novelSusiti Chapter 46 War is a matter of vital importance to the state; it is a matter of life and death, a pat
Chapter 46 War is a matter of vital importance to the state; it is a matter of life and death, a pat
The setting sun was like blood, and the evening breeze carried the scent of blood across the empty mountains and fields, suddenly turning the clamorous battlefield of the Huai River into tranquility.
Zhou's soldiers busily repaired the damaged fortifications, saw off their fallen or wounded comrades, replenished their weapons, and repaired their armor. The soldiers who replaced them continued to guard the pontoon bridge. The exhausted soldiers, whose rotation had ended, were astonished to see their comrades preparing to depart.
When Liu Yanzhen ordered the troops to withdraw, Guo Rong's order was also transmitted to Prime Minister Li Gu via express cavalry at great cost.
Li Gu was startled by the harsh wording of the order, as if Guo Rong had jumped out of the document and grabbed him by the collar, berating him.
Li Gu smiled wryly as he put away the military order, and then ordered some of his troops to have a hearty meal immediately and secretly enter the south bank fortress that night via the pontoon bridge.
Currently, there are 10,000 troops defending a fairly large bridgehead on the south bank. Since Guo Rong has strictly ordered him not to retreat to the north bank and has sent a large number of reinforcements, Li Gu naturally has nothing to say and will carry out the order. Tonight, organize 20,000 men and corresponding supplies to cross the river.
Besides these, other preparations that Li Gu had previously ordered were also being accelerated. The Emperor was hot-tempered and intolerant of any dissent. Li Gu felt he had done a good job in the recent fighting, but the Emperor was still dissatisfied. Perhaps he really wasn't suited to commanding a large army.
However, Li Gu wanted the Emperor to know that although he wasn't some military genius or renowned general, he wasn't someone to be trifled with. He had made considerable efforts and preparations to ensure the success of the war. If this battle went well, his name and achievements would be indelible!
While Li Gu was secretly transporting troops at night, behind a river embankment dozens of miles away.
Under the cover of night, a dense formation of cavalrymen were busily preparing to cross the river. Although these northern cavalrymen were not skilled with boats, they had their own methods for crossing rivers. They took out sheepskin floats from their prepared horses (as recorded in Volume 4 of the Taibai Yin Jing: "Floaters are made of sheepskin floats, inflated with air, and tied around the holes under the armpits; they can be used to cross rivers.").
Li Chongjin climbed the river embankment and quietly peered at the opposite south bank—of course, he couldn't see anything at all; it was pitch black. If it weren't for the river embankment, Li Chongjin wouldn't have dared to have his soldiers make crossing gear overnight with torches.
A simple hut is easy to make; in the hot season, cavalry can easily cross the river. Horses can swim, and people can simply hold onto the hut and cross. However, the water temperature in November is extremely low, and neither people nor horses can go directly into the water. Therefore, they are making another means of crossing the river: a sheepskin raft.
Cavalrymen of this era were all-rounders, truly versatile. Li Chongjin, a seasoned veteran, had considerable experience in overcoming obstacles like rivers and mountains. He had brought with him a large number of hollow rafts and components for making sheepskin rafts.
Using the dim firelight, the soldiers worked in tense but efficient groups of a few, and within an hour they had assembled more than a thousand large sheepskin rafts.
Li Chongjin returned to the soldiers, inspecting them while telling them bawdy jokes and teasing them, trying his best to lighten the atmosphere.
Although the Imperial Guard's cavalry was newly established, the core veterans had rich combat experience, and the newly recruited soldiers were all skilled cavalrymen sent by various vassal states.
While regional military governors might be careless in selecting infantrymen, they dared not tamper with the tribute of cavalry. Li Chongjin had trained this cavalry force for several months and was naturally confident in completing this mission.
Soldiers from Shaanxi and Shanxi, in particular, were extremely familiar with sheepskin and cowhide rafts. Almost everyone was a skilled craftsman and an expert pilot.
Once everything was ready, the first group of warriors tentatively rowed south on sheepskin rafts, disappearing into the heavy darkness. No one knew what lay behind the riverbank on the south side.
A short while later, the assault team reached the south bank in the dark. The soldier navigating the boat breathed a sigh of relief; it was lucky they had been able to cross the river safely in the dead of night. After quietly landing, the group briefly scouted the riverbank to the left and right, but saw no lights. They then returned to the riverbank, lit torches, and waved them towards the north bank.
Li Chongjin breathed a sigh of relief upon receiving the signal and said to the officer beside him, "No movement is a good thing. This is not a shallow place, so it seems the Southern army is not stationed here. This is truly a godsend. Order the horses to cross the river. Tomorrow at dawn, all soldiers must rest on the south bank."
More than a thousand sheepskin rafts were used to secretly transport over three thousand cavalrymen and their horses across the river overnight. Less than an hour after dawn the next day, the remaining cavalrymen and all the spare horses were also transported across the river by the exhausted soldiers.
Li Chongjin cautiously ordered his troops to leave the open riverbank and advance forward, hoping to occupy a town for rest and reorganization.
Long after they had left, a patrol of Yu soldiers passed by. The tracks left by ten thousand cavalry and twenty or thirty thousand horses were impossible to conceal. Even the Yu soldiers, unfamiliar with horses, knew something was terribly wrong. They hurried towards the nearest Yu military camp.
The military camp was so quiet, there were no sounds of drills, and no guards came to question people. It was just a military camp garrisoned by local militia forces. Their pay was meager, and they usually secretly went home to work and earn money. They would only come back to maintain appearances when the higher-ups came to inspect.
In their panic, the soldiers, who hadn't had time to think, entered the gate only to be met with a large group of unfamiliar cavalrymen staring at them as if they were already dead. Thump, thump, a sudden realization dawned on them; they dropped their weapons, knelt on the ground, and surrendered to these unfamiliar, powerful soldiers. The Northern army had crossed the river again.
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Two days later, at dawn, the Desheng Army's camp came alive with activity. The soldiers were woken up early, and the cooks brought in baskets of millet rice, piled high with chunks of meat. The rich meat juices seeped into the cooked rice, and although there were few seasonings, the aroma alone was enough to make the soldiers look on with delight.
Besides the tightly packed corn and meat rice, jars of rice wine, jars of pickled vegetables, and basins of dipping sauce were unloaded from the truck and placed next to each corporal—today, everyone had to replenish their energy and salt intake for the day with one meal.
Experienced soldiers understand that the more abundant and precious the pre-battle meal, the more difficult and intense the battle will be. The reward money from two days ago is still on them; according to the prevailing moral code, once they've received the money and eaten, they should fight a fierce battle.
So after a brief moment of euphoria, the soldiers silently gathered around the basket, each tacitly dividing up their food.
According to the rules, the bravest soldier in the squad gets the most meat. One of the selected soldiers took the big bowl, looked at the excessive pile of meat that night, and had to say, "I can handle it." He was about to face the fiercest blows and carry the most dangerous work.
After the meal was divided to represent the most dangerous task, the other people's bowls still contained far more meat than usual, showing that the commander had indeed made a great decision.
With the meat and rice, pickled vegetables were split open with a knife and added to the bowl. The boiled meat chunks were rolled in the dipping sauce, and everyone enjoyed this top-notch meal quickly and rhythmically. If anyone felt they were getting tired of it, there was a bowl of wine for everyone to drink.
When Liu Yanzhen got dressed and stood up, the army had already started eating. There was not much noise, only the unpleasant chewing sounds from all the soldiers.
Liu Yanzhen sighed, saying with a pained expression, "Two liters of wine, two catties of beef, two catties of millet, one loose glutinous rice ball, three measures of soup, five ounces of vegetables, one measure of vinegar, half a measure of soy sauce, and four ounces of scallions and ginger. Who set these rules? The beef alone is unreliable. I don't believe that the ancients had that many cattle in their armies. Raising a son wasn't even this expensive."
The attendant whispered, "General, please calm down. We may not have beef, but other meats are still meat. It's only because we live in Huainan, a prosperous region. Elsewhere, they'd be daydreaming for days if they could even afford such a meal."
Ancient rules have been in place for centuries, and there must be a reason behind them. That's why ancient military texts advocated caution in warfare. Because once armies mobilize, they can truly bankrupt a nation. If even basic necessities like food are compromised, it's no wonder soldiers abandon their country.
After more than half an hour, the troops, having completed their reorganization, began to assemble and marched out of the camp towards the Zhou army's fortress on the south bank.
Along with them, the Qinghuai Army from the south also set out. Liu Renzhan opposed continuing the attack on Zhou's southern bank fortifications, arguing that Zhou's main force was on the north bank, making it easy to support the south bank via pontoon bridges.
Although Zhou Jun only had 60,000 men, their own forces combined numbered just over 60,000. If it weren't for the threat from the navy, Zhou Jun might have been able to hold off Qinghuai Army while simultaneously annihilating Desheng Army.
However, Liu Yanzhen was determined to gain merit, and to prevent the Desheng Army from being wasted, Liu Renzhan dispatched another 10,000 troops from the south today to support him.
Liu Yanzhen prepared a lavish meal for his subordinates, but what about Liu Renzhan's Qinghuai Army?
The Qinghuai Army's breakfast today was very simple: three catties of millet rice, one liter of wine, a piece of pickled vegetable, one catty of meat, and a bowl of soy milk per person.
Thanks to the supplies unloaded from the city defenses these past few days, otherwise, it would have been incredibly difficult to have such a high-standard meal. The Qinghuai Army is located on the front lines, and its population is actually insufficient, and its resources are not abundant.
Although irrigated by the Huai River, the arable land was limited, and logistical supplies usually relied on Nanjing. If this supply transport was completed, the Qing Huai Army would be able to replenish its supplies for six months at once. No matter how fierce Zhou's army was, Liu Renzhan was no longer afraid.
The soldiers of Yu State came from the southwest to encircle the Zhou army, whose camps were already visible in the distance. Suddenly, hundreds of horns rang out from the silent Zhou camp like thunderclaps, and endless war drums boomed.
The camp gates slowly opened, and squads of Zhou soldiers marched at breakneck speed into the open field in front of the camp to take up positions. No, not only that. The Zhou army had actually pushed down many of the wooden walls, pouring out in single file through dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of gaps—a bold move solely to increase the speed of their attack.
With a grim expression, Liu Renzhan ordered his army to halt and stand ready. He sensed that Zhou's army was unusual today; they had personally pushed down the stockade wall. What did this mean? Were they abandoning their defenses and going to fight a decisive battle?
When Liu Renzhan felt uneasy, Liu Yanzhen was overjoyed and said to his men, "The Zhou army is indeed reckless, daring to leave their camp and seek their own death."
But his voice trailed off, because Zhou Jun had emerged too quickly, and was moving even faster. Not just a few thousand, but nearly thirty thousand! It was as if you thought there was only a rabbit in the hole, and confidently went out with your tools to hunt it. But instead, a huge black bear emerged. The same hole, yet vastly different meanings.
Zhou Jun's infantry formed ranks very quickly, and once the ranks were complete, they charged toward the Qinghuai Army to the south.
Liu Renzhan's expression was grave, puzzled as to why Zhou Jun would disregard the larger Desheng Army on the flank and focus solely on eliminating his own 10,000 troops. Was it because they valued him highly, or did Zhou Jun have some other ulterior motive?
Regardless, the forces that appeared in the camp numbered between 20,000 and 30,000, all of whom were deployed in his direction. Liu Renzhan was not that confident, nor did he believe that Li Gu, who had previously displayed the demeanor of a renowned general, would go crazy and make irrational deployments.
Before Zhou Jun's infantry could advance, the Qinghuai Army raised the banner of retreat. The various troops, arranged in orderly square formations, slowly retreated towards Shouzhou. Troops within Shouzhou were also on standby, ready to meet them upon seeing Liu Renzhan's signal fire. Given Liu Renzhan's shrewdness, if Zhou Jun dared to pursue relentlessly, he could certainly launch a coordinated attack from within and without, taking a significant chunk of territory.
Zhou Jun seemed to know that annihilating Liu Renzhan's troops wouldn't be easy, so he only pursued them a few steps before forming ranks in the center and remaining stationary, as if waiting for something.
Liu Renzhan's banner was no secret; it was also a warning to the Desheng Army. A Desheng Army officer beside Liu Yanzhen immediately suggested, "General, the Qinghuai Army has already retreated. Let's retreat too."
Liu Yanzhen said doubtfully, "The camp is only so big, and the enemy force is only so many. Why is Liu Renzhan running away? Although I am surprised by twenty or thirty thousand men, wouldn't it be better for our two armies to join forces and wipe them out?"
The officer said anxiously, "The commander of Zhou's army is a renowned minister and veteran general. There must be a conspiracy behind his strange formation. Commander, we should withdraw our troops immediately. No matter what, we should retreat to our camp and rely on the fortified walls. With the support of the navy, even 100,000 Zhou troops are not a threat."
Liu Yanzhen sneered, "No, we will hold this position. No matter what schemes the Zhou army has, as long as our naval fire ships are mobilized, the outcome will be in our hands. Let's wait; it will take some time for the navy to arrive."
Liu Yanzhen insisted on waiting, so everyone had no choice but to wait with him. However, morale must be high, not low. Unlike Liu Yanzhen, who had a higher vantage point, Liu Yanzhen was able to better assess the battlefield situation.
Ordinary soldiers wore armor weighing forty or fifty pounds, carried various weapons, and generally carried a load of sixty pounds. If they had a clear objective to drive them, they might not have thought much of it. Now, they stood there dumbfounded, unaware of what was happening ahead. The goodwill that Liu Yanzhen had earned with a high-standard meal that morning seemed to be gradually eroding with time.
Typically, ordinary soldiers and even low-ranking officers in battle could only see the backs of the heads of those in front of them, and their own men's guns, spears, and flags were on their left and right. Only the soldiers in the very front ranks could see some of the battlefield situation, but speaking and whispering were forbidden on the battlefield. Therefore, an atmosphere of emptiness, fear, and unease began to spread throughout the army.
Zhou Jun was very considerate; seemingly certain that the Qinghuai Army was being watched, he withdrew. Not long after, a very noticeable rumbling sound came from Zhou Jun's camp.
The experienced veteran's expression changed drastically, and Liu Yanzhen, still puzzled, asked, "What's all this commotion? What are the Zhou people up to?"
The officer beside him turned pale with fright and was about to tell Liu Yanzhen when Zhou's army, with its gates wide open and its walls breached, burst forth in a fierce charge, its cavalry clad in crimson. If one could look down from above, one would see that Zhou's army had, overnight, constructed a new pontoon bridge using the existing canal boats and civilian vessels.
Now, a mighty cavalry force is rapidly passing through the north bank of the two pontoon bridges. The thunderous sound of hooves pounding on the decks of the boats, on the land of the south bank, in the ears of the Zhou infantrymen who are facing away from the riverbank and the camp, and in the hearts of the dumbfounded generals and commanders of the Desheng Army.
Without needing anyone to tell her, Liu Yanzhen stammered, "Cavalry, a large force of cavalry!"
The officer hurriedly said to Liu Yanzhen, "General, quickly order a retreat! The enemy's infantry and cavalry far outnumber ours; the main force of the Zhou army must have arrived. Quickly retreat, form a defensive line with our backs to the river, and let the navy come to our aid. There is still hope. Do not hesitate, General!"
Liu Yanzhen nodded hastily: "Quickly, quickly shrink the formation, form a defensive line with your back to the river, and send a messenger to contact the navy. We need help!"
The Zhou cavalrymen who emerged gradually raised their generals' flags, the most conspicuous of which was Zhao, the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guards of the Great Zhou.
Bathed in the morning sun, in the eyes of the Yu Kingdom's Desheng Army soldiers, Zhao Quanzhong, like all the Zhou soldiers, had armor plates that reflected the sunlight, making the entire Zhou cavalry formation appear like golden warriors. They charged towards the Desheng Army with lightning speed. "Heh heh, the Desheng Army, huh? Over 30,000 men's worth of merit, I, Old Zhao, will take it!"
With their commander displaying exceptional bravery, the Zhou army cavalry possessed boundless courage, even though they numbered less than seven thousand. Indeed, despite the presence of two pontoon bridges, the camp on the south bank, already teeming with over twenty thousand men, was simply too crowded for cavalry.
Zhao Quanzhong, who had just arrived at the front lines the day before, assessed his forces: 60,000 infantry and 20,000 cavalry. The opposing Yu army could actually commit no more than 60,000 men to the battlefield. The advantage was on his side!
Since we have such ample troops, why not wipe out all the places that dare to resist in one fell swoop? Why should we share the credit with Li Chongjin? Heh heh, Li Daye, if you can't get the meat, it's because you're incompetent, don't blame me, Old Zhao. It's not that I, Old Zhao, am being unfair, it's just that the enemy is too tempting, and I couldn't resist.
This was Liu Yanzhen's first time on the battlefield. How could she have known that the enemy's apparent strength was merely intimidating, when in reality they only had a little over six thousand cavalry? Today's unusual deployment by Zhou's army made it clear, logically sound. It must be that Zhou's reinforcements had arrived, using a detachment to hold off the Qinghuai army while their main force of tens of thousands of cavalry was heading straight for them.
When people are anxious, they tend to give orders in quick succession. Initially, the Yu army maintained an orderly defensive posture, but as the central command's orders became increasingly impatient, varying degrees of chaos emerged between the different units.
Before the Desheng Army officers who had discovered the problem could advise Liu Yanzhen, a piece of bad news arrived... or rather, it was felt – behind the Desheng Army, Li Chongjin, the commander of the Imperial Guards of the Great Zhou, personally led 10,000 iron cavalry, taking advantage of the Desheng Army's frequent changes in formation and the lack of defense at its rear, and suddenly launched a fierce attack from a concealed position into the rear of the Desheng Army.
Li Chongjin astutely seized upon the flaws in the Desheng Army's chaotic battle formation. Under his leadership, the entire army fought with unwavering resolve, like a giant iron hammer carrying the immense power of the East China Sea, suddenly shattering the Desheng Army's battle formation, which was riddled with internal cracks.
The chaos in the rear quickly spread to the central army and then to the front lines. Zhao Quanzhong, blocked by Yu's army and unaware that Li Chongjin had no intention of sharing the credit with him, also launched an attack and entered the battlefield. Zhao Quanzhong only knew that Yu's army was in disarray; this was a godsend! A feat of unparalleled merit—6,000 against 30,000—heaven truly favored him! Today, the first merit of the Huai campaign is mine, Zhao Quanzhong's!
The rear guard was annihilated, and the front was powerless to turn the tide. The Desheng Army officers who had been by his side rushed to take command of the central army, preparing to support the defeated troops in the front and rear. If the central army could hold them off, the defeated troops could regroup on the side closer to the Huai River, and there might be a chance to turn the tide.
Only Liu Yanzhen and his followers remained in the central army. Liu Yanzhen drew his sword and cried out, "I have the will to kill the traitors, but I lack the power to save the nation! Your Majesty, I depart!"
Despite his words, he never actually drew his sword. His henchmen, understanding his meaning, immediately swarmed forward, chattering, "General, this is the will of Heaven! The enemy outnumbers us, they are strong and we are weak! Liu Renzhan's cowardly retreat has left us surrounded. How could we not be defeated? General, leave quickly! We must preserve the seeds of the Desheng Army!"
Liu Renzhan was carried out of the main tent, quickly mounted his horse, and cried, "Liu Renzhan, you have harmed my army! I must go to Jinling to seek justice!" After saying that, he turned around and ran away with his central guard without looking back.
The commander-in-chief's desertion destroyed the efforts of the other officers. By that afternoon, about 20,000 remnants of the Desheng Army had surrendered to Li Chongjin and Zhao Quanzhong respectively, and more than 2,000 others were rescued by the navy that came to their aid.
On the battlefield strewn with corpses, disregarding the mud and stickiness on the ground, Li Chongjin and Zhao Quanzhong, though surprised, seemed to have expected it. Both were clad in iron armor, which clanged as they walked, but they paid no heed. They suddenly stepped forward, embraced each other, and burst into laughter.
When Zhou Jun besieged Desheng Army, Qinghuai Army, with the support of Shouzhou reinforcements, withdrew entirely into Shouzhou City. Liu Renzhan had just breathed a sigh of relief when he began to worry about the safety of Desheng Army again. If Desheng Army had also decisively retreated back to camp at that time, it wouldn't matter what tricks Zhou Jun had up his sleeve. He just hoped that Liu Yanzhen would be quick-witted.
In the afternoon, news came from the front that the entire Desheng Army had been wiped out.
Standing atop the city wall of Shouzhou, Liu Renzhan cried out in anguish, "Traitor to the nation! The one who has ruined our country's affairs must be this traitor!"
Just then, an imperial envoy from Jinling arrived, bringing with him Li Jing's order for the Desheng Army to retreat to Bagong Mountain southwest of Shouzhou City and set up camp to support Shouzhou, guard the waterway leading to the Huainan inland area, and to allocate several thousand troops to be incorporated into the Qinghuai Army, with all supplies to be transported to Shouzhou.
Li Jing's order was correct, it was just a little late. Liu Renzhan held Li Jing's edict and wept bitterly, feeling from the bottom of his heart that he had betrayed the emperor's trust and suffered a shameful defeat. He handed over a will to the imperial envoy to take back, showing his determination to die.