Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 413 Standoff at Xipu (A long chapter of 10,000 words)

"Watch your step!"

"Sorry..."

On the sixth day of the twelfth lunar month, when Liu Jilong began to break camp, Hu Siguang on the south bank of the Luo River conscripted 5,000 laborers from Shifang County to be responsible for supporting the army on the north bank.

The Luo River, over forty feet wide, flows swiftly onward. Floating bridges were built across the water, connecting boats to allow the army's supply wagons to move freely between the two banks.

Most of the laborers in Shifang County were elderly or infirm in their fifties or sixties, or teenagers; there were very few young and strong men.

They were dressed in tattered clothes, each of them was sallow and emaciated, with deeply sunken cheeks. These men, who were over five feet tall, probably didn't even weigh a hundred pounds. A slightly stronger wind seemed capable of blowing them away.

In comparison, the laborers conscripted from Mianzhou by the army, though equally thin, at least had new winter clothes to wear and were no longer as emaciated as before.

Although the amount of arable land that Mianzhou could directly control was limited, Liu Jilong distributed it all to the local people, which did not arouse the suspicion of the several powerful families.

Throughout history, the equal distribution of land has always been a crucial policy for founding emperors. As long as the land of nobles and aristocratic families is not touched, other land is irrelevant to them.

As for those wastelands and woodlands, although they belonged to these aristocratic families in the past, they actually belonged to the imperial court. These aristocratic families were merely occupying the imperial court's assets to use as their own.

Liu Jilong wanted to take back the money and distribute it to the people, and they dared not oppose him.

This is why Liu Jilong won the hearts of the people of Mianzhou with just a simple distribution.

When Liu Jilong ordered the recruitment of laborers, men from all counties in Mianzhou enthusiastically signed up.

It wasn't just about keeping the two or three acres of land they had just acquired, but also about the money and grain for the laborers.

The Longyou army recruited laborers, paying them ten coins and three catties of grain daily.

Although Jiannan Road was wealthy, that wealth only belonged to powerful families, officials, and military generals; it had nothing to do with the common people.

Ten coins a day plus three catties of grain was enough to barely support a family, so many laborers signed up.

However, this only applies to the laborers of Mianzhou. The people of places like Mianzhu, Deyang, Shifang, and Luoxian in Hanzhou, who had little contact with the Longyou army, were actually quite resistant to them.

Husiguang had no choice but to resort to some means, forcibly conscripting laborers to come to the south bank of the Luo River.

When Liu Jilong arrived at the south bank of the Luo River, Husi Guang took the initiative to step forward and apologize:
"General, the people of Hanzhou are resisting our army. I have no choice but to forcibly conscript these laborers to help us."

Liu Jilong looked Husi Guang up and down, and seeing that he sincerely apologized, he immediately said, "It is normal for the people to be resistant because they do not understand us."

"This is not your fault. Afterwards, you should send someone to explain the situation to the laborers, distribute today's wages and rations, and sincerely apologize to them."

"Remember, if our army is heading south and wants to quickly capture and stabilize Sanchuan, winning the hearts and minds of the people of Sanchuan is extremely important."

"No matter how capable Gao Pian is, he is still subject to the constraints of the imperial court."

"He has no way to solve the problems of the imperial court's exorbitant taxes and the exploitation by local officials, but our army has the means and perseverance to solve these problems."

"As long as we can win the hearts of the people of Sanchuan, we will not be 30,000 against 70,000, but 300,000 or 3 million against 70,000."

"Yes!" Husiguang bowed in response, while Liu Jilong turned to look at the surging Luo River.

The main army was crossing the Luo River, while a cavalry force was crossing the bridge, attempting to reach the south bank.

Before long, Geng Ming arrived with the elite cavalry, bowing from a distance before quickly reporting as they approached.

"General, there are hoofprints in the direction of Longmen Mountain to the west, and there are also signs that it has been cleared."

"Horse hooves..."

After listening, Liu Jilong pondered for a moment, and before he could even frown, he turned to Husiguang and asked, "During your journey south, have you encountered any of Gao Pian's elite cavalry?"

"No," Husiguang quickly replied, then said, "General, could these hoofprints be Gao Pian deploying cavalry to harass our supplies after we cross the river?"

"It's not impossible," Liu Jilong nodded in reply, but then calmly added:
"If he wants to attack, then let him attack. Our army has enough provisions for a month."

"It won't take that long to defeat Gao Pian."

Gao Pian's decision to detach elite cavalry was clearly motivated by his desire to prevent the Chengdu water network from restricting his main force.

If it were any other general, they would probably have gathered a large force to besiege those thousands of elite cavalry at Longmen Water, but Liu Jilong did not.

Speed ​​is of the essence in war, and the Longyou army had enough gunpowder, while most of the cities in Xichuan were rammed earth fortifications, which could not withstand the combination of Longyou soldiers and gunpowder.

Given the Longyou army's marching speed, Gao Pian simply didn't have time to withdraw all the money and grain from all the prefectures and counties.

This is why Liu Jilong dealt with Shuofang and Qinzhou first, and then Gao Pian last.

It was not easy to transport money and grain from the Three Rivers region to Longyou, so we first attacked Shuofang and Qinzhou, which were nearby, and used the time spent attacking them to transport money and grain south.

Once they were dealt with, the money and grain stored up in the south would be sufficient for Liu Jilong to lead his army south.

After entering Xichuan, given the Longyou army's marching speed, they had no trouble obtaining food.

Gao Pian's move to transfer elite cavalry in an attempt to harass supply lines and cut off the Longyou army's retreat seemed clever, but it depended on his ability to win.

"Pass on the order!" Liu Jilong said calmly, and Husiguang, Geng Ming and others beside him bowed one after another.

"Order Zhang Wu, the vanguard commander, to lead his troops south and capture Xindu and Xinfan counties."

“Husiguang…”

"Your subordinate is here!" Husi Guang quickly replied, and Liu Jilong gave the order:
"You shall lead your elite cavalry to capture Jiulong County and Pengzuo Shouzhuo City first, and then march south along the Yangtze River toward Xinjin."

"Yes!" Husiguang replied, then asked:
"General, after I arrive in Xinjin, should we head north to launch a surprise attack on Gao Pian?"

In Husiguang's view, bypassing Gao Pian and rushing to the enemy's rear must be preparation for launching a surprise attack.

However, for Liu Jilong, the 4,000 elite cavalry could not exert their power in Chengdu's water network in this era. Although cavalry flanking and rear attacks were effective, they were too costly.

Husiguang had only one purpose: to distract Gao Pian, making him constantly try to figure out where Husiguang was.

"You just need to rush to Xinjin, and three days later head north to intercept the fleeing troops from Xichuan!"

"Your subordinate obeys!" Husiguang's eyes flashed with a hint of disappointment, but he quickly rallied.

It is regrettable that they could not participate in the next main battle, but blocking the fleeing troops was also a great achievement.

"Go!"

"Yes!"

Liu Jilong nodded in acknowledgment, and Husiguang promptly turned his horse around and galloped away.

Watching him leave, Liu Jilong looked at Geng Ming: "Send cavalry and infantry to Shifang County and have them prepare food."

"After the army arrived in Shifang County, they ate breakfast first, and then headed south to Xinfan County."

"Your subordinate obeys!" Geng Ming replied in a deep voice, and then began to direct his troops to continue crossing the river.

An hour later, the army crossed the Luo River and continued south.

Shifang County was located ten miles south of the south bank of the river where the army crossed the river, so the army arrived in Shifang County before 9:00 AM.

The cavalry and infantry went ahead, and by the time the foot soldiers and laborers arrived, they had already eaten their fill.

Before Liu Jilong could give the order, they began to patrol twenty miles out to provide shelter for the infantry to eat.

Five thousand laborers from Shifang County were paid their wages. Although they had only worked for an hour, they were still given a full day's wages and food.

After receiving the money and grain, they still felt it was unreal. Holding the ten copper coins and three catties of grain in their hands, they felt like they were dreaming.

"Since when soldiers started receiving money and rations?"

These more than 5,000 laborers from Shifang County all had the same thought: fearing that the Longyou army would rob them of their money and grain, they hurriedly took their money and grain and ran back to the city or the surrounding villages.

Watching their retreating figures, Geng Ming sighed, "In all these years, this is the first time I've seen civilians so afraid of soldiers."

Liu Jilong remained silent, then turned his horse around and said with a sigh, "The people are in such a state because the court does nothing, and the officials and soldiers act recklessly and arrogantly."

"In order to survive, they had no choice but to become stingy, cunning, and scheming."

"This world cannot continue to be in chaos..."

"Yes!" Geng Ming nodded solemnly, then followed Liu Jilong to the temporary military camp, dismounted, and ate.

Half an hour later, after the soldiers and civilians had eaten and drunk their fill, the army continued south.

The journey of fifty li was not a long distance for the Longyou army, which had no shortage of horses and mules to pull carts.

However, the Yanshui and Mengshui rivers along the way inevitably slowed down the three armies' speed.

After crossing the river twice, they thought they had already crossed it, but as they crossed the Meng River, they found themselves facing a dense network of waterways.

These dense networks of waterways, which have long since become plains or canals in later generations, remained obstacles to military advances in this era.

Traveling south from Mengyang to Xinfan, we encountered seven rivers that were more than five zhang wide, and more than ten rivers that were two or three zhang wide.

They would stop almost every 15 minutes to have laborers build a trench bridge so that the army could pass.

Although the rivers are not wide, they are often more than ten or even dozens of miles long, and they are basically rivers that branch off from the Yangtze River (Minjiang River).

Many of these rivers were dug by Li Bing and his son during the pre-Qin period.

During the pre-Qin period, the Minjiang River flooded, and the Chengdu Plain, stretching for eight hundred li, was frequently plagued by floods, resulting in crop failure for the people.

After Li Bing and his son were commissioned to build the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, they not only constructed the Baopingkou and Feishayan Irrigation System, but also built and excavated countless dikes, canals, and waterways to divert water.

The entire hydrological system, covering the entire Chengdu Plain, ensures that heavy rains do not cause flooding and light rains result in good water quality.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the local authorities also established "Du Shui Chuan" and "Du Shui Zhang" to be responsible for maintaining the weir headworks.

During the Shu Han period, Zhuge Liang governed Shu and established the Weir Official, recruiting 1,200 soldiers to be specifically responsible for dredging, drainage, and repair of various waterways.

Subsequent dynasties basically continued the system of irrigation officials left by Zhuge Liang, and inspected and repaired the canals every year.

Although the Dujiangyan Irrigation System was preserved, the Xichuan hydrological system that originated from it was destroyed.

Therefore, the many rivers that Liu Jilong encountered have long since become plains and ditches in later generations.

Fortunately, the supply wagons contained enough trenches and bridges, which allowed the army to reach the outskirts of Xinfan County before nightfall.

As they arrived in Xinfan County, a two-zhang-wide breach had been blasted into the rammed earth city wall, and the banners on the city walls had been replaced with those of Longyou.

Upon seeing the arrival of the army, the two hundred Longyou cavalry and infantry stationed there also came out of the city to welcome the army.

"General, Xinfan County was captured at noon, and Xindu County was also captured by Commandant Zhang's army two hours ago."

"After our cavalry scouted southward for ten miles, they encountered the cavalry of the Western Sichuan Army. The Western Sichuan Army should be stationed in Pixian or Xipu County."

The captain respectfully reported the military intelligence he had just obtained. Upon seeing this, Liu Jilong looked at Geng Ming and Wei Gongluo: "Geng Ming, Wei Gongluo, you two lead the troops to set up camp in the south of the city. There will be a meeting at the county government office in an hour."

"Your subordinates obey!" The two men bowed and agreed, then led their troops south of the city.

After they left, Liu Jilong said to the captain under Zhang Wu, "Send an order to Zhang Wu to lead his troops here for a meeting."

"Yes!"

The captain agreed, and Liu Jilong led more than a hundred elite cavalrymen into Xinfan County.

Xinfan County belonged to Chengdu Prefecture, so the situation in the county was much better than that in Mianzhou in the north.

Although the people in the city were also dressed in tattered clothes, at least they could patch them up. Although their cheeks were sunken, they could not be described as sallow and emaciated. It can be seen that the people of Chengdu Prefecture were still able to live a slightly better life than the people outside Chengdu Prefecture.

In addition, they were also a bit bolder, daring to leave their neighborhoods and come to the main road to watch the Longyou army enter the city. This shows that after Zhang Wu took Xinfan County, the Longyou army maintained good discipline and did not frighten them.

Liu Jilong didn't have much time to observe the people. He rode his horse to the Xinfan County Government Office and ordered his men to bring out all the maps and records in the office.

Like Mianzhou, Xinfan County also has two sets of maps and records; the former is used for general affairs, while the latter is used for official business.

According to the latter's records, Xinfan County had more than 9,000 households, more than 47,000 people, and more than 445,000 mu of cultivated land.

Nearly half of these arable lands are controlled by military generals, wealthy merchants, and powerful families.

After a quick glance, Liu Jilong understood the situation in the entire Sanchuan region.

The military generals, wealthy merchants, and aristocratic families basically control half to sixty percent of the land. These are the people he must deal with, otherwise even if he defeats Gao Pian, he will only be able to control half of Sanchuan.

After closing the map and book, he ordered the kitchen to prepare a meal while waiting for Geng Ming, Zhang Wu, and the others to arrive.

Xindu County and Xinfan County are only twenty li apart, and with fast horses delivering messages, they can arrive in about an hour.

Thinking this, Liu Jilong waited quietly until it was completely dark. Geng Ming and Wei Gonglu were the first to enter the yamen.

The three waited for another half an hour, and then Zhang Wu arrived, looking travel-worn. The first thing he did upon entering the yamen was to bow to Liu Jilong: "General, I am late!"

"Have the troops been arranged?" Liu Jilong did not blame him.

"Everything is arranged." Zhang Wu nodded in response, and seeing this, Liu Jilong began to instruct the kitchen to serve the dishes.

After the food was served, Liu Jilong ate and talked, saying, "Gao Pian should lead his troops to garrison Xipu, so that he can support both Pixian and Chengdu."

"According to the report from the cavalry, there are quite a few soldiers stationed in Chengdu, probably no less than five thousand."

"If that's the case, then excluding Li Fu's 20,000 troops in Dongchuan, the remnants of the Shannan West Road, and the troops stationed in the southern border of Xichuan, Gao Pian could only mobilize no more than 40,000 troops."

"Gao Pian sent elite cavalry to hide in the Longmen Mountains, probably hoping to catch us off guard and cut off our retreat."

"We don't need to worry about this elite cavalry. As long as we defeat Gao Pian's main force, they will naturally retreat."

“I have already sent Husi Guang south around Pixian. I believe Gao Pian has received military intelligence from the rear. He is probably now suspecting that I will attack him from the flank and rear with cavalry.”

"We have 6,000 elite cavalry, 3,000 mounted infantry and 12,000 foot soldiers here, totaling 21,000 men."

"Although Gao Pian has separated his cavalry, the army should have no fewer than 30,000 troops, or at least around 30,000."

"Many of the soldiers in the Western Sichuan army were veterans brought by Gao Pian from Eastern Sichuan, and they cannot be compared with ordinary soldiers of the regional military governors."

"If Gao Pian does not retreat when our army marches south tomorrow, then the two armies should clash in the northern part of Xipu."

"Zhang Wu, tomorrow you will lead the cavalry to scout out the area and see what kind of terrain it is."

As soon as Liu Jilong finished speaking, Zhang Wu quickly agreed, and Liu Jilong solemnly said, "Until the outcome of this battle is decided, the three soldiers will not remove their armor, and the horses will not be unsaddled."

"Yes!" The three nodded in agreement. Liu Jilong said nothing more, but after they had eaten and drunk their fill, he kept Wei Gonglu behind.

"General..."

This was the first time that Wei Gonglu had spoken to Liu Jilong alone, so he was naturally a little nervous.

In response, Liu Jilong reassured him, saying, "I kept you here to find out what Duokang's generals really think of me and Longyou."

Faced with this question, Engineer Wei was somewhat speechless, but after gathering his thoughts, he still answered:

"As the military governor knows, many of us lived under the rule of Tibet, and the Tang Dynasty has been in decline for many years. So many people naturally harbor the idea of ​​restoring Tibet, and they have some criticism of Longyou and the military governor."

"But don't worry, General, the one who is actually in power now is Lu Danzeng, and he prefers to have your support."

The fact that Wei Gonglu could say such a thing means that Shang Moyan was probably sidelined by the conservatives within Duokang.

With a major battle imminent, Liu Jilong had to be wary of the Tibetan troops from Dokham, and also needed to find ways to win them over.

Therefore, in response to Wei Gongluo's words, Liu Jilong took the initiative to speak up: "Tibet has been ruled by a single family for a long time, which is not beneficial to the Central Plains."

"As far as I know, many slaves and minor nobles in the Six Ru of Ü-Tsang have long been unable to endure the exploitation in Lhasa."

“I can assert that they will definitely rise up within three years. If you can support them in overthrowing Lhasa, and then you can elect Meru Tenzin to attack Lhasa and defeat these rebels, then Meru Tenzin might become the king of Ü-Tsang and Kham.”

"If you need food and weapons, I can transport them to you from Longyou and Xichuan respectively after I take Xichuan."

"You should also be able to sense that the land in Kham and Ü-Tsang is gradually becoming barren and unable to produce more food, right?"

Liu Jilong's last words made Wei Gonglu swallow hard.

In recent years, the amount of grain that the land in Dokang can produce has indeed been decreasing.

When Wei Gonglu was young, the valley in Duokang could produce seven dou of grain per mu, but now it only yields six dou.

Therefore, although Shang Moyan obtained a lot of grain from Liu Jilong and reclaimed a lot of land, the harvested grain was still not enough to consume the hundreds of thousands of people under his command.

If we could obtain food and weapons from Liu Jilong in the long term, it would indeed alleviate a lot of our burden.

"After this battle, the horses of Duokang were divided into superior horses, medium horses, and inferior horses, with superior military horses, medium riding horses, and inferior draft horses."

“One superior horse can be exchanged for two medium-grade horses, or four inferior horses. Each inferior horse can be exchanged for ten shi of grain, or one dan of tea.”

"For other goods such as silk, cloth, porcelain, and lacquerware, I will have the officials re-determine the prices, and they will be cheaper than before."

As soon as Liu Jilong finished speaking, Wei Gonglu's eyes lit up.

Ten bushels of grain plus dairy products are enough to feed three people for a year, which is much faster than clearing land for farming.

Compared to the previous price, Liu Jilong has indeed made a significant concession this time.

Upon seeing this, Wei Gonglu bowed and said, "Duokang will always be the most loyal steed under the command of the General." "Well, after this battle, you should have a good talk with Meilu Danzeng. If there's nothing else, go and rest."

Liu Jilong gestured for him to leave, and Wei Gonglu bowed and left the yamen.

After he left, Liu Jilong also got up and went to rest in the main hall of the county government office.

He didn't think the price he offered to Duokang was too high; it was just a matter of making more or less profit.

Ten shi of grain is a lot; at the current grain price in Sanchuan, it's worth about seven guan (a unit of currency).

However, with the end of the war, the reclamation of wasteland, and the introduction of various policies, Liu Jilong was confident that he could restore the price of grain in Sanchuan to four or five hundred coins per shi within two years.

At that time, by exchanging with Duokang, one could buy a draft horse for four or five strings of cash, and a military horse for twenty or so strings of cash.

In any case, Liu Jilong is the one making the profit, while Duokang is not losing out either.

As long as they can trade grain and horses with Longyou and Xichuan, they can use higher grain prices to trade with other tribes.

According to Liu Jilong's understanding, in places such as Qiangtang, Suru, and Luoxie City, the price of one shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain has risen to one guan and five guan or even two guan.

For the next two hundred years, temperatures will drop, and Tibet's dependence on grain and tea will continue to increase.

This is why Liu Jilong never hesitated to support Shang Moyan and his group, because as temperatures dropped, only fragmented rule remained on the plateau, and the Tubo Dynasty could only become history.

Even if he supports Lu Danzeng now, without Lu Danzeng, he can only control the Ü-Tsang and Kham regions at most, and problems will continue to arise over time.

Their dependence on the Central Plains will only increase, making them easier to control.

Lost in thought, Liu Jilong returned to the main hall, washed his face, and then lay down to rest.

While he was resting, Gao Pian, who lived only about 20 miles away, couldn't sleep at all.

"Screw rustle..."

The sound of armor plates clashing rang out, and Gao Pian, standing in front of the sand table, looked up at the entrance of the command tent.

Su Xun and Liang Zuan walked in, and the two bowed one after the other.

"General, the cavalry from Longyou passed through Tangchang two hours ago, and they are probably heading towards Qingcheng now."

"General, why don't we deal with this army first, and then turn back to fight Liu Jilong in a decisive battle?"

The two men offered their suggestions, but Gao Pian frowned and squatted down to plant Peng Zuo's Longyou command flag in the direction of Qingcheng.

After he finished doing all this, he slowly said, "Liu Jilong is only about twenty miles away from our army. If our army retreats, he will definitely get closer."

"By the time we take down those thousands of elite cavalry in the rear, Liu Jilong will probably have already surrounded Chengdu."

"The city of Chengdu has more than 200,000 residents, and the city's food supply is only enough for three months."

"Liu Jilong has captured Xinfan and Xindu today, and has also sent cavalry to take Pengzuo and Jiulong. Although the amount of grain he has obtained is not much, it is enough for him to last for several more months."

He fell silent for a moment, then said, "Zhang Lin and his men should take action tomorrow. We should observe Liu Jilong's reaction first, and then decide how to deal with this elite cavalry force in our rear."

"If I'm not mistaken, Liu Jilong is probably preparing to use this elite cavalry to cut off our retreat."

"Wait!" Gao Pian suddenly interrupted himself, his gaze sweeping across the camp.

If it were to deal with ordinary generals, or even renowned generals like Duan Zongbang or Wang Shi, Gao Pian would definitely think that this elite cavalry was meant to support the main force and be ready to flank or attack from the rear at any time.

However, his opponent is Liu Jilong, and he cannot be regarded as an ordinary good general.

Liu Jilong's move was definitely intended to attract my attention, or even to cut off my escape route.

This suggests that he may have already discovered Zhang Lin and his group's whereabouts, knew that he was preparing his escape route, and was using his own methods against him.

Thinking this, Gao Pian frowned and then said, "Send troops to bypass Xinfan and tell Zhang Lin and the others tonight... bypass Xinfan and retreat to Pixian."

Gao Pian's words left Su Xun and Liang Zuan looking astonished. Liang Zuan couldn't help but ask, "General, everything has been arranged, why are we withdrawing?"

"Liu Jilong has probably already discovered Zhang Lin and his group's whereabouts; leaving them in the north is no longer of any use."

Gao Pian explained, while withdrawing the banner representing Zhang Lin back to Pixian, and said, "Liu Jilong plans to defeat us first, and then deal with Zhang Lin and Li Fu."

"He currently has around 20,000 troops at his disposal. To use 20,000 against our nearly 30,000 is probably a bit too much of a gamble."

"With equal numbers of troops, I have never lost to anyone..."

He rose and returned to his seat, settling down comfortably as he ordered, "Send word to slaughter all the cattle and sheep in the army and provide them as a meal for the troops!"

"Yes!" Liang Zuan and the other man bowed decisively in response, but before they could leave, Gao Pian looked at Suo Xun and said, "Commander Suo, please stay."

Liang Zuan glanced at Suo Xun, then left the tent.

After he left, Gao Pian asked, "Liu Jilong wrote you a letter of surrender. What are your thoughts on that?"

Suo Xun didn't think he could hide his affair with Liu Jilong from everyone, so he told the truth:

"Although I need wealth and status, I must also consider from whom that wealth and status will come."

"I consider it an insult to be offered a position as a general under Liu Jilong, and I will naturally not accept it."

Suo Xun spoke frankly, and Gao Pian nodded in agreement: "Although Liu Jilong is strong, I am not weak either."

"If the court could grant me control of the Three Rivers region earlier, even if only for six months, I could pacify Longyou on my own."

"Although it's a bit late now, defeating Liu Jilong shouldn't be a problem."

"You'll see on the battlefield tomorrow how I break through Liu Jilong's central army."

"Yes!" Suo Xun bowed in agreement. He had great faith in Gao Pian's abilities; otherwise, he wouldn't have switched from Song Ya's command to Gao Pian's.

However, Liu Jilong was always an outlier, and he still had some worries.

With this feeling of unease, he bowed and left the main tent, then turned and returned to his own tent.

Before long, the aroma of stewed beef and mutton wafted through the night, making everyone's mouths water.

The Xichuan army feasted and then returned to their camps to rest.

The next morning, after Gao Pian finished washing up, he saw Liang Zuan and Suo Xun come to report.

"General, Zhang Lin and his men are less than thirty li away from Pixian."

"In addition, the soldiers in Tang'an County discovered traces of cavalry heading south on the east bank of the Yangtze River (Minjiang River), estimating that they were heading to Xinjin."

"At 3:45 AM, our cavalry clashed with the rebel cavalry. The rebel cavalry broke in and presumably obtained topographical maps of the area near Xipu."

Liang Zuan continued to report, and Gao Pian, after listening, remained calm and reassured him:

"Don't worry about it. Tell the brothers to finish all the beef and mutton they didn't eat last night, so they can save their strength to kill the bandits!"

"Yes!"

The two bowed and withdrew, while Gao Pian continued to calmly observe the sand table.

As he viewed the sand table, the aroma of meat wafted from Xinfan County, more than 20 miles away.

Geng Ming sent people to buy up all the birds and cattle and sheep that could be bought in Xinfan County. Except for the young and strong oxen, the old oxen, birds and goats were all slaughtered.

Liu Jilong was eating a dish of stir-fried beef and mutton, with a sand table that had just been set up in front of him.

In the northern part of Xipu County, there are rivers and lakes, with the Pi River and Tuo River being the main ones.

Gao Pian ceded the Pi River and the Tuo River simply because the Pi River and the Tuo River were wide enough in this era. If he had set up defenses, Liu Jilong would definitely not have attacked him from this direction, and might have changed direction instead.

So he ceded the Pi River and the Tuo River, and built camps and defenses on a small river behind these two rivers.

"These lakes are scattered like stars, making it quite difficult for a large army to launch an attack."

"Arrest a few prisoners and find out about the local terrain."

Liu Jilong gave the instructions, and Zhang Wu quickly sent someone to carry them out.

Before long, Liu Jilong saw two soldiers leading five or six farmers appear before him.

The group of farmers were in their forties or fifties, dressed in tattered clothes, their feet still covered in mud in their straw sandals, clearly having just finished working.

They were thin, only five feet three or four inches tall, but as thin as bamboo poles.

"The three of you should eat first, and then ask us your questions."

Liu Jilong smiled and arranged for the three to sit down. The three were quite nervous until they saw the millet porridge filled with beef and mutton, at which point they relaxed and began to wolf down the food.

Liu Jilong watched them finish eating quickly, then ordered more meat and rice for them. Only after they had eaten two large bowls and could eat no more did Liu Jilong ask:

"Could the three of you explain the terrain to me in the north of Xipu County?"

Liu Jilong walked up to the sand table and asked a question. Seeing this, the three of them also stood up awkwardly under the gaze of Zhang Wu and the others, and hurriedly explained to Liu Jilong.

“The north side of Xipu County is surrounded by lakes and marshes, especially along the banks of the Pishui and Tuoshui rivers, where there are many places that look like grasslands but are actually swamps.”

"And this side, this is my home..."

"My home is around here..."

The three people spoke with heavy accents, which were not similar to the Sichuan dialect of later generations, and Liu Jilong could not understand them.

Although Zhang Wu was from Yuzhou, he couldn't understand the three men's accents, so he had to find soldiers from the Chengdu area who had fled to Longyou and joined the army to act as translators.

With the explanations of the three men and the translations of the soldiers, Liu Jilong quickly understood the treacherous nature of this terrain.

However, the three men's guidance also helped Liu Jilong figure out which route to take in the attack.

After thinking it over, Liu Jilong instructed Zhang Wu: "Send someone to give each of the three of you two strings of cash and five dou of grain."

"Yes!" Zhang Wu bowed in response, and the soldier translated for the three men.

Upon hearing this, the three immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Liu Jilong, expressing their gratitude.

Liu Jilong helped the three of them up and patted them on the shoulders: "Don't worry, you three. Once I defeat Gao Pian, I will definitely ensure that you live in peace!"

After the soldiers translated, the three men quickly bowed and finally left the tent after being persuaded by the soldiers.

As they left, Liu Jilong spoke up: "Order the three armies to march south!"

"Yes!!" Zhang Wu, Geng Ming, and Wei Gonglu bowed in response.

Before long, the three armies broke camp and headed south, with more than 20,000 soldiers and 20,000 laborers traveling south along the official road.

In December, the sun is almost never seen in Xichuan. The gloomy weather and cold wind give people a desolate feeling.

The twelve-mile journey passed quickly, and the Tuo River, which was over thirty feet wide, came into view.

The laborers went forward to build the pontoon bridge, and it wasn't until noon that the bridge was completed.

Liu Jilong led his army across the Tuo River, and then traveled south for several miles before seeing the Pi River again, which was more than 20 zhang wide.

After crossing the river in the same manner, all that lay before the army, besides the groves and farmland among countless lakes, was the official road.

The official road was not wide, only about ten feet wide on each side. On both sides of the road were orchards, mostly kiwifruit, pear and orange trees.

"Sending elite cavalry ahead suggests that Gao Pian has likely already received the news and begun to form his battle formation."

"Yes!"

Under Liu Jilong's orders, Zhang Wu personally led his elite cavalry ahead, followed by Liu Jilong's main army and laborers.

Sure enough, less than half an incense stick's time after Zhang Wu and his men headed south, elite cavalry came to report that Gao Pian had already set up camp in the northern part of Xipu County in the south.

Liu Jilong led his troops to arrive a quarter of an hour later. It was already noon, and the originally gloomy dark clouds had dissipated somewhat, making the view a little brighter.

Gao Pian set up his camp between two small rivers; the width of the latter was not visible, but the former was no more than half a mile away from Liu Jilong and his men.

After scouting the area, the cavalrymen quickly turned their horses around and returned to report.

"General, the river ahead is the Qingshui River, which is no more than three zhang wide. There are no trenches on the north side of the river, but there are trenches, ram's horn walls, and chevaux-de-frise on the south side."

"it is good!"

Liu Jilong nodded to indicate that he understood, and then waved his hand and said, "The army will use this place as the center to scout the surrounding area. All orchards and shrubs should be cleared away, and notes should be left to compensate the people after the battle. Once it is confirmed that there is no harm, set up camp!"

"Your subordinate obeys!" Zhang Wu accepted the order and then led his troops to explore the surrounding area, with Liu Jilong at the center.

The area around the orchard was relatively safe, mostly consisting of land. However, once you were away from the orchard, many swamps and mud pits covered with grass attracted a number of soldiers. Fortunately, their comrades were nearby, and they could be quickly rescued.

Half an hour passed quickly, and the route that the three farmers had pointed out to Liu Jilong and his companions was indeed not a big problem.

There was enough space to build a camp, and Liu Jilong did not delay, immediately ordering the construction of the camp.

"General, they've set up camp!"

Inside the Xichuan camp, Gao Pian had a four-zhang-high earthen platform built, and he climbed up the platform to look out at the Longyou army two li away.

Seeing Liu Jilong set up camp, Liang Zuan became somewhat anxious, and Gao Pian frowned slightly upon seeing this.

It's only noon now. Since Liu Jilong has already scouted the situation on the north bank, he should be building a trench bridge to cross the river and fight him. Why is he setting up camp instead?

"Is it possible..."

Gao Pian thought of the thousands of elite cavalry from Longyou behind him, but quickly shook his head, rejecting the guess that Liu Jilong was waiting for those five thousand elite cavalry.

"Their army has quite a few cavalry and mounted soldiers, which make up more than half of the three armies."

“If we were in Hanzhou, we would be no match for them, but the situation here is complicated, and it won’t be easy for their cavalry to charge.”

Gao Pian spoke calmly, but he couldn't help thinking about the elite cavalry behind him.

After much deliberation, he turned to Liang Zuan and ordered, "Send word to Generals Zhang Lin and Lin Ruzhen, instructing them to lead their elite cavalry to the rear and defeat the elite cavalry force in Longyou."

"Your subordinate obeys!" Liang Zuan bowed and accepted the order. Meanwhile, the Longyou army on the north bank had begun to set up catapults, triple crossbows, and trench bridges that could be deployed at any time.

Upon seeing this, Gao Pian immediately said, "Push the catapults and winches to the front lines, keeping them one li and two hundred paces away from the enemy."

Suo Xun agreed and immediately ordered the civilians in the army to push the catapults and winches to two hundred paces away from the camp, one and a half miles away from the Longyou army.

Time passed quickly, and the Longyou army set up camp on the north bank. After seeing that the Longyou army had set up camp, Gao Pian arranged for the garrison soldiers to stay outside and the rest to return to the camp. He then frowned and walked down from the high platform.

Were there any merchants accompanying the army behind them?

"No."

How many laborers are there?

According to spies from villages along the way, there should be no fewer than 20,000 men, each with two draft horses and a supply wagon.

Gao Pian and Liang Zuan walked toward the tent while talking, and Gao Pian felt that it was a troublesome matter after listening to them.

"Have someone keep a close eye on them at all times, and let me know if they make any moves."

"Yes!"

He entered the tent, while Liang Zuan returned to the high platform.

At the same time, Liu Jilong did not organize a meeting, but instead ordered Zhang Wu to send people to purchase meat and vegetables from the villages along the way in the rear.

After Zhang Wu agreed, he left the tent, but soon returned and bowed, saying:
"General, the elite cavalry of the government troops in the direction of Pixian have retreated to the south."

Zhang Wu's words brought a smile to Liu Jilong's face: "I thought this guy was really as steady as Mount Tai."

"Now that his elite cavalry has been transferred away, only our six thousand Han and non-Han elite cavalry remain on the battlefield."

Liu Jilong got up and walked towards the sand table. Zhang Wu frowned upon hearing this and said, "There are many rivers and lakes around here. Although we have many elite cavalry, we can't make good use of them."

"Not always."

Liu Jilong chuckled, then used his stick to direct the others, saying, "We left behind all the pontoon bridges we built as we marched south. Do you think their elite cavalry, retreating south, had any trench bridges?"

"Of course there is." Zhang Wu nodded hesitantly, not understanding what he meant.

Seeing this, Liu Jilong immediately grabbed a stick and commanded, "Pass on the order!"

"Your subordinate is here!" Zhang Wu bowed decisively, and Liu Jilong also drew a route on the sand table with a stick.

"I order you to muster three thousand elite cavalry from Longyou, and under cover of night, bypass Pixian and circle around to the rear of Xipu County."

"Be careful to conceal your tracks. Tomorrow at noon, I will lead the main attack, and you will take the opportunity to launch a surprise attack on Gao Pian from the rear!"

Liu Jilong put away his stick, ignoring Zhang Wu's surprised expression, and said with sharp eyes:
"He sent his elite cavalry to intercept Husi Guang, and used rivers and lakes to restrict our army, thinking that this would prevent us from being attacked by our elite cavalry?"

"In that case, I'll use my cavalry to launch a surprise attack from behind and see if he can react in time!"

(End of this chapter)