“…Since ancient times, there has never been heard of commanders who cherished their own lives yet could make soldiers and officers fight the enemy bravely…”

“…This Prince, as an Imperial Prince, entrusted by Father Emperor to command the armies at Deng-Xiang, bears the responsibility of defending the rivers and mountains. How could I, out of pity for myself, retreat to high ground and sit watching soldiers and officers use their lives, blocking Liang army blades with their flesh and blood? If it were so, what difference would there be between this Prince and those traitorous officials and surrendering generals on the Han River’s eastern bank who surrendered at the first sound of trouble…”

“…This Prince remains in Xichuan, my heart resolved to share the fate of Xichuan city and eight thousand Great Chu soldiers and officers. Without defeating the Liang army, I will absolutely not retreat south. Minister Du should exert all efforts to hold Xiangzhou city. In deploying at Xiangzhou city, all must prioritize defending the city against the enemy first and foremost, calmly awaiting Father Emperor dispatching troops from Jinling to provide aid and together rout the Liang army…”

“…Do not be concerned about this Prince being in Xichuan. Even if the Liang army launches a strong attack on Xichuan, Xiangzhou forces must not rashly rush to aid Xichuan and throw our army formations into disorder…”

“…Should Xichuan fall, this Prince’s fate should be in the lands of Deng-Xiang, my soul returning to the mountains and peaks. To be buried beside the vast Canglang Han River—this Prince would be utterly content. It would have nothing to do with Minister Du or the generals of Deng-Xiang…”

“…If Minister Du and the generals hold Xiangzhou, for our Great Chu state and altars, this would be eternal great merit…”

In the council hall of the Xiangzhou Defense Commissioner’s residence, Du Chongtao sat upright behind a long table, reading word by word the reply letter from the military messenger Yang Yuanpu had sent back to Xiangzhou, to the hall full of officers and officials.

Du Chongtao’s resonant voice echoed through the great hall. All the officers and officials showed ashamed faces, not daring to directly meet Du Chongtao’s bright, piercing tiger-like eyes.

When the Liang army advanced south, the Zaoyang garrison and able-bodied laborers—over fourteen to fifteen thousand men—disregarded military orders. During their unauthorized eastern flight toward Suizhou, they were immediately ambushed by elite Liang forces in a great rout—corpses everywhere, blood flowing like rivers. The lives and deaths of Ma Xun, Ma Rong, and other commanders remained unknown.

At this time, with the outer fortifications of Zaoyang overrun, of the Right Forward Division’s over fifteen thousand troops, only Zhong Yanhu’s unit had not traveled together with Tanzhou forces. They left Zaoyang city retreating west, held firm on the Han River banks until Xiangzhou army came to their aid, ultimately evacuating eight hundred remnant soldiers.

Afterward, Suizhou city was deceived into opening by Liang army disguised as routed troops. Two thousand garrison troops couldn’t hold for even an hour before being slaughtered without a single piece of armor remaining, blood flowing like rivers, by elite Liang cavalry madly surging in.

Over ten thousand Liang cavalry and infantry hastily assembled at Zaoyang, then advanced south along the western foothills of Dahong Mountain like a rolling flood, launching a raid on Yingzhou city.

When enemy cavalry first arrived, Yingzhou Prefect Xia Shuang, cowardly fearing the enemy, immediately offered the city in surrender to the enemy.

The commanders of Yingzhou’s subordinate Shicheng and Chaihu counties had considerable backbone, closing their cities and refusing to surrender. But alas, the county troops’ combat strength was too weak. After holding for just one day, both cities were captured by Liang forces. Over ten thousand military and civilian personnel within the two cities were brutally slaughtered by Liang army.

Afterward, other wait-and-see cities in Ying-Sui prefectures all lacked courage to defend their cities and surrendered at the first sign of trouble. In less than four days, the Liang army consecutively captured over ten cities on the Han River’s eastern bank. Hundreds of thousands of Chu people fell under Liang army control.

Moreover, dozens of warships and over two thousand naval battalion warriors stationed near Yingzhou city at that time, due to Xia Shuang’s surrender, didn’t have time to evacuate. They either died in battle, were captured, or directly surrendered to the Liang army.

The Liang army was thus able to rapidly dispatch five thousand cavalry and infantry from Shicheng Ford on Yingzhou city’s western side, crossing the Han River and entering Shimen Mountain on the Han River’s western bank.

Shimen Mountain, located south of Xiangzhou and north of Pingzhou, was a remaining range of Jing Mountain’s eastern foothills. It was also the necessary route for traveling south from Xiangzhou along the Han River’s western bank toward Jingzhou.

As long as Shimen Mountain was held without loss, Xiangzhou city’s retreat route would remain unbroken.

Even though the Han River channel west of Yingzhou city was narrow and easily cut off by Liang forces occupying Yingzhou city, reinforcements coming from Jinling could land at Jingzhou, then pass through Pingzhou and via Shimen Mountain continuously enter Xiangzhou, ultimately making it difficult for Liang army to establish themselves in Jing-Xiang.

Du Chongtao, Xu Zhaoling, Guo Rong, and others all knew the strategic pass of Shimen Mountain couldn’t be lost. After confirming the Liang army’s main force was advancing south along the Han River’s eastern bank, they also rapidly dispatched six thousand elite troops to control and hold the strategic pass of Shimen Mountain. With Liang army vanguard forces crossing the river from Yingzhou, two consecutive fierce battles occurred at Bijia Ridge on Shimen Mountain’s eastern foothills and Jigong Mountain on the southern foothills.

Though neither of these two battles was as disastrous as the Zaoyang garrison being ambushed at Dahong Mountain’s northern foothills—after all, the six thousand troops Du Chongtao dispatched were elite forces from the Southern Court Forbidden Barracks system’s Left Martial Guard Army, and they had advanced to occupy and defend strongholds at Bijia Ridge and Jigong Mountain—the elite Liang forces crossing the Han River were personally commanded by the Liang Emperor’s second son, Prince Yong of Liang Zhu Yu, with even stronger combat strength.

Facing over ten thousand subsequent Liang troops continuously crossing the Han River, these six thousand Left Martial Guard Army elites held firm at both locations for three days before they couldn’t withstand it any longer. They lost troops and commanders, ultimately with fewer than three thousand elites remaining, withdrawing into Beijie Mountain west of Yicheng County under Xiangzhou’s jurisdiction in southern Xiangzhou.

At this time, it was formally confirmed that the Liang forces advancing south along the Han River’s eastern bank in the first wave were the Liang army’s first elite force, the Black Armored Division, commanded by Zhu Yu.

Though Pingzhou city and Jingzhou city to the south hadn’t fallen, as more and more elite Liang forces crossed the Han River from Yingzhou city, entering Shigong Mountain and even the southern foothills of Beijie Mountain, Xiangzhou was actually already surrounded by Liang forces.

Moreover, at this time, Liang forces north of the Nanyang Basin also rapidly adjusted their deployment. First, Liang forces that had previously spread out eastward along Tongbai Mountain’s northern foothills pressing toward Shouzhou army rapidly contracted to Suiping, Tongbai, and other cities.

The seventy to eighty thousand Liang troops previously stationed as rear army in western Caizhou now broke camp and advanced south. Four days of marching over three hundred li, they surged like a rolling flood into the interior of Nanyang Basin, ready at any moment to surge toward Fancheng north of Xiangzhou city.

The Liang army’s momentum was irresistible, their movements swift beyond everyone’s imagination. The fortress strongholds on the Han River’s eastern bank fell into enemy hands with almost no resistance. One could easily imagine how panicked the Chu army officers and officials trapped defending Xiangzhou city had become.

The choices facing them were actually quite limited.

In the eyes of the vast majority of officers and officials trapped in Xiangzhou, either contract all forces to defend Xiangzhou city to the death, or take advantage of the Liang army not yet completely blockading Shigong Mountain and have Xiangzhou forces retreat south into Jingzhou.

Shigong Mountain was a remaining range of Jing Mountain’s eastern foothills. Between Shigong Mountain and Jing Mountain lay a twenty to thirty li wide open area. At this time, only fifteen to sixteen thousand Liang troops had entered Shigong Mountain. Before more Liang army main forces advanced south along the Han River’s eastern bank and crossed the Han River at Yingzhou city to fill into Shigong Mountain, it wouldn’t be difficult for over thirty thousand Xiangzhou troops to forcibly break through southward from the open belt between Shigong Mountain and Jing Mountain.

Of course, before breaking through, they first had to request that Third Imperial Prince Yang Yuanpu lead the Dragon Sparrow Army in withdrawal from Xichuan and Jingzi Pass. Otherwise, no one dared bear the responsibility of abandoning the Imperial Prince and fleeing alone to Jingzhou.

Du Chongtao might not want to flee.

For him, abandoning Xiangzhou city that he had fully managed and built up for four years to flee south to Jingzhou meant he would bear the main responsibility for the collapse of the Deng-Xiang defensive line.

If Emperor Tianyou personally led troops to reinforce, he would most likely first take his head to rally the troops, intimidating all the generals.

However, even if ultimately choosing to defend Xiangzhou city, Du Chongtao also hoped Third Imperial Prince Yang Yuanpu could first retreat to the safer Xiangzhou city.

Otherwise, even if they ultimately held Xiangzhou city but Third Imperial Prince Yang Yuanpu was captured or killed at Xichuan, he would still have difficulty answering to Emperor Tianyou.

Du Chongtao twice dispatched military messengers to Xichuan, both sent back by Third Imperial Prince Yang Yuanpu.

The second messenger also brought back a proclamation written by Third Imperial Prince Yang Yuanpu—precisely this letter Du Chongtao was now reading aloud in the great tent.

In the letter, Yang Yuanpu painfully denounced the Han-East generals as mediocre and fearful of the enemy. In just ten short days, they had caused five to six hundred li of Great Chu territory to fall into enemy hands. He simultaneously vowed to share the fate of Xichuan city, to share together with Xiangzhou city the tremendous pressure of the Liang army’s southern advance.

This reply letter from the Third Imperial Prince was stirring and moving, leaving many full of shame.

Not long ago, Xiangzhou officers and officials had all viewed the Third Imperial Prince as a young child barely fifteen years old.

In their eyes, the Third Imperial Prince was merely fortunate to be born into the imperial family. It was also because Emperor Tianyou had intentions of cultivating him that he had the opportunity to serve as Deputy Commander of the Deng-Xiang Campaign Headquarters.

Therefore, for many matters, Xiangzhou officers and officials preferred to communicate with Shen Yang, Zhang Ping, Guo Rong, and others around the Third Imperial Prince rather than waste words with the Third Imperial Prince himself. They even doubted how much military affairs the Third Imperial Prince actually understood.

Who could have imagined that when people’s hearts were in chaos and most were full of thoughts of fleeing south to Jingzhou, the young child in their eyes would boldly advance west, vowing to lead what they considered the weak Dragon Sparrow Army to share the fate of Xichuan city?

This letter from the Third Imperial Prince was delivered directly through a military messenger into Du Chongtao’s hands. Even Guo Rong hadn’t been able to see it beforehand.

Though between the lines was Shen Yang’s forceful and resonant literary style, undoubtedly this was a true expression of Third Imperial Prince Yang Yuanpu’s inner heart.

Though Guo Rong suspected the Third Imperial Prince’s garrison at Xichuan was more a secret scheme of Han Qian, Li Zhigao, and others, he still couldn’t suppress the waves in his chest, secretly feeling that if the Third Imperial Prince truly had the resolve to share Xichuan’s fate, the Deng-Xiang situation might not be without hope of recovery.

Though Guo Rong also knew that if this battle could repel the Liang army, the Third Imperial Prince would inevitably gain unprecedented prestige—at least leaving a bone-deep impression in the hearts of Deng-Xiang officers and officials—and would further strengthen His Majesty’s determination to depose the Crown Prince, which was absolutely no good thing for the Anning Palace faction, given the current situation, could he really hope for Xichuan city to fall and the Third Imperial Prince to perish beside the Dan River?

Guo Rong looked toward Jin Rui, Chief Officer of the Deng-Xiang Division of the Office of Operations, sitting diagonally across from him. Seeing his grave expression, he didn’t know what he thought in his heart about this letter from the Third Imperial Prince.

Du Chongtao at this time placed the letter on the long table. His tiger-like eyes blazed as he stared at the numerous officers and officials for quite a while before slowly speaking:

“If Jingzi Pass and Xichuan city fall, Liang enemy forces and grain from Guanzhong will flow down the Dan River. Before reinforcements from Jinling break through the Liang army’s outer blockade, Xiangzhou city will be completely trapped in an isolated and helpless predicament. His Highness recognizes the general situation, and even more rarely recognizes righteous duty. With the body of a Dragon Son, he resolutely vows to share the fate of Xichuan city. This is truly Great Chu’s fortune, truly the fortune of us Great Chu subjects and people. We officers and officials are all Great Chu subjects, eating imperial grain, enjoying imperial grace, yet our hearts are full of panic thinking of fleeing south to Jingzhou. Do your hearts feel guilt?”

Du Chongtao took a feathered arrow from his quiver, broke it in two with a snap, and cast it before the court. His voice rang out again:

“This Commander today swears an oath to share the fate of Xiangzhou city. While people live, the city stands; when the city falls, people perish. If I violate this oath, may I be like this arrow—punished by heaven and destroyed by earth. This Commander’s decision is made. Henceforth, if anyone dares again discuss abandoning the city to flee south and disturb our army’s morale, they shall all be executed for the crime of aiding the enemy!”