Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 464 Reaching the Yangtze River, Dividing the North and South

Along the banks of the Yangtze River, rolling waves crash against the shore, creating a clear, resounding sound.

Cao Cao stood with his hand on his sword, clad in armor, gazing at the navy training on the river, his crimson cape fluttering in the wind.

"My lord, according to the scouts' reports, Yuan Tan has surrendered to Zhang Yu, and Yuan Shang dared not cross the river, so he withdrew his troops and returned." Liu Ye approached and said with a cupped hand.

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao's expression shifted slightly, and he sighed, "Yuan Shao once dominated four provinces, but was defeated by Zhang Yu. Yet he still possessed the coastal and riverine territories. Now, the two Yuans are vying for power, and their foundations have been destroyed by these two sons. Zhang Yu will take them!"

Cheng Yu frowned slightly and said, "My lord, Zhang Yu defeated Yuan Shao and his power in Hebei is strong. He controls one-third of the country. If he were to conquer the coastal areas that Yuan Shang owns, it would be difficult to stop him. At that time, the Central Plains will belong to Zhang Yu, and he will surely conquer Jiangnan in the future."

"Now that our army possesses the lands of Huainan and Jiangzuo, should we march westward to conquer Yuzhang and seize Yangzhou as soon as possible?"

After occupying Wu Commandery, Cao Cao stationed his army at Lujiang to contain Yuan Shu's large army. Later, taking advantage of the vulnerability of the Jiangnan region, he dispatched troops to divide and conquer the three commanderies of Kuaiji, Danyang, and Wu. At present, Cao Cao's territory has a population of over one million and an army of 50,000 by land and water. Only Yuzhang remains unconquered.

"Not urgent!"

Cao Cao was confident and said, "Yuzhang is like meat on my lips, which I will be able to eat sooner or later. If I launch an attack now, Yuan Shu will surely raise an army to attack me. If I win, Yuan will be defeated. Although I can take Yuzhang, I will have to give the Central Plains to Zhang Yu. If I lose and Yuan wins, my army will lose Jiangzuo and will be in danger of being wiped out by Yuan Shu!"

Cheng Yu pondered for a moment, then suddenly realized and said, "Does Your Excellency intend to wait until Yuan Shu and Zhang Yu are locked in a struggle, and then launch a western expedition when Yuan Shu is exhausted?"

"Indeed, Zhongde understands my thoughts!"

Seeing that Cheng Yu understood his intentions, Cao Cao laughed and said, "If Yuan Shu were to commit all his troops, the number would be no less than 100,000. Our army is small, and if we were to fight him, we would suffer more defeats than victories. Let Yuan Shu fight Zhang Yu, and when his troops are exhausted, I will lead my army westward. Not to mention Yuzhang, we can even take Jiangxia and Nanjun."

Xiahou Yuan, standing beside him, hesitated for a moment before saying, "My lord, I fear that Zhang and Yuan will find it difficult to raise an army in the short term!"

"Why wouldn't we wage war?"

Cao Cao countered with a smile, "Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang are subordinate to Yuan Shu and are members of the Yuan family. If Zhang Yu launches a campaign against them this year, the two Yuans will seek help from Yuan Shu. How could Yuan Shu sit idly by and watch his sons perish? Therefore, when Yuan Shu leads his army north to provide support, that will be the time for our army to launch its attack."

Cheng Yu stroked his beard and pondered, then said, "Zhang Yu's military tactics are so powerful that they seem like those of a demon or god. Yuan Shu is arrogant and extravagant by nature, and his troops are rampant and cruel. How could he possibly be a match for Zhang Yu? Therefore, if the two were to fight in Henan, Zhang Yu would most likely be the victor."

“If Zhang Yu defeats Yuan Shu, he will soon take Henan. At that time, I fear no warlord in the world can control him.” Cheng Yu said worriedly, “It would be better to take advantage of the turmoil in the Central Plains and conquer Xu and Yu to establish a base to counter Zhang Yu.”

Cao Cao shook his head and laughed, "Xuzhou has few registered residents, and Yuzhou is far from the Yangtze River. The best strategy now lies in the Yangtze River, not in the Central Plains."

Seeing that there were no outsiders around, Cao Cao looked at the serious-looking scholar and said with a smile, "You gentlemen may wish to listen to Zijing's advice on the strategy of confrontation between the North and the South."

Seeing that all of Cao Cao's confidants were looking at him, Lu Su took a deep breath and calmly said, "Zhang Yu today is like Xiang Yu of the past. Your Excellency is like Huan Wen and Wen Zhengming, supporting the Han Dynasty. Zhang Yu's power is too great to be eliminated easily. Therefore, Your Excellency's strategy now is to establish a tripartite balance of power in Jiangdong and observe the changes in the world."

"The Central Plains are in turmoil. Zhang Yu has his sights set on the Central Plains and will sooner or later contend with Yuan Shu. While Yuan Shu is heading north, he should lead his troops westward to eliminate Yuan Si and seize Nan Commandery. If Yuan Shu defeats Zhang Yu, he should take advantage of Zhang Yu's sweeping conquest of the Central Plains to conquer the Yangtze River, occupy Bashu, and confront Zhang Yu from the north and south."

"North-South confrontation?"

Seeing that Lu Su was so young yet spoke so arrogantly, Cheng Yu frowned and asked, "If Zhang Yu were to occupy the Central Plains, how could Jiangdong possibly defend against him?"

Lu Su bowed and said, “The Central Plains have suffered from war many times, and nine out of ten households are empty. Now, the population of a province is less than that of a prefecture. In my rough opinion, the population of Guanzhong, Hebei and the Central Plains is less than ten million. But Yangzhou has two million people. If we take Jingzhou and Yizhou as examples, the population will be no less than three or four million, or even four or five million.”

"Though half of the land lies in the Central Plains, it possesses the strategic advantage of the Yangtze River. Northerners use oxen and horses, much like southerners use boats. Therefore, when Zhang Yu led his army to the Yangtze, we used our boats, forming a wall, to repel the enemy, halting the advance of the Central Plains forces. Since Zhang Yu could not advance south, why couldn't we confront the enemy, divide the north and south, and ultimately rule the world?" Cao Cao established a firm foothold in the Jianghuai region and enthroned the emperor, greatly increasing his fame. Scholars from the southeast flocked to him, including Lu Su. After being appointed by Cao Cao, Lu Su offered Cao Cao a strategy for navigating the north and south, which greatly impressed Cao Cao and led him to abandon his plan to return north to Yu Province.

The key to persuading Cao Cao to abandon his plan to return north was Lu Su's analysis of the differences between the north and south from the perspectives of population and military strength.

The shifting population between the North and the South provided the South with the economic and demographic foundation to counter the North. Militarily, ships and cavalry were special forces possessed by both sides. Without ships, the Northern regime was destined to be unable to cross the Yangtze River, let alone unify the country.

Lu Su spoke eloquently, and Cao Cao admired Lu Su, leaving Cheng Yu with no rebuttal and only the option to remain silent.

Seeing that no one else had any objections, Cao Cao placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, pointed at the boats on the river, and declared boldly, "Zhang Yu is a northerner who is unfamiliar with boats and waterways. Even with a million soldiers, he will be stopped on this great river."

"Your Excellency is truly wise!" those around him exclaimed.

When Cao Cao adopted Lu Su's strategy of dividing the country into north and south, Yuan Shu was helpless because of the division of the country between the two Yuans.

"When he was alive, Yuan Shao boasted of his talent and strategy and despised Qin Shi Huang for deposing the eldest son in favor of the younger one. However, he was muddleheaded before his illness and actually deposed the eldest son in favor of the younger one, forcing Yuan Tan to rebel and causing the two sons to fight each other, thus ruining the overall situation of the country."

Yuan Shu threw the letter onto the table and said irritably, "Yuan Tan doesn't hold a grudge and has betrayed us by siding with Zhang Yu. If Yuan Shao finds out, he will die with his eyes wide open in disbelief!"

The struggle for the throne between the two Yuan brothers, which led to the alienation between Gao Gan and Yuan Xi, greatly troubled Yuan Shu. In fact, on the eve of the conflict between the two Yuan brothers, Yuan Shu wrote to them, advising them to prioritize the overall situation. However, the conflict between the two Yuan brothers was beyond his ability to resolve, so the two brothers continued to fight each other.

Upon learning that Yuan Tan was no match for Yuan Shang, Yuan Shu wrote to the two brothers again, urging them to reconcile and expressing his willingness to enfeoff Yuan Tan as the King of Lu and have him lead his troops to garrison Mount Tai.

Seeing that he was no match for Yuan Shang, Yuan Tan agreed to Yuan Shu's offer. However, Yuan Shang disagreed, believing that if Yuan Tan was spared now, he would eventually make a comeback. Seeing that Yuan Shang would not let him go and that he himself was in a precarious situation, Yuan Tan had no other choice but to seek refuge with Zhang Yu.

“Yuan Tan has now sought refuge with Zhang Yu because he has no other choice. Your Majesty should not be angry.”

Yan Xiang offered some kind advice, saying, "In my humble opinion, Your Majesty would be better off secretly writing a letter to Yuan Tan, explaining to him in detail the conflict between Zhang and Yuan, and how Tang and Chen cannot tolerate each other. As Yuan Shao's eldest son, even if Zhang Yu were to unify the world, he would not be tolerated. Therefore, for the sake of the greater good, you should abandon the darkness and embrace the light."

Yuan Shu pondered for a long time before saying, "Zhang Yu's acceptance of Yuan Tan is nothing more than an attempt to sow discord among the brothers so that he can reap the benefits. Therefore, when Zhang Yu destroyed Yuan Shang, it was also the time of Yuan Tan's defeat and death. Thus, if we persuade Yuan Tan to surrender to me, and while we are confronting Zhang Yu, Yuan Tan will rebel, and the matter will be settled!"

“When Zhang Yu marches south to conquer the Central Plains, Your Majesty will need to send a large army to his aid. Otherwise, given the disunity among the Yuan clans, they will be defeated one by one by Zhang Yu. And the only one capable of uniting the Yuan clans is Your Majesty!” Yan Xiang said.

Yuan Shu rose from his couch and said in a deep voice, "Zhang Yu was originally a lackey of the Yuan family, and I have long wanted to punish him. Now Zhang Yu is running rampant throughout the world, and only I have troops to confront him."

As he spoke, Yuan Shu sighed and said, "Sun Ce raised an army of 100,000 in Ba and Shu, but none of them could take Hanzhong. This is because they knew how fierce Zhang Yu's troops were. Therefore, when fighting Zhang Yu, we should not rashly use force, but rather take advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness."

Yan Xiang pondered for a moment and said, "Zhang Yu's attack on the Central Plains is inevitable, and His Majesty's rescue of the Yuan brothers is also inevitable. In my opinion, since our army now has the land of Shangyu, it would be better to send a portion of our troops through Wuguan Pass while Zhang Yu is conquering the Central Plains, thus diverting Zhang Yu's attention. If Zhang Yu leaves behind few troops, and our army breaks through Lantian and approaches Chang'an, then Zhang Yu will be alarmed, and the siege of the Central Plains will naturally be lifted."

When Zhang Yu entered Guanzhong, Yuan Shu, coveting the land, demanded the cities along the Wuguan Pass south of Lantian from Zhang Yu. Now, Yuan Shu controlled Wuguan Pass, while Zhang Yu lacked protection along the Wuguan Pass.

Therefore, Yan Xiang's strategy was quite insightful. While Zhang Yu's main army was on a distant expedition to the Central Plains, he suggested sending a separate force to directly attack Lantian, thus disturbing Chang'an and diverting Zhang Yu's attention. Although the possibility of capturing Chang'an in one fell swoop was low, the gains would be enormous if successful.

Yuan Shu paced back and forth, saying, “Your insights are far-sighted. For example, when Zhang Yu led his troops, we followed your plan to sneak out of Wuguan and launch a surprise attack on Chang’an. Now, I will first send a letter to persuade Yuan Tan to defect on the battlefield.”

"Yes, sir!" Yan Xiang replied, bowing.

(End of this chapter)