Tang Dynasty Mingyue Song Dynasty Pass

Chapter 910 Sending Troops to Chenliu
Two days later, at dusk, Wu's vanguard army arrived three miles outside Chenliu City and set up camp.

This time, Lin Renzhao and Pan Mei led an army of 100,000 men in a grand procession, carrying ample weapons, siege equipment, supplies, and provisions, determined to capture Chenliu City.

Under the setting sun, many white tents began to be pitched, and camps were being set up. The 100,000 Wu troops were divided into three armies: the front, the middle, and the rear. The white tents stretched for more than ten miles, a vast expanse of white.

Lin Renzhao led the way, spear in hand, his helmet plume gleaming like fire; Pan Mei followed behind, sword at his side, his eyes sharp as an eagle. They came out one after the other to inspect the army's encampment. The army was divided into dozens of large and small camps, densely packed together, the order in which they set up camp subtly revealing the principles of military strategy.

"Quickly! Push the antler-shaped chevaux-de-frise forward another twenty paces!"

"Deepen the trenches by half a foot to defend against Song army fire attacks!"

Commands rose and fell, mingled with the clanging of armor clashing.

Some veterans wielded shovels shirtless, sweat dripping down their necks without a care; new recruits gritted their teeth and lifted wooden stakes, their shoulders bleeding, yet they grinned broadly.

Before the camp was even set up, smoke from cooking fires began to rise.

Pots and pans were lined up, and mutton soup was bubbling and boiling. The aroma wafted through the camp, and many soldiers couldn't help but drool at the smell.

Because Wu Jun's campaign was going well, and with a new major battle imminent, the kitchen staff specially improved the food and made mutton soup to reward the troops.

"See that? That's Chenliu City." A military commander pointed with the back of his sword at the gray city wall and said, "Eighty li further ahead is Bianjing City. Brothers, let's give it our all, and in a few days we'll be in Bianjing City celebrating our victory!"

"Commander Su said that the first person to scale the city wall will be rewarded with a hundred taels of silver and promoted three ranks!" A captain stood beside the gun carriage, his voice so loud it could shake the earth: "Those with elderly mothers at home will be rewarded with ten acres of land; those with children will have their children directly admitted to the military academy!"

Laughter, whistles, and the sound of sharpening knives blended together.

Someone pulled out a collection of Su Chen's poems that he kept close to his body and read aloud: "A sword sweeps across the north bank of the river, three armies tread on the cold moonlight—I came here for this line!"

The young soldiers, their faces smeared with bright colors, gathered around the fire to roast their rations: "Brothers, back in the day when I was herding cattle in Jiangnan, I dreamed of one day fighting my way to the Yellow River. Now we've stopped herding cattle, we're just firing cannons!"

The veteran laughed and scolded, "Firing cannons is easy, but don't wet your pants when the time comes! Tomorrow we're attacking the city, stick close to me, and I'll save your life."

"Who would have thought that our southern army could fight its way to the north?"

"Marshal Su is truly remarkable. In just a few years, he was able to lead the southern army to unify the north. In the past, the Southern Tang could only be beaten, and the Qian Yue Kingdom was so frightened that it surrendered without even putting up a fight."

"It's time for us Jiangzuo people to hold our heads high."

Some Wu soldiers looked at Chenliu City at the far end of the camp and couldn't help but discuss it while training, their hearts filled with excitement.

Not to mention the ordinary soldiers, even the commanders and lieutenants were incredulous. Following Marshal Su on his expedition, they had been unstoppable, and with their advanced weaponry, they were truly as fierce as tigers and wolves.

Wu Jun sent out some scouts to investigate the situation outside Chenliu, to see if Song troops were lying in ambush outside the city, and whether reinforcements were coming from other official roads and directions. These were all uncertain factors that could affect the battle. Lin Renzhao and Pan Mei were both skilled military strategists, so they naturally did not want to miss these details.

The defenses were even tighter at night, guarding against a potential Song attack on the newly arrived Wu army, as this was one of the Song army's only effective means of counterattack. However, the night passed without any action from the Song army, which made Lin Renzhao and Pan Mei sigh inwardly. It seemed that the Song army had become timid, letting this opportunity slip by, knowing there would be few more chances in the future.

"Boom boom boom!"

Wu Jun began to beat the war drums, a signal to assemble and form ranks. The deafening sound enveloped the camp of 100,000 troops, stirring their blood and filling them with boundless fervor.

"Qiang Qiang Qiang!"

Soldiers in armor marched out of their camps in formation, the plates of their armor rubbing together with a clanging sound.

Lin Renzhao and Pan Mei led a group of lieutenants and commanders out of the camp. Just as they were about to order the three armies to set off, the gates of Chenliu City opened, and several cavalrymen escorted an envoy to the front of the Wu army's main camp formation.

"Who goes there?" the vanguard asked first, and if they did not answer, they would shoot them with arrows.

"The peace envoy requests an audience with the commander of the Wu army."

"A peace envoy?" Upon hearing this, the commander of the vanguard immediately signaled the archers to lower their bows and arrows, and then sent men forward to escort the Song Dynasty envoy.

This envoy was Zhao Dezhao's man, responsible for bringing letters and information. It was that the Great Song Dynasty wanted to negotiate peace, and that the former eldest prince, Zhao Dezhao, now the Prince of Wugong, wanted to meet with the commander of the Wu army to discuss peace.

After receiving the news, Lin Renzhao glanced at Pan Mei, asking for his opinion.

"What is General Pan's opinion on this matter?"

After pondering for a moment, Pan Mei replied, "The Song army cannot withstand the Wu army and is approaching Bianjing. Zhao Guangyi, after ascending the throne, naturally does not want to become a ruler of a fallen country so soon. Therefore, his request for peace is genuine. It is just unknown what conditions the Song Dynasty will offer. Even if the negotiations fail, the Song Dynasty can still try to buy some time."

Lin Renzhao nodded, feeling that Pan Mei's analysis made sense and coincided with his own thoughts.

"We cannot make the decision ourselves. Send someone by fast horse to deliver a letter to Marshal Su in the rear and ask him to make the decision!" Lin Renzhao's face was solemn. He knew very well that this was a major event, and even he and Pan Mei could not make the decision. It had to be left to Su Chen to decide.

“That’s right. This is a very important matter. Marshal Su should personally review and make a decision!” Pan Mei also thought so. At this critical moment, the situation was very serious. A wrong decision could have far-reaching consequences. Apart from attacking the city, no one dared to make a decision to negotiate peace easily.

Unwilling to delay, Lin Renzhao immediately dispatched a scout team with a letter to head towards Yongqiu.

Soon, the letter seeking peace was delivered to Su Chen, who was leading a 200,000-strong land army from Yongqiu, sailing alongside a 30,000-strong naval force on the Bian River. Upon receiving the letter, Su Chen was taken aback. He had considered several possible strategies for the Song Dynasty to respond, and seeking peace through diplomacy was one of them, so Su Chen was not entirely surprised.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Dezhao became the commander of the peace delegation. Now that he is no longer the legitimate prince, his status is awkward. Instead of staying in the capital, he came to seek peace with the Wu army, which surprised Su Chen.

Meng Yutong had spent three years in Bianjing and had done in-depth research and observation on Zhao Guangyi, Zhao Dezhao, and others. She couldn't help but say, "Zhao Guangyi is a bit suspicious. He has just ascended the throne as the emperor of the Song Dynasty and should be wary of this Zhao Dezhao. I didn't expect him to let him come to seek peace. Zhao Dezhao is a good person. He is somewhat straightforward and even impulsive. He is not a bad person, but his methods are still a bit immature."

After listening to Meng Yutong's assessment of Zhao Guangyi and Zhao Dezhao, Su Chen nodded and said, "Zhao Dezhao is quite interesting; he might be salvageable."