By late second month in Liangzhou, the climate had already grown mild and moist. A fine drizzle fell. Su Hongyu received reports from scouts about the latest movements of Lü Qingxia and her group. She pushed open the study door, walked behind Li Zhigao, and gently embraced his robust waist from behind, saying:
“Your wife and the others still went to Qinzhou after all…”
“Alas, since they insist on this, we can only let them go!” Li Zhigao sighed lightly. He felt no surprise, and in fact, when Lü Qingxia and her group abandoned over two hundred suits of armor in Mianyang half a month ago, he had already anticipated this.
The Tibetan people, who were once powerful enough to threaten the Central Plains dynasty and ruled from Songfan in the east, westward and northward to Longxi, Guazhou, and other places, fell into fragmented internal chaos seventy years ago. The core regions under their control have been locked in continuous warfare for decades, and tribes in Songfan, Longxi, and other areas have taken the opportunity to break free from Tibetan control.
At this time, in the Songfan region northwest of the Shu state, various Qiang tribes stood independently, none particularly powerful, and they had not yet been infiltrated or controlled by the relatively stronger Pingxia people to the north.
If Lü Qingxia and her group had truly intended to establish themselves in Songfan, no matter how difficult, they would have brought the over two hundred suits of armor to Songfan. With over two hundred elite armored soldiers, it would not be difficult to争得 secure a foothold among the Songfan tribes.
Afterward, by uniting with the descendants of Han civilian garrison troops who had migrated west to this region earlier, as well as the familiar Qiang who had served the interior regions in earlier years, they might even have had opportunities to develop and grow stronger.
However, this was a path destined to be arduous and extraordinary. That Lü Qingxia, Zhou Yuan, and the others did not choose to take this path was consistent with their usual style.
Li Zhigao also resolved to cast these matters behind him.
Over this half month, after Liangzhou changed allegiance and submitted to Daliang, the over one hundred thousand military and civilian population did not descend into the chaos they had worried about. They accepted this fact much more calmly than they had anticipated, which rather surprised Li Zhigao and the others.
Thinking calmly about it, besides the fact that large quantities of grain and fodder were continuously transported north through Lizhou, allowing the officers, soldiers, and their families who had endured months of starvation to recuperate, perhaps over these years the commanders, military officers, and even common soldiers in the army had developed a sense of identification with Han Qian and the Tangyi army that they had not previously noticed?
Although such a fact was inevitably somewhat dispiriting, it was also beneficial for stabilizing the Liangzhou situation, eliminating worry that in the current perilous circumstances they would be exploited by powerful enemies.
“Husband, do you think Han Qian has any possibility of holding Heluo?” Su Hongyu asked.
The fate of Heluo was not only critically important to the overall situation under heaven, but also critically important to them, taking shelter in this broken and battered Liangzhou.
Although Han Qian had not made too many demands of them at this time, if they now truly did nothing yet calmly accepted the grain and fodder continuously transported from the Shu state, viewing it with peace of mind as an opportunity to rest and recuperate, then when Han Qian finally stabilized the Heluo situation, even if Han Qian himself was magnanimous, his subordinates Feng Liao, Guo Rong, Gao Shao, Tian Cheng, and others, as well as the officers and officials of the former Liang army—how could they show them any good will? At that time, wouldn’t they try by every means to find ways to torment them?
But if at this time they chose to integrate more actively into Daliang, even more actively helping Han Qian contain the Chu army in Xiangfan as well as the Mongol forces in Guanzhong, if Han Qian could not hold Heluo, then Liangzhou would inevitably become the Mongols’ next target that must be seized, and they would no longer be given any breathing room.
“Whether Han Qian can hold Heluo, the coming warfare will be critically important. If by mid to late fifth month, when the Yu River enters the new season’s flood period, the Mongols have still failed to capture the northern Luoyang regions of Yanshi, Hulao Pass, and Mount Mang, allowing Han Qian to welcome a longer breathing period, then with the Songnan Plank Road and Shuanglong Gorge Plank Road widened and Luoyang City having built warships and incorporated them into the navy, it will become difficult for the Mongols to attack Heluo again. Of course, the key here still depends on whether Jinling will dispatch troops to reclaim Hehuai,” Li Zhigao said with furrowed brow. “But no matter what, I will also have Deng Tai and Zhang Song lead ten thousand troops to garrison Yunyang, together with Chai Jian defending Fangling, to contain Zhou Bingwu and Zhao Zhen!”
Wusu Dashi and Xiao Yiqing were currently doing their utmost to urge Zhao Mengji and Wang Xiaoxian to lead their forces to participate in the Heluo warfare. Before the Heluo war situation yielded results, it was unrealistic for Mongol forces to attack the Shu state or attack Liangzhou.
As for the Chencang Road or the Tangluo Road, they wound for hundreds of li through the depths of the Qinling Mountains, with treacherous terrain that was easy to defend and difficult to attack at both ends for either side to utilize. With their meager forces, trying to threaten the enemy forces in Guanzhong would not yield good results.
In comparison, Kong Xirong in Shangluo had already occupied Lantian Pass with northern access to the Wuguan Road. His main forces could directly penetrate and infiltrate the Guanzhong Plain, which could contain large numbers of enemy troops.
By the same logic, they currently occupied Yunyang, Fangling, Jingyun, and other cities in the middle reaches of the Han River. Advancing eastward, they could threaten Canglang City as well as the western regions of Xiangzhou, better containing the Chu army and creating a more favorable situation for Liang-Chu peace negotiations.
The first phase of the Heluo warfare temporarily concluded with the arrival of the ice flood period. The defending forces also gained a rare and brief breathing opportunity. But by late second month, the weather in Heluo and other areas had already warmed. The ice dams blocking the river channels would soon completely melt away. In a few more days, the floodwaters in the shallow silted areas on both banks of the Yi-Luo river junction would recede.
From that moment until mid to late fifth month when the Yu River’s summer-autumn flood period arrived would be the time window for the second phase of Heluo warfare.
Standing atop the eastern foothills of Mount Mang, one could see over a hundred warships in the Caowei Lake spanning seven to eight li north of Mengzhou, divided into several squadrons conducting drills.
After the Heshuo upheaval, a portion of the Liang navy, namely the Right Tower Ship Army, had withdrawn from the lower Huai River to Mizhou.
During last year’s Hehuai warfare, the Sima clan and Xu Mingzhen successively surrendered to East Liang, and the local powers and garrisons of Mi, Deng, Lai, Yi, and other prefectures located in the eastern part of the Shandong Peninsula also surrendered accordingly.
Su Tian, Commander of the Right Tower Ship Army who had retreated to defend Mizhou, was originally a trusted general personally promoted and appointed by Emperor Zhu Yu of Liang. After the Mizhou local forces surrendered, and even after a considerable portion of the Right Tower Ship Army commanders deserted to the enemy of their own accord, he still persisted in leading over four thousand navy officers and soldiers to retreat and defend the offshore islands.
However, after news of Emperor Zhu Yu of Liang’s death and abdication to Han Qian reached them, Su Tian was ultimately swept along by his subordinate commanders, and the last remnant naval combat strength of the Right Tower Ship Army also surrendered to the enemy.
Human strength has its limits. Neither Zhu Yu nor Han Qian could prevent this event from occurring.
After the Right Tower Ship Army surrendered to the enemy, it was roughly divided into three parts: one part was incorporated into the Xuzhou-Sizhou army, one part was absorbed by Zhu Rang into the East Liang Imperial Guards, and another portion of officers and soldiers were requested by the Mongols. At this time, they were all incorporated into the Mengzhou naval camp to strengthen control over the middle and upper reaches of the Yu River and waterways including the Wei River, Jing River, and North Luo River.
Seeing that the Mongol Mengzhou navy was also quite substantial in scale, while Luoyang had not even finished processing the timber for the first batch of shipbuilding, Han Qian could only order that between Baima Fort and Longshou Fort in the middle reaches of the Yi-Luo River, wooden stakes be driven into the riverbed, along with long iron chains to block the river channel, preventing enemy warships from driving straight in via the Yi-Luo River channel and penetrating directly toward Yanshi and Luoyang.
Baima Fort and Longshou Fort were built atop the cliff mountains on the north and south sides of Baima Gorge in the middle reaches of the Yi-Luo River. Not only was Baima Gorge just over a hundred zhang wide, facilitating the use of iron chains, wooden stakes, and war equipment like trebuchets and bed crossbows from the great fortresses on both banks to block the river channel, but the terrain where both fortresses were located was narrow and precipitously steep, easy to defend and difficult to attack, making it easy to intercept enemy cavalry and infantry attacking in coordination along the river.
However, Baima Gorge was over fifty li from the Yi-Luo river junction.
This also meant that in the coming warfare, enemy forces could use naval warships to control this section of river channel and coordinate with their cavalry and infantry fighting on both banks, while the defending forces in Gong County territory would be divided into two blocks by the Yi-Luo River’s vast waters after the ice melted. Unless they detoured via the pontoon bridge on the west side of Baima Gorge fifty to sixty li away, they could no longer fight in coordination.
In terms of situation, the impending second phase of warfare was unfavorable to the defending forces…
The transport capacity of the Songnan Plank Road remained limited. Large-scale troops and war equipment supplies could not be transported over in a short time.
Since the decision had been made to establish the capital in Luoyang, besides establishing the Southern Interior Ministry in East Lake with Zhao Wuji serving as Director of the Southern Interior Ministry, Guo Duanduo as Chief Administrator, and Zhao Qi as Marshal, working with Ji Xiyao, Lin Zongjing, Zhao Yiming, Han Chengmeng, Chen Zhiyong, Wen Ruilin, Guo Quan, and others to handle East Lake, Chao and Chu prefectures, as well as communication and negotiation with the Chu court to strive to safely bring out all Han household members and Secret Department personnel from Jinling, all remaining Commissioner’s Office personnel had to relocate to Luoyang.
Even the Liyang Academy this time had two thousand teachers and students who, along with Wang Jun, Zhao Ting’er, Xi Ren, Du Yijun, Du Qiniang, Chen Jitang, Old Zhao, Xi Chang, and others, arrived first in Luoyang in mid-second month.
When Zhu Wen established the Liang state, he mainly followed the previous dynasty’s old system, but with some differences.
Kaifeng in the early period merged the Central Secretariat and the Chancellery into the Central Secretariat-Chancellery, which together with the Bureau of Military Affairs and the Censorate controlled the three powers of government, military, and oversight. The Central Secretariat-Chancellery was headed by the Grand Councilor as de facto prime minister, managing confidential matters, deliberating on state affairs, reviewing edicts, signing memorials, possessing the power of sealing and control, and issuing government orders.
The Department of State Affairs did not appoint a Minister of State Affairs but had Left and Right Vice Ministers as executives, actually serving as vice prime ministers, deliberating on state affairs. It supervised the six ministries of Personnel, Rites, War, Justice, Revenue, and Works with their twenty-four bureaus, actually responsible for executing edicts.
During the period when Han Qian personally arrived at the front lines and personally commanded the Yi-Luo River defensive battle, Feng Liao, Guo Rong, Gao Shao, Wen Muqiao, along with Gu Qian, Chen Youtong, Lei Jiuyuan, Zhu Juezhong, and others in Luoyang City were not idly eating free meals.
Besides fully implementing the new system of redeeming farmland, sorting out the military registration relationships of former Liang army officers and soldiers as well as local relationships in over fifty counties of Heluo, establishing new recruitment agencies, advancing naval construction, and strengthening repairs to Heluo’s city fortresses and roads, mobilizing existing grain and material supplies in the Heluo region to the maximum extent, they also reformed Luoyang’s central institutions according to Han Qian’s intentions.
In all aspects, they could be said to be advancing various tasks without stopping. It was also through Feng Liao and their colleagues’ unremitting efforts that frontline battlefield grain, military, and material supplies were adequately provided, and officer and soldier morale and military spirit were maintained in relative stability.
Whether considering reconciliation and compromise with the Chu court in order to concentrate forces to resist the Mongol and East Liang armies, or considering the reality that Heluo and Tangyi currently actually occupied only fifteen prefectures with over ninety counties and a population barely reaching four million, it was inconvenient for the Liang state to continue calling itself a court.
That Daliang was downgraded to calling itself a state was not only advocated by Zhu Yu before his death, but also recognized by Gu Qian, Chen Youtong, Zhu Juezhong, Lei Jiuyuan, as well as Jing Hao, Jing Zhen, Han Yuanqi, Chen Kun, and other officers and officials.
In fact, the initial advocacy of Gu, Chen, and others was also to enthrone Zhu Zhen and then pledge allegiance as vassals to the Chu court.
With Daliang no longer calling itself a court but downgrading to calling itself a state, and Han Qian also calling himself state ruler with his subordinate officials and ministers addressing him as “sovereign lord,” the central institutions established in Luoyang also had to undergo corresponding transformation and needed to be integrated with the Tangyi Commissioner’s Office.
Everyone ultimately advocated changing the Central Secretariat-Chancellery and Department of State Affairs to the Left and Right Interior Ministries, the Censorate to the Oversight Ministry, and the Bureau of Military Affairs to the Military Intelligence Staff Ministry.
In this way, the Left Interior Ministry incorporated the authority of the Tangyi Commissioner’s Office’s Administration Bureau, with Gu Qian and Guo Rong serving as Left and Right Directors of the Left Interior Ministry, attending Han Qian’s side, responsible for managing confidential matters, drafting and issuing edicts, and holding the authority to review memorials and seal rejections.
The Right Interior Ministry incorporated the authority of the Tangyi General Administration Bureau. Edicts drafted by the Left Interior Ministry, after determination by Han Qian, were implemented by the Right Interior Ministry. The six ministries and twenty-four bureaus originally under the Department of State Affairs were downgraded to six departments and twenty-four offices under the Right Interior Ministry, with Feng Liao and the former Liang Ministry of Works Vice Minister Zhou Daoyuan serving as Left and Right Directors of the Right Interior Ministry.
The Military Intelligence Staff Ministry controlled military force command and deployment, with Gao Shao and Jing Hao serving as Left and Right Ministry Supervisors.
The Oversight Ministry held the authority to oversee all officials, with Yuan Guowei and Zhu Juezhong serving as Left and Right Ministry Supervisors.
The Left and Right Interior Ministry Directors, Military Intelligence Staff Ministry Supervisors, and Oversight Ministry Supervisors, together with Lei Jiuyuan and Wen Muqiao, all received the title of Vice Administrator of Government Affairs, jointly deliberating on state affairs. This was roughly the same as the Chu court at this time, implementing a plural prime minister system.
After Wang Jun, Zhao Ting’er, and Xi Ren arrived in Luoyang, they did not directly participate in the highest-level military and political decision-making as they had in East Lake. This was also to avoid conflict with the Liang state’s existing tradition that the inner palace must not interfere in government.
Besides Xi Ren, as Director of the Inner Attendant Ministry, actually taking responsibility for the inner court’s guard and operational work, Zhao Ting’er, together with Du Qiniang and Xiangyun, was responsible for comprehensive university administration as well as building and developing institutions that the Liang state had not previously had, such as the Medical Care Academy and Carrier Pigeon Bureau. Wang Jun went directly to Han Qian’s side.
Besides commanding and deploying frontline battlefields, large numbers of edicts and official correspondence also required more people to assist Han Qian in handling them.
During the first phase of warfare, Han Yuanqi and Chen Kun’s units suffered relatively high casualties. They subsequently withdrew to the Yanshi and Baima Gorge line to rest and reorganize. Subsequently, they would be responsible for defending the bottom of the entire pocket formation.
Over the past half month, a new batch of grassroots military officers and veteran soldiers from Huaixi’s various prefectures and counties had been re-recruited, successively traveling via the Songnan Plank Road to Luoyang to enlist. Together with several thousand able-bodied men newly recruited from Heluo, they were used to replenish the consumption of Han Yuanqi and Chen Kun’s two units in the previous phase of warfare.
Jing Hao assumed the position of Right Supervisor of the Military Intelligence Staff Ministry. His unit was commanded by deputy general Su Mu, along with Shen Peng, Zhao Ci, and others—all trusted confidants and core commanders of the former Liang army loyal to Zhu Yu. They entered the various fortresses in the northwestern foothills of Mount Song, serving as the southern edge of the entire pocket formation, preparing to meet the second phase offensive.
The entire pocket formation defense line used Baima Gorge and Yanshi City as the base, the various fortresses in the northwestern foothills of Mount Song south of the Yi-Luo River as the upper edge, the eastern ridges of Mount Mang as the lower edge, and Hulao Pass and Xixuan Temple Fort at the eastern foot of Mount Mang as the opening. Fifty thousand of the most elite troops were assembled, allowing enemy forces to advance by water and land along the lower Yi-Luo River channel, grinding them down bit by bit in protracted warfare until they could no longer sustain it and ultimately abandoned their ambition to seize Heluo.
Considering that in the next phase, enemy forces using boats to cross the Yu River for combat would very likely attempt to land in small numbers within Mengjin territory to open new battlefields, attempting to penetrate southward across the relatively stable terrain on the central and western sides of Mount Mang.
Han Qian transferred Li Xiu, Li Qi, and Wang Tang along with two hundred military officers from Shangluo to Mengjin, having Li Xiu concurrently serve as Mengjin County Magistrate. They conscripted a total of ten thousand local militia from the area as well as Liang army officers and soldiers recovering from wounds and re-entering the ranks, newly organizing two combat brigades to establish defense lines between northern Mengjin and Mount Mang in northwestern Yanshi.
Zhu Zhen ultimately calmly accepted the fact that his father Zhu Yu had abdicated the position of Daliang state ruler to Han Qian. His only request was the hope to continue leading troops in combat in Shangluo to avenge his father.
Han Qian agreed to Zhu Zhen’s request. On the foundation of the remnant forces of the former Yongzhou, besides transferring over two thousand sick and wounded soldiers via Wuguan Pass to Xichuan City to rest and reorganize, he merged the veteran soldiers of Li Qi’s Dragon Sparrow Army under Zhu Zhen’s command, newly organizing a heavy armored infantry brigade. Together with the four generals Cao Ba, Han Bao, Lin Sheng, and Wen Yuan, they all served under Kong Xirong’s command, continuing from the Shangluo and Lantian directions to contain enemy forces in Guanzhong.
For Kong Xirong in the Shangluo and Lantian directions, having the three elite brigades of Zhu Zhen, Han Bao, and Lin Sheng was already sufficient. Currently, Wen Yuan’s unit as well as a portion of reserve forces were mainly still deployed in Xichuan and Jingzi Pass, guarding against Zhao Zhen’s Right Martial Soaring Army. Subsequently, they could even have Li Zhigao contain a portion of Guanzhong enemy forces from the Chencang and Tangluo roads.
It was also after Wang Jun and Zhao Ting’er rushed to Luoyang that news of Li Zhigao accepting investiture and leading Liangzhou’s military and civilian population into the Liang state reached Luoyang.
Luoyang had temporarily not established pigeon roosts, much less hatched the first batch of carrier pigeons. They could not utilize carrier pigeons’ homing characteristics for rapid long-distance communication. Intelligence reports entering Luoyang from outside currently could only be transmitted through the most traditional methods.
Messengers departing from Liangzhou, crossing over the mountain ranges of the southeastern Qinling foothills, arriving at Jingzi Pass, traveling the Wuguan Road to Huayang, then traveling the Shuanglong Gorge Plank Road all the way to the great camp at the eastern foothills of Mount Mang—even the most vigorous scout messengers would lose a layer of skin making such a journey.
By the time Wang Jun entered the great camp at the eastern ridges of Mount Mang and formally assisted Han Qian in handling military and political affairs, although Han Qian had not made demands when he sent Feng Yi to Liangzhou to offer recruitment, Li Zhigao still followed protocol and sent his son Li Zhi as well as Chai Jian’s second son Chai Zhi and others to rush to Luoyang, arriving at the great camp at the eastern ridges of Mount Mang to pay respects to Han Qian.
In the current age, Li Zhigao could be considered to have married relatively late. His eldest son Li Zhi was only seventeen this year, even two years younger than Chai Jian’s second son Chai Zhi. Having experienced such great upheavals over the past year, Li Zhi, Chai Zhi, and others had become more mature than their peers.
Since Li Zhigao and Chai Jian insisted on sending their sons Li Zhi and Chai Zhi to Luoyang as hostages, Feng Liao and others originally advocated giving them nominal positions and supporting them in guesthouses. Han Qian instead considered that the Luoyang Comprehensive Academy would soon be operational and had Li Zhi, Chai Zhi, and others first enter the academy to study the new learning.
Li Zhigao’s acceptance of recruitment and investiture did not exceed Han Qian’s expectations. Han Qian had not even considered the possibility that Li Zhigao would refuse him.
Of course, if Li Zhigao had been controlled by Lü Qingxia and her group and refused to accept their conditions, Han Qian had also prepared himself psychologically that even if the Heluo warfare became more difficult and brutal, he would definitely have Kong Xirong lead a portion of elite forces to kill their way into Liangzhou from the west bank of the Dan River and the north bank of the Han River.
At that time, he would not hesitate to return Liangzhou at the cost of joining hands with the Shu army to annihilate the already weakened Liangzhou rebel forces, so that the Shu army could play a greater containing role.
The current situation was of course better than imagined. Not only could Li Zhigao dispatch troops from Liangzhou to contain enemy forces west of Yongzhou—even if Liangzhou did not dispatch troops, it would make enemy forces dare not neglect defense on the western side—but simultaneously Han Qian did not need to worry that Zhao Zhen would still dare to threaten Guangzhou and Dengzhou from Fancheng and Suiyang.
Han Qian could now order the five thousand able-bodied garrison troops who had surrendered from Deng and Jun prefectures to be transferred via the Shuanglong Gorge Plank Road into Heluo. Although there were indeed over ten thousand able-bodied garrison males from Deng and Jun prefectures, adhering to Tangyi’s long-standing principle of “households keep surplus males for farming, cannot recruit all,” in total they actually only recruited just over five thousand able-bodied men through normal recruitment into the ranks.
This portion of troops had been used by Emperor Tianyou in earlier years to strengthen the Deng-Jun defense line against Liang. In peacetime they farmed and guarded fields, during agricultural off-seasons they drilled, and during wartime they entered garrison fortresses to participate in defense. They all had quite strong training foundations and could be directly recruited as soldiers to replenish casualties produced by Feng Xuan, Zhou Dan, and Su Lie, Xue Chuan, and other units in the first phase of Heluo warfare.
In addition, Lin Jiang and a group of Chishan Society and Tangyi navy officers and officials were ordered to transfer to Luoyang, responsible for constructing the Yique Lake naval camp and the preliminary recruitment and training of the Luoyang navy, including one combat brigade and one boat bridge brigade.
In other words, in the next phase of warfare about to erupt, although the situation was unfavorable to Heluo, after experiencing the first phase of warfare, the scale and combat effectiveness of Heluo’s forces had not been reduced but had even been strengthened.
Although large-scale supplies could not be adequately sent over in the short term, physicians and large quantities of wound treatment medicines had already adequately guaranteed all armies.
The former Liang army only established specialized medical officers at the command level, responsible for leading several students to handle medical treatment for officers and soldiers. This was barely adequate during peacetime garrison periods, but during wartime, when hundreds or thousands of soldiers were wounded every day requiring medical treatment, a command of three to five thousand troops could potentially have injury and illness rates reaching thirty to forty percent at peak times. How could such limited personnel possibly suffice?
Not to mention guaranteeing adequate medication.
In Huaixi and Xuzhou over these years, first of all, with Han Qian’s support and promotion, the Medical Academy trained physicians all based on dissecting human bodies for study and research—this could be said to violate great taboos, but fortunately with continuous warfare over these years, dissecting enemy corpses drew less internal controversy—the level of surgical trauma treatment had long surpassed the current age by far too much.
Artificial large-scale medicinal plant cultivation had already formed substantial scale in Xuzhou, East Lake, Huaiyang, and other places. This included the cultivation, research, and trial use of plants with anesthetic properties that were transmitted to China in the early years of the previous dynasty, including datura as well as monkshood, jack-in-the-pulpit, sheep azalea, and aconite. This was a key emphasis by Han Qian, guaranteeing the supply of surgical trauma medications during large-scale warfare periods.
Another point was the scale of military physicians. Before the Hehuai warfare, the Tangyi army had already achieved the level of providing one dedicated physician per hundred-man squad.
Currently, Han Qian needed to retain sufficient troops on the southern front as a deterrent, but as long as warfare did not erupt on the southern front, medical care and other auxiliary personnel could all be transferred in large numbers from Lin Haizheng, Zhao Wuji, Yang Qin, Tan Yuliang, and other units to strengthen the various former Liang army units under Han Yuanqi, Jing Zhen, Su Mu, Chen Kun, Shen Peng, and others, enhancing capabilities in all aspects including defensive fortification construction, armor and weapons repair, injury and illness treatment, and even military intelligence reconnaissance, transmission, officer and soldier mobilization, and training.
Without adjusting commanders and officers at all levels of the former Liang army, but supplementing large numbers of combat staff, engineers, physicians, and other auxiliary personnel—besides enhancing the former Liang army’s combat effectiveness, this was also a substantive integration that would not be rejected by former Liang army officers and soldiers.
Han Qian currently was mainly more worried about the progress of Jinling peace negotiations.
No matter what, the southern front perhaps still had surplus strength to win a short-term large-scale battle, but if both the northern and southern fronts simultaneously fell into a long-term and brutal protracted war, this would truly be too difficult for Daliang at this time.