Sweep Yuan

Chapter 293 Tuotuo personally led a million-strong army

Shao Rong's concerns were reasonable, but the reason why Shi Shan quickly switched from offense to defense and vigorously consolidated internal affairs after capturing Shaoxing Prefecture was to prepare for the inevitable and fierce counterattack from the Yuan court.

To this end, he befriended Fang Guozhen, who was conquering Qingyuan Road, thus stabilizing the southeastern coastal border; he also ordered Hu Dahai's troops to pacify Huzhou and attack westward to capture Guangde Road, making Hangzhou's northwestern defenses even more solid.

All of this was to ensure that Xu Da, the Right Vice-Chancellor of the Jiangzhe Province stationed in Hangzhou, could focus his main efforts on the two main defensive directions in the west and south without any worries about his rear.

Moreover, Zhao Pusheng's troops had already captured Yuling Pass, the vital passage between Hangzhou and Huizhou, back in September.

East of Yuling Pass, the three cities of Changhua, Yuqian, and Lin'an, which lead to Hangzhou, are all located in the Tianmu Mountains. The mountains are high and the forests are dense, and the roads are rugged, making them easy to defend and difficult to attack.

As long as the soldiers stationed at this "one pass and three cities" do not lose their will, and rely on the strategic terrain to set up layers of defenses, even if the Yuan army amassed a large number of troops in Huizhou Road, it would not be easy for them to quickly break through this mountainous area and reach the city of Hangzhou.

Shishan believed that with Xu Da's abilities and the command of the Right Guard of Qingri and the Right Guard of Fujun, stabilizing the Hangzhou-Shaoxing defense line should not be a big problem. At least, the dangerous situation that Shao Rong was worried about, where the Yuan army broke through the pass and the two prefectures of Hangzhou and Shaoxing collapsed instantly, would not occur.

However, he did not rush to express his opinion, but turned his attention to Wang Bi, the commander of the Weiwu Guard, who had not yet spoken.

Wang Bi felt Shi Shan's gaze, coughed lightly to clear his somewhat dry throat, and bowed as he replied:

"Your Majesty, I believe that although Commander Shao's considerations are thorough, he is perhaps too cautious. With Xu Tiande (Xu Da's courtesy name) stationed on the eastern front, relying on the layered defenses of the Hangzhou Prefecture's outer perimeter, holding out for more than a month should not be difficult."

Even if the Yuan army launches a major offensive against Hangzhou, our army can sail downstream along the Grand Canal and reach the walls of Hangzhou within ten days. With support from within and without, we can seize the opportunity to encircle and annihilate the enemy forces that have penetrated deep into our territory!

After Wang Bi took command of an army independently, he rarely cooperated with Shao Rong. Their relationship was already superficial, so his words were quite direct.

He first expressed his confidence in Shishan's previous strategic plan, and then explained his own judgment.

"Furthermore, the Yuan court's previous counterattack against Xu and Song lasted for more than a year, and it was already exhausted, with its troops worn out and its soldiers weary. The great battle had just ended, and before it could fully rest and replenish its forces, it hastily mobilized a large army to invade our border."

The Yuan generals might rely on their superior numbers to advance on multiple fronts, seeking weaknesses in our defenses. However, before the overall situation is fully clear, the enemy commanders would neither have the courage nor the capacity to organize a hasty, all-out decisive battle.

Wang Bi's words revealed the normal state of large-scale dynastic wars.

Both sides possess strategic depth, and neither side can instantly muster hundreds of thousands of troops for a decisive battle in any single city or region. Instead, they often engage in repeated probing, tug-of-war, and attrition warfare along a broad front until one side reveals a fatal flaw due to supply issues, morale problems, or internal issues.

The scenario of betting everything at the start of a war in an attempt to achieve a quick victory only occurs under extreme conditions where the two sides are vastly different in strength and the weaker side has no defensible terrain.

Gong Wu, the commander of the Moon-Holding Guard, also took the initiative to speak up and expressed his agreement with Wang Bi's opinion:

"Although the Yuan army was strong, it was divided among three provinces: Jiangzhe, Huguang, and Jiangxi, making its composition complex and difficult to unify commands, inevitably leading to sluggish deployment. In addition, it had just experienced the bitter battle of Jinghu, and its soldiers were exhausted and severely lacked rest."

If we were to launch a rash attack on our fortified defenses at this juncture, we risk exposing our weaknesses due to poor coordination and logistical failures, which would then be exploited by our forces.

He paused briefly, then continued his analysis:
"Therefore, I deduce that apart from Buyan Temur, who bears a heavy responsibility for losing his territory and may have a strong desire to attack, the other commanders of the Yuan army are probably more inclined to adopt a steady and cautious strategy."

Relying on their superior troop strength, they will form a strategic encirclement of us, layer by layer, attempting to sever our military's north-south connections. They will then dispatch small, elite units to harass us in rotation, aiming to undermine our ability to wage a sustained war and ultimately achieve their goal of gradually eroding our forces.

I believe that this battle will be difficult to determine in a short time, and our army must prepare for a protracted war and to deal with the Yuan army's prolonged harassment.

Gong Wu's analysis, based on common military sense, is undoubtedly the safest strategy against the Yuan army at present.

After all, the Mongol Yuan dynasty had controlled the world for many years. Even a weakened camel is bigger than a horse. If they could slowly squeeze the Han state, which was at an absolute disadvantage in terms of territory, population, and resources, the pressure would be enormous.

Privy Councilor Park Sancheo slowly shook his head, his worried expression undiminished, and offered a different perspective:

"General Gong's proposed tactics are indeed the safest approach for the Yuan army. However, gentlemen, let us not forget the current state of the Yuan court."

He glanced at everyone and then said:
"Within its territory, rebellions broke out one after another in Gansu, Shaanxi, Lingbei, Liaoyang and even the interior. For several years, the capital city had failed to receive the full amount of grain tribute from the south, and famines occurred frequently, making the foundation of its rule precarious."

Park seriously doubted how much patience the Yuan court's leadership, facing such a dire situation, would have left to allow the frontline commanders to advance cautiously and gradually. Weren't they afraid that before the fall of the Shi Han dynasty, the Mongol Yuan court would collapse due to exhaustion of resources and supplies?

Park San stepped forward, his finger emphatically pointing to the location marked on the map indicating the canal transport route, his tone becoming impassioned:
"Northern Zhejiang was the most important source of grain for the Mongol Yuan Dynasty, unlike the Jinghu region which could be gradually pacified!"

Now that winter has arrived, if the Yuan army cannot recapture northern Zhejiang and resume grain collection and transport to the north before the start of the new grain transport season next spring, Dadu will have to continue to endure a whole year of famine and the ensuing greater turmoil!
Imagine, would the Mongol emperors and their princes and nobles tolerate the troops on the front lines in Jiangnan delaying until next autumn's harvest for the sake of 'safety'?
Your Majesty, I foresee that the Yuan court will soon issue a stern order urging them to act, and may even directly intervene in frontline command, forcing the armies to fight a swift and decisive battle!

Park San's analysis transcends the purely military and tactical level, directly addressing the political and economic predicament of the Yuan Dynasty. Although it does not conform to optimal military principles, it is very likely to fit the Yuan Dynasty's current desperate and irrational decision-making logic.

A hint of approval flashed in Shi Shan's eyes. Seeing that the generals were deep in thought because of Park San's words and no one was willing to offer any further opinions, he slowly spoke, first affirming Park San's opinion:
"The Privy Councilor's viewpoint is excellent, as it allows one to see politics from a military perspective, gain a comprehensive understanding, and hits the nail on the head! The Yuan army's specific tactical choices are indeed unable to escape the influence and interference of the predicament of the Dadu court."

Then, he changed the subject, his voice steady and powerful, guiding the crowd's thoughts:

"However, the world has been in chaos for more than two years. The Yuan court's regular army has suffered repeated defeats, and its prestige has long been lost. It has no choice but to authorize the provinces to win over local strongmen and form 'righteous armies' to help fight. Its actual control over the troops in various places is far greater than in the past."

With his high position as Grand Censor of the Southern Terrace, Buyan Temur might be able to barely coordinate the Yuan army in Huguang and Jiangxi provinces to participate in the siege of our army.

However, if we want to force these guest troops, each with their own agendas, to disregard casualties and fight our army to the death, the Yuan court must send another important minister who can represent the will of the Mongol emperor to the front lines to supervise the battle!

Shi Shan's words were pointed. Since the Yuan army's hard-won 100,000-strong force suffered a crushing defeat in the Battle of Xuzhou last year, the Yuan court's central government seemed to have fallen into a state of weakness.

Despite the constant warfare in various regions, the local Yuan armies were mostly fighting independently, with at most the Pingzhang Zhengshi of a powerful province coordinating the troops of several neighboring provinces with related interests to fight together.

There has never been another instance of a high-ranking official, such as the Privy Councilor, directly mobilizing hundreds of thousands of troops to besiege a rebel army in a particular area during the early stages of an uprising.

This was certainly because the Yuan court's elite forces had suffered heavy losses and had not yet recovered, making it difficult to mobilize and suppress troops in various regions.

But the deeper reason is that Dadu itself is overwhelmed by food shortages, and its limited resources must be prioritized for stabilizing the capital region and the heartland. It simply has no ability to mobilize the border troops in Lingbei and Gansu or the garrison troops in the heartland that require massive amounts of food and supplies to move south.

But as Pu San said, if the Mongol Yuan dynasty cannot pacify northern Zhejiang and seize the life-saving grain from Jiangnan this year, the grain transport season will be missed and the sea transport will have to wait another year. Moreover, the Grand Canal is blocked by Shi Han and Zhang Zhou, and it will not be easy to open it in a short period of time.

With a chronic shortage of food, let alone waging war against foreign powers, the Yuan court would likely be unable to even maintain order in Dadu (Beijing). It would only grow weaker and weaker, eventually losing all control over the region. Even if the local Yuan armies joined forces to annihilate Shi Han, the world would have little to do with the Yuan court in Dadu.

Shi Shan predicted that the Yuan court would soon use the momentum of its conquest of the Xu Song regime to organize a large army to march south in a final struggle before its demise. This would inevitably affect the Han state's troop deployment.

He immediately steered the conversation back to himself and began to analyze the situation facing the Han army: "Looking at our army, the current situation is both good and bad. The forces in Jiangnan are relatively strong, but the enemy we face is also stronger. Moreover, Hangzhou, Jiaxing, Huzhou, Shaoxing, and Songjiang are mostly newly acquired territories, and the people's hearts have not yet fully submitted to us."

Our army can withstand minor setbacks in Jiangnan to wear down the enemy, but we absolutely cannot afford a major defeat! Once our main force is weakened and the battle lines falter, those powerful clans forced to submit within our ranks might seize the opportunity to rise up, triggering a chain of rebellions. At that point, the situation will spiral out of control.

After Shi Shan led his army south, although he forcefully dismantled powerful clans such as the Chen family of Jiangning and the Shi family of Zhenjiang who dared to resist the Han army, he maintained a cautious attitude in the overall transformation of Jiangnan.

The salt administration, which was riddled with problems, was temporarily maintained without any major reforms; the pilot program of surveying land and verifying the tax base was also carried out cautiously only in Jurong County.

For those local powerful families whose landholdings spanned multiple prefectures and counties and whose landholdings were hidden, Shishan also temporarily adopted a strategy of forbearance as long as they did not openly confront the Han army.

However, compared to the Yuan court's indulgence and bribery of powerful clans, the existence of the Han state regime itself and its policy inclinations were a challenge to the old pattern of interests.

These local bullies, fearing the might of the Han army, can only lie low for the time being. But once the Han army shows signs of weakness, they will pounce and tear it apart like sharks smelling blood.

Therefore, Shishan said that Jiangnan could withstand minor setbacks, but not major defeats.

This is also why Pu San, Shao Rong, and others were worried that the Yuan army would concentrate its elite forces and break through the Hangzhou defense line.

"In comparison, our foundation in Jiangbei is much deeper, and the people of Huaixi are the foundation of our rise. But the problem in Jiangbei is that we lack troops and the area that needs to be defended is too vast, from Yangzhou to Luzhou, from Haozhou to Xuzhou, the battle line is long."

Furthermore, some regions had suffered from the ravages of war, resulting in widespread poverty and severely depleted war potential. Faced with the Yuan army's multi-pronged attack, it was impossible to cover everything; choices had to be made.

At this point, Shi Shan abruptly stood up and walked steadily to the map. His figure appeared exceptionally tall in the flickering candlelight. The generals' gazes also focused on the crisscrossing battle lines and cities on the map.

"In conclusion, the true strategic intentions and hidden killing moves of the Yuan army in this attack have not yet been revealed, and its army is far from showing any fatal flaws."

Our main force has just finished its campaign in northern Zhejiang and is currently resting and replenishing its forces. While morale is high, it still needs to be restored. Therefore, before the enemy's situation becomes completely clear, it is not advisable for the troops in southern Zhejiang to be repositioned blindly. The original strategic objectives on both the eastern and western fronts in northern Zhejiang will remain unchanged for the time being!

His finger traced a line across the Jiangbei area, and he continued:
"The General Administration of Jiangbei Circuits is facing pressure from multiple Yuan armies, and its current troop strength is somewhat insufficient."

To be on the safe side, the following orders are issued: Hua Yun's troops (stationed in Chuzhou) shall immediately advance westward to reinforce Hefei; the Yangtze River Navy shall be stationed in the waters of Wuwei Prefecture to ensure unimpeded communication between the north and south, and to seek opportunities to strike the Yuan navy and take control of the river defenses.

The troops of Xuzhou are hereby ordered to closely monitor the movements within the Yuan territory. If they discover that the Yuan army is mobilizing a large force southward, they are permitted to use the city walls and fortified villages to block them at each level. If the situation proves untenable, they may gradually retreat to Haozhou to preserve their strength and await an opportune moment!

In terms of leading troops into battle and fighting the enemy, Shishan was far inferior to the generals in the palace. However, in terms of strategizing and controlling the overall situation, the generals were far inferior to the King of Han. They were already used to formulating strategies and controlling the enemy under Shishan's guidance. They immediately clasped their hands, bowed, and responded with a loud thud.

"I obey your orders!"

As the Privy Council issued military orders bearing its official seal, Shi Han's war machine sprang into action, actively responding to the unprecedented scale of the Yuan Dynasty's invasion. Meanwhile, battle reports from various regions began to flood into the central government in Jiangning like snowflakes.
On October 21st, the Yuan army from Chizhou Road crossed the border first, feigning an attack on Fanchang County of Taiping Prefecture. They were immediately met with a fierce counterattack by Zhao Bozhong's troops of the Qingri Left Guard. The Yuan army left behind more than a thousand corpses and retreated in disarray back into Chizhou territory, suffering an initial setback.

On the same day, Enningpu, the Left Chancellor of Huguang Province, led an army of over 10,000 men by land and water to attack Wuwei Prefecture, the southwestern gateway of Luzhou Road.

Their main force of over 7,000 men set out to besiege Wuwei Prefecture, while the remaining troops scattered and wantonly burned, killed, looted, burned granaries, and destroyed farmland in the prosperous rural areas, attempting to destroy the Han state's granaries north of the Yangtze River with a scorched-earth strategy.

On October 22, good news came from the western front of northern Zhejiang. Mao Gui, who had penetrated deep into Ningguo Road, led the Bashan Right Guard to capture Jing County, further consolidating the Han army's foothold in Ningguo Road and tying down the enemy in front of them.

On October 24, Wu Liujin personally led the mobile forces of Fenwu Guard and captured Enningpu's detachment of plundering troops within the territory of Wuwei Prefecture. He decisively launched an attack and annihilated nearly 400 of his troops, thus blunting the enemy's initial momentum in the first battle.

On October 25th, realizing that Han reinforcements were approaching, Enningpu, seeing the situation was unfavorable, ordered his entire army to retreat south along the waterway. En route, they were caught up by Wu Liujin's rapidly advancing troops, and the two sides fought fiercely for nearly two hours, with neither side gaining the upper hand.

The arrival of Li Wu, the Wing Marshal of the Han Army, with his elite cavalry, was like the final straw that broke the camel's back, causing the Yuan army's lines to collapse instantly. During the rout, the commander-in-chief, Enningpu, was overtaken by Guo Xing, a fierce general under Li Wu, and was killed with a single blow.

On the same day, Zhang Desheng, the commander of the Yangtze River Navy, led his fleet to intercept the Yuan army's troop transport fleet. After a fierce battle, he burned and captured dozens of enemy ships, completely cutting off the waterborne retreat route of Enningpu's remaining troops.

Thus, this detachment of the Yuan army from Huguang, numbering over ten thousand, was almost completely annihilated, with only a small number of soldiers escaping along the river to Anqing Road.

The cruelty of war lies in the fact that not every front can bring good news.

On October 28th, another battle report came from Jiangbei: Tongcheng New City, which had been holding out for more than ten days in the Anqing Road direction, was finally breached by the Yuan army in Anqing Road due to the lack of external reinforcements and the exhaustion of its internal forces.

Knowing Yu Que's ruthlessness, the defending general Tang He dared not even consider surrendering and living. Despite being wounded multiple times and his battle robe stained with blood, he still led the remaining soldiers into the streets and alleys, where they fought a final, desperate battle against the ruins, preferring death to surrender.

After the city fell, Yu Que indeed ordered a massacre to allow his troops to vent their pent-up anger from days of bitter fighting. This new city, which carried countless hardships and hopes, instantly turned into a blood-soaked hell.

Fortunately, the elite cavalry under Huang Siwen, dispatched by Li Wu, the Wing Marshal of the Han army, arrived swiftly. Upon seeing that the Han reinforcements had arrived, Yu Que knew that the battle of Wuwei might have ended. Fearing that he would be drawn into a protracted battle, he hastily ordered a retreat.

This man was indeed ruthless in his military tactics. Even during the retreat, he had ambushes set up. Huang Siwen, eager for revenge, pursued too deeply and was almost surrounded by the Yuan army.

After a chaotic battle, both sides suffered heavy casualties. Due to insufficient troops, the Han army could only watch helplessly as Yu Que's army, carrying the looted supplies, retreated towards Huaining.

Although the battle in Jiangbei was fierce, the outcome of the battle did not deviate from Shishan's expectations.

Li Wu and Wu Liujin joined forces and annihilated Enningpu's troops in one battle, effectively stabilizing the front line.

Tongcheng New City was once again captured by Yu Que. Although the Han army temporarily lost its stronghold in Anqing Road, it would not be easy for the Yuan army in Anqing Road to attack Luzhou Road. After this battle, Yu Que was unable to look eastward for a short period of time.

In contrast, Shishan was more concerned about the movements of the Yuan army north of Xuzhou.

On October 30th, an urgent report came from Xuzhou that the Yuan army had launched a large-scale southward offensive.

Just one day later, the Yuan army vanguard sent a message by arrow into Xuzhou City. The defending troops took the message and quickly presented it to their commander, Yin Congdao. The message was clearly written in both Han and Mongolian scripts:

"Grand Tutor of the Yuan Dynasty, Left Chancellor of the Central Secretariat, and Commander-in-Chief of all the armies of the realm, Toqto'a Temur, hereby issues a proclamation to the rebellious people in Henan, Huainan, Jiangnan, and other places:"
Recently, the evil atmosphere has been unsettled. Clowns like Shishan and Zhang Shicheng have usurped the title of king, established their own country, poisoned the lives of the people, and coveted the divine artifacts. They are truly hated by both gods and men and intolerable to heaven and earth!

I, by the grace of Heaven, have been ordered to suppress the rebellion. Now I personally lead the royal army, with a million banners and a thousand miles of ships, from the Yellow River to the Yangtze River, vowing to cleanse the world!
You may be coerced into following me, or harbor disloyal intentions. If you can repent and surrender the ringleaders, open the city gates and pay your dues, you may still be spared death and employed according to your abilities. If you remain obstinate and stubbornly resist, when the heavenly army arrives, the city will surely fall, and we will all perish. It will be too late for regrets then!

Upon receiving this proclamation, you should carefully consider its implications; do not say you were not warned!

(End of this chapter)