Chao Lake, also known as Juchao Lake or Jiao Lake, was located in the southern part of Huaixi. It extended east to west for over one hundred and thirty li, with a width from south to north reaching over fifty li. The vastness of its waters was second only to Hongze Marsh in the Jiang-Huai region, and above Fanliang Lake.
The Chao Lake water system extended throughout the entire Huaixi region, forming the Huaixi water network, connecting upstream to the Huai River and downstream to the Yangtze River.
Occupying Chao Lake could pose a threat to the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. It could be said that “peering at the Heaven’s Moat, Jinling is in danger.” Thus it had always been one of the important corridors for northern forces moving south, and also a place military strategists must contest in all dynasties during Jiang-Huai conflicts.
Because the terrain surrounding Chao Lake consisted entirely of low mountains and shallow hills, upstream waters gathered from streams and rivers flowing from surrounding mountains, while downstream flowed out between Rusu Mountain and Qibao Mountain in the western part of Liyang County, through the Yuxi River, winding and meandering for over sixty li before flowing into the Yangtze River.
The Yuxi River was also Chao Lake’s only waterway connecting to the Yangtze in the present age.
As the southern outlet of Chao Lake at Rusu Pass, two mountains stood opposite each other with the Yuxi River flowing through. Upstream was the deep and wide bay of Chao Lake—the terrain was extremely strategic.
At the end of the Han Dynasty during the Three Kingdoms period, the shores of Chao Lake were a focal area contested between Wu and Wei.
When Zhuge Liang in his Later Memorial on Dispatching Troops referred to Cao Wei “four times crossing Chao Lake without success,” he spoke of the four large-scale military campaigns Wu and Wei launched in the Chao Lake region in just eight years.
Sun Wu, to resist Cao Wei, constructed fortifications on Rusu Mountain on the eastern bank of the Yuxi River, called Rusu Stronghold, serving as a land-based stronghold for Wu’s naval forces. Because it was located on the eastern bank of the Yuxi River, it was called East Pass. It had been repaired through successive dynasties and was preserved to this day.
The shores of Chao Lake accumulated silt and mud. From Rusu Mountain southward for thirty to forty li in depth was mainly shoals along the northern bank of the Yangtze River, causing not only serious silting in the Yuxi River but also multiple changes in the river channel over the past hundred-plus years, with extremely poor navigation conditions.
Particularly because the terrain between Rusu Mountain and Qibao Mountain was already elevated, holding back the mighty waters of Chao Lake to the north, during autumn and winter dry seasons the water level dropped even lower. In past years, the river running dry was also a common occurrence.
Although the Yuxi River had not run dry during autumn and winter these past two years, medium and small vessels with carrying capacity around one hundred dan still had no way to directly enter Chao Lake through Rusu Pass.
Even so, when Li Zhigao led his forces to capture Chao and Chu prefectures, as the main army advanced into Chaozhou territory, the first thing he did was further strengthen and construct East Pass Stockade on the eastern bank of the Yuxi River, at the location of the ancient Rusu Stronghold.
Of course, after Huaixi Imperial Guard forces withdrew, East Pass Stockade also fell into Shouzhou forces’ hands.
On the twentieth day of the first month in the third year of Yanyou, dozens of wing boats departed from Fanchang City on the southern bank, crossed the Yangtze River, and proceeded north through Yuxi Pass into the Yuxi River channel. Over one thousand armored soldiers under He Liufeng’s command were the first batch to abandon ships and come ashore south of East Pass Fort.
Even though the Yuxi River had extremely poor navigation conditions, as Chao Lake’s only waterway to the Yangtze in the present age, the strategic value of East Pass Stockade could not be overlooked.
Shouzhou forces stationed over six hundred elite troops in two battalions at East Pass Stockade.
For Han Qian, East Pass Stockade located at the southern foot of Rusu Mountain was not only the necessary route to cut off enemy forces on the southwestern shore of Chao Lake from circling around the southern shore to reinforce Liyang City. After capturing East Pass Stockade, even using winches, even conscripting tens of thousands of trackers, they could forcibly drag a batch of medium and small warships through Rusu Pass into Chao Lake.
At this time, the streams and rivers north of Chao Lake were still frozen. With no Tower Ship Army vessels in Chao Lake, whoever could first send warships into Chao Lake would certainly gain the initiative, possibly even forcing enemy forces to strengthen defenses along the northern and western shores of Chao Lake.
Therefore, the first battle of the Liyang campaign occurred at the southern foot of Rusu Mountain without warning—Han Qian choosing the first battle at East Pass Stockade was more importantly able to directly interfere with enemy commanders’ judgment of their combat intentions.
When Shouzhou forces entered Chuzhou territory, the stockade hastily built at the eastern foot of Tingzi Mountain was merely constructed atop a village stronghold. The protective walls were only slightly over two chi thick and could not withstand several fierce ramming strikes before collapsing with a thunderous crash, creating breaches. But East Pass Stockade had long been a standard military fortification.
East Pass Stockade had been strengthened while in Huaixi Imperial Guard forces’ hands. The walls rising over one zhang in height were one zhang three chi thick, with both inner and outer sides clad in brick and stone.
The walls of East Pass Stockade had corner towers at all four corners. Though each wall face was only slightly over three hundred paces wide, there were still three rectangular platforms called horse faces that protruded from the walls.
This not only further strengthened the wall structure but also could directly suppress attackers approaching the walls from the flanks.
Even though roads between hills, mountains and shoals were inconvenient, enemy reinforcements from left and right would only need two or three days to arrive.
At this time, Tangyi forces had not yet been able to conduct flanking maneuvers and infiltration, unable to effectively intercept reinforcing enemy forces.
At this time, besides continuously deploying new troops from the mouth of the Yuxi River, directly landing on both banks of the Yuxi River and dispersing along both flanks of East Pass Stockade via Rusu Mountain and Qibao Mountain to intercept reinforcing enemy forces, the attack on East Pass Stockade was extremely brutal and direct.
Over one thousand barrels of tung oil or other crop-extracted oils were transported into the attack positions.
After over ten whirlwind catapults were set up, what they launched were not stone projectiles.
Attacking such solid fortifications, even if stone projectiles weighing two to three hundred jin could accurately strike their fronts, it would be impossible to blast large breaches in the walls within three to five days, not to mention garrison troops and civilians would constantly move bricks, wood, stones and earth to fill breaches.
What was launched were ignited fire oil jars. Once fires were started, hundreds and thousands of barrels of tung oil and other oils would be hurled into East Pass Stockade regardless of cost. They even poured molten iron into the city, directly and brutally destroying wall defensive facilities and buildings in the city while killing and wounding as many defending soldiers as possible.
Dozens of tower vehicles and siege towers were assembled. Over a hundred soldiers all wielding powerful crossbows suppressed defenders atop the walls, providing cover for Han Bao and other fierce soldiers wearing heavy armor to kill their way atop the walls using siege ladders and other war equipment.
The defenders were all veterans who had grown through bloody combat. Their counterattacks were extremely fierce and intense. Countless war machines of Tangyi forces were destroyed.
However, in the cold weapons era, no matter how limited the effects war machines could achieve, for the fully prepared side they still held enormous advantages difficult to reverse. The six hundred defenders held out for two days before being completely annihilated in the stockade.
The warfare did not stop because the East Pass Stockade garrison was annihilated.
As East Pass Stockade controlled Chao Lake’s only waterway to the Yangtze River, its strategic position was too important.
That Tangyi forces attacked East Pass Stockade regardless of cost also provided sufficient reason for people to believe Han Qian was determined to compete to be first to send warships into Chao Lake to seize the initiative. At the very least, Tower Ship Army vessels subsequently entering Chao Lake would be sealed within the lake, unable to enter the Yangtze River.
Enemy forces on the western shore of Chao Lake, constrained by Huaixi Imperial Guard forces, did not dispatch troops to provide aid. But since Tangyi forces captured the stockade at the eastern foot of Tingzi Mountain and began constructing fortifications at the mouth of the Wushou River, Shouzhou forces had also strengthened defenses within Liyang County territory west of the Wushou River and west of the Chu River. Liyang garrison forces increased from the initial two thousand to over four thousand.
When Tangyi forces launched a surprise attack on East Pass Stockade, how could the Liyang garrison commander possibly stand by and watch the stockade under his jurisdiction fall without taking action?
The Liyang garrison commander on one hand dispatched men rushing to Chaozhou City and Chuzhou City requesting reinforcements, while on the other hand personally led three thousand troops, racing without stopping from the southern foot of Rusu Mountain to reinforce East Pass Stockade.
From Liyang City to East Pass Stockade was only slightly over eighty li.
By midday of the second day of the East Pass Stockade battle, Xiao Dahu leading troops entering the southern foot of Rusu Mountain was already entangled in combat and slaughter with Liyang garrison forces that had left the city to reinforce East Pass Stockade.
At this time, Zhou Chu, Lin Haizheng, Zhao Qi, Su Lie and others then led over ten thousand troops assembled at Tingzi Mountain, Wushou River and other locations, finally moving out boldly at maximum speed, advancing westward along both banks of the Chu River.
Zhou Chu’s forces headed straight for Liyang City. He wanted to take advantage of the moment when the main garrison force was lured away from Liyang City by this diversionary tactic to complete an encirclement of Liyang City with only about one thousand remaining garrison troops, and capture Liyang City at the fastest speed.
Lin Haizheng and Zhao Qi led forces that, in coordination with naval warships, would enter the upstream region of the Chu River to intercept reinforcements coming from Chuzhou City and Chaozhou City attempting to cross the shallow and narrow upstream Chu River to reinforce Liyang…
Even not considering that Xu Mingzhen could subsequently mobilize large numbers of troops from Shouzhou, Huozhou, and Zhongli, even if all enemy forces west of Chao Lake were tied down by Li Zhigao, Xu Mingzhen still had over thirty thousand troops available in Chuzhou and Chaozhou.
In comparison, Tangyi forces’ troop strength remained at a disadvantage.
Even not considering that new recruits trained for less than a month constituted over half the total forces, the total number of Tangyi forces Han Qian could deploy was only twenty-four thousand-plus.
The only favorable factor was that Tangyi forces, utilizing the Chu River and Yangtze River to transport supplies, war equipment and troops, were much more convenient and rapid than enemy forces.
Of course, Xuzhou’s accumulation over several years meant the advantages Tangyi forces possessed in military equipment and war machines far exceeded Shouzhou forces that had just received quite sufficient supply replenishment.
This also enabled Tangyi forces, relying on war equipment and Xuzhou’s mature officer corps command system, to display stronger combat effectiveness than Shouzhou forces in field battles.
Han Qian therefore dared to order Lin Haizheng, Zhao Qi, Su Lie and others to lead forces directly forming battle formations on the northern bank of the Chu River, relying on mountain passes and narrow roads in the Fucha and other mountains, to intercept enemy forces moving south as reinforcements.
Killing and annihilating enemy forces to the maximum extent in field battles and severely damaging enemy morale was also part of Han Qian’s combat intentions.
After all, subsequent intense military confrontation would not cease just because they captured Liyang City.
At this time, besides capturing Liyang City at the fastest speed, they also had to consider suppressing enemy forces north of Fucha Mountain on the northern bank of the Chu River.
Otherwise, even if they captured Liyang City, if enemy forces controlled Fucha Mountain and established strongholds there, as long as Xu Mingzhen transferred sufficient troops from Huozhou, Shouzhou, and Zhongli, they could cross the shallow and narrow upstream river channel at any time to launch a counterattack on Liyang City.
In that case, after Han Qian captured Liyang, the strategic intention of allowing Tangyi forces to conduct leisurely reorganization would be impossible to realize.
If subsequent warfare evolved into a situation where Liang forces’ main strength again shifted strategic focus from the eastern line back to the western line, Tangyi forces would extremely likely face a protracted and brutal war until completely crippled, with possibly no opportunity for rest and reorganization midway.
One must know Liang forces’ cavalry main strength adjusted extremely quickly. If Emperor of Liang Zhu Yu transferred twenty to thirty thousand Liang cavalry from the eastern line to the western line, at maximum speed it might require only five or six days.
For a time, warfare erupted comprehensively within Liyang territory and surrounding areas, with the interception battle on the western foothills of Fucha Mountain being the most brutal…