Regardless of whether Li Chong was flying into a rage from embarrassment or making a show of strength to cover inner weakness, when Han Qian said he would send warships over to demand justice, not long after the few subordinates Li Xiu had left at the western foothills of Daci Mountain rushed over to report the news, the lookout post stationed on the main peak of Bijia Mountain camp and the patrol boats positioned downstream almost simultaneously spotted six oared war sailing ships fully loaded with soldiers heading toward the camp.
Everyone’s faces turned ashen—they hadn’t expected Han Qian would truly be so audaciously reckless as to actually resort to direct military coercion!
Under these circumstances, even if Li Pu had the courage to defy heaven itself, he wouldn’t dare cross the river to the southern shore with just a few small boats.
If they were detained by the Xuzhou naval forces’ warships in mid-river, to whom could he complain?
Although the rumor was spread by Li Chong after returning to Shuzhou, Han Qian had specifically named Duke Changguo’sMansion as the ones interfering behind the scenes, specifically pointing his finger at Li Pu himself to demand justice. Could Li Pu still argue this matter had nothing to do with him?
Li Zhigao, Yang En, and others furrowed their brows deeply, not expecting Han Qian’s reaction to the rumors Li Chong spread after arriving in Shuzhou would be so intense.
Yao Xishui and Deng Tai gasped in shock, feeling this matter was exceptionally thorny. They hadn’t expected the situation would suddenly become so severe—was Han Qian openly breaking with their side?
Or perhaps Han Qian truly only wanted to obtain justice?
But how could there be any justice in matters of rumor? Would Li Chong admitting his error and apologizing make Han Qian feel justice had been obtained?
Or perhaps only by handing over Li Pu and Li Chong—those two who were destined to be sacrificed, who brought more failure than success—could they possibly calm this matter?
However, Li Pu was Duke Changguo, Vice Commissioner of Military Affairs, the current Emperor’s father-in-law. Together with the other Vice Commissioner of Military Affairs Zhou Bingwu and Minister of War Du Chongtao, they could be called Great Chu’s three highest-ranking military officials.
Emperor Yanyou hadn’t issued an edict investigating their crimes of losing armies in defeat. By what authority could they detain him and hand him over to Han Qian for disposal?
If they truly did that, would the court have even half a shred of dignity remaining? Wouldn’t the court officials rise up en masse to attack them?
“Should I go to Daci Mountain to meet Han Qian?” Yang En said with tightly knitted brows.
“Let’s wait to see whom the Marquis of Qianyang sends over to demand justice first…” Li Zhigao didn’t think Yang En rushing over to meet Han Qian at this time would accomplish anything. His pupils, however, stared hesitantly yet sharply at Li Chong, who still wore an expression of frantic rage.
During this period, he had to reorganize defenses along the Lujiang-Bijia Mountain line while also strengthening his command over the various troops, rushing about ceaselessly between Shuzhou, Zongyang, Lujiang, Tongling, and other places. When Li Chong fled back to Shuzhou, they had only met hastily twice, with no opportunity to ask about many details.
Li Chong’s impatience in spreading these rumors made him unable to help connecting certain matters.
“Elder brother, why are you staring at me?”
Seeing Li Zhigao’s eyes staring over with sinister intensity, Li Chong felt an indescribable irritation in his heart and said angrily.
“Han Qian wants to obtain justice—can’t the tens of thousands of soldiers who died tragically at Hongze Marsh and beneath Zhongli City also obtain justice? Back then in Wuling City, when Wen Ruilin was captured, the first person he sought out was Han Qian, saying he could persuade Gao Long to surrender and open a passage for attacking Tanzhou. At that time, not only were Xishui and Chun Shisanniang present, but Internal Attendants Bureau Deputy Director Zhang Ping also witnessed it with his own eyes—I found it strange then that Han Qian wouldn’t even claim such great merit. Only now do I realize this boy has harbored malicious intent for a long time. And various signs indicate that when the naval forces raided Hongze Marsh, Han Qian was very likely in Jinling. What his intentions were, I’m afraid His Majesty and the Empress Dowager have both been kept in the dark!”
“Have you said enough?” Li Zhigao asked in a heavy voice.
“I also know that at this time we should set aside past grievances and jointly resist the Liang invaders, but the soldiers below are indignant about treacherous ministers holding power. They want to obtain justice for the tens of thousands of soldiers who died tragically at Hongze Marsh and Zhongli—can I cover their mouths?” Li Chong said defiantly.
As long as the court didn’t issue an edict charging them with crimes, his father was Duke Changguo, was Vice Commissioner of Military Affairs, his rank was even higher than Li Zhigao’s. Together with the other Vice Commissioner of Military Affairs Zhou Bingwu and Minister of War Du Chongtao, they could be called Great Chu’s highest-ranking military officials. And he himself was the dignified Deputy Commander of the Right Divine Martial Army. He didn’t believe Li Zhigao could do anything to him.
“Good. Since you say these rumors were all spread recklessly by military officers under your command and have nothing to do with you—men, arrest all these seditious soldiers spreading rumors!” Li Zhigao said without leaving any face.
At this time, even if the Empress Dowager investigated Li Pu and Li Chong’s crimes of losing armies in defeat, she would first have to summon them back to Jinling and have the Military Affairs Bureau, Censorate, and Court of Judicial Review handle the matter.
Li Zhigao didn’t want military morale further disrupted. He temporarily had no way to deal with Li Chong, but since Li Chong had shifted blame for spreading rumors onto the soldiers who had fled back together, Li Zhigao didn’t need to be polite—he directly ordered these people arrested on charges of spreading seditious rumors.
“Zhigao, what is the meaning of this?” Li Pu demanded in a heavy voice.
Since the Qin and Han dynasties, reckless speech, criticism, and spreading seditious rumors had all been serious crimes.
Originally, when Emperor Qin Shi Huang buried alive over four hundred Confucian scholars, it was on charges of spreading seditious rumors. Throughout successive dynasties, those whose families were exterminated for this numbered many. When Great Chu established its capital in Jinling, seditious and reckless speech remained serious crimes. One authority Emperor Yanyou gave the Jinyun Bureau was to investigate and listen for improper discussion of state affairs and seditious rumors.
Li Zhigao might have no way to deal with Li Pu and Li Chong, but to arrest the soldiers who had fled to Shuzhou with Li Chong, he would act on his words.
Facing Li Pu’s questioning, Li Zhigao kept his face dark and gave no response. He only turned his head aside, staring sternly at Deng Tai, whose face showed hesitant expression, saying word by word: “The Liang army surges forward menacingly. The Marquis of Qianyang is the pillar of the state, defending Tangyi alone, guarding the gateway for Great Chu. These soldiers don’t think of the Marquis of Qianyang’s merits but instead criticize his faults, disrupting our military morale—they are unforgivable…”
“…”
Clearly it was Han Qian openly using military force as coercion. Clearly he should also be rallying the former Marquis of Xinchang’s forces for his own use. Deng Tai didn’t understand why Li Zhigao would yield to Han Qian’s coercion yet turn around and make an example of the soldiers beside Li Chong. But over these years he had always followed Li Zhigao’s orders. Seeing Li Zhigao’s expression firm and unwavering, he could only steel himself and lead the guards to pounce like tigers and wolves, arresting those dozen or so soldiers beside Li Chong who had been preparing to cross the river together to return to Jinling.
“Father…” Li Chong hadn’t expected Li Zhigao would directly arrest people. Somewhat panicked, he called out to Li Pu.
“Father, if you’re not in a hurry to cross the river, please return to camp and rest first.” Li Zhigao ignored Li Chong’s reaction and spoke directly to Li Pu.
“Hmph!” Li Pu snorted coldly, flicked his sleeves, and walked along the stone path toward Bijia Mountain camp.
Li Chong stood neither walking nor staying, like a caged beast, pacing several steps. Seeing Li Zhigao’s face iron-dark, apparently determined to hand these soldiers over as an explanation with seemingly no room for accommodation, he could only chase after his father back to camp first.
Li Jian, who had originally planned to wait until all his subordinate soldiers had assembled before crossing the river back to Jinling two or three days later—though he possessed courage that surpassed the three armies—didn’t know how to handle the current situation.
His father and second brother had left in a huff, but he and Li Xiu couldn’t ignore the thousand-plus subordinates Han Qian had ordered detained.
After a short while, six oared war sailing ships slowly approached the dock.
“Should we return to camp first?” Watching the oared war sailing ships filled with soldiers, Deng Tai said worriedly.
Currently Li Zhigao sat in Shuzhou primarily to reorganize the Huaixi Imperial Guard’s military affairs and construct defenses along the Lujiang-Bijia Mountain line. They had squeezed out limited funds and grain to build docks and naval camp fortifications along the southern shore river bay of Bijia Mountain. The dock was extremely crude with few garrison troops. Over a hundred small and medium transport vessels and fishing boats could never contend against six oared war sailing ships that the Xuzhou naval forces all used as main warships.
Deng Tai had to guard against the possibility that Tangyi troops might launch a surprise attack on them.
Li Zhigao remained unmoved, standing with hands in sleeves on the river embankment dock together with Marquis of Liyang Yang En, watching the approaching ships draw gradually nearer until he clearly made out the face of Jiangzhou Prefect Zhou Dan.
No matter what, before his subordinate soldiers, Li Zhigao couldn’t display a weak posture. Staring at Zhou Dan, he asked in a heavy voice: “Prefect Zhou personally leads warships to our Bijia Mountain camp—I wonder what instruction you have for us?”
Seeing Marquis of Liyang Yang En also standing at the dock front, Zhou Dan cupped his hands in salute and said: “Marquis Li’s words are too serious. I led Jiangzhou troops to reinforce Jinling for more than half a year already. Logically I should have returned to Jiangzhou long ago. The Marquis of Qianyang worried that river bandits run rampant and the route is unsafe, so he had Zong Jing lead warships to escort me part of the way. Seeing from afar that Lord Yang and Marquis Li were at the riverside, I specially came over to pay my respects…”
That Wen Ruilin could escape from Li Zhigao’s custody was itself quite suspicious, but amidst the chaos of military campaigns, no one had time to speculate about such matters.
However, who could imagine that from the very beginning when Tangyi troops organized they fought two hard battles consecutively with countless casualties, yet Li Zhigao tolerated these rumors spreading within the Huaixi Imperial Guard, even tolerating subordinate officers coldly mocking and ridiculing Tangyi army officers to their faces?
If Han Qian still swallowed his anger at this time, how could the coming battle to attack Liyang be fought?
Of course, Han Qian couldn’t openly use military force or directly blockade the Yangtze River waterway to coerce the Huaixi Imperial Guard into giving him an explanation. But having Lin Jingzong lead part of the naval forces to escort Zhou Dan back to Jiangzhou, no one could fault him for it.
Li Zhigao glanced at Yang En, seeing his expression had also grown grave. In his heart he knew Yang En understood what Zhou Dan returning to Jiangzhou at this time signified.
Jiangzhou controlled the chokepoint of Poyang Lake and the Yangtze River waterway, with strategic importance equivalent to Yueyang.
With Zhou Dan returning to Jiangzhou under warship escort, everyone had to consider how severe the consequences would be if they truly tore off all pretenses and Han Qian used military force to blockade Poyang Lake and the Yangtze River waterway.
Of course, as Jiangzhou Prefect, Zhou Dan could simply have had the Prefecture Administrator or Military Advisor or Military Commissioner lead prefecture troops to reinforce earlier. It was only because Zhou Dan himself hoped for an opportunity to command troops in battle that he came personally. But Zhou Dan returning to Jiangzhou at this time required no imperial edict, nor could others fault him for it.
“I wonder if Prefect Zhou knows why the Marquis of Qianyang had people detain my subordinate soldiers at the Wushou River mouth?” Li Xiu, concerned for his subordinates’ safety, asked loudly.
“The Marquis of Qianyang received intelligence reports saying that among the remnants of the Right Divine Martial Army who broke through the encirclement, enemy spies have infiltrated. To prevent enemy spies from following the remnants into Great Chu territory to spread rumors and disrupt our military morale, the Marquis of Qianyang could only detain them first. Please be assured, General Li Xiu—the Marquis of Qianyang will absolutely not wrongly accuse any Great Chu soldier. However, investigation requires time, so please be patient, General Li Xiu.” Zhou Dan said.
Seeing Han Qian use such an excuse to detain people, Li Xiu’s face turned iron-dark with anger, yet he had no recourse.