“That’s right. Back then, our Lotus Dharma Sect used this very tactic to sweep through the Chen Kingdom in just one month.” Gan Ping also said, “Although many people have killed officials in response along the way, most of them only deeply hate the soldiers of the Lan Kingdom and are not necessarily truly loyal to us. Now that we have distributed grain and wealth to him, the orders of the Su Kingdom’s court will be difficult to carry out once they leave the capital within a hundred miles.”
"There's only one thing: why is there still no news from Tu Long Ziyun?" Li Jun frowned slightly, pondering to himself. In his initial plan, Tu Long Ziyun would suddenly appear north of Liuzhou at a crucial moment, both to surprise the Liuzhou garrison and to cut off Liuzhou's reinforcements and retreat. However, since the day Li Jun was assassinated, he had not received any news from Tu Long Ziyun. Although the vast sea and unpredictable weather made it common to lose contact temporarily, military intelligence could not be delayed. Any mishap could harm the entire situation.
"I wonder how the battle is going with Dong Cheng." Li Jun thought of Dong Cheng again. "Dong Cheng's use of troops is too rigid in its adherence to military tactics. Although it is safe, it is difficult to make any unexpected moves. If the opponent relies on the terrain and holds their ground, Dong Cheng will probably be unable to advance for a while, unless he suffers a great shock. Although I am not in a hurry to attack Liuzhou, if he arrives late, he will not be able to form a pincer movement against Liuzhou..."
He was worried inside, but outwardly remained relaxed. Ji Su gently helped him up and placed a soft pillow behind his back. Li Jun said somewhat apologetically, "It's time for another dose of medicine. Please wait a moment, everyone."
"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, our spies have reported that enemy reinforcements are gathering at Xiangkou City in the middle reaches of the river. They are expected to arrive in ten days."
Dong Cheng nodded slightly, but Zhang Fang frowned: "It has been nearly ten days since we broke through Yuan'erchou's camp, but we are blocked by this small Zhanyang city. Although our army has surrounded Zhanyang, the enemy has the advantage of terrain and refuses to fight us. Our army has attacked for several days without success. It seems that we don't know how long this will drag on. If we wait for the enemy's reinforcements to arrive, it will be even more troublesome."
"The reason the enemy is able to hold out despite their insufficient forces is probably because reinforcements are on their way." Dong Cheng tapped the table lightly with his fingers, the monotonous clattering sound echoing in the tent for a while. Zhang Fang stopped nagging. If they couldn't resolve this immediate problem, the Qing-Gui army would be unable to advance an inch, let alone head east to join Li Jun.
"To break through this city, we must first cut off the reinforcements inside." Dong Cheng thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Besieging the city and attacking the reinforcements is not feasible. There is no strategy in military strategies that allows besieging the city and attacking the reinforcements in this situation."
"If we don't attack the reinforcements, but just prevent them from coming, is there any way to do that?" Zhang Fang muttered to himself. Dong Cheng's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he said, "That's possible. Let me think about it for a while."
He zoomed in on the map of mountains and terrain spread out in front of him, leaned over it, and after a long while, slammed his hand on the table and said, "I have a plan!"
"What?" Zhang Fang looked up and saw Dong Cheng smiling broadly. He said, "Let me keep you in suspense for now. Mr. Zhang, would you be willing to lead a force around the east of Zhanyang City, so that the local people would think that Zhanyang City has fallen into our hands?"
Zhang Fang's eyes widened, and after a moment he said, "Does the Commander-in-Chief intend to use a feint?"
"Although everyone knows the strategy of feigning an attack, it can be surprisingly effective when used cleverly." Dong Cheng took the command token from the table and handed it to Zhang Fang: "Mr. Zhang, whether we can capture Zhanyang City depends entirely on you."
The next morning, the Qing-Gui army launched a fierce attack on Zhanyang City. Zhanyang City was situated by the river and mountains, with a strategic location that was difficult to breach. After half a day of fierce fighting, the Qing-Gui army, after paying a considerable price, captured two naval camps outside Zhanyang City. Almost all of the hundreds of warships in the camps fell intact into Dong Cheng's hands.
Meanwhile, Zhang Fang led a group of men in a massive search of the counties and villages east of Zhanyang City, claiming that the garrison commander of Zhanyang City had abandoned the city and fled, hiding in the nearby countryside. This major battle had already caused widespread panic in the surrounding villages, with bandits and defeated soldiers frequently harassing them. Zhang Fang's search further unsettled those whose families held official positions in the Su Kingdom. Many abandoned their homes and fled along the river.
As the Soviet reinforcements, assembled at Xiangkou, marched westward, they encountered these fleeing civilians. Hearing their exaggerated accounts of the battle at Zhanyang, the reinforcements were skeptical. Since Dong Cheng's siege of Zhanyang, communication between the city and the outside world had been cut off, and they had received no reliable information. If Zhanyang had fallen into the hands of the Qing-Gui army, Dong Cheng would have gained the upper hand. Therefore, a debate arose among the Soviet generals: should they accelerate their advance or turn back to Xiangkou? Before the debate could be resolved, Soviet warships floating on the river convinced all the generals that Zhanyang had indeed fallen after a major naval battle. In a state of panic, the soldiers decided to return to Xiangkou and remain inactive until they could ascertain the true situation in Zhanyang. It was eight days later when they learned that Zhanyang was still under the siege of Soviet troops and set out again.
The garrison of Zhanyang waited day and night for reinforcements, but after fifteen days, no reinforcements appeared. Morale in the city plummeted, and they were finally persuaded to surrender by Dong Cheng. After capturing Zhanyang, Dong Cheng opened the gates of Liuhe, which, although slightly delayed, did not cause any major problems.
two,
The winter rain drizzled on and off, not heavy, but every now and then a few drops were enough to break one's heart. In previous years, this time of year would be early winter, a time of clear skies and crisp air, but this winter the weather was abnormal, with dark clouds pressing down on Liuzhou city for two out of three days.
The battle situation, like the weather, was becoming increasingly unfavorable. In recent days, Su warships could be seen drifting down the Liu River, and occasionally the bodies of fallen soldiers could be found. Although no military reports had yet arrived from Zhanyang and Xiangkou, their fates seemed grim. After resting for several days in Zhangjun, Li Jun finally resumed his steady advance. This time, he proceeded cautiously, not rushing to break through Wu Shu's defensive line south of the Liu River, but instead conquering city by city. Wu Shu knew that his troops were only slightly more numerous than the Heping Army, and their fighting strength and morale were no match for the elite troops personally trained by Li Jun. He had no choice but to abandon some cities around Liuzhou, watching helplessly as Li Jun occupied them one by one.
"Let them occupy, let them occupy." As the ministers convened again in the Hall of Heroes, Wu Shu spoke indifferently, "As long as we hold Liuzhou, what does it matter if we lose those other cities in a few days? Besides, every time the rebels occupy a city, they have to divide their troops to defend it. Each time they divide their troops, their strength is reduced. When the rebels reach the walls of Liuzhou, that will be the time when their strength is exhausted and they are on the verge of collapse. My lords, you must remain calm. How can the three-hundred-year foundation of our Great Su be shaken by a mere rebel?"
The ministers were nominally gathered for a meeting, but not a single one uttered a sound. Although Wu Shu appeared calm and composed, none of the ministers knew whether this composure concealed an impending outburst of anger.
"Why are you gentlemen silent? This is the time for you to serve the country. Those with plans, offer your suggestions; those with strength, contribute your efforts. There is no need for you to hold back."
Wu Shu's words caused the ministers to exchange glances, fearing that if they remained silent, Wu Shu would become angry again. Minister of Revenue Zuo Huaisu bowed to Wu Shu and said, "This humble official dares to ask the Prime Minister to make a decision on a matter."
"Speak." Wu Shuwei leaned forward slightly, his pale yellow eyes deeply hidden in their sockets, his face as expressionless as if carved from stone.
"Your Excellency just said that the rebels divided their troops to defend the city, but I am worried that the rebels will act as they did in Zhang County, taking the city without stationing a large army, and instead distributing all the food, silk, and wealth in the city to the people. If that happens, then..."
"What commoners!" Wu Shu's eyes widened, startling the Minister of Revenue into taking two steps back. "Those who dare to plunder government property and obtain grain from traitors are clearly traitors' accomplices. According to the laws of our Great Su Kingdom, traitors' accomplices are guilty of the same crime as traitors and must have their entire families executed!"
The Minister of Revenue was sweating profusely and repeatedly said, "Yes, yes, Your Excellency is absolutely right. I was ignorant and I beg Your Excellency's forgiveness."
Wu Shu vented his anger, glanced sideways at the Minister of Revenue, and seeing that he was genuinely afraid, stopped blaming him and said, "Continue."
"What I am worried about is that the rebels are using the government's funds and supplies to win over the people. If this is the case, there are countless greedy people in the world, and they will all be overjoyed and thinking about rebelling."
Wu Shu closed his eyes slightly. He knew that what Zuo Huaisu said was indeed reasonable. Li Jun would most likely use this to win over the hearts of the people of Su. In fact, when Li Jun opened the treasury in Zhang County and the people from the surrounding areas flocked to Zhang County to receive grain, Wu Shu realized that if Li Jun promoted this policy, the people of Su would kill officials and seize grain to welcome Li Jun even before the Peace Army arrived.
"The Left Minister's concerns are quite valid," said Yang Luo, another minister, a secretary in the Imperial Secretariat who was highly regarded by Wu Shu.
"Nowadays, there's a children's rhyme in the neighborhood: 'Kill the red-clad, execute the ochre-robed, when the plain-clad arrive, there's plenty to eat.' Our dynasty values red, so 'killing the red and executing the ochre' probably refers to the court. The traitors like to wear plain silk, so 'when the plain-clad arrive, there's plenty to eat' likely means that wherever the traitors go, there's food to eat. There's also a saying: 'Heaven is earth, earth is heaven, mountains and rivers are flat everywhere, and the elders and folks are all happy.' This 'heaven is earth, earth is heaven' likely refers to the collapse of the great way, and the names of the traitors and their army, both using the character 'peace,' should correspond to 'mountains and rivers are flat everywhere'..."
"Enough!" Wu Shu finally couldn't hold back any longer. He roared, "His Majesty raises you not so you can bolster the traitors' morale in this court. These rumors are all the work of Feng Jiutian from the rebel party. They can deceive the ignorant masses, but can they deceive you?" He paused, and seeing that Yang Luo showed no fear, as if he still had something to say, he asked, "What else do you have to say?"
"I know these rumors circulating in the streets are false, but the common people may not. If they see the bandits' strength and believe these falsehoods, the fate of our Great Su will be... I'm afraid..." Although Yang Luo was quite bold, his voice trembled at this point. His throat tightened a few times, and he changed the subject, saying, "Therefore, I believe it would be better to issue an order to all prefectures and counties to open their treasuries and distribute all the grain, silk, and money to the people. In this way, the rebels will not be able to incite the foolish and stubborn to rebel, and the people of the world will surely feel the great grace of our king and be willing to be loyal to the country."
"That won't do!" Wu Shu slammed his hand on the armrest of the grand chair, his eyes flashing with a yellowish light. "If we distribute all the treasury's wealth to these unruly people, they will surely think that the court is afraid of the rebels. Moreover, when the Lan Kingdom sends reinforcements, without the grain and resources in these treasuries, what will we use to reward them? However, what you two are worried about is not without reason..."
Seeing that even the two ministers whom Wu Shu trusted had been rebuked for offering advice, the officials dared not utter a sound, waiting for Wu Shu to come up with a solution. After a moment, Wu Shu said, "Hmph, I have a plan. Since the rebels are not dividing their troops to defend the city, then when their troops leave, my government troops will go and recapture it. If the rebels return, my government troops will retreat again. When the enemy advances, we retreat; when the enemy retreats, we advance. This will surely keep the rebels occupied. After the government troops have recaptured the city, they will strictly investigate anyone who dares to privately divide government funds. If they do not hand them over, they will be treated as accomplices of the rebels. I don't believe there are so many people in this world who are not afraid of losing their heads!"
The ministers looked at each other, speechless. Many of them thought to themselves, "They've gone mad. Such indiscriminate killing will surely lead to their downfall."
The distribution of government grain, silk, and money to the people, while slowing the advance of the Peace Army, allowed the people to truly see the benefits of the army's arrival. Consequently, far fewer local militia responded to King Su Li Gou's summons to Liuzhou to defend the emperor. Many, upon hearing the Peace Army's announcement of distributing all government funds and grain to the people on their way to the capital, returned to their villages. Some bandits, forced to become mountain kings, even used the Peace Army's banner to kill officials, seize cities, and distribute grain and money to the people. Many more starving people stormed local government offices, driving away officials. Suddenly, the Su Kingdom was engulfed in flames of war, and the court could no longer control the situation.
The soldiers Wu Shu sent to capture the city vanished without a trace. These soldiers understood that things were dire, and besides, most of them were of commoner origin; fighting the Peace Army was already a struggle, let alone massacring civilians. Left with no other option, Wu Shu dispatched a trusted force, but this force was besieged by the Peace Army after only recaptured one city. Having received word from the civilians, the Peace Army had complete knowledge of the soldiers' movements, leaving them like blind men riding blind horses, unable to follow Wu Shu's advice of retreating as the enemy advanced.
In November of the third year of Tianyou in the Su Kingdom, Li Jun finally broke through the first line of defense around Liuzhou and was less than a hundred miles away from Liuzhou City.
"Have you received news from Tu Long Ziyun?"
"Received. To avoid enemy searches, Commander Tulong ventured deep into the ocean. He encountered strong winds along the way, which delayed him for a few days. He is now not far from Lujiabao."
The messenger from Xizhou brought good news, which relieved Li Jun. In his original plan, the key to eliminating future troubles lay in slaying Long Ziyun. Based on his understanding of the Su Kingdom, he knew that if the war went poorly, the Su king and his ministers would surely flee, rather than perish with their country. If they escaped to the north or into the sea, the approaching winter would inevitably delay any further fighting, and the potential arrival of Wu Wei from the Lan Kingdom would make this winter extremely difficult for the Peace Army.
"When you came, had Lu Yuan arrived in Xizhou?" After asking Tu Longziyun, Li Jun asked the second question. More than ten days ago, when he was recuperating in Zhangjun, he had sent Lu Yuan as an envoy to the Qionglu Grassland. He was entrusted with the important task of the next strategic plan, so Li Jun asked this question.
"I saw him. Mr. Lu did not stay in Xizhou and has already gone to the City of Constellations."
"Well, good, you've worked hard." After Li Jun had the envoy settled, he turned to Wei Zhan and asked, "Does the gentleman think the time is right?"
“We can’t delay any longer,” Wei Zhan nodded. “If we delay any longer, and that traitor Wu Shu discovers Tu Long Ziyun’s navy and escapes beforehand, then all our previous efforts will be in vain.”
"Haha, no matter how cunning Wu Shu is, he would never guess that my inaction is because I intend to capture him alive in Liuzhou!" Li Jun laughed, his eyes gleaming with a captivating light. Nearly ten years had passed since Lu Xiang's death, a period during which he had experienced almost every kind of danger and hardship. Now that the time for reckoning with the enemy had finally come, even Li Jun could not control himself.
"Order Dong Cheng to capture Changning Town within three days," Li Jun began issuing the order. After defeating Zhanyang, Dong Cheng, taking advantage of the victory, crushed the hesitant enemy forces at Xiangkou. His army then marched down the river, moving much faster than Li Jun's. The troops in the prefectures and counties along the way had all been redeployed, leaving them vulnerable and forced to surrender at the mere sight of the enemy. Therefore, a day earlier, Dong Cheng had already arrived at Liangshui Town, less than eighty li west of Liuzhou City.
More than twenty towns are scattered around Liuzhou City, and almost every town is accessible by boat at the mouth of the Liu River, which has a dense network of canals. Although large warships cannot get close, small boats can quickly move supplies between the towns, which is much faster than the land route with small bridges every few steps and long bridges every ten miles.