roccoschili Chapter 061 Alliance
Chapter 061 Alliance
Wang Jiayin's eastward advance met with a setback, and that wasn't all; he then encountered even bigger trouble.
The local area was already in chaos because of him, and the imperial court made a fuss for a long time before deciding to send troops to suppress the various rebel groups.
Although the imperial order was issued, the local garrison troops kept dragging their feet and did not put in any effort.
On the one hand, the imperial court had issued an order to send troops, but on the other hand, the imperial court did not allocate funds or provisions to the local areas, but only allowed the local areas of Shaanxi to raise funds and provisions on their own.
Shaanxi was already poor, and then it suffered a disaster, otherwise there wouldn't have been a series of uprisings. Even the government didn't have much money or grain. The taxes and levies imposed by the imperial court had already put a heavy burden on Shaanxi, so where would they find the money and grain to wage war?
Even if troops are dispatched, it will only be for show, to put on a show for the higher-ups. Besides, the fighting strength of the garrison troops is weak to begin with. These soldiers can't even get enough to eat themselves, so how can they fight? Moreover, Wang Jiayin's troops are numerous and powerful, and cannot be dealt with by a small group of government troops.
But when news of Wang Guoliang's great victory at Hequ arrived, the Shaanxi troops instantly became as excited as if they had been injected with chicken blood.
From the perspective of the government troops, Wang Jiayin had met with a tough defeat at Hequ, suffering a crushing loss. Even his important leader, Wu Tinggui, had his head chopped off by Wang Guoliang. After this defeat, the rebel army's fighting strength was deemed lacking. A rabble is just a rabble; if they could wipe out the rebel army, the merit would be considerable, and the imperial court would reward everyone accordingly.
Moreover, news arrived from the south at this time. The troops from Anzhai had followed Gao Yingxiang's forces northward. In addition, Shaanxi Province requested assistance from the border army, and the border army, at the urging of local officials and under the order from the imperial court to assist in the suppression of the rebel army, also dispatched a force to participate in the suppression of Wang Jiayin.
As a result, the previously cautious government troops suddenly gained courage and began to tentatively engage Wang Jiayin in battle. This turn of events made Wang Jiayin's situation much more difficult.
The situation facing Wang Jiayin is very serious.
With Wang Guoliang guarding the opposite bank of the Yellow River to the east, it was impossible for him to cross the river into Shanxi. Although Wang Guoliang was the general of Shanxi and could not enter Shaanxi to fight without the imperial decree, he could still set up defenses on the east bank of the Yellow River and block Wang Jiayin's advance.
Meanwhile, government troops in the Fugu area began to gather and launched a probing attack on the rebel army. After several battles, both sides suffered losses. Although Wang Jiayin was able to temporarily hold off the government troops due to his superior numbers, he knew that if he continued to stay in Fugu, it would become a death trap as the government troops amassed.
Since the eastward route was blocked and Fugu could not be stayed any longer, Wang Jiayin had to find another way.
At this moment, he suddenly heard that a rebel army was marching north from the south, led by Gao Yingxiang, who was known as the "Chuang King." Although his army was smaller than his own, it still numbered nearly 10,000.
If Wang Jiayin decisively abandoned his territory in Fugu and led his rebel army south to join forces with Gao Yingxiang's troops, the combined army would number a massive 30,000. With such a large force at their disposal, the rebels would no longer fear the pursuit of the government troops. They could then march south together with Gao Yingxiang, retracing Gao Yingxiang's route to launch a surprise attack, and perhaps find a way out from another direction.
After hearing Wang Jiayin's explanation, Gao Yingxiang finally understood why he had suddenly come to Shenmu. So that's what happened after all.
Gao Yingxiang smiled bitterly at Wang Jiayin's thoughts. Their journey north was not only to meet up with Wang Jiayin, but more importantly, to travel east from Shaanxi into Shanxi to seek a new way out.
But now Wang Jiayin told him that this road was impassable. General Wang Guoliang of Shanxi was waiting in full force. Wang Jiayin failed to cross the river and lost the life of his old brother Wu Tinggui. With his troops and soldiers in ruins, he had no choice but to retreat to Fugu.
Moreover, this defeat triggered a chain reaction, with government troops in Shaanxi continuously gathering, and with the participation of border troops, the government forces became increasingly powerful. Given the fighting strength of the rebel army, Wang Jiayin's decision to abandon Fugu and head south was, from a strategic perspective, not problematic.
But Gao Yingxiang knew that even if they joined forces and turned back south, this route could only save them temporarily, not permanently.
As a local, Gao Yingxiang knew Shaanxi all too well, and he was also very clear about the situation in various places they had traveled north. If it weren't for the fact that he couldn't stay in the south and couldn't make a living locally, why would Gao Yingxiang have had the idea of going north to meet up with Wang Jiayin?
Furthermore, while there were government troops in Fugu, there were also government troops in the south! Gao Yingxiang was well aware that the southern government troops had been following him northward. Although the two sides had not yet officially clashed, the outcome was uncertain once the more than 5,000 government troops engaged in battle. Even if he joined forces with Wang Jiayin now, relying on his newly expanded 30,000-strong rebel army, Gao Yingxiang was not absolutely certain of victory.
"How many government troops are there in Fugu?" Gao Yingxiang couldn't help but ask.
"According to reports, there are about five or six thousand people, most of whom are garrison troops, and about a thousand are border troops," said Wang Ziyong, known as "Purple Gold Beam," who was standing nearby. He was also one of Wang Jiayin's old brothers from the uprising, and his position in the rebel army was second only to Wu Tinggui, who died in battle.
After Wu Tinggui's death, Wang Ziyong became the second-in-command under Wang Jiayin, replacing Wu Tinggui's position. In the rebel army, his status was second only to Wang Jiayin.
"Five or six thousand people..." Gao Yingxiang frowned, deep in thought.
It is now early winter, and the cold winter of the twelfth lunar month is just around the corner. Going south at this time is extremely risky, and there is not much food left in the south. Even if they turn back and continue to take over Qingjian, Anding and other places they occupied before, the local conditions will not be able to meet the needs of the 30,000 rebels.
After much deliberation, Gao Yingxiang concluded that the rebel army's way out still lay in the north, not the south. Although government troops were blocking their path in the north, and Wang Guoliang, the Shanxi general, was stationed on the east bank of the Yellow River, even so, their survival still depended on the north, not the south.
Once they turn south, they will not only lose the opportunity to enter Shanxi, but will also face a pincer attack from the government forces from the north and south. If the rebel army is confined to the central part of eastern Shaanxi, their area of operation will not only lose its room for maneuver, but they may even be gradually encircled and eventually annihilated by the government forces.
Gao Yingxiang had a very insightful eye for assessing the situation, and he took a long-term view. He felt that Wang Jiayin's strategy of heading south was seriously flawed and not the best choice.
While this might solve the rebel army's predicament in the short term, it would be self-defeating in the long run, causing them to lose the initiative. But if they didn't head south, what would they do next? How could they escape this predicament? Gao Yingxiang couldn't think of a solution for the time being. Besides, he had just joined forces with Wang Jiayin's troops, and it wouldn't be appropriate to directly contradict him given their limited acquaintance. He decided to wait and think things through carefully before discussing it with Wang Jiayin.
And so, Gao Yingxiang didn't say much more on the topic, only nodding slightly and making a few casual remarks before temporarily putting the matter aside. He then continued drinking and talking with Wang Jiayin and the others.
After several rounds of drinks, Wang Ziyong noticed that everyone was a bit tipsy, so he gently patted Wang Jiayin's leg under the table. Wang Jiayin glanced at him casually, and seeing the questioning look on Wang Ziyong's face, he nodded slightly.
"Gentlemen!" Wang Ziyong stood up, holding his wine cup, and said loudly, "Today is a good day! With Gao Chuangwang and all of you brothers here, our rebel army has grown even stronger. Since we all rose up because we couldn't live under this damned court, and we are all in the same rebel army, it is Heaven's arrangement that we can come together and gather here!"
"That makes sense!"
"Chief Wang is right!"
"Yes, yes, it's fate that we can gather here!"
Everyone agreed with Wang Ziyong's words, and some even praised him immediately.
Wang Ziyong raised his hand and pressed down, waiting for the crowd's voices to gradually subside. Then, he smiled and said, "The reason we've gathered here is to find a way to survive for you brothers and the people of the world, to rebel against this damned court! Today, you brothers are gathered here, and I have a suggestion—why don't we establish a brotherhood and form an alliance here? From now on, we'll advance and retreat together, united in our righteous cause. What do you say?"
"good!"
"It should have been done long ago!"
"I agree!"
"I have no objection!"
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone started chattering. Most of the people present agreed, but upon closer inspection, it became clear that those who agreed were all Wang Jiayin's men, or rather, leaders of various rebel armies who had previously joined Wang Jiayin.
In contrast, Gao Yingxiang's troops, including Li Wanqing, Zhou Lun, Wang Er, Zhao Sheng, and others, remained silent and sat there quietly.
"Brother Gao, what do you think of this suggestion?" Wang Ziyong had naturally noticed this as well, and turned to Gao Yingxiang with a smile to ask.
Gao Yingxiang smiled, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and readily agreed without hesitation: "Chief Wang is absolutely right! Besides, we marched north to join forces with everyone. Now that we have united our troops, it is only natural for you brothers to form an alliance. I, Gao, though unworthy, have specially appointed Elder Brother Wang as our leader, leading our righteous armies to unite in this righteous cause and accomplish great things!"