Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 505 Dividing the Army into Six Routes
"Ridiculous! Who spread this rumor?!"

In August, inside the Luoyang State Affairs Hall, Gao Jinda looked at the memorial in his hand, which was covered in rumors, and his beard trembled with anger.

The officials standing before him all looked grim, while Lu Guimeng, who was in charge of the matter, quickly bowed and said, "This rumor is circulating in many prefectures and counties in Huainan, Henan, and Dongji. It is clear that they want to stir up unrest in the rear of the court."

Li Shangyin rarely spoke, but after hearing Lu Guimeng's remarks, he couldn't help but chime in.

"The only person who could incite so many spies to spread rumors in such a wide area is Gao Qianli from the south."

"If nothing unexpected happens, Prince Pu and the Imperial Seal should be in his hands. After all, Kang Juesi had previously said that he had never seen the Imperial Seal, and at that time, most of the forces around Luoyang had already submitted to the court, leaving only Gao Pian in the south."

He revealed the whereabouts of Prince Li Yan and the Imperial Seal, instantly throwing the entire Council of State into chaos.

"If that's the case, we should quickly subdue Gao Pian!"

Gao Jinda spoke without hesitation, while Liu Zhan, Xiao Gou, Wei Zhuang, Pi Rixiu, and others looked hesitant.

They naturally wanted to take back the Imperial Seal of the State, but they also knew that if Liu Jilong were to reclaim it, it would mean that the south had probably been pacified, and he would inevitably declare himself emperor, thus ending the reign of the Tang Dynasty.

Their feelings were complicated, and everyone was worried. On the contrary, Li Shangyin, Han Zhengke, Zhang Ying, Li Gunshi, Du Xunhe, Nie Yizhong, Li Shanfu and other ministers who had already submitted to Liu Jilong showed firmness.

Faced with their words, Gao Jinda pondered and said, "This matter is very important, but even more important is to appease the uneasy officials in the court."

"At this time, Your Highness must personally speak up to appease them; otherwise, we alone are afraid we will not be able to win the hearts and minds of the ministers."

Everyone in the hall knew perfectly well who Gao Jinda was referring to, and they all nodded in agreement. Then, Gao Pian wrote a memorial and ordered it to be sent to Jiangling by fast horse.

Liu Jilong received the news on the 14th of mid-August.

During the nearly one month of rumors, countless memorials arrived one after another, among which the memorials urging the emperor to ascend the throne piled up into a small mountain.

Faced with these memorials, Liu Jilong, who was holding the memorials that Gao Jinda had just delivered, thought to himself with amusement:
"This Gao Pian will use any means necessary to win."

"But does he perhaps think that I and my generals are so impatient?"

He spoke with great confidence, because he knew that even if he didn't reply to these so-called memorials urging him to ascend the throne, the generals below wouldn't be able to cause any trouble.

However, all they want is their attitude, and I'm happy to give them that attitude myself.

"These memorials urging me to ascend the throne were personally delivered by fast horse, with imperial edicts stating that once I have obtained the imperial seal in the south, I will take that step forward without their urging."

After Liu Jilong finished speaking, Zhao Ying, Cao Mao, and Geng Ming, who were in the Sizheng Hall, all bowed and agreed.

Seeing their reaction, Liu Jilong nodded and said, "Tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival. Judging by the time, Wang Jian should have already set out with his troops to prepare for the attack on Qianzhong Road."

"Gao Pian has many tricks up his sleeve, but they are always weak and ineffective, and he can't do any harm to our army."

"I wonder if he will still be able to peacefully besiege Song Wei and Dong Chang in Jiangdong when our army easily breaks through his carefully laid iron barrel in central Guizhou."

Gao Pian believed that his methods would succeed simply because he imagined the relationship between the military commander and his subordinates to be normal.

If that were truly the case, it would be normal for the general to coerce the military commander to take further steps, but Liu Jilong and his subordinates do not have that kind of relationship.

The Han army was able to fight its way out of Longyou and reach its current position entirely thanks to Liu Jilong's personal leadership and the cooperation of his generals.

Others might fear that someone's achievements would overshadow the ruler, but Liu Jilong was not afraid, because he himself was the most meritorious official.

Now that Gao Pian has made his move, he naturally cannot fall behind.

Wang Jian of Xichuan, Chen Ying of Dengzhou, Wang Shi of Caizhou, Chen Jingchong of Luzhou, and Li Yangchun of Yangzhou are all ready and waiting for the fifteenth of August to launch their attacks on Gao Pian.

With 160,000 veteran soldiers, 30,000 naval troops, and 120,000 new recruits, the total force was 310,000.

Liu Jilong wanted to see what Gao Pian would use to stop him.

While he was thinking this way, the number of laborers conscripted by various prefectures and counties was also quite astonishing.

Apart from the 120,000 new recruits from the Jianghuai region who were not prepared to go to the battlefield immediately as part of the second-line forces, the remaining 160,000 veteran soldiers required 300,000 laborers.

If the navy is included, the number of soldiers and civilians mobilized for this battle has reached 610,000.

This was before the Yangtze River had been crossed, and Liu Jilong undoubtedly placed the first battle after crossing the Yangtze in the western part of Qianzhong Road.

"Screw rustle..."

"Moo-"

On the Mid-Autumn Festival, August 15th of the third year of Qianfu, facing the complex terrain and rugged roads of Qianzhong Road, Wang Jian decisively dispatched troops to attack in accordance with the imperial edict.

However, instead of simply gathering a large army and attacking central Guizhou, he personally led 30,000 troops through Fuzhou and along the Qian River to attack central Guizhou.

Gao Shu and Liu Jianfeng each led an army of 10,000 to Rongzhou and Yuzhou respectively to attack the counties of Rongzhou and Nanzhou that were occupied by Gao Pian's troops.

With 50,000 against 50,000, Liu Jilong trusted Wang Jian a lot, and Wang Jian naturally dared not betray that trust.

The army of 30,000 men, along with the 70,000 laborers behind them, formed a marching column that stretched for more than 20 miles.

Such a troop, marching on this official road which is no more than two zhang wide and only a little over one zhang narrow, is extremely vulnerable to ambushes.

Fortunately, the terrain in central Guizhou is complex, making it difficult for a large army to climb to the top of the mountain to attack the troops on the official road. Therefore, it is enough to send more garrison troops and be careful in the valleys and dense forests.

"It's still hot and dry in Qianzhou, but it's much better than in Fuzhou."

Wang Jian and Wang Zhi were talking on horseback, completely ignoring the fact that Wang Zhi was already bare-chested beside them.

With 100,000 soldiers and civilians marching for twenty miles, such a scale made it impossible to conceal their tracks. Fortunately, Wang Jian did not intend to do so.

"Our army is still eighty li away from Wulong County. We will set up camp and rest after another twenty li today, and continue to Wulong tomorrow."

"As the only place in Guizhou that has lost the protection of the Yangtze River, Gao Qianli must have set up many measures here, so we must be on guard."

“We will send two thousand Liao soldiers recruited from Bashan to serve as garrison troops. They can climb mountains as easily as walking on flat ground, and they will surely make things difficult for the rebels.”

To cope with the complex terrain of central Guizhou, Wang Jian recruited two thousand Liao people in Bashan to serve as Liao soldiers for training, and also brought their families down the mountain and settled them in farmland.

Following Han military tradition, Wang Jian spent more than six months teaching him to read and write, and now he can write simple characters and speak some inaccurate Mandarin.

These Liao soldiers can traverse mountains and rivers as easily as walking on flat ground, no less capable than the barbarians of Qianzhong. They will surely be able to prevent Lu Ruyue from using the barbarians of Qianzhong to launch a surprise attack on their side.

"The last general takes command!"

After receiving the order, Wang Zhi dispatched the Liao soldiers, who were wearing breastplates and carrying bows, arrows, and spears, to rush from the rear to the front.

In just two hours, the two thousand Liao soldiers had searched the mountains and rivers about twenty miles ahead of the Han army. After ensuring the safety of the army's march, they began to move along with the main force.

There are very few flat plains in central Guizhou. To find a relatively flat campsite, not only do guides need to be found, but also scouts from the local Liao army.

With the help of guides and the Liao army, Wang Jian's 100,000 soldiers and civilians quickly found a relatively flat place to set up camp.

At the same time, the Liao army under the Han army also encountered the Tang soldiers under Lu Ruyue's command. After a brief exchange, both sides returned to report.

Wang Jian didn't care. He simply ordered the Liao army to remain on guard. He would naturally capture Wulong the next day after the main army arrived at Wulong and use it as a garrison.

In contrast, news of Wang Jian leading his army into central Guizhou was quickly relayed to Wulong by the Wulong garrison commander via fast horse after being relayed back to Wulong by the Tang soldiers.

"Qianzhou, Rongzhou, Nanzhou... Very well, let's see how tough your teeth are!"

Inside the Suiyang government office in Yizhou, Lu Ruyue, the Qianzhong Inspector, was not flustered when he saw Wang Jianbing attacking him from three directions. He was prepared for this and did not panic.

He had managed the Qianzhong Road for five years, and all the cities and passes were built with stone blocks. Even he himself could not easily break through it with the gunpowder in the army, so he was very confident.

He was confident that he could crush Wang Jian's teeth by attacking the 50,000 troops stationed in Qianzhong Road, which had 50,000 soldiers.

"Military order: all prefectures and counties must hold their ground and not engage in battle. Simply hold your ground and retreat in stages."

"The last general takes command!"

Lu Ruyue's idea was simple: use the terrain and fortifications to wear down Wang Jian, and then launch a fatal attack when he was exhausted.

Under his military orders, cities and towns in various prefectures and counties were placed under strict defense and did not choose to engage in open battle with the Han army.

Therefore, the day after Lu Ruyue issued the military order, Wang Jian led an army of 30,000 to the walls of Wulong City at dusk.

As expected, Wulong is situated on the north bank of the Qian River, nestled between the Wuling and Dalou Mountains.

The city was not large, with a circumference of only about two miles, and probably only a few thousand soldiers and civilians within it.

Even so, this city, built of stone blocks, would surely have intimidated other armies of the same period.

However, these armies did not include the Han army, nor did they include Wang Jian.

"Set up camp, and tomorrow the artillery will be deployed. Give me a good beating!"

Wang Jian merely glanced at Wulong City and knew that Lu Ruyue had put a lot of effort into this city, but the city was simply no match for his military might.

The army attacking Rongzhou and Nanzhou was only a detachment; the real main force was him, so all the artillery was concentrated in his hands.

Tomorrow he will see if this fortified Five Dragons City can withstand the relentless bombardment of fifty cannons.

"go with!"

Wang Jian turned his horse around and returned to the tent that was being set up, while Wang Zhi stayed behind to direct the three armies to begin setting up camp.

With 100,000 soldiers and civilians moving in unison, the procession stretched for more than ten miles along the Dalou Mountains and the Qian River. This sight made the Wulong garrison commander, who only had 5,000 troops, extremely nervous.

But when he felt the solid ground beneath his feet, he immediately turned to the crowd and said, “Wulong is well-defended, and the garrison commander has already given orders that our army only needs to hold the line and kill the rebels. Even if the city falls, we can retreat to Xinning City without punishment.”

"From this day forward, all you need to do is work together to kill the enemy, and you will be rewarded for your merits!"

Xinning City is only about forty miles away from Wulong City. If the city wall is about to fall, they only need to retreat to Xinning and cut down some trees to hinder the Han army's pursuit. This is the advantage of Qianzhong.

The mountains were high and dense, the forests were plentiful and the roads were narrow, making it almost impossible to find a way around the back. The only option was to grit your teeth and break through one city after another.

Even if the Han army were all made of iron, these dozen or so fortified cities would be enough to make them suffer heavy losses if they wanted to attack Suiyang along the Qian River.

With this in mind, the generals of Wulong opened the city gates and sent thousands of people from Wulong City to Xinning City ahead of schedule.

This was also one of Lu Ruyue's orders: to fortify the walls and clear the fields, so that the Han army could not only not obtain spoils, but also could not obtain manpower to serve as laborers, thus forcing them to recruit laborers from the rear, increasing logistical pressure.

After driving away the civilians, the 5,000 garrison troops of Wulong fell silent, and the atmosphere of war in the Qianshui Gorge was so thick that it was hard to breathe.

The following morning, as dawn broke, Wang Jian deployed 5,000 rear guards to hold the rear, sent 2,000 Liao soldiers to explore the mountains to the north, and the remaining troops lined up outside Wulong City.

When the fifty cannons were pulled by draft horses to be stationed about a mile west of Wulong City, the laborers behind them immediately rushed over.

They secured the gun carriage and fixed iron spikes to the left and right sides of it, tied the spikes to the carriage with ropes, and made wooden wedges and earthen ravines behind the wheels of the gun carriage to counteract the recoil of the artillery after firing and prevent the artillery from tipping over.

With all these preparations completed, the remaining laborers also brought in cartloads of propellant and cannonballs.

Behind each cannon were six soldiers and six laborers. The laborers were responsible for carrying the shells and propellant, while the artillerymen were responsible for calibration, test firing, cleaning the breech, filling the propellant and shells, and other specialized tasks.

These artillerymen had undergone more than six months of training and were highly qualified. Therefore, once the cannons were in place, they immediately began to inspect them.

They first used wooden blocks to gradually raise the muzzle of the cannon, and only after calibrating it correctly did they begin to load propellant and shells.

After confirming that everything is correct, the loader uses the propellant pusher to push the propellant to the bottom of the breech and compact it. Then, the cloth bag is stuffed into it and compacted again. The iron cannonball is then gently pushed into it. After confirming that everything is correct, the cannonball is pressed down with dry grass.

Upon seeing this, the launcher immediately used a needle to puncture the propellant packet, inserted the fuse, and prepared a torch.

"Beep--"

With fifty cannons ready on the position, Wang Jian couldn't help but dismount. After having his horse led away, he suppressed his excitement and said, "Blow the whistle."

"Beep--"

When the piercing whistle sounded again, and the order to fire was given on the command flag under the banner, the artillery captain in charge of commanding more than 500 artillerymen finally lowered the command flag in his hand.

Upon seeing this, the gunner, who was keeping a close watch, did not hesitate to lower the torch.

"Boom!!"

In an instant, all fifty cannons retreated several feet along the ravine, breaking more than ten wooden wedges as the ropes securing the cannons on both sides tightened, making a teeth-grinding sound.

This was not the focus of everyone's attention, because after the cannons fired a dull bang, fifty five-pound iron cannonballs instantly covered a distance of four hundred paces, either piercing through the city tower or smashing the stone slabs on the city wall.

"Bam—"

"Squat down! Squat down!!"

"Catapult! Dodge the catapult!"

The flying wood chips from the city wall caused an uproar among the tense defenders, who one after another sat down against the parapet or huddled together.

A moment later, when they could no longer hear any sound, some people cautiously peeked out and saw the Han soldiers putting the cannons back in their positions.

"What kind of sorcery is this?"

Faced with the Han army's artillery, the garrison commander, unaware of the situation, had already labeled it as sorcery.

"Commander, the brothers have found this in the city!"

Suddenly, someone came running up in a hurry, with a soldier behind him carrying a scorching hot iron ball in a cloth bag that was smoking.

"Damn it, they used this thing to build the city walls? You worthless Kansai dogs!"

Looking at the iron cannonballs, enough to forge four or five swords, Ya Jiang felt a slight toothache, but he soon stopped feeling it.

"Rumble--"

"Crouch down!!"

In less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, the Han army launched another artillery barrage, and this time the barrage was just as intense as the last one.

Of the fifty cannonballs fired, more than ten hit a section of the city wall on the southwest side of Wulong City in an instant. The remaining cannonballs either entered the city or were fired in the wrong direction.

Even so, more than ten cannonballs still caused a lot of broken stones to fall from this section of the city wall, and the stone slabs of the city wall cracked in countless ways.

Wang Jian observed the condition of the city wall and found that at the current speed, the city could be breached in three to five days at most.

It should be noted that this is a city wall made of rammed earth and bricks, which is incomparable to the rammed earth city walls in the Central Plains.

In the past, the Han army had to use the lives of its soldiers to protect the shield carts and the engineers' demolition work. Now, they could breach the city walls without even getting close to them. The progress was so great that many generals were amazed.

Wang Jian was only glad that he had joined Liu Jilong early enough, because with such a powerful figure, even the so-called natural defenses were nothing more than this.

Although the Qianzhong region is vast, it will not take too long to recover it. No wonder His Highness has such ambition to begin the southern expedition after the northern expedition ends.

"Continue, fire twelve rounds at a constant rate, until the cannon can no longer fire!"

Wang Jian couldn't help but continue giving orders, but now he didn't need to give any orders at all. The generals had already started to command, firing a round every half a cup of tea, with a hit rate of about 20% for each round, and began to launch a continuous assault.

This method of warfare caused great distress to the defending troops in central Guizhou.

During this time, they also tried to counterattack with catapults and winches, but they could not hit the Han army's positions at all and could only passively take the beating.

"Quickly, send a messenger on horseback to Magistrate Lu, informing him of the rebels' sorcery!"

The garrison commander shouted, and then a fast horse carrying military orders galloped out of the east gate and headed towards Yizhou.

Moreover, as time went on and the cracks in the city wall increased, the garrison of Wulong City gradually panicked and sent out many fast horses to Yizhou.

Meanwhile, Lu Ruyue, who was stationed in Suiyang City, Yizhou, was studying the sand table. Many generals around him were whispering and discussing among themselves, but Lu Ruyue said:

"Judging from the military reports from Nanzhou and Rongzhou, the methods used by this rebel army are exactly the same as before. They are completely unable to break through our outer city walls, let alone approach Suiyang."

"I see Liu Jilong as stubborn and arrogant, actually sending 50,000 troops to forcibly attack my impregnable fortress. I wonder how many soldiers will die before he can take over the surrounding prefectures and counties? Hahahaha..."

Lu Ruyue's laughter infected the surrounding generals, and everyone laughed along.

As they were laughing heartily, a colonel rushed into the yamen in a great hurry. Before Lu Ruyue could reprimand him, the colonel bowed and presented a military report.

"Urgent report from Qianzhou!" Upon learning that the report was urgent, Lu Ruyue frowned and gestured for the officers beside her to step forward, take it, and then present it to her.

When he opened the report of victory, the doubt on his face gradually turned into a serious expression, and finally he simply grabbed the urgent report.

"Damn it, these rebels really do have other tricks up their sleeves, they're so cunning!"

"The imperial edict orders Wang Ben to hold Wulong firmly and not to retreat unless absolutely necessary!"

Although there were still more than a dozen cities blocking the Han army's advance, Lu Ruyue had already sensed unease.

He returned to his seat and sat down. Then he picked up his brush and wrote a memorial, instructing the general, "Send a fast horse on a 300-mile journey to deliver this memorial to Prince Gao as quickly as possible!"

"Yes!" they all hurriedly replied, then rushed out of the yamen.

The generals originally thought the matter was over, but unexpectedly, in the following five days, more than thirty urgent reports were sent from Five Dragons City.

Lu Ruyue's mood also sank as urgent reports kept arriving. It wasn't until the sixth day, when he learned that Wulong City had fallen and that Wang Ben had led more than 4,600 troops to Xinning, that he decided to send troops to aid Wang Ben.

While he rushed to Wang Ben's aid, he sent two memorials to Jiangling and Jiangdong respectively.

The first to receive the good news was undoubtedly Liu Jilong, who was in Jiangling.

"it is good!"

On the 22nd, after receiving Wang Jian's report of victory and seeing the power of their own artillery in the report, Liu Jilong's last worry about recovering Guizhou completely disappeared.

Seeing Liu Jilong so happy, Zhao Ying immediately bowed to him and said, "Minister Wang has submitted a memorial to Your Highness, requesting that all armies set out on August 27th to encircle and suppress the rebel army in the eight prefectures north of the Yangtze River."

"Geng, the governor of Jiangling, will lead 20,000 troops to attack Hanchuan and Hanyang. After capturing Mianzhou, he will force Gao Pian's troops back to Jiangxia in Jiangnan."

"However, Jiangxia has a rebel navy of 30,000 men. At that time, the navy will probably use catapults to hinder our army's attack on the city."

"Moreover, currently only the navy and the armies of Wang Jian and Minister Wang have artillery; the other units have none. If we launch a direct assault, we're likely to suffer heavy casualties..."

Zhao Ying was worried about the deaths and injuries of his brothers on the front lines, but Liu Jilong told him to relax: "Since Wang Shi knows that artillery is a powerful weapon for attacking fortified positions, he will not use the lives of his brothers to make up for it."

"All other units are detachments, while his unit is the main force. There is no need to worry about this. The eight prefectures north of the Yangtze River are already in our hands."

Faced with the encirclement of 150,000 troops, unless Gao Pian could also produce a few generals like Yang Xingmin, Ge Congzhou, Zhang Guiba, and Li Shenfu, he would have no choice but to personally oversee the situation in Jiangbei in order to barely delay the fall of the eight prefectures in Jiangbei.

For Liu Jilong and Wang Shi, the recovery of the eight prefectures north of the Yangtze River was only a matter of time.

As long as the front lines continue to win, the rumors and gossip in the rear can be suppressed in no time.

But before that, Liu Jilong had to make a backup plan.

"The imperial edict ordered Li Yangchun that if Gao Pian led his troops to retreat to Jiangxi and Hunan, he should immediately lead his troops across the river, take control of the troops in Jiangdong and Liangzhe, and then seize the opportunity to reclaim the lost territories in Jiangdong and Liangzhe."

"After attacking from both sides, we will then split the enemy in two along the central route. I want to see if Gao Qianli can control three battlefields simultaneously."

Gao Pian managed Jiangnan well, but that was all; he didn't have many capable generals under his command.

Liu Jilong wanted to see how Gao Pian planned to deal with the situation when fires broke out in many parts of Jiangnan.

While he was waiting, the Han troops in Jiangbei had already been mobilized. By August 27th, 150,000 troops and 300,000 laborers had set off to attack the eight prefectures north of the Yangtze River.

The marching contingent of 450,000 soldiers and civilians resembled long dragons, rampaging across the land of Huainan with unbridled abandon.

Guangzhou, Shenzhou, Shuzhou, Suizhou, Yingzhou...

In a short time, all the prefectures were in dire need of help, and Liang Zuan, who was stationed in Jiangbei, could only command his troops in Macheng, which was surrounded by the Dabie Mountains.

He first abandoned Guangzhou and Shenzhou, two cities that were difficult to defend and were surrounded and divided by the Dabie Mountains, and withdrew his troops to eight passes in the Dabie Mountains, namely Yinshan, Muling, Baisha, Huangxian, Lishan, and Pingjing, which he had focused on fortifying.

Moreover, he divided the navy into two: one part went to Huainan to support Wankou, and the other part remained in Jiangxia to aid Hanyang in Jiangbei.

Wang Shi's 50,000-strong army recaptured Guangzhou and Shenzhou, and advanced into the Dabie Mountains to launch a strong artillery attack on the eight passes.

The power of the artillery caught Liang Zuan, who was in command at the rear, off guard. The eight passes of Dabie Mountain, which he thought were the most solid and least worrisome defensive lines, suddenly became precarious.

Liang Zuan could only send messengers to inform Gao Pian of these messages while personally leading troops north to defend the eight passes.

While he struggled to hold on, the war in Jiangdong naturally progressed mainly under Gao Pian's triumphant advance.

Runzhou and Changzhou were successively captured by Gao Pian. Yang Xingmin had few troops left and could only hold Wuxi, using Wuxi's water network to resist Gao Pian.

Therefore, when urgent reports kept coming from the west, Gao Pian only read through all the victory reports and then focused on attacking Wuxi.

"Rumble--"

On the second day of the ninth month, facing the dust rising from the direction of Wuxi, Gao Pian remained calm and stared straight at the battlefield, while Gao Qin, Wang Zhongren, and others behind him had unchanged expressions, each with their own thoughts.

From noon until dusk, after another day of sieges yielding no results, Wang Zhongren finally mustered his courage and stepped forward to bow to Gao Pian, saying:

"Your Majesty, urgent reports keep coming from Qianzhong and Jiangbei in the west, but our army is still unable to take over the entire Jiangdong region. Should we withdraw our troops and hold Qianzhong and Jiangbei first?"

Wang Zhongren's words reflected the sentiments of everyone present.

However, Gao Pian glanced at them and said coldly, "Only five prefectures remain unconquered in Jiangdong and Liangzhe. What is your intention in retreating now?"

"Moreover, Jiangbei is the battlefield where we have been depleting Liu Jilong's forces. Even if he has acquired new sorcery, can't our army follow suit?"

"Judging from what Liang Lang and Lu Lang said, that thing is nothing more than something that the rebels used to defend their territory in the past, and you have all seen it."

"I had long anticipated that Liu Jilong's swift capture of the towns in Hebei must be due to the presence of new weapons for attacking and breaching cities. If he has such weapons, surely our army has them too?"

"Prepare sandbags to defend the city, and use fireworks to deal with them, let them taste the power of fireworks."

"Give me just two more months, and I will be able to reclaim the five prefectures and engage Liu Jilong in a decisive battle on the Yangtze River!"

Gao Pian was determined to secure internal stability before dealing with external threats. Otherwise, while he was confronting Liu Jilong, Song Wei, Yang Xingmin, and their group would definitely have harassed his rear, or even supported Li Yangchun of Huainan to march south, attacking him from both the east and the west.

"Continue the offensive tomorrow; we must take Wuxi within three days!"

Gao Pian coldly gave the order, and before the generals could react, he suddenly said, "Take Wuxi in three days and celebrate Prince Pu's ascension to the throne in Tanzhou!"

"what?!"

Upon hearing that Prince Pu was going to ascend the throne and declare himself emperor in Tanzhou, the generals were all taken aback, except for Wang Zhongren, Gao Qin, and others whose expressions remained unchanged.

Spreading rumors was only Gao Pian's first step; his second step was to support Prince Pu, Li Yan, thereby making the northern court illegitimate.

Gao Pian was originally very confident in his plan, but he suddenly hesitated when Liu Jilong launched his southern expedition.

Liu Jilong could not possibly be unaware of his intentions, yet he still launched the southern expedition.

Does this indicate that he was confident in his generals, or that he was determined and not tempted or coerced by the throne or his generals?
"The throne is right before your eyes, I don't believe you can remain calm!"

Gao Pian pondered with a gloomy face, then turned and walked towards the camp, leaving his generals looking at each other with worry.

Regardless, if they were able to support an emperor and subsequently hold onto Jiangnan, perhaps a scene reminiscent of the Northern and Southern Dynasties would be repeated.

The strength of the North and South today is not as great as it was hundreds of years ago. If they can pacify the five states of Jiangdong, they might actually be able to establish their own independent regimes.

Faced with the credit for supporting his ascension, the Bohai Navy launched a fierce offensive the following day, and Yang Xingmin in Wuxi felt immense pressure.

"If I had an equal number of troops, how could I have been suppressed by Gao Qianli so much!"

Looking at the sand table, Yang Xingmin almost gritted his teeth, while Tai Meng, Yuan Xi, and others behind him waited for him to speak.

"Has there been any news from the north yet?"

Yang Xingmin couldn't help but look at Yuan Xi, who bowed and said, "Both Runzhou and Changzhou are occupied by Gao Qianli. If we want to send a message, we can only go by sea. The sea route is not easy to travel, and I'm afraid we'll have to wait a few more days..."

At this time, they were unaware that Liu Jilong had launched a southern expedition, and naturally felt the pressure increased.

However, Liu Jilong did not keep them waiting for long. In the time it takes to eat a meal, soldiers rushed into the Wuxi County Government Office.

"Urgent report from Suzhou: His Highness the Prince of Han has led an army of 300,000 to the south to fight the rebels. Governor Song has ordered us to continue to hold our ground. Li Lang has already trained 8,000 troops in Huzhou, who are ready to support our army's retreat to Huzhou at any time!"

Upon hearing this, Yang Xingmin felt the pressure on his shoulders vanish instantly, but he quickly resumed his orderly instructions:
"Don't think that you can rest easy just because you've sent troops to the north. We still need to conquer Jiangbei, and Gao Qianli's army of tens of thousands is still in front of us."

"The walls of Wuxi have been bombed countless times, and Suzhou is definitely not going to be able to be defended. The only option is to retreat directly to Huzhou."

"If we can't hold Huzhou either, then we'll have no choice but to retreat to Hangzhou or even Mingzhou!"

Yang Xingmin made the worst-case scenario plan. In other words, if he had the choice, he would also choose to deal with the remaining enemy forces first, and then regroup his troops to confront Liu Jilong.

For this reason, their situation was not good. As a defeated army, it was difficult for them to fight against Gao Pian's troops on the Jiangdong Plain, not to mention that Gao Pian also had two thousand cavalrymen to support them.

All they could probably do was buy time for Liu Jilong, so that Gao Pian would have to return to defend other areas.

"You bastard..."

Yang Xingmin was truly unwilling. If Heaven had allowed him to be born a few years earlier and accumulate troops earlier, he would not have been suppressed by Gao Pian with his military strength.

Thinking of this, he raised his hand and slammed it on the table, but this action could not stop Gao Pianbing's advance.

Jiangdong, Jiangbei, Qianzhong...

In an instant, the banks of the Yangtze River were shrouded in war clouds, and many restless people did not let this opportunity pass.

While the war raged in the south, the Tangut people in the northwest took the opportunity to migrate north, attempting to break through the encirclement of the Han army and head south to the Gobi Desert.

Li Keyong, who had just finished fighting the Heichezi tribe, also sent cavalry south to spy on the situation, showing a posture of invading from the south.

The Khitans who occupied Yingzhou frequently appeared near Yuguan (Shanhaiguan).

Faced with these forces constantly causing trouble, Gao Jinda, who was in Luoyang, undoubtedly bore immense pressure.

The food and provisions for hundreds of thousands of troops in the south, the constant incursions of the Hu people in the north, the rebellion of the Dangxiang people in Henan, and the severe drought in Hebei and Henan...

When all these things weighed on his shoulders, he unsurprisingly fell ill in the government office.

"how?"

Inside the Hall of State Affairs, filled with the smell of medicine, Li Shangyin and the others frowned as they looked at the imperial physician before them, but the physician shook his head: "Prime Minister Gao was overworked and is also old. He urgently needs to rest and recuperate."

"It would be best if he could recover in half a month; otherwise, he might be left with a chronic condition."

Faced with the imperial physician's words, everyone opened their mouths, then looked at Li Shangyin, hesitant to speak.

Li Shangyin frowned, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "His Highness must know about this matter."

While they were discussing, an official came out of the bedroom, bowed to everyone, and said, "Prime Minister Gao invites you all inside."

Upon hearing this, everyone rushed into the bedroom and saw Gao Jinda lying on the sickbed, his hair and beard all white.

"Prime Minister Gao..."

Everyone lowered their voices, while Gao Jinda looked at them with difficulty, his voice hoarse and somewhat tired.

"Your Highness must not be informed of my illness; Your Highness must be put at ease."

"The affairs of the Council of State shall be handled by Mr. Yishan in his capacity as Chancellor. If difficulties arise, we may send someone to Hedong to invite Cui Shu to Luoyang to act as Chancellor."

"With the autumn harvest imminent, we must ensure the needs of the hundreds of thousands of troops in the Jianghuai region are met, and also provide relief to the disaster-stricken people in Hebei and Henan to prevent them from rising up in rebellion and disrupting Your Highness's grand plans..."

Gao Jinda referred to the people's rebellion as "rising up in revolt," an attitude similar to Liu Jilong's, but which was not understood by the public.

In their view, a popular uprising is a rebellion, and a rebellion must be suppressed.

Perhaps knowing the attitude of this group towards the common people, Gao Jinda turned his attention to Li Shangyin.

Li Shangyin originally did not want to get involved. He used to be an official, but after more than ten years of ups and downs in Longyou and Guanzhong, he gradually understood his own identity and tried his best to avoid entering the government as prime minister.

But as things stand now, the burden that should fall on his shoulders still has to fall on his shoulders.

Aside from His Highness, the arrogant and fierce soldiers of Guanzhong only admired Gao Jinda, Zhang Yichao, Zhang Huaishen, Li Shangyin, Cui Shu, and others.

The first three were veterans of the Guiyi Army, while Li Shangyin was the one who succeeded Liu Jilong in teaching them literacy, so it would not be an exaggeration to call him "sir".

Cui Shu is qualified enough to be prime minister, but he is too self-serving, so Gao Jinda dares not entrust him with the task.

In comparison, he could only trust a very few people, such as Li Shangyin.

Li Shangyin had just made his decision when he felt a touch on his hand.

He looked down and saw Gao Jinda grabbing his hand.

"I understand. Prime Minister Gao can rest assured and recuperate."

Having known each other for many years, Li Shangyin knew Gao Jinda's thoughts without him even having to speak. He patted Gao Jinda's hand reassuringly, then turned to the crowd and said, "Prime Minister Gao needs to rest. Please all step down."

Upon seeing that Li Shangyin had replaced Gao Jinda, many officials, though harboring some resentment, still left the bedroom.

After everyone had left the main hall, Li Shangyin said, "The southern expedition is a major plan for the court and cannot be lost. All the trivial matters that Prime Minister Gao just entrusted to us must be handled properly and without error."

"If any of you still need to perform your duties, please return to the yamen. As for Minister Gao, I will send a carriage to take him back to his residence to recuperate later."

Under Li Shangyin's reassurance, many officials left one after another, leaving only Xiao Gou and Liu Zhan, the two nominal prime ministers, as well as Lu Guimeng, Han Zhengke, Zhang Ying, Pi Rixiu, and Wei Zhuang.

"I will take charge of the administration of the Council of State Affairs. I hope you will all look after me."

"Prime Minister Li is being modest..."

When Li Shangyin bowed to them, everyone returned the bow and then returned to their respective positions. Only after Li Shangyin sent someone to escort Gao Jinda back to his residence did someone approach him.

The visitor was Zhang Ying, who was in charge of the palace. As the son of Zhang Chang, Zhang Ying's status was not low, but Li Shangyin was not very willing to associate with him, simply because he had taught Zhang Ying and knew that although Zhang Ying was capable, he was too focused on personal gain.

"Prime Minister Li, are you really not going to tell His Highness about this?"

Zhang Ying's words made Li Shangyin frown, but before Li Shangyin could speak, Zhang Ying continued, "After all, Prime Minister Li once considered himself a member of the Li Tang imperial family. Now that he has taken over as prime minister, I'm afraid it will inspire many people to harbor ambitions."

Faced with Zhang Ying's words, Li Shangyin frowned and said, "I am a co-prime minister under the Han Prince's Mansion, not a co-prime minister under the Southern Office."

He once claimed to be a member of the Li Tang imperial family in order to secure an official position, but now that statement has become a handle against him.

Although Liu Jilong and many Guanzhong officials didn't care, Li Shangyin couldn't please everyone, so naturally there were people who targeted him.

"I just feel that if Prime Minister Li does not inform His Highness, he may get himself into trouble."

Zhang Ying smiled, and before Li Shangyin could speak, he bowed and left the Hall of State Affairs.

After he left, Li Shangyin frowned, unable to make up his mind for a long time. It wasn't until Li Gunshi entered the Hall of State Affairs and saw him that he asked in confusion, "Father, why are you standing here? Why don't you sit down?"

"It's nothing, just a few things bothering me."

Not wanting Li Gunshi to worry, Li Shangyin returned to his seat and slowly opened the memorial that Li Gunshi had handed him.

The contents concerned the promotion and selection of officials in the Ministry of Personnel, which made Li Shangyin look at Li Gunshi and ask: "Why do you have a memorial from the Ministry of Personnel?"

"It was ordered by Prime Minister Xiao to be delivered by me," Li Gunshi answered instinctively, then added, "Is there something wrong with it?"

"No." Li Shangyin felt that he was being too cautious. Xiao Gou and Liu Zhan had both pledged allegiance to Liu Jilong, so they shouldn't have done such a thing.

"Since there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now."

Seeing that his father had not given any instructions, Li Gunshi, still somewhat bewildered, prepared to leave.

But as he retreated to the entrance of the Hall of State Affairs, Li Shangyin suddenly spoke up: "Eldest brother..."

"Hmm?" Lee Gon-seok turned around and looked at his father with a puzzled expression, only to see him hesitate, but finally speak:

"Regarding the matter of Prime Minister Gao, you should send someone to privately inform His Highness..."

(End of this chapter)