Sweep Yuan

Chapter 287 Battle of Shaoxing: A Feint to the West and a Strikes to the East

On the 23rd day of the eighth month of the thirteenth year of the Zhizheng era, north of Doumen Town, Shaoxing Road, in the Hangzhou Bay.

It was early autumn, and the sea breeze already carried a hint of chilly saltiness. Affected by both the war and the August tidal bore of the Qiantang River, this once bustling waterway, teeming with sails, was unusually quiet these days.

The turbid river water and the deep blue sea meet at the mouth of the bay, creating unsettling eddies.

As far as the eye could see, between the vast sea and sky, only a few scattered small sampans, like frightened fish, hurriedly fled from west to east along the river to the more open Suzhou Ocean, fearing that if they were even half a step too slow, they would be swallowed up by the flames of war behind them.

Those who dared to go against the current westward and attempt to break into the eye of this storm were mostly scouts sent by various parties, like bats in the dark, cautiously spying on the movements in the direction of Hangzhou.

In this desolate sea area, today an inconspicuous civilian small sea goby boat (also known as a drilling boat) is heading west against the turbid current of the Qiantang River.

The ship was old and dilapidated, without any flags or markings on its sides, as if deliberately trying to erase its identity, leaving only a lonely wake on the undulating waves.

On the bow deck, a scholar in a faded blue robe frowned, gazing at the distant horizon where the water met the sky, and spoke with deep concern:

"Young General..."

Before the scholar could finish speaking, the young man beside him interrupted him with a smile, his tone gentle:
“Since Mr. Zhan has already served my father, he is one of our own family members. There is no need to be so formal. You can just call Mingshan by his courtesy name, ‘Fuchu’.”

This scholar in blue robes was named Zhan Ding. He was originally a poor scholar from Ninghai County, Taizhou Prefecture. However, because of his talent and reputation, Fang Guozhen forcibly recruited him into his staff after capturing Ninghai County at the beginning of this month.

The man who answered the question was a wiry, dark-skinned man with a fierce air about him. He was Fang Guozhen's nephew and one of his capable lieutenants, Fang Mingshan.

He was not an ordinary playboy who relied on his father's protection. His father, Fang Guoxin, was a key figure in the rise of the Fang family in Huangyan. Born into a tenant farmer family, he relied on his courage and boldness to lead his younger brothers from the dangerous business of smuggling salt to build a huge family fortune through bloodshed and turmoil.

Unfortunately, in the fierce battle with the local tyrant Cai Luantou over the "laopen" (which was roughly a patent for salt production), Fang Guoxin was seriously injured and soon passed away. Before his death, he entrusted the position of family head and the nascent business to his shrewd and cunning third brother, Fang Guozhen.

By seizing the "prison pit," the Fang family rapidly accumulated wealth and became a powerful force in Huangyan Prefecture.

As the eldest grandson of the main branch, Fang Mingshan not only inherited his father's legacy, but also, with his outstanding abilities and ruthlessness, firmly controlled a highly independent armed fleet through repeated battles and expansions.

He is actually an important "partner" within Fang Guozhen's group, and is also recognized as the most capable among the younger generation of the Fang family.

In order to maintain family unity and prevent division, Fang Guozhen, under the guidance of his mother Zhou, formally adopted Fang Mingshan as his godson, thus tacitly approving Fang Mingshan to take over the family business in the future and ensuring that the Fang family would become stronger and stronger.

Although the two recognized each other as father and son, Fang Mingshan was actually only eleven years younger than Fang Guozhen. He was strong-willed and very opinionated. He did not want outsiders to see him as someone who had achieved his current status because of Fang Guozhen's protection. Therefore, he was particularly sensitive to how he was addressed and disliked the title "Young General" which carried a sense of dependence.

Zhan Ding had only recently joined the group and didn't have a deep understanding of the subtle relationships and taboos within the Fang family. Seeing that Fang Mingshan showed no displeasure, he assumed that Fang was merely trying to win him over. Naturally, he didn't dare address Fang Mingshan by name directly, and instead cut straight to the point:
"The Red Flag Battalion is now powerful, its territory spanning both sides of the Yangtze River, and it can attack on all sides. Shi Jingxing may not come to the front line in Hangzhou in person. If we do not meet the main figure on this trip, this mission may encounter unexpected twists and turns, and we may not be able to achieve our goals."

The Red Flag Battalion's army captured northern Zhejiang, forcing Qing Tong to hastily respond by diverting troops from various routes, leaving his rear vulnerable. Fang Guozhen seized the opportunity to launch another attack, not only capturing all five counties and one prefecture of Taizhou Circuit, but also immediately marching north to advance on Fenghua Prefecture of Qingyuan Circuit.

Right after Qingyuan Road, he learned that the Red Flag Battalion had advanced swiftly and had already captured Hangzhou, the capital of the Jiangzhe Province.

Fang Guozhen was familiar with the terrain of the coastal routes of Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces and knew that Hangzhou, Shaoxing and Qingyuan were integrated. He judged that Shishan's next move would inevitably be to covet Shaoxing Road across the river, and even Qingyuan Road, which was equally wealthy and had a good harbor.

In order to expand his territory as quickly as possible before the Yuan court and Shishan could react, he brought most of his elite troops ashore. However, due to insufficient resources, especially the urgent need for administrative talent, the newly occupied territories lacked capable personnel to govern and could not sustain a continuous war.

Compared to the Red Flag Battalion, the Fang family's foundation was like a tower built on sand; it seemed imposing, but was actually quite weak inside.

Although he had long regarded Shishan as his strongest opponent, Fang Guozhen was unwilling to confront the Red Flag Battalion, which was at the height of its military power, head-on at this stage.

After much deliberation, he decided to follow Shishan's strategy of "courtesy first, then force," sending an envoy to Hangzhou to test the waters and clearly define his bottom line—at least, the Fang family wanted to take a bite out of Qingyuan Road.

If Shishan is willing to compromise, then everyone will be happy.

If the other side refuses to back down, then we may have no choice but to rely on our superior naval forces to harass the Red Flag Camp's long coastline, even if it means a draw, to show this Jiangbei guy the power of the Fang family's navy.

Fang Mingshan's trip carries a dual mission. Ostensibly, it is an diplomatic mission to negotiate, but secretly, it is also to assess the true combat strength and development potential of the Red Flag Battalion, providing crucial information for Fang Guozhen to ultimately determine his strategic stance towards the Red Flag Battalion: whether to cooperate or confront them.

Therefore, regardless of whether Shishan himself is in Hangzhou, Fang Mingshan must rush to Hangzhou to contact the high-ranking officers of the Red Flag Battalion as soon as possible, find out their true intentions regarding Qingyuan Road, and determine their combat strength.

"It doesn't matter."

Fang Mingshan wasn't entirely sure of Shishan's true intentions, but he had to remain calm and composed in front of Zhan Ding, who had just joined the group.

“More than two months ago, Shi Jingxing took the initiative to send an envoy to Huangyan to show goodwill to us. We still have some goodwill with the Red Flag Battalion, so we won’t start a war without even saying hello.”

No sooner had Fang Mingshan finished speaking than his gaze suddenly sharpened like that of a hawk, fixing intently on the distant horizon. He saw more than ten dark dots rapidly enlarging, forming a triangular assault formation like an arrow, cleaving through the waves and rapidly heading towards him.

Fang Mingshan felt a chill run down his spine, his muscles tensed instantly, and all thoughts of casual conversation vanished in an instant.

Is it an enemy attack?
The idea had barely formed in his mind when he quickly rejected it.

To conceal his identity and facilitate crossing the Yuan army's controlled territory, he deliberately chose this unmarked civilian ship.

Neither the Red Flag Battalion's fleet nor the Yuan army's water patrol team would, in principle, immediately attack a seemingly harmless civilian ship that was not carrying any important cargo, before revealing their identities.

Moreover, this is an inland sea route. What kind of ignorant pirate gang would dare to mess with the Fang family's ship?
"Maintain course and speed, and proceed to meet them!"

Fang Mingshan gave the order in a deep voice, his tone revealing his usual decisiveness and confidence.

He had been fighting for his life in the wind and waves since childhood, and had long since developed excellent water skills. The dozens of sailors on the ship were also elites selected from hundreds of people. How could they be afraid of a mere dozen or so sentry boats?
He decided to find out what kind of force the other party was and what they wanted to do before making any plans.

As the two sides closed in, the figures standing at the bow of the foremost sentry ship could be clearly seen waving signal flags and sending simple flag signals to the sea goby ship.

"Order my ship... to sail to starboard and give way to the main channel?"

Fang Mingshan narrowed his eyes, quickly deciphering the message. The Fang family's navy had been operating at sea for many years and had its own set of flag signals for communication. Although these signals differed from those of the opposing side, the instruction to "move to the right" was simple and intuitive, and even navies from different systems could easily understand it.

In a flash, he arrived at two key conclusions:
First, the opposing force is a regular navy with a standardized command and communication system, and is by no means a rabble.

Secondly, their style of operation was different from that of the Yuan army—the Yuan navy often dealt with suspicious vessels that were alone in a more brutal manner and would not first use flag signals to warn them.

Could it be... the Red Flag Battalion's navy?

The thought exploded in Fang Mingshan's mind like a thunderclap, and his heart sank.

If a dozen or so agile scout ships can clear the way ahead for reconnaissance, then a massive main fleet must be following behind! The Red Flag Battalion has actually deployed troops, and so quickly!

Is their target Shaoxing Road to the south, or Qingyuan Road to the east, which the Fang family is determined to win?

Fang Mingshan was immediately gripped by an immense sense of crisis; two choices lay before him:
Should we proceed with the original plan and visit Shishan in Hangzhou, who might be there?

Should we immediately turn around and rush back to Qingyuan Road to warn them—the Red Flag Camp has already attacked?

Fang Mingshan acted decisively, weighed the pros and cons, and quickly made a decision:

He can't leave! He must stay and confirm the size, composition, and movements of this fleet with his own eyes! If it's the Red Flag Battalion, given Shi Shan's style of doing things, they shouldn't harm the "innocent."

Even if the judgment is wrong, and the enemy is indeed a Yuan army disguised as a fleet, Fang Mingshan is fully confident that he can escape from the encirclement of these sentry ships.

"Lower the sails and set off three feet! Everyone conceal yourselves and prepare for battle!" He lowered his voice and quickly issued a series of orders.

After giving the order, Fang Mingshan glanced at Zhan Ding beside him. He saw that this scholar, facing the increasingly imposing warship, was not panicked at all. Instead, he was observing with a focused and curious expression. Fang Mingshan couldn't help but secretly admire the man's extraordinary courage.

“Mr. Zhan, there might be some trouble later. Swords have no eyes. For your safety, please take refuge in the hold for now.” Upon hearing this, Zhan Ding turned his head, his face showing little fear.

When this child was six or seven years old, he showed exceptional learning talent and perseverance. He disliked playing with other children in the streets and longed only for studying. He would often squat outside the window of the school in the city to eavesdrop, and when he returned home in the afternoon, he could recite the texts read aloud by the wealthy children in the school without missing a single word.

His father made a living selling cakes and rented an empty house from a wealthy family named Wu. Life was very difficult for him, and he hoped that his son would take over the business and shoulder the family responsibilities as soon as possible.

Despite his young age, Zhan Ding refused to give up. While helping his father tend the fire, he would become engrossed in reading by the flickering flames in the stove. Eventually, his father was moved and gave him everything he had to support his education.

This person did not disappoint his father's expectations. After only one year of schooling, he mastered all of his teacher's knowledge. He then transferred to the private school of his landlord, the Wu family. Within a few years, the Wu family's children dared not discuss academic matters with him. In the end, he studied under Wang Yuke, a famous scholar in the county, and became proficient in the great principles of the Spring and Autumn Annals.

However, under the corrupt official selection system of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty, talented individuals like Zhan Ding, who were poor and powerless, were destined to have little chance of advancement.

After completing his studies, he tried to recommend himself to the government for a position, but was repeatedly rejected. Forced by the need to make a living, he even wrote essays for a wealthy young man surnamed Zhao in the same county to help him get selected for a government position, and afterwards only asked for fifty taels of silver as payment.

For Zhan Ding, being forcibly conscripted by Fang Guozhen was both a humiliation and a potential opportunity to escape his predicament. He longed to make a name for himself and prove himself; how could he possibly back down at this crucial moment and leave a bad impression of being a coward among his master's sons?

"Although I am a scholar, I know how to survive in chaotic times. I can wield a sword and a shield."

Zhan Ding's tone was calm, yet unusually firm.

"Young General, please feel free to act as you see fit and do not need to be distracted by your subordinates."

"Excellent! Mr. Zhan is indeed bold!"

Fang Mingshan's admiration deepened, and even the title "Young General" sounded much more pleasing to the ear. He immediately shouted at a trusted subordinate:
"Gou Qiuzi, give your knife and shield to Mr. Zhan, and you can get another set down on the lower deck!"

At this moment, the Red Flag Battalion sentry boat saw that the sea eel boat not only did not obey the order to give way, but also lowered its sails and slowed down. They immediately changed formation and split into three small squadrons to surround the sea eel boat. Their movements were clean and efficient, showing a high level of training.

Once both sides were within speaking distance, Fang Mingshan took a deep breath, gathered his strength, and shouted to the other side first:
"Are those coming from the other side brothers from the Red Flag Battalion?"

Among the sentry fleet, the commander, seeing that the other side had taken the initiative to call out and that his main fleet was right behind him, confident of victory, calmly responded:
"Indeed! Who are you, and why do you not clear the way for our army?"

Having confirmed the other party's identity, Fang Mingshan felt more at ease—at least Shishan had sent an envoy to Huangyan to try to cooperate with the Fang family's troops, so there was a basis for peace talks between the two sides. As long as he did not take the initiative to take hostile actions, there should be no problem.

He then revealed his identity and purpose:

"I am Fang Mingshan, a subordinate of General Fang Guozhen of Taizhou! I am on my way to Hangzhou to pay a visit to Marshal Shi to discuss important matters. Brother over there, could you do me the favor and pass on my message?"

On the opposite sentry ship, the commander did not reply immediately. Instead, he cautiously dispatched a fast ship, which turned around and sped towards the main fleet, clearly to request instructions.

Later, another patrol boat slowly approached the sea loach boat to conduct close-range surveillance.

Seeing that the other party did not deny it, Fang Mingshan knew that Shishan must be in Hangzhou, and that he had to complete his mission no matter what. He made a quick decision and whispered instructions to Zhan Ding and the sailors on the ship:
"Follow the guidance of the Red Flag Battalion and do not act rashly, lest you obstruct the enemy's flight path."

Immediately, he unfastened the sword from his waist, handed it to his personal guard, grabbed the rope hanging from the mast, and with a nimble swing, landed lightly on the approaching Red Flag Battalion sentry boat. His movements were decisive and neat, showing the true nature of a hero on the water.

The commander of the sentry ship had a brief conversation with Fang Mingshan to verify the situation, and then led the remaining sentry ships to continue their advance reconnaissance mission.

The sentry boat carrying Fang Mingshan turned around and led the sea goat boat westward.

Before long, a breathtaking sight appeared on the distant horizon.

The sails, blotting out the sky, resembled a continuous city wall that had suddenly risen, covering the vast sea. Masts stood like a forest, sails like clouds, and there were no fewer than six or seven hundred ships of all sizes, sailing mightily, cutting through the waves.

Although many of these vessels were civilian ships used for auxiliary and transportation purposes, they were not all professional warships—this was the norm for irregular navies. When Fang's navy burned Liujiagang early last year, it deployed thousands of ships of various types, which was to invite coastal fishermen and pirates to help in the battle.

But Fang Mingshan, observing this, couldn't help but feel a chill: the Red Flag Battalion had risen from the inland Huai River region, and had only been in service for two years. Why was it investing such enormous resources in its naval construction? This scale was far from something a small-time operation would attempt; who was it targeting?!
He secretly compared the strengths and weaknesses of the Fang family's navy with the fleet before him. If they were to engage in a direct confrontation in open waters, what were the Fang family's chances of victory?

After some deduction, the conclusion was rather pessimistic: although the Fang family's fleet was flexible and skilled in battle, it would probably be difficult to gain an advantage in the face of the opponent's well-organized formation and numerical superiority.

“However…” Fang Mingshan’s eyes sharpened again as he thought to himself, “The key to naval warfare isn’t necessarily head-on confrontation.”

Fang Guozhen's illustrious military achievements were all obtained through naval battles against the main Yuan fleet.

Basically, they used their extreme understanding of coastal hydrology, reefs, and tides to lure the cumbersome Yuan fleet into harbors and shoals. Once the tide receded, they turned the fleet into a stranded whale, and then launched a swarm of agile small boats to attack it.

This vast sea frontier, dotted with numerous islands, is the invincible battlefield where the Fang family's navy can come and go freely, and defeat the strong with the weak!

The scout ship sailed towards the massive fleet at great speed, and soon delivered Fang Mingshan to the flagship of Xu Da, the commander-in-chief of this eastern expedition.

The flagship was a large, converted riverboat with a wide deck and fluttering flags. Although it was not as luxurious as some of the ships that the Fang family had looted, it exuded a solemn military atmosphere.

Time was of the essence, and Fang Mingshan was unwilling to beat around the bush with Xu Da. After boarding the flagship, he gave a slight bow and went straight to the point:
"General Xu is leading such a magnificent fleet across the sea to the east. I wonder where he is going to fight?" His eyes were burning as he tried to glean any clues from Xu Da's reaction.

Xu Da's mind stirred slightly, thinking to himself that the marshal was indeed a prophet. Fang Guozhen had indeed long regarded Qingyuan Road as his own, and Fang Mingshan's arrival was most likely about the issue of Qingyuan Road's ownership.

He was calm and composed, and had long held a high position. Although he was actually two years younger than Fang Mingshan, he possessed an imposing presence and would not easily let the other party discover his secrets. Instead of answering, he asked a question in a calm but authoritative tone:

"I have been busy with military affairs lately and have been out of touch with the news. I heard that General Fang has recently launched another uprising. I wonder how the battle is going?"

More than two months ago, Xia Yu was sent to Huangyan on Shi Shan's orders. His straightforward and direct negotiation style left a deep impression on Fang Mingshan, leading him to mistakenly believe that most of the Red Flag Battalion members were of this "straightforward" style, and that military officers might be easier to deal with.

Unexpectedly, General Xu Da, despite his young age, was so experienced and spoke with impeccable eloquence.

However, the Fang army is currently attacking Fenghua Prefecture, and this matter cannot be kept secret. If our concealment allows the Red Flag Battalion to take advantage of the situation and seize Yin County, the seat of Qingyuan Road, then we would be losing more than we gain. Rather than doing so, it is better to frankly state some of the facts and seize the moral high ground.

Thinking of this, Fang Mingshan decided to use the man's own methods against him, borrowing Xia Yu's emphasis on the "righteous cause of opposing the Yuan Dynasty," and loudly proclaimed:
"General Xu is well-informed! Indeed, the Yuan army is weak and easily defeated. General Fang has already led his righteous army to sweep across the entire Taizhou Circuit and captured Fenghua Prefecture in Qingyuan Circuit. At this moment, the army is fiercely attacking Yin County!"
I have come here on General Fang's orders to pay a visit to Marshal Shi, precisely to discuss a joint strategy for our two armies to resist the Yuan Dynasty!

In the pre-deployment military council, Marshal Shi had already determined the basic strategy for dealing with Fang Guozhen's forces. Seeing that Fang Mingshan had indeed come for this purpose, Xu Da felt even more confident, but remained outwardly calm, agreeing with Fang's words:
"I see. General Fang's renewed uprising is cause for celebration. Our army has come east this time to restore the Han territory and rescue the people of Zhejiang from their dire straits. Since the Marshal is stationed in Hangzhou, and you have come here to join forces against the Yuan, I can arrange a fast boat to take you there for an audience immediately."

Xu Da naturally wouldn't allow unidentified foreign ships to approach Hangzhou Port at will. Fang Mingshan had already witnessed just the tip of the iceberg of the Red Flag Battalion's navy, and his main objective was to meet Shi Shan. Not wanting to cause any further trouble, he agreed to Xu Da's arrangement.

However, he proposed that they should return to the sea goby ship to pick up his advisor Zhan Ding. Last time, Xia Yu had debated Fang Guozhen's civil and military affairs alone, which made Fang Guozhen feel that he lacked a scholar who was eloquent and knowledgeable about etiquette. This is why he forcibly summoned Zhan Ding and ordered him to accompany him on the mission.

Xu Da only needed to ensure that Fang Mingshan did not interfere with the army's operations, and this request was perfectly acceptable.

Before long, the sentry ship brought Zhan Ding to the flagship. Xu Da then arranged for a swift communications ship to carry Fang and Zhan away from the main fleet and head towards Hangzhou.

Watching the departing ship, Xu Da turned his gaze back to the east.

The Red Flag Battalion's army gathered in Hangzhou, and the Yuan army in Shaoxing Road, separated only by the Qiantang River, was not deaf or blind; they had already deployed a tight defense along the east bank of the Qiantang River.

To this end, Shishan devised a feint attack strategy: he ordered Chang Yuchun to lead the Qingri Left Guard, Weiwu Guard and other troops to set up camps, search for boats, and deploy a large number of feint troops on the west bank of the Qiantang River, making it appear as if a large-scale crossing was about to take place, in order to attract and contain the main force of the Yuan army in Shaoxing.
Xu Da's troops then crossed the sea by boat. After sailing for half a day, a wide river appeared on the coastline, which was the Cao'e River, which led directly to the heart of Shaoxing Road.

Given the importance of this waterway, the Yuan army naturally couldn't leave it undefended—they had already established two water fortresses at its estuary.

However, the forces in Shaoxing Road were already insufficient, and a large number of them were drawn to the western front to defend the Qiantang River. How could they possibly stop the massive naval fleet?

"Enemy attack!"

"Boom boom boom!"

The piercing alarm sounded for a short time before being drowned out by the roar of cannons from the Yangtze River Navy's gunboats.

(End of this chapter)