Sweep Yuan

Chapter 303 Defeating the Enemy and Stabilizing the Chaos Simultaneously

Sizhou City, a strategically important town guarding the lower reaches of the Huai River, was like a trapped beast struggling in blood and fire after enduring more than a month of continuous attacks by the Yuan army. The eastern city wall, which was the main target of the Yuan army's attack, suffered the most brutal baptism.

The original bluish-gray bricks were now almost entirely covered by layers of black, dark red, and brown bloodstains, solidified into shocking patches of mottled skin. Pitholes blasted by boulders covered the wall like pockmarks, and broken bricks and twisted weapon fragments lay scattered at the base of the wall.

The city gate tower, which once symbolized the city's fortifications, had been largely destroyed by the Yuan army's cannon fire. A few wooden beams stubbornly pointed towards the gloomy sky, silently recounting the fierce fighting of the past month.

On the open fields outside the city, the grating whirring of winches and the creaking of ropes, like death knells, shattered the brief silence of the battlefield once more. It was the Yuan soldiers laboriously dragging and adjusting the Xiangyang cannons, preparing for yet another volley.

"The Yuan dogs are about to fire again! Quick! Get into the gun emplacements!" A hoarse voice rang out from the city wall, urgent but not panicked.

The brutal offensive and defensive battle that lasted for more than a month had forced the remaining defenders to grow stronger at the fastest possible speed.

Even the green recruits who might have been working in the fields a month ago have now become familiar with the unique, heart-pounding sound and firing pattern of the Xiangyang Cannon from the veterans, through their ears and blood.

Without further prompting from the officers, the still-mobile garrison, like startled groundhogs, quickly and skillfully retreated into the anti-cannon holes dug inside the city wall.

Boom! Boom! Boom—!
Several stone projectiles, carrying enormous kinetic energy, sliced ​​through the air with a dull whistle, and slammed heavily into the already battered city wall.

At the moment of impact, the defenders felt as if the earth were shaking and the entire city was trembling in pain.

The soil and debris on the top of the artillery bunker were shaken and fell down in a flurry, like a dust rain.

The soldiers huddled inside the cave were already used to this. They simply covered their heads and faces with their hands, their eyes peering through the cave entrance at the billowing smoke and dust outside. Their eyes were filled with exhaustion, numbness, and uncertainty about the future.

"Pooh!"

A young soldier spat out a mouthful of saliva mixed with sand, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, looked at the squad leader next to him who was leaning against the cave wall with his eyes closed and resting, his voice filled with suppressed complaints and a hint of barely perceptible panic.

"Boss, aren't we... aren't we the Han army? Sizhou has been besieged for over a month, and those Yuan dogs outside are saying we're an isolated army, abandoned pawns... Why... why hasn't anyone come to rescue us? Has the King of Han... forgotten about us?"

His question revealed the deep-seated fear in the hearts of many defenders at that moment.

Indeed, they were Han troops, at least their commander Peng Erlang was nominally under the command of the King of Han, and Sizhou was legally part of the Han territory. As for why no allied forces had come to their aid, the root of the problem naturally lay with Peng Erlang.

He held a high position in the Red Turban Army in Xuzhou when the uprising began, and had even commanded Shishan for a period of time. Although he was forced to submit to Shishan due to circumstances, his attitude was ambiguous, and he colluded with Zhang Shicheng, which greatly reduced the purity of their "Han army".

"Ugh!"

The sergeant sighed and opened his bloodshot eyes.

He served in the army for a slightly longer period and had followed Peng Erlang in the battle to capture Shanyang County last year.

At that time, General Peng was in high spirits and seemed not to care much about the identity of the Han army. At that time, Shishan had not yet officially declared himself king and should have been called the Red Flag Battalion. However, Peng Erlang preferred to declare himself to be the "Red Turban Army", which revealed his intention to hold the army for himself and wait for a better price.

"What the big shots are thinking, how they're dividing up the territory—how could we lowly pawns risking our lives possibly know?"

The squad leader's voice carried a weariness and helplessness born of a world-weary perspective. He glanced around at the several young and bewildered faces in the cave, his tone turning serious as he said:
"I advise you all not to have any wild thoughts and panic! We have defended Sizhou City for so long and killed so many Tartars. Do you think they will let us go after the city falls? Massacring the city to vent their anger is inevitable!"

By then, whether you genuinely want to join the Han army or just imagine it, none of you will escape! If you want to live, don't count on anyone else, follow me, grit your teeth and hold on! Defend the city, and you'll have a chance to survive!

The isolated city was in imminent danger, cut off from external aid. This suffocating despair not only tormented the soldiers at the bottom, but also weighed heavily on the heart of Peng Erlang, the general defending Sizhou.

Inside the Sizhou government office, the atmosphere was even more oppressive than on the city wall. Peng Erlang sat alone on a tiger-skin chair, his once imposing figure now somewhat hunched, his eyes sunken, his beard unkempt, his former valiant demeanor replaced by deep worry and exhaustion.

He held in his hand a copy of a plea for help, the words of which were already blurred by sweat. It was a copy of the documents that the messenger he had sent to Wuhe County had carried.

It has been more than a month now, but it has all disappeared without a trace.

"One wrong step leads to another..."

Peng Erlang repeatedly pondered this bitter taste in his heart.

Previously, although he had bowed to Shishan due to the situation, he was only interested in expanding his territory and military strength. He even joined forces with Zhang Shicheng to attack Shanyang County without authorization. He had already drifted away from the Xuzhou Red Turban Army system and was unwilling to be controlled by Yin Congdao, who was in charge of Xuzhou's military and political affairs.

In the end, after all the calculations, they were outsmarted by others.

Tuotuo led the main force of the Yuan army on a southern expedition. Yin Congdao, assessing the situation, took the initiative to abandon Xuzhou and implement a scorched-earth policy. After eliminating the biggest threat to their rear, the Yuan army rushed down the river, and the ferocity and speed of their offensive far exceeded the expectations of Zhang Shicheng and Peng Erlang.

The two were caught off guard and were quickly separated by the Yuan army, trapped in the two isolated cities of Gaoyou and Sizhou respectively.

The army that besieged Sizhou was led by Yue Kuocha'er, the Grand Councilor of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty. He had personally witnessed the overwhelming momentum of the Tuotuo army and followed suit.

Upon arriving at the city of Sizhou, he sent men to the city to spread rumors about the Yuan army's terrifying achievement of "flattening the two cities of Xu and Su within ten days," attempting to intimidate the defenders and subdue them without a fight.

Unfortunately, Peng Erlang was a seasoned warrior who understood the defenses of Xuzhou and Suzhou, the strength of the garrison, and the military styles of Yin Congdao and Xue Xian. He knew that the Yuan army had no chance of breaking through the city within ten days, let alone carrying out the subsequent massacre.

He believed that Yue Kuocha'er's move was nothing more than a bluff and a feigned surrender. If he believed it and surrendered, he would be courting death!
Although Peng Erlang had previously been flirting with Zhang Shicheng, who was nearby, because the main force of the Han army was far away in Jiangnan, he had lost the trust of King Shishan of Han to some extent and was also ostracized by his comrades in Xuzhou. Yin Congdao deliberately did not tell him when he withdrew his troops.

But when it came to this critical moment of life and death, he was horrified to find that his so-called "ally" Zhang Shicheng was in dire need of protection, and the only thing he could rely on was the "Han Army" signboard that he had not cherished before!
Therefore, Peng Erlang not only sent messengers to Wuhe County, which was controlled by the Han army, for help as soon as he was besieged, but also repeatedly told his soldiers in front of the army and on the city wall about how Shishan personally led his troops a thousand miles to Xuzhou last year to rescue Marshal Li.

This strongly implies that the King of Han is benevolent and loves his soldiers like his own children, and would never sit idly by while Sizhou falls and his soldiers are slaughtered by the Yuan army!
After all, when besieged in a lonely city, morale is of utmost importance, and the soldiers under his command must be given some hope of holding on.

Although he had cooperated with "Prince Cheng" Zhang Shicheng, he never openly rebelled against the Han. If Shishan could save the Xuzhou army, which had long since separated from the Han army, there was no reason not to save the Sizhou army, which was flying the Han army flag.

Enraged that his attempts to persuade them to surrender had failed, Yuekuochaer ordered the Yuan army to launch a fierce attack on Sizhou.

For the first ten days or so, the fighting was extremely fierce. The Yuan army, with its superior numbers, launched repeated attacks on the city day after day, resulting in heavy casualties on their side, with corpses piling up like mountains outside the city.

The defending forces also suffered heavy casualties, but thanks to the decent fighting strength of Peng Erlang's troops and the advantageous terrain of the city, they managed to hold out and prevent the Yuan army from breaking into the city.

The heavy casualties suffered by the Yuan army caused even the most resilient Goryeo soldiers to begin to show signs of war-weariness and openly resist orders to attack the city.

Yue Kuocha'er was worried that pushing too hard would provoke a mutiny, so he dared not force his soldiers to their deaths anymore. He changed his tactics, focusing on continuous bombardment with the Xiangyang Cannons, combined with the main army's encirclement, and intermittent harassment by a small number of troops.

The main direction of the Yuan army's southern expedition was Gaoyou. The number of craftsmen and resources allocated to Sizhou was limited. In the past few days, only twelve Xiangyang cannons have been built, all of which have been deployed on the east city wall.

The siege efforts and resource investment of Yue Kuocha'er's forces were far inferior to those of the main force on the Gaoyou front; they were merely maintaining continuous pressure on Sizhou, attempting to wear down the defending army. This was the main reason why Peng Erlang's forces were able to hold out for so long.

But lies can never become reality, and hope will eventually be worn away in the daily wait.

As the siege dragged on, food supplies dwindled, wounded soldiers could not receive adequate medical care, and the reinforcements promised by General Peng never materialized. Panic and despair, like a silent plague, began to spread among the defenders of Sizhou.

That day, his subordinate general Cui De returned from patrolling the city and entered the prefectural government office with a somber expression. Seeing the morale of the troops wavering and the situation in the city becoming increasingly dire, he had no choice but to steel himself and speak to Peng Erlang, who was drinking alone with a large piece of meat:

"General, you know the situation in the city... The men are all asking each other in private, when will the reinforcements arrive? Shouldn't we give the soldiers a clear answer? Even if it's just hope."

Peng Erlang's heart clenched. He knew better than anyone the terrible impression he had left on Shishan, and in recent days he had gradually come to understand why the two prefectures of Xu and Su had been lost so mysteriously—he had long been abandoned by the Han army.

The so-called reinforcements were nothing but a fabrication, and there was a very high probability they wouldn't come. If he were Shishan, he would be happy to use the Yuan army to get rid of this disobedient and treacherous troublemaker.

However, he must never reveal to his subordinates that he might have been abandoned by the King of Han, as that would lead to the loss of morale and he himself would be abandoned by his own troops who would follow suit.

Peng Erlang suppressed the panic and bitterness in his heart, forced a calm expression, and said to Cui De:
"What's the panic! The Yuan dogs are coming in force, they'll definitely attack from multiple directions. The troops in Haozhou are probably tied down by them. Hold on for three more days! Three days at most! If reinforcements still haven't arrived, we'll concentrate all our forces and break through!"

"Breakout?"

Cui De's heart skipped a beat. He was well aware of the perilous nature of a breakout. It meant that the vast majority of his soldiers would be ruthlessly abandoned as cannon fodder to draw the Yuan army's attention, and only a very few of his most elite and trusted confidants would ultimately be able to fight their way out with their commander.
Using a plan that is almost equivalent to abandoning most of the brothers to appease the restless people in the city is likely not only unable to stabilize the situation, but may even immediately provoke a mutiny!
Seeing that Peng Erlang had already gone this far, even providing a specific timeframe (though it was perfunctory), Cui De couldn't press further for concrete information about reinforcements. He could only follow Peng Erlang's lead and steer the conversation towards more specific operational details:

"Then... General, if we really want to break through, which direction should we go?"

Which direction could they go? To the east and north, the Yuan army was already in control; breaking through there would be like walking into a trap. To the west and south, however, the Han army was in control, which seemed like a way out.

However, once they escaped into the territory of the Han state, mid-level generals like Cui De might be able to use their troops to pledge allegiance to the King of Han and seek a way out, or even be appointed for "abandoning darkness and embracing light".

But what about Peng Erlang? As a general who has repeatedly shown disloyalty and has now lost his army and territory, he might be killed as a warning to others. The best outcome would be that he is imprisoned, and it would be absolutely impossible for him to command an army and fight on the battlefield again!
During his time trapped in Sizhou, Peng Erlang reflected on his past countless times late at night, feeling more and more remorseful. He felt that he had been blinded by greed and had ruined the good game of relying on Shishan step by step.

But now, it seems that he has exhausted all his options.

He opened his mouth, his throat dry, and could only speak vaguely, using a domineering tone to mask his inner panic:
"This is a military secret, concerning the life and death of the entire army. How can it be easily revealed? Do not ask any more questions. Focus on defending the city. I will inform you in three days. At that time, you only need to act according to the plan!"

Looking at Peng Erlang's flickering eyes and forced composure, Cui De's last glimmer of expectation vanished, replaced by a deep disappointment and intense worry about his future.

But knowing that Peng Erlang was outwardly magnanimous but inwardly suspicious, he did not show his emotions, but silently clasped his hands and said in a deep voice:
"This subordinate... understands."

Once the dam of trust develops cracks, it can collapse in an instant.

The following day, the long-brewing conflict in Sizhou City finally erupted.

One platoon of soldiers, seeing no hope of continuing their defense, secretly conspired with two other platoons of soldiers who were equally desperate about the future. They plotted to seize the city gates and surrender the city during the chaos of the next Yuan army attack, hoping to find a way to survive.

However, given the differing motives of those involved in such a momentous event, the news could not be kept entirely secret and eventually reached Peng Erlang's ears. He was filled with shock and rage, knowing that if the plot succeeded, he would surely die; even if it failed, it would be enough to shake the already fragile morale of his army. In his fury and fear, Peng Erlang personally led his personal guards, swiftly surrounding and massacring all the soldiers involved in the conspiracy. Then, on charges of "lax management of subordinates and condoning their rebellion," he executed the commander of the battalion where the conspirators were stationed without further ado!

Subsequently, based on the confessions of these individuals, more than two hundred people were killed in succession.

Peng Erlang originally intended to use such ruthless methods to intimidate people, serve as a warning to others, and extinguish the flames of resistance among his soldiers.

However, he underestimated the nature of humanity in a desperate situation. This near-indiscriminate killing not only failed to have the expected deterrent effect, but also aroused a strong sense of shared sorrow among the surviving soldiers.

For a time, everyone in Sizhou City felt insecure, and fear and discontent quickly fermented and spread.

Cui Deben had already lost faith in Peng Erlang. After making his suggestion, he had been secretly observing the situation. Taking advantage of the opportunity, he joined forces with several other mid- to high-ranking officers who were also dissatisfied, and quickly formed an "anti-Peng alliance," openly confronting Peng Erlang.

In an instant, the city was on edge, with swords drawn and fighting about to break out. Who had time to defend the city?
Yue Kuocha'er keenly sensed the laxity in the city's defenses. Although he didn't know the specific situation inside the city, he couldn't miss such a golden opportunity. He immediately ordered the entire army to launch an attack, the most ferocious general offensive since the start of the war against Sizhou City!

The defending troops, caught in internal strife, were utterly unable to mount any effective resistance. The Yuan army encountered almost no significant resistance and easily erected siege ladders, swarming up the city walls like bloodthirsty ants!
The city is about to fall!
At this critical moment, a cloud of dust suddenly rose into the sky from the western horizon! Immediately afterwards, the sound of horses' hooves, like muffled thunder, grew louder and louder, making the earth tremble slightly!
A conspicuous banner bearing the words "Marshal Li" led thousands of elite Han cavalrymen, who, like divine soldiers descending from the heavens, charged straight towards the unsuspecting flank of the Yuan army that was attacking the city with all their might!
Yue Kuocha'er was stunned by this sudden blow!

He never expected that at this critical juncture, such a large and fresh Han army would suddenly appear!
"Hold on! The rear guard becomes the front guard, form ranks and meet the enemy!" Yue Kuocha shouted hoarsely.

However, the Yuan army's formation was already scattered during the siege. The soldiers' minds were focused on the melee on the city walls and the looting that was about to begin inside the city. In such a hurry, how could they quickly turn around and form an effective defensive formation?
The Han cavalry, like red-hot daggers cutting into solidified butter, instantly scattered the Yuan army's attacking force!
Iron hooves trampled, sabers flashed, and Yuan soldiers fell in droves. Screams, cries of alarm, and neighing of horses mingled together. The attacking force, which had been so imposing just moments before, was instantly on the verge of collapse!
Yuekuochaer desperately rallied some of his personal guards and the remaining troops, attempting to stabilize the situation, but the Han cavalry's impact was simply too strong, and the Yuan army's offensive collapsed instantly!

Fortunately, he still had 3,000 troops left in the camp. With his help, Yuekuochaer finally led the remaining Yuan army back to the camp in a sorry state. After counting the remaining troops, there were less than 5,000 men left.

Meanwhile, more Han infantry battalions appeared outside Sizhou City, their banners bright and their armor excellent, numbering no less than ten thousand! They did not rush into the city, but instead quickly deployed and surrounded the camp occupied by the Yuan army remnants who were still in shock!

The offensive and defensive positions of the Han and Yuan armies were reversed in an instant!
In Sizhou City, Cui De and others, who were in a tense standoff with Peng Erlang, saw the Yuan army surge into the city and then retreat in a panic. They sent people to climb the city wall to investigate and learned of this dramatic scene.

The ecstatic joy of escaping a desperate situation instantly dispelled the previous tension and resentment towards Peng Erlang.

Cui De reacted swiftly. He knew that this was the best opportunity to break free from Peng Erlang's control and pledge allegiance to the Han army! He immediately ordered the west gate to be opened and personally led several trusted generals out of the city to pay homage to the Han army's commander-in-chief outside the city—Marshal Li Wu.

Li Wu sat upright on his warhorse, watching Cui De and his entourage rush towards them.

Cui De dared not delay and immediately knelt down, reporting to Li Wu in detail the recent internal strife in the city, Peng Erlang's indiscriminate killing of generals, the demoralization of the army, and the near breach of the city.

Li Wu's expedition to Sizhou was carried out on the secret orders of King Shishan of Han. His core mission, in addition to relieving the siege of Sizhou and forcing Tuotuo to retreat, was to take this opportunity to remove Peng Erlang's military power and truly bring Sizhou under the direct control of the Han state.

The original plan was to wait until the Yuan army was completely defeated before gradually taking control through military might and political maneuvering. However, unexpectedly, internal strife broke out in the city, and Peng Erlang's prestige was severely damaged – this was a golden opportunity!

Li Wu immediately changed his plan and instructed his personal guards:
"Go and invite General Peng out of the city for a meeting. Tell him that I have discussed with him the matter of jointly annihilating the remnants of the Yuan army outside the city."

When Peng Erlang learned that Li Wu had led a large army to his aid and saw Cui De eagerly leaving the city to pay his respects, his heart turned cold.

He knew full well that circumstances were beyond his control. If he dared to disobey Li Wu's will at this moment, he would likely be abandoned by his own guards and die without a burial place. Without the slightest hesitation, he led only a small squad of his personal guards, his heart filled with trepidation, out of the city to Li Wu's army.

Upon seeing Li Wu seated on his horse, Peng Erlang rushed forward and prostrated himself on the ground as if a mountain of gold and jade were collapsing, his head touching the earth, his voice choked with sobs and fear:
"General Peng Erlang is guilty of mismanagement, which has led to the perilous state of Sizhou and nearly caused a major disaster! We implore Marshal Yi to punish him!"

"Hahaha!"

Li Wu had been in charge of the Jiangbei Circuit General Administration for a long time, and was no longer the hot-headed youth who only knew how to charge into battle. His political skills and maneuvering had become increasingly sophisticated. He laughed loudly, dismounted, and personally stepped forward to help Peng Erlang up with both hands, his tone unusually warm and tolerant:

"Old Peng! What are you doing? We are old brothers who fought side by side in the past, why do you need to perform such a grand ceremony! Please get up!"

He held Peng Erlang's hand, seemingly speaking frankly, but his words were actually laced with hidden meaning:

"With a formidable enemy at hand and thousands of enemy soldiers still lingering outside the city, I won't waste time with your empty pleasantries. I see there's some disarray within your army, and I'm afraid you'll find it difficult to maintain control for the time being."

For the safety of Sizhou City and its thousands of soldiers, what do you think of this—temporarily entrust military command to your son, Commander Zaozhu? He's young and has experience serving the King; he'll surely be able to stabilize morale more quickly.”

Having said that, without waiting for Peng Erlang's response, Li Wu turned his head and called out:

"Early Pillar!"

"The general is here!"

A young general stepped out quickly from the ranks of generals behind Li Wu, his armor gleaming and his spirits high. He was none other than Peng Erlang's eldest son, Peng Zaozhu! He had been kept by Shi Shan's side, ostensibly for official use, but in reality as a hostage.

Seeing his son appear in Li Wu's army, Peng Erlang understood everything. This was a move that the Prince of Han and Li Wu had planned long ago! Although Peng Zaozhu was his eldest son, he had not been in the army for a long time and had no foundation among the old troops; he was merely a figurehead.

Cui De and others have already betrayed us. Once the remnants of the Yuan army outside the city are wiped out and the crisis is over, won't Peng Erlang's last remaining assets be easily taken over, manipulated, and integrated by Li Wu, who can rely on the intimidation of the army and the puppet Peng Zaozhu?
A sense of powerlessness and despair welled up inside Peng Erlang. He knew that his era of dominance and strategic maneuvering was completely over. All his struggles and resentment seemed so laughable and pale in the face of absolute power.

But now, does he even have a choice?

Resisting will only lead to certain death.

By complying, one might be able to save their life and end their remaining days, considering that they "voluntarily" handed over their military power and that Peng Zaozhu was obedient.

Peng Erlang's face drained of color. He took a deep breath, as if using all his strength, and broke free from Li Wu's grasp. Then, resolutely turning around, he solemnly knelt down again towards Jiangning in the south, and said in a hoarse voice:
"I, Peng Erlang, am grateful for the benevolence of the King of Han! My past sins were all due to my foolishness! Today I am willing to relinquish my military power to my son, Zaozhu, to command, and await the orders of the King and Marshal Yi!"

……

The Yuan army's central command tent beneath the city of Gaoyou.

When Toqto'a first received the urgent message from Yuekuochar in the direction of Sizhou, a sliver of hope remained. He wanted to gamble—gamble that Yuekuochar could hold the camp, gamble that the main force of the Han army would be defeated at the gates of Gaoyou, gamble that Buyan Temur and others could pull off a miracle…

However, just over two hours later, a second wave of fast horses from Sizhou brought devastating news: Yue Kuocha'er's detachment had been defeated by the Han army, and Pingzhang Zhengshi Yue Kuocha'er himself had been killed in battle!

About half an hour before this fatal news arrived, scouts from Yangzhou also brought an urgent report that the main force of the Han army had made a large-scale northward advance!

Seeing that Toqto'a's face was ashen and he was still standing silently before the map, the personal guard general Harada was so anxious that he knelt down with a thud, banged his head on the ground, and spoke in a tearful voice:
"Grand Tutor! We can't hesitate any longer! The Han army is clearly planning to advance from both the north and south, cutting off our retreat and encircling our army under the walls of Gaoyou! Gaoyou... Gaoyou is no longer a viable option! Grand Tutor, your life is of utmost importance and the safety of the nation rests on your shoulders; you cannot afford to lose it!"
Grand Tutor, please prioritize the well-being of the Yuan Dynasty and swiftly lead your troops back to Shanyang, relying on the fortified city, and then devise a plan for the future!

Tuotuo slowly closed her eyes, and an indescribable sense of sorrow and powerlessness instantly swept over her.

He knew perfectly well that what Harada said was the most rational choice at the moment. But he was also clear that if he withdrew his troops this time, it would mean that the strategic goal of the southern expedition had completely failed, and that his personal prestige would be severely damaged.

It is foreseeable that before long, his political enemies in the capital's court, who have long coveted him, will seize the opportunity to launch a joint attack and overthrow him!
Without him as a pillar of strength, the already crumbling Yuan Dynasty would have no power or prestige to suppress the uprisings of rebels across the land! The Great Yuan Dynasty... was in grave danger!
"Eternal Heaven! Have you truly ceased to protect your descendants?!" he cried silently in his heart.

Even the most steadfast ideals cannot withstand the harsh reality. In order to preserve this field army that the empire would rely on for a long time, and in order to leave the Yuan Dynasty with a little bit of strength to prolong its existence, Toqto'a could no longer be willful or take any more risks.

"...Pass on the order."

Tuotuo's voice was dry and hoarse, carrying a sense of weariness and sorrow at the end of a hero's life.

"The entire army is preparing to retreat. In order, retreat back to Shanyang."

The retreat of over 100,000 troops, especially a retreat under the watchful eyes of the enemy, was no easy task. The slightest mistake could have resulted in a complete rout.

In order to ensure a safe withdrawal and prevent the Han army and the Zhou army inside the city from launching a pincer attack, Toqto'a had to leave behind a sufficient rearguard and make a show of resolute resistance to buy time for the main force to retreat.

The Imperial Guard and the Liaoyang troops are the absolute core and must be safely withdrawn; the troops in the heartland and those unreliable surrendered soldiers from Huaidong cannot be left here to aid the enemy, otherwise they are likely to collapse at the first sign of trouble, or even turn against the enemy.

After much deliberation, the only ones who could be sacrificed, and were worth sacrificing to buy time, were the Goryeo people who had come from afar, fought tenaciously, but were not of their own race.

Tuotuo could only silently hope that these auxiliary troops could once again demonstrate their resilience and, relying on the fortifications already constructed, buy him a few more precious days by redeploying his defenses in Huai'an.

A day later, Shi Shan personally led the main force of the Han army, with banners waving, and arrived in Gaoyou Prefecture.

He immediately sat on a slightly elevated earthen slope, holding a finely crafted monocular telescope, and carefully observed the undulating camps and fortifications of the Yuan army in the distance.

These fortifications were built according to the terrain, with trenches, fences, arrow towers, and gun emplacements arranged in a well-organized manner, truly demonstrating the care taken by the designers.

The Zhenshuo Guard, acting as the vanguard, arrived here ahead of time and had already engaged the Yuan army in battle. Fu Youde rode quickly to report to Shishan:
"Your Majesty, the rearguard left behind by the Yuan army is mainly composed of Goryeo soldiers. They are holding firm in these fortified villages. If we try to take them down one by one, it will take several days and the casualties will be considerable."

"No need for all that trouble!" Shishan put away his binoculars.

His military campaign is essentially a political battle.

The primary objective was to solidify his lofty position and supreme prestige as the leader of the resistance against the Yuan dynasty by "directly defeating" Toqto'a and lifting the siege of Gaoyou, thereby securing enormous political resources and popular support for the inevitable subsequent period of warring states.

Secondly, the aim was to capitalize on the momentum of this victory to break the long-standing stalemate between the northern Zhejiang battlefield and Buyan Temur. As for these Goryeo vassal troops who had strayed from their homeland and were acting as accomplices to the enemy, they were not worth the heavy casualties and effort of his precious Han soldiers in their suppression.

Shishan turned his head and instructed the guards standing beside him:

"Go and bring Liu Zhuo here."

……

P.S.: Today's update would have been even more exciting if it had been a long chapter of 10,000 words, but unfortunately my frozen shoulder flared up and I almost didn't finish writing it.

(End of this chapter)