiyu—the newly appointed Supreme Commander of Five Provinces—had just arrived at the front lines, brimming with ambition and ready to launch sweeping reforms.
The moment he took office, Chen Qiyu began deploying troops with great urgency.
He ordered Shaanxi Governor Lian Guoshi to garrison Shangnan County, blocking the rebels' route toward the northwest.
He ordered Yunyang Pacification Commissioner Lu Xiangheng to garrison Fang County and Zhushan, cutting off their western escape.
He ordered Henan Governor Fan Shangzheng to station troops in Lushi County, preventing a northeastern breakout.
And he ordered Huguang Governor Tang Hui to garrison Nanzhang, sealing the southeastern route.
As for Chen Qiyu himself…
After careful consideration, he decided to attach himself to the strongest fighter among them all.
Thus, he chose Lu Xiangheng and eagerly hurried to join Lu Xiangheng's army.
—
Upon receiving the Supreme Commander's order, Lian Guoshi prepared to head to Shangnan County once more.
He first mustered 1,500 soldiers from the three garrisons. Then, as usual, he attempted to summon the local militia.
But this time, something went very wrong.
When the summons went out, hardly anyone responded.
Even after shouting himself hoarse through a tin megaphone, only one or two hundred people showed up.
Alarmed, Lian Guoshi summoned his subordinates and questioned them closely. Only then did he learn the truth.
All the idle, young, able-bodied laborers had been recruited by the Prince of Qin's Residence—to build roads.
This put Lian Guoshi in an extremely awkward position.
He quickly asked,
"Where is the Heir Apparent right now?"
A subordinate replied,
"The Heir Apparent is to the north, inspecting his railway project."
Lian Guoshi couldn't simply send a messenger. The difference in their ranks made that impossible.
He could only go himself.
Mounting a swift horse, Lian Guoshi rode out of Xi'an City, galloping furiously northward along the long railway line.
After crossing the Wei River Bridge and riding several more miles past its northern end, he finally found the Heir Apparent, Zhu Cunji.
This area was already close to Sanyuan County.
Strictly speaking, Zhu Cunji being this far from Xi'an City violated ancestral regulations. However, the distance wasn't especially far, nor particularly close. It was unlikely anyone would bother reporting him.
Even Shi Kefa, as a member of the Jinyiwei, wouldn't trouble himself to report such a trivial matter to the emperor.
Lian Guoshi rode up and shouted loudly,
"Heir Apparent!"
"Huh? Minister Lian!" Zhu Cunji's face immediately lit up with a broad smile. He pointed proudly at his chest, where an image of Dao Xuan Tianzun was embroidered in golden thread.
"Don't you think my embroidery looks magnificent?"
Lian Guoshi was momentarily stunned.
"Huh? Heir Apparent… have you also joined the Dao Xuan Tianzun Daoist Sect?"
Zhu Cunji replied without hesitation,
"Of course I have! Why wouldn't I? Dao Xuan Tianzun has personally manifested divine miracles—bestowed such a colossal bridge upon us, and even granted us such a wondrous Divine Mirror. With a deity this powerful, who else would I believe in if not him?"
Lian Guoshi sighed inwardly. He knew there was no point arguing about faith.
Cutting straight to the issue, he said quickly,
"The Supreme Commander of Five Provinces, Chen Qiyu, has ordered this official to lead troops to garrison Shangnan County, preventing rebel forces from entering Shaanxi. However, I cannot recruit local militia. I've heard that all the able-bodied young men in Xi'an Prefecture have been hired by the Heir Apparent to build roads…"