Sweep Yuan

Chapter 286 The Battle of Jinghu is Imminent

On the day Yang Weizhen left, Shishan stood in front of the hall, watching him go. As he watched the man's slightly hunched back disappear into the daylight outside the threshold of the provincial government office, Shishan felt no disappointment, but rather a clear and lucid mind.

This person is kind and generous, and after serving as an official for many years, he has remained true to his original aspirations. He always has the common people in his heart, which is truly admirable.

However, his personality is too straightforward and rigid, and he lacks flexibility in his actions. If he is entrusted with the important task of getting close to the people and governing a region, he may find it difficult to deal with the complex entanglements of interests in this chaotic world. He is very likely to do good deeds but end up doing bad things because he is not flexible and will only cause a lot of trouble and harm himself.

However, if such upright individuals are appointed as officials to oversee public affairs, their fearlessness of authority and willingness to speak frankly, when placed in positions to monitor all officials, would be like a sharp sword being drawn from its sheath, making them excellent candidates for purifying officialdom and deterring petty villains.

Moreover, Yang Weizhen's status as a leading figure in the Jiangdong literary world and a leader of the literati was itself a highly influential banner.

If this person can be successfully recruited, it will undoubtedly be of great value in appeasing and attracting the scholars and literati in the Jiangdong region who are still observing the situation, and will be extremely beneficial for the Red Flag Battalion to take root in this area.

Shishan had calculated this very clearly.

However, the Red Flag Battalion's rise from Xuzhou to its current dominant position in Southeast China was not due to the advice of a few great strategists. Rather, it was due to its ability to adapt to changing circumstances, solidify its foundation, and establish a set of effective systems and a continuous stream of cultivated and recruited talent.

Ishiyama has always considered the success or failure of a project to be the whole, rather than to any one individual.

The recruitment of Yang Weizhen was originally a test, taken after he was captured after the city fell. If successful, it would be gratifying, as it would add a powerful ally and a literary banner; if not, it would not be a big deal, as the Red Flag Battalion's progress would not be halted.

In contrast, young scholars from various regions who have not yet entered officialdom or achieved fame and success do not carry the historical burden of "being blessed by the emperor." Their desire to make contributions and establish their careers is even more fervent, and they yearn for a platform that allows them to realize their lifelong ambitions.

Meanwhile, the Red Flag Battalion swept through Huaihe River Basin and northern Zhejiang with lightning speed, its territory continued to expand, and its military prestige grew stronger day by day. It had already begun to show the signs of founding a nation, and it exuded an irresistible attraction to these ambitious young scholars.

Since the Suzhou government led its main force south, Shishan has been focusing on this area.

They might personally visit talented individuals hidden in the city or countryside with small gifts; or send trusted confidants with handwritten letters to earnestly invite them; or encourage their subordinates to recommend those they know; or widely post recruitment notices to clearly demonstrate their sincerity in seeking talent and their impartiality in employing it.

During this period, he recruited more than thirty scholars from Jiangdong.

Among them, those with higher learning and reputation include Zhang Yu, a scholar from Jiangzhou, Jiangxi, who fled the war and lived in Huzhou. His poems and essays are elegant and insightful. There is also Bei Qiong, a scholar from Chongde Prefecture who was highly recommended by Chang Yuchun after he captured the prefecture. He is familiar with the local customs and conditions.

Among them were Yang Ji, a talented scholar from Jiaozhou, Sichuan, who had come to Huzhou to live with his father on his official travels; Xu Ben, a scholar from Changzhou who was studying in Hangzhou; and nine others, all of whom were outstanding individuals of their time.

During this period, the Red Flag Battalion has been attacking and seizing territory, capturing dozens of counties and prefectures in seven prefectures including Zhenjiang, Changzhou, and Suzhou.

Both territory and army are expanding rapidly, like thirsty beasts, urgently needing a large number of literate and capable people to fill administrative and military institutions at all levels, so as to truly transform the newly occupied areas into stable areas of rule.

Therefore, Shishan, despite his busy schedule, met with these soldiers who had joined the Red Flag Battalion in batches.

He didn't study the classics (because he couldn't understand them anyway). Besides the literary style, he focused on having in-depth conversations with these scholars to observe their character and test their understanding of the current situation and their ability to handle daily affairs.

Subsequently, based on their individual talents and personalities, they were either directly granted popular official positions such as county magistrate or registrar, or assigned to departments such as likin and transport, or kept by the Marshal's Office as staff or military advisors, receiving careful training in preparation for their future achievements.

Even those with slightly less talent and learning could be assigned by Shishan to serve as clerks in various garrisons, where they would always have a chance to use their skills.

In the midst of chaos and upheaval, social mobility intensified, and miracles like "rising from a peasant in the morning to a high-ranking official in the evening" were repeatedly witnessed. Marshal Shi's reputation for being eager to recruit talent and appointing people based solely on merit spread rapidly as these scholars were employed.

However, having a skill, regardless of one's background, gives everyone the opportunity to gain fame and fortune in the new world of the Red Flag Camp. This undoubtedly creates a strong sense of belonging for the scholars who had no connections to become officials during the Mongol Yuan Dynasty.

Having seized the initiative on the battlefield, it could not be wasted. While vigorously recruiting talent and undertaking reforms to Hangzhou's urban management methods (such as the previous tax reform) to stabilize the city's order, Shishan's military expansion did not stop for a moment.

The main force of the Red Flag Battalion has been attacking continuously since Changzhou Prefecture, and the soldiers are quite exhausted. They can take advantage of this gap to conduct battle debriefing, replenish troops, and take necessary rest in Hangzhou to restore their morale.

The elite troops led by Da Dao Ao, Deng Youlong, Zhao Pusheng, and Miao Daheng, like several sharp arrows, have been shooting towards the counties of Yuhang, Lin'an, Yuqian, Changhua, Xincheng, and Fuyang, which are surrounded by weak forces around Hangzhou Prefecture, and are waiting for an opportunity to seize Yuling Pass and Qianqiu Pass.

Both passes were built in the rugged mountains of the west, guarding the vital routes to Huizhou Road and Ningguo Road, making them easy to defend and difficult to attack.

However, the original military design of these passes was mainly to defend against attacks on Hangzhou from the west (such as from the direction of Huizhou). Therefore, the fortifications and troop deployments of these passes were mostly oriented to the west, making them much weaker against attacks from the direction of Hangzhou.

Once the Red Flag Battalion's army captures these two passes, it will not only complete Hangzhou Prefecture's own defense system, but also open up a passage for westward expansion, firmly grasping the strategic initiative, which is of great significance.

In the following days, news of the successive recaptures of Yuhang, Lin'an, and Fuyang reached Hangzhou, and the complete restoration of Hangzhou Prefecture was imminent.

But just as the various detachments were advancing triumphantly, intelligence from the Jinghu direction brought news that Shishan had been on guard for a long time: on August 13th, after a long siege and fierce fighting, the Yuan army finally captured Qishui County, the capital of the Xu Song regime.

Since the beginning of January last year, when Xu Shouhui's generals Zou Pusheng and Xiang Pulu led a large army across the Yangtze River, stirring up a massive wave that swept across Huguang, Jiangxi, and Jiangsu and Zhejiang, the fierce battle between the Yuan army in Jiangnan and the Xu Song army has lasted for a full year and a half.

The long and brutal war had long since exhausted the veterans and soldiers of the Yuan army units that were responsible for the main offensive, and a strong atmosphere of violence had accumulated throughout the army.

For the provincial commanders who held significant military power at the front, the quickest way to restore morale and appease their troops after the war was almost without a doubt.

That is to tacitly approve, or even condone, the large-scale massacres and looting of cities by his soldiers in the core areas of Xu and Song, as a reward, to allow the soldiers to vent their pent-up repression and bestiality, and to weaken the potential for the people in these areas to rebel again.

However, if the army were to allow looting to run rampant, it would inevitably fall into a state of disorganization and lax discipline, making it difficult to regroup and engage in new battles in the short term. As a result, the livelihoods and economy of the core areas controlled by the Xu Song regime would suffer a devastating blow, and the social structure would be on the verge of collapse.

This would undoubtedly greatly increase the difficulty for the Yuan army in subsequently suppressing the remnants of Xu Song's forces, rebuilding local grassroots organizations, and restoring social order. Given the deep-seated corruption and low administrative efficiency of the Mongol Yuan court, it would take at least three to five years to completely stabilize these ravaged regions.

Even considering only the immediate situation, it would be no easy task for the Yuan army to immediately launch an eastward attack on the Red Flag Camp after annihilating Xu Song's main force.

The Yuan army that participated in the siege of the Xu Song regime was composed of a complex group of people from multiple provinces, including Sichuan, Shaanxi, Henan, and Jiangxi, and also included a large number of local landlord militias and surrendered soldiers.

These provinces themselves were also plagued by a host of problems, with internal rebellions and popular uprisings erupting one after another. The generals and commanders of all the provinces were eager to withdraw their troops and return to their posts to quell the unrest within their own provinces.

Shishan's development strategy differs from Xu Shouhui's approach of starting projects everywhere and expanding across the board.

His strategic objectives after raising an army were clear and focused: to seize core areas of Huainan Province and Jiangzhe Province, without touching the fundamental interests of other provinces.

For the Yuan armies in provinces such as Sichuan, Shaanxi, Jiangxi, and Henan, the threat posed by the Red Flag Battalion was still far off, which would inevitably greatly diminish their willingness and enthusiasm to send troops to assist the Jiangzhe province in suppressing the bandits.

More importantly, the Yuan court lacked a high-ranking official with sufficient prestige and courage to unify command and coordinate all parties on the Jinghu front.

The various troops belonged to different provinces and each had their own agendas. How much wrangling, compromise, and exchange of interests would be required to quickly integrate them after the war and form an iron fist aimed at the Red Flag Battalion? The inefficiency was unimaginable.

Nevertheless, Shishan would never entrust its own safety to the enemy's inefficiency and internal strife.

Whether it was to consolidate the newly occupied territories, assimilate and absorb them as quickly as possible, and transform them into solid war potential, or to prepare for a large-scale war that would come sooner or later, he could not wait until the Yuan army had truly launched a major eastward advance before passively adjusting his strategy.

On the very day he received the military intelligence from Jinghu, Shishan summoned his generals to discuss the battle situation.

Hangzhou, the headquarters of the Red Flag Battalion Marshal.

The atmosphere in the operations room was heavy. A huge map of the Red Flag Battalion's controlled area and surrounding terrain hung on the wall, clearly showing the mountains, rivers, cities, and passes. The commanders of all the guards were gathered together, their eyes fixed on the map.

Zhao Yong, the operations officer of the Military Command, held a long, thin bamboo whip and pointed to the location of Qizhou Road on the map, introducing the latest situation to everyone:

"Seven days ago, the Yuan army captured Qishui, the capital of Xu Song. Based on the Yuan army's pattern of large-scale troop concentration and mobilization, the Military Command judged that the Yuan court might transfer an army of more than 200,000 from the Jinghu direction to launch an attack on our controlled area as early as mid-September."

Zhao Yong's deductions are based more on pure military logic and linear deduction, which inevitably overestimates the mobilization efficiency of the Yuan court's bloated bureaucratic system and the speed of cooperation among various forces. Shi Shan has reservations about this judgment. He is well aware of the numerous contradictions and constraints within the Yuan court and does not believe that the Yuan army can start another major war so "efficiently".

However, anticipating the enemy's worst-case scenario, he did not reveal Zhao Yong's prediction. Instead, he swept his gaze over each of the generals present and spoke in a deep voice:

"That's the situation. Tell me, what should our army do next?"

All the generals knew that Marshal Shi was always prudent in his military tactics, planning carefully before acting.

Previously, when heading south from Suzhou, he was willing to take certain risks and use a large number of surrendered soldiers and local strongmen to strengthen the front line, in order to leave a full four guards of soldiers in his old base north of the Yangtze River (not counting the various Red Turban Army units in Xuzhou).
The stationing of two garrisons and the Huayun and Hancheng divisions in and around the core area of ​​Yingtianfu was precisely to deal with possible counterattacks from all sides, especially threats from the Jinghu direction.

How to deal with the potential offensive power of the main Yuan army after the fall of Xu Song is something the marshal must have already considered in his mind. Asking this question now is more to test the strategic vision of the generals present and to stimulate everyone's thinking.

"Let me first offer my humble opinion."

Li Xixi, the Right Commander of the Qingri Guard, had relatively less seniority among those present. He spoke first, both to warm up the atmosphere and to express his stance. He rose, clasped his hands in a fist salute, walked to the map, took the bamboo whip, and drew it across the large area newly occupied by the Red Flag Battalion in Jiangnan, saying:

"Since the Marshal led our main force across the river, in just a few months, we have successively captured nine prefectures and dozens of counties, including Taiping, Yingtian, Zhenjiang, Changzhou, Suzhou, Songjiang, Jiaxing, Huzhou, and Hangzhou, expanding our territory by thousands of miles."

However, our army has only recently been stationed in the prefectures and counties south of Suzhou, especially in Hangzhou Prefecture, where the people's hearts are still newly won over, and our foundation is still very unstable. Therefore, regardless of when the main force of the Yuan army in Jinghu returns, I believe that our army should not expand aggressively at present, and should prioritize consolidating the gains made in the early stages of the war.”

Having experienced the painful lesson of Xuzhou's rapid expansion followed by sudden collapse, Li Xixi deeply understood the dangers of an unstable foundation. The core of his advice was "stability." Consider defeat before victory.

Given the current size of the Red Flag Battalion, it is not a problem for them to expand at a slower pace. As long as they make good use of the strategic opportunity period when the Yuan court is unable to concentrate its full strength and avoid rash advances that could bury their elite forces, they can remain invincible.

After listening, Shi Shan nodded slightly, his eyes showing approval. He then looked at the others and encouraged them to express their opinions.

Shao Rong, the commander of the Left Guard of the Imperial Guard, immediately stood up, took the bamboo whip from Li Xixi, and pointed at the locations of Huzhou Prefecture and Guangde Road, saying:

"In order to capture Hangzhou Prefecture as soon as possible, our army did not take all of Huzhou Prefecture (Huzhou Road and Jiaxing Road have been changed to prefectures by Shishan), and there are still counties such as Wukang and Anji that have not been taken. There is also Guangde Road, which is blocked between Yingtian Prefecture, Changzhou Prefecture and Huzhou Prefecture, affecting our army's deployment."

He paused briefly, observed Shi Shan's expression, and seeing that the marshal was listening attentively and showed no displeasure, he continued:

"This humble general suggests that, before the Yuan army in Jinghu returns, our army should act swiftly to first completely capture the remaining cities of Huzhou Prefecture, and then concentrate our forces to remove the thorn in Guangde Road. Only in this way can we connect Yingtian, Changzhou, Huzhou, and Hangzhou Prefectures into one, so that we can support each other."

Shao Rong became more and more confident as he spoke, drawing a large circle on the map with his bamboo whip, and continued:
"In this way, unless the Yuan army joins forces with Fang Guozhen to harass our coastal and riverside prefectures and counties, the eastern front can only attack Hangzhou Prefecture first, and the western front can only attack Taiping Prefecture first. Their attack routes are limited, so our army can rely on strong city defenses and favorable terrain to deploy at its own pace and wait for the enemy to tire itself out."

Once we successfully repel this Yuan army counterattack, our army can launch a simultaneous attack on both the eastern and western fronts, sweeping across central Zhejiang and Jiangxi!

"General Shao's plan may be flawed!"

No sooner had Shao Rong finished speaking than a clear and firm voice rang out. It was Xu Da, the commander of the Yangtze River Navy, who had led his troops to Hangzhou just yesterday. He rose and walked towards the map, first bowing to Shao Rong as a sign of greeting, and then spoke frankly:

"Guangde Road and the two counties of Wukang and Anji in Huzhou Prefecture are all located in mountainous areas with high mountains, dense forests, and rugged roads, which makes it difficult for our army to deploy and make full use of its numerical advantage. A forced attack would inevitably be quite time-consuming."

In my humble opinion, these places, due to their mountainous terrain, are practically already within our grasp. Mongol reinforcements will find it difficult to penetrate. We only need to send a prudent general with a detachment to slowly but surely conquer them in time. It is not advisable to entangle our main force in such a costly and arduous campaign.”

Xu Da was a calm and composed man who disliked vying for power and profit, but he was by no means a coward who feared battle or difficulties. He led the navy to help capture Huzhou City, and it was also his idea to abandon Anji and Wukang, which were difficult to capture immediately, and concentrate forces to take Hangzhou first.

Seeing that Shao Rong's strategy seemed to negate the Yangtze River Navy's achievements and involve drawing its main force into the mountainous region for a war of attrition, he naturally wanted to argue his case. Realizing his tone was slightly harsh, he softened it, looked at the rocky mountain, and added:

"It is not that I am afraid of battle. It is because these three places are limited by the mountainous terrain. Even if our army launches an attack, it will be difficult to have a large-scale field battle to annihilate the enemy. Moreover, the supply lines in the mountains are long and fragile. If the army moves in large numbers, it will only waste food and fodder and will not help the situation. It is better to use small, elite troops to gradually squeeze and nibble away at the enemy."

Upon hearing Xu Da's words, Shao Rong frowned slightly.

When Xu Da was building his navy in Chaohu Lake, he had indeed fully cooperated with Shi Shan's orders. Now, seeing this rising star not only leading an army on his own but also directly contradicting him at a strategic meeting, he couldn't help but feel a little displeased and asked in return:
"In General Xu's opinion, if we don't focus our main attack on Guangde, where should our main force be directed? We can't just sit and wait for the Yuan army to come knocking on our door, can we?"

Xu Da turned his gaze to Shi Shan, who sat regally in the main seat. After receiving tacit approval, he turned to face the generals, his bamboo whip steadily tapping two key locations on the map, and said:
"In my humble opinion, our army's current strategic deployment in northern Zhejiang should revolve around two major pillars: first, Yingtian Prefecture, which has a deep-rooted foundation and strong defenses; and second, Hangzhou Prefecture, which has a special status but weak defenses!"

Upon hearing this, the command room fell silent, and the generals' eyes lit up. The suggestion that northern Zhejiang was not a core stronghold clearly simplified the complex situation. Shi Shan smiled almost imperceptibly, nodded slightly, and gestured for Xu Da to continue.

"Yingtian Prefecture is the base of our army."

Xu Da paused his bamboo whip at the Yingtian point, and said:
"Our army has been established for a long time, the people are loyal to us, and our city defense system is complete. In addition, we have Taiping Prefecture and the various prefectures north of the Yangtze River as our outer defenses, and the natural barrier of the Yangtze River and many other strategic locations within our territory. Even if the Yuan army has a large force, it will not be easy for them to capture our city in a short period of time."

In contrast, Hangzhou Prefecture has changed hands three times within a year, its defenses are dilapidated, and public morale is low. If our military strategy is limited to merely defending Hangzhou, we will inevitably find ourselves in an extremely passive position.

He paused briefly, allowing everyone to process the difference, then swung the bamboo whip eastward across the Qiantang River, pointing towards Shaoxing Road, which faces Hangzhou across the river:
"Hangzhou and Shaoxing are geographically integrated, sharing Hangzhou Bay and being as close as lips and teeth. Without controlling Shaoxing, Hangzhou's eastern gateway will be wide open, and there will never be peace! Last year, Bolanxi recovered Hangzhou by crossing the river from Shaoxing. This is a lesson from the past!"

"Therefore, I make the following suggestion."

Xu Da raised his voice by two decibels and said:

"While our main force is gathered here, we will advance eastward to take the entire territory of Shaoxing Road! At the same time, we can send out detachments to gradually eliminate the remaining strongholds in Huzhou Prefecture and maintain pressure on Guangde Road."

Another very important point that Xu Da failed to notice: Shaoxing has been the most important copper and iron producing area in Wu and Yue since ancient times. Its copper and iron reserves not only account for 70% of the Wu and Yue region, but are also shallow minerals, which are easy to develop and have relatively high quality.

How could Shi Shan allow such an important military industrial base to fall into enemy hands? He had previously ordered the Yangtze River Navy to make a large detour into Hangzhou Bay in order to capture Shaoxing Road.

With such an obvious strategic intention, Shishan believed that his generals should be able to see it.

Unfortunately, due to intelligence interference regarding the Yuan army's capture of Qishui, Shao Rong and Li Xixi's tactics became conservative, and they were eager to return to Yingtianfu, failing to see the strategic importance and weaknesses of Hangzhou Prefecture.

Xu Da's analysis was clear, logical, and to the point, revealing Hangzhou's vulnerabilities and the key to breaking the deadlock, making previous somewhat conservative or land-power-oriented solutions pale in comparison.

A glint flashed in Chang Yuchun's eyes. He had been commanding the army for some time and had realized his shortcomings in macro-strategic planning, so he had not spoken up easily before.

Inspired by Xu Da, he stared at Qingyuan Road (whose seat was in Yin County, now Ningbo, Zhejiang), which was adjacent to Shaoxing Road to the east of it, on the map, and couldn't help but say:

"Since our army is going to take Shaoxing, why not take advantage of the situation and take Qingyuan Road to the east as well?"

Although the Siming Mountains separate Shaoxing and Qingyuan, the mountain range is relatively short. The two places are connected by a long coastline and inland waterways such as the Yuyao River and Cixi River. If Shaoxing is taken and Qingyuan is abandoned, the southeastern flank will still be exposed and the defense system will remain incomplete.

Chang Yuchun's ideas reflect his habitual aggressiveness and mindset of expanding the gains of the battle.

Shi Shan certainly wanted to take over the prosperous Qingyuan Road in one fell swoop, but he was well aware of the current strength of the Red Flag Battalion and the dynamics of the surrounding forces.

Qingyuan Road possessed Dinghai Port (now Zhenhai, Ningbo), the best deep-water port in northern Zhejiang at the time. Such a strategic location had probably already caught the eye of that neighboring country that dominated the seas, and might have already sent troops to attack Qingyuan Road.

You have to be able to hold onto what you've gained; otherwise, it's not worth getting yourself into a mess.

Shi Shan gently tapped the table, drawing everyone's attention, and said:
"Qingyuan Road... let's not rush things for now. Let's see where Fang Guozhen's troops are now before making any further plans."

……

P.S.: I almost didn't finish. This chapter may have quite a few typos and grammatical errors. I'm correcting it as I post it, so please forgive me!
(End of this chapter)