Lin'an Never Night

Chapter 902 The Battle of Huaixi

Chapter 902 The Battle of Huaixi
Yang Yuan rinsed his mouth and cleansed his face with Jiang Ninghuan's help and then ate breakfast.

Seeing that she still seemed to have some difficulty moving around, Yang Yuan considerately instructed, "Rest well, I'll have someone send a few maids to serve you."

Yesterday she was serving others, but today she has to be served.

Jiang Ninghuan blushed, but didn't say anything, only responding shyly with a soft murmur.

Yang Yuan came out of the sleeping quarters and went to the main hall in front, where Wang Ruiqi, the palace's garrison commander, was already waiting.

Upon seeing Yang Yuan, a hint of shame flashed across Wang Liushou's face.

His actions inevitably smack of flattery and a breach of the integrity of a scholar.

He wouldn't have done this if he hadn't been powerless to save his old friend and if his niece hadn't knelt down and begged him.

Of course, he also saw that Prime Minister Yang was indeed young and handsome, so it wasn't a bad deal for Jiang's niece.

If Prime Minister Yang were an old man with a wrinkled face like Prime Minister Qin, he would never dare to do it, even if you beat him to death.

Otherwise, his old friend would come and kill him after he gets out of prison.

Actually, he was just thinking from his own perspective.

From another perspective, he would have disdained such behavior.

To save his old friend, risking his lifelong reputation, is that not a kind of responsibility and sacrifice?

If Yang Yuan were a bit more cunning and shrewd, and more suspicious by nature...

Then he would think, "You can arrange for a suffering official's daughter to get close to me today, and if you want to assassinate me tomorrow, can't you do the same?"
In that case, Wang Ruiqi's career prospects would also be affected.

Yang Yuan felt slightly embarrassed when he saw Wang Liushou, but fortunately he was thick-skinned enough.

Now that he is powerful enough that even the emperor cannot humiliate him, he naturally doesn't need to care too much about other people's opinions.

Yang Yuan knew what Wang Liushou was most concerned about at the moment, so he coughed lightly and said, "Wang Liushou, send someone to Lin'an later."

After saying this, he walked behind the desk, sat down, and began to write a handwritten edict.

After writing a few words, Yang Yuan suddenly paused, hesitated for a moment, and awkwardly asked, "Um, what is my father-in-law's name?"

Of course, this needs to be clarified. Emperor Zhao Qi may not have had only one teacher, and he may not have held the same position for an extended period.

If they send the wrong person, things could get really messed up.

Even if those people were imprisoned because of their alignment with one side, Yang Yuan would not exonerate them all.

Because that would send a strong signal to the world: Could it be that Prime Minister Yang is going to support the deposed emperor's restoration?

This could cause serious trouble, at the very least leading to confusion among various factions, including his subordinates.

This is the backlash that came with his supreme power.

He can make decisions with a single word, easily releasing people from prison whom others have tried their best to save, or even restoring them to their original positions.

However, we must be extra careful about his every word and action.

Because there are too many things he can no longer comment on or do at will.

After ascertaining his new father-in-law's name, Yang Yuan quickly wrote it down and then affixed his seal to the edict.

Wang Liushou happily accepted Prime Minister Yang's edict, carefully sealed it with wax, and immediately summoned people to deliver it to Lin'an by fast horse.

With frequent warship traffic on the Yangtze River, traffic control is often in place, making land travel less convenient.

When Yang Yuan's troops entered Jiankang, Wanyan Liang personally led his army eastward.

He did not participate in the Battle of Xuyi, nor in the attack and defense of Sizhou. When his main force suddenly appeared, it had already arrived at the city of Haozhou (Fengyang).

The banner of the patron Wanyan Liang was raised.

Wanyan Liang decided to break through the Song Dynasty's defense line from Haozhou (Fengyang) to Shouchun (Shouxian) and open a passage in the upper reaches of the Huai River.

If we don't use the western detour, this is considered a conventional and least risky battle route.

No sooner had news of Wanyan Liang's arrival in Huaixi spread than he launched an attack on the Song army's defenses along the upper reaches of the Huai River.

The Jin army, led by Ye Yunqiao, the commander of ten thousand Han troops, deployed a vanguard of thirty thousand men who had been stationed there beforehand. They used boats connected together to form a pontoon bridge and forcibly crossed the Huai River.

At the same time, the Jin Dynasty ordered more than two hundred warships to sail downstream from the whirlpool to contain the Song Dynasty's navy.

Shao Hongyuan knew that Yang Yuan was right behind him and had the ambition to win a great victory like Wu Ting of Huaidong and make a name for himself in front of the Prime Minister.

However, Wanyan Liang's personal appearance near Linhuai Pass led him to misjudge the main direction of the Jin army's attack.

Eager to make a name for himself, Shao Hongyuan immediately and without hesitation transferred all of the main forces of Huaixi to Linhuai Pass, eager to have a major battle with Wanyan Liang.

Unexpectedly, Wanyan Liang once again employed a regional feint attack.

Jin generals and members of the imperial clan, Wanyan Ang and Yelü Anli, built a pontoon bridge at Xiashi Mountain, northwest of Shouchun.

At this time, the defense line north of Shouchun was undefended, and the main force of the Jin cavalry quickly and successfully crossed the Huai River.

They were like a sharp blade, gaining an advantage in field battles and cutting off the possibility of the Song army redeploying and redeploying.

The Jin army occupied the fortress on the north bank of Shouchun, and the Song army was forced to retreat to Shouchun city.

The Jin army, having occupied the fortress on the north bank, could now cross the river at a leisurely pace.

In just one day and night, 80,000 Jin soldiers crossed the river.

The next day, the Jin army surrounded Shouchun on three sides.

It was not wrong for Shao Hongyuan to personally go and guard Haozhou.

After all, once the Jurchens captured this city, they could march straight south and attack Jiankang.

Unexpectedly, the Jurchens took a roundabout approach and actually surrounded Shouchun.

Upon learning the news, Shao Hongyuan turned pale and hurriedly mobilized his troops to launch the defense of Shouchun.

Shao Hongyuan dispatched 8,000 elite troops to launch a night attack on the pontoon bridge at Xiashi Mountain, intending to cut off this vital transportation line for the Jin army.

At the same time, he ordered the naval commander to lead warships to intercept the Jin army's grain ships from the Tushan area and cut off their supplies.

The Jin army could only divide its forces to protect the pontoon bridge and the water supply line, giving Shouchun a chance to catch its breath.

At the same time, Shao Hongyuan personally led the main force from Haozhou to Shouchun overnight.

Wanyan Liang was determined to succeed this time.

Although he diverted some of his troops to protect his rear transportation and supply lines, he never stopped attacking Shouchun.

The attacking side, lacking geographical advantage, naturally suffers far greater losses than the defending side.

However, the Jin army now possessed not only stone cannons but also artillery, and the use of explosives compensated for their greatest weakness—they were not skilled in siege warfare. On December 23, Shouchun fell.

The two commanders and five officers who held out in Shouchun, with more than 23,000 soldiers, were almost completely wiped out.

Only Commander Deng Yi, leading over three hundred of his personal guards, deserted before the city fell, escaping through a gap before the Jin army completed their encirclement.

Wanyan Liang moved into Shouchun City and ordered that swords not be sheathed for three days, allowing the Jin soldiers to rape, plunder, and loot freely, in order to boost morale and unite the army.

The Song army's greatest achievement in this battle was the complete destruction of the Huai River pontoon bridge, which slowed down the Jin army's southward advance.

But the situation was hopeless, so the pontoon bridge could naturally be rebuilt.

Upon hearing the news, Shao Hongyuan, who had rushed to the rescue, had no choice but to retreat to Luzhou (Hefei) and regroup.

Driven mad, Shao Hongyuan sent men to find Commander Deng and, without saying a word, immediately beheaded him and his three hundred personal guards.

More than three hundred heads were brought back to Luzhou City and hung on the city wall.

When the news reached Jiankang, it caused an uproar among the civil and military officials.

Some demanded that Shao Hongyuan be held accountable, while others impeached him for arbitrarily killing a general.

After all, once you reach the level of control, it's not like he can just kill anyone he wants.

However, Yang Yuan suppressed all these documents attacking and impeaching Shao Hongyuan without saying a word.

Yang Yuan did write a letter himself and had it sent to Luzhou.

When Shao Hongyuan opened the letter, he found that Yang Yuan had given him a severe dressing-down, telling him that if he suffered another defeat, he would bring his own head to face him.

Shao Hongyuan wept with joy and cried loudly.

He was genuinely worried that Yang Yuan wouldn't give him a chance to make a comeback.

However, Yang Yuan did not publicly punish him, but instead lashed out at him in private letters.

The Prime Minister still loves me!
Shao Hongyuan wiped away his tears, immediately regrouped, and led an army of 60,000 to defend Haozhou, while actively planning a counterattack.

Because at this time, Xuyi and Sizhou had fallen one after another, and Shouyang had also been occupied by the Jin army, Haozhou was now surrounded by enemies on three sides.

Yang Yuan's side wasn't entirely relying on Shao Hongyuan's team.

The main reason for the defeat was Shao Hongyuan's misjudgment, but other factors also played a role.

For example, where was the Song navy when the Jin army built the pontoon bridge?
Shao Hongyuan ordered the navy to intercept the Jin dynasty's grain transport ships, but this was ineffective.

In the end, it was the army that launched a surprise attack on the Jin army and destroyed the pontoon bridge.

The poor coordination between land and sea forces raises the question: is it due to the incompetence of the Huaixi Navy, or is it because the naval officers and soldiers disobey the commands of the land generals?
This kind of discord between different branches of the military has existed from ancient times to the present.

Therefore, Yang Yuan summoned his brother-in-law Lin Rongyue to the imperial palace and gave him a thorough dressing-down.

The conflict between the navy and the army may have many causes.

Yang Yuan neither has the time nor the ability to completely solve this problem at its root.

He focused solely on putting pressure on Lin Rongyue, the Grand Admiral of the Navy.

I don't care what conflicts you have with each other, but with a formidable enemy at hand, you must cooperate wholeheartedly!
Put away your ulterior motives and go help me defend against the foreign invaders.

Lin Rongyue knew, of course, that his sixth brother-in-law was genuinely angry.

He apologized profusely, and after returning home, he gave the Huaihe River naval commanders a severe dressing-down, writing letters to those who were not present to hurl insults.

Lin Rongyue also punished two naval officers with a beating.

These two naval commanders were not on the Huaihe River front, but several naval commanders on the Huaihe River front were their subordinates.

I'm too far away to deal with them now, so I'll just beat up their boss.

That's a pretty ruthless move.

Lin Rongyue then issued a strict order:

The Huaixi Navy must win a few brilliant battles!
If not, then you are simply too incompetent!
Then I'll transfer Li Bao, who's good at fighting, from Huaidong!
Lao Tzu will personally go to the Huai River basin to command the naval forces in battle.

Lin Rongyue's every move naturally reached Yang Yuan, who was quite satisfied with the extent of his brother-in-law's discipline.

However, on the surface, the Jurchens seem to have the upper hand in the situation in the Huai River region.

However, as the number of cities they occupied increased, the Jin army also began to divide its forces.

Perhaps we can turn defeat into victory and implement a strategy of luring the enemy deep into our territory.

Yang Yuan sat back in the armchair, closing his eyes and pondering.

He had memorized the map of Lianghuai so well that he no longer needed to look at it.

Jiang Ninghuan stood behind the chair, letting Yang Yuan's head rest on her chest, and gently massaged Yang Yuan's head.

Before she first met Yang Yuan, this filial daughter was single-mindedly focused on rescuing her elderly father.

Even though this Prime Minister Yang was eighty years old, with wrinkled skin and white hair, she accepted it and treated it as if she had been bitten by a dog.

Now, my father has been saved, and the Ministry of Rites has reassigned him to a respectable position.

As for Prime Minister Yang...

Aside from being a bit improper in bed, always asking others to do embarrassing things, the Prime Minister was usually quite nice.

Thinking of this, Jiang Ninghuan's face suddenly flushed.

She was a well-educated and refined young lady from a respectable family, and had never heard of such strange and unusual things.

In her limited understanding, that was clearly an act only a beast would do.

As human beings, how can a husband and wife...do it like that?

But the Prime Minister likes it.

Moreover, she seemed to gradually feel less uncomfortable.

Yang Yuan was completely unaware that the beautiful maid was lost in thought.

His mind had long since transcended the pleasures of the bedroom and leaped into the world of war.

Suddenly, a place name popped into Yang Yuan's mind: Jinghu North Road!