Late Han Dynasty: Did the Yellow Emperor truly descend?

Chapter 126 Chen Deng's Wise Plan

Inside Liangcheng Inn, the lights were bright, but the atmosphere was as cold as the dead of winter.

Chen Gui had been sitting on that mat for most of the hour, without moving.

The servant cleaned up the broken teacup on the floor, his fingers tapping the table repeatedly, a sound as irritating as tapping on the heart.

Chen Deng stood to the side, looking at his father's tense face, his mind filled with a thousand thoughts, but he dared not speak easily.

The news of the fall of Jianling came too suddenly.

According to his father's calculations, Wang Huan could hold out for at least ten days. The Peng and Zhao families could gather their troops within five days and encircle Li Sheng from three directions within ten days. Even if they couldn't wipe out Li Sheng in one fell swoop, they could trap him in the narrow strip of land south of the Shu River and slowly wear him down.

But Li Sheng only took a day and a half.

The Jianling Mausoleum was breached in a day and a half. This man fights fast and cleans up the mess even faster, giving no one a chance to catch their breath.

The sound of a night watchman's drum came from outside the post station; it was the third watch.

Chen Gui finally spoke, his voice hoarse.

"Deng'er, tell me, how should we deal with this situation?"

Chen Deng took a deep breath, stepped forward, and knelt down opposite his father.

"Father, I believe we've taken the wrong path."

Chen Gui raised an eyebrow.

"oh?"

"We've been racing against Li Sheng to see who can go the fastest."

Chen Deng poured his father, Chen Gui, a cup of fresh tea.

"When he attacked Xiapi, we thought about defending Xiaxiang; when he attacked Xiaxiang, we thought about defending Jianling. Every step we took was led by the nose, and we were always a step behind. Li Sheng is a man of lightning speed in warfare; we can't outrun him in a direct confrontation."

Chen Gui did not interrupt him, but gestured for him to continue.

Chen Deng poured himself another bowl of tea, dipped his finger in the tea, and drew an arc.

"Father, please look. Li Sheng is currently in Jianling. Behind him are the three counties of Siwu, Xiaxiang, and Xiapi, lined up in a row, running north to south. This line looks solid, but it is actually weak. If he leads his main force north, his rear will inevitably be vulnerable. Especially Xiapi County, that is his base of operations, where his provisions, supplies, family, and elderly relatives are all located."

Chen Gui narrowed his eyes.

"you mean……"

"We will not attack Jianling. Jianling County is well-protected by the people of the East Sea Kingdom."

Chen Deng's voice suddenly turned somber.

"Let's take Xiapi."

The candlelight in the inn flickered, casting a half-light, half-shadow on Chen Deng's face.

"Starting from Liangcheng, we can travel south along the Yi River and go straight down to Xiapi. By water, we can transport troops a hundred li a day, and we can be at the city's gates in no time. The garrison in Xiapi should be small, and there's no great general in command. If we can launch a surprise attack, we can take it in one fell swoop."

Chen Gui stopped tapping.

"But what if Li Sheng comes back to help?"

"That's exactly what I want."

A cold glint flashed in Chen Deng's eyes.

"If Li Sheng returns to reinforce, he will surely retreat south from Jianling, rushing along the official road. From Jianling to Xiapi, it takes two days for a fast horse and at least three days for a large army. We have the advantage of initiative; he has come from afar, his men and horses are exhausted, and we can strike him while he is at a disadvantage. If he does not return to reinforce, we will take Pi County, cutting off his base. If he remains in Jianling, he will be like a rootless duckweed, his army will run out of food, and he will collapse without a fight."

As Chen Gui listened, his eyes gradually brightened.

"Attack where they must defend; if they defend, they will fall into an ambush; if they do not defend, they will run out of food..."

He murmured to himself.

"Good! What a brilliant move to attack their rear!"

Chen Gui suddenly stood up, paced back and forth in the room a few times, then stopped and looked at Chen Deng. His gaze held a mixture of relief, surprise, and a complex emotion that was hard to describe.

"I've always known you're skilled in agriculture—water conservancy, land reclamation, farming—you're proficient in everything. But I never knew you also had such insight into military strategy."

Chen Gui's tone was tinged with emotion.

"Your words just now hit the nail on the head. And you even used the tactic of 'besieging Wei to rescue Zhao'..."

Chen Deng lowered his head slightly.

"Father, you flatter me. I am merely..."

"No need to be modest."

Chen Gui raised his hand to interrupt him, his tone suddenly becoming decisive.

"This matter will be as you say. Tomorrow morning, you will personally go to the Peng and Zhao families to convey the message that the plan has changed and that they no longer need to assemble in the east. Instead, they should all be transferred to Yishui to assemble. Issue the order that the entire army be ready within three days. All provisions, boats, and armor must be procured overnight without fail."

"yes."

Chen Deng stood up to accept the order and was about to turn and leave when Chen Gui called him back.

"Deng'er, you will come with me to this battle."

Chen Deng paused, turned around, and looked at his father.

The candlelight illuminated Chen Gui's face, revealing a rare sharpness in his usually composed and steady expression.

"The Taiping rebels are too powerful; we can't let them snowball any further. If they secure Jianling, Xiapi, Siwu, and Xiaxiang counties, they could threaten the East China Sea to the north and Pengcheng to the west. The entire Xuzhou region would be turned upside down by them."

Chen Gui's voice was not loud, but every word was as firm as iron.

"We must defeat him in this battle. If we fail, the foundation upon which the Chen family has stood in Xiapi for a century will be uprooted by him."

Chen Deng bowed deeply in respect.

"I understand."

He turned and strode out of the post station.

A night breeze blew in, carrying the damp, fishy smell of the Yishui direction.

Standing on the steps outside the post station, Chen Deng gazed at the deep night in the distance. Suddenly, he felt that the Yi River, which meandered from north to south, gleamed with a cold white light under the moonlight, like a knife, slowly aiming at the throat of Xiapi City.

Meanwhile, a hundred miles away.

The main hall of the Jianling County government office was also brightly lit.

Li Sheng sat behind his desk, with a topographical map of the area surrounding the Jianling Mausoleum spread out in front of him.

He kept sketching on the map with his charcoal pencil, marking the ferry crossings, villages, and highlands along the Shu River one by one.

Jiang Qin and Zhou Tai stood on either side, each holding the household registration book and the draft of the land deeds that had just been delivered that night.

"General, the land of the four clans of Jianling has been completely surveyed. The total arable land is approximately 12,000 mu, which has been distributed to over 800 tenant farmers and landless households in the city and surrounding villages. Each household received between 12 and 15 mu. The contracts have been issued, and the signed documents are all here."

Li Sheng didn't even look up.

"Is there anyone who's afraid to accept it?"

Jiang Qin scratched his head.

"At first, several old farmers hesitated to put their fingerprints on the deed, fearing that the powerful clans might retaliate, and that having the deed would only bring them trouble. Later, Zhou Tai led his men to visit each household, telling them that the general had given an order that anyone who dared to seize their land in the future, regardless of who they were, would be treated as a traitor. Only then did the old farmers agree to accept it."

Li Sheng then raised his head and glanced at Zhou Tai.

Zhou Tai remained expressionless and only muttered a single sentence.

"The general said that our Taiping army prioritizes the people."

Li Sheng smiled, put down the charcoal pencil, leaned back in his chair, and let out a long breath.

He had barely slept these past few days, fighting three battles in a row from Xiaxiang to Siwu, and dividing up land in three different places. Even a man of iron would be on the verge of collapse.

But he couldn't stop. He knew that this was the most critical juncture.

North of Jianling lies the heart of Donghai Commandery, and further north are Langya and Beihai, where there is a larger territory, a larger population, and a wider world.

Looking westward, government troops were still eyeing Pengcheng covetously, and Chen Gui had not yet been completely defeated.

He needs time.

It takes time to completely stabilize Jianling, time to train the newly acquired soldiers into an army, and time to let people from all directions know that wherever the Taiping Army goes, land will be distributed there.