The Great Rebel at the End of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 025 Resolute

In the past two days, Zhou Lun has only slept for less than two hours each day.

Having just taken over Bao'an County, Zhou Lun was overwhelmed with countless tasks and couldn't keep up. He pulled out all the stops with the same energy he had when he started his business.

Zhou Lun wasn't a heartless simpleton like Wang Tieniu, nor was he someone like Li Shoutian who only had a little bit of cleverness. Now that the follow-up strategy had been decided, the next few days were of paramount importance; for their group, success or failure depended entirely on these few days.

Once the public proclamation was issued, the reputation of "Shooting Down the Sky" was established.

From then on, this group of people, who were once a motley crew, were given the title of "righteous army" – acting on behalf of Heaven.

The content and writing style of the notice would naturally be considered crude and vulgar by educated people, but its advantage lay in its simplicity and ease of understanding. It not only clearly explained the cause and effect, but also seized a moral high ground, justifying their actions.

This approach is necessary; having a legitimate reason for taking action is the foundation for establishing a foothold.

Zhou Lun was all too aware of the importance of public opinion.

Besides, whether it's Li Wanqing, Li Shoutian, Wang Tieniu, or the escaped villagers hiding in the Grand Canyon, or the others rescued from prison... to put it bluntly, they are all fellow villagers.

Even Zhou Lun himself, according to his household registration, was a resident of Liwang Village.

When starting a rebellion in one's hometown, a solid foundation of popular support is crucial. With the support of the people, many things become much easier.

But these alone are far from enough.

Zhou Lun was really hoping for the effects of tomorrow's public trial and the opening of the granaries, which would completely change their current situation.

To put it bluntly, Zhou Lun and his group had very few capable men at their disposal. There were essentially two ways to quickly expand their ranks.

The first type is coercion.

This was a common tactic used by bandits at the end of the Ming Dynasty. Wherever they went, they burned, killed, and looted, then dragged the local people along with them, swarming like locusts to the next place.

This method sounds simple, direct, and unreasonable; it can revive the team in the shortest time with minimal cost, but its drawbacks are also extremely obvious.

Lacking cohesion and a solid grassroots foundation, the methods employed are excessively brutal and ruthless. Those below are not truly loyal; they easily become disloyal at the slightest inconvenience.

If you take this kind of team out, it will be nothing more than a mob among mobs.

Combat effectiveness? Basically nonexistent. They rely entirely on sheer numbers and a disregard for human life, using it as a means to an end. They appear powerful and unstoppable, but if they encounter a tough opponent and cannot defeat them quickly, their collapse is instantaneous.

Unless he was desperate, Zhou Lun would never do such a thing.

This kind of method is utterly immoral.

Although Zhou Lun came from a merchant background and was known for his decisive and ruthless actions in the business world, resorting to any means to achieve his goals, Zhou Lun still felt that this method was excessive. Moreover, given the local community, doing this would only invite gossip and damage his reputation; how could he possibly maintain his standing afterward?

The second method is what Zhou Lun is currently doing.

He planned to take advantage of this public trial and the opportunity to openly recruit soldiers and build an army.

A team built in this way has far greater cohesion and loyalty than one coerced into submission. It may be smaller in number and come at a higher cost, but with proper organization and training, it becomes a truly effective fighting force.

In chaotic times, guns hold the greatest power.

Without a capable army, everything else is meaningless. How can one survive in a chaotic world?

So these past two days, Zhou Lun has been helping Li Wanqing maintain order in the county, take stock of the spoils, and reorganize his men, while also making intensive preparations for the upcoming recruitment drive.

"Second brother, still busy."

Zhou Lun was writing and drawing with a pen, completely absorbed, when Li Wanqing walked in from outside.

"Big brother!" Zhou Lun stopped writing when he saw him arrive and subconsciously tried to get up.

"Sit down." Li Wanqing reached out and pressed his shoulder, sitting down beside him. "The public trial is tomorrow, what time is it? Aren't you going to rest?"

"There's no time to rest," Zhou Lun said with a wry smile, pointing to the huge pile of things on the table. "All of this needs to be sorted out. Tomorrow isn't just about the public trial; we also need to open the granaries and distribute grain. The former is manageable, but the latter requires careful planning. We can't just give away all the grain we have, can we? How much grain to distribute, how much to keep, and how to take this opportunity to recruit soldiers... every single thing is a problem."

He paused, then picked up a piece of paper and handed it over: "By the way, brother, take a look at this and see if there are any problems. If you think it's feasible, our rebel army will use this procedure from now on."

Li Wanqing took the paper, glanced at it, and immediately felt overwhelmed.

It wasn't that he was illiterate; compared to others in the village, Li Wanqing was literate. But that was all he knew. Long passages were a headache to read, and besides, he was originally a farmer, spending his days farming or hunting and gathering herbs in the mountains. He didn't write essays or take the imperial examinations, so knowing a few characters was already quite an achievement.

"You tell me, I won't look at it," Li Wanqing said, glancing at the paper before putting it down.

Zhou Lun was naturally aware of Li Wanqing's situation, and immediately told him what was written on the paper.

This piece of paper describes the organization and structure of the rebel army.

Zhou Lun combined the military organization of later generations with reference to the current military system of the Ming Dynasty to create this system. According to his idea, the rebel army's military system would be based on six levels: squad, platoon, sentry, battalion, brigade, and town. Most of the positions would be similar to the current Ming army system, but there would also be some differences.

Following Zhou Lun's suggestion, the rebel army could claim to be a town, with Li Wanqing as its commander-in-chief. However, the actual number of troops was still uncertain.

In the past two days, villagers who learned of the news have come to submit their donations.

Especially in Liwang Village, after hearing that Li Wanqing had led his men to capture the county seat, many of the village's able-bodied men and young men rushed to the county. Li Wanqing welcomed all of them without hesitation. Including villagers from several surrounding towns, the group has now reached 110 people.

These few people are, at best, just an understaffed garrison.

Zhou Lun was more focused on the day after the granaries were opened and grain was distributed. Only then could he recruit soldiers and horses to truly increase his manpower.

As for the troops of a single town? Zhou Lun didn't even dare to think about it.

To be honest, even if there were that many people, he wouldn't dare to accept them.

Having too many people isn't necessarily a good thing. Leaving aside the fact that these people need training, arming, and reorganization... just dealing with their basic needs like food, drink, and sanitation is enough to cause headaches.

Although they captured the county seat, obtained the taxes that Fan Zhengren hadn't yet paid, and confiscated Zhang's rice shop and several merchants with government connections, reaping considerable gains, how much wealth could a mere Bao'an County possess? The spoils of a small county simply couldn't support a large army. According to Zhou Lun's estimate, around a thousand men would be the limit.

As Li Wanqing listened to Zhou Lun's detailed explanation of the organization and his plans for recruiting and training soldiers, he couldn't help but feel grateful to have a brother like Zhou Lun.

These trivial matters could only be handled by Zhou Lun. Without him, I would be completely clueless and have no idea where to start. Even if I copied the Ming army's military system, the planning, training, logistics... there were so many tasks, it would be a real challenge.

With Zhou Lun's help, Li Wanqing felt much more relaxed. All the rules and regulations were in place, and it sounded reasonable; all that was left was to follow them.

"Thank you for your hard work." Li Wanqing patted Zhou Lun on the shoulder, his tone sincere: "This really couldn't have been done without you."

"Brother, what are you saying?" Zhou Lun smiled modestly. "When brothers are of one mind, we can overcome anything. What can't we do? Besides, this is all my duty."

Li Wanqing hesitated for a moment, then suddenly spoke up: "Since the military has made the decision, I'll reluctantly accept the position of Commander-in-Chief. But brother, how about you take the position of Deputy Commander-in-Chief?"

"This..." Zhou Lun shook his head, looking troubled. "It's not appropriate. Right now, it's only right for me to help you, brother, but becoming the deputy commander... is unsuitable. After all, I come from the west. Although you helped me register my household there, I'm still an outsider. Besides, the brothers in Liwang Village are all watching with bated breath. If I become the deputy commander, I'm afraid..."

"What do you mean, 'I'm afraid'?" Li Wanqing waved his hand, his tone leaving no room for argument: "You're my second brother, and you were the second-in-command before. If you don't take this deputy commander-in-chief position, who will? Tie Niu? Or Shou Tian? Hmph! It's not that I underestimate them, but even tied together, they're not as capable as one of your fingers, second brother. Besides, you deserve immense credit for this success! Taking this deputy commander-in-chief position is only right and proper! It's just a title, that's settled!"

Zhou Lun was speechless for a moment.

It must be said that Li Wanqing's words make sense.

Left with no other choice, he could only nod: "Then... we'll do as you say, brother."

"That's more like it!" Seeing that Zhou Lun had agreed, Li Wanqing laughed heartily and patted him on the shoulder affectionately.

The two chatted for a while about tomorrow's plans.

Li Wanqing suddenly fell silent. After a moment, he raised his head, looked at Zhou Lun, and said in a serious tone, "Now that we've started this uprising, there's no turning back. Second brother, do you really think... this great undertaking can succeed? If it fails in the future, don't blame your brother for dragging you down with him."

"Brother, what are you saying?" Zhou Lun shook his head and laughed. "How could I blame you? Besides, if it weren't for you saving my life, I would be dead long ago. Moreover, I was the one who helped plan this. If that day ever comes, you shouldn't blame me."

He paused, thought for a moment, and then continued, "As for whether it will succeed... I can't guarantee it either. As the saying goes, man proposes, God disposes. Who can say for sure what will happen in this world? Let's take it one step at a time and just be true to ourselves."

"Furthermore..." Zhou Lun's voice rose slightly, "Are kings and generals born with a special destiny? The victor is king, the loser is villain; this has always been the case. I've also heard a saying..."

"What did you say?" Li Wanqing became interested and leaned forward slightly.

Zhou Lun smiled and said, enunciating each word clearly, "If you fail, you're a traitor. But if you succeed—that's revolution!"

Li Wanqing paused for a moment, then muttered it twice.

"If you fail... you're a traitor. If you succeed... that's a revolution?"

His eyes gradually brightened.

Suddenly, he clapped his hands together with a crisp "snap," and then burst into laughter.

"Well said!"

The laughter echoed through the room late at night, carrying a hint of boldness and a touch of resolute determination.