Sweep Yuan

Chapter 227 Another Year of War

Geng Zaicheng's vanguard ultimately failed to capture the Yuan army in Huaining. Yu Que not only personally covered the rear and meticulously organized the retreat, but also twice attempted to use the favorable terrain to organize an ambush. If Bian Yuanheng had not been exceptionally vigilant and had not detected the Yuan army's unusual movements early on, the vanguard might have suffered a severe setback.

After entering Qianshan County (there is no direct road connecting Tongcheng and Huaining), the Yuan army gradually increased its counterattack efforts.

In addition, Wu Liujin sent a message ordering the vanguard to return quickly. Although Geng Zaicheng was unwilling, he knew that it was not a good strategy to go deep into enemy territory alone. So he took the few civilians and supplies he had intercepted and returned to Tongcheng.

It was mid-December, the weather was freezing cold, and people, young and old, struggled to walk.

The north wind was biting like a knife, and the group moved forward in silence. Only occasionally could one hear the low cries of a child, which were quickly swallowed up by the wind.

The scene I saw upon returning to Tongcheng was even more disheartening.

Tongcheng was now a ruin. Most of the houses in the city had been burned to the ground, and some areas still had embers. Black smoke, carrying the smell of burning, filled the air, making one's throat bitter with every breath.

Heavy snow fell from the gray sky, but it couldn't cover up the devastation everywhere.

Wu Liujin had gathered the survivors who had managed to escape near the city's edge and combined them with the civilians intercepted by the vanguard into a settlement.

To prevent another Yuan army attack, he chose a sheltered mountain valley northwest of Tongcheng to build a fortified village. To ensure the safety of these people, he also left Tang He's Third Battalion to garrison there.

Tang He was a seasoned veteran, but his luck had been bad, and he had never been able to accumulate enough military merits. With the expansion of the Fenwu Guard, his unit was upgraded from a Class B battalion to a Class A battalion, and he was eager to make new contributions by defending Tongcheng.

Upon receiving the military order, Tang He personally surveyed the terrain, urged the soldiers to cut down trees and pile up stones to build camps, and took great responsibility for this task.

After arranging matters in Tongcheng, Wu Liujin led his army back to Lujiang. Along the way, most villages were abandoned, fields were covered in snow, and the occasional corpses of the starving lay by the roadside, mostly buried by the snow. The soldiers marched in silence, the atmosphere rather somber.

The battle report of the Battle of Tongcheng had already been sent to Hefei by express courier, and Marshal Shi's reply was quickly returned to Lujiang, but he did not require Zhao Pusheng to come to Hefei as a hostage—because there was no need for it.

Previously, Zhao Pusheng's 2,000 troops were stationed in Tongcheng. They not only needed the Red Flag Battalion to help them repel the reinforcements from Anqing Road, but also had to provide money and food to support the army after the battle. Naturally, they needed to offer enough incentives to reassure Marshal Shi to contribute resources and manpower.

But now, Zhao Pusheng's remaining troops number less than three hundred, and they have already arrived in Lujiang under the "escort" of the Fenwu Guard soldiers.

These people were ragged and their armor was tattered. Their eyes held both the relief of surviving a disaster and the unease of being dependent on others. Whether they were dispersed and incorporated into various camps or escorted out of the country with courtesy, it wouldn't take much effort, and there was no need to hold another hostage.

After the war, Zhao Pusheng also learned from Wu Liujin that Peng Yingyu had fought in various places in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and that the Yuan army was launching a fierce counterattack against the Xu Song regime. How could he stay in the Red Flag Battalion as a "guest" with peace of mind? He repeatedly begged Wu Liujin to send him to pay his respects to Marshal Shi.

Wu Liujin dared not make decisions on his own, and once again sent out a fast horse to inquire about Marshal Shi's opinion.

The messenger came and went, and several more days passed.

These days, Zhao Pusheng felt like he was sitting on pins and needles, often staring blankly in the direction of Chizhou Road to the southwest.

Fortunately, Shishan did not make things difficult for him and quickly agreed to Zhao Pusheng's request to visit.

On the eighteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, a light snow was falling in Hefei. Inside the Marshal's Mansion of the Red Flag Battalion, the charcoal brazier burned brightly, occasionally sputtering a few sparks. Shi Shan stood in the hall, watching the snowflakes fluttering outside, his expression calm.

"I can never repay Marshal Shi's kindness in protecting me!"

Zhao Pusheng is thirty-two years old this year, twelve years older than Shishan. He is covered in dust and his face is full of vicissitudes. When he entered the hall, he bowed deeply without saying a word, his posture was extremely humble, but he refused to make any statement that he was willing to serve Shishan.

Shi Shan hadn't intended to detain Zhao Pusheng as a hostage because he knew there was no immediate possibility of winning him over, so he wasn't angry about it. Besides, one doesn't necessarily have to keep someone under one's command. He immediately stepped forward to help Zhao Pusheng up and said:
"Although we belong to different factions, we are both anti-Yuan righteous armies and should help each other. Brother Zhao, there's no need for such formalities!"

Seeing that Marshal Shi was easy to talk to, Zhao Pusheng felt somewhat relieved. After standing up, he earnestly said:

"We, two hundred and eighty-six brothers, are left in Lujiang, wasting food and provisions. We are truly ashamed. Could you please arrange a few small boats to take us across the river to continue fighting the Tartars? This would also help relieve some of the pressure on the Red Flag Battalion and repay your kindness in protecting us!"

Shi Shan stared intently at Zhao Pusheng—this man clearly didn't want to serve him, yet he made his return to Xu Song sound so noble. However, a forced relationship wouldn't work, and having these two hundred-odd Xu Song soldiers stationed within the Red Flag Camp's territory for too long could easily lead to trouble. He then smiled and said:

"Brother Zhao is unwilling to stay any longer, and I, Shi, will not force him. Coincidentally, I received an urgent report from Jiangnan yesterday, saying that the Right Vice-Chancellor of the Jiangzhe Province, Buyan Temur, has led his troops to advance on Chizhou Road. Oh, by the way, isn't Li Pusheng, who is stationed in Guichi (the seat of Chizhou Road), your senior brother?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Pusheng's expression immediately changed. He abruptly looked up and said urgently:
"Senior Brother Li is still in Guichi?! Marshal, Chizhou is in dire need of manpower. I can't let Senior Brother fight alone. Could you—"

He stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence. Thinking of his own utter destitution, his repeated requests for help yielding no tangible reward, and seeing Shi Shan's smiling face, Zhao Pusheng felt his face burning. He still had some pride, and the rest of his words wouldn't come out. "Okay!"

Ishiyama's answer was unusually straightforward:

"We are all righteous soldiers fighting against the Yuan Dynasty, so it is only right that we help each other. Brother Zhao is eager to return home, so I will not force you to stay. I will immediately order the navy to send ships to escort you back to Chizhou. However, my navy is still weak, so please forgive me if we are unable to provide adequate care along the way!"

The navy's strength was indeed not great, but escorting less than three hundred people was still quite easy. The difficulty lay in not revealing the navy's true strength before the river crossing operation, whether facing the enemy or their own comrades. This meant that Zhao Pusheng and the others had to make do with traveling in some dilapidated small boats.

Having only made a verbal request, Zhao Pusheng was too embarrassed to ask for anything more and quickly thanked them profusely.
"When I return to the Great Song Dynasty, I will never forget to spread the word about Marshal Shi's kindness in helping me."

Shi Shan shook his head inwardly. Why publicize this kind of thing everywhere? Was he afraid his own experiences in Xu and Song weren't "complex" enough? But he didn't show it outwardly. As one of the parties involved, it was best to let things take their course. The more he said, the more trouble he would cause. He simply replied:
"I hope we can meet again someday and join hands with Brother Zhao to fight against the Yuan."

With the matter of returning to Jiangnan settled, Zhao Pusheng felt a great weight lifted from his shoulders, and a surge of pride welled up within him. He clasped his hands in a fist salute and said:
That day will surely come!

No sooner had Zhao Pusheng been seen off than Guo Zongli, the magistrate of the Ministry of Rites, rushed over through the snow to ask how to reply to the envoy from Huainan Province.

This time, the envoy was once again Zhao Lian, the Vice Minister of the Huainan Province, who frequently visited. However, the purpose of this trip was not to persuade Shishan to surrender to the Yuan court, but to explain the matter of the Yuan army in Huainan "starting a war without authorization."

Although the Battle of Tongcheng took place within the territory of Anqing Road, and it was the Red Flag Battalion that took the initiative to attack, it did not prevent Shishan from turning the tables and blaming others.

The former Huainan Province failed to effectively pacify Shi Shan, and the rebel Zhang Shicheng emerged within its borders, proving impossible to eliminate despite repeated attempts. Enraged, the Yuan court replaced the Grand Councilor Xie Zhedu with Tu Simishi. The newly appointed Tu Simishi, before even understanding the situation, was outmaneuvered by Shi Shan.

He could ignore Shi Shan's letter of accusation, but he dared not ignore the Red Flag Battalion troops who were making another feigned attack in Liuhe.

Previously, the Yuan army in Huainan had once again attacked Zhang Shicheng in Taizhou, but suffered another defeat, losing more than 2,000 soldiers. The eastern front was in grave danger, and the western front could not afford any more trouble.

If we cannot anger Shishan, then we must punish Yu Que, who "started a war without authorization."

Yu Que held the high-ranking position of Military and Civil Governor, wielding great power and influence. Even the Provincial Governor could not openly punish him without a legitimate reason.

However, in order to quell Shishan's anger, Tusimishi still sent two boats of grain to Huaining County under the pretext of consoling the meritorious soldiers. The price was to send two thousand Yuan soldiers from Anqing Road eastward. "You, Yuque, have the spare strength to attack the Red Flag Camp. Why can't you send troops to protect Yangzhou, the provincial capital, which is threatened by the bandits?"

Shi Shan didn't really care about these petty actions of the Huainan Province, nor did he intend to attack Huaining County, which was easy to defend and difficult to attack, right now. Neither of these directions were his strategic priorities. He simply told Guo Zongli that "the Yuan court needs to show greater sincerity" before sending Zhao Lian back to Yangzhou.

His gaze remained fixed on Jiangnan.

After the Xu Song army was driven out of eastern Zhejiang, it was locked in a stalemate with the Yuan army in three routes: Chizhou, Raozhou, and Xinzhou. This was by no means in the interest of the Red Flag Battalion. If they crossed the river at this time, they would inevitably suffer a full-scale counterattack from the Yuan army in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, which would only benefit the Xu Song regime, which was in retreat.

Shishan had to continue to feign compliance with the Yuan court until at least the main force of the Yuan army in Jiangsu and Zhejiang entered Jiangxi.

Yu Que's military campaign was like a godsend; the response from Huainan Province also pleased him.

Now, we just have to wait for the next move from the Yuan army in Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

And this step shouldn't take long.

What Shishan didn't tell Zhao Pusheng was that Buyan Temur was no longer the Right Vice Minister of Jiangzhe Province—the former Pingzhang Zhengshi Jiaohua had been transferred for sitting idly by while Hangzhou fell, and after Buyan Temur took over, he immediately gathered a large army to attack Chizhou, clearly showing great determination.

A few days later, Zhao Pusheng returned to Lujiang in high spirits, met up with his old subordinates, and went to Wuwei Prefecture. They then took a boat through the Ruxu River and entered the Yangtze River.

It was late December, and the New Year was approaching. The river wind was biting, and the small boat tossed and turned in the waves. The people were dressed in tattered clothes and could only huddle together in the cabin for warmth.

As soon as they entered the Tongling section of Chizhou Road, they saw more than ten Yuan warships anchored outside the dock, and Zhao Pusheng's heart sank.

Tongling had clearly just fallen; black smoke billowed from the city walls. The Yuan army was busy looting the city and had no interest in the few dilapidated fishing boats sailing along the north bank. Zhao Pusheng and his men passed through unscathed, assuming the Yuan army would need to rest for a few days before continuing their westward advance.

But before the fleet even approached Guichi, sails were already lined up outside the Guichi dock to the southeast – the Yuan army had already besieged the city of Guichi.

(End of this chapter)