In truth, when Zhu Yuanzhang had first described the course of the Battle of Guangzong in the group, Zhang Jiao had already harbored doubts-upon learning that Dong Zhuo had withdrawn, whoever had been leading the Guangzong Yellow Turbans, whether himself or Zhang Liang, would surely have sent scouts to investigate where the Han Army was going.
Discovering that ten or twenty thousand Han soldiers were heading for Xiaquyang would not have been difficult. By any reckoning, they should never have let the chance to coordinate with Zhang Bao and deal the Han Army a crushing blow slip away.
Only now, upon seeing the Western Liang Cavalry outside the city, did he understand-it was not that the Guangzong Yellow Turbans had been unwilling to reinforce Xiaquyang, but that they could not.
If the Guangzong Yellow Turbans left the city and their camps to head for Xiaquyang, more than two hundred li away, then even if they broke through the Western Liang Cavalry's interception, they would give Dong Zhuo's Han Army the chance to turn around and attack them.
If Zhang Bao then led his troops out of Xiaquyang and headed south to join them, the situation would become a pitched battle between the Yellow Turban armies of the two cities and tens of thousands of Han soldiers.
The previous fighting had already proved that their Yellow Turban Army lacked weapons and armor, had insufficient training, and was inferior to the Han Army in command as well. They were simply no match for the Han Army in the open field; a major battle outside the walls would bring only defeat and destruction.
If the Yellow Turban Army in Xiaquyang did not leave the city, the Guangzong Yellow Turban Army marching to its aid would be isolated and outnumbered, making it even more likely that they could defeat the Han Army.
Originally, if he could have found enough niter and sulfur in Guangzong, he might have tried using gunpowder to defeat the Western Liang Cavalry.
Unfortunately, Chu Yan had taken men to search all of Guangzong City yesterday without finding any sulfur. Even the niter they found amounted to only two or three jin.
That already counted as good luck. Niter was a top-grade medicinal substance, after all, and only pharmacies and physicians would have any, often no more than a few liang or even a few qian. Finding two or three jin of niter in little Guangzong was already a considerable haul.
As for collecting niter soil around latrines and boiling it down into saltpeter, that was not something that could be done in a day or two. From training workers to producing enough saltpeter, he reckoned it would take at least seven or eight days, perhaps even longer.
In short, finding enough niter and sulfur directly in Guangzong City to make large quantities of gunpowder and defeat the Han Army, as in the animation "Transmigrated as Zhang Jiao: Thunder God, Aid Me!", was simply impossible.
I know perfectly well how to turn the situation around, yet I cannot do it.
Heaven, why are you so cruel?
Is the Way of Great Peace I founded, and the Yellow Turban Army I lead, destined never to achieve anything great?
Zhang Jiao raised his head and gazed up at the sky, crying out in anguish within his heart.
When he withdrew his gaze from the sky, a thought stirred, and a translucent sheet of paper appeared before him-the Spacetime Letter.
He considered whether to use the Spacetime Letter to explain the current situation to Zhu Yuanzhang or Liu Bang and ask for a strategy to rout the Han Army.
But after several breaths of deliberation, he put the Spacetime Letter away after all.
First, the Spacetime Letters were precious now. Each of the three men had only one, and he was not certain whether Zhu Yuanzhang or Liu Bang would answer his question.
Second, the fundamental reason the Yellow Turbans in Guangzong and Xiaquyang could not coordinate to rout the Han Army after Dong Zhuo's failed assault was their lack of cavalry, weapons, and armor, along with their soldiers' inadequate training.
Under such circumstances, even if Liu Bang or Zhu Yuanzhang came in person, they would probably be unable to turn things around in a short time.
Besides, his "Burnout" status would expire tomorrow, and he had no idea whether his body would hold up then.
If he truly fell ill and approached death, unable to wait for the Rebel Army Group to open again, this letter might be his final means of leaving instructions with Liu Bang and Zhu Yuanzhang.
Finally, when Zhu Yuanzhang had discussed a way forward for the Guangzong Yellow Turbans in the group, besides the strategy of "routing the Han Army after Dong Zhuo's force fails to take Xiaquyang," he had actually pointed out another path-follow the example of Zhang Yan's Black Mountain Army in the original history, withdraw into the Taihang Mountains, and await a favorable turn of events!
At that thought, Zhang Jiao reined in his grief and gloom, drew a deep breath, and said to Zhang Liang, "Xiaquyang is not much easier to attack than Guangzong, and the Han Army under Dong Zhuo has low morale. Even if it joins forces with Guo Dian's Han troops, it will not be able to take Xiaquyang."
"But as you said, if we leave the city to fight the Han Army in the open, we will instead give them a chance to annihilate us."
"For now, our only option is to wait until Dong Zhuo transfers the Western Liang Cavalry outside the city elsewhere. Then we can consider leaving."
Zhang Liang asked doubtfully, "Elder Brother, how can you be certain the Western Liang Cavalry outside the city will be transferred?"
The original Zhang Jiao might not have understood the answer to that question. But now, bolstered by his "Burnout" status, and with three group chats having broadened his horizons and knowledge, he could even consider matters from more angles.
Hearing the question, he explained, "Lu Zhi incurred the Han emperor's wrath because he besieged Guangzong without attacking and dragged out the war. Dong Zhuo replaced him as commander with the intention of taking Guangzong as quickly as possible."
"Instead, after ten days of assaults, not only did he fail to breach the city, he lost men and officers. If he does not want to be punished by the Han emperor as Lu Zhi was, he must take Xiaquyang as quickly as possible, so his merits can offset his failures."
"Xiaquyang is no easier to attack than Guangzong. He will not leave more than a thousand Western Liang cavalrymen unused. Unless something unexpected happens, the Western Liang Cavalry outside the city will head north in a day or two, or two or three days at most."
Zhang Liang nodded at first, then asked in confusion, "Elder Brother, how do you know Lu Zhi was punished by the Han emperor for 'besieging without attacking and dragging out the war'?"
"I guessed." Having said that, Zhang Jiao changed the subject. "Pass down orders for the soldiers in every camp and the Yellow Turbans to pack their belongings and prepare to leave Guangzong at any moment."
"Leave Guangzong?" Zhang Liang was startled and puzzled. "Elder Brother, are you planning to seize the opportunity to attack other cities?"
Zhang Jiao shook his head. "We are going to the Taihang Mountains."
"The Taihang Mountains?" Zhang Liang was both anxious and bewildered. "Elder Brother, why?"
Zhang Jiao sighed. "Even if Dong Zhuo fails to take Xiaquyang, the Han emperor will surely send someone else to replace him. With Dong Zhuo's two failed storming assaults as examples, the next Han commander will most likely adopt Lu Zhi's strategy and focus on surrounding us."
"Given enough time, even if Guangzong and Xiaquyang are not breached by the Han Army, they will collapse without an attack once their provisions run out."
"That is why we must withdraw into the Taihang Mountains while Dong Zhuo's Han Army is attacking Xiaquyang. Only then will we have a path to survival."
After hearing this, Zhang Liang could not help saying, "Once we enter the Taihang Mountains, how will we be any different from outlaws taking to the hills? Besides, we can enter the mountains while the Han Army besieges Xiaquyang, but what about Second Brother? Are we to leave him trapped in Xiaquyang until he dies?"
"Once we enter the Taihang Mountains, even if we resemble bandits, the hundred-odd thousand Yellow Turbans in Guangzong will still have a path to survival!" Zhang Jiao's tone grew stern. "If we insist on remaining trapped in a few cities, with no reinforcements outside, the only road left to us will lead to death!"
"As for Second Brother..." Zhang Jiao fell silent for two breaths. "Once we enter the Taihang Mountains, we will find a way to send word to Xiaquyang and tell him to break out."
"Elder Brother!"
Zhang Jiao said nothing more to Zhang Liang. He turned and descended from the gate tower...
The following afternoon.
Zhang Jiao, who had been so full of vigor, suddenly fell ill. Even walking became difficult, and he could only lie on his couch.
Another day passed, and sure enough, the detachments of Western Liang Cavalry roaming the outskirts of Guangzong City disappeared.
Zhang Liang sent scouts to investigate. Once he confirmed that the Western Liang Cavalry had indeed headed north, he came to visit Zhang Jiao.
"Elder Brother, the Western Liang Cavalry has gone north."
Lying on his couch, Zhang Jiao looked haggard, his face ashen. He was clearly gravely ill.
Still, upon hearing Zhang Liang's words, he opened his eyes and said, "Pass down the order. Abandon Guangzong and enter the Taihang Mountains."
"Elder Brother," Zhang Liang clasped Zhang Jiao's hand, which felt cold despite it being the seventh or eighth month, and said with reddened eyes, "You are so ill. How could you possibly withstand such a long journey? Let us stay in Guangzong and leave once you recover, all right?"
Zhang Jiao grew angry at that. Struggling to sit up, he shouted, "If you still acknowledge me as your elder brother, if you acknowledge me as the General of Heaven, then go and pass down my orders!"
"Elder Brother!" Zhang Liang still refused to move.
Seeing this, Zhang Jiao called out, "Chu Yan!"
Zhang Liang had sent Chu Yan to stand outside the door. At the call, he pushed the door open and entered. Sensing something amiss in the room, he asked cautiously, "Teacher, what are your instructions?"
Zhang Jiao said, "Take my Kudzu Staff and pass down the order. Say..."
"Elder Brother!" Zhang Liang interrupted Zhang Jiao and said reluctantly, "I will do as you say!"
That day, a hundred and twenty or thirty thousand Yellow Turbans left Guangzong City, carrying their young and supporting their elderly, taking all manner of possessions with them, along with their bewilderment and unease. Their procession wound toward the towering Taihang Mountains to the west...
Great Ming.
In the fourth month of the tenth year of Hongwu, by order of the Great Ming emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, Deng Yu took up the seal of General Who Conquers the West as commander, with Mu Ying as his deputy, and led tens of thousands of Ming soldiers against the rebellious Eighteen Western Tribes.
In this campaign, the Ming Army divided into three columns and penetrated deep into the Sichuan-Tibet hinterland, defeated the Xifan forces, and pursued them relentlessly to the Kunlun Mountains. They captured or killed more than ten thousand and seized over a hundred thousand horses, cattle, and sheep!
At the court assembly on the first day of the fifth month, Zhu Yuanzhang issued an edict abolishing the "glutinous rice cultivation ban" and "alcohol prohibition," and promulgated a series of decrees establishing the relevant legal provisions for Great Ming's "official wine and liquor."
He also issued an imperial edict elevating the Imperial Medical Academy to a Third-Rank Government Office, equal in standing to the Six Ministries and Five Courts, subordinate only to the three great offices of the Central Secretariat, Chief Military Commission, and Censorate.
The Director of the Imperial Medical Academy became a Principal Third Rank office, equal in rank to the ministers of the Six Ministries and the heads of the Court of Judicial Review and Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and higher than the heads of the Court of Imperial Entertainments, Court of the Imperial Stud, and Court of State Ceremonial.
A "Medical Academy" was also established to recruit renowned physicians from across the realm, granting them three grades of office: Academician, Professor, and Doctor. Academicians held the Subordinate Fourth Rank, Professors the Subordinate Fifth Rank, and Doctors the Subordinate Seventh Rank. Academicians and Professors were also granted a residence in the capital!
By the fifth day of the fifth month, the Dragon Boat Festival, these two momentous announcements had spread through official documents, public notices, and officials' spoken reports to every prefecture, subprefecture, and county in Zhili, stirring ceaseless discussion among the people.