Taiheiki

Chapter 213 Jiangkou
From the perspective of history and the vast majority of people in society, this is a good thing. After all, war, even a peasant uprising, which is inherently just, will bring enormous destruction to the entire society. The lives of millions of people, as well as the fruits of the blood, sweat, and wisdom of countless working people, will be destroyed in an instant. But for those who deeply resent the rule of the Han Dynasty and hope to "perish with you," Wei Cong's path is too unpleasant and too unfair.

After all, following Wei Cong's path, the more educated and resourceful aristocratic intellectuals, if clever enough, would reap rewards far exceeding those of ordinary participants if they joined Wei Cong's ranks early. Moreover, Wei Cong himself was a member of the aristocracy (in Liu Xin's view), and once the situation was settled, those aristocratic landlords would quickly switch sides, continuing to lord it over everyone else. This was something those people absolutely could not accept. Liu Xin's choice to go against the tide, in a sense, was also an unwillingness to abandon these pitiful people who had entrusted everything to him.

"So that's how it is!" Wei Cong sighed. Liu Xin's choice reminded him of Wu Zixu's words, "When the sun is setting and the road is blocked, one resorts to perverse and wicked actions!" For a man like him, perhaps destruction was an easier path!
"I understand!" Wei Cong sighed. "So, it seems there's nothing more I can do! By the way, how powerful do you think Liu Xin is now?"

"Extremely terrifying!" Lu Ping said solemnly, "When I left, I saw clouds of five colors above it, like raging flames. Although its power is strong but cannot last long, its sharpness is unstoppable; those who face it will surely perish!"

"So, does that mean Feng Kun and Lu Zhi are going to be in trouble?" Wei Cong asked.

"Hmm!" Lu Ping nodded: "If the Great Teacher of Virtue is going to beat them both next, they'll be lucky to even save their lives!"

"Oh!" Wei Cong nodded meaningfully, "This doesn't seem like a bad thing for me!"

Anlu County, Jiangxia Commandery, Jingzhou (roughly located near present-day Hanyang District, Wuhan City, Hubei Province).

The Han army's camp was located on an island about one kilometer from the shore, where the Han River flows into the Yangtze River through a wide estuary. Even from a distance, the island's fortifications were clearly visible: city walls, watchtowers, and crescent-shaped docks. Of course, the most numerous were the fast warships navigating the water. These swift warships not only ensured the safety of the Han River but also prevented the Wuling barbarians, who controlled the four southern commanderies of Jingzhou, and the E'zei, who controlled the three commanderies of Jiujiang, Yuzhang, and Lujiang, from coordinating their attacks by water. This allowed the Han army to utilize its advantageous position on the inner line to mobilize its forces and defeat the two enemy attacks, which far outnumbered its own, one by one.

“Queyue Fortress is on the other side!” Zhao Yannian pointed to the opposite bank of the Han River and said, “The best way to get there is with the tide, otherwise it will be inconvenient for the boat to dock. Before that, we still have time to have breakfast.”

"How many people are there over there?" Feng Kun asked.

“Four hundred men!” Zhao Yannian replied.

"There's no other way. The city's circumference is only 120 paces, and the surrounding area is all water and swamps. The only place that can be built is so small!"

"Are the city's defenses and provisions adequately prepared?"

"We are well prepared. There are 300 crossbows, 120,000 arrows, enough food for three months, cowhides, shields, spears, fish oil, lime, wheelbarrows, and bundles of firewood in the city!"

Feng Kun nodded in satisfaction. The longer he spent with Zhao Yannian, the more satisfied he became. This was truly a reliable fellow; no matter how troublesome the matter, as long as it was entrusted to him, he would handle it perfectly, without a single flaw. Having this guy as his superior was incredibly worry-free. Wei Cong's rise to the position of Governor of Jiaozhou was truly based on merit; his eye for talent was remarkable, managing to pick such a capable officer from among fugitives. It was a pity that in the end, it benefited Feng Kun himself.

"Yan Nian!" Feng Kun suddenly asked, "If you were the leader of the Moth Bandits, what would you do next?"

"Me?" Zhao Yannian was taken aback. He hesitated for a moment before replying, "If I were the leader of the Moth Bandits, I would definitely fight with all my might before next spring!"

"Because of Wei Cong?" Feng Kun asked.

"Hmm!" Zhao Yannian nodded: "Lord Wei has already quelled the rebellion in Jiaozhou. If he raises an army to march north, as long as he crosses the Five Ridges, he can directly attack the lair of the bandits. Even though the bandits number in the hundreds of thousands, they will naturally disintegrate!"

"Do you think Wei Cong will head north?" Feng Kun asked. "You used to be his subordinate, so you should know him very well!"

“No!” Zhao Yannian shook his head: “Although I serve Marquis Wei, it would be wrong to say that I understand him. To be honest, I was also very surprised when I learned about what he did after he went south to Jiaozhou. I really did not expect that he had such great ability to become the governor of the state and be enfeoffed as a marquis in such a short period of time.”

“Yes!” Feng Kun sighed. “Since I was a child, I have fought for the Emperor against enemies. I have dealt with the Qiang, Hu, Xianbei, and Jianghuai bandits, and I have made many contributions. But I have not even been granted the lowest rank of village marquis, let alone a township marquis. Wei Cong, on the other hand, is not even thirty years old this year, yet he has already been granted the title of county marquis with a stipend of 2,300 households. If he is willing to go north this time, he will be further ennobled after the victory. It is indeed too difficult to predict the behavior of a person like him! To be honest, if he had not led his troops north, I might have been somewhat relieved, after all, I know very well what the E'er bandits want to do; but what he will do, I really can’t imagine!”

Zhao Yannian lowered his head, not arguing with his superior. Deep down, he even somewhat agreed with Feng Kun's assessment of his former boss. Wei Cong was a kind and generous man who had been incredibly kind to him, but he was also a shrewd and cunning leader. A man like him would never obediently follow orders from others.

Looking at his silent subordinates, Feng Kun sighed. The man before him was an excellent soldier, but in the game of power, he was still a clumsy novice. Of course, he himself wasn't much better, and yet these two had been dragged into it, with nowhere to escape. Fate always loved to play such cruel jokes. "The tide is coming in!" Feng Kun pointed to the distant water and said, "Looks like we'll have to eat breakfast at Queyue Fortress!"

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The river wind howled, and the waves were turbid.

The warships moved forward with the tide, the ever-changing winds making their sails creak and groan. The gaps between the ships were no more than five zhang (approximately 10 meters). Looking at the orderly column of ships, Qi Tie felt a deep sense of pride.

As the second disciple of the Great Teacher of Virtue, Qi Tie knew how high-ranking officials addressed him. Aside from the rather derogatory term "thief," Qi Tie felt that using "moth" to describe the large number of his own troops was quite apt. Unlike his senior brother, who focused all his time on fighting against the imperial army, Qi Tie devoted more attention to the navy, or rather, the fleet, under his command.

Unlike most of his companions who genuinely believed in the doctrine that "the Han dynasty will perish and a new era will rise," Qi Tie was not interested in these mystical concepts and did not believe that his group could overthrow the rule of the Eastern Han Empire. The reason was simple: the Han Empire's most powerful cavalry was in the north, while horses were scarce in the south.

Therefore, their most realistic goal should be to establish their own kingdom in the south and claim their own territory after several victories against the imperial army. To achieve this, a large navy is an indispensable resource. Even if they are defeated, a fully equipped fleet could carry their amassed wealth and loyal followers, sailing downstream to escape. There are countless islands at sea, and vast uninhabited wilderness in the south, enough for them to find refuge and wait for a chance to rise again. As for the countless followers with yellow headbands and long spears, they would have to give up on that.

The rumbling of battle horns came from the shore, crossing the river, their hoarse and deep cries like the call of a demon in legend, passed from boat to boat.

"Lower the sails!" Qi Tie commanded. "Lower the masts. Oarsmen, take your positions." His second-in-command relayed the order. The sailors rushed to their posts, pushing aside the soldiers standing on the deck—who always seemed to be in their way at this moment—and the deck was a hive of activity. Before setting sail, Qi Tie had ordered that all sails must be lowered before entering the battlefield, and only oars were permitted, to prevent the fragile sails from being set ablaze by the various incendiary weapons of the government troops.

Qi Tie looked towards the riverbank, where a dense, dark mass of people surged towards the northwest. He knew it was the main force personally commanded by his teacher, the Great Master of Virtue. Not long ago, the high-ranking Lu Jijiu had suddenly disappeared, and her former followers had all joined the Great Master of Virtue's command. This had caused his teacher's forces to rapidly swell to an astonishing number—two hundred thousand. This was why he was able to suddenly launch a fierce attack on the fortress controlled by the Han army at the confluence of the Han and Yangtze Rivers.

Qi Tie strongly agreed with this military operation—once they captured this area, his fleet could sail directly into the Han River. The Han army, originally stationed in a series of fortresses from Jiangling to Anlu, would face the predicament of being cut off from their waterway to Xiangyang. They would only be able to retreat to the northwest, helplessly watching as the two major enemies, the Wuling barbarians and the Ezekiel, merged into one, potentially losing most of Jingzhou. If this could really be achieved, then it wouldn't be impossible for He Tie to have originally carved out a territory south of the Yangtze River and rivaled the imperial court.

A faint sound of battle cries drifted on the river breeze. Qi Tie looked up, trying to pinpoint the source of the noise, but quickly gave up—it was too far away. It must be the vanguard of the Moth Bandits' army encountering government troops defending a fortress. The outcome of such a battle, with such a vast disparity in numbers, was self-evident. Two hundred thousand! Qi Tie instinctively straightened his spine. He imagined that when that cavalry commander, Feng, heard that number, he would surely turn pale with fright and be speechless.

Another rhythmic horn call echoed from the shore, urging the Moth Pirate fleet to move faster. According to Liu Xin's original plan, Qi Tie's mission was to sever the communication between the government troops on both sides of the Han River and help the Moth Pirates on the west bank capture the government fortress surrounded by wetlands, before attacking the Han army on the other side. It was a very simple battle plan; of course, with 200,000 troops, there wasn't much room for maneuver. Being able to deploy such a large army to the battlefield and besiege the enemy was already quite an achievement.

As the drums sounded, the oarsmen on the Moth Pirate flagship continued rowing, a hundred oar blades entering the water simultaneously, while the drummers thundered their drums. The drumbeats were like a large yet gentle heartbeat; with each strike, the oars moved a fraction more, the hundred men moving as one, perfectly synchronized. The two adjacent ships on either side also simultaneously unfurled their wooden wings, the three ships moving at the same speed, their blades churning the black water.

Of course, ships further afield couldn't do that; they couldn't even maintain a stable distance. Qi Tie had to order his flagship to slow its oars so that the ships behind could catch up.

"Time? I need a little more time! I can get these guys trained!" Qi Tie grumbled, glancing back at the somewhat disorganized fleet. His battle plan was simple—he arranged his fleet in five rows of ten ships each. The first three rows would clear out the government troops' warships, while the remaining two rows would carry their large numbers of infantry onto the sandbar surrounded by water to capture the crescent-shaped fortress. Then he would turn back to deal with the remaining one.

Qi Tie firmly believed that victory belonged to him—the Moth Pirates also had an advantage in the number of warships, although not as great as the disparity shown in the land battle. They still had a two-to-one advantage. More importantly, Qi Tie felt that if he were in their shoes and discovered that the enemy had such a huge numerical advantage, the first thing he would do was to load everything he needed and set sail immediately.

As the enemy fleet entered the confluence of the Han and Yangtze Rivers, the turbulent waters violently rocked the ships, forcing Qi Tie to spread his legs wide for stability. He could see the enemy ships frantically leaving the harbor, attempting to form ranks. Qi Tie wasn't foolish enough to allow them to prepare before attacking. He stood up and shouted, "Pass down the order! Beat the drums! Row as fast as you can! Drive these bastards into the river!"

"Row faster!" Qi Tie shouted at the top of his lungs. Almost simultaneously, the horns of the Han army fleet opposite them sounded, and the speed at which the oars struck the water followed, sending leaves flying across the surface. On the deck, the infantrymen struck their shields with swords, creating a rhythmic sound, while the archers quickly nocked their bows and drew arrows from their quivers. With the first rank of ships blocking his view, Qi Tie had to pace back and forth on the deck, observing the enemy situation through the gaps.

"Release the arrows, increase the oar speed, charge forward, knock these guys over, yes, that's it!"

"General, please be careful and put on your helmet first!" A subordinate presented a helmet to him.

Qi Tie took the helmet with some disappointment. As soon as he put it on, he felt very stuffy, but in order to maintain his image, he couldn't show it.

(End of this chapter)