Jinting Han people

Between October and November, as intelligence gathered in Sichuan and Chongqing, Liu Xian had made a relatively high assessment of the Li regime. However, after actually meeting Li Long, Liu Xian realized that he had still greatly underestimated his opponent. He understood that the upcoming battle would not be merely a skirmish between two armies, but a full-scale confrontation between two regimes.

Such a confrontation cannot rely on the hope of destroying the opponent in one blow; it requires preparation for a long-term struggle and a more accurate and detailed understanding. Therefore, after Li Long left, Liu Xian immediately ordered Li Sheng and Yang Jian to come to his residence, which was at the end of the winter month.

Li Sheng had been gathering intelligence on the Chengdu Kingdom, mingling his scouts among some of the southward-bound refugees to inquire about the various events that had occurred in the Bashu region over the past two years. Yang Jian, on the other hand, was a landlord from Yinping. Although he had never fought against the Chengdu army before, his proximity to Shu gave him a considerable understanding of the Li regime.

Liu Xian inquired about detailed information regarding the Chengdu Kingdom from them. Yang Jian squinted as he recalled, a look of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex emotion encompassing both admiration and regret), and answered Liu Xian's question:
"Li Xiong is indeed skilled in military tactics. But his greatest strength is his ability to unite his family, making the Li clan of one mind and determined to fight to the death. My lord, defeating him may not be difficult, but to crush him and completely and quickly occupy Yizhou is extremely difficult and will require a long and arduous battle."

Before the battle even began, Yang Jian confidently predicted the course of the war, indicating that Liu Xian would have to go through a tough fight.

Liu Xian did not question this, but he wanted more specific information, so he asked, "Just how capable is he of winning people's hearts and souls? Are there any suitable battle examples?"

Li Sheng said from the side, "After Li Liu passed away, Li Xiong took over the leadership position for the first time. Generally speaking, changing commanders on the eve of battle should cause panic. But Li Xiong was not affected at all. On the contrary, he thought it was a rare opportunity and took the opportunity to use the self-inflicted injury ruse on Luo Shang."

"A self-inflicted injury ruse?" Liu Xian had heard of this, but didn't know the details.

"He had a man from Wudu under his command named Park Tae. Li Xiong accused him of embezzling rations and had him publicly whipped until his skin was torn and bleeding profusely. Then he ordered Park Tae to secretly contact Luo Shang and deceive him by saying that he wanted to act as an inside agent to take revenge. Luo Shang first offered Park Tae a lot of treasures, but Park Tae refused. Then Luo Shang sent Park Tae an envoy to investigate the matter together, and Park Tae did not refuse. Do you think Luo Shang could not fall for the trap?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Xian immediately understood Li Xiong and thought to himself, "This is truly remarkable." As the saying goes, you can't see into someone's heart; the most difficult thing to control when using such a self-inflicted injury tactic is the spy's own will. Park Tae was willing to suffer physical pain for Li Xiong, resist the temptation of gold and silver, and even risk giving the spy the opportunity to assassinate him. To achieve this, Li Xiong truly deserves the title of "a man of great talent."

Thinking of this, Liu Xian asked Yang Jian, "So, you think it would be difficult for me to use appeasement to win over Li Xiong's generals when I'm fighting against him?"

Yang Jian shook his head and said, "Of course not. No matter what, people have varying degrees of closeness and distance. No matter how many people you can win over, you can't unite everyone. The most difficult to turn in Li Xiong's army are his 30,000 Western barbarian veterans. But the other troops, which are recruited from various mixed groups, will still be opportunistic. Moreover, while Li Xiong has the ability to win over people, his other clansmen don't have that ability."

"I see." Liu Xian pondered for a moment, then opened his eyes and asked, "Then tell me about the generals of Chengdu."

As the saying goes, "Know yourself and know your enemy," a crucial principle in warfare. Li Sheng had already made preparations. He took out the prepared list and read it aloud to Liu Xian:
"In the Kingdom of Chengdu, there were six dukes: Grand Tutor Li Xiang, Grand Protector Li Shi, Grand Commandant Li Li, Grand Chancellor Li Guo, Minister of Works Li Yun, and Minister of Agriculture Li Huang."

"Grand Tutor Li Xiang is Li Xiong's only remaining uncle and the most senior member of the Chengdu army. In the event of war, Li Xiong would need to divide his forces into two routes, one led by himself and the other by Li Xiang. Li Xiang is skilled at commanding generals, decisive in battle, and adept at strategy. He enjoys extremely high prestige in the country, and in terms of military leadership, he is probably no less capable than Li Xiong. However, he is not good at governing the people and is also rather lecherous, so he is restrained by Li Xiong and is not allowed to participate in domestic affairs on a regular basis."

"Taibao Li Shi was Li Xiong's eldest half-brother. Although he had also experienced many battles, he seemed to be bad at fighting. Instead, he liked to win people over and appease them. He often spoke on behalf of the officers and soldiers in the army, so he was very popular. Therefore, in Chengdu, he was mainly responsible for recruiting and accepting defectors. There was a saying in their army: 'If you want to retire in your old age, go to Taibao.'"

"Grand Commandant Li Li is the eldest son of Li Han, the brother-in-law of Li Te. He is a rare military and political talent among the Li clan. He previously served as the Prefect of Zitong and defeated the Ya Bo and other troops of the Western Expeditionary Army, capturing Jiange. He is recognized as the third best general in Chengdu. However, it is said that he is meticulous in his work and cares about everything, big or small. If his subordinates do not perform well, he will punish them severely, which has caused a lot of complaints in the army."

"Grand Preceptor Li Guo is the brother of Grand Commandant Li Li. He is also one of the few wise generals among the Li clan. He is good at adapting to changing circumstances in battle and is also good at using spies and assassinations. It is said that the self-inflicted injury ruse used by Li Xiong was secretly planned by him. Li Xiong relies heavily on the brothers Li Guo and Li Li. It is said that he often consults their opinions first on important matters of state."

"Situ Li Yun and Sikong Li Huang were both cousins ​​of Li Xiong. They were pure warriors who fought fiercely and fearlessly. It is said that they had more than thirty major wounds and more than forty minor wounds. They also killed dozens of enemy generals in battle and were called Guan Yu and Zhang Fei reincarnated by their contemporaries."

Liu Xian memorized these names and then asked, "Besides these people, who else is worth noting?"

Li Sheng didn't know much about this, so Yang Jian added, "Among the younger generation, there is a man named Li Feng under Li Shi. He is also a member of the Li clan, but a distant relative. However, he is extremely astute in battle. When Luo Shang fled from Chengdu at night, it was he who first discovered it, led his troops to intercept the remaining Jin army in Chengdu, and then won a great victory in one battle. Therefore, Li Xiong has recently been promoted and is showing signs of surpassing him."

"Among those outside the Li family, besides Li Feng, there are Ren Hui, Fei Hei, Zhang Long, and a few others who are quite capable, but they are not yet as good as the Li family members, so they cannot be given important positions yet."

Liu Xian nodded, silently reciting the names in his mind. He closed his eyes, as if he had already begun fighting Li Xiong. He heard the clanging of arrows, the shouts of soldiers, and even the neighing of warhorses.

Therefore, Liu Xian summoned all his generals and appointed Zhang Guang, the commander of this meeting, to convene a military conference in response to the challenge.

In fact, Liu Xian's appointment of Zhang Guang as commander-in-chief this time was beyond everyone's expectations. After all, Liu Xian's army currently has many well-known generals. Although Zhang Guang is somewhat famous in Guanzhong, there are at least five people above him in rank: Li Ju, Liu Shen, He Pan, Liu Kun, and Yang Nandi. No one would object to any of them being the commander-in-chief. As for Zhang Guang, everyone actually thinks he is a bit less experienced. But Liu Xian also has his own considerations. First, although Zhang Fang shows signs of an eastern expedition, the northern defense line has not yet been completed, and there are a lot of military settlements to be carried out in the county. He needs Li Ju and Liu Shen as his assistants to appease the troops and complete this important task at hand. Second, Liu Kun and Yang Nandi are both in Wudu County, busy with the remaining relocation and settlement work, and cannot leave. Third, He Pan is getting old. He is good at handling naval affairs, but on the battlefield, his energy may not be comparable to that of the young people of the Li family of Lueyang.

Of course, temporarily appointing someone as the commander-in-chief is not impossible. But Liu Xian thought that the contest with Li Xiong, it now seemed, was a contest of wills. If Li Xiong wanted to crush his confidence with sheer force, then Liu Xian needed to appear effortless and nonchalant. From this perspective, if Zhang Guang could defeat the Chengdu army, it would undoubtedly be a resounding counterattack, greatly impacting the Chengdu army's morale.

Moreover, based on Liu Xian's understanding of Zhang Guang, his command skills were more than sufficient. However, as a commander, he had two main shortcomings: insufficient experience and a lack of adaptability, prone to impulsive and rash actions. But in a hastily arranged battle, his willingness to fight to the bitter end was actually a strength.

Taking all these factors into consideration, Liu Xian appointed Zhang Guang as the commander-in-chief of this battle and asked the generals to contribute their ideas and help him make more preparations beforehand.

As a former official of the Western Expeditionary Army, Wei Jun had now been appointed Prefect of Hanzhong. Although he had never fought against the Chengdu army, he had heard about it from his colleagues who had entered Shu, so he had some understanding of it. He said:
"I heard that Li Xiong and his bandits have two main characteristics: they are able to endure hardship and have great endurance. Most people would be exhausted after two hours of fighting, but these bandits can fight for three hours, making them extremely difficult to deal with."

"Another advantage is that they can remain calm even after defeat. On several occasions, the Western Army had already won, but when pursuing the defeated army, they were able to ambush and counterattack after suffering a crushing defeat, catching us off guard. This tactic is very unpredictable, and General Zhang should be more vigilant."

Upon hearing these words, most of the generals frowned. If what Wei Jun said was true, it meant that the Chengdu army could devise more tactical plans, while the Hanzhong army would have difficulty judging the enemy's operational intentions. They would have to put more effort into defense and consider the possibility of the enemy feigning defeat when attacking, making it difficult to achieve sufficient results.

After pondering for a while, Zhang Guang shook his head and said decisively, "This battle is merely a test; seeing is believing. They may be veterans, but we are elite troops. What is there to fear in the world? Our only concern is our smaller numbers; we cannot afford to give them a chance to encircle us. Let's form ranks on the mountain and engage them in battle. I refuse to believe that these Western barbarians can break through our iron encirclement!"

Zhang Guang's confidence was well-founded. After receiving Fu Chang's advice, Liu Xian had already begun weeding out soldiers within the army, with most of the old, weak, sick, and disabled being discharged to work in military settlements. Although these settlements hadn't officially begun, the army's downsizing was complete. The original 70,000-strong army was now reduced to just over 37,000. With fewer soldiers and a more efficient administration, the fighting strength of 10,000 men was significantly greater than before. Zhang Guang was confident that in a direct confrontation, he would not lose to any army.

Most of the other generals shared the same idea: as long as they formed ranks along the mountain, shortened the width of the battle line, and launched a formal defensive counterattack, could the Chengdu army really break through their defenses? This was something even the Western Army couldn't do. If the Chengdu army could do this, then what was the point of fighting? They might as well just surrender and admit defeat on the spot.

As a local strongman in Yinping, Yang Jiantou also agreed with this opinion: "I am familiar with the terrain of Yinping. There are many mountains here, and the terrain is narrow. Since they want to come to Yinping County to compete, they are trapping themselves in a cage. There is no point in saying anything else. They are just asking for their own death."

Since everyone agreed, Liu Xian naturally did not object.

Since the challenge was intended as a test, it's wise to adopt a conservative approach when dealing with an unknown new force before a formal test is even begun. Now, having entered Hanzhong, the terrain is narrow and the mountain paths are difficult to traverse. The group is not yet accustomed to the new environment, while the enemy is already used to fighting in such conditions. This puts us at a disadvantage. Given this disadvantage, there's no need to devise a bold plan; it's more about reacting to each move as it comes.

Liu Xian guessed that since Li Xiong had taken the initiative to provoke them, he must be determined to win this duel. Their choice of Yinping as the battleground clearly indicated their intention to seize Yinping County after a victory and control the Yinping Trail. From this perspective, simply holding off their opponent would already thwart their objective.

What Liu Xian was more concerned about was whether he could use this challenge to turn into a new war and find a breakthrough from the side.
After all, according to intelligence, Li Li, the Grand Commandant of Chengdu in charge of this battle, is the main general guarding Jiange. As everyone knows, Jiange is the most important pass for entering Shu. His departure probably means that the defense of Jiange has been weakened. Can he take advantage of this opportunity to open up a new battlefield and seize the gateway to Shu in one fell swoop? If he can succeed, he will firmly grasp the strategic initiative.

Therefore, while passing the military council, he also issued another military order, instructing the army to prepare five thousand cavalrymen to be deployed at the border of Hanzhong and Zitong for mutual support. If Zhang Guanghe suffered a defeat, they would send troops to mitigate the losses; if Zhang Guanghe won, they would seize the opportunity to expand their advantage and see if they could rush to Jiange Pass in one go and seize the pass.

Then Liu Xian specifically encouraged Zhang Guang, saying, "Brother Jingwu, if we win this battle, I will personally celebrate your victory!"

Zhang Guang, knowing this was a rare opportunity, clasped his hands and said, "I will certainly not disappoint the Marshal!"

After giving their instructions, the generals immediately went to mobilize troops to prepare for the Battle of Yinping. Liu Xian, on the other hand, prepared to return to his residence to continue his own affairs. Recently, there had been a shortage of horses, so he planned to set aside a pasture in Wudu County specifically for raising horses.

As they were discussing the location, there was a sudden knock at the door. Liu Xian looked up and saw a young Di woman, her face showing a mixture of panic, timidity, and a hint of joy. Liu Xian recognized her; she was probably A-Die's maid, named Lihua. This puzzled Liu Xian, as Yang Hui'ai was usually quite sensible and rarely sent anyone to find him during the day. Had something happened?

"Come in."

Liu Xian was about to ask when Lihua spoke first. Lacking manners, she simply bowed slightly and then, with a quick smile, said, "My lord! Good news! Madam is pregnant!"

Before Liu Xian could even react, the good news spread like wildfire throughout the entire mansion. (End of Chapter)