Jinting Han people

In the third year of Qiming, in the last ten months of winter.

Seeing that the winds upstream seemed to be working against him, Jin commander-in-chief Wang Kuang changed his plans. He anchored his navy at the southern mouth of Dongting Lake and divided his forces into 60,000. He entrusted 30,000 troops to Tao Kan, ordering him to attack Yiling by land from north of Jingzhou. At the same time, he divided his forces into three routes in south of Jingzhou, with Ying Zhan, Zhou Fang, and Gan Zhuo as the main generals, each leading 10,000 troops, to directly encircle the rear of south of Jingzhou, attempting to isolate the Han army there.

The first to act in the Jin army was Ying Zhan's troops. He did not rashly mobilize the entire army, but instead crossed the river alone, bypassed Nan'an County, and rushed day and night to the southern part of Chong County in Tianmen County. He secretly met with Tan Zhou, the local Tianmen Yi leader, and then, with Tan Zhou's introduction, went further into Youyang County in Wuling County to meet Hei Qiu, the Wuxi Man King.

The Wuxi Barbarians, also known as the Wuling Barbarians, were named after the five streams that flow through Wuling: Xiongxi, Manxi, Youxi, Yuanxi, and Chenxi. These streams were surrounded by inhabitants of various barbarian tribes, hence the name Wuxi Barbarians. They had lived in Wuling for over a thousand years. Due to their harsh and rugged environment, they were known for their fierce and warlike nature, making them a persistent challenge for southern rulers. From the Chu Kingdom onwards, through the establishment of the Han Dynasty, uprisings of tens of thousands of Wuxi Barbarians frequently occurred, becoming a major financial drain during the Later Han period.

During the late Han Dynasty, after Liu Bei seized Jingnan, he conscripted a large number of Wuxi barbarians as his retainers and rewarded them with the title of Hu King, thus winning their hearts and quelling the rebellion in Wuling Commandery. However, after Sun Quan seized Jingzhou, the Wuxi barbarians rebelled again during Liu Bei's eastern expedition. Sun Quan had to mobilize 50,000 troops and have the Shu Han traitor Pan Jun besiege them for several years, killing and capturing tens of thousands before finally suppressing the rebellion.

Although the Wuxi barbarians have declined, they are still a local tyrant. Ying Zhan had met with Hei Qiu several times before and had a relatively good relationship with him. Hei Qiu could not refuse to see him this time. However, after meeting Ying Zhan, he still clearly showed that he did not want to cooperate, saying, "Lord Ying, the King of Han has treated my family well, and our ancestors had old friendships. I really do not want to go to war with him."

Upon seeing this, Ying Zhan immediately rebuked him, saying, "How can Your Majesty be so disloyal? A true man should keep his word! The iron certificate you swore to me is still here. Are you going to go back on your word today? Does the oath written on it mean it is worthless?!"

Two years ago, Ying Zhan pacified the Wuxi barbarians and, together with Hei Qiu, publicly cast a bronze certificate, declaring, "We will advance and retreat together, bringing prosperity to the land; those who disobey will be reduced to ashes." Now, he produced the certificate, leaving Hei Qiu speechless. Just as the other was at a loss for words, Ying Zhan suddenly drew his sword from his waist and killed Hei Qiu with a single stroke. Then, holding his head, he openly questioned the various tribes of the Wuxi barbarians:

"I made a solemn oath with you all to serve the country together and live and die together. Now the rebels occupy Jiangnan, and our Imperial Jin has already dispatched 200,000 elite troops to wipe them out. Unexpectedly, Black Fur has broken his oath! I have already killed him. Whom will you all side with? You can speak frankly today!"

Although Ying Zhan was renowned for his prowess, his arrival alone, brimming with confidence, greatly shocked the Wuxi barbarians. They dared not defy Ying Zhan, and after much deliberation, considering the Han army's smaller numbers, they ultimately surrendered to the Jin army. Subsequently, under Ying Zhan's command, the Wuxi barbarians launched a sudden attack, counterattacking Yuannan and Linyuan (Changde). Wu Cha, the Wuling Prefect who had originally allied with Liu Xian, was completely unprepared and was easily defeated in a single battle.

At this point, Ying Zhan had opened up the passage from Wuling to the mouth of Dongting Lake. He gathered more than 20,000 troops, whom he had prepared in advance, and then marched north to besiege Lingyang County in Tianmen Prefecture. Tianmen Prefecture was also in dire need of help.

At the same time, he sent the heads of Hei Qiu and Wu Cha to Liu Xian, with pig and dog images drawn on them, in an attempt to provoke the Han generals and show his determination to fight to the death.

Liu Xian had previously underestimated Ying Zhan, thinking him to be nothing more than a defeated opponent, not worth worrying about. However, to his surprise, Ying Zhan dared to take a risky gamble, detouring to the rear of Jingnan, instigating the rebellion of the Wuxi barbarians who had already begun to settle down, and even proactively seeking battle with the Han army. After this incident, everyone in the army was terrified, regarding Ying Zhan as a formidable enemy of the Han army.

As dusk approached, He Pan, Yang Nandi, Li Ju, Li Feng, Guo Mo, Zhuge Yan, and others, all clad in armor, came to the Fanyu Banner to pay their respects to Liu Xian. Even Li Xiu and Liu Lang stepped forward to discuss the matter.

Regarding Ying Zhan's surprise attack on Wuling, everyone present advocated for a siege. He Pan emphasized, "Your Highness, although Tianmen and Wuling are not strategic locations, they are crucial to our army's flanks and cannot be ignored. If we allow Ying Zhan to advance to Nanping, the puppet Jin forces will launch a combined land and water attack, outnumbering us several times over. How difficult it will be to achieve victory! Therefore, our army must defeat him as soon as possible. If we turn a blind eye, it will become a major problem sooner or later!"

This assessment of Ying Zhan was based on his military prowess, while Li Ju's assessment was based on his character. He exclaimed in surprise, "Ying Zhan's daring to venture deep into our territory is truly commendable. Moreover, his willingness to risk his life and persuade the Wuxi barbarians has earned him a good reputation among the people, which also makes him worthy of praise. Brother, the puppet Jin dynasty still possesses such talent; could it be that its fate is not yet sealed?"

Throughout history, the number of wise men in a nation has been seen as a harbinger of its destiny. There are numerous examples to support this: Qi rose to power with Guan Zhong but declined without him; Yan prospered with Yue Yi but perished without him. Even in modern times, there is the example of the Han dynasty, which survived with Zhuge Liang but perished without him. Li Ju's comparison with Ying Zhan clearly demonstrates the importance he placed on Ying Zhan.

Li Feng laughed from the side, "General, you are mistaken. Even King Zhou of Shang had Boyi and Shuqi, and Cao Wei had Guanqiu Jian and Wen Qin. How much more so the Jin Dynasty? Most importantly, the current court in Shouchun is ruled by a hypocrite like Wang Yan. Even if there are thousands of virtuous people under him, they are not in positions of power. The Jin Dynasty is destined to decline, and the Han Dynasty is destined to rise. This is already evident. Ying Zhan cannot see the situation clearly. Even if he has a lot of courage, no one will cherish the pseudo-Jin Dynasty. He will only bring about his own destruction."

His words drew laughter from everyone, easing the tension. Liu Xian, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke:
"What I'm worried about now isn't Ying Zhan, but our army's small size. If we move one, the whole situation will be affected. If the enemy is isolated on this route, we can divide our forces to defend against them. But I'm afraid they're not on the same route and have other plans."

As the commander-in-chief, Liu Xian observed the battle from a holistic perspective. He had keenly realized that Wang Kuang's action was not an isolated case. Otherwise, a rear attack without any flank support would be no different from walking into a trap. Therefore, the enemy must have other plans and wanted to open a breakthrough from other directions.

Li Feng agreed with Liu Xian's assessment, saying, "Your Highness is right. The enemy's aggressive actions must indicate a grand plan. Their plan is obvious; if the puppet Jin dynasty wanted a decisive victory, they would either close in with their navy or launch a large-scale landing on the south bank. Why go through all this trouble? Clearly, their focus is not on the south bank, but on the north. The options on the north bank are limited. In my opinion, the enemy must be trying to tie down our forces, preventing us from rescuing Yiling."

Upon hearing this, the others suddenly understood and agreed, asking Liu Xian whether they should immediately reinforce the defenses of Yiling. However, Liu Xian only considered it briefly before shaking his head and refusing. He already had 10,000 men stationed in Yiling, guarded by Zhang Guang, which should be sufficient to prevent the city from falling for at least two or three months. Reinforcing Yiling would only increase the city's food and fodder consumption and would hardly achieve any defensive effect.

Most importantly, our forces are significantly outnumbered by the enemy's. This situation inherently grants the enemy greater initiative, a fact we cannot change no matter how hard we try. If the enemy divides their forces, and we blindly follow suit, we will only fall behind in every aspect. Therefore, it is better to concentrate our forces and prioritize eliminating one side of the enemy's forces.

Thinking of this, Liu Xian couldn't help but smile slightly. The enemy's deployment was indeed ingenious, but ultimately, matters on the battlefield were not resolved through strategy, but through direct confrontation. Ying Zhan was indeed a rare talent, but he didn't believe that in the upcoming battle, the opponent would abandon his strengths and exploit his weaknesses, and truly gain the upper hand on land.

Therefore, Liu Xian rose from his seat, leaning on the table, and calmly said, "No matter what tricks the enemy has up their sleeve, Commander Zhang's defense of Yiling is not something that can be easily lost. As the saying goes, when soldiers come, generals will block them; when water comes, earth will dam it. Our army must not lose its composure; let's first eliminate Ying Zhan, this invading enemy!" He paused here and asked the crowd, "I intend to send 20,000 troops; who is willing to annihilate this enemy for me?"

Before he finished speaking, all the generals stepped forward to volunteer for the mission.

In truth, Liu Xian already had someone in mind, but he wanted to provoke the other party. Therefore, he looked around at everyone, deliberately glancing past Yang Nandi several times, then shook his head and sighed, seemingly undecided.

Upon seeing this, Yang Nandi was indeed greatly displeased. Unable to contain himself, he stepped forward with his sword drawn and shouted, "Your Highness, Yang Nandi is capable of killing the enemy!"

Liu Xian shook his head and said, "I'm afraid you are not up to the task because of your impetuous nature and inability to think things through before acting."

Upon hearing this, Yang Nandi was first taken aback, then became even more indignant. His dark face flushed red, and he said loudly, "Your Highness, I have some knowledge of both civil and military affairs in Chang'an. How can you be a general without strategy?"

"Ha, when I said think twice before acting, I didn't mean you're reckless, but rather that war is also a matter of public sentiment. Can you really enforce discipline in the army?"

Discipline among Yang Nandi's troops had always been a problem, a fact Yang Nandi himself was aware of. When he heard Liu Xian's words, his face flushed red again, but the words had already been spoken, and he was determined to save face and go into battle. He promised, "Your Highness, please rest assured, if any of my men violate the rules, I will show no mercy! All of you can bear witness!"

Seeing this, Liu Xian knew he had achieved his goal. He had actually wanted to use this opportunity to give Yang Nandi a warning and urge him to improve military discipline. After all, Ying Zhan was highly respected in Jingnan, and if the Han army's discipline was inferior to his, wouldn't they lose the people's support? At this moment, his tone softened, and he said with a smile, "Very well, in that case, the commander-in-chief for this battle is none other than you, Nandi!"

At this point, Liu Xian gently patted Yang Nandi on the shoulder, and then said to Liu Lang, "Fengyao, you should also go to quell this rebellion. Your Uncle Yang is also a famous general. This is a rare opportunity, so learn from him."

Liu Lang was overjoyed and praised him repeatedly, while Yang Nandi was slightly embarrassed but still agreed.

Liu Xian's arrangement was meticulously planned. His main reason for sending Liu Lang to accompany Yang Nandi on the expedition was that he noticed Li Ju had previously shown signs of overprotecting Liu Lang. Although Liu Lang frequently accompanied Li Ju, he hadn't experienced much training. If Liu Lang went on this expedition with Yang Nandi, a change of environment might bring him additional benefits, and with him in the army, Yang Nandi wouldn't be able to break his promise. It would also be a good opportunity to improve his relationship with Yang Nandi; Liu Xian had noticed that, perhaps because of A Die, Yang Nandi still maintained a somewhat distant attitude towards Liu Lang.

Upon receiving the order, Yang Nandi immediately organized his troops in the city. His forces were still mainly composed of the Changsheng Army and the Qiuchi Army. Liu Xian also allocated him a small number of Qiang cavalry and Yulin Army troops, along with ten days' worth of dry rations. Zhuge Yan was assigned to be the follow-up to transport the supplies. The plan was to leave the city early on the third day to relieve the siege of Tianmen County.

Before Yang Nandi could even set off, the Han army received new information, forcing Liu Xian to order Yang Nandi to halt his operation.

It turned out that after learning that Ying Zhan had succeeded, the Jin army, which had been prepared, dispatched Zhou Fang's army and Gan Zhuo's army as planned, advancing east and west.

Zhou Fang's western army departed from Zhijiang. They requisitioned local merchant ships, secretly crossed the river at night, and then sailed upstream, directly attacking Yidu County and besieging Yidao City. The commander of Yidao City was Ji Lang, the Commandant of Yidu, a young officer who had followed Liu Xian into the army since Fengyi. He had fought alongside Liu Xian for several years, winning many battles, and therefore held the Jin army in contempt.

Seeing that Zhou Fang's Jin army appeared to number only a few thousand, while his own garrison numbered three thousand, he selected a thousand elite soldiers to launch a night raid on the camp. However, Zhou Fang's move was a feint; he had laid an ambush behind the camp, surrounding and attacking from both sides, cutting off Ji Lang's retreat. Commander Du Zeng personally charged into the fray, displaying extraordinary bravery and strength, and killed Ji Lang in battle. They then captured Yidao City in a single battle, slaughtering all those who resisted within.

Gan Zhuo's army on the eastern route set off from the mouth of Dongting Lake and suddenly stormed into Nanping County. They set up camp on the south bank of the Li River between An'nan County and Zuotang County, extensively conscripting and levying taxes on the surrounding people. They burned down all the villages and markets they saw along the way, thus cutting off Yi'an's connection with the two counties, and then divided their forces to surround them.

At the same time, Tao Kan's army finally set off. He led 30,000 troops on a land march of 300 li to reach the city of Yiling. He built a long siege wall on the spot, intending to trap Zhang Guang's garrison in Yiling.

At this point, Liu Xian finally understood the Jin army's full intentions. It turned out that Wang Kuang not only planned to capture Yiling, but also, relying on his absolute numerical superiority, he wanted to create a trap for himself and surround him from all sides.

Faced with this situation, Liu Xian was not angry but laughed. He summoned his generals, told them the news, and then concluded: "Wang Kuang is really a bookish scholar. Does he think fighting is like playing chess? Does he think that surrounding them on all sides means winning? With such elite troops scattered, I can defeat them one by one."

He immediately changed his orders, saying to Yang Nandi, "Nandi, you don't need to go to Tianmen. The route back west must not be cut off. Since the enemy is courting death, we might as well seize Yidao first, and then attack Yingzhan!" (End of this chapter)