Chapter 1191: The Grand Encirclement
"The Heavenly Lord says that as long as the common people live well, no matter how powerful Christianity becomes, how could it possibly incite them?" Gao Yiye declared. "The White Lotus Society in our Great Ming is actually no different. If the imperial court allowed the common people to live prosperous lives, the Embroidered Uniform Guard wouldn't need to constantly arrest those White Lotus heretics, because they wouldn't be able to cause any trouble at all."
A ripple of thunderous applause erupted from the audience.
Zhu Cunji turned his head to Mi Qianhu. "Did you hear that? Have you ever arrested a White Lotus heretic? Learn from this, and you won't need to anymore."
Mi Qianhu looked utterly dumbfounded. "I heard, but... how do I learn that?"
At that moment, the international news segment concluded, and the domestic news began.
The new host, seated to Gao Yiye's left, started speaking. "Now for our domestic news, continuing yesterday's report... Yesterday, we covered the Shanxi militia's preparations to march south in support of Huguang. Today, we'll report on the movements of the Sichuan militia."
"The five thousand militia members who entered Sichuan to suppress the rebellion have now reassembled in Chongqing, a major city in eastern Sichuan, and are preparing to depart. Their next target is the Eight Great Kings, currently wreaking havoc among the populace in Huguang."
The host stumbled over his words here, flustered, and quickly swallowed a nervous gulp to conceal his embarrassment. The audience, however, chuckled. "The new host still can't compare to the Saintess."
The host quickly recovered. "Now, let's hear from our frontline reporter, Zhou Daya, with an exclusive interview."
This strikingly beautiful woman captivated the audience the moment she appeared. She stood on Chongqing's Chaotianmen Pier, flanked by a masked Cheng Xu and several thousand militia soldiers. "Instructor He, we hear you're preparing to leave Sichuan to deal with the roving bandits. We'd like to know, how are the militia's preparations coming along?"
Though Cheng Xu's face was masked, his eyes crinkled with amusement. "Preparations are going very smoothly. We've already gathered hundreds of boats and are ready to advance simultaneously by both land and water."
He turned, allowing the camera to pan around.
Chaotianmen Pier was packed with an enormous number of ships, all small and medium-sized, of course. At that time, before the Three Gorges Dam, the upper Yangtze River's water levels were quite low, preventing large vessels from passing. Thus, only smaller boats could be used to transport troops.
This required a massive number of boats!
Chaotianmen Pier was blanketed with vessels, filling the surfaces of both the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers, a truly magnificent and imposing sight.
Seeing this, Mi Qianhu couldn't help but gasp in astonishment. "What kind of fleet is this? It's far more powerful than the imperial court's forces!"
As if she could hear his unspoken thoughts beyond the screen, Zhou Daya prompted, "Instructor He, how was such a massive fleet assembled?"
Instructor He smiled. "Since entering Sichuan, our militia has consistently worked to improve the lives of the local populace, earning a stellar reputation. Upon hearing of our intention to leave Sichuan and strike down the bandits, people from all walks of life in Sichuan have offered their robust support. Many trading firms have lent their ships, and river fishermen have eagerly and voluntarily come forward to help. We haven't issued any mandatory orders; all these vessels have come to assist of their own free will."
Mi Qianhu stared, dumbfounded. "!!!"
"Additionally, since Huguang also has numerous mountainous regions, the Sichuan militia, skilled in mountain warfare, will also join us in our expedition to help us fight the roving bandits in Huguang's mountains." Instructor He smiled and pulled a young man forward. "This young man is Jiang Daliang, a member of our newly recruited New People's Militia in Sichuan. Please, let him say a few words."
Zhou Daya waved her hand, and the camera focused on Jiang Daliang.
Jiang Daliang was clearly flustered. Sichuan residents hadn't seen television before and had no idea what a camera was, but with Zhou Daya looking at him, he couldn't ignore such a beauty. He quickly snapped to attention with a military salute, stammering nervously, "I... I represent the dockworkers of Jiangbei District, Chongqing, Sichuan... *cough*... Oh, do I really have to speak?"
Zhou Daya encouraged him, "Go on, speak your mind."
Jiang Daliang’s voice rose in conviction. "We... we're going to wipe out all of these bastards—the roving bandits, the local tyrants, the despots... all of them! Every last one! For... for this... I'm not afraid to die, not one bit."
Behind him, a group of dockworkers burst into laughter. "Daliang, you're all tongue-tied!"
Cheng Xu returned to the camera. "In short, we are confident we can sweep away all the Huguang roving bandits in one decisive strike! Please, wait and see."
Mi Qianhu's jaw dropped, remaining agape for a long moment as he watched. "So, your Sichuan forces are already preparing to march out of Sichuan to suppress the bandits..."
Zhu Cunji chuckled. "Indeed. Yesterday, they also reported the news of the Shanxi forces marching south. Our Shanxi forces will advance into Henan, converge with the Henan Front Army, and then together march south to envelop the Eight Great Kings."
Mi Qianhu gasped again. "!!!"
At this point, the scene returned to the broadcast studio. This time, the host seated to Gao Yiye's right began to speak. "That concludes the military situation in Sichuan. Next, let's shift our focus to Anqing."
The screen changed, revealing the vast, rolling Yangtze River.
Shi Kefa stood by the riverbank, dressed in a flowing blue robe.
Behind him was the Anlu militia from Gao Family Village.
The Anlu militia was relatively small; compared to the large armies stationed in other regions under Gao Family Village's influence, it looked somewhat weaker. Shi Kefa, however, exuded a powerful presence.
A battlefield reporter smiled at him. "Master Shi, you are tasked with encircling the roving bandits from the east, but you command the fewest troops among the various armies. Do you feel a heavy burden on your shoulders? Are you afraid?"
Shi Kefa declared, "My head can be severed, but my will cannot be bent!"
Just as he spoke, several river-sea vessels sailed into Anqing Yingjiang Port behind him. Supplies were dumped from the ships with a flurry: large barrels of gunpowder, huge crates of bullets, new-style firearms—baskets full, one after another, were unloaded.
A logistics soldier stepped forward, snapping a crisp salute. "Gao Family Village's Waterborne Logistics Team, reporting for duty! Instructor Shi, we've delivered supplies for two thousand men. Please sign to confirm receipt."
A smile spread across Shi Kefa's face. "Our village's supplies have arrived again! With such powerful backing, I guarantee not a single bandit will slip past our eastern flank!"
Mi Qianhu, seeing this, couldn't help but be impressed. "Such a massive encirclement?"
Zhu Cunji explained, "The roving bandits number in the tens, even hundreds of thousands. Naturally, we need a vast encirclement to net them all in one swoop. This time, we'll have a decisive battle in Hubei, completely resolving the bandit crisis."
Mi Qianhu trembled, his voice quavering. "And then... then you'll... you'll advance to the capital... to seize the Emperor's... the old Emperor's throne?"
Zhu Cunji spread his hands. "This heir apparent has no idea. After all, I'm still just a small heir apparent; I haven't even been granted the title of Prince of Qin yet! How could I aspire to be emperor before even becoming Prince of Qin? Hahahahaha! No, no, I haven't thought about it, not at all. This matter rests with the Heavenly Lord's arrangements. Whatever the Heavenly Lord says, that's what everyone will do."
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