Shizhu Pacification Commissioner Qin Liangyu was the first to make her position clear.
A formal proclamation was issued. Troops would be deployed to relieve Chengdu.
The news traveled fast.
Not long after, Kaixian Pacification Commissioner Ran Ke made the same announcement.
Then Zhong County.
Wanzhou.
Pengshui Miao.
Daozhen Gelao.
Youyang Tujia.
And Enshi.
At the mention of Enshi, more than one official blinked in confusion.
Was that not Hubei territory?
In later generations, yes. But in the present Ming administration, the Enshi region still fell under Kuizhou Prefecture of Sichuan. Jianshi County, parts of Badong, and the Shizhou Wei Military and Civilian Command were all governed within Sichuan's administrative sphere. Since Gao Family Village's policies extended through Kuizhou, they naturally extended to Enshi as well.
Thus, the Tujia and Miao Pacification Commissioners of Enshi also dispatched troops.
These minority forces had one obvious common feature.
They were poor.
Their equipment reflected it.
Where Han troops might carry mixed arms, layered armor, composite bows, and occasionally firearms, these mountain soldiers relied almost entirely on long spears. The shafts were oiled wooden poles, sturdy and flexible, tipped with simple but deadly steel heads.
Depending on the wood available in their home regions, the poles varied in color.
Those carved from pale timber became the White Pole Soldiers.
Those cut from darker hardwood were called Black Pole Soldiers.
Golden hued wood gave rise to Yellow Pole Soldiers.
Green tinged wood formed Green Pole Soldiers.
Brown barked shafts created Brown Pole Soldiers.
When these units assembled in Chongqing, the sight was astonishing.
A forest of spears.
A moving rainbow of timber and iron.
At the forefront stood Qin Liangyu, commanding the White Pole Soldiers with calm authority. Her armor gleamed faintly under the winter sun, but her gaze was fixed upward.
Above Cheng Xu's position fluttered the Heavenly Banner, a large, vividly colored standard bearing the symbol of Dao Xuan Tianzun.
She studied it for a long moment before speaking.
"Instructor He," she said, her tone measured, "did you foresee that today there would be White Poles, Black Poles, Yellow Poles, Green Poles, and Brown Poles all gathered together? Is that why this banner carries so many colors?"
Cheng Xu spread his hands, intending to laugh and deny it.
Then he froze.
A thought struck him with sudden force.
Could it be that Dao Xuan Tianzun had foreseen this gathering long ago? That the multicolored banner was not merely decorative, but symbolic? That it represented the unification of diverse local powers under one heavenly mandate?
The Heavenly Lord was said to know five hundred years into the past, five hundred years into the future, and five hundred years in between.
Cheng Xu felt his scalp tingle.
He bowed his head slightly toward the banner, awe blooming once more in his chest.
Not far away, the mass produced statue of Dao Xuan Tianzun was currently holding a Yellow Pole Soldier's spear, turning it from side to side with evident curiosity.
"So there are Yellow Pole Soldiers in addition to White Pole Soldiers," the divine figure murmured thoughtfully. "Interesting. Very interesting."
Meanwhile, Gao Family Village's five thousand regular troops had fully assembled within Sichuan. The three notoriously reckless generals arrived in succession, loud as ever, along with Zheng Gouzi. Supplies were distributed. Formations arranged. Orders relayed.
Then the combined force began its march toward Chengdu.
Behind the Heavenly Banner came disciplined infantry with firearms. Behind them marched the rainbow of pole soldiers. The earth seemed to vibrate under their synchronized advance.
While this colorful tide advanced eastward, the situation at Chengdu remained tense.
For several days, the siege had continued without decisive result.
Cannon fire echoed across the plains. Smoke drifted in thick layers before the city walls. The northern gate bore the worst of it, pitted with craters and blackened scars, yet no breach had opened.
Chengdu was no small frontier town. It was a grand ancient capital, its walls thick and formidable.
Before those towering defenses stood Li Zicheng, the Chuǎng Wang.
He sat astride his horse, gazing at the city in silence.
This fortress will not fall easily, he thought.
The imperial court possessed many cities like this. Xi'an. Luoyang. Nanjing. Each a stone mountain of defense. Without capturing cities of this scale, no territory could truly be claimed.
If strong cities could not be taken, then they would continue wandering.
But wandering forever was not strategy. It was survival.
"Chuǎng Wang Brother!"
A scout rushed forward.
"Er Zhi Hu has arrived."
Li Zicheng blinked.
Er Zhi Hu had been missing for days. When the rebel army marched near Chongqing, he had led ten thousand men into the mountains and vanished from sight.
Moments later, Er Zhi Hu strode into the central command tent. Cannon fire still boomed faintly outside.
"Brother," Er Zhi Hu said with a wry smile, "Sichuan is a labyrinth of mountains. I lost my way and nearly made the hills my permanent home. I wandered near Chongqing and planned to seize the city. I even arranged for a laborer inside to open the gates at night. But before the plan could unfold, a firearms unit appeared from the side."
Li Zicheng's expression tightened.
"Their firepower was overwhelming," Er Zhi Hu continued. "The Shu Kingdom garrison at Tieshan Ping was shredded by their chaotic volleys. They could not even swing a blade before being blown apart. I realized immediately that this army was beyond my strength. So I withdrew west and by fortune found you here."
Li Zicheng exhaled slowly.
"That firearms unit has entered Sichuan," he muttered. "Damn them. They pursue us everywhere."
"You recognize them?" Er Zhi Hu asked.
"They fought us in Shaanxi," Li Zicheng replied. "Then in Shanxi. Yunyang. Henan. Wherever we go, they appear. They are not the Shenji Camp. They have nothing to do with the court's regular forces. They are enemies of the Jin merchants who secretly support us. But I am not a fool. I will not die for the merchants' interests."
Er Zhi Hu's face grew serious.
"Then we retreat?"
Li Zicheng nodded.
"We retreat."
"But we cannot retreat forever," Er Zhi Hu pressed. "One day we must face them."
There was truth in that.
Li Zicheng fell into deep thought.
On open plains, disciplined firearms troops held advantage. Range. Formation. Coordination.
Bandit armies excelled in mobility and ferocity, not line warfare.
"Into the mountains," Li Zicheng decided at last. "We withdraw north into the vast ranges between Sichuan and Shaanxi. In forests and narrow passes, firearms lose their range advantage. There we force close combat. There we may stand a chance."
No sooner had he spoken than another scout burst into the tent.
"Chuǎng Wang Brother! Imperial reinforcements have arrived. They carry a multicolored banner."
Li Zicheng's eyes sharpened.
"Them again."
He raised his hand decisively.
"Cease the assault on Chengdu. Withdraw north immediately. Use the forests. Wear them down."
The cannons fell silent.
Rebel formations began to pull back in disciplined retreat, disappearing gradually toward the northern roads and rising terrain.
On Chengdu's walls, General Ma Xianglin watched the enemy lines recede.
At last, he allowed himself a long breath.
Behind him, the provincial governor and the imperial censor slowly emerged from cover, their complexions still pale but recovering.
"Open the gates," orders were given. "Welcome the reinforcements."
When Gao Family Village's forces entered Chengdu, the sight stunned many officials.
Not only had the disciplined firearms troops arrived, but behind them marched the minority chieftains of eastern Sichuan in full strength.
Aside from Qin Liangyu, these leaders had historically remained within their own domains, rarely intervening in outside conflicts. They guarded their mountains. They kept their distance.
Yet now they stood united beneath one banner.
The provincial governor stared at the assembled commanders, bewildered.
"How," he murmured softly, "were they persuaded to come?"