Sweep Yuan

Chapter 245 Big Fish Sets Sight, Time to Catch the Net

Fangshan, the Yuan army camp.

The camp was built along the mountainside, complete with wooden palisades and watchtowers. Inside the camp, tents stood in rows, and at night, the campfires on the mountainside looked like stars in the sky when viewed from afar.

Upon closer inspection, one can see that the soldiers moving about are mostly dressed in multicolored uniforms, with the majority dressed as farmers in short clothes. The weapons they carry are also varied, clearly indicating that this is not an army organized by the imperial court, but a local militia – “righteous soldiers”.

Marshal Chen Yexian, the "righteous army" leader of Jiqing Road, stood alone on a high ground outside the central command tent, wearing iron armor and holding a sword at his waist. His face was solemn and he looked towards the northeast.

In the distance, towards Qixia Mountain, a plume of fireworks shot straight into the sky, quite conspicuous in the moonless night.

Which location is it now?

Chen Yexian's voice was low and hoarse, as if he were talking to himself, as he said:

"Is this the tenth time the Red Flag bandits have lit a beacon fire since their invasion?"

He silently calculated in his mind that all the military camps, strongholds and beacon towers around Jiangning City, whether they were officials or civilians, were being swept away one by one by the Red Flag Bandits like autumn leaves falling in the wind.

After careful consideration, it seems that the only large force that has not yet been attacked by the rebel army is the Fangshan camp at his feet.

The thought of the terrifying scene of tens of thousands of troops surrounding Fangshan like an iron barrel after the Red Flag Battalion had eliminated the outer strongholds one by one sent a chill down the spine of this "righteous army" marshal, who was the only one who could speak for himself in Jiangning. He could no longer maintain his usual composure.

"grown ups."

A voice rang out beside Chen Zhaoxian; it belonged to Chen Zhaoxian, the deputy marshal of the "righteous army" of Jiqing Road and the eldest son of Chen Yexian.
Although foreign customs were prevalent under the Mongol Yuan dynasty, and officials and common people often used the term "Daren" (大人) to address their superiors, the Chen family of Jiangning considered themselves to be Han Chinese who upheld the tradition of poetry and propriety, and always strictly adhered to etiquette. This title was only used for elders in the clan.

Chen Zhaoxian, over thirty years old and already capable of handling things independently, still maintained respect and caution in front of his father, whose authority was deeply ingrained, and said:
"The enemy army is advancing too fast. The situation is dire. We cannot sit idly by and wait to die. We urge you, sir, to make a decision as soon as possible!"

The so-called "righteous soldiers" were actually local militias organized by local powerful families who raised money and provisions on their own. As the saying goes, "you eat from whose bowl you eat from," the Yuan court could not provide them with money and provisions, so its control over these "righteous soldiers" was relatively weak, and it could only grant them considerable autonomy.

Especially now that Jiangning City is besieged and communication is difficult, Chen Yexian, as the commander of this army of more than 20,000, has a great deal of autonomy in decision-making. Whether to fight or retreat, whether to advance or retreat, is entirely up to him.

In fact, many days earlier, when the Red Flag Battalion crossed the Yangtze River and launched a fierce attack on Caishiji, Chen Zhaoxian had astutely predicted that the enemy's forces were too strong to be contained and that Caishiji and Dangtu City would inevitably fall.

He strongly advised his father to send troops decisively, taking advantage of the Red Flag Battalion's unstable foothold after crossing the river, and to launch a pincer attack with the Dangtu garrison, which might drive the enemy back to the north bank of the river in one fell swoop.

Although Chen Yexian had long heard of Shi Shan's reputation for defeating 100,000 government troops in Xuzhou, he was unclear about the extent of Shi Shan's determination to advance into Jiangnan, and the exact number of the Red Flag Battalion's southward-bound troops. With the enemy's situation unclear, he dared not easily gamble away all of Chen's assets in a risky gamble.

Subsequent developments in the battle proved that both Chen and his son's judgments were flawed:

On the day the Red Flag Battalion crossed the river, it swiftly captured Caishiji and Dangtu. Its vanguard broke camp the very next day and marched eastward, heading straight for Jiqing Road (Jiangning). The speed of its advance far exceeded expectations.

If Chen Yexian had truly listened to his eldest son's words and immediately dispatched troops after receiving the urgent report of the rebel army crossing the river, it would have been impossible for him to form any "cooperation from within and without" with the Dangtu garrison. Instead, he would most likely have clashed head-on with the vanguard of the Red Flag Battalion near Banqiao or Jiangning Town.

Given the terrifying combat power displayed by the Red Flag Battalion since crossing the river, our own poorly equipped and poorly trained local militia would surely meet a grim fate if they encountered the vanguard of the Red Flag Battalion in open battle.

After that, Chen Yexian completely abandoned the idea of ​​taking the initiative and only wanted to rely on Fangshan's geographical advantage to hold his ground and wait for the situation to change.

The situation changed quickly, but it developed in a direction unfavorable to the "righteous army" of Fangshan.

Within days, the Red Flag Battalion swept across the area, eliminating Yuan army strongholds outside Jiangning City one by one.

Yesterday afternoon, they reached the city of Jiangning and easily captured Yuhuatai. At night, they caused a great disturbance in Jiajiang and burned down the naval camp. This morning, they took advantage of the rain to force their way out of the blockade of the defending troops and sent their naval warships to the middle reaches of the Qinhuai River.

Due to the news blockade caused by the war, Chen Yexian was not actually aware of these details, but he could see that a fire had broken out at Yuhuatai yesterday afternoon and that smoke from the siege of Zhongshan had come from Qixia Mountain tonight.

By linking the news of the fall of these strongholds together, we can roughly outline the Red Flag Bandits' route of advance.

It's obvious to anyone that the enemy's next target will be the Fangshan camp he's stationed at!

The time has come when we have no choice but to act and make a decision!

Chen Ye slowly turned around, his gaze falling on the face of his eldest son, on whom he had placed high hopes. His expression softened slightly as he examined him:
“Bud (Chen Zhaoxian’s courtesy name), the situation is already like this, so tell me, what should your father do now?”

Chen Zhaoxian had been pondering this question for the past few days and already had a plan in mind. He carefully organized his thoughts and said:

"The enemy is strong and we are weak, and the situation is clear. The Red Flag bandits came from the west of Jiqing Road, and their troops were as sharp as knives. In less than ten days, they had wiped out nearly ten military camps outside the city. Their momentum is unstoppable. If our army continues to be trapped in Fangshan and sits by while flames rise all around without doing anything, it would be unwise."

In my humble opinion, there are only two options: fight or retreat!

"Ok!"

The eldest son's assessment of the situation was clear and calm, and Chen Ye nodded slightly in agreement. He then pressed for further information, saying:
"War, how should we fight?"

Chen Zhaoxian already had a plan, and immediately responded, saying:

"The enemy army, relying on its large number of soldiers and generals, has launched attacks from all sides and simultaneously pressed on many key locations. Its arrogance is evident, which has given our army an opportunity to defeat them. If we are talking about war, I have three strategies: superior, medium, and inferior."

He paused briefly, observed his father's expression, and seeing that Chen Yexian had no intention of interrupting, continued:
"The worst course of action is to continue to hold Fangshan, remain unchanged in the face of all changes, and wait for the enemy to attack, then use the terrain to our advantage to fight them."

This strategy was indeed a truly poor one. If the Red Flag Battalion hadn't advanced so quickly, capturing fortresses one after another, leaving Chen Yexian no time to react before all the outer strongholds had changed hands, he wouldn't be trapped on this mountain, unable to move.
From the perspective of the overall battle situation on Jiqing Road, Fangshan was indeed a strategic location, and holding it could effectively restrict the enemy's movements. However, for the 20,000 troops stationed there, Fangshan was by no means an easy place to defend and difficult to attack.

Once the Red Flag Battalion has completely cleared the area around Jiangning City and is free to attack, tens of thousands of troops will surround Fangshan. Chen Yexian's 20,000 men will then be trapped like turtles in a jar, and there is a high probability that they will repeat the same mistake as Ma Su's defeat at Jieting.

Chen Ye frowned immediately, categorically denying it, and said:

"To be trapped on Lonely Mountain is to invite certain death! My mind is made up, Fangshan must not be defended any longer! There is no need to mention this strategy again. Let's talk about the middle and best strategies instead."

Hearing that his father had finally decided to "move," Chen Zhaoxian secretly breathed a sigh of relief. As long as they were willing to move, there was still a chance to turn things around. What he feared most was that his father would hold out and watch the Red Flag bandits come to surround them, which was why he had deliberately provoked him with his words. He immediately continued:
"The middle strategy is to take advantage of the enemy's main force being busy besieging Jiangning City and Zhongshan Fortress, and our army should immediately cross the river and advance westward, swiftly eliminating the enemy's camps and strongholds around Niushou Mountain, and then harass and cut off their supply lines."

The rebel army numbers in the tens of thousands. The daily consumption of food and supplies for men and horses is enormous. If their supply lines are cut off, their morale will surely collapse!

Upon hearing this, Chen Ye immediately shook his head, his expression serious as he rejected the suggestion, saying:
"This strategy seems ingenious, but it is actually very unwise! Niushou Mountain has a very dangerous terrain, and since the enemy has already occupied this place, they must be prepared. Even if our army can cross the river successfully, we may not be able to capture Niushou Mountain fortress in one fell swoop."

Even if we manage to capture it by chance, the situation is no longer the same as before—the rebel navy has defeated the government navy and controls the river. Their supplies can be transported directly to the walls of Jiangning via the Yangtze River. Where are there any land supply routes for our army to cut off?

The more he spoke, the more serious his tone became.

"Moreover, our scouts have already seen that the Red Flag rebels' naval warships have broken into the middle reaches of the Qinhuai River."

If our army were to cross the river in large numbers, the enemy's naval warships could seize the opportunity to sail upstream, coordinating with the troops on the shore to launch a pincer attack. Our army, fighting with its back to the river, would be in imminent danger of total annihilation! This strategy is far too risky and absolutely unacceptable!

The so-called inferior and middle strategies were merely preludes put forward by Chen Zhaoxian to elicit his true intentions. Seeing his father's repeated denials without hesitation, he no longer hesitated and quickly presented the "superior strategy" that he had prepared long ago.

"It is true that I did not think things through, but fortunately you reminded me. I am not sure if my best course of action is appropriate, so please do not be angry, Father."

No one knows a son better than his father. Chen Yexian knew that his eldest son was capable, so he waved his hand to signal Chen Zhaoxian to continue speaking.

"The best strategy is to take advantage of the Red Flag rebels' flanking force's fierce attack on Zhongshan camp, and send all our elite troops north to attack their naval fleet anchored in the Qinhuai River. If we can burn their warships in one fell swoop, their flanking force that has already crossed the river will become a tree without roots."

At that time, our army will take advantage of the victory and coordinate with the Zhongshan garrison and the government troops in the city to launch a pincer attack on the enemy's detachment attacking the mountain from three sides. This will surely prevent them from attending to both ends and lead to a great victory!" Upon hearing this, Chen Yexian's brows finally relaxed slightly. The reason his troops were able to hold Fangshan without being harassed by the enemy was largely because they had controlled the ferries upstream and downstream in advance, leaving the enemy helpless.

However, in the battle of the Qinhuai River this morning, the Red Flag Pirates' navy had already broken through the blockade and sailed into the middle reaches of the Qinhuai River, putting him in a very passive position.

If we can seize this opportunity and give their navy a good beating, even if we can't annihilate them all, as long as we severely damage them and regain control of part of the river, then the "righteous army" will have much more initiative, regardless of whether we fight or retreat afterward.

As for whether to launch a further attack on the enemy's detachment on the north bank, Chen Yexian believed that caution was still necessary—at least a decision could only be made after ascertaining exactly how many troops the enemy had deployed in the Zhongshan direction and what the battle situation was like; a blind attack was absolutely out of the question.

"it is good!"

Chen Yexian finally made up his mind and gave the order:

"Bud, tonight you must immediately begin preparing fire ships, firewood, fuel, and other naval supplies, and carefully select brave men skilled in water. Tomorrow morning, send out numerous elite scouts to ascertain the enemy's exact movements in the east of the city!"
If there is indeed an opportunity, I, your father, will personally lead a large army northward, strike with lightning speed, and wipe out this rampant band of thieves in one fell swoop!

Chen Zhaoxian had previously mentioned "either fight or retreat," but Chen Yexian only inquired in detail about how to "fight," without mentioning how to "retreat." It wasn't that he forgot, but rather that there was no need to ask.

The Lishui Prefecture to the south has been besieged by the Red Flag bandits, who even sent envoys to ask him to send troops to its aid. Lishui is not an option, so the only possible retreat direction is Jurong County to the east.

However, the core of the phrase "local militia" lies in the word "local." The land, ancestral hall, connections, and prestige of the Chen clan of Jiangning were all within their own hometown. The army under his command was a semi-agricultural, semi-military militia, which could only sustain its more than 20,000 soldiers by relying on the land beneath its feet.

If they easily abandon the land and allow the rebel army to occupy Jiangning, they will lose the foundation on which they depend for survival, and instantly go from being powerful local tyrants to being stray dogs who have to watch other people's faces. Looking at the whole of Jiangnan, how many people have such a big face and can support more than 20,000 soldiers?

At that time, his group of local militia, whose families and businesses were all in Jiangning, would never willingly follow the Chen father and son and leave their homes. Even if they were forcibly taken away, how would he feed these more than 20,000 mouths after losing his local source of income and food?
"Leave" is a dead end, a last resort when all else is lost.

This battle is one we must fight! It's a battle for our lives and our livelihoods!

The Chen family's interests lay entirely in land, so they naturally didn't have the spare money to support a fleet capable of directly confronting the Red Flag Navy. However, Fangshan was located on the upper reaches of the Qinhuai River, giving it a geographical advantage. To launch a surprise attack on enemy fleets downstream, a straightforward naval confrontation might not be necessary.

Chen Zhaoxian acted swiftly, ordering his men to find artisans and experienced swimmers in the army that very night to chop wood, bundle firewood, and collect oil. They worked through the night to build dozens of fire ships and selected hundreds of fearless soldiers.

By the time of Chenshi (7-9 AM) the following day, all preparations for the naval battle were complete. Chen Yexian also ordered all his troops to have a hearty meal before battle, to inspect their armor and weapons, and to remain in their armor and saddles, ready to set off at any moment to attack the enemy.

Just as the hour of Si (9-11 AM) arrived, several fast horses carrying scouts covered in sweat hurriedly returned to the Fangshan camp.

"Report—Marshal! The rebel army has launched a large-scale offensive since dawn, with countless troops advancing along the mountain paths towards Zhongshan! Judging from their banners, scale, and the length of their ranks, there are at least... at least eight thousand men!"

In fact, the scouts estimated that the Red Flag Army numbered close to 10,000, but considering that there was only one fort on Zhongshan Mountain, with no more than 2,000 Yuan troops stationed there, it would be difficult to fully deploy even if there were more attacking forces. Therefore, they dared not make the number too high, so as not to be responsible for the misjudgment.

However, the difference between eight thousand and nearly ten thousand is not significant in the current context—the core information is that the main force of the Red Flag Battalion on the north bank of the Qinhuai River has been mobilized in full force to besiege the fortress on Zhongshan Mountain.

Fangshan was quite a distance from the front lines, so news transmission was inevitably delayed, making it impossible to keep track of the latest battlefield developments in real time. Chen Ye didn't doubt the judgment of his scouts, but he was more concerned about the movements of the garrison in Jiangning City.

If the Red Flag detachment has deployed its main force to attack Zhongshan, and the city's defenders remain tight-lipped and show no reaction, it could very well mean there's a trap! Or perhaps, that old fox, Danidas, the Darughachi of Jiqing Road, just wants to watch Chen Yexian fight the Red Flag bandits to the death.

If that's the case, he certainly can't rush into an attack.

"Where are the government troops in the city? Have they shown any signs of leaving the city?"

"no!"

The scout had no idea what Marshal Chen was worried about, so he could only report truthfully:

"It seems there are still some soldiers left in the bandit camp. Their scouts and riders have spread out far away, and the defense is very tight. We dare not get too close, so we can't see them very clearly."

Seeing that Chen Yexian's expression changed drastically and he was about to curse, the scout quickly brought up another matter.

"But on my way back, I vaguely heard muffled thunder coming from the south of the city. Looking across the river towards Jubaomen, I saw smoke and dust rising, and I could vaguely hear shouts of battle. It seemed... it seemed like the enemy army was launching a fierce attack on Jubaomen!"

"grown ups!"

Seeing his father still frowning and deep in thought, Chen Zhaoxian knew he was weighing his options, fearing he might miss a fleeting opportunity. Once the enemy forces captured Zhongshan Fortress and eliminated all threats from the rear, they could then calmly gather troops to besiege Fangshan, and by then it would be too late!
He hurriedly stepped forward and said urgently:

"The rebel army began to besiege the mountain last night, and this morning they reinforced their troops again. They must have encountered difficulties in attacking the mountain and were in a bad situation. They are trying to take advantage of their superior numbers and use ant-like tactics to win a quick victory!"

If our army continues to remain inactive at this moment, we will surely miss a golden opportunity to decisively defeat their flank and turn the tide of the battle!

He took a deep breath and quickened his pace to analyze:

"If our troops advance swiftly now and arrive at the battlefield east of the city, the enemy will be engaged in fierce fighting with the Zhongshan garrison and will inevitably find it difficult to quickly leave the battlefield."

Our 20,000 troops can be divided into two parts: one part can besiege and attack the enemy's camp in the east of the city; the other part can rush straight to the flank and rear of their mountain attack force and choose a favorable terrain to form a battle formation.

Even if the enemy forces are quick to seize the opportunity and hastily retreat, abandoning their assault on the mountain, our army, rested and ready, can still launch a decisive attack on their exhausted and worn-out forces, and we will surely achieve a great victory!

All the generals in front of the tent focused their attention on Chen Yexian, and the air was filled with tension and anticipation.

Chen Yexian's gaze swept once more over the smoke of war on Qixia Mountain, then over the eager generals before him and the anxious face of Chen Zhaoxian. A surge of gambler's impulse finally overwhelmed his caution. Opportunity knocks but once!

"it is good!"

He abruptly drew his saber, its gleaming blade pointing north, and in a booming voice, shouted the order:
"Beat the drums! Gather the troops!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The deep, resounding drumbeats echoed like thunder across Fangshan Mountain, startling countless birds into flight.

As the troops of Fangshan Camp slowly drove out of the camp gate, several Red Flag Battalion scouts silently withdrew their heads from the reeds on the opposite bank of the Qinhuai River to the west. They exchanged glances, quickly retreated stealthily, found their hidden warhorses, mounted them, and galloped away.

The Weiwu Guard had already eliminated the Yuan army's fortified villages on the west bank of the Qinhuai River and secretly moved thousands of troops there in batches. Wang Bi, the commander of the Weiwu Guard, personally took charge of the area.

"Report! Commander, the troops of Yuan Goufangshan's main camp have been mobilized, totaling no less than 20,000!"

Over the past few days, the staff officers of the Weiwu Guard have roughly estimated, by repeatedly comparing the size of the enemy camp and the density of cooking smoke, that the total strength of the Yuan army at Fangshan is between 21,000 and 25,000 men.

With 20,000 troops deployed this time, it can be basically confirmed that they have mobilized their entire force.

Wang Bi knew that the enemy forces at Fangshan had been mobilized by the feints deployed by Chang Yuchun. Last night, the marshal sent someone with intelligence that the vanguard had deployed feints at Zhongshan and ordered the Weiwu Guard to seize the opportunity to encircle the enemy forces at Fangshan.

"understood."

Wang Bi's voice was steady and powerful as he said:
"The enemy troops at Fangshan are all infantry and local militia, so their marching speed must be slow. If our army advances too fast and exposes itself too early, it will only alert the enemy and scare away this big fish."

He stood up, walked outside the tent, looked towards Fangshan, calculated the time and distance, and decisively gave the order:

"Order all battalions to inspect their equipment and have a hearty battle meal. In four quarters of an hour, the entire army will set off in sequence, cross the river, and advance eastward! We must ensure that that old scoundrel Chen Yexian never returns!"

(End of this chapter)