Chapter 478: The Deliveries Have Arrived

There is nothing that cannot be undone by constant nagging. After the Northern Han army formally launched its assault on Shouchun, the Southern Tang finally reacted. The Tang sovereign Li Jing issued an edict, ordering Chen Jue, Deputy Relief Commissioner of Huainan, to lead the Luzhou garrison troops, raising an army of forty thousand, northward to rescue Shouchun. He also ordered Relief Commissioner Huangfu Hui to lead troops out of Qingliu Pass, and Army Supervisor Yao Feng to lead troops out of Gaoyou—three routes advancing together. Additionally, he mobilized twenty thousand naval troops to enter the Huai River for combat, a formidable display of force.

A winter of war preparations allowed the Southern Tang court to temporarily shake off the impact of their winter defeat. Add to that their militaristic bent, complete war readiness, and being deceived by the Han army's supposed "exhaustion and weariness," they heard of the Han army's movements and, plucking up their courage, rashly dispatched their forces.

Of course, Song Qiqiu, the Southern Tang Commissioner of Military Affairs, opposed the edict to dispatch troops, advising Li Jing to continue with a steady military strategy and not act rashly. The result? He was rejected by Li Jing, who instead questioned Song Qiqiu: "Hao and Chu have already been lost; Shou and Si are isolated cities under siege. If we do not move our troops, are we to abandon the loyal and good men defending the cities, and sit idly by as the Han army breaches them? If all four prefectures are lost, with no Huai River to rely upon, how are we to defend the Yangtze? If the Han infantry and cavalry drive south at full speed, can you, Duke Song, guarantee their repulse?"

Li Jing's string of questions left Song Qiqiu silent. At this stage of the war, he had confidence in preserving himself and stalling the Han army, but truly repelling them—how could he possibly guarantee that?

Faced with Li Jing's willfulness, Song Qiqiu could only sigh silently: "If you do not heed my words, one day you will regret it beyond measure!"

Of course, Song Qiqiu understood very well that Li Jing had forcibly recovered from the grief of losing his son, regained full authority, and now treated him with such a markedly different attitude. Throughout this winter, the praise for Duke Song in Jinling, along with the news coming from north of the Yangtze, had nearly roasted him over an open fire.

But precisely because he understood the reason, the more indignant Song Qiqiu felt. Could Li Jing truly not see through such crude praise-to-destroy and divisive schemes? Unfortunately, no matter how outstanding Song Qiqiu's stratagems or how keen his insight into worldly affairs, he was ultimately but a minister, while Li Jing, however slow-witted, was still the emperor—and emperors were always complicated.

Of course, Li Jing was not entirely brainless. Though he had issued the edict to dispatch troops, mindful of the lesson from Liu Yanzhen's previous defeat, he specially added instructions to all armies: fight steadily, advance cautiously, focus on relief and coordination, and avoid head-on clashes with the Han army as much as possible.

Clearly, Li Jing had taken in Song Qiqiu's "steady" defensive strategy, but his choice of strategic offensive was obviously somewhat contradictory, making the whole thing look neither one thing nor another.

Luzhou, Hefei.

The last wave of over twenty thousand Tang troops departed from the city. Their commanding general was Xu Wenzhen, appointed by the main commander Chen Jue to lead the rearguard. Of these twenty thousand, only eight thousand were combat soldiers; the rest were auxiliary troops and conscripted laborers, responsible for covering the rear while also transporting grain and military equipment.

Previously, the Hunan Tang army under Bian Hao's command had paid an enormous price to break free from the Lang army and the Han army's entanglement before returning to Jiangdong. They were directly transferred by the Tang court to Hefei for rest, with their sights set on Shouzhou. This swelled the Hefei relief army to over forty thousand at once, and with the naval forces, exceeded fifty thousand—nearly half of the total Tang forces sent north to relieve the siege.

Under such circumstances, Vice Commissioner Xu Wenzhen's seniority and trustworthiness were somewhat insufficient. Thus, Chen Jue, who had been drilling troops at Dangtu, was entrusted with the heavy responsibility through his connections with Song Qiqiu, replacing him.

Bian Hao returned in disgrace. The Tang court, holding that the Chu lands had been gained and lost again and that Bian Hao had failed in commanding his subordinates, sought to punish him. But because the loss of Chu was due to improper policy and the court's misjudgment of the situation, and because the Northern Han's southern invasion meant the state faced great calamity and needed men of ability, they stripped him of his noble rank and had him take over the Dangtu camp as Camp Commander, training new troops to prepare for northern defense.

"Duke Xu, why are you so downcast? Is it because of Chen Jue's arrogance? That sort of petty man, once he gains power, becomes haughty—who knows why the court employs him!" A young junior officer, walking beside Xu Wenzhen in the marching column, asked.

The junior officer was named Zhu Yuan, formerly Vice Bureau Director of the Bureau of Horses and Carriages, now appointed as a General in the relief army. Judging by his tone, he was quite disdainful of the main commander Chen Jue.

Hearing this, Xu Wenzhen shook his head and sighed: "My personal honor or disgrace—what does it amount to compared to matters of state and army? Chen Jue's ostracism is to me no more than spittle on my face, which I can let dry on its own. What I sigh over is that this march north—fortune or misfortune, who can tell!"

"Duke Xu does not hold out much hope for this relief mission?" Zhu Yuan asked.

Shaking his head again, Xu Wenzhen was silent for a moment, then said: "Shouzhou must not be lost; if it falls, all of Huainan will be hard to hold. Of course we must rescue it. However, we should not be so hasty! Previously we adhered to a strategy of solidifying the Yangtze defenses, yet now we rush to advance. With military strategy so disordered, it is bound to go wrong!"

Hearing his explanation, Zhu Yuan said: "The court must have its own considerations! Shouchun has been besieged for over two months now, with the grain route cut off—the defenders' morale can hardly hold. Even with He Gong's loyal defense, I fear they cannot hold out much longer!"

"But using Chen Jue as the main commander—that was hardly well considered by the court!" Zhu Yuan muttered again.

Seeing Zhu Yuan repeatedly show disrespect toward Chen Jue in his speech, Xu Wenzhen could not help but remind him: "I know you have a grudge against Chen Jue, but no matter what, Chen Jue is ultimately the main commander, and he is loyal to the court. As subordinates, how can we harbor personal grievances against our commander? The army has already set out; we must be of one mind and work together to resist the Han army!"

Hearing Xu Wenzhen speak thus, Zhu Yuan was somewhat displeased, but seeing his righteous countenance, his momentum faltered. He clasped his hands and said: "Duke Xu is noble of spirit, putting the greater good first and enduring petty humiliations. I am not your equal—I have been taught a lesson!"

"Still, I maintain that you, Duke Xu, should be commanding the army!"

With the man praising him so, Xu Wenzhen could hardly be too harsh. After a moment's thought, he said: "The Han army's combat strength is formidable, but in terms of numbers, we still hold the advantage. We are familiar with the terrain and climate. After a winter of rest, while the Han army is camped before a strong city, their morale and spirit must have suffered some blow. As long as we follow the edict's intent—fight steadily, neither rushing into battle nor fighting recklessly—even if we cannot repulse the Han army, opening the grain route to Shouchun and making contact with the defenders is still within reach!"

"Let us hope so!"

At Shouchun, after Liu Chengyou's campaign of psychological warfare and exhaustion tactics had raised morale to its peak, and he was just about to issue the order for a general assault to breach the city, news of the Southern Tang army's advance arrived.

Hearing it, he was overjoyed. Shouchun would fall sooner or later—it was a tough bone to crack, after all—but the chance to annihilate the Tang army in one stroke was rare. Originally, Liu Chengyou had been prepared to take all four Huai prefectures first, then turn south to test the Southern Tang's river defense line.

Faced with the Tang army's movements, Liu Chengyou was somewhat surprised. However, given the news from Jinling about the Southern Tang court, it was not so hard to understand.

In the command tent, after listening to Li Shaoyou's report, Liu Chengyou smiled slightly and remarked with some emotion: "I originally cast a casual piece on the board without expecting much effect. Who would have thought the harvest would be so unexpectedly gratifying. The so-called praise-to-destroy, the so-called words as sharp as blades—this 'blade' has not killed anyone, but it has already slain the heart!"

Li Shaoyou could not help but chime in: "The false Tang sovereign Li Jing has long been known for leniency and prudence, treating his ministers well. But in truth he is jealous of the able and resentful of the worthy, with clouded eyes and ears—mere rumors breed suspicion in him. From this it is clear that Li Jing is no match for Your Majesty; the Great Han is certain to seize his state!"

"So you are saying Li Jing has regained full authority and taken charge of military affairs, while Song Qiqiu no longer holds real power?" Liu Chengyou asked again.

"Yes, Song Qiqiu has become little more than an advisor, steadying the hearts of the people in the Jinling court!" Li Shaoyou said. "Li Jing has appointed his Imperial Younger Brother (Heir) Li Jingsui and the Prince of Qi, Li Jingda, to jointly manage military and political affairs!"

"Heaven aids me!" Liu Chengyou said.

From the field headquarters' commanders, Liu Chengyou summoned only Wang Jun and Murong Yanzhao to discuss matters. Standing before the map, Liu Chengyou pondered the Tang army's route of advance for a moment, then said airily: "The Tang army never learns its lesson! Still moving on three fronts simultaneously, advancing by separate routes, a full-scale relief effort?"

Murong Yanzhao said: "Your Majesty, now that the Tang relief army is on the move, our army should adjust as well. Shouchun will have to be dealt with later!"

"The false Tang's chief general has delivered this fat morsel right to our mouths—how could I refuse such a gift!" Liu Chengyou nodded in agreement, speaking lightly: "First send men to keep watch on Chen Jue's army, monitor its movements closely. Once the enemy situation is confirmed, we will respond accordingly!"

"Should we first send cavalry south to harass them along the way?" Wang Jun, who had been silent all along, offered a suggestion.

Liu Chengyou considered for a moment, then waved his hand: "No! With Liu Yanzhen's lesson before and Li Jing's warnings after, the Tang army this time will certainly be doubly cautious. If our army makes too much noise and startles Chen Jue away, this excellent opportunity would be wasted!"

"Wait a little longer!" Liu Chengyou made up his mind, speaking with confidence: "Wait until they are far from Hefei and closer to Shouchun. By then, the initiative will be entirely in our hands!"

Seeing Liu Chengyou's clear-headedness, Murong Yanzhao could not help but say: "Your Majesty is wise!"

"The Tang armies at Chuzhou and Taizhou—the two routes together also number fifty to sixty thousand Tang troops. Especially the navy. Guo Rong's forces there number less than fifteen thousand. He must both besiege Sizhou and guard against the Tang army—his strength is insufficient!" Wang Jun suddenly said.

Hearing Wang Jun's reminder, Liu Chengyou looked at him and asked: "What does Minister Wang suggest?"

"I request to lead a force eastward to reinforce him, lest the Huai River be retaken by the Tang army!" Meeting Liu Chengyou's gaze, Wang Jun stated his purpose.

Seeing through Wang Jun's intentions at a glance, Liu Chengyou kept his expression unchanged, made a show of serious consideration, then said: "Here at field headquarters, our combat strength is likewise insufficient. If we wish to destroy Chen Jue's army, we cannot afford to thin out our forces! Besides, Minister Wang, you are the Commander-in-Chief of this field headquarters—I cannot do without you!"

Seeing Liu Chengyou reject his suggestion once again, though the words were tactful, Wang Jun's expression could not help but change—turning sour—yet he said nothing more.

"Draft the edict!" Liu Chengyou pointed to Li Fang and instructed: "Tell Guo Rong that I grant him full authority to conduct operations east of the Huai. The Tang armies at Chu and Tai—he must block them for me! Draft another edict ordering Wu Xingde, Military Governor of the Wuning Army, to lead the remaining Xuzhou troops south to assist!"

"If so, our prefectures and commanderies along the northern Huai line will be completely emptied!" Murong Yanzhao said.

"No matter. If this were the early stage of the war, I might have concerns. But now, our army has already gained a firm foothold south of the Huai!" Liu Chengyou said confidently. "Besides, the Tang army is already stretched thin dealing with our offensive—do they have any strength left to counter-invade our northern Huai territories?"

"That settles it!"

"Yes!"