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Chapter 229 Frontline Situation
In mid-February, a report came back from the Jianghuai front that Zhou Jun's vanguard had arrived in Yingshang and joined forces with Zhang Yongde's troops stationed there.

The Southern Tang had also taken action earlier, with its ruler Li Jing dispatching Xu Wenzhen, the military governor of Yong'an, as the envoy to provide support to the western expeditionary force, leading more than 10,000 troops to aid Shou and Hao prefectures.

Wu Xingde, the military governor of Xuzhou of the Later Zhou Dynasty stationed in Dingyuan, learned of the movements of Xu Wenzhen's troops of the Southern Tang Dynasty and attempted to divide his forces to intercept them, but failed.

Xu Wenzhen led his army directly to Haozhou, and then went upstream along the Huai River, intending to reinforce Shouchun.

This reinforcement force set up camp at the foot of Zijin Mountain, echoing the Southern Tang garrison in Shouzhou City, thus forming a pincer movement against the Zhou army besieging the city on the banks of the Fei River.

Fortunately, the Southern Tang reinforcements were cautious and did not dare to make any rash moves, but only confronted the Zhou army across the Fei River.

Faced with the sudden change in the situation, Li Chongjin, who was the commander-in-chief of Lu, Shou and other prefectures, sent a messenger to report the emergency, saying that his thousands of imperial guards might not be able to withstand the attack and hoped that the court could send troops to support him as soon as possible.

Chai Rong immediately summoned his prime minister and close advisors to discuss the matter and quickly made arrangements—

He ordered Han Lingkun, the commander of the Imperial Guard Cavalry, Murong Yanzhao, the commander of the Left Wing of the Dragon Swift Army, and Zhao Kuangyin, the commander of the Left Wing of the Crane Control Army, to lead half of the vanguard troops to reinforce Li Chongjin.

Zhang Yongde, the commander of the Imperial Guard Cavalry and Infantry, and Zhang Lingduo, the commander of the Right Wing of the Tiger Vanguard Army, were ordered to lead their troops from Yingshang toward Wokou to exert military pressure on the eastern front of the Southern Tang Dynasty and to contain the Tang army's movements.

Meanwhile, in Tokyo, starting in early February, the various units of the Imperial Guard accompanying the emperor on his expedition began to set off in sequence.

Almost every day, troops would leave Tokyo, accompanied by able-bodied men and soldiers who would escort wagons carrying provisions and supplies, making a grand procession southward along the official road.

Although the emperor personally led the elite imperial guards on the expedition, the tens of thousands of soldiers, along with the logistical support team, formed a line that stretched for over a hundred miles.

Such a large army cannot simply set off all at once.

Only the thousands of palace guards who directly protected the emperor's carriage and accompanied the important central officials could be considered the true "imperial guards".

Although the main forces of the other units were nominally under the "Imperial Carriage Camp," their marching routes and times were actually planned and coordinated by the central government with the emperor at its core. They would meet the imperial carriage at designated locations, rather than always traveling with the emperor's entourage.

The day before the emperor's departure, a naval force consisting of hundreds of warships prepared to sail south along the Cai River outside Tokyo.

……

At dawn that morning, before the morning mist had dissipated, banners were already fluttering along the banks of the Cai River.

Li Yi, dressed in official robes, personally came to the dock to see off the Great Zhou Navy, which was about to set sail.

Since last winter, the imperial court has ordered the construction of warships and the excavation of Jinming Pond for naval warfare training. To date, hundreds of ships of various sizes have been built, and a formidable new navy has been formed.

At this moment, the river was filled with boats of all sizes.

In addition to the ships and troops that had already sailed south in batches, this time there are more than a hundred warships of various sizes and more than a thousand elite soldiers specializing in naval warfare, all fully prepared for departure.

Furthermore, the ships were seen to be in deep drafts, their holds filled with weapons, armor, and provisions, and a chilling atmosphere permeated the riverbank.

The core of this naval force consisted of more than ten new warships that had been improved based on Li Yi's suggestion.

They are larger and more sturdier than traditional boats, and the wooden paddle wheels on both sides of the hull gleam with a cold, hard luster in the morning light.

This design was specifically created to overcome the disadvantages of the dense network of waterways in the Yangtze and Huai River basins and the lack of maneuverability of traditional warships, thereby reversing the unfavorable situation of the Central Plains dynasties in naval battles against the south.

Looking out, the sails were not yet fully raised, and the towering masts pierced the thin mist like a forest. Soldiers stood at attention on the deck, their swords and spears gleaming coldly in the morning light.

Li Yi stood on the bank, his gaze sweeping over the imposing fleet of ships. The river breeze, carrying damp moisture, rushed towards him, causing his wide robe sleeves to flutter.

After a moment, Li Yi withdrew his gaze from the distance and turned to the two generals standing solemnly beside him. The one on the left was Li Tinggui, the Left General of the Thousand Ox Guard, and the one on the right was Han Jixun, the Right General of the Valiant Guard.

Both of these men were surrendered generals from the Shu Kingdom. As for why they were here... it was because the emperor appointed Li Tinggui as the commander of the naval forces and Han Jixun as the deputy commander of the naval forces, ordering them to lead this naval force to Huainan.

It must be said that Emperor Shizong Chai Rong was quite "unconventional" in his personnel selection. Even though Li and Han were generals from an enemy state who had only recently surrendered, he still overruled objections and entrusted them with important responsibilities. Not only did he put them in command of this meticulously built navy, but he had also previously participated in the training and development of the Later Zhou navy.

Chai Rong's magnanimity and courage are truly extraordinary; he has truly made the best use of everyone's talents, regardless of their background.

Of course, from Li Yi's "God's-eye view" of history, Chai Rong's actions are not surprising.

In the old history, Wang Huan, the military governor of the Shu Kingdom who was captured by the Later Zhou, was given a military post during the three campaigns to conquer Huainan.

However, in this particular timeline, Wang Huan sacrificed his life for his country in the Qin-Feng War, and thus the hand of fate quietly shifted, resulting in Li Tinggui and Han Jixun being captured.

Li Yi composed himself and bowed to the two men, saying, "General Li, General Han, this journey to Jiangnan is a long and arduous one, fraught with peril on both land and water. His Majesty places high hopes on the navy, specifically to reverse the disadvantage in the naval battles of Jianghuai. I hope that you two generals will work together with one heart and one mind, live up to His Majesty's grace, and uphold the might of our Great Zhou navy!"

Upon hearing this, Li Tinggui's expression turned solemn. He clasped his hands in return and said, "Governor Li, rest assured! His Majesty has not doubted a surrendered subject and has entrusted me with this important task. His grace is boundless, and even if I were to give my life, I could not repay even a fraction of it! On this journey to Huainan, I will certainly obey His Majesty's orders and work together with General Han to drive the warships and clear the waterways. I will not fail His Majesty's expectations!"

Han Jixun, standing to the side, also bowed and clasped his hands in greeting. His voice was slightly lower than Li Tinggui's, but it carried an overwhelming sense of excitement.

"Your Majesty has shown me great favor by bestowing upon me high office and entrusting me with important responsibilities. This is a debt of gratitude I owe you, and I would gladly die to repay it. This time, I will lead the navy of our Great Zhou to cut through the waves and open a clear path for Your Majesty and our army!"

Li Yi then said no more, simply standing quietly on the shore, watching the two board the warship.

At this moment, something came to his mind—at the end of last year, the Shu ruler Meng Chang had sent an envoy with a letter of state to Tokyo, wanting to redeem the captured Li Tinggui and Han Jixun with a large sum of money.

However, Chai Rong was dissatisfied with Meng Chang's self-proclaimed title of "Emperor of Great Shu" in the document, and also wanted to give him a warning, so he did not respond.

After a little thought, Li Yi realized that Meng Chang mainly wanted to redeem Li Tinggui, and Han Jixun was probably just an extra.

The reason is simple: Li Tinggui's status in the Shu Kingdom was far beyond that of an ordinary general. He was a former subordinate of Meng Zhixiang, the first ruler of Shu, and the Shu ruler Meng Chang relied on him greatly, ordering him to command the Pengsheng Konghe Army, which guarded the capital.

In the original historical trajectory, when the Later Zhou Dynasty attacked and captured the four prefectures of Qin and Feng, Li Tinggui led his troops to resist but failed, yet Meng Chang did not punish him.

Instead, he was given important positions such as Commander-in-Chief of the Left and Right Guards of the Emperor. However, due to opposition from both the court and the public, and under pressure from public opinion, Li Tinggui had no choice but to request to resign.

However, he was soon promoted to concurrently serve as Attendant-in-Ordinary and Inspector of Chengdu. He was then reassigned as Military Governor of Suizhou and Wuxin Army, and concurrently served as Inspector of the Military Governor's Office of Baoning Army.

In the historical battle where the Northern Song Dynasty destroyed the Later Shu, Meng Chang appointed his crown prince Meng Xuanzhe as the marshal and Li Tinggui as the deputy marshal, leading troops to Jianmen Pass to resist the Song army.

Meng Chang's letter to Li Tinggui speaks volumes.

Unfortunately, the general who should have been the "pillar of strength" of the Shu Kingdom was now leading the powerful navy built by the Zhou Kingdom, about to cut through the waves for Emperor Shizong Chai Rong's grand ambitions.

Thinking of this, a smile involuntarily appeared on Li Yi's lips.

The fate of an individual is truly wondrous, filled with poignant drama... and he probably deserves some credit for all of this.

Before long, the horn pierced the air, and the cable was released.

The paddle wheels on both sides of the ship roared as they struck the water, their massive blades churning up layers of turbid waves that propelled the enormous hull slowly away from the shore.

Li Tinggui and Han Jixun stood on the flagship and clasped their hands in greeting to Li Yi from afar, to which he returned the greeting with a slight nod.

Li Yi watched the fleet gradually disappear into the morning mist before turning around and leaving the riverbank with his entourage. He then mounted his horse and headed straight for the imperial city.

Tomorrow morning, the emperor will set off, and the army will march forward, its forces heading straight for Jiangnan.

Li Yi planned to finish his official business before noon, then rush home to have a peaceful meal with his wife and children, leaving this last half-day of leisure for his family.

(End of this chapter)