[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-shao-song":3,"chapter-shao-song-shao-song-chapter-54":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Shao Song",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1558220,2024,"Chapter 54: Turmoil (Part 2)","shao-song-chapter-54",54,"\u003Cp>As it happened, when Han Shizhong came up the mountain, it immediately caused a stir in the army. Setting aside for now how His Majesty the Emperor spoke with Han Shizhong, at Lu Haowen's gathering, many important officials had assembled, most of them clever men. As they sat together, trading remarks and chatting idly about this battle, they actually managed to guess the gist of Zhao Jiu and Han Shizhong's plan from beginning to end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, there was no doubt that His Majesty valued Han Shizhong highly. This was known to all officials in the army. The fleeing officials hadn't known before, but once they reached Sizhou and Chuzhou and saw the jade belt on Commander Han, they certainly understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the question was: given how much Emperor Zhao valued Han Shizhong, in this battle that nearly gambled His Majesty's own life (though it had long seemed like a reckless gamble), when it came to actual execution, how could he possibly toss aside his personally appointed \"backbone\" Han Shizhong as a secondary force?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, Han Shizhong had to be the main force—if not the main force, he had to be propped up as one! So Han Shizhong's arrival as reinforcements today must have been part of the plan all along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, upon careful thought, Han Shizhong's words and judgments seemed to be the real basis for Emperor Zhao's decisions all along... For instance, the death of Liu Guangshi that day seemed to have a direct connection to Commander Han's military intelligence reports—the very report that Hu Yantong had delivered, which clearly stated that the Jin army numbered no more than twenty to thirty thousand. Based on that report, along with the fire that broke out inside Xiacaicheng, Emperor Zhao had disregarded everything and personally killed Liu Guangshi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the great warships Han Shizhong brought, they were no unexpected windfall. On the contrary, these men knew better than anyone the origin of this fleet, because this sailing ship fleet was simply scraped together from the coastal prefectures of the two Jingdong circuits!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It turned out that shortly after Han Shizhong transferred from Hebei to suppress rebellions in the two Jingdong circuits—that is, right after His Majesty ascended the throne, before the incident of falling into the well at Mingdao Palace—Han Shizhong had received an order from the central government in response to a memorial... At that time, the prefects along the coast of Jingdong East Circuit worried that the Jin would attack by sea, so they submitted a memorial to the temporary capital in Nanjing (Shangqiu) requesting defense. Han Shizhong was then given the task of suppressing rebellions while also collecting seagoing ships from the coastal prefectures of the two Jingdong circuits!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, when the temporary capital moved south, Han Shizhong also moved south suppressing rebellions. Following the unspoken rules of the time, he treated these seagoing ships as his personal property and stubbornly brought them all the way to the southern part of the Shandong Peninsula... According to mutual corroboration among these men, when His Majesty discussed this battle with Han Shizhong in Shunchang Prefecture, this fleet was anchored at Lianshui Army at Huaikou!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, this fleet was always meant to be used by Han Shizhong for great purposes. It was only that when Huang Qianshan was in power and His Majesty had not yet fallen into the well, the fleet's purpose was questionable. Only after His Majesty resolved to resist did the fleet enter the Huai River.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the logic of events was probably the opposite of what it seemed on the surface. It might have been precisely because of this fleet that Han Shizhong boldly advised His Majesty to launch this battle!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Say what you will, though these officials were wise after the event, they had basically guessed seven or eight parts of the truth... That was essentially how things were.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason it was only seven or eight parts was that these officials still couldn't possibly know what information had given Emperor Zhao the courage to risk his life, and they had completely misunderstood the primary and secondary roles of Han Shizhong and Zhao Jiu in planning this battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, long before he asked that question on the Ying River embankment, Zhao Jiu had already learned about the fleet from Han Shizhong. And as a time traveler, he almost immediately used his information advantage to instinctively connect it to that famous battle forever linked with Han Shizhong... That's right, the famous Battle of Huangtiandang, which appeared in history books and countless novels!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a time traveler, His Majesty Zhao immediately realized why Han Shizhong had later, under those circumstances, somehow conjured up such a sailing navy as if by magic and fought that classic battle!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was simple: General Han Wu had sailing ships from the very beginning, and he had early experience commanding sailing fleets! He might have been the first general in all of Chinese history to command a large-scale sailing ship fleet, and he truly played a key role at a critical historical juncture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the seagoing ships Han Shizhong had at Huangtiandang were certainly not limited to the scale of the Shandong Peninsula, that is, the so-called two Jingdong circuits. They must have included the combined forces of the prefectures around the Yangtze River estuary, which had even richer seagoing ship resources.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, wasn't the Jin army at that time the main force of the Eastern Route, nearly a hundred thousand strong? Hadn't Jin Wushu already become a full-fledged marshal? So if Han Shizhong could use a large seagoing ship fleet to block the return route of Jin Wushu's hundred-thousand-strong main force on the Yangtze River, why couldn't he use a smaller sailing fleet to block the advance route of Jin Wushu's thirty-thousand troops on the Huai River?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, Jin Wushu had just taken command, leading a large army for the first time, with military experience far inferior to his Huangtiandang days, while the forty-year-old Han Shizhong was at the golden age of a top-tier famous general!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, setting aside the various unexpected events triggered by the Liu Guangshi incident and the inevitable deviations from the plan during wartime, this was the fundamental thinking behind this battle. It was Zhao Jiu who had actively proposed it, and Han Shizhong had merely given an affirmative reply. And this naval force was precisely what Zhao Jiu had exhausted all his efforts to stabilize the situation here, and it was the real foundation of his courage to issue those proclamations everywhere—national resistance, not retreating a single step, preferring death to surrender.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let it be told: on the fifth day of the eleventh month last year, Zhao Jiu and Han Shizhong finalized their plan on the Ying River embankment outside Shunchang Prefecture. That very day, Han Shizhong immediately set out with his infantry eastward along the Huai River and sent fast horses to summon the fleet to enter the Huai quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By late November, they had rendezvoused and reorganized at Hongze Town (where Hongze Lake did not yet exist) on the border of Chuzhou and Sizhou. Using the gold tablets Zhao Jiu had secretly issued, they summoned able-bodied men, boatmen, and supplies from Chuzhou, Sizhou, and Lianshui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the fifteenth of the twelfth month, when Zhao Jiu had made his preparations and Han Shizhong was also fully ready, they actively and slowly moved upstream, entering Sizhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, during the Liu Guangshi incident, Han Shizhong actively scouted the military situation. After that, he hesitated no more. The sailing warships raised their sails and moved upstream again, spending the New Year just behind Tushan in neighboring Haozhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the New Year, with Zhang Jun's \"borrowing arrows with straw boats\" succeeding and Jin Wushu still not attacking the city, Zhao Jiu determined that the Jin army would cross the river. He hesitated no more and immediately summoned Han Shizhong here!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, according to their agreement, Han Shizhong should have arrived earlier...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Last night, we encountered the Jin army at Juejian, forty li to the east,\" Liu Hongdao admitted frankly, slightly drunk. \"His Majesty must have known about this as soon as we came ashore... Otherwise, we would have arrived by noon today, and the Jin might not even have dared to build their pontoon bridge.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How many Jin troops were at that Juejian? Where did they come from?\" Lu Haowen, also slightly drunk, felt a jolt of alarm. \"Were they stopped?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Only about a thousand, probably a detached secondary force. How could they not be stopped?\" Liu Hongdao said casually. \"And it wasn't just stopping them. It was also that reckless Han Wu's good fortune... We were anchored behind, waiting, and didn't know the details. I only heard that just as that Jin force crossed the river at night, Han Shizhong's fleet cut them off against the wind. The sun had just come up, and the whole river was golden. The Jin lost many boats in an instant and finally had to abandon their vessels and take refuge on an islet in the middle of the river. They're now trapped there by a few ships Han Shizhong left behind, waiting to die! I took a special look when I passed by—there must be a good four or five hundred Jurchen soldiers there. The thousand or so horses left on the north bank were also seized by that reckless Han Wu. This is truly a monumental achievement!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If so, it is indeed good fortune!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I daresay by tomorrow morning, Commander Han will have become General Han again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone couldn't help but sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In my view, this may not be good fortune,\" Academician Lin, the only one who had drunk too much, blurted out. \"I suspect Commander Han learned of the military situation and deliberately arranged it, fighting a fine battle. But is such greed for merit not reckless? Was he not afraid that if the situation at Bagongshan failed today, it would ruin the great affair?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not necessarily,\" Zhang Jun replied after a moment's thought. \"There must be some greed for merit, but it wouldn't ruin things. You must understand, sailing ships don't rely on manpower; they ride the wind day and night, far faster than land travel. That Juejian Town is only forty li from here, and today the southeast wind is just right. It would take at most half a day to arrive... Han Shizhong didn't arrive until the afternoon, clearly knowing the Jin would build their bridge and cross today. He deliberately slowed his pace, planning to arrive in the afternoon and make a good show on the river. He just didn't expect a Zhang Yongzhen to so revitalize the situation, causing the Jin to lose their offensive opportunity early and withdraw.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone thought it over and understood, then felt relieved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, just as they were finishing their discussion and preparing for one more round of drinks before dispersing, another commotion suddenly arose outside the wooden lodge... At first, everyone thought Han Shizhong was about to leave, but upon inquiry, they learned that the reckless Han Wu had already departed and boarded his ship. When they asked further, they were told that His Majesty Zhao had personally ordered the entire army to stand ready to face the enemy! Not only that, just as these men were preparing to go to the imperial tent to ask the reason, they saw Yang Yizhong himself, fully armored, leading several hundred armored imperial guardsmen as they sprinted past them in the torchlight, rushing out of the camp westward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this, almost everyone, from Lu Haowen on down, turned pale and could barely maintain their composure!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let me ask the Fourth Prince three things!\" At the same moment, in the Jin army camp, at the highest military council with only three men present, Ali was staring darkly at Jin Wushu. \"First, you know the reputation of that reckless Han Wu from Zhaozhou, and you know he was deployed downstream. So why, when Han Shizhong brought such great ships here today, did not a single rider from the entire meng'an we sent downstream come to report the military situation?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Wushu remained silent, his face dark. Elubu was about to speak, but Ali waved him to silence: \"Second, where is the scheme you spoke of today, Fourth Prince, that went beyond this? And third, why did you delay until now to hold this military council? What exactly are you waiting for?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Jin Wushu finally looked up and forced himself to respond: \"Just as General Ali guessed, the two meng'an found ferries on both sides... The eastern one was probably originally left for Liu Guangshi's troops to cross; the western one was abandoned by a Song officer named Ding Jin after his defeat at Feikou. Neither had many boats—just a few dozen small vessels. Without horses, they could barely ferry a thousand men. So after receiving the reports, I didn't have them come to rendezvous. Instead, I had them cross the river this morning from both sides, then race to attack Bagongshan from left and right. If we could have kept fighting until now, no matter how many we lost on the water, with a three-pronged night attack, given the Song army's incompetence in land warfare, they would surely have suffered a great defeat!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And now?\" Ali pressed coldly. \"You delayed the military council, Fourth Prince, surely waiting for good news from those two forces. Have you received any word?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The eastern force must have been destroyed by those great ships,\" Jin Wushu said, his breathing becoming unsteady under the interrogation. \"As for the western force under Shulie's meng'an, I still don't know... Perhaps they saw no battle and withdrew, or perhaps they're still on the way, or maybe they seized some Song city along the way and are waiting for my orders! General Ali also knows that with the kind of troops the Song have, a thousand men on a night raid have a good chance of taking a city! They might even directly raid the camp and break the Song's Huainan headquarters! I'm just afraid that seeing no movement from me here, they won't dare to act rashly!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ali had heard enough and was too lazy to say more. He simply wiped his face and walked away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where are you going, General Ali?\" Elubu quickly asked. \"The military council hasn't reached a conclusion yet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What conclusion is there to reach?\" Ali replied angrily without turning back. \"No matter what, Shulie's thousand men have become an isolated force. Tomorrow or the day after, once the Song army knows and is prepared, they'll be useless! And whether we want to warn Shulie or help him tonight, we have to create a disturbance now... Quickly rouse the entire army for a night feint against Xiacaicheng! Seeing this, Shulie will surely make up his mind and directly raid the Song's Huainan headquarters tonight!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Wushu and Elubu both understood and hurriedly got up to follow. But as the three of them left the tent, before they could even muster the troops, they heard from across the river the Song army's Huainan camp at Bagongshan begin to clamor wildly, and a fire broke out at the western naval stockade!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Jin Wushu's worry turned to joy, and he became energized again: \"Shulie is truly a fine fellow! He brings honor to us Jurchens!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ali was speechless inside but could only urge Jin Wushu to quickly sound the drums and raise the army for a night attack on Xiacaicheng!\u003C\u002Fp>",2593,"2026-06-06T07:45:46.639Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","84f2ce60cb38791b2bb847232e90539ac094e734baa276e432f8c886c58f7cbe","shao-song-chapter-55","shao-song-chapter-53",489,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fshao-song-cover.jpg"]