Tiger Guards

Chapter 441 The Changes in Dangtu
A strong wind swept through the area between the Yangtze and Huai rivers, destroying everything in its path.

Yuan Shu successfully withdrew and crossed the river at Yingshuikou, where he gathered troops stationed around Shaopi on the south bank and marched in with his old army.

However, as the raging typhoon approached, Yuan Shu could only halt his army west of Shouchun, and while continuing to gather the local strongmen and soldiers from Lujiang and southern Jiujiang counties, he could only wait for the weather to improve.

However, after he joined forces with Ji Ling and Sun Xiang, epidemics began to spread throughout the army.

After the army, along with the captured officials, civilians, and men and women of Chen County, settled in Shaopi, the epidemic tended to break out on a large scale.

Yuan Shu reacted decisively, braving the wind and rain to drive the infected or deceased officials and soldiers, as well as the men and women who had been brought there, to the turbulent Huai River.

Although the spread of the disease in the camp could not be stopped, it may have been due to the remaining officers and soldiers collecting rainwater. The number of infected people in the camp decreased significantly in the next two days.

Yuan Shu went even further mad, forcibly driving away officials and soldiers who had been caught in the rain, caught a cold, or developed fevers, and letting the raging Huai River judge their fate.

Within two days, Yuan Shu forced more than 30,000 people to drown themselves in the Huai River, as if worshipping the god of the Huai River.

The Huai River basin, as well as the Ruying River system, a major tributary, also experienced rainfall due to the typhoon. After this rainwater converged in the Huai River, it became difficult for boats to cross the river between the two banks.

East of Shouchun, on the south bank of Dangtu, the Huai River, which flows from west to east, suddenly turns north, although it will turn back to the east again in less than twenty miles.

However, this slight change in terrain caused by the turning of the Huai River triggered a mutiny among the armies besieging Dangtu.

Dark clouds gathered in the sky, and rain began to fall intermittently.

The surging Huai River swept in a large number of corpses. Many of the corpses were torn apart by the rushing water, their clothes scattered or collided with driftwood.

The Huai River pounded and crashed against the banks of Dangtu, sweeping many bodies ashore. Many more bodies continued to float and sink in the turbulent waters, pushed northward by the current.

Among the troops besieging Dangtu, the majority were soldiers from the Chen state, and many officers and soldiers found relatives and acquaintances among the corpses.

The main families of the Chen soldiers were also settled in Chen County.

Yuan Shu broke through the siege and brought a large number of his family members with him. Those family members who were sick were forcibly driven to drown.

Upon seeing the bodies of his relatives and friends swept ashore by the Huai River, and then seeing the bodies floating and sinking in the Huai River, Chen Guobing immediately mutinied.

When low- and mid-ranking officers and soldiers were on campaign, they were often kept in a state of information blockade and were not allowed to discuss military or hometown matters in order to avoid creating unnecessary trouble.

With so many corpses of his hometown relatives and friends flowing downstream, Chen Guobing's most immediate thought was that the imperial army, which was suppressing the rebellion, had captured Chen County and carried out a massacre!

Jiang Yue arrived at the shore, his cloak billowing high in the wind, creating a backward pulling force on him.

Looking at the indistinct corpses in the Huai River, Le's legs went weak, and the wind blew his cloak backward, causing him to fall to the ground with a dazed expression.

One of his trusted officers stepped forward quickly, his expression numb, and whispered, "General, the Grand Marshal and the Prince of Chen have made a new oath of peace. Rumors are circulating among the soldiers that after the Prince of Chen was assassinated, we betrayed the Chen state and even wounded the Grand Marshal's brother. The Grand Marshal's current campaign to protect the country and punish Yuan is a pretense; his true purpose is to avenge the Prince of Chen. Our relatives, it seems, are already... dead!"

"Thief!"

Le was too weak to curse. He didn't need to turn around; he could feel Chen Guobing's grief, anger, and resentment behind him.

Since their advance into Huainan, they have been stationed on the south bank of the Huai River, responsible for besieging Dangtu, an important defensive stronghold in western Shouchun.

The latest news the court received was that the Grand Marshal held a banquet to question Cao Cao, during which Zang Hong's former subordinates seized the opportunity to assassinate Cao Cao. Therefore, it is highly likely that Cao Cao's army will be annexed by the Grand Marshal.

The Grand Marshal's style of warfare was swift and decisive. He had prepared to lure and kill Cao Cao, and naturally, he had a backup plan to annex his army.

Gaining Cao Cao's army forced the surrendered troops to launch a forced assault, which is reasonable and understandable to most people.

Just as Le was getting angry, news from the shore reached Liu Xun's camp.

A strong wind blew through the tents, making the tent walls rustle.

A fire was burning inside the tent, and the flames swayed and leaped in response to the wind outside.

Liu Xun frowned and pondered. Seeing his cousin Liu Xie pacing back and forth, which annoyed him, he said, "This is definitely not the work of the Grand Marshal. He came to the Central Plains last year and abducted many people. How could he be slaughtering the officials and people of Chen County now?"

Liu Xie was extremely anxious. If Chen Guobing were to launch a mutiny in a fit of rage, it would be something that his brothers and their seven thousand-plus men could not possibly resist or suppress.

Even if they miraculously survive, Liu Bei would certainly hold them accountable after the Chen army mutinied; Cao Cao was a cautionary tale. There's a danger in resolving this issue no matter what. Crucially, without their army, would the Grand Marshal's offer of defection still be effective?
The court's reluctance to grant official positions to the brothers has severely undermined the morale and cohesion of their troops.

When the brothers were appointed governors of Lujiang and Jiujiang respectively, it proved that other generals of the Chen state would soon obtain official positions as well.

A newly appointed official position from the imperial court is tantamount to clearing one's name and pardoning one's previous crimes of rebellion.

Now, not to mention the former generals of Chen, even Liu Xun and Liu Xie are full of worries. They are concerned that Zhao Da Sima will not be able to make this happen, and they are also worried that Zhao Ji will deliberately break his promise and break his word to them.

The most crucial point is this: the failure to receive official appointments from the imperial court has already fueled discontent among the former generals of Chen, and the situation is already showing signs of spiraling out of control.

The corpses that were coming down the Huai River further fueled the collective rebellious sentiment among the former Chen army.

With the support of the lower-ranking soldiers, the former generals of the Chen state naturally had the confidence to launch a mutiny.

The fact that we're not in a hurry to quell the noise and agitation is just building up the emotions.

When they officially launch their coup, what will become of us?
Without the support of the former Chen army, the Liu brothers' forces could not withstand the attrition of a major battle.

Only by holding onto the old Chen army, supporting and continuing to command the mutinous old Chen army, could they have the leverage to continue negotiating with the court.

Capital is very important; losing the military as capital will mean losing the right to negotiate.

However, if they continue to act so inconsistently, the imperial court will not easily trust them again.

Just as Liu Xie was pacing anxiously, a military officer squeezed in through a small opening in the tent flap. A gust of wind rushed in, causing the flames in the hearth to immediately flicker and the charcoal to glow even redder in the wind.

The tent flap closed quickly, and the officer cried out urgently, "General, the Chen soldiers are gathering in ever-growing numbers, undeterred by the strong winds. Some are already throwing stones into the camp. If we don't respond, they might storm the camp and rebel!"

"Brother!"

Liu Xie strode to Liu Xun's side: "The situation is urgent, why are you hesitating?"

Liu Xun raised an eyebrow at him: "You were the one who strongly advocated surrendering to the court and siding with Grand Marshal Zhao back then, and now you're the one who wants to make peace with the rebel troops. What do you plan to do in the future?"

"I dare not. Whether to fight or appease, I urge my elder brother to make a decision soon."

Liu Xie composed himself, clasped his hands, and bowed deeply.

Upon seeing this, Liu Xun stood up and said to the other guards in the tent, "Put on my armor."

"Here."

Several guards immediately responded and went to the armor rack to retrieve armor parts, while the other guards remained standing near the tent walls, responsible for pulling and stabilizing the tent walls when the wind blew and the tent shook violently.

Outside the main tent, a low wall of sand and earth was built to protect it from the wind, and it is nearing completion.

Inside the tent, Liu Xun, having finished donning his armor, addressed the officers and soldiers: "The Chen army intends to rebel, and I will certainly strike them down. Now that they have pledged allegiance to the court, there is absolutely no reason for them to rebel again. Order all officers and soldiers in the camp that if the Chen army attacks our camp, they shall be treated as traitors and immediately retaliate!"

"Here!"

The officers responded and ducked out through the gaps in the tent flap.

Seeing that many people had left, Liu Xie stepped forward and whispered, "Brother, the Grand Marshal and the General-in-Chief seem to be at odds. If war breaks out, the court's prestige will surely decline."

"We are both from the imperial clan, how much can Yuan Gonglu trust? Even if we lead our troops back to the Yuan family this time, do you think the Yuan family will forgive and forget past grievances?"

Liu Xun asked in a loud voice, questioning not only Liu Xie, but also the core guards inside the tent.

He's not tired of living, but betrayal is something that, for now, can only happen once.

The first betrayal can be explained as being coerced or forced into it.

To make it easier to persuade them to surrender in the future, if you give a relatively plausible reason, they will let you go.

But if they repeatedly rebel, then even a god couldn't save them.

(End of this chapter)