Looking north towards the rivers and mountains

Chapter 576 The Plan (Bonus Chapter 1 for the nickname of Alliance Leader Little Horse)

As the Yuan cavalry retreated, wisps of smoke began to rise from the chimneys of Yangzhou.

Outside Dongguan Ferry, a naval vessel slowly approached the dock. After discovering that there was no ice near the shore, it was relieved and slowly brought the vessel to shore.

The shogunate official, Fan Ting, disembarked from the ship, his face ashen.

He was originally the magistrate of Yangzi County. Some time ago, a rebellion broke out in the city, and he was caught off guard and fled in panic. As for the county lieutenant Zhang Jing, he was captured by the Yuan people, and his fate is unknown.

After returning to Yangzhou, the commander-in-chief did not blame him and reinstated him as a staff officer, helping him run errands.

Two days ago, he was ordered to go to Zhenjiang Prefecture in the south, and he returned today to report.

After getting off the gondola, Fan Ting descended the city wall near Kanghai Gate and hurried towards Mingyue Tower—because Mingyue Tower was so large that it also served as an office space.

However, he was blocked near Kanghai Gate.

A large crowd of people, driving their vehicles, crowded at the gate, making a racket. The militiamen guarding the city gate and the boatmen from Taicang shouted back at them. The two sides were talking at cross purposes, which was somewhat amusing.

However, the people of Yangzhou eventually understood.

The Grand Marshal had given them a strict order to guard the city gates, so these men viewed everyone as a spy, and would react immediately if anyone leaned against them.

The tension was palpable. The soldiers were already fully armored, swords drawn, bows strung, spears raised, and some were even carrying out a rusty, worn-out cannon.

The people of Yangzhou cursed under their breath, then quickly turned their cars around and drove south along the city wall.

The carts were loaded with arrows, gunpowder, and even rocks for defense. Clearly, after encountering the spying bandits, the defenders had increased their vigilance and began to move more defensive supplies onto the city walls and store them in various towers nearby.

After avoiding the group, Fan Ting continued on his way with an attendant.

The general guarding Kanghai Gate looked to be only sixteen or seventeen years old, his body not yet fully grown, but he stubbornly wore a set of iron armor, his left hand on his sword, his right hand on his hip, quietly watching Fan Ting.

Fan Ting didn't make eye contact with him. After moving slightly away from Kanghai Gate, she walked briskly along Dongguan Street.

Most of the shops on both sides of the street were closed, except for those selling grain, oil, salt, and cloth. Fan Ting didn't know if they still accepted paper money. If not, how would the people still stranded in Yangzhou survive?

As we approached an intersection and were about to turn north, the sound of orderly footsteps echoed from the street to the west.

Fan Ting looked closely and saw that hundreds of soldiers were advancing eastward in four columns.

If nothing unexpected happens, this should be reinforcements for the eastern city's defenses. They belong to the Changzhi Army. It's unlikely that the enemy will attack the eastern part of the city, but precautions still need to be taken.

Fan Ting pulled his attendant along, turned north into the alley, and a moment later they arrived in front of Mingyue Tower.

While waiting for the guard to give the order, Fan Ting subconsciously glanced at the streets and alleys.

Every household had their doors and windows tightly shut, and a group of government officials had appeared at the entrances and exits of the alley. They must have been sent by the Records Office to protect Mingyue Tower. Although the Grand Marshal might not have made such a request, the Records Office couldn't be so ignorant.

After a silent sneer, Yang Song, the deputy commander of the imperial guards, came out and invited Fan Ting and the other man into Mingyue Tower.

In the front courtyard, the clerk was busy, walking briskly along the corridor, delivering various official documents from one room to another, and then retrieving them a moment later.

A row of officers sat on the veranda, whispering among themselves, ready to go out and deliver messages at any moment.

Yu Hong seemed to have seen him and waved with a smile.

Fan Ting put on a smile and bowed to him.

After passing through two courtyards, a winding gallery appeared, with soldiers standing at attention with guns in hand.

As Fan Ting passed by, he subconsciously felt several gazes falling on him.

This area is close to the rear residence of the commander-in-chief, and is heavily fortified, with most of his personal guards stationed here.

Fan Ting was soon led to Langyuan, where he met Shao Shuyi in a small garden.

After bowing, he respectfully sat down in the chair opposite him.

Shao Shuyi smiled broadly as he fiddled with various tea utensils.

The misty atmosphere made it seem somewhat mysterious and unfathomable.

For some reason, Fan Ting's anxious heart gradually relaxed, and he sincerely praised, "The Commander-in-Chief truly has composure."

"Oh? Is this what you call composure?" Shao Shuyi said, skimming the boiling water from the teapot with a wooden ladle. "Why not just say I'm at my wit's end?"

Fan Ting laughed awkwardly, "How could I dare? But we're not really at a loss yet."

"General, I have just returned from Zhenjiang. Two thousand soldiers from there have been dispatched to Liyang to assist in the defense. Prefect Liu has pardoned the scattered remnants of the former Changzhou Wanhu Prefecture who were bandits, allocated them military land, and distributed rewards. We have gained over a thousand soldiers, which has somewhat made up for the shortage." Fan Ting began to report on the mission, and finally added, "There are rumors in Zhenjiang that Mo Tianyou could not hold Lishui and has led his remaining troops out of the siege, heading north to Jurong."

Shao Shuyi paused for a moment.

Mo Tianyou's true roots are in Wuxi, where he has spent most of his life. He has neither a strong foundation nor the will to govern Lishui, and it's likely that some locals in Lishui oppose him, so his departure wouldn't be surprising.

As for the dispatch of troops from Changzhou to reinforce Liyang, it was an order issued by the military headquarters. Wang Yunlong had been fighting against the Yuan army for many years. The city was repeatedly breached and repaired, and soldiers died and were recruited and killed. The local people were scattered and fled in the repeated back-and-forth battles, which was indeed quite difficult.

To put it bluntly, if Wang Yunlong hadn't killed many Yuan soldiers while defending the city, including more than ten military officers, and forced the Yuan generals of Guangde Wanhu Prefecture, Changxing Yibing Wanhu Prefecture, and Ningguo Wanhu Prefecture to threaten to grind him to dust, they might have already surrendered.

By sending reinforcements to Liyang, they were actually blocking the Yuan army's eastward route and preventing them from coordinating with the Yuan armies in Huzhou, Jiaxing, and Hangzhou on the other side of Taihu Lake.

Of course, it's unlikely that the Yuan army would head east. If they had indeed captured Lishui, their next step would most likely be to move north and attack Nanjing directly.

The reason is simple: this city has political significance.

Many people can't see through this. During the An Lushan Rebellion, Li Mi suggested taking advantage of the fact that the main force of the rebels was in the interior, sending troops from Hedong and beyond the Great Wall to attack Youzhou and "destroy their nest." Li Heng refused because he needed to recover the capital as political capital to compete for influence with Lao Deng, who had fled to Chengdu.

This will give everyone, whether it's Duo Dai, Qing Tong who has just arrived in Hangzhou, or even the Iron Pot Emperor who is far away in Dadu, a strong urge to recapture Jinling.

They didn't want to see anyone claiming to be king or duke in Jinling; wouldn't that turn the Northern and Southern Dynasties into a situation like the Northern and Southern Dynasties?

Therefore, the core of the battle in Jiangnan is not Dangtu, where the fighting is currently most intense, but Nanjing.

Shao Shuyi personally ladled a bowl of tea for Fan Ting and said, "You should rest at home for a day, and then go to Shanyang tomorrow."

"Yes." Fan Ting reached out and took it.

He said he'd rest for a day, but it was really just one night. However, he abandoned the city and fled recently, so it's not something to say. Being able to salvage his image through these errands is a good thing.

"How is public sentiment in Zhenjiang?" Shao Shuyi asked again.

Fan Ting hesitated for a moment.

"To be honest," Shao Shuyi raised his voice.

"Zhenjiang is actually dangerous too," Fan Ting said. "When I was in the government office, I saw Prefect Liu summoning wealthy families from Danyang to discuss the defense and defense. From my observation, many of them are two-faced and cowardly; at the slightest sign of trouble, some might defect to the enemy."

At this point, Fan Ting sighed slightly and said, "Since the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty, the Jiangnan region has not actually suffered much from the Mongols. On the contrary, it has been quite well treated. The taxes levied on the gentry and wealthy households are even less than those levied on the powerful families in the north. In fact, many people are loyal to the Yuan court."

They just don't have the guts to stand up and resist, but they would dare to pass on a message or a message.

In Fan Ting's view, of the three fronts facing the Grand Marshal's Office—north, central, and south—the most dangerous is the Jiangnan region.

The Yuan army in Jiangnan had no shortage of food and supplies, a considerable number of troops, and local support, so the fall of Nanjing was highly probable.

If Nanjing is lost, the newly conquered territories of Zhenjiang and Changzhou, which have not yet been properly established, will be in great danger and could very well be lost again.

But he dared not say these words aloud, for fear of disturbing the morale of the troops.

"Jiangnan is not the main battlefield," Shao Shuyi said. "The situation in Huai'an is more critical than in Jiangnan. Fighting has already broken out in Shanyang and Xuyi. If they fall, the consequences will be far worse than if Nanjing were to fall. However, the decisive battle will ultimately take place in Yangzhou."

After saying that, he poured himself another bowl of tea and said, "Tomorrow afternoon, a fleet of ships will pass through Dongguan Ferry to transport arrows and gunpowder to Shanyang. You should go with them and come back quickly."

"Does the Commander-in-Chief have anything to instruct?" Fan Ting asked, bowing slightly.

"It's all written in the letter." After saying that, Shao Shuyi pondered for a moment and then said, "After you go, find another opportunity to tell Cheng Ji privately that if the river freezes and the navy is unable to move, everything else can be abandoned, but Shanyang cannot be abandoned. If it really cannot be held, retreat to Baoying and continue to hold the line. We must not allow Duoerzhi's troops to advance unimpeded all the way to Gaoyou."

"Yes." Fan Ting silently made a note of it.

"That's settled then." Shao Shuyi had a bolt of brocade brought over and handed it to Fan Ting, saying, "You've worked hard. After this battle, the situation will change dramatically, and everything will be much clearer. Don't be suspicious."

"Yes," Fan Ting replied, bowed, and took his leave.

After watching Fan Ting's figure disappear, Shao Shuyi slowly strolled back to his study and picked up a battle plan written for him by Liang Tai.

In fact, Liang Tai, stationed in Jinling, had the authority to act expediently, and his battle plans did not require Shao Shuyi's approval. However, the tactics he used this time were somewhat questionable, requiring Shao Shuyi's endorsement. This might also have been a test—to see if the leader was willing to take responsibility for his subordinates. It wouldn't make sense for him to claim credit for victories while leaving his subordinates to bear the blame when things went wrong.

Shao Shuyi received the proposal at noon today. After thinking about it for a long time, he finally picked up his pen, wrote "Approved" on it, signed it, affixed his seal, and had it sent out as soon as possible.

Then he looked out the window at the gloomy sky, his mind filled with the situation on the three fronts, where the enemy and his own forces were intertwined, as well as the strength, morale, provisions, equipment, and even the hearts of the people in the local areas of the various branches and units attached to them.

The decisive battle, involving more than 200,000 troops from both sides, is progressing increasingly fiercely.

He felt completely drained every day while controlling this grand scheme, and even his interest in being affectionate with his newlywed wife diminished. He spent most of his time contemplating the battle, and even when his wife brought him snacks, he remained completely oblivious to her presence.

Let it grind, this war is a grind, for both sides and for the people.