Jinting Han people

Chapter 727 Qi Army Marches South in Three Routes

Since completing the initial political reforms, Qi Han has been preparing for the next round of strategic decisive battles.

As Wang Mi had analyzed for Liu Baigen beforehand, given the current balance of power between the two countries, Qi and Han were undoubtedly at a significant disadvantage. Domestically, the Daxing court lacked sufficient control; diplomatically, Qi and Han were situated in a vulnerable position, easily swayed by external threats; militarily, the Daxing court also lacked sufficient strong and capable generals. Therefore, even though on the surface Qi and Han's manpower was comparable to that of the Southern Han, time was on Liu Xian's side. Qi and Han had to take the initiative and adopt an offensive strategy to compensate for these shortcomings.

Therefore, Liu Bogen and Wang Mi had been planning this decisive battle for a long time, even at all costs. Starting in September of last year, they had been conducting extensive military training among their various armies and devising new strategies to defeat the enemy.

During this period, Qi and Han were also affected by the locust plague in Guanzhong, although not as severe, but still resulting in significant crop losses. However, in order to ensure sufficient military provisions for the following year, the Daxing court had no intention of providing relief to the disaster victims, and instead continued to levy taxes as usual, leading to a considerable famine in the Central Plains. Afterwards, they also engaged in large-scale logging in the Taishan area to build large siege engines and other machinery, incurring enormous costs.

However, the biggest expense was the horses. To assemble an unprecedented cavalry force, Liu Baigen used most of his treasury's gold and silver to buy horses from the Duan tribe of the Xianbei and Shi Le, the King of Zhongshan, acquiring over 50,000 horses in total. Combined with the 30,000 warhorses available from his own pastures, he trained nearly 40,000 cavalry. For comparison, with support from Longyou and Hexi, the Southern Han's cavalry force could only maintain around 20,000, less than half the size of the Qi army.

The real strategic preparations began in April. The Qi people first pretended to negotiate with the Yi'an court as planned, and were received by the Qi ruler Liu Baigen in person to show their sincerity in the negotiations. But in secret, the Yan King Wang Mi had already left Daxing and went ahead to Qing, Xu and Ji provinces to mobilize troops, gathering nearly 90,000 troops and moving them to the Pengcheng area.

Then in May, Wang Mi, under the pretext of preparing for trade, transported a large amount of supplies to the Ruyin and Runan areas. He also conveyed to the fortified towns of Yan and Yu prefectures that Shi Le in Hebei was making unusual moves, and ordered them to gather their troops and assemble in the Xuchang area to demonstrate against Shi Le. Through these preparations, the total number of troops that the Qi people could mobilize reached an astonishing 160,000.

Then, at the beginning of July, after the first ransom payment was completed, Wang Mi revealed his true intentions. He personally led his main force south to Xuyi, while simultaneously summoning the army from Xuchang to join him, sending this message to the various armies:

"Last year, Liu Xian usurped the throne. First, there was a severe drought, scorching the land for thousands of miles. Then, a locust god appeared, gnawing away at every tree branch. Such strange phenomena are truly Heaven's punishment of Liu Xian, ordering me to punish him. If this evil star is not eliminated, the world will be in turmoil. Now, Heaven has bestowed upon me a divine talisman, adding magical power to all the armies, to subdue the rebellious. This is an auspicious sign. Gentlemen, strive on!"

The divine talisman Wang Mi spoke of was an auspicious omen he had created at Mount Tai last year. Someone discovered a piece of pure white jade at Mount Tai, inscribed with the words in cinnabar: "Above, it aligns with the first star of the Southern Dipper; its roots stand tall, forming a purple court. Cypress trees grow on the Divine Dragon Ridge; phoenixes spread their wings, soaring and singing." The implication was that the Qi army would achieve a great victory in the south, thus laying the foundation for unification.

To demonstrate their determination in this decisive battle, Qi and Han mobilized a wide range of generals. Apart from Han King Liu Zhongdao, who remained stationed in Ji Province, and Zheng King Xu Miao and Deng King Xu Kan, who were in charge of logistics in the Central Plains, Yan King Wang Mi was the commander-in-chief, with sixteen kings under his command, including Lu King Wang Zhang, Song King Cao Yi, Cai King Liu Ling, Chen King Gao Liang, Xing King Su Jun, and Shen King Ju Peng, each leading 10,000 troops. It can be said that they deployed their elite forces.

By this time, everyone felt the determination of the Qi-Han leadership. During their assembly, they discussed that this battle might be a battle for the fate of the nation, and that only victory was allowed, not defeat.

In mid-July, shortly after the first batch of hostages was handed over to He Pan, the first cavalry of the Qi army, under the command of Wang Mi, easily crossed the Huai River and infiltrated the territory of Linhuai County.

The leader of this cavalry force was none other than Xing Wang Su Jun, whose troops numbered ten thousand. To achieve a surprise attack, he carried only about ten days' worth of provisions, traveling by day and resting by night, until he reached the east of Dongyang County. This area was under the jurisdiction of Xuzhou and was part of the Huainan region that He Pan had relinquished during the previous Battle of Shouchun when he negotiated peace with Qi and Han. This gave the Qi army a forward base from which they could advance directly towards Hefei without crossing the Huai River.

Now was the time to put their magic to use. Su Jun ordered the entire army to rest here for the night. After dawn, he sent a messenger to inform the main force in Huaibei of their location and then immediately marched west.

Before them lay a densely packed hilly area called Shigu Mountain. It was early autumn, and the hills were covered with lush green cypress trees, with a few pheasants and wild boars among them, but the roads were not difficult to traverse. Now, these hills served as a barrier for the Qi army and a natural dividing line between the Qi and Southern peoples. The Qi people passed through them and suddenly appeared within the territory of the Southern Han.

Then the Qi people continued their advance along the road without stopping, like a sharp knife, directly cutting towards Hefei, a major town in Huainan. The Han people along the way were astonished to see a cavalry force rushing in like the wind and rushing away like the wind, leaving only a trail of hoofprints.

This distance was approximately three hundred li, but for Su Jun's troops, who had spare horses to take turns riding, it only took a day. By the afternoon of the following day, they had arrived thirty li east of Hefei. Upon reaching this point, they slowed their pace, turned southeast, and, once the Shi River came into view, proceeded south along it.

Along their journey, the Qi people's tactics changed drastically. Without exception, they raided every one of the twenty or so village fortresses they encountered. First, they drove all the inhabitants out of the villages, then looted all the grain, burned all the houses, and scuttled all the ships they met. In no time, wherever the Qi army passed, only ruins remained.

Upon receiving the news, the Han army in Hefei quickly dispatched over a thousand cavalry to investigate. However, seeing the Qi army with its thousands of horses galloping and banners like clouds, they could not ascertain the exact number of troops and had no choice but to retreat into the city and wait for the marshal to discuss a plan.

By this time, He Pan's health had deteriorated significantly, and he could barely stand. However, upon learning of the military situation, he knew it was extremely urgent and immediately convened a military council within the city. Attendees included generals such as Du Hong, He Zhang, Du Zeng, and Dai Yuan. Meng He, as an envoy from the imperial court, also listened in, and together they discussed the purpose of the Qi people's attack.

It was unclear how serious He Pan's illness had become, but his face was noticeably thin and aged. Yet, he still forced himself to sit on a stool, clutching his chest, and slowly addressed the crowd: "His Majesty was right. The Qi bandits' peace talks and trade negotiations were a pretense; their true intention was to secretly prepare for war. Tell me, what is the purpose of the large number of Qi bandits appearing in Juchao this time?"

Du Hong analyzed: "Although I don't know exactly how many Qi people came this time, in my opinion, the Qi people are not known for their desperate fighting, but for their shrewdness. Since the Qi people dared to break the peace treaty and start a war, they must have made a lot of preparations. In terms of the number of troops they sent, they must have more than our troops in Huainan and must have an absolute advantage. Otherwise, they would never have sent troops."

"How many people do you think they brought?" He Pan nodded and coughed.

After a brief calculation, Du Hong asserted, "Our army has 30,000 troops stationed in Huainan and another 30,000 in Yangzhou. This number is no secret. After the Battle of Lion Mountain, the Qi people must understand that to fight our army, they must fight at least two against one. Therefore, the number of troops coming will definitely not be less than 120,000. The reinforcements that have appeared at Chaohu today should only be the vanguard of the Qi people."

This actually aligned with He Pan's assessment, but what truly concerned him was the tactics the Qi army was about to employ. The Qi army's aggressive advance suggested they were determined to win; what tactics would they use to achieve victory?

Dai Yuan was a Wu general who had defected the previous year. Like Du Hong, he had been a pirate in his early years, but under Lu Ji's advice, he reformed himself, studied the classics and history, and became a renowned scholar in Jiangzuo. To appease the Wu people, He Pan valued Dai Yuan highly and now asked for his opinion. Dai Yuan was indeed a talented man. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Since today's scouts say that the attacking Qi troops are mostly cavalry, it must be that after the previous battles, the Qi people have anticipated that the important towns in Huainan, such as Shouchun and Hefei, will be difficult to conquer head-on. If they launch a frontal assault, it will waste time and they may not even be able to capture them. When His Majesty sends reinforcements to their aid, they will find it even more difficult to continue."

"Therefore, the Qi bandits probably have no intention of attacking the city head-on, which is why they used cavalry to plunder our Huainan hinterland first. By plundering, they forced our army to come out of the city to fight in the field. Once our army comes out of the city to fight in the field, they will encounter the Qi bandits' ambush, just like in the battle of Lion Mountain two years ago. The Qi army can easily capture the city and there will be no more worries about the city being breached."

He then offered his advice to He Pan: "Lord He, judging from the current situation, the Qi bandits are here to fight to the death. We should focus on holding our ground and not be overconfident or underestimate the enemy, lest we lose our important stronghold. Right now, the grain and fodder in the city are enough to sustain us for a year, so there is no need to take any risks. We should request reinforcements from the court as soon as possible."

"If we can hold out for two to three months, the main force upstream will come down the river. The Qi bandits will lose their numerical advantage and will either have to retreat or stay and fight to the death. There is no other way."

In Dai Yuan's mind, this was the best and most foolproof plan, but unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, he was met with opposition from the others.

Firstly, Du Zeng was unhappy. The previous Battle of Shouchun had been lukewarm, resulting in him not gaining much merit. In the end, when it came to rewards and honors, he was only granted the title of Marquis of Ting, and his official rank remained that of General of the Central Army, without any promotion. This made him very dissatisfied and eager to achieve new merits. Upon hearing Dai Yuan's conservative words, he couldn't help but retort sarcastically:

“Dai Jun’s opinion is too conservative. The Qi people who have arrived are just the vanguard. The main force should still be on its way. Just because of this, do we have to seal off the city and defend it? What merit will we have after this battle? You should know that the commander-in-chief has the responsibility to protect the land and the people. Right now, the Qi bandits are plundering everywhere, yet you want us to remain indifferent.”

"Once His Majesty's army arrives and the Qi rebels withdraw, Huainan will be filled with refugee ruins. When His Majesty punishes you, will you be able to bear the consequences?"

This accusation was too harsh. Dai Yuan turned pale upon hearing it and immediately retorted, "Your Majesty is not one to punish people so easily. I was merely being cautious. These are turbulent times, and there is no need to create unnecessary trouble. Back then, Ma Su underestimated the enemy and acted rashly, ultimately leading to the loss of Longyou. We must heed this lesson!"

However, Du Hong also expressed his opposition. Holding a map, he pointed out to Dai Yuan, "From a geographical point of view, our army should not let the Qi people go south. Our reinforcements are mainly naval forces. If they want to come to our aid, they must enter Chaohu Lake from Ruxu River and then come to Hefei and Shouchun from Shishui River."

"Judging from the Qi people's posture, if they take any one of Juchao, Dongguan, or Ruxukou first, our navy will lose its way north. The navy will be unable to maneuver and will have to abandon ships to fight the Qi people in the open. This is called avoiding one's strengths and playing to one's weaknesses. At present, our defenses in this area are insufficient, and we must strengthen them in time."

Upon hearing this, Dai Yuan changed his mind, but then asked, "However, our army is not strong enough, and the Qi people are cavalry, swift as the wind. How can we defend ourselves? I'm afraid that if we set up defenses everywhere, we will find ourselves defenseless!"

Du Hong already had a plan for this. He turned to He Pan and said, “Lord He, our army still has a naval force in Chaohu, with more than seventy warships, which can be used for emergency response. I think we can use them as reinforcements, patrolling back and forth in Chaohu and waiting for orders. We can have the soldiers in each city use beacon fires as signals. Once the beacon fires are seen, the navy will go to the rescue, and we should ensure that the fortresses along the way are not lost.”

He Pan nodded heavily and sighed, "You're right. You'll be in full charge of this matter."

This was different from He Pan's usual style. In the past, He Pan would comment on the opinions of all parties after each military meeting. However, at this time, He Pan's condition had become so serious that he could not hold on until the military meeting was over, so this hasty arrangement was made.

After the meeting, He Pan kept Meng He behind and said to him, "The war is urgent. The Qi people are now trying to cut off the waterways. We don't know what their next move is. I'm afraid you can't leave with the Second Prince directly."

Meng He had no objection. He expressed his support for He Pan, saying, "With Lord He in charge here, who would dare to act rashly? The Qi bandits will certainly have no opportunity to take advantage of us."

Unexpectedly, He Pan shook his head with a bitter smile and said, "I'm really getting old. These past few days, my chest has been aching, and I haven't been able to eat. I forced myself to drink some porridge, but then I vomited it up. I'm afraid I really can't hold on much longer. I'm really worried about the upcoming battle. I don't know if my body can hold out until the battle is over."

"How could this be? Is there any way to delay this?" Meng He was shocked to hear this. Although he knew He Pan was seriously ill, he did not expect it to have reached this point.

But He Pan had no illusions. He endured the stabbing pain in his chest and continued to say to Meng He, "The most important task in Huainan now is not attack or defense, but to get the court to send a new commander to take charge of the overall situation in Huainan as soon as possible. Otherwise, if the people's hearts are in chaos, it will be uncontrollable."

"If I unfortunately don't make it to that time, Zimu, as the imperial envoy, you must stay here to reassure the people and hold out until the imperial court comes to our aid."

"This is the document I have written. Please take a look and see if there are any problems. If so, let's submit it together."

Meng He took the memorial and read it carefully. It contained the latest military intelligence written by He Pan, which reported on the current situation of the Qi people breaking their treaty and launching an attack, as well as the judgment that it might develop into a major war. He also explained that he was unwell and requested the emperor to immediately send Li Ju to take charge of Huainan. After all, in terms of the ability and seniority of the generals in the court, there was no one else who could replace He Pan but Li Ju.

Meng He had no objection and immediately sent out the letter in conjunction with Meng He.

The military situation was extremely urgent, so the messenger rode at breakneck speed, day and night, covering a distance of over two thousand li in seven days to reach Yi'an. However, when Liu Xian received the news, he was unable to immediately send Li Ju to Hefei to take charge.

The reason is simple: at the same time that Qi cavalry appeared in Huainan, two more Qi cavalry forces simultaneously appeared in Xiangyang and Handong, where Li Ju was stationed. Following the same pattern as the Qi army in Huainan, they bypassed important cities like Xiangyang and Suixian, advancing like fish into the heart of the Han army's territory. (End of Chapter)