The Great Rebel at the End of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 044 Vigilance

Xu Zhao ultimately failed to escape.

Gao Yingxiang had set up an ambush at the East Gate long ago. Not only was Huang Long guarding the area with his men, but Li Wanqing was also patrolling the perimeter to provide support.

Although Xu Zhao managed to escape through the East Gate in time, he didn't get very far before crashing into Huang Long's encirclement.

Seeing the rebel army emerging from all directions, Xu Zhao's face turned pale, and he knew in his heart that he could not escape.

As a centurion, he was unwilling to fall into the hands of the rebels and suffer humiliation.

Facing the approaching rebel army, Xu Zhao smiled calmly, straightened his clothes, and bowed three times towards the direction of the capital. Then, he resolutely raised the knife in his hand and forcefully pulled it down towards his own neck...

Xu Zhao committed suicide.

His two servants also committed suicide together.

The remaining dozen or so soldiers didn't have the courage. They dropped their weapons, knelt down, and surrendered.

"What a hero!" Gao Yingxiang exclaimed after hearing Huang Long's report.

Although the other side consisted of government troops and he was a rebel army, and they were on opposing sides, Xu Zhao's actions earned him Gao Yingxiang's respect.

"Pass down the order: his body must not be desecrated. Choose a place and bury him properly, along with the servants who died alongside him," Gao Yingxiang instructed Huang Long.

Huang Long readily agreed. Having said this, Gao Yingxiang glanced at the wide-open gates of Anding City and waved his hand: "Enter the city!"

The rebel army captured Anding, and Wang Er deserved the greatest credit, so Gao Yingxiang naturally had to reward him handsomely.

After taking control of the county town, Gao Yingxiang gave Wang Er a lot of benefits and even praised Wang Er's bravery and skill in battle in front of everyone, calling him the number one general of the rebel army.

Wang Er, who had benefited from the deal, was grinning from ear to ear.

Although his troops suffered considerable losses in this battle, with nearly a hundred casualties, the gains were even greater.

Putting aside the fact that Wang Er gained considerable fame through this battle, Gao Yingxiang's promise that Wang Er's troops would be given priority in future troop expansions was also significant. Even a considerable portion of the spoils captured in the city was distributed to Wang Er.

With these, what does it matter if a few people die?

With years of famine, recruiting soldiers was a piece of cake as long as there were supplies and money in hand.

Besides, Gao Yingxiang's promises were genuine. After taking Anding, not only could they make up for the losses, but they might also be able to use this opportunity to further expand their strength. Why would Wang Er care about those casualties?

As for the civilians who had been swept up in the swarm attack on the city, most of them had perished in the battle. Wang Er didn't care about these lives at all. In high spirits, he secretly plotted to use this opportunity to strengthen his forces and take another step forward.

After Magistrate Qu Wenxi was captured, Wang Er brought him directly to the city after Gao Yingxiang entered.

Qu Wenxi was bound tightly, but he stood there with his back straight, refusing to kneel no matter what.

Gao Yingxiang chuckled and had the gag removed from Qu Wenxi's mouth. He then asked Qu Wenxi if he was willing to surrender and join the rebel army. If he was, Gao Yingxiang would certainly treat him well.

Gao Yingxiang had already inquired about Qu Wenxi and found that he had a good reputation and was considered a good official. Gao Yingxiang was quite polite to such officials.

If Qu Wenxi was willing to surrender, Gao Yingxiang, as the leader of the rebel army, intended to make him his strategist. This position was second only to the leader. After all, the rebel army consisted mostly of uneducated men; few were literate, let alone educated. Gao Yingxiang would naturally welcome a civil official like Qu Wenxi with open arms if he could use him.

Unfortunately, although Qu Wenxi was somewhat pedantic, he was not afraid of death at all.

As soon as Gao Yingxiang opened his mouth to recruit Qu Wenxi, Qu not only refused, but also cursed him in public, saying that the rebels were a bunch of traitors without a ruler or father.

Qu Wenxi was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) who was a skilled writer, and when he cursed, he was particularly eloquent and erudite, citing classical texts. Not only Gao Yingxiang, but everyone else present was thoroughly humiliated by him. Even the usually composed Gao Yingxiang couldn't help but change color upon hearing this scathing rebuke, and waves of anger welled up within him.

"Drag him away!"

Gao Yingxiang completely abandoned the idea of ​​recruiting, and waved his hand coldly to Liu Zhe beside him.

Without saying a word, Liu Zhe stepped forward, grabbed Qu Wenxi, and dragged her outside.

Qu Wenxi, being dragged out the door, continued to curse, her voice fading into the distance. A moment later, all was silent. Then, Liu Zhe returned, carrying a blood-stained knife. He said nothing, only clasped his hands in a fist salute to Gao Yingxiang.

After killing Qu Wenxi, Gao Yingxiang went all the way and ordered the execution of all other officials and clerks in Anding County. Their property naturally became the spoils of the rebel army.

Aside from the officials, the city's wealthy households and merchants also suffered. Under the strong suppression of the rebel army, Wang Er's men, in coordination with Gao Yingxiang's troops, ruthlessly plundered money and grain throughout the city. Anyone who resisted was met with utter ruthlessness by the rebel army.

As night fell, the entire county gradually quieted down.

The various units of the rebel army divided up their garrisons within the city, and Li Wanqing's troops were assigned to an area in the north of the city. After making the arrangements, Li Wanqing arrived at a courtyard. This place had originally been the residence of a wealthy family in the city, but now it belonged to the rebel army.

"How could the King of Chuang act in such a way? This Wang Er is even more despicable! I, Li Wanqing, am ashamed to associate with such a despicable person!"

With no outsiders around and only his own brothers by his side, Li Wanqing, who had been holding back his anger, could no longer contain himself. He picked up the teacup in front of him, took a swig, and slammed his fist heavily on the table with a cold face.

"Brother, be careful what you say!" Zhou Lun quickly advised, while giving Li Shoutian beside him a wink.

Li Shoutian understood and hurriedly went out to check the situation. Seeing that there was no one in the corridor and that their own men were stationed in the distance, Li Shoutian closed the door and turned to nod to Zhou Lun.

"Brother," Zhou Lun picked up the teapot to refill Li Wanqing's water, and earnestly advised, "Wang Er is indeed not a very good person. To be honest, I also find his actions somewhat unacceptable. However, brother, it was Wang Er who led his men to conquer Anding City. And although Wang Er is ruthless, in a fair comparison, he is not entirely without reason."

"What?" Li Wanqing asked, somewhat displeased. He glanced at Zhou Lun and retorted, "You think it's right to force the people to swarm and attack the city? He burned, killed, and looted in the town before, and now he doesn't care about the lives of the people. You think such behavior is right?"

Zhou Lun smiled wryly and shook his head: "Right or wrong, it can't be generalized. Although Wang Er is ruthless, his methods ultimately achieved their goal. Wasn't that how we took Anding City? Besides, although there were civilian casualties, it also reduced our losses as a righteous army. Are we supposed to stop Wang Er from doing this and have him lead his own brothers into a head-on battle? If that were the case, would you, brother, be willing to do it?"

Li Wanqing opened his mouth, as if to say something, but swallowed the words back. He frowned, unsure how to answer for a moment.

At this moment, Li Shoutian, who was standing to the side, also spoke up, saying, "We all understand your kindness and righteousness, brother. But right now we are a righteous army, we are rebelling! The brothers under our command are all fellow villagers who followed us in this uprising, we can't just send them to their deaths for nothing, can we?"

He paused, then said, "Brother, to be frank, I don't think Wang Er did anything terribly wrong. If I were leading the army, I might have had the same idea. It's just that compared to Wang Er, I might not be as ruthless. But when it comes to this matter, Wang Er..."

Li Shoutian didn't elaborate, but his meaning was clear. As for Wang Tieniu, he was a simple-minded man. He would do anything Li Wanqing ordered him to do, regardless of right or wrong.

"Shoutian is right," Zhou Lun continued, advising Li Wanqing, "Wang Er's actions were out of necessity. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. If we cannot take Anding in a short time, it will not be good for our righteous army."

"By the way, elder brother, before the war started, the rebel king sent you to the east city. He probably made that arrangement because he was worried that you would clash with Wang Er."

Zhou Lun specifically reminded Li Wanqing of this sentence.

Li Wanqing was slightly taken aback, but quickly realized what was going on.

"You mean...?"

Zhou Lun nodded. Looking at Zhou Lun's expression, Li Wanqing's face first showed surprise, then confusion, and finally helplessness.

He sighed deeply, shook his head, and could only accept the reality before him.

"There's one more thing."

Seeing Li Wanqing's reaction, Zhou Lun continued, "Now that we've taken Anding, and with the King of Chuang promising Wang Er so many benefits, his strength will only grow as his army expands. Brother, we need to think about our own future. To be frank, we still don't have enough men. If you want to establish a foothold in the rebel army, you need sufficient power!"

"Brother Lun is right!" Li Shoutian eagerly echoed, "The rebel army is nominally one force, but in reality, it's three. Let's not talk about Chuang Wang's side for now; he was originally the most powerful. Wang Er's men were already more numerous than ours, and now that he's won a battle, once his forces expand, the balance of power will shift, and your position as the second leader, brother, will be in jeopardy."

"The most important thing right now is to recruit soldiers! We're short-handed; only with enough troops can we gain a foothold in the rebel army. Otherwise, given Wang Er's personality, he might just overpower you, brother, one day!"

"Recruit soldiers..." Li Wanqing pondered, feeling that Zhou Lun and Li Shoutian's words made sense.

He certainly looked down on Wang Er, but he had to admit that after this battle, Wang Er's strength was no less than his own. Furthermore, if Wang Er's forces continued to expand, it was entirely possible that they would surpass his own.

When that time comes, Wang Er will be able to overpower him with his military achievements and the troops under his command. How will he, as the second-in-command, put himself in a difficult position? Moreover, with a man like Wang Er, who knows what he might do if he shows weakness?

Thinking of this, Li Wanqing nodded silently.

It seems that recruiting soldiers is imperative. Not only for myself, but also for these brothers. No matter what, we cannot let someone like Wang Er climb over us.