In early July, Zhao Mengji went to Pingyang Prefecture to assume the position of Inspector General for the newly established Hedong Province, while Han Donghu, appointed as Chief Commander of the Second Central Field Army, was moving his command tent from Xingyang into Mengzhou.

After completing reorganization and formation, the main forces of the First Central Field Army would enter Qinshui to link up with the Taiyue Field Army garrisoned there under Li Xiu’s command. Initially, they would advance eastward along the Qinshui River valley, responsible for attacking Yangcheng in western Zezhou.

The main forces of the Second Central Field Army led by Han Donghu, besides being half-responsible for monitoring Eastern Liang forces in Bianliang, Weizhou, and Huaizhou, would also, after hostilities commenced, initially cross the southern foothills of Mount Taihang through Taihang Pass to directly attack areas south of Jincheng, the prefectural seat of Zezhou.

The former, during the great victory at Zhiguan Ridge, had already captured the most important Qinshui city in the western portion of Mount Taiyue’s southern foothills while enemy reinforcements couldn’t arrive in time, seizing control of the strategic passage from west of Qinshui city to Yicheng County territory.

Subsequently deploying troops along the Qinshui River valley to press toward Yangcheng, the route had no particularly dangerous passes.

However, Taihang Pass, beginning in northern Qinyang County, was far more treacherous.

Taihang Pass, also called Dan Pass, dominated the southern end of Mount Taihang. The pass was three paces wide, over forty li long—truly a passage like silk thread, winding and circling.

Besides large numbers of defenders holding Jincheng, Mongol forces also stationed elite troops at Tianjing Pass, eighty li south of Jincheng.

Tianjing Pass wasn’t a single pass fortress but referred collectively to a defensive system including a series of passes and fortified positions: Tianjing Pass, Hengwang Gorge, Xiaokou Gorge, Wanzicheng, and Xingyao Station.

Years ago, when Zhu Yu led elite Liang forces north through Taihang Pass and Bai Pass, attacking these two passes’ fortifications proved so arduous with such heavy casualties that even after reaching beneath Zezhou and Luzhou cities, they had no choice but to select prolonged siege and encirclement. The southern Jin campaign dragged on over two years without conclusion, ultimately giving the Mongols an opportunity to exploit.

Han Donghu stationed in Mengzhou also held the concurrent position of Mengzhou Prefecture Commissioner, grasping both military and civilian affairs.

He was in no hurry. Besides the Second Central Field Army’s rear base at Hulao Pass requiring construction, his current main focus in Mengzhou was promoting strengthened defense on Mengzhou’s eastern flank.

Regarding enemy forces in the Jincheng direction, he merely ordered Qinyang garrison forces to construct fortifications at Tianping Ridge outside Taihang Pass’s southern entrance, widen the courier road from Tianping Ridge to Qinyang, and renovate stream and river bridges, preparing for large-scale military operations later.

Simultaneously, he concentrated large amounts of manpower and material resources continuing to excavate the river-blocking dam southeast of Mengzhou city.

By late May, the Yu River’s water势 had thoroughly risen.

Part of the river water continued pouring through the southern bank embankment breach east of Xingyang into the Jialu River and Sha-Ying River, but part also flowed through the breach dug at year’s beginning into the Yu River’s original course—yet this wasn’t enough.

According to Han Qian’s arrangement, they strived to completely excavate the river-blocking dam before next spring. The embankment breach east of Xingyang also needed restoration, enabling Yu River waters to completely return to their original course.

This way, from next year onward outside the ice-sealed period, Luoyang’s naval warships could advance along the Yu River directly into downstream Weibo and other areas. As flood zones on both banks of the Ying and Wo rivers receded, Henan Field Army could also conduct large-scale mobile warfare in eastern Yu region, preparing to subsequently recover Wuzhi, Bianliang, and other places.

Of course, the prerequisite for recovering Wuzhi, Bianliang, and other places was successfully concluding southern Jin campaign first.

Although initially the Mongol forces had mobilized large amounts of manpower and materials transporting earth to dam the river and construct the embankment, once Yu River waters rose overflowing the breach, for Mengzhou’s military and civilians, gradually expanding the breach to let river waters carry silt downstream became much easier.

Several dredging ships secured by huge anchors at the breach directly used water flow impacting paddle wheels on both sides to drive windlasses and scraper wheels fixed together with precision iron vertical shafts, stirring up silt at the ship bottoms for water flow to carry away.

The breach was expanding rapidly almost moment by moment. Han Donghu estimated that before water levels dropped at end of August, the dam’s main body could be excavated, only requiring strengthened dredging afterward.

Compared to Han Donghu and Mengzhou military and civilians’ optimistic estimates, Zhu Rang, who proclaimed himself emperor in Bianliang, and his Eastern Liang Army officers felt far more distressed.

The Xingyang defeat, complete annihilation of Liang Shixiong and twenty thousand Weibo elite troops, Mongol forces’ rout in the Fenshui River valley, Zhao Mengji’s surrender to Luoyang—they were already severely demoralized, not even daring to deploy troops from Huaizhou and Bianliang to threaten Mengzhou.

However, the bad news didn’t stop there. Before they could catch their breath, Wang Xiaoxian and Wang Yuankui’s forces were successively annihilated. Yong, Qi, Feng, Tong, Yuan, Qing, Bin, Yan, Lin, and other prefectures completely fell under Luoyang’s control, altogether taking only three months.

This meant Luoyang had thoroughly resolved western flank security issues. Subsequently, strategic focus would completely shift toward the northern and eastern fronts.

Of course, after June, while Luoyang transferred Guanzhong forces to Hejin to rest and reorganize, simultaneously transferring some Xingyang forces to Mengzhou on the Yu River’s northern bank, all aspects clearly indicated Luoyang’s next campaign objective was the two Zelu prefectures in southern Jin.

Yet could Zhu Rang and Eastern Liang Army officers feel fortunate?

With Liang Shixiong killed in battle, Bianliang city lacked many elite troops and capable generals. But Marquis of Wuyang Liang Ren and others, having experienced considerable warfare over these years, still possessed basic strategic vision.

If southern Jin fell, they would find it difficult to defend Huai and Huaizhou. Luoyang’s blade would also extend from Fukou Pass and along the Yu River into Weibo, severing their connection with Mongol forces. Could they then independently withstand Luoyang forces advancing east across the Ying River?

When the lips are gone, the teeth feel cold.

Wusu Dashi dispatched Wang Chou to Bianliang, demanding they strengthen forces in the two Wei-Huai prefectures to restrain Luoyang forces in Mengzhou from the east, making it difficult for them to advance north along Taihang Pass with full force. But the problem was that after years of bitter warfare, the last twenty-some thousand Weibo elite troops had all been buried with Liang Shixiong in Xingyang city.

Zhu Rang forcibly conscripted able-bodied men from Bian, Song, Wei, Bo, Qing, Zi, and other prefectures. Currently in Bianliang, Wuzhi, and other places he again possessed over seventy thousand troops. But the problem was these seventy thousand men lacked training—even their armor and weapons weren’t complete. What qualifications did they have for open field battle with Luoyang elite forces in the wilderness between Meng and Huai prefectures?

Zhu Rang could only dispatch emissaries rushing to Xuzhou and Bozhou, urging Xu Mingzhen and Sima Tan to send elite forces north.

Compared to Sima Tan claiming Chu forces harassed borders making him unable to spare a single soldier, Xu Mingzhen dispatching his adopted son Xu Jin and General Zhao Mingting leading three thousand cavalry to Bianliang awaiting deployment orders already counted as quite active and courteous.

Yet even with three thousand cavalry led by Xu Jin and Zhao Mingting, what great use could they serve?

Zhao Mingting, over fifty years old, wearing armor and mounted on horseback, stood atop the embankment gazing at the Wuzhi Dam breach already washed open over two hundred zhang wide by the great flood. Five dredging ships moored side by side in the middle continuously scraped silt, letting river waters rush downstream. Gazing at the Yu River channel east of Wuzhi Dam where turbulent muddy waves already rolled, many feelings of powerlessness rose in his heart.

The Yu River had been dammed for nine years. For nine years, the earthen embankments on both banks east of Wuzhi experienced not half a bit of repair or reinforcement.

This year, Wuzhi Dam had only been breached partially, making water levels in the original course east of Wuzhi only half the summer-autumn height before damming. Yet already in several places along southern bank Caozhou and Puzhou as well as Changyuan and other areas in northern bank Weibo territory, damaged embankments had been washed open by great waters, with floods inundating fields and dwellings on both banks.

Two to three hundred years of silt accumulation had unknowingly raised the Yu River’s channel bed from Xingyang eastward above the plains on both sides. The consequences of long-neglected embankment disrepair were thoroughly exposed after entering summer this year.

This year, the Yu River still had part of its waters draining into Jialu River and Sha-Ying River, seizing the Huai to enter the sea. What if next year Han Qian dispatched troops to completely block the breach east of Xingyang, Yu River waters completely returning to original course? What flooding conditions would areas along both banks of the Yu River’s original course east of Bianliang face?

Zhao Mingting at this time had to consider: if they traveled a thousand li circling to eastern Puzhou to cross the Yu River, reinforcing eastern Mengzhou areas, with Bianliang forces blocked on the southern bank by the Yu River, what if Luoyang forces weren’t urgent about attacking southern Jin areas but deployed from Mengzhou to attack Wei-Huai prefectures in the east? Together with local garrison forces in Wei-Huai prefectures, they totaled only fifteen thousand troops—how long could they hold?

Although Zhao Mingting deeply understood the principle that when lips are gone, teeth feel cold, and they had engaged in endless bloody combat with Liang forces these years with no possibility of reconciliation, he also advocated to Xu Jin that their few troops, thrown into areas east of Mengzhou, wouldn’t even be enough to fill the gaps between teeth.

If Mongol forces couldn’t hold southern Jin, they should make other plans early.

Xu Jin, adopted as a son by Xu Mingzhen for his brave combat prowess, could be called Shouzhou Army’s first valiant general. But over these years he’d suffered too many and too great losses at the hands of Tangyi forces and Liang forces. Gazing at the rolling turbid current before him, without needing Zhao Mingting’s reminder, little heroic ambition arose in his heart.

People ultimately must bow to reality.

One hundred thirty thousand Mongol elite troops were annihilated south and north of Mount Wangwu. Wang Xiaoxian and Wang Yuankui’s eighty-some thousand troops couldn’t hold Guanzhong for three months. The few troops behind him—enough to fill what gaps between teeth?

At this moment, Zhao Mingting noticed several cavalry squads on the northern bank galloping from Mengzhou city’s direction, stopping near the northern bank embankment to strengthen vigilance.

Zhao Mingting initially assumed they were observing enemy intelligence on this southern bank, attracting Liang army commanders’ attention, with some important figure also observing this side from the opposite bank. Soon they noticed that the Liang army’s alert scale and level on the opposite bank far exceeded their imagination—even several ironclad warships on the Yu River’s upper reaches rapidly sailed toward the dam breach vicinity.

Was Han Qian currently in Mengzhou?

Zhao Mingting suddenly realized this point. After about the time to burn an incense stick, he distantly saw a cavalry squad rushing from Mengzhou city’s direction toward the embankment on the opposite bank. Judging by the ceremonial entourage’s scale, it must certainly be Han Qian.

Zhao Mingting even thought of a possibility: when everyone assumed Liang forces would launch an offensive toward southern Jin this autumn, would they feint and deploy troops to attack Wuzhi and Bianliang instead?

Seemingly, Liang forces’ current deployment all targeted military operations in southern Jin. But if Zhu Rang truly transferred large forces to Wei-Huai prefectures on the northern bank to restrain Liang forces attacking north from Mengzhou through Taihang Pass, Liang forces assembled at Hejin and Mengzhou—tens of thousands of troops, together with forces garrisoned in Xuzhou and Chenzhou—could launch a major attack on Wuzhi and Bianliang. How would they respond?

With the dam nearly excavated and Liang forces possessing powerful naval combat capabilities, troop movements north and south of the Yu River were extremely convenient. But although Eastern Liang forces controlling Huaizhou, Weizhou, and Bianliang seemingly also faced each other across the river, to avoid Liang naval forces’ blade, troops from both places had to circle to east of Puzhou to cross the river safely—equivalent to forcibly pulling troops from both places over a thousand li apart.

Cold dread crept up Zhao Mingting’s tailbone. Even realizing this point, he was helpless.

Could it be that if Han Qian assembled one hundred thousand elite forces to attack Bianliang, Xu Mingzhen and Sima Tan would dare commit full forces to provide援?

Shouzhou forces’ retreat to defend land between the Wo and Si rivers had been some years already. But with warfare these years continuing endlessly, people’s livelihoods were exhausted—forty to fifty thousand troops were weary.

Not only could Shouzhou forces not break through the Xiacai, Xu-Chen defensive line commanded by Lin Haizheng and Zhao Wuji, in recent years Liang forces from Xiacai and Xu-Chen had periodically penetrated and infiltrated, abducting hundreds of thousands of civilians.

With Xingyang’s fall and part of Yu River’s great waters invading the Wo River, Shouzhou forces’ situation became even more difficult.

Relatively speaking, Xu-Si forces’ situation was much better.

First, over these years Xu-Si forces and Yang Yuanyan’s Huaidong forces had remained peaceful on both banks of the lower Huai River, mainly guarding against Liang naval forces’ harassment along the northeastern shores of Hongze Lake.

The military pressure Xu-Si forces bore was far lighter than Shouzhou forces directly facing Liang forces’ two Xiacai and Xu-Chen routes.

Second, the Sima clan, with Xuzhou as their foundation, had been established over thirty years. After submitting to Zhu Rang, they seized opportunities to expand influence into northern Jizhou, Mizhou, and Yizhou. Based in Xuzhou, administering Ji, Mi, Yi, Si, and Hai—five prefectures—they occupied two million military and civilians.

Logically, Sima Tan conscripting one hundred thousand troops from Xuzhou would be more than sufficient. But unfortunately, this old fox Sima Tan, facing Zhu Rang’s edicts, didn’t want to dispatch a single soldier to restrain Liang forces that might possibly attack north from Mengzhou through Taihang Pass. Could they expect Xu-Si forces to enter Bianliang for decisive battle with Liang main forces?

Were Sima Tan and other Sima clan figures already plotting other schemes?

“An enemy general of quite high rank on the opposite bank is observing this side…”

Han Donghu reined in his horse, reporting to Han Qian.

Han Qian had no intention of taking the bronze telescope to observe enemy intelligence on the opposite bank. Yu River’s great waters vented down through the dam breach—currents were swift. Small and medium vessels couldn’t withstand the whirlpools, while Eastern Liang forces lacked capability to build large ships.

Though seventy to eighty thousand Eastern Liang forces assembled on the opposite bank at Wuzhi and Bianliang, even if they dared fight, they could only gaze at the water and sigh.

Han Qian’s imperial personal visit to Mengzhou at this time served on one hand to inspect military intelligence and defenses. But besides Li Zhigao, Guo Rong, and other accompanying personnel, Right Secretariat Office administrative officials like Zhou Daoyuan also accompanied him, inspecting water conditions within Mengzhou territory.

In Huatong Prefecture, Luoyang territory, and on the northern bank’s Hejin Prefecture and Jiangzhou Prefecture, both banks of the Yu River were confined by Mount Hua, Mount Mang, Mount Song, Mount Xiang, Mount Li, and other mountain bodies. No matter how great summer-autumn water势 became, it was difficult to harm both banks. Water conservancy projects within Luoyang territory mainly prevented and treated flood disasters from the Yiluo River.

Even within Xingyang Prefecture territory, most areas’ terrain was quite elevated, unafraid of Yu River flooding.

However, from Xingyang and Mengzhou eastward, entering plains regions, Yu River flooding became severe.

More critically, west of Xingyang, the Yu River confined by mountain bodies had swift currents with little silt settling—the riverbed had little accumulation. But east of Xingyang, entering plains regions, the channel widened several-fold, water flow suddenly slowed, and large amounts of silt carried from upstream settled extensively.

The consequence of three to four hundred years of silt accumulation was that the Yu River’s middle and lower reaches had all become semi-suspended rivers, with distant embankments on both banks built ever higher.

Yet contemporary distant embankments were all earthen embankments. Besides summer-autumn great waters, the Yu River also had flood seasons in deep winter and early spring. With slightest neglect, great waters or ice flows would breach embankments and invade fields and dwellings on both banks. Floods occurred almost annually, more severe even than along the Yangtze and Huai rivers.

Han Qian required the newly established Yongzhou Province to focus on forest-grass and soil-water conservation along both banks of the Wei River. But how to govern downstream riverbeds already raised by silt settlement remained a difficult problem.

The principle was very simple. Later generations had already summarized it, concentrated in eight characters: “Confine water to attack sand, divide floods to deposit beaches.”

However, along both banks of the Yu River, how to construct solid narrow embankments that could confine water势 to make it swift, and leave necessary flood discharge and flood division buffer zones at necessary points on both banks—this was a complex systematic engineering project.

For this, last year Han Qian directly established the Yu River Water Conservancy Bureau under the Right Secretariat Office to research governing Yu River flood disaster problems. At this time, plans were to establish a specialized bureau in Mengzhou, beginning preparation of some work now rather than waiting until completely recovering Hehuai regions to consider these matters.

“Within Mengzhou territory, most are Great Liang subjects. Previously invaded by rebel forces and barbarian invaders, living conditions were harsh. If the Water Conservancy Bureau concentrates energy to thoroughly eliminate flood disasters within Mengzhou territory, not only will local money and grain increase beneficially, civilians will gain convenience and will all submit wholeheartedly…”

Han Donghu concurrently held Mengzhou Prefecture Commissioner position but mainly focused energy on military defense. If the southern Jin campaign concluded smoothly, he would necessarily transfer from Mengzhou.

Han Qian’s words were primarily spoken for the Water Conservancy Bureau and local officials like An Jixiang and Gu Mingfu to hear.

At this moment, an official vessel moored at Nanguan River wharf. Han Donghu gazed over and said, “That should be Lord Feng Yi accompanying Shu emissary Cao Gan.”

“Then let’s go to Nanguan River Bridge to wait for them,” Han Qian said.

Nanguan River Bridge initially was a pontoon bridge. When Li Xiu rushed to reinforce Yuanqu, he captured Nanguan River Bridge passing through southern Mengzhou areas to advance west. At this time, near the pontoon bridge, an iron bridge over one hundred paces long was being erected…

After this iron bridge connected, heavy-laden carriages could travel east along courier roads to Wei-Huai and other places. Along Nanguan River’s eastern bank, one could also travel overland to Qinyang, subsequently transporting war materials directly to Taihang Pass’s southern entrance.

The iron bridge used concrete pillars as bridge piers. Current bridge standards for heavy-laden carriages traveling in both directions—eight paces wide—appeared extremely narrow by later generations’ perspective, but in this era counted as large-scale engineering.

Moreover, Great Liang currently constructed several dozen such iron beam bridges annually, embodying even more astonishing national power.

Cao Gan, accompanied by Feng Yi, disembarked and transferred to carriages, traveling north six or seven li along the slag road on Nanguan River’s western bank to Nanguan River Bridge to meet Han Qian.

After Zhao Mengji surrendered to Luoyang, in March Han Qian had sent Chen Zhiyong and Wang Tang as Great Liang representatives to Chengdu to see Wang Yong, informing him that some surrendered generals and military officers hoped to return to Shu to settle. Han Qian simultaneously also hoped to transfer families of some generals and military officers to Mengzhou and Luoyang for settlement to naturalize hearts.

Wang Yong treated Chen Zhiyong and Wang Tang with extraordinary courtesy, showing no intention of breaking relations, but ignored this request from Han Qian.

Chen Zhiyong and Wang Tang stayed in Chengdu for a month before proceeding directly to Xuzhou, replacing Qiao Weiyan and Zhang Guangdeng whose terms had expired to assume positions as Xuzhou Prefecture Administrator and Military Preparation Commissioner. Great Liang-Shu relations barely maintained current status.

Yet it wasn’t merely Wang Yong or several close ministers like Cao Gan and Jing Qiongwen holding such firm attitudes. In essence, facing Liang forces’ successive great victories on the northern front, extreme divisions arose within Shu regarding Liang-Shu relations.

Between states, interests ultimately came first. The foundation maintaining bilateral treaties, most importantly, was that neither could swallow the other, or rather even the weaker party needed confidence and strength making the other party fear to act rashly.

No one would believe the Liang-Shu treaty could be maintained perpetually unchanging.

The Zhiguan Ridge campaign—when news reached Chengdu that Liang forces had severely damaged Mongol forces—the alarm and worry to Shu’s rulers and ministers was unimaginable.

Wang Yong, Cao Gan, Jing Qiongwen, and others naturally knew that under Han Qian’s governance, Tangyi forces possessed extremely strong combat capability. But the Heluo situation was so awkward, besieged on three sides. Han Qian proceeding to Luoyang to assume the Great Liang State Consort position took over both damaged territory and remnant troops. Moreover, merging two armies was absolutely not easy—mutual suspicion was most difficult to resolve.

They had originally assumed that even if Han Qian could barely hold Heluo, he must necessarily struggle bitterly, perhaps needing to endure ten to twenty years before having opportunity to slightly improve the situation.

At that time, Shu had unhesitatingly chosen to increase troops to Yuzhou to threaten Chu’s western flank. They also quite readily agreed to Great Liang purchasing grain from northern Sichuan for transport into Liangzhou, helping Liangzhou military and civilians survive famine. At that time, they feared Han Qian couldn’t hold out in Heluo, causing Heluo and Hanzhong to all fall to Mongol forces, after which Shu lands would suffer trampling by Mongol iron cavalry.

They never imagined Han Qian would not only hold Heluo, not only smoothly complete merger of two armies, smoothly employing a group of old ministers and former generals Zhu Yu left behind quite well under his command, but even achieve successive great victories.

They hadn’t imagined Mongol forces would prove so vulnerable.

The Zhiguan Ridge campaign—seemingly, Great Liang’s newly added territory and population weren’t exceptionally abundant. But Wang Yong, Cao Gan, and others knew in their hearts that the power balance between Liang and Shu had actually undergone tremendous change, the scales completely tilting toward Great Liang.

Of course, even when Shen Yang dispatched private clerk Xue Ruogu secretly rushing to Chengdu to see Wang Yong, Cao Gan, and others, hoping to jointly interrupt commercial trade with Great Liang, halting Great Liang from continuing to extract blood from Chu and Shu through dumping commercial goods.

Even though Wang Yong, Cao Gan, and others grew increasingly vigilant toward increasingly powerful Great Liang, when it came to directly tearing up treaties, they deeply understood how great the risks were.

Years ago, with Han Qian’s cunning assistance, sealing Wang Xiaoxian and Zhao Mengji’s seventy thousand elite Shu troops in Guanzhong enabled Wang Yong to successfully launch military rebellion, subsequently securing the Shu master position. Over these years he’d also recruited brave men, newly organizing one hundred twenty thousand Forbidden Army troops stationed in various places.

However, they knew in their hearts that the newly organized one hundred twenty thousand Shu Forbidden Army troops—not to mention ordinary soldiers, from high-ranking generals to middle and lower-ranking military officers, those who’d experienced severely tested bloody warfare were extremely few.

Veteran generals and old soldiers brought out when the Grand Emperor created Shu’s foundation were almost all in Wang Xiaoxian and Zhao Mengji’s forces.

Especially with Li Zhigao leading troops into Cheng and Wu prefectures, Liang forces had four passages bordering Shu lands. Under such circumstances, how great a gamble would Wang Yong and Cao Gan need to take before deciding to break with Great Liang?

Before Chu set an example, they could only secretly maintain closer connections with Chu while maintaining higher vigilance toward Xuzhou and Liangzhou.

Returning Shu generals and soldiers—naturally Wang Yong and Cao Gan wouldn’t agree. Who knew how many agents Han Qian would plant infiltrating Shu lands?

Freely giving Shu generals’ and soldiers’ families to Great Liang, strengthening Great Liang’s power—they would do even less.

Speaking of further changes in the situation, that was after Zhao Mengji surrendered to Great Liang. Han Qian dispatched Li Zhigao, Feng Xuan, Kong Xirong, and Jing Zhen—four routes of troops—using than three months to recover Guanzhong…