Chapter 442: A Thread at Suzhou

In the ten-plus days before the Beginning of Winter in the fourth year of Qianyou, the situation in the northern lands was so turbulent and unpredictable that it could dazzle any observer. The Han and Liao states had mobilized several hundred thousand troops, their blades poised against each other, the clouds of war hanging completely over Hebei—and just as a great battle seemed imminent, it came to an abrupt halt.

The Khitan had changed their emperor, the Han emperor had called off his northern campaign, and along the Youyan border, under the restraint of both states' upper echelons, both sides simultaneously ceased hostilities. Sharp war blades were sheathed, and strung bows and arrows were returned to their quivers.

Those deep within the bewildering situation were almost at a loss, and among those feeling the worst were the more than forty thousand infantry and cavalry of the two armies that had already been dispatched. The hardship of the march was secondary; the most important thing was that most of the soldiers had already prepared themselves for a bloody battle with the Khitan—and then they received orders: no fighting the Khitan, turn south instead...

However, as soldiers, even if they harbored confusion in their hearts, they obeyed orders. As for complaints, there weren't many, and even those that existed were only buried deep in their hearts. The Great Han's system of civil governance might still have many flaws, but its military law was thorough enough. In the camps, voicing complaints brought heavy punishment, and in wartime, immediate execution. Moreover, the Comfort Commissioners the Son of Heaven had placed in each army were beginning to take effect.

As the great army continued its advance toward Huainan, Wang Jun and Murong Yanzhao, the commanders of the field headquarters, were ordered to enter the palace when passing through the Eastern Capital to receive the Son of Heaven's personal instructions. Liu Chengyou, in his usual style, did not waste words—he stated plainly that matters of the Huainan forward camp were entirely entrusted to the two ministers, and matters of the north, he would handle himself.

Murong Yanzhao, keeping to his duty as a subject, humbly expressed that he would exhaust every effort to capture the prefectures of Huainan for His Majesty, seizing their lands, wealth, and able-bodied men, and annihilating the false Tang army. In terms of strategic objectives, Murong Yanzhao understood his role perfectly.

In comparison, Wang Jun was far more arrogant. Ever since the early years of Qianyou, when he led troops against Shu and routed the Shu army at Jifeng Mountain, Wang Jun had grown somewhat prideful and hard to control. Even his two years in the Bureau of Military Affairs had not worn down his sharp edges.

This time, entrusted with the forward camp of the southern campaign, he directly slapped his chest and assured Liu Chengyou: "The affairs of Huainan will naturally be handled by your servant. Your Majesty need not worry—I will surely take all its lands and present them to the palace!"

His bearing was imposing and his ambition high, but his tone made one feel uneasy. Yet Liu Chengyou was precisely the sort who could endure. Wang Jun's personality flaws were not yet enough reason for Liu Chengyou to abandon using him.

Of course, Liu Chengyou had considered replacing the commander, but he simply couldn't find a suitable general in short order. Someone had suggested Guo Wei, but Liu Chengyou directly ignored it—and remembered the Bureau of Military Affairs official who had made the suggestion.

As for other suitable candidates: the Emperor's father-in-law Gao Xingzhou was ill, Fu Yanqing needed to hold Yedu, Guo Congyi was concurrently responsible for the defenses of Chan and Hua, and Zhe Congruan was still in the northwest. As for the rest, either they didn't merit Liu Chengyou's trust, or their abilities were insufficient.

Or they simply lacked seniority—Murong Yanzhao, for instance. Even though Liu Chengyou had repeatedly promoted him, he was still a distance away from commanding a great army, and Liu Chengyou could only place him in the position of Chief Inspector.

Although Liu Chengyou had promoted quite a few young generals and ministers over the years, when it truly came time to mobilize a great army, seniority still had to be considered.

Using Wang Jun—the concern was that the man was arrogant and hard to control, but what was reassuring was also his personality. People with this kind of temperament, frankly, were not difficult to handle. Of course, the most fundamental reason was that Wang Jun possessed the ability to command a great army. Back in Guanzhong, when he defended the frontier and repelled enemies on Liu Chengyou's behalf, Liu Chengyou still remembered it vividly.

Suzhou, ever since the court formulated its Huainan strategy, had become a key border prefecture for the Great Han's development. Militia Commissioner Zhao Kuangyin and Huainan's northern grain commissioner Wang Qiwu arrived one after another, and with the court tilting various resources toward it, within two or three years, Suzhou had quietly developed into the most important military, transportation, and economic hub of northern Huainan.

All along, the court had been building Suzhou as the forward base for the army's southward advance. To conceal this military intent, Zhao Kuangyin, as the prefecture's military and civil chief, had racked his brains over these nearly three years.

On horseback he commanded troops, off horseback he governed the people. Naturally, through such trials, Zhao Kuangyin grew quickly, and no one in Suzhou dared to underestimate this young Militia Commissioner anymore. The reputation of "Young Governor Zhao" had even spread across to Huainan—after all, it was only a river away.

By now, the prefectural seat of Fuli was so well-fortified that, in Zhao Kuangyin's own words, with his Suzhou troops he could hold off thirty thousand men. And north of Fuli, south of the canal, Zhao Kuangyin had conscripted laborers to build more than ten great granaries, each storing grain, weapons, and clothing. By late autumn of the fourth year of Qianyou, with the final shipment from grain commissioner Wang Qiwu, all the great granaries were full to the brim.

To secretly build these granaries, Zhao Kuangyin had also devised clever pretexts—constructing docks, repairing roads, digging canals—concealing the information wherever possible. Even the laborers involved in the projects were conscripted by Zhao Kuangyin with the court's approval, drawn from Songzhou and even more northern prefectures.

This spring and summer, the people of Huainan were starving, and some came to Suzhou seeking food. Ordered to provide relief, Zhao Kuangyin selected several hundred of the strongest among them to repair granaries and build military structures. To this day they had not been released, still under camp-style management. Those who fled, unable to bear it, were executed by Zhao Kuangyin's order—without mercy...

Standing on the front line of the southward advance, at a military and transportation choke point, Zhao Kuangyin had put great effort into Suzhou to avoid exposing the court's strategic direction—doing everything he could think of. Anyone else would have found it hard to match Zhao Kuangyin's level.

In the Eastern Capital, while inspecting war preparations, Liu Chengyou heaped praise on Zhao Kuangyin's achievements in Suzhou. In fact, by Liu Chengyou's style of employing people, Zhao Kuangyin was long overdue for promotion—but he had been held back. Of course, even if the court wanted to transfer him, Zhao Kuangyin probably wouldn't have been willing. As long as he made further contributions in the southern campaign, Zhao Kuangyin was certain to soar afterward.

A hundred li south of Fuli lay Wokou, where the borders of Su, Hao, and Shou prefectures met, where the Woshui River entered the Huai. As Suzhou's military and civil chief, Zhao Kuangyin once again led his only hundred cavalry to patrol the Han-Tang border.

In terms of military strategic importance, Suzhou was a major militia prefecture in the Great Han, with its militia troops having grown to thirty-five hundred men. Given the Central Plains' shortage of horses, those hundred cavalry were specially allocated to Zhao Kuangyin by Liu Chengyou from the imperial army.

Northwest of Wokou, Zhao Kuangyin had secretly built a military stockade called Jingshan Stockade, serving as an outpost for observation. Southeast of Wokou, on the northern bank of the Huai, directly across lay Mount Tu.

At this moment, Zhao Kuangyin reined in his horse on high ground, gazing into the distance. In the transition from late autumn to early winter, the cold wind blew bleakly, the red tassel of his helmet stirring in the breeze—yet in Zhao Kuangyin's eyes, rivers and mountains seemed to be taking shape.

"Brother Zhao, you've patrolled this area twice in the past month—what's so special about it?" Beside Zhao Kuangyin stood a rough-featured young military officer.

This man was named Dang Jin. Of humble origins, he had once been a household slave of the rebel Du Chongwei, and had always been fierce and brave. Back when Gaozu Liu Zhiyuan personally campaigned to suppress Du Chongwei's rebellion, on the day Yuancheng fell, Dang Jin was captured by the Han army and later incorporated into its ranks. In the imperial army, relying on his raw strength and drive, and catching the wave of the Son of Heaven promoting the young, he had also slain several rebels during the Hezhong campaign. In four years, he had been promoted step by step to Commander of a command in the Wujie Army.

During this spring's hunting at Dunqiu, his outstanding performance caught Liu Chengyou's attention, and he was later transferred to Suzhou as Commander of Suzhou's Second Army, leading a thousand soldiers. Over these years, Liu Chengyou had been gradually selecting men from the imperial army to fill posts in prefectures across the land—both promoting the capable and planting seeds of influence.

Zhao Kuangyin was delighted by Dang Jin's arrival. Though the man was illiterate and crude in manner, he was straightforward and open, possessing a hearty boldness. His physical strength in particular earned Zhao Kuangyin's high praise. With their similar ages and compatible temperaments, and Zhao Kuangyin's deliberate efforts to befriend him, the two quickly became good friends, calling each other brothers.

Hearing Dang Jin's grumbling, Zhao Kuangyin couldn't help but smile. Raising his hand to point at the area between Wokou and Mount Tu, he said confidently: "I've studied this terrain for some time now—this is an excellent spot for an ambush!"

Dang Jin widened his eyes and looked, then tilted his head and asked: "Could Brother Zhao be planning to fight a battle here? Unless Tang troops pass through!"

Dang Jin had only said it casually, but Zhao Kuangyin nodded: "Wokou sits at the junction of waterways. After battle begins, it's highly likely Tang troops will move up along the Huai—and if they pass through here, there's a chance to set an ambush!"

Hearing Zhao Kuangyin speak so mysteriously, Dang Jin shook his head. Gazing south, gripping the reins, he looked eager to try: "Waited this long, and finally we're going to war. I'll definitely take a few more heads of those Huai bandits..."

"Brother Zhao, can you petition Commander Wang to let our Suzhou troops serve as the vanguard of the great army?" Dang Jin looked at Zhao Kuangyin expectantly.

Hearing the question, Zhao Kuangyin replied with certainty: "Almost impossible!"

"Ah!" Dang Jin sighed and muttered: "Then why is Brother Zhao so eager to patrol this place?"

"I've been in Suzhou for nearly three years. When the great army marches south, even if I can't be the vanguard, I'll be the guide! When Commander Wang arrives and asks about enemy conditions and terrain, if I don't know them, how would I answer?" Zhao Kuangyin said.

Only then did Dang Jin understand.

Turning his head, Zhao Kuangyin pointed southwest: "Shouzhou is a key town of Huainan. Since ancient times, it has been a place every strategist must take. If the northern army holds it, it can control the south. If my guess is right, this campaign will first strike Shouzhou."

As he spoke, a strange light flashed in Zhao Kuangyin's dark eyes: "This place is only a hundred li from Shouchun. I once thought—if I led elite troops, crossing the Huai at the shallows, setting out at dawn and arriving by dusk, a surprise attack on Shouchun might take it in one strike!"

Dang Jin's eyes lit up, and he was about to speak, but then heard Zhao Kuangyin continue in a regretful tone: "What a pity—since that old general took office, it's become almost impossible!"

The old general Zhao Kuangyin referred to was He Jingzhu, the Military Governor of the Qinghuai Army of the Southern Tang. Last year, during the struggle between the Ma brothers, this old general had been ordered into Chu, leading troops to help Ma Xi'e seize power, and was later promoted to Military Governor of the Wuchang Army, stationed at Ezhou. When the Tang army struck Chu, Deputy Military Governor Liu Renshan of the Wuchang Army captured Yuezhou and was promoted to full Military Governor for his merits.

The old general He Jingzhu was then transferred by the Southern Tang court to Shouzhou as Military Governor, stationed to defend this key Huainan town. Within less than a month of arriving in Shouzhou, the old general He Jingzhu had thoroughly inspected the neglected defenses. Citing the state's wartime situation, he reorganized the troops and repaired fortifications, especially dispatching patrols along the Huai to check for gaps and guard the shallows.

As a result, Shouzhou's defensive strength was immediately raised.