The Bad Guys: Everyone, let’s revive the Tang Dynasty together!

Chapter 532 Standing atop the First Peak of Wu Mountain (Thirteen)

In the Battle of Fangang, the Southern Tang navy's fire attack failed, and the Northern army instead used a counter-strategy. The flames swept back, burning all the sails, and the Jiangnan navy was utterly destroyed overnight by the combined attack from within and without in the Wuchang waters.

Then, taking advantage of the situation, the Northern Army advanced by land and water, first capturing Fangang and then Wuchang, and the natural barrier of the Yangtze River changed hands in an instant.

In fact, if the Southern Tang rulers and ministers truly wanted to defend Wuchang to the death, with the troops brought by the fake Li's personal expedition and the military supplies stationed in the city, the Northern army would probably not be able to capture this important Yangtze River town in less than ten months.

But what was terrifying was that overnight, the Southern Tang navy outside Wuchang was completely wiped out. Corpses floated on the river, obscuring the waves, and sails were lowered like clouds. No one knew how many people perished there that night. Whether they died or surrendered, the last bit of resistance that the entire Jiangnan region had to resist the Northern army had been reduced to ashes by the flames of Fangang.

Without a navy to control the Yangtze River, what use would it be for the Southern Tang rulers and ministers to defend Wuchang to the death?

Without a navy, the Northern Army could easily sail down the Yangtze River and then, in coordination with its infantry, encircle Wuchang, turning it into an isolated city. The Northern Army could then easily sweep across Jiangdong.

But if Li and Xu were willing to sacrifice a pawn to save the king, leaving a detachment to hold the enemy back while the main force strategically retreated eastward, wouldn't that have allowed them to prolong the remaining situation?
That's certainly possible, but—

In one night, from the seemingly inevitable fire attack to the complete annihilation of the navy and the fall of Fan Port, the defeat was so thorough and so swift that it shattered the last vestiges of resistance from the Southern Tang rulers and their officials.

In that instant, this sense of panic even caused despair among all the officials and generals in Wuchang, and awakened their deep-seated fear of the Northern Dynasty leader.

The morale of the people had fallen to such an extent that when Qian Yuanqiu and Qian Yuanxiang heard the devastating news that Qian Liu had surrendered the entire country to the Northern Dynasty, they lost their composure and cried out in disbelief. Li, the imposter, didn't even have time to think deeply, nor did he care about appeasing allies or considering the overall situation. Driven by extreme shock and anger, and a fear that was almost insane and needed to be vented, he drew his sword on the spot and killed the Qian brothers on the city wall!

This sword strike was less about punishing a traitor and more about the fake Li resorting to such means to suppress his own fear, to the point that even the superficial principles of ruler-subject relations and alliances could no longer be maintained.

How can a monarch like this expect his soldiers to have the courage to pledge their loyalty to the death in dire straits?

Therefore, once the nominal ruler and minister, Li and Xu Wen, decide to abandon the city and flee, how many people in Wuchang are willing to remain in this doomed city to buy time for their ruler's escape?

In fact, this is indeed the case.

Before the fake Li and Xu Wen led their main force and the remaining ships at the port east of the city to flee eastward in a panic under the cover of night, they did leave behind a relatively elite force, appointed a commander, and instructed him to defend Wuchang to the death, even if it was just to delay the Northern Army for one more day.

However, as soon as the fake Li and his men fled eastward out of the city, and the vanguard of the Northern Army had just raised the surrender flag on the river, the Southern Tang soldiers who remained in Wuchang, disregarding the fact that their wives, children, and elderly parents were still being held hostage in Yangzhou, mutinied and surrendered the city under the collective instinct for survival.

It is worth mentioning that the general, who also wanted to surrender, was beheaded by the chaotic soldiers before he could even explain. Shortly afterward, the gates of Wuchang were opened, and these former elite troops of the Southern Tang Dynasty held their severed heads and begged for survival from the invincible Northern Dynasty army.

The Northern Army thus took over Wuchang without bloodshed.

However, Xiao Yan did not enter the city. Instead, he directly ordered Shi Hongzhao, Yu Zhong, Wang Xiancheng and other troops to immediately use Wuchang as a new springboard and advance by land and water along the mighty Yangtze River to pursue and kill the fleeing Southern Army.

After escaping from Wuchang, the fake Li and Xu Wen did not dare to land at any of the river ports. They could only huddle on the rocking boat, like frightened birds, and drift eastward with the current in a panic.

In fact, their choice turned out to be surprisingly wise.

As the defeated army sailed down the river and barely managed to gain a foothold, bad news followed one after another.

First, upon hearing the news of the fall of Wuchang and the annihilation of the navy, the last will of resistance of the Ezhou garrison collapsed, the commander committed suicide, and the remaining troops surrendered the city. Immediately afterwards, the remaining counties and towns on the east bank of the Yangtze River, such as Lanxi, Qizhou, Yongning, and Qikou, and on the west bank of the Yangtze River, such as Yongxing and Qingshanchangyuan, changed their flags and surrendered to the north.

Leaving aside the question of how these generals who surrendered to the Northern Dynasty would be dealt with, everyone only knew that overnight, the territory of the Northern Dynasty spread rapidly downstream along both banks of the Yangtze River at a speed visible to the naked eye, not even slower than theirs.

As a result, the fleeing fleet was even afraid that Jiangzhou (Jiujiang), which guarded the mouth of Poyang Lake downstream, would surrender before the battle even after hearing the battle report, or even directly block them and hand them over to the Northern Army. Therefore, the fleet dared not stop for a moment and could only rush on its way.

Fortunately, they were able to catch their breath only after they had sailed into the Jiangzhou waters in a disheveled state and discovered that the area was still under the control of the Southern Tang. Only then did the sounds of the Northern army's arrows, both on the shore and on the water, finally cease behind them.

After this night of defeat and fleeing, the Southern Tang, which once boasted hundreds of thousands of armored soldiers, spanned the Yangtze and Huai Rivers, and controlled almost half of the country, had lost all of its territory in Qizhou. Except for Huangmei City, which was temporarily spared due to the treacherous terrain of the Dabie Mountains and had not yet surrendered to the Northern Dynasty, the entire middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River, with Poyang Lake as the boundary, had been lost!
As the Wu and Yue kingdoms submitted to the Central Plains, Li Maozhen led a surprise attack on Jinling City, and the entire Jiangdong region was cut in two!

This battle shook not only the Southern Tang, but after spending most of the day on the turbulent boat, the two men looked at each other and realized that they were not only unsure whether the Min region was still loyal to the Southern Tang, but also whether any of the prefectures and counties along the route from Poyang Lake to Jinling would resist the Northern Army.

They simply refused to voice their despair...

------

Under the cover of night, Jiangzhou lost its former bustling atmosphere as a hub of waterways and land routes, and only the deathly silence and oppression unique to war and chaos spread.

The remaining fleet of ships lay askew at the dock, the sparse firelight illuminating the still-shaken faces.

The defeated soldiers of Wuchang, the garrison of Jiangzhou, and the personal guards of various generals were all mixed together in a chaotic manner. The crowd could only huddle together like this, but even so, no one dared to speak loudly. Everyone was just uneasy.

"No need to discuss it any further!"

Inside the Jiangzhou government office, the fake Li slammed his fist on the table, causing the candlelight to flicker. His eyes were bloodshot, and he said hoarsely, "Jinling must be saved! If Jinling falls, all the prefectures in Huainan, Yangzhou, Shouzhou, and even the entire Jiangbei region will surely surrender without a second thought! At that time, we will truly have nowhere to turn, and everything will be over!"

His desperate words echoed throughout the hall, but failed to create the ripples he had hoped for. As soon as he finished speaking, they seemed to be absorbed by an invisible thick curtain, and then swallowed up by an even more suffocating silence.

The fake Li, his eyes red, glared fiercely at his surroundings, but saw that most of the generals had their heads down, their gazes shifting, some staring at the tips of their boots, others at the flickering lamplight, and none of them met his gaze.

Xu Wen's face was expressionless, his clothes were filthy and he looked disheveled, but his tone was calm and unwavering. He simply said without any emotion:
"Jinling is already in grave danger. Although Li Maozhen's naval force may not be able to capture the city in an instant, Wang Zongkan's troops have already captured Huangzhou and Qizhou. Their forces can advance eastward along the Yangtze River or go south to cut off our connection between Poyang and Jiangdong. With the Northern Dynasty's main force riding high on its great victory, how can Jiangzhou possibly withstand them? Even if we wanted to find an opportunity to fight the enemy in Poyang Lake, they might not even bother with it. They could simply use their naval advantage to sail downstream straight to the walls of Jinling. Returning now would be tantamount to walking into a trap, and we would inevitably be surrounded by the Northern army on three sides. The outcome is predictable."

He paused briefly, his gaze sweeping over the generals in the hall, before continuing:

"Although Jiangzhou and Poyang are strategically important, the soldiers are demoralized and hesitant due to the recent defeat, making it difficult to hold out for long. The best course of action now is to use Poyang Lake as a buffer, withdraw the main force south, and rely on the natural defenses of Fujian's mountains to plan for a future offensive. I still have arrangements in Fuzhou, with accessible sea routes, allowing for both advance and retreat. Once the northern army's momentum has waned or there is a change in the Central Plains, there may still be an opportunity to make a comeback."

"A comeback?" Fake Li sneered, his face cold. "Abandoning Jinling, going into exile at sea, living under someone else's roof? Prime Minister Xu, is this the way out you've planned for me? How is that any different from that old traitor Qian Liu! How is that any different from a stray dog!"

He stood up, looked around at everyone, gritted his teeth, and said in a deep voice, "I am the legitimate successor of the Tang Dynasty. How can I abandon my foundation without a fight? As long as Jinling exists, the hearts of Huainan still remain, and we can still command the remaining forces; if Jinling is lost, Jiangbei will be lost, the people's hearts will be scattered, and we will be like rootless duckweed! My mind is made up. I will return to aid Jinling. I would rather die honorably for the country than live a life of ignominy in exile!"

Looking at the fake Li's appearance, Xu Wen was speechless; it could be said that his last bit of hope had been extinguished.

What kind of thing is it that dies for the country?
I think you're really taking this role too far, you little brat!
So Xu Wen stopped looking at the fake Li and turned his gaze to Zhang Zifan, who had been silent all along: "Minister Zhang, what do you think?"

Zhang Zifan slightly raised his eyes, his gaze meeting the fake Li's for a fleeting moment before lowering them again, and whispered:

"...What Your Majesty says is not without reason. Jinling is the western capital of our dynasty. If we easily abandon it, the prefectures north of the Yangtze River will probably lose all will to fight and can be subdued with a single proclamation. At that time, the Northern Army can concentrate all its strength, and whether it pursues us south or advances west, we will have little chance to catch our breath. If we can hold Jinling and draw the main force of the Northern Army, we may be able to buy time for the other prefectures and counties south of the Yangtze River, or even... find a way out."

His words were subtle and his wording cautious. He seemed to be objectively analyzing the pros and cons, but in reality, every sentence he said was subtly reinforcing the necessity and rationality of the fake Li returning to Nanjing.

To the imposter Li at this moment, these words were undoubtedly precious and full of loyalty. But to the ambitious and capable ruler of the Northern Dynasty, these words guiding the main force of the Southern army to gather beneath the isolated city were probably equally commendable in their loyalty.

Xu Wen sneered inwardly; Zhang Zifan was indeed harboring ulterior motives.

As for the group of scoundrels from the Bad Guys, he had long seen through them. They were used to being two-faced and could not be relied on at crucial moments, so he was even less inclined to say anything more.

He stopped talking and turned to his trusted confidants. Although Zhong Taizhang, Yan Keqiu, Luo Zhixiang and others did not speak, their eyes conveyed their feelings more than a thousand words.

Fortunately, he still has his own team that he has built up over many years, so that this fool, Li, is not truly all alone.

The room remained silent for a moment. Then, as the faint groans of wounded soldiers could be heard in the distance, Xu Wen looked directly at the imposter Li, his voice even colder and harder: "Your Majesty, are you truly determined to return to Jinling? Do you know that this journey is fraught with peril?"

The imposter met his gaze without flinching, his eyes even more bloodshot, and said with the same grim face, "My mind is made up! Even if it's a mountain of knives and a sea of ​​fire, I will brave it! Does Prime Minister Xu intend to defy the imperial decree?"

Their gazes clashed like swords in mid-air, instantly creating a tense atmosphere. Zhong Taizhang, standing beside Xu Wen, unconsciously gripped his sword hilt, while Li Sixiao tensed slightly, his breathing becoming long and drawn out.

Fortunately, Yan Keqiu quickly stepped forward, first blocking their view, then cupped his hands and said helplessly:

"Your Majesty, the current situation is perilous. Even if there are disagreements, we must prioritize the overall situation and make a decision as soon as possible. The Northern Army's scouts are becoming increasingly active, and the river is not peaceful either. If we delay any longer, internal strife may occur, and then it will be too late to regret it!"

Hearing this advice and seeing Xu Wen's stubborn old face, Fake Li's chest heaved violently. He stared intently at Xu Wen, as if trying to etch that face into his bones.

After a long silence, he finally managed to squeeze out a few words through gritted teeth, his voice laced with barely suppressed resentment: "Fine, fine, fine! Since Minister Xu wishes to turn south, I will not stop you. But Nanjing, I must save it!" He then took a deep breath, forcing down his turbulent emotions, and continued: "I will lead the Black Cloud Capital and the main forces of Nanjing and Yangzhou, returning to Nanjing by fast ship tonight. Minister Xu may remain to garrison Poyang, overseeing the remaining troops, containing the Northern Army, and acting as the circumstances dictate..."

Xu Wen gave the fake Li a deep look, and finally nodded slowly, saying, "In that case, this old minister obeys the decree. May Your Majesty... achieve a resounding victory and restore the land."

This statement was rather perfunctory. Since the fake Li insisted on parting ways, Xu Wen was too lazy to even bother with any pretense.

"There's one more thing," the fake Li said coldly again as Xu Wen was about to get up and leave. "Prime Minister Xu, let's not beat around the bush. You've been keeping my double with you, haven't you? Hand him over to me."

Xu Wen slightly raised his eyelids, not denying it, but simply said, "What use does Your Majesty have for this person?"

The fake Li sneered: "What use is he? I have my own plans. When I was in a fit of rage on the walls of Wuchang, I hastily executed the Qian Yuanqiu and Yuan Xiang brothers. Although there were extenuating circumstances, I fear it might have dampened the spirits of the soldiers in Fujian. Wang Shenzhi's eldest son, Wang Yanhan, is still in the army. I intend to hand this son over to Prime Minister Xu and treat him well. Prime Minister Xu may be able to use this to appease Wang Shenzhi and use it as leverage for future negotiations. As for that double... I will take him back to Nanjing and deal with him separately."

A glint of light flashed in Xu Wen's eyes.

Use Wang Yanhan to exchange for Li Xingyun, who has already lost much of his value and has even become a hot potato.
He instantly weighed the pros and cons in his mind, sneered, and no longer cared about speculating what the fake Li was thinking when he asked for the substitute. Almost without hesitation, he said:
“The heir of the King of Min should indeed be properly settled, serving as a link to the Min region. In that case, it is also inconvenient for Your Majesty’s adopted son to remain in my army. Therefore, Your Majesty, please take him back to Jinling for disposal, so as to settle this matter.”

Before this, Li Xingyun might have been a useful pawn to restrain the fake Li, a hostage. But now, with the disastrous defeat at Wuchang and the imminent collapse of the nation, any notion of a hostage or restraint has vanished, losing all meaning. Keeping him in hand is not only useless, but may even invite unnecessary trouble.

Wang Yanhan, on the other hand, is the key bargaining chip to keep King Min, Wang Shenzhi, in check. His practical value far exceeds that of Li Xingyun. Whether he is the real person or a substitute, he is now a useless asset to Xu Wen.

...

The following day, at Jiangzhou Wharf.

The imposter, dressed in military uniform, stood at the bow of the flagship, leaning on the railing, gazing at the dark northern horizon. There lay the fallen Wuchang, and the advancing iron cavalry of the Northern Army, like a surging tide.

That person's figure, like the oppressive black clouds, shrouded the entire world, so heavy that it was almost suffocating, leaving no glimmer of hope.

Zhang Zifan also boarded the ship. He stood a little further away, seemingly casual, but actually carefully scanning the ship and its inhabitants.

Although he did not have the opportunity to see Li Xingyun being escorted onto the ship, he knew that, given the fake Li's almost pathological obsession, Li Xingyun would definitely be taken back to Jinling with them.

The fall of Nanjing was inevitable, which suited him perfectly.

Xu Wen personally came to the dock to see off the fake Li. He changed into a clean purple official robe, and his face still showed no emotion.

"Your Majesty, please take care."

The fake Li turned around, his gaze falling on Xu Wen, but his face remained expressionless. He simply said, "Prime Minister Xu, Poyang... is entrusted to you."

"This old minister will do his utmost to defend this last line of defense for Your Majesty and for Jiangnan."

Their eyes met briefly in the air, and they both knew that this parting was a farewell, and that they might never see each other again, no matter where they were.

However, this pair of "ruler and subject," who had only been together for two months and were barely bound together under immense external pressure, had no more words to say at this moment, as if they had exhausted even the last bit of hypocritical politeness.

The fake Li turned around and didn't look back. He simply raised his hand and waved it casually in the air.

The fleet, carrying the remaining elite ships, slowly left the dock, sailed into the misty heart of the river, and headed downstream.

Xu Wen stood motionless with his hands behind his back, watching the fleet's outline gradually blur and eventually disappear into the morning mist.

He squinted and called out, "It is possible."

Yan Keqiu immediately stepped forward and bowed to listen.

“Poyang…cannot be defended.” Xu Wen waved away his attendants, his voice low so that only the two of them could hear, “The Northern Dynasty is powerful, like the sun at its zenith, and cannot be resisted by human power. You go and do two things immediately.”

"First, select the soldiers who have already sent their families to the south, divide them into three groups, and carry gold, pearls and valuables from the treasury. They will disguise themselves as fleeing merchants and secretly head south to Fuzhou. They will then meet up with the people we sent earlier, clear the port, and prepare enough ships, especially large ships capable of long voyages."

"Second, send a message by carrier pigeon to the garrison in Yangzhou and Jinling to activate the contingency plan. Burn all valuable items in palaces, treasuries, workshops, etc., that cannot be taken away, especially the books, records, and military equipment accumulated over the years. Do not leave them in the hands of the northern barbarians to aid the enemy."

Yan Keqiu's body trembled slightly. After hesitating for a moment, he still whispered, "Then... Minister Xu, your clansmen left in Yangzhou... and the eldest son (Xu Zhixun) who is trapped in Huainan and out of contact with us..."

Xu Wen closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, everything was icy cold.
"The matter has come so suddenly, there's no time to think about anything else. I've already decided to abandon even the reserves in Jinling, let alone my clansmen. Have the prefect (Xu Zhigao) who's staying in Yangzhou find a way to bring out my good-for-nothing sons and your family as much as possible. The action must be quick and discreet. As for the others... don't alert them, lest something go wrong, adding unnecessary burdens and delaying the opportunity. And don't leave them for the Northern Dynasty to use to win people's hearts later, which would only cause more trouble."

This is a desperate attempt to cut off the tail to survive.

Yan Keqiu's throat bobbed, and he felt a chill rise from the soles of his feet. He had followed Xu Wen for many years and knew his ruthless methods, but hearing such an arrangement with his own ears still made him shudder.

"I understand," Yan Keqiu replied in a deep voice. After a moment's hesitation, he asked, "Then... what are our next steps regarding Poyang? Should we just go through the motions, or..."

"deploy?"

Xu Wen seemed to pause for a moment, then turned back to look at Yan Keqiu strangely, before shaking his head, as if mocking Yan Keqiu's naiveté, or perhaps mocking himself:

"If we can't hold it, why waste our precious strength and add unnecessary deaths here? The Northern Dynasty is determined to take Jiangnan. This mighty Yangtze River and the vast land are probably nothing to him, let alone a mere Poyang Lake. Even if we could retreat to the sea and occupy an island, do you think we could rest easy? He's so young, energetic, and ambitious; he wants to completely take over the world... Send the order down to let each unit rest and regroup, stabilize morale, hold out for another day or two, adopt a defensive posture, and then prepare to march south in an orderly manner to seek another way out..."

Yan Keqiu remained silent, then looked up at Xu Wen. He saw Xu Wen's gray hair trembling slightly in the river breeze, and his old eyes, which used to be full of scheming and insightful about the world, now revealed an almost empty sense of loneliness and desolation.

Yan Keqiu was filled with mixed emotions, and finally asked, "Prime Minister Xu, what about us..."

Xu Wen sighed and said, "We are not like Li Xingyun, who is determined to fight for his doomed dream of becoming emperor and to live and die with this country... We are not seeking death, but only asking for a way to live."

"As long as we preserve this strength, flee overseas, and observe the situation, we may still have a future. The strife in the Central Plains will not end here. We will return sooner or later."

Yan Keqiu looked at Xu Wen's white hair, said nothing more, bowed deeply, and turned to leave quickly.

------

At that moment, the fake Li's flagship was speeding downstream along the river.

Jingxinmo silently approached the fake Li, who was staring blankly at the river, and whispered, "Your Majesty, the person has been placed in the lower deck and is being watched over."

The fake Li did not turn around, but simply said, "Take me to see him."

"Yes." Mirror Heart Demon bowed and replied, then stepped aside to lead the way.

Just as he turned around, his foot about to move, he heard the fake Li's voice again behind him, causing his raised foot to quietly fall back onto the deck:
"Mirror Demon, I've heard that Li Cunxu in the past loved to perform on stage and act himself. Why do you watch it..."

Mirror Heart Demon felt a sudden chill, his movements froze instantly, and a few beads of cold sweat appeared on his back.

While his mind raced, trying to decipher the deeper meaning behind the fake Li's mention of this matter, he turned around and cautiously replied, "Your Majesty, it is indeed true. That Li Cunxu... perhaps felt that the joys and sorrows that could be portrayed on stage were more real than reality."

The fake Li looked at the Mirror Demon, but seemed oblivious to his subtle tension, and continued to ask, "And you? You are adept at portraying all kinds of characters, do you know the secret to it?"

Jingxinmo's mind raced, and he answered carefully, "In my humble opinion, the key to acting lies in 'belief.' You must first believe in the character yourself, so that every word and action flows from the heart of the character, so that the audience will not doubt you. If you have distracting thoughts and are always remembering that you are acting, your eyebrows and eyes will inevitably reveal flaws."

The fake Li was silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head and said in a tone that was almost a sigh, yet indifferent:
"This world... bustling and noisy, with rises and falls, isn't it all just a grand drama? But who is in the audience, who is on stage, and who is the true spectator..."

The river wind grew stronger, causing the robes on Jingxinmo's body to flutter wildly. He watched as the fake Li walked past him toward the staircase leading to the lower deck, and unconsciously squinted.

After the fake Li had taken a few steps, he straightened up, only to realize with a start that his undergarments had been soaked with cold sweat during that brief conversation.

(End of this chapter)