Chapter 65: Crucial Intelligence

That being said, Lu Wenyan felt that a “surprise attack on Qingzhou” was already a very difficult tactical operation for the rebels, whose room for maneuver had been compressed to the Dengzhou area. Zhu Dadian and Gao Qiqian had both personally gone to the city to command the encirclement and suppression of the army. The number of government troops was at its peak morale. According to news from the city, Li Jiucheng, Kong Youde, and others already had a mind to escape by boat, but were blocked by their subordinates. It was clear that the rebels’ morale had begun to fall.

Zhu Mingxia, who had returned from Jeju Island, held a different view. He believed that from historical records, the fighting will of the rebel backbone had always been strong. After the great victory of the government forces at Beima Town, they never gained a big advantage in the months-long siege of Dengzhou. Not only were the government forces that broke into the city driven out several times, but the rebels also took the initiative to fight outside the city many times. Even after Li Jiucheng was killed in battle, the rebels still resolutely refused to surrender. After fleeing to the sea, they fought with the Ming army and the Korean army in the Bohai Bay many times, and only surrendered to the Manchu Qing when they really couldn’t get by anymore. They could be called true die-hards and desperadoes.

“The rebels in Dengzhou do not lack fighting will, but they lack accurate intelligence and mobility,” Zhu Mingxia said. “As long as we give them a hand, Kong Youde and his daring group will definitely seek life from death.”

“The problem is, if we help them get rid of the government forces’ grain and supplies, won’t Xie Sanbin and Zhu Dadian immediately set their sights on Qimu Island? We are the only large household in Huangxian County that can possibly raise a large amount of grain,” Chen Sigen expressed his concern.

Of course, it was easy to resist with force, but what they wanted was to exist in the three eastern prefectures for a long time. It was not in line with this strategy to openly confront the government.

“It has to be like the Battle of Wuchao back then,” Zhu Mingxia already had a plan in mind.

Once the grain depot was lost, Yuan’s army was shaken, and Cao’s army took the opportunity to attack, settling the fate of Hebei in one fell swoop. The same could be applied to Dengzhou. The rebels could take advantage of the government forces’ loss of grain and supplies and the shaking of their morale to launch a decisive attack and at least break the siege.

“This requires very high execution and command ability…” Lu Wenyan found it a bit incredible.

“I think the rebels have this ability,” Zhu Mingxia said without hesitation. “I have read the historical compilation of this incident from the Great Library. Li Jiucheng and Kong Youde’s performance in tactical command was quite outstanding, and the army’s combat performance was also good. As long as we provide enough intelligence and necessary convenience, they will seize this only opportunity to turn the tables and make a desperate move.”

When the government forces began to rout, the northern detachment would support Sun Yuanhua in launching an attack from Laizhou, repelling the rebels in one fell swoop and saving the retreating government forces from the crisis of total annihilation.

Every failure was an excellent opportunity to attack political enemies. Whether it was Zhu Dadian or Xie Sanbin, they would have to face a wave of impeachment from the court and the public, and their attitude would become more approachable. The more chaotic the situation in Shandong, the smaller the cost the Senate would have to pay to maintain its presence here.

At night, on Dazhushan Island, a small boat with no flag or markings quietly came ashore.

Dazhushan Island was very small, with no Ming troops stationed there. It was a suitable distance from Penglai and Longkou, and was chosen as a meeting and contact point for the northern detachment and the rebel leaders. Although the two sides had been cooperating in the trafficking of people and the purchase of stolen goods for a year, they still did not trust each other. Meeting on this small island could give both sides a sense of security.

Since the two sides secretly reached a mutually beneficial and non-aggression agreement, the rebels and the three men of Qimu Island had established a regular contact system. Both sides sent envoys with tokens as proof to convey oral messages. The Engine Command repeatedly reminded them that not a single word or piece of paper was allowed to be left in the hands of the rebels. Except for the senators themselves, no one else was allowed to keep relevant documents and records of the negotiations with the rebels.

For this reason, the naturalized citizens selected as liaison officers were considered the most reliable and able to strictly keep secrets. However, this matter was of great importance, so Chen Sigen went in person.

In the barracks under the abandoned beacon tower on Dazhushan Island, a single lamp was burning like a bean. Kong Youde, who was waiting for the “envoy,” had a dark and gloomy face. On this small island, he did not need to put on a calm and composed “confident” and “unflappable” face. The rebels’ current situation was perhaps not an exaggeration to describe as desperate.

The two major strategies formulated at the beginning, “promoting peace through war” and “breaking through Laizhou, breaking through to the three western prefectures, and entering the Central Plains,” had not been realized so far. Since the beginning of the rebellion, Li Jiucheng and Kong Youde had sent many spies to the capital and Jinan to gather information. Many of the ministers in the court who might have advocated for peace suddenly fell silent and unanimously talked about “suppression,” which greatly weakened the voice of those who advocated for peace.

The plan to promote peace through war failed, and the plan to break through to the three western prefectures also failed repeatedly. Although the Ming army performed poorly in field battles, they blocked the rebels’ attacks in almost every battle in defending the city, so that they could only move in the narrow area between Dengzhou and Laizhou from beginning to end.

After more than a year of frantic burning, killing, and looting, this area had become barren for thousands of miles, and could no longer support the rebel army, which had swelled to dozens of times its original size.

Desperate bandits, local able-bodied men forced to join the rebels to make a living, routed government soldiers, and a large number of Liaodong soldiers and civilians who had crossed the sea from the hungry and cold Dongjiang Town to seek refuge… these people gathered together to form an unprecedentedly large armed group. Like locusts, they ate and gnawed everything. The idea of ​​promotion, wealth, and women was gradually replaced by the pressing problem of “getting enough to eat.”

At that time, Dengzhou did indeed have a “mountain of grain,” and later, they obtained a large amount of grain and supplies by plundering the four villages. However, in the entire three eastern prefectures, except for a few places that were not swept by the soldiers, there was no farming for the whole year, and naturally no summer and autumn grain was harvested. As the grain reserves were about to be exhausted, a large-scale famine was quietly looming over the rebels’ heads.

Now, in the Dengzhou and Laizhou area, the only place with a large amount of grain reserves was Qimu Island. However, when they were strong and powerful, they had returned in defeat. How could they do it now that the government forces were stationed outside the west gate of Dengzhou!

If this continued, their own troops would eventually collapse without a fight due to hunger and cold.

What was the purpose of this Lord Lu of Qimu Island suddenly proposing to see him?

Regarding this Lord Lu, Kong Youde had always been unable to figure out his intentions. After witnessing the strong fighting power of his militia and the powerful firearms in several face-to-face battles, he had always been afraid of this tiger lying by his side.

Fortunately, Lord Lu did not interfere with his actions except for sending people to help defend Laizhou once. After the two sides reached a tacit understanding, the territory occupied by the Qimu Island side was only Zhaoyuan. They were not concerned about territory, and then they just kept taking in refugees and continuously transporting people away on ships. It seemed that what he wanted was people. If it weren’t for the fact that the Qimu Island militia’s fighting style was completely different from that of the Eastern captives, he would even suspect that Lord Lu was a Tartar in disguise.

He didn’t know why Lord Lu had specially invited him to meet here this time. Of course, coming to meet in person was to risk his own life. After all, he was now the deputy commander of the rebel army, the number two leader. Once he was captured, it would be a great achievement.

However, Kong Youde was very clear that with Lord Lu’s strength, if he wanted to help the government forces destroy the rebels, he could have done so long ago. There was no need to do it today.

“The general has arrived, I am late,” the man’s voice was like a bell, he was eight feet tall and strong, but he was not Lord Lu.

“I dare not, I have just arrived,” Kong Youde cupped his fists in salute. “Your Excellency is…”

“I am the master’s representative, here to discuss a major matter with the general,” Chen Sigen looked at the unremarkable young general before him with mixed feelings. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they immediately got to the point. Chen Sigen opened a paper package and took out several thin sheets of Xuan paper.

“Please take a look, General.”

Kong Youde took it and looked at it carefully by the light of the lamp, and was immediately shocked.

This was a detailed map of the distribution of government troops in the Qingzhou area. It not only had terrain and roads, but also the number of people and the names of the commanding generals and officials. Most importantly, it even marked the locations where the government troops stored grain.

The government army’s grain and supplies were transported from Qingzhou. Kong Youde had already learned this from the spies he sent out, but he did not have such a clear and accurate map.

As a veteran general, Kong Youde certainly knew the importance of this map. He suppressed the excitement in his heart and looked up at the other party, “This is…”

“This is a small gift from the master to you,” Chen Sigen said.

Kong Youde held the map tightly in his hand. This was not a map, it was a magic pill that could bring the rebels back to life!

For a moment, he didn’t know what to say. The other party gave him this map, and the intention was self-evident. But then he became suspicious again. What on earth did these people from Qimu Island want?!

In the core layer of the rebel army, they had always found it difficult to grasp the purpose of this force on Qimu Island. To say that they were loyal to the court, they had no interest in helping to suppress them at all. Kong Youde was very clear that with the combat power of the Qimu Island “militia” and their large ships that constantly sailed to Longkou to pick up and drop off refugees, it would not be difficult for them to defeat them alone. Not to mention anything else, as long as they were willing, they could cut off the sea route from Dengzhou to the various islands of Dongjiang at any time, and they would not be able to “recruit the old people of Dongjiang” and get the support of a large number of Dongjiang soldiers and civilians.

Not to mention that this group of people had been doing their own business, buying a large number of people and materials, which gave the rebels an excellent channel for large-scale disposal of stolen goods.

If they were just ambitious and powerful local tyrants who were taking advantage of the Dengzhou rebellion to expand their power, this group of people, besides Qimu Island, only occupied Zhaoyuan. Zhaoyuan was a poor place even in the three eastern prefectures. Even local tyrants knew to occupy more territory and occupy rich territory. How could they be satisfied with occupying a piece of salty and barren land by the sea?