137: Chapter 47 Resurgence

Spring in Jinling City came unusually early.

It was only early February, and the willow trees by the river outside the city had already sprouted tender green buds. The branches swayed gently in the breeze, like a young girl's waist. The winter jasmine by the roadside had bloomed, clusters of golden yellow, particularly dazzling against the gray-brown branches. The old vines climbing the city walls had sprouted new leaves, a vibrant green, glistening oily in the sunlight. The common people had taken off their heavy cotton coats and changed into light spring clothes; the flow of people on the streets was noticeably much larger than in winter. The hawkers' cries rose and fell one after another, tea houses were filled with people drinking tea and chatting, and children chased and played in the alleys, their laughter as crisp as silver bells.

Li Ling sat in the Imperial Study, wearing a bright yellow casual robe, holding a memorial, his brows knitted into a "chuan" shape. Outside the window, birds sang and flowers smelled fragrant, and the sunlight spilled onto the blue brick floor through the window lattice, but his mood was not beautiful at all.

"Is the South in chaos again?" He slapped the memorial on the table, his voice suppressing anger. "How long has it been since things calmed down?"

Chen Zhiyuan, sitting in the lower seat, pushed up his glasses, his expression grave. He was wearing a dark gray official uniform today, with a jade belt tied around his waist, sitting upright, but the fatigue between his brows could not be hidden—he had clearly stayed up all night for several consecutive nights.

"Your Majesty, according to the latest intelligence, the remnants of forces in several southern provinces are secretly connecting, with dual support of funds and weapons from Meijian Country and the UK, preparing to launch a large-scale armed rebellion. Hunan Province, Guangdong Province, Guangxi Province, and Fujian Province all have abnormal movements. Conservatively estimated, the rebel forces have a total strength of about 30,000, divided into more than 20 groups, each ranging from hundreds to thousands of people, scattered in the mountains and towns of various places."

"Thirty thousand?" Li Ling sneered, tapping his fingers twice on the armrest of the dragon chair. "Back then, I defeated a coalition of 500,000; do they think they can turn the sky with 30,000? Do they think I am old and cannot hold a sword?"

"Your Majesty, this situation is different from before." Chen Zhiyuan stood up, walked to the giant map on the wall, and pointed to several markings in the southern provinces. "The rebels have adopted a method of scattered lurking, breaking the whole into parts, hiding in villages and towns and mountains. They no longer concentrate their forces to confront our Army head-on, but are preparing to launch attacks at multiple locations simultaneously, attempting to create chaos and shake the foundation of our rule. According to intelligence sent back by agents, they plan to launch more than 30 attacks in mid-February simultaneously, with targets including county towns, granaries, supply depots, and transportation lines, attempting to use the 'multiple blooming' tactic to make us unable to attend to everything."

Li Ling's fingers tapped lightly on the desktop, the rhythm getting faster and faster. He understood what Chen Zhiyuan meant—he was not afraid of anyone in a head-on battle, but this kind of guerrilla harassment war was indeed troublesome. The rebels hid among the common people, and it was very difficult to distinguish who was a civilian and who was an enemy. Moreover, they specifically attacked transportation lines, supply depots, and small patrol squads. Although the damage caused was not great, it was continuous and would seriously affect public sentiment. What was more troublesome was that once local officials were exhausted from dealing with it, they would develop a fear of difficulties, and governance efficiency would drop sharply.

"What support did Meijian Country and the UK provide?"

"Meijian Country provided $3 million in cash assistance, which was remitted to the rebels in batches through underground banks in Hong Kong. The UK provided a large number of old-style rifles and ammunition. According to incomplete statistics, at least 5,000 rifles and 300,000 rounds of ammunition were smuggled into the southern provinces. Our agents seized a batch of smuggled arms in Guangdong Province, all British goods, the markings hadn't even been wiped off, and there were even British military serial number stamps on the rifle butts."

"What about the evidence?"

"There is both physical and eyewitness evidence, which has been sealed and filed. Agents also took pictures of smuggling ships entering the Pearl River Estuary under the escort of British warships. The evidence is irrefutable."

Li Ling stood up and walked to the giant map on the wall. His gaze swept from north to south, passing over every location marked with rebel activity. Those small red dots were densely distributed in Hunan Province, Guangdong Province, Guangxi Province, and Fujian Province, like a patch of red spots spreading. His finger finally stopped between Guangzhou and Changsha, tapping heavily.

"These rebels are, in the end, a pack of wild dogs fed by foreign powers." He turned around, his gaze cold. "The more you retreat, the more arrogant they become. Fight, we must fight. And we must fight hard, fight thoroughly, until even their mothers wouldn't recognize them."

"How does Your Majesty intend to fight?"

"Multi-pronged attack." Li Ling drew a few lines on the map, his fingers sweeping over mountains and rivers. "The Army will advance from three directions simultaneously—the first route from Hunan Province to the north, the second route from Jiangxi Province to the south, and the third route from Fujian Province to the west, forming a pincer movement. The Air Force is responsible for reconnaissance and bombing, blowing their hiding places out. The Marine Corps will land from the coast, coordinating with the Army to clear rebel strongholds in coastal areas. All rebel strongholds, find one, eradicate one, never go soft."

He paused and added: "In addition, the intelligence department must increase its efforts. Find out the rebels' sources of funds, transportation routes for weapons and equipment, and communication methods. Dig out their roots and pull them up by the roots. Especially those middlemen who are pulling strings behind the scenes, not one can be let go."

Chen Zhiyuan nodded: "Understood. I have already arranged for more than 100 agents to lurk in the southern provinces, divided into several groups, specifically to collect intelligence on the rebels. In addition, customs and ports have also strengthened monitoring, and all goods from Meijian Country and the UK must undergo strict inspection."

After Chen Zhiyuan left, Li Ling did not immediately walk out of the study. He stood in front of the window, looking at the old locust tree in the courtyard that was sprouting, silent for a long time. Several sparrows were perched on the branches, chirping, jumping happily in the spring light.

Empress Su Wanqing walked in with a bowl of hot soup. Seeing his dazed back, she asked softly: "Your Majesty, what's wrong?"

Li Ling did not turn his head: "The rebels in the South have started to make trouble. Meijian Country and the UK are supporting them from behind."

Empress Su Wanqing put the soup on the table, walked to his side, and held his hand: "Then what do you plan to do?"

"Fight." Li Ling's voice was very calm, but beneath the calm was cold determination, "Fight until they dare not make trouble again."

"Are you going on an expedition again?"

"No, I won't go in person this time." Li Ling turned around, looking at her worried eyes, his tone softening a little, "Chief of Staff Zhang Wanshan and Commander Zhao Tieshan are at the front line, I trust them. I want to sit in Jinling and coordinate the overall situation. An emperor cannot rush to the front for everything; one must have a big-picture view."

Empress Su Wanqing breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good. Last time you went on an expedition, I was worried every day and couldn't sleep well."

Li Ling looked at her eye sockets which were slightly blue from staying up late, felt a warmth in his heart, and held her hand: "Don't worry, I won't rush to the front like before. Now that I am an Emperor, I cannot just go on a personal expedition at every turn. You are all at home, I am reluctant to die."

"You know that is good." Empress Su Wanqing lightly punched him, her eyes full of blame and tenderness.

Li Ling smiled, let go of her hand, walked to the table, picked up the bowl of soup, and took a sip. The temperature was just right, not scalding the mouth, and it was his favorite flavor—silver ear and lotus seed soup, sweet but not greasy, smooth and soft in the mouth.

"Empress Su Wanqing, help me do one thing." He said.

"What is it?"

"Issue an imperial edict in the name of the Empress to comfort the disaster-stricken people in the South. Just say that the imperial court already knows they have suffered and is sending troops to clear the rebels, so let them rest assured. At the same time, order local officials to open granaries to distribute food to ensure that the people do not go hungry. The people are the foundation; once the people are comforted, the rebels will lose their soil."

Empress Su Wanqing nodded: "I will go handle it right now."

She turned to leave, and Li Ling called her back again: "Empress Su Wanqing."

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

Empress Su Wanqing smiled, her eyes curved, looking particularly beautiful in the spring light: "What are you thanking me for? I am your wife."

The rebellion came faster than expected.

On the 10th of February, Yuanling County, Hunan Province was the first to break out. An armed rebel force of about 500 people took advantage of the night to attack the county town, killed more than 20 defenders, snatched 300 rifles, more than ten boxes of ammunition, and set fire to the county government office and granaries. The fire rushed to the sky, thick smoke rolled, and the whole county town fell into chaos. The people were awakened from their sleep, some hugged their children and ran out of the city, some hid in their houses shivering, and some were caught by the rebels to be forced laborers.

Immediately after, news of rebellion also came one after another from Lianzhou, Guangdong Province, Wuzhou, Guangxi Province, and Longyan, Fujian Province. The rebels adopted the same tactics—night raids, hit and run, hiding in mountains or villages, making the Tang Army's pursuit troops hit empty. They were familiar with the local terrain, knew every mountain road and every cave like the back of their hands, and by the time the main force of the Tang Army drove in, they had long since disappeared. If small units went in to search, they were easily ambushed and raided.

"Your Majesty, this is the latest battle report." Chen Zhiyuan placed a thick stack of documents on Li Ling's table, the paper rustling, "The rebels launched more than 30 attacks of various sizes within a week. Our side suffered more than 200 casualties, lost more than 1,000 rifles, and tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition. There were also innocent casualties among the local people, preliminarily estimated at more than 500, and thousands of people were displaced. The most troublesome thing is that the county magistrates of two counties in Hunan Province abandoned their offices and fled, and local governance is almost paralyzed."

Li Ling flipped through those shocking numbers, his face ashen. Each page of the report recorded casualties, losses, and destruction, like knives stabbing into his heart. He put down the report, took a deep breath, and tried to suppress the raging anger in his chest.

"Didn't the intelligence department say before that they only had 30,000 people? How did they manage to do so many things within a week?"

"Your Majesty, the organization of the rebels is tighter than we expected." Chen Zhiyuan explained, "They are divided into dozens of action groups, each ranging from dozens to hundreds of people, fighting independently and not belonging to each other. They hit and run, never lingering in battle. Moreover, they have a large number of eyes and ears locally. Once our Army moves, they can get the news in advance and transfer in time. Agents discovered that some rebel groups are even equipped with carrier pigeons and fast horses, and the communication speed is no slower than ours."

"So they are using my territory as a training ground?"

Chen Zhiyuan did not answer. He knew that Li Ling was speaking out of anger and did not need him to answer.

Li Ling took a deep breath and suppressed his anger: "Where has Chief of Staff Zhang Wanshan arrived?"

"General Zhang has led the First Army Group into Hunan Province and is expected to arrive in Yuanling tomorrow. In addition, three battalions of the Marine Corps have landed in Guangzhou and are advancing towards the northern part of Guangdong Province. The Air Force Reconnaissance Squadron has begun patrolling over the rebel activity areas, two sorties a day."

"The speed is too slow." Li Ling's fingers tapped on the table, one heavier than the other, "Tell Chief of Staff Zhang Wanshan not to advance by the book. Let the Air Force fly over first and bomb the mountains and forests where the rebels might be hiding. I don't want to kill them, but to startle them—once they run, they will expose their tracks. The Special Forces will track them on the ground, and catch them as soon as they show their heads. Their speed must be fast, like a cheetah, and once they bite, they won't let go."

"Yes."

In the following half-month, the Tang Army launched a large-scale clearance operation in the southern provinces.

The Air Force's reconnaissance planes hovered over the rebel activity areas every day, the silver-white fuselage skimming the treetops, and the roar of the engines echoed in the valleys. When suspicious targets were found, they called for bombing—bombs were dropped from the bomb bay, hitting the ground with a sharp whistling sound, exploding into balls of orange-red fireballs in the dense forest, and thick smoke rose to the sky. Although the accuracy of the bombs was limited, the terrifying strike power from the sky greatly deterred the rebels. Many rebel soldiers were so scared that they drilled into the depths of the forest as soon as they heard the roar of the plane's engines, not even daring to light a fire to cook, for fear that the rising cooking smoke would attract a new round of bombing.

The Special Forces troops tracked on the ground like a pack of wolves. They wore the same clothes as the locals, mixed into villages and towns, listened to news in tea houses, watched the movements in the market, and figured out the rebels' hiding places and activity patterns under the cover of night. Once the target was locked, they called for nearby Army units to surround them. Commander Zhao Tieshan personally led the team to carry out several decapitation operations, with a 100% success rate, accurately knocking out the command core of the rebel groups every time.

Chief of Staff Zhang Wanshan's main force advanced steadily, launching a dragnet search every time they arrived at a village or town. The infantry formed a skirmish line, searching from the head of the village to the end of the village, not letting go of any suspicious corner—the dense forest outside the village, the caves in the mountains, abandoned temples, and remote granaries were all searched carefully. When encountering resistance, they resolutely suppressed it, with machine gun strafing and Hand grenade paving the way, not giving up an inch of land. When encountering those who surrendered, they were reorganized and reformed, and given travel expenses to be dismissed and sent home.

By the beginning of March, most of the rebel strongholds in the southern provinces had been eradicated. More than 5,000 rebels were killed or captured, and more than 3,000 rifles, hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition, as well as a large number of British and American flags, banknotes, and documents were seized—these ironclad proofs were photographed and archived one by one, solidifying the crime of foreign powers interfering in the internal affairs of the Tang Country. Those people who were held hostage by the rebels were also rescued one after another, settled in temporarily built refugee camps, had food to eat and clothes to wear, and slowly recovered their vitality.

When the news reached Jinling, Li Ling did not immediately relax.

He knew that although the rebels were dispersed, the roots were still there. Those behind-the-scenes planners, fund providers, and weapon suppliers were still alive. As long as the foreign powers continued to transfuse blood, the rebels would sooner or later make a comeback. It was like cutting chives; one batch was cut and another grew, endless and never-ending.

"Therefore, just fighting is not enough; we must also cut off their roots." Li Ling said at the military meeting, his fingers tapping heavily on the table, "What I want you to do is not just to clear the rebels, but to dig out all the relationship networks behind them. Who is giving money, who is sending guns, who is passing intelligence, not a single line can be let go. Find out those people who are passing knives in the dark, and make them pay the price."

"Your Majesty, Meijian Country and the UK are both big countries. If we investigate their diplomatic personnel..." A general asked cautiously.

"Investigate!" Li Ling said decisively, his voice as cold as iron, "They are causing destruction on our turf, what is there that we cannot investigate? Once evidence is found, make it public and let the whole world see the true face of these so-called 'civilized countries'. Newspapers, telegrams, diplomatic notes, send them all out. I want them to be unable to lift their heads internationally!"

"Yes!"

After the meeting, Li Ling called Chen Zhiyuan.

"You stay."

Chen Zhiyuan stopped, turned back, and bowed: "Does Your Majesty have any other instructions?"

"Keep a close eye on one person for me." Li Ling lowered his voice, "The military attaché of the Meijian Country Consulate in Jinling, a man named Ambassador Johnson. In his forties, blond hair and blue eyes, speaks fluent Chinese. I suspect he is one of the liaisons for the southern rebels, and those smuggled weapons cannot be separated from him."

Chen Zhiyuan's eyes lit up: "Does Your Majesty have evidence?"

"No direct evidence." Li Ling shook his head, "But my people found that he has been frequently visiting Guangzhou recently, and every time he changes his identity—sometimes a businessman, sometimes a missionary, sometimes a visiting scholar. A consulate military attaché, not on official business, why run back and forth? And every time he goes to Guangzhou, new rebellions break out there soon. The timing is too coincidental."

"Understood. I will send people to watch him 24 hours a day. No matter where he goes, who he meets, or what he says, it will all be recorded."

"Be careful." Li Ling exhorted, "Don't alert the enemy. What I want is ironclad evidence, not to alert the enemy."

"Yes!"