When Li Xiu withdrew back to Xiacai, the faces of ordinary soldiers on the north bank naturally brimmed with the joy of repelling superior enemy forces.
Although the Tangyi army’s casualties in this battle also reached thirteen to fourteen thousand men—mainly because the enemy’s counterattacks against Xiacai, Danxian, and Wuting in the later period were extremely fierce, causing tremendous casualties—enemy forces with roughly double their troop strength suffered even heavier losses.
Of course, the intensity of this first Huai River battle was still far below pre-war estimates.
In Cao Ba’s words, it was completely much thunder but little rain—he hadn’t even gotten any hard battles to fight.
The Tangyi army had smoothly completed a series of campaign objectives: receiving and evacuating over a hundred thousand Bianjing military and civilians to the west bank of the Ying River, guiding over three hundred thousand people between the Ying and Guo to retreat south to Xiacai and Haozhou, and securing footholds on the north bank of the Huai River and west bank of the Ying River.
For Tangyi, this battle was naturally won.
However, when Li Xiu rushed to the north bank main camp to report to Feng Xuan, seeing the high-ranking Tangyi army officers hurrying past within the camp without much excitement on their faces, he only then learned that simultaneously with the enemy lifting their siege and departing, news of Yongzhou’s fall had also reached Xiacai.
This news, however, had not yet been publicly announced in West Huai and was only known to high-ranking military officers.
Emperor Zhu Yu of Liang had secretly returned to Caizhou, leaving thirty thousand elite troops in Yongzhou City. But ultimately they still could not withstand Field Marshal Tian Weiye’s forces’ siege lasting a year and the final month of relentless day-and-night assaults. On the fifteenth, enemy forces broke into the city. In the end they could not drive the enemy out—only three to four thousand remnant soldiers covered Prince Luo of Liang Zhu Zhen’s breakout and withdrawal into Shangzhou.
Guanzhong’s foremost city, simultaneously one of the few mighty cities under heaven and the former dynasty’s old capital, Yongzhou City, had thus completely fallen into enemy hands.
In late October, the Yu River completely froze solid. The rebel remnants stubbornly defending fortresses on the Yu River’s south bank at Luoyang, Hangugu and elsewhere, led by Liang Shixiong and taking nearly a hundred thousand civilians with them, abandoned their cities. Under Mengwu cavalry cover, they crossed the river ice to retreat to the Yu River’s north bank and were now withdrawing toward Bianjing.
The Mengwu Crown Prince and Xiao Yiqing ultimately agreed to Liang Shixiong leading his forces in withdrawing from Heluo, mainly because Tian Weiye and Wang Yuankui’s troops had also suffered extremely heavy casualties capturing Yongzhou City and desperately needed rest and reorganization. Meanwhile the Xuzhou-Sizhou army and Shouzhou army faced tremendous pressure from the Tangyi army. They temporarily could not spare more forces to enter the Yu River’s south bank to strengthen defenses at Luoyang and other cities.
Quite obviously, they also could not expect Liang Shixiong to continue supporting them in Heluo for much longer. Actively withdrawing and relocating Liang Shixiong’s forces eastward ultimately ensured that East Liang (Zhu Rang) maintained absolute superiority in troop scale when facing Tangyi and the West Liang army on the Ying River’s west bank.
For the Huai River Liang army, which could actually only be called the “West Liang army,” although they ultimately recaptured the complete Heluo region and thoroughly opened the communication corridor with Guanzhong, only Huazhou, Tongguan and a few other limited cities on the lower reaches of the Wei River’s south bank remained in Guanzhong.
Most of the Guanzhong region, especially after this wave of warfare, with Yongzhou still possessing nearly five hundred thousand registered civilian households falling into Mengwu hands—for the West Liang army this was a tremendous trauma comparable to Bianjing’s fall.
For the current West Liang army, after recovering Heluo, they barely maintained territory in nearly fifty counties across Luoyang Prefecture and Xu, Ru, Cai, Ying, Hua, and Shang prefectures—only one-fourth of the Liang Kingdom’s territory at its height. Their population had shrunk to one-fifth of their peak, with registered households possibly not even reaching two million.
The West Liang army had also shrunk from over four hundred thousand at the Liang army’s peak (including the Shouzhou army and Xuzhou-Sizhou army) to less than eighty thousand men—all exhausted soldiers who had continuously fought bitterly for two to three years, with an extremely high proportion of wounded and sick.
The West Liang army’s main forces could only garrison Heluo’s two flanks to resist pressure from enemy forces in Guanzhong and from Ying and Huai prefectures. Their defense line on the Ying River’s west bank even had to hope the Tangyi army could share part of the pressure.
After Li Xiu reported to Feng Xuan about the New Fortress village militia defending Yatou Ridge and their withdrawal and resettlement arrangements at Xiacai, he planned to return with Cao Ba to the Li Family New Fortress first. At this time Han Qian sent guards over to fetch Feng Xuan to the main tent for a council.
“You two come with me,” Feng Xuan indicated that Li Xiu and Cao Ba should follow him to the main tent.
The north bank main camp was located on the north bank of Jiaoshan Gorge, at the core position of the Xiacai defense line. Including the naval fortress, the camp’s area was no smaller than Xiacai City itself. Including the navy, the garrison also reached over twenty thousand troops. The camp fortresses were layered one within another, and Han Qian’s command tent was naturally at the entire camp’s core position.
Li Xiu followed Feng Xuan into the main tent converted from a ancestral hall. Inside the tent, besides high-ranking Tangyi army officers like Feng Liao, Guo Rong, Tian Cheng, Lin Haizheng, Guo Que, Xiao Dahu, Tan Xiuqun, Su Lie, Wen Yuan, Feng Yi, Wang Zhe, and Huo Xiao, West Liang’s Vice Minister of Rites Guo Duanduo and Shen Peng were also present. He didn’t know if their appearance at the Jiaoshan Gorge north bank camp at this time was related to Yongzhou’s fall and Guanzhong’s extremely dire situation.
There weren’t many seats inside the main tent. Han Qian was standing there conversing with Guo Duanduo. Li Xiu and Cao Ba naturally stood obediently behind the crowd.
Cao Ba rather impertinently nudged Wang Zhe standing in front of him, asking: “Calling so many people over—what’s this about? Distributing reward money?”
“The Mengwu are moving their Southern Court headquarters from Yunzhou to Taiyuan Prefecture. They’re probably relocating their southern capital to Taiyuan Prefecture,” Wang Zhe said quietly to Cao Ba, then courteously cupped his hands in greeting toward Li Xiu.
“…” Li Xiu hadn’t expected the Mengwu to relocate their Southern Court stronghold south so quickly.
Although Taiyuan City was only five to six hundred li from Yunzhou, the Mengwu making this choice had very clear strategic intent. First, they were comprehensively shifting their ruling center southward, demonstrating their determination to develop the Central Plains heartland.
That the Mengwu didn’t choose the Heshuo region south of Yanshan as the site for their new southern capital but instead chose the former Jin Kingdom capital of Taiyuan Prefecture also revealed that they were content to let Zhu Rang peacefully develop the East Liang region—the core area between the Huai River with over five million registered households. After the Mengwu digested Jin territory, the southern Taihang Mountain regions of Huai and Wei prefectures, and the Guanzhong region, their future strategic focus would be comprehensively tilted toward the western flank.
Traveling south from Taiyuan City through the Fen River valley was the former Hedong commandery. Crossing the Yellow River led to northeastern Guanzhong, connecting with Yongzhou and other areas—this was a complete military movement corridor.
Defending Tongguan to block westward-advancing enemies had advantageous terrain to borrow. But when enemy forces deployed from Yongzhou and Hejin to the north, entering Huazhou, Tongguan and other cities from the west and north, the West Liang army had no terrain advantages to defend. The offensive and defensive situation remained extremely severe.
“Oh, right,” Wang Zhe, seeing that Li Xiu was more concerned about the overall strategic situation, lowered his voice to tell him specifically: “Zhao Mengji and Wang Xiaoxian have already sent envoys carrying memorials to Taiyuan Prefecture to meet with Mengwu Crown Prince Wusu Dashi…”
Li Xiu drew in a sharp breath, thinking this was perhaps news Guo Duanduo and Shen Peng had brought.
If Zhao Mengji and Wang Xiaoxian truly submitted to the Mengwu, it meant the Mengwu would gain seventy thousand troops. This not only meant drastically increased pressure on the West Liang army at Huazhou and Tongguan—Prince Zhao’s forces directly counterattacking Sichuan-Shu via the Yinping Road could happen at any time.
“Tian Weiye and Wang Yuankui suffered quite heavy casualties attacking Yongzhou. The two of them garrisoning Guanzhong, combined with the Pingxia forces, only have fifty thousand remnant soldiers left. Not only do they desperately need rest and reorganization, their eastern flank also faces threats from Liang forces garrisoning Huazhou—we currently estimate Wusu Dashi will somewhat guard against Zhao Mengji and Wang Xiaoxian’s submission being insincere. He won’t transfer desperately needed provisions to Zhao Mengji and Wang Xiaoxian to immediately sharpen their military edge. Sichuan-Shu and Liangzhou temporarily face no major threats. However, after Tian Weiye and Wang Yuankui’s troops receive reinforcements and sufficient rest—that is to say, by March or April next year—the western flank situation will be hard to predict,” Wang Zhe explained to Li Xiu some basic circumstances they had just discussed.
“How goes the court’s suppression campaign against Xiangcheng?” Li Xiu asked in alarm.
“Zhou Bingwu, Zhang Xiang, and Zhao Zhen are fighting extremely steadily, still methodically attacking Jingmen and Yingzhou. They may not capture the gateway positions for attacking Xiangcheng even by next spring,” Wang Zhe said.
“Staff Officer Wang could perhaps suggest to the Marquis to write a letter to the Shu ruler Wang Yong, requesting that the Shu Kingdom hand over Zhao Mengji and Wang Xiaoxian’s family members to Jinling to sow discord between Zhao Mengji, Wang Xiaoxian and the Mengwu,” Li Xiu thought of something and said to Wang Zhe.
After brief consideration, Wang Zhe also felt Li Xiu’s stratagem was feasible.
Zhao Mengji and Wang Xiaoxian had no possibility of compromise with Wang Yong. Whether Wang Yong detained Zhao Mengji and Wang Xiaoxian’s family members or directly killed them made no impression on Zhao Mengji and Wang Xiaoxian. But if the Shu Kingdom sent their family members to Jinling, Zhao Mengji and Wang Xiaoxian might possibly submit to Great Chu in exchange for their families’ lives.
They only needed to make the Mengwu believe this possibility existed.
“This stratagem is excellent. General Li can propose it to the Great One,” Wang Zhe wouldn’t claim credit for Li Xiu’s suggestion, saying.
“What are you three muttering about?” After Han Qian finished speaking with Guo Duanduo, he saw Li Xiu, Cao Ba, and Wang Zhe whispering in the corner with everyone nearby straining to hear their conversation, so he called out asking.
“Staff Officer Li wishes to suggest inviting Zhao Mengji and Wang Xiaoxian’s family members to Jinling to sow discord in their relations with the Mengwu,” Wang Zhe said.
After brief consideration, Han Qian said to Feng Liao, Guo Rong, and Tian Cheng beside him: “Perhaps we need to send someone to make a special trip to Chengdu Prefecture. You three decide who is suitable.”
Feng Liao nodded. Weakening the Mengwu’s trust and reliance on Zhao Mengji and Wang Xiaoxian could temporarily relieve military pressure faced by Sichuan-Shu. He believed Wang Yong would not refuse their suggestion. This matter only required sending an envoy carrying Han Qian’s personal letter on one trip to likely accomplish it. But Han Qian very obviously also needed deeper understanding of the Shu army’s military defensive deployments at Lichuan and Jiangyou—or rather, needed deeper understanding of the Shu army’s subsequent military arrangements on the northern front and northwestern flank. He might even need to offer some suggestions regarding the Shu army’s military deployments, which would require them to send a high-ranking general to communicate face-to-face with Shu ruler Wang Yong.