Sweep Yuan

Chapter 253 Taking Zhejiang East Will Destroy the Sea Spirit

Shishan was extremely busy with state affairs, and Zhou Shier had just received his orders and left when Bian Yuanheng, who had made the first contribution in the Battle of Jiangning, arrived as summoned.

When Bian Yuanheng arrived at the Marshal's Office, Shi Shan was facing away from the door, intently staring at the huge map of Jiangnan and Jiangbei hanging on the back wall.

The map was densely marked with the Red Flag Battalion's current sphere of influence, troop deployment, and the complex situation of various Yuan and rebel armies in the surrounding area. The candlelight flickered, illuminating Shi Shan's tall and focused back, as if the weight of the entire world rested on his shoulders.

Bian Yuanheng dared not disturb him and respectfully called out softly:

"Marshal! Bian Yuanheng has arrived as ordered!"

Shi Shan slowly turned around, saw his handsome and spirited general, and a kind smile appeared on his face. He raised his hand in greeting and said:

"Dayou (Bian Yuanheng's courtesy name), sit down! Youde, serve tea to Commander Bian!"

"Thank you Marshal!"

Bian Yuanheng sat down gracefully, his posture upright and his demeanor composed, displaying both the martial prowess of a general and the dignified composure of a scholar. Shi Shan nodded secretly, then returned to the main seat and asked directly:

"Our army has captured the entire Jiqing Road and established a solid foothold in Jiangnan. What are your thoughts on the next strategic move?"

The advance into Jiangnan was a matter of life and death for the Red Flag Battalion, and it was not a decision made on a whim by Shi Shan.

Months before crossing the Yangtze River, the Red Flag Battalion leadership had already engaged in heated discussions on a series of major strategic issues, including whether to cross the river, when to cross it, where to take the bridgehead first after crossing, and in which direction to make key breakthroughs after establishing a foothold.

Ultimately, a decision was made.

It's impossible to wait until now, when the Red Flag Battalion has already captured Jiangning City and the overall situation is settled, before suddenly deciding to ask subordinates how to advance—that would be too frivolous and not the behavior of a great leader.

Given Bian Yuanheng's rank and position at the time, he was naturally not qualified to participate in the highest decision-making meetings, and therefore was unaware of the specific details of the high-level discussions and the focus of the debates. However, he firmly believed that Marshal Shi was always far-sighted and must have already made comprehensive considerations and a well-thought-out plan.

The marshal's question, ostensibly to inquire about the strategy for the advance, was in reality a test of his strategic vision and overall analytical abilities. He pondered briefly, organized his thoughts, and calmly began:

"Since raising his army, the Marshal has repeatedly defeated the Yuan army, and his prestige has grown daily. He has already established a relatively solid foundation in Jiangbei. However, he resolutely chose to cross the Yangtze River and head south. I speculate that the Marshal is concerned that the various forces in Jiangbei are fighting each other incessantly, causing the people's livelihood to decline, the fields to be abandoned, and the war potential to be limited."

To achieve great things, one must first unify the fertile lands of Jiangnan, then launch a northern expedition to the Central Plains, and finally unify the entire country.

"Ok!"

Shi Shan nodded slightly, his eyes revealing encouragement.

Even though Shishan has not yet declared himself king and established a kingdom, anyone with a bit of foresight can see that the Red Flag Camp has achieved some success and that Shishan will not be content with being a local ruler; sooner or later, he will fight for supremacy.

Bian Yuanheng was both a scholar and a warrior, a rare general with strategic thinking in the army. His ability to deduce the overall strategic framework of "first pacifying Jiangnan, then planning the Northern Expedition" was not too surprising to Shishan.

He gestured for Byun Won-hyung to continue elaborating on his point of view.

Encouraged, Bian Yuanheng perked up and continued:
In my humble opinion, the strategic choices facing our army at present are nothing more than three main directions of development: west, south, and east.

He had clearly thought deeply about this issue and prepared thoroughly. He had conducted in-depth research on the geography of Jiangbei and Jiangnan, as well as the distribution of enemy and friendly forces. At this moment, he spoke eloquently, analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of each direction in a clear and fluent manner.

"If we advance westward, our primary objective will be to capture Chizhou Road. However, the areas south of Chizhou Road, such as Huizhou Road and Raozhou Road, are all mountainous regions with rugged and difficult roads, making it difficult to consolidate our position due to the narrow and long defensive front."

Even if our army captures Chizhou, it must return to the north bank of the Yangtze River and launch a full-scale attack on Anqing Road to gain sufficient strategic depth in the north and south. Even so, the safety of the entire western front still depends heavily on absolute control of the Yangtze River waterway.

He paused, his tone becoming more serious, and said:
"Further west of Chizhou Road and Anqing Road are Jiangzhou Road and Qizhou Road. These two places were originally the main areas of activity for Xu Shouhui's troops, and now they are surrounded by the Yuan army, with the battle between the two sides at a stalemate."

If our army were to advance westward with all its might at this time, it would be tantamount to cutting off the rear route of the Yuan army that was encircling and annihilating them, thus relieving Xu Song of the immediate crisis of destruction.

Afterwards, Xu Shouhui's troops will inevitably clash directly with my Red Flag Battalion over the ownership of Jiangzhou Road. When these two tigers fight, it will surely result in mutual destruction, wouldn't that give the Mongol Yuan a valuable respite, allowing them to reap the benefits?

Jiangzhou Road (equivalent to Jiujiang City in Jiangxi Province in later times) is located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. It occupies a strategic position, like a "crossroads" controlling five provinces: Jiangbei, Huainan, Huguang, Jiangxi, and Jiangzhe. Its strategic importance is extremely high.

To the south, it serves as the northern gateway to the entire Jiangxi province; without conquering Jiangzhou Road, it would be difficult to advance into the entire Jiangxi province.
To the west, it, together with Xingguo Road and Qizhou Road, controlled the vital passageway of the Yangtze River leading to Huguang Province and Jiangbei Province;

To the north lies Anqing Road, known as the "first prefecture dividing Wu and Chu," and further north of Anqing Road is Luzhou Road.

Heading east, it can flow downstream and directly threaten Chizhou Road, Taiping Road, and even Luzhou Road.

More importantly, Jiangzhou Road is located directly opposite Qizhou Road, where Qishui, the capital of the Xu Song regime, is situated, with the two roads facing each other across the river. Given such a sensitive and important location, Xu Shouhui would never allow any other force to interfere—not even his nominal ally, the Red Flag Battalion.

If Shishan cannot seize and firmly control Jiangzhou Road, then all of Hongqiying's current efforts to expand westward will lose their strategic significance.

Without in-depth geographical study, military campaigns can easily lead to blind optimism, with the belief that "there's nowhere in the world we can't go." However, by comprehensively considering geographical, political, and other factors, it becomes clear that the choice of military direction is actually constrained by many unseen conditions.

Last year, when Yu Que, the Yuan Dynasty's Anqing Road General, led a large army north to attack Tongcheng, Shishan was engaged in in-depth "peace talks" with the Yuan Dynasty. The pressure on the eastern and northern fronts of the Red Flag Battalion was greatly reduced, and it was actually capable of launching a major war of "annihilation of the road".

At that time, some people in the army suggested taking advantage of the opportunity to send the main force south to capture the entire territory of Anqing Road.

This suggestion was ultimately rejected by Ishiyama, and the main reason for the opposition was basically the same as Byun Won-hyung's concerns today.

—The pressure on the river defense is too great, and it will also help the Xu Song regime, which is heavily besieged. Even if Shishan can work together with Xu Shouhui to repel the Yuan army's encirclement, the two rebel armies with different ideologies and overlapping development areas will inevitably fall into infighting soon.

Therefore, the westward expansion plan is not among the current priority development options for the Red Flag Battalion. This is the result of a collective wisdom and deliberation by the Red Flag Battalion's leadership. It is truly commendable that Bian Yuanheng was able to transcend the tactical level and clearly recognize this from a strategic perspective.

Shi Shan's eyes showed even greater admiration, and he said with a smile:

"Your analysis is very insightful and hits the nail on the head! Now, tell us your thoughts."

"Secondly, we should expand southward."

Bian Yuanheng, emboldened by the marshal's affirmation, glanced at the huge map hanging on the wall, his thoughts becoming increasingly clear, and continued:
"From Taiping Road southward, capturing most of Ningguo Road should not be too difficult with the strength of our army. However, further south of Ningguo Road is the mountainous area of ​​Huizhou Road, with more complex terrain and numerous checkpoints along the way, making the advance extremely difficult and the war could easily fall into a stalemate."

If the war drags on, the Yuan army in Huizhou will inevitably receive support from Hangzhou, Jiande, and even Raozhou.

He then changed the subject, pointing to the eastern section of the southern route, and said:
"If we advance directly south from Jiqing Road, we must first conquer Yixing Prefecture on Changzhou Road, and then take the waterway via Taihu Lake to attack Huzhou Road. This route is crisscrossed by waterways, making it difficult for our large warships to penetrate deep into the area, and troop transport will be extremely difficult."

Moreover, this move will surely strongly provoke the Yuan army in Changzhou, Pingjiang, Songjiang, Jiaxing, Hangzhou and even Guangde.

These routes are the most prosperous areas in Jiangnan, with abundant money and food, and a large population. The local Yuan army may be weak in combat, but it is very resilient and can be continuously replenished. After repeated defeats, it can still fight again and again, which can easily turn into a protracted war of attrition and a war of attrition.

If the main force of the Yuan army in Jiangzhe Province takes advantage of our army's deep involvement in the southeastern war and swiftly annihilates Xu Shouhui's troops, then returns to Hangzhou Road, or directly attacks our rear, the situation will be perilous!

In fact, given the Red Flag Battalion's formidable fighting strength, it was not entirely impossible for them to make breakthroughs in the western and southern directions.

At the very least, taking over Wuhu and Fanchang counties, capturing Taiping Road, and then seizing and establishing a foothold in parts of Ningguo Road shouldn't be too difficult.

However, as Bian Yuanheng analyzed, neither of these two directions is suitable as the main direction of the offensive, considering the current overall situation. At most, a detachment should be dispatched to expand slowly. The main direction of the offensive can only be the third direction—the east.

A thousand troops are easy to get, but a general is hard to find.

Bian Yuanheng joined the Red Flag Battalion relatively late, yet he was able to stand out so quickly. This was not only due to his outstanding military achievements accumulated through his courage and hard work in various battles, but also because of his strategic vision and overall perspective. He was noticed by Shishan early on and received special training.

Today's insightful analysis perfectly aligns with Shishan's original intention for his eastward expansion strategy, which made him nod repeatedly, greatly pleased.

After Bian Yuanheng finished speaking, Shishan clapped his hands in praise:

"Excellent! This is a very insightful argument. It not only clearly identifies the advantages of our army but also discerns potential risks. Furthermore, it integrates geography, military affairs, and politics for a comprehensive consideration. This is truly rare! It shows that you are diligent in thinking and good at research. You are indeed a man of strategy and profound knowledge! I am very pleased!" Bian Yuanheng's achievements and insights today are certainly inseparable from Shi Shan's exceptional promotion and the opportunity to train him in a position where he could take charge independently.

However, after the Red Flag Battalion had already deployed its troops and successfully captured Jiqing Road, analyzing the strategic difficulties of the next stage was much easier than the decision-making environment shrouded in uncertainty before the crossing of the river. He dared not take credit and quickly bowed humbly, saying:

"It is thanks to the Marshal's foresight that he has been able to lead us soldiers to repeatedly defeat powerful enemies and lay the foundation for our current achievements. I, Yuan Heng, have merely followed in the footsteps of the Marshal and learned a little from what I have seen and heard. I dare not claim the credit for myself!"

Shishan disliked these empty formalities and waved his hand, indicating that Bian Yuanheng did not need to be so modest and should continue discussing the main topic.

"In summary."

Bian Yuanheng was not one to flatter, so he quickly adjusted his demeanor, returned to the main topic, and said firmly:
"In my humble opinion, our army's main direction of advance at present can only be one: the east! The reasons are as follows:"

He stood up, walked to the map, pointed to the eastern region with his finger, and explained in detail:
"Firstly, although the Jiangzhe Province governed more than 30 prefectures (including parts or all of the later Zhejiang Province, Fujian Province, Jiangsu Province, Jiangxi Province, Anhui Province, and Shanghai Municipality), most of its territory consisted of rugged mountainous areas with a sparse population."

Only the ten prefectures in the northwest direction of Shaoxing Road (including Hangzhou, the capital of Jiangzhe Province) have relatively flat terrain, dense river networks, and are suitable for farming. They are truly a land of fish and rice, with a dense population and prosperous towns, making them the essence of Jiangzhe.

"If the Marshal can capture this land, its abundant resources will be enough to support an army of hundreds of thousands. With this strong foundation, it will be much easier to launch westward and southward campaigns and unify the Jiangnan region."

"Second."

Bian Yuanheng traced the Taihu Lake basin with his finger and said:

"This prime land is centered on Taihu Lake, with convenient water transportation, and easy mutual support and coordination between various routes and prefectures. With Hangzhou, the capital of Jiangzhe Province, in the center for command, if our army attacks from the inside, it will be fighting a tough battle. The Yuan army can combine the strength of various routes, making it extremely difficult."

However, if our army takes the outer line, the situation will be completely different!
Our army can quickly transport troops and supplies via the canal (which leads directly from Zhenjiang Road to Shaoxing Road) to seek opportunities to engage in a decisive battle with the enemy's main force.
Furthermore, it allows for full utilization of the Yangtze River waterway and the Suzhou Bay (the sea area from the Yangtze River estuary to Hangzhou Bay), enabling surprise attacks across the sea to harass the enemy's weakly defended rear; both routes ultimately lead directly to Hangzhou Road and Shaoxing Road, allowing for mutual support and significantly reducing the difficulty of the attack.

Thirdly.

Bian Yuanheng's finger landed on the Yangtze River section of Jiqing Road, then pointed to the roads downstream, and he said:

"Jiqing Road is located upstream, with a commanding view overlooking the downstream prefectures and counties such as Zhenjiang, Changzhou, Jiangyin, Pingjiang, and Songjiang. If our army occupies Jiqing Road, the Yuan army in the downstream prefectures and counties will feel like they have a thorn in their side, unable to eat or sleep peacefully, and will surely do their best to counterattack and try to retake this place."

This is an inevitable trend. Rather than passively waiting for the enemy to attack, our army should take the initiative and nip the threat in the bud! To fail to seize such an opportunity will only bring disgrace. Capturing the eastern prefectures is both a strategic expansion and a necessary step to consolidate the foundation of Jiqing Circuit!

In short, the northern part of the Jiangzhe Province was a relatively closely connected whole. The Red Flag Battalion's capture of Dangtu and Jiqing Road was like tearing open a hole in this whole, which would inevitably lead to a fierce counterattack from the surrounding Yuan armies.

However, if they could seize the entire northern part of the Jiangzhe Province in one fell swoop, they could effectively integrate the manpower and resources there and transform them into a powerful potential for the Red Flag Battalion to expand outwards.

Of course, everything has two sides.

While capturing the heartland of the Jiangzhe province would bring immense benefits, it also carries enormous risks—this region is, after all, the Yuan court's most important granary and financial center. Once it changes hands, unless the Red Flag Battalion immediately surrenders and supplies the Yuan court with provisions, the conflict with the Yuan court will be one of life-or-death struggle.

Since Shishan had already made up his mind to take Jiangnan, he naturally wouldn't be afraid of these challenges. He immediately stated clearly:
"The main force's offensive on the eastern front is precisely our army's established expansion strategy! Da You can clearly analyze that this place must be taken, but does he know the huge risks involved?" This is to further test Bian Yuanheng's foresight and response to potential crises.

Bian Yuanheng vaguely guessed the reason why the marshal had summoned him today. After a moment's thought, he answered honestly:

"The risks are extremely high, mainly in three aspects: First, if our army takes all the prime areas of the Jiangzhe Province, it will completely cut off the grain transport that the Yuan court depends on for survival. The Yuan court will definitely spare no effort and mobilize all available forces to launch a full-scale counterattack."

Secondly, from Wuwei Prefecture down to Shaoxing Road, the Yangtze River shoreline and coastal coastline stretch for over a thousand miles.

Our forces are limited and cannot defend every place. With the current size of the navy, patrolling such a long defensive line will inevitably be difficult, with loopholes everywhere, making it extremely vulnerable to repeated attacks by the Yuan army, and we will be exhausted.

Thirdly, Shaoxing Road is adjacent to Taizhou Road, and Fang Guozhen of Taizhou has repeatedly caused trouble, showing his long-standing interest in Qingyuan Road and Shaoxing Road. The eastward advance of the Red Flag Battalion will most likely lead to conflict with Fang Guozhen's forces due to the encroachment on their development space.

Furthermore, if our army advances too quickly, the Yuan court may realize that Pingjiang Road, Hangzhou Road and other places will inevitably fall, and may take the initiative to recruit Fang Guozhen or even Zhang Shicheng with high-ranking positions and generous salaries.

These two forces don't even need to fight against our main force; simply by frequently harassing our long flanks, they can make it difficult for the Red Flag Battalion to establish a foothold in the riverside and coastal areas, and prevent it from quickly and effectively consolidating newly occupied territories.

Whether it's the Yuan army, Zhang Shicheng, or Fang Guozhen, the Red Flag Battalion is naturally not afraid of any of them in a head-on battle.

However, if multiple forces, under the coordination of the Yuan court, were to join forces and frequently harass the Red Flag Battalion, even Shishan would not dare to claim that he could defeat these troublesome opponents while also successfully and effectively integrating internally and stabilizing the region.

Although the probability of this happening is not very high, as a leader of a power, one cannot always think positively; one must plan ahead.

The crux of the problem is that it is absolutely impossible to defend every part of the long riverbanks and coastlines, and it is not advisable to implement a strict maritime ban. It seems that the only way is to take the initiative and find the enemy's main naval force to confront head-on.

Shishan summoned Bian Yuanheng today specifically for this matter, and he continued to test him:
"If our navy concentrates its forces and actively seeks an opportunity to engage in a decisive battle with Fang Guozhen's fleet, what do you think our chances of victory are?"

Upon hearing this, Bian Yuanheng looked conflicted. After a moment's hesitation, he decided to speak the truth and frankly express his opinion:

"Reporting to the Marshal, this humble general believes... there is almost no possibility of a decisive battle."

Before Shi Shan could ask for the reason, Bian Yuanheng explained in detail:
"Fang Guozhen is extremely familiar with the hydrology and geography of the coastal areas of Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. Moreover, his military style is cunning and cautious. He fights when he can fight, and if he cannot fight, he immediately flees far away and never gets entangled."

This tribe fought against the Yuan army for several years, and each time it achieved a great victory, it basically came down to two situations: one was to repeatedly harass the enemy with small groups of troops and launch a surprise attack when the enemy was tired and relaxed;

Secondly, by utilizing their familiarity with complex waterways, they lured the Yuan fleet into shallow or reef areas, then waited for the tide to recede, causing them to run aground and become disorganized before annihilating them. They almost never engaged in a direct confrontation with the main Yuan fleet.

He analyzed the consequences in a heavy tone, saying:

"If my navy deploys a small number of warships, they will be easily divided and surrounded by Fang Guozhen's superior forces, and defeated one by one."

If we send out our main force to fight and seek an opportunity to engage in a decisive battle, Fang Guozhen will surely flee at the first sign of trouble and avoid fighting. Our navy will only waste money and supplies, and we will also have to bear the huge risks of running aground in unfamiliar coastal waters and encountering storms.
If the commander is careless, greedy for quick success, and rushes into unfamiliar waters, the fleet could very likely suffer a disastrous defeat if it runs aground due to unfamiliarity with the tides or is led into dangerous territory by Fang Guozhen.

If our main naval force were to lose, there would be no sufficient warships to patrol the thousand-mile-long river defenses. The controlled areas north and south of the river would face a tremendous risk of being cut off by the enemy and subsequently defeated piecemeal! This risk must not be taken!

Bian Yuanheng's meaning was actually quite clear—he was extremely pessimistic about the prospect of sending the main naval force to sea to find Fang Guozhen for a decisive battle, believing that this move was tantamount to using one's own weaknesses to attack the enemy's strengths, and the risks and benefits were completely disproportionate.

Shishan had always regarded Fang Guozhen as a formidable future enemy, considering him a greater threat than Yuan Ting, Xu Shouhui, Zhang Shicheng, and others. He had gathered information from various sources and wanted to eliminate him because Fang Guozhen had a pirate fleet that was familiar with the waterways of the southeast coast and could move swiftly like the wind.

This man's military style was indeed as Bian Yuanheng described: extremely slippery and cautiously suspicious.

This year, the Yuan court once again offered amnesty to Fang Guozhen, granting him the position of Chief Administrator of Huizhou Circuit, and even erected a stele with an inscription swearing never to harm him.

Although Fang Guozhen outwardly accepted the offer of amnesty, he did not believe the Yuan court's promises at all. He simply led his troops back to his hometown of Huangyan in Taizhou, where he continued to "own his own ships and maintain his independent rule."

If Fang Guozhen's naval power cannot be effectively contained and ultimately resolved, and the southeastern sea area cannot be cleared, the future rule of the Red Flag Battalion over the southeastern coastal areas will leave endless troubles and even bring disaster to future generations.

Thinking of this, Shi Shan stopped beating around the bush and took the initiative to reveal the answer, looking intently at Bian Yuanheng and asking:

"Dayou, you come from a salt-producing family and have been dealing with the sea for many years. Are you familiar with the salt-fighting style of combat and the combat conditions such as coastal tides and weather?"

Bian Yuanheng thought to himself that the Marshal really wanted to use him to deal with Fang Guozhen, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. This was a huge trust and responsibility, but he kept his expression calm and cautiously replied:

"I dare not deceive the Marshal. I was born in Yancheng and grew up by the sea. I am indeed familiar with the tidal patterns of the long beach. However, the hydrology of Qingshuiyang is very different from that of Suzhouyang (from the Yangtze River estuary to Hangzhou Bay) and the East China Sea, where Fang Guozhen was active. The reefs, ocean currents and monsoon patterns are all different."

If I were to accept this mission, I must carefully seek out and rely on local boatmen and experienced boat owners familiar with the area, and draw detailed nautical charts so that I can gradually become familiar with the seas before daring to venture out to sea for battle.

Ishiyama greatly admired Byun Won-hyung's unpretentious, steady, and humble attitude, which was precisely the quality most needed for carrying out such a difficult task. He then pressed on with the core question:

"If I fully support you in building the East China Sea Navy, how long will it take you to defeat Fang Guozhen?"

(End of this chapter)