Chapter 391: Nurturing the Bandits to Bolster One's Own Weight

At dusk, in the main camp of the Yue Army.

"With a powerful enemy before us and pursuing forces behind, do any of you, my beloved ministers, have a strategy to defeat the foe?"

Hu Xinbo asked, his face etched with exhaustion.

The day's battle had dealt a massive blow to the Yue Army.

When the two armies clashed head-on across the vast plains, they were beaten so thoroughly that they could not even fight back.

No matter how stubbornly one might argue, one had to admit that a clear gap in strength existed between the two sides.

"Your Majesty, let us advance west!"

"Hanoi has fallen into enemy hands; we lack the power to retake it in the short term.

Continuing to press forward has now lost all meaning.

At this moment, the enemy is advancing from both north and south, forming a pincer movement against our forces; staying put is tantamount to waiting for death.

To the east lies the sea; right now, the army's only path to survival lies to the west.

Let us first break out of the enemy's encirclement, and only then can we plan for what comes next!"

Chen Chuyang spoke up to offer this advice.

As for a strategy to defeat the enemy, he truly had none.

He had known the domestic situation was dire, yet in his wildest dreams, he never imagined the Hanoi region would collapse so quickly.

Having lost their foundational territory, the Great Yue regime was now like duckweed without roots.

To make matters worse, Great Yu had abandoned its previous benevolent stance, cutting off even the path to seeking peace.

Under such circumstances, the only way to preserve their lives was to break out toward the west.

"Minister Chen, advancing west may not be easy either!

Since the enemy has already reached here, it will likely not be long before they march into Thai Nguyen, Tuyen Quang, and other places.

If the enemy commanders are clever, they will move north along the Red River basin, splitting Western Yue in two.

Worse still, the Yu forces in Yunnan might also launch an attack, targeting Lao Cai and other regions."

Chen Jingfu analyzed the situation immediately.

Although he had suffered defeat in the war against Yu, in terms of military acumen, he still surpassed most of those present.

To hold the position of Left General, flattery was secondary; reliance on one's own ability was paramount.

He laid out the entirety of Great Yue's current predicament squarely on the table.

In normal times, anyone who did such a thing would surely suffer a brutal beating in the officialdom.

But now the situation was special; with life and death hanging in the balance, continuing to play games would mean everyone's doom.

Theoretically, serving a new master would still allow them to hold office, but that was merely theory.

With so many in the Yu Dynasty eager for official posts, where would there be room for them?

"The Left General speaks rightly; advancing west is equally unsafe and can only address the immediate crisis.

What we need most right now is precisely time.

No matter how powerful the Yu Army is, it cannot conceal the fact that they face internal troubles and external threats.

If we drag this out until the Emperor of Yu orders a withdrawal, we will have won victory.

What our ancestors achieved back then, we can achieve now as well.

If Thai Nguyen cannot be held, we retreat to Tuyen Quang and An Phu.

If the area north of the Red River cannot be defended, we shift southward.

We can simply establish our temporary capital in Zunbian Prefecture, avoiding the enemy's spearhead.

Should we still be unable to hold on, we will cross the border and continue west into Burma.

If the Yu Army dares to pursue, we dare to run!"

Chen Chuyang declared with bold spirit.

Running away when unable to win was a tradition left by their ancestors; picking it up again carried no pressure whatsoever.

Facing Great Yu, failure was normal; victory would be a miracle.

"Good!"

"We shall follow Minister Chen's words and shift westward!"

Hu Xinbo made the decision decisively.

Fleeing could not solve the problem, but fleeing could save their lives.

He had not lived long enough yet and had no desire to martyr himself for the nation just yet.

"Your Majesty, once the main army shifts, we will be handing over the empire's most fertile lands on a silver platter.

The whole world is watching; we cannot..."

Before the elder could finish, Hu Xinbo waved his hand to interrupt him.

"Minister Pang, look at what you are saying.

It is as if not shifting west would allow us to keep Hanoi!

The enemy's momentum is currently at its peak; we cannot contend with them directly.

Once their sharp edge is worn down, we will regroup our banners and reclaim our lost territories."

It was not that he wished to disrespect the senior minister, but simply pointing out flaws without offering a solution was futile.

Advancing west might entail many problems, but it was the best response plan they could conceive.

With the main force fleeing, the Battle of Liangshan entered its final stages.

The Yue soldiers, having lost the city, were ambushed by the Yu Army the moment they exited the gates.

In the ensuing panic, Pu Yufeng could only flee with a handful of personal guards; this flight signaled the failure of the blocking action.

Leaderless, aside from a few who put up a futile resistance, most of the Yue soldiers chose to surrender.

Looking at the captives spreading across the hills and fields, Li Sanqi felt as though he had returned to three years ago.

Back when suppressing the White Lotus Sect rebels, after a great victory, capturing prisoners had also been done in vast swathes.

With more prisoners of war than his own troops, leaving them unused in the POW camps would be too wasteful.

"General Ruan, you deserve the foremost merit for this complete victory.

I have already requested merit recognition for you in the victory report; now we simply await good news!

All of you are also meritorious subjects; the Marquis never treats contributors unfairly, so everyone will be rewarded."

Looking at the Annan surrender soldiers who participated in capturing the city, Li Sanqi spoke to soothe them.

Having submitted their pledge of loyalty, these men were now trustworthy allies.

Although he despised these fellows for coveting life and fearing death, political necessity still required winning them over.

"General, you are too polite.

To serve the Superior State is our honor!"

Ruan Yunxiang said with Jidong excitement.

Gaining the recognition of Great Yu meant their blood had not been shed in vain.

For Great Yu to unify Annan in the long term, buying loyalty with gold was indispensable.

As early defectors, they undoubtedly held an advantage.

Once they became the model established by Great Yu, they need not worry about glory and wealth for the rest of their lives.

"General Ruan, it is excellent that you hold such understanding."

"In this battle, we captured over thirteen thousand enemy soldiers; according to the law, such a grave crime as rebellion warrants the execution of nine generations of kin.

However, Heaven possesses a virtue of cherishing life, and I do not wish to engage in slaughter, so I have secured an opportunity for them to atone for their crimes through meritorious service.

Upon approval from the Marquis, the plan is to select loyal and righteous individuals from the surrendered troops to form an auxiliary force comprising five battalion commands.

Since you are all meritorious subjects, the officer positions within the auxiliary force will be filled from among you.

Gentlemen, are you willing to share the burdens of the court?"

Once Li Sanqi finished speaking, everyone suddenly perked up.

The earlier promises of titles and rewards were all illusory pie-in-the-sky, but these official positions were tangible benefits.

Perhaps compared to their original ranks, these were still somewhat inferior.

Yet Great Yu was the Celestial Superior State, so the value of its official posts was inherently much higher.

"We are willing to exert our utmost effort like dogs and horses!"

After a brief hesitation, everyone replied in unison.

"Good!"

"The personnel appointments have already been submitted upward and will be issued within a few days.

Your next task is to select from the surrendered troops those righteous men willing to serve the court and enroll them into the army.

The remaining surrendered troops will all be classified as prisoners of war, awaiting the court's disposition.

After reorganizing the units, the subsequent mission will be to hunt down the remnants of the rebel army and restore a clean Liangshan to the world."

Differential treatment was the oldest and most effective method of division.

Once the reorganization was complete, the prisoners of war would be split in two.

In subsequent bridge-building and road-laying efforts, the Annan soldiers enrolled in the army would serve as overseers, while the remaining prisoners would become coolies.

With such unequal treatment placed before their eyes, it would not be long before the two groups became mutually hostile.

In fact, according to the initial plan, all captives were to be enrolled into the auxiliary army.

Alas, they had captured far too many prisoners—more than the troops under his command as Guard Commander—creating a risk of being usurped by their captives.

……

In the Shu region, at the Rebel Army camp.

"That rogue Li Yuan made a feint, leading his troops from Hanzhong into Guangyuan Prefecture and is now launching an offensive against the Mianzhu area.

If we do not take measures, it will not be long before they link up with Xu Wenyue's forces.

By then, the situation in Shu will slip out of our control.

My lords, does anyone have a strategy to defeat the enemy?"

Wei Hao asked, his face clouded with displeasure.

To guard against Li Yuan entering Shu, he had concentrated a massive force to establish defenses in Chongqing Prefecture.

He had dispatched scout after scout, all to keep watch on the enemy.

Never did he expect that while Li Yuan ostensibly marched toward Kuimen, he secretly sent troops to strike into Shu from Hanzhong.

Although the imperial troops entering Shu numbered only two divisions, a mere fraction of their own strength.

Yet war is not decided by numbers alone.

On the battlefield, the combat effectiveness of twenty thousand elite soldiers far exceeds that of two hundred thousand cannon fodder.

With this fresh force joining the fray, the imperial army in Shu would soon be fully restored.

Time was on the enemy's side; if they could not block the enemy outside Shu, defeat was merely a matter of time.

"Your Highness, the situation has come to this; Li Yuan's entry into Shu is now a certainty.

Our only course now is to seize Chengdu Prefecture as quickly as possible, then wait for an opportunity to drive the enemy out of Shu."

Fang Yuxuan suggested tactfully.

Having just defected, he was immediately entrusted with a heavy responsibility: the task of capturing Chengdu Prefecture.

The result, naturally, was no surprise; they had met with nothing but failure beneath the city walls.

While Xu Wenyue might not be much of a commander in the field, he had certainly accumulated considerable experience in city defense.

The city was well-stocked with grain and fodder, garrisoned by tens of thousands of troops.

Previously, concentrating hundreds of thousands of soldiers to besiege it had failed to take the city; with merely the tens of thousands of newly formed troops in their hands now, there was even less chance of success.

Not only had they failed to capture Chengdu Prefecture, but their army had even suffered attacks from the Tusi chieftains of Chuanxi.

If they had not harbored ulterior motives from the start and held back from a full-scale assault, they would have truly been ruined.

"Hmm!

General Fang speaks reason; indeed, this is our only option now.

The troops withdrawn from Chuandong for rest and reorganization shall henceforth be under your command; you must capture Chengdu Prefecture with all haste."

Wei Hao stated expressionlessly.

Though he seemingly agreed with the suggestion, his heart was actually filled with suspicion.

It was not that he lacked magnanimity, but rather that these generals from the State of Wu had always stuck together in a clique.

Several attempts to split up this group had been met with refusal.

Were it not for the several thousand elite troops these men had brought, who could now play a crucial role, he would have shown his displeasure long ago.

With loyalty unguaranteed, vigilance was essential.

Infighting within the Rebel Army had never ceased.

It was only due to their shared origins and the pressure from the Yu Army that the Three Kings had been able to divide their domains peacefully back then.

At any other time, they would likely have already fought until blood flowed like rivers.

One need only look at the Rebel Army in Guanzhong to see that various factions had engaged in fierce battles over the title of supreme leader.

The rapid counterattack by the Shaanxi imperial army was largely due to internal strife among the rebels.

Even after fleeing to Shanxi, the infighting among the rebel forces had not stopped.

"This general receives your order!"

Fang Yuxuan replied immediately.

Knowing full well that both sides were merely using each other, the proper formalities could not be neglected.

Regardless, Wei Hao was a senior figure in the sect, the last of the kings among the Three Kings and One Emperor.

"Qin Laosan, hear my order!"

"I command you to lead your one hundred thousand troops to launch an offensive against the Chuanxi region.

Eliminate the threat posed by the Tusi chieftains and relieve pressure on General Fang's flank."

"Deng Er, hear my order!"

"I command you to lead your eighty thousand troops to launch an offensive against Songpan Guard."

……

Immediately after, Wei Hao issued a series of orders that left everyone utterly confused.

Under normal circumstances, they should be concentrating their forces to cut off the convergence of the Yu Army.

Or else concentrating their strength to forcibly capture Chengdu Prefecture.

Dealing with the Tusi chieftains of Shu was clearly a secondary objective.

After successfully establishing a separatist regime in Shu, there would be ample time to deal with them later.

Engaging them now would yield little gain even if victorious, but result in a bloody loss if defeated.

After leaving the command tent, the former generals of the State of Wu instinctively gathered together.

"Marquis, we simply cannot comprehend these deployments by the Eastern King.

What exactly is he plotting inside that gourd of his?"

Liu Laoxu asked bluntly.

Since entering Shu, Fang Yuxuan had become the mainstay for these former ministers.

By sticking closely together, they had gained the capital to negotiate terms, successfully establishing their own faction under the Eastern King.

"It is right that you do not understand.

If everyone could understand it, the plan would have already failed.

In fact, stepping back from the military deployments themselves reveals the issue.

With the enemy advancing so fiercely, he is either aiming to strike the enemy or to secure an escape route."

Fang Yuxuan said with a sigh.

He had long known that the Eastern King struggled to stand alone, but never expected the situation to deteriorate so rapidly.

Since ancient times, the Shu region has been the burial ground for countless heroes; entering Shu is difficult, but leaving it is even harder.

After Wei Hao's forces entered Shu, failing to quickly seize the region, their morale was soon worn down.

Though they appeared to have abundant troops and generals, their actual combat effectiveness was very limited.

One need only look at the troops assigned to his command: after several days of assaulting Chengdu Prefecture, casualties surprisingly did not exceed three digits.

The number of soldiers dying on the battlefield was less than those killed by the disciplinary execution squads.

It was evident that the Rebel Army had not won the hearts of the people in central Shu, and local soldiers resisted the war.

The main force of the war remained the troops brought in from outside.

However, if the people of Shu had truly submitted, Wei Hao would not have expended such great effort trying to win them over.

With Shu's financial resources, training tens of thousands of elite soldiers would not have been difficult.

Had they gained the support of the local populace, Chengdu Prefecture would have been captured long ago.

The reason they could not achieve a breakthrough was primarily due to the excessive killing committed by the Rebel Army after entering Shu.

Not only were the great noble families targeted, but ordinary gentry and wealthy households also failed to escape disaster.

In a clan-based society, these people held local influence and naturally did their utmost to smear the Rebel Army.

If, after occupying a region, the Rebel Army had promptly carried out a land revolution and distributed the land to the people as promised, everything would have been fine.

Alas, policies require execution, and the Rebel Army lacked talent capable of governing local areas.

Nominally engaging in 'equalizing the fields,' in reality, the land meant for the common people ultimately fell into the hands of officials.

After their status transformed, these grassroots officials who rose through rebellion exploited the people with methods no less ruthless than those of the gentry.

In many places, the taxes and corvée labor burdens borne by the common people were heavier than during the previous rule of Great Yu.

Following this series of blundering maneuvers, resistance from the common people naturally ensued.

When they later realized something was amiss and tried to take remedial measures, it was already too late.

Given the shift in popular sentiment, even without Li Yuan leading his army into Shu, they would not have been able to withstand the counterattack by the gentry coalition.

"Marquis, then what shall we do?"

Liu Laoxu asked with concern.

Although he had decided from the start to be merely a passerby, now that the time to leave had truly arrived, he still felt some reluctance.

Life in Shu was comfortable, far better than wandering homeless.

Without the Eastern King holding the line in front, it would be difficult for rebel generals like them to escape the court's pursuit and slaughter.

"The Eastern King merely lacks confidence; he has not yet made the final decision to flee.

Otherwise, he would have acted long ago and would not need to wait for Li Yuan's forces to attack.

Given the style of the Great Yu officials, once they leave their own jurisdiction, they act as if the matter concerns them not.

Even if they were to send troops for suppression, they must first submit a memorial for approval by that brat Yongning.

With all the back-and-forth bureaucracy, the fastest it could happen would take two or three months.

With such a long buffer period, whether advancing west into the Usang Regional Military Commissioner's jurisdiction or going even farther to the Western Regions, the enemy forces would be unable to catch up.

Or rather, even if they could catch up, the enemy would not pursue.

It is all bitter, frozen wasteland; bringing troops to chase offers no benefit whatsoever.

Even if Emperor Yongning issues an edict, they will obey in word but disobey in deed, at most sending a few unlucky souls to carry out the mission."

Fang Yuxuan immediately mocked.

He had always harbored significant grievances against Wei Hao, the Prince of the East.

If not for this fellow entering Shu back then and uniting the power of the White Lotus Sect's three kings, they might well have seized the Central Plains.

Once Great Yu's rule was overturned, they would have been the faction most likely to seize the empire.

In the end, whichever one succeeded, the meat would still rot within their own pot.

At the critical moment, the Prince of the East led his troops into Shu, leaving no one to undertake the task of the northern expedition to the Central Plains.

It was only after the State of Wu was established that the banner of the northern expedition to the Central Plains was raised again, but by then, everything was too late.

Indecisive in the past, he was once again indecisive at this life-or-death juncture.

In Fang Yuxuan's view, at a time like this, one must either burn one's boats and gamble everything, or simply cut and run.

Wanting to carve out Shu as a fiefdom while also keeping a way out for oneself—where in this world is there such a perfect solution?

Zhennan Pass.

Looking at the victory report in his hand, Li Mu's heart bloomed with joy.

The Prince of Annan led his forces fleeing west, directly handing over eight hundred li of territory, declaring the victory of the first phase of the Annan strategy.

Having seized the most fertile Honghe Plain, there would be no need to worry about grain supplies ever again.

"Pass down the order: let all divisions advance steadily and methodically, and purge the remaining local rebels as soon as possible.

If the Prince of Annan wants to flee, let him flee!"

While issuing the command, Li Mu could not help but sigh.

In the past, he had always criticized the Liaodong faction for nurturing enemies to bolster their own importance; never did he expect that one day he would do the same.

It was all the fault of resources.

Once the Prince of Annan was killed, the imperial court would surely order a halt to the war.

Even if they did not order a withdrawal, the subsequent coordinated funds from Jiangnan and Min-Zhe would be difficult to secure.

Relying solely on coordinated funds from the two Guang regions placed too much pressure.

Keeping the Prince of Annan as a lingering tail changed the nature of things entirely.

As long as the chief culprit challenging Great Yu's dignity remained alive, the great war was not yet over.

Even if the imperial court's finances were tight, as long as they were told that victory was only one step away, everyone would grit their teeth and persist.

Compared to the period of the rebellion suppression war, Great Yu had already weathered the most difficult times.

Emperor Yongning's capabilities were average, but his ability to withstand pressure was quite good.

Replace him with an ordinary emperor, and few would dare to shield their ministers from blame.

Not only did he do it, but he did it more than once.

With the opportunity to leave his name in history delivered right before his eyes, Li Mu did not believe he would give it up.

While a prolonged great war could not be sustained, holding on for another year or so should not pose much of a problem.

With an extra year of buffer time, production in the Honghe Plain could gradually recover.

"My Lord Marquis, the victory report can be sent to the capital now.

I imagine His Majesty and the civil and military officials in the court can hardly wait any longer.

It is said that the Northern Barbarians intend to march south again; in recent years, the court has invested limited resources in the northern frontier, so they may not be able to stop the enemy forces.

Perhaps it will not be long before the court issues another call to defend the throne.

We must make the court resolve to annihilate Annan before the Northern Barbarians march south!"

Lan Linjie spoke up to remind him.

The Great Yu imperial court had never set a clear objective for how far the Annan war should proceed.

Apart from Li Mu clamoring to annihilate Annan and reestablish the Jiaozhi Provincial Administration Commissioner's office, most officials in the court advocated merely teaching the Annan people a lesson.

On one hand, in everyone's established perception, Annan represented poverty; on the other, Great Yu's national strength was limited and could not support multi-front warfare for an extended period.

"Mr. Lan, your words make sense; indeed, it is time to force the court to make a choice."

"Draft the victory report: inform His Majesty that we have decisively defeated the Annan army and recaptured many prefectures and departments of the Jiaozhi Provincial Administration Commissioner's jurisdiction.

Urge the court to dispatch officials immediately to establish the Jiaozhi Provincial Administration Commissioner's yamen.

As for the specific battle achievements, you may embellish them as you see fit; follow the old rule of inflating casualty figures.

Arrange for people in the capital to spread rumors that the Annan people have sent undercover agents carrying heavy bribes into the capital.

Their intent is to bribe the court officials into abandoning Annan once again.

If anyone in the court speaks up for the Annan people, incite the scholars to cause disturbances at their residences and label them traitors to the nation."

(End of Chapter)