The Great Zhou Dynasty: From Imperial Guards to Founding Dukes and Marquises

Chapter 45 Battle on the Huai River: Good Generals and Mediocre Commanders

The mighty Huai River flows eastward, defining the north and south since ancient times.

On the Huai River west of Shouzhou, hundreds of warships formed the rear and dozens of warships formed the front, like a surging torrent determined to sweep away the thin pontoon bridge complex in the middle of the river.

The war drums from both armies resounded for two hundred miles along the Huai River, and soldiers with different accents, speaking with the same fighting spirit, poured their roars under the autumn sky at the beginning of winter.

The naval warships flying the flag of the Yu Kingdom endured bombardment from ballistae and stone cannons from the north bank while simultaneously fighting against Zhou army obstacles and fortifications surrounding the Dangyang pontoon bridge.

Groups of daredevils went naked into the water, trying to use ropes to reach the huge timbers supporting the defensive barriers.

Squads of heavily armored Zhou soldiers used specially made extra-long bamboo spears to thrust into the water from their pre-prepared defensive positions, much like fishermen stabbing fish with bamboo spears. Sometimes, they didn't even need to hit the people in the water; simply disrupting their breathing rhythm was enough to force the suicide squad members to the surface for air, where they would be shot dead by Zhou archers who were already prepared.

In November, the Huai River was already chilly, and even the bravest and best swimmers had limited time to move around in the water. Regardless of whether they completed their mission, the few brave warriors who managed to swim back to their own warships were pulled aboard by their comrades with lips turned blue from the cold and unable to speak.

"Quick, get him to the back cabin and give him some drinks." His teammates hurriedly dried the survivor off, wrapped him in countless layers of clothing, and carried him into the cabin. Mouthfuls of strong liquor were shoved into the survivor's mouth without any hesitation. Several comrades brought over a thick blanket and crawled under it to warm the survivor's body with their body heat.

During the battle, lighting fires on the ship was strictly prohibited; neither open flames nor charcoal fires were allowed. In utter desperation, they couldn't even provide returning warriors with a sip of hot water, hot wine, or hot soup. They could only offer these daredevils life-saving aids silently, through the astonishing warmth of their own bodies.

After a day of fierce fighting, crimson blood and corpses had flowed down the river, clogging the dense array of Zhou army obstacles. Not far away on the river, more than a dozen warships lay burning or capsized. These were clearly Yu Kingdom naval warships sunk or destroyed by long-range weapons hidden along the riverbank and in the fortifications.

The Yu navy fought with undeniable bravery. However, the Zhou army was better prepared.

In the ten days or so following the crossing of the river, Li Gu, the commander of Zhou's Huainan troops, never stopped reinforcing and improving the Dangyang pontoon bridge. They not only constructed a massive pontoon bridge thirty paces wide.

They also spent money to recruit people on the north bank to brave the water temperature at the end of October and set up three wooden underwater obstacle courses in the river channel from Dangyang Floating Bridge to the west and east.

They also built simple wooden fortresses on the water, relying on these obstacles. The fortresses were equipped with small ballistae and could accommodate thirty people.

The fortresses were connected by wooden plank walkways. This allowed the defenders on both the north and south banks to use bamboo spears to stab any object in the water.

As for an underwater night raid? The water temperature is even colder at night, and the suicide squad members would freeze to death in the water before they could reach their target. There would only be one or two hours of combat opportunity when the sun was high in the sky at noon. This was also an important reason why Liu Renzhan opposed the navy's direct attack on the Dangyang pontoon bridge.

Two hours after noon, the naval forces, without waiting for orders from the commander on shore, turned their ships around and struggled against the current of the Huai River. Most of their ships were still fully loaded with military supplies originally intended for the Qinghuai Army in Shouzhou.

These deep-draft warships were difficult to maneuver, difficult to turn, and even more difficult to retreat upstream; they were so clumsy they were unlike any other warships. Their clumsiness made them easy targets for Zhou's counter-fire. If they had been able to fight lightly, they wouldn't have lost more than a dozen warships in a single day.

In the central command tent on the shore, Liu Yanzhen, who had been camped there for two days, had no time to curse the navy for leaving on time. Inside the main tent, two groups of men were drawing their swords against each other.

Veteran general Liu Renzhan, leading a group of Qinghuai Army officers, confronted Liu Yanzhen's Desheng Army officers for quite some time. A general from the Jinling Imperial Guard, who was acting as reinforcements alongside the Desheng Army, stood between the two sides, trying to persuade them with kind words.

Liu Yanzhen had no time to observe the outcome of the naval battle; he was furious, his eyes red, and he was cursing Liu Renzhan for breaking the rules. "Old Liu, don't act like you're superior just because you're old. Don't think that I'm being polite to you. How can we stop the Zhou's offensive without breaking the Dangyang pontoon bridge?"

"Who told you to let Zhou's army build the pontoon bridge? Now I'm here to clean up your mess. What do cold weather and freezing water matter? As long as we're willing to offer rewards and fight to the death, how can we not take down a mere pontoon bridge?"

Liu Renzhan was seething with anger, with nowhere to vent it. This year, to save money, the imperial court hadn't deployed any river patrol forces. The Huai River bank within the Qinghuai Army's territory stretched for hundreds of miles, and he only had a little over 20,000 troops. He had to defend the city and organize an elite counter-offensive force; where would he find so many men to guard the riverbank?

The speed and ferocity of Zhou's arrival were beyond his expectations. When he received news of Zhou's landing, he immediately led his troops to attack. After a day of fierce fighting and annihilating most of Zhou's troops crossing the river, he discovered that Zhou's army had used a feint, setting up a pontoon bridge dozens of miles away to cross the river.

Despite Liu Renzhan's painstaking efforts to intercept them with his troops, a single day was enough time for Zhou's army to transport tens of thousands of men across the river. With so many men defending the bridgehead on the south bank, the Qinghuai army had no choice but to retreat and defend the city. Without naval support, relying solely on the army's foot soldiers was truly impossible to defend against.

However, the decision not to dredge the river or send naval patrols this year was made by the emperor. Liu Renzhan knew this, and so did Liu Yanzhen. Now Liu Yanzhen is attacking Liu Renzhan for his ineffective defense. What can Liu Renzhan say? Can he blame the emperor for transferring the navy? That would fall into Liu Yanzhen's trap.

Liu Renzhan was a veteran of two dynasties, a comrade-in-arms who had fought alongside the previous emperor before the establishment of the Yu state. How could he tolerate such insults and schemes from Liu Yanzhen, a favorite minister of the emperor? Even when Emperor Li Jing came, he always treated Liu Renzhan as a junior and never said anything harsh. It is obvious what a military general will do when he cannot win an argument.

Under the cold glint of swords, the Imperial Guard Commander from Jinling pleaded earnestly, "My lords, please calm down. We are fellow subjects of the same court and should help each other and work together to defeat the enemy. How can we start fighting before the enemy is even defeated? Quickly put away your weapons, let's discuss this calmly, let's discuss this calmly."

Liu Renzhan angrily said, "It's not that I'm being unreasonable. Our Qinghuai Army is facing a fierce attack from Zhou's army and is in dire need of supplies and provisions for defending the city. The official letter from the Privy Council clearly states that the Desheng Army and you are escorting the supplies."

That was a special allowance from the imperial court for our Qinghuai Army. You've been here for two days, and not a single boat has entered Shouzhou. Now I've come to demand it back, and not only are you refusing, but you're also causing all this noise. What, is the official letter from the Privy Council fake?

"I'm making this clear today: either arrange for warships to transport the goods via the inland waterways to Shouzhou Wharf for unloading, or I'll mobilize the Qinghuai Army to deal with you all first. I want to see what kind of ability Commander Liu Yanzhen has, daring to so underestimate the Zhou Kingdom and so despise me."

Liu Yanzhen jumped up and down on the other side of the human wall, cursing, "You old bastard, how dare you! You have such audacity!"

Liu Renzhan, standing eight feet tall (over 1.9 meters), with a bushy beard and hair, roared like a majestic lion, "If I weren't bold enough, how could I have followed the late emperor to seize this vast land of Yu! If I weren't bold enough, how could I have led the Qinghuai Army to hold off the Northern troops? If the Northern troops aren't afraid, why don't you test just how bold I really am?"

It was November, yet the commander of the Imperial Guards, clad in armor, was both anxious and sweating profusely.

He hurriedly said to Liu Renzhan and Liu Yanzhen, "My dear Commanders Liu, my two Commanders Liu. Please don't joke like that, we can't afford to. Commander Zhan, Commander Zhen has his own considerations regarding the battle. However, the Privy Council's official letter is genuine. Our mission is not only to reinforce the Qinghuai Army, but also to escort the Qinghuai Army's supplies into the city. Please give me some time, Commander Zhan, so that I can speak with Commander Zhen. We are all subjects of the Yu Kingdom, what can't we talk about?"

The Jinling Imperial Guards, after all, had a different political background than the border garrison soldiers.

So Liu Renzhan snorted and said, "Your repeated attacks on the Dangyang pontoon bridge are not going to work. You should empty the ships, fill them with firewood and other flammable materials, and ram the pontoon bridge directly. The Zhou army's fortifications are all made of wood, and they were hastily constructed, so there was no time to treat the wood with fireproofing."

"Once the fire starts, even if it doesn't burn down the pontoon bridge fortifications immediately, the smoke will prevent thieves from crossing. It will naturally break down after a few days of burning. Why waste our lives like this? Damn it, this idiot sent over a dozen ships loaded with supplies to the bottom of the sea. He's like a son selling his grandfather's land without a care in the world."

Liu Yanzhen couldn't stand the insults coming from the other side and was about to retort when the Imperial Guard Commander quickly grabbed him and pulled him back to a corner of the tent.

Liu Yanzhen said angrily, "That old scoundrel has insulted me too much. What can he do if we just refuse to give it to him? Go ahead and complain to His Majesty if you dare."

The Commander-in-Chief was also from a military family; his father and Liu Yanzhen were both part of the late emperor's early career. Naturally, he wasn't truly afraid of Liu Yanzhen. Therefore, Liu Yanzhen's words to him were relatively polite. Although he was angry, he didn't vent his anger on the Commander-in-Chief after being pulled aside.

The commander-in-chief said in a low voice, "General Zhen, please calm down. General Zhan is quite old, and His Majesty trusts him greatly. It's not worth it for you to go against him."

Liu Yanzhen certainly knew it wasn't worthwhile. He was merely a favored minister of the emperor, with no merit whatsoever, which was why he was so eager to attack the Dangyang pontoon bridge. Liu Renzhan, on the other hand, was a renowned general, a great general known to everyone in the Yu Kingdom.

Although they both share the surname Liu, their reputations differ drastically. Liu Renzhan may seem quiet and unassuming, but he has a large group of loyal followers and sycophants in the court, making him a pillar of the Yu Kingdom's military.

As long as Liu Renzhan doesn't act recklessly, Emperor Li Jing can replace favored ministers, but he will never replace this old general. Besides, Emperor Li Jing is not a foolish ruler; he knows and trusts Liu Renzhan quite well. Even if Liu Yanzhen resorts to scheming and trickery, it won't be worth it.

If Liu Renzhan were to fall, Li Jing might even use Liu Yanzhen's head to quell the anger both inside and outside the court.

Liu Yanzhen said angrily, "Are you suggesting I let that old scoundrel insult me?"

The Commander-in-Chief said, “You are a scholar, and scholars are certainly more magnanimous and considerate of the overall situation than warriors. This pontoon bridge is so difficult to conquer. If His Majesty finds out that we cannot conquer the pontoon bridge and are also delaying the transport of supplies, I would be in grave danger of being punished.”

Liu Yanzhen's heart skipped a beat. He wasn't stupid; after two days of attacks, he also felt that Zhou's army was well-prepared, and the navy should adjust its tactics. Liu Renzhan's words earlier, however harsh, suggested that fire attack was indeed a good option.

Seeing Liu Yanzhen's expression, the Commander-in-Chief breathed a sigh of relief; this general did have some brains after all.

The commander continued to persuade them: "Our warships are currently drafted very deep, and even a slight breach could cause them to capsize. The ships are also too heavy, which is not conducive to naval warfare. What's more, the Huai River is in its dry season and its length is limited."

We can only send a few dozen ships to attack at a time. Hundreds of ships are just sitting idly by behind, getting anxious and helpless. Why not quickly lighten the load of those anxious warships, both to fulfill the Privy Council's orders and to prepare for future battles?

We've only been attacking for two days, so we still have some leeway. But if we attack for several more days and the supplies still haven't been delivered, it'll be difficult to explain. There are many treacherous people in the court; they won't understand the commander-in-chief's hard work, they'll only seize on the fact that the commander-in-chief is refusing to hand over the supplies, and then they might join forces with Commander Zhan's group..."

At this point, Liu Yanzhen was already quite nervous. He suddenly realized that his position was different from Liu Renzhan's. His future was in Li Jing's hands, and his political opponents were all in the Nanjing court. Falling out with Liu Renzhan here would only give his political opponents power and leverage.

Liu Yanzhen quickly made up his mind and turned to Liu Renzhan, saying, "Since Commander Zhan has come all this way, I can't refuse him. Order the navy to organize ships to transport supplies to Shouzhou via the inland rivers. Once we're refreshed, we'll fight the Northern Army to the death!"

Liu Yanzhen made a concession. Liu Renzhan, seeing this, accepted the offer without saying anything more, offering a silent thank you with his hands clasped, and then led the Qinghuai Army officers to find the navy. He wanted to personally supervise the navy's transport of supplies to Shouzhou. Liu Yanzhen was too unreliable; Liu Renzhan completely distrusted him.

Liu Yanzhen made a public statement. The Desheng Army officers standing beside him slumped back into their seats as if their legs had collapsed. Even the Imperial Guard officers who formed a human wall in the middle did the same.

Liu Yanzhen had only been in charge of the Desheng Army for a month, and before he could make any major personnel adjustments, he led his troops into battle. The soldiers and officers he used were all left over from the previous military governor.

The previous military governor and Liu Renzhan were old comrades, so the officers of the Desheng Army generally had experience fighting alongside the Qing Huai Army. They were quite familiar with and respected Commander Liu Renzhan. On the battlefield, a terrible commander can make you suffer endlessly, endure endless torment, work hard for nothing, and even taste the bitter fruit of defeat.

Excellent commanders, on the other hand, are quite the opposite. Therefore, the attitudes of soldiers towards good generals and incompetent ones differed greatly, and the prestige of good generals far surpassed that of favored ministers like Liu Yanzhen.

Fortunately, Liu Yanzhen chose to back down in time. Otherwise, these Desheng Army officers would not have fought the Qinghuai Army for him.

Looking at his men's incompetent behavior, Liu Yanzhen felt a surge of bitterness and anger. He said impatiently, "Immediately order the navy to withdraw and head towards Shouzhou City to transport supplies. Gather flammable materials to prepare fire ships. I'm only giving them two days. In two days, I will burn the Red Cliffs!"

The burning of Red Cliffs? The officers, who hadn't read many books, were completely bewildered, having no idea what Red Cliffs their commander-in-chief wanted to burn. Was there a place called Red Cliffs nearby?

Looking at this group of incompetent generals, Liu Yanzhen was speechless and said impatiently, "You can blame the cold weather for your poor performance in the naval attack. But you also failed to capture the Zhou army's southern bank fortress in the land battle. This is your failure in combat."

These next two days, all troops will rest and recuperate in their camps, preparing more siege equipment. Two days later, the navy will launch a fire attack, and the land forces will launch a strong assault. If this battle is successful, I guarantee everyone will enjoy endless riches and honors. Anyone who refuses to fight or hesitates to advance will face my ruthless military law!

An officer suggested, "General, our naval and land attacks have both failed in the past two days, and morale has been severely damaged. We must distribute rewards to boost morale so that our soldiers can fight to the death."

Liu Yanzhen said impatiently, "Didn't we just receive rewards before leaving Luzhou? We haven't even found a small inn along the way. We have money but nowhere to spend it. Why are we receiving rewards again? Are you all obsessed with money?"

Liu Yanzhen had long treated the army's funds and reserves as his own private property, and he wanted to make a fortune from this war. How could he distribute money after each battle? If he did this for two months, how much would be left? Wouldn't it make him look like he was doing charity?

However, the generals in this chaotic world didn't understand Liu Yanzhen's good intentions, nor would they heed his words. None of them were docile children; they couldn't be fooled by empty promises. Without money, not only would the generals not budge an inch, but even if they were willing, their arrogant and fierce subordinates wouldn't listen.

Liu Yanzhen felt uneasy under everyone's gaze. He also saw the Imperial Guard Commander giving him a meaningful look. He could only say sullenly, "Fine, fine. For the sake of the country, for His Majesty, I'll distribute the rewards again. Just make it clear to the men below that they must do their job after receiving the money. It wasn't easy for the country to raise these rewards; they should be grateful!"

The generals outwardly agreed with delight. Once outside the tent, they exchanged disdainful smiles, a tacit understanding forming between them. A commander who hesitates and cuts corners when facing a powerful enemy and when the battle is going poorly is doomed. Everyone needs to be cautious and avoid foolishly charging into battle, lest they become scapegoats if something goes wrong.

The section of the river that Zhou chose to build the bridge on blocked the route taken by Yu's navy to sail down the Huai River and dock at Shouzhou City. To transport supplies into the city, they had to travel along a tributary inland river and eventually reach Shouzhou.

The navy erupted in cheers after verifying the orders in the command tent. Everyone was tired of fighting such a humiliating war; delivering supplies was much easier. However, inland waterways are tributaries, and the number of ships that can pass at one time is limited. The capacity and loading efficiency of the Shouzhou wharf are also limited, so it's not feasible to send all the ships to Shouzhou at once and block them up.

Liu Renzhan led the first batch of forty ships to set off first, and the other ships would complete the unloading of all supplies within fifteen days.

That evening, as dusk fell, the naval warships, after a journey of more than two hours, finally arrived in Shouzhou under the leadership of Liu Renzhan. The people of Shouzhou were filled with excitement; they raised torches to illuminate the docks and began, racing against time, to unload various supplies by hand.

Surrounded by the crowd, Liu Renzhan looked towards the dock and sighed, "This time, it's good enough that the Desheng Army can protect itself. The future of the Qinghuai Army depends on them. Fortunately, the supplies have arrived, and we can temporarily expand our forces. Holding out until the dead of winter shouldn't be a problem. It's truly a stroke of good luck amidst misfortune."