Sweep Yuan

Chapter 305 Lifting the Siege of Gaoyou and the Zhang-Zhou Rebellion

Under a leaden sky, a biting wind swept across the ravaged battlefield, carrying a chilling cold. Inside the Goryeo army camp, the atmosphere was even more somber than the December weather in Huaidong. In the central command tent, the charcoal brazier crackled, but it couldn't dispel the icy tension between Lian Tichen and Liu Zhuo's brows.

Despite the fact that messengers had confirmed that the Mongol Grand Tutor Toqto'a had used their 10,000-plus Goryeo soldiers as pawns to delay the Han army's advance, and that their enemy, King Seoksan of Han, had expressed his willingness to recruit the Goryeo soldiers.

But Lian Tichen's fingers tightened and loosened around the hilt of his sword, and in the end, he still couldn't bring himself to surrender to Shishan.

The truth is cold and realistic.

Although the Yuan Dynasty is now in a period of visible decline due to the constant civil unrest and successive military defeats, it is so weak that it is unable to defeat the emerging rebel Han army in the local battlefield of Huainan.

However, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse!
For the Goryeo Kingdom, whose political structure had long been infiltrated and whose territory had shrunk considerably, the Mongol Yuan Dynasty, a behemoth, still held absolute power of life and death over them.

Even a single imperial edict from the emperor in the capital city of Dadu could easily overthrow the throne in Gaegyeong (the capital of Goryeo), plunging the entire Goryeo kingdom into turmoil and even the brink of destruction.

Moreover, the family interests and personal futures of these high-ranking generals in the army, including Lian Tichen himself, had long been deeply intertwined with the upper echelons of the Yuan court through various marriages, bribes, and political alliances.

One glory and one glory.

Even if they now see the situation clearly and want to switch sides and jump on Shishan's new ship that is sailing against the wind and waves, it will be by no means easy.

No matter how strong the Han state was, its power was still limited to a corner of the lower Yangtze River and could not be deployed to Goryeo for the time being. Lian Tichen and others could not use the power of the Han army to get rid of the Yuan court's control over Goryeo and their families.

If they surrender, they might be able to save their own lives, but their relatives in Goryeo would immediately face annihilation!
Resistance is a dead end; surrender is also a dead end. There is only one way out now—withdraw! Bring as much of this valuable mobile force of Goryeo safely back home as possible.

Lian Tichen and Liu Zhuo dismissed their attendants and held a private discussion in the tent for a long time, their brows still furrowed.

The two men knew that an immediate withdrawal would face at least two major risks:

First, it is extremely difficult to organize.

Ten thousand troops is no small number. To disengage and retreat in an orderly manner under the watchful eyes of the Han army is no less difficult than dancing on the edge of a knife.

If not handled carefully, chaos can break out in a certain link, which could trigger a chain reaction, causing the morale of the entire army to collapse and turn into an uncontrollable rout.

At that time, even without the Han army pursuing them, the sheer number of casualties among themselves would be enough to inflict heavy losses on this army.

Secondly, the political consequences are unpredictable.

Toqto'a's southern expedition, which mobilized the entire Mongol Yuan dynasty, was a political campaign to uphold the prestige of the Yuan court and deter anti-Yuan forces throughout the land.

Even if he is forced to retreat temporarily due to the situation of the battle, he would never easily give up the fruits of victory such as Wuan Prefecture and Huai'an Road that he had fought so hard to win.

If the Goguryeo troops retreat too quickly and in a disarray, exposing the rear of the main Yuan army force as it retreats, allowing the Han army to pursue them relentlessly and suffer heavy losses...

It is conceivable that Toqto'a would very likely be forced to step down amidst attacks from the court due to this major defeat in the battle.

However, given Toqto'a's character and power, he would inevitably seek a scapegoat to take the main responsibility for the defeat before resigning, in order to quell the anger of Emperor Yuan and the court.

At that time, these Goryeo generals who "withdrew their troops without orders and caused the defensive line to be breached" would be the perfect scapegoats—perhaps Toqto'a had already foreseen this before withdrawing his troops.

If that's the case, even if Lian Tichen, Liu Zhuo, and others were beheaded by Tuotuo, probably no one would speak up for them! In fact, their king might even take the opportunity to eliminate their families, both to curry favor with the Yuan court and to install his own forces in the process.

"Is the fate of a discarded pawn to bear all the blame after being used?"

A wave of sorrow and anger surged through Lian Tichen's heart, but he quickly suppressed these useless emotions.

He didn't want to die so unjustly and pathetically, nor did he want his death to bring disaster upon his family. After much deliberation, Lian Tichen summoned his trusted general, Yin Dang, and solemnly instructed him:

"Yin Dang, immediately select a fast horse, take my token, and rush back to the Grand Tutor's camp below Gaoyou City!"

Report to the Grand Tutor in person that the main force of the Han army has arrived, their offensive is exceptionally fierce, our defensive line is under immense pressure, we are struggling to hold on, and our casualties are heavy. We earnestly request the Grand Tutor to send reinforcements immediately!

Lian Tichen paused, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes, and lowered his voice to give a special instruction:

"Remember! If... if you reach the main camp and find that the Grand Tutor is not there, or that the main force of the camp has already retreated... do not linger, immediately continue north to catch up!"
"No matter what, we must catch up with the Grand Tutor himself and personally report our 'critical' military situation to him! Do you understand?"

The vanguard of the Han army did indeed launch probing attacks on the Goryeo army's defenses, but after its main force arrived, apart from sending Liu Zhuo back to persuade them to surrender, it did not actually launch a large-scale offensive. The claim of a "fierce offensive" is a complete exaggeration.

Yin Dang guessed that Liu Zhuo must have brought back extremely important information, which forced the General to consider withdrawing his troops, even resorting to falsifying military intelligence. However, as a trusted confidant, he knew what to ask and what not to ask, and simply clasped his hands in a deep voice and replied:
"This subordinate understands! I will certainly find the Grand Tutor and report to him in person the perilous situation our army is currently facing!"

"Okay, go ahead! Be careful!"

Lian Tichen waved his hand, watching Yin Dang hurriedly leave the main tent.

Now that things have come to this, he has no choice but to make multiple preparations.

After seeing off the messenger who had pleaded for help (and exemption from liability), Lian Tichen turned his gaze to Liu Zhuo, his face showing a mixture of helplessness and earnestness:

"Liu Mizhi, regarding the Han army... I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you to make another trip. Go tell Shishan that... it's getting late today, and our soldiers are not familiar with the terrain around Gaoyou. Visibility is poor at night, and a hasty retreat could lead to accidents and confusion in the ranks."

Could you... ask him to grant us one more night, so that we can withdraw our troops as agreed at dawn tomorrow?

Upon hearing this, Liu Zhuo's face immediately showed some embarrassment and hesitation.

When he was released earlier, he had said something tough in front of Shishan to maintain his dignity as a minister of Goryeo. Now, he wants to go back and begs for leniency in a humble manner. This is tantamount to slapping himself in the face, which is really embarrassing.

But he took a deep breath and quickly weighed the pros and cons.

Liu Zhuo was well aware that Goryeo had been exploited by the Mongol Yuan dynasty for years, leaving its national strength weak and its army size strictly limited by the Yuan court.

The 25,000 troops that have been dispatched this time represent almost half of the mobile elite forces in Goryeo and are the backbone of the country's defense!
Whether these soldiers can be brought back to the country safely as many as possible is not only a matter of Goryeo's future, but also the foundation for the future security and family protection of generals like Ryu Cho and Yeom Ti-shin! They must not all perish in this foreign land of Huaidong!

What does personal pride matter in the face of such a matter concerning the fate of the nation and one's own life?
Having figured this out, the embarrassment on Liu Zhuo's face faded, replaced by a resolute calm.

He nodded and said in a deep voice:
"Okay. I'll go again right now."

At the front of the Han army, beneath the central banner.

Shi Shan was explaining the overall strategy for the Battle of Gaoyou to the senior generals, including Gong Wu, Shao Rong, Zuo Junbi, and Fu Youde, who were gathered around him, and discussing the follow-up action plan.

Upon seeing Liu Zhuo's return, Shishan suspended the meeting and, amidst the curious and scrutinizing gazes of the generals, received the Goryeo envoy privately.

After hearing Liu Zhuo's message requesting an extension of one night, Shi Shan looked up at the sky. It was just past 3 p.m., and although the winter sun was beginning to set, there was still more than an hour before nightfall, and the light was still plentiful.

Shi Shan knew that Lian Tichen and the others were probably trying to stall for time, but he remained calm and said indifferently:

“An extra night? Sure. But,”

He changed the subject, pointing his whip at the two most prominent and fortified fortifications at the forefront of the Goryeo army's defenses.

"You must immediately vacate these two forward camps and hand them over to our army for control as a sign of your sincerity."

Liu Zhuo looked in the direction the stone mountain was pointing, and his heart sank.

These forward camps were not large in area, far too small to accommodate tens of thousands of Han soldiers, but they served as outposts and strongholds of the entire Goryeo army's defense system. They were strategically located and well-fortified.

If the Goryeo army were to easily cede the territory, it could use it as a springboard to launch a fierce attack, leaving the Goryeo army's entire defense line wide open and putting it in an extremely passive position. It might even be quickly divided and defeated by the Han army.

Liu Zhuo looked troubled and cautiously replied:
"Your Majesty, this matter is of great importance, concerning the safety of our army's defenses... I dare not make a decision on my own. I must return and discuss it with General Lian before I can give a reply."

Shishan would naturally not allow these Koreans to bargain with him again and again, and to delay the process.

His expression hardened, and his gaze swept over the Han army craftsmen and auxiliary soldiers who were busily felling trees and assembling siege equipment not far away. His tone now carried an undeniable air of authority as he spoke:

"Liu Mizhi, you've seen it too. My army has arrived here, fully equipped with weapons. Winning hearts and minds versus conquering cities is just a matter of a single thought."

"I'll give you two quarters of an hour to consider. If your men haven't withdrawn from those two camps by then, my army will immediately launch a general offensive! At that time, you won't be allowed to retreat thirty li before being pursued!"

Liu Zhuo's face turned deathly pale instantly. He could hear the undisguised determination and killing intent in Shi Shan's calm tone.

He knew that this was no empty threat. Without reinforcements, the Goguryeo soldiers would lack morale and fighting spirit. No matter how strong their fortifications were, they could not withstand the continuous onslaught of tens of thousands of Han troops.

Liu Zhuo dared not delay any longer and quickly clasped his hands in greeting:

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger! I...I will go back and report to General Lian immediately!"

Watching Liu Zhuo practically jog away, Zuo Junbi, the commander of the Loyal and Righteous Guard, approached Shi Shan and whispered with a hint of disdain and certainty:
"Your Majesty, the Goryeo people are known for their cunning, untrustworthiness, and lack of loyalty. Their request for an extension of one night is likely a delaying tactic; they probably intend to slip away under the cover of darkness!"

"Ok!"

Ishiyama responded softly, without any surprise on his face.

He was certainly not naive enough to believe any promises made by Liu Zhuo or Lian Tichen, otherwise he would not have proposed that the other party relinquish key strongholds as a condition of "sincerity".

However, his main objective in this battle was not to annihilate this detachment of Goryeo troops. He nodded in agreement, then deliberately remained silent.

Zuo Junbi had finally seized the opportunity to speak to the Prince of Han and make contributions, and he did not want to give it up easily, so he continued to volunteer:

"Your Majesty, since we are certain that the Goryeo people will flee, why don't we turn the tables on them? Tonight, I will lead my elite troops to launch a surprise attack while they are in disarray during their breakup. We are sure to achieve a great victory!"

"Need not."

Shishan decisively shook his head, directly rejecting Zuo Junbi's seemingly tempting suggestion.

He was all too aware of the burning desire for military merit among his proud and fierce generals, but the more so, the more he, as the leader of the force, needed to remain clear-headed. All tactical actions had to serve the overall grand strategy at hand.

Shi Shan looked around at his generals and patiently explained:
"On the battlefield, the truth is hard to discern. Whether Li Wu successfully outmaneuvered the Yuan army in the Sizhou direction, and whether Tuotuo's main force has truly begun to retreat, we do not yet have definitive intelligence. Everything is based on the analysis of the battlefield situation."

Even if Li Wu succeeds, what if Toqto'a doesn't want to admit defeat and is willing to gamble the future of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty to fight us? If he leads his elite cavalry to lie in ambush on the sidelines, waiting for us to be locked in a chaotic battle with the Goryeo army in the dark before launching a surprise attack.

Our troops are already in disarray; a hasty response would have unimaginable consequences!

Ishiyama paused, then emphasized:
"Our main strategic objective in this battle is to thwart the advance of Toqto'a's troops, lift their siege of Gaoyou, and ensure that the Yuan army will not pose a substantial threat to the northern flank of our Han Dynasty for some time to come."

As long as the Goryeo troops relinquish their forward camps and withdraw as agreed, thus thwarting Toqto'a's plan to have them cover the rear, our army will have achieved a decisive strategic and morale victory without bloodshed, and victory will be within our grasp.

Why should we take such an unnecessary risk just to get a few more heads?

After explaining why a night raid wasn't planned, Ishiyama steered the conversation back to the established strategic plan, continuing:
"You must all remember that our army's current strategic focus and main force are still in Jiangnan. We must take advantage of the momentum of this battle to break the stalemate with the Yuan army under Buyan Temur and others as soon as possible. We cannot put the cart before the horse."

At this point, a meaningful smile appeared on Shi Shan's lips, and he said:

"I imagine that the 'Prince Cheng' in Gaoyou City would not want to see our army linger in Huaidong and even compete with him for this territory that 'nominally' belongs to him. Therefore, we must weaken Toqto'a in this battle so that he dares not easily move south again. However, we cannot weaken him too much, or even defeat the Yuan army's entire force in Huaidong in one battle."

Shi Shan's gaze swept over the assembled generals, and he stated his post-war assessment of the power dynamics in Huaidong:

"I don't want us to go through all this trouble only to end up benefiting Zhang Shicheng, allowing him to reap a huge advantage, seize the opportunity to grow stronger, and even turn around and cause us trouble..."

As for deeper thoughts, such as "Huaidong has suffered from war and the people's livelihood has been impoverished, which has become a burden on the country. The Han state should not take on this heavy burden at this stage," Shishan, as the ruler of the country, still needs to win over the hearts and minds of the people of Huaidong in the future.

Such realistic and cold words could be said privately to Fu Youde, who was guarding Yangzhou, but it was not appropriate to say them in public at this moment.

With the Han army's repeated victories in its campaigns over the past few years, Shishan's prestige within the army has long been at its zenith.

Although the generals each had their own thoughts and perhaps regretted not being able to pursue and annihilate the enemy with all their might, seeing that the King of Han had made up his mind and that his analysis was insightful and in line with the fundamental interests of the Han state in the present and long term, no one raised any objections.

Shishan did not place his hopes of defeating the enemy entirely on the assumption that the Koreans would keep their promise.

This time, the army marched north, carrying with them some key components of siege equipment that were easy to transport.

Upon arriving at the outer perimeter of the Goryeo army's defenses, he sent Liu Zhuo to persuade the enemy to surrender and win their hearts. At the same time, he immediately ordered his troops to cut down trees and set up camp. Meanwhile, the craftsmen worked hard to assemble and test various siege equipment, putting on a posture ready to launch a strong attack at any time and actively making various preparations for the great battle.

Lian Tichen, on the other side, naturally saw through the reports from his scouts the Han army's aggressive "combination of negotiation and fighting" approach.

After much deliberation, he knew that his troops were in disarray and lacked morale. If they were to continue fighting to the death, they would surely meet a grim fate against the well-prepared and highly motivated Han army.

Therefore, when Liu Zhuo brought back the ultimatum from Shishan, "Give up the camp or we will attack immediately," Lian Tichen hesitated only slightly before gritting his teeth and agreeing to vacate the two forward camps.

Since the decision to withdraw troops ahead of schedule has already been made, adjusting defenses and shrinking the front lines are necessary steps. It might as well use this opportunity to show "sincerity" and gain a precious night of buffer time.

Zuo Junbi's judgment was correct; the Koreans were indeed making intensive preparations for their overnight retreat.

After witnessing firsthand that the Goryeo troops had hastily but orderly withdrawn from the two key forward camps, and that the Han army's vanguard had quickly taken over,

Standing atop the newly erected central watchtower, Shi Shan gazed at the increasingly frequent and chaotic troop movements in the direction of the Goryeo army camp, a smile of complete control playing on his lips.

Immediately, he decisively issued a new order:
"Order all units to set up camp in advance tonight according to the pre-designated camp area! Have a hearty meal, check weapons and horses, strengthen night patrols and vigilance, and be on high alert to prevent the Goryeo army from betraying their promise and launching a surprise attack!"
Tomorrow, prepare food at dawn, and before daybreak, the entire army will break camp and advance north to pursue the enemy!

What promise of "letting you go for thirty miles before chasing you"? That's a lie!
On the battlefield, the saying "mercy towards the enemy is cruelty towards oneself" is just something to be taken with a grain of salt!

The Koreans dared not believe Seoksan's promise, and Seoksan would not allow Yeom Ti-chen and his men to retreat too easily or leisurely.

What he wanted was to drive away and oppress this rearguard force as much as possible while minimizing his own casualties, so that they would bring their panic and defeat back to the fleeing main force of the Yuan army like a plague!

The next day, just as dawn was breaking and the chill had not yet completely dissipated, the Han army camp was already filled with shouts of men and neighing of horses, and wisps of smoke rising from cooking fires. Following the orders given by Shi Shan the previous day, the entire army quickly assembled, broke camp, and set off.

Sure enough, the scouts quickly reported back: the Goryeo army camp was empty, leaving only a mess of garbage and extinguished stoves, indicating that they had hastily evacuated the previous night.

With extremely poor visibility at night and freezing temperatures, marching was already inefficient.

Although the Koreans made some preparations in advance, such as having a few soldiers without night blindness lead the way, while the main force behind them were linked together with long ropes, one after another, groping their way forward in the dark.

Even so, after walking for most of the night, they hadn't actually covered thirty li (about 15 kilometers).

As dawn approached, at the moment when people were most exhausted and coldest, Lian Tichen looked at the exhausted and disorganized army behind him.

Helpless, he could only order his soldiers to huddle together in sheltered spots on both sides of the road, rest briefly, eat a few bites of their frozen rations, and wait for daylight before continuing their journey.

At the same time, he hardened his heart and began to reorganize the troops, forming a rear guard with wounded, old, weak and slow-moving soldiers, and assigning a small number of supervising officers. His intention was very clear.

—When necessary, these people can be sacrificed as pawns to delay the likely arrival of Han army pursuers.

The Han army, having rested and recuperated all night, set off in high spirits as dawn broke.

When the army was still four or five miles away from the abandoned Yuan camp in Gaoyou, the more than 1,000 elite cavalrymen of the Second Division of the Xiaojiwei, who were the vanguard of the army, finally caught up with the slow-moving rear guard of the Goryeo army.

These Goryeo soldiers, abandoned by their compatriots, were experiencing extremely complex emotions at this moment.

Some people, seeing the Han army's iron hooves rolling in, knew there was no hope of resistance, so they simply threw down their weapons and knelt down to beg for surrender.
Some people were also driven to ferocity by despair, howling as they raised their knives and guns, attempting to fight like cornered beasts.
But many more soldiers, driven by their survival instincts, let out a shout, completely abandoned their ranks and resistance, and fled in all directions like a flock of frightened sheep.

"The Han cavalry are coming! Run!" The shrill cries and desperate screams instantly echoed across the fields at dawn.

……

The city wall of Gaoyou.

The brutal siege that lasted for more than a month had already left this once prosperous city riddled with holes.

The Zhou army defending the city suffered heavy casualties under the Yuan army's relentless attacks day and night. Now, at most, only 7,000 men remain, and they all look pale and their morale has plummeted.

If it weren't for the unexpected heavy snow that caused the Yuan army to halt their siege for several days, and their subsequent noticeable slowdown in their offensive for unknown reasons, this isolated city might have already changed hands.

Therefore, when some observant officers of the garrison noticed that the smoke from the Yuan army camp outside the city had significantly decreased over the past two days, and that the size and frequency of patrols were also much lower than before, and reported these "abnormal" signs,

Zhang Zhou, a member of the Privy Council, immediately suggested to Zhang Shicheng that they should seize the opportunity to lead the remaining elite troops out of the city to launch a surprise attack on the Yuan army, which might break the siege in one fell swoop. However, Zhang Shicheng seemed to have lost his usual courage and decisiveness.

He feared that this was a cunning ruse by Tuotuo to lure the Zhou army out of the city and then annihilate them.

Zhang Shicheng personally climbed to the top of the city wall, leaned on the cold battlements, and looked at the seemingly calm Yuan army camp in the distance. After hesitating for a long time, he finally shook his head and decided to "wait and see what happens."

In fact, Toqto'a did indeed employ a feint.

To prevent the Zhou army inside the city from discovering the retreat of the main Yuan army in advance and thus launching a pursuit or raid, he not only did not demolish the camps, but deliberately preserved their complete appearance.

Furthermore, he did indeed leave behind an elite force of several thousand men, commanded by a trusted general, who was given three tasks:

To maintain the illusion that a large army was still stationed in the camp; to serve as the last rearguard of the entire army; and, if the Zhou army dared to leave the city, to take the opportunity to launch a counterattack and severely damage the morale of the defending troops.

However, the mission of this rearguard unit ended this morning.

After confirming that their main force had safely withdrawn a certain distance, they quietly and orderly withdrew before dawn, without really intending to fight a deadly battle with Zhou's army that might leave the city.

Thus, the garrison of Gaoyou, by a twist of fate, avoided a possible disastrous defeat because of the excessive caution of their "Prince Cheng".

It wasn't until... Feng Guosheng led his Han cavalry, appearing like a whirlwind on the open fields outside the city, relentlessly pursuing and trampling the routed Goguryeo soldiers, that the defenders on the city walls were stunned into realizing what was happening.

—This siege, which lasted for more than a month and brought them to the brink of despair, suddenly ended in such an unexpected way!

"Report! Your Majesty! Reinforcements! Our reinforcements have arrived! They are chasing down the fleeing Yuan soldiers outside the city!"

A garrison officer scrambled up the city wall, panting heavily from excitement and running, and could barely speak.

"What?! Reinforcements?!"

Zhang Shicheng suddenly stood up from the throne, his face filled with disbelief, shock, and a complex expression that was difficult to detect.

When he was surrounded by the Yuan army and on the verge of death, he did send an urgent messenger to Jiangning, pleading with Shishan to send troops to relieve the siege of Gaoyou, considering the principle of "if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold".

But that was more of a desperate measure taken when one is in dire need of help; deep down, the person didn't actually have much hope for reinforcements.

However, now that the Han army had actually arrived, and with such overwhelming force that they had directly forced the Yuan army to retreat, this sudden victory left Zhang Shicheng with a bitter taste in his mouth, and even a faint sense of regret.

As the saying goes, it is easy to invite a god but difficult to send him away.

Who is Shishan?

He was undoubtedly the greatest rebel king in the world! He was a formidable figure who could even force back the main force of the Yuan army led by Toqto'a! Moreover, he had already established a kingdom and declared himself king, with his ambition to conquer the world.

If he only sends a general to lead troops, that would be fine. But what if... what if it is Han King Shishan who comes in person? How will Zhang Shicheng, who also claims to be a king but whose strength and prestige are far inferior, face this situation?
Is this the proper etiquette of a subject?
Or shall we meet as equal rulers?

Either way, it seems incredibly awkward.

"Kings!"

Just as Zhang Shicheng was in a state of utter confusion and secretly regretting his actions, Shi Wenbing, the Tongzhi Privy Councilor, couldn't wait to speak, his tone quite urgent:

"The most urgent task is to immediately ascertain the true movements of the Yuan army! If their main force has indeed withdrawn, our army should quickly send troops to reclaim lost territories such as Fuxinghua and Baoying!"

Otherwise, if the Han army were to seize these cities, the territory of our Great Zhou would shrink, and we would face the threat of national extinction!

"This is inappropriate! This statement by the magistrate is highly inappropriate!"

No sooner had Shi Wenbing finished speaking than Jiang Hui, the Vice Chancellor, immediately retorted. His expression was grave as he analyzed:

"Toqto'a led hundreds of thousands of troops to besiege Gaoyou. Although the siege was prolonged and the army was exhausted, his main force was still intact and his strength should not be underestimated. However, he withdrew his troops without fighting the Han army at all... What does this indicate?"
This indicates that the Han army that has arrived must possess terrifying strength and combat power to make Toqto'a so wary and hesitant to engage in battle! But how many troops has the Han army sent? Who is their commander? What is their purpose in launching this attack? We know absolutely nothing about any of these things!

Zhang and Zhou were trapped in Gaoyou City for more than a month, cut off from news and knowing very little about the changes in the war situation outside, let alone the previous battles between the Han and Yuan armies in Yangzhou, Sizhou and other places.

Although Jiang Hui's conjecture was somewhat distorted due to a lack of information and significantly overestimated the strength of the Han army, it reflected a harsh reality:

Zhou's army was pinned down by the Yuan army for over a month, suffering heavy losses and facing constant danger; while the Han army was able to defeat the Yuan army without shedding a drop of blood. The disparity in strength between the two sides was now laid bare.

If the Han army harbors ulterior motives at this time and wants to take advantage of the opportunity to seize Huaidong, or even destroy Zhang Zhou, then what can the Zhou army, which has just suffered heavy losses and is severely weakened, use to compete with them?
"The states of Zhou and Han have already established diplomatic relations and become allies."

"May Your Majesty... move your carriage and personally go out of the city to declare our sovereignty over these cities to the Han army commander outside the city, and express our gratitude for his rescue..."

Before a somewhat dim-witted military officer could finish his naive suggestion, he was simultaneously and sternly interrupted by Shi Wenbing, Jiang Hui, and several others.

"Stop talking nonsense!"

"Your Majesty is of inestimable worth; how can you easily take risks and place yourself in an uncertain situation!"

Zhang Shicheng looked at his civil and military officials, who, instead of working together to discuss the aftermath when the Han army was at the city gates and the crisis had just been averted, were arguing amongst themselves out of fear and suspicion of the Han army. He felt extremely annoyed and his head was spinning.

He slammed his hand on the armrest of the throne, making a dull thud, and roared:
"Enough! All of you, shut up!"

Knowing full well that summoning the Han army for reinforcements might have been a terrible mistake, there's no use in regretting it now. As the saying goes, "What's meant to be will be," what must be faced will eventually be faced.

Zhang Shicheng abruptly stood up, a resolute glint in his eyes. He pointed to Li Bosheng, the Minister of Works who had once served as an envoy to the Han Kingdom and had met Shishan once, and ordered in a deep voice:
"Minister Li! You must immediately muster five hundred elite troops and leave the city! You must ascertain the true whereabouts of the Yuan army and find out who the commander of the Han army outside the city is, and whether... the King of Han has personally arrived!"
All other generals, return to your posts and guard the city. Without my order, no one is to open the gates and launch an attack!

(End of this chapter)