Chapter 336

When the turmoil in Guanzhong broke out, the Chu army, which had moved south along the river, also arrived at Poyang Lake.

"Magistrate Duan, this time the recovery of Ganzhou Prefecture depends on you."

Wei Jialiang said politely.

Being far away from Li Mu does not mean the battle will be easier to fight.

For the imperial army to dare to invade Jiangxi, they must have something to rely on.

"My Lord, this humble official has shallow knowledge and limited talent; I am truly unable to shoulder such a heavy responsibility!"

Duan Shengde replied with trepidation.

The fact that those people outside call him a 'poisonous strategist' does not mean he truly possesses the capabilities of one.

The times are different now.

The lower limits that could be broken were long ago repeatedly pushed by our predecessors in years past.

Modern warfare has already developed to the point where, for the sake of victory, no means are considered too extreme.

He is merely a civil official and not a military specialist.

Offering ideas occasionally is fine, but asking him to shoulder the heavy responsibility of recovering Ganzhou is simply asking him to be the scapegoat.

If the mission is not completed, Wei Jialiang, being the younger brother of the Prince of Chu, will not face any major consequences.

But he, a lone official, will be the one to suffer.

Because his methods are ruthless, he is not accepted by the civil official community, and there is simply no one in the court to help speak for him.

"Enough!"

"Recovering Ganzhou Prefecture is inherently riddled with difficulties; you need not feel too much pressure.

However, the grain and fodder for the frontline army must be guaranteed.

The Prince has put me in charge of Jiangxi affairs; besides resisting the imperial army's invasion, the most important thing is to guarantee the logistics supply for the army.

When Ganzhou City was besieged, it was entirely due to Magistrate Duan's central coordination that the city's grain supply was maintained, which allowed the city to be preserved.

This matter is now entrusted to you!"

Wei Jialiang said in a tone that brooked no refusal.

Troubled times are the best at accelerating a person's growth.

Proposing the recovery of Ganzhou earlier was merely a feint; the real purpose was to have Duan Shengde take on the heavy responsibility of grain procurement.

This is not a good job.

The amount of supplies consumed daily by the army at the front is not a small amount.

Procuring it from the rear and then sending people to deliver it to the front is by no means an easy task.

The people of Jiangxi, who have just experienced the flames of war, must not only provide men for the army but also provide grain and bear the burden of corvée labor.

Such a heavy burden has long exceeded everyone's limit of endurance.

No matter who is in charge of grain procurement, they will inevitably be cursed.

A large part of the reason why Duan Shengde is notorious is that when he was defending Ganzhou, he used people as military rations.

Wei Jialiang's meaning was clearly and subtly telling him that if necessary, he could do it again.

During the process of their rebellion, the White Lotus Sect rebel army had no shortage of cannibalism incidents.

Some psychologically twisted generals even specifically...

However, as the rebel army developed and grew, and the hope of seizing the world appeared, they gradually restrained themselves.

Various past atrocities were strictly prohibited by decree.

No matter how much they restrain themselves, the core will not change.

When a crisis moment arrives, the evil hidden deep in the human heart will still be awakened.

"My Lord, this..."

Before Duan Shengde could refuse, Wei Jialiang forcefully interrupted him.

"Ganzhou Prefecture is lost, and the grain that was stockpiled in the Ganzhou region to launch the Guangdong campaign is naturally gone as well.

With hundreds of thousands of troops fighting on the front lines, a massive amount of grain is consumed every day.

The imperial army also constantly attacks our grain storage strongholds and transport teams; while the losses may not look large at any single time, they cannot withstand the frequency of the losses.

The Battle of Wuchang has fallen into a stalemate and is difficult to win in the short term; most of the supplies we prepared are not enough.

To stabilize the morale of the army, only a few people know these facts.

I returned this time specifically to procure grain.

Magistrate Duan, the future of the Chu State is now in your hands!"

Supplying hundreds of thousands of troops fighting on the front lines with the resources of a single province is destined to require extortionate levies.

Even with extortionate levies, it is not certain that the task can be completed.

At a time like this, the benefits of having read the Three Kingdoms are reflected.

How Cao Cao solved the grain shortage crisis back then is something the Chu State can naturally follow.

However, this kind of errand is not something an ordinary person can handle.

Duan Shengde, who bears the title of "poisonous strategist," immediately entered Wei Jialiang's sights.

"My Lord, an urgent report from the front!

Five days ago, the imperial army broke through Jian Prefecture, and then the enemy split into three routes, simultaneously launching attacks on Yuanzhou, Linjiang, and Fuzhou.

All three places are in emergency; the situation in Jiangxi has deteriorated across the board..."

Upon receiving this terrible news, the first to collapse was not Wei Jialiang, but Duan Shengde.

The grain procurement task, which was hell-level difficulty before today, has now been upgraded to impossible.

In the blink of an eye, half of Jiangxi is gone just like that.

Relying on the remaining half of Jiangxi to procure military rations for the frontline army will likely starve all the people under his rule to death.

With such a large deficit, I don't know how many lives will have to be filled in.

Even if he could disregard his reputation before and after death, he must still consider the political impact.

Once the news leaks, the military and civilians of Jiangxi will likely become alienated from the Chu State.

The matter of Ganzhou Prefecture, if it could happen once, could happen a second time.

With the hearts of the people turned against them, the collapse of the Chu State has become a foregone conclusion.

They, the participants, will also be forever nailed to the pillar of shame in history.

"My Lord, the imperial army is coming with great momentum, exceeding our expectations.

As for the current plan, I fear the only way is to explain the situation to the Prince and accelerate the process of the decisive battle!"

Duan Shengde suggested with trepidation.

Deep down, he is very clear about the potential risks of urging a decisive battle at the front.

But the Chu State has no choice now; the logistics are unable to support the army's continued fighting.

If the Chu State wants to win, it must have a quick victory.

"Impossible!"

"This is impossible!"

"The puppet dynasty in Guangdong only has one battalion of recruited troops; the rest are all garrison troops, and they are barely useful even as cannon fodder.

How could they be able to split into three routes to attack after consecutively taking Ganzhou and Jian Prefectures?"

Wei Jialiang, who was slow to realize, roared immediately.

It is truly too treacherous.

Originally, he chose to return to reinforce Jiangxi to avoid the main force of the imperial army.

Yet, after returning, he discovered that the imperial army invading Jiangxi was still just as fierce.

For garrison troops to possess the combat effectiveness of recruited troops—isn't this just pure bullying!

The miscalculation of strength caused all of the Chu State's strategic layouts to go down the drain.

Nanjing City.

"Your Majesty, the imperial armies of Shandong and Henan have moved simultaneously, launching an attack on us together.

The Xuzhou front is in emergency; General Feng has sent an urgent request for reinforcements!"

Minister of War Fan Xiuwen said with a grave expression.

Ever since the Battle of Wuchang broke out, the attention of the entire Wu State has also been drawn there.

If the Wu State wants to seize the world, it must not only solve the Great Yu but also annex the Chu State.

Watching the Chu army and the Yu army fighting hard on the front lines, the high-ranking officials of the Wu State, as spectators, held very high expectations for both sides.

It would be best if they could perish together, so they could go over to inherit the legacy and sweep across the entire south.

Unfortunately, their allies are disappointing; no matter how they attack, they have not been able to break through the imperial army's Wuchang defense line.

Clearly possessing superior troop strength, they still frequently suffer losses on a battle line of several hundred miles.

However, they are spectators; a few complaints and it's over.

Even if their allies suffer losses, the advantage in troop strength remains obvious.

At worst, they can fill the gaps with human lives and slowly pile the enemy to death.

Since they are not their own people, no matter how heavy the allies' casualties are, they can accept it.

Yet, the trees want to be still, but the wind will not cease; they want to be the fisherman, but the imperial court will not agree.

First, the imperial army entrenched in Songjiang Prefecture frequently sent troops to harass the surrounding prefectures, forcing them to mobilize heavy troops to encircle and suppress them.

After a series of bitter battles, they finally suppressed the enemy army in Songjiang Prefecture.

The enemy army has reinforcements in the rear; wanting to completely annihilate the enemy army cannot be accomplished in a day or two.

However, as long as they occupy the upper hand, victory is only a matter of time.

Never did they expect that the imperial army in the north would also move, forcing the Xuzhou side to seek reinforcements from the rear.

"Feng Bangyan, what is he doing?

Nearly fifty thousand troops are deployed in the Xuzhou region; the imperial armies of Henan and Shandong combined can at most mobilize this number.

With equivalent troop strength, can he not even manage to defend the city?"

Pingnan Fu Haoxuan questioned coldly.

He accepts that the Northern Expedition failed; who told them they didn't have cavalry!

Now that they are the side defending the city, the enemy's cavalry advantage cannot be used to attack the city, so it would be inexcusable to suffer losses again.

"Your Majesty, the puppet dynasty's cavalry is running rampant, directly cutting off the connections between the various prefectures of Xuzhou.

Every time the enemy army launches an attack, they concentrate their superior troop strength and strike at the weak points.

As a result, gaps have appeared in the Xuzhou defense line in local areas."

Fan Xiuwen explained tactfully.

It seems that the imperial army's cavalry played a role, but in essence, the problem is still that the Wu State's army's combat effectiveness cannot keep up with the imperial army.

This kind of gap is not unique to them.

Throughout the dynasties, the combat effectiveness of peasant uprising armies has never been able to keep up with the imperial army.

This is an amateur player fighting a professional player.

Wanting to occupy the upper hand requires a long period of tempering.

Even counting from the day of the uprising, the Wu State's army has only been born for three years, and it has been less than a year since it moved toward regularization.

But for the elite border cavalry, the soldiers have been receiving training for over three years.

During this period, they have experienced countless battles; whether it is tactical application or coordination on the battlefield, it is not something they can compare to.

"Trash!"

After a furious curse, Pingnan Fu Haoxuan quickly regained his rationality.

He understands Feng Bangyan; if he were not forced into a corner, this person would not reach out for help.

The strategic significance of Xuzhou is great, and for the Wu State, it cannot be lost.

Rescue is necessary; the problem now is how to carry out the rescue.

If things go wrong, the current situation might be deliberately created by the imperial army, with the purpose of besieging a point to strike at reinforcements.

Possessing a cavalry advantage, penetrating eighty or a hundred miles into the battlefield is like child's play.

If one is not careful, the reinforcements will be ambushed by the enemy on the way.

"My dear ministers, is there anyone willing to lead troops to relieve the siege of Xuzhou for me?"

Pingnan Fu Haoxuan asked slowly.

Even if risks exist, rescue must be carried out.

If Xuzhou Prefecture is lost, the flames of war will soon burn to Luzhou, Fengyang, Huai'an, Yangzhou, and other places.

These prefectures are all wealthy lands.

They can provide grain and tax revenue for the Wu State, especially the salt industry in the two Huai regions, which has earned the Wu State huge profits.

"Your Majesty, this humble general is willing to go!"

Seeing that no one stepped forward for a long time, Marquis Wudu Xie Yifei stepped forward and said.

Trusted aides enjoy preferential treatment, and at critical moments, they must also step up.

The imperial army's cavalry advantage is too obvious; this rescue of Xuzhou is destined to be a bitter errand.

One cannot count on crushing the enemy army to achieve merit.

Instead, one must be careful of the enemy army launching a surprise attack and dealing them a heavy blow halfway.

Every march must be cautious to avoid being taken advantage of by the enemy.

If everything goes smoothly, it will just be helping the defenders preserve Xuzhou; the toil will outweigh the merit.

The risks and rewards are not proportional.

"Good!"

"Marquis Wudu, take the order!"

"This humble general is here!"

"I order you to lead fifty thousand troops and immediately rush to Xuzhou for reinforcements.

In this battle, I do not ask for the annihilation of the enemy; as long as Xuzhou Prefecture is preserved, it will be a great merit!"

Below Wuchang City.

With a series of bad news gathered in his hands, Wang Weijiarui suddenly discovered that his initiation of the Battle of Wuchang was truly too rash.

"The situation in Jiangxi continues to deteriorate, and the northern front of the Wu State has started fighting; the situation is very unfavorable for us.

My dear ministers, do you have any brilliant strategies to offer?"

Wang Weijiarui asked expectantly.

From the beginning of declaring himself Prince and establishing his system, he constantly scoured the famous scholars under his rule, hoping to obtain the talent of a king's assistant to help him seize the world.

The effort was not in vain; although most were mediocre, he did indeed obtain quite a few talents during this period.

However, many people joined under duress and did not have a high sense of belonging to the Chu State.

The assigned work was completed, but he always felt that these people were holding something back.

Regarding such a situation, besides using time to slowly win over the hearts of the people, Wang Weijiarui had no other way.

"Your Majesty, the imperial army has launched a counterattack, proving that the enemy does not have absolute certainty of victory in the Battle of Wuchang.

To increase their chances of winning, the enemy is using these despicable means, attempting to make us throw ourselves into chaos.

The more it is a time like this, the more we must remain calm.

The imperial armies of Henan and Shandong moving south is something the Wu State will naturally handle.

Even if the war is unfavorable, it will not affect us in the short term.

What is truly tricky is that the situation in Jiangxi has deteriorated across the board, and the situation in Zhejiang has also fallen into turmoil.

However, the problems encountered in these two places can all be solved.

As long as we decisively and cleanly win the Battle of Wuchang, all the problems we are facing now will no longer be problems.

The lost land can be taken back later.

What we are fighting for is the vast mountains and rivers of the Nine Provinces; there is no need for you to take the loss of one city or one territory to heart."

Chancellor Chang Junyi spoke up to comfort him.

Solving problems is truly too difficult.

By comparison, providing emotional value to the monarch is much simpler.

However, while providing emotional value, he still included some substantial points.

The situation has developed to this point, and the Chu State has no choice.

Initiating the Battle of Wuchang was their decision, but ending the Battle of Wuchang is not up to them to decide!

Even if they stop now, the imperial army will not let them withdraw their troops safely.

With the organizational ability of the Chu army, suddenly ordering a withdrawal will inevitably cause chaos.

Once taken advantage of by the enemy army, it might turn into a major rout.

Splitting troops to return to rescue Jiangxi and Zhejiang is likewise a path to death.

The Battle of Wuchang was already being fought with difficulty; dispersing the strength in hand will only make subsequent battles increasingly difficult.

"A few setbacks, this Prince can bear.

That thief Li Mu actually chose to use such despicable means to force me into a decisive battle with him, then I will grant his wish!

Pass the order down, let all units prepare, and from tomorrow on, attack the city with full force.

Tell the generals below, do not worry about the casualties of the troops.

No matter how heavy their losses are, I will replenish them; right now, I only want victory!

As for the laborers who just arrived, don't let them go back.

After a little training, let them directly serve as supplementary troops and distribute them to everyone to replenish losses."

(End of chapter)