Chapter 42: Chapter 42: Abandon the City and Flee? Staring at the Rebirth Mark’s message on his retina, Li Chang’an looked dazed. ’A death sentence at ten years old?’ ’All I did was lead the Rebel Army to capture two more county towns. The big stuff hasn’t even happened yet!’ ’Is it really necessary to be this tense?’ Li Chang’an calmed himself and carefully thought over his actions during this period... ’Okay, maybe they have been pretty explosive.’ News that the Taiping Army had captured Sanhuang County had already spread through various channels, and rebel armies everywhere were closely watching the situation. But a year passed, and not only had the Taiping Army not been exterminated, they had made another earth-shattering move, capturing two nearby county towns. ’What does this mean?’ ’It means that not only has the Imperial Court failed to crush the Taiping Army, but their strength has actually grown!’ And this time, it was even more direct. It was an almost undisguised declaration to the entire world—I, the Taiping Immortal Master, have raised the banner of rebellion! Before this, while it was true that rebel armies were active in various places, the Taiping Army was the first to openly capture a county town and declare a full-blown rebellion. When this act of publicly slapping the Yaoqing Imperial Court in the face became known... It immediately triggered a chain reaction. The scattered rebel armies across the land, as if they had finally found their backbone, all began to stir, unwilling to be outdone. In just a few short months, war broke out across the Sixteen Counties of the Five States of Yaoqing! In a sense, more than the rebellion itself, the fact that the Taiping Army had rebelled openly and remained unscathed was what truly shook the foundations of Yaoqing’s rule! The bird that sticks its head out gets shot. The Taiping Army enjoyed the honor of ’firing the first shot of the uprising,’ so naturally, they also had to bear the immense pressure that came with it. ’The Rebirth Mark didn’t even give me a new trajectory of fate, just a death sentence. It looks like this time, my chances of survival are truly zero!’ Based on the available information, Li Chang’an was not optimistic about his future. But things had already come to this; there was no use overthinking it. All Li Chang’an could do was face whatever came his way and continue to forge ahead. As for how far he could go, or whether he could make it to the other side, that was not something he could worry about right now. ... After occupying the territory of three counties, Li Chang’an relentlessly began to implement new policies. With practiced ease, he confiscated the property of the unscrupulous gentry, transferring their lands to the Rebel Army. He then redistributed the land, returning it to the landless peasants. After this smooth little combo, the Rebel Army’s base of support around Sanhuang County was completely solidified. However, the Rebel Army’s good days lasted only a short while before the Yaoqing Imperial Court, having suffered a double blow to its territory and prestige, finally made a major move. Before the troops move, provisions go first. Hundreds of thousands of tons of grain and supplies were transported in batches from Chizhou and Hezhou to Fengzhou by both water and land. At the same time, an army of fifty thousand elite soldiers from Fenzhou Prefecture City set out in a great procession, marching right to the outskirts of Sanhuang County. This great army was personally led by Harqin, the current Emperor’s own uncle and the nominal supreme commander of Fengzhou Prefecture, with the two Chief Banner Officers of the Prison Control Department, a commander and his deputy, bringing up the rear. The sheer scale of the mobilization and the vast number of troops gathered were unprecedented, the first of its kind since Emperor Yongzheng’s bloody purge of the Central Plains three hundred years ago! One can only imagine the tremendous impact of Li Chang’an’s actions! Faced with this, Li Chang’an felt an unprecedented level of pressure. The fifty thousand elite soldiers sent by the Yaoqing Imperial Court were a true elite force, armored and well-armed, with combat capabilities far beyond that of ordinary soldiers. This was especially true when compared to the Rebel Army, which had yet to develop large-scale combat effectiveness. But he didn’t panic. Instead, his mind grew even calmer. The Imperial Court’s army outnumbered them five to one, and its combat strength was more than five times greater. Logically, this should be a battle with no suspense. But Li Chang’an didn’t see it that way. ’Fifty thousand soldiers is a lot, but spread across three counties, the number isn’t overwhelming. As long as the Rebel Army isn’t foolish enough to meet them head-on, there’s still a chance for a turning point!’ Therefore, after long deliberation, Li Chang’an ordered the Rebel Army to abandon the recently captured counties of Qingpu, Sanhuang, and Pingdong. They were to break into smaller units and disappear into the nearby mountains and wilderness. This order still caused considerable turmoil within the Rebel Army. After all, they had fought hard to conquer these three counties. Why were they now throwing down their arms and handing them over before the Imperial Court’s army had even arrived? But by now, Li Chang’an was the true leader of the Taiping Uprising Army, possessing absolute authority. Therefore, although many did not understand the order, they still chose to execute it strictly. ... Across the land, a storm was brewing. All the ambitious leaders of the world watched Fengzhou from afar. They were waiting for a result. A result that seemed preordained, yet one they were unwilling to accept, a result they wanted to witness with their own eyes. Right now, Li Chang’an and his Taiping Uprising Army were a banner in the hearts of these ambitious leaders. An old centipede dies, but never falls. If the Yaoqing Imperial Court crushed the Taiping Uprising Army with overwhelming force, it would prove the Court’s foundation was still strong. In that case, they would have to prepare to lie low. But if the Rebel Army could resist the great army, even for just ten days or half a month, it would not only be a huge psychological boost for these leaders but also a golden opportunity for war! To flex its muscles, the Yaoqing Imperial Court had drawn elite soldiers and vast amounts of supplies from several nearby states and counties. Under these circumstances, the defenses of the states and counties from which those troops and supplies were drawn would be left vulnerable. If the battle on the front lines went poorly and the elite forces couldn’t disengage immediately, other rebel armies across the land could seize the chance to wildly expand their territory and power while the Court was busy suppressing the rebellion. Thus, every ambitious figure in the world who harbored dissatisfaction with the Yaoqing Imperial Court’s rule hoped that the Taiping Uprising Army could tie down the Court’s great army. Holding out for two or three months would be ideal. They might become the biggest winners. However, even as they thought this, they all knew it was nothing more than wishful thinking. In reality, no matter how you looked at it, this was a battle with no suspense. On one side was an elite Imperial Court force armed to the teeth. On the other was a group of local rebels who had just recently risen up. In terms of equipment and numbers, the two were in completely different leagues. To say it was like using an ox-cleaver to kill a chicken would be to flatter the Rebel Army. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a dimensional takedown. But just as everyone was wondering how Li Chang’an would handle this crisis—one that could lead to irreversible ruin with the slightest misstep—news suddenly spread from the vicinity of Sanhuang County that the Rebel Army had abandoned their cities and fled. Instantly, all parties were in an uproar. The numerous ambitious leaders, in particular, could not believe their ears. ’The Rebel Army abandoned their cities and fled?’ ’This Li Chang’an... they had thought he was a formidable leader, but to think he would be so weak at the critical moment. What a total letdown!’ ...