Jinting Han people

Chapter 728 Discussion on Offense and Defense

Compared to Su Jun's swift and decisive actions in Huainan, the Qi people's movements in the Jingzhou direction were several days slower. The reason was simple: this was, after all, a heavily fortified area of ​​the Southern Han, and they had to be extra cautious. However, once they began their operation, the Qi people's offensive there was far more ferocious, like an unexpected storm crashing down upon Jingzhou.

The first Qi army to attack Jingzhou numbered about 20,000 cavalry. They split into two routes, east and west, with the western route being the first to act.

Led by Prince Liu Ling of Cai, the western cavalry first set out from Wancheng, traversing sparsely populated mountain paths, penetrating horizontally into Nanxiang County, deep into the towering Funiu Mountains, and then crossing the Jun River, appearing before Danshui County as if descended from the heavens. Danshui County, being remote, undermanned, and poorly fortified, was quickly captured by Liu Ling. Using this opportunity, Liu Ling crossed the Dan River and then marched south to Wudang, crossing the Han River before Xiangyang could receive the news.

This was probably the fifth day since Liu Ling set off, and on the morning of the seventh day, the Eastern Route Army also set off.

The Qi army's eastern route was led by Lu King Wang Zhang. Compared to Liu Ling's covert operations, his actions were much bolder and more direct. Tens of thousands of cavalrymen marched into Yiyang County without any concealment, then turned back east through Xinye, and then went straight into the Tongbai Mountain valley. Because the terrain there was flat, it was very easy for horses to ride, and the Han army in Jingbei could not stop them at all. They watched as they passed through the blockade and advanced straight towards Suixian and Anlu.

These two cavalry forces, like two drawn daggers, broke through the Han army's first line of defense in Jingbei and began to relentlessly carve up the flesh and bones of Southern Han territory. Their actions, similar to Su Jun's, including trampling farmland, burning villages, and looting grain, were not uncommon. They also dared to launch fierce attacks on the military settlements already established in Jingbei. These settlements were essentially small fortified villages under the control of the imperial court, but these Qi people showed no fear. They forced surrounding civilians to work as laborers, leveling the fortifications and then carrying out horrific massacres, killing and wounding thousands within days, causing widespread panic in the region.

Upon receiving the news, Li Ju made the same judgment as He Pan: he predicted that the Qi people were going to use offense as a form of defense, and that once the war broke out, it would inevitably be a major strategic decisive battle. So he mobilized his existing troops to prepare for the enemy while reporting the matter to Liu Xian.

Shortly after Liu Xian received Li Ju's military intelligence, he was about to order Zhang Guang to move troops north when he received another military report from He Pan of Huainan. Both sides were attacked by the Qi army, but it was clear that the Qi army could only launch a single main attack. This cast a shadow of uncertainty over Yi'an, forcing the court to make a crucial decision.

At this time, Lu Zhi was not present, so Liu Xian immediately discussed the matter with military and political personnel such as Lu Yun, Yan Yu, and Suo Lin, and studied the intentions of the Qi people together.

Opinions naturally fell into two categories. Yan Yu, Suo Lin, and others believed that Jingzhou should be the main target of the Qi army's attack.

The reason is simple: compared to the Han army, the Qi army's few advantages lie in having more cavalry. If they wanted to fight a decisive battle with the Han army, the flat terrain of northern Jing would obviously be more suitable for cavalry to roam, and logistical supplies would be safer.

Conversely, if they were to attack Huainan, the region's dense network of waterways would be unsuitable for Qi cavalry, and they would also find themselves cut off from their retreat by the Han navy. The Qi had already witnessed the power of the Han navy before, and had no reason to invite further trouble. The fact that the Qi had deployed a large number of cavalry in the Jianghan region this time serves as clear evidence of this.

Lu Yun, however, disagreed. He argued that Qi and Han, having originated in Qing and Xu, lacked sufficient control over the Central Plains, and that the reliable troops Daxing could mobilize primarily came from the east. This alone made it more likely that the Qi army would attack Huainan.

Furthermore, Jingzhou was the heartland of the Southern Han. If attacked, both Yizhou to the west and Jiangzhou to the east could send troops to its aid. The Qi army also lacked national strength; its superior cavalry alone could not offset the disadvantage of fighting on foreign soil. Moreover, the defenses north of Jingzhou were extremely formidable, making it difficult for the Qi army to achieve decisive progress even with its entire force mobilized. The Qi people could not possibly be unaware of this, and based on previous encounters, they would certainly not undertake such a risky move.

Liu Xian largely supported Lu Yun's idea, but his analysis was based on the battle situation. Liu Xian smiled at everyone and said, "If the Qi people had split into two groups and asked me to solve the riddle, I really wouldn't have been able to. But right now they've split into three groups, two in Jingzhou and one in Huainan, which is a bit incongruous. Could it be that they've also set up a riddle within a riddle in Jingzhou, trying to make us solve it by force? I don't think so."

Liu Xian's tone was humorous, and everyone laughed upon hearing it. After the laughter subsided, Liu Xian's expression gradually turned serious, and he said firmly, "The Qi people's thoughts should be very clear. Liu Gen and Wang Mi are both people who have seen life and death. They should understand that simple deception cannot determine the true outcome of the battle. In particular, the mobilization of the main force cannot be concealed for too long. If it is only a matter of deceiving for a few days, it will be difficult to play a decisive role in the siege."

At this point, Liu Xian concluded: "Therefore, the Qi people's intention in making such a deployment is only one thing: on the one hand, to contain Jingzhou and harass our heartland with a large number of cavalry, preventing me from calmly deploying troops to reinforce it; on the other hand, to calmly take Huainan with superior forces, and even go straight down to Jiangzuo."

Everyone agreed with the emperor's judgment. Yan Yu asked, "Your Majesty, does that mean our army should first aid Hefei?"

Those present were all well-versed in military strategy. According to Sun Tzu's Art of War, "When the enemy is weak, make him strong; when he is strong, make him weak." Since the people of Qi were unwilling for the Han army to go to Huainan's aid, the Han army should have gone to Huainan's aid immediately.

Unexpectedly, Liu Xian slowly shook his head and said, "No, now among the southern states, Jingzhou should be the most important. If I disregard Jingzhou and lead my army to aid Huainan, and the Qi people do not engage in a decisive battle with me, but instead use a stalemate to buy time, they will continue to use their cavalry to destroy my heartland. At that time, my army will be unable to fight, and Jingzhou will be in ruins, with immeasurable losses. The Qi people will only have wasted some food and fodder, which is perfectly acceptable."

Hearing this, Lu Yun sighed in agreement, "Your Majesty is right. It seems that the Qi people made this move after careful consideration. There are some brilliant strategists in the Qi army. I wonder if it was King Cao Yi of Song or King Wang Mi of Yan who devised this plan?"

Liu Xian was unaware of this either; he simply reminded everyone, "No matter what, they are a cunning and formidable enemy."

From then on, Liu Xian decided on a strategy of first eliminating the Qi army from Jingzhou that had entered the country, and then relieving the siege of Huainan.

But this raises two problems. First, since the Qi people intend to attack Huainan, the war situation in Huainan will inevitably deteriorate. Given this situation, Li Ju is unable to extricate himself. So, who should he choose to replace He Pan and take charge of the war in Huainan?

Another problem was how to capture the Qi army that had entered Jingzhou. Since the Qi people intended to use these two armies to draw the Han army's attention, they would inevitably try their best to avoid battle. Moreover, these Qi people were fully armed cavalry, so capturing them would be no easy task. Faced with the first problem, Liu Xian had about three candidates in mind.

The first candidate is Wang Dun, the governor of Jiangzhou. He is currently in charge of the military affairs of Jiangzhou and has 40,000 troops under his command. He is also close to Huainan. His previous experience in Jinting has made him quite familiar with the situation in Yangzhou and Huainan.

If he were to lead the Huainan campaign, his advantages would be the ability to quickly stabilize the situation and replenish troops. Furthermore, Wang Dun himself was known for his unwavering will and skill in maintaining order. However, his weaknesses were also apparent. Wang Dun was a commander who relied heavily on strategists; he lacked adaptability and might not be able to discern the cunning schemes of the Qi people. Moreover, many of the Han troops in Huainan were former Jin generals who had surrendered, and given Wang Dun's status, it would be difficult for him to maintain good relations with them.

The second candidate was Zhou Qi, the Chancellor of Jin'an State. Zhou Qi himself was exceptionally talented in military affairs. In the year since the establishment of Jin'an State, he had been responsible for pacifying the Sanwu region and had successfully maintained local stability. Liu Xian greatly admired him.

If Zhou Qi were to replace He Pan, Liu Xian believed that, purely in military matters, Zhou Qi's performance would not be inferior to He Pan's, and might even be better. However, the problem lay in Zhou Qi's strong sense of local identity; he was not adept at dealing with people outside the Wu region, and his fighting spirit was not resolute enough. From this perspective, Zhou Qi was not suitable to be the commander-in-chief.

The third candidate was Du Tao, the Commandant of the Capital Region. Compared to the previous two, Du Tao actually possessed a good balance. Wang Dun lacked strategic acumen, and Zhou Qi was not good at personnel management. Du Tao combined the strengths of both, and his former subordinates, such as Du Hong, were also in Huainan. If we consider only these factors, there was no more suitable candidate than him.

However, Du Tao had a significant flaw: his social standing was insufficient. This might not have been a problem elsewhere, but in places like Huainan and Jiangzuo, where the scholar-official culture was strong, he was bound to face discrimination, much like Wei Bo discriminated against Du Hong, which could have negative consequences. Furthermore, Du Tao himself was an outsider without a strong foundation, so others might not be happy for him to continue achieving merit.

Liu Xian was torn between the three candidates. He then asked Lu Yun for his opinion, since as the leader of the Wu people, this battle involved the safety of his hometown, and Lu Yun's opinion would surely be more objective.

Lu Yun said to Liu Xian, "Your Majesty, I don't know who is suitable to be the new Governor of Huainan, but I do know who is suitable to be the Military Advisor for the Eastern Expedition."

"Oh? Who are you referring to?" Liu Xian asked curiously. After all, the position of Military Advisor for the Eastern Expedition was the chief strategist and deputy of the General of the Eastern Expedition. Lu Yun's words clearly indicated that he believed that having an excellent deputy was enough to cover up the commander-in-chief's shortcomings.

"Didn't you just recruit Tao Shiheng last year? He is now serving as a commandant in Changsha County, so it's time to put him to use."

Liu Xian suddenly realized, tapped the table, and smiled, "You're right."

Tao Kan has always been one of the most famous generals in Jingzhou, extremely skilled in deploying the navy and defending cities. He has also previously pledged allegiance to the emperor again, making him a very good candidate for strategist. Most importantly, he is good at considering the overall situation. With his help to ease tensions, we should be able to successfully resist this wave of Qi army's southward invasion.

This prompted Liu Xian to make up his mind. He said to Lu Yun, "Shilong, draft an imperial edict for me, promoting He Gong to Grand Tutor, appointing Du Tao as the new General Who Conquers the East, Tao Kan as Military Advisor Who Conquers the East, and Meng He as Military Commander Who Conquers the East."

Liu Xian ultimately decided to appoint Du Tao, reasoning that only through real combat experience could this outsider faction be thoroughly assimilated into the internal system, preventing a repeat of incidents like the Ningzhou case. Appointing Du Tao also demonstrated his eagerness to recruit talented individuals regardless of their background, which would have a more positive impact on the future recovery of lost territories in the Central Plains.

The next problem was how to deal with the Qi cavalry that were roaming around Jingbei. In Liu Xian's view, this problem was even more troublesome.

For the Qi people, nomadic warfare was their forte. In the preceding years, unable to confront the Jin army or even the Xianbei people head-on, the Qi people abandoned direct combat and instead constantly moved across the Central Plains, avoiding the enemy's advance and resupplying the local population. Once they had worn down their pursuers, they would turn their weapons and deliver a fatal blow.

At present, although the Qi army made a great show of force after its initial breakthrough, seemingly intending to fight the Han army to the death, its operational intention was clearly to contain them. Once the Han army committed a large number of troops, the Qi army would definitely try its best to avoid battle. They were an unusual all-cavalry force, positioned on two completely opposite strategic directions, and had mountainous terrain to rely on. Even though this was the main base of the Southern Han and they had an absolute numerical advantage, it would be difficult to capture them under these circumstances.

What to do? Several options immediately flashed through Liu Xian's mind. The best strategy was undoubtedly to relieve the siege of Wei by attacking Qi's homeland, forcing the Qi army that had entered the territory to return to its aid. However, there were two difficulties. One was that Wancheng guarded the exit of the Nanyang Basin. If the Han army got bogged down there, it would only embolden the Qi people. The other was that there were many fortified villages in the Central Plains, which would probably greatly reduce the effectiveness of the attack.

Therefore, Liu Xian reverted to the second-best option, the simpler and more rudimentary method: first, set a trap, then launch a pincer attack. Jingzhou was, after all, his base of operations, and the Jianghan Plain, unlike the Central Plains, had more waterways to slow down the cavalry. The Qi people should also be unfamiliar with the terrain of the Jianghan Plain. He ordered his troops to gradually withdraw their forces, use the navy to block the rivers, compress the Qi people's space to maneuver, and then use the cavalry to pursue them and achieve a decisive victory. This approach offered a greater chance of success.

However, considering that Li Ju was the true military commander in this battle, and that he had been in charge of training the new army in Jingzhou for the past two years and had a better understanding of the army's situation, Liu Xian did not act arbitrarily and issue an edict directly to Li Ju. Instead, he sent an envoy to Xiangyang to convey his thoughts to Li Ju in the form of a verbal message and to ask for his opinion, so that he could make arrangements according to the situation.

About five days later, Li Ju's reply arrived. He also sent a messenger with a message, saying, "Your Majesty, please rest assured, the training of the Liu army is complete. Since the Qi people have sought their own demise, it's the perfect time to strike. Please give me two months. I will first go west, then east. No matter which general the Qi army is led by, I will ensure that not a single Qi soldier returns." (End of Chapter)