Qingshui Cliff

In the early years of Jiaqing, in Qingxi County, north of Nanlong Prefecture, Guizhou, 18-year-old Zheng Tianyou was forced to embark on a private salt road to save his seriously ill sister Zheng Xiaofeng. He climbed up from the bottom of the salt trade step by step, occupied Heifengling and built a cottage, controlled three private salt routes, bribed the county magistrate Hao Ren, dealt with Miao bandits and Green Camp officers and soldiers, and established a salt and smoke force across the three provinces of Guizhou, Guangxi, and Yunnan. As his power expanded, Zheng Tianyou fell into a deeper quagmire. His sister was insulted by his status and broke up with him. Military advisor Jia Ren was wronged and surrendered to the government. His cousin Jia Mei secretly betrayed him due to jealousy. Governor Fuxing and Admiral De Lengtai were ordered by the court to mobilize heavy troops for encirclement and suppression. After a bloody night of fighting in Heifeng Ridge, brother Ma Liujin fell off a cliff and died, and Yang Xiong was captured. Zheng Tianyou was arrested at the Qingshui River ferry.