In late October, cold currents had already invaded the Jianghuai region.

The wilderness at dawn was covered in frost, a vast expanse of white.

A river flowing from west to east meandered through the eastern lands of Chuzhou, with masses of mist rolling over the water’s surface, spreading toward the fields on both banks.

A cavalry unit broke the silent dawn, advancing rapidly eastward along the riverbank.

The warhorses snorted, exhaling hot white vapor.

Li Pu reined in his horse, pulling on the bridle, gazing hesitantly at the three thousand elite cavalry behind him.

At this moment, a small cavalry unit forded the water from the south. A junior officer dismounted and ran to Li Pu’s presence to report: “御史中丞 Lord Zheng’s boat docked at Jiangdu an hour ago. By now he should have already galloped on horseback to the gates of Yangzhou City, waiting for Duke Changguo to lead the Right Divine Martial Army cavalry to meet up and take control of the Han Canal waterway!”

Fanliang Lake, Hongze Lake, and the Yangtze River waterway were connected by multiple streams and rivers, such as Shiliang River, Xiaojin River, and Shitang River. However, these river channels hadn’t been thoroughly dredged in decades, and the dikes hadn’t been extensively repaired in decades. Eroded by floodwaters, the channels had shifted course and become severely silted.

Small boats and vessels could navigate these rivers without obstruction, but hundreds or thousands of naval warships, typically carrying six to seven hundred dan or even over a thousand dan of cargo, with drafts exceeding one zhang deep—attempting to pass through these channels to attack Hongze Lake would be difficult. Even with large numbers of trackers arranged along the banks, they might be blocked for half a month or more without getting through.

In this case, forget about a surprise attack or catching the Tower Ship Army remnants off guard—it was quite possible that before they could even attack Hongze Lake, both the Huai River and Hongze Lake would freeze over.

Taking control of the Han Canal waterway so that the Left and Right Five-Tooth Army naval warships could borrow passage through Shaobo Lake and Fanliang Lake to attack Hongze Lake at maximum speed was the key to the surprise attack campaign.

Taking the Han Canal route, the main forces of the Left and Right Five-Tooth Army navies, which could assemble on the river south of Guazhou Ferry as early as this afternoon or at the latest by tomorrow morning, would only need three days for the vanguard naval forces to completely attack into Hongze Lake.

In other words, even if Anning Palace rebels had spies lurking in Yangzhou who rushed to Shouzhou to report at this moment, it would be completely too late to mobilize troops and deploy forces. At most they could withdraw the Tower Ship Army naval remnants from Hongze Lake and retreat into the Huai River waterway.

However, as long as they could seize the opportunity to capture the poorly defended cities of Haozhou on the western shore of Hongze Lake, they would achieve the fundamental objective of the surprise attack.

……

……

“Censor-in-Chief Zheng Chang carries an imperial decree and is outside the city gate!”

Wang Wenqian was diligent in his governmental affairs. When daylight brightened, he had already been sitting in his study handling official business for some time. At this moment, he was sitting in the small hall having breakfast with his daughter Wang Jun and his concubine Yang Shi.

The military officer guarding the south gate hurried over to report that Censor-in-Chief Zheng Chang was currently outside the south gate. Wang Wenqian was so startled he nearly knocked over the porridge bowl on the table.

It was normal for Yang Yuanpu to send out decrees, but what extremely important edict would require troubling Censor-in-Chief Zheng Chang, who had old ties with him, to personally make this trip?

Wang Jun was also shocked into sitting up straight.

She understood clearly that Zheng Chang personally rushing over to deliver a decree was absolutely no small matter, but at this moment she couldn’t guess what important decree would require Censor-in-Chief Zheng Chang to make this trip.

No matter what, as long as Zheng Chang wasn’t leading a large army, Wang Wenqian had no reason to block him outside the city. He dispatched someone to notify Yin Peng and Zhao Zhen while arranging for people to go to the south gate to welcome Zheng Chang into the city.

When Zheng Chang entered Wang Wenqian’s provincial governor’s residence, Yin Peng, Zhao Zhen, and other principal officials and officers of Huaidong stationed in Yangzhou had all received the news and hurried over.

Zheng Chang had nothing to conceal. He directly produced the imperial decree, announcing the operational plan for the main forces of the Left and Right Five-Tooth Army navies to launch a surprise attack on Hongze Lake, requiring Wang Wenqian and the Huaidong garrison in Yangzhou to immediately withdraw from along the Han Canal upon receiving the decree, facilitating Duke Changguo Li Pu’s leadership of the First and Second Cavalry Divisions of the Right Divine Martial Army in taking control of the dams, dikes, and sluice gates along the Han Canal, ensuring that the main forces of the Left and Right Five-Tooth Army navies could pass through the Han Canal at maximum speed and enter Shaobo Lake!

“This matter is of great importance. Wenqian needs to request instructions from His Highness,” Wang Wenqian said with difficulty, barely suppressing the shock in his heart, his expression shifting between light and dark.

“His Majesty’s decree is issued directly to Lord Wang and the generals stationed in Yangzhou. Additionally, there is an imperial decree ordering the Deputy Director of the Palace Domestic Service Jiang Huo to proceed to Chuzhou to deliver it to Prince Xin. Lord Wang need not concern himself with this,” Zheng Chang said. As Censor-in-Chief ordered to make this trip, plainly speaking, he was not giving Wang Wenqian the opportunity to delay.

Wang Wenqian could either resist the decree or comply with it. There was no third option to choose.

Zheng Chang’s eyes stared intently at Wang Wenqian, requiring him to give an answer right now.

Wang Wenqian had weathered countless storms in his lifetime, but at this moment he still felt as if mountains were pressing down on his shoulders, making it difficult to breathe.

“May I be allowed a moment to consider?” The matter was significant. Wang Wenqian found it difficult to make a decision and difficult to weigh the pros and cons in such a short time.

“Duke Changguo is leading the Right Divine Martial Army cavalry traveling by night. In less than an hour, they should be able to enter the western bank of the Han Canal,” Zheng Chang said.

“Please ask Lord Zheng to rest in the hall for now.” Wang Wenqian knew that whether or not to yield the Han Canal waterway required him to make a decision within an hour. He had Censor-in-Chief Zheng Chang and his accompanying personnel remain in the hall to rest temporarily.

Before Wang Wenqian could ask Yin Peng and Zhao Zhen to move to the adjacent side hall to discuss matters, he couldn’t help but ask Zheng Chang another question: “May I ask Lord Zheng, might Wenqian know whose strategy it was that led His Majesty to decide to dispatch the main naval forces as a flanking force to attack Hongze Lake?”

“Duke Changguo presented the strategy to His Majesty.” Zheng Chang’s military expedition required cooperation from Huaidong in many areas. He had already told Wang Wenqian the detailed military plan before, so naturally he didn’t mind Wang Wenqian knowing more, or even Wang Wenqian guessing that this matter had intentions directed at Huaidong within it.

Wang Wenqian nodded and walked toward the side hall with Yin Peng and Zhao Zhen.

Wang Jun was standing in the side hall holding a lacquered tray. Seeing her father walk in with Yin Peng, Zhao Zhen, and others, she quickly said to her father: “Your daughter thought there was still some sealed pre-Qingming Yunming tea in the residence, so I brewed some for General Zhao and Uncle Yin to taste.”

Wang Wenqian knew his daughter couldn’t contain her curiosity and had run over to eavesdrop on the news. He didn’t know if she had heard anything while hiding in the corridor just now, but he said nothing.

Yin Peng and Zhao Zhen’s minds were not on tea either.

Walking into the side hall, they looked at each other in bewilderment for quite some time before Yin Peng asked hesitantly: “Was this caused by Xuzhou merchant vessels entering Yangzhou?”

Wang Wenqian nodded.

At the end of September, Xuzhou merchant vessels entered Yangzhou. In less than a month, Jinling fundamentally adjusted its operational strategy against the Anning Palace rebels, intending to use the main naval forces as a flanking force to attack Hongze Lake and launch a surprise attack on the Tower Ship Army remnants. How could there be no connection between these two events?

Moreover, Zheng Chang had just explicitly stated that this strategy was presented by Duke Changguo Li Pu, which further confirmed for him that it had intentions directed at Huaidong and Xuzhou. After all, Li Pu was most wary of Huaidong and Xuzhou—he had suffered the most and the greatest losses at the hands of Huaidong and Xuzhou.

If it had been Shen Yang or Yang En and others presenting the strategy, he would have to consider another possibility.

Then carefully analyzing the situation surrounding Hongze Lake also supported this judgment.

Haozhou was located on the western shore of Hongze Lake. The area was devastated, and currently, apart from the Tower Ship Army remnants stationed on the western shore of Hongze Lake and along the counties on its banks, the Anning Palace rebels didn’t have many troops stationed there. After all, Shouzhou and Huozhou to the west were the base that Xu Mingzhen had managed and built over many years.

If the main forces of the Left and Right Five-Tooth Army naval camps launched a surprise attack into Hongze Lake, Anning Palace would most likely abandon the devastated Haozhou and hastily withdraw the Tower Ship Army remnants from Hongze Lake into the Huai River north of Shouzhou.

For the Anning Palace rebels, abandoning the devastated Haozhou wouldn’t necessarily make the situation worse.

For the Great Chu Imperial Guards, forcibly inserting themselves into Haozhou between Shouzhou and Hongze Lake wouldn’t necessarily make the situation much better, and might even directly prompt the rebels to completely turn toward the Liang Kingdom.

The only benefit would probably be cutting off direct communications between Huaidong and Shouzhou, right?

“So should we yield the waterway or not?” Zhao Zhen asked.

Currently, the garrison troops along the Han Canal were all elite troops of the Yangzhou Field Army directly commanded by Zhao Zhen, but whether or not to yield passage required Wang Wenqian to make the decision.

“Yield it,” Wang Wenqian said after pondering for a good while. “If we don’t yield passage, it would mean Huaidong is resisting the decree, and moreover, would certainly provide grounds for accusations of colluding with the rebels. If we yield passage, let’s see to what extent the Five-Tooth Army can fight once they enter Hongze Lake, then discuss subsequent plans…”

Having said this, Wang Wenqian looked somewhat uncertainly at his daughter, who was standing to the side holding a teapot and lingering without leaving.

Wang Jun sighed slightly in her heart. Hearing her father speak this way, she understood how her father predicted the situation would develop next.

In her father’s view, as long as Anning Palace timely withdrew the Tower Ship Army remnants from Hongze Lake, preserving these elite naval forces—and the Anning Palace rebels would have time to withdraw the Tower Ship Army remnants from Hongze Lake at all costs—since the main waterway between Hongze Lake and the Yangtze River was under Huaidong’s control, it meant that after this surprise attack operation, even if the court could capture Haozhou, the Imperial Guards’ cavalry, infantry, and main naval forces would have no foundation for establishing themselves north of Chuzhou.

Given Emperor Yanyu Yang Yuanpu’s suspicious nature, stimulated by the matter of Xuzhou and Huaidong making contact, in his urgency he might have the resolve to conduct this surprise attack, but he might not dare to let Great Chu’s main naval forces remain in a situation of being caught between the Anning Palace rebels and Huaidong for an extended period.

In that case, the impact on Huaidong would be quite limited.

Of course, if the Left and Right Dragon Tooth Army naval forces could severely damage or even completely annihilate the Tower Ship Army main forces in this surprise attack, they could thereafter fear no threat from the Huai River, and the situation would be different again.

However, no matter what, Huaidong had no need to resist the decree right now and blockade the Han Canal waterway.

The biggest problem was that after the main Great Chu naval forces moved north through the Han Canal, subsequently there would inevitably be large numbers of cavalry and infantry pressing close to the southern and western shores of Hongze Lake for support. Then the Chishan Association’s camp at Baiti Ridge on the southern side of Hongze Lake would very likely be exposed!

Wang Jun glanced at her father, Yin Peng, and Zhao Zhen, thinking they had probably thought of this point as well, but at present seemed to have no mind to take the Chishan Association into consideration. She said: “If Father advocates yielding passage, the vanguard warships of the main naval forces could arrive at Zhuyu Bay as early as noon tomorrow…”

Wang Wenqian looked at Wang Jun. Besides the sentiment in his heart that daughters eventually leave home, he also knew his daughter’s reminder had some merit.

At this time, the Chishan Association had dedicated personnel stationed at Zhuyu Bay to receive supplies as well as association members migrating north. In other words, if Han Qian was still in eastern Chuzhou and hadn’t left, at the latest by tomorrow he could deduce the court’s intention to dispatch naval forces to attack Hongze Lake.

If Xuzhou had spies watching along the Yangtze River, perhaps Han Qian had already received the news at this moment.

In other words, whether he sent word or not, Han Qian or the person from Xuzhou left in charge of the Chishan Association would know the news at the latest by tomorrow. If he dispatched someone to send word, Han Qian would at most know the news one day earlier—for the Chishan Association members remaining at Baiti Ridge, there wasn’t a particularly big difference.

However, for the relationship between Xuzhou and Huaidong, whether he sent word or not had different significance.

“I’ll go see Zheng Chang with General Zhao Zhen. You immediately go find Feng Yi to relay this matter!” Wang Wenqian said to Yin Peng.

“May your daughter accompany Uncle Yin on this trip?” Wang Jun said.

Wang Wenqian hesitated for a moment, then finally waved his hand—let Wang Jun do as she pleased.