Chapter 337

The roar of artillery mixed with shouts of battle surged into the sky.

Smoke blanketed the entire battlefield, obscuring sun and clouds.

Countless rebel soldiers, braving a storm of bullets and shells, erected scaling ladders and launched desperate charges toward the city walls.

“Pour boiling gold juice!”

At the commander’s order, scalding golden liquid poured down upon the heads of the rebel troops.

Instantly, screams pierced the battlefield.

Both sides strained to inflict maximum casualties upon their enemies.

At this moment, the world was filled with slaughter.

“Those who retreat shall be beheaded!”

After one assault failed, the rebel soldiers turned to retreat, only to be driven back onto the battlefield by the supervising troops.

The unlucky ones at the front were decapitated and displayed as warnings.

Some seasoned veterans, during their charge, deliberately fell among the dead.

In truth, feigning death did not guarantee safety.

To survive, one had to evade enemy fire and avoid being trampled by one’s own men.

The bloody battle continued; as one unit exhausted its strength, another immediately replaced it.

The rebels’ relentless assaults cost them over ten thousand casualties in just one day.

“Your Excellency, Your General, the rebels have gone mad.”

“They attack for no reason other than to attack—they care nothing for casualties!”

Deputy Commander Liu Qifeng spoke with grave expression.

The hardheaded fear the reckless; the reckless fear those who do not fear death.

This rule of life applied equally on the battlefield.

The rebels’ fierce assaults had begun to press the defenders.

“This is a good thing.”

“The more frantic the rebels appear, the more successful our plan has been.”

“Deputy Commander Liu, relax your mind.”

“If I’m not mistaken, the Jiangxi front has broken through, threatening the rebels’ homeland.”

“Without rear support, the enemy’s meager frontline supplies won’t last long.”

“The rebels are cornered, forced to seek a decisive battle with us.”

“The more desperate they become, the more calmly we must hold our ground.”

“Let’s wait. This kind of assault cannot last indefinitely.”

“Hold out for several days; the heavy casualties will force the rebel high command to realize frontal assault is futile.”

Li Yuan smiled.

For secrecy’s sake, only he and Li Mu knew the early plans.

All other generals in the army remained in the dark.

Now that the plan had succeeded, continuing to conceal it served no purpose.

Even if the rebels learned the truth, they could only face reality.

“Uncle is right. At this moment, we need only wait patiently—it is the rebels who should be anxious.”

“The rebels’ current frenzy is nothing but a desperate last gasp.”

“From the rebels’ movements, Wei Ni has abandoned the idea of annihilating us—he only seeks to win the Wuchang Campaign, even at the cost of mutual destruction.”

“But this applies only to his own troops; Fu Ni’s forces also participate in the siege, yet with far less intensity.”

Though the two rebel factions appear to be cooperating, they are in fact plotting against each other.

One side fights desperately while the ally slacks off—no one’s heart can be at ease.

The fiercer the battle, the faster their internal conflicts will erupt.

“Issue orders to all units: hold firm, leave no opening for the enemy.”

“Wait ten or fifteen days; only when the rebels realize they cannot win will be the time for our full counteroffensive.”

Li Mu added.

“The more the rebels want a decisive battle, the less we should go out to meet them.”

“Once their three initial strikes are spent, they gain no breakthrough, and their logistics falter.”

“All pressure converges—and that is when the enemy high command will make reckless mistakes.”

“The essence of war, beyond strength and logistics, is who makes fewer errors.”

“Generally, the more elaborate the maneuvers in war, the greater the chance of error.”

“Your Excellency, if we keep delaying like this, won’t it be problematic?

The situation in Sichuan continues to deteriorate—if Wei Ni launches a strike from behind, our defenses may collapse.”

The Huguang Provincial Governor spoke up.

To him, this war had begun in confusion and proceeded in confusion.

He accepted he couldn’t understand Li Mu’s tactics—it didn’t matter, since he wasn’t a Confucian general anyway.

Lack of military skill wasn’t a big deal.

All civil officials in court had roughly equal military competence; few could even

He may not understand, but that doesn’t mean he can ignore this Provincial Governor!

The Marquis of Zhenyuan’s position as Viceroy of Huguang is not a permanent post—he will leave after the war.

According to Great Yu’s rules, this Provincial Governor is the true local authority.

He doesn’t have the nerve to directly step forward and confront the Li uncle and nephew.

In Huguang today, it’s still their word that counts.

If he truly turns against them, it will only make his position more awkward.

During wartime, all kinds of accidents can happen—he might even die under mysterious circumstances.

Having finally found a loophole, he must seize the chance to show off and assert his presence.

He doesn’t expect to stand equal to the Li uncle and nephew, but at least he must make the civil and military officials of Huguang know there is still a Provincial Governor here.

“Your Excellency, if Sichuan remains peaceful, all is well; but if unrest breaks out, it will never be quelled in a short time.”

Wei’s ambition to fully seize Sichuan cannot be accomplished in a short span.

Even if he is willing to split his forces and support the rebels, he must consider his own practical situation.

Even if he deploys troops immediately, marching from Sichuan to the Wuchang front would be no easy feat.

Don’t forget we still have Xiangyang and Jingzhou Prefectures as rear-line barriers.

No matter which direction Wei’s forces advance, they cannot avoid passing through these two places.

By the time they reach the front, the Battle of Wuchang will already be over.”

Li Mu dismissed him with an expressionless face.

He had no time to care about the civil officials’ petty schemes.

Unlike his cautious, inexperienced self at the start, he now commanded heavy forces and stood as a pillar of the noble faction.

Even if court factionalism flared, his opponents should be the Grand Secretaries—or at the very least, the powerful Ministers of the Six Ministries in the capital.

The hollowed-out Provincial Governor of Huguang was no longer even in the same league.

Seeing their probing fail, the once-restless civil officials fell silent.

During wartime, it is not the time to stir up trouble.

Even if they came from the capital with political missions, they must wait until after the great battle.

By then, Li Mu, the Provincial Military Commander, would have long left Huguang—there would be no core conflict of interests between them.

…

The Allied Camp.

“The provisions from the rear continue to arrive on schedule, and meat supplies have even increased.”

The false dynasty’s offensive against Jiangxi has not affected our grain procurement.”

“My lords, you may rest easy now!”

Wang Weijiarui said with a smile.

Yet the worry in his brow betrayed his inner unease.

Half of Jiangxi is engulfed in war; sustaining the army’s logistical supply is clearly an impossible task.

The latest batch of supplies delivered is far smaller than planned.

Though ships appear numerous, many transport vessels are filled only with sand and earth.

The illusion of ample grain is meant solely to calm troop morale.

“Your Highness, I have an impolite request.”

I didn’t know whether to speak earlier, but now that I see your nation’s grain reserves are secure, I feel at ease.”

The false dynasty’s army marched south, burning multiple prefectures along the Yangtze, severely damaging Wu’s grain production.”

Our domestic grain has been prioritized for the northern front, leaving our logistics in crisis.”

I humbly beg Your Highness to lend us one hundred thousand shi of military grain; we will repay you immediately when the next shipment arrives!”

Marquis Yin Mufeng’s words placed Wang Weijiarui on the hot seat.

Logically, when an ally is short on grain, he should extend a helping hand.

The problem is, the abundance of grain was itself a ruse orchestrated by Chu, meant to soothe troop morale.

The army’s remaining grain barely suffices for one month; though it seems substantial, it is in fact an extremely dangerous figure.

Even if the imperial forces immediately capture Wuchang City, the major battle is unlikely to end within a month.

Should grain supplies falter, even a great victory can turn into a crushing defeat.

Under these circumstances, diverting one hundred thousand shi of military grain from the army would further deplete reserves.

“Of course, I must honor Brother Yin’s face.”

Yet your state holds the wealthiest Nanzhili, which appears as a single province but is in fact equivalent to several provinces.

Short on grain? Are you joking with me?”

Wang Weijiarui said with a dark expression.

He did not believe a single word of Yin Mufeng’s talk of grain shortages.

True, the imperial army’s southern advance disrupted the spring taxes, but Nanzhili has so many prefectures and counties—not all were affected.

Though Wu’s northern expedition last year failed, the forces deployed were few, and the conflict lasted only a short time.

The campaign with the greatest consumption was this very Battle of Wuchang.

Wu deployed merely one hundred thousand troops, while Chu committed five hundred thousand—there is no comparison in their consumption levels.

If the enemy’s army is not short on grain, then this performance is nothing but deliberate sabotage.

“Hahaha…”

“Your Highness has keen eyes—I merely noticed everyone was too serious, so I made a joke.”

As for grain, our Great Wu certainly has no shortage!”

Yin Mufeng replied with a cheerful smile.

Having probed the true state of Chu’s army, his goal was achieved; no need to truly sabotage the ally.

From Wu’s standpoint, they hoped the Chu Prince would win the war.

The northern campaign once again proved that the declining Great Yu dynasty remains too formidable for them to easily shake.

Occupying Nanzhili was merely taking advantage of the northern barbarians’ invasion.

Such opportunities do not come every day.

“If so, then the coming major battle relies on Brother Yin’s efforts.”

To secure victory as soon as possible, Chu’s entire army has given its all.

Yet the enemy’s defense is too stubborn; breakthroughs are hard to achieve in the short term.

The most likely point of vulnerability in the enemy’s line lies in the theater under your command, Brother Yin.

For the cause of overthrowing Yu, I humbly beg…”

Wang Weijiarui forced out the words, suppressing his displeasure.

He, a sovereign of a state, was now lowering himself to call a Wu general “brother”—it was truly humiliating.

Yet Wang Weijiarui was a pragmatist; face meant nothing without tangible gain. If it could be converted into profit, he had no qualms cashing in immediately.

“Your Highness, rest assured—I shall give my utmost!”

Yin Mufeng immediately pledged.

Chu’s low posture did not mean he could climb up the ladder.

The Three Kings who emerged from the White Lotus Holy State were in a league of their own.

Calling the Chu Prince “brother” was equivalent to calling one’s own emperor “brother.”

Though the Wu Emperor often did so, Yin Mufeng chose prudence and restraint.

As for the promises he made, they were nothing but empty silver notes.

It was not that he did not wish to break the enemy’s line—it was simply that he could not.

Since the war began, Wu’s forces had suffered nearly ten thousand casualties, a loss rate nearing ten percent.

With Chu’s suicidal tactics, his nine thousand troops could not withstand further attrition.

Chu’s situation was dire; the Chu Prince was willing to fight to mutual ruin to preserve his realm—but he was not.

The troops under his command exceeded a quarter of Wu’s total strength.

If his army suffered heavy losses, even a victory would leave him unable to answer back home.

“Good!”

“If we all unite, we shall surely crush Li Mu, that villain!”

Wang Weijiarui immediately rallied morale.

He could manipulate his subordinates’ morale, but his own inner unease remained impossible to dispel.

The purpose of this military meeting was primarily to calm troop spirits and discuss strategies to defeat the enemy.

Yin Mufeng’s interference had left the mission only half completed.

It was not that Wang Weijiarui changed his mind on the spot—he had already read the answer in everyone’s eyes.

The imperial forces huddled within the city, with only cavalry operating outside; beyond direct assault, they had few options.

Of course, they could still expand the front and attempt to draw out the enemy.

But reality did not permit it.

Extending the front increased not only logistical pressure but also command complexity.

He could barely manage the current front, often losing ground to enemy maneuvers.

If he further stretched his forces, thinning them out, he would receive even more devastating news.

The Chu troops on the periphery had the most to say—they were frequently bullied by imperial forces.

Especially the outlying reconnaissance patrols, who suffered heavy losses.

Whenever it came time to assign scouts, soldiers below would feign illness.

As a result, daily reconnaissance missions relied on the archaic method of drawing lots to select the unlucky.

By the time they organized a counterattack, the enemy had long vanished.

…

In Shu, staring at the towering city walls, Wei Hao sighed helplessly.

Xu Wenyue was his longtime rival; the two had fought from Guangdong and Guangxi to Huguang, and now from Huguang to Shu.

Even though Xu Wenyue was not renowned for military prowess, after so many battles, his skill had inevitably improved.

He outclassed Shu’s officials by more than a margin.

With him directing Chengdu’s defense, it was certainly not good news for the rebel forces.

If they could not capture Chengdu, declaring himself king would be a joke—they could only continue waving the banner of the White Lotus Holy State.

Unfortunately, as the rebels ravaged the land, the White Lotus Holy State’s reputation had long turned foul.

It held little appeal, yet its ability to attract hatred remained unmatched.

To seize the empire, they must de-religionize—this was the historical lesson left by their ancestors.

“Your Highness, word has come from Huguang: the Battle of Wuchang has reached a critical stage.”

The puppet regime has launched a full-scale counteroffensive, igniting major battles in Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Nanzhili, and elsewhere.

The Jiangxi front is most unusual—the puppet army swiftly seized half of Jiangxi, shaking the Chu Prince’s foundation.

On the northern front, the puppet regime’s border troops have mobilized, tying down most of Wu’s forces.

The overall situation is extremely unfavorable for the rebels.”

Xu Yanyu reported solemnly.

Entering Shu did not mean they sought to settle for a corner of the realm.

Wei Hao’s goal had always been to seize the empire.

Beyond Shu’s campaign, he constantly monitored the empire’s broader situation.

"It seems our original plan to avoid the enemy's sharp edge has succeeded."

Wu and Chu rose rapidly only because they took advantage of the northern barbarians’ invasion—the puppet dynasty’s strength remains formidable.

Though Shu has many flaws, if we capture Chengdu, we can seal our borders and watch the empire's turbulent changes unfold.

Yet to seize the empire, Shu alone is insufficient.

The ancient saying goes: once you take Long, you desire Shu.

We have reversed it—we have taken Shu first; next comes Guanzhong.

How are the rebel forces in Guanzhong progressing?”

Wei Hao asked with concern.

He could not help but envy Wu and Chu’s rapid rise.

But since the Yu dynasty had not yet fallen, he did not wish to bear the final blow of a dying dynasty, so he chose to avoid the sharp edge.

Whether this decision was right, even he was unsure.

Especially as Wu and Chu grew stronger while their own conquest of Shu fell short of expectations, dissent had begun to stir within the rebel ranks.

Through personal prestige, Wei Hao had forcefully suppressed the opposition—but the hidden dangers remained.

Now that Wu and Chu were encountering trouble, his own pressure had lessened.

“Your Highness, the Guanzhong rebels have just risen, and their development has not gone smoothly.”

Shortly after capturing Baishui, they were surrounded by imperial forces.

The rebels suffered heavy losses and were forced to retreat into the mountains for cover.

However, the disaster in Guanzhong was severe, and this year’s spring grain yield decreased again; many could not survive until the autumn harvest.

It was estimated that after a few more months, when the period between harvests arrived, a new wave of uprisings would be reignited.

Xu Yanyu immediately explained.

As a professional rebel organization, they were also summarizing and learning from their experience.

When was the best time to launch an uprising?

When was it necessary to lie low?

When could they go out to spread their teachings?

…

A series of experiences were compiled into guidelines for the rebel army’s operations.

(End of Chapter)