Jinting Han people

It is now mid-September of the third year of the Han Dynasty's Qiming era. In the Jianghan region, a battle has just ended, and a new great battle has begun.

After killing Gou Xi, the Han army occupied Jiang'an City and began to pacify the people and rebuild the city. During this time, the Jingzhou navy finally arrived, albeit belatedly, appearing on the river. This navy was quite large, with approximately five hundred ships, including many warships, over eighty of which were multi-soldier vessels. Combined with the Jin army in Jiangling City, they numbered approximately forty thousand men, posing a significant threat to the Han army on the south bank. Upon seeing the Jin army arrive, the Han army became extremely tense, lining up on the dikes and waving flags, ready to engage at any moment.

However, the Jin army commander Ying Zhan's original intention was to support Jiang'an, and he had no intention of directly engaging in a decisive battle with the Han army. Now that Jiang'an had fallen and there was no foothold in Jiangnan, besides cursing Gou Xi's incompetence in his heart, he could only retreat back to Jiangbei. After all, Ying Zhan was only the governor of Nanping, and without the order of Wang Dun, the governor of Jingzhou, he had no right to decide the fate of these 40,000 Jin soldiers.

When the news reached Wang Dun, he was still in Jingbei, frantically trying to suppress Li Ju.

During this period, although Li Ju failed to capture Xiangyang, he roamed the Jianghan region, plundered government offices, attacked Jingling to the east, and occupied Zhonglu to the north. Along the way, he recruited refugees, opened granaries to distribute grain, and provided relief to orphans and widows, winning the hearts of the people. The entire Jiangbei region knew that the Han army had such a public-spirited young general, and the people of Jingzhou called him "Young Master Pingyang".

Wang Dun was naturally resentful, but just as Liu Xian had predicted, he lacked sufficient horses and his attempts to encircle Li Ju were ultimately futile. Upon learning of the fall of Jiang'an and the Han army's firm foothold in Jiangnan, he recognized the reality: rather than trying to recapture Jiangnan, it was better to stabilize Jiangbei first and await reinforcements from downstream.

As a result, with Wang Xun and Ying Zhan's troops advancing north, Li Ju indeed faced increased pressure and had no choice but to retreat to Yiling, then cross the Yangtze River southward to rest and reorganize in the Yidao region. By this time, August had ended, and the previously ambiguous situation in Jiangnan had clearly tilted in favor of the Han army.

First, Yang Nandi's troops in Jianping County had completed their mission. With Lu Yun's assistance, he was ordered to gather the remnants of the Jin army. He then reorganized the three thousand Jin soldiers in the county into an army and added them to his command. At the same time, he gathered the scattered Han soldiers who had been stranded on the way east. When he returned to Yiling, his army had swelled from eight thousand to more than twelve thousand.

Secondly, Lu Zhi's first batch of logistical supplies arrived. Anticipating potential ship losses during this forced crossing of the Three Gorges, he expedited the construction of a hundred warships. Along with these supplies came 100,000 arrows and 300,000 bushels of rice and flour. This signified the official opening of the supply route between Sichuan and Jingnan, ensuring a continuous flow of supplies to the Han army from Sichuan.

Meanwhile, the Jin army south of Nanping was isolated. Liu Xian sent Meng He to Tianmen and Wuling prefectures to pacify them, issuing letters in the name of the King of Han to the local officials, common people, and even barbarians: those who surrendered and surrendered their cities would be pardoned by officials and employed according to their talents in Jiang'an; the common people, regardless of wealth, could continue their livelihoods as usual; barbarian tribes, regardless of size, were to form an alliance; those who resisted would be attacked by the Han army, and the defeated would be enslaved. Upon learning of the fall of Jiang'an, Hu Gui, the prefect of Tianmen, and Wu Cha, the governor of Wuling, dared not confront the Han army and surrendered their entire prefectures.

In conclusion, the Han army's power in Jingnan has expanded rapidly. Apart from Zhang Guang's troops stationed at Yiling, the main force of the Han army in Jiang'an has recovered to a size of 60,000, basically completing the deployment made when they left Sichuan. The only strategic objective that has not yet been achieved is that they have not yet joined forces with Du Tao's troops.

It must be said that Wang Dun's defenses were effective. Although he failed to hold Jiang'an, Changsha and Hengyang remained in the hands of the Jin army. In particular, before his withdrawal, he handed over the cities of Yiyang, Luoxian, and Baling to Wang Kuang. These three cities effectively blocked the Xiang and Yi rivers, which flow into Dongting Lake. This allowed the Jin army to maintain firm control over the north and south entrances to Dongting Lake, completely isolating the Han army led by Liu Xian and the refugee army led by Du Tao.

Therefore, the next goal of the Han army is to break through this defensive line and completely connect Jingnan.

On the Double Ninth Festival, the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, Li Ju led his cavalry to the west of Jiang'an City.

Xi An was ordered to welcome Li Ju here. Upon seeing Li Ju arrive, he immediately ordered his men to lead the army into Matou City to rest. Then he led Li Ju by boat across the river to Jiang'an City to meet the King of Han.

It was nearly 9 AM. Li Ju sat on his boat, surveying his surroundings, and noticed that the market in the southwest of the city was unusually bustling. Although a major battle had just taken place, and the city walls, which had collapsed during the city's fall, were not yet fully repaired, it did not diminish the strong festive atmosphere outside the city. The left bank of the Youjiang River was filled with boats, grain was piled high on the high platforms, timber was bundled together, and carts and horses formed a long line in the market. A group of vendors were hawking cloth, wine, peach wood charms, and lanterns on the dock, while children carried bunches of chrysanthemums and dogwood. There were even shops selling writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, and a band was playing music in the street.

This lively scene was mainly due to Gou Xi. The locals had long heard of the reputation of Liu Bei, the King of Han, and after all, this place was a strategic military location during the Three Kingdoms period, so everyone had a special feeling towards Liu Bei's descendants. As a result, Gou Xi drove the old and weak out of the city, giving the Han army a perfect opportunity to win over the hearts of the people.

After the city fell, Liu Xian posted a proclamation at the city gates, announcing that the wealth plundered by Gou Xi would be returned to its rightful owners, that relief would be provided to the poor throughout the prefecture, and that merchants from surrounding areas would be exempt from taxes for a limited time. The people then witnessed firsthand the disciplined conduct of the Han army, their fair buying and selling, and their relief efforts for the disaster victims. During this time, they chatted with the Han soldiers, hearing of the Han King's many admirable actions and outstanding achievements. By then, they were all convinced that the Han King was the true Son of Heaven. Consequently, their wariness of the Han army naturally dissipated, and merchants flocked to the city. In less than a month, Jiang'an City quickly returned to normal.

Li Ju greatly admired the scene. After disembarking, he said to Xi An, "It's not easy to maintain such a festive atmosphere amidst the chaos of war."

Xi An smiled and replied, "It was His Highness's idea. He said the curfew would be lifted today, so it will be especially lively."

"Lift the curfew?" Li Ju asked doubtfully. "Isn't Your Highness afraid that the Jin army will cause trouble? It's only across the river."

"To eliminate this hidden worry, His Highness has already closed the city and searched the inner chambers twice beforehand," Xi An said. "His Highness said that power is established through trust and people are gathered together through joy. It is precisely because of the current chaos and turmoil that we need to celebrate a festival to give everyone confidence in our army."

"I see." Li Ju agreed. Indeed, the more suffering people endure, the more important festivals become. Happiness and courage are twins; as long as one can laugh for a moment, one will have boundless courage to face tomorrow.

Li Ju, amidst the crowd, was infected by the atmosphere and felt that the situation was very favorable. He then felt a surge of impulse and fantasy, thinking that perhaps if they fought two more battles, the Han army would achieve a great victory and the world would be at peace.

Of course, this was just an illusion. Li Ju quickly calmed himself down and continued to scan the streets with his eyes. Soon, he was attracted by something new. He saw a stone tablet carved on the lintel of the bustling city gate, with the three characters "Yi'an City" written in bold, elegant calligraphy.

"Jiang An changed his name again?" he asked Xi An.

Xi An nodded and said, "Yes, Your Highness said that now that this place has been captured, the name Jiang'an has no meaningful connotation and is not suitable as a capital. But changing it back to Gong'an would seem like Your Highness is relying entirely on your ancestors, following in their footsteps, which is a bit stingy. After much thought, Your Highness simply changed the name to Yi'an, hoping to comfort the martyrs and ensure that the legacy will continue." Upon hearing this, Li Ju stared at the city name for a moment, thinking that this should correspond to the vision that Emperor Zhaolie put forward when he visited Zhuge Liang three times—"to spread righteousness throughout the world." His brother's change of the name to Yi'an was also to show his determination, and he would definitely realize this vision.

Li Ju nodded to himself, thinking that this was exactly his vision.

After passing through the city gate, Li Ju was led to the inner city of Yi'an. Along the way, he encountered many acquaintances. From high-ranking military officers like Wei Bo and Huangfu Dan to ordinary soldiers and laborers who had seen him before, they all greeted Li Ju. Li Ju returned their greetings with smiles and inquired about their details. He was so approachable, familiar with and caring towards his soldiers that many soldiers couldn't help but shed tears as they answered his questions.

After finally reaching the top of the city wall, he met the King of Han on a platform within the wall. Liu Xian was gazing into the distance, lost in thought and silent. Li Ju immediately knew that his elder brother was contemplating the next strategic plan.

He greeted him, and Liu Xian snapped out of his reverie. Upon seeing that it was Li Ju, he immediately smiled with relief and said, "Oh, it's Shi Hui. You must be tired from your journey. Have you had a meal along the way?"

"I just arrived and ate some dry food on the way." After several days of travel without rest, Li Ju was indeed quite hungry.

Liu Xian immediately took Li Ju's hand and led him into the city tower next to him, saying with a smile, "Then you've come at the right time. Today is the Double Ninth Festival. I've found some local chefs here. They are good at steaming dishes. Their fish cakes, steamed pork with rice flour, glutinous rice, and steamed lotus root with rice flour are all quite unique. You must try them."

Li Ju didn't refuse and began to eat heartily as soon as the dishes were served, while Liu Xian watched him eat without touching his chopsticks, seemingly caught in another moment of hesitation. Li Ju quickly noticed this and knew that his brother probably had something to say but was undecided. He immediately put down his chopsticks and said, "Brother, is there anything you need? Please speak freely."

Liu Xian did indeed have an appointment he wanted to give to Li Ju, but he was unsure whether it was appropriate.

After capturing Yi'an, although the Han army was temporarily unable to join forces with the refugee army led by Du Tao due to the obstruction of Yiyang and Baling, they could still communicate with each other through envoys. Liu Xian then sent Wang Zhen to find out the current situation of Du Tao's troops. He soon learned that Du Tao's troops had captured half of Xiangzhou and were currently in a stalemate with the Guangzhou army at Quanling.

This is neither good nor bad news. The good news is that Du Tao's refugee army now numbers nearly 50,000, making it a considerable force. The bad news is that they are now in a rather awkward situation. The refugee army has challenged the Guangzhou army, but Wang Ji's forces refuse to engage. The refugee army wants to launch a strong attack on the enemy camp, but lacks the capability. They want to retreat, but fear being pursued and attacked by the Guangzhou army. Thus, they are caught in a dilemma.

Under these circumstances, it was clearly impossible for Du Tao to head north and break through the Jin army's blockade in Jiangzhou to join forces with the main Han army. Therefore, breaking the stalemate still depended on the Han army itself.

However, the Han army also faces its own difficulties. Wang Dun's Jingzhou army has all returned to northern Jingzhou, and the Yangzhou army downstream is reportedly on its way. Furthermore, the Han army has only recently occupied southern Jingzhou, and its foundation is not yet secure. If a large army were to attack Hengyang Commandery, there would inevitably be the risk of its rear being outflanked by the Jingzhou navy. This dictates that the main force of the Han army cannot act rashly; at most, only a separate unit can be dispatched.

Liu Xian's current plan is to send reinforcements overland to meet up with Du Tao and help him defeat the Jin army in Guangzhou. Then, he will march north to capture Yiyang and Baling and join up with the main Han army. If this can be done, the entire Jingnan region will be united, and the Han army, numbering over 100,000, will be facing the Jin army across the river. Whether to fight or make peace, the initiative will be in the hands of the Han army.

Lu Zhi shared the same view. He included a letter with the supplies he sent, stating: "Jiang'an is a crucial point in Jingzhou. Now that Your Majesty has captured it, the puppet Jin will surely send a large army to contest it. This vital location requires Your Majesty to be stationed here to plan the overall situation and not to act rashly. However, the situation in southern Hunan is difficult to determine. With a little assistance, we could potentially achieve a decisive victory. We can send a detachment to aid them and take the opportunity to pacify the displaced people. With internal and external forces united, the overall situation will be settled!"

With Lu Zhi's letter, Liu Xian's confidence increased. However, the question remained: who should lead this detachment south? It should be understood that the role of this support army was not only to fight, but more importantly, to establish a good relationship with Du Tao's troops and get these refugees to willingly integrate into the country. This required the commander-in-chief to have high moral character and civil administration ability.

Liu Xian originally had only three candidates at his disposal: He Pan, Li Ju, and Liu Shen. However, He Pan needed to control the navy and couldn't be moved lightly, and Li Ju had just led his troops to escape from Jingbei and needed to rest. Therefore, the best candidate should have been Liu Shen. But now that Liu Shen was dead, the die was cast, and he had to find another candidate, so he had to ask Li Ju for help again.

Liu Xian then told Li Ju what was on his mind and asked him, "Shi Hui, I really have no other choice. Would you be willing to go south to help Du Tao?"

Upon learning of Liu Xian's worries, Li Ju smiled and said, "So that's what you're worried about, brother. You're overthinking it. In fact, aren't there still capable generals in Bashu who can shoulder this great responsibility?"

Liu Xian said, "Do you think I haven't thought about it? Liu Yueshi (Liu Kun) and Wei Gongzhi (Wei Jun) are indeed suitable, but one needs to be stationed in Bashu and the other needs to support Guanzhong. Neither of them can be withdrawn. The others are good at fighting, but they are probably not capable of pacifying a region."

He sighed and said, "If Liu Daozhen were still alive, we wouldn't have this trouble."

Li Ju smiled again and said, "Brother, how could you forget Dao Hui? Could it be that he guarded Chencang for too long and you have forgotten him? During the Eastern Expedition, you transferred him to Jiangzhou to be in charge of the laborers and corvée labor. He is good at pacifying the people and maintaining peace, and he is also well-versed in military books and charitable. It would be most appropriate for him to go south to pacify the refugees."

Li Ju was referring to Xi Jian, who had served as Liu Xian's advisor in the Sili Prefecture in his early years. Xi Jian was known for his fairness and ability to quell public grievances. Since Liu Xian entered Shu via Hanzhong, Xi Jian had been stationed in Chencang to ensure the smooth passage of people from Ba and Shu into Guanzhong. After the three parties in Guanzhong formed an alliance, Liu Xian recalled Xi Jian, and he is now serving as the Prefect of Ba Commandery.

When Li Ju mentioned him again, Liu Xian suddenly realized and slapped his forehead, saying, "You're right! How could I forget Dao Hui? He's definitely the one for this mission!"

The following day, Liu Xian ordered a messenger to travel by express horse to Jiangzhou County in Ba Commandery to summon Xi Jian out of Sichuan and appointed him as the military supervisor of Xiangnan. (End of Chapter)