My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 654 Chairman Jia's Dilemma
Under Jia Kui's arrangement, Hou Yin and Wei Kai were secretly sent to the prefectural government and properly settled. At the same time, Jia Kui also invited Dong Xi over.

After Dong Xi arrived, he spoke first: "Liang Dao, the scouts I sent to the north have reported back. They all say that there are many ships coming and going on the Dan River, Mian River, and Yu River, and the water is very deep. The ships are covered with tarpaulins. The scouts used their methods and found that they are full of grain, fodder, and military equipment."

Jia Kui's face darkened, and he asked solemnly, "Have you found out where these supplies were transported to?"

Dong Xi immediately replied, "The Yu River converges entirely at Xinye, while the Dan River and Mian River converge at Fancheng."

Jia Kui frowned slightly, and after a moment, he made a judgment: "It seems that the key lies in Xinye."

Upon hearing this, Dong Xi nodded in agreement.

The reason the two men made this judgment was that Fancheng in the Eastern Han Dynasty was far inferior to that of later times.

Fancheng and Xiangyang are like the smaller and larger cities of Chengdu, or even more extreme.

Xiangyang, south of the Mian River, was not only a residential area but also the location of the government. The prefectural government, officials, government offices, and granaries were all located within the city of Xiangyang. Fancheng, on the north bank, was actually a small military fortress, and to this day, it has not been established as a county, but rather a military town under the jurisdiction of Xiangyang County.

Later, during the Battle of Xiangfan, Cao Ren abandoned Xiangyang and instead defended Fancheng because Fancheng was small but fortified, and could be defended with a small number of troops.

As a military city, Fancheng actually had a small population; most of the land was used to build military facilities such as barracks, armories, and pastures. Therefore, Fancheng was capable of stockpiling large quantities of supplies.

However, Fancheng, as the stronghold closest to Xiangyang, has only received supplies from the upper reaches of the Dan River and Mian River. It is clear that Cao Cao's side is also very cautious, for fear of alarming this side and arousing the suspicion of the Xiangyang garrison.

However, as mentioned earlier, the resource output of the upper reaches of the Danshui and Mianshui rivers is far inferior to that of the Yushui River basin, and the recovery speed is also far slower than that of these places.

Compared to Fancheng, Xinye, which brought together the strength of the Yushui River basin and even Yingchuan and Sili, was of paramount importance.

Jia Kui and Dong Xi both believed that Fancheng was likely a shield. Even if the Left Guard Army in Xiangyang discovered the anomaly, they would be drawn to Fancheng, thus giving Xinye and Cao Cao's army more time to prepare.

After Dong Xi sat down, a maidservant served him tea.

After taking a sip, Dong Xi returned to the original question: "Liang Dao, why did you send someone to summon me here?"

“People are coming from Wancheng in the north.”

Jia Kui recounted how Hou Yin and Wei Kai had gone south to seek refuge with him.

Dong Xi was taken aback, suppressing his joy as he asked, "Has Liang Dao seen those two people?"

Jia Kui shook his head: "No, we were just waiting to receive the Yuan dynasty officials together."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

Dong Xi smiled and urged, "Quickly, call them here."

Soon, Hou Yin and Wei Kai were escorted over and remained in the room. Apart from four trusted armored soldiers, everyone else left the house.

Hou Yin and Wei Kai knelt down with a thud and kowtowed to Jia Kui and Dong Xi, saying, "This humble subject, Hou Yin (Wei Kai), greets the two generals."

Jia Kui nodded and waved his hand: "Please rise, gentlemen, and take a seat to talk."

After Hou Yin and Wei Kai took their seats, Dong Xi went straight to the point and asked, "You two said that Cao Cao's army has amassed a large force in Wancheng. Do you know how many troops there are? And which units are they?"

Hou Yin and Wei Kai exchanged a glance, and the former replied, "Reporting to the general, as far as we know, Cao Cao's army in Wancheng numbers around 100,000."

Jia Kui and Dong Xi were shocked, and their eyes flashed with surprise and anger.

If what these two men said was true, it was unexpected that the Cao family had already amassed such a massive army in Nanyang, while they were still completely unaware. If these two men hadn't come south to surrender and revealed the true strength of the Cao army, the entire Jingbei region would have been in a precarious situation once this army of 100,000 marched south in full force.

Dong Xi saw Jia Kui wink at him, and immediately pressed on, "Is this true?!"

Wei Kai hurriedly replied, "How could we dare to deceive the general? I am a member of the Wei family of Xinye. Our family has been favored by the Han for generations and we always cherish the desire to repay the Han. Last month, at the home of my relative Deng, I heard from him that the general had gathered troops in Wancheng and would soon be heading south. The general's own troops number 60,000, the Jingzhou army from Yingchuan number 10,000, the Cao army from Nanyang number 20,000, plus more than 10,000 local strongmen and their retainers, totaling more than 100,000 troops."

Dong Xi frowned, feigning suspicion, and asked, "Why would Deng leak such confidential information to you?"

Wei Kai, however, showed no sign of nervousness. He simply explained, “General, you may not know this, but my Wei clan and the Ying clan of Xi’e share the Yu River waterway. Seven or eight out of ten boats on the water are controlled by our two families. The best route for the army to march south from Wancheng is the Yu River waterway, and logistical transport is also the most convenient, fastest, and cheapest way by water. The Deng clan has already pledged allegiance to the Cao clan and wants to win my family over to serve them as well, especially since my family’s boats and water transport are indispensable to them. In order to win my family over, the Deng clan persuaded me by mentioning the Cao clan’s power, which is why I told them the truth.”

Jia Kui and Dong Xi exchanged a glance, both somewhat agreeing. On the surface, Wei Kai's words did indeed seem self-consistent and quite plausible.

Immediately afterwards, Jia Kui and Dong Xi inquired in detail about the situation in Wancheng and Xinye.

Hou Yin and Wei Kai kept Cao Cao's instructions in mind and spoke frankly and without reservation, without holding anything back.

Finally, Jia Kui reassured the two men, saying that as long as they sincerely pledged allegiance, General Zuo would reward them handsomely, and then sent them away.

Once only Jia Kui and Dong Xi remained in the study, the two fell into silence.

After a long silence, Dong Xi spoke up: "As Wei Kai said earlier, Xinye is only guarded by a little over three thousand men, and they are all local troops. Why don't I lead the troops to launch a surprise attack on Xinye? If we succeed, we can burn their supplies; if we fail, we can retreat safely by water."

Upon hearing this, Jia Kui slowly shook his head: "This is not advisable. This plan is too risky. If these two are feigning surrender, Brother Dong's journey will be like a lamb entering a tiger's den."

"How could I not know? It's just..."

Dong Xi sighed and continued, "However, Jingbei has only been newly acquired for two years. Liu Jingsheng has been managing Jingzhou for ten years, and his influence is deep-rooted. Countless people in Jingzhou are loyal to him. At present, all the troops in Jingzhou are in Xiangyang. We must be on guard."

Both Dong Xi and Jia Kui possessed the qualities of renowned generals, excelling not only in tactical abilities but also in strategic vision.

Both men were well aware that Liu Feng had swept through northern Jingzhou with lightning speed and unstoppable momentum, before the people of Jingzhou could even react.

This not only caught the forces in Jingzhou who supported Liu Biao off guard, but also left them no time to mobilize or organize.

Even so, after Cao Cao intervened in the situation in the name of the emperor, tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians still followed Liu Biao north, including more than 20,000 troops, which shows the extent of the situation. At present, the war in Shu has reached a critical point, and the outcome is imminent. The troops in Jingzhou have been exhausted, and the important town of Jiangling is only defended by local troops and a part of the navy.

This greatly worried Jia Kui and Dong Xi.

Logically speaking, if Xiangyang did not fall, the Northern army would not be able to advance unimpeded.

However, with Liu Biao's assistance, the situation changed drastically. Moreover, according to the intelligence from Hou Yin and Wei Kai, the Cao family mobilized as many as 100,000 troops this time, essentially launching a full-scale southward campaign.

Such a strong military force gave Cao Cao more strategic and tactical options.

If Jia Kui were in Cao Cao's position, he would likely have divided his forces, using Cao Cao's main force to besiege Xiangyang, while Liu Biao, Cai Mao, and other Jingzhou troops would cross the Mian River and march south to northern Jingzhou to conquer cities and territories.

This tactic was originally suicidal.

But who could blame them when the commanders were Liu Biao and Cai Mao, former rulers of Jingzhou and members of powerful aristocratic families?
Liu Biao and the Cai family had more than a thousand protégés and former officials in Jingzhou.
Are there not even one or two among them who still have feelings for the past?
Even if only two or three families actively surrender to Liu Biao, the supply of food and provisions for the Jingzhou army will be greatly alleviated, allowing Liu Biao and Cai Mao to expand at their leisure, either by persuading others to surrender or by attacking surrounding counties, and even threatening the capitals of Nan Commandery and Jiangxia Commandery.

This situation is caused by a combination of factors.

Firstly, Cao Cao's army was strong; secondly, Liu Biao and Cai Mao had deep roots in Jingbei; thirdly, the Left Guard Army was fully engaged in Shu, leaving Jingzhou vulnerable; and fourthly, Cao Cao seized the opportune moment to launch his attack.

Of these four points, all but the fourth are indispensable.

If Cao Cao's army did not have 100,000 troops, it would not have been able to form an overwhelming advantage over the 30,000 defenders of Xiangyang, and thus would not have been able to carry out tactical troop splitting.

Without the presence of Jingzhou gentry like Liu Biao, Cai Mao, and Deng Yi, who supported Liu Biao, the act of dividing the troops would not only be meaningless but would also put their own forces in a desperate situation.

If not all the troops from Jingzhou and Jiangling were transferred to Shu, Liu Biao's forces, after bypassing Xiangyang, would have faced a crushing defeat at the hands of Zhou Yu's troops, leaving him with no strength to expand his power.

It was precisely these numerous coincidences that drove Jia Kui and Dong Xi, who were stationed in the formidable city of Tianxia, ​​into a perilous situation.

It was precisely because Jia Kui and Dong Xi both possessed a high level of strategic vision and a proactive spirit of taking responsibility that they not only saw these hidden dangers but also wanted to make efforts to remedy them, which led to their dilemma.

Dong Xi saw this huge risk, which is why he volunteered to burn the supplies in Xinye.

According to the confessions of Hou Yin and Wei Kai, Xinye has been used as a forward base, where food and supplies sufficient for an army of 100,000 for a month are stored.

If they can successfully burn it, even just a portion of it, it will at least delay Cao Cao's war plans by more than half a month. With this extra half a month, they can get feedback from General Zuo, and then they will have a clear direction on how to respond.

Meanwhile, Jia Kui was able to accomplish quite a few things during this period.

First, a message can be sent to Kuai Yue in Jiaozhou, asking him to make preparations. Jia Kui himself does not have the authority to mobilize Kuai Yue, but he can send messages and make preparations in advance.

Once Kuai Yue is prepared, the Jiaozhou army can march north as soon as Liu Feng's order arrives.

Similarly, Jia Kui also sent a warning to the legion leaders of Yuzhou, such as Taishi Ci and Zhao Yun, informing them that Cao Cao's heavy troops had gathered in the Nanyang Basin.

Secondly, Jia Kui also needed to warn Jiangling and Xiling, especially Jiangling, which was of paramount importance. Not only did it have a large stockpile of supplies, but it was also the first to be hit.

After Xiangyang, the army can advance unimpeded, taking the Xiangyang Road, passing Yicheng, crossing the Yi River, and then heading straight for Dangyang. Jiangling City is located two hundred li south of Dangyang County.

In addition, Jia Kui also had to conscript soldiers from the various prefectures in Jingnan.

These county soldiers were quite capable; they were the same people who had previously resisted the Jingbei expeditionary force. Although they were not strong enough to fight against Cao Cao's elite troops in open battle, they still had the strength to resist Cao Cao's siege, thanks to the formidable city of Jiangling with its high walls and deep moats.

Jia Kui looked at Dong Xi, wanting to speak up and dissuade him, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything.

If Liu Biao hadn't been involved in this battle, Dong Xi could have simply blocked the Mian River.

Even if Cao's army sneaked across the river under the cover of night, it would be like throwing meat buns to a dog—they would never return.

However, Liu Biao's soldiers from Jingzhou were different. Many of them were originally from Xiangyang, familiar with the geography around Xiangyang, and had intricate kinship ties with the people in the surrounding area.

This left Dong Xi with no option but to block the Mian River for 24 hours a day; otherwise, it would be utterly futile.

Therefore, Dong Xi volunteered himself, because the navy's role in Xiangyang had diminished considerably, and only the navy could carry out a surprise attack on Xinye.

The distance from Xiangyang to Xinye by waterway is about two hundred li.

Xinye was an important inland river port during the Eastern Han Dynasty, serving as a hub connecting Jingzhou and the Central Plains. At that time, it was a place where boats from the south and horses from the north converged.

All the wealth, goods, and grain of Jingzhou were transported north from here to Yingchuan and then to Luoyang.

Therefore, a naval raid is the most suitable method.

After hesitating for a while, Jia Kui asked, "Brother, what do you intend to do?"

Dong Xi was clearly prepared, and immediately spoke eloquently: "There is no need to use many troops. I will only take two thousand elite soldiers, eighty warships and twenty early boats, and set off at night. Each warship will carry thirty people and only seven days' worth of water and food. The rest of the cargo hold will be filled with flammable materials."

As Dong Xi spoke, he walked to the hanging map and gestured, explaining to Jia Kui, "Now is the high-water season, the river is full of water, which is good for sailing. What's even more advantageous is that spring is here, flowers are blooming, grass is growing and birds are flying. The reeds along the Yu River are growing wildly, which is perfect for hiding boats. I plan to hide during the day and travel at night. I will hide in the reeds during the day and travel by boat at night. It will take at most one day, and at most two or three days, to reach Xinye."

Finally, Dong Xi slammed his hand on Xinye: "If Wei Kai can open the city gates, I will simply enter the city and burn the supplies. I expect that the Deng clan and their troops will not dare to fight me to the death."

"We relied entirely on Wei Kai to open the door..."

Jia Kui stared at it for a moment, then hesitated and asked, "Isn't it too dangerous?"

Dong Xi was silent for a moment, then chuckled and said, "Fortune favors the bold. Besides, if Wei Kai can't open the city gates, I can turn back. Cao Cao's army and navy are just some local strongmen from Nanyang, nothing to be afraid of."

(End of this chapter)