News of Prince Xin Yang Yuanyan’s devastating attack on the Southern Yamen Imperial Guards had already spread throughout Longya City. When Feng Liao reached Longya City, Tian Cheng, Gao Shao, Yang Qin, and others had already heard the news and rushed over from Qianyang, wanting to ascertain Han Qian’s assessment of the situation.
Zhou Chu, Kong Xirong, and others were in Longya City, even leading military officers in war game exercises using sand tables.
Everyone secretly felt that Prince Xin Yang Yuanyan’s martial prowess was the key to deciding this great battle. If it were any of Xuzhou’s generals, using this tactic of leading a small elite force to directly assault the enemy’s central army formation would be seeking death—a certain defeat.
“If the Master commanded the troops, could he have won this battle?” Xi Fa’er watched with great interest as Madam Xi and his father Xi Chang returned from Jiming Stronghold with Feng Liao to observe them conducting war game exercises of the Jingshan Hermitage battle on the sand table, and asked his father with keen interest.
“Was the Battle of Xichuan not more difficult than this?” Seeing his son casually questioning Han Qian, Xi Chang raised his hand to strike him.
After watching the war game exercise for a while, Feng Liao asked Tian Cheng and the others: “What are the Master’s views on this battle?”
Tian Cheng shook his head and said: “As soon as we received the news, we went up the mountain immediately. The Master hasn’t said anything about this matter yet. He only said you would likely rush back from Yueyang in the next few days, and after you returned, he wanted all of us to go up the mountain together to see him.”
In the Battle of Xichuan, the Dragon Sparrow Army—or rather Han Qian’s—formidable combat strength was demonstrated in dense, seamless “defense.” But when it came to sharp, resolute “offense” that breaks through strong positions, Feng Liao didn’t think Han Qian would be stronger than Prince Xin Yang Yuanyan.
Even though the Southern Yamen Imperial Guards were unsettled in spirit, after Prince Xin Yang Yuanyan crossed the river, the troops he could command numbered less than half of the Southern Yamen Imperial Guards, and their morale was even more unstable.
Unless Xuzhou had some brave general with martial prowess equal to Prince Xin Yang Yuanyan who could lead a carefully selected batch of elite soldiers to charge straight at the central army, only then would it be possible to replicate the same battle results.
Otherwise, Feng Liao could hardly imagine who could achieve such a great victory under the same conditions.
For now, Feng Liao didn’t discuss it too much. He went up the mountain with Xi Ren, Tian Cheng, Yang Qin, and Gao Shao to see Han Qian first, to hear his views on the changes in the situation and the subtle shifts in Yueyang and Tanzhou’s attitudes.
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From the established historical trajectory, Han Qian had long known that Prince Xin Yang Yuanyan’s warfare outside Jinling City would be invincible until his military force was blocked by Jinling City’s tall and imposing walls. However, he hadn’t expected that in the Battle of Jingshan Hermitage, Yang Yuanyan would win so brilliantly and gloriously.
Han Qian sat cross-legged under the bamboo shelter. After Feng Liao returned and recounted the details of the Battle of Jingshan Hermitage again, he remarked with emotion: “Prince Xin’s speed is indeed very fast!”
Having repeatedly studied intelligence from the Battle of Jingshan Hermitage, Feng Liao said with deep agreement: “Previously everyone knew Prince Xin was good at commanding troops and quite skilled in military strategy, but no one expected his use of troops would be so sharp. Even with someone like Wang Wenqian planning for him, to seize battlefield opportunities with precision and dare to lead eight hundred Silver Halberd personal guards in an ambush to kill Xu Zhu’s central army—Prince Xin can truly be called a famous general, can’t he?”
Apart from the campaign, Feng Liao hadn’t directly participated in large-scale warfare, but when he served in eastern Zhejiang, the Yuezhou area was still not very peaceful, with bandits rampant. He had participated in several pacification campaigns, large and small, and usually enjoyed reading military texts, so he considered himself to have some authority to speak on these matters.
Moreover, when going up the mountain, he had fully exchanged opinions with Tian Cheng, Gao Shao, and Yang Qin. They all deeply felt that Prince Xin Yang Yuanyan might be a formidable opponent like Liang’s new Emperor Zhu Yu, and Great Chu might once again achieve unification in his hands.
“…” Han Qian smiled without answering. He looked toward Tian Cheng, Yang Qin, Gao Shao, and the others and asked: “These past few days, you should have studied the Chuzhou army more deeply than before. What insights have you gained?”
Here in Xuzhou, among those who led troops, Tian Cheng, Yang Qin, and Gao Shao were the foremost. Lin Haizheng and Feng Xuan were currently serving in Yueyang, while Zhao Wuji, Lin Zongjing, Guo Nu’er, Guo Que, Feng Zhang, Xi Fa’er, Xi Chang, Kong Xirong, and others still needed further experience before they could truly handle matters independently.
In comparison, Zhou Chu, who had formerly served as Wuling County Lieutenant, was quite mature and experienced in all aspects and also exceedingly brave. Even though he came from surrendered official origins, Han Qian now employed him alongside Kong Xirong under Zhao Wuji as Deputy Commander of the Personal Guard Battalion.
Tian Cheng, Yang Qin, and Gao Shao all awkwardly scratched their noses. Han Qian had long ago required Jinyun Tower to collect information on Chuzhou’s generals and ministers, but these three weren’t particularly fond of clerical work. Where would they have the inclination to examine the mountains of accumulated materials?
Only after learning of the Battle of Jingshan Hermitage and being shocked internally did they seriously study the subject for several days.
Now, seeing Han Qian ask about it, Gao Shao shrank back and poked Tian Cheng’s lower back with his finger, telling him to handle Han Qian’s questioning.
After brief consideration, Tian Cheng said: “The Chuzhou army is the old foundation brought out by Prince of Eastern Zhejiang Li Yu. After Li Yu was stripped of his military authority, Yang Yuanyan was garrisoned in Chuzhou and took it as his own force. The Chuzhou army originally had the reputation of being Huaidong’s Tiger Guards. After Yang Yuanyan arrived in Chuzhou, he further selected the most able and sharp from among them, organizing eight hundred Silver Halberd guard soldiers whom he pampered and indulged. Afterward, Yang Yuanyan often used these eight hundred Silver Halberd guard soldiers to raid and harass Xuzhou’s Liang army, repeatedly achieving battle merits. However, lacking any great achievements, they have never received much attention from the world. Yet upon careful reflection, an important reason why the Liang army has not launched major warfare from the eastern front in recent years is that the Chuzhou army’s harassment strategy has proven effective. The Chuzhou army’s harassment left the Liang army stationed in Xuzhou helpless, and also made Xuzhou Defense Commissioner Sima Dan appear somewhat mediocre and ineffective among Liang’s generals. But the Sima clan is deeply rooted in Xuzhou, and the Liang Emperor cannot replace him with someone else to command Xuzhou’s Liang army. Therefore, when planning offensives against Chu, they can only primarily consider the central and western fronts. This also meant that although Prince Xin spent many years in Chuzhou, he never had a truly significant great victory to make his reputation for skillful command and troop deployment truly manifest—this is probably what they mean by ‘skilled warriors have no glorious achievements’!”
Han Qian nodded. Yang Yuanyan’s skill in battle was certain, but to call him a famous general, he shouldn’t have besieged Jinling for several months without taking it when no one from the Anning Palace faction dared engage him in field battle.
Generally speaking, even if Anning Palace in the most critical circumstances might have Xu Mingzhen—who excelled at defending city walls—personally enter Jinling to take command, even if Yang Yuanyan was clumsy at siege warfare, his level should still be above that of ordinary commanders. Moreover, he had someone like Wang Wenqian assisting him?
With no one able to match him in field battles, leading the Chuzhou army with its reputation as Huaidong’s Tiger Guards, attacking a city full of panic and discord, with who knew how many people inside willing to provide internal support, and with provisions cut off—it shouldn’t be that difficult.
Yet in the established historical progression, Yang Yuanyan simply couldn’t capture Jinling City. Ultimately, Yang Yuanyan’s strength lay in his fierce courage and love of battle—he had the legacy of Emperor Tianyou Yang Mi. But he was not beloved by Yang Mi. His violent temperament, love of grandeur and success, and stubborn self-will were his greatest flaws.
Han Qian estimated that in the subsequent evolution of the Jinling battle situation, his character flaws would be magnified, ultimately preventing him from entering Jinling City even with his forces at its gates.
However, Feng Liao had rushed back to Longya Mountain in haste. More than discussing Prince Xin and the Chuzhou army’s situation in Jinling, he worried that if Han Qian continued to remain in Longya Mountain observing mourning and filial piety, before long he would truly be completely marginalized by Yueyang.
Great Chu was fragmented, and what was complex and tangled in Yueyang was the human heart. Hearing Feng Liao recount many details of the Chengyun Hall deliberations and Prince Tan Yang Yuanpu’s silent reaction afterward, Han Qian sighed inwardly, thinking that there were always too few people who could truly understand his father’s resolute compassion for the people.
Dowager Consort Wang Chan’er wouldn’t understand.
His eldest uncle and second uncle wouldn’t understand.
The people of Marquis Xinchang’s household and Wanhong Tower wouldn’t understand.
Zheng Yu wouldn’t understand, and Zheng Chang and Zheng Hui—as chaos approached—perhaps thought more about the Zheng clan. This was perhaps the imprint formed in the deepest recesses of their hearts by nearly a century of warlord warfare in the late previous dynasty. Individual power was truly limited; none could protect an entire region, and they could only try as much as possible to ensure their own clans survived first amid the treacherous waves of worldly changes.
Shen Yang perhaps also had thoughts of protecting one region in peace, but ultimately he was too passive. Perhaps like his father, when left with no choice, he could only temporarily place his hopes in Prince Xin, whom he hadn’t previously favored?
That such a major matter as Li Zhigao’s transfer to serve as Governor of Ezhou occurred without Yang Yuanpu seeking Xuzhou’s opinion—beyond the influence of the Dowager Consort, the Zheng family, and Marquis Xinchang’s household, as well as Yang Yuanpu himself—Han Qian believed that Princess Qingyang, who had just married Yang Yuanpu, must have also wavered in her attitude toward Xuzhou, right?
Han Qian suddenly discovered that all these subtle changes didn’t surprise him in the slightest, as if they were only natural.
Having these changes was normal; not having these changes would be abnormal, or perhaps he had been deceived.
To more precisely grasp the hearts of the people in Yueyang, Han Qian again carefully inquired about Yueyang’s various reactions after news of Prince Xin’s killing of Xu Zhu arrived. Seeing that Tian Cheng, Gao Shao, and Yang Qin faintly harbored unconcealed resentment and anger, he smiled calmly: “People’s hearts will change. Who in this world owes anyone anything? If one day I cannot provide you protection, you need not cling to your positions out of loyalty.”
Seeing Han Qian’s calm demeanor as if a clear breeze passing through mountain ridges, Feng Liao was anxious and said: “Even if the Master has no desires or demands and wants to guard this pure land amid these poor mountains and treacherous waters, with Li Zhigao being transferred to defend Ezhou and Chai Jian taking office as Governor of Shaozhou, they will inevitably cause us trouble and greatly affect Xuzhou’s development.”
Since last September, Xuzhou had spared no cost investing money and grain to widen the Xuefeng Mountain post road, precisely hoping to open commercial routes from Xuzhou through Xuefeng Mountain to Shaozhou, and further extending to Hengzhou, Yongzhou, and Tanzhou.
Currently, the response strategy dominated by the Zheng family and Marquis Xinchang’s household was clearly a political division of spoils. The Zheng family’s focus was still on managing Huangzhou and surrounding areas, requiring Yueyang to tilt resources toward Huangzhou. Transferring Li Zhigao to Ezhou could to a considerable degree protect Huangzhou from threats from the southeast. For Marquis Xinchang’s household, transferring Li Zhigao to Ezhou—besides dividing Li Zhigao’s military authority—similarly had the intention of managing Shaozhou and Hengzhou as their territory.
If their schemes succeeded, how could it not affect Xuzhou?
All matters were interconnected—pull one hair and the whole body moves.
Yang Yuanpu perhaps already had thoughts of considering himself a sovereign. Unless major changes occurred, his gratitude toward Xuzhou would only grow increasingly diluted. Deep in his heart, Yang Yuanpu might even consciously oppose Han Qian’s influence on him.
Feng Liao had experienced this since his youth and knew that at Yang Yuanpu’s age, there was naturally an impulse to resist everything, to smash everything—even though sometimes these things were his dependencies and support.
In response to these changes, Feng Liao felt Han Qian should take some action rather than truly just watching as Xuzhou was completely marginalized.