Yang Yuanyan and the others had no opportunity to hesitate or delay. Standing atop the north gate tower at this moment, they saw several riders spurring their horses at full gallop, racing toward them from the east.
These riders evaded interception by enemy reconnaissance cavalry and reached the north city gate, presenting their credentials—all were messengers urgently dispatched from Haizhou to Chuzhou to report and request aid.
Just this morning at dawn, over a thousand Liang cavalry had dispersed to enter Haizhou territory. Several locations within Haizhou with lax, weak defenses—hay storage facilities, ferry crossings, postal stations and such—had suffered attacks with devastating losses.
Yang Yuanyan, Ruan Yan and the others absorbed this news with rigid expressions. Wang Wenqian, however, showed no satisfaction at having anticipated this early. His face grave, he gazed at the enemy scouts lingering on the frozen surface of the Huai River outside the city.
The Liang army had dispatched over a thousand cavalry to infiltrate Haizhou territory even earlier than he had imagined—this made their situation even more difficult.
Never mind that they had no time at all to organize ordinary civilians to evacuate and retreat southward—even the eight thousand-plus garrison troops stationed in Haizhou might not be able to withdraw!
“Assemble the cavalry. This Prince will sortie from the city!” Yang Yuanyan said in a deep voice.
“Your Highness might travel east along the south bank and enter Haizhou from the south. With cities and strongholds to rely on, the enemy cavalry won’t dare penetrate deeply. You must not rush to cut north from southwestern Haizhou!” Wang Wenqian urged.
The Haizhou garrison forces, primarily infantry, were elite troops among Huaidong’s forces. Entangled and harassed by enemy cavalry, unable to withdraw south at leisure, their southward speed would inevitably be extremely slow. But if they delayed two or three days, as more and more Liang main forces advanced east subsequently, they might never again have the opportunity to withdraw south.
He didn’t oppose Prince Xin personally leading troops to respond to the Haizhou garrison’s southern withdrawal. At such a critical juncture, as supreme commander, one couldn’t avoid taking some risks. But he worried that Prince Xin harbored unwillingness and intended to fight a battle with the forward Liang forces advancing into Haizhou in western Haizhou.
Wang Wenqian didn’t doubt that Prince Xin could win one or two battles, but this had little significance. Moreover, as the Liang army rapidly advanced, if Prince Xin and his forces couldn’t quickly disengage, they might very well evolve into a major engagement between both sides in western Haizhou under conditions extremely unfavorable to Huaidong.
How could Huaidong possibly be qualified to fight a major engagement with the Liang army on the north bank of the Huai River at this time?
“I understand in my heart,” said Yang Yuanyan. But after these words fell, he still exhaled a long breath—no matter what, his heart harbored unwillingness.
…
…
On the afternoon of the twelfth day of the twelfth month, Wen Ruilin accompanied Xu Mingzhen, Lei Jiuyuan, Niu Gengru, Wen Muqiao and others, under the escort of Pang Xiong leading over a thousand armored cavalry, arriving at Suyu City to have an audience with Zhu Yu.
Suyu had originally been the provincial seat of Sizhou, but from the late period of the previous dynasty, the Huai-Si region had been a focal area where northern and southern powers contended for supremacy. Even though in recent decades no campaign-level confrontations had erupted on the eastern front between Liang and Chu, large and small battles had never ceased.
The former Xuzhou Defense Commissioner Sima Dan had also been a conservative general. Although during his tenure defending Xuzhou he had never once gained any advantage over Southern Chu’s Prince Xin Yang Yuanyan, he had never committed major errors either.
Given his temperament, he was even less likely to invest resources in developing Suyu City.
In Wen Ruilin’s eyes, Suyu City was thoroughly dilapidated. The city walls were everywhere marked with shocking breaches overgrown with withered wild grass. Although currently the entire city of Suyu had become a large military camp, both inside and outside the city were collapsed, abandoned dwellings that couldn’t be organized in just two or three days.
After Wen Ruilin and the others entered the city through the broken eastern gate, they discovered that the inner city wall to the north was intact and towering.
One could see that during past confrontations with Huaidong, Sima Dan had always only used Suyu City as a forward fortress. The inner city, occupying about one li in depth, was sufficient when garrisoned with two to three thousand elite troops.
However, if only two to three thousand troops were stationed, there was simply no way to defend the outer city walls stretching nearly twenty li.
The new Xuzhou Military Commissioner Han Yuanqi led various generals and officials in welcoming Xu Mingzhen, Niu Gengru, Wen Muqiao and the others at the city gate.
Han Yuanqi had originally been Regional Commander of the Caizhou Military Commissioner’s Office garrison army. In the Battle of Xichuan, he had led tens of thousands of elite Liang troops in besieging Xichuan for several months without success, losing nearly twenty thousand men. However, this didn’t necessarily indicate his incompetence or mediocrity.
In this battle, besides Han Qian persuading Yang Yuanpu to risk defending Xichuan—beyond everyone’s expectations—and Li Zhigao, Zheng Hui, Guo Liang and other main city defense commanders all displaying the mettle of great generals, Han Qian had also vigorously won over mountain stronghold forces. Zhou Dan, Chen Jingzhou and other stronghold commanders consequently emerged prominently. At the same time, weaponry like cyclone cannons also officially revealed their fierce fangs in this battle…
Wen Ruilin could obtain direct information from Great Liang and had conducted in-depth research on the Battle of Xichuan. He didn’t think anyone in Han Yuanqi’s position at the time could have done better. One could even say that after suffering setbacks several times, he could still stabilize his formation without giving Han Qian any opportunity to exploit—this also demonstrated that Han Yuanqi’s command style was sufficiently steady.
To coordinate with His Majesty’s plan to seize the throne, Han Yuanqi had first launched a military revolt in Caizhou, drawing the main forbidden army forces out of the capital—this could be called the foremost achievement. No wonder he received the important responsibility of governing a region before directly subordinate generals like Chen Kun, Jing Zhen, and Jing Hao.
After seeing through Han Qian’s calculations at Tangyi, Wen Ruilin was shocked and alarmed. The pride he had previously felt at claiming extraordinary achievement finally subsided.
At this moment he obediently followed behind Xu Mingzhen, Lei Jiuyuan and the others. When Lei Jiuyuan introduced him to Han Yuanqi, he also obediently stepped forward to pay his respects without excessive words.
Seeing that Wen Ruilin was not arrogant despite his achievements, Han Yuanqi was quite appreciative.
When Zhu Yu was first enfeoffed as Prince Yong, he already harbored ambitions to unite the realm. Consequently, he secretly established the Bureau of Heavenly Works to carefully select crouching tigers to lurk in Chu, Shu and other regions. Wen Ruilin could be said to be one of the two crouching tigers with the most distinguished achievements. The other was Zhao Kuo, who had lurked beside Han Daoxun.
The only regret was that Zhao Kuo had lurked beside Han Daoxun for too long and had been deeply impressed by Han Daoxun’s bearing and sincerity. Although he transmitted extremely important materials and intelligence, he himself had still chosen to die for Xuzhou.
Otherwise, such a figure returning to Great Liang would surely be a tiger general.
Han Yuanqi welcomed Xu Mingzhen, Wen Muqiao, Niu Gengru and the others into the imperial tent within the inner city. Wearing a brown-purple dragon robe, Zhu Yu stood before the imperial tent. Before Xu Mingzhen, Wen Muqiao, Niu Gengru and the others could perform full courtesy, he affectionately walked forward and supported them, not allowing them to perform full courtesy. He declared loudly: “We suddenly changed our itinerary, causing you ministers to travel all the way to Suyu. You ministers have suffered.”
Xu Mingzhen was somewhat better off. After all, when sending people to negotiate surrender, it had been clearly stated that his appointment as Shouzhou Military Commissioner and his position commanding Huaixi would remain unchanged. At the same time, the situation on the central front meant he need not worry about the court making any changes in the short term. But for Wen Muqiao, Niu Gengru and others who were to proceed to Kaifeng, the situation was much more awkward.
As ministers of Southern Chu, they had contributed many strategies over the years to resist the Liang army. Even in earlier years when Emperor Tianyou had risen in Huainan, when he led large armies to campaign in the southern regions, they had repeatedly suffered Liang army attacks. Almost every time it was Wen Muqiao, serving as Shouzhou Military Governor, who had repelled the Liang forces. In his youth, Zhu Yu had even taken an arrow beneath Shouzhou City.
Between them, one could say there was “the enmity of an arrow.”
As surrendered ministers who were all advanced in years with energy far inferior to before, now leading their sons and younger brothers to return to Kaifeng—if they wanted to serve, it might be to no avail. At the same time, they might not receive trust. Perhaps their movements and residence would even be monitored. Their situation was truly quite awkward.
However, Zhu Yu seemed to understand their concerns. Supporting Xu Mingzhen, Niu Gengru, Wen Muqiao and the others as they walked together into the imperial tent, he first discussed arrangements for them.
Xu Mingzhen would be responsible for Huaixi’s military and political defense and the central front’s combat offensive against Southern Chu. Wen Bo, Zhao Mingting and other surrendered generals would continue to be employed under Xu Mingzhen’s command.
Xu Mingzhen’s eldest son Xu Zhi had served in the Shouzhou army for many years and would remain in Shouzhou this time to assist Xu Mingzhen in handling military affairs. Apart from Xu Mingzhen’s youngest son Xu Zheng serving as memorial presenter to proceed to Kaifeng as liaison between Shouzhou and Kaifeng, Zhu Yu permitted all of Xu Mingzhen’s other sons and family members to remain in Huaixi. Xu Mingzhen would be solely responsible for recommending Huaixi commanders and officials.
Apart from the Xu clan not being able to directly inherit the position of Shouzhou Military Commissioner, Shouzhou’s status as a military region had actually been greatly strengthened after surrendering to Liang.
Both Niu Gengru and Wen Muqiao were enfeoffed as county marquises upon surrendering to Liang this time. Zhu Yu specially allocated them fiefs of one thousand households each in Yingzhou and Xuzhou with actual authority, permitting them to directly relocate their kinsmen into their fiefs without having to move to Kaifeng to live under surveillance.
Wen Muqiao was over seventy years old and no longer had the energy to manage political affairs. Zhu Yu permitted him to directly retire to his fief. Niu Gengru had just turned sixty and still had decent energy. This time he was additionally granted the title of Counselor-in-Chief and authorized to serve within the Forbidden Palace. Zhu Yu would temporarily keep him at his side to consult on state affairs, thinking to grant him an actual position later after he became familiar with court generals and ministers.
Apart from the already renowned Wen Bo and others serving in the Shouzhou army, other sons and younger brothers of the Niu and Wen families could directly participate in recommendations and selection by the Personnel Ministry and War Ministry.
Hearing Zhu Yu tirelessly discuss various arrangements, Niu Gengru and Wen Muqiao’s suspended hearts finally settled. At this moment someone entered the imperial tent to report on the movements of Prince Xin Yang Yuanyan leading Silver Halberd Guard soldiers and Chuzhou cavalry. Zhu Yu said unconcernedly to Han Yuanqi: “Yang Yuanyan, Wang Wenqian and the others also quite resemble famous generals and distinguished ministers. If they circle around to the south of Haizhou before crossing the Huai, they’re determined only to respond to troops withdrawing south—we won’t gain any advantage. If officers and men are eager to fight, they can probe with attacks, but absolutely must not penetrate deeply with isolated forces, much less harbor delusions of complete annihilation, unless Yang Yuanyan can be lured to the open terrain of western Haizhou for a major engagement!”
Hearing His Majesty speak thus, Wen Ruilin also confirmed that His Majesty’s rush to Suyu to take command was primarily aimed at first adjusting Great Liang’s strategic posture on the eastern front, not rushing to achieve everything in one stroke. But he was more concerned with how His Majesty would deal with Han Qian, now clearly confirmed to be in Tangyi, and the Xuzhou naval camp that should have already reached Tangyi by now. He didn’t know what His Majesty thought of his strategic proposal.
Wen Ruilin didn’t need to be anxious about this. After understanding the military situation along the Chu-Si front, Lei Jiuyuan spoke of the developments in the Huaixi situation these past two days, mentioning the latest movements of the Xuzhou naval camp and Wen Ruilin’s strategic proposal.
“Although Han Qian is not his father Han Daoxun, he’s also not someone who would sit by and watch the Southern Chu navy’s destruction. Perhaps he had unavoidable hidden circumstances. For a period previously, we concentrated our limited reconnaissance forces mainly on Huaixi—many intelligence matters must have been overlooked,” said Zhu Yu, raising his eyes to look at the gloomy southern sky. “The strategy Ruilin has proposed can be attempted—perhaps it can create some trouble for Han Qian. But you should not place too much hope in it. If Han Qian were truly so easy to deal with, We wouldn’t have been unable to sleep well these past several days…”