Because the catapults required large quantities of brick and stone materials to serve as projectiles, nearly every decent building within Xichuan City had already been dismantled. Only the Town Commandant’s Residence barely remained intact. Many soldiers now lived in low, crude shacks.
In the later period, the catapults built by the Liang army could even hurl scattered stone projectiles into the city. Though the shacks were small and unbearably cramped, they could instead provide better protection.
The Liang army besieging the city withdrew toward Neixiang City. The defenders also lacked strength to pursue. Near the Town Commandant’s Residence, they erected somewhat more spacious large tents for the army’s main commanders to reside in.
Although they judged the Liang army’s momentum to be at its end, as long as the Liang army didn’t withdraw from the Jing-Xiang region for even one day, the campaign wouldn’t conclude for a day. No one dared show the slightest carelessness.
The Dragon Sparrow Army’s Second Division soldiers immediately disembarked, entering Xichuan City during the night.
The Tower Ship Navy naval troops—only some of the sick and wounded moved into the city. The others followed the ships into a lake north of Xichuan City, sealing the lake mouth entering and exiting the Xichuan River, guarding against possible surprise attacks from the Liang naval camp.
Great Chu’s normal maximum military organization at the “division” level was two thousand five hundred soldiers. For this Jing-Xiang reinforcement, the Second Division under Marquis Xinchang Li Pu’s command had substantially conscripted trained able-bodied men from the Garrison Army Prefecture. The departure force had once increased to nearly six thousand.
After entering the Hanshui and advancing northward all the way, the Dragon Sparrow Army’s Second Division also suffered quite severe losses. Currently, over four thousand six hundred soldiers remained.
After reaching Xichuan City, Marquis Xinchang Li Pu’s command authority over the Dragon Sparrow Army’s Second Division naturally transferred into Third Prince Yang Yuanpu’s hands.
After the Second Division’s soldiers entered the city, Yang Yuanpu also immediately reduced it to normal size, using the excess two thousand-plus soldiers to supplement Li Zhigao’s and Guo Liang’s forces, which had suffered the most severe casualties and were nearly broken apart.
Zheng Hui’s forces belonged to Huangzhou’s provincial garrison troops. Currently they were merely under Third Prince Yang Yuanpu’s command, but didn’t belong to the Dragon Sparrow Army system directly commanded by Third Prince Yang Yuanpu. As for the stronghold recruits led by Zhou Dan, their future disposition would await discussion after the war—these two forces, besides being allocated sufficient supplies, otherwise maintained the status quo unchanged.
Besides the over ten thousand elite soldiers of the Tower Ship Navy naval camp commanded by Yang Jian, the defenders within Xichuan City again recovered to just under ten thousand. Everyone wasn’t afraid that before capturing Xiangzhou City, and facing the main Jinling reinforcement forces’ powerful advance in the Yingzhou and Pingzhou directions, the Liang army would still dare forcibly attack Xichuan City again.
At the welcoming banquet for Marquis Zhenyuan Yang Jian and Marquis Xinchang Li Pu, Third Prince Yang Yuanpu, Han Qian, and Shen Yang all exceptionally drank wine.
Carrying slight tipsiness, after accompanying the Third Prince on a city patrol, Han Qian returned with Xi Ren to the Xuzhou Battalion’s station.
These days, Han Qian had continuously resided in the Xuzhou Battalion’s camp area.
Though he outwardly claimed that only by sharing hardships with soldiers could he inspire morale, in his heart he knew his initial thinking was nothing more than fearing that if the Liang army suddenly charged into the city one night, being together with the Xuzhou Battalion’s soldiers would give him a somewhat greater probability of successfully breaking out alive.
Returning to the great tent, Han Qian habitually removed the saber from his waist, drew it to check whether it was intact, then hung it on the pillar before his sleeping couch. Today he also rarely let Xi Ren help him remove his heavy armor, planning to sleep comfortably for once.
Xi Ren helped Han Qian remove his back armor, arranging it in order before the long table in front of the sleeping couch so that in case of emergency, he could don it at maximum speed. Seeing Han Qian’s brows slightly furrowed without the joy of the siege being lifted, she said, “Yang Jian also doesn’t seem to greatly admire the Young Master’s great merit?”
“Because he’s truly one of the few intelligent people who should have guessed that from the start, what I employed was an unorthodox, dangerous stratagem!” Han Qian sighed lightly and said, “The so-called use of troops—engage with orthodoxy, win with surprise tactics. Whether Yang Jian, Shen Yang, or even Yang En, they all received orthodox military thought indoctrination. None of them would place victory’s hope on dangerous schemes that were unorthodox from the very start! Perhaps in the future, they might not even support a sovereign who employs unorthodox methods!”
“The Young Master defended Xichuan and established great merit. The Dragon Sparrow Army’s rise can no longer be checked by anyone. Can’t this even compensate for the gap with Shen Yang, Yang En, and others, making them wholeheartedly assist the Third Prince together?” Xi Ren asked confusedly.
“Different paths, no alliance—haven’t you heard this saying?” Han Qian smiled faintly and said.
“But today when the Liang army withdrew, the Young Master seemed excessively listless, didn’t he?” Xi Ren asked puzzled.
“Do I?” Han Qian smiled mockingly and said, “Perhaps seeing the bloody battle needn’t continue, there’s a sense of relief from a heavy burden?”
Han Qian of course knew clearly that in his heart at this moment, there was no excitement or elation from defending Xichuan City and having the siege lifted. Just as Xi Ren said, there was instead a difficult-to-express listlessness.
Also at this moment, having witnessed Xichuan City’s meat-grinder-like bloody warfare, Han Qian could more or less comprehend his father’s state of mind when recounting that during his service in Chuzhou, he encountered that couple who cooked their child to show gratitude, then hanged themselves afterward.
At this moment, Han Qian even doubted whether if he hadn’t initially employed unorthodox methods, setting the strategy of welcoming the Third Prince to advance west and defend Xichuan, but had timely informed Du Chongtao instead—would the situation’s development have been better?
Xi Ren didn’t know what psychological burden Han Qian truly carried deep in his heart these past two years, nor did she know how experiencing Xichuan’s bloody battle, watching flesh and blood fly daily, touched Han Qian’s heart.
“My Lord?”
Tian Cheng called from outside the great tent.
“What matter?” Han Qian asked.
“Fan Dahei probably can’t hold on anymore. He just woke and said he wanted to see My Lord once,” Tian Cheng said.
Han Qian didn’t even don his armor, just threw a robe over his short jacket and hurried with Tian Cheng and Xi Ren to the medical camp’s great tent. Lifting the curtain and entering, Han Qian saw Lin Haizheng standing somewhat dazed before the sickbed. Fan Dahei lay there with head tilted, blood foam still continuously flowing from the corner of his mouth, but he had already died.
Han Qian stood dazed before the bed, looking at Fan Dahei’s face that had lost all spirit, wanting to say something but not knowing where to begin.
That day, he had suggested the Third Prince ascend the walls to inspect and inspire morale, never expecting the Liang army had prepared early, even pre-calibrating over a dozen catapults. When he and the Third Prince stepped from the wall-climbing path onto the east wall, hundreds of scattered stone projectiles covered them.
Zhang Ping blocked a falling rock for the Third Prince, his left shoulder bone shattered. Fan Dahei used his body to block a falling rock for him, his back smashed inward. Afterward, he had continuously fallen into a coma until now dying, without Han Qian even having opportunity to say a word of apology to Fan Dahei.
After a long while, Han Qian said to Lin Haizheng, “Go find Zheng Tong. See if the Artisan Battalion has good timber to build a coffin for Dahei, then send someone to Xuzhou to find Master Fan and ask where to bury Dahei.”
At this time, from somewhere came the sound of an ocarina, the tone deep and tragic, playing a dirge for fallen comrades. Han Qian walked out of the tent. Under the night sky, a bright moon hung high with not a wisp of dark cloud around. In the distance, he could see a figure sitting atop the north wall’s battlements, playing a clay ocarina.
Normally this was strictly forbidden, but tonight no officers went to reprimand. Many soldiers on wall duty tonight either stood or sat against wall corners holding swords and bows, quietly listening to this deep ocarina sound.
Han Qian returned to the great tent without getting rest. Scouts along the Dan River successively brought news—the Liang naval camp that had previously fled into the upper Dan River to avoid the Tower Ship Navy elite forces was now taking advantage of night to pass the Xichuan River mouth, heading toward the lower Dan River.
“I understand. Send people to watch the Liang army’s movements along the Tieao Ridge and Canglang City front. If there’s unusual activity, report immediately,” Han Qian said to Gao Shao.
Currently, Han Qian had Tian Cheng, assisted by Xi Chang, Guo Nu’er, and others, specifically command the Xuzhou Battalion. Yang Qin and Feng Xuan not only lost their warships, but the guild and Four Families fleet’s transport vessels were also destroyed by the pursuing Liang naval camp after transporting stronghold recruits into Xichuan City. The guild’s armed guards and boatmen, even Four Families sons, were all incorporated into the Xuzhou Battalion to participate in city defense. Gao Shao and Zhao Wuji handled external reconnaissance and scouting matters.
Seeing Gao Shao leave, Han Qian stretched lazily, about to lie on the bed to rest, seemingly not considering this intelligence the scouts brought back particularly critical. Xi Ren asked puzzled, “The Liang naval camp wants to flee back to Xiangzhou City. Shouldn’t we notify Marquis Zhenyuan now to send the Tower Ship Navy elite forces in pursuit and annihilation?”
“Who knows whether the Liang army has arranged some trap halfway? That this battle could force the Liang army to retreat is already great merit. Having finally gotten to sleep peacefully, why bother with unnecessary complications? Could we still hope to heavily damage the Liang army’s main force this time?” Han Qian asked listlessly.
“If we could seize victory to heavily damage the Liang naval camp, wouldn’t there be opportunity to blockade part of the Liang army’s elite forces, especially the Black Armored Division, south of the Hanshui, preventing their northern return?” Xi Ren stared into Han Qian’s eyes, asking puzzled. She could hardly imagine that Han Qian, who previously employed unorthodox methods, would actually give up such a large opportunity. She didn’t know how he had suddenly changed character.
“Sleep! If you won’t leave, do you want to sleep with me?” Han Qian lifted open the quilt and asked.
Xi Ren’s beautiful eyes glared at Han Qian before she turned and walked out.
…
…
At the northern foot of Tieao Ridge, the ruined stronghold Li Zhigao’s forces had previously defended firmly now served as a Liang army position controlling the Dan River waterway.
The iron chains of the chain pontoon bridge had been severed by the Chu army with giant axes. Half the chain sank to the river bottom, while the floating boats supporting the bridge planks were also scattered—some sunk, some beached on the riverbank.
Some floating boats loaded with fuel materials, thinking when Chu army warships broke through, they would ignite and burn ships. But the Chu navy had rich experience preventing fire attacks. Sacrificing only a small number of warships, they isolated the fire ships.
Everywhere could be seen burned, broken ship planks, either beaten onto the riverbank by waves or floating or sinking as they drifted downstream.
Han Yuanqi, responsible for directing the Xichuan front campaign, at this moment crouched like a leopard tormented by prolonged hunger atop Tieao Ridge’s northern main peak. His bloodshot eyes stared at the river waters to the north, projecting hungry, fierce brilliance.
The rippling waves seemed to hide hundreds of millions of silver coins beneath the black water surface.
Zhou Shicheng leading the Liang naval camp had already fled downstream two hours ago, but the river surface to the north remained completely still.
At this time, dawn gradually grew brighter. Though Han Yuanqi’s heart was extremely anxious and unwilling, he couldn’t help sighing deeply, saying to Yang Xiong behind him, “Had I known this scheme wouldn’t sell, when enemy ships broke through north, we should have ignited these fuel boats to surround and burn them!”
Three stockades were built on both banks of Liutiao Creek at the northern foot, enclosing a stretch of water perfectly blocking outer scouts’ view. At this moment, this water area of over ten acres held over a hundred small boats loaded with fuel and wood, doused with oil. The plan was that their naval camp feigning hasty southern retreat could lure the Chu navy’s warships down, then when unprepared, launch a surprise attack in the narrowest Dan River waterway at Tieao Ridge’s northern foot.
Unfortunately, until now the Chu army showed no signs of taking the bait.
Yang Xiong knew Han Yuanqi harbored too much unwillingness in his heart. But when the Chu navy advanced north earlier, they maintained sufficient vigilance and preparedness. If these hundred-plus oiled fuel boats ignited and charged out, what effect could they achieve?
Even if they could burn ten or eight of the opponent’s warships, what could that change?