Sweep Yuan

Chapter 238 The Siege of the Fortress Was Unstoppable

If it were in Jiangbei, leading tens of thousands of troops from one of the administrative centers to make a long march to another administrative center of the opposing camp would take at least half a month, even if there was no fierce resistance from the enemy along the way.

However, in the Jiangnan region, with its dense network of waterways and numerous cities, if things go smoothly, this process could be shortened to just a few days.

Such a significant difference was not due to the superior transportation conditions in Jiangnan, which facilitated military marches. Rather, it stemmed from the vast territory of the Yuan Dynasty, where the economic structures, geographical environments, and political traditions of its various regions differed greatly, leading to drastically different management models.

For example, the administrative divisions of Jiangnan and Jiangbei are significantly different, and Jiangbei and Mobei are completely different.

In terms of the "circuit" level, which is second only to the province, most of the circuits in Jiangbei were "branch circuits" and "military defense circuits," which had the dual functions of military defense and civil administration.

Furthermore, at the beginning of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty, the Jiangbei region had experienced war and famine, resulting in a generally low population density, sparse city distribution, and limited tax revenue. In order to reduce administrative costs, the jurisdiction of each region was usually drawn to be quite extensive.

For example, Luzhou Road, under the jurisdiction of the Red Flag Camp, had three prefectures and eleven counties (including three roads and counties adjacent to the prefectures), totaling eleven cities; Yangzhou Road was even larger, with five prefectures and eleven counties (including six roads and counties adjacent to the prefectures), totaling twelve cities.

These two routes are insignificant compared to the Dadu Road, which governs ten prefectures and twenty-two counties.

In contrast, the circuits in Jiangnan were mostly "regional defense circuits" and "regional patrol circuits," whose functions focused more on civil administration and tax collection. Although their jurisdictions were relatively small, their population density was high, and they held a relatively important economic position in the Yuan Dynasty.

For example, Taiping Road only governed three counties; Jiqing Road, although known as a military and political stronghold in Jiangnan, actually only governed three counties and two prefectures, totaling four cities (including two counties with outlying cities); and Changzhou Road and Guangde Road, which are adjacent to Jiqing Road, are even more exaggerated, each governing only two counties (prefectures).

In the agrarian era, grassroots uprisings usually broke out in a certain place at first, and then grew rapidly by constantly recruiting young men and women. They then acquired military equipment by attacking prefectures and counties, thus training a fighting army.

By repeatedly opening granaries, coercing able-bodied men, and attacking prefectures and counties, the momentum would soon become unstoppable.

Therefore, in the early stages of a grassroots uprising, the standing military force possessed by the "Lu" level administrative institutions that directly manage the prefectures and counties will directly determine whether they can quickly extinguish the flames of resistance within their territory.

Clearly, the Jiangbei circuits, which combine military and civil functions and have more cities to serve as strongholds for counterattacks, have an inherent advantage over the Jiangnan circuits, which focus on civil administration and taxation.

In the early stages of the Red Turban Rebellion, Luzhou Road in Jiangbei, relying solely on its own strength, not only blocked the "Peng Zu Family" uprising that broke out simultaneously in multiple locations within its territory, repeatedly defeated its attacks, but also eventually divided the "Peng Zu Family" into Hanshan and Wuwei.

When the Red Flag Battalion marched south, further encroaching on the development space of the "Peng Zu family," Peng Yingyu had no choice but to lead his remaining troops across the Yangtze River. However, they were able to quickly break through Chizhou Road and open up the situation in a very short time.

While the main force of the Jiangzhe Province was being transferred to Jiangxi, Huguang and other places to suppress the Xu Song regime, Jiangning City strengthened its defenses after the Yuan court issued the "city repair order" and consciously stationed some troops on Jiqing Road to guard against a surprise attack by the Red Flag Battalion crossing the river.

However, this defense system was still very weak, and the garrison on Jiqing Road was severely understaffed, so they could only rely on the favorable terrain around Jiangning City for key defenses.

Furthermore, because the Red Flag Battalion advanced so quickly, the Yuan army in Jiqing Road had just received the urgent military report from Taiping Road and had not yet had time to mobilize troops to join forces with the Taiping Road garrison to attack the Red Flag Battalion troops crossing the river from both inside and outside. Caishiji and Dangtu City fell one after another.

The Red Flag Battalion has so quickly established a forward position in Jiangnan and can now break into Jiqing Road at any time. Before the total number of Red Flag Battalion troops and their specific actions are known, Jiqing Road dares not easily mobilize its troops.

They could only maintain their existing troop deployment, attempting to rely on favorable terrain and pre-built fortified villages to block the Red Flag Battalion's advance layer by layer, hoping to buy precious time for reinforcements from various places to gather and counterattack the Red Flag Battalion.

Because the Red Flag Battalion advanced much faster than the Yuan army had anticipated, when Chang Yuchun led the vanguard to Jiangning Town, the garrison had not yet been organized.

The first stockade was breached by Feng Guosheng's troops in a surprise attack before the gates could even be closed.

The second fortress managed to close its gates in time, but the guards were mostly local militia temporarily recruited. They were not only short of weapons and armor, but also had extremely weak fighting spirit. How could they withstand the fierce attack of the battle-hardened and ferocious Qingri Guard soldiers?
The vanguard took less than two hours in total to capture the two stockades in Jiangning Town. Most of that time was spent counting the spoils and identifying prisoners; the actual fighting itself was rather lackluster.

Therefore, when Chang Yuchun wrote the report of victory to Shishan, he didn't even bother to describe the details of the battle, but simply stated the results of the battle and the number of enemies killed and captured.

After a brief rest in Jiangning Town, Chang Yuchun led the main force to continue eliminating Yuan army strongholds outside Jiangning City.

Prior to this, he had forced the captured local militia to demolish the dilapidated second fortress wall at the village gate. Subsequently, he gathered all the prisoners of war into the first fortress for unified management.

Chang Yuchun also sent people to select some "activists" who showed obedience from among the prisoners of war, and reorganized all the prisoners of war, leaving a battalion of soldiers to guard them, waiting for the main force to come and take them over.

In fact, after the battles of Caishiji and Dangtu, the Red Flag Battalion captured more than 4,000 prisoners of war.

With so many young men who had undergone military training, they certainly couldn't be released easily, and the Red Flag Battalion, unlike other rebel armies, didn't need to rely on recruiting defectors to quickly expand its ranks. How to deal with these prisoners of war became a thorny problem.

Fortunately, the Red Flag Battalion mobilized a sufficient force to send troops to Jiangnan this time, which was able to allocate a portion to control the newly occupied areas and absorb prisoners of war.

Dangtu County was the starting point for the army's advance into Jiangnan, and it could not be lost. It was necessary to stabilize the morale of the people here, transport food and supplies for the army, and digest a large number of prisoners of war. Only capable people could guard this place.

Shishan ultimately selected Mao Gui as his military advisor.

This man was originally a centurion under Sesame Li. He started from a very low position, but he was extremely good at learning.

After Shishan unearthed him, he first experienced the battle of the Battle of Xuzhou, and then studied closely at the Military Command for a long time. He found that Mao Gui was good at both military and political affairs, and what was even more rare was that he also had a global perspective.

Among the current mid-level officers of the Red Flag Battalion, Bian Yuanheng has shown similar talent. They are rare talents in both civil and military affairs in this era and deserve to be given more responsibilities so as to improve their comprehensive abilities as soon as possible and strive to be able to take charge independently.

Shishan granted Mao Gui a temporary position as the commander-in-chief of the army and left him with 4,000 troops, allowing him to take charge of civil administration and develop in all aspects. At the same time, he appointed Wang Guangyang as the magistrate of Dangtu County to assist Mao Gui in securing the army's rear and to continue to be responsible for identifying and processing prisoners of war.

The Yuan court had lifted the ban on local militias, and when there was an emergency in various places and there was a shortage of regular troops, local militias would be recruited in large numbers to respond to the crisis.

However, these temporarily recruited "volunteer soldiers" generally had poor military discipline and could only be used as cannon fodder in emergencies. Local officials both used and guarded against these people, and without training them, they dared not let them enter the city to assist in defense.

Jiqing Road alone has over 200,000 registered households, totaling more than one million people. In the era of cold weapons, having able-bodied men meant having soldiers. Regardless of their combat effectiveness, how to deal with these armed local militia after the war would be a huge problem.

Before the battle, the Military Command estimated, based on the population and economic situation of Jiqing Road, that the final number of prisoners of war might be as high as 30,000 to 40,000.

Therefore, in the pre-war phased river crossing plan, non-combat personnel such as the combat training battalion were arranged in the second phase of the river crossing. They would assist the personnel remaining in Dangtu, Jiangning Town and other places in identifying and converting prisoners of war.

The focus of the screening work was on the leaders of these local militia, and the principle was not complicated: anyone who oppressed the lower-level militia, committed evil deeds, or caused great public resentment should be executed on the spot; the rest should be used with caution and strictly guarded.

In chaotic times, harsh measures must be used, especially in newly occupied territories; without killing, it is impossible to establish authority.

But this move had a deeper purpose—most of the leaders of these militia groups were local gentry and powerful families who owned a lot of land, houses and estates. That's why they were the most active in suppressing the rebels and were the reactionary forces that the Red Flag Battalion needed to focus on cracking down on.

Only by eliminating these people can Shishan openly confiscate their property to support the army and govern the people, thus laying a solid economic foundation for the new regime to establish itself in Jiangnan.

The process of conquering occupied territories does not involve waiting until the city is breached and then sitting in the government office assigning tasks step by step.

The capture of Jiangning City merely confirmed the Red Flag Battalion's military control over the area; prior to that, Shishan had to exert considerable effort to consolidate his power base outside the city and reshape the power structure of Jiqing Road to ensure absolute control over the region. Winning over the hearts and minds of the people was, in fact, a more important task than conquering the city.

This is also one of the reasons why Shishan insisted on taking Dangtu first, and then ordered Xu Da, Hu Dahai, and Wang Bi to attack and destroy the Longwo navy, and capture the three cities of Lishui, Liyang, and Jurong.

Only by blocking all external access points on Jiqing Road could he focus on internal affairs and implement his policies.

Once the most reactionary leaders of the local militia were dealt with, the ordinary villagers below them became much easier to handle.

The method was quite simple. Shishan had used it when he first assembled his troops at Chulan Station; later, when he captured Wuhe City and was in a hurry to return to Hong County, he also used an improved method. He was already very familiar with it.

It was simply a matter of exploiting the inevitable internal conflicts within the militia, first inciting the lower-level villagers to fight against the lackeys of the wealthy, thus dividing and disintegrating their organization and eliminating unstable factors within the ranks.

Then, the best and strongest local militiamen were selected and sent to the combat training camp for intensive training before being added to the Red Flag Battalion.

Shishan had no intention of sending the remaining militiamen back to their hometowns.

Their original organization must be completely dismantled, and the wounded and retired veterans of the Red Flag Battalion should be led by some outstanding individuals to manage the village themselves. The families of the local militia should also be brought in to rebuild the village.

The land for resettling them was readily available—a portion of the land previously confiscated from the militia leaders of the local militias was sufficient.

Once these people personally experience that following the Red Flag Battalion means having land to cultivate, food to eat, and a life that gets better day by day than before, they will consciously become the first and most steadfast supporters of the Red Flag Battalion in establishing itself in Jiangnan.

Therefore, Shishan did not care how many local militia the Yuan army of Jiqing Road had trained during this period, and even thought it would be better to organize all the able-bodied people into local militia.

That way, he could more legitimately reform these captured local militia and completely destroy the old ruling foundation of Jiqing Road.

Unfortunately, this is not possible.

Although the Yuan court lifted the ban on local militias, the number of official titles such as "righteous army" marshal, commander of ten thousand households, and commander of a thousand households issued was fixed, and it was impossible to allow local governments to expand their troops at will.

The leaders of the local militia, who had to pay for their own troops, also had to consider the cost and dared not take too many men, lest they bankrupt themselves.

Guided by this contradictory mentality, the newly trained militia forces generally had low combat effectiveness and were unfit for important tasks. By the time Shi Shan led the main force of the central army to Jiangning Town, Chang Yuchun's vanguard had already captured Banqiao and Guli, and sent back messengers with orders.

"Report—Marshal! The vanguard has captured Banqiao and Guli towns, breached two Yuan army militia camps, killed 256 enemy soldiers, and captured 1,928. Commander Chang has taken advantage of the victory to lead his troops to attack the enemy's Niushou Mountain fortress!"

Although the highest point of Niushou Mountain is only about 70 zhang (about 230 meters), it is not an independent mountain peak, but a continuous mountain range covering a wide area.

Before the battle, the military advisors of the Military Command studied the terrain around Jiangning City and believed that the three areas outside the city most likely to be used by the Yuan army to concentrate troops were Niushou Mountain, Fang Mountain and Zhong Mountain.

Among them, Niushou Mountain has the largest area and the most complex terrain, making it the best place to garrison a large army.

Although the militia forces of Taiping and Jiqing are not as strong as the Red Flag Battalion at present, many ants can kill an elephant. If the enemy forces hold their ground by taking advantage of the terrain, they may still cause considerable casualties to the Red Flag Battalion, which has been fighting continuously.

Shi Shan was somewhat worried about Chang Yuchun's swift attack and asked:
"Captain Yin, have you investigated how many troops are stationed inside Niushou Mountain Fortress?"

The cavalry guard who came to report the victory was named Yin Shi, a native of Shucheng. He had performed exceptionally well during his training and had received personal commendation from Marshal Shi, thus becoming somewhat familiar to the marshal. Therefore, he was unreserved in front of Shi Shan and answered freely, saying:
"Reporting to the Marshal, according to the prisoners' confession, there are about three thousand soldiers guarding Niushou Mountain. Commander Feng (Feng Guosheng) has already sent people to investigate, and the situation is roughly true."

Currently, the total number of local militia members defeated and discovered by the vanguard forces is nearly 8,000.

Although the main reason was the rapid advance of the Red Flag Battalion, which prevented the Yuan army in Jiqing Road from regrouping and redeploying its defenses, it is reasonable to assume that under normal circumstances, no one would deploy troops evenly, allowing the enemy to defeat them one by one.

If the main force of the militia is not on Niushou Mountain, then it is most likely on Fang Mountain.

Another suitable terrain for stationing troops is Zhongshan, located in the northeast corner of Jiangning City. Although some troops can be stationed there to contain the Red Flag Battalion attacking the city, if the Yuan army deploys most of the local militia on Zhongshan, it would be tantamount to allowing the Red Flag Battalion to advance unimpeded and reach the city of Jiangning.

Although Fangshan is small in area, it is surrounded by the Qinhuai River and Jurong River on its southeast sides. Further out, on the side closer to Niushou Mountain, there are also many water systems such as Niushou Mountain River, Baijia Lake, Jiulong Lake, and Dongmao Lake. The terrain is intricate and complex, making it difficult to launch a surprise attack. It is indeed suitable for stationing a large army.

After the vanguard crossed the river, they marched continuously and captured several enemy strongholds. The soldiers were already quite tired. If they continued to expand their gains despite their fatigue, they might be taken advantage of by the enemy who were waiting in ambush.

Shi Shan quickly made a judgment in his mind and gave the order to Yin Shi:
"You must return to the front line immediately and tell Bo Ren that after capturing Niushou Mountain Fortress, the vanguard must rest on the spot and wait for the main force to join them before proceeding with the next step!"

Shi Shan has always been prudent in his military tactics. He has never been defeated since he started his army. He has led the Red Flag Battalion from weak to strong, building a vast foundation. The soldiers at the grassroots level have developed an almost blind trust and worship for the marshal.

Seeing Shi Shan's seriousness, Yin Shi was also worried about the vanguard's safety and dared not be negligent, so he quickly clasped his hands in agreement.

"Your subordinate obeys! I will deliver the Marshal's orders word for word!"

When Yin Shi rushed back to the front line at Niushou Mountain, the vanguard of the Red Flag Battalion was facing its first tough battle since entering Jiqing Road.

Although the fortress at Niushou Mountain was still guarded by poorly equipped local militia, the fortress was built against a steep mountain, making the front for the Red Flag Battalion soldiers to attack very narrow.

The Qingri Guard launched two fierce attacks in succession, but both were repelled by the defending troops, resulting in nearly a hundred casualties. They couldn't even touch the edge of the enemy's stockade wall. Now they are organizing a third fierce attack, and the fighting has become truly intense.

"The Marshal has given the order!"

Yin Shi rode up to the banner of the Qingri Guard, but did not see the commander Chang Yuchun. He immediately sensed something was wrong and anxiously shouted:

"Where is Commander Chang?"

"There!" The soldier holding the flag pointed.

Yin Shi looked in the direction he pointed and saw a burly figure wearing iron armor and holding a round shield. Just like a nimble ape climbing a rock, he was quickly climbing up the cloud ladder. His agility was in stark contrast to his heavy armor.

The next moment, the figure nimbly leaped onto the fortress wall!
Immediately, the defenders on the fortress wall fell into chaos. The sounds of clashing swords and spears mingled with shrill screams, and blood and severed limbs splattered everywhere. In just a dozen breaths, a clearing was cleared on the fortress wall.

The elite soldiers of the Qingri Guard, mounted on several siege ladders nearby, seized the opportunity to scale the city wall, providing cover for the man to expand his gains. Meanwhile, the soldiers in the ranks below the fortress roared like a tidal wave.

"The Commander-in-Chief is mighty!"

On the fortress wall, that unstoppable figure, like a war god descended to earth, could only be Chang Yuchun, the commander of the Qingri Guard!
(End of this chapter)