Chapter 554: Jing-Xiang

At this time, Jiangxia Commandery had no Wuchang, only E County. As the center of copper and tin smelting in the south, though E County was not the commandery seat, it was still a major town on the middle reaches of the Yangtze. Feng Yi, the Han General Who Guards the West, was garrisoned here.

Though the land of Jing and Chu was thick with the clouds of war, both north and south of the river, every regime observed the same Laba Festival. That day, the Han soldiers rose early and made offerings to the Kitchen God near their barracks. They prayed for many things, but one above all could not be omitted.

"On the La day we bid farewell to the old, hoping only that next year we may eat our fill."

Compared to the Wei army, which occupied the north and drew grain from Guanzhong and the Three He regions, the Han army's daily rations were far inferior. Fortunately, the yield of southern rice per mu was much higher than northern millet, and Yangzhou had seen less warfare, so supplies could just barely be maintained. At the start of each month, boats would travel upriver from Yuzhang and Huainan, bringing grain. Those were the soldiers' happiest days — it meant the belt-tightening days at month's end were over, and they could eat their fill for a few days.

Today was Laba, and by rights it was not yet time for the grain shipment, but rumors were spreading: there would be extra rations!

"General Feng is going to give us La goods?"

The men instantly boiled with excitement. Eating cured meats on the La day was tradition. To display benevolence, Han-era officials would even distribute La money to the elderly, officials, and garrison soldiers. Now that Liu Xiu had taken up the Han mantle, had he inherited even this virtuous policy?

Some were skeptical: "I hear General Feng himself eats the same as the common soldiers and has not tasted meat for months. Where would he get La goods to hand out?"

Others were unconvinced; they had a mysterious faith in Feng Yi: "Have you not heard the tales of 'Gongsun's wheat gruel' and 'Gongsun's bean porridge'? General Feng can simply conjure up food!"

These were stories of Feng Yi following Emperor Liu in the early days of their venture. It was said that back then, Liu Xiu and his men had no place to settle and wandered the Huai-Si region. When they were racked with hunger, Feng Yi somehow procured a cauldron of bean porridge the next day, easing their cold and hunger. Later, amid wind and rain, it was again Feng Yi who first found an abandoned hamlet for shelter, then dug up grain the common folk had hidden from some forgotten corner and cooked another cauldron of wheat gruel…

Feng Yi's remarkable ability was that he could not only manage the food for a few dozen men, but also handle the provisions for tens of thousands with perfect competence. Feng Yi placed great importance on logistics and supply. When the baggage train fell behind, he would rather hold steady than rush ahead.

"Exactly. In the past year of the western campaign, from Yuzhang to the walls of Changsha, we fell into hardship several times, but when did General Feng ever let us go hungry? Just wait and see!"

Believing it or not, the soldiers all secretly hoped, longing for a taste of meat. The south had long ceased to be the wild state of centuries past, where one could throw a stick and hit a wild beast — especially the E region, which had been developed early.

By noon, the news was basically confirmed, spreading through the camp in vivid detail: "Dozens of large boats arrived at E County this morning. The soldiers from the neighboring Left Camp were detailed to the docks to unload cargo. The men who came back say those baskets are greasy — you can smell the fragrance!"

The soldiers' hearts swelled with even greater anticipation. When sounds came from outside, calling the camp officers to bring men out, the crowd surged forth, each clutching their own cauldrons, bowls, ladles, and basins — but they were instantly stunned by the sight before them.

It was not because the La goods delivered were piled high as a mountain, but because the man delivering their La goods was Feng Yi himself!

Feng Yi spoke with a Yingchuan accent and wore a suit of old armor. It was said that he had worn this very armor back then, following the Han Emperor Liu Xiu in the great slaughter at Kunyang.

The camp officer approached nervously. Feng Yi, not minding the grease, took a dried duck tied with straw cord from the basket behind him and handed it to the officer. Then he left a basket of strongly-scented dried fish — these were for the common soldiers to eat…

Not only that, Feng Yi could chat with these officers, every one of whom he could call by name: "Unlike the common soldiers, most camp officers are from Nanyang and Yingchuan. In Wan, the La food is dried dog. In Yingchuan, it is pork and chicken."

Feng Yi sighed: "But here by the great river, duck and fish are more plentiful. Gentlemen, do not disdain them."

"How could we!"

The officers led the soldiers in thanking Feng Yi: "These are La delicacies delivered by the General's own hand."

But Feng Yi did not wish to build up personal gratitude toward himself. He merely cupped his hands toward the east and said: "This is by His Majesty the Emperor's doing. Months ago, the Son of Heaven purchased ducks and geese from the common people, had salt transported from near Guangling, ordered fish salted all along the river, and then dispatched boats to deliver them — all so they would arrive on Laba Day for the soldiers. If you must thank anyone, thank the Great Han Son of Heaven!"

"Long live the Great Han!"

"Ten thousand years to His Majesty!"

For a time, after Feng Yi passed through, the Han army camp at E County resounded with wave after wave of acclamations. That night, the officers and soldiers ate their rice with the La delicacies, and the sounds of laughter were indeed greater than on ordinary days.

Feng Yi also laid out a modest feast in his main tent, but he adhered to his principle of sharing food and clothing with the common soldiers. It was still nothing more than roasted dried fish and boiled dried duck, which made Zhu You, just returned from a diplomatic mission to Baidi City, find it hard to lift his chopsticks. To the soldiers, La delicacies were perfect for making rice go down, but to him, they were simply too salty. His Majesty the Emperor was truly generous with the salt!

Feng Yi raised his wine and said: "After this affair, the army's morale can be put to use."

Zhu You was still heavy with worry: "I only fear that the La delicacies the soldiers taste differ from those of their homeland, which will only make them more homesick."

Deserting or going AWOL out of homesickness was not just common among ordinary soldiers, but a constant state among the Han army's mid- and lower-ranking officers. Many men of Nanyang and Yingchuan origin, hearing that the Red Eyebrows had been destroyed and their homeland was at peace — and that the men in charge there were fellow Nanyang men Cen Peng and Yin Shi — had cast aside their military posts and run back home. It could not be stopped despite repeated prohibitions. After all, to the "clever men" of weak resolve, Wei was vastly stronger than Han. In the past, they had no choice because their homeland was overrun by the Red Eyebrow bandits. Now, why not go back?

This closely resembled the situation when Han's founding Emperor Liu Bang first entered Hanzhong. Zhu You believed it was unlikely that a bit of La delicacy would dispel such thoughts.

Feng Yi, however, laughed: "Homesickness is good."

"Those who desert at the mere rumor before battle would become deserters even if they truly took the field, harming the ranks. No loss to be rid of them. But those who can endure the pain of homesickness, and who hear they can fight their way back to their homeland — they will fight with even greater fury!"

In Feng Yi's view, longing for home was poison to army morale, but it could also be turned into strong liquor to rouse their fighting spirit!

At these words, Zhu You started: "Gongsun, are you planning to aim for Nanyang?"

Feng Yi did not answer. He only picked up a strip of dried fish and said: "This fish must be eaten bite by bite. Eat too fast, and the bones will catch in your throat."

He first took a bite from the fish's belly, then moved to the meat on its side.

"If we can seize Xiangyang, we will be at Nanyang's doorstep. Among those officers who 'fled home' out of homesickness, a few did so at my instruction, to return to Nanyang and gather intelligence. I hear that the Wei army actually acknowledged what the Red Eyebrows did, refusing to return lands, fields, houses, and slaves. This has greatly disappointed the powerful clans and prominent families who returned home…"

"As long as we occupy Jing-Xiang and maintain a prolonged standoff with the Wei army, do we need to fear that the Nanyang gentry clans will not secretly aid us, carrying wine and provisions to welcome the royal army?"

"This is precisely why Minister Deng strenuously argued that Xiangyang must be taken. The Han generals and officers are mostly men of Wan and Ying. If we can hold the enemy here, their rear area will in truth be our own courtyard. Who is host and who is guest becomes hard to say."

Feng Yi was not only skilled in military contest, but also experienced in winning hearts. He recalled that when he first set out on the western campaign, Liu Xiu — then still "King of Wu" — presented him with a seven-foot sword and admonished him: "In today's campaigns, it is not necessary to seize every territory and slaughter every city. The key is to pacify and settle the people. The other generals are not lacking in martial vigor, but they are fond of plunder. You are naturally able to command officers and men. I hope you will discipline yourself, and not bring suffering to the commanderies and counties."

Feng Yi received this command and marched west, spreading authority and good faith. His army's discipline was better than the Greenwood and Chu armies. In E, Changsha, and other places, indeed countless people submitted to him.

If they could take Jing-Xiang, the Han army could accomplish many things. But the difficulty of this war lay precisely in its opening stage.

Feng Yi aimed his chopsticks at the dried duck before him: "This Jingzhou is like a duck. Wei, Cheng, and Han are the diners at the table, all eyeing its meat, three men drooling."

"Yet this duck is still alive. The one who moves first is liable to be pecked by its beak and battered by its wings. Not only will he fail to get the meat, he may well end up with a face full of blood and a body covered in filth…"

"The one who moves later, however, has the chance to reap the fisherman's profit — to catch the duck, carve it open, and share its best meat."

Zhu You nodded, finding this quite reasonable. He offered a plan: "Fang Wang said that in the summer, Diwu Lun sent the envoy Feng Yan into Shu, to have the Cheng clan make peace with Wei, and even to open mutual markets on the Han River. The King of Chuli should know of this. Why not send men to spread word that Gongsun Shu and Diwu Lun are negotiating peace and wish to seize and partition Jingzhou? That way, the Chu army will have to deploy heavy forces to defend Jiangling in the west and Deng County in the north, while our army seizes the chance to strike their rear…"

Feng Yi still shook his head. Using the grease on his fingers, he drew a map on the table for Zhu You: "If our army wishes to take Jing-Xiang, we must first cross the river, then lead the troops north along the Han River. Step one: smash the Chu army north of Yunmeng Marsh. Step two: run headlong into the capital of that King of Chuli, Qin Feng, at Yicheng — take it to seize army provisions. Only then, finally, can we arrive beneath the walls of Xiangyang. In between, we must cross two rivers and traverse eight hundred li. Even without engaging the enemy, the march would take nearly a month."

His gaze shifted north: "Yet the vanguard of the Wei army's Cen Peng division is already at Xinye, a mere two hundred-odd li from Xiangyang, with only Deng County in between. And the one defending that place is Deng Fengxian…"

Regarding this man Deng Feng, attitudes within the Eastern Han were quite complex. Back then, Deng Feng had taken Deng Chen, Liu Xiu's brother-in-law, hostage, causing the eastern route army attacking Guanzhong to be the first to withdraw, leaving Liu Bosheng's flank exposed. For this, he was detested by Liu Bosheng's old followers.

But Deng Feng was also a representative of the great Nanyang magnates. Within the Han court, there had always been voices calling to recruit him — only, no one knew Liu Xiu's own attitude, so none dared act on their own authority…

Feng Yi made the best-case assumption: "Even if Deng Feng were willing to re-submit to Han, with his isolated force, he could hardly hold off the Wei army. If our forces move, once Cen Peng learns of it, he will surely respond."

So this battle would be a contest of who could break through the enemy first and take Xiangyang.

Clearly, judging by distance and troop strength alone, the Wei army had a better chance than the Han army.

"Unless we can cause internal chaos within the Wei army, leaving them no leisure to dispatch troops."

An idea formed in Feng Yi's mind, but he still hesitated. Although he had been appointed "General Who Guards the West," there were men theoretically under his command — such as Wang Chang and Ma Wu, those two Greenwood veterans — whom he still could not wield as freely as his own arm. And Feng Yi's nature was modest and non-confrontational; he did not wish to be too forceful and make everyone lose face.

As he wavered, an imperial edict arrived from outside. It turned out that Liu Xiu, having learned that the Han-Cheng alliance was settled, was now sending Feng Yi suggestions. Liu Xiu could command a hundred thousand troops; his subordinate generals were not his equals, so Xiù had no choice but to frequently "micromanage," personally instructing his generals.

"The Wei rebels occupy Nanyang, yet do not alter the Red Eyebrows' policies. They act perversely, seizing the lands and slaves of prominent families. When men return to their hometowns, they have officials impeach, arrest, and interrogate them. As a result, the entire commandery is disheartened and filled with righteous indignation."

"We have already ordered Li Tong, Marquis of Shansang, in the first month of next year to send his sons, disciples, and retainers from Ming'e back to their homeland in Nanyang, to stir up the local officers and officials, aiding Han in aiding the weak and punishing the violent, so as to throw the Wei army's rear into chaos."

"The Commandant of Justice, Deng Chen, Marquis of Xihua, is the uncle of the Chu general Deng Feng. He has now volunteered to travel west, infiltrating Chu territory, and will arrive in Deng County within days to persuade Deng Feng to return to Han. He who builds a great enterprise does not brood over small grievances. If Fengxian now returns to Han, his official rank and noble title can be preserved. The river waters are here — We do not eat Our words! If Fengxian can hold off the Wei army for ten days or a month, We will not stint even a marquisate!"

"He further ordered the Marquis of Shansang, the Sweeping-Field General Wang Chang, and the Marquis of Yangxu, the Captive-Catching General Ma Wu, to lead a detached force north from Anlu, enter Greenwood, recruit old comrades, and emulate Peng Yue's exploits — either strike Chu from the flank, or push north out of Chongling to harass Wei."

"The Grand General Who Guards the West, Feng Yi, shall lead the E County division up the Han River as the main army."

In short: Li Tong would sabotage the enemy's rear stability; Deng Chen would go persuade the critically positioned Deng Feng; Ma Wu and Wang Chang would organize the mountain bandit old acquaintances who remained on Greenwood Mountain to wage guerrilla warfare; and finally, Feng Yi would engage them with the orthodox main force.

All four prongs of the force — Liu Xiu had arranged them with perfect clarity.

The edict concluded: "This campaign differs from the western expedition. It is not for pacification and settlement. All generals shall take merit in seizing territory and capturing cities, and in blocking the routes between north and south! You must outpace the Wei army and seize Xiangyang!"

"Your Majesty is sagaciously wise." Feng Yi was convinced from the bottom of his heart, a gleam in his eyes. This was why he was willing to follow Liu Xiu. No matter how desperate, how dire the circumstances, this Son of Heaven of the Great Han always seemed to have a countermeasure, thinking of what he himself was thinking, and with just a little guidance, he had resolved Feng Yi's quandary.

Feng Yi's confidence soared. Laughing heartily, he said to Zhu You, "This battle is, in truth, a contest between me and Cen Peng."

"Cen Peng has more troops than I do, better terrain than I do, and sitting on the grain and fodder of all the Yuzhou commanderies, he is far richer than I am."

"But there is one thing Cen Peng cannot match me in."

Feng Yi said, "I have the guidance and aid of a sagely lord who is ever-victorious in a hundred battles. Does Cen Peng have that?"