Chapter 217

Chapter 217

Both Dongling and Xiliang had spies scattered throughout the various regions of the Great Yu Dynasty. Naturally, the Great Yu Dynasty had also planted several secret reconnaissance teams within these two countries. While bribing officials might be difficult to detect, any large-scale troop movements by either country could not escape the eyes of these spies.

Just as Dongling and Xiliang were able to promptly learn about the outbreak of war between the Great Yu Dynasty and Wu Country, when these two countries began to move troops northward in late March, the Xingping Emperor also received the news immediately.

The civil officials in Luoyang were in a state of panic, like ants on a hot stove. Especially those officials who opposed the Xingping Emperor's northern campaign against Wu Country once again came forward to advise him to quickly make peace with Wu Country and redeploy troops to the southern front.

Xingping Emperor: "What is the cause of this panic? Even if the combined forces of Dongling and Xiliang amount to 400,000 troops, I have 600,000 to 700,000 elite troops in Chang'an, Qingzhou, the Jinghe region, and the capital army. What is there to fear?"

"Your Majesty, although our Great Yu Dynasty has 600,000 to 700,000 elite troops, sustaining a three-front war would make it difficult to supply the grain. If there is any issue with the grain supply, how can the frontline soldiers fight?"

Wei Qi: "Your Majesty is wise. Last year, anticipating possible conflicts, we had the governors of the five provinces preemptively gather sufficient grain. Even with a three-front war, the grain reserves can sustain the three armies for half a year. By then, the summer harvest will provide additional grain for the troops."

"However, Lü Sheng of Liangzhou and Huang Qilin of Qingzhou have repeatedly defied national orders, raising concerns about potential treachery. If they betray us at a crucial moment..."

Song Lan: "These two generals are opportunists. As long as the imperial court remains in an undefeatable position, they will not openly rebel."

"Even if Lü Sheng and Huang Qilin remain idle, the four generals of the Jinghe region..."

The Xingping Emperor suddenly turned to his trusted minister, Wang Bangxian, the Minister of Personnel: "Lord Wang, you are more familiar with the four generals of the Jinghe region than I am. In your opinion, will they devote themselves fully to my cause?"

The four regions of Jinghe comprised Jingzhou, Hanzhou, Jiangzhou, and Hezhou, with the most critical being Jingzhou and Hezhou on the east and west sides. Xie Jian, the defending general of Jingzhou, and Qin Sizhu, the defending general of Hezhou, each led 80,000 troops. Both were promoted by the former Imperial Uncle Dou and later surrendered to the new dynasty after the Xingping Emperor captured Luoyang. Wang Dingxian, the defending general of Hanzhou, and Qiu Yue, the defending general of Jiangzhou, were relatives of Wang Bangxian and commanded 20,000 troops each.

Since Wang Bangxian had become a relative of the emperor and his entire family resided in Luoyang, if Wang Dingxian and Qiu Yue dared to betray the court, Wang Bangxian and his family would be the first to lose their heads.

Therefore, kneeling on the ground with unwavering loyalty, Wang Bangxian declared, "Your Majesty, I swear on my life that my brother Wang Dingxian and Qiu Yue will defend Hanzhou and Jiangzhou with their lives. As long as the city stands, we stand; if the city falls, we fall!"

Xingping Emperor: "Rise. I trust that both of you are loyal subjects. I also believe that Xie Jian and Qin Sizhu will defend Jingzhou and Hezhou and not disappoint my trust."

The more cautious civil officials exchanged glances, their eyes filled with regret. Last year, Xie Jian and Qin Sizhu surrendered to the emperor to continue enjoying power under the new ruler. However, after the emperor's ascension, he demanded that the two generals return the ill-gotten gains from their previous corruption. If Dongling offered them substantial benefits, would they continue to remain loyal to the Xingping Emperor?

Of course, the Xingping Emperor would not rely on the four southern generals, especially Xie Jian and Qin Sizhu, for the safety of the southern front.

After the court dispersed, he summoned several trusted ministers to the imperial study, pointing to a map and saying, "Qi Heng, you and your father will lead 80,000 troops to Hezhou. Your primary task is to defend the city and seize military power from Qin Sizhu. Also, keep an eye on Huang Qilin in Qingzhou. Defending Hezhou will be a great achievement; there is no need to covet the lands of Dongling."

Qi Heng: "I obey the order!"

The Xingping Emperor then addressed Xiao Mu: "Xiao Mu, you and Zhao Jin will lead 80,000 troops to Jingzhou, with the same focus on defending the city and seizing power."

Xiao Mu and Zhao Jin accepted the order.

The Xingping Emperor then pointed to the Chang'an frontline: "I will join forces with Luo Xiao and lead 100,000 troops to meet the 100,000 troops in Chang'an. We will first test the capabilities of the Liang army. If the Liang army proves strong, we will focus on defending our positions. If they are weak, I will lead the army southwest to capture the Liang capital."

Fan Zhao: "Your Majesty, I fought my first battle by your side, and since then, we have always stood together. I must accompany you to fight against Liang!"

Lu Gong clenched his fists, also wishing to go, but he understood that the emperor had his reasons.

As expected, the Xingping Emperor rebuked Fan Zhao: "You are the Commander of the Imperial Guard, responsible for the safety of Luoyang. Without my command, you are not to leave Luoyang. Lu Gong will lead 40,000 infantry to guard outside the city. If any enemy activity is detected near Luoyang, you may respond accordingly."

Luoyang was the capital, housing the crown prince, two chancellors, numerous civil and military officials responsible for state affairs and military operations, as well as the families of meritorious generals. It was the most critical location that could not afford any mishaps.

Fan Zhao was brave, the two chancellors were intelligent, and even if a large army approached, these three could lead the 20,000 Imperial Guards and the people of Luoyang to defend the city for a year or more. Outside the city, the both brave and intelligent Lu Gong would serve as the final line of defense.

Kneeling to accept the imperial decree, Lu Gong said, "Please rest assured, Your Majesty. As long as I am here, no enemy soldier will come within half a step of Luoyang."

With the capital's defenses arranged, Xiao Mu then advised the Xingping Emperor: "Your Majesty, the troops of Dongling and Liang are elite forces honed through six years of warfare and have rested and rebuilt their strength for three years, with ample grain supplies. Our Great Yu Dynasty was established in the twelfth lunar month of the previous year, giving us only about a year and three months to recover. Half of the military camps are newly expanded recruits. Therefore, I suggest that this campaign against the west and south should focus on defense. Once the northern front is stabilized and the border threats in Liangzhou, Qingzhou, and the southern front are eliminated, we can then discuss strategies to conquer Liang and Dongling."

Wei Qi and Song Lan both agreed with Xiao Mu's words.

The Xingping Emperor smiled and said, "I understand. After I arrive in Hanzhong, I will wait for your battle reports. If the overall situation isn't favorable for attacking Liang, I won't act recklessly."

In other words, if the situation favored an attack on Liang, he would still proceed with it.

Xiao Mu wanted to persuade him further but met the ambitious look in the Xingping Emperor's eyes.

In terms of status, the Xingping Emperor was the emperor, and Xiao Mu was his subject. Xiao Mu had only been leading troops for less than three years, hardly enough time to match the Emperor's decades of experience.

Hesitating, Wei Qi said, "Your Majesty, the court affairs are demanding. Prime Minister Song can assist the Crown Prince. Let me accompany you!"

The Xingping Emperor waved his hand. "The court affairs are demanding, and you two still need to oversee the supply lines for the four armies. You'll both be overwhelmed; how can you leave?"

Song Lan was wise, but he couldn't control the Crown Prince or Fan Zhao. Wei Qi had to stay.

Since even Wei Qi couldn't change the Xingping Emperor's decision, Xiao Mu swallowed his advice.

——

The 300,000 infantry from the Eastern and Western camps saw the Xingping Emperor select 100,000 from the Eastern camp, leaving 50,000 to Qi Heng and his father. Qi Heng and his father then went to Lu Gong's Western camp to get another 30,000.

Xiao Mu and Zhao Jin also came to the Western camp to receive 80,000 infantry.

The 150,000 infantry from the Eastern and Western camps were all strong men, with half being veterans who had seen battle and the other half new recruits who had only been training for a year.

Lu Gong tried to give more veterans to Qi Heng and Xiao Mu.

You could tell the veterans from the new recruits just by their demeanor. Xiao Mu advised, "General, you're staying behind to guard the capital, and your responsibilities are heavier than ours. You should keep more veterans."

Lu Gong smiled. "The more veterans I give you, the greater your chances of stabilizing the southern front. If the southern front is secure, my 40,000 troops won't be needed. Besides, after three months of training, these new recruits will be almost as good as the veterans."

Xiao Mu admired, "The Emperor is wise to leave you in charge of the city."

Mentioning the Emperor, Lu Gong's smile faded, and he invited Xiao Mu aside, whispering, "I am increasingly uneasy about the Emperor's intention to attack Liang."

Liang occupied the strategic region of Chuan and Shu, which was even more difficult to navigate than Jinzhou. Even with his thirty-year undefeated record, attacking Liang now would be unwise.

Xiao Mu said, "Since you don't agree, why not advise the Emperor?"

Lu Gong replied, "The Emperor only said he would proceed cautiously but didn't explicitly say he would attack Liang. If you advise against it, and we follow up with more advice, the Emperor will surely be displeased."

When they were both generals of Jizhou, they were colleagues and close friends, able to speak frankly about differing opinions. Now, as sovereign and subject, they had to be more cautious.

Lu Gong continued, "For now, I need to ask you for a favor. Even if you can handle Xie Jian quickly, please delay things for a while. As long as the situation in Jingzhou isn't stable, the Emperor won't rashly attack Liang."

Xiao Mu said, "To be honest, I also intend to delay. But if His Majesty later blames me for delaying the military opportunity, please speak for me."

Lu Gong assured him, "Rest assured, if the Emperor blames you, I will take responsibility with you."

Xiao Mu asked, "What about the Loyal and Brave Marquis?"

Lu Gong smiled. "The Marquis and his son are brave and formidable, but they lack your strategic insight. Even without my instructions, they may not be able to smoothly take Qin Sizhu's military power. If I instruct them, they might fail. It's better to leave it as it is."

Xiao Mu did think of Pan Yong, who had been serving as Qin Sizhu's deputy for more than half a year, but Lu Gong's concerns were reasonable. Defending the city and securing military power were Qi Heng's primary tasks. Without confidence in completing the mission, why add an extra burden to Qi Heng?

With the troops, Xiao Mu and Zhao Jin led the 80,000 soldiers to the Southern Camp for settlement.

Though they were 80,000 in name, there were actually 78,000 soldiers from the fourteen guards, with the rest being logistical troops.

Upon arriving at the empty Southern Camp, they found a group of ten men waiting outside, with two leaders and eight guards.

Here’s the improved translation:

"Zhao Jin naturally recognized Tong Sui. He smiled at the old general and said, 'Looks like Lady Anguo will be joining you on this campaign again.'

As they drew closer, Xiao Mu, Zhao Jin, and the fourteen commanding officers dismounted.

The eunuch accompanying Tong Sui smiled at Xiao Mu and Zhao Jin, then retrieved the imperial decree, and said to Tong Sui, 'Lady Anguo, receive the imperial decree.'

Tong Sui was already in full armor and knelt on one knee in the traditional military salute to receive the decree.

The emperor’s edict appointed Lady Anguo Tong Sui as deputy general, to assist Xiao Mu and Zhao Jin in defeating the enemy forces of the Ling Kingdom.

This decree was personally requested by Tong Sui. The Xingping Emperor sent a eunuch to the Southern Camp to announce the decree publicly, in order to establish Lady Anguo’s authority as deputy general in front of all the officers and soldiers, making it clear that she was appointed by the emperor and not brought along by Xiao Mu for personal reasons.

'I receive the imperial decree!'

Tong Sui received the decree with both hands and stood up.

Meanwhile, Jiang Tiankuo, one of the fourteen commanding officers behind Xiao Mu and Zhao Jin, knelt down first and bowed to Tong Sui, saying, 'We pay our respects, General Tong!'

The other officers followed and said in unison, 'We pay our respects, General Tong!' Tong Sui, holding the decree, said calmly, 'You may rise.'"