In the eighth year of Chongzhen's reign, the winds of rebellion grew heavier by the day.
The Chuang King's forces and the Dashing General's army finally joined ranks. From Nanyang, their combined host surged forward, setting their sights on the Xianling Mausoleum.
Xianling was no ordinary tomb. It was the joint resting place of Emperor Jiajing's parents, Emperor Gongrui Xian Zhu Youyuan and Empress Cixiao Xian.
Fengyang's ancestral tombs had already been violated. If Xianling fell as well, then whatever dignity the Great Ming still possessed would be trampled into dust.
Lu Xiangheng, Supreme Commander of the Five Provinces, reacted at once. He led five thousand men south and ordered his deputy generals Li Chongzhen, Lei Shisheng, and Zhou Yuanru to merge their forces and suppress the rebels around Nanyang.
The Tianxiong Army was Lu Xiangheng's pride. Its discipline was iron, its morale fierce, and across the realm it was counted among the strongest of Ming's remaining forces.
Yet this battle was nothing like what they had expected.
From morning until deep into the night, the two sides clashed without pause. Spears broke. Blades dulled. Drums thundered until ears rang.
Still, neither side gained the upper hand.
Even the fearsome Tianxiong Army found itself unable to crush the rebels.
As night fully descended, reality forced both armies to halt. Night blindness set in. Torches flickered uselessly in the chaos. No one could see clearly enough to fight.
Gongs sounded on both sides. The troops withdrew, settling several li apart, staring at one another through the darkness like wary beasts.
Lu Xiangheng's five thousand men huddled within a cramped camp.
Across from them, the rebel encampment sprawled endlessly. More than a hundred thousand men filled the plains, their fires stretching for several li until they vanished into the black horizon.
Standing atop a watchtower, Lu Xiangheng frowned deeply.
"Something is wrong," he said. "The rebels grow stronger with every clash, and their numbers are terrifying. If this drags on, what are we supposed to do?"
Li Chongzhen stepped forward. "General, what if I take a unit of elite soldiers and launch a night raid?"
Lu Xiangheng shook his head at once.
"By day, our five thousand fought in rotation against seventy-two rebel camps. They can rest and rotate endlessly. Our men fought without pause. They are already exhausted to the bone."
He gestured toward the darkness. "If we deny them rest tonight, they will collapse. And look at the enemy camps. They stretch for several li. Even if you succeed at one point, you will only stir chaos in a corner. The rest will remain untouched."
He exhaled slowly. "Tomorrow morning, a fatigued army facing fresh rebels would be crushed."
Li Chongzhen could only sigh.
Lu Xiangheng stared into the sea of enemy campfires. Irritation churned in his chest.
In the past, these rebels scattered at the first clash. Now they dared to establish camps openly, stretching across the land, challenging imperial troops head-on.
And he had only five thousand men. Supplies were thin. Reinforcements were a distant dream.
It felt like Red Cliffs all over again, except this time, he was the one hopelessly outnumbered.
Just as despair crept in, Lei Shisheng rushed over, barely containing his excitement.
"Supreme Commander Lu! Our supplies have arrived!"
Lu Xiangheng froze. "Supplies? From where?"
The Great Ming had no proper logistics corps. The emperor himself wore patched undergarments beneath his dragon robe. Military stipends were already inadequate, let alone supply trains.
Lei Shisheng said quickly, "From your old subordinate back when you served as Pacification Commissioner of Yunyang. He paid for everything out of his own pocket."
Lu Xiangheng immediately understood.
Shangnan Guard Commander Luo Xi. His most reliable subordinate. Along with Zheng Gouzi and the mysterious, wealthy Mr. Li who always seemed to appear at critical moments.
Lu Xiangheng went out personally to greet them.
Under cover of night, a silent convoy of carts rolled toward the camp. At the front stood Luo Xi, dressed in plain civilian clothes. Zheng Gouzi and Flat Rabbit were nowhere to be seen, but Mr. Li was present.
Lu Xiangheng felt a genuine surge of joy. "Commander Luo. Mr. Li. It's been years. Why are you here?"
Luo Xi quickly whispered, "Quiet. I am still Shangnan Guard Commander. I must not be seen openly in Henan. I came in secret."
Lu Xiangheng stiffened and nodded at once.
Li Daoxuan clasped his hands calmly. "Lord Lu, congratulations on becoming Supreme Commander of the Five Provinces."
Lu Xiangheng gave a bitter smile. "The title grows heavier, not my abilities. Frankly, I am deeply uneasy. Five thousand against a hundred thousand. We are barely holding on."
He sighed. "Even a stalemate is fortunate. Tomorrow… I fear defeat. The men are fighting on empty stomachs."
Li Daoxuan replied evenly, "That is precisely why I came."
Behind him, carts rolled forward, each one piled high with grain and military provisions.
Lu Xiangheng's eyes lit up. "With these supplies, morale will return. We can defeat the rebels and stop them from pushing south."
Li Daoxuan nodded. "The main rebel force is in Nanyang. You block the south. Commander Luo holds Shangnan to block the west. Cao Wenzhao is stationed in Luoyang, sealing the north."
He paused. "That leaves only the east. I came to warn you about the east."
"The east?" Lu Xiangheng frowned. "Zuo Liangyu is stationed in Runing Prefecture. His strength is formidable. The rebels should not pass him."
Li Daoxuan said quietly, "It would be best not to trust Zuo Liangyu too much."
Lu Xiangheng was startled.
The words sounded dangerously like slander. Without evidence, such talk could only invite suspicion.
Seeing Lu Xiangheng's expression, Li Daoxuan said nothing further.
Not everyone could see the future.
When information was asymmetric, people naturally reached different conclusions.
Li Daoxuan clasped his hands again. "The supplies are delivered. I will take my leave. May Lord Lu achieve a swift victory."
Lu Xiangheng returned the salute. "My deepest thanks, Mr. Li."
That night, Lu Xiangheng ordered Zhu Wenjin, Chen Qimei, and others to distribute the supplies.
The soldiers ate their fill. Strength returned to their limbs. Morale surged.
By noon the next day, the Tianxiong Army launched a decisive attack.
The rebel forces collapsed.
Several hundred were beheaded. Zilai Hu, Yong Hu, Gongshan Hu, and Zhang Xiner were captured alive. Two cannons and countless weapons were seized.
As Lu Xiangheng stared at the captured cannons in thought, the rebels fled eastward in chaos, passing through Runing.
Zuo Liangyu immediately led his troops to intercept them.
Outside Runing City, the two sides fought what reports later described as "three hundred rounds." Zuo Liangyu claimed a great victory, presenting several hundred rebel heads, many belonging to women and children.
The main rebel force, however, slipped through Runing and escaped once more.
Later, Lu Xiangheng confronted Zuo Liangyu.
"Why did you allow the rebels to escape?"
Zuo Liangyu answered calmly, "Your humble general had only three thousand men. I could block thirty thousand at most. The remaining hundred thousand seized the chance to flee."
He bowed slightly.
"Your humble general has done his best."