Chapter 446: Troops at Shouchun

South of the Huai River, across the Fei River from Bagong Mountain to the north, lay the strategic town of Shouchun in Huainan. Winter had arrived, and the lands of Huainan were already bleak and cold; wherever one looked, much of the scenery was withered and desolate. Yet Shouchun remained a mighty city of the south, standing firm on the banks of the Huai River.

The importance of Shouzhou needed no elaboration—thousands of years of war and the perennial struggle for Jianghuai had made its status abundantly clear. It was precisely for this reason that, over the past three dynasties, the separatist powers occupying Jianghuai had changed from Yang Wu to the puppet Tang, yet their grip on Shouzhou had never slackened in the slightest.

At this moment, within the walls of Shouchun, the Left Shenwei Army was stationed—an elite force of the Southern Tang imperial army. Combined with the prefectural garrison troops and local militia, the Tang forces in Shouzhou numbered over ten thousand. This was the strength of the defenders after their losses, and it was also the foundation of the main general He Jingzhu's confidence in holding the city.

Yet now, outside this formidable city, the Han army had arrayed its forces beneath the walls, pitching camps and calmly reinforcing their stockade walls.

At this time, on the northern city wall of Shouchun, an old general with graying temples stood holding a sword, gazing at the Han army camp two or three li away. This old general was short of stature, barely over five chi tall—the crenellations of the parapet nearly reached his chin—and his appearance was extremely ugly, almost unbearable to look upon.

Yet this ugly old man was the calmest and most composed person in the city when the Han army arrived at the gates, and he was the backbone of the more than ten thousand Tang troops in Shouchun.

He Jingzhu was originally a renowned general of Huainan. In his early years, he had been a household servant; in his prime, he followed Li Bian, the founding sovereign of the Southern Tang, and was a meritorious official of the dynasty's establishment. Though his appearance was decrepit, he possessed inner brilliance. His temperament was fierce and unyielding, he carried authority, excelled at commanding troops, and enjoyed great renown. He had once served as a senior commander of the Jinling imperial army and had also governed local regions—he was a pillar of the Southern Tang military. Of course, it could not be denied that his appearance had indeed made his official career bumpy; only at the age of sixty had he finally risen to the rank of Military Governor of a major garrison.

"Lord He, the Han army's camp is becoming ever more complete and fortified. Let me lead troops out once more and charge them, to damage their camp's foundations. Otherwise, once they gain a firm foothold beneath the walls, our army will be trapped in the city and completely thrown into passivity!" Beside He Jingzhu stood several Shouzhou officers, among whom Xu Xiang, Commander of the Left Shenwei Army, could not help but speak up with a request.

Hearing this, He Jingzhu directly shook his head: "We have already tested the Han army's fighting strength before. Sending troops out would only add to our casualties and weaken our defensive capability. At present, the enemy's momentum is at its peak; we must not engage them lightly. Better to wait for the court's reinforcements!"

Hearing He Jingzhu say this, Xu Xiang fell silent and could not help but sigh.

Just three days prior, Si Chao, Militia Commissioner of Yingzhou of the Northern Han, had suddenly led two thousand troops south and constructed a floating bridge across the Huai River at Zhengyang, southwest of Shouchun, instantly drawing the attention of the Shouchun defenders.

While the Tang army sallied forth to resist, the Han army moved from Suzhou. Li Chongjin, Chief Commander of the Husheng Army, led men in a surprise attack on Xiacaicheng. Xiacaicheng was the northernmost city of Shouzhou, situated north of the Huai River, guarding the Xiacaicheng ferry crossing.

As if He Jingzhu had anticipated this, he immediately divided his forces to go to the rescue. It was at this moment that the main force of the Han army, which had long been lying in wait to the south, moved—crossing the river from the shallow ford at the junction of Shouzhou and Haozhou. With successive feints to the west and strikes to the east, they caught the Tang army completely off guard. Although He Jingzhu had deployed some shallow-water defense troops on the southern bank of the Huai River, the soldiers beneath him had been somewhat negligent and were routed in a single blow.

Upon hearing this, He Jingzhu remained unflustered. He personally led five thousand armored soldiers, one hundred warships, and over three thousand naval troops, advancing rapidly in two columns—by land and by water—to intercept. His speed could not be called slow. By the time he reached the Han army's crossing point, over two thousand Han troops had already successfully crossed the river in full formation, while on the northern bank, densely packed, even more Han soldiers waited. Under He Jingzhu's command, the Tang army quickly threw themselves into battle, and the two sides engaged in a fierce clash face to face.

Fortunately, the main force of the Han navy, the Jingjiang Army, was also present, covering the main army's crossing. With nearly one hundred and fifty warships and over five thousand naval troops, this was their first engagement with the Southern Tang military since their formation. As expected, despite Xiang Xun's utmost efforts in command—leading from the front, fighting in boarding actions, overwhelming the enemy with superior numbers, aided by archers on shore and the advantage of fierce-fire oil—they could only fight the Tang navy to a draw. After more than an hour of intense combat, both sides lost several hundred men.

The losses were not insignificant, but the mission of covering the main army's crossing was accomplished—the Tang navy had not been allowed to interfere with the army's river crossing. On shore, He Jingzhu's five thousand armored soldiers, facing the Xiaodi Army personally commanded by Murong Yanzhao, held on with great difficulty. Seeing that the Shouzhou navy could not break through the Han fleet and that casualties were mounting, they were forced to retreat.

However, during the retreat, the killing blow from Wang Jun, the Han army's commander-in-chief, came. Several thousand elite Hujie iron cavalry of the Imperial Guard, which had long since crossed the Huai River at the shallow ford, launched a flanking surprise attack under the command of Commanders Guo Chongwei and Shi Yanchao, giving the Tang army a profound taste of the power of northern iron cavalry.

After the war began, many junior officers and soldiers from the Fengchen Camp had been dispatched by Liu Chengyou to the southern expedition army to serve as officers—Shi Yanchao in the Hujie Army, Wang Yansheng in the Husheng Army.

Because the Han infantry that had crossed the river, under Murong Yanzhao's command, did not pursue, the Tang army let down their guard. Under the Han cavalry's surprise attack, they collapsed at the first contact and scattered in flight. The old general He Jingzhu did his utmost to rally the routed troops, retreating over twenty li before being driven down to the Fei River. In the end, he could only gather two thousand defeated soldiers back to Shouchun city. Of the Tang troops that had sallied forth, over two thousand were captured or killed, many fled and were lost, and several hundred froze or drowned in the Fei River.

Having truly experienced the Han army's combat power, He Jingzhu knew well that they were no match for them in open field battles. Therefore, he comforted the soldiers on one hand, and on the other, gathered all Tang troops in the prefecture into the city, conscripted young men, and stockpiled grain and fodder. Very decisively, he made preparations to hold the city in defense.

On the Han side, Wang Jun's original plan had been to lure the Tang army out, annihilate them in one battle, and then cross the river at leisure. Though he had not achieved complete success in a single engagement, the results were still quite satisfactory. With the Tang army retreating, the entire force split into two columns—one column of infantry and cavalry advancing by land along the shore for cover, and one column traveling by water, escorted by the navy down the Huai River, heading straight for Shouchun.

They arrived beneath the city walls very smoothly, and immediately dispatched auxiliary troops and conscripted laborers to use the great timbers prepared in advance to establish their camp.

It was at this moment that Xu Xiang, Commander of the Left Shenwei Army of the Tang, concentrated two thousand elite troops and sallied out in a surprise attack, hoping to strike while the Han army had just arrived and their camp was not yet fortified. But the Han army's officers, from top to bottom, had too many with rich combat experience—how could they have been unprepared? A small ambush, and the elite troops that sallied from Shouzhou lost more than half their number.

"Having lost to the Han army repeatedly, the morale of the soldiers and civilians in the city has plummeted. Are we just going to defend passively like this?" Xu Xiang could not help but say, somewhat relentlessly.

He Jingzhu frowned slightly, then turned his head to stare at him: "A general must adapt to circumstances in battle. Now is not a good opportunity. To sally forth rashly would be a foolish move!"

Rebuked in this manner, Xu Xiang's expression turned displeased, and he said indignantly: "Lord He isn't afraid of the Han army after losing two battles, is he?"

"Xu Xiang, do you dare insult this commander?" He Jingzhu's eyes glared wide, his ugly countenance hardening, and combined with his imposing aura, it became even more terrifying. Xu Xiang immediately quieted down—he could not be sure whether this short, ugly old man would run him through with a sword.

Withdrawing his contemptuous gaze, he looked slowly northward. The Fei River flowed gently, and the Han army's camp stood with an imposing, stern air. Thinking of the situation within the city, a deep worry faintly appeared in the old general's eyes.

"Pass the order: the defenders at every gate are to guard the city strictly and must not sally forth. Anyone who dares to disobey will be dealt with by military law. The military headquarters staff are to continue preparing siege defense equipment—rolling stones, log barriers, boiling water, and fire oil. Also, prepare plenty of large shields, bamboo rafts, and sand and earth. The Han army's fierce-fire oil is too cruel and poisonous!" Taking a deep breath, He Jingzhu gave his stern orders.

"At your command!"

"Let us hope the court's reinforcements arrive as soon as possible!"

Compared to the tense and oppressive atmosphere within Shouchun city, the Han army camp was equally solemn, but with a bit more ease. Having crossed the river and won two battles, with the naval engagement neither won nor lost, it could be said that this southern expedition had gotten off to a good start.

For this campaign, Wang Jun commanded the forward camp of Huainan—the Xiaodi, Husheng, Fengguo, and Hujie armies totaling five thousand cavalry—plus the militia forces of Suzhou and Yingzhou. The Han army numbered nearly forty thousand in total, with thirty thousand infantry and cavalry encamped beneath the city walls. Adding the conscripted laborers, they directly claimed a hundred thousand.

Within the Han camp, horses neighed and livestock bellowed—a lively scene. The emperor's maternal uncle, Gao Huaide, serving this campaign in the military post of Chief Inspector of the Xiaodi Army, was accompanying Chief Commander Sun Li on an inspection of the camp.

Even after all these years, Sun Li remained true to his old style—rough in manner and fierce in conduct. He gave two lashes to a sentry who was shivering from the cold, cursing as he did so: "Dare to slack off again, and I'll cut you down!"

Though his mouth cursed fiercely, he still ordered someone to the rear camp to fetch another basin of charcoal to keep the sentry post warm.

"Winter has arrived, and the weather will only get colder, yet we still have to fight hard..." Sun Li muttered to himself. That was always his way—he said whatever was on his mind.

Gao Huaide came from a noble family, with a high starting point and broad knowledge. He had never considered officers like Sun Li, who had risen from obscurity, as his kind. However, after serving in various military posts across the armies, he had seen many rough men like Sun Li, and from these people, he had learned by analogy many unconventional methods of commanding troops.

Hearing this now, Gao Huaide said: "Though winter is cold, our northern soldiers can endure it well enough. If it were summer, with the south's damp heat, that would be truly hard to bear."

"By your reasoning, we should take all of Huainan before next year's midsummer?" Sun Li said.

"If the fighting drags on until next summer, the humid heat would indeed be unfavorable for operations!" Gao Huaide said.

Sun Li nodded, then waved his hand and said: "I say, Brother Gao, the Imperial Uncle—we've only just reached Shouchun, and winter's end is still far off. Why bring up next year's midsummer!"

The corner of his mouth twitching, Gao Huaide smiled: "The General is right. Breaking Shouchun now is the foremost priority..."

In the central command tent, a full sixteen guards in gleaming armor stood at attention. These men were Wang Jun's personal retainers. The Commander-in-Chief Wang carried himself with great airs, and especially after the initial victory, it made him overawe all the generals of the southern expedition.

Inside the tent, a warm stove burned, carpets were spread across the floor, and on the couch, Wang Jun, dressed in fitted brocade robes, was playing chess with Murong Yanzhao. His back straight, he occasionally stroked his long beard, his gaze confident and clear, a faint hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth—the very image of a scholarly general.

To describe Wang Jun at this moment in simpler terms—he was putting on airs.