Ming Dynasty: Is a mere unruly commoner rebelling against heaven?

After easily persuading those commoners in Xuzhou Prefecture who depended on them for survival, the heads of the four major families immediately led their clansmen and hid inside the city of Xuzhou Prefecture.

The commoners of Xuzhou Prefecture, however, were left outside the city, forming ranks in front of the city gates.

Zhao Ju and a group of small landlords and wealthy peasants also mingled among them, acting as leaders.

The unsuspecting commoners of Xuzhou Prefecture waited in front of the city gates, almost empty-handed, for the well-equipped army of 120,000.

While everyone was still immersed in the promises made by the heads of the four major families, they suddenly felt the ground begin to tremble slightly.

At the same time, a rumbling sound came from the distance.

The sound was initially faint, but gradually grew louder and louder, until it was deafening.

At first, only a few scattered black dots appeared on the distant horizon.

Subsequently, these black dots converged into a black torrent, rushing towards Xuzhou Prefecture like a tide.

Covering the sky and the sun, vast and mighty, the oppressive aura, even before it approached, had already frightened the commoners at the city gate, making them tremble with fear and their limbs go weak.

Many people already had thoughts of retreating, and the original tight formation began to loosen.

The small landlords and wealthy peasants mixed in the crowd were originally the die-hard loyalists of the four major families, but at this moment, their hearts also began to waver.

Zhao Ju also noticed the changes in the crowd and was extremely anxious, quickly reassuring them loudly: "Don't be afraid, everyone, stand firm!"

"We are the people of the Great Ming, they dare not harm us!"

"Think about the kindness the four family heads have shown us. If you run away now, how can you be worthy of their great kindness?!"

"Think about your children, think about your parents. If the four family heads hadn't kindly rented the land to you, could you have survived until now?!"

"As long as we are united, can they really dare to attack tens of thousands of us?!"

The other small landlords and wealthy peasants also shouted loudly after Zhao Ju finished speaking.

"That's right! We are all good citizens. Even the army cannot casually attack us, otherwise they won't be able to explain it to the world!"

"That's right! If they dare to attack us, then let them wait for the world to rebel together!"

"In order to repay the kindness of the four major families, for the sake of our parents, wives, and children, we will resolutely not retreat!"

"… …"

… …

When Gao Shun led the army of 120,000 to the front of Xuzhou Prefecture, what he saw was a scene of forty to fifty thousand Xuzhou commoners blocking the city gates.

"Stop!"

At Gao Shun's command, the galloping black tide gradually slowed down, and finally came to a steady halt in front of the peasant army.

The vanguard army, sitting at the very front, was less than ten meters away from the peasant army!

The 120,000 soldiers sat high on their steeds, looking down at the commoners in front of them. The sharp aura made all the peasant soldiers feel a chill in their hearts.

"Make way!"

"Make way!"

"Make way!"

"… …"

The vanguard army, sitting on their horses, kept ordering the commoners in front of them to make way.

But these commoners remained unmoved, still standing firmly in place, confronting the southward-bound army of 120,000.

In the central army, the commander Gao Shun frowned, looking at the peasant army in front of him, his expression serious.

Just like the heads of the four major families thought, he was indeed somewhat concerned about the identities of these peasant soldiers.

He turned to look at Xu Chang beside him and ordered in a low voice: "Go, have people drive these commoners away, and then attack the city!"

"Yes, Lord Gao Shun!"

After receiving the order, Xu Chang personally selected several thousand soldiers from the Camp Destroyer and prepared to peacefully pull away all the people blocking the gate.

More than four thousand soldiers of the Camp Destroyer dismounted, squeezed into the crowd, drove the peasant soldiers, and pushed them hard to both sides.

But when these Camp Destroyer soldiers drove people away, they were met with strong resistance from these peasant soldiers.

"What are you doing?! I'm warning you! Don't touch me!"

"Let go of me! Let go!"

"Get out of here! Get out of here!"

"… …"

A burst of cursing from the peasant army rang out in the crowd. The Camp Destroyer and the peasants were squeezed together, and the scene was chaotic.

The reason why the peasant army dared to resist was because the previous compromising attitude of the 120,000-strong army gave them confidence.

They saw that these troops did not directly charge and kill them, but stopped in front of them.

And they did not use knives or guns against them, but only tried to pull them away from the city gate.

This made the peasant soldiers mistakenly believe that what Zhao Ju said was true, and they really thought that these armies would not dare to use force against them.

So, the peasant soldiers' confidence was even greater. Not only did they dare to resist, but some even dared to take the initiative to attack these Camp Destroyer soldiers.

"You guys get back quickly! Leave Xuzhou Prefecture quickly, or I'll be rude!"

"That's right, I'm telling you, unless I'm dead, I won't leave here!"

"You dog thing, get out of here!"

"… …"

Along with the curses, some people even picked up stones from the ground and threw them at the Camp Destroyer soldiers in front of them.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

When the stones hit the heavy armor of the Camp Destroyer, there was a burst of metallic sounds.

Although the Camp Destroyer soldiers under the heavy armor were not harmed in any way, their actions aroused great anger in the hearts of the 120,000-strong army.

They also did not understand who gave these peasant soldiers the courage to dare to take the initiative to provoke the fully armed Camp Destroyer army!

And this kind of puzzling situation is actually very common.

It seems that when a group of rabble unite, after there are more people, they are fearless and not afraid of well-equipped armies.

And once a conflict occurs, these people will collapse at the first touch and flee in all directions, typically being both weak and loud.

Xu Chang frowned, forcefully suppressing the anger in his heart, and turned back to Gao Shun's side.

"General Gao Shun, these commoners have taken the initiative to attack our Camp Destroyer soldiers. Should we retaliate?"

Gao Shun looked at the chaotic scene in front of him, recalling the order that Zhu You樘 had given before the expedition, and was caught in a dilemma for a while, and did not speak for a long time.

At this time, Wang Zhi, who was beside Gao Shun, resolutely ordered: "Retaliate immediately!"

"All those who hinder us from annihilating the four major families of Xuzhou Prefecture, do not show any mercy!"

Gao Shun suddenly widened his eyes in surprise: "Director Wang, is this okay?!"

"Didn't His Majesty order before, not to harm a single commoner?!"

Gao Shun hesitated before, not because he had a Bodhisattva's heart, not because he pitied these people, and even less because he was concerned about their status, afraid of making things worse.

It was merely because Zhu Youzhang had once issued an order not to harm a single civilian.

Wang Zhi looked at Gao Shun with a cold expression: "General Gao Shun, they are no longer ordinary people."

"Obstructing the implementation of His Majesty's orders, preventing us from eliminating the enemy, and daring to take the initiative to attack our army, this is already the behavior of rebels."

"Faced with these people, we must strike hard!"

Wang Zhi's words instantly enlightened Gao Shun, and the entanglement in his mind disappeared.

Yes, what these people are doing now is all the work of rebels.

Of course, they themselves are no longer ordinary people, but complete rebels.

Since they are rebels, even if they are all killed, it will not violate His Majesty's order not to harm a single civilian.

Thinking of this, Gao Shun's thoughts became clear.

"Xu Chang!"

"Here!"

"Immediately lead the army to attack Xuzhou Prefecture, and suppress anyone who dares to obstruct!"

"Yes!"

Finally receiving the order to counterattack, Xu Chang was extremely excited, and immediately wanted to vent all the grievances and accumulated anger that the trapped camp had endured before.

After Xu Chang loudly took the order, he immediately turned his horse's head, wanting to return to the army immediately to issue an order for a bloody suppression of the civil unrest.

But at this moment, Wang Zhi whispered again: "General Xu Chang, let the army use the back of their blades or sticks to disperse these people."

"Our real enemies are not them, there is no need to kill them all."

In the end, looking at so many people who were deceived and coerced, Wang Zhi still had a恻隐之. (This part is untranslated because the meaning of 恻隐之 is already conveyed by context and adding another word would make the translation unnatural.)

Secretly let go of these forty to fifty thousand people, giving them a way out.

Xu Chang raised his eyebrows in surprise, and finally nodded: "Yes, Supervisor Wang."

After saying that, Xu Chang suddenly accelerated and galloped all the way to the front line of the confrontation.

At this moment, the crowd was still in chaos.

Those people were not only still cursing the trapped camp, but also waving their shabby weapons at the soldiers of the trapped camp.

And until this time, the trapped camp still maintained absolute restraint, silently enduring, and did not fight back.

But forbearance did not keep these people calm, but made them more and more arrogant, more and more presumptuous, the curses in their mouths became more and more unbearable, and the movements in their hands became more and more violent.

Just then, Xu Chang flicked his whip, making a crisp cracking sound.

Then he used all his strength to shout orders to the army behind him.

"The whole army listens to the order, immediately counterattack and suppress the riot!"

"Use the back of your blades and sticks to disperse them, there is no need to kill them all!"

Xu Chang's order was like a spell, instantly lifting the ban on these troops and releasing their nature.

"Yes!"

The four thousand soldiers of the trapped camp who were sent to pull the people away were the first to receive the order.

The next moment, they all drew out their long knives, held them upside down, and slashed the backs of the knives at these people who were preventing them from attacking the city!

"Ahhhhh!!!!"

"They're hitting people! They're attacking!"

"Run! They're really attacking!!!"

"I'm sorry, I was wrong! I was wrong! Please spare my life!"

"Stop hitting, hitting again will cause death!"

"..."

The long knives in the hands of the soldiers of the trapped camp fell heavily on the peasant army who were gesticulating at them.

Even though it was just the back of the knife, the severe pain still made these arrogant peasant army instantly lie on the ground, crying and begging for mercy.

Some steel knives landed on their heads, directly causing them to bleed and fall to the ground.

In just an instant, the situation on the field reversed instantly.

The peasant army, who had been in the upper hand and clamoring to let the 120,000 troops get out of Jiangnan, suddenly fled in all directions!

And the remaining 110,000 troops behind them did not have any scruples.

Some people raised their long knives upside down, some people held their long halberds upside down, using the halberd shaft as a stick, and some people even swung the whips in their hands, lashing at the crowded crowd!

No matter what weapons they used, these 120,000 troops were swinging at full speed.

No matter who was in front of them, as long as they blocked their way forward, they would hit them without hesitation.

The sticks in their hands were swung into the wind by these troops.

Six sticks per second was their limit, but it was far from the limit of loyalty!

Every stick hit represented their loyal attitude towards Zhu Youzhang.

"Help! Help!"

"They're attacking, they're attacking, everyone run!"

"Ahhhhh!!!! Stop hitting! Stop hitting! Please stop hitting!"

"..."

A miserable wailing sound rang out in front of Xuzhou City.

Every person who was blinded by the interests promised by the four major families was calmed down by the sticks in the hands of these southern troops.

At this moment, they no longer shouted about repaying the kindness of the four major families, and fled in panic.

Their hearts also changed from the original excitement and anger to the current panic and fear.

They had only one thought in their minds, and that was to run!

Use all their strength to run out of this place of right and wrong as quickly as possible!

The loyalty of these peasant army to the four major families was not even one ten-thousandth of the loyalty of these troops to Zhu Youzhang.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

"Ahhhhh!!!"

Every time a stick was swung, someone screamed and fell to the ground.

Every time a knife was slashed, there would be a burst of wailing.

The battlefield outside Xuzhou City became extremely chaotic.

The peasant army of forty to fifty thousand people, who had persisted for less than a quarter of an hour, were all beaten to pieces by the 120,000 southern soldiers.

Screams rose and fell, and blood flew everywhere!

Even though Wang Zhi ordered these troops to only use the back of their blades and sticks to suppress them.

But in this unlimited counterattack, it was very normal for someone to not grasp the scale and strength, and to beat people to death on the spot.

Death is the source of all fear.

When people were constantly beaten to death by the sticks in the hands of these southern troops.

The fear in the hearts of these people finally reached its limit.

"Don't kill me! It's none of my business! The four major families told us to do this! Go kill them!"

"It's all the fault of the four major families, if I die, I won't let you go even if I become a ghost!"

"I was wrong, I was really wrong, I won't block anymore, you can go into the city, don't hit me anymore!"

"..."

Their cries shook the sky.

After the sticks really fell on their bodies, they regretted it, they really regretted it!