Chapter 139

Chapter 139

Since the war in Western Shu began, the court had received no good news. The breakthrough of the Liangzhou city defense line by the imperial army was the first piece of good news after the alliance between the imperial army and the Jiangnan garrison. For the long and bitterly contested situation in the three Jiangnan prefectures, this was a morale-boosting victory.

The scout responsible for relaying the message immediately forwarded it to the court and the hinterlands of the southern border, spreading the news to every frontline.

The first victory at Liangzhou meant that, as the Crown Prince had expected, the rebel forces in the Western Shu hinterlands did not hold as much advantage as they had anticipated. While launching a fierce assault on the imperial army, they also had to deal with the mess left by the Prince of Qin's Army.

Once this weakness of the rebels was seized, a rapid advance could secure an advantage!

A general from the Lu family said, "Not only that. The main force of the Prince of Qin's Army was previously in the south-central part of Western Shu. After cutting off Liangzhou, we can gradually surround and attack these rebel forces scattered from the main southern force. Though our troops are few, the rebels in the north may not be many either."

"If we capture Liangzhou City, we can use it as a base to recover the lost territories in the surrounding hinterlands." Weng Yanqing, who had been with the troops on the battlefield during this period, had gained a thorough understanding of the entire Western Shu situation. Military strategy is like chess; they couldn't lead troops in battle, but they knew how to expand their own advantages. He pointed successively to several locations near Liangzhou City. If these places were taken, the advancing army and the garrison at Tianqian Pass could launch a pincer attack, making it possible to recover the northern part of Western Shu.

Faced with unknown enemy strength, the current result had already exceeded the imperial army's expectations.

"It will still take time to capture Liangzhou City, but since its defense line has been breached, it means the rebels will redeploy troops to seize it," said a general, whose mind was very agile in military matters. "This way, the northern forces will gradually decrease, and we at Tianqian Pass can now also strike outward!"

"Feasible! Let Junior General Qi and the others draw the enemy's attention while we take action... Can we transfer another ten thousand elite troops from Jiangnan?"

"Yes! There are elite troops in Jiangling waiting for orders!"

Inside the command tent, with this victory report, the generals at Tianqian Pass began discussing strategies to deal with the northern part of Western Shu. Weng Yanqing took notes, then turned to see that Ying Fusheng had been silent for a long time.

Ever since Jiangnan, Ying Fusheng had striven to avoid internal strife, because it not only drained the resources of the Dayuan empire but also plunged the people along the way into an endless vortex. The people of Western Shu, from the beginning of the drought to now, half a year later, those who had managed to flee to the disaster relief prefectures were relatively fortunate, but some still suffered in this land of fire and water.

"Your Highness?" Weng Yanqing looked at him, suddenly understanding what the Crown Prince was hesitating about.

The other generals in the tent involuntarily followed his gaze. As it happened, over these days together, they had grown accustomed to receiving orders from the Crown Prince, and the current smooth advance was inseparable from the Eastern Palace's long-term planning. Ying Fusheng stared at the map for a long time before asking, "Generals, if Liangzhou is taken, what will the imperial army do next?"

"Naturally, suppress and eliminate the rebels, and recover lost territory," said the general from the Lu family.

A mild-tempered general added, "Those who can be persuaded to surrender will be persuaded; those who resist can only be suppressed."

On the battlefield, casualties were inevitable.

No one wanted this war to drag on.

The imperial army generals fell silent upon hearing this. They knew the inside story, that these Western Shu rebels showed signs of being incited by the Secret Faction. But if they had truly been oppressed for years, these rebels, once proud and unyielding in their youth, would likely be few who would actually surrender. In the end, it would be a tough battle.

"Your Highness, showing mercy on the battlefield leads to defeat."

A general said, "Moreover, these matters are not for us to decide."

The rebellion in Western Shu was indeed draining the resources of Dayuan. Throughout history, when facing such revolts, most dynasties chose suppression. Besides, the court itself had established the Dayuan foundation through military force. Now that the rebels had come to their doorstep, the court would never let them off. When this battle report reached the capital, it would inevitably spark debate among civil and military officials, with arguments for suppression and pacification. Those of us on the front lines can only wait for the court's decree.

When they first came to Western Shu, they only wanted to provide disaster relief and save the people. If they could spare the people of Dayuan from suffering, who wouldn't want to do their part?

"The primary culprits are unforgivable, but how many among the Western Shu rebels were forced into it, and how many truly wanted to rebel?" Ying Fusheng looked at the vast northern part of Western Shu on the map, where several prefectures had once been home to Dayuan's people.

When the imperial army generals heard this, they realized the Crown Prince intended to pacify before suppressing.

Anxiously, they wanted to say something—now that the victory report from Liangzhou had arrived, it was the perfect time to suppress with full force. There was no room for debate in the court; on the battlefield, a single misstep could lead to disaster.

But before they could voice their objections, they heard the Crown Prince's follow-up words—

"Generals, do not worry. My intention is not to hinder your actions. I know that once rebellion occurs, both sides will suffer heavy losses. Moreover, the enemy might use negotiations to delay time and miss military opportunities." Ying Fusheng wanted to avoid battle as much as possible, but if it endangered the safety of the imperial army soldiers, mercy could not be taken. "During the march, if they can be pacified and surrender, treat them well. If they remain obstinate, show no mercy."

"Your Highness, if we do this, the effect may not be significant," said the generals, who had fought on many battlefields. They would have tried to persuade surrender even without the Crown Prince's mention, but most rebels would not surrender and would choose to fight to the death.

Ying Fusheng understood this well. He then handed a document to the commander at Tianqian Pass. "So with these rebels, we can only offer terms once."

The commander scanned the surrender terms written above, and they all stopped abruptly. "Your Highness, this is!"

Surrender terms existed on the battlefield, but most conditions could only be discussed after returning to court.

Now, the surrender terms presented by the Crown Prince were detailed—from corvée labor and taxes to pardons and amnesties—almost entirely written from the perspective of the Western Shu people.

"Your Highness, the soldiers also do not wish to turn their weapons against the people of Dayuan,"

A general from the Lu family said, "These matters are not for us to decide. If His Majesty wishes..."

"The soldiers who have suffered in this campaign, I have already had them recorded one by one to seek rewards for them upon returning to the capital. At the same time, I hope you will inform the people of everything the Dayuan court can do for them now, and inform the enemy generals of the court's amnesty terms," Ying Fusheng looked at Weng Yanqing, who quickly went behind the command tent and brought out several scrolls of records. From the Battle of Youzhou onward, everything had been recorded. When the documents were handed to the generals, none were not amazed at how much the Crown Prince had accomplished in such a short time.

The others were silent, and Ying Fusheng said solemnly, "I will bear everything else for you."

"I have already sent urgent letters to several ministers in the court, and I will strive to secure everything for you. So now, the people of Western Shu, I can only entrust them to you, generals."

The command tent was silent for a long time. Whether it was the surrender terms or the Crown Prince's attitude, it stirred the generals' hearts.

Though they were military officers, none wished to live in troubled times. But in the past, they had always negotiated with civil officials. This was the first time a crown prince stood before them, willing to consider the imperial army and the innocent people of Western Shu.

Outside the command tent, Wu Lao stood before it for a long time without entering. Chen Xuqiu saw his hesitation and was about to persuade him when the stubborn old man threw his crutch aside and strode straight toward the wounded soldiers' camp, as if everything he had heard in the command tent had calmed his anxious heart.

Late into countless nights, when Chen Xuqiu entered the command tent, he saw Ying Fusheng and Weng Yanqing deliberating over that surrender document. Unlike themselves who spent their days dealing with pills and potions, the Crown Prince and his strategist considered the people of Western Shu, the soldiers fighting, the interests that could be conceded by important court officials, and finally, the attitude of the sovereign on high.

No one wanted war, and no one wanted to see the people of Dayuan turn their weapons on each other.

But all aspirations required someone who could hold up the sky in times of chaos.

...

When the victory report reached Jiangnan, Jiangling dispatched eight thousand troops to Tianqian Pass and two thousand elite soldiers to support Old General Chen.

Prince Jin rushed to the front line. Old General Chen had been fighting for a long time, managing to hold the line against the overwhelming forces of Marquis Cen'an and the rebels, using the long river at Ningjiang County as a boundary, turning defense into offense through water warfare. The generals sent this time by the imperial army happened to have commanded naval battles before, making them a perfect addition.

"Ningjiang is a good place. For Marquis Cen'an to cross this long river, he will have to break our navy," Old General Chen said from the river. "The court's intention is to stabilize Jiangnan and first seize the advantage in the Western Shu battlefield. So in the coming time, we can only hold our ground."

Prince Jin noticed Old General Chen's fatigue. "You're injured. You should rest."

"Prince, I can't rest," Old General Chen shook his head. "Our Chen family fought in the northern deserts in the early years, and now we are holding the line in Jiangnan. From then to now, the reason for the Chen Family Army's existence is for the peace of Dayuan."

"This is a critical moment,"

Prince Jin frowned. It was supposed to be a victory report, so why was it critical?

"I have campaigned for many years. I know His Majesty well. He was once a military man. He knows the tactics for fighting this southern campaign better than anyone. Now, with the rebellion, the Crown Prince does not deploy troops from the nearby court but from Jiangling. There is only one reason." Old General Chen pointed north, and Prince Jin realized he was referring to the northern border.

"You mean the Northern Barbarians!?" Prince Jin asked cautiously. "But there is no news of them..."

Old General Chen nodded. "No news means they have not yet launched a major invasion."

"So Marquis Cen'an does not believe the court can conquer northern Western Shu. His Majesty is wary of the Northern Barbarians and cannot send reinforcements. The southern campaign must end urgently," Old General Chen said, leaning on his staff as he looked at the vast river. "On the battlefield, victory is won by force. Western Shu is the source of rebellion. The root of the rebellion is deep and not easily softened. To end the war quickly, the only way is suppression."

This was almost the path every military commander would take, because in wartime, only suppression could end the war fastest. Otherwise, prolonged conflict would drain the court's resources and give others an opportunity.

But the people of Western Shu rebelled precisely because of long-term oppression.

The imperial court's brutal crackdown on Western Shu will only provoke even more rebellion there... Without overwhelming force, and facing the most determined rebels, the northern part of Western Shu will become a long, drawn-out war of attrition!

The Secret Faction, from the moment they started this war, had been setting things up for years in the shadows.

One wrong move by the imperial army could mean defeat or turn the people against them—this is precisely why Marquis Cen'an still dares to launch a full-scale offensive.

The victory report isn't the end; it's just the middle of this chess game.

"Given this situation, wouldn't fighting in northern Western Shu play right into the Secret Faction's hands?" Prince Jin pondered deeply.

Old General Chen shook his head, gazing at the boundary of Ningjiang: "So it all comes down to the commander."

"A commander can't afford to be soft, but Dayuan needs benevolent governance. The Crown Prince chose not to come to Jiangnan but to head straight for Western Shu—this is no impulsive move. He may not lead troops, but he can boost the morale of the soldiers at Tianguan Pass."

"We must hold Ningjiang."

On Ningjiang County, the stone monument of the late Magistrate Qian stood tall, as if silently watching over the people of Ningjiang.

The spring breeze of the southern border seemed to have swept northward. The Eastern Palace's surrender letter, delivered by several scouts to the capital at the same time, was copied by the civil officials stationed at the Eastern Palace and sent individually to key ministers at court. When Meng Jinyuan, Hu Buyu, and Liu Yunshi, the three ministers, received this surrender letter from the Eastern Palace, all three were touched.

"His Royal Highness truly..." Liu Yunshi felt again and again how hard the prince's path was.

Hu Buyu rarely smiled: "That's why he sent this letter to us first. The wording in this surrender letter gives us plenty of room to argue." Attached to the letter was even a petition from the soldiers and officers at Tianguan Pass.

"If every matter had to be decided by the Crown Prince and the Emperor alone, then what good are all the officials at court?"

Meng Jinyuan closed the surrender letter. The disaster in Western Shu was partly the fault of the civil officials at court. This letter also listed the current state of some prefectures, and those key court officials who had handled affairs in Western Shu's prefectures were now panicking, worried the blame would land on them. These people should also make up for their mistakes by serving the people of Western Shu... On this matter, no one could back down.

They all knew there was only one outcome.

The next morning at court, the surrender letter for Western Shu caused a huge stir.

Meanwhile, before the vanguard army heading to Liangzhou got any results, the garrison at Tianguan Pass didn't just sit around. They mobilized their entire force and targeted the Youzhou Plain in northern Western Shu. The soldiers at Tianguan Pass had originally expected to march south, but unexpectedly, the Crown Prince had picked Youzhou.

The Lu Family Army had been defeated at Youzhou and retreated to Tianguan Pass, and now the garrison at Tianguan Pass would strike while the rebels were preoccupied with defending Liangzhou, seizing Youzhou!

Within three days, the rebels in Youzhou heard the bugle call from the north. The rebels had recently been fighting a secret war with the Prince of Qin's army, and though they had inflicted heavy losses on the Lu Family Army at Youzhou, their own forces were significantly diminished. Having heard a few days earlier that the imperial army was heading to Liangzhou City, they were forced to divert troops to support Liangzhou. Now, hearing that the Tianguan Pass garrison was directly advancing into Youzhou, with no idea how many troops they had, they were completely shocked—

"Didn't they say the main imperial army had gone to Liangzhou? How does Tianguan Pass still have so many troops?!"

Inside Youzhou City, the garrison forces prepared for battle, while the dazed citizens of Western Shu trapped inside lifted their heads.

Several thousand elite troops were defending the city, as they had not expected the imperial army to come this way. Youzhou and Liangzhou were far apart, with almost no mutual support—choosing Youzhou for an assault seemed illogical. The garrison soldiers stared at the vast army in the distance, their expressions tense. Among them were locals from Youzhou and soldiers from other places.

But when the enemy army arrived at the city gates, the expected assault did not occur. Instead, a surrender letter was delivered.

"What does this mean? A surrender letter?!" The garrison commander was stunned. The letter spoke of tax reductions, disaster relief grain from the court, and reduced sentences for those who surrendered... That kind of talk might have swayed them before, but now it sounded like a joke. "Hold the city! Don't let them in!"

Word of the failed surrender letter reached the front, and the imperial army knew what to expect.

The bugle sounded again, and the commanding general of the imperial army ordered the assault without hesitation.

The sounds of battle crossed the city walls and reached the frightened ears of the citizens inside.

"Grandpa, are those the Lu Family Army?" a child asked.

The old man quickly covered his mouth and glanced at the surrounding citizens. "Don't speak."

"They brought food when they came."

"Nonsense! Didn't the generals say it's all just the imperial army putting on an act of kindness?" He finished speaking and noticed that some of the onlookers' eyes showed doubt.

The citizens huddled together, unable to ignore the conversation between the grandfather and grandson.

Some among them had already wavered, but things had been too harsh in Western Shu. Under the oppression of the former Youzhou governor, they hardly dared to hope, always thinking that the end result would still be corrupt officials in power.

"But when those generals came, they threw the governor into prison and distributed grain to us," someone suddenly asserted, defending his view. "If they were in league with corrupt officials, why would they arrest them?"

Inside Youzhou City, the citizens of Western Shu suddenly fell silent. Some were locals, others had come from elsewhere. Since the city was occupied by the Western Shu Defense Force, food was strictly rationed for the army... Only at the start of the war, when the Lu Family Army came, did they bring grain to the citizens. Even when they later left Youzhou City, they hadn't taken that grain with them.

They knew the Western Shu rebels were fighting for them, but they could barely hold on any longer.

As long as the war continued, they would never have enough to eat.

The sounds of fighting lasted half a day. The imperial army moved swiftly, overwhelming the enemy with superior numbers on the plain. When they breached the city gates, soldiers surged onto the walls and captured the rebel leader in one swift stroke.

The imperial army's swords entered the city.

Seeing the imperial troops charging in, the citizens expected death to be imminent. But the anticipated danger never came. The first thing the imperial general did upon entering the city was to post proclamations, displaying the surrender terms and shouting: "There are still rebels among the court. Anyone who reports them will receive money and grain. Unrepentant rebels will be thrown into prison. Those who surrender may be rewarded or pardoned based on merit."

The citizens of Youzhou and the rebels were separated. Instead of death, they received a proclamation, and at the city gate, the imperial troops set up big pots and started cooking hot, steaming congee.

The aroma of congee mixed with the smell of charcoal lingered in Youzhou City.

It moved countless citizens, drawing their eyes. When the congee was brought before them, the steam rose, carrying a smell they hadn't smelled in a long time.

"Eat, you must be starving," a soldier said awkwardly.

Inside the war tent, capturing Youzhou did little to ease the situation in Liangzhou of Western Shu, and it risked dividing the forces at Tianguan Pass.

But before the campaign, the Crown Prince had discussed with the generals: northern Western Shu needed a breakthrough... and now, the only place that could be taken by force and where surrender was likely was Youzhou.

This was because Youzhou was the first place the Lu Family Army had brought disaster relief to in Western Shu. Though it was a military campaign, the grain they brought at the time had kept Youzhou City going. They knew what kind of men Qi Hanzhou and General Lu were—their good deeds in Youzhou, however small, could still yield some effect.

"Your Royal Highness, what if we fail..." a general said.

Ying Fusheng was silent for a moment, then said: "Then it's all right. Youzhou is still territory the court must reclaim."

The people of Western Shu had been disillusioned with the court for years; one failure now would be understandable. So many years of disappointment could not be repaired overnight... The generals came back to their senses. Now that they had taken a step forward, they had one more place to defend. They still had to plan their next move in northern Western Shu and link up with the imperial army campaigning to Liangzhou.

The tension in the tent eased slightly. All the generals knew they still had important tasks ahead.

The map south of Youzhou was spread out. Just as the generals were about to discuss the next place to reclaim, footsteps came from outside the tent.

The guard at the tent said: "The generals are in council; if you have business, wait—"

"Your Royal Highness! Someone has reported a rebel!" a soldier outside shouted.

The generals had braced for no results, but unexpectedly, results had come.

Ying Fusheng stood up.

Western Shu, so hard to shake, still had people willing to trust the court.