Chapter 1018: Such an Opponent

When the news arrived, the Southern Yue reinforcements had already reached Yingzhou territory south of Shaozhou, yet their eventual arrival at Shaozhou was even later than Pan Mei had anticipated—it was not until the eighth day of the tenth month that they finally appeared, sluggishly, south of Qujiang City. The Yue army had advanced at a crawl the entire way, covering no more than fifty li per day—not out of caution, but because morale was not with them, compounded by the "unhurried" demeanor of Xu Yanzhen, who had been appointed Northern Expedition Commander.

It was said that Xu Yanzhen's campaign this time was less like marching north to face the enemy and more like a parade, a show of force—flaunting his might along the way, extorting bribes, and demanding local officials and commoners present tribute. He also indulged his son in plundering far and wide, claiming it was to supply the army against the Han forces, when in truth most of the wealth went into the father-and-son pair's own coffers. At the same time, he loudly proclaimed that leading the great army north, he would surely break the Han army and push into Hunan. Sometimes, many people's thought processes are simply out of the ordinary—no matter how absurd or foolish the deed, they can still do it, in ways beyond the comprehension of ordinary men.

Moreover, this man neither rode a horse nor took a carriage, but instead had a great palanquin built, carried by thirty-six stout bearers, putting on quite the display, swaggering all the way—tens of thousands of Yue soldiers reduced to mere backdrop for a eunuch.

A cascade of factors not only slowed their advance but also foreshadowed this army's ultimate fate. Along the entire route, even the most ordinary commoners could not believe that such an army could win a battle or stand as a match for the wolf-like, tiger-like Han army. In truth, the Emperor appointing a eunuch as commander was not in itself remarkable—there were precedents—but had it been someone like Wu Huai'en of old, that would have been one thing. The Yue ruler's choice of men spoke volumes. With such a sovereign and such a state, how could it not fall? For it not to fall would be a violation of all reason.

And at Qujiang, once Pan Mei learned the true situation and condition of the reinforcements, he even briefly reflected—facing such an opponent, had he been too cautious, too painstaking in his calculations, overrating the enemy?

While Xu Yanzhen's army dawdled its way in, Pan Mei also slightly adjusted his battle plan. To bolster Xu Yanzhen's confidence and inflate his arrogance, he sent a force to boldly attack Qujiang City—also a probing assault. It proved that when defended solely by Prefect Lu Guangtu and General Zhi Tingxiao, the Shaozhou garrison could display a certain defensive capability, especially in their will to resist.

A full assault, with the Han army's fierce soldiers and sharp weapons, could certainly break through—it was merely a question of casualties. Qujiang was built between two rivers, and the terrain severely constrained the deployment of Han forces, which was also a source of Pan Mei's concern—and, of course, part of his broader vision, wanting to fight a flawless victory. From the moment he learned the Yue ruler had appointed Xu Yanzhen as commander to march north, he had already devised his strategy to break the enemy.

He gave Xu Yanzhen every face. Once the enemy army neared Qujiang, he withdrew the feinting force, sounding the gong to return to camp. Then, what Xu Yanzhen learned was that the moment his great army arrived, the Han army, out of fear, had voluntarily abandoned its attack.

Thus, when the reinforcements arrived, Prefect Lu Guangtu and the assembled defending officers opened the city gates to welcome them, only to be met with Xu Yanzhen's arrogant, swaggering countenance. During the entry ceremony, Lu Guangtu and Zhi Tingxiao, the civil and the military, stood together, watching Xu Yanzhen's display—both their faces were grim. They exchanged a glance: Lu Guangtu's was worry, Zhi Tingxiao's was indignation.

Among the Southern Han's officials, Lu Guangtu was a rare loyal minister and good official, and he had never been blind to the sorcerer-eunuchs. After Liu Chang ascended the throne, with its debauchery and cruelty, the court in chaos, Lu Guangtu could not bear the absurdity, and fearing it might engulf him as well, he voluntarily distanced himself from Panyu and came to Shaozhou to serve as Prefect. Because he had a reputation for virtue and won the people's hearts, upon taking office he governed well, was lenient with the populace, drilled the soldiers, strengthened defenses, and resisted the northern army—consistently with great effect.

As for Zhi Tingxiao, he was one of the few remaining talents in the Southern Han army, a man of considerable strategic ability. But compared to Lu Guangtu, he harbored deep dissatisfaction with this Southern Yue and with Liu Chang, and had long harbored thoughts of resigning and returning to his hometown. Had Lu Guangtu not dissuaded him, he would have long since shed his post and watched the fall of Southern Yue from the sidelines.

Therefore, the reason Shaozhou could hold against the Han army—besides Pan Mei not having committed his full strength—lay in these two men: Lu Guangtu could settle the people, Zhi Tingxiao could command the troops, and the soldiers and civilians of Shaozhou would heed their orders and fight for them, holding their own against the Han army.

Compared to Lu Guangtu's worry, Zhi Tingxiao's attitude was stark. On the way to the government office, his voice was low but exceptionally angry: "The Xingwang Palace uses this eunuch as commander—how can Shaozhou be held? Is there any hope left for Lingnan? Hmm? Lord Lu, if we keep this up, you and I will end up captives of the Han army!"

On any other occasion, Lu Guangtu might have offered words of comfort and reassurance to such remarks from Zhi Tingxiao, but now, his expression shifted several times before finally settling into a sigh. A trace of weariness showed through Lu Guangtu's gentle, scholarly face as he said: "One eats the lord's salary, one serves the lord's cause—that is all. If the state cannot be preserved, it will not be for lack of our effort!"

Inside the Shaozhou government office, Xu Yanzhen sat in the seat of honor while the other military and civil officials stood in two rows below. When it came to putting on airs, perhaps no one present could match him. Scanning the room, Xu Yanzhen said: "This commander, by royal decree, leads the great army north to resist the Han forces, and I ask all of you to lend your full support. South of Shaozhou lies a thousand li of our Great Yue's rivers and mountains—the Han army must not be allowed to cross. Our shoulders must bear the weight of a thousand jun, ten thousand dan, to guard the state and protect the people! Let this commander and all of you strive together!"

Xu Yanzhen certainly knew how to talk, yet the boost to morale was clearly minimal. His conduct along the way could hardly be hidden from anyone, and when he trotted out this high-sounding rhetoric, no one took it seriously.

Seeing the tepid response, Xu Yanzhen was somewhat displeased. His gaze swept the room and landed on Lu Guangtu: "Governor Lu, how stands the city defense? And the situation with the Han army?"

"These past two days, the Han army attempted to attack the city and was beaten back each time. When the Expedition Commander arrived with his forces, they sounded the gong and withdrew to camp!" Lu Guangtu replied calmly.

Xu Yanzhen gave a light snort and said: "I hear the Han army has only thirty thousand men. Now that they know our reinforcements have arrived, how would they dare attack again? Otherwise, if our great army launches a surprise assault, the Han army could not withstand it!"

"The Expedition Commander seems to be taking the Han army too lightly!" Seeing his bluster, Zhi Tingxiao could not help but retort.

"General Zhi seems to think highly of the Han army, and so has been fearing them like tigers, cowering in the city, letting the Han army do as they please?" Xu Yanzhen shot Zhi Tingxiao a glance.

Hearing this, the anger on Zhi Tingxiao's face could barely be contained. He was about to argue when Lu Guangtu gently pulled him back, and he let it go. Xu Yanzhen then said: "This commander has not come merely to defend Shaozhou, but also to find a way to break the Han army and resolve the northern threat. Send out more scouts to probe the Han army's movements. When the opportunity for battle presents itself, we must strike decisively..."

What followed was nearly a one-man show by Xu Yanzhen, allowing no one else to interject. Only after he had gotten his fill of talking did the meeting adjourn. As for Expedition Commander Xu, being tired from the journey, he needed a good rest.

"Uncle Lang, one must never offend a petty man! If we anger him and he slanders us at court, it would only hinder the great cause of resisting the Han. We must put the greater good first!" After withdrawing, Lu Guangtu said to the sullen Zhi Tingxiao.

"Lord Lu speaks rightly—why should I bother quibbling with a eunuch!" Zhi Tingxiao bowed to Lu Guangtu and replied: "Ah, I'll go inspect the city defenses!"

"You have my thanks for your hard work!"

On the surface, so it was, but Zhi Tingxiao's heart was deeply conflicted. Lord Lu was a man of integrity, willing to be buried with that debauched sovereign and this chaotic state—but he, Zhi Tingxiao, was not. Lu Guangtu, being less versed in military matters, did not sense the danger, but Zhi Tingxiao caught the meaning behind Xu Yanzhen's words. Take the initiative and fight the Han army in open field? Was that not suicide?

Early the next morning, Xu Yanzhen received an urgent military report: the Han army had struck camp and was retreating north. Upon learning this, Xu Yanzhen was overjoyed, believing the Han army had learned of the city's swelling numbers, feared his military might, and dared not camp before the walls. He immediately summoned everyone and announced that he would lead the army in pursuit.

This proposal immediately drew opposition from many. The Shaozhou garrison felt that with the enemy's situation unclear, leaving the city to chase the enemy was a reckless move—little to gain, but no small risk. This was sound advice, but Xu Yanzhen dismissed it as cowardice before the enemy.

The officers who had marched north with him argued that the reinforcements had just arrived, the soldiers were exhausted, and had not yet rested or recovered—they should not sally forth. Xu Yanzhen felt that having marched less than fifty li a day, there was no talk of hardship; citing fatigue was mere fear of battle.

During the discussion, scouts once again brought the latest news: the Han army had retreated twenty li north and then stopped, pitching camp on the spot. Upon hearing this, Xu Yanzhen was overjoyed, declaring this was the moment of opportunity—they could launch a surprise attack while the Han army was still setting up camp. Thereafter, ignoring all dissuasion, he resolved to advance.

And after Xu Yanzhen decided to sally forth, one man in the Southern Yue army breathed a sigh of relief—the accompanying palace eunuch Chen Yanshou, who bore a "mission." Xu Yanzhen's decision to attack was also influenced and pushed along by him from behind the scenes.

Ever since returning from his embassy to Kaifeng years ago, Chen Yanshou had become a secret agent of the Great Han. Later, through the recommendation of the chief eunuch Lin Yanyu, his power and influence grew steadily, to the point where he once entertained thoughts of ignoring the court.

However, after Liu Chang ascended the throne, the situation changed. In this state of sorcerers and eunuchs, the sorcerer's role gradually fell to Fan Huzi, and the eunuch's to Gong Chengshu—and Chen Yanshou gradually lost his standing. As time passed, he had no choice but to loyally serve the court and report intelligence.

Of course, within the Southern Yue eunuch faction, there were also struggles—for instance, between Gong Chengshu and Xu Yanzhen, there was a fight for power and profit. Thus, Xu Yanzhen being sent to lead the army was a decision with various considerations. Gong Chengshu figured that if Xu Yanzhen lost, he could use it to thoroughly destroy him. Xu Yanzhen, for his part, harbored hopes of defeating the Han army, then returning to court on the strength of victory and seizing power...

It all sounded absurd and laughable, yet such things always existed.

And Chen Yanshou's role in all this was to push the Southern Yue army into making mistakes at critical moments—which was also the source of Pan Mei's confidence. During the years Pan Mei was stationed in the south, Liu Chengyou had specifically arranged for Zhang Dejun to connect Pan Mei and Chen Yanshou, facilitating their communication.

And while Xu Yanzhen was urging the army out of the city to strike at the Han forces, word had long since reached Pan Mei. Throughout the entire process, Lu Guangtu was consumed with worry, while Zhi Tingxiao remained silent.