Late Han Zhao Tang

Spring of the fifth year of Shenwu.

Since Zhang Yu issued the order to launch an expedition to the southeast in the winter of the fourth year, and now that spring has arrived and the ice and snow have melted, the generals of the Tang army have been making preparations for the southern expedition in great detail.

"How many ships does the Jingzhou navy have? Are they capable of contending with the southern bandits' vessels?"

Zhang Liao climbed the city wall of Xiangyang and looked out over the naval camp in Fancheng. He asked, "How many soldiers are there, and how much grain is stored?"

Since being appointed General Who Conquers the South by Zhang Yu and assigned to oversee the military affairs of the three provinces of Yu, Jing, and Yi, Zhang Liao moved his headquarters to Xiangyang at the beginning of this year in order to better manage the southern campaign.

"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, the Jingzhou army totals 50,000, with 20,000 stationed in Jiangling and Xiakou, and the remaining 30,000 troops stationed in various places. Among them, the navy numbers 30,000, with more than 3,000 large and small ships, each led by generals Wen Ping, Huang Zu, Huang Zhong, and Han Hao."

Hao Zhao cupped his hands and said, "The southern enemy's Jingzhou navy is slightly stronger than our army. Their commander is Cao Ren, and their main camp is built in Baqiu."

"Cao Ren?"

Zhang Liao scoffed and said, "Cao Ren is brave but lacks strategy. Cao Cao appointed him as commander-in-chief, truly showing that he has no capable commanders under his command!"

Zhang Liao had some contact with Cao Cao's generals in Huaibei, and therefore did not hold Cao Cao's generals in high regard. He was particularly familiar with Cao Ren's temperament through many defectors. While Cao Ren appeared intelligent and brave, he lacked strategic thinking in warfare, relying solely on brute force. Against a truly intelligent and courageous general, Cao Ren would inevitably be exposed.

Hao Zhao hesitated for a moment, then said, "Commander, although Cao Ren is brave but lacks strategy, the naval soldiers of Jingchu are fierce and valiant, and they are stationed in strategic locations. Our troops are not confident of victory!"

Zhang Liao waved his hand and said, "Although the Yangtze River is a natural barrier, the people of Jingchu are restless. When the Yizhou navy goes east, the Jing and Han troops will attack from all sides. The Yangtze River is more than a thousand miles long from east to west. With Cao Ren's wisdom, how can he prepare for everything at once? If the enemy's deployment is flawed, we may be able to cross the river with a little ingenuity."

"What is the situation with the general guarding the western border? And what about the city walls?" Zhang Liao asked.

Hao Zhao asked, "Yi Dao's garrison commander, Yue Jin, is a trusted confidant of Cao Cao and is skilled in martial arts. He was once a vanguard and was thus highly regarded by Cao Cao. However, Yi Dao is a high and dangerous city, with towering mountains to the west, and troops stationed at Xiaoting and Jingmen, making it very difficult to capture Yi Dao."

After Yufu was captured by Guan Yu, Cao Cao retreated to Yidao on the western border. In order to fortify Yidao, Cao Cao conscripted laborers to carry out large-scale repairs to the city and mountain strongholds.

"What strategy do you have for breaking through the city, Bo Dao?" Zhang Liao asked.

Hao Zhao pondered for a moment and said, "I believe Yidao is easy to defend but difficult to attack. It would be better to take the cities of Wuling first and cut off Yidao's internal and external communications. Once the cities submit, wouldn't Yidao surrender on its own?"

Xiaoting was a pavilion-level unit under Yidao. The Yangtze River flows out of the Three Gorges and must pass through Xiaoting and Yidao before reaching Jiangling. Therefore, Yidao on the south bank belonged to the western border of Southern Chu, echoing Yiling on the north bank.

Historically, in order to defend the Three Gorges, Gongsun Shu specifically ordered Tian Rong and Ren Man to occupy the strategic passes of Jingmen Mountain and Huya Mountain. When Liu Xiu conquered Cheng Shu in the west, Cen Peng led the Jingzhou navy in a counterattack, burning the camp with fire and capturing Jingmen Mountain and Huya Mountain, thus opening up the waterway for westward advance into Bashu.

During the Battle of Yiling, Liu Bei was locked in a stalemate with Lu Xun, but was blocked by the strategic passes of Yidao and Jingmen Mountain on the south bank. Unable to advance eastward, he was subsequently defeated by Lu Xun's fire attack.

In order to secure the western border, Cao Cao still deployed heavy troops in Jingmen and Yidao, with Yue Jin as the prefect and Cao Ren as the commander-in-chief to support them.

Therefore, if we want to capture Yidao and Jingmen, the best way is not to fight to the death, but to follow Hao Zhao's advice, first capture other cities, and then force Yidao to surrender.

"Bo Dao is right!"

Zhang Liao paused and looked at the water fortress on the Han River, saying, "Spread the news of the southern expedition, saying that I will lead an army of 200,000 to the south this year to recruit the Five Streams Barbarians of Southern Chu, thereby disturbing the soldiers and civilians of Southern Chu."

Hao Zhao asked doubtfully, "Wouldn't creating such a great show of force for the southern expedition reveal our military direction to the enemy?"

Zhang Liao smiled and said, "Your Majesty said that Cao Cao is suspicious. Our army is making a great show of force. Cao Cao will be worried about the Chinese troops in Huaibei, so he will not dare to advance westward."

"Your Majesty is farsighted!"

Geographically speaking, Huainan is just as important as Jingzhou to Jiangdong. Now that Zhang Liao has moved his army to Jingzhou and suddenly made a big show of his southern expedition, most people will suspect that the Tang army will focus its attack on Jingzhou.

However, Cao Cao would be even more worried about the Tang army in Huainan, suspecting that they were using a feint to lure him westward so that he could launch a major offensive against Huainan. After all, if cities like Shouchun and Hefei fell, the various generals of China would be able to drink from the Yangtze River and see Nanjing across the river.

Accompanied by Hao Zhao, Zhang Liao inspected the navy until dusk. Suddenly, a servant reported that Vice Minister Pan Xu had been ordered to visit him, and Zhang Liao hurriedly returned to his tent to receive him.

"Is His Majesty's envoy Pan on a southern tour? I wonder what the court's opinion is?" Zhang Liao asked.

Pan Xu said, “Your Majesty has said that the commander-in-chief has been stationed in the prefectures and counties for several years. If you can pacify the southeast and unify the world, Your Majesty will personally welcome you. However, the ministers in the court are worried that the commander-in-chief’s direct attack will cause setbacks to the army and shake the morale of the troops.”

Zhang Liao stroked his beard and smiled, saying, "Few of you gentlemen know anything about military affairs. If you return to the court, you should tell His Majesty that the enemy general Cao Ren is brave but lacks strategy, and defeating him will not be difficult."

As he spoke, Zhang Liao asked, "I have heard that Man Chong has been promoted to Duke of Chen, and Chancellor Zhong Yao has been enfeoffed as Duke of Xia. I wonder what title Your Majesty will bestow upon me if I were to quell the southern bandits?"

Pan Xu respectfully said, "The Commander-in-Chief and His Majesty share a deep and extraordinary friendship. His Majesty has already ordered the engraving of the seal of the Duke of Dai to await the Commander-in-Chief. If the Commander-in-Chief performs any further great service, he will be richly rewarded!"

Zhang Liao rose to fame at a young age and was always valued by Zhang Yu, thus avoiding the dangers of political struggles. Moreover, Zhang Yu regarded Zhang Liao as a younger brother, and their relationship was very close. Therefore, Zhang Liao was not as cautious as others in his dealings with others.

Upon learning that Man Chong had been granted the title of Duke, Zhang Liao sent someone to inquire about the situation. Zhang Yu, wanting to reassure Zhang Liao about his southern campaign, truthfully recounted the events to him without reservation, even explicitly stating that the Duke of Dai was to be bestowed upon him.

Zhang Liao smiled with satisfaction and asked, "What are the ranks of Li Bosong and Xu Gongming?"

Pan Xu hesitated for a moment, then said vaguely, "The Commander-in-Chief's achievements are outstanding in the court, and neither of the two generals can compare with him. Therefore, with the southeast still unpacified, only the Commander-in-Chief has an official seal, and the titles of the other two generals are currently unknown."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Liao's vanity was satisfied, and he laughed, "You two generals have followed His Majesty for many years. If you can conquer the southeast, how could you not have made a founding contribution!"

"The matter of merit and recognition is beyond my knowledge!" Faced with Zhang Liao's assessment, Pan Xu dared not answer casually.

As he spoke, Pan Xu handed over a letter, saying, "His Majesty has sent a letter to the Commander-in-Chief, and knowing that the climate in the southeast is hot, he has specially ordered people to make ten summer clothes for the Commander-in-Chief to change into."

Zhang Liao, with a slightly solemn expression, took the letter from Pan Xu.

In his letter, Zhang Yu did not inquire much about the situation in Jianghan. Instead, he talked to Zhang Liao about the recent situation of Zhang Liao's eldest son, Zhang Hu, and asked Zhang Liao if he was used to the climate and food of Jingzhou, and whether he would get seasick when traveling by boat.
Seeing the many words of greeting in Zhang Yu's letter, Zhang Liao felt a surge of warmth in his heart and said, "I would be grateful for Your Majesty's concern. I will certainly repay Your Majesty's trust and care in this southern campaign against the southeast!"

"promise!"
-
The series of changes, including Zhang Liao moving his garrison to Jingzhou, Xu Huang moving his garrison to Xuzhou, and Li Song taking charge of Yanzhou, attracted the attention of Cao Cao's spies, and the military intelligence was quickly relayed to Cao Cao in Jinling City.

Seeing that Zhang Yu had dispatched three famous generals to guard the border region, Cao Cao became somewhat uneasy and immediately sought out Lu Su to inquire about the relevant information.

"Zijing, Zhang Yu has been appointed as the new commander-in-chief, Zhang Liao has been ordered to move his troops to Jingzhou, Xu Huang has been appointed to oversee Xuzhou, and Li Song has been appointed to govern Yanzhou. Is it possible that Zhang Yu intends to wage war this year?" Cao Cao asked worriedly.

"Jingzhou has been building ships for two years, Yizhou built large-scale warships last year, and Xuzhou is building seagoing vessels on the coast. Judging from the enemy's shipbuilding situation, they may be going to war this year."

Lu Su pondered for a moment and said, "Since last year, the Tang army has frequently harassed the border, trying to exhaust our soldiers and civilians. Now, with a well-equipped navy and ample provisions, if they exhaust our army for a year and then appoint a new commander, it will be a sign that they will attack us!"

Cao Cao paced back and forth, saying, "According to the military report from Jingzhou, Zhang Liao has been ordered to command 200,000 troops and oversee the armies of Yu, Jing, and Yi provinces. Most of the enemy forces are likely in Jingzhou. Cao Ren is less strategic and more courageous, and I fear he is no match for Zhang Liao."

Lu Su speculated, "What is real is made to appear unreal, and what is unreal is made to appear real. Looking at the Tang army's deployment, Zhang Liao is conquering Jingzhou, Li Song is conquering Huaixi, and Xu Huang is conquering Huaidong. Huainan has no natural defenses against the Huai River; it is only the cities of Shouchun and Guangling that hold off the enemy. If the enemy crosses the Huai River, and the Prime Minister's army marches west to Jingzhou, wouldn't that allow the enemy to sweep through Huainan?"

Cao Cao frowned and said, "Does Zijing mean that the Tang army is using a feint attack, with Zhang Liao's attack on Jingzhou as a detachment, and Li Song and Xu Huang's forces as the main force?"

Lu Su shook his head and said, "I dare not make a definitive statement. If the enemy deploys most of their forces to Jingzhou and can cross the Yangtze River, then Jingchu will have no natural defenses, and we will share the same river with the enemy. Jingzhou is upstream of Yangzhou. If they use the strength of the upstream to move eastward, Jiangdong will be in grave danger!"

Cao Cao's current geographical situation is too unfavorable. Without the Tang army's intervention, he cannot accurately assess the strength of the Tang army's main force. According to Zhou Yu's previous plan, Cao Cao would lead his main force to confront the majority of the Tang army. Once the main Tang force was defeated, the remaining troops would retreat one by one.

After a pause, Lu Su said, "In my opinion, it would be better to let Jingzhou defend it and send troops to attack the enemy that has invaded the Huai River. Li Song's military strategy is inferior to that of Generals Zhang and Xu, making him an easy enemy to defeat. Therefore, the Prime Minister may wish to attack and defeat Li Song first."

Cao Cao frowned and pondered, then said, "Although Li Song's military strategy is not as good as that of Generals Zhang and Xu, judging from his last campaign, he is indeed a brave and resourceful man. We should not take him lightly."

"Hmm~" Lu Su pondered for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "I am short-sighted. If the Prime Minister wishes to ask for a strategy, it would be better to summon Protector Zhou for advice."

"rational!"

Cao Cao was startled awake. He casually pointed at his attendant and urged, "Quickly summon the Protector of the Army to the Prime Minister's residence."

Although Zhou Yu had only been with Cao Cao's group for a short time, he earned Cao Cao's trust through his outstanding strategic and military abilities. Therefore, Cao Cao would always seek Zhou Yu's advice on important matters.

"promise!"

The servant hurried off to find Zhou Yu, fearing that being too slow would displease Cao Cao.

Not long after, Zhou Yu, who was training troops in the military camp, learned that Cao Cao had something to consult. Without even changing his armor, he rushed to the Prime Minister's residence to pay his respects to Cao Cao, led by his attendants.

"This servant greets the Prime Minister. Wearing armor is quite inconvenient!"

Before Zhou Yu could even bow, Cao Cao hurriedly helped him up and said warmly, "There are no outsiders here today, so you don't need to stand on ceremony!"

"Thank you, Prime Minister!"

Zhou Yu asked, "Why did the Prime Minister summon me so urgently?"

Cao Cao led Zhou Yu to the map and said, "We have received military intelligence that seems to indicate an impending enemy invasion to the south?"

Lu Su, sensing the opportunity, stepped forward and introduced them, saying, "Zhang Liao has been transferred from Yuzhou to Jingzhou, Xu Huang has been appointed as the general of Xuzhou, and there is also Li Song..."

After Lu Su's explanation, Zhou Yu gradually understood the current situation and asked, "Is the matter that the Prime Minister is concerned about whether to defend Huainan first or Jingzhou first?"

"Exactly!"

Seeing that Zhou Yu had grasped the main contradiction, Cao Cao showed his appreciation and asked, "I wonder what insights Gongjin has?"

Zhou Yu frowned as he studied the map, and decisively said, "Prime Minister, you should first defend Jingzhou, then Huainan. If the enemy in Jingzhou retreats, the enemy in Huainan will retreat on their own!"

"Ok?"

Seeing that Zhou Yu intended to focus solely on defending Jingzhou, Lu Su became suspicious and asked, "Gongjin, Huainan is the shield of Jiangdong. If Huainan is lost, wouldn't the enemy be able to drink from the Yangtze River and see Nanjing across the river? Although Jingzhou is upstream, there is still Chaisang to defend Xiaguan!"

Cao Cao also looked at Zhou Yu with a questioning gaze, as if asking Zhou Yu why he valued Jingzhou so much.
Seeing their doubts, Zhou Yu had no intention of keeping them in suspense and said directly, "Military operations in the southeast depend on waterways. Even if Huainan is taken by the Tang people, as long as we have the cities of Shouchun and Huaiyin, our country can recover Huainan."

As he spoke, Zhou Yu pointed to the map of the Yangtze River and said, "The waterways are used for transporting goods by boat, which is why the Prime Minister was able to attack Jingzhou with his navy. Now the Tang army is drinking from the Yangtze River, but because of the dense network of rivers in the Huai River, the cavalry can hardly maneuver. Moreover, Shouchun and Huaiyin block their supply lines, making the transport of northern grain inconvenient."

"When our navy sails out of the East China Sea, sails against the current northward, and turns into the Huai River, we can respond to Shouchun, cut off the Tang army's retreat route, and force the Tang army to abandon the counties and territories they have gained in Huainan. Even if Shouchun falls, the enemy will be defeated by the Yangtze River because Chaohu Lake is difficult to cross. Therefore, although Huainan is the shield of Jiangdong, the danger of Jiangdong lies in the Yangtze River."

Zhou Yu became more and more excited as he spoke, saying eloquently, "But Jingzhou is different. It is upstream of Yangzhou. If the Tang army occupies it, they can set off from Xiakou in the morning and reach Chaisang by evening. Our army will suffer greatly from Jingzhou, and the country will be in danger at any moment. If we hold out for a long time, we will surely be destroyed by the Tang people. But if we can repel the enemy in Jingzhou first, we can then plan to conquer Nanjun and regain the strategic advantage of Yiling."

If you were to ask whether the Yangtze River and the Huai River are more important to Yangzhou, then…

The answer isn't difficult; undoubtedly, Jingzhou in the Jianghan region was more important. Since navigation in the southeast relied on boats, a navy on the Yangtze River was crucial. Cao Cao could launch a surprise attack on Jingzhou with his ships, and conversely, Jingzhou could similarly launch a surprise attack on Yangzhou with its own ships.

The Yangtze River, as a channel for troop deployment, is much faster than land routes. The struggle for Jingzhou mainly hinges on the Yangtze River, relying on naval warfare. Naval power is an advantage for Jiangdong; whoever can hold Jingzhou by sea will ensure the unimpeded connection between Jingzhou and Jiangdong.

However, the situation is different in Huainan.

For Jiangdong, Huainan served as a springboard and buffer zone, utilizing its climate and geography to block the Central Plains forces from reaching the Yangtze River. Moreover, the significance of defending Huainan was not merely to keep the enemy north of the Huai River, but more accurately, to prevent the Central Plains forces from entering the Yangtze River.

In particular, if the strategic hub of Shouchun is not lost, even if the forces of the Central Plains wreak havoc in Huainan, they can still force back the southern and northern expeditionary armies by sending their naval forces to the Huai River via the sea route.

The historical examples of the Eastern Wu and Southern Song dynasties undoubtedly illustrate this point.

The Eastern Wu did not rely on the Huai River to block the enemy, but instead prevented the Central Plains forces from crossing Chaohu Lake into the Yangtze River in Huainan. In contrast, the Southern Song Dynasty frequently faced invasions by the Jin Dynasty in Huainan, but by preventing Jin forces from appearing on the Yangtze River, it engaged in a prolonged stalemate with them.

The fall of Eastern Wu and Southern Song was due to the occupation of the upstream by the Central Plains regime. For example, when Western Jin destroyed Eastern Wu, Jingzhou upstream was lost first, and Wang Jun's warships sailed down to Jinling. Or when the Mongol Yuan destroyed Song, Xiangyang was lost, and the Yuan navy sailed south from Jingzhou, eventually destroying Southern Song.

In contrast, the foundation for the Three Kingdoms period at the end of the Han Dynasty was that Zhou Yu defeated Cao Cao's navy in Jingzhou, driving Cao Wei forces out of the Yangtze River, which laid the basis for the tripartite division of the country.

Historically, the Eastern Wu's betrayal of its alliance and seizure of Jingzhou from Shu Han was not only due to its setbacks in expanding in Huainan, but also related to the importance of Jingzhou to the southeast.

The relationship between the Jianghan Plain, Huainan Plain, and Jiangdong Plain can be summarized as follows: those who wish to secure the southeast must contend for the Jianghan Plain; those who wish to covet the Central Plains must obtain the Huai and Si Rivers. A nation with the Jianghan Plain but without the Huai and Si Rivers will be weak; a nation with the Huai and Si Rivers but without the upper reaches of the Jianghan Plain will be in danger.

As one of the few strategists in the late Han Dynasty, Zhou Yu immediately saw the danger in Jingzhou and advised Cao Cao to first seize Jingzhou before withdrawing his troops from Huainan. Zhou Yu believed that Cao Cao's ability to control the southeast was based on the conquest of Jingzhou.

Zhou Yu had repeatedly advised Cao Cao to seize Liu Bei's territory because he considered the crucial role of Jingzhou in Jiangdong.

Now, after Zhou Yu's lengthy explanation, Cao Cao, as a military strategist, immediately understood the key point.

"If we follow Gongjin's advice, I can send troops westward to Jingzhou to prepare for Zhang Liao's southward advance!" Cao Cao said.

Zhou Yu pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "The Tang army is advancing along multiple routes. Zhang Liao now boasts an army of 200,000 men heading south. Therefore, Prime Minister, it would be better to first have your troops stationed at Chaisang. When Zhang Liao leads his troops across the river, Prime Minister, you can lead your navy to rush to Jingzhou to defeat the Tang army's naval forces."

"With the navy defeated and the northerners unable to cross the river, Jingzhou will be safe. We should order the cities of Huaiyin and Shouchun to hold fast. Even if the Tang army rampages through Huainan, they will have no choice but to withdraw when the Prime Minister returns!"

"good!"

Cao Cao smiled and said, "Gongjin has the wisdom of a national hero. If we can defeat the Tang people, it will truly be thanks to Gongjin's planning!"

"Don't dare!"

Zhou Yu humbly replied, "If we can repel the enemy, it is thanks to the Prime Minister's skillful use of troops!"

Lu Su pondered for a moment and said, "As far as I know, besides the Central Plains being busy preparing for war, Shi Xie of Jiaoling is now fickle. He has sent envoys to contact Zhang Yu and offered generous tribute as a way of apologizing for past grievances. Not only that, Shi Xie has also sent a hostage to Chang'an and promised to send troops to Guiyang."

Cao Cao couldn't help but sneer and said, "Shu has been captured, Liu Bei has been taken prisoner, and Shi Xie is terrified. Now, in his desperation, he has even gone so far as to beg for surrender from Zhang Yu, who is thousands of miles away. Once I have defeated the Tang people, I will send a general to conquer Jiaoling in the south. With the combined strength of three provinces and the natural defenses of the Yangtze River, we may well be able to repeatedly defeat the Tang troops."

"Ok!"

Zhou Yu nodded slightly and said, "Shi Xie is a clown, and Jiaoling is a land of pestilence. His sending troops to support the Tang army is nothing more than a pretense to appease Zhang Yu."

"Sending a capable general to block the Lingqu can be enough to repel the troops from Jiaozhou!" Cao Cao said dismissively.

Lu Su said, "The troops of Jiaozhou are not a major threat, but in my opinion, the Prime Minister should send an envoy to comfort Shi Xie and persuade him not to side with either side."

"Can!"

Cao Cao said, "Have Xun Yu send an envoy south!"

"promise!"

Although Cao Cao didn't take Shi Xie seriously, on the eve of a life-or-death battle, he dared not ignore the impact of Shi Xie's deployment of troops. (End of Chapter)