When Wen Ruilin rushed to see Xu Mingzhen again, it was at Anfeng Stockade.
Anfeng Stockade had currently become the core of the southern defense line of Huo and Shou. Over the past year, Shou Prefecture forces had built over a dozen defensive stockades along the southern Fei River and Anfeng Canal, all connected by large and small trestle bridges and pontoon bridges.
Anfeng Stockade, or more appropriately called Anfeng City, had been heightened and thickened on the foundation of the original crude earthen walls, and was currently a standard rammed-earth city wall over a zhang thick and over a zhang high.
At this time in the headquarters hall of Anfeng Stockade, Xu Mingzhen sitting behind the long desk had bloodshot eyes. Xu Jin and other generals sat glaring menacingly on either side. Wen Ruilin suspected they wanted to tear him limb from limb alive.
“Mister Wen, what exactly happened in Bianjing to make Hejin Army and Cai Prefecture Army so desperately abandon their stationed cities and go north?”
Since the second when Xu Mingzhen confirmed that Chen Kun had led Hejin Army to completely abandon defense of Hao Prefecture and cross north over the Huai River, he had been unable to eat or sleep peacefully for three days and nights, not closing his eyes once. At this time his voice was hoarse and low. Seeing Wen Ruilin, he had to get a clear answer no matter what.
Previously, the eastern side of Shou Prefecture (the region east of the prefectural seat Shouchun), as interior heartland territory, had Fengtai and the newly established Shou East County for resettling northern migrant households, with a total of only two thousand troops stationed there.
They had been kept completely in the dark about everything. Without a word of notice, Chen Kun had led Hejin Army to suddenly withdraw completely in three days, causing the flank of Shou Prefecture to be completely exposed.
In their scramble, they could only urgently deploy forces in the first instance to strengthen the defenses of Fengtai and Shou East cities. For a time there was chaos everywhere, and they could only watch helplessly as Tangyi Army calmly took over all of Hao Prefecture territory, taking over all the land and population of the four counties of Linhuai, Zhaoyi, Huailing, and Zhongli.
Honestly, not directly binding Wen Ruilin up and still giving him the chance to sit down and speak—Xu Mingzhen felt his temper was truly too good.
“Prince He Zhu Rang and Liang Shixiong secretly plotted rebellion, yet Han Qian learned of this news before us. Han Qian assembled large forces in the northwest of the Wujian Mountains on one hand, while on the other hand dispatching someone to inform Huailing of this matter. To enable Hejin Army to timely cross the Huai and go north to relieve Bianjing, they had no choice but to yield Hao Prefecture with an empty nest, allowing Tangyi Army to seize it…” Currently the main forces of Hejin Army and Cai Prefecture Army had already embarked on the journey to relieve Bianjing. No matter how sinister Xu Mingzhen’s intentions, at least before determining who would prevail in Bianjing, he could only watch the situation. Therefore Wen Ruilin simply sat behind the desk and told the truth.
“Bullshit! If you believe whatever that bandit Han says, then all our desperate fighting and killing here is for your whore mother to see!” A bearded military officer sitting below Xu Jin could no longer restrain himself at this moment. He kicked over the long desk in front of him, jumped up, and was about to grab Wen Ruilin and slap him twice across the face.
“Scout messengers that Chengtian Bureau left in Bianjing crossed the Huai yesterday and rushed over, already confirming that Liang Shixiong, after nightfall on the second, led Southern Office troops and part of Wei Prefecture forces to occupy the Eastern City and the Six Ministries offices…” Wen Ruilin said with forced composure.
Liang Army’s military system was even more complex than Chu Army’s.
In early years, Emperor Zhu Wen of Liang used direct subordinate forces as Imperial Guards. Outside the Imperial Guards, there were also regional military commissioner armies and prefecture troops locally.
After Zhu Yu succeeded to the throne, he reformed the Imperial Guards. Based on the direct subordinate Black Armored Command and Henan Prefecture troops (Luoyang), he drew able troops from Cai Prefecture and Guanzhong to establish Palace Guard troops under his direct control.
In recent years, whether defending the imperial city or personally campaigning, Zhu Yu used Palace Guard troops as the main force. This was also the foundation of Zhu Yu’s rule over Liang State after ascending the throne.
Although the original Imperial Guard organization was still retained, after the rebellion of Prince of Bo Zhu Gui and Palace Guard Cavalry Commander Feng Tingyi was suppressed, the Imperial Guards had been severely weakened, with only over ten thousand troops responsible for daily public security patrols and other matters in Bianjing City.
Since Liang Army also generally followed the old system of the previous dynasty, the Palace Guard troops were also called Northern Office troops, and the Imperial Guards were called Southern Office troops.
Since Zhu Yu ascended the throne, command authority over the Northern Office Palace Guard troops was with the Imperial City Palace Guard Cavalry and Infantry Commander’s Office, while command authority over Southern Office Imperial Guards was with the Privy Council and the Six Armies Command Office.
The news Wen Ruilin currently had was, first, that the main forces of Southern Office troops had participated in rebellion under Liang Shixiong’s instigation, and second, that several thousand Wei Prefecture troops of unknown scale, under the pretext of escorting Jin military prisoners back to Bianjing, had instigated the escorted Jin military prisoners to participate in rebellion together. Currently the rebel forces near Bianjing numbered over twenty thousand, while Lei Jiuyuan and Jing Zhen leading the elite Palace Guard troops defending the capital were caught completely off guard. Currently less than six thousand remained defending within the imperial city.
As for Wei Prefecture north of Bianjing, Wei Prefecture to the northeast, and even the entire Heshuo region—what the situation was there, Wen Ruilin still knew nothing, and no new intelligence had been transmitted over.
“Liang Shixiong and Zhu Rang ate leopard gall bladders and dare to incite rebellion when all under heaven’s hearts turn toward us?” Xu Jin pressed down the impulsive military officer and stared at Wen Ruilin, questioning sternly.
Everyone also stared at Wen Ruilin, all thinking in their hearts—even if the generals of Southern Office troops all took some kind of mind-control drug and believed Liang Shixiong’s ghost talk, His Majesty personally led one hundred thousand elite troops to campaign north against Jin State, with great victory imminent. Leading forces back to Bianjing would only take ten days or so. What confidence did Liang Shixiong and Zhu Rang have that they could possibly succeed?
Moreover, this was also not a reason for Chen Kun and Wen Ruilin to conceal matters from them and let Hao Prefecture go to Tangyi Army!
“According to intelligence obtained by the Marquis of Qianyang, Liang Shixiong and Zhu Rang have already colluded with Chengde Army’s Wang Yuankui and the Mongols. Chengtian Bureau Staff Officer and Army Supervisor Shen Peng and Princess Yunhe were previously covertly operating in Ding Prefecture and also confirmed this, and they timely transmitted the news through carrier pigeons carried by Tangyi secret agents. Although there’s still no further news from Heshuo currently, the facts may well be just so,” Wen Ruilin said. After confirming the news of Liang Shixiong’s rebellion in Bianjing, he was certain of many things.
He had rushed over to try his utmost to stabilize Xu Mingzhen.
Even if Xu Mingzhen sat on the wall watching at this time, it was far better than Xu Mingzhen turning toward the rebels. Therefore Wen Ruilin needed to give him a clear explanation at this time.
“…” Xu Mingzhen weakly waved his hand, indicating those on either side should right the desk the rash subordinate officer had kicked over.
Liang Shixiong’s betrayal could be verified within two or three days at most. Xu Mingzhen didn’t think Wen Ruilin needed to lie about this matter—and only this could explain why Chen Kun led Hejin Army and Han Yuanqi led Cai Prefecture Army to hurriedly go north.
As for why Han Qian would inform them and not sit and watch Liang State fall into complete great chaos, and why Chen Kun would believe Han Qian’s words—these were already minor details.
What Xu Mingzhen needed to consider at this time was that Liang Shixiong and Zhu Rang had colluded with the Mongols and Chengde Army to suddenly launch rebellion. This meant that the main Great Liang forces accompanying Zhu Yu’s northern campaign against Jin State had at this time very likely already been blockaded north of Wei Prefecture by southward-advancing Mongol cavalry. Never mind returning through the southern foothills of Mount Taihang to relieve Bianjing in the short term—with morale scattered, grain supplies cut off, and facing pursuit by Mongol cavalry and counterattack by Jin State forces, whether they could even withdraw through the Fen River valley to Guanzhong was questionable.
As for why Chen Kun and Wen Ruilin had previously concealed information from them, even going so far as to hand Hao Prefecture over to Tangyi Army—to put it plainly, they worried that seeing the unfavorable situation, they would turn their weapons toward Prince He and Liang Shixiong, or even worried they would cross the Huai first to occupy Song, Ying and other prefectures, adding insult to injury by restraining Hejin Army and Cai Prefecture Army and preventing them from having the opportunity to relieve Bianjing.
Xu Mingzhen didn’t know how to evaluate Chen Kun and Wen Ruilin’s decision, and didn’t even feel anger at not being trusted in his heart.
He was very clear in his heart that if great chaos in Liang State had become inevitable, even if Chen Kun had sent someone over to notify them in advance, even if he had no intention of turning his weapons and remained wholeheartedly loyal to Zhu Yu, under these circumstances, would he still have been likely to divide forces to defend Hao Prefecture?
Many military officers were still filled with righteous indignation, but Xu Jin and other officers had fallen into a silence so quiet it was frightening.
At this time it was no longer merely a matter of holding Wen Ruilin and Chen Kun accountable for not informing them. It was a question of whether they had the capability to withdraw north from the Anfeng and Gaocheng line when facing Tangyi Army, which had fully mobilized six days in advance.
Defend Anfeng and Gaocheng?
What a joke—with great chaos in the rear, Hejin Army and Cai Prefecture Army elite forces already having gone north to serve the king, and the Xu and Si direction also having completely contracted defensive lines, they could no longer obtain grain supplies from Liang territory. At this time to still fantasize about holding the Anfeng and Gaocheng line—wasn’t that waiting for Tangyi Army and Xiangbei Army to penetrate through, divide and encircle them, then concentrate forces to eliminate them one by one?
“Xu Jin, quickly arrange personnel to breach the Anfeng Canal embankment and destroy it as thoroughly as possible!” Xu Mingzhen suddenly stood up and said to Xu Jin, the commanding general of Anfeng Stockade.
This was also the suggestion that Wen Ruilin had rushed over at the risk of possibly being torn to shreds to make to Xu Mingzhen.
The Anfeng Canal was the main waterway in the Huai West region connecting the southern and northern Fei Rivers, thereby linking the two major water systems of the Yangtze and Huai.
If Shou Prefecture forces withdrew north from the Anfeng and Gaocheng line, abandoning the central and southern regions of Huo and Shou prefectures to defend Shouchun, Huoqiu and other cities clinging to the southern bank of the Huai River, if they couldn’t timely destroy the dams and embankments of the Anfeng Canal, Tangyi naval warships could travel via the southern Fei River, through the Anfeng Canal into the northern Fei River, and then press upon Shouchun City, directly opening a passage into the Huai River from midstream.
“What about Luo Mountain?” Xu Jin asked Xu Mingzhen hesitantly.
Wen Bo was responsible for leading forces to defend Luo Mountain City and its associated fortresses, restraining from the north Xiangbei Army from expanding from Yiyang and Ling Mountain into central Guang Prefecture. But just several days ago, Li Zhigao had assembled tens of thousands of elite troops in Ling Mountain and Yiyang, dividing into several routes to penetrate into central Guang Prefecture. Currently they had already formed an encirclement posture around Luo Mountain City, which Wen Bo personally defended.
Previously they had thought this was a normal offensive launched by Xiangbei Army after resting for a winter.
Looking at it now, it wasn’t that simple.
Xu Mingzhen pondered and said: “Quickly dispatch fast horses to rush to Luo Mountain to report this matter…”
Apart from this, Xu Mingzhen said nothing else, but Xu Jin and the others already understood. Currently the Luo Mountain garrison could only break through on their own. They could no longer organize forces to go provide relief.
Otherwise, the last bit of Shou Prefecture Army’s foundation might be completely buried.
Even thinking more sordidly, they now needed Wen Bo to lead his forces to restrain the superior-numbered Xiangbei Army on the western front. Otherwise, if Xiangbei Army and Tangyi Army united with total forces exceeding one hundred thousand, plus Huaidong still being able to transfer some forces into Huai West for combat—never mind holding the southern bank strongholds of Shouchun and Huoqiu, even their main forces might not be able to withdraw to the northern bank in time…