“What? Li Zhigao won’t permit us to retreat into Xunyang? What does he mean by this?”
Hearing the messenger report that Li Zhigao himself was at Xunyang, blocking the water and land passages from Baihe Fortress to Xunyang in Jinzhou, Zhou Yuan jumped up and down anxiously, wishing he could grab the messenger and check whether he was falsely reporting information.
After the Jingxiang warfare, Emperor Tianyou newly established Junzhou, then successively restored the administrative structures of Fangling and Yunyang counties on both banks of the Han River in southern Junzhou. But these two counties were wedged between Wudang Mountain and the mountains where the Qinling pressed close to the Han River—little land and sparse fields. Previously they had barely relocated and registered over five thousand households with thirty thousand people, but as the mountain stronghold system moved away from the vicinity, the population had further declined to less than twenty thousand.
Fangling county seat had newly constructed rammed earth walls, only four hundred paces square. Hastily withdrawing over twenty thousand remnant troops and family members, it appeared extremely crowded.
After the heavy snow, trampled by men and horses, the city was a sea of mud.
The crude county office with thirty to forty rooms now served as temporary headquarters. Over a hundred officials large and small from the Executive Secretariat could faintly hear Zhou Yuan’s almost roaring angry shouts from the great hall. Their eyes showed even more despair and panic, completely uncertain where the way out lay.
Chun Shisanniang covered the great hall’s door panels. The narrow hall became even more dim.
Zhou Yuan angrily called out: “Open the door! Right now it’s Li Zhigao trying to cut off our retreat. What’s there to hide?”
Chun Shisanniang smiled bitterly, standing at the hall entrance—closing the door wasn’t right, pushing it open wasn’t right either.
Zhong Yanhu currently still led remnant forces defending Canglang City, but Canglang City was located north of the Han River and east of the Dan River. Just relying on their remaining twenty-plus warships and two thousand naval troops, it was very difficult to prevent the Suppression Army’s naval forces from advancing west.
Once the Suppression Army’s elite naval forces killed their way into the Dan River, Canglang City would be blockaded east of the Dan River.
In any case, they had to withdraw all military and civilians from Canglang City to Fangling and Yunyang west of the Dan River in the shortest time possible.
Fangling and Yunyang counties combined had populations under twenty thousand. Hillside terraced fields combined totaled one hundred fifty to sixty thousand mu of barren fields. One year’s harvest might only be one hundred thirty thousand shi. Even if they could now completely plunder local grain stores without leaving civilians a single grain, how long could it support twenty thousand remnant defeated soldiers plus nearly forty thousand family dependents?
Even giving away the forty thousand family dependents and idle personnel to Liangzhou, if they led twenty thousand remnant troops to defend Yunyang and Fangling, provisions couldn’t last past next spring.
Although both Fangling and Yunyang were easy to defend and difficult to attack, obtaining provisions locally was too difficult. Zhou Yuan and they still hoped to first withdraw most soldiers and family members into Liangzhou, leaving only three to four thousand elites in Fangling and Yunyang to defend using precipitous terrain.
Even in such dire circumstances, abandoning both Fangling and Yunyang counties had nothing regrettable about it. Withdrawing all remnants into Liangzhou for rest and reorganization, defending dangerous terrain at Xunyang and other places in eastern Jinzhou to keep the Suppression Army outside the Hanzhong Basin—they might not lack opportunities for the salted fish to flip over.
Compared to Li Zhigao’s initial advocacy for retreating to defend Jin and Liang counties, even though losses of troops and generals were extremely tragic, considering Liangzhou could at most support twenty to thirty thousand troops, some troop losses being lost—there wasn’t too much difference.
Only no one expected Li Zhigao would at this time blockade Xunyang’s water and land passages, forbidding them entry!
“Supervisor Li hasn’t said he completely won’t allow it, only that soldiers’ family members and wounded and sick can all first retreat into Liangzhou for resettlement. But Yunyang and Fangling absolutely cannot be lost. He hopes Palace Envoy Lu, Commander Chai, and Minister Zhou will personally protect the Empress Dowager and Prince of Xiang, supervising defense of these two cities to repel enemy forces outside Hanzhong,” the messenger said cautiously.
“What nonsense! Not only blocking us outside Hanzhong to fend for ourselves, but also seizing over forty thousand soldiers’ family members—does he think we’re fools?” Zhou Yuan jumped up in exasperation, saying: “Madam, let’s escort the Empress Dowager and Prince of Xiang to Xunyang now and see if Li Zhigao has the guts to order our execution!”
Zhou Shu had died in battle. Besides his eldest son Zhou Lian serving at his side, Zhou Yuan’s second son and two nephews all fell into the Suppression Army’s clutches without escaping. The Zhou brothers as dependents affiliated with the Xinchang Marquis Estate and Wanhong House had severed relations with their previous clan and had sparse numbers to begin with. These years they had gathered over a hundred household troops and family generals, but the vast majority were also lost east of the Tang-Bai River. How could Zhou Yuan not be frantic?
“Zhigao’s wings have finally hardened,” Lu Qingxia sighed faintly, saying to Yao Xishui: “You go to Xunyang to see Zhigao and find out what conditions he has before agreeing to clear the way and let us remnant defeated soldiers retreat into Hanzhong to catch our breath. When we first retreated to Xiangcheng, I said to let him take the lead in all matters. He refused and wouldn’t accept, but there’s also no need to do such things at this time that pain those close while pleasing enemies.”
“I’ll go see elder brother immediately,” Yao Xishui said bitterly.
From Baihe Fortress to Xunyang was only about a hundred li, but the narrow path hugging the Han River’s south bank, due to years of neglect, had several places blocked by earth and rocks from mountain collapses and landslides. Groups of men and horses wanting to pass through was already impossible.
Now only trackers treading on jagged leg-stabbing beach stones pulling boats could barely push against the rapids to slowly advance upstream.
The Suppression Army’s main forces might advance west along the Han River at any time to attack Yunyang and Fangling. Yao Xishui didn’t dare delay. Taking several guards, she still traveled through the rugged mountain ridges on the Han River’s south bank heading to Xunyang.
Xunyang City was located on the Han River’s north bank. Not only were palisade walls constructed on the narrow paths on both banks, but in the swift river flow many stakes were also driven down, using several thick long iron chains connecting cliff rocks on both banks to completely block the water passage.
Xunyang City was also small, but Li Zhigao had constructed a camp on the open ground bordering the Han River’s south bank outside Xunyang City. Overall it was still spacious.
Entering the camp, seeing soldiers’ expressions were still relatively calm without being much affected by Xiangcheng’s collapse, then looking inside and outside the camp where almost all slightly flat open ground had been cultivated as grain fields planted with beans and wheat, Yao Xishui could guess that Liangzhou’s side must have anticipated Xiangcheng’s collapse early, even not concealing the matter from lower-ranking soldiers.
Su Hongyu led over ten robust women wearing coarse cloth skirts pulling weeds in fields within the camp. Seeing Yao Xishui enter, she sighed once before stepping forward to ask: “What are you doing here?”
“Where is elder brother?” Yao Xishui asked.
“A new lime kiln was built on North Mountain. Zhigao should have gone with Li Tian to inspect the kiln firing,” Su Hongyu said.
Yao Xishui insisted Su Hongyu take her to the kiln site. Halfway there they encountered Li Zhigao and his second son Li Tian returning with guards.
Li Tian was only fifteen years old. When fleeing Jinling he was still full of alarm. In just three to four months without meeting, at this time wearing armor he appeared considerably more robust and had lost much of his childish air.
“Elder brother.” Yao Xishui wanted to speak but couldn’t—only called out once.
“You’ve worked hard traveling all this way. First go rest your feet in Xunyang before we talk,” Li Zhigao said happily, seemingly completely unaware of Yao Xishui’s purpose, putting his arm around her thin shoulders and walking together toward the camp.
Yao Xishui also restrained herself until entering the shed house Li Zhigao used as his command tent before asking: “Facts prove elder brother’s predictions about the situation were correct. Madam and Zhou Yuan also recognize they lack the ability to handle such complex, dire circumstances and won’t have thoughts of guests usurping the host anymore. Why must elder brother still be so heartless, insisting on blocking Xiangcheng troops outside Jinzhou?”
“If Guanjiang House sends people again, can Madam and Zhou Yuan firmly refuse to see them?” Li Zhigao removed his heavy armor, changed into light fur robes, and sat before the brazier asking.
“Elder brother, Zhao Mengji and Wang Xiaoxian also sent people to present surrender memorials to the Mengwu Crown Prince?” Yao Xishui asked puzzled. “Elder brother naturally disdains becoming the Mengwu’s running dogs, but you must also consider that after next spring Zhao Mengji and Wang Xiaoxian will lead forces to attack Liangzhou! At this time we cannot possibly not know the Mengwu are poisonous snakes, but temporarily dealing with them falsely is also an unavoidable strategy!”
“Han Qian’s southern attack on Deng and Jun is urgent to dispatch troops into Shangluo. Then Tangyi and remnant Liang will have fifty to sixty thousand elites observing Guanzhong. Even if difficult to recapture Guanzhong, they can still pin down Mengwu forces from the western front. If Zhao Mengji and Wang Xiaoxian want to attack Liangzhou with only sixty to seventy thousand exhausted troops, I have twenty thousand troops—enough to ensure they gain not the slightest advantage,” Li Zhigao said. “Only if we don’t deal falsely with the Mengwu is there possibility of borrowing some provisions from Shu. Otherwise with so many troops, we won’t even survive this winter.”
“Besides not contacting Xiao Yiqing and Wang Jingrong’s people, what other conditions does elder brother have before agreeing to let Madam and them advance west?” Yao Xishui asked.
“Leaving five thousand troops for Chai Jian and Zhong Yanhu to defend Yunyang and Fangling is sufficient. After other soldiers and family members move into Liangzhou they’ll be broken up and organized as garrison troops to cultivate wasteland,” Li Zhigao said. “After Madam and they arrive in Liangzhou, I’ll arrange a small city for them to protect the Empress Dowager and Prince of Xiang in residence.”
“Han Qian sent people to find elder brother first. Must it be this way to borrow provisions from Shu?” Yao Xishui asked.
“I don’t know that Han Qian is pointing fingers telling me what to do,” Li Zhigao said.
“But we must give Madam an explanation,” Yao Xishui said.
“If we must have an explanation, you can say this when you return to Fangling,” Li Zhigao said.
“What does Li Zhigao mean by this? At this time still dealing falsely with Han Qian—hasn’t he been bitten badly enough by that poisonous snake Han Qian?” Zhou Yuan asked resentfully.
“Although since entering autumn we’ve newly cultivated several hundred thousand mu of grain fields, we need to endure until next late spring before there might be a first wave harvest. Before then, the seventy to eighty thousand mu of grain fields cultivated in Liangzhou, supplying a total of two hundred thousand military and civilian mouths—we may not even survive this winter. We must borrow four to five hundred thousand shi of grain from Shu,” Yao Xishui said. “Elder brother had no choice but to agree to their conditions.”
“Can we really borrow grain from Shu? Did you see the envoy Han Qian sent over?” Lu Qingxia stared at Yao Xishui suspiciously, asking.
“I didn’t see people from Tangyi, but I think in my heart that the Shu Kingdom and Tangyi ultimately won’t be willing to see us borrow grain from the Mengwu,” Yao Xishui said calmly. “It’s just temporarily wronging Madam and Minister Zhou…”
“Let me think about it. You go rest first. Traveling all this way, you’ve worked hard,” Lu Qingxia said somewhat exhausted.
“We absolutely cannot agree to Li Zhigao’s conditions like this. We’ll send people over the Qinling to Taiyuan to see Xiao Yiqing, presenting memorials offering Liang and Jin prefectures in exchange for Wang Yuankui dispatching troops via the Tangluo Road to threaten Liangzhou. I don’t believe Li Zhigao will still fantasize about making peace with Han Qian!” After Yao Xishui left, Zhou Yuan said through gritted teeth. “The Mengwu can enable Zhu Rang to hold East Liang. Even if we only have thirty to forty thousand remnant defeated soldiers, helping them capture Sichuan-Shu—how could we not be enfeoffed as a vassal state!”
Seeing Lu Qingxia hesitate undecided, Zhou Yuan looked at Chai Jian, urging: “Li Zhigao says he’s leaving you and Zhong Yanhu five thousand troops, but it’s nothing more than fearing you’ll steal his glory while also using you and Zhong Yanhu as sacrificial pawns to block Zhou Bingwu, Zhang Xiang, and Zhao Zhen’s three from advancing west.”
Chai Jian’s expression was uncertain.
“Enough,” Lu Qingxia waved her hand, not letting Zhou Yuan continue, saying: “Zhigao doesn’t know that Emperor Zhu Yu of Liang’s body cannot hold out much longer. Since he still harbors a thread of hope, we can temporarily follow him without harm. After Emperor Zhu Yu of Liang dies and Heluo, Xu, Ru, Cai, Ying and other places fall into Mengwu hands again, then he will make the correct choice.”
“But…” Zhou Yuan still wanted to argue.
“Can’t even endure temporary grievance?” Lu Qingxia asked with a stern face.
“Madam must at least keep some guard troops at her side,” Chai Jian said with a stern face.
He didn’t feel that at this time sending people to see Xiao Yiqing to kneel in surrender, exchanging Wang Yuankui deploying troops to threaten Liangzhou was the best strategy. But even if temporarily bowing their heads and enduring, Chai Jian also believed that once Emperor Zhu Yu of Liang died, they could welcome a turning point.
“No matter how excessive Zhigao is, he cannot possibly lock us up as prisoners,” Lu Qingxia said.
In the twelfth month, both banks of the Huai River entered the coldest season of the year, the earth covered in white snow.
Jiashi Gorge was too narrow. Even at summer’s highest water level, the water surface was only three hundred meters wide, blocking large quantities of floodwater from the upper Ying and Huai upstream of Jiashi Gorge, flooding vast areas of land on both banks and creating tremendous pressure on the south bank embankment.
At the end of November, after the first Huai River battle completely ended, nearly thirty thousand able-bodied civilians and village militia were conscripted and concentrated in the flood zone on Xiacai County’s western flank north of Jiashi Gorge. In full swing they chiseled open the thick ice layer of the flood zone on the Ying River’s east bank, stepping into the freezing muddy ground, digging up mud to load onto boats for removal.
The preliminary plan was to rush before next summer to excavate a new river channel between the lower Ying River and the Yongtai Canal and Xiyuan River to the east, ultimately connecting the three river channels successively to form a Yingyuan Canal over one hundred twenty li long.
This way, on the north side of Jiashi Gorge and Xiacai New City, a new flood discharge passage would form. Together with the Shouchun Flood Discharge Canal excavated on the south bank early this year, it could ensure that two to three million mu of grain fields and three to four hundred thousand people in Shouchun, Fengtai, Huoqiu and other places would no longer face threats from summer and autumn floods. Simultaneously it could also substantially reduce the flooded area in the west bank region of the lower Ying River during next year’s summer and autumn high water.
Of course, water channels like Yongtai Canal and Xiyuan River were still too shallow and narrow. The preliminary plan was to widen them to fifty meters. Dozens of dredging boats were also transferred from the Puyang River and Yuxi River to reduce manpower consumption.
Besides excavating the Yingyuan Canal, Han Qian’s preliminary plan was to settle one hundred thousand people in Xiacai. But the region of eastern Xiacai County adjacent to the Ying River was flooded over large areas. Building large numbers of garrison camps and houses, restoring cultivation of nearly three hundred thousand mu of flooded fields—Feng Xuan as Huai River Campaign Army Vice Commander-in-Chief concurrently serving as Xiacai County Magistrate and Xiacai Military Commander carried an extremely heavy burden.
Besides five thousand elite combat troops defending various fortresses and resisting small enemy force incursions, including village militia, able-bodied adults settled in Xiacai were almost all conscripted. Even some robust adult women also went up embankments to dig mud and transport earth, undertaking this extremely arduous heavy labor.
Of course, besides distributing one shi of grain and one jin of salt per person monthly as rations, all laborers would additionally be allocated five mu of irrigated land exempt from tax for three years. This was the key reason so many civilian laborers remained enthusiastically motivated despite such arduous labor.
Besides the one hundred thousand southward-migrating people settled in Xiacai, nearly two hundred thousand people settled in counties on both flanks of the Chao-Shou Post Road. The standard remained able-bodied men participating in township offices’ river channel, road, and garrison camp construction in exchange for rations and resettlement fields and houses.
Widowed women dragging children faced difficulty surviving. Township offices would provide minimum relief but also required forming new households within a set time—otherwise they’d directly arrange official matching.
Northern Chaozhou and southern Shouzhou were not only West Huai’s most prosperous and fertile lands but especially produced fierce soldiers. During the previous dynasty’s peak, over a million people had multiplied there. But ravaged by warfare, population losses were extremely tragic—once falling to less than three hundred thousand. Now relocating two hundred thousand people could barely achieve abundant county and township populations.
At this time, Tangyi’s governed population, including Xiacai and Xuzhou, barely reached over two million. But compared to the previous dynasty’s peak of five million registered households, there was still an enormous distance. Even with Xuzhou, Donghu and other places’ population growth rates as high as three to four percent, for West Huai to recover to the previous dynasty’s peak still required forty to fifty years of rest and recuperation.
However, in any case, this winter’s warfare had temporarily concluded. No enemy troops could penetrate south of the Huai River. In the frozen earth and snow, everywhere was embankment construction, canal dredging, house building, road laying, with carts and horses endless on routes—somewhat possessing an atmosphere of prosperous governance.
In mid-twelfth month, as the New Year atmosphere in West Huai grew increasingly rich, a convoy of carts and horses crossed the Huai River. After brief reorganization outside Shouchun City, they continued south along the Chao-Shou Post Road.
Over a hundred carts surrounded by over three hundred cavalry traveled south. Besides the small leading cavalry squad wearing Tangyi army’s blue-yellow military uniforms, the vast majority of escorting cavalry wore the jet-black armor distinctive to Emperor Zhu Yu of Liang’s guard cavalry.
The central carts stretched nearly two li front and back. The situation inside the carriages was concealed by heavy curtains.
People in the carriages occasionally lifted curtains to poke their heads out looking around, but most had sallow complexions and thin muscles. Their expressions showed alarm and unease, seemingly uncertain what fate awaited them on the road ahead.
Civilians watching along the post road all didn’t know what people this convoy of black-armored cavalry was escorting south, full of curiosity.
Traveling day and night, two days later this convoy of carts and horses reached outside Chaozhou City. They didn’t enter the city nor turn toward Donghu direction but instead garrisoned at a newly built post station north of Chaozhou City.
Although at this time Donghu and Liyang on Chao Lake’s east bank were Tangyi’s military and political center, Chaozhou City on Chao Lake’s north bank, as West Huai’s former major town, was also a necessary passage for Jiangdong and Chao Lake coastal counties traveling to Huo, Shou, Guang, Hao and other places.
After the city walls were repaired anew, Chaozhou City quickly recovered vigorous vitality with merchants endless on routes.
This convoy garrisoned at the north city post station escorted by elite Liang army black armor naturally attracted tremendous attention.
Who exactly were they?
Why were they guarded by the most elite Liang army black armor, and why did they stop at north Chaozhou and go no further?
Of course, some news quickly spread among the people.
“What? Emperor of Liang, grateful for Tangyi army’s assistance, specially ordered his most elite black-armored cavalry to deliver a great gift to the Marquis?”
“What great gift requires black-armored cavalry escort? I heard others say these hundred-plus carts are full of people, not gold, silver, pearls or jade. What kind of great gift is that?”
“Empress Dowager Xu, that poisonous woman, and Zhang Xinchun with other treacherous eunuchs—back then they tore apart the Old Master with chariots before the world, having irreconcilable hatred with the Marquis for killing his father. Emperor of Liang escorting Empress Dowager Xu, treacherous eunuch Zhang Xinchun, along with Duke of Chu Yang Fen and various consorts and children all together to West Huai—doesn’t that count as a great gift?”
“That truly counts as a great gift—thinking back when the Old Master was utterly loyal yet died so tragically, the Marquis can finally avenge the Old Master this time. But why have they stopped at north Chaozhou for five days already without directly sending Empress Dowager Xu and treacherous eunuch Zhang Xinchun and others to Donghu for execution?”
“The Marquis is probably thinking about how to cut Empress Dowager Xu into a thousand pieces to resolve his heart’s hatred, right?”
As news spread, every day hundreds to thousands of people ran to the north city post station to watch the excitement. But the guard was tight. Only merchants staying at the post station could inquire some news from station attendants and post officers, yet also had no opportunity to see the true faces of Empress Dowager Xu, former Great Chu Internal Affairs Supervisor Zhang Xinchun, Duke of Chu Yang Fen and others.
Until the twenty-third of the twelfth month, Little New Year’s Eve day, heavy snow fell. A cavalry squad came through the snow from the eastern post road.
Many merchants had specially stayed at the post station several days. Adding idle civilians who came out of the city to watch the excitement, seeing this cavalry squad from the east wearing guard cavalry armor, they thought the Marquis of Qianyang was finally going to escort Empress Dowager Xu, treacherous eunuch Zhang Xinchun, and Duke of Chu Yang Fen and others to Donghu for execution.
The cavalry leader dismounted before the post station gate. After verifying seals with the post officer, the military officer sent by Chaozhou to strengthen the guard, and the Liang army general escorting the criminals, he directly took out a directive from his breast, standing before the post station gate reading aloud:
“Marquis of Qianyang, Vice Minister of War concurrently serving as Tangyi Commissioner and Military Governor of Prefectures, Han Qian orders: Liang Kingdom Black Cavalry Colonel Jing Tan is escorting several criminals from Jinling’s rebellion to Jinling for trial. We are ordered to escort them along the route. All offices and military camps shall provide convenience without obstruction…”
“What?”
Not to mention the post officer, the military officer sent by Chaozhou to strengthen supervision, and the Liang army black-armored cavalry’s escorting officer—even nearby merchants and civilians crowding over to watch the excitement were dumbfounded. The Marquis of Qianyang wasn’t avenging his father’s murder but directly sending Empress Dowager Xu, Zhang Xinchun, Duke of Chu Yang Fen and others to Jinling for trial?
The post officer and the military officer sent from Chaozhou City received the directive. After careful verification finding no errors, they also didn’t dare act arbitrarily and sent people rushing to Chaozhou City to request County Magistrate Du Yiming come over.
Although the entire matter had not the slightest relation to Chaozhou locality, and previously the criminals had only temporarily stationed at the north city post station with Chaozhou only sending people to strengthen outer supervision and maintain order, the post officer and the military officer sent by Chaozhou to strengthen supervision also couldn’t question whether the directive was false. Beyond shock they also didn’t know whether they should truly just watch the criminals and escorting troops go to Jinling. In desperation seeking any help, they could only request County Magistrate Du Yiming to come make the decision.
Moreover, for the rebel criminals and escorting troops to go to Jinling, Chaozhou locality also had to coordinate arranging ferry boats.