Sweep Yuan

Chapter 289 Taking All of Northern Zhejiang to Prepare for the Great Battle

On the banks of the Puyang River, the smoke of battle had not yet dissipated, and the stench of blood mixed with the damp, murky smell of the river permeated the early autumn air.

Behind them was the cannon threat of the Red Flag Battalion's Yangtze River Navy, and in front were the land troops personally led by Xu Da. The Yuan army formation composed of local militias crumbled instantly, like glass struck by a heavy hammer.

Less than a quarter of an hour into the battle, the scene was one of utter devastation. The fleeing soldiers scattered like headless flies, with discarded weapons and flags everywhere. The Yuan general, Lü Wensui, stood frozen amidst the chaos, his face ashen.

Looking at the fearful eyes of his personal guards, hearing the thunderous roar of cannons behind him, and glancing at the Red Flag Battalion's rapidly advancing battle formation that resembled a crimson iron wall, his last shred of courage to resist vanished.

The two sides were not evenly matched in terms of combat strength, and then they were attacked while crossing the river. The fact that the army did not collapse immediately is already worthy of the person's reputation for "good at fighting".

Lü Wensui let out a long sigh, as if all his strength had been drained in an instant. He threw his sword to the ground with a clang and shouted to the remaining Lü family soldiers:
"Put down your weapons and surrender. We should at least leave some bloodline for our clan."

The Military Command had gathered intelligence on Shaoxing Road before the war, but while they didn't know the finer details, it was easy for someone like Lü Wensui to find out.

Therefore, upon learning that the captured commander was a powerful figure from Zhuji and also the main commander of the Yuan army's Qiantang River defense line, Xu Da immediately had an idea. He stepped forward, looked at the dejected Lü Wensui, and asked in a deep voice:
"Lü Wensui? Your brother Lü Hao is currently the Assistant Prefect of Zhuji Prefecture, isn't that right?"

Lu Wensui looked up in astonishment, not expecting the other party to know even this, and could only nod bitterly.

Xu Da reasoned that this man had considerable influence in the area, and his family's power could be utilized. If he could persuade his brother to surrender, taking Zhuji without bloodshed would be within reach. Saving his life was more valuable than taking his head.

"Take him away and keep a close watch on him. Do not mistreat him," Xu Da ordered.

According to preliminary counts, 326 Yuan soldiers were killed in the battle (excluding those who fell into the water and went missing), and about 2,400 fled in different directions.

Xu Da's troops lacked sufficient cavalry for battlefield cover and long-range pursuit. In addition, his primary strategic objective in advancing westward was to support Chang Yuchun's crossing of the river. Therefore, he decisively abandoned the pursuit of the routed troops and only gathered more than 2,100 prisoners.

Seeing the unfavorable situation, the more than 2,000 Yuan soldiers on the west bank of the Puyang River who had not yet crossed the river retreated towards Xiaoshan after the gunboats had unleashed their power.

After quickly clearing the battlefield, Xu Da led his fleet, escorting the prisoners, and continued along the waterway toward Xiaoshan, intending to join forces with Chang Yuchun and intercept the fleeing enemy army.

However, the army lost track of this enemy force during its march.

It was only later that they learned that these frightened birds, led by officers, had hastily retreated westward. By the time they reached the vicinity of the Qianqing Saltworks, they were filled with panic. They guessed that Lü Wensui's main force had been wiped out, and that the Red Flag Battalion on the opposite bank had likely already crossed the Qiantang River and was at the gates of Xiaoshan City.

Fear overwhelmed the already lax discipline, and no matter how much the officers urged and whipped them, the village militia were unwilling to return to Xiaoshan.

Ultimately, the out-of-control defeated soldiers vented their panic at the Qianqing Saltworks. They looted the salt warehouses and salt producers, plundered all the valuables and grain they could carry, and then scattered and disappeared into the intricate network of rivers and mountains.

Their sense of smell was indeed quite keen. On the day Lü Wensui withdrew his troops from the east bank of the Qiantang River, Chang Yuchun keenly noticed the abnormality of the Yuan army's defense line on the opposite bank—the flag movements were chaotic, and scout activities became sparse.

He acted decisively, no longer waiting for Xu Da's definite news, and seized the opportunity of the Yuan army's weakened strength to immediately lead his troops to forcefully cross the Qiantang River.

The Yuan army left to defend the east bank was already short-handed and demoralized. Under the thunderous offensive of Chang Yuchun's troops, they almost collapsed at the first contact. The Qiantang River defense line, on which Bolanxi had placed high hopes, crumbled.

With the western gateway of Shaoxing Road wide open, Xiaoshan County was exposed to the onslaught of the Red Flag Battalion's troops.

Chang Yuchun adopted a similar strategy to Xu Da: he left Zhang Huan with a detachment to monitor and besiege Xiaoshan, while he personally led the main force eastward along the Grand Canal, heading straight for Shaoxing City, intending to capture the city in one fell swoop and secure victory.

Xu Da and Chang Yuchun's two armies successfully joined forces forty li east of Xiaoshan. After a brief discussion, Xu Da asked Chang Yuchun to send a reliable force to escort important prisoners such as Lü Wensui back to the city of Xiaoshan.

Whether Lü Wensui could successfully persuade the city to surrender was not important; his very appearance was a fatal blow to the morale of the Xiaoshan garrison.

After making the arrangements, Xu and Chang led the main force in a grand manner towards Shaoxing City, which was already trapped.

On the walls of Shaoxing, the defending troops saw the Red Flag Battalion's army surging in from the east and west like a red tide. Their will to resist quickly collapsed, and they lost the water fortress and the Qiantang River defense line one after another. Even the commander of the reinforcements was captured alive. All of this happened too fast, so fast that it made people despair.

Meanwhile, outside Shaoxing City, Li Xixi, who remained behind, had been busy these past few days, urging the artisans and laborers accompanying the army to work day and night to create a large number of siege weapons such as siege ladders, shield carts, and trench carts.

After a day of rest and recuperation, the army launched its final assault.

This time, Chang Yuchun ceded the command to Xu Da, who took command of the central army and directed the overall situation.

The battle was exceptionally fierce. Bolanxi, the Mongol Yuan's Jiangnan and Zhejiang Circuit Inspector, did his utmost. He personally climbed the city walls to supervise the battle and killed several cowardly soldiers in an attempt to reverse the tide of the war.

However, under the relentless onslaught of the Red Flag Battalion's overwhelming force, and the long-range suppression of artillery, powerful bows, and crossbows, the defenders' resistance melted away like ice and snow under the sun.

The battle lasted for two and a half days, and many parts of Shaoxing's defenses were in danger. In the end, the elite elite soldiers led by Mo Tianyou, a powerful figure from Wuxi, braved a hail of arrows and stones and bravely stormed the city, finally tearing a gap in the south city wall.

"The city has fallen! Commander Mo, lead the charge!"

"Fight in!"

Cheers and shouts of battle shook the heavens and the earth. The soldiers of the Red Flag Battalion surged in through the Zhili Gate, which opened afterward, like a flood bursting its banks.

Bolanxi knew that with his status, once captured, he would not escape death. After retreating into the city, he tried to organize the remaining soldiers for a final resistance, but in the chaos, he was shot in the back by a cold arrow and died on the spot.

With its commander killed in battle, Shaoxing City lost all organized resistance and quickly fell.

From the moment Xu Da led his troops into the Cao'e River until the red flag was raised atop Shaoxing City, it was only a short ten days. The Red Flag Battalion swiftly and decisively captured this important town in eastern Zhejiang.

During this period, Yu Tingyu's detachment captured Shangyu County and Yuyao Prefecture, which were poorly defended and lacked sufficient troops, while Zhang Huan's forces also captured Xiaoshan County, where morale was low.

At this point, the core plain area of ​​Shaoxing Road was entirely in the hands of the Red Flag Camp. Only the three cities of Zhuji, Shengxian, and Xinchang, located in the southern mountainous area with rugged roads, remained. Troops would be dispatched to gradually clear them out after the overall situation stabilized.

During this period, Shi Shan was not idle in Hangzhou. In addition to continuing to recruit local scholars and smoothing out various relationships, he also met with Fang Guozhen's envoys Fang Mingshan and Zhan Ding.

Faced with the formidable fighting power displayed by the Red Flag Battalion in northern Zhejiang, Fang Mingshan automatically disregarded his previous "unpleasantness" at Gu Cheng's assassination of the Yuan envoy, which forced the Fang family to rebel against the Yuan again. Shi Shan, considering the bigger picture, also temporarily set aside Fang Guozhen's infamous reputation for "repeatedly surrendering and betraying."

Both sides were keen to avoid creating a powerful enemy while the Yuan Dynasty was facing a formidable foe, so the negotiations proceeded exceptionally smoothly, and two core agreements were quickly reached:
First, both sides acknowledge each other's current areas of actual control.

Secondly, for the Mongol prefectures and counties that have not yet been captured by either side (Qingyuan Road is not included in this list for the time being), both sides shall capture them based on their own abilities and shall not interfere with each other.

Compared to the alliance agreement previously signed with Zhang Shicheng's regime, this agreement appears exceptionally "rudimentary," and the reason is quite simple:
With a major war looming ahead with the Yuan Dynasty, Shishan has no intention of provoking Fang Guozhen's naval force, which is familiar with waterways and moves swiftly like the wind.

For Fang Guozhen, his core interest lay in controlling maritime trade routes and obtaining huge profits, which did not fundamentally conflict with the Red Flag Battalion, which was temporarily focused on land expansion.

The Fang family's current core area of ​​control, Taizhou Road, is blocked by the Tiantai Mountain, Dapen Mountain, and Xiandu Mountain ranges to the west, making it difficult for the Yuan army to penetrate from this direction; to the north is Qingyuan Road, which is under attack, and to the east is the sea; in reality, they only need to defend Wenzhou Road to the south.

To the west of Qingyuan Road is Shaoxing Road, which was captured by the Red Flag Camp, and to the east and north is the sea.

As the saying goes, a change of mindset can open up a whole new world. Fang Guozhen reached a tacit understanding with Shishan at this time, which meant that the Red Flag Battalion blocked most of the Yuan court's land attacks for him. This was conducive to the Fang family, whose political power was weak, quickly digesting the newly occupied areas and making every effort to plan for Qingyuan Road.

As for the possibility that the two companies might go to war due to conflicts of interest in the future, we'll have to wait until both sides survive into the "future" to see.

In chaotic times, the flags of kings change hands frequently atop the city walls.

Even a powerful regime like the Xu Song dynasty, which was unstoppable in the first half of last year and had captured Hangzhou, is now facing the fall of its capital and is teetering on the brink of collapse. Who can guarantee that the currently glorious Red Flag Battalion will not suffer the same fate?
Because of the great uncertainty about the future, both sides tacitly avoided mentioning "trade" in the agreement.

—Although Fang Guozhen urgently needed the silk, porcelain, tea and other commodities under the jurisdiction of Shishan to maintain his maritime trade network, Shishan also needed to find a stable sea route for the growing industrial capacity in its jurisdiction.

However, these issues can only be put on the agenda after one's rule is completely consolidated.

In fact, as early as after the Red Flag Battalion captured Suzhou Prefecture (Pingjiang Road), a local wealthy merchant named Shen Fu suggested opening the maritime trade as soon as possible.

This man was originally from Wucheng County, Huzhou. During the Zhishun era, he moved to Changzhou County, Suzhou with his father. He accumulated his first fortune by cultivating wasteland. He then devoted himself to commerce and trade. With his extraordinary courage and business acumen, his wealth multiplied several times over in just a few years. He can be called a business prodigy.

Just then, Lu Deyuan, another wealthy merchant in Suzhou, foresaw that the world was about to descend into chaos and feared that his enormous fortune would lead to the extermination of his entire family. So, before the Red Flag Army entered the city, he almost "entrusted" most of his estates, shops and other properties to Shen Fu, who was at the peak of his career.

Shen Fu's boldness far surpassed that of Lu Deyuan. He viewed this chaotic world as a stage where risks and opportunities coexisted. He was unwilling to let his vast assets sit idle in the books and was eager to explore broader avenues for making money.

As soon as the Red Flag Battalion took control of Suzhou, he took the initiative to donate a thousand shi of rice to the troops and successfully requested an audience with Shishan.

After the meeting, Shen Fu made an astonishing statement: he was willing to donate half of his family fortune and use his influence to encourage other wealthy businessmen in Suzhou to donate money and materials to fully assist the Red Flag Battalion in rebuilding Liujiagang, which had been affected by the war.

His only "request" was to obtain the largest share of the franchise rights in the future "overseas trade" led by the Red Flag Battalion.

Shishan had heard of Shen Fu's great name, "Shen Wansan," in his later years and was curious about how he had accumulated such immense wealth in such a short time. Only after experiencing it firsthand in this life did he understand the essence of his methods.

—No matter how hard you work and travel to sell your goods, it's not as profitable and quick as currying favor with the powerful and wealthy and obtaining a monopolistic franchise.

Maritime trade must be vigorously developed in Shishan, and its scale will far exceed that of previous dynasties. However, this must be done under the leadership of the new regime, guided by official capital such as the "Veterans Association," and with the encouragement of broad public participation, in order to form a healthy trade system that can be effectively managed and taxed.

Whether it's Fang Guozhen, who commands a large army and is difficult to control, or Shen Fu, who is wealthy and adept at colluding with officials and businessmen, they are both huge variables that the Red Flag Battalion cannot fully control at this stage.

Shishan's strategy toward these two forces is to both unite and utilize them, while remaining vigilant at all times to prevent and counterbalance them.

In the original historical timeline, Shen Fu was "fond of acquiring vast tracts of land and property," which led to him becoming "immensely wealthy, with landholdings all over the land." Shi Shan certainly didn't want to personally support a super oligarch who relied on political privilege to monopolize business and annex land.

Of course, these are all long-term plans.

At present, the naval forces of the Red Flag Battalion are not strong enough to fully control the southeast coast, let alone protect (effectively restrain) maritime trade fleets.

However, "prevention is worse than cure." If the government completely bans the sea, the huge coastal production capacity and profit-seeking nature will inevitably give rise to rampant smuggling trade.

In response, Shishan had long been planning ahead and had ordered the Ministry of Commerce to conduct a pilot program in Liujiagang, establishing a Maritime Trade Office to allow private ships to go to sea for trade, provided they reported the information as required and paid taxes in a unified manner.

Under this initial framework of "fair competition," he naturally could not agree to Shen Fu's almost monopolistic request.

As the Red Flag Battalion successively captured counties in Hangzhou Prefecture and demonstrated a more effective local governance capability than the Yuan Dynasty, some local talents who had previously held a wait-and-see attitude began to change their stance.

For example, Yang Weizhen, who had previously declined Shishan's offer of employment, softened his attitude considerably when Shishan recently inquired about his "consultation on salt administration reform."

After refusing visitors for two days, this man submitted a lengthy memorial of several thousand words entitled "On the Abuses and Reforms of the Salt Administration of the Great Yuan Dynasty" to Shishan.

In this article, which encapsulates years of reflection, Yang Weizhen incisively points out current problems and proposes six highly targeted reform suggestions:

Firstly, the abuses of registering salt-producing households should be addressed by abolishing their labor service registration.

Salt-making households were hereditary servants, their lives dependent on the salt-making profession. They were unable to control their own salt production year-round, and any slight negligence would result in beatings, leading to widespread public resentment.

It is suggested that salt-producing households be classified into three grades: superior, middle, and inferior, based on their salt production. Superior households would serve as salt field officials, middle households would be in charge of salt production, and inferior households would perform miscellaneous labor. Furthermore, the personal dependence of salt-producing households should be liberated, with their labor assigned based on their salt production. Additionally, the children of salt-producing households should be allowed to study and take the imperial examinations, thus breaking free from the shackles of social status.

Secondly, the salt tax was heavy, and the tax was levied in silver according to different grades.
The salt tax was increased at each level, and the salt producers received less than one-tenth of the tax, so they abandoned salt production and fled.

It is suggested that salt permits be priced according to grade, and that a system of "converting salt into silver" be tried to replace the collection of goods in kind. The "work-cost paper" system that exploited salt producers should be abolished, and the salt transport office should directly distribute rations to prevent officials from deducting from them.

Thirdly, the salt administration is chaotic, so a Salt Inspectorate should be appointed.
The responsibilities of government offices such as the Salt Transport Office, the Inspection Office, and the Patrol Office were unclear, leading to rampant smuggling of salt.

It is suggested that a dedicated salt inspector be appointed to supervise salt administration agencies at all levels, severely crack down on smuggled salt, clarify responsibilities and powers, and close loopholes.

Fourth, rampant illegal salt trade, with the practice of "official collection and sale" prevailing.

The root cause of rampant smuggled salt was that official salt was as expensive as pearls and jade, while smuggled salt was as cheap as mud and sand.

It is suggested that the government should control and sell salt to stabilize market prices, that official salt bureaus should be established in prefectures and counties to sell salt according to the number of households, and that salt taxes should be significantly reduced to lower salt prices; and that private commercial transportation and sales channels should be improved.

Fifth, with granaries empty, salt warehouses should be repaired to prepare for famine.
Salt warehouses in various regions were repeatedly damaged by floods, and the warehouses were left unrepaired, resulting in the loss of large quantities of salt due to flooding.

It is recommended to repair the coastal salt warehouses and allocate funds to purchase and reserve salt in order to reduce the losses suffered by the people due to natural disasters.

Sixth, the corruption of officials should be addressed by implementing a performance evaluation system.
Saltworks clerks were rife with embezzlement and the sale of smuggled salt.

It is recommended that the performance evaluation of salt fields be strictly reviewed, that the public be allowed to report salt-related malpractices, and that those who report truthfully be rewarded, while those who make false accusations be punished.

It must be said that Yang Weizhen's years of experience as the commander of the Qianqing Saltworks were not in vain. He had a keen understanding of the long-standing problems in the salt administration, and his proposed solutions were quite feasible. This memorial was full of practical advice, demonstrating his talent for governing the country.

Nevertheless, Shishan, after careful consideration of the situation, did not immediately implement large-scale salt administration reforms.

The newly annexed coastal prefectures and counties are far from being truly stable, and the Yuan army's counterattack is imminent. At this time, it is not the right time to carry out such profound institutional reforms.

Shi Shan treated Yang Weizhen with sincerity, clearly explaining the practical considerations for temporarily halting reforms, and once again solemnly invited him to come out of retirement and assist him.

This time, having seen the true character of the Red Flag Battalion and the sincerity of Shishan, Yang Weizhen did not refuse again and finally agreed to serve in the Red Flag Battalion.

When news of Xu Da and Chang Yuchun's victory in capturing Shaoxing reached Hangzhou, Zhao Pusheng also captured Hangzhou Prefecture and Yuling Pass, which is located at the intersection. This meant that the military threat around Hangzhou Prefecture had been basically eliminated, and it was only a matter of time before the remaining prefectures and passes were captured.

Shi Shan had been leading a large army on campaigns for several months. As the leader of the forces, he had to return to Jiangning as soon as possible to take charge, coordinate the overall situation, and prepare for the upcoming strategic decisive battle against the main force of the Yuan court.

With the army about to set off, Shishan made a series of important personnel adjustments to adapt to the new war situation and the needs of territorial management:
Chang Yuchun was appointed as the Left Vice Minister of the Jiangzhe Province, in charge of military affairs in Taiping Prefecture and Ningguo Circuit (which had not yet been fully captured).

He commanded his own Qingri Left Guard and Mao Gui's Bashan Right Guard, stationed them in Taiping Prefecture, and built the core of the western defense line in preparation for the counterattack of the Yuan army from the Jinghu direction.

Xu Da was appointed as the Right Vice Minister of the Jiangzhe Province, responsible for the military defense of Hangzhou and Shaoxing prefectures.
It was given command of the Qingri Right Guard under Li Xixi and the Fujun Right Guard under Zhao Pusheng (temporarily organized into three towns), and a battalion of the Yangtze River Navy was assigned to its command to ensure the defense of the southeast coast and internal stability.

Zhang Desheng was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Yangtze River Navy and returned to Jiangning with the central army to reorganize the navy in preparation for future large-scale riverine warfare or coastal support operations.

Hu Dahai was appointed as the Provincial Councilor of Jiangzhe Province, leading the Bashan Left Guard and several directly subordinate towns and battalions to clear out the remaining Yuan troops in Huzhou Road and capture Guangde Road, thus opening up land connections with the hinterland of Yingtian Prefecture.

Fu Youde was appointed as the Provincial Councilor of Huainan Province...

(End of this chapter)