Destroy Jin and conquer Song, and carry the Northern Expedition through to the end

Chapter 909 Born Rich: Huo Piaoyao

The task Liu Huai assigned was actually quite simple: find some merchant ships and fishing boats, set up large drums on them, and wait until late at night to sneak to the other side of the Bian River, then beat the drums together to startle the Jin army.

Adhering to the principle that if you're going to put on a show, you have to go all out. In order to give the Jin army a big surprise, Bi Zaiyu simply gathered more than fifty inland river merchant ships.

Thanks to the Han army's consistently good relations with the people and its political credibility, and because the Han army did not forcibly requisition ships but instead paid a considerable reward, many wealthy merchant ship owners were willing to lend out their ships.

Don't underestimate the difference between initiative and non-initiative; the dedication of the sailors and ship owners directly impacts the success of military operations.

In the immediate situation, the Han army was in a hurry and could not find out the specific hydrology of the Bian River, but with these old boat owners and sailors around, none of this was difficult.

"Young general, just you wait and see. We are all experienced boatmen on the Bian River. There will be no mishaps."

The white-haired helmsman grinned from ear to ear, giving Bi Zaiyu a carefree and easygoing assurance.

He couldn't help but be happy. Today, the Han army distributed rewards in the way that was commonly used in the army, ensuring that the money would actually reach everyone and would not be intercepted by the middlemen.

The helmsman received a reward that was almost three months' salary, so how could he not be happy?
Bi Zaiyu, holding up a lantern, advised, "It's better to be careful. Even a boat can capsize in a ditch, let alone the Bian River."

Another, younger sailor, seeing that Bi Zaiyu was easy to talk to, asked somewhat nervously, "General, will there be a fight tonight?"

"Little Huang!" the old helmsman immediately scolded, "Why are you talking so much?!"

Bi Zaiyu waved his hand to indicate that it was alright: "Probably not, but don't worry, even if a fight really breaks out, we won't let you fight."

As they spoke, the merchant ships departed the port one after another, quietly approaching the south bank in the darkness.

Bi Zaiyu hung the oil lamp aside, picked up two drumsticks, and waited for the merchant ship to anchor before vigorously beating them.

The general's drum resounded loudly, like thunderclaps from the horizon.

As Bi Zaiyu sounded the war drum to signal the start, the other ships also began to beat their drums and shout, and even the sailors on the merchant ships started to yell and shout.

Caught off guard, the Jin army's camp was instantly brightly lit and bustling with activity.

Upon seeing this, Bi Zai burst into laughter, tossed the drumsticks to his guards to continue beating the drum, and climbed up the ship's tower, gazing at the chaotic Jin army camp in the distance.

"Your grandpa is waking you up in the middle of the night!"

However, after watching for only a short while, Bi Zaiyu sensed that something was amiss.

After the drums were beaten for half an hour, the chaos in the Jin army camp only increased, and even showed a tendency to spread from the edge near the riverbank to the surrounding areas.

The entire Jin army camp was now brightly lit.

"General, something seems wrong." The head of the personal guards also came to the ship's tower and shouted, "Has the Jurchen...has the camp been annihilated?"

Bi Zaiyu was also baffled. After frowning and thinking for a moment, a sudden thought flashed through his mind. Looking at the Jin army camp, he muttered to himself, "...No way..."

Although the Han army has always looked down on the Jin conscripted soldiers and even treated them as non-existent during military councils, they still acknowledge the strength of the Jin regular army.

For example, yesterday, faced with the strange behavior of the Jin army, Liu Huai and Zhang Baiyu, two generals who had fought against the Jin army for a long time, believed that this must be Pusan ​​Zhongyi preparing a backup plan.

At the time, Bi Zaiyu wondered if the Jin army was afraid of fighting, but Zhang Baiyu refuted him to his face.

Now it seems that this is simply because the Jin army was afraid.
However, Bi Zaiyu was still unsure and said to his personal guards, "Send two eloquent men to sail back to the main camp and tell Prince Han about the strange situation in the Jin army camp."

"Also, how many people came in total this time?"

The guard revealed a smile that looked more like a grimace in the flickering torchlight: "There are only six hundred men in total, four hundred of whom are auxiliary soldiers, and the remaining two hundred combat soldiers are distributed across fifty ships. In this pitch black, it's impossible to make contact with them."

Just as Bi Zaiyu was about to say something more, a violent commotion erupted from the Jin army camp. It wasn't a battle cry, but rather a mixture of shouts, howls, and curses.

Then, the huge Jin army camp exploded right before Bi Zaiyu's eyes.

It definitely exploded.

After a moment of stillness, the flames in the entire camp suddenly spread in all directions, the long dragon of torches resembling the tail flames of fireworks bursting before Bi Zaiyu's eyes.

In that moment of stunned silence, Bi Zaiyu suddenly recalled the line of poetry that made Xin Qiji famous throughout the world.

In the east wind night, flowers and trees are bloomed, and the stars are like rain.

"This...this...this is..." The head of the guards stammered.

But Bi Zaiyu chuckled after realizing what had happened: "I guessed right. Could it be... that I really have the makings of a great general?"

Then, the young general with the potential to become a famous general immediately ordered: "You damn well send someone to the main camp right away, you must meet with the King of Han! Inform him of the military situation in the Jin bandit camp."

"Also, send a few more men in small boats to each ship to relay orders: have the soldiers... damn it, the Jin bandits are already in such a state, it doesn't matter anymore! Have the auxiliary troops come ashore too, and kill the bandits!"

After Bi Zaiyu finished speaking, he did not hesitate at all. He took more than ten guards, boarded the small boat first, and rushed to the shore.

On the other side, about 45 minutes later, Liu Huai finally received the definite news and immediately summoned Guan Chongyan and Zhang Baiyu.

After learning the military situation, the two Han generals fell into an eerie silence. After a moment, Zhang Baiyu hesitated before saying, "Could it be a feigned defeat?"

Under Liu Huai's strange gaze, Zhang Baiyu immediately realized what was happening, shook his head and chuckled, "It was my slip of the tongue, how could it be a feigned defeat?"

With things in such a mess, even a feigned defeat has become a real one.

The key question is what to do now.

"My lord, our army should cross the river immediately. Perhaps we can wipe out the Jin invaders in one fell swoop."

Liu Huai nodded, but immediately shook his head and sighed: "Our army only arrived at Wansheng Town yesterday, and there was no time to prepare a pontoon bridge for crossing the river. It will take at least a day or two."

"So, what does the eldest young master mean?"

"Tonight, the Dongping army will first select soldiers to cross the river by ferry. At the same time, scouts will be dispatched to search for crossing points upstream and downstream. Tomorrow morning, the entire army will break camp and set off to cross the river. Let the men get a good night's rest."

Zhang and Guan readily agreed and left.

Liu Huai paced back and forth in the tent, feeling that the more he thought about it, the more outrageous it seemed.

He always regarded Pusan ​​Zhongyi as an opponent of equal caliber, and as the actual swordsman of the Western Jin forces, Pusan ​​Zhongyi never disappointed Liu Huai's expectations, handling both military and political affairs with competence.

How did it suddenly break down completely?

Isn't this some kind of tactic used by the Jin army?
That night, Liu Huai only slept lightly. In the early morning, he was awakened by Yao Buping, who said that an old man from the town was requesting an audience. He knew a place where a pontoon bridge could be built, and even knew the location of the semi-permanent pontoon bridge.

This clearly shows that local tycoons, upon learning of the victory across the Bian River, were so shocked that they immediately took sides.

Liu Huai naturally didn't make things difficult for the old man, but he also didn't see him. He simply asked Yao Buping to take people to verify the authenticity of the pontoon bridge. If it could really be built, then they should take action immediately.

Then, urged on by the sound of drums, the entire army hurriedly ate and watered their horses, donned their armor, and prepared to cross the river.

By the third quarter of Chen Shi (7:45 AM), the semi-permanent pontoon bridge had been rebuilt. Liu Huai took the lead in crossing the Bian River, raised flags on the south bank, and set up a ceremonial guard.

Bi Zaiyu immediately brought Liu Huai his biggest spoils from the chaos of the previous night, beaming with pride and extremely pleased with himself.

Especially when he saw Yao Buping's eyes burning with jealousy, Bi Zaiyu felt as refreshed as if he had drunk ice water on a sweltering summer day.

“Brother Bi, you are truly born into wealth.” Liu Huai also laughed: “You are just like Huo Qubing of the Former Han Dynasty, a young man blessed with wealth and honor by heaven, you can win no matter what.”

Bi Zaiyu scratched the back of his head and chuckled, "Young Master, this is not my skill at all. It is the awe-inspiring power of the Young Master that has intimidated the Jin bandits. They may appear arrogant on the surface, but they are already incompetent inside."

"This humble general is nothing but a fox borrowing the tiger's power."

Liu Huai shook his head slightly: "Regardless of the circumstances, the greatest credit for this battle still belongs to you. Now tell me, what kind of incentive is this?"

Bi Zaiyu pointed to the Jin general kneeling on the ground and said, "This man is called Wanyan Faping. He is the commander of the Jin army, a hereditary Meng'an, and can be considered a well-known general under the Pusan ​​Zhongyi.

Last night, this fellow seemed to have gotten lost, wandering around like a headless fly, yet he still held up his big banner, trying to gather troops. I seized the opportunity and took him down!

Liu Huai nodded slightly and said with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work, Brother Bi."

"Wanyan Faping, do you have anything else to say?"

The general, named Wanyan Faping, was about forty years old. He was tightly bound, but he still managed to kowtow and press his forehead to the ground, saying, "Your Majesty, the King of Han is mighty. This humble general surrenders."

"You should know the rules: are you drawing lots for life or death, or do you want to atone for your sins?"

Wanyan Faping was naturally aware of the eleven-draw method, but he didn't want to gamble on the odds, so he immediately looked up and said, "This humble general wishes to atone for his mistakes with meritorious service!"

"Alright, then start by explaining why the Jin army collapsed completely, and tell me the truth."

Unexpectedly, upon hearing this simple question, Wanyan Faping was speechless, simply looking up at Liu Huai in a daze, seemingly forgetting even his fear for a moment.

Bi Zaiyu thought this fellow was secretly resisting, and immediately became somewhat angry: "Say what the King of Han told you to say right now, or are you really looking for death?"

Wanyan Faping was startled and stammered, "It's not that I didn't want to say, but I truly don't understand what the King of Han means..."

The King of Han defeated Du...Pusan ​​Zhongyi on the banks of the Yellow River, and then sent out scouts to disrupt the morale of the people and the army in Kaifeng. Now the King of Han has even conquered Yangwu and has personally come to the banks of the Bian River...

Our morale is in complete disarray, and we're on the verge of collapse at the first contact. Isn't that... isn't that perfectly natural?

After stammering through his words, Wanyan Faping unconsciously glanced around at the Han army generals who had gathered around him, feeling as if he had just answered a completely nonsensical question.

The Jin army has been repeatedly attacked by Liu Huai from both political and military perspectives. The fact that they have managed to hold on until now is already a testament to their remarkable loyalty and righteousness.

Last night, upon hearing the drums, the Jin army assumed the Han army was about to cross the river and attack. The entire army panicked and scattered in all directions. Wasn't that a natural occurrence? What's there to ask?
Amidst the somewhat complicated gazes of the Han army's civil and military officials, Liu Huai merely shook his head and chuckled, saying to Bi Zaiyu, "Brother Bi, you truly are a great general. The Jin invaders are indeed afraid of us."

Bi Zaiyu grinned sheepishly, but for some reason, he didn't dare to respond.

(End of this chapter)