Chapter 484: Breaking the Chen Army Once More

Defeating Xu Wenzhen's army took less than an hour, yet the aftermath and cleanup dragged on until deep into the night without conclusion. Though the Tang army was numerous, their combat effectiveness was low, their march had left them fatigued, and their preparations were insufficient. The Han army concentrated its iron cavalry to strike them, and apart from the exhaustion of the long-distance raid, this battle was not difficult to fight.

As for the results, they could be described entirely as brilliant. Xu Wenzhen's army was nearly wiped out to the last man. Though a considerable amount of the grain, medicine, clothing, and weaponry they carried had been burned, everything that remained was seized in full.

Xu's soldiers suffered around four thousand dead and wounded in total, of which over a thousand died under crossbow fire while being forced to serve as cannon fodder. Of the rest, aside from a small number who fled and went missing, all were captured by the Han army.

Aside from the small portion that Xu Wenzhen had long drilled into some combat effectiveness, the remaining resistance will of this Tang army was truly weak. The rest obediently became prisoners of the Han army. All were disarmed, stripped of their armor, and held in separate groups under guard.

For clearing the battlefield and handling the aftermath, Murong Yanzhao only needed to give a single order, and the officers above and below would arrange everything themselves. Having won a victory, their enthusiasm was high. Seeing that the hour was growing late, and mindful of how hard his soldiers had fought in the raid, Murong Yanzhao directly ordered the various camps to settle in for rest on the basis of the Tang army's wagon formation.

Habitually making a round of the camps, comforting the wounded, and assigning men to look after them, Murong Yanzhao only then found the time to rest a little himself.

"These Huai bandits have such low combat effectiveness, they can't even withstand a single blow!" Han Tong, following at Murong Yanzhao's side, said with unrestrained glee: "His Majesty still overestimates them. In my view, four thousand cavalry would be enough to defeat them — there's no need for the Chief Inspector to go out at all. This subordinate alone would suffice!"

Murong Yanzhao glanced at Han Tong. Even in the darkness of night, one could still see his face glowing red, with the look of a man who had cast off a great weight from his chest. Clearly this battle had been fought to his satisfaction, and it would also help establish his position within the imperial army.

Hearing his words, which clearly carried a contemptuous and arrogant tone, Murong Yanzhao said without changing expression: "This Tang army is not their main force, and their combat effectiveness is indeed insufficient. Our army also held the advantage of a sudden iron cavalry strike. This great victory is nothing to be proud of..."

From Murong Yanzhao's words, Han Tong realized something. The arrogance on his dark face diminished somewhat, and looking at the commander's calm visage, he clasped his hands and said: "It has been long since we won a great victory. Having rendered such merit this time, I momentarily got carried away!"

Seeing this, Murong Yanzhao smiled: "No matter! But that Xu Wenzhen does have some skill after all — his on-the-spot responses were fairly organized! By the way, were you able to find him?"

At this mention, Han Tong said: "That surnamed Xu did have some courage. When his army was defeated, he gathered his personal guards for a desperate last stand, preferring death to surrender. He fell on the battlefield, his body not even intact!"

"The false Tang is not without loyal and worthy men — He Jingzhu of Shouchun, Guo Tingwei of Sizhou, and Xu Wenzhen here. What a pity that the Tang sovereign lacks the wisdom to employ them!" Murong Yanzhao sighed.

"Naturally! The false Tang sovereign is muddleheaded and weak — how could he be a match for our Son of Heaven!" Han Tong flattered the dragon's backside to the empty air.

"At dawn tomorrow, have the prisoners dig pits and bury the Tang soldiers together!" Murong Yanzhao instructed: "After that, escort the prisoners and the seized goods, and return to join His Majesty. His Majesty's forces are ultimately too thin — if Chen Jue's army risks a desperate gamble, the outcome would be hard to predict!"

"Yes!"

On Liu Chengyou's side, as early as that very night, he received word that Murong Yanzhao had broken Xu's army in a single battle and won a great victory. Overjoyed at the news, he circulated the report of victory throughout the army and sent it to the Shouchun camp as well. Then he slept soundly and had a good dream.

The next morning, Liu Chengyou had riders repeatedly shout before the Tang army's camp at the Fei River, proclaiming that Xu Wenzhen's army had been completely annihilated, seeking to disrupt their morale.

Inside the Tang camp, Chen Jue woke from his campaign cot, having slept quite soundly. Hearing the commotion in the camp, he angrily called out: "Someone come!"

"Here!" His personal attendant was waiting just outside.

"Why is there such clamor in the midst of the army? Do you not know how strict military orders are?" Chen Jue rebuked.

"Governor, Han cavalry are outside the camp proclaiming that the Governor Xu to the south has already been broken by the Han army, and that Governor Xu has fallen in battle!" The attendant entered the tent to report.

"What!" Chen Jue was greatly shocked. Flustered, he rose and dressed, angrily demanding: "Why was I not informed?"

The attendant said carefully: "This humble one saw that you, Governor, were sleeping soundly..."

Before he could finish, Chen Jue was already furious beyond measure: "How dare you! Such urgent military intelligence, and you dared to delay it — you simply don't know what it means to live or die!"

The attendant was startled and hurriedly knelt to beg for mercy. Chen Jue ignored him, heading outside to check the situation while asking: "Where are the officers? Why have they not suppressed the soldiers and steadied the army's morale?"

"Army Commander Xian has gone to the various camps to reassure them..."

In haste, Chen Jue took people to investigate, personally going to the front camp to listen to the Han cavalry's proclamations and calls for surrender. He then gathered the officers to discuss the matter together, and the conclusion they reached was that it could not be believed.

In Chen Jue's view, Xu Wenzhen's army had over twenty thousand men after all, with many wagons and weapons. Even if the Han army had intercepted them with light cavalry, how could they have broken them so easily and quickly, let alone annihilated them entirely?

Considering everything comprehensively, Chen Jue relaxed and said confidently to the assembled officers: "I am certain this must be a Han army ploy to disrupt our morale. You all return to your camps and tell the soldiers, reassure their hearts, and hold the camp firmly. Pay no heed to the Han cavalry before the camp — if any approach, shoot them down with crossbows!"

It was Xian Vice Minister who, having a mouth on him, hesitated several times before finally speaking: "Even if this matter is not true, facing the Han cavalry's raiding and killing, how long can we hold out?"

Chen Jue frowned slightly and said helplessly: "At this point, we cannot spare thought for Xu Wenzhen. We can only hope he can hold out longer, or retreat in time!"

Chen Jue's tone was clearly self-consolation. When the Han army made its move, he had already sensed that Xu Wenzhen's army was in danger. If they formed up in formation, they could still protect themselves and resist for a time; if they retreated or even fled for their lives, that would be handing the Han cavalry the opportunity to hunt them at will.

In fact, by this time Chen Jue was already somewhat regretful. It still wasn't steady enough — to rescue Shouchun, coming out of Hefei to make a show of force and give the Han army something to fear would have sufficed. Why did he need to advance this far north...

Under Chen Jue's direction, the Tang officers carried out his orders to refute the rumors and reassure the soldiers, which naturally had some effect. But in the afternoon, when the Han cavalry came north escorting their spoils of war, the entire Tang camp fell silent.

Acting on Liu Chengyou's orders, Murong Yanzhao led his troops on a deliberately longer route past the Tang camp, with the Iron Cavalry and Dragon Swift two mounted units at the sides, like a victory parade. Hearing the news and coming to watch, Chen Jue stared at the column of prisoners and seized goods stretching like a long dragon, clenched his fists, and felt his old face both hot and sore...

"Lord Chen, the Han army is too arrogant! This subordinate is willing to lead a force out of the camp to strike them!" A Tang general requested to fight.

He was refused without hesitation by Chen Jue. At this point, the Tang army's officers suffered even greater damage to their morale, their fighting spirit plummeted, and hearts were unsettled. Many generals who still had some ambition voiced complaints — it was too stifling.

As the saying goes, one incompetent general exhausts the entire army. Fearing the enemy like a tiger, how could they resist the Han army?

On the Han side, learning that Murong Yanzhao had returned victorious, the Son of Heaven Liu Chengyou called together his officers and personally went to the camp gate to welcome him.

"Such a minor victory — how could it warrant Your Majesty personally welcoming me!" As always, Murong Yanzhao was very modest, strictly observing the rites of a subject.

"It is deserved! It is deserved!" Personally helping him up, Liu Chengyou also made a full display of honoring his meritorious minister.

Though he had long known from the battle report that this engagement had captured a great deal, standing before the camp and gazing at the carts large and small, the grain and weapons lined up to the very edge of his vision, Liu Chengyou still could not help but marvel: "Just how much supply did the Tang army carry this time? You're going to dazzle my eyes — our camp is probably going to be filled to the brim with it!"

Han Tong then said: "And this is still the harvest after losing twenty to thirty percent..."

After returning to camp, Liu Chengyou personally listened to a detailed report of the battle, naturally praising them. At the same time, for Xu Wenzhen, who had preferred death to surrender and died for his country, he did not stint on words of admiration.

At the same time, with Xu Wenzhen taken care of, Liu Chengyou could now free his hands to deal with Chen Jue's army at leisure. As for the next phase of operations, Liu Chengyou had long since formed a comprehensive plan — everything was under control. At that time, Liu Chengyou ordered a thousand riders to patrol the surrounding area, had the entire army rest in place, and prepared for the annihilation of Chen Jue's army.

On the Tang side, under Chen Jue's command, they implemented a single policy of "steadfast defense." Only at this point did Chen Jue and the others realize that once they had marched north, far from Hefei, they had already fallen into a disadvantageous position. As for building a camp and holding fast, it was merely an act of desperation.

Of course, if they could truly rely on the grain and weapons they carried to hold out longer, they might indeed pose some threat to the Han army. But when the initiative in war was handed over to the Han army on a silver platter, how long the Tang army could hold out was itself a major question.

Moreover, to be fair, Chen Jue from start to finish remained consistent, held to his original intent, and stubbornly resisted to the death — at least tactically, he did cause the Han army some trouble.

A camp of over fifty thousand men — to break it was not something that could be done by talk alone; it would require some effort. And having already been camped at Shouchun for two and a half months, he had no desire to grind down Chen Jue's army through attrition. He wanted to break it quickly.

During the two days of rest, accepting Murong Yanzhao's suggestion, Liu Chengyou separated out the Jiangbei men from among the captured Southern Tang soldiers and civilians, selected their commanding officers, and through threats and inducements, made them serve the Great Han.

He promised them that all would be registered in the rolls, and that as long as they rendered merit for the Great Han, after the war they would be rewarded with official posts, noble titles, money, grain, and land. This world has never lacked those willing to serve as guides for the winning side. Seeing the might of the Han army, many were tempted, and with the Han army's threats and inducements on top of that, in a short time they conscripted over three thousand auxiliary soldiers.

Toward these opportunists who were eager to pledge their service, Liu Chengyou was very generous, immediately appointing several Commanders on the spot and bestowing prefectural and town official posts, settling their hearts at once. These surrendered soldiers had only one purpose: assaulting the camp.

On the twentieth day of the first month of the fifth year of Qianyou, the Han Emperor Liu Chengyou personally led the main army in a formal attack on the false Tang Chen Jue's army camped by the banks of the Fei River. Because they had established their camp by the water, Liu Chengyou also transferred a naval force from Xiaca and Shouchun to assist.

Once the naval force arrived, the Tang army was caught between two fires. The Han army attacked fiercely for two days and broke through, capturing alive the false Tang commander Chen Jue, while Army Commander Xian Vice Minister and dozens of officers below him surrendered. In this battle, the Huaide Army newly established by the Han Emperor suffered heavy casualties, with barely a thousand men remaining.