I, Liu Bian, Sanxing Han Dynasty

Chapter 418: Rebellion in Bashu
Although the rebels did not march towards Guanghan County, which was also adjacent to Shu County.

But when the news reached Luo County, Guanghan County—

"Who is Ma Qin? Who is Gao Sheng? Are there these two people in Pi County?"

"Who can tell me how these two people appeared?"

Yizhou Governor Zhong Fu, who thought he had always been in a safe position, finally couldn't sit still anymore.

An official from the governor of Shu County replied, "Sir, I heard that there are two powerful people named Ma and Gao in Pi County, but I have never heard of Ma Qin and Gao Sheng before. Maybe they are just pseudonyms!"

"Then why did they rebel? Where is the Shu army? You went to inspect Shu County two months ago. Did you find anything wrong?"

Zhong Fu continued to question his subordinates - "Don't tell me about the new tax system!"

He knew that the new tax system would inevitably bring an impact to the local area, but he didn't understand. Although the new tax system was disadvantageous to big families like them who owned large amounts of land, was it necessary for them to rush into chaos?
As soon as the news arrived, the rebel army rose up and swept through wherever they went with unstoppable force.

How could it be so easy to start an army?
With such a quick reaction, Zhong Fu knew without even having to think that there must be more reasons behind this than just the new tax system.

The officials of the Shu Department could not answer.

As for other officials in the governor's office, facing Zhong Fu's anger, most of them lowered their heads and dared not speak.

Only two people were neither humble nor arrogant.

Jia Long, the military officer, was the first to speak out amid the silence: "Sir, the most urgent task right now is to recruit more troops and put down the rebellion in a timely manner!"

Wang Shang, the governor, also said: "Please calm down your anger for now, the key is to deal with the chaotic army."

Just at this time, someone came to report that General Anxi was visiting.

Zhong Fu hurriedly invited Huan Dian to come and see him, and took Jia Long and Wang Shang to meet the person, leaving the other officials present to continue discussing countermeasures.

Huan Dian was still accompanied by Zhao Wei.

The five people who were there when Xun You entered Yizhou gathered together again.

This time, Zhong Fu was much more anxious than last time, not to mention Huan Dian, whose official title was general.

Even if the new tax system was used as an excuse, there was such a big mess under their rule that if the rebellion could not be quelled soon, both of them would be to blame.

After the five people met, the question returned to the beginning - why did Ma Qin and Gao Sheng cause chaos?

Huan Dian and Zhong Fu were only temporary officials after all, and their understanding of Shu County was not as in-depth as that of the locals. The only people they could rely on were Jia Long and others.

Seeing that Huan Dian and Zhong Fu were still harping on this question, Jia Long, who was born in Shu County, finally said, "Last month, the Shu County Magistrate Gan Ning of Ba County resigned. I just heard about this news. I wonder if the Ma Qin Gao Sheng Rebellion is related to it..."

Zhao Wei, who was born in Ba County, introduced Gan Ning's heroic deeds when he was young to the others...

After the introduction, Jia Long said, "Even if Ma Qin and Gao Sheng had other reasons for their uprising, the two of them led their troops to attack Qianwei County and the vassal states of Shu County and were invincible. I'm afraid the new tax system was also the reason."

At this point, Jia Long, who was born into a prominent family in Shu County, could not help but complain: "Shu County has been peaceful for a long time, and everything is set in stone. In my humble opinion, if the old situation could be maintained, there wouldn't be anything like what happened today."

Zhong Fu looked at Jia Long and said unhappily, "Don't say that again."

"The new tax system was issued by the emperor in an imperial decree and is being implemented throughout the country. How can Yizhou stay out of it?"

Jia Long wanted to say something else, but Wang Shang beside him pulled his sleeve, and he shut up.

Wang Shang saw it clearly - Zhong Fu and Huan Dian were usually very humble and turned a blind eye to the chaos in Yizhou, but now that such a big thing had happened, they would definitely not remain silent and must really do something.

This time it's not like when Xun You entered Ba and all he had to do was fool around a little.

Anyway, even if it is a new tax system, if you want to implement it, you still need people from their local big families. As long as the Ma Qin Gaosheng rebellion is resolved, will the two of them continue to keep a close eye on the implementation of the new tax system?

He had heard about what Xun You had done in Ba County a long time ago. He didn't want to see Zhong Fu and Huan Dian leave and be replaced by two difficult people like Xun You.

Thinking of this, Wang Shang said, "Sir, the tax system change is a matter for the future. The most urgent task is to quell the rebellion!"

This statement was recognized by Huan Dian, and was also the main purpose of his visit to see Zhong Fu.

The rebels had fought their way from Shu County to Jianwei County and its vassal states. This was no longer a problem that could be solved by a single county governor. It was a perfect opportunity for Zhong Fu to use the military power that had been granted to him during the governor's reform a few years ago.

With Zhong Fu's order, the order to mobilize troops was passed from Guanghan County to the surrounding areas.

Putting aside the three counties and kingdoms that have already been in turmoil, apart from Guanghan County, the only ones that can provide the most troops are Ba County and the more distant Hanzhong County.

……

Jianwei County, Nan'an County.

After a not-so-terrific battle, Ma Qin, the leader of the rebels, stood on the top of the city wall and looked towards the east.

But the killing did not stop because of the change of ownership of the city. Instead, it became more and more intense in the city.

Ma Qin was standing on the top of the city wall and could actually hear the screams coming from the city.

He frowned and ordered the people around him: "Tell them to rob more property and not kill too many people."

He walked another dozen steps to the side, and only heaved a sigh of relief when he could no longer hear the crying and wailing of men and women in the city, and continued to look towards the east.

The Zizhong County there was located at a major transportation hub and was his target.

Only by occupying that place will he have the opportunity to integrate the power behind him.

Now, he and Gao Sheng took advantage of the situation to raise an army. In his opinion, there was definitely a chance of victory. He had seen the chaos in the Han family a few years ago. How could it be so easy to get better in just a few years?
He doesn't believe it!
And even if we lose, the worst that can happen is that we can hide in the mountains under an assumed name!

Ma Qin looked back at the rebels under his command who were venting their bestiality in the city. He couldn't help but murmured, "Kill them all! Now that we have built up our courage, we won't be afraid on the battlefield in the future!"

……

At the same time, to the north of Nangan County, Qianwei prefect Ren Qi had already prepared 5,000 soldiers from the county and marched towards Nangan to quell the rebellion.

At this time, he did not know that Nan'an County had fallen, and he was still sending envoys to Nan'an County, asking the mayor of Nan'an to defend the county at all costs.

Seeing that the army was getting closer and closer to Nan'an County, Chen Chao, a military official, advised Ren Qi, "Sir, most of the county soldiers are newly recruited and have never been trained. They may encounter rebels on the road at any time, but the soldiers only care about rushing on their way without any precautions. If the rebels suddenly attack, there will be chaos!"

Ren Qi felt good about himself. He said, "The rebels are brutal, but I am kind and righteous. I have the support of the people. The rebels have come from far away, but I am from the same hometown and familiar with the terrain. I have the advantage of the terrain. Although the weather is uncertain, I have the advantage of the terrain and the people. Why should I be afraid of the rebels, a mere mob?"

Chen Chao continued to advise, "Your Majesty, do not underestimate the rebels. They have been attacking cities and seizing land all the way from Pi County in Shu County, and they can also split their troops into two places. Even though they were a mob when they started the rebellion, they have won many battles and their morale is high. How can these new recruits compare to them?"

"But Nan'an is waiting for rescue. If we don't hurry, how can we rescue Nan'an in time?" Ren Qi asked back.

Chen Chao sighed and said, "My Lord, Nan'an doesn't have many troops to begin with. If the rebels suddenly arrive, even if we get the news in advance, I'm afraid we won't be able to resist them."

"What's worse, I'm afraid some people don't even want to resist..."

After listening to this, Ren Qi hesitated for a while, and finally listened to Chen Chao's advice and slowed down the march.

The next day, Ren Qi received the news that Nannan had fallen.

At this time, he had already engaged in battle with the rebels.

Faced with the charge of the county soldiers under Ren Qi's order, the rebels fled before the battle even began. A great victory!

Before leading the troops this time, Ren Qi actually had no experience in leading troops in battle.

But at this moment, Ren Qi suddenly discovered that he was actually a good general in the world!

It’s just that I haven’t had the opportunity to show my talent in this area before!

but……

Chen Chao hurried to Ren Qi, and despite the sweat on his forehead, he conveyed the latest news to Ren Qi: "The rebels just now were just bandits from the mountains who temporarily joined the rebels. That's why their fighting power is so weak. You must not be careless!"

"Just now, I asked the captives and they said that there are 20,000 to 30,000 rebels in Nan'an County, which is more than we originally expected... Right now we only have 5,000 troops. It would be better to wait for reinforcements from other places to arrive before we suppress the rebellion."

Ren Qi was unwilling to retreat. He said righteously, "I am the governor of a county, and I am ashamed that I have not been able to ensure the stability of the people under my rule... Now I am watching the people being ravaged by the rebels. Do you want me to just sit there and watch?"

After saying this, he continued to give orders to march regardless of Chen Chao's persuasion.

Two days later, as they got closer to Nan'an County, Ren Qi became more and more vigilant.

Chen Chao couldn't persuade him and could only try his best to help Ren Qi make up for the shortcomings in his command.

At noon, Chen Chao suddenly saw a flock of birds hovering in the sky above the forest ahead, and his heart was alarmed, so he immediately found Ren Qi. The two of them believed that there were rebel ambushes ahead, and decided to set up camp on the spot to wear down the rebels' physical strength and wait for them to tire themselves out.

The birds in the sky did not land in the forest until evening, which further strengthened their judgment.

But they forgot one thing: the rebels had far more military strength than them.

On the second day, Ren Qi did not wait for the rebels to attack his camp, but suddenly learned that their food supply route had been cut off by the rebels, and their retreat was lost!
But Ren Qi was not afraid. Facing Chen Chao and other subordinates, he said with high spirits: "Now is the time to fight to the death!"

"After dinner tomorrow, we will smash the pots and bowls and fight the rebels!"

Chen Chao quickly advised, "Your Excellency, please don't do that... In the past, Xiang Yu and Han Xin led elite troops, which is different from today... If the current county soldiers knew that their retreat was cut off by the rebels, I'm afraid they would have dispersed before the battle even started! Then we will all die without a burial place!"

"Why has it come to this?" Ren Qi was shocked.

He looked at the officials he brought with him, and found that many of them agreed with Chen Chao's conclusion.

At this time, he no longer wanted to be a good general in the world, and hurriedly grabbed Chen Chao's hand and asked, "What should we do now?"

"The only solution now is to retreat northward and open up the way back." Chen Chao already had a plan in mind. "The rebels' force to cut off the food supply route must not be too large, otherwise it would be impossible to hide from our army's detection."

"Moreover, most of the county soldiers are from Wuyang County and several surrounding counties. They will definitely fight with all their might when heading north to their hometown. The saying 'Don't chase down desperate enemies, and don't force returning people' is exactly this principle!"

"Okay, as you say!" Ren Qi said.

……

In Ba County, Xun You was reading the latest news about the rebels.

After reading it, he couldn't help but sigh.

Seeing this, Gan Ning asked, "My Lord, what does the official document say?"

During the period of recruiting the Bandun barbarians as soldiers, Gan Ning had already formally accepted Xun You's call to lead the Qiang troops together with Yan Yan.

At first Gan Ning felt embarrassed and declined twice.

But later, Huan Dian and Zhong Fu jointly issued an official document, requiring Xun You to send troops to Guanghan to obey orders.

As the General of Anxi, Huan Dian had the power to manage Yizhou's military affairs. As the governor, Zhong Fu also had the power to temporarily manage the state's military affairs in the face of rebellion. Xun You could not refuse the official documents from the two, so he could only send Yan Yan with some county soldiers to join forces with Huan Dian and Zhong Fu.

After Yan Yan left, there was no one good at fighting under Xun You's command, so Gan Ning took over the position.

When Xun You saw Gan Ning asking, he directly handed the document to him.

Gan Ning took it and looked at it, only to see that it said - The governor of Jianwei County led 5,000 county soldiers to suppress a rebellion, but he was greedy for merit and advanced rashly, so he was surrounded by the rebels. Only 50 to 60 percent of the 5,000 county soldiers were left, and they were defeated and returned to Wuyang County, the county seat.

He immediately couldn't help but want to curse.

What an idiot! Is this how you fight a war?

However, Gan Ning did not curse Xun You in person.

Xun You said, "Xingba, we have already recruited nearly 5,000 Qiang soldiers from various places. We should not recruit more. It is time to lead the troops to Chongguo County."

Gan Ning was familiar with the terrain and knew that Chongguo County was the last county under the jurisdiction of Ba County on the shortest route from Hanchang County to Jianwei County.

He asked, "Are you going to lead your troops across the border to quell the rebellion now?"

Gan Ning was a little puzzled, but even he knew that this was against the law.

Not to mention that Huan Dian and Zhong Fu had already organized an army to suppress the rebellion.

"No, wait there first!" Xun You said.

"What are you waiting for?"

"Train the Qiang soldiers and wait for the emperor's edict!" Xun You didn't know whether Huan Dian and Zhong Fu would be as ambitious but incompetent as Ren Qi in fighting, but he wouldn't!

Xun You also believed that the emperor, who was always good at judging people, would not let him stay out of the matter of suppressing the rebellion!

……

In June, Liu Bian received some good news.

Most places in the north, except Sanfu, have seen some rain. Although it is not much and can only slightly alleviate the drought, it is still a hope.

At least in these places, people can take advantage of the rain to plant soybeans.

Drought-tolerant beans are not picky about the environment and will grow as long as there is some rain.

Except for Sanfu.

There has been no rain since April.

But besides the good news, there is also a lot of bad news.

What Liu Bian did not expect was that the first place where a rebellion broke out using the new tax system as an excuse was Yizhou.

In fact, Liu Bian had already made preparations after receiving the initial warning from Xun You.

They also discussed the possibility of sending troops to Shu to quell the rebellion.

However, transportation in Yizhou was inconvenient and it took a long time to transmit news.

As soon as the battle report was received, Zhao Jin, the captain of the Xiyuan Army, who had already made preparations, immediately led his troops to set off.

Zhao Jin had suppressed a rebellion in Ba County before. This time, he was in charge of suppressing the rebellion, and Xun You was his deputy.

(End of this chapter)