The villagers from each village were grieving, while fear continuously grew in their hearts. In less than three days, military grain had been forcibly requisitioned twice—no one knew when the next collection would come.
But after the autumn tax and two military grain requisitions, few families had stored grain left. They didn’t even know how they would get through the lean months of February and March, much less endure being requisitioned again.
Moreover, every household had lost an able-bodied laborer.
Just as they were feeling terribly sad, the sound of cart wheels rolling came from the village entrance again. The villagers’ faces couldn’t help but show anger. Just as they were about to return to the kitchen to grab their cleavers, they heard children’s cheering voices outside the gate.
A seven or eight-year-old child burst in, happily shouting loudly, “Grandfather, my father has come back! My father has come back!”
The old man who was about to grab his cleaver was stunned and hurriedly rushed out the door. He saw the children who had been forcibly conscripted leading ox carts full of grain back, smiling broadly as they greeted people in the village.
The old man’s first reaction was that the children had finally couldn’t bear it and rebelled, killing the requisition team.
Many people had the same reaction as the old man. They hurriedly grabbed people to ask about the situation. If they had killed people, their entire village would have to hide in the mountains right now, wouldn’t they?
The able-bodied men weren’t afraid at all and told everyone, “We didn’t run away ourselves. We were rescued by the Zhao Family Army. The requisition team was all captured by the Zhao Family Army.”
The villagers exclaimed in amazement and relaxed considerably.
Although Wang Dun forcibly requisitioned military grain, he was still somewhat reasonable. If a requisition team was intercepted halfway by the Zhao Family Army and the conscripts released, he wouldn’t pin the blame on the conscripts, naturally wouldn’t implicate the villagers either.
Everyone felt relieved as they took their own grain home, planning to hide it elsewhere again. And they needed to divide it into several portions and hide them separately—if another requisition team came to the door, perhaps some could remain hidden.
The villagers also discussed having young people in their families all hide in the forest.
“Only leave the old and weak at home. I don’t believe they’d even arrest an old man like me in his forties or fifties.”
“Sigh, the forest is very cold now, and the moisture is heavy. We can’t stay long. Who knows when the Zhao Family Army can take down Jiangnan.”
“I also want General Zhao to come govern Jiangnan. I heard General Zhao is very generous—not only does he like to reduce and exempt taxes, every year he sends oxen and farming tools to villages.”
“Envious.” Another day of envying the people of Jiangbei.
Watching the conscripts leave with the ox carts, Zhao Shi’s gaze fell on the prisoners.
The requisition team immediately begged for mercy. That they would be sent out to requisition grain and conscript soldiers showed their combat effectiveness wasn’t great—the elite troops had long been transferred or were fighting at the front.
So when it was time to submit, they submitted. Even elite troops couldn’t beat the Zhao Family Army, much less them.
Zhao Shi didn’t make things difficult for them either. After inquiring about what they knew of Wang Dun’s main army’s movements, he released them.
The requisition team soldiers were somewhat disappointed. One baby-faced young soldier couldn’t help but ask, “General, won’t you recruit us?”
Zhao Shi glanced at them and said, “This unit of ours is all cavalry. Do you have horses?”
The requisition team deflated: No.
If they had horses, would they have been sent to requisition grain?
They would have gone south with the elite troops long ago.
Zhao Shi told them, “Wang Dun acts against reason and won’t last long. Why make things difficult for the common people? Since you’re already out here anyway, why not head all the way to Danyang Commandery? That area is now under Zhao Family Army jurisdiction. If you go there and surrender directly, the Zhao Family Army will definitely make proper arrangements for you.”
Everyone was tempted, but quickly shook their heads.
The army dared to send them out to collect grain and conscript soldiers without fearing they would run off with the people and grain to become bandits because there were backup measures. Among them, quite a few people had family members in the rear of the main army.
They could be killed in battle, could become prisoners, could passively surrender, but absolutely couldn’t actively flee and surrender. Otherwise, their family members, even their close comrades-in-arms would be implicated.
Forget it, better to go back. The general seemed to be heading south, and they were left in the rear—perhaps in a few days they’d be captured by the Zhao Family Army anyway.
The morale of these soldiers left in the rear wasn’t high, while the vanguard dispatched to Yuzhang was full of fighting spirit. Upon reaching Yuzhang, they took a city with lightning speed and charged straight for the checkpoint. As long as they took one more checkpoint, the main army could proceed directly from Yuzhang down to Guangzhou.
This checkpoint was in Dai Yuan’s hands.
Dai Yuan wasn’t in Yuzhang. He had previously received a secret letter from the Prince of Langya and arranged for someone to impersonate him and remain in Yuzhang to confront Wang Xuan on the opposite side.
Meanwhile, he quietly took fifty thousand troops and bypassed the cities, heading straight for Jiankang.
His route of advance was unknown to anyone, not even the Prince of Langya who had secretly summoned him to Jiankang knew.
So the Prince of Langya thought he was still in Yuzhang and hadn’t set out. Plus with so many things happening during this time—first Wang Dun openly rebelling, then his choice to pledge allegiance to Zhao Hanzhang, he hadn’t finished his mental preparation when Zu Ti brought the Jiangbei main army across the river. Finally the two sides met and discussed returning to Luoyang and transferring local power, among various matters. The Prince of Langya completely forgot about the secret letter he had personally written out not long ago.
Until Dai Yuan encountered Chen Pan, who was hiding everywhere in the wilderness.
Chen Pan had been lying in ambush outside Jiankang City, originally wanting to catch the Prince of Langya by surprise. But the Prince of Langya suddenly let the Jiangbei main army cross the river, and Wang Dun temporarily decided to seize Guangzhou, leaving him in an awkward position.
Chen Pan had already quietly retreated with his main army, but the Zhao Family Army moved swiftly and had keen senses. Just walking a section of the official road attracted many scouts. After that, he no longer dared take official roads and only traveled back roads.
He also changed direction, giving up returning to Lujiang and instead going east to Wu Commandery, then through Kuaiji, Linhai, and Jianan before entering Guangzhou.
This entire area was basically controlled by Jiangdong’s native aristocratic families. Even if Zu Ti took over the Prince of Langya’s forces, it wouldn’t affect this region. The Jiangdong aristocrats were very exclusionary, and the Zhou clan who controlled military power especially so. As long as he avoided the major cities, he could avoid the Zhou clan’s main force.
Coincidentally, Dai Yuan thought the same way.
He was heading north from Yuzhang to Jiankang to serve the king loyally. Knowing that west and south of Danyang were all Wang Dun’s sphere of influence, he headed east, going from Xinan Commandery to Xuancheng Commandery. To avoid being discovered by Wang Dun, he even circled around the east side of Lake Tai, passed through Wu Commandery before turning west toward Jiankang.
He deliberately took back roads, and then he ran face-to-face into Chen Pan.
Dai Yuan’s heart jumped. Chen Pan was Wang Dun’s trusted confidant and beloved general. If he was here, could Jiankang have already fallen?
To keep his march route secret, Dai Yuan not only didn’t transmit information outward, he also didn’t receive any, and avoided crowds. So he didn’t know about the Prince of Langya pledging allegiance to Zhao Hanzhang.
Fortunately, the two armies had once belonged to the same side, so although surprised, Dai Yuan didn’t immediately attack. Instead, he first sent someone over to inquire, “Why is General Chen in this place?”
Chen Pan thought for a moment and decided to fool him. “I’ve come to pledge service to the Zhao Family Army. In this world today, the only one who can establish order is Zhao Hanzhang.”
He felt this reason could convince Dai Yuan.
But Dai Yuan’s information was outdated at this time—he didn’t know anything. He only felt Chen Pan had gone mad, telling him on Jiangnan territory that he was going to pledge allegiance to Jiangbei?
Then what was there to hesitate about? Attack!
They weren’t far from Jiankang City. Even if they fought, there was nothing to fear—this was military merit!
Chen Pan, under attack, didn’t know where he had been exposed that the other side would directly attack.
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