Jinting Han people

With Zhou Fu and Wang Cheng arriving at Xiakou, the main force of the Jin army had basically gathered.

It was late September, deep autumn, and the water level had dropped, leaving the riverbanks desolate. This very desolation only served to accentuate the magnificent sight of the navy on the river. Looking from Huanghuji in Xiakou, one could see warships moored tightly together along the riverbank, their sails layered upon each other, resembling autumn leaves—small yet overwhelming. Even though the river is known for its width, at this moment it appeared as a distinct line stretching across the surface, extending to the unseen horizon.

A rough count shows that there are more than 1,600 ships in Xiakou. Adding the Jingzhou navy in the Jiangling section, the total number exceeds 2,000, including nearly 300 tower ships. This scale of navy is obviously unprecedented in history.

Strength lies in numbers. Seeing such a vast scene significantly boosted the Jin army's confidence and morale. The initial reluctance to fight vanished, replaced by a strong desire for a swift and decisive battle. This suited the Jin army's leadership perfectly. Therefore, shortly after the Huainan army arrived, at the initiative of Zhou Fu and Wang Cheng, the Jin army held its first formal military council in Xiakou.

Because it involved an army of 200,000, many generals attended the meeting, ranging from regional commanders such as Wang Kuang, Wang Cheng, Wang Dun, and Wang Dao to mid-level officers like Zhu Si, Zhang Yi, and Song Dian. Almost all of them were present. The hall was soon filled with over a hundred seats, a truly impressive gathering of talented individuals.

The force deployed this time was significantly stronger than the previous campaign against Zhang Fang. During Zhang Fang's rebellion, many renowned scholars participated in command, but their lack of ability and empty reputations were ultimately exposed, and they were all sidelined by Wang Yan. Even figures like Hua Yi and Wei Zhan, from prestigious families like the Hua clan of Pingyuan and the Wei clan of Hedong, could only hold sinecure positions in Shouchun. Meanwhile, scholars from the Wu region were reinstated, and a large number of mid-level military officers were promoted exceptionally.

This alleviated the previously sharp conflicts among the scholars within the Jin army, ensured the loyalty of officers at all levels to the court, and maintained unity within the army. It must be said that since the War of the Eight Princes, the Jin army had never had such favorable internal conditions.

After everyone was seated, Wang Kuang, as the commander-in-chief, was quite pleased to see such a distinguished group of people in the hall. However, he was a rather harsh person, and his face remained very serious. He first cleared his throat and began to speak. He first quoted Wang Yan's edict to encourage everyone, and then reiterated the recent grim situation to them:
"Gentlemen, the nation is now suffering from a great calamity. There are bandits from Zhao in Guanzhong, bandits from Qi in Hebei, and bandits from Shu in Jiangnan. The chaos is endless! As a result, the people are suffering and the imperial artifact is in disarray. At this point, the difference between the nation's survival and its collapse is just a hair's breadth."

“I am not exaggerating. Since Tuoba Yilu broke with Wang Youzhou (Wang Jun), the situation in Hebei has been terrible. Wang Youzhou is facing two rebels, Zhao and Qi, and is struggling to cope. He has been forced to retreat to Jicheng. The situation in the Central Plains is also extremely bad, and Xuchang is in imminent danger.”

The information Wang Kuang provided was from a month ago, and there were some misunderstandings involved. It is true that Wang Jun retreated to Ji City, but the cause of all this was not Zhao Han and Qi Han, but Shi Le and Zhang Bin.

After securing a foothold in Jinyang, Zhang Bin suggested to Shi Le that Zhao Han's expansion had reached a bottleneck, and Shi Le, having occupied Jinyang and being within arm's reach of Zhao Han's confidants, would be hampered by Zhao Han's influence if he continued to rely on Zhao Han for development, and might even be annexed. Therefore, Shi Le needed to utilize multiple forces to maintain a balance. He suggested that Shi Le form an alliance with Qi Han, firstly to allow both sides to work together to further squeeze Wang Jun's territory, and secondly to make Zhao Han hesitant to attack Shi Le, thus forcing him to side with Qi Han.

Shi Le then sent Cao Yi as an envoy to curry favor with Liu Bogen, the King of Qi-Han, implying that Liu Bogen should declare himself emperor. Liu Bogen was overjoyed and agreed to an alliance with Shi Le, with both sides cooperating to conquer Ji Province. Within just a few months, Wang Jun faced mounting pressure. Although the Duan tribe of Xianbei was capable of winning battles, they were still mortals, susceptible to injury and needing rest; they could not fight ten against one. Furthermore, Wang Jun was inept at governance. Ultimately, while they could maintain a military balance, the civil administration was on the verge of collapse, forcing him to abandon Ji Province and retreat to You Province.

The situation in the Central Plains was even worse. After the defeat of Zhao and Han in the Battle of Luoyang, on Wang Mi's advice, Qi and Han began to spread folk songs in the Central Plains, claiming: "In the past, we ate white rice; this year, we eat wheat bran. Where can you return? Peace will come when Han is restored. The sun will shine on Han again, rising in the east and setting in the west." The implication was that the world was in chaos because the Han Dynasty had not yet returned. Even though there were three Han states, only one could truly be the one to whom the Mandate of Heaven would belong: Qi and Han in the far east.

Wang Mi used the methods of the Celestial Masters sect to recruit followers among the refugees. He also secretly attacked Liu Yuan, claiming he was not a legitimate descendant of the Han dynasty and that Liu Baigen was the true chosen one, which indeed resonated with some scholars from the Central Plains. For example, figures like Shao Xu and Ding Shao disliked Liu Yuan's Xiongnu background and had consistently opposed him. Liu Baigen, being a scholar from the Central Plains and a descendant of the Han dynasty, was indeed a better option for those with no other choice but to seek refuge.

Therefore, with the right political strategy and Shi Le's encouragement, the power of Qi and Han expanded greatly. Wang Mi thus incorporated a considerable portion of the Jin army and officially launched the Xuchang offensive. If even Xuchang fell to Wang Mi, there was no doubt that among the three rising Han states, Qi and Han would surpass them despite being a latecomer.

However, all things considered, the greatest threat to the Jin dynasty still comes from the Shu Han forces currently advancing into Jingnan. The southeast is the last remaining foothold for the Jin dynasty; if even this is lost, the Jin dynasty will be completely destroyed.

Wang Kuang understood this, so his tone and expression were very serious. After explaining the situation, he set the tone for the meeting: "Gentlemen, I am deeply indebted to the Jin dynasty for its great favor and the heavy responsibility it has entrusted to me. I am determined to destroy the enemy. You are all like me, either having received the emperor's favor for generations or being appreciated by the emperor. We should all work together to overcome the difficulties and repay His Majesty."

"The first priority in suppressing the rebels is to enforce military discipline. Those who perform meritorious service will be rewarded, and those who commit crimes will be punished. Anyone who disobeys military orders or fails to perform well in battle will be executed without warning by me, with the imperial axe. Those below the rank of colonel will be executed first and reported later, while those above the rank of colonel will be severely impeached and punished without leniency!"

These words shocked the assembled officers and soldiers, who dared not look up. After all, in all their battles, regardless of victory or defeat, the state had always treated its officials with utmost leniency, fearing to damage the harmony among scholars. Unexpectedly, Wang Kuang had adopted such a resolute and authoritative attitude this time, which both instilled fear and excitement in the officials present. This, after all, finally felt like a real battle, demonstrating that the court was taking responsibility.

Wang Kuang concluded by saying, "Now, I would like to ask everyone to brainstorm and offer suggestions for the upcoming campaign to suppress the bandits."

After the commander-in-chief finished speaking, the two special envoys sent by the imperial court spoke first. Zhou Fu, the prefect of Huainan, said first: "The Grand Commandant's intention is to hope that everyone can quell the Shu bandits as quickly as possible. It would be best if Liu Xian could be eliminated on the spot. If not, he should be driven out of Jingzhou. Do not delay any longer."

Wang Cheng, the governor of Xuzhou, waved his feather fan and said leisurely, "Although Liu Xian has a great reputation, you all don't need to feel too much pressure. He was just relying on the troops that Meng Guan left for him to bully others who lacked elite forces. Now that he has crossed the river from Sichuan to fight a naval battle with us, what can he possibly achieve?"

After Wang Cheng finished speaking, everyone burst into laughter, and the atmosphere became more relaxed. Only a few people watched coldly. For example, Zhou Qi whispered to Gan Zhuo, "A bunch of Liu Xian's defeated opponents are putting on airs."

Zhou Qi's statement wasn't entirely unfounded. Many of the current Jin generals had indeed faced Liu Xian before. For example, Ying Zhan, though now a trusted general of Wang Dun, suffered a defeat alongside Lu Ji in the Battle of Mangshan, ultimately breaking away from the Prince of Chengdu and eventually gaining favor under Liu Hong. Another example is Tian Hui, who has gained considerable fame in suppressing bandits in the Central Plains in recent years, but he too served under Sima Xiao, the Prince of Fanyang, during the Battle of Mangkou and was captured due to Liu Xian's machinations. As for Wang Cheng, Wang Kuang, and others, despite having the opportunity to confront Liu Xian, they ultimately agreed to Lu Zhi's peace offer, which, in Zhou Qi's view, could also be seen as a form of cowardice.

Gan Zhuo was speechless. He pulled Zhou Qi aside and said, "Don't say such annoying things here." Just as the two were whispering, Tao Kan stepped forward. As Wang Kuang's trusted right-hand man, he began to explain his strategic plan. Pointing to the map of Jingzhou, he slowly said, "Gentlemen, please look. The Shu bandits have been out of Sichuan for two months now. Their offensive is so fierce that their intentions are completely exposed. They want to first join forces with Du Tao to take all of southern Jingzhou, combine southern Jingzhou and Sichuan into one, and rely on the natural barrier of the Yangtze River to force us to retreat."

"I must say, this move is indeed brilliant. Although our navy is large, once it lands, it may not be a match for the Shu bandits. If time drags on, our army's losses will pile up, eventually leading to a stalemate like the Battle of Hanzhong, and we will eventually have to withdraw."

"Fortunately, the Shu bandits have not yet achieved their goal. Yiyang, Luoxian, and Baling are still in our hands, which has trapped Du Tao in southern Hunan and stopped Liu Xian in Nanping. This prevents the two forces of the bandits from uniting, and there is still a chance to save everything."

At this point, Tao Kan pointed three times on the map and said leisurely, "I think the current war in Jingzhou can be divided into three battlefields: Xiangnan, Jiang'an, and Yiling."

"Xiangnan is the leader of the Shu bandits, and it is also the place where the Shu bandits intend to expand eastward. Once the Shu bandits take over this place, their power will be established and they will be difficult to control."

“Jiang’an is the heart of the Shu bandits, and this is where their main force is located. The longer the Shu bandits operate here, the more difficult it will be to drive them out and eliminate them.”

"Yiling is the tail end of the Shu bandits. It is a vital logistics point for the Shu bandits. The reason why Liu Xian dared to send troops out of Jingnan was because he captured this city, thus connecting Jingnan with Bashu."

"Therefore, our army also has three strategies for these three battlefields."

"First, we should focus our attack on southern Hunan. As long as our army marches south with a large force and eliminates Du Tao first, the Shu rebels will lose their reinforcements and will find it difficult to take all of southern Hunan. They will have to change their strategy. However, this may result in another bitter battle."

"Secondly, we should launch a large-scale naval operation and head straight for Jiang'an to engage in a life-or-death battle with the Shu rebels. As long as we defeat Liu Xian's main force head-on, Du Tao will be unable to hold out alone, so what is there to worry about? At that time, we can take advantage of the victory to enter Sichuan and perhaps even recover Liang and Yi provinces."

"Third, we will confront the Shu bandits and divide our forces to attack Yiling. Once we take back Yiling, the Shu bandits' supply lines will be cut off. Even if they collect grain locally, it will be difficult to sustain them for long. They will have no choice but to retreat to Bashu. Then our army can turn around and deal with Du Tao. The pacification of Jingnan will no longer be a difficult task."

Tao Kan spoke attentively, and everyone listened attentively. After he finished speaking, Zhou Qi secretly praised him and said to Gan Zhuo, "Tao Shiheng is indeed worthy of being from our country. With such strategic acumen, how many people in the Central Plains can compare?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Kuang and the others nodded repeatedly. Seeing that Tao Kan had worked hard to explain, Wang Dao gave him a bowl of honey water. After he drank it, he asked, "In Shiheng's opinion, which of these three strategies is better?"

Tao Kan smiled and said, "In my opinion, attacking southern Hunan is the best strategy."

"Why?" Wang Dun asked again.

"The art of war says that the most important thing in war is to strike at the enemy's weak points and avoid their strength. Now that the Shu bandits have won one battle after another, they are undoubtedly at the height of their power. If our army attacks them head-on, we cannot say that we have much chance of winning. If we attack and destroy Du Tao first, we can at least establish an advantage and use our numbers to overwhelm the enemy. This is undoubtedly more secure."

But those present understood the unspoken message: the synonym for being safe was wasting time.

Therefore, Wang Cheng objected, saying, "Du Tao's power is considerable now. If our army marches south and he retreats into his city and refuses to come out, what will we do? If we get into a stalemate, are we just going to let Liu Xian run rampant across the north and south of the Yangtze River? What if in the end, we destroy Du Tao, and Liu Xian takes down Jiangling and Xiangyang as well!"

Wang Cheng was eloquent and persuasive. Before Tao Kan could refute him, he immediately said to Wang Kuang, "Marshal, the country cannot sustain an army of 200,000 for long. I think we should first send some naval forces to try and fight Liu Xian. Liu Xian's morale is high, and he will not avoid battle. Then we can see the outcome. If it is easy, we will fight a decisive battle with the Shu bandits. If it is difficult, we will send troops to retake Yiling. In any case, we must force the Shu bandits to retreat as soon as possible. What do you think?"

Wang Kuang glanced at Tao Kan, then at Wang Cheng, and felt that both sides had valid points. Tao Kan's strategy was always cautious, but it offered a higher chance of success. However, Wang Cheng's reasoning undoubtedly represented Wang Yan's intentions and could not be ignored. After all, the forces mobilized this time were indeed substantial. If the conflict dragged on too long, not only would the front lines be unable to withstand it, but if it incited a popular uprising in the rear, it wouldn't just be a matter for Jingzhou alone; it would be a matter of immediate national annihilation.

Having considered this, Wang Kuang made a decision. He said decisively, "Pingzi (Wang Cheng's courtesy name) is right. The country is on the verge of collapse. How can we afford to waste so much time? With Wang Ji in Xiangnan, the situation won't get any worse. But Liu Xian has occupied Jiang'an. If he continues to cultivate his territory for too long, he could become a major threat!"

Therefore, the army decided to advance westward to the mouth of Dongting Lake in Baling. Then, Tao Kan was sent with Zheng Pan, Zhu Si and more than 20,000 men to lead the navy to meet with Ying Zhan in order to test the strength of the Han navy.

(October of the third year of the reign of Emperor Qiming of Han) (End of this chapter)