Fangcheng was located at the northern edge of the Nanyang Basin, wedged between Funiu Mountain and Tongbai Mountain. Its strategic terrain was extremely important—historically it had always been a vital choke point contested by northern and southern powers.

During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the southern hegemon state of Chu constructed continuous defensive fortresses at Nanzhao, Fangcheng, Biyang, and Lushan to block the passage for northern powers to advance south between Funiu Mountain and Tongbai Mountain. During the Three Kingdoms period, the Battle of Bowang Slope between Cao Cao and Liu Biao/Liu Bei occurred in the mountains and forests fifty li south of Fangcheng county seat.

After the Jingxiang warfare, Emperor Tianyou realized that merely defending the twin cities of Xiangyang and Fancheng flanking the Han River could not adequately protect Jingxiang. Even though the entire vast Nanyang Basin was practically deserted, it was necessary to construct new defense lines at the northern edge of the Nanyang Basin to better keep the Liang army outside Jingxiang’s heartland.

Emperor Tianyou once employed Du Chongtao, relocating the Deng-Xiang Defense Command headquarters into Dengzhou’s ruined city in the interior of the Nanyang Basin, conscripting large numbers of people from Hunan, Jiangxi and other places to fill Deng, Jun and other areas to strengthen border defenses. Between Fangcheng County and Wuyang County in Caizhou, continuous defensive fortresses were constructed, with eastern and western flanks extending into the mountains at the eastern foot of Funiu Mountain and western foot of Tongbai Mountain.

The Fangcheng defense line was not simply one fortress, but a defensive cluster composed of over fifty fortresses and garrison camps of various sizes.

During Du Chongtao’s period, besides permanently garrisoning twelve thousand Imperial Guard soldiers, the Fangcheng defense line had another fifteen thousand-plus military households relying on numerous garrison camps in the northern parts of Fangcheng, Nanzhao, and Qinyang counties for garrison farming and combat training—also an important component of the Fangcheng defense line’s military strength.

After Du Chongtao, Zheng Hui and Chai Jian took control of the Fangcheng defense line. The regular garrison forces had never dropped below ten thousand elite troops.

At this moment, the Fangcheng defense line had only three thousand garrisoned troops remaining.

Of the original garrison military households, some able-bodied men had been conscripted into the Xiangzhou Campaign Army, while quite a portion of garrison households had relocated to Liangzhou for resettlement over the past three-plus months. Currently only less than five thousand garrison reserve men remained (able-bodied men from military households not enrolled in active service battalions were called reserve men; at the Fangcheng defense line’s peak, they could urgently conscript twenty thousand garrison reserve men to participate in defending various fortresses when encountering enemies).

When beacon fires rose everywhere, the garrison soldiers also took up weapons, donned armor, and stood before the fortress walls, anxiously watching Tangyi army elites advancing south from Wuyang County territory like a black tide filling the Mashiping Post Road constructed in the previous dynasty beginning from Song County territory.

The Mashiping Post Road extended all the way to the Dengzhou (Nanyang Basin) heartland, crossing the Tang-Bai River and from the Tang-Bai River’s west bank reaching directly to Fancheng on the Han River’s north bank.

Fangcheng county seat was an important node on the Mashiping Post Road. Eight to nine li north of the city, the two defensive fortresses of Laohutou and Shangguanzhuang were built atop mountain ridges over ten zhang high on both sides of the Mashiping Post Road—precipitous terrain that was the northernmost flank of the entire Fangcheng defense line. Currently each had only one hundred-man squad plus three hundred garrison soldiers defending.

When the Tangyi army’s vanguard forces reached Laohutou and Shangguanzhuang, they barely paused before dispatching over five hundred heavy-armored elites each, raising swords and shields high, advancing along the sloped paths branching from the Mashiping Post Road, fearless of scattered arrows and falling rocks, launching direct assaults on the two defensive fortresses.

Where did the current defenders have any morale to speak of?

After the twenty to thirty military officers and soldiers who could be called Chai Jian’s or Wanhong House’s direct troops were killed, the other defending soldiers all threw down their spears, shields, swords and bows and surrendered. From when Tangyi army soldiers pressed close to the fortress walls to attack, to when the battle ended—it didn’t even take the time to burn one incense stick.

Dusk descended, but stars and moon filled the sky.

The vanguard army’s main forces did not choose ground between Laohutou and Shangguanzhuang to make camp. They lit pine resin torches one after another and continued south along the Mashiping Post Road.

Seeing this scene, Fangcheng’s defending general Shi En fled south in panic, completely demoralized and abandoning the city.

Fangcheng only had over two thousand defending troops. Dengzhou City, over a hundred li to the south, had merely a thousand defenders.

Though Xiangyang and Fancheng three hundred li south still had six thousand garrison troops, even if they all came as reinforcements, at fastest they would need four to five days before entering Fangcheng County territory.

Seeing the Tangyi army’s banners and that they meant business, if Shi En didn’t flee now, could he hope that the five thousand garrison troops in surrounding fortresses who harbored nostalgia for Former Chu would fight to the death for them?

Fangcheng’s over two thousand defenders could be said to include quite many of Wanhong House’s direct troops, but when fleeing for their lives they had no order whatsoever, only cursing their parents for giving them two legs too few. Many soldiers even took advantage of the chaos to escape into the forests on both flanks, or deliberately lagged behind directly, waiting to surrender.

Cao Ba didn’t lead the several hundred cavalry behind him to garrison Fangcheng county seat. He rushed overnight to the south bank of Upper Taoxi twenty li south of Fangcheng, caught up with the fleeing Fangcheng deserters, circled to the western flank, and from upstream of Upper Taoxi launched a night assault on the enemy forces who had hastily formed ranks, scattering the enemy army of less than a thousand remaining men, preventing them from fleeing to Dengzhou City.

Kong Xirong still sent people chasing after him, sternly ordering Cao Ba to lead the several hundred cavalry to withdraw into a mountain forest on the western flank for rest and reorganization, abandoning the plan to rush Dengzhou City overnight.

The Xiangzhou rebel army’s regular troops in Deng and Jun prefectures numbered only six thousand men, still divided among defending various cities. They had determined that Xiangcheng learned of the passage south through Caizhou at earliest one day ago.

Not to mention Zhou Shu’s forces defending Suiyang and the three Pingjing passes, or the rebels defending Jingmen and Yingzhou—even if Lu Qingxia and Zhou Yuan were willing to gamble their last reserve troops from Xiangyang and Fancheng, they might not be able to enter Dengzhou City before dusk tomorrow.

The objective of this lightning raid was not to pursue killing many rebel soldiers, even needing to avoid creating too many casualties. Combat would focus on driving out and scattering, while taking control of Dengzhou, Xichuan, Jingzi Pass and other fortresses at the fastest speed.

Among the Tangyi army, elite troops skilled in mounted archery and Songfan warhorses were also quite limited in number. The Nanyang Campaign Army temporarily barely organized one cavalry regiment of six hundred riders, handed over to Cao Ba to lead as the vanguard. Kong Xirong had to guard against Cao Ba getting reckless in battle and causing unnecessary casualties no matter what.

In the latter half of the night, dark clouds suddenly gathered densely across the night sky. North winds howled, sweeping the earth. By dawn, scattered heavy snow began falling.

At this time Cao Ba organized his troops to depart. Disregarding the heavy snow, he reached outside Dengzhou City by noon.

Dengzhou had by now become an empty city. Over a thousand defenders had fled south in panic during the first half of the night.

Cao Ba also didn’t lead his forces into Dengzhou City but instead headed west into the hills at the southern foot of Funiu Mountain, passing through Rangcheng and Neixiang counties’ territories, rushing straight toward Xichuan two hundred li away.

Considering the rebels might abandon Xiangyang, Fancheng, Sui and Ying to defend Junzhou using terrain advantages, Xichuan—a major town in northern Junzhou and simultaneously the site of the most important turning point battle in the Jingxiang warfare, the Battle of Xichuan—was the most important node for Tangyi’s desire to control the Wuguan Road.

Cao Ba rushing to Xichuan at the first opportunity—even if he couldn’t capture the city immediately, he had to find ways to limit rebel reinforcements from entering Xichuan along the Xi River…

On the seventh at noon, Chai Jian fled into Xiangcheng with four thousand remnant troops in panic. He could be said to want to cry but have no tears. Meeting Lu Qingxia, Zhou Yuan and others, they looked at each other in bewilderment.

The Suppression Army hadn’t received advance notice, but not to mention Zhou Bingwu and Zhang Xiang—even Zhao Zhen could be called a Great Chu veteran general who had inflicted quite tragic casualties on the Chishan Army during Jinling’s rebellion period.

Chai Jian only received news at dawn the previous night that twenty thousand Tangyi army elites were borrowing passage south through Caizhou. When he and Zhong Yanhu defending Yingzhou City began arranging troops to abandon their cities and flee north, Zhou Bingwu and Zhang Xiang accurately perceived their intent.

From early October, under Zhou Bingwu’s urging, Zhang Xiang and Zhao Zhen had both deployed the main elite forces of the Right Martial Guard Army and Right Martial Prowess Army beneath the walls of Jingmen and Yingzhou, methodically organizing siege attacks.

Previously the offensive was neither urgent nor slow, not particularly intense—mainly employing engineers to construct whirlwind trebuchets for siege warfare. But seeing signs the rebel main forces intended to flee north, Zhang Xiang and Zhao Zhen not only intensified offensives against Jingmen and Yingzhou cities but also organized small elite cavalry units to circle to Jingmen and Yingzhou’s south sides, delaying the rebels’ southern flight speed.

When Chai Jian abandoned Jingmen City, he still had over ten thousand troops under his command. But all along the route he was pursued by vanguard elite forces under Zhang Xiang’s command. Countless soldiers were killed, defeated and scattered. Combined with large numbers of soldiers mutinying and deserting along the way, that he could lead over four thousand remnant troops escaping into Xiangcheng was already extremely fortunate—could be considered proof of his usually formidable authority.

Because the Right Dragon Martial Army’s naval forces decisively killed their way from downstream on the Han River, Zhong Yanhu defending Yingzhou City on the east bank suffered even heavier casualties. Ultimately combining infantry and naval forces, fewer than four thousand remnant soldiers escaped into Fancheng on the north bank.

At this moment the Suppression Army’s right flank forces centered on the Right Martial Prowess Army were rapidly concentrating in the region between Fancheng and Zaoyang along the corridor between the Han River and the western foot of Dahong Mountain.

Obviously Zhou Bingwu and Zhao Zhen had by now confirmed it was the Tangyi army launching attacks from the north. This move aimed to intercept Zhou Shu leading the Suiyang Campaign Army from fleeing via Zaoyang to Fancheng.

At this time the Jingxiang army’s weaknesses were completely exposed.

The previous northern Xiangyang army—not to mention charging warhorses—had very limited military horses, and most had been taken by Li Zhigao to Liangzhou.

Although the Suppression Army also didn’t have many warhorses, they didn’t lack military horses.

Among the Left Martial Guard Army and Right Martial Prowess Army, cavalry-infantry forces with faster mobility made up nearly half the total strength. It was these cavalry-infantry forces that made it difficult for Chai Jian and Zhong Yanhu to effectively shake off pursuit, causing heavy losses.

Zhao Zhen personally led five thousand cavalry-infantry troops now concentrated at Chiyang, thirty li west of Zaoyang, while the first batch of Zhou Shu’s forces fleeing west had just entered Zaoyang City.

More critically, the Tang River and Bai River, originating from the Gongyi and Qifeng Mountain remnants of Funiu Mountain, converged in southern Xinye County and continued south, joining the Han River at eastern Fancheng. They had only just formed thin ice. At the downstream position approaching the river mouth, there had originally been a pontoon bridge, but Zhong Yanhu had already burned the bridge to block pursuing troops from pressing toward Fancheng.

This also meant that unless Zhou Shu could lead his forces to rout Zhao Zhen’s forces, his troops would have the opportunity to cross the Tang-Bai River by ferry boats to escape into Fancheng!

Having Zhong Yanhu lead Fancheng’s remnant troops to provide support from the western flank and receive Zhou Shu’s breakout was already impossible—not because Zhong Yanhu didn’t dare fight, but because nearly twenty thousand Tangyi army elites had already entered Dengzhou and were now massively dividing forces to advance toward Xichuan without stopping. If Zhong Yanhu couldn’t lead his forces at the first opportunity to reinforce and defend Canglang City located at the mouth where the Dan River entered the Han River, resulting in Canglang City being captured by the Tangyi army one step earlier, it would mean all troops west of Canglang City would become turtles in a jar.

Under the setting sun, in the snow trampled muddy by men and horses, over a thousand corpses lay fallen on both banks of a nameless creek. The daytime temperature was slightly higher. Warm fresh blood gathered in the stream, melting the thin ice. The stagnant creek flow resembled a blood river over a li long, lying across the earth.

Zhao Zhen sat in his saddle full of ambition, standing by the riverbank, gazing at the distant mountain ridges covered in white snow.

“Commander, Zhou Shu didn’t make it through—he’s breathed his last!” A junior officer holding the saber at his waist lifted the tent flap and ran over in small steps to report.

“Find a coffin to collect Zhou Shu’s corpse. When Minister of War Zhou arrives, we’ll decide how to handle it,” Zhao Zhen said.

This battle could be said to be won with devastating ease. The only respectable combat was Zhou Shu leading two thousand direct troops attempting to break through the Right Martial Prowess Army’s interception to reach the Tang-Bai River’s other side.

Although Zhao Zhen ultimately annihilated this rebel force on the Tang-Bai River’s east bank, the Right Martial Prowess Army with absolute numerical superiority still paid over a thousand casualties.

When Zhou Shu was finally captured, he had been struck by dozens of arrows yet still killed and wounded over ten more of his Right Martial Prowess Army soldiers.

Zhao Zhen respected Zhou Shu as a true man and had wanted to capture him alive to send to Jinling for even greater merit, but unexpectedly Zhou Shu lost too much blood and ultimately couldn’t be saved.

At this time the rebel remnants had already fled to Canglang and Yunyang, Fangling on both banks of the upper Han River, defending the precipitous terrain where the Qinling Mountains and Wudang Mountain pressed against the Han River, holding the gateway advancing west into Hanzhong.

After entering winter, upstream from the Danjiang estuary the upper Han River had shallow but swift waters densely studded with reefs. Large and small vessels could not enter. The paths on both sides were even narrower and more precipitous—easy to defend, difficult to attack.

In any case, before the upper Han River’s water level rose in spring and summer, the Suppression Army would have extreme difficulty opening the passage advancing west into Hanzhong in the short term.

Moreover, the Tangyi army at this time occupied Xichuan, Jingyun, Jingzi Pass, Neixiang, Rangcheng, Dengzhou, Biyang, Nanzhao, Fangcheng and other locations—eleven counties occupying most of Deng and Jun prefectures. Simultaneously Zhou Dan in Guangzhou occupied the three Pingjing, Wusheng, and Huangxian passes, controlling another passage advancing south from West Huai through Huaiyang Mountain passes into Jingxiang.

Of course the Tangyi army was also following imperial edicts to attack the rebels—one couldn’t fault them for it. But how the Suppression Army and Tangyi army would subsequently allocate suppression campaign combat missions required careful consideration.

Currently Zhang Xiang led forces garrisoning Xiangcheng. Zhao Zhen also sent vanguard troops to occupy Fancheng. How subsequent suppression combat should be fought, and even how Jingxiang’s subsequent defense zones should be divided—not to mention they couldn’t make these decisions, even Jinling might not be able to issue direct edicts. Ultimately it still needed to see how Jinling and Tangyi haggled!

Ultimately, too many people had failed to anticipate that the first Huai River battle would temporarily conclude with such an outcome.

“Should be Minister of War Zhou’s official boats arriving!”

Military Chief of Staff Ruan Cang pointed at several warships sailing south on the Han River’s surface in the distance.

Ruan Cang was Ruan Yan’s son, formerly serving as Yangzhou Chief Administrator. After the Huaidong fief reduction, besides his father Ruan Yan continuing to serve as Chuzhou Prefectural Governor assisting Prince of Trust Yang Yuanyan in leading the Chuzhou Campaign Army to defend the lower Huai River defense line, the prefectural governors, chiefs of staff, chief administrators, and six bureau staff officers of Yang and Tai prefectures were all appointed by Jinling-dispatched officials. Ruan Cang thus followed Zhao Zhen west, serving as military chief of staff in the Right Martial Prowess Army.

Zhou Bingwu as Minister of War led the Suppression Commission, currently the highest military and administrative official of the court in Jingxiang. Zhao Zhen led Ruan Cang and other officers rushing to the shore to meet Zhou Bingwu. When they reached the reed-grown riverbank, Zhang Xiang had also arrived by military boat from Xiangcheng.

Zhou Bingwu was over sixty years old yet still vigorous, wearing purple official robes. Not wearing a hat, his graying temples were somewhat disheveled by the cold wind. Landing ashore and looking at the desolate wilderness, his thin frame standing at the shore resembled a clear-minded and refined civil official.

In comparison Zhang Xiang’s appearance was much coarser. Wearing battle armor with hand pressing the saber at his waist, one couldn’t tell his age—actually two to three years older than Zhou Bingwu.

Landing with Zhou Bingwu was Suppression Army Supervisor Zhang Qian, wearing scarlet official robes.

Setting aside official positions, Zhou Bingwu and Zhang Xiang could be said to be among the few remaining old commanders and veteran generals in Great Chu’s army. Zhao Zhen stepped forward to pay respects to them.

“Which cities is the Tangyi army currently mainly garrisoning?” Zhou Bingwu asked with concern.

“The Tangyi army mainly garrisons Dengzhou, Xichuan and other cities. Xinye and Tanghe only have several hundred military troops stationed. In the Suizhou direction, Zhou Dan also only sent troops to take control of the three Pingjing, Wusheng, and Huangxian passes without continuing south—I sent someone yesterday evening to meet Kong Xirong. Should have a reply soon,” Zhao Zhen said.

“Since combat is finished, mopping up the battlefield and taking control of Suiyang and other matters can be handled separately by the generals. Let’s go to Fancheng first,” Zhou Bingwu said.

To defend Xiangyang one must defend Fancheng. The twin cities of Xiangyang and Fancheng stood flanking the Han River. Holding Fancheng could not only prevent the Tangyi army from extending their reach to the Han River banks but also control the southern Nanyang Basin region of the lower Tang-Bai River.

Coincidentally, when Zhao Zhen, Zhang Xiang, and Zhang Qian accompanied Zhou Bingwu by boat to Fancheng, Kong Xirong and Li Xiu also happened to arrive surrounded by a guard escort. The two armies could be said to have formally joined forces at Fancheng.

When Jinling transmitted edicts to Tangyi in late July to deploy troops from the flank to attack northern Xiangyang, they hadn’t formally incorporated Tangyi forces into the Suppression Army’s order of battle. Therefore Zhou Bingwu had no command authority over Tangyi forces entering Deng and Jun prefectures, not even nominal control.

Thus both sides entered the administrative offices that Zhong Yanhu had set on fire before abandoning the city and fleeing, seating themselves at equal tables in the great hall.

The left row seated Zhou Bingwu, Zhang Xiang, Zhao Zhen, Xue Ruogu and others. Even Zhao Zhen and Zhang Qian were over fifty years old with frost-grayed temples.

On the right side only Kong Xirong and Li Xiu sat alone and isolated. Li Xiu was three to four years older. Kong Xirong at most was only thirty-one years old this year—could be said to be excessively young.

“The Tangyi army borrowing passage south through Caizhou, the Marquis of Qianyang should have foreseen the rebels would collapse devastatingly, unable to withstand a single blow. Did he say how the Tangyi army should participate in combat in the next stage?” Zhou Bingwu asked.

“Minister of War Zhou has surely already learned that the Mengwu seized Yongzhou, and that Zhao Mengji and Wang Xiaoxian wish to submit to the Mengwu and other matters,” Kong Xirong didn’t beat around the bush with Zhou Bingwu, saying directly: “Subsequently Xirong will follow orders to enter Shangluo and join forces with the Liang army to attack enemy forces occupying both banks of the Wei River. But considering that the Tongbai Mountain post road is inconvenient to construct—at earliest it may be delayed until after next autumn before it can be completed—transporting war equipment and grain via land routes is extremely inconvenient. I request Minister of War Zhou quickly deploy troops to capture Canglang City so Chishan Association merchant ships can enter the Dan River as soon as possible…”

For transporting supplies to the Xichuan and Wuguan line, the most convenient method was still via the Yangtze water route into the Han River then transferring to the Dan River water route. Only then could large quantities of war equipment and provisions be continuously transported from Donghu and other places into Shangluo, supporting the Nanyang Campaign Army’s combat operations in the Shangluo region. To open this water route, they first had to ensure capturing Canglang City located at the Dan River’s mouth from rebel hands. If Canglang City couldn’t be retaken, Chishan Association merchant ships could only enter the Tang-Bai River from eastern Fancheng. War equipment and grain would have to be unloaded at Xinye to travel overland to Xichuan, then loaded onto ships again at Xichuan to go to Wuguan—not to mention the extra trouble, it also meant an extra two to three hundred li of land routes with much greater expense.

Although if supplies landed at Qisi and then borrowed passage from northern Caizhou territory to Dengzhou then to Xichuan, the overland route would only be about a thousand li—much closer than taking the southern water route—without well-maintained high-grade post roads, overland cart and horse transport capacity was far inferior to water route boat transport.

Even if in the future they constructed a post road through the valleys at Tongbai Mountain’s northern foot within Tongbai County territory, shortening the overland transport route from the upper Huai River into Dengzhou by nearly three hundred li, it still wouldn’t be as convenient as the water route.

Of course, once this post road was completed, it could ensure communications between Nanyang and West Huai wouldn’t be cut off.

This also revealed Tangyi’s ambition to control Deng and Jun prefectures long-term.

Zhou Bingwu glanced at Zhang Xiang, Zhao Zhen, Xue Ruogu and others seated below, sighing inwardly. Obviously even if Han Qian had ambitions to incorporate Deng and Jun prefectures into Tangyi, it wasn’t something these few people could refuse. Ultimately it would still require the Government Affairs Hall’s ministers to contend with Tangyi…