Chapter 409: Setting the Plan

The hall fell silent, leaving only the heavy breathing of each man — the news just received, that Xiangyang was utterly unprepared, was far too stirring.

Luo Rucai's eyes darted about: "Jingxuan, this is a rare opportunity. Xiangyang is old villain Yang's main camp, with countless military supplies and silver inside. If we take Xiangyang, it would be extraordinary — not only could we seize vast stores of grain, fodder, and equipment, but we would also greatly boost our righteous army's prestige."

"The Prince of Xiang's estate is also inside Xiangyang. Kill a prince of the blood, and with the capital crime of bringing down a princedom, how can old villain Yang possibly survive? We'll also avenge our deep, bitter hatred!"

Zhang Xianzhong was equally stirred. The benefits of taking Xiangyang had already been laid out by Luo Rucai. Moreover, several of his own wives and concubines, as well as his military advisors Xu Yixian and Pan Duao, were imprisoned in Xiangyang's jail.

Zhang Xianzhong valued both men immensely, especially Xu Yixian, whom he had honored as his chief military advisor — many stratagems had come from his hand. And Pan Duao: all the army's official documents and proclamations came from his hand, and he handled affairs with great competence. Losing these two men felt to Zhang Xianzhong like having his own arms severed.

He mused, "A couple of days ago, didn't we kill several of old villain Yang's messengers and seize a batch of official dispatches, military tallies, and command arrows?"

Luo Rucai's eyes lit up: "Jingxuan, what do you have in mind?"

Zhang Xianzhong gave a dark chuckle and said, "Aren't there many of our brothers inside the city? My idea is to send men carrying old villain Yang's tokens to infiltrate Xiangyang, make contact with our brothers inside, stir up internal chaos, and then open the city gates. Our main army can then take Xiangyang with ease."

Luo Rucai raised his thumb: "Brilliant! Jingxuan, your divine calculations put me, your elder brother, to shame!"

Zhang Xianzhong burst out laughing, rose to his feet, and shouted, "You donkey-balled bastards, let's do it! Riches are found in danger — the timid starve, the bold eat their fill."

He summoned his adopted son Liu Wenxiu: "Wenxiu, my son, take twenty-eight elite riders from the old camp and set out at once. Carry old villain Yang's dispatches and command tallies to enter the city, create chaos, and open the gates for our main army. Under no circumstances let anything slip — do you understand?"

Liu Wenxiu was Zhang Xianzhong's adopted son and a trusted general. Not only was he fierce in battle, he was also quite cunning. Zhang Xianzhong entrusting him with such an important mission showed how highly he regarded him.

Liu Wenxiu declared loudly, "Rest assured, Foster Father. Your son guarantees he will infiltrate the city and open the gates for the main army!"

Zhang Xianzhong said, "There's no time to lose. I'll take two thousand elite cavalry and leave now. Lord Cao, you lead the remaining main army and follow toward Yicheng. Guard against that Xunyang Provincial Governor, old villain Yuan, over there, and also the dead eunuchs Liu and Lu Jiude from Chengtian Prefecture. They have several major generals under them — Zhou Yuji, Huang Degong, Sun Yingyuan, and the like — they're not easy opponents."

Xunyang Provincial Governor Yuan Jixian, hearing that Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai had reached Dangyang, was already urgently planning to dispatch troops. Although the righteous army, upon entering Xingshan, Dangyang, and Jingmen, had burned post stations and killed relay soldiers at every stop, cutting off communications east and west, it was still hard to guarantee that Lu Jiude and the others wouldn't get word.

Luo Rucai knew that for this kind of fierce assault mission, Zhang Xianzhong was more adept than himself. Without any fuss, he rose and said, "Rest easy, I will safeguard the main camp."

Everyone in the room rose to their feet, each man's heart ablaze, all shouting in unison: "Let's do it!"

Zhang Xianzhong strode out of the post station laughing wildly: "Xiangyang — it will surely be the place where I, Zhang Xianzhong, make my great fortune!"

On the twenty-ninth day of the first month, Wang Dou led his main army out from Xinye and reached the borders of Xiangyang Prefecture that very day, entering the territory of Huguang. However, he did not cross the Han River. Instead, he led his main army to conceal itself in the mountainous region several dozen li northwest of Fancheng, sending out only night scouts each day to gather intelligence.

The reason he did not enter Xiangyang was that Wang Dou feared Zhang Xianzhong would learn of the situation and become wary.

These peasant armies were as shrewd as ghosts; they could tell a strong army from a weak one at a glance. Once his own main army arrived, whether Zhang Xianzhong and the others would come at all was a question — after all, historically, Zhang Xianzhong's surprise raid on Xiangyang had been predicated on Xiangyang's defenses being hollow.

Moreover, to rescue the Prince of Xiang, one had to come to the rescue at the most critical juncture for it to appear effective and for the merit to seem immense. To cross south over the Han River now would be to alert the enemy prematurely.

According to the night scouts' reconnaissance, there was no movement inside or outside Xiangyang. It seemed that, in keeping with history, Zhang Xianzhong and his men would arrive around the fourth day of the second month.

While Wen Daxing and the other night scouts were gathering intelligence, they also replenished a batch of grain and fodder through undercover merchants planted in Xiangyang by the Intelligence Division. In Wang Dou's arrangements, as early as the previous year, the Intelligence Division had joined forces with a large number of merchants from the Eastern Route to stockpile considerable grain and fodder in Kaifeng, Luoyang, Xiangyang, and other places, sufficient to feed a large army.

Wang Dou had led his troops at a swift pace all the way from Luoyang to Xiangyang. Every day the army had eaten only fried noodles and dried meat. Now that they had reached Xiangyang, they could finally eat something decent.

On the first day of the second month, Wang Dou even went in person, disguised in plain clothes, under the protection of his guards and night scouts, posing as a major merchant to survey the terrain around Xiangyang.

Everyone wore concealed armor. They entered the Fancheng area from the Shuanggoukou Patrol Office northeast of Fancheng. The merchants, commoners, and patrol archers along the road, seeing this party of men, horses, mules, and carts, with a host of fierce guards all wearing waist sabers and carrying bows on their backs, showed awe in their eyes but no particular surprise.

In these chaotic times under the Great Ming, how could one travel abroad without equipment and guards? As long as one did not carry long spears, great halberds, powerful bows, strong crossbows, iron armor, warhorses, or the like, even carrying three-eyed guns, hand cannons, and other firearms would cause no one to raise an eyebrow — they would merely sigh and wonder what powerful magnate or merchant had such formidable guards.

Fancheng held little prominence in the Ming dynasty, and its city walls were poorly constructed. Moreover, the earthen embankment north of the city frequently burst, giving rise to the saying, "Iron-forged Xiangyang, mud-and-water Fancheng..."

Yet Fancheng connected to Xiangyang and lay astride the vital north-south communication route, so it was still bustling with an endless stream of carts and horses, a scene of prosperity vastly different from the desolation seen along the way, making one wonder in astonishment whether the Great Ming was currently in an era of peace and plenty.

Fancheng had nine gates. Wang Dou and his party did not enter Fancheng but instead skirted along the Chaosheng Gate and Dingzhong Gate north of the city, passed the Chaojin Gate to the northwest and the Yinghan Gate to the southwest, and arrived at the banks of the Han River.

Before their eyes stretched a great river, its waters broad and clear, with some broken ice floating on the surface. Yet it was not frozen solid enough for men and horses to cross; ferries were needed.

However, Xiangyang and Fancheng had long been known as "boats in the south, horses in the north, the thoroughfare of seven provinces," so ferries were not in short supply. Along both banks of the Han River, harbors and docks clustered thickly, their masts and oars like clouds. Looking out, the Han River in all directions was filled with ferries and cargo boats coming and going.

From Wang Dou's vantage point, he could see the southern part of Fancheng, where a pontoon bridge rose and fell gently in the river breeze, stretching all the way to the edge of Xiangyang's "Linhan Gate." Wang Dou felt a stir in his heart.

They boarded a boat from a dock near the Mi Gong Shrine and hired a luxurious pleasure craft to sail along the Han River toward Xiangyang.

Wang Dou, dressed all in brocade, stood at the bow with his hands behind his back. The scenery along both banks of the Han River stirred waves of emotion in his heart.

Beside Wang Dou were Wen Daxing, Xie Yike, and others, along with a group of Intelligence Division personnel, advisors, and strategy staff. Numerous guards and night scout soldiers were posted at the four corners of the boat, vigilantly scanning the surroundings.

Strategy advisor Qin Yi also stood nearby. Dressed in a blue robe, his large sleeves fluttering, he pointed to the opposite bank and said, "Xiangyang — to the south lies Mount Hutou, and also Mount Xian. To the southeast is Mount Lumen, and to the west is Mount Longzhong. The Han River lies north of the city, also called the Xiang River. The Bai River is northeast of the city, merging with the Tang River and entering the Han to the south, called the Bai River Mouth, also known as the Three Prefectures Mouth. To the northwest is the Qingni River, to the south the Fu River, and to the southwest the Tanxi Stream — all flow into the Han River."

Before Qin Yi had pledged himself to Wang Dou, he had sold his family property to travel the realm, visiting every corner north and south of the Great River. The strategic town of Xiangyang was, of course, a key subject of his study. After joining the Shunxiang Army, he felt that the army was full of hidden talents, and that he himself did not stand out like a crane among chickens, which left him disheartened for a time.

But he roused his ambition and studied in silence, gradually becoming familiar with the army's various systems and also understanding the Shunxiang Army's methods of warfare. This time, accompanying the army on campaign was a heaven-sent opportunity, especially since his lord Wang Dou was paying such close attention to Xiangyang. Qin Yi had a premonition that something major was about to happen, and by speaking up now, he intended to draw Wang Dou's notice, so that he might eventually be given important responsibilities and put his lifelong learning to use.

He continued, "In terms of strategic position, it is the gateway to the upper reaches of the Han River. To the north, it connects to Ru and Luo; to the west, it links Qin and Shu; to the south, it shields Huguang; to the east, it overlooks Wu and Yue. In terms of the realm as a whole, the weight lies on Xiangyang."

As for Qin Yi, Wang Dou did in fact regard him highly in his heart. Regarding the affairs of the Great Ming, he himself relied on foreknowledge, whereas Qin Yi possessed an exceptionally strong grasp of the overall situation and strategic perspective. In terms of strategic planning ability, he himself was no match.

However, as a lord, the important thing was to discover talent and employ talent; one did not need to be proficient in every single area oneself.

He nodded and said, "Gongfu's words accord well with my own thoughts. Xiangyang is the waist and backbone of the realm. If the Central Plains holds it, they can annex the southeast. If the southeast gains it, they can also plot against the northwest. If Xiangyang is lost, then Jiangnan cannot be preserved. Since ancient times, there has never been a case of losing Xiangyang and yet preserving the state."

Everyone on the boat was moved, especially those strategy advisors and staff officers, who sighed endlessly. What Wang Dou had said was merely a universal truth in later ages, yet to know such things in this era required a man of great talent. And when one considered that Wang Dou was merely of common guard-post soldier origin, where would he have had the means to acquire such insight?

People said that the State-Pacifying General was a star spirit descended from the heavens, and that all his arrangements were deeply farsighted. This only strengthened everyone's resolve to follow him.

Qin Yi was especially full of admiration. He bowed deeply: "The General's great talent — I am not your equal."

Wang Dou nodded slightly. This was the advantage of a transmigrator: any casual word or phrase condensed the distilled wisdom of thousands upon thousands of people from later ages — an informational superiority that this era could not match.

At the same time, his heart surged with excitement. Xiangyang — described countless times in historical records, romances, and novels — he too could leave his footprints and influence on this city, becoming part of its legendary tales.

Perhaps spurred by Qin Yi taking the lead, the various strategy advisors all began pointing out the landscape and speaking with fervent passion.

The large boat drew ever closer to the southern bank of the Han River, and the Xiangyang city wall beside them became ever clearer. Wang Dou sighed inwardly. Xiangyang had been valued by military strategists through the ages for good reason: surrounded on three sides by water and backed by mountains on one side, it indeed fully occupied the advantages of terrain.

In Wang Dou's eyes, Xiangyang's walls were high and thick. Below the northern wall surged the Han River, forming a natural barrier — without a naval force, any attempt to attack there was out of the question. To the east and west were extremely broad moats. People called them the widest under heaven, and indeed they were; to the naked eye, they looked like great rivers.

He could not yet see the southern face, but according to intelligence, the moat on the south side was equally broad. Moreover, not far from the south gate were ranges of hills and knolls, making it difficult to deploy a large army for an assault.

What a pity — no matter how impregnable a city, if its defenders are incompetent, it is all in vain.

The party disembarked at a dock west of Xiangyang, not far from the Lady's City. They saw that the outskirts were also densely populated, with shops and buildings everywhere, a scene of peaceful prosperity. Merchants came and went from north to south, and every regional accent could be heard — a veritable dazzling world.

Wang Dou had no heart to sightsee; he merely circled the city to reconnoiter. Xiangyang had six city gates. By Wang Dou's estimate, the city's circumference was around fifteen li.

Upon reaching the near outskirts of Xiangyang, he discovered that outside both the east and west gates, in addition to the broad moats, there was also a surrounding trench. The bottom of the trench was embedded with sharp bamboo spikes to impale attackers. Thus, the defensive depth outside the west and east gates extended for roughly a li.

As for the southern face of Xiangyang, it was screened by mountains. The city was not far from the hilly terrain, and there were numerous river channels and ravines, making it disadvantageous for large troop movements. No additional trench had been dug outside this side.

Wang Dou pondered. Although he knew Zhang Xianzhong would take Xiangyang by surprise, he did not know through which gate he would enter. Based on his deductions, the west gate was the most likely.

He led his men to survey the terrain around Xiangyang, traversing Mount Hutou, Mount Xian, and other areas, then proceeding to the Zhang Gong Shrine and Huangjiawan vicinity.

He thought: "Zhang Xianzhong's two thousand elite cavalry came from the direction of Yicheng. When Zhang Xianzhong launched his surprise attack, Luo Rucai and the others were also in the direction of Yicheng."

Thinking to this point, a plan took shape in his mind.

On the second day of the second month, Wen Fangliang and Gao Shiyin, acting on Wang Dou's orders, quietly crossed the upper reaches of the Han River and entered the outskirts of Xiangyang. One force lay in ambush in the mountain forests west of Zhanggong Temple, the other in the hills of Huangjiawan.

These two waves of ambush troops were sufficient to cut off Zhang Xianzhong's army's route of retreat, and also to guard against his escape in the direction of Gucheng.