Sweep Yuan

Chapter 220 Each with their own agenda, scheming against each other
Since the Red Turban Army under Liu Futong of Yingzhou launched the first attack and was repeatedly defeated, completely shattering the Yuan army's invincible "golden body", in the past two years, war has broken out everywhere in the world, from the northern grasslands to the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, from the hinterland of Gansu and Shaanxi to coastal prefectures and counties.

Almost every month, the capital would receive urgent reports of “a certain rebel attacking a certain prefecture or county.” The officials in the court had long lost their initial fury. After being subjected to repeated torment, they had become almost numb to it and were even too lazy to read the details of the urgent reports.

Zhang Shicheng's attack on Taizhou was unlikely to attract much attention from the high-ranking officials who were busy vying for power and fighting amongst themselves. At most, they would issue a strongly worded edict as usual, ordering the Huainan Province to "suppress the rebels as soon as possible and prevent their spread."

However, for Huainan Province, which was already in a state of chaos due to the Red Flag Battalion's "major counter-offensive," Zhang Shicheng's rebellion was undoubtedly a fatal blow to its core.

Taizhou is located east of Jiangdu City, the seat of Yangzhou Road. The two places are only a hundred miles apart, with a flat plain in between, offering almost no natural defenses.

Although Zhang Shicheng had just started his rebellion and his forces were still weak, he might not be able to directly attack a major city like Jiangdu in a short time. But with such a fierce wolf lurking quietly beside him, no one could sleep soundly.

Even more fatally, of the twenty-nine major salt fields under the jurisdiction of the Lianghuai Salt Transport Commissioner's Office, which was vital to the economic lifeline of the Yuan Dynasty, twenty were densely distributed within the territory of Yangzhou Road and Gaoyou Prefecture, accounting for 70% of the total.

These salt fields are almost all located to the east and northeast of Taizhou.

With the rebellion of Zhang Shicheng still raging, the production and transportation of most of these twenty salt fields will be severely threatened by the rebels, and may even be interrupted.

The current situation in Huainan Province is that a large number of troops are firmly tied down by Shishan in the west. If the conflict with Shishan cannot be resolved as soon as possible, there will be no way to look eastward and quell Zhang Shicheng in the short term.

If we stand idly by and watch this traitor grow stronger, Zhang Shicheng will surely recruit more soldiers and horses, and then he will turn around and besiege Yangzhou!

With the imperial army unreliable for the time being, Shishan, which was "willing to accept amnesty," became the only entity that the Huainan Province could temporarily stabilize and even utilize.

As a result, Xie Zhedu, the Pingzhang Zhengshi of Huainan Province, and others demonstrated an extremely high level of efficiency, quickly reaching the relevant conditions for the pacification of Shishan, and immediately dispatching another delegation westward to Hefei.

Taking into account the time Zhao Lian spent traveling to and from Yangzhou, Shishan speculates that Xie Zhedu made the decision to continue the peace talks almost on the same day Zhao Lian returned to Yangzhou.

In such a short time, Xie Zhedu could not possibly consult the court far away in Dadu, let alone obtain authorization to meet all the conditions for amnesty proposed by Shishan.

Therefore, this peace talk was still just an indicative contact between the two sides based on their actual interests, and it was far from the point where the Yuan court would finally issue a formal decree to offer amnesty and grant official titles.

This relieved Shi Shan, who then sent an order to Fu Youde, the commander of the Zhenshuo Guard at the front line in Liuhe, to allow the Yuan delegation to enter the country.

However, just like when Zhao Lian returned to Yangzhou last time, the mission could not pass directly through the defense zone of Zhenshuowei and had to take a detour by waterway.

Anyway, it's Sei Tetsuo who's in a hurry right now. Ishiyama never really wanted to accept the offer of amnesty, so he's happy to stall for time.

In addition to taking advantage of the peace talks window to intensify military preparations, Shishan also had to quickly find out what kind of dramatic changes had occurred in Huainan Province that made Xie Zhedu so eager to reach a peace agreement with him, disregarding official rules and the possible accountability from the court afterward.

Four days later, urgent intelligence regarding the latest developments in Huainan was delivered by fast horse to the Marshal's Mansion in Hefei, ahead of the Yuan Dynasty's envoy.

"Zhang Shicheng has raised an army and already captured Taizhou?"

Shi Shan frowned slightly as he looked at the secret report in his hand.

He was unaware that Zhang Shicheng's uprising in this timeline occurred three months earlier than the original historical timeline, but that was no longer important. The entire world had already been turned upside down by his appearance, so it was not surprising that another Zhang Shicheng would appear earlier due to the butterfly effect.

The key question is: what profound impact will this sudden upheaval on the eastern front of Huainan have on the strategic layout of the Red Flag Battalion?

Undoubtedly, the sudden major upheaval in the heartland will greatly tie down the Yuan army's forces in Huainan. This will undoubtedly benefit the Red Flag Battalion, which urgently needs to rest and consolidate its gains. This is the initial conclusion reached by the Military Command based on the latest intelligence, which considers this a golden opportunity.

However, Shi Shan, from a higher strategic perspective, believed that Zhang Shicheng's choice to raise an army in Taizhou at this time would, in the long run, do more harm than good to the Red Flag Battalion, and would disrupt his strategic deployment in Huaibei and even the entire Jianghuai region.

His concern was that if Zhang Shicheng gained a foothold in Taizhou and then took control of key waterway nodes such as Gaoyou and Jiangdu, it would be equivalent to completely cutting off the north and south, and the Yuan Dynasty would then enter its countdown to destruction.

At that time, no matter how fierce the internal strife is, in order to survive, they will inevitably be forced to put aside their internal strife and spare no effort to mobilize heavy troops to go south and wipe out the rebel armies of the Jianghuai region in order to open up the canal transport route.

The problem is that Li Zhima is still alive, and Xuzhou remains firmly in Shishan's hands. If the Yuan army cannot capture Xuzhou first, it will be impossible to launch a large-scale southward campaign to quell the rebellion. This is a dead end—unless Shishan completely surrenders to the Yuan court, accepts amnesty, and assists the Yuan army in defeating Zhang Shicheng.

Otherwise, a fierce and unprecedented decisive battle would inevitably break out between the Yuan court and the Red Flag Army over the ownership of Xuzhou.

Zhang Shicheng, however, was able to take advantage of this opportunity to expand his territory and accumulate strength in the relatively safe "rear" while the Red Flag Battalion and the main Yuan army were locked in a fierce battle. He might even have been able to strike again after the Red Flag Battalion's Pyrrhic victory and seize the Red Flag Battalion's territory.

This clearly runs counter to Shishan's strategy of quickly stabilizing Jiangbei, seizing the wealthy lands of Jiangnan, and laying the foundation for his hegemony.

As for whether Zhang Shicheng would attack Gaoyou and Jiangdu, and whether he could capture them, Shishan had no doubt about his ambition and ability to seize opportunities—this had nothing to do with Zhang Shicheng's "feats" in the original historical timeline, but was based on a calm analysis of the current situation:

If Zhang Shicheng wanted to succeed, he had to seize key transportation hubs and important financial and tax centers like Gaoyou and Jiangdu in order to acquire sufficient resources and political capital.

While the rapid rise of the Red Flag Battalion objectively forced places like Yangzhou Road to strengthen their war preparedness and train more troops than in the original historical timeline, the war potential, such as money, grain, and manpower, could not be conjured out of thin air.

The continuous war and the military pressure from the Red Flag Battalion have made the areas of Huai'an Road, Huaidong Road, Yangzhou Road, and Gaoyou Prefecture weaker than they were at the same time on the original historical timeline.

Even without the Red Flag Battalion heavily tying down the main Yuan army forces in Huainan from the west, Zhang Shicheng's chances of success in his uprising were greater than in the original historical timeline.

If given a choice, Ishiyama would rather not have this seemingly helpful "godsend," but who could actually disrupt his entire plan at any time and even ultimately backfire on him.

After clearly weighing the advantages and disadvantages of his own strategy, Shishan quickly summoned Guo Zongli, the Director of the Ministry of Rites, and gave him personal instructions, ordering him to take full responsibility for the negotiations with Zhao Lian's delegation.

Just like last time, after a long and arduous journey to Hefei, Zhao Lian still insisted on meeting Shi Shan in person.

Of course, this time he was genuinely anxious and needed someone's help, so his attitude appeared exceptionally "sincere," even somewhat impatient.

Upon entering the guesthouse, Zhao Lian saw Guo Zongli, who was there to greet him, and immediately made his request.

"Governor Guo, this matter is of great importance. Could you please arrange for me to meet with Marshal Shi as soon as possible? There are some things that must be said to Marshal Shi in person to ensure that everything is in order."

Having learned from the experience of the previous negotiations, Guo Zongli's demeanor had become even more composed and capable, and he handled the Yuan court envoy with even greater ease. His attitude was neither servile nor arrogant, and he responded with a smile:
"Please forgive me, Councilor Zhao! It's really unfortunate that the Marshal has important business to attend to today and has already left the city to inspect the defenses. However, please rest assured, Councilor Zhao, before the Marshal left, he clearly authorized me to be fully responsible for negotiating the amnesty.

"If Councilor Zhao has any needs, please do not hesitate to instruct me. As long as it is within my authority, I will do my utmost to facilitate it."

Zhao Lian naturally didn't believe that Shi Shan would suddenly leave the city at this critical juncture, but the situation was beyond his control. Now, the government troops were eager to stop the war, and the initiative was in the hands of the other side.

He knew that if he couldn't show enough "sincerity" first, he probably wouldn't even get to see Shi Shan. If he were to be effectively placed under house arrest for many days again, like last time, leading to the complete collapse of the situation on the eastern front of Huainan, or even the fall of Yangzhou to the enemy, then he, Zhao Lian, would truly be a sinner deserving of ten thousand deaths.

Left with no other choice, Zhao Lian decided to test Shi Shan's bottom line and appetite first.

He carefully chose his words and said cautiously:
"The memorial requesting an official title for Marshal Shi has already been sent by Xie Pingzhang with the utmost urgency. However, this matter concerns the national dignity, and the court will likely need to hold several court discussions before finally determining the appropriate level of honor."

But the people of Huainan have long suffered from the ravages of war, and with winter fast approaching, if the fighting continues, countless more will freeze and starve to death. Heaven cherishes life; could you please allow our two armies to cease hostilities first, to relieve the people's suffering?

As they spoke, Zhao Lian's gaze remained fixed on Guo Zongli's eyes, fearing that the other party would reject him outright without any mercy.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Guo Zongli's face broke into a warm smile, and he readily agreed:

"can!"

But Guo Zongli only said those two words crisply and decisively, and then said nothing more. He just looked at Zhao Lian meaningfully and smiled without saying a word.

Zhao Lian understood perfectly well that the other side was waiting for him to offer a price for a ceasefire. In such matters, whoever spoke first would suffer, but what could he do when Huainan Province had no other choice? After a moment's internal struggle, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and reply:
"This... Xie Pingzhang has already given instructions. As soon as I return, I can immediately issue an order to lift the trade ban between the two places and allow the people to exchange goods." Zhao Lian attempted to use this as a bargaining chip for a ceasefire between the two sides and to obtain Shishan's acceptance of amnesty.

Upon hearing this, Guo Zongli frowned slightly, a clear hint of displeasure appearing on his face, and his tone turned colder:
"If this is all the 'sincerity' Xie Pingzhang has to offer, then I'm afraid... Councilor Zhao can pack his bags and leave today! My Red Flag Battalion is advancing triumphantly, and we're just going to stop fighting so easily? How can I explain this to the Marshal? How can I explain this to the soldiers who are fighting bloody battles on the front lines?"

The Huainan Province had already discussed the plan to use "private transactions" as a pretext to "donate" a batch of money, grain and supplies to the Red Flag Battalion, and then settle the accounts under the name of "losses in the battles of Liuhe and Guabu".

However, such private transactions should not be brought to the forefront too early. Zhao Lian was well-versed in the rules of officialdom and did not want to easily give away any grounds for "aiding the enemy." But seeing Guo Zongli's posture, it was clear that he had figured out Zhao Lian's weakness and wanted to take advantage of the situation to demand more!
Zhao Lian immediately felt his confidence waning, inwardly groaning, and could only tentatively ask:

"Then... what exactly is your department's intention? Please explain clearly, Governor Guo."

Unlike Zhao Lian, who was timid and had not actually received much authorization, Guo Zongli was much more at ease with Marshal Shi's personal endorsement. He decided to stop beating around the bush, took out a detailed booklet that he had prepared in advance from his sleeve, and handed it to Zhao Lian, indicating that he should look at it himself.

Zhao Lian took the booklet with a suspicious look in his eyes, unfolded it and looked at it carefully. After only a few glances, he was stunned, and then an expression of disbelief appeared on his face.

The booklet was categorized and listed clearly.

It included not only huge amounts of money, grain, salt, cloth and other conventional supplies, but also large quantities of strictly controlled military supplies such as copper, sulfur, alum, raw lacquer, tung oil, feathers, leather, ox horns, and animal sinews, as well as an astonishing amount of various types of timber and other bulk items.

"This...how is this possible!"

Zhao Lian felt a rush of blood to his head and secretly wondered if Shi Shan behind Guo Zongli had gone mad to make such an outrageous request.

Let alone the fact that the Yangzhou treasury couldn't possibly provide so many supplies, even if it did, there's absolutely no way it would be handed over to these rebels! Unless all the officials in the entire Huainan province were determined to surrender to the Red Flag Camp!

He immediately put on a stern face, feigning anger, and asked:
"Did Marshal Shi have no intention of accepting amnesty at all, and deliberately compile this list to make fun of me?!"

Guo Zongli did not answer the question directly, but instead changed the subject and casually brought up another matter.

"Oh, by the way. I've recently heard that things seem a bit unsettled in the east. Apparently, a force has suddenly risen up, making quite a stir, and they've even... captured Taizhou?"

These words struck Zhao Lian like a bolt from the blue, hitting him right where it hurt. He was shocked and his face turned deathly pale.

Zhao Lian had only rested for half a night in Yangzhou before rushing back to Hefei, hoping to reach an agreement with Shishan on the details of the surrender before the news of the fall of Taizhou spread widely, in order to alleviate the crisis of being attacked from two sides by Huainan Province.

Unexpectedly, Shishan's intelligence network was so swift and efficient that its tentacles had already penetrated deep into Yangzhou City. Not only did they know about Zhang Shicheng's uprising, but they also ruthlessly exposed the truth at this crucial moment.

Now they've really got their Achilles' heel and are taking advantage of their misfortune!
Zhao Lian opened his mouth, wanting to feign composure and refute a few words, but found that his side's trump cards and loopholes had been seen through by the other side. He had no bargaining power at all, and all his bluffing seemed pale and powerless in the face of the fact that he was at a disadvantage.

A wave of sorrow and indignation instantly overwhelmed Zhao Lian. The once glorious Yuan Dynasty had fallen to such a state! He, a high-ranking provincial official of the second rank, had been so easily manipulated by a band of bandits? Where was the dignity of the imperial court?
Zhao Lian was, after all, a man of letters who had studied diligently and climbed to his current position through personal merit and hard work. He was a man of temper and ambition, and he could not swallow this insult. His efforts to maintain the status quo and his cautious helplessness were instantly replaced by a reckless and desperate attitude.

He abruptly straightened his back, a resolute glint in his eyes, and his tone became unusually forceful, almost a growl, as he said:
"Hmph! The scabies in Taizhou is merely a result of local negligence! Once the government troops are free to act, they can wipe you out completely in no time! It is you who, occupying the prefecture and connecting the roads, and disobeying the emperor's rule, are the real threat to the court. How can we tolerate such evil?"

Zhao Lian stared intently at Guo Zongli, trying to find a trace of fear in the latter's expression, but unfortunately there was none. He could only continue speaking righteously and sternly:
"If you are thinking of using this to blackmail me and force the court to make humiliating concessions, you should give up on that idea as soon as possible!"

Even in its temporary decline, the Great Yuan Dynasty still possesses a vast territory and a population of hundreds of millions, easily capable of summoning a million armored soldiers! Even if all the civil and military officials of Yangzhou perish in battle and the city falls, you futile foes will be crushed to dust by the imperial army sooner or later!

clap clap clap!
After hearing Zhao Lian's blustering but ultimately weak roar, Guo Zongli was not intimidated at all. Instead, he clapped his hands lightly a few times, his face bearing an expression that seemed to be both admiration and mockery, and exclaimed:

"As expected of Councilor Zhao, he is a man of unyielding integrity and loyalty that I deeply admire. He truly deserves to be called a pillar of the court!"

These words of praise, coming from the mouth of a traitor, sounded utterly absurd and jarring.

Sure enough, Guo Zongli abruptly changed the subject and laughed:

"I just wonder... if our army were willing to return some prisoners of war now, would Councilor Zhao still be so impassioned and speak so recklessly about life and death?"

"What?! Returning prisoners of war?!"

Zhao Lian's brain buzzed as if struck by a heavy hammer, rapidly calculating the hidden meaning behind Guo Zongli's words.

What Huainan Province lacks most right now is soldiers with combat experience. If most of the capable soldiers hadn't been tied down by the Red Flag Battalion on the western front, the eastern front wouldn't have been so vulnerable that Zhang Shicheng could have seized Taizhou overnight.

If we could get back several thousand or even tens of thousands of veterans who had experienced battles—even those who had just been released prisoners of war—as long as we could quickly reorganize, the situation in Huainan would not be so passive and perilous.

After all, it's better to live a wretched life than to die a glorious death! Having received the Emperor's great favor, no one wants to serve the court in a cowardly and incompetent manner.

But why would Shishan do that?
A thought flashed through Zhao Lian's mind, and he came up with a possibility—could it be that this barbarian actually had a genuine fear of the imperial court, and was frightened by his statement last time that "if the grain transport is completely cut off, the imperial court will fight to the death"?

Could it be that they were afraid Zhang Shicheng would become too powerful and cut off the grain transport, thus provoking the court to launch a full-scale attack regardless of cost?

If this is indeed the case, then Shishan's act of releasing prisoners of war is not simply a gesture of goodwill, but more likely a way to divert trouble eastward, hoping that the Yuan army in Huainan will have the strength to extinguish Zhang Shicheng's fire as soon as possible, so as not to burn his own side.

And this is precisely what Huainan Province needs most right now.

In this light, it seems that we can indeed take advantage of Shishan's "concerns".

Zhao Lian quickly calmed his agitated emotions, forced himself to remain composed, and asked in a deep voice:

"How many people can you... return?" His voice involuntarily carried a hint of urgency.

Seeing that Zhao Lian had taken the bait, Guo Zongli chuckled inwardly, but maintained a gentle and persuasive demeanor on his face, saying:

"How much can be returned depends on how much 'sincerity' Xie Pingzhang can show. The Marshal has already given instructions that not only the recent prisoners from the battles of Liuhe and Guabu, but also some of the officers and soldiers captured in the battle of Xuzhou can be returned as appropriate."

"it is good!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Lian made a decision instantly. The most urgent task was to quickly suppress Zhang Shicheng and ensure the safety of the vital waterway and salt fields!

Compared to that, all other conditions are negotiable!
He believed that even if the imperial court found out afterward, it would be willing to make appropriate temporary concessions under such a critical situation.

"This matter is of great importance, and I cannot make a decision on the spot. I must return to Yangzhou as soon as possible to report to Chancellor Xie for a decision!"

After Zhao Lian finished speaking, he brought up the old topic again, saying:

"But before I return, I must see Marshal Shi in person and obtain his promise! Otherwise, there's no point in discussing anything further!"

Such a major secret agreement, which was almost "aiding the enemy," obviously could not be found in any official documents. Without Shishan's personal promise, Zhao Lian would not be able to gain Xie Zhedu's trust when he returned. If the court later turned against him and launched an attack on the Red Flag Camp, he might be convicted of this matter!

Zhao Lian originally thought that Guo Zongli's previous words were just an excuse and that he would definitely obstruct again.

Unexpectedly, Guo Zongli nodded this time, answering with certainty:

"The Marshal has indeed left the city on important business and is unlikely to return today. Once the Marshal returns to his residence, I will immediately report this matter. I will inform the Councilor as soon as I have any news. Please rest at the guesthouse for a while and await good news."

(End of this chapter)