novelSusiti Chapter 43 Something big has happened!
Chapter 43 Something big has happened!
On October 15th, Li Gu led his army south. Just twelve days later, on October 27th, the various infantry units of the Bianliang Imperial Guard, having hastily completed their rest, left the main camp one after another and headed to the Huai River front.
This included the 60,000 troops previously led by Li Gu to the Huai River. Guo Rong mobilized all his forces for this southern campaign, deploying a total of 90,000 imperial guards and 90,000 garrison troops from various regions, for a combined force of 180,000, though claimed to be 400,000. Due to bottlenecks in the Tongji Canal's transport capacity, the armies had to be deployed to the front lines in batches.
Guo Rong didn't announce his departure from Bianliang until November, when he was personally leading an expedition. He left Empress Fu and several prime ministers to oversee the country.
A full 40,000 Imperial Guards escorted Guo Rong's imperial chariot with the force of rolling waves, determined to sweep the flames of war and conquest across the three towns, one capital, and fourteen prefectures of the Jianghuai region.
Guo Rong, the emperor on horseback, was exceptionally spirited amidst his vast army. As the supreme commander of the entire army, he knew he should be present in every corner of the army as much as possible, ensuring his entourage, his warhorses, and himself were all visible to the soldiers. Only a commander who is with his soldiers is a truly powerful commander.
So on this day, Guo Rong, accompanied by Prime Minister Wang Qian, Secretary Li Fang, and two Imperial Guard generals Zhao Quanzhong and Li Chongjin, stood on a high ground to the side of the marching column, watching each soldier pass by.
The Imperial Guards knew that the Emperor was watching them from the high ground by the roadside, so every soldier rode by with his head held high and chest out, full of fighting spirit, shouting "Long live the Emperor!" towards the high ground.
Zhao Quanzhong said to Guo Rong with emotion, "The soldiers are all greatly encouraged to see His Majesty's portrait. With His Majesty personally overseeing the battle, our dynasty will surely be able to take all of the Jianghuai region."
Li Chongjin glared at Zhao Quanzhong, who had interrupted. In terms of seniority, Li Chongjin had joined the army seven years earlier than Zhao Quanzhong, so he was naturally a senior. Zhao Quanzhong looked honest and kind, but in reality, he was not humble at all towards his seniors, and he didn't care about the order of arrival when flattering them. He was truly a cunning person.
Zhao Quanzhong had already started flattering him. Li Chongjin, who wasn't good at it, had to rack his brains to come up with something different. As soon as Zhao Quanzhong finished speaking, Li Chongjin quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, ah, this. I wonder how the fighting went so far." He joined in, but what to say next was still on Li Chongjin's mind.
Guo Rong looked at his relative, a general, with amusement. "I won't blame you for not knowing how to flatter. We're all acquaintances; I know perfectly well how much knowledge Li Chongjin possesses, so why force yourself?"
I appoint people based solely on their abilities and achievements. Zhao Quanzhong reached his position because of his merits, not because he was eloquent. It's not a bad thing that you, Li Chongjin, are a little clumsy with words; I'm actually afraid you'll become quite eloquent one day.
Li Chongjin, his face flushed, huffed and puffed, "In August, His Majesty personally led the expedition, easily crushing the arrogant Liao army. The Southern Yu army is inferior to the Liao army. With His Majesty personally leading the expedition again, we will definitely be able to quickly defeat the Yu army this time. His Majesty's expedition will surely be victorious."
Guo Rong blushed slightly at the blatant flattery. He was momentarily speechless with embarrassment. Admitting it would make him seem shameless. But if he didn't admit it, how could the emperor, on the eve of a campaign, lead the way in uttering such ominous words?
Wang Qian stood beside Guo Rong without batting an eye. He was not only the prime minister but also Guo Rong's strategist. He had followed Guo Rong for a long time and was considered to have come from Guo Rong's family.
The two who had just been flattering him were the Commander of the Palace Guard and the Commander of the Imperial Guard. It wouldn't be appropriate for him to speak for either of them, so he simply stood there like a statue, his expressive eyes constantly scanning the faces of everyone present, subtly mimicking a complex inner monologue.
Therefore, the only one present who could help them out was Li Fang.
Li Fang and Li Chongjin were not related by blood. However, Li Xuan and Li Ji, two distant relatives and Li Fang's military allies, served in Li Chongjin's guard. Therefore, Li Fang was happy to help Li Chongjin make amends.
Li Fang said, "The Southern Yu Kingdom spans thousands of miles, with a population of tens of millions, a thousand generals, and four hundred thousand armored soldiers. It is the largest country in the south, and possesses the financial and material resources to contend with our dynasty for the throne. It should not be underestimated. This is why Your Majesty seized the opportunity to personally lead an expedition to the Jianghuai region. However, Commander Li is not wrong either. With Your Majesty personally at the front lines, the army will surely fight bravely and fiercely, even to the death. We will surely force that brat Li Jing to cede territory, surrender cities, and submit to our rule."
After Li Fang finished speaking, Guo Rong coughed and said modestly, "In our victories and conquests, I relied on my generals and valiant soldiers. However, the Southern Yu Kingdom must have some elite troops and strong generals to have been able to establish such a large territory in the world. In addition, the Huainan region has abundant waterways and a powerful navy. You must not underestimate the enemy and must exert your utmost effort to win this land of fish and rice for the court."
Historically, conquering the Jianghuai region meant easy access to the south, and conquering the south meant the unification of the empire under the Zhou dynasty was inevitable. With the wealth of the south and the elite troops of the north, what were the Liao people? Therefore, we must conquer the Jianghuai region, and Li Jing of Jinling must also defend it.
This battle is unlike the Liao invasion of Hebei. Hebei wasn't a vital stronghold for the Liao; if they couldn't conquer Hebei, they could simply retreat. The Yu state will fight tooth and nail for every inch of land in the Jianghuai region, and will not easily give up no matter how many troops they lose. You must be prepared for a major battle, a bitter battle, and continuous bitter battles.
All the civil and military officials present bowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise, we obey your decree."
Just as everyone was still on the high ground showing off their wise ruler and virtuous ministers to the passing army, a messenger swiftly approached from a distance, carrying three flags on his back.
Guo Rong's personal guards stepped forward and stopped him. The exhausted rider was carried by Guo Rong's guards to the emperor's horse and said, "This humble servant is here on the orders of Minister Li, the Commander of Huainan, to present Your Majesty with an urgent document."
Guo Rong's heart skipped a beat. Had the situation at the front deteriorated? Zhao Quanzhong quickly dismounted, ran to the rider's side, and took the leather tube containing the urgent official documents. He expertly opened it, held it with both hands, bowed respectfully, and presented it to Guo Rong, saying, "Please, Your Majesty, peruse this document."
Seeing this, Li Chongjin was so angry that his nose almost crooked. Here they go again, pretending to be filial like a sissy.
Zhao Quanzhong did it with a clear conscience, and Guo Rong accepted it with a clear conscience as well. Before Guo Rong ascended the throne, Zhao Quanzhong had been his personal guard general. He had done this kind of favor so many times. If Zhao Quanzhong didn't do it, he would seem ungrateful. If Guo Rong didn't accept it, Zhao Quanzhong would feel a sense of alienation.
Guo Rong reached out and took the military report, opened it, and roared in anger, "Nonsense! Li Gu has ruined the country!"
Wang Qian's statue could no longer contain him. Li Gu was the prime minister, and a prime minister has his own dignity; he couldn't be openly insulted like this. He quickly reminded Guo Rong, "Your Majesty, please be careful with your words. Prime Minister Li is not someone who doesn't know his place. Please enlighten us, Your Majesty."
Guo Rong realized what was happening, took a deep breath in resentment, and said to Wang Qian, "The Yu Kingdom's naval and land forces, which are reinforcing us from Luzhou, are approaching the Dangyang pontoon bridge. Fearing trouble on our rear, Prime Minister Li has actually mobilized the main force to retreat to the north bank of the Huai River, abandoning all the gains we've made in a month."
He only left a fortification on the south bank of the river to protect the pontoon bridge. What was he afraid of? Why didn't the Yu army advance with its navy, or its cavalry and infantry to reinforce, but instead sent a combined land and sea force? It was because neither the navy nor the cavalry and infantry had the confidence to defeat our army and capture the pontoon bridge alone.
Li Gu could either block their navy, thus preventing their cavalry and infantry from moving, or he could severely attack their cavalry and infantry. In that case, the navy would not dare to advance alone. The so-called threat would naturally disappear. What was he afraid of? What did he have to be afraid of? It was the dry season, and the Huai River was only a hundred zhang wide, not a major river.
Wang Qian cautioned, "Your Majesty, the Yu Kingdom's Qinghuai Army has over 30,000 cavalry and infantry. Minister Li only has 60,000 troops. It's very likely that the Yu army coming to reinforce is powerful, commanded by a veteran general like Liu Renzhan, the military governor of the Qinghuai Army. Minister Li feels too much pressure, so he's preserving his strength and holding out for reinforcements, which is understandable." (Li Gu believed that Liu Renzhan allowed the Zhou army to attack the Qinghuai Army to lure them deeper, allowing reinforcements to attack by land and water, seize the pontoon bridge, and then annihilate the Zhou army crossing the river. Therefore, what Wang Qian and Guo Rong saw was Li Gu's imagined version.)
Zhao Quanzhong cautioned, "Your Majesty, in the past, during the dry seasons of autumn and winter, the Yu Kingdom would proactively deploy its navy to patrol the shallow waters of the Huai River, a practice known as 'shallow patrols.' This year, for some unknown reason, they have suddenly withdrawn their patrolling navy. Could it be that they are calculating that our country has suffered heavy losses in the fierce battle with the Liao army this year, and they want to deliberately lure our army south to cooperate with the Liao people in giving us a severe lesson?"
Guo Rong was also confused. He thought for a moment and said, "There's no reason to withdraw all defenses along the entire Huai River. There must be a reason we don't know. But never mind, where do all these conspiracies and tricks come from on the battlefield? If conspiracies were useful, what would be the point of having generals? Zhao Quanzhong."
Zhao Quanzhong bowed slightly and clasped his hands in greeting: "Your subordinate is here."
Guo Rong said, "I hereby appoint you as the Commander-in-Chief of the Huainan Army, leading 20,000 Palace Guard cavalry to reinforce the front lines. Make sure the guards believe we are going to push back from the Zhengyang pontoon bridge. Tell Li Gu to come back to me immediately."
Zhao Quanzhong shouted loudly, "This subordinate obeys!"
Guo Rong then ordered: "Li Chongjin."
Li Chongjin loudly clasped his hands and said, "Your subordinate is here."
Guo Rong said, "The enemy army is launching a fierce attack on Dangyang Bridge from two directions. I order you to lead 10,000 cavalry to cross the river upstream where the water is shallow, and to flank the enemy from the rear. Find an opportunity to wipe out the Desheng Army of Yu State. Can you do it? If we wipe out the Desheng Army, the other armies of Yu State will surely be terrified, and we will have time to take down the Qinghuai Army of Shouzhou. Commander Li, I need to rely on you."
Li Chongjin shouted, "This humble general obeys! I will certainly bring the good news of the Desheng Army's annihilation to Your Majesty!"
War always presents unexpected options; surprises and risks are fair to both sides. All the trials that Heaven bestows are tests of whether an emperor can shoulder great responsibilities.
Having dispatched two generals in succession and sent another 30,000 cavalry to the front lines, Guo Rong felt a growing unease. This time, he had truly staked everything on the outcome.
However, the Great Zhou was situated in a strategically vital location, and every major battle involved gambles with the entire nation's resources. Guo Rong believed that these outstanding generals would not disappoint him. He also believed that these brave and skilled soldiers would not disappoint him, especially those from the Jianghuai region.
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Guo Rong's sorrow and anger will not spread to every imperial guard unit heading south for the time being.
For example, Li Xuan's Black Spear Dragon Cavalry Left Wing Second Army.
He is currently the commander of the army, and "Quan" means temporarily.
An army should have five commanders and 2,500 men, but Li Xuan only had three commanders and 1,500 men in actual strength. Because the rest period was too short, the Privy Council did not have time to fully replenish the Second Army's organization. Li Xuan could only reluctantly lead the Second Army to hastily repair its weapons and armor before embarking on the southern expedition.
Because they were infantry, everyone's luggage and armor were placed on the carts belonging to their respective squads. Even officers and soldiers with horses dismounted and walked to save horsepower.
Li Xuan handed his horse to Li Chang to lead, while he, leaning on his spear, ran back and forth checking the ranks to see if anyone had fallen behind or fallen ill. If so, he helped them onto the wagons to rest, and they would figure out what to do next when they reached the next campsite.
Li Xuan was just a mid-level officer. All he could see were endless banners representing countless unit numbers. These troops were all heading towards his hometown. Not only had he not stayed in his hometown to resist, but he was also mixed in with them. In a few days, he would have to guide the soldiers. He really didn't know what to feel.
The taste of life is nothing more than sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty. Li Xuan has gotten used to it over the past few days. His only happiness is that, thanks to Li Fang's efforts, the Black Spear Dragon Cavalry has been incorporated into the legions attacking Haizhou and Chuzhou. He no longer needs to follow Zhao Quanzhong or Li Chongjin. He wonders if this is Guo Rong's idea—a new method to cultivate a third force within the Imperial Guards?
The last time, Li Xuan and Li Ji had a friendly drinking session with Zhao Quanyi at the corner shop. The next day, Li Xuan and Li Ji visited the residence of Commander Li Chongjin, bringing with them top-quality Shandong soy sauce.
Having likely been reprimanded by Guo Rong, Li Chongjin outwardly no longer showed any discrimination against soldiers from the south. He treated Li Xuan and Li Ji with great hospitality.
Li Xuan had vaguely heard about Li Chongjin's regionalism before and was prepared to be reprimanded. However, Li Chongjin's enthusiastic attitude surprised the two brothers.
Li Xuan thought to himself, "There's a saying: 'One doesn't hit a smiling face.'" With his and Li Ji's rising status, and once their new appointments were issued and their troops replenished, it seemed quite reasonable for Li Chongjin to show them a welcoming attitude.
Li Xuan and Li Ji came to pay their respects as subordinates of the Imperial Guard, not only as a courtesy, but also to make some explanations.
Li Xuan said, "Commander-in-Chief, yesterday Prime Minister Li led the army out to war. My brother and I mingled in the crowd to see the army off, and on the way back we happened to meet Zhao Erlang, the Timely Rain."
Li Chongjin clearly knew who Zhao Erlang, the Timely Rain, was. Holding his wine glass, he said with amusement, "Oh. Zhao Erlang is quite a influential figure. What does he want with you brothers?"
Li Xuan replied, "It's nothing important, they just invited us to drink. General, you may not know this, but when I first came to Bianliang seeking a better future, it was Zhao Erlang who met us in the market and recommended us to Military Commissioner Pan Mei. It was thanks to Military Commissioner Pan's recommendation that we were able to meet the Emperor and be appointed. So we have a connection with Zhao Erlang, and since we met yesterday, we had no choice but to happily drink together."
"Be happy if you're happy, why insist on being happy? Southerners just like to beat around the bush." Although Li Chongjin was straightforward, after so many years in officialdom, he could still pick up on some subtexts. "Being happy" meant he wasn't really willing. So that's how it is. These two brothers are afraid that I, Old Li, will become suspicious and cause them trouble?
Thinking of this, Li Chongjin laughed heartily; "Zhao Erlang has helped you brothers so much, what's wrong with drinking with him? You should drink, you should drink often. He's always been so kind and generous, everyone in Bianjing knows that. Although I haven't spoken much to him, his brother Zhao Quanzhong and I are very familiar with each other. Zhao Erlang is kind and generous, and Zhao Quanzhong is a good-natured man known throughout the Imperial Guards, someone you can rely on. You've only been in the Imperial Guards for a short time, you'll understand soon enough."
"We know each other too well, he's a good-natured person, reliable, we'll see later..." These words were emphasized. Li Xuan and Li Ji understood perfectly; this trip was indeed the right one.
Li Chongjin was more than just familiar with Zhao Quanzhong; he was extremely bothered by him. If Li Xuan and Li Ji hadn't brought gifts to pay their respects and explain the situation today, Li Chongjin would likely have made things difficult for them every day once he found out about the Li brothers' collusion with the Zhao brothers.
After the banquet, Li Xuan's face grew increasingly flushed and warm, but his mind remained perfectly clear. The conflict between Zhao Quanzhong and Li Chongjin within the Imperial Guards was extremely fierce, and he and Li Ji had to carefully keep their distance and avoid getting involved in their affairs if possible.
Li Chongjin inwardly sneered with satisfaction. The Zhao brothers were getting impatient; seeing his high prestige within the original Imperial Guard, they wanted to expand their influence among the newly arrived generals from various regions. Unfortunately, almost all the new generals were in his own Imperial Guard, a reward from the Emperor for Li Chongjin's loyalty. What use was Zhao Quanzhong's effort? The Emperor still trusted Li Chongjin the most.
See? As soon as Zhao Quanyi's underhanded tactics were revealed, shrewd people like the Li brothers rushed over to explain. This shows that although the Zhao brothers' methods were despicable, their efforts wouldn't be effective. These newly arrived soldiers from other regions, especially the southern generals, lacked a solid foundation; how could they dare to get involved in the power struggles among the old Bianliang military families?
Since the Li brothers are so sensible, I, Li Chongjin, am not an intolerant fool. The Zhao family is generous in their hospitality, so I will reciprocate.
However, Li Chongjin, who was intoxicated by his personal charisma and self-confidence, did not expect that while the Emperor had put him in charge of the Imperial Guard, he had also arranged for Pan Mei to recruit officers and generals unrelated to the original Bianliang Imperial Guard. Without exception, these officers from other regions, recommended by Pan Mei, were all placed in the Imperial Guard. This didn't seem to indicate that Li Chongjin was the most trusted.
Regardless, on that day, Li Xuan and Li Ji entered Li Chongjin's gate carrying two jars of soybean paste. When they came out, Li Chongjin personally stuffed their arms with gold and silver leaves.
Li Xuan and Li Ji were both amused and exasperated, but they could only thank Commander Li for his generous gift. After all, Commander Li's methods were somewhat unexpected and direct, but his meaning was clearly expressed through the gift of gold and silver, so the trip was not in vain.
As Li Xuan pondered this, he glanced at the Second Army unit beside him—1,500 men. He had never led so many troops before; how to lead them, how to use them—Li Xuan was still figuring it out.
Just as Li Xuan was pondering military strategy, a noticeable tremor shook the earth. A troop of knights, carrying command flags, galloped past Li Xuan's forces, shouting repeatedly, "The Palace Guard cavalry is passing by! All troops, do not panic! All troops, do not panic!"
This was standard procedure to prevent large cavalry formations from triggering a reflexive defensive posture and causing friendly fire incidents among the infantry. Li Xuan looked curiously behind him, where well-equipped and valiant cavalry units gradually emerged from the horizon. Each cavalry unit carried two spare horses, clearly having received some orders; their marching speed was far greater than usual.
Li Xuan's initial curiosity turned to shock, and then to a solemn expression. He noticed an unusually large number of cavalry passing by; two quarters of an hour had passed, and the cavalry columns hadn't stopped moving, continuously passing their Longxiang Army and marching further south. After the Palace Guard passed, the elite cavalry banners of the Imperial Guard appeared. Li Xuan counted the banners and unit designations of the Imperial Guard and estimated that there were approximately ten thousand iron cavalry.
Something big has happened! Not only was Li Xuan's expression grave, but the officers from the various units of the Second Army who had gathered around him all looked serious. Li Xuan nodded and convened an emergency meeting in the open field; he needed to reassure the officers.