Jinting Han people

Chapter 729 Anhan Army

Since the fourth year of the Qiming era, Li Ju has been recruiting refugees from the Central Plains and training a new army around Xiangyang, a process that has lasted for two years.

The reason for forming this new army was the necessity of reforming the military and political system.

After the Southern Han basically unified the south, it first accepted the surrendered troops of the Former Jin Dynasty and then merged with Du Tao's displaced army, resulting in the army's size once swelling to more than 500,000. However, these surrendered soldiers were basically temporarily conscripted by the Jin court, with low morale and little experience in battle. They also often struggled to get enough to eat. Such an army was merely large in number and could not become a true pillar of the state.

In addition, some of the original elite Han troops were also showing signs of war-weariness and slackness. Therefore, the emperor issued an edict to streamline the army, sending all soldiers who did not wish to stay back to their hometowns, and to order the generals of each prefecture to recruit soldiers and train new armies, in order to stabilize the people's hearts, revitalize the military, and improve the finances.

Among the newly formed armies in various prefectures, the most important force was the army of refugees from the north, which was under the command of Li Ju. Liu Xian placed high hopes on this force, because compared with other sources of soldiers, the refugees from the north had experienced a long period of war in the Central Plains and had already received basic war training. At the same time, they had left their homes and naturally had the motivation to return to their hometowns. In addition, they understood the customs and environment of the north, making them the most suitable source of soldiers for the reconquest of the Central Plains.

Therefore, in the past two years, apart from various domestic civil affairs such as water management, land reclamation, and road construction, the largest expenditure of the Southern Han Dynasty has been on the training of a new army. As the emperor's sworn brother and the number two figure in the Southern Han military, Li Ju was given full authority to undertake this important task.

In the first year, Li Ju primarily focused on establishing the organizational structure of his army. Since this was a newly formed army, and the main force for future campaigns, a hasty recruitment to meet troop numbers was insufficient; a completely new system was needed. His advisor, Duan Xiu, suggested:

"When His Majesty first raised an army in Hedong, in order to fight against the Western Army and to facilitate command, he divided his troops into five categories: the Fenwu Army, Yangwu Army, Zhaowu Army, Mingwu Army, and Guangwu Army. These were the cavalry, navy, armored soldiers, supply train, and light infantry, respectively. For a time, they dominated Guanzhong and instilled fear in the Westerners. Unfortunately, after entering Shu, he expanded the army several times and abolished the original five-army system."

"Since the Marshal has been ordered to train an elite force to march north, why not follow His Majesty's example? Order all armies to cooperate in battle. Remember the renowned commanders of the late Han Dynasty, such as Lü Bu, Gongsun Zan, and General Jiang, who relied on only one specialty and could only dominate for a time, ultimately could not escape their demise. It was Guan Yu, Prime Minister Zhuge Liang, Lu Xun, and Sima Yi who were proficient in both land and water warfare, and skilled in both literature and martial arts, who became the truly famous generals who will be remembered in history!"

Du Tao was also present at this time. As a newly arrived general, he had volunteered to come and participate in the reorganization of the army, and he also agreed:

"What you say, Duan Jun, is very good. The Art of War says that in all battles, one engages with the orthodox and wins with the unorthodox. Therefore, those who are good at using unorthodox tactics are as boundless as heaven and earth and as inexhaustible as rivers and seas. But what is orthodox and what is unorthodox? Tactics that both sides can do are orthodox, and tactics that the enemy cannot do are unorthodox. If we can divide our forces into different units, coordinate with each other, and ensure that each unit is in its proper place, our army can launch one unorthodox attack after another. How can we not win?"

He continued, “In the past, Guan Yu flooded the seven armies in Xiangyang with only 30,000 men, yet he routed Cao Wei’s army of over 100,000, to the point that Cao Cao once considered moving the capital. Unfortunately, his infantry was ultimately insufficient. He first relieved Xu Huang’s siege of Fancheng, and later suffered a surprise attack from the Wu people, so the plan ultimately failed. Today, Marshal, you have occupied Xiangyang and have been ordered to build an army to the north to recover the Central Plains. Is this not the will of Heaven?”

Li Ju was deeply moved by what he heard. He said to everyone, "I have actually heard of these cases you mentioned. Since His Majesty has entrusted me with such an important matter, I should do my best. I ask that you all work together to build this strong army for me."

So in the first year, Li Ju discussed with his staff how to recruit refugees while finalizing the details of building an army.

After careful consideration, Li Ju decided to revise the organizational structure of the army he had established in Guanzhong years ago. Because of the rushed circumstances, Liu Xian's army was built primarily for ease of command, and he didn't actually have high expectations for the various units. Li Ju, however, was determined to create an elite force that would be unparalleled in the country, and he would not tolerate any substandard or incompetent soldiers.

Therefore, he planned to establish five divisions: cavalry, crossbowmen, chariots, boats, and halberdiers. The cavalry division consisted of 12,000 men, led by Guo Mo; the chariot division consisted of 9,000 men, led by Guo Fang; the crossbowmen division consisted of 8,000 men, led by Zhang Jing; the boat division consisted of 7,000 men, led by Zhang Yi; and the halberdier division consisted of 20,000 men, led by Sima Shang, totaling 56,000 men.

Li Ju did not plan to recruit all 56,000 men at once. Instead, each person would undergo an assessment and meet specific requirements before joining the army. The physical requirements were obvious: every recruited by the Han army possessed sufficient strength to lift a 100-pound stone slab and had no obvious physical disabilities. However, the requirements varied for each division.

The jockey's mission was the most dangerous, requiring them to charge into enemy lines on horseback, braving a hail of arrows and spears, a mission with a near-death experience. Therefore, the requirement for courage was the highest. Li Ju required the selected soldiers to dare to jump from a height of two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) with ropes tied to them, and those who could not jump were not selected.

Crossbowmen, on the other hand, required soldiers to have sharp ears and eyes, and be able to identify the patterns on flags from a hundred paces away, before they could enlist as soldiers.

The task of the charioteer is relatively simple, but because they have to carry a lot of supplies, the requirements for strength and endurance are higher. They must be able to carry 50 jin (25 kg) of weight independently and march 40 li (20 km) a day to be considered qualified.

The naval officers and soldiers needed to be good at water, know how to swim, and be able to handle boats. However, because the waterways in the north were not as developed as those in the south, the number of recruits was the smallest.

Finally, there were the halberdier soldiers, who were basically the reserves for the other four divisions. Their requirements were the simplest, hence their largest number, but they still had to be qualified armored soldiers.

Li Ju reported this plan to the Yi'an court, which caused quite a stir. The recruitment conditions were clearly too harsh, placing immense pressure not only on the soldiers but also on the court's finances. How much money would be needed to provide such an army with the equipment Li Ju envisioned? Furthermore, the recruited refugees were different from local soldiers; they had no land, their families were scattered, and they were difficult to manage, making them extremely prone to causing trouble. If the refugees arrived but did not meet Li Ju's requirements and remained in the area, it would also pose a significant security problem.

Ultimately, Liu Xian agreed to the plan. Since the goal was to recover the Central Plains, a united front from the north was inevitable. Without an unstoppable, powerful army, a decisive victory would be difficult to achieve. If it was too much to build up such a large force at once, then the army would be established in batches. Thus, in the first year, Li Ju recruited approximately 20,000 men. Undeterred, he focused intently on establishing the framework of the five divisions. The first batch of mid-level officers for each division were mostly elite troops drawn from various Southern Han units, serving as instructors to train the newly recruited soldiers. For example, Wen Shuo of the Imperial Guard, Yang Chu of the Qiu Chi Army, Huan Xuan of the Jiangzhou Army, Mao Meng of the Ningzhou Army, and Tian Hui of the Yuzhou Army—these battle-hardened warriors were all transferred to Li Ju's command.

Meanwhile, Li Ju recruited and appointed a group of leaders of refugees from the north, such as Li Hong of Pingyang, Wang Li of Hongnong, Yan Bi of Henan, Li Tou of Yingchuan, Dong Zhan of Chenjun, and Liu Rui of Henan, among dozens of others. These men were all brave warriors with the strength to lift a tripod, and also literate scholars from humble backgrounds. Li Ju valued them highly, promoting them to command troops and frequently gathering the generals of various units together to discuss military strategy and history, sharing his insights on warfare.

Once the framework was set up, Li Ju would conduct formal battle drills in the Jiangxia and Anlu areas every so often. The drills focused on Zhuge Liang's Eight Formations, with the five divisions divided into two armies, one attacking and the other defending, to see how coordinated operations could achieve remarkable results, allowing the soldiers to learn and summarize their experiences during training.

After a year, although the Fifth Division numbered only 20,000, its military bearing and discipline were quite impressive. Initially, because this army was recruited from among refugees, it was called the Refugee Army. However, one day, Wang Dun, the governor of Jiangzhou, led his troops to participate in a military exercise and found that the Jiangzhou army's military bearing was far inferior to that of the Refugee Army. He sighed for a long time and said, "The emperor has no worries. With this army, if we go north to quell the rebels, we will surely win. Where will I have a chance to use my skills?"

The officers of the refugee army were very pleased with themselves and began to call themselves the Worry-Free Army. However, some felt that this name was not imposing enough, so they changed it to the Anhan Army. Everyone was satisfied with the name, saying it was excellent and had great spirit. When Li Ju heard this name, he thought of the Anle Banner that his elder brother had set up years ago, so he submitted a memorial to the emperor, requesting that the Anle Banner be bestowed upon the refugee army. Liu Xian gladly agreed, and thus the name Anhan Army was established from then on.

By the sixth year of the Qiming era, the Anhan Army had expanded from 20,000 to 40,000, more than doubling in size. Even though it hadn't yet reached the initial planned number, its drills were already a massive undertaking, with a deafening roar. When the troops were training in Anlu, the sunlight shone on the soldiers' armor, creating a dazzling, gleaming display, like a sea of ​​light covering the sky, inspiring awe and fear.

During this period, the army's talent pool expanded again. Liu Xian arranged for talented individuals who had passed the imperial examinations, such as Zhou Fu, Guanqiu Ao, Pang Yi, and Wang Qianqi, to join the Anhan Army. Li Ju also recruited a new batch of refugee leaders in the Central Plains. Even Chen Wu, the lord of Pengwu Fort who had surrendered to Qi Han, had heard of this and secretly sent his nephew Chen Chuan to join Li Ju.

This has made the Anhan Army even stronger. Although the Anhan Army has not yet achieved any great success, it is full of confidence and eager to test the results of two years of training in a battle.

The current invasion by the Qi people presents the perfect opportunity for the Anhan army to launch its attack.

But this was, after all, the first battle since the troops began training. Although Li Ju had made bold pronouncements to the court, he remained very cautious in private. He first convened a brief meeting with the mid- to high-ranking officers of the Anhan Army and said:

“Jingzhou is the heartland of the nation, where taxes, manpower, and food and clothing all depend on it. The Qi people are so rampant, causing great harm to the people’s livelihood. We have been training in Xiangyang for two years, and it is our duty to do so. It is time to draw blood.”

"Now our army is fighting on home ground, and all factors are in our favor, but we must not underestimate the enemy. You must know that we have asked the court for an unknown amount of money to train this army. If we are helpless, we will surely lose the support of the people and be ridiculed. How will we be able to face people in the future? Let alone talk about pacifying the Central Plains."

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Ju looked at his subordinates and saw that everyone present had a serious expression and readily agreed. He then nodded silently and said, "The enemy army is sending two cavalry groups to attack our heartland. They want to make our army unable to defend one side. If our army concentrates its forces to attack one side, the other side will respond from a distance. If our army disperses its forces and tries to encircle and annihilate both armies at the same time, we will be powerless and just waste time."

"Compared to the former, the latter will cause greater damage. Therefore, our army should concentrate its forces and eliminate one of them first. Once a part of the enemy is annihilated, the other part will naturally be terrified and will retreat without a fight."

The next question then became which route to attack first.

Most of the generals believed that they should attack the Qi army on the western route. After all, according to the current military situation, the Qi army on the western route had already penetrated into the mountains and forests between Xiangyang and Dangyang, and was very close to the Anhan army. If they were not dealt with quickly, they might be able to threaten Jiangling.

On the other hand, the Qi army on the eastern route was lingering in the Anlu area of ​​Handong. The terrain there was flat, and after several major battles, the population was not as dense as in the Jianghan region. It was also more suitable for cavalry to roam freely. In terms of influence and difficulty of pursuit, it was not as good as the Qi army that attacked the western route first.

However, Li Ju disagreed with this view. Instead, he persuaded his generals, saying, "To the west lies the foothills of the Bashan Mountains, where the terrain is winding and the situation is difficult to discern. If our army rashly pursues them, we may not only go around in vain but also be extremely vulnerable to ambushes. It would be better to order the surrounding people to temporarily enter the county, fortify the walls and clear the fields, and block the mountain roads. The enemy will naturally find it difficult to achieve anything. To the east, the terrain is flat, and the enemy situation is much clearer. They are cavalry, and we also have cavalry, with the support of our navy. This will make it much easier to win."

At this point, Li Ju submitted another memorial to the court, requesting that Wang Dun, the governor of Jiangzhou, move his troops to Yiyang to block the escape route of the Qi army on the eastern route in advance. He also requested that Zhang Guang lead troops to defend Suixian County, cutting off the Qi army's retreat route, and that a naval force be dispatched to monitor the Qi people's movements along the riverbank. He further requested that each military garrison prepare beacon towers, which should be lit as a signal should a Qi attack be encountered.

With everything prepared, Li Ju mustered his troops at the foot of Mount Xian, south of Xiangyang. Under the clear sky, a dense mass of soldiers stood at the foot of Mount Xian. A gentle autumn breeze caressed their hair, making them feel comfortable and at ease. Their formation was neither relaxed nor tense, as was typical of someone going on a first expedition.

Li Ju, dressed in an indigo-blue cavalry hood and a crimson cloak, walked to the front of the formation, surrounded by his entourage. His chestnut horse was also draped in a riding coat. Seeing the soldiers standing motionless in formation, clad in armor, carrying bows and halberds, like sculpted demons, he couldn't help but exclaim to those around him, "If only we had this style when fighting the enemy, where in the world couldn't we go?"

The vanguard cavalry commander for this battle has been decided: Tian Hui, a fierce general from the former Jin army who defected to the Han army after the Battle of Jiang'an. He bowed to Li Ju and promised, "Please rest assured, Marshal, our army has been waiting for a long time to repay the country's kindness! This battle will be won without defeat. I will capture the Qi bandit leader and let the world know the might of our army!" (End of this chapter)