Late Han Zhao Tang

Nanjun, Youjiangkou.

On the riverbank, a small town rose from the ground, with hundreds of boats moored at the shore, soldiers and civilians thronging the area, and the "Liu" and "Han" flags fluttering in the wind.

Since Liu Bei swept through the four commanderies of Jingnan, in order to better govern the four commanderies, or rather, to control the Yangtze River waterway, he did not place the capital in Changsha Commandery, but rather in Youjiangkou.

Youjiangkou is the confluence of the Youjiang River and the Yangtze River, and is more than a hundred miles away from Jiangling City on the north bank. Therefore, stationing troops at Youjiangkou can put military pressure on Jiangling, which is more than a hundred miles upstream, so that supplies from the four counties in southern Jingzhou can be transported by river.

Therefore, tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians poured into Youjiangting, which originally had only a hundred or so households. Liu Bei spent a lot of manpower to expand and build a new city, and named it 'Gongan'.

Now, Fei Guan, an envoy from Shu, was ordered by Sun Quan to travel by boat down the river from Chengdu. After drifting for several days, he arrived at Gong'an and presented a letter requesting an audience with Liu Bei.

Inside the prefectural capital, Liu Bei sat on a couch, perusing Sun Quan's letter requesting aid. Fei Guan stood respectfully, his expression filled with humility.

Liu Bei put down the letter and said sarcastically, "In the past, when I allied with Lord Sun, I and the court jointly sent envoys westward. However, Lord Sun, seeking comfort, boasted of the Tang dynasty's benevolence and turned his back on the Han and surrendered to the Tang. Now that the Tang are marching south, why doesn't Lord Sun uphold his old beliefs and send someone to present a memorial to Zhang Yu, seeking to emulate the actions of Lü Bu and Tao Qian in surrendering?"

Liu Bei was deeply dissatisfied with Sun Quan's strategy of diverting disaster eastward. Now that a great calamity was imminent and the people of Shu needed his help, how could Liu Bei not mock and ridicule him?
Fei Guan, neither humble nor arrogant, said: "When your brother was assassinated, the new emperor hastily ascended the throne. Fearing that the Tang people might suddenly invade, he had no choice but to show weakness to the Tang people. To be honest, as Sun Jun told the soldiers, the area below the Yangtze River is like lips and teeth. If the Tang people move their troops westward, in order to protect themselves, Sichuan must send its navy eastward to aid Wu and Chu in resisting the Tang people."

"You only say nice things!"

Zhang Fei said with dissatisfaction, "If it weren't for the Tang army's southern expedition to Bashu, would your lord have asked my Jingchu for help?"

Fei Guan, forcing a smile, said, "Past events are difficult to recount, but the Tang people's betrayal and capture of Baishui Pass have aroused the indignation of our soldiers and civilians. Lord Sun strongly advocates resisting the Tang, intending to repel the enemy at Jiange and cleanse the country of its filth. Therefore, considering your heroic deeds and your service to the Han Dynasty, you have made this mission to Chu. The three families are interdependent, and I hope Lord Liu will not dwell on the past!"

"You~"

Zhang Fei uttered a complaint, but Liu Bei interrupted him by reaching out his hand.

"Yide!"

"You have come from afar and must be exhausted. You may withdraw and rest!" Liu Bei ordered Fei Guan to leave, saying, "Regarding the matter of sending troops, allow me to consider it carefully before giving you an answer."

"Thank you, Your Excellency!"

After Fei Guan took his leave, Liu Bei looked at the civil and military officials in the hall and asked, "What are your thoughts on the crisis in Shu?"

"The danger is in Shu, but not in Jingnan?"

Zhang Fei muttered, "Besides, the Tang army is conquering Shu in the south, which is more than a thousand miles away from my Jingnan. Do you think our ships can fly all the way to Bashu?"

"Yide, your knowledge is shallow!"

Liu Bei lamented, "The southern warlords rely on the Yangtze River to defend against the enemies of China. If Shu is captured by the Tang, we will share the strategic advantage of the Yangtze with them. Therefore, Fei Guan's words are not without reason. The three powers are interdependent; if Shu falls, Jingnan will be in danger!"

Liu Bei's attitude was clear: he intended to send troops to rescue Ba and Shu. After all, although he had ridiculed Fei Guan, he also knew that the three warlords along the Yangtze River were interdependent. If Zhang Yu were to seize Ba and Shu, the Yangtze River ships could sail downstream, and in conjunction with the Jingzhou navy, there would be no natural barrier to stop the Tang army's advance.

"What are the views of the affirmative side?" Liu Bei paced back and forth and asked.

"Reporting to my lord!"

After a moment's thought, Li Yan said, "I believe that the Tang army's southern expedition to Bashu is advantageous to Jingzhou. Jiangling is a major town on the Yangtze River, controlling the flow of the river. If Your Majesty wishes to launch a northern expedition and achieve merit, you must take Jiangling. Now, the Tang army is in the west, and the counties of Jingzhou are undefended. Therefore, this is the opportunity for our army to exert its strength."

"The original governor of Jingzhou was Xu Huang, a famous general of China. Now, Zhang Yu is planning to conquer Shu, so he has transferred Xu Huang to be the general of the southern expedition. Now Wen Ping is in charge of Nanjun, Huang Zu is in charge of Jiangxia, and Hao Zhao is the governor of Xiangyang."

Li Yan excitedly said, "Hao Zhao is brave but lacks strategy. His military tactics and strategies are inferior to those of Generals Zhang, Xu, Man, and Li. Therefore, now is the time to use our military might. My lord, you should launch a northern expedition to Jiangling, defeat Hao Zhao's army, and besiege Jiangling. Jingzhou will be within reach in no time!"

When Zhang Yu returned to Chang'an, he appointed Xu Huang as the military commander of Jingzhou. However, upon declaring himself emperor, considering the issues of the southern campaign against Bashu and Jingzhou, he recalled Xu Huang to Chang'an, and Hao Zhao was appointed as the commander of Jingzhou. Compared to the four generals Zhang Liao, Man Chong, Xu Huang, and Li Song, Hao Zhao's large-scale military capabilities were undoubtedly weaker. However, Hao Zhao was more reliable and less prone to making mistakes, and Chang'an and Jingzhou were separated by the Wuguan Pass, facilitating communication between them.

Liu Bei pondered for a moment and said, "I have heard that Zhang Liao is in charge of the Central Plains. If Jingzhou is in danger, he may lead his troops to the west to provide assistance. Therefore, I intend to send troops to attack Jiangling. If Cao Cao can cross the Huai River to contain the Central Plains army, the Tang army's elite troops are currently in Sichuan and Chongqing, while the newly surrendered troops are in the Central Plains. It will be difficult for reinforcements from Jiangling to arrive. Why should we worry about not being able to take the city?"

"My lord is wise!"

Li Yan cupped his hands and said, "Now we can agree to Fei Guan's request and send an envoy with him to travel east to Jiangdong, to persuade Cao Cao to send troops to the Central Plains with the saying 'if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold'."

"good!"

Liu Bei nodded and said, "In that case, order the generals to gather troops and launch a northern expedition against Jiangling. As for the matter of being sent as an envoy to the court, I will trouble Deshu to go east."

"As ordered!"

Liu Bei agreed to Fei Guan's request and did not mention his plan to launch a northern expedition against Jiangling while the Tang army was not in Jiangbei. In fact, the Tang emperor and his ministers in Chang'an had already discussed sending troops against Cao Cao and Liu Bei.

Inside the Zichen Hall, Xun You pointed to the map with a thin stick and said, "The various units of the expeditionary army have arrived in Hanzhong. Xu Huang led 10,000 men to Baishui Pass first, and the rest of the troops are arriving one after another. Wang Ling is building a grain camp at Guyun Mountain for the purpose of transporting supplies, while Man Chong's troops are still on their way. According to reports from the Shu army, the enemy is led by Xu Kun, who is now stationed at Jiange."

As he spoke, Xun You looked at Zhang Yu and said, "The roads in Shu are rugged. If we want the main army to arrive at the front line, we may have to wait until next month."

Zhang Yu nodded and said, "In Sichuan, the transportation of supplies is paramount in military operations. If the people of Yongzhou are insufficient to be conscripted, people from Guanzhong can be conscripted to go south. Alternatively, the grain can be transported in sections, with people from Guanzhong transporting grain to Hanzhong, and then people from Yongzhou transporting grain to the granary for storage."

"Your Majesty, I am not worried about the military affairs in Shu for the time being, but I am concerned about the military affairs of Jing and Yu provinces!" Xun You said.

Zhang Yu gazed at the map and asked, "Gongda, are you perhaps worried that Cao Cao and Liu Bei might take this opportunity to send troops to Jing and Yu provinces?"

"Of course!"

Xun You said, "Although Yuzhou has a great general in charge, Cao Cao is from Pei County. The Central Plains have only recently been pacified, and there is a risk that his fellow villagers will support him. Jingzhou is divided between Liu Bei and Liu Bei, and now that the elite troops are in Shu, Liu Bei will inevitably launch a northern expedition. Hao Zhao has been appointed as the new commander-in-chief. He used to follow the general on campaigns, and now he commands a large army. I am afraid he is no match for Liu Bei."

"Liu Bei was a ruthless and ambitious man!"

Guo Tu said, "He has been a general for many years, and his generals Guan Yu and Zhang Fei are formidable and should not be underestimated. Although Hao Zhao is of a stable temperament, he has little experience commanding large armies. Therefore, after careful consideration, I wonder if Your Majesty would like to appoint another general to take over?"

"inappropriate!"

Jia Xu said, "Changing generals on the eve of battle is a major taboo in military strategy! First Xu Huang was replaced, and now Hao Zhao is replaced. Isn't this two commanders being replaced within a year? The commanders are ignorant of both the troops and the generals, and there is bound to be a risk of defeat!"

"Besides, the war hasn't even started yet, so who knows how strong or weak Hao Zhao's military strategy is?" Jia Xu countered.

"Yes!"

Zhang Yu, his hand resting on the armrest, slightly moved his fingers toward Jia Xu and said in a low voice, "I have fought for more than ten years and defeated enemies on all sides, so I can say that I have some knowledge of military affairs. Hao Zhao has followed me in conquering the world and is a veteran general in the army. Liu Bei is cunning in his military tactics, and his generals are no match for him. However, Hao Zhao's advantage lies in his composure. With his cautious use of troops and his well-ordered camping, he was able to resist Liu Bei."

Zhang Yu didn't expect Hao Zhao to defeat Liu Bei, after all, Liu Bei was always the gatekeeper of renowned generals. Anyone who could be certain of defeating Liu Bei was undoubtedly a first-rate general of the time. Therefore, Zhang Yu's goal with Hao Zhao was very clear: to help Wen Ping defend Jiangling City and control this vital strategic point on the Yangtze River.

After a moment's thought, Zhang Yu instructed, "Pass on my oral decree to Hao Zhao and Wen Ping: Jiangling is a fortified city. If Liu Bei launches an attack, they will not dare to launch a direct assault, but will instead employ a siege strategy. Therefore, Wen Ping is ordered to hold firm and not engage, thus wearing down the morale of Liu Bei's troops. Hao Zhao is to garrison troops at Dangyang and order his cavalry to provoke them. When Liu Bei withdraws his troops, the generals should not pursue him. Within half a year, Liu Bei will retreat on his own!"

"Yes, sir!" Zhao Zi took up his pen and copied the text.

Having worked with Liu Bei, Zhang Yu had a good understanding of Liu Bei's military style. Liu Bei, who was hailed as a master general, naturally possessed considerable skill. For example, Liu Bei preferred to use feints or ambushes.

Therefore, Liu Bei's most troublesome opponents were undoubtedly defensive and counter-attacking generals, such as Lu Xun and Sima Yi. Based on Liu Bei's troop preferences, replacing Zhang Yu with the defensively skilled generals Wen Ping and Hao Zhao would have been enough to make Liu Bei suffer a setback at Jiangling. (End of Chapter)