Entrepreneurship in the Late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 238 Rescue
The shimmering waters of Juye Marsh, where mountains and water merge into one another, saw a cavalry force of about a hundred men quietly approaching the eastern shore of the marsh in boats.

Liu Zhijun emerged from the reeds and, with the help of Hu Bing, lowered the warhorse from the boat.

Yes, Liu Zhijun's warhorse was particularly afraid of water. When it was being driven from the deck to the shore, it refused to move forward no matter what. In the end, He Gui suggested using a sedan chair to lower the warhorse onto the shore.

Liu Zhijun felt that the warhorse had embarrassed him, so he decided not to feed it chickens today!
Meanwhile, the remaining cavalrymen helped each other and sent more than a hundred warhorses to the east bank of Juye Marsh. This time, the straight-line distance from here to Xiaqiu in the east was less than three hundred li.

This time, Liu Zhijun secured a mission from the governor: he would lead a portion of the elite cavalry as the vanguard of the entire army to be the first to reach the territory of Yanzhou.

Then the magistrate will lead the main force across Juye Marsh, then into Huan River, and then continue along Huan River to enter the territory of Rencheng.

Yes, Zhao Huai'an never thought of directly rescuing the Yanzhou Navy in Xiaqiu. This had nothing to do with the idea of ​​remaining unmoved when allies are in trouble.

This was the result of Zhao Huai'an's in-depth consideration of the current situation, and a consensus reached with Zhang Guinian and other advisors.

Judging from the current situation, it seems that Xiaqiu, which the Cao army is currently besieging, is the core point of the struggle, but Zhao Huai'an does not think so. On the contrary, he believes that Xiaqiu is now fully playing its role.

What is its purpose? It is to tie down most of the rebel army's forces in the rear.

Conversely, if Zhao Huai'an were to rashly lead the Baoyi and Xuanwu armies into the central territory of Yanzhou, he would not be going to rescue the Yanzhou Navy, but rather to deliver them to their doom.

Based on the intelligence gathered by the scouts of the Baoyi Army, the Cao Army is quite wary of the Baoyi Army in Yunzhou.

In terms of overall troop deployment, the west was weak and the east was strong, which was like a bag. Once the Baoyi Army went in, they would fall into the pocket set up by the Cao Army.

Instead, Zhao Huai'an decided to first arrive at Rencheng in the southwest of Yanzhou.

Rencheng is the core city in the southwest of Yanzhou, and it is still under the control of the Yanzhou Navy. Zhao Huai'an decided to bring the Baoyi and Xuanwu armies here, and after joining up with the local Yanzhou Navy, establish the Rencheng Camp on the spot.

Zhao Huai'an's actions were not about avoiding direct confrontation or engaging in skirmishes; rather, he needed to utilize the Huan River behind Rencheng and connect it with the Si River to the southeast.

Sishui could directly support Xiaqiu, which was besieged upstream, and at the same time, it could go south through Xuzhou and Xiapi, then turn east into Yishui, and finally make contact with the Yizhou camp.

It can be said that Zhao Huai'an's strategy skipped over the gains and losses of individual cities and towns, and instead treated the entire Central Plains as a chessboard, choosing the most crucial position to place his pieces.

Rencheng, which Zhao Huai'an was heading to, was one of the key locations. It could not only coordinate with Xiaqiu in the northeast, but also establish contact with the main camp in Yizhou, thus achieving the goal of joint operations.

Zhao Huai'an did agree to Yang Fuguang's request not to be stationed at the Yizhou camp, but he didn't say he wouldn't contact Song Wei.

Now that the Cao army has occupied the Nimeng Pass and the Laiwu Valley, Song Wei's influence over the various vassal armies in the Central Plains can only be exerted through the Sishui line, which is Rencheng, where Zhao Huai'an is about to move his camp.

Now, Liu Zhijun took the lead in leaving Dayeze and entering the heart of Yanzhou to test the strength and responsiveness of the Cao army in this area.

It's like a boxing match. Before unleashing a powerful punch, you always use a lot of jabs to test the opponent's reaction. Once the opponent relaxes even slightly, you can unleash a straight back punch.

……

Liu Zhijun led over a hundred elite cavalrymen slowly along the path.

As we ventured deeper into Yanzhou, the sky remained overcast, and even the greenery diminished considerably.

During the more than 20 miles of travel, Liu Zhijun saw almost no villages with smoke rising from their chimneys; all he saw was desolation and ruins.

Of course, Liu Zhijun and the others were used to these things, because Caozhou and Puzhou were almost identical versions.

However, as the Baoyi Army gradually drove the Caojun forces out of the two states, some refugees began to return to their hometowns and sow the first batch of spring seeds on the barren fields.

Even though Pu and Cao provinces are still in chaos and these people are living hand to mouth, as long as they are alive, they need to eat, and therefore need to have hope for the future.

I look forward to the crops I plant in the spring, and when autumn comes, I will be the one to harvest them.

To avoid being discovered by the rebel army, Liu Zhijun divided his forces. He ordered his two subordinate commanders to each lead thirty cavalrymen to scatter on both sides, while he himself led about forty cavalrymen to continue advancing northeast.

His goal was to advance to Xiaqiu, observe the battle there, and assess the strength of the Yanzhou rebels.

As they continued deeper into the forest, suddenly seven or eight riders turned and fled in panic from a dense thicket ahead.

The moment the bandit cavalry was spotted, Liu Zhijun's horn sounded, and about ten riders gave chase.

At this moment, Liu Zhijun squinted as he watched his cavalrymen chase after them, but did not stop them.

He wasn't worried that this was a trap set by the enemy, because the open field was completely exposed, with no cover except for that grove of trees.

Sure enough, as the dozen or so Flying Tiger Riders rushed out, chasing after them, they caught up with the band of grass soldiers in less than a quarter of an hour.

Clearly, the cavalry of that herd was also on some unknown mission, as their horses were severely worn out.

Just as they were about to be caught, the herdsmen cavalry circled back from both sides, preparing for a desperate fight.

Unfortunately, the most important factor in cavalry warfare is the physical condition of the warhorse.

Therefore, knights would never ride their warhorses on ordinary days, and they would give the warhorses extra food at night so that the warhorses could release their full energy at the most critical moment.

So when the horses of these bandits could no longer run, their counterattack became quite laughable.

The Flying Tiger Knights easily tore through the uniforms of these grass soldiers with their lances, and then began a massacre, because the enemy had lost their horses and the rebounds from their opponents were barely audible.

In just a moment, most of the cavalrymen were killed by spears, and the rest were knocked off their horses. Finally, with spears and swords pressed against their throats, they knelt down and surrendered.

Soon, two Flying Tiger Knights dragged a young Grass Army Knight to Liu Zhijun.

The grass-clad knight glanced at the Tang general draped in Shu embroidery before him and said, trembling:

"I want to live. I'll tell you everything you want to know, I just hope you'll spare my life."

Liu Zhijun pursed his lips, lamenting that not a single man was among the common soldiers.

Suddenly, the grass army knight leaped up, trying to knock Liu Zhijun off his horse, but before he could even get off, his neck was grabbed.

Liu Zhijun, with one arm gripping the man's throat, said contemptuously:

"He's got guts!"

The soldier's face was flushed, his lips growing increasingly blue, and he struggled, his mouth agape, barely audible.

"I'll splatter your blood even if it kills me!"

Liu Zhijun was stunned for a moment, then exerted force with his right arm. Even though the soldier struggled to push with both hands, his hand remained as solid as iron and did not budge.

Two breaths later, the man kicked and released his legs, defecated and urinated, and finally died.

Liu Zhijun tossed the man aside, then shouted to the remaining prisoners of war:

"Tell me, who wants to die, and who wants to live?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the three remaining soldiers slowly knelt on the ground, burying their heads in the grass, not daring to look at the angry eyes hanging on the corpses of their comrades.

……

On the vast and boundless Juye Marsh, hundreds of ships are traversing this enormous lake, and the water pirates who previously ravaged the marsh have all vanished without a trace.

In the past, no amount of fleet size could stop the pirates from plundering; on the contrary, it would only fuel their greed.

But today, when that fleet hoisted countless "Protect Justice" flags, all the pirates fell silent in fear.

Since the Baoyi Army entered the Central Plains, these bandits from Dayeze had heard of the army's formidable reputation from time to time.

First, they defeated Cao Shixiong, the chieftain of the bandit army in Puzhou, at Yuanju, shocking the Central Plains in one battle; then they attacked Caozhou and defeated the bandit leaders, pacifying Caozhou; subsequently, they swept through Yunzhou, dominating three prefectures. All of this was done by this Tang army. With such outstanding military achievements, would they dare to show their faces?
So don't say that even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake. When a truly powerful dragon passes through, the small fry don't even dare to breathe loudly.

At this moment, in the middle of the fleet, a three-story-high ship, surrounded by stars, pressed against the waves, cutting through the waves like a sharp sword.

Standing on the deck, Zhao Huai'an looked at the division and brigade he had built with his own hands, and a surge of pride rose in his heart.

Although he had inspected his troops countless times, Zhao Huai'an still couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion whenever he saw this dark mass of his officers and soldiers. Perhaps this was the pursuit ingrained in a man's bones.

Beside him, Zhang Guinian and a group of his staff followed, letting the lake breeze on the deck ruffle their robes.

Seeing that Zhao Huai'an was almost finished drinking, Zhang Guinian stepped forward, bowed, and asked:

"My lord, the latest battlefield intelligence has arrived from Yizhou via the Sishui line. Just six days ago, Xintai City was captured by the Cao army. The city's magistrate and military commander managed to break through the siege to Yizhou before the city fell, and were then beheaded by the newly appointed military governor of Taining, Qi Kerang."

Zhao Huai'an nodded, offering no further comment, but instead said with considerable appreciation:

"That Qi Kerang has quite a reputation lately. It's said that he broke through three enemy lines outside Yizhou City and even killed one of their cavalry generals. Judging from his attitude towards his subordinates, he's quite decisive and ruthless. It seems he might actually be able to hold onto his position as military governor."

At this moment, no one on the deck felt that there was anything wrong with how the governor, who was only a prefect, could evaluate the military governor, who was several ranks higher than him and was almost at the pinnacle of military men.

Based solely on his current military achievements, our lord is already qualified to serve as a military governor, but he has lofty ambitions and does not wish to go to a remote town.

But that's true; a real man should stand at the highest point and do his best in everything he does.

After Zhao Huai'an finished commenting on Qi Kerang, he suddenly sighed:
"Old Qi is said to be a brave general from the Northwest Town, and from the Boye Army. Doesn't that mean he was a colleague of Old Zeng? I wonder what happened to all those friends from the past."

Then he said to Zhao Liu, who was standing next to him:

"Sixth brother, you should also keep an eye on this. Why haven't we received a single reply to the letters I've sent to my elder brother in Chengdu lately? If you don't like it, go find someone to make an errand to Chengdu. My son is due to give birth soon, so I want to send my elder brother the good news."

Zhao Liu nodded and kept this in mind.

After giving these instructions, Zhao Huai'an said to Zhang Guinian:
"Old Zhang, what's your take on the current situation?"

Zhang Guinian bit his lip, organized his thoughts, and then cautiously said:
"From the current perspective, the situation in Yizhou is not very optimistic."

As he spoke, Zhang Guinian had someone pull the map screen behind him onto the deck, then pointed to Xintai and said:

"My lord, now that Xintai has fallen, the pressure on Yizhou will actually become even greater. Previously, the Cao army only put pressure on the various armies in the campaign through the Nimeng Pass, so the various armies basically built their defenses along the Yi River and the surrounding mountain ranges."

"But now? After the Cao army breaks through Xintai, they can easily infiltrate the Yishui area to the east through the mountain paths between Yishan and Mengshan. At that time, they can completely bypass the outer mountain fortifications and directly attack the east of Yizhou from the north and south along the Yishui River. At that time, I can't think of any way that Marshal Song can save Yizhou from falling."

Looking at the map and combining it with his location from his previous life, Zhao Huai'an already had a clear picture of the specific geography of that region in his mind.

He strongly agreed with Zhang Guinian's view, nodded, and then asked Zhao Juntian, the military advisor:
Where has the advance force arrived now?

After proving his worth, Zhao Juntian was placed in the position of military advisor by Zhao Huai'an to hone his skills.

He could tell that Zhao Juntian was a man of some strategy, but he was still a bit too narrow-minded. Moreover, because he didn't understand the army and the Baoyi Army very well, some of his strategies were a bit out of touch with reality.

Therefore, Zhao Huai'an specifically arranged for him to engage in practical work, so that he could see how an army actually operates.

Zhao Juntian did very well; after only a moment's thought, and considering the fleet's speed, he replied:
"Wudang and Jindao should have left Juye Marsh and entered the vicinity of Huan River."

Zhao Huai'an nodded, then gave the order:
"Find a fast sailboat and immediately chase after Old Huo. Tell them that the team has many flags and drums, making it look like the main force is moving. Make a big show of it for me. Then continue to Rencheng, but remember, do not make contact with the city. Only build camps on the shore. I will allow him to raise my flag."

Pei Desheng, the military advisor, quickly wrote the order, then had Zhao Huai'an confirm it before handing it over to a guard below deck. He would lead his men to carry out this military task and relay the orders to the front.

Upon hearing Zhao Huai'an's order, the staff and strategists on deck all showed surprise and doubt. Among them, Yuan Xi took the initiative to ask:

"My lord, are we not going to Rencheng?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Huai'an laughed heartily, then said boldly:
“I never intended to go to Rencheng. For me and for our Baoyi Army, it has always been that wherever the enemy is, we will rush there. Since I can see that the Cao army has set up an ambush in Xiaqiu, I have a hundred ways to break them and even turn their plans against them.”

Yuan Xi and the others remained silent, clearly surprised that the magistrate had not informed them of this matter beforehand.

After all, all their previous plans were centered around Rencheng.

Zhao Huai'an noticed everyone's lack of understanding and further explained:

"Military tactics are not fixed, just as water has no constant shape. The art of war lies in the mind. There are certainly many advantages to going to Rencheng, but the situation has changed. We originally thought that, according to the past pace, the Battle of Yizhou would continue for at least several months, but now it seems that this number will be greatly reduced. There are capable people in the army, and it is not simply fighting a dull battle."

"If Yizhou falls, then no matter how well we hold out in Rencheng, it will be meaningless. There are countless things in the world, but only a few are crucial. Only by identifying these crucial things and then focusing all our efforts on them can we achieve results."

"With the fall of Xintai in the northwest of Yizhou, Yizhou has effectively fallen into the encirclement of the Cao army. Now, the only thing the Cao army needs to worry about is Xiaqiu behind them. Once they break through Xiaqiu and are completely free of worries, they will definitely launch a full-scale attack on Yizhou."

"Therefore, at this stage, the most crucial people and things are Xiaqiu City, which is less than 300 miles away from us."

"Originally, the Cao army was naturally wary of me, but now I'm using feints and real attacks. How can the Cao army possibly discern the direction of our main attack? Now, we are going to be like a sharp sword, piercing straight into the heart of the Cao army outside Xiaqiu City."

But after listening, Zhang Guinian asked with considerable concern:

"But Xiaqiu City has been besieged for more than ten days. Can we still wait for their rescue?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Huai'an also fell silent, because he couldn't answer the question either.

He looked out over the Juye Marsh, where Xiaqiu City was located.

Did Xiaqiu City ever hold out in history?
……

Xiaqiu City, three hundred li away from Zhao Huai'an's fleet.

With another muffled blast of the bugle, a mounted general of the peasant army lashed out with his whip and roared at the hundreds of soldiers behind him:

"attack!"

At this command, the five flag bearers behind him each hoisted a flag and then led a hundred men to charge fiercely toward the second line of defense outside Xiaqiu City.

This was the third day of the Cao Army's formal attack on the Cao Army, and also the last day of the deadline given by General Liu Yanzhang for breaching the city.

If we fail to capture Xiaqiu City today, Liu Yanzhang is truly capable of anything.

Therefore, the many commanders and junior commanders dared not hold back any longer and launched a fierce attack immediately after breakfast this morning.

But things weren't as simple as Liu Yanzhang's harsh words. The new acting governor of the city, Li Xi, was clearly capable. After the first line of defense was breached, he immediately dispatched 500 elite soldiers to the second line of defense and successfully stabilized the battle line.

At this moment, there are seven or eight other units on the battlefield, just like these hundreds of soldiers, who are also charging towards the Yanzhou Navy's fortifications under the urging of the bugle.

These people, carrying flags, charged forward shouting and cursing all the way.

Just then, a cavalry force suddenly emerged from within a fortified position, led by a cavalry general, and headed straight for the enemy army.

This Yanzhou naval cavalry charge only needed one charge to break the momentum of the massive grass army attack.

On the massive chariot, Liu Yanzhang was not so angry. Instead, he raised another small flag, and then the drums below sounded loudly once again.

Accompanied by the sound of drums, a new army of peasants assembled once again and then marched toward the second line of defense.

Without stopping for a moment, a new round of attacks began.

　I'll write a bit more this week to get back on track with the updates. There'll be one more chapter today, and then the climax of this volume, the Battle of Yizhou, will follow. Stay tuned!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)