latelenovela Chapter 694 Sending spies to bandits and Tartars
Chapter 694 Sending spies to bandits and Tartars
Liu Ye knew Liu Heizi; he had met him several times during simulations organized by the Military Intelligence Bureau. This former pirate leader from Tuoning Island, due to his semi-scholarly background, was quick-witted and eager to learn, and had risen to the position of staff officer—he was quite a talent.
He chuckled and encouraged Liu Heizi: "After you get there, make sure you can deceive... no, communicate well with Li Zicheng, and help him accumulate strength as soon as possible so that we can take over Beijing within a year."
After receiving his assignment from the staff, Liu Heizi spent the last few days cramming on information about the bandits and gaining some understanding of the current situation in the Northwest. He didn't quite understand why they needed to focus on a bandit leader like Li Zicheng. In terms of strength, both Zhang Xianzhong, the "Eight Great Kings," and Luo Rucai, the "Cao Cao," were superior to this unknown "rebel general." With his current strength, how could he possibly possibly capture the capital?
He hesitated for a moment, but still couldn't help asking, "General, if I may be so bold as to ask, I understand using bandits to overthrow the court so we can reap the benefits, but why must we support 'General Chuang'? This fellow is just a subordinate of Gao Yingxiang, whom we defeated. If we want to capture the capital within a year, isn't 'Eighth King' Zhang Xianzhong far more capable?"
This question stumped Liu Ye. He thought about it, and logically speaking, choosing Li Zicheng didn't seem illogical. It was the end of the ninth year of the Chongzhen reign. According to historical calculations from the original timeline, Li Zicheng wouldn't have proclaimed himself "Chuang King" until the following year. He would have fallen victim to Yang Sichang's "four main points and six corners, ten-sided net" strategy in the tenth year of the Chongzhen reign, suffering a major defeat under Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting, with only eighteen horsemen hiding in the Shangluo Mountains. By the time he made a comeback and put forward the slogan of "equal land distribution and tax exemption," it would already be the thirteenth year of the Chongzhen reign. As for capturing the capital, that would have to wait patiently until the seventeenth year of the Chongzhen reign. Calculating it up, it would be a full nine years.
However, Liu Ye could not explain to his subordinates that Li Zicheng was the only bandit leader who broke through the capital, and that this was the choice of history, and that he had simply cheated by knowing the answer in advance.
Faced with Liu Heizi's puzzled expression, Liu Ye himself was somewhat uncertain. Because of his presence, the history of this timeline had changed. Abatai's invasion of Shandong this year was a case in point. Would Li Zicheng encounter unforeseen circumstances, fade into obscurity, and be replaced by another bandit leader? If so, sending envoys and spies to persuade Li Zicheng to march north would be a futile effort. If he himself was uncertain, how could he inspire his subordinates to have unwavering confidence and complete the mission?
Liu Ye paced back and forth, carefully weighing the characteristics of Zhang Xianzhong and Li Zicheng. In his memory, although Zhang Xianzhong also established the Great Western regime, he never put forward a clear political program. On the other hand, after Li Zicheng made a comeback, he accepted Li Yan's suggestion and put forward the slogan of "equal land distribution and tax exemption". From then on, "starving people from far and near came with hoes, and those who responded were like flowing water, day and night. With one call, a million people joined, and its momentum was like a prairie fire that could not be extinguished." The difference in their vision and strategy was evident.
Furthermore, Li Zicheng's repeated defeats and subsequent triumphs, each time resulting in a stubborn resurgence, demonstrate a tenacious spirit unmatched by other bandit leaders. In conclusion, Li Zicheng's ability to destroy the Ming Dynasty was not merely accidental. Given the opportunity, even if history were to repeat itself, he would still be the most likely candidate to storm the capital. All I need to do is bring this historical event forward by a few years.
After thinking it through, he stopped and replied to Liu Heizi with great certainty: "Choosing who to support is not something you need to think about; all you need to do is execute."
Liu Heizi was taken aback for a moment, then answered loudly, "Your subordinate obeys!"
"Remember, after you contact Li Zicheng as the special envoy of the Qionghai Navy, don't rush to reveal your target. First, try to gain his trust. I'll tell you the specifics later. Once he accepts our conditions, you'll stay by his side as a military advisor and slowly guide him northward..."
"My subordinate understands!"
"Has the gift for Li Zicheng been prepared?"
"Reporting to the general, before I came here, the quartermaster had already prepared cotton cloth, liquor, medicine, knives, guns, cannons and other supplies and equipment."
These were all things Liu Ye had specifically instructed him to prepare. Li Zicheng was a ruthless and cunning man, and a substantial gift was essential to gain his trust. Bandits relied on plunder for everything; they had no shortage of gold, silver, valuables, and women. However, warm cotton cloth, warming and disinfecting liquor, and life-saving medicine were urgently needed. Cold weapons like swords and spears were also indispensable, and cannons were extremely valuable weapons that bandits could only dream of. Of course, what was given to Li Zicheng wouldn't be a 10-pound field cannon, but a 6-pound mountain cannon—a substandard one made of cast iron, the kind prone to exploding.
After explaining Liu Heizi's situation, Liu Ye turned to Zhang Geming and the others.
"Liu Heizi is in the open, while you are in the shadows. Each of you should use your own channels to send messages to Lingao. Compare the messages from both sides so that you won't be deceived by Li Zicheng and can grasp his true movements. Remember, do not contact each other to avoid being exposed."
"Yes, sir," Liu Heizi and Zhang Geming replied simultaneously.
"As for infiltrating the Tartars, we need to be extra careful." Liu Ye's expression turned serious as he said to Chu Shengchang, "It's easy to blend into the bandit ranks; there are all sorts of people there, so it's not easy to be exposed. But even the bondservant men on the Tartar side have their own masters, and each one has their own designated position. How to infiltrate is one problem, and how to safely transmit information after infiltrating is an even bigger challenge. You must first ensure your own safety and not expose yourselves easily."
Chu Shengchang nodded: "General, rest assured, my ancestral home is in Liaodong, so my accent and customs won't arouse suspicion. Lord Wang has already made arrangements to send us to the border region, where we'll disguise ourselves as ginseng gatherers and deliberately let the Tartars capture us. Most of us able-bodied young men will likely be taken back to serve as bondservants. Once things have stabilized, Lord Wang will send someone to try and contact us..."
"That's for the best," Liu Ye said to everyone. "Intelligence warfare is a war without gunfire. Whether we can successfully grasp the movements of these two enemies and make the right judgments depends entirely on you all!"
The crowd replied in unison, "We will do our utmost!"
“Very good. You will board the ship and depart tomorrow. I will personally see you off.”
After everyone had left, Liu Ye asked Wang Qinian, "The capital is easily accessible from all sides, so spies are unnecessary. However, we must send people to guard the city and relay messages promptly. Do you have any suitable candidates?"
"I do have a suitable candidate, namely Huang Long, the bandit general who betrayed Gao Yingxiang and switched sides in battle. What do you think, General?"