Jinting Han people

Chapter 732 In Hefei City

As for Du Tao's troops in Huainan, after making contact with Hefei, he and Tao Kan crossed the river into Hefei in late August, and then took over the defense of Hefei and began to make every effort to reorganize the Huainan war.

By this time, the area outside Hefei was a vast expanse of water, with the lake overflowing for several miles. Under the autumn sun, the lake shimmered and rippled, washing against the city walls. Looking further afield, wisps of smoke rose from the distant dikes, almost out of reach. If it weren't for the frequent boats coming and going below the city and the occasional exchange of fire between those on and below the walls, Hefei would have appeared quite tranquil.

Calculating the time, Hefei had been besieged by the Qi army for twenty days, but the morale within the city was not particularly low. The reason was simple: the city's food and supplies were still sufficient. Although the army numbered only a little over seven thousand, it was more than enough for a famous and fortified city like Hefei.

It should be noted that Hefei was not a large city, with a circumference of less than five li. It was located in a low-lying area lacking natural defenses, which theoretically made it difficult to defend. However, it was situated at a crucial juncture between the Yangtze and Huai Rivers. Therefore, since the end of the Han Dynasty, successive governors and prefects had painstakingly managed and repaired Hefei. Although the city did not have a complete defensive system like those important towns, its defensive scale was unparalleled. The city walls were six zhang high and three zhang wide, and the moat outside the city was nearly twenty zhang wide, making normal attacks impossible.

Moreover, after He Pan moved the town to Hefei, he had already guessed that the Qi people might use flooding tactics. So he built several earthen platforms, each three zhang high, inside the city, and then moved the granaries and armories there. He stored enough grain, salt, cured meat, as well as up to 900,000 arrows and a large amount of peat in the warehouses. In this way, even if the water level rose, it would be difficult to affect the normal operation of Hefei.

Furthermore, to ensure the city was impregnable, He Pan relocated almost all of the original inhabitants to the south of Juchao, leaving the city virtually devoid of the elderly and infirm, and filled almost entirely with soldiers. In other words, Hefei was now a purely military fortress, with virtually no weaknesses, enough to instill fear in any army.

Therefore, when Du Tao took over Hefei, the situation was not critical. Not only was there no sign of Hefei falling, but Shouchun to the north and Juchao to the south were still within a manageable range. However, even with this situation, the atmosphere within the city was not relaxed. The reason was simple: Grand Tutor He Pan's condition was extremely critical, and he had been on the verge of death several times, merely clinging to life and waiting for Du Tao to take over.

When Du Tao came to see He Pan, the old man was almost blind, and his face was so thin that his brow bone and cheekbone were clearly visible, though one could still vaguely discern his former murderous aura. After hearing of Du Tao's arrival, he remained silent for a long time, and the scene was so quiet that one might mistakenly think he had fallen asleep.

Just as Du Tao hesitated about whether to leave, He Pan suddenly stretched out his wrist and raised it. He made Du Tao hold his hand and then slowly said, "So it's you who's going to take over the affairs of Huainan. Good, good! Our Bashu region has a successor! With you in charge, I can rest assured."

Having said this, He Pan was panting heavily; it turned out he had simply been thinking. Du Tao was deeply moved, for whether in the former Jin Dynasty or the present Han Dynasty, He Pan was the highest-ranking scholar from Sichuan and Chongqing. In other words, after Qiao Zhou, He Pan was the spiritual leader of the entire Liang-Yi scholar community. Du Tao, on the other hand, was merely an unknown newcomer who had rarely met He Pan, and to receive He Pan's affirmation now filled him with immense joy.

He said to He Pan, "Since the Grand Tutor values ​​me so highly, how dare I not do my utmost? I am willing to give my life for the country."

He Pan smiled weakly and said to Du Tao, "There's no need to sacrifice everything. The more important thing is to stabilize the overall situation. The situation in Jiangzuo is complicated. There are people from Wu, Shu, Jin, and Qi in the north. You need to find a way to treat them all fairly."

"This place is not the heart of the country, but if trouble is caused here, the consequences will be dire. I will not live to see the day when the country is unified, so I have no worries. But you are still young. Since you have taken this position, you must stabilize the situation. Otherwise, if Jiangzuo is in chaos, not only will you be in trouble, but the great cause of unification may also be affected."

Du Tao hadn't expected that He Pan's instructions were unrelated to the war, but rather concerned the political situation. However, upon reflection, he understood He Pan's concerns. Given the current political climate, Du Tao's background did indeed present a significant disadvantage. As an outsider from humble origins, his sudden rise to such a high position would undoubtedly attract envy from many. In fact, this had always been Du Tao's own concern; the question was, what should he do?

Du Tao had no choice but to tell He Pan his doubts and ask for his advice. He Pan then muttered to himself, "To stabilize Huainan and Jiangzuo, the most important thing is the Wu people. Although they cannot accomplish great things, they are enough to ruin them. You must maintain good relations with the Wu people, especially with Zhou Qi. Although he has a bad temper, he is indeed talented. As long as he is still loyal to the court, at least 60% of the Wu people are not a threat."

"Since His Majesty established vassal states for the people of Qi, his intention was primarily to ensure the stability of the lower reaches of the river. You need not seek merit; simply avoiding mistakes is enough. Therefore, I have no other instructions for you, except for one thing you must remember. In this position, you will inevitably suffer grievances, but you must be able to endure them. No matter how much you are ostracized, as long as you wholeheartedly serve His Majesty, even if trouble arises in the future, His Majesty will not treat you poorly."

Upon hearing this, Du Tao seemed to understand something, and the room fell silent again, with only the breathing of everyone in the room audible. But while he was still deep in thought, the old man suddenly shouted, "Quickly, who will write this down for me? I have a few words to leave for His Majesty!"

Upon hearing this, He Zhang, the eldest son beside him, hurriedly spread out paper, about to prepare a pen, but Du Tao took it from him, gesturing with his eyes that he was willing to write the memorial for the Grand Tutor. After the room quieted down, He Pan, knowing that Du Tao was ready, caught his breath and slowly said, word by word:

"He Pan is an unremarkable man, lacking ambition and having failed in his duty as a subject, serving two or three different masters. He sought wealth and honor, and the people of his village all considered him despicable. He only sought wealth and honor in peaceful times, caring nothing for fame in chaotic times. Unexpectedly, Your Majesty did not consider my lack of virtue and entrusted me with the task of restoring the country, which has led to this day. I am extremely grateful and consider myself to have been treated like Guan Zhong in Baili. I would not dare to refuse even if I were to die ten thousand times!"

"I originally hoped to pacify the world and cleanse the four seas with Your Majesty, but unfortunately I have passed away. This is a regret that will last for nine generations! I only hope that Your Majesty will follow the mandate of Heaven, pacify the Central Plains, and complete the unfinished work of Zhuge Liang, so that I may be comforted in the afterlife! I will be happy to share this joy in the netherworld and will not be ashamed of Your Majesty's kindness."

Having said that, He Pan, having exhausted himself, fell into a deep sleep again. Seeing He Pan's deep affection, Du Tao couldn't help but sigh. After quietly leaving He Pan's room, he made up his mind and muttered to himself, "Our Han Dynasty has so many heroes! Now that Lord He has passed away, the court has lost a great pillar. How can I fall behind?"

To be honest, ever since he felt ostracized by the Yi'an court, Du Tao had prepared himself for a life of leisure, which is why he declined the position of governor of three prefectures and volunteered to reorganize the military affairs of the refugee army. Unexpectedly, in the past two years, the emperor has not cared about his background at all. First, he favored Du Hong in the Wei Bo case, and then he appointed Du Tao as the successor to the position of General Who Conquers the East. This undoubtedly moved Du Tao deeply.

Although He Pan advised Du Tao against rash actions, claiming that avoiding mistakes was the best course of action, given Du Tao's background, how could he possibly gain a foothold in such a complex and entrenched place by merely seeking to avoid mistakes? He needed to achieve sufficient merit to command respect from the crowd. Therefore, after much deliberation, Du Tao still hoped to make a significant contribution on this battlefield.

Moreover, after personally observing the Hefei battlefield recently, Du Tao has sensed something amiss, and if this is not taken seriously, it could lead to extremely bad consequences.

Therefore, he quickly convened a military council in Hefei, gathering mid- to high-ranking generals in the city to discuss the upcoming military action.

At this time, the generals in Hefei were Meng He, Du Hong, Du Zeng, He Zhang, and Dai Yuan, along with Tao Kan who had accompanied Du Tao. These were the core figures of the Eastern Expeditionary Army. In addition, Guo Yi, Qian Hui, and Zhou Fu were stationed in Shouchun, and Pei Shuo, Wang Zhen, and Hou Fu were stationed in Juchao. Furthermore, Zhou Qi and He Xun, among others, were in the Jiangzuo region, all under Du Tao's command. After everyone had arrived, Du Tao first introduced them one by one, as he didn't know almost anyone present except for Du Hong. After some pleasantries, Du Tao got straight to the point: "Now the Qi army is pressing in, and His Majesty has appointed me to be fully in charge of the Huainan campaign. However, I am new here and unfamiliar with the situation at the front. In your opinion, how long can our army hold out against the Qi offensive?"

Du Hong was overjoyed to see his sworn brothers. Before anyone else could speak, he stood up and said, "Marshal, given the current situation, I believe that no matter how powerful the Qi people are, they are absolutely helpless."

"Helpless?" Du Tao asked curiously.

Du Hong nodded and smiled, "The Qi people's method of using water to flood the city was truly a foolish move. If they had attacked normally, they might have suffered heavy casualties, but with a burst of energy, they could have taken the city within a few days. But they chose to use water, and since ancient times, has there ever been a saying that water can quickly conquer a city? Cao Cao's water attack on Xiapi was already considered fast, but it still took three months. Now, our army's preparations are far superior to Lü Bu's, and we also have a navy patrolling overseas. We could hold out for a year without any problem. What is there to worry about?"

After pondering for a moment, Du Tao asked again, "What about Shouchun and Juchao? Can these two cities also be defended?"

He Zhang, standing nearby, said, "Please rest assured, Marshal. Although the defenses of these two cities are not as good as those of Hefei, they have sufficient troops and are located in strategically important areas. Holding them for half a year should not be a big problem. Moreover, our navy is still intact, and we can maintain communication between the north and south. The Qi people are currently helpless against us."

The strange smell grew stronger. Upon hearing these words, Du Tao's face did not show any joy. Instead, he opened the map and examined it carefully, repeatedly muttering, "Water attack, naval forces, water attack..."

He finally pointed out a key issue: "The problem now is that since the Qi people have mobilized so much troops, they must have made preparations in advance. But now that several important towns in Huainan have not been captured, there has been no news of any major battles. What is the reason for this?"

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment. He Zhang carefully said, "My father has also considered this issue. He believes that the Qi people may have set up an ambush halfway, intending to use the waterway to first repel our reinforcements upstream, and then calmly break through the city."

Du Tao quickly shook his head and said, "I came from upstream, where would I find any ambush? Besides, the terrain in Huainan is flat, so if a navy really came from upstream, there would be no place for an ambush!"

"Could it be that they breach the dike and release water?" Dai Yuan suggested a possibility. He analyzed, "If they suddenly breach the dike and release the floodwaters when our reinforcements arrive from upstream, our army could indeed suffer a great loss."

After a moment's consideration, Du Tao rejected the idea, saying, "If our army only had land forces, it might be a concern, but as we advance eastward, we will surely have a navy. For the Qi people to think they can win with just floods is just wishful thinking."

"Moreover," Du Tao paused, then said to the crowd, "before I came, I asked His Majesty what he thought. He seemed hesitant about directly sending troops downstream, or perhaps he intended to send troops to the Central Plains. If he did that, wouldn't the Qi people have wasted their time? Wang Mi and Cao Yi are wise men, and they would not have been unaware of this."

At this point, Du Zeng was getting impatient and bluntly stated his thoughts: "Why beat around the bush, Marshal? If you think the Qi people have ulterior motives, just say so. We are just following orders as their subordinates."

Du Tao glanced at him, smiled slightly, but remained silent. He was genuinely unsure, and as the commander-in-chief, a misjudgment in the military council would severely damage his prestige. Therefore, he preferred to reconsider further.

"I think I understand what the Marshal means." Just as everyone was discussing, Tao Kan, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke up: "The Marshal suspects that the Qi people in Huainan are just putting on a show!"

Tao Kan's position was not high at this time, but his past reputation made him highly respected by everyone. However, Tao Kan did not have any intention of being arrogant because of this. Instead, he greatly respected Du Tao and analyzed, "There is one advantage to water attack. After the Qi people flood the city, they only need a small number of troops to trap us here, so that we dare not open the city gates or make any rash moves. In this way, the Qi people can calmly transfer troops to attack other places."

"This is indeed a feasible strategy, but if the Qi people are planning this, where exactly will they attack?" Tao Kan crossed his arms and stroked his beard, muttering to himself, "Could it be a diversionary tactic, with Jingzhou being their main target?"

Tao Kan's thoughts were completely in line with Du Tao's, but they were also somewhat uncertain, because if the Qi people had planned it this way, it would be too risky. If the court did not send reinforcements downstream, wouldn't they be walking into a trap? Given the current emperor's prestige, would they really dare to fight the emperor head-on? But when Du Tao thought of the Qi people's cunning, he was still somewhat hesitant.

Therefore, he vaguely had a plan in mind: perhaps he should first send troops out of the city to launch a probing attack, in order to ascertain the true intentions of the Qi people. If they were truly so foolish as to sit and wait for the city to fall in Huainan, that would be ideal. However, if they intended to launch a major attack on Jingzhou, then that was crucial intelligence that needed to be taken seriously and reported to the court immediately.

Three days later, on nightfall, he personally led ten warships, totaling seven hundred soldiers, out of the city to attack the dam where the Qi forces were located, and the attack was successful. The Qi forces had only about two thousand men left there, and their main camp was basically empty. Afterwards, Du Tao interrogated the officers who knew the situation and finally obtained some news that was neither good nor bad.

The Qi army did indeed feign an attack on Huainan, but their main target was not Jingzhou. After leaving 20,000 troops to guard Huainan, the Qi commander Wang Mi led 110,000 Qi troops across the sea from Guangling, their target being the heart of the Wu region. (End of Chapter)