Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 237 The Year of Yanwu: Luring the Tiger Away from the Mountain

unconsciously.

The Emperor of the Han Dynasty has been staying in Dongzhou for more than three months.

On the first day of the new year, the Han Dynasty changed its era name.

The Jianxing era name, which had been used for six years since Emperor Shaotong ascended the throne, was abolished.

The current emperor inherits the Han dynasty's legacy, continues its glorious achievements, embodies its martial prowess, and amplifies its might.

May the fallen torch be rekindled, and may the glorious Han dynasty rise again.

This signifies the annihilation of the bandits, so that the two barbarians may be reduced to ashes.

Flame refers to the intensity of fire.

Warriors are those who relieve the suffering of the people and punish the guilty.

Yan inherited the throne, and Wu quelled the chaos.

Thus, with Yanwu as its banner, the Han Dynasty embarked on a new journey.

Logically, in the first year after the great victory of the Northern Expedition and the establishment of the new era, the Emperor of Han should return to the capital, hold a grand banquet for all officials and ministers in the palace, and celebrate for ten days and ten nights.

But the emperor did not return.

On the first day of the twelfth lunar month last year, the emperor bid farewell to the soldiers of Baidi at the Jiangguan Wharf with great fanfare, and the dragon boat sailed westward upstream from Baidi.

Except for a very few key figures, most people believed that the emperor had returned to Chengdu to preside over the grand court ceremony and the change of reign title.

However, when the emperor returned to Jiangzhou, he abandoned his boat and went ashore, entering the southern city of Jiangzhou.

Li Feng, the Left Protector-General of Jiangzhou, and Yan Zhi, the Right Protector-General, led their troops out of the city to welcome them.

The following day, the dragon boats continued their journey upstream along the Yangtze River.

Li Feng, the Left Protector-General of Jiangzhou, and Yan Zhi, the Right Protector-General, led their troops out of the city to see them off.

Almost all the soldiers in Jiangzhou believed that the emperor had returned to Chengdu.

However, on New Year's Eve, the emperor, who was supposed to be presiding over the grand court ceremony in Chengdu, suddenly appeared in Jiangzhou City and summoned more than 300 civil and military officers and soldiers of the Jiangzhou Military Region to the parade ground outside Xuanwu Gate.

Apart from a few key insiders, everyone in Jiangzhou, both civil and military, was visibly shaken.

Soldiers who, deception also.

What is virtual is real, what is real is virtual.

Appear near to be far, and far to be near.

The emperor, who should have been in Chengdu, appeared in Jiangzhou. Since he was able to deceive the eyes of most of the civil and military officials in Jiangzhou, he must also have been able to deceive the eyes and ears of Sun Wu in the Han Dynasty.

So, even before the emperor spoke, most people with a brain outside Xuanwu Gate understood that the opportunity for the Han-Wu War had finally arrived.

Previously, everyone thought that the Han Dynasty would take advantage of the fierce battle between Wei and Wu to send troops to Eastern Wu and join forces with Cao Wei to attack Sun Quan, but for more than two months, the Han Dynasty did not send troops.

In mid-December, news reached Jiangzhou that Sun Quan and Cao Xiu had fought each other along the Han River and then ceased hostilities.

Many soldiers were disheartened, believing that the Han Dynasty had missed a golden opportunity to attack Wu.

After all, the Wei and Wu sides had already ceased hostilities.

Then Cao Wei was able to free up its forces to deal with Zhao Yun and Gao Xiang's army, which was besieging Fangling but could not be captured.

Sun Wu was also able to free up resources to deploy a large army along the Yangtze River to deal with any possible surprise attack from the Han Dynasty.

The situation suddenly returned to what it was before.

The three powers of Han, Wei, and Wu were locked in a stalemate, with none able to gain the upper hand.

Many people privately discussed and complained that the imperial court made a lot of noise but did little.

They said they would attack Wu, but they hesitated and didn't advance, causing everyone to miss a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to achieve merit, be ennobled, and avenge their enemies.

Some people say that if Wei and Wu were to cease hostilities and join forces, they would launch a multi-pronged attack on Han.

The Han Dynasty faced bandits from Liangzhou to the west, captives from Tongguan to the north, and traitors from Sun Wu to the east.

With insufficient troops, they are bound to be overwhelmed and too passive in dealing with the situation.

A small number of people have a broader perspective and believe that the Han Dynasty, with only the territory of Yizhou, was able to defeat Cao Wei's nine provinces and seize Guanzhong and return to Xijing in one fell swoop, which was achieved only with the full strength of the country.

Following the prevailing trend, they broke the alliance and fought against Wu, and then successively recaptured the two prefectures of Xicheng and Shangyong.

This World War II had already exhausted the strength of the Han Dynasty.

In the short term, the Han Dynasty was indeed unable to launch another attack on Eastern Wu.

The reason the court had previously proclaimed its intention to destroy Wu was merely to solidify Cao Wei's resolve to attack Wu, thus reassuring Cao Wei to fight Wu with confidence.

If a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity were to arise, the Han Dynasty might intervene, even at the cost of being branded as "military aggressor, a drain on the people and resources."

Just like the fierce battle of Hanzhong back then, when the late emperor's army was almost at its last gasp, he still issued an edict to the prime minister to send more troops. Only then did Yang Hong say, "Men should fight, and women should transport supplies."

That would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

The temporary hardship and waste of resources laid the foundation for the Han Dynasty's imperial enterprise.

The same applies to the campaign against Wu.

If an opportunity arises, it's worthwhile, even if it involves a lot of effort and expense.

Unexpectedly, the Han Dynasty never got its chance, even after the Wei and Wu sides reached a truce.

There's really nothing we can do about it now.

Regardless, Wei and Wu fought fiercely for more than half a year, and then fought for another two months. Although each side had its victories and defeats and eventually ceased hostilities, it seems that neither Wei nor Wu achieved their intended strategic goals. However, for the Han Dynasty, the national strength of both Wei and Wu was depleted as a result, and the Han Dynasty had already benefited from it.

Therefore, the Han dynasty's strategy of destroying Wu, without firing a single shot, successfully weakened the strength of the two traitors, Wei and Wu. This was the best strategy to subdue the enemy without fighting.

As this outcry grew louder, the Jiangzhou soldiers, who harbored some resentment towards the country for not being able to conquer Wu and eliminate the rebels, finally found some relief from their frustration.

However, just when the soldiers of Jiangzhou thought that the campaign against Wu was over and life would return to its original course.

The emperor, who was supposed to be presiding over the grand court ceremony in Chengdu, suddenly appeared at Xuanwu Gate in Jiangzhou.

Beneath the dragon banner, the emperor proclaimed: "The time has come to annihilate the Wu traitors and avenge our defeat at Yiling!" He then took a mountain of wealth and treasures from his own private treasury to reward the three armies.

As a result, all the civil and military officials in Jiangzhou were greatly encouraged.

Since defeating Li Yan, Liu Shan's work in the Three Ba ​​regions has been to divide, appease, and win over the people of Dongzhou, thus winning over the hearts of the people of the Three Ba ​​regions.

After several months of painstaking and tireless efforts, all civil and military officials in the Sanba region with a salary of over 600 shi (a unit of grain measure) were recruited.

Liu Shan knew them all by heart, from their names, appearances, and personalities to their duties, experiences, and backgrounds.

Since the Northern Expedition, he had been doing these trivial and unremarkable tasks for the elite guards protecting his personal safety, and he had become quite adept at it.

Whenever Liu Shan summoned his ministers and officials, even those of lowly rank with a salary of only 400 shi, he could accurately call out their names and state their duties based on their appearances.

And can provide feedback and guidance on their work.

They might offer encouragement with a cheerful expression, or rebuke with a stern countenance.

His words hit the nail on the head, and the assembled officials were moved.

The emperor was diligent and conscientious, able to recognize the talents of all officials, and in handling political and military affairs, he possessed the demeanor of a prime minister, being down-to-earth, pragmatic, and avoiding empty talk.

Each discussion is noteworthy and commendable.

All of this demonstrates the emperor's dedication to state affairs.

The fact that the emperor, as the supreme ruler, could even notice his subordinates was a more exciting reward than any gift of gold or silk for those officials who had never seen the emperor before.

As the saying goes, "If the superiors have a certain preference, the subordinates will follow it to an extreme." How could they not work even harder? Otherwise, how could they live up to their official robes and the emperor's trust?
Within a few months, more and more people from the Sanba region, who had long been detached from the core of the imperial court, turned to the government.

The land of Sanba had become a place that Emperor Liu Shan could trust and freely roam.

The people of Sanba already have a large number of supporters of the emperor.

For six years he remained unknown in the palace, but one day he toured the country and became known throughout the land.

If one remains in the deep palace for too long, living a life of luxury and ease...

Where should the hearts of the people turn?

The emperor should not be an abstract symbol, but a concrete hero.

Liu Shan could simply copy the path to the rise of a certain leader and follow it. With the support of the people, perhaps a single gesture would be enough to unleash a massive army and a tsunami of cheers.

On New Year's Eve, Liu Shan held a grand feast for his army before leaving Jiangzhou and heading east downstream. On New Year's Day, while Sun Quan was holding his first grand court assembly since becoming emperor in Wuchang, Liu Shan had already returned to Baidi City.

The beacon fires blazed fiercely at the river pass, and the river wind howled.

The emperor's dragon banner was moved from the former palace of Baidi to the military camp.

Since the Northern Expedition, the Han army had captured countless spoils. As the emperor who personally led the expedition, Liu Shan would share 30% of the spoils with the emperor, thus enriching the imperial treasury.

Half of the funds were used to provide compensation to fallen soldiers.

The remaining half was divided into two parts by Liu Shan.

One portion was distributed to the more than 10,000 soldiers who remained in Jiangzhou on New Year's Eve.

Another portion was distributed on New Year's Eve to the more than 30,000 soldiers preparing for battle at the Baidi front.

Thus, all the wealth, provisions, and rare treasures that Liu Shan had seized since his personal campaign were gone, and he became a bachelor emperor once again.

The saying goes, "Even if you spend all your money, it will come back again."

The whole world belongs to me; what are mere riches and gold worth?

That night.

Han camp.

There was neither a zither nor a lute.

There was no singing or dancing.

Only strong liquor fills the bowl, and roasted meat sits on one side.

The emperor and his soldiers raised their cups together, drank and ate together, welcomed the new year, celebrated the establishment of the reign title by Emperor Yanwu, and vowed to surely punish the Wu traitors.

At Baidi River Pass, the cheers of "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!" were like thunder, shaking mountains and valleys, and even the waters of the great river seemed to boil.

Early next morning.

There are neither stars nor moon.

General Fu Kuang of Andong led 3,000 elite soldiers from Baidi, crossed the Yangtze River by boat to the south, gagged and armored, and headed east along the mountain.

Three days later.

Chen Dao gave the order.

The iron chains of Qutang Gorge were sunk into the river.

The Han navy set sail with a thousand sails, departing from the dock.

Fully equipped infantry and laborers marched in unison from both banks of the Yangtze River.

Liu Shan also boarded the dragon boat.

This is our first time entering the Qutang Gorge.

The western entrance of Qutang Gorge is in Baidi during the Han Dynasty, and the eastern entrance is in Wuxian during the Wu Dynasty.

The distance from Baidi to Wuxian is only about eighty li.

However, the steep cliffs on both sides of the river stretch endlessly, with not a single gap in sight. Even monkeys and apes cannot climb them, and birds cannot fly over them, making it impossible for a navy to land on the cliffs of the river gorge.

The further east you go, the narrower the mountains become, and the less light there is.

The towering, layered cliffs almost completely block out the sky and sunlight.

Only at noon could Liu Shan see the sun for a short while.

However, the ship turned a corner, and the sun overhead disappeared again.

It was early spring, and the mountains and forests were still chilly.

From time to time, the cries of monkeys and apes could be heard.

Its sound was mournful and plaintive, lingering endlessly.

The echoes repeatedly reverberated between the mountains and the open river.

For some reason, Liu Shan suddenly had an image in his mind of his late emperor returning westward between these two gorges after his defeat at Yiling.

So I felt a pang of sadness.

"The Three Gorges of Badong and Wuxia are long; the cry of the apes brings tears to my eyes."

Although this place was not Wuxia Gorge, Liu Shan suddenly thought of Li Daoyuan's poem, and immediately perked up.

This journey eastward will be a victory, with no chance of defeat!
When the people of Wu send envoys westward in the future, and they pass through the Wu Gorge, I will present this poem to them!
Liu Shan then stood proudly with his hands behind his back at the bow of the boat.

Because the warship had a deep draft and the emperor was on board, General Chen Hu of the warship arranged for more than ten guides to be responsible for piloting the water to the rudder.

These water diverters constantly exchanged their insights and experiences from decades of diverting water across the river.

After repeated cross-verification to confirm that there was indeed no risk at the bottom of the river, the person in charge finally gave the order to direct the helmsman to turn, fearing that a single mistake would cause the ship to run aground.

If anything goes wrong, even ten of them wouldn't be enough to lose their heads, but they'd still get a Nine Clans Elimination Game trial card.

The Three Gorges are known as a natural barrier, and Baidi and Yiling are able to control the upper and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. One factor is the narrow waterway and rapid current. Another important factor is the hidden reefs at the bottom of the river.

The narrow waterways and rapid currents directly increase the risk of ships running aground.

If a ship runs aground, hundreds or even thousands of warships in the entire fleet could be affected, causing massive chain-reaction collisions and sinkings.

They could barely manage under normal circumstances, but if they ran aground during wartime, the loss of troops and generals would be commonplace.

The construction of warships required large timbers, which needed to be dried in the shade for several years before they could be put into use. The construction of each warship was extremely difficult and could be considered a national treasure, so it had to be done with utmost care.

The defeat at Yiling cost the Han Dynasty not only cities, armor, and soldiers, but also hundreds of water guides familiar with the river's conditions and the distribution of hidden reefs.

Although the Great Han has been searching for experienced guides in various places over the years, it has found very few.

However, training water guides was impossible since all the waterways east of Qutang Gorge were controlled by the Wu people.

The lack of water guides, a seemingly insignificant factor, was the root cause of why the Han Dynasty had to proceed with extreme caution and prudence in its eastern expedition.

Fortunately, now that it is late winter and early spring, the river is shallow, and many of the reefs that were hidden underwater during the rainy season have been exposed, which greatly reduces the risk of running aground and sinking.

Since ancient times, whether it was a campaign from Bashu to Jingchu or vice versa, the campaign was mostly carried out in winter or spring, and this is why.

The dangers of the great river mean that even with a guide, safety cannot be guaranteed.

Water is not the same as land.

Even a gust of wind could lead to a crushing defeat.

When Cao Pi personally led an expedition against Sun Quan, he encountered a storm, and the warship he was on almost capsized and sank into the river, nearly scaring the officials accompanying him to death.

Sun Quan's navy also suffered several defeats due to storms.

They traveled more than thirty li by boat.

The navy stopped their ships to rest and await the arrival of the infantry.

At night, scouts at the front sent back intelligence.

"Your Majesty, General Andong (Fu Kuang) says that the Wu army has likely already detected the whereabouts of our three thousand elite Han soldiers!"

This was originally the plan of the Han Dynasty. Liu Shan smiled and nodded, then suddenly asked, "Who are the Wu people who are currently restraining General Zhao at Linju?"

Liu Shan had already received the news.

To prevent Zhao Yun and Gao Xiang from taking Fangling from Cao Wei.

Sun Quan dispatched over 10,000 troops northward from Maicheng, setting up camp at the source of the Ju River, less than 100 li from Fangling.

Once the Han and Wei armies clash, the Wu army can gain an advantage.

The scout reported back, "Your Majesty, the general is none other than the Wu traitor Pan Zhang!"

Liu Shan's expression changed slightly.

Upon hearing that it was Pan Zhang in Linju, Guan Xing, Fu Qian, and Sha Lie's son Sha Qiu were all greatly excited.

Guan Xing chewed his teeth and said:
"Your Majesty, in the two battles between the Han Dynasty and the Wu bandits in Jingzhou, only the generals Pan Zhang and Ma Zhong committed the most evil deeds!"
"Last time we killed Ma Zhong in Xicheng, this time we will surely kill Pan Zhang in Linju!"

Liu Shan nodded.

Everything is ready, why doubt the killing?
(End of this chapter)