Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 463 Bloody Battle of Dongjing River (Part 1)
Since Hanyang did not have many main Yuan troops, only more than 7,000 local Yuan soldiers defending the city, it was captured in just one day after the First Army arrived in Hanyang on September 20.

After capturing Hanyang as a foothold, the real battle had only just begun.

Liao Yong'an appointed Sang Shijie as the naval commander and Miao Youzhen as the naval deputy commander. The two led the main force of the navy forward along the Han River to block the Han River from Mianyang, Qianjiang to Changshou (Zhongxiang), and intercepted and killed the Yuan army scouts and messengers of Dashibadulu and Asilan, so that the two enemy armies lost contact and could not join forces.

Then Liao Yong'an hurriedly sent a message to Qin Conglong, who was stationed in Jiujiang, asking Xu Da to urgently transfer a main force regiment from his 119th Division to Hanyang to defend the city. At the same time, he asked Qin Conglong to send more food and ammunition to Hanyang, especially ammunition for various firearms, as well as hand grenades, which were the best for defending the city, and they urgently needed to be replenished.

First, arrange for the defense of the city. Once you have a solid foundation, then discuss how to fight the two enemy forces.

According to the previously agreed plan, a detachment must first be sent to intercept one of the Yuan armies, and the number of troops must not be too large. Then, the main force should be gathered to attack the other army, eliminating one of them first, and then turning around to attack the other, defeating the enemy one by one.

But at this point, they faced a choice: which enemy to intercept, which to attack, and who to send to intercept them.

After discussion among the generals, they unanimously decided to attack Dashibadulu first. The reason was that this Sichuan Yuan army had a large force, and if only a small force was sent to block it, it would be difficult to stop them and achieve the campaign objective. On the other hand, it seemed a waste of their own forces to concentrate 60,000 to 70,000 main force to attack Aslan, who only had 40,000 men.

Therefore, it would be better to concentrate the main force to attack Dashibadulu. Even if our forces do not have a significant advantage, we can at least achieve a draw. As for Aslan's route, we can send a detachment of one or two divisions to block it. In this way, 20,000 to 30,000 men can block 40,000 men, and the disadvantage in troop strength will not be too serious. We do not need to win, but it is not a problem to hold off the enemy for a period of time.

Having determined the order of engagement with the enemy, the next step was to deploy troops, especially deciding who to send to intercept Aslan's main force of the Huguang Yuan army. Needless to say, this task was very difficult, as fighting against a larger enemy force with a smaller one was not something everyone could be confident of defeating.

Fortunately, faced with such a difficult task, all seven major generals of the First Army Corps, except for Xu Da who was away in Jiangxi to carry out a mopping-up operation, eagerly volunteered to fight. However, faced with such a difficult task, Liao Yong'an had to be more cautious in selecting his men. In the end, despite everyone's requests, he resolutely decided to send his elite 101st Division to block Aslan's main force of the Huguang Yuan Army.

In Liao Yong'an's words at the meeting, if such a difficult and arduous task is not undertaken by one's own trusted subordinates, then what kind of trusted subordinates are they? If one does not send one's own personal guards, what will the other generals think? Will they think that they are being used as cannon fodder?

Moreover, who is the 101st Division? It's the first division-level unit established by the Holy Martial Army! It's the first division of the First Front Army! If it doesn't shoulder the heavy responsibility for the entire army at this time, what kind of First Division is it? What kind of main force of the Front Army is it?!

Thus, this arduous task fell to Kim Jo-heung's 101st Division.

Of course, relying solely on the three infantry regiments of the 101st Division to stop Aslan's main force of 40,000 troops would be somewhat difficult, especially since the Holy Martial Army's infantry regiments are mainly composed of pikemen and lack long-range weapons such as bows and crossbows. They are good at melee combat, but if they are subjected to long-range rappelling by the enemy, it will be very difficult for them.

Therefore, Liao Yong'an decided to transfer Song Guoxing's Fifth Imperial Guard Division there, but only left them with 16 cannons from a field artillery battalion. He took the remaining hundred-plus cannons and concentrated them to attack Dashibadulu.

However, Jin Chaoxing had at least replenished a regiment of more than 4,000 musketeers along the way, giving them considerable long-range shooting capabilities. They were not too afraid of enemy archers. In addition, a regiment of heavily armored vanguard troops, or rather, a regiment of heavily armored grenadiers, had also been added, which enhanced their close-combat capabilities.

Thus, this southern detachment consisted of 13500 men from the 101st Division, mainly armored pikemen, 4500 men from the 5th Guards Division's musketeer regiment, 4500 men from the heavy armored vanguard regiment, and an artillery battalion with 16 eight-pound field guns and over 200 artillerymen, totaling five regiments and one battalion, 22700 men.

This lineup is more than enough to attack ordinary cities, and it's not weak for open field battles either. Moreover, with 22,000 men against Aslan's 40,000-strong army, the troop strength is about one to two. Don't expect them to win on their own, but stopping Aslan's attack should not be a problem.

However, while Liao Yong'an thought this way, Jin Chaoxing did not. Perhaps it was Liao Yong'an's words at the war meeting that inspired Jin Chaoxing's ambition. The 101st Division under his command was the main force among the main forces of the Holy Martial Army, the most elite among the elite. Just based on this designation, it would not be an exaggeration to call it the "Number One Division in the World"!
However, because the First Front Army was established late and participated in fewer battles, its achievements were not as famous as Yang Jing's Third Front Army and Zhu Liangzu's Second Front Army. As a result, there were always some rumors in the army that they only got the designation of the First Front Army because they came from Chaohu and relied on this direct lineage. Their actual combat strength was not necessarily better than that of the Second and Third Front Armies.

Therefore, the generals of the First Front Army were always holding their breath. Since the start of the war this year, they fought extremely bravely. They were determined to prove to the whole army that although it was true that their First Front Army was a direct descendant of Chaohu, you cannot say that we cannot fight just because we are a direct descendant!
The First Army desperately needed an undisputed victory to prove itself and wash away the shame of not having participated in a major war. Although since the start of the war, the First Army had captured three strategic strongholds—Jiujiang, Wuchang, and Hanyang—and recovered dozens of cities, this was not enough! Jin Chaoxing wanted to prove to the world what it truly meant to be the 'Number One Division Under Heaven,' and that his title of 'Number One' was not earned through his own position as a direct subordinate!

Doesn't Aslan only have 40,000 main forces from Hubei and Hunan?
Back in last year, Lu Jin personally led the main force across the river. In the Battle of Xiaomaoshan, he led 30,000 troops against Yue Lu Timur's 100,000-strong army. Despite being outnumbered by three times, he still managed to win and annihilate the enemy.

Afterwards, he swept through Jiqing Road, and there was no enemy in the entire Jiangnan region. With only 30,000 armored soldiers, he annihilated 180,000 Yuan troops in one battle. This allowed the Shengwu Army to gain a foothold in Jiangnan and quickly expand and form its first army group.

Now, Jin Chaoxing leads 22,000 troops while the enemy has only 40,000. It's a one-against-two situation, and the difference in troop strength is not as great as when Lu Jin crossed the river.

So why should I defend the city and fight a defensive battle? I'd rather take the initiative and attack, wipe out Aslan's 40,000-strong main force of the Yuan army from Huguang, and still accomplish the task of blocking the enemy and creating conditions for the main force to fight a decisive battle.

No matter how you cover it, it's still a cover. Killing all the enemy troops on the southern route is still a cover!

Although Jin Chaoxing was the commander of the southern route, his troops did not belong to him alone. After all, there was also Song Guoxing, the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard Division, so he had to consult Song Guoxing's opinion. Fortunately, Song Guoxing was also a young man, only 18 years old this year, at the age when he was daring to fight and disregard the consequences. When he heard that Jin Chaoxing wanted to take the initiative to attack, Song Guoxing agreed without hesitation.

Mainly, he also believed that the difference in troop strength between the two sides was not that great. It was just one against two, and the Holy Martial Army had fought many battles like this. Since the difference in troop strength was not great, why not take the initiative to attack? Moreover, even if they lost, he was confident that he could gather the remnants and retreat to the rear to defend the city. In short, since the mission could be completed even if they lost the field battle, why not fight?
Su Jing, the instructor of the 101st Division, did not support Jin Zhaoxing's risky behavior. She believed that as long as the enemy was blocked, they could wait for the main force to finish fighting Dashibadulu before returning to fight Aslan.

However, the Shengwu Army has military regulations that if the military commander and the political commander disagree when going out to fight, the military commander has the right to make a decision on his own and issue military orders directly. The political commander can only keep his opinions to himself, but they must be recorded to facilitate the division of responsibilities afterward. Thus, this decision was forcibly passed by Jin Chaoxing.

After Jin Chaoxing issued his order, even if Su Jing had reservations, he had to fully cooperate in the face of the war. He could complain to his superiors afterward, saying that Jin Chaoxing was taking a risk, but now he had to obey orders.

Therefore, on September 22, after Xu Da dispatched a main force regiment to take over the defense of Hanyang, the two armies of the First Army set off separately.

Liao Yong'an personally led six infantry divisions, one imperial guard division, and three artillery battalions seized from Song Guoxing. Aside from a portion of the troops left to guard the rear, his main force, numbering 82,000 men, took the initiative to attack and advance towards Xiaogan, Anlu, Changshou (Zhongxiang), Yingshan, and Suizhou, seeking an opportunity to engage in a decisive battle with the main force of the Sichuan Yuan army led by Dashibadulu.

Meanwhile, Jin Chaoxing led a detachment of five regiments and an artillery battalion, totaling more than 22,700 men, to attack and advance towards Yusha, the capital of Mianyang, and Qianjiang.

Qianjiang County is located on the banks of the Han River, and a tributary of the Han River branches off from Qianjiang, flowing towards Mianyang (later the Honghu area), and then connecting with the Yangtze River via the Xia River. This tributary of the Han River was later called the Dongjing River, meaning that the river originated in Jingxiang.

However, the course of the Dongjing River at the end of the Yuan Dynasty was different from that in later periods; the river course at the end of the Yuan Dynasty was about fifty miles eastward compared to later periods.

According to the pre-war plan, Liao Yong'an instructed them to first capture Mianyang and use it as a stronghold. Then, relying on the Dongjing River as a natural barrier, they would confront Aslan's Yuan army on the east bank of the river. As long as they could stop the Yuan army from crossing the Dongjing River, Mianyang behind them could provide them with a continuous supply of food and supplies.

However, Jin Chaoxing did not think so. Less than two hundred li west of Dongjing River was Jiangling, the capital of Zhongxing Road, which was Asilan's stronghold. Jiangling City was located on the banks of the Yangtze River, and Asilan himself had more men than his detachment. If Asilan wanted to, he could use a small force to hold back Jin Chaoxing's 20,000 detachment, and then send the main force across the Yangtze River into Dongting Lake, and then out of Dongting Lake across the Yangtze River to bypass Mianyang and take Hanyang and Wuchang directly.

Although this is a long detour of over 700 li, it allows us to bypass Jin Chaoxing's detachment, directly attack the important town of Hanyang, and cut off the First Army's entire supply line. At that point, the entire First Army might starve to death.

Wouldn't Jin Chaoxing just be standing there like a fool watching a show in Mianyang? What use would he be after all this journey?

So after capturing Mianyang, he left only a 900-man auxiliary battalion to guard the city, leaving the local officials accompanying the army to oversee the city's defenses. Then, he led a detachment across the Dongjing River, making it appear as if he were heading straight for Jiangling. This way, Aslan's main base was directly threatened by Jin Chaoxing, and he could not choose to take a detour to attack Hanyang. He was forced to engage in a decisive battle with Jin Chaoxing! In this way, Aslan could be kept in check!
To be fair, Jin Chaoxing's strategic judgment wasn't wrong, but his only flaw was that he put himself in a desperate situation. Ahead lay the flat plains of northern Dongting Lake, while behind him were the Dongjing River and the Xia River blocking his way. This put him in a do-or-die situation, but whether he could replicate Han Xin's achievements was another matter.
However, Jin Chaoxing wasn't that foolish. He didn't plan to directly besiege Jiangling City, otherwise he would become a weary army that had come from afar, while Aslan could wait in comfort for him to come to them.

Moreover, he did not intend to follow Xiang Yu's example of burning the boats and breaking the cauldrons, nor did he want to follow Han Xin's example of fighting with his back to the river. So, as soon as the whole army crossed the Dongjing River, he ordered the army to set up camp on the west bank of the river with their backs to the river. However, he had built four pontoon bridges in advance, which led directly to the interior of the camp. In this way, even if he could not win the battle, he could retreat back to the east bank under the cover of the camp.

He also set up a camp on the east bank, completely enclosing the four pontoon bridges between the camps on both banks, ensuring that he would have sturdy camps to protect him when he retreated, and that he would not suffer major losses.

Then, while he was personally leading the main force to set up camp on both sides of the Dongjing River, he concentrated all the scouts and sentries of his detachment, a total of more than 400 riders, to search and advance towards Jiangling, gather intelligence, intercept and kill Yuan scouts, and lure the Yuan army to fight him.

At this time, Aslan had already left Jiangling. Jiangling only left 3,000 troops to guard the city. The main force was all under the leadership of Aslan and King Weishun Kuanchepuhua, heading towards Qianjiang. They planned to meet up with Dashibadulu in the Han River basin and then fight Liao Yong'an's main force together.

However, the army had only been out of the city for three days and had traveled more than a hundred miles when they discovered that the Holy Martial Army's scouts and sentries had appeared on their right flank, which had previously been free of enemy troops. Aslan was suspicious and immediately sent cavalry to scout ahead to find out where the enemy on his right flank came from.

Jin Chaoxing intended to lure the Yuan army to a battle, so he did not obstruct them much. As a result, the Yuan scouts successfully discovered Jin Chaoxing's camp. He ordered his soldiers to plant many flags in the camp, and the camp was set up very large. It did not look like a camp of 20,000 people, but rather a camp of 30,000 to 40,000 people.

Aslan was immediately alerted upon receiving the news. A band of equally matched rebels had suddenly appeared on his right flank and had already crossed the Dongjing River, while Jiangling behind him was completely undefended. What were they planning to do?
Could it be that they intend to take advantage of my crossing of the Han River and joining forces with Dashibadulu to launch a surprise attack on Jiangling, cutting off my supply lines? And then, together with Liao Yong'an's main force, launch a pincer attack on me?!

With his main city and supply lines threatened, Aslan could not ignore the situation. Therefore, he had no choice but to change direction and lead his main force of 40,000 men toward Jin Chaoxing's camp. He would not feel at ease going to meet up with Dashibadulu before removing this thorn in his side.

Upon hearing the scouts' report that Aslan's main force had indeed been lured over, Jin Chaoxing breathed a sigh of relief and began preparing for battle. He summoned all his soldiers and gave them a mobilization order, determined to make their reputation as the number one division in the world shine!

(End of this chapter)