Sweep Yuan

Chapter 260 Taking Yangzhou and Resisting Shi Cheng

On the south bank of the Yangtze River, from Yingtian Prefecture to Songjiang Prefecture (later Shanghai), the Yuan court established three circuits, two prefectures, and one state, with overlapping administrative regions; while on the north bank of the Yangtze River, there was Yangzhou Circuit, which encompassed almost the entire essence of Huaidong.

Although the two places are separated by a river and belong to the south and north of the river respectively, their economic ties, personnel exchanges, and military deployments over thousands of years have long woven them together, like two wings of a single body.

And carrying all of this is the Yangtze River, stretching east to west and flowing ceaselessly. On the river, sails are like a forest, and ships are lined up one after another. Its navigation advantages are unparalleled in the world, which is why the two places are connected as a whole.

Once upon a time, the Red Flag Battalion's naval forces were weak and could only retreat to a corner of Chaohu Lake. With small boats and few soldiers, they could not even effectively defend places like Wuwei Prefecture and Hezhou Prefecture near the Yangtze River in Luzhou Road.

Meanwhile, the Yuan army could move freely along the Yangtze River, frequently sending small groups of troops to land and harass, which seriously affected the Red Flag Battalion's integration of the areas along the river.

This is why Shishan "used force to promote peace" at that time. After taking Liuhe County, a county under the jurisdiction of Zhenzhou, and with his vanguard approaching Guabu Town, he accepted the Yuan court's suggestion of "peace talks" and abandoned his plan to further attack Yangzi County (later Yizheng County), the seat of Zhenzhou.

He knew that a strategic town like Yangzi County, which controlled the Yangtze River crossing, could not be held firmly without a strong navy to defend the river. Even if it were captured by chance, it would be difficult to hold the position. Instead, it would disperse valuable troops and lead to an endless defensive war.

However, times have changed. Today, the Red Flag Battalion has not only captured the entire territory of Dangtu and Yingtianfu, establishing a firm foothold in Jiangnan, but its navy has also annihilated the main force of the Yuan Dynasty's navy in the Battle of Jiajiang, completely gaining control of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

The advantages of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River navigation channel have been completely seized by Shishan.

He already had a plan to take over the entire northern Zhejiang region, and naturally he would not give up Yangzhou, which was originally part of northern Zhejiang. He was eager to seize this densely populated and lucrative salt-producing area for himself.

Having lost control of the Yangtze River, the Yuan army was like a tiger with its teeth pulled out when faced with the strongholds along the river.

Fu Youde's Zhenshuo Guard, with the support of the navy, swept across from west to east. Wherever the Yuan army was stationed, places such as Guabu Town and Zhenzhou (Yangzi County) fell within a few days. At this moment, they were marching towards Yangzhou, the capital of Huainan Province.

As for whether the capture of Zhenzhou and Yangzhou would escalate the conflict with Zhang Shicheng, Shishan had already made up his mind—Zhang Shicheng, having only occupied five cities including Taizhou and Gaoyou, couldn't wait to establish the state of "Zhou" and take the title "King Cheng," revealing his ambitious nature.

The newly formed "Zhang-Zhou" regime and the Red Flag Battalion, which was in a period of rapid expansion, had structural conflicts of interest, and a war was inevitable sooner or later.

More importantly, although the Huaidong region was famous for its salt fields and was extremely wealthy, its agricultural base was relatively weak and its grain production was limited.

Given Zhang Shicheng's unrestrained and quantity-driven "military expansion" model, even if the Yuan court was temporarily unable to subdue his forces, the "Zhang-Zhou" regime would probably not last two years. It would inevitably expand outwards due to the food crisis, and the prosperous northern Zhejiang region would naturally be its first target.

Shishan's strategic plan was remarkably forward-thinking from the outset: first seize Huaixi, then plot to annex northern Zhejiang. This effectively erected a solid barrier in advance along Zhang Shicheng's expansion route, blocking any potential expansion of the "Zhang-Zhou" regime.

Of course, the Yuan court is still the common enemy of all the rebel armies at present.

With the main force of the Yuan army not yet completely annihilated, uniting all possible anti-Yuan forces would be the wise course of action. As long as Zhang Shicheng does not provoke conflict, Shishan will naturally not turn against him on all fronts.

The main purpose of the Red Flag Battalion's campaign against Yangzhou Road was to strengthen the defense of the Yangtze River and truly turn the natural barrier of the Yangtze into an inland waterway.

Therefore, the scope of operations will be strictly limited to the areas controlled by the Yuan army, and only key cities will be captured. There will be no proactive attack on places such as Taizhou and Rugao, which are currently controlled by the "Zhang Zhou" regime.

However, if Zhang Shicheng is blinded by greed and fails to see the bigger picture, and recklessly launches an attack on the Red Flag Battalion first, then Shishan will not be afraid at all.

With control of the Yangtze River and Yangzhou, a strategic stronghold north of the river, the Red Flag Battalion was invincible, whether it was attacking the heartland of the "Zhang Zhou" regime by going up the Grand Canal or defending itself by relying on the fortified city.

In addition, there was another important factor that prompted Shishan to make up his mind to take Yangzhou Road as soon as possible—the latest intelligence showed that the Yuan court had once again ordered officials from the Jiangzhe Province to go to Taizhou Road to contact Fang Guozhen.

Its purpose is self-evident.

The Yuan court seemed to finally realize that the rise of the Red Flag Battalion was no longer something that could be contained by military means alone.

Tuotuo and others adopted a pragmatic strategy: temporarily abandoning the canal transport, which was destined to be unable to be restored in the short term, and attempting to complete a wave of "southern grain transport to the north" by sea before the Red Flag Battalion annexed the entire Zhejiang North Elite Area, in order to relieve the urgent need for food for the northern famine and the army.

For this reason, they did not hesitate to make huge concessions to Fang Guozhen, who had repeatedly surrendered and rebelled and was difficult to control.

However, it was already May in the lunar calendar, and the typhoon season in the southeastern coastal areas was approaching.

To undertake long-distance sea voyages at this time of year is nothing short of a gamble. Given Fang Guozhen's background as a pirate and his extremely cautious nature, which places great importance on his own strength, he would never risk his fleet and elite men, on whom he depends for survival, just to prolong the life of the Yuan Dynasty.

The Yuan court was likely aware of this as well. The deeper intention behind this move was probably to use some interests in northern Zhejiang as bait to get Fang Guozhen to contain the Red Flag Battalion on the flank, in order to delay the capture of Shishan and the integration of the elite area of ​​northern Zhejiang.

The Yuan court was adept at using the art of diplomacy and maneuvering, and Shishan was a master of it.

Yuan Ting wanted to use his own interests, which he was destined to lose, to gain Fang Guozhen as an extra ally; Shi Shan could also issue empty promises, using interests that did not yet belong to him to stabilize this great pirate who was not qualified to compete with him for the world but had first-rate ability to cause trouble.

As for Fang Guozhen, after receiving benefits from the Yuan court and promises from Shishan, which party's promise will he keep?

To believe this person's promises is to be the biggest fool in the world!

Shi Shan didn't need Fang Guozhen to stand firmly on his side. He only needed Fang Guozhen to "perform normally"—that is, to continue to waver between the Yuan court and the Red Flag Battalion, adhering to his indecisive nature of being two-faced and waiting for the best offer.

As long as Fang Guozhen cannot fully cooperate with the Yuan court to cause trouble for him, it will be a strategic victory for Shishan.

The Red Flag Battalion needed time to conquer and thoroughly assimilate the complex situation in northern Zhejiang; building a navy capable of dominating the East China Sea and suppressing or even annihilating Fang Guozhen would take even more time.

Before he had the strength to completely eliminate Fang Guozhen's forces, Shishan did not mind engaging in a feigned negotiation with Fang Guozhen and exchanging some benefits.

In fact, shortly after capturing Jiangning City, he had already sent Xuan Cao Yuan Xia Yu to Taizhou Road in secret to make contact with Fang Guozhen.

Shi Shan was well aware that thoroughly dealing with Fang Guozhen was destined to be a long process of "combining suppression and appeasement," with the main focus on consolidating his own rule and rebuilding the grassroots governments and organizations along the coast. It could not be rushed.

In contrast, dealing with Zhang Shicheng, whose room for development had been locked down by the Red Flag Battalion strategy, was much more direct.

The Huainan Province, which was only established by the Yuan court last year, is now basically just an empty shell with its capital, Yangzhou.

Although Shi Shan had repeatedly defeated the Yuan army in Huainan, he was very restrained in his actions. He was well aware of the limits of the Red Flag Battalion's rule at each stage, and only occupied the territory that he could stably control, never blindly expanding.

This move gave the Yuan army in Huainan a chance to breathe, preventing Yangzhou from being weakened to the point of collapse. It also allowed Zhang Shicheng to abandon his attack on the nearby Yangzhou after establishing a foothold in Taizhou, and instead head north to attack Xinghua, Gaoyou and other places.

Now is the time for Shishan to collect the "interest" from these long-term investments.

……

Jiangning City, Marshal's Mansion of the Red Flag Battalion.

Inside the government office, Li Shanchang, the magistrate of the Household Department, along with Li Duan and others, had just finished giving a detailed report on the land survey and sampling work in Jiangning Prefecture, and bowed as they withdrew.

Shishan rubbed his slightly tired brow, picked up the rough porcelain teacup on the table, and took a sip of the tea that had already cooled down.

Outside the official hall, Peng Zaozhu, the leader of the personal guard, led a middle-aged man dressed in worn Yuan Dynasty official robes, his expression rather complex, as they waited for the marshal to summon them. As Li Shanchang came out, he exchanged a glance with Peng Zaozhu and nodded slightly, indicating that the marshal was free at the moment.

Peng Zaozhu understood, straightened his armor, stepped inside, and announced loudly:

"Marshal, Zhao Lian, the Councilor of Huainan Province of the Yuan Dynasty, has been brought here."

"Let him in." Shi Shan put down his teacup, his voice calm.

Since October of last year, in order to concentrate its forces on suppressing Xu Shouhui, who was then at the height of his power, the Yuan court repeatedly dispatched Zhao Lian, the Vice Minister of the Huainan Province, as an envoy to Hefei to contact Shishan and attempt to "recruit" the Red Flag Battalion in order to stabilize the situation in the Jianghuai region.

At that time, Shishan also needed time to train his troops and prepare for the Yangtze River Crossing Campaign. The two sides hit it off immediately, each with their own ulterior motives.

Zhao Lian's mediation in the middle indeed bought both sides valuable breathing room.

In the end, Shishan was one move ahead.

Seizing the strategic window of opportunity presented by the fact that the main force of the Yuan army was firmly tied down in the Jinghu region by Xu Shouhui's troops, he resolutely led his troops across the river. However, Zhao, who was once again ordered to go to Hefei to convey the latest edict from the Yuan court, unfortunately ran into trouble and was placed under house arrest by Shishan.

This house arrest lasted for more than two months.

Fortunately, Shishan still wanted to make use of Zhao Lian's remaining value, so he did not mistreat him in his daily life and even allowed him to accompany the army to observe the Red Flag Battalion's operations.

During these two months, Zhao Lian was like an outsider, yet also like a forced witness, watching firsthand how the Red Flag Battalion army swept through the natural barrier of Caishiji and conquered Dangtu and Yingtianfu.

Furthermore, through efficient organization, strict military discipline, and a series of concrete measures such as disaster relief, tax exemption, and the redistribution of (partial) farmland, they quickly appeased the hearts of the people in the occupied areas and established deep roots in the land of Jiangnan.

Truly intelligent people often possess the keen insight to "know the world is about to fall from a single falling leaf." The closer Zhao Lian observed Shi Shan and the Red Flag Battalion's operations, the stronger his premonition became that "the Yuan Dynasty is about to perish and a new dynasty will be established."

Although he could not surrender to Shishan due to his loyalty to the emperor and his personal integrity as a scholar-official, his mentality underwent a rapid change without him realizing it.

At least, much of the hostility and disdain towards Shishan had dissipated. In its place was a complex feeling, tinged with awe and scrutiny. At this moment, Zhao Lian entered the official hall. Although he stubbornly wore his Yuan Dynasty official robes, the initial arrogance and fear were gone from his expression. He proactively cupped his hands to Shishan, offering a gesture of respect befitting an equal, and spoke in a dry tone:

"Marshal Shi."

Shi Shan nodded and smiled, then stood up, walked around the desk, and strode towards Zhao Lian. His attitude was quite casual, as if he were receiving an old friend rather than treating a prisoner who had fallen into his hands.

"Has Councilor Zhao been wandering with Mr. Shi for more than two months? Does he miss his relatives in Yangzhou?"

Zhao Lian came from the prominent Yangdi Zhao clan of Junzhou (the seat of which was Yangdi County) in Bianliang Prefecture. When he went to take up his post in the turbulent Yangzhou, he naturally did not bring his wife and family with him. He only brought a concubine to serve him, who could not be considered a "relative". Now that he was imprisoned, he would not miss her at all.

But Shishan's words were not out of genuine concern for Zhao Lian's family affairs.

Zhao Lian immediately understood the implied meaning, his expression changed slightly, and he decisively refused:

"If the Marshal intends to send me back to Yangzhou to persuade my colleagues to surrender, please refrain from speaking! I was detained by you on my mission, and I failed to die for my country, which already disgraces the court and my ancestors. If I were to commit such a rebellious act again, how could I possibly stand between heaven and earth?!"

Having observed Zhao Lian for so long, Shi Shan had figured out his character and anticipated his reaction. He didn't take it to heart, simply smiled faintly, and then asked:
"Having been under house arrest for so long, you must be quite concerned about the dramatic changes happening in the outside world, right?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Lian's eyes flickered. He knew that Shi Shan wouldn't tell him any good news, but after being cut off from information for so long, his anxiety about the current situation and his instinctive desire to know the truth still overwhelmed everything else.

He paused for a moment, his tone softening slightly, and said:
"If the Marshal is willing to tell me, I will listen attentively."

"Over at Jinghu, Xu Shouhui and the Yuan army are locked in a fierce battle. I won't go into the details. If you're willing to return to Yangzhou, you'll naturally be able to find out the latest battle reports."

Shi Shan seemed certain that Zhao Lian would return, so he first kept Zhao Lian in suspense, piquing Zhao Lian's interest. Then, he changed the subject, saying:
"However, there's something new that I'm unaware of. After capturing Gaoyou, Zhang Shicheng also took Baoying County, and has now established the state of 'Zhou' in Gaoyou, calling himself 'King Cheng'!"

Haha, a mere five cities, and he dares to call himself king, and a ridiculous 'King Cheng' at that! How utterly amusing!

Zhao Lian understood the sarcasm in Shi Shan's laughter, but he was even more shocked by Zhang Shicheng's audacity. This scoundrel was likely to be the next Xu Shouhui; such actions were undoubtedly challenging the Yuan court's bottom line and would inevitably provoke a fierce backlash.

In contrast, Shi Shan, whose strength far surpasses that of Zhang and Xu, has yet to declare himself king or emperor. This composure and cunning make him feel increasingly unfathomable.

As if possessed, Zhao Lian blurted out a question that had been suppressed for a long time:

"Zhang Shicheng has already declared himself king... but I wonder when Marshal Shi plans to ascend the throne?"

Upon hearing this, Shi Shan's gaze suddenly sharpened, and he looked at Zhao Lian with a half-smile, teasingly saying:

"Oh? Councilor Zhao also wants to persuade him to ascend the throne?"

Zhao Lian immediately realized his mistake, inwardly cursing himself for being foolish to ask such a treasonous question (this topic was extremely sensitive, both to the Yuan court and to Shishan). He quickly coughed to cover it up, forcibly changing the subject:

"So what if Zhang Shicheng is rampant for a time? Yangzhou is the capital of Huainan Province, with high walls and deep moats. How could such a bandit easily covet it?"

"is it?"

Seeing that Zhao Lian was still deceiving himself, Shi Shan stopped beating around the bush and directly pointed out:
"But little do they know, how does Yangzhou, with its high walls and deep moats, compare to Jiangning?"

Yangzhou was indeed the largest city in Huaidong, with a city wall circumference of 1,757 zhang (about 12 li), making it a formidable city. However, compared with Jiangning City, which had a circumference of over 20 li, was built relying on the natural terrain, and was reinforced by successive dynasties, it paled in comparison.

If the Red Flag Battalion could easily break through Jiangning under Zhao Lian's witness, then attacking Yangzhou, whose defensive system was far inferior to Jiangning's, would only be even easier.

Shi Shan's words practically revealed that the Red Flag Battalion's next step was to capture Yangzhou.

Zhao Lian's face turned pale instantly. He still wanted to make a final effort, his words carrying a hint of "kind" advice:

"Now that the Marshal has led the main force across the river with his sights set on the south bank, how can he be half-hearted and try to conquer the north bank? Haven't you heard the saying, 'Don't bite off more than you can chew'?"

Shi Shan, however, was no longer interested in playing games with Zhao Lian. His expression turned serious, and he stated bluntly:
"Now, from Luzhou Road eastward to Songjiang Prefecture, there is no longer a single sail of the Mongol Yuan navy on the Yangtze River! The army that led the troops eastward to Yangzhou this time was not my main force crossing the river, but only a detachment left by me to guard the north bank of the river."

Just two days ago, our detachment captured Zhenzhou. Yangzhou is now an isolated city!

"what?!"

Zhao Lian shuddered, and all the color drained from his face.

During his time under house arrest, he repeatedly reviewed Shi Shan's rise to power, knowing full well that this man planned carefully before acting and never fought a battle he wasn't confident of winning. Now that the Red Flag Battalion's detachment had advanced eastward and captured Zhenzhou, the western gateway to Yangzhou, they must have made thorough preparations. Yangzhou City... is in grave danger!
But after only a few breaths, a strange sense of relief welled up in Zhao Lian's heart.

He has been under house arrest for so long that the court has probably already appointed a new provincial governor for Huainan. Whether Yangzhou falls or is defended has nothing to do with him, the "former governor." Why should he worry about a city that is destined to fall?
Thinking of this, Zhao Lian felt an unprecedented sense of relief, and his tone became indifferent:
"Since the Marshal is so confident of victory in capturing Yangzhou, he may simply take it himself. Why should such a matter of national importance be discussed with a prisoner like myself?"

Shi Shan's eyes were sharp, as if he could see through Zhao Lian's inner struggles and self-deception.

He had no doubt that Fu Youde was capable of taking Yangzhou, but Yangzhou was not like Jiangning; it was impossible to control the outer perimeter first and then slowly attack the city. This city was strategically located, very close to Taizhou and Gaoyou, both controlled by Zhang Shicheng.

If the war drags on, it will attract Zhang Shicheng's covetousness, and the situation will become very complicated.

The main force of the Red Flag Battalion must be used to conquer the more prosperous and crucial northern Zhejiang region. It is impossible to deploy too many troops in the Yangzhou direction. This battle must be won quickly and decisively, preferably before Zhang Shicheng can react.

The key to achieving a "quick victory" was Zhao Lian, the councilor of the Huainan Province under the Yuan Dynasty.

This person is loyal to the Yuan court, but he is not a die-hard.

The previous attempts to "recruit" him, the two-month-long house arrest, and especially witnessing firsthand the strength and efficiency of the Red Flag Battalion, had already quietly eroded Zhao Lian's will to die for his country and shaken his loyalty and confidence in the Yuan court.

Zhao Lian's psychological defenses had already been breached; only the final step was needed for someone to break through that barrier.

Shi Shan stepped forward, his gaze fixed intently on Zhao Lian, and said:

"Precisely because Yangzhou is destined to fall, I, Shi, do not wish to see the city's officials and civilians suffer the ravages of war, causing unnecessary casualties. Therefore, I would like to request that the Councilor return to the city to show our army—'the dangers and the benefits!'"

Shi Shan deliberately emphasized the four words “showing fortune and misfortune”.

Zhao Lian was struck dumb, his eyes widened, and he pointed at the rocky mountain, his lips trembling, but he couldn't utter a complete sentence for a long time.

Because these four words, “showing him fortune and misfortune,” struck a chord with him, connecting him to the history of the rise of the Zhao family of Yangdi!

The Zhao family of Yangdi was a prominent local clan known for its tradition of combining farming and scholarship, but before Zhao Hongwei, no one in the clan had ever held a high-ranking official position.

The turning point for the family came when the Mongol Yuan dynasty destroyed the Song dynasty!

In the thirteenth year of the Zhiyuan era (1276 AD), the Yuan army commander Song Du led a large army south to attack the Song Dynasty. Zhao Lian's grandfather, Zhao Hongwei, was still a commoner at the time, but he keenly seized the opportunity and took the initiative to write to Song Du, speaking eloquently and analyzing the current situation.

Song Du greatly admired Zhao Hongwei's talent and ordered him to lead troops to capture Linjiang in Jiangxi.

Zhao Hongwei lived up to expectations, advancing with unstoppable momentum, defeating Song generals Guan Zhongjie and Zou Chao one after another, and bringing his army to the gates of Jizhou.

The strategy he used to capture Jizhou was to "show the city the consequences"—that is, to explain the advantages and disadvantages to the Song officials defending the city, and to explain that resistance would lead to the city's collapse and death, while surrender would ensure the preservation of life and wealth. In the end, he successfully persuaded Zhou Tianji, the prefect of Jizhou, to surrender, and took Jizhou without bloodshed.

After this battle, Zhao Hongwei was appointed as an assistant official in Jizhou, thus embarking on his official career. He eventually rose to the position of Imperial Censor of Jiangnan, establishing the prominent status of the Zhao family of Yangdi today.

Zhao Hongwei did not die until the third year of the Taiding era (1326 AD), and Zhao Lian was naturally very familiar with this history of his family's rise to power.

The Zhao family of Yangdi was a prominent clan, so it wasn't surprising that Shi Shan could send people to gather this information. However, the fact that Shi Shan, at this moment and in this place, used such a tone to reiterate the phrase "showing one's fortune and misfortune" was profoundly meaningful and had an immense impact on Zhao Lian's heart.
History seems to come full circle.

On the eve of a change of dynasty, with the same imminent danger of an army besieging the city, and with the same choice of "showing both fortune and misfortune," should Zhao Lian emulate his grandfather's "wise" move and secure a new beginning of wealth and prosperity for his family in the new dynasty?
Should we uphold our loyalty to the emperor, which has long been worn down by reality, and be buried with the doomed old dynasty, thus burying the future of our family as well?

A long silence fell over the government office, broken only by Zhao Lian's heavy breathing. He was torn between his inner turmoil and his own inner turmoil, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Shishan didn't urge him, but waited quietly, his gaze calm yet full of pressure.

After a long silence, Zhao Lian seemed to have all his strength drained away. His shoulders slumped, and his voice was hoarse and strained, almost inaudible:

"...Marshal...could you...send someone to Yangdi to...bring my family back?"

Become!

Shi Shan felt reassured, and a sincere smile appeared on his face. Since he had been able to investigate Zhao Lian's family background, he naturally already had people monitoring his family's situation. He readily agreed:
"Brother Boqi (Zhao Lian's courtesy name), rest assured! Just write a letter, and your little one will arrive safely in Jiangning in about half a month, ensuring your family's reunion!"

(End of this chapter)