Chapter 565: The Jiang and Han

The mighty Jiang and Han — they bind the southern lands.

Zhang Yu stood at the prow of a small-winged boat. As the current quickened, the fleet under his command had already left far behind the great mountains near Xiangyang that rose like Heaven's Gate and entered the boundless plain. Gazing out, he took in the full sweep of the fertile Jiang-Han shore.

"Feng Yi refuses to walk into the sack. He camps outside Xiangyang's outskirts, facing our detached force across the mountains, hoping to exhaust their provisions and wear down the Wei army. That being so, we must widen the sack. By the General Who Guards the South's plan, we serve as the surprise force — take the water route and swiftly push south. The Yicheng garrison commander has already settled terms with the Embroidered Uniform Guard and is willing to surrender three counties to Wei. Compared to Han and Cheng, Wei is the ascendant power, and with its generous surrender policy winning renown far and wide, the gentry of Jiang-Han are quite happy to abandon their old masters for a baron's title, letting their families enjoy lasting wealth and rank."

Zhang Yu's Embroidered Uniform Guard, together with Feng Yan's Office of the Grand Herald — the two departments handled bribery and espionage. In Qin times, Li Si spent tens of thousands in gold and secured the secret allegiance of every general and minister of the Six Kingdoms. And who in the realm today has the most gold? Diwu Lun, of course, who inherited Wang Mang's colossal fortune.

Once a man softened at the sight of gold, further dealings could proceed. Knowing that everywhere people said Wei harshly mistreated powerful magnates, Zhang Yu also sent men to explain the Emperor's policies in detail to his targets: those who submit shall prosper, those who resist shall perish. Only those who fight back are exterminated and their lands divided; any who voluntarily come over to Great Wei — whether their manors or ancestral lands — shall all be kept intact.

If you doubt it, just look at the Yin clan of Nanyang — the most classic horse-bone. Diwu Lun not only restored the seven or eight hundred qing of fields they once held, but also returned the manors seized by the Red Eyebrows. And Yin Shi even became a Governor!

The various warlords across the realm all rose only in recent years, hastily thrown together, their internal ranks far from monolithic. Thus the Embroidered Uniform Guard's operations have gone rather well — nearly everywhere there is intelligence and inside help. Yicheng was the place Zhang Yu had cultivated with the greatest care.

Even if Feng Yi discovered they were heading south, there was nothing he could do. As far as Zhang Yu knew, Han's fleet consisted of large warships suited for fighting on broad, deep waters like the Great River and Cloud Dream Marsh. The vessels that could be towed upstream this far were mostly small and medium grain transports.

As for Chu's fleet? Most of it had been destroyed by Feng Yi in Cloud Dream Marsh, and the remnants had fled west to Jiangling — too far to help.

Wei's fleet, on the other hand, had mostly built flat-bottomed warships suited for shallow water, giving them every advantage at the moment. Truly a case of when the tiger is away from the mountain, the monkey becomes king.

By the plan, once Yicheng was taken and the sack sealed shut, Feng Yi would be attacked from front and rear, cut off from reinforcement, and Cen Peng could destroy him in one blow.

But a warning from the lead vessel shattered Zhang Yu's hope of swiftly ending this game.

"Commandant of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, twenty-some li ahead, a pontoon bridge has appeared — built overnight by the Han army!"

"A pontoon bridge?" Zhang Yu was taken aback. When he learned that a large Han force was crossing it from west to east over the Han River, sudden understanding dawned. "A fine Feng Yi! He means to shift to the east bank before our fleet can seize control of the Han between Xiangyang and Yicheng, does he?"

If Feng Yi stayed on the Han's west bank — heading north would land him in Cen Peng's snare; pulling back south would mean abandoning the contest for Xiangyang, and he might even be trapped there by the swifter Zhang Yu's fleet working with the Yicheng turncoats, waiting for Cen Peng to come south and join battle.

Yet Feng Yi had seen the danger of staying downstream in advance, and now meant to race to the east bank before Wei could establish control of the Han River?

As the fleet sailed further south and the sky darkened, the pontoon bridge became dimly visible. Feng Yi's execution was swift — judging by the fires on the east bank, the ten-thousand-strong Han army had nearly all crossed.

In that case, the Han army was now free to advance or retreat. Cen Peng's plan, before it could even be set in motion, had already been thwarted?

"Commandant, what should we do? Halt the southward push and report back to the General Who Guards the South — or charge through, destroy the pontoon bridge, and press on to Yicheng?"

The Han army's pontoon bridge was rather crude — not even pilings driven, just door planks laid across requisitioned civilian boats. It was quite fragile, swaying unsteadily in the current, and could not even withstand a determined ramming by a warship.

"Send someone at once to report back to Lord Cen. As for us…"

Zhang Yu hesitated too. Since Feng Yi had shifted early, the Han grain transports at Yicheng had likely also withdrawn south to safety — their raid would probably come up empty. Moreover, if Feng Yi could foresee things this clearly, had he also made preparations for the Yicheng that Zhang Yu had bought? If they forced their way south, the hundred-some vessels and five thousand troops might be in danger — the gain would not be worth the loss.

What finally decided Zhang Yu was a detail his men spotted on the pontoon bridge.

"Commandant, the Han troops on the bridge have nearly finished crossing, but there are still soldiers with long hook-spears and crossbows facing north in defense on the bridge — they seem to be guarding against our charge!"

Zhang Yu's eyes lit up. "If Feng Yi had an ambush waiting at Yicheng, he would not be trying so hard to block us — he'd deliberately let us sail south."

He also observed that Feng Yi's forces on both banks were rather disordered, and it did not look feigned. It seemed Feng Gongsun's shift this time had been quite hurried.

So Zhang Yu gritted his teeth, staked his career, drew his sword, and pointed toward the pontoon bridge ahead, where torchlight blazed bright, making the Han River gleam like a moat of molten gold!

"Send ten small covered assault craft to the front — charge through!"

The covered assault craft were narrow and long, their decks sheathed in raw oxhide. The arrows and bolts the Han army loosed from afar could not sink them, and pine-resin fire arrows were equally useless. Oar ports lined both sides; promised rich reward, the oarsmen threw their strength into dozens of wooden sweeps, and with the current behind them, their speed grew faster and faster!

At the bow of each boat was a ram of hardwood, cleaving the waves as they closed in on the pontoon bridge!

Han baggage troops were still crossing the bridge. At the sight of ten covered assault craft bearing down, those on foot quickened their pace, only making the bridge more jammed — many fell into the water. On the north side, Han soldiers thrust long hook-spears, trying to fend off the assault craft. But how could human arms contend against the momentum of a whole ship? The shafts snapped the instant they made contact.

The first covered assault craft slammed heavily into the pontoon bridge. The bridge, over four hundred meters long, shuddered violently atop the Han River, men struggling to keep their feet. As the remaining boats struck the target one after another, it was like ten knives stabbing a long serpent, making it thrash in agony. More men, livestock, and carts plunged into the water, wails and screams resounding along the Han's shores.

When Zhang Yu's flagship passed, the pontoon bridge had shattered to pieces, breaking apart faster under the current's force. The river's surface was dotted with Han soldiers, clutching planks and paddling with their hands toward either bank.

In their despair, some of the fallen cried out to the Wei vessels for rescue. Countless hands reached toward the passing hulls, hoping the enemy would show mercy.

Zhang Yu gave a cold order: "Fish out any who look like officers. Interrogate them to learn Feng Yi's intentions."

"As for the rest…" He had word passed to the oarsmen: "Those far off — don't waste arrows galloping after them. Let them live or die on their own. Those close by — a stroke of the oar to help them on their way to the Yellow Springs!"

…

Watching the pontoon bridge disintegrate and the Wei fleet sail unhurriedly south, butchering Han soldiers in the river for sport along the way — the sight made the Han colonels gnash their teeth. General Ma Wu's hair stood on end with fury as he petitioned Feng Yi for battle:

"General Feng, night is falling. This fleet cannot have gone far south before anchoring. Let me take the vanguard south, catch up to these Wei brigands, and wipe them out — to avenge our soldiers!"

Feng Yi shook his head. "They sail south with the current, swift as a fine horse galloping across the plain — how could you catch them? And even if you did, they would anchor on the west bank. Would you swim across to attack? You might well fall into an ambush instead."

Feng Yi had jumped to the Han's east bank just before the Wei fleet sailed south and trapped him on the west. Now he could rely on his allies' capital, Liqiu, for support. Even if Qin Feng still distrusted the Han army and refused to let them enter the city, he could at least provide some grain.

The outcome was acceptable to Feng Yi: an army of over ten thousand had crossed smoothly, losing only a few hundred men and part of the baggage.

But Ma Wu was deeply puzzled by this river crossing. "I still don't understand. Since General Feng guessed Wei might send a fleet south to raid Yicheng, you should have turned their ploy against them — struck camp and advanced south as well, joined forces with Deng Chen at Yicheng and Wang Chang at Ruo County. You'd have gained ten thousand Greenwood men and scores of boats to help, blocked them mid-river, used numbers to crush their few, and wiped out their detached force! A great victory."

Ma Wu glared fiercely at the Han soldiers struggling ashore in disarray. "We wouldn't have to swallow this humiliation!"

Faced with Ma Wu's doubts, Feng Yi only gave a long sigh before voicing his concerns.

"Cen Peng took advantage of the third month's rains, when the tributaries swelled, to send his rear fleet south — a risky move. One misstep and they'd fall into Han's encirclement and be annihilated. Cen Peng is skilled at launching surprise attacks, but he never shoots at nothing, and he never makes foolish moves. For him to dare this, there must be a reason!"

Turning it over in his mind, Feng Yi considered one possibility. "Yicheng, I fear, can no longer be relied upon."

Feng Yi had never placed much hope in his allies. The King of Chu Li was already on the verge of being abandoned by all. Deng Chen had once reported to him with deep worry that Yicheng was rather negligent in supplying the Han army with grain…

Feng Yi's suspicion was confirmed the very next day. Deng Chen to the south sent a man by the east-bank land route, racing through the night with an urgent report:

"Thanks to General Feng's warning, I led the fleet and grain transports back south to Ruo County. The troops are safe, though three boats ran aground, struck rocks, and sank during the night retreat. Furthermore, when Yicheng learned we had withdrawn, they actually sent troops to block us. The King of Chu Li's Chancellor, Zhao Jing, has indeed surrendered to Wei! Yicheng now flies Diwu Lun's five-colored banner!"

After reading the urgent report, Ma Wu broke out in a cold sweat. Had they followed his idea, the Han army would have suffered a grievous loss at Yicheng. Humiliating as things were now, this was still the best possible outcome.

"Since Yicheng has gone over to Wei, we are cut in two. The King of Chu Li is timid and shuns battle, cowering inside Xiangyang as though Jing-Xiang were not his own territory. Deng Fengxian is also trapped in Deng County, unable to join forces with us. General Feng, what do we do now?"

Ma Wu's implication was clear: wasn't it time to pull back a little? He still urged attacking Yicheng. "Yicheng has just surrendered — its people's hearts cannot be steady. And the Wei force that went south is not large. Cen Peng won't take Xiangyang or Deng County in a short while anyway. Once we've cleared the threat at our rear, it won't be too late to return north and contest them."

Feng Yi shook his head. "Cen Peng refrains from storming us because he wants to lure us. The moment we pull back south, he will combine his forces and strike Xiangyang. When Xiangyang's garrison sees the Han army leave and Yicheng submit to Wei, they will be terrified. Even if Qin Feng wants to fight to the death, the men under him will each harbor their own schemes — they cannot hold out long."

In other words, if they dared retreat a single step, Xiangyang would likely fall!

Feng Yi understood perfectly: the objective of this campaign was to seize Xiangyang, not to annihilate a few thousand Wei troops. Wei had the Central Plains as a source of soldiers — they could not be wiped out. Conversely, if Xiangyang fell into Han hands, the famous ministers and great generals under Liu Xiu could turn this place into a giant millstone, slowly grinding away the northerners' blood and bone!

But the enemy was Cen Peng, equally determined to win. This battle was plainly a gamble with the army's fate, even the dynasty's fate. Should they take their winnings and quit, or — with a slap — push it all in?

In his hands were over ten thousand lives, and the very contest between Han and Wei hung in the balance. The weight on Feng Yi's shoulders was heavy, his heart torn. At this moment, how he wished his own Emperor, the ever-victorious Liu Xiu, could be here to make the decision for him.

But that could not be. Ma Wu and every man in the camp had their eyes fixed on Feng Yi. The general is the army's courage!

Feng Yi remembered that day years ago, beneath the walls of Kunyang, when that Emperor-to-be, dazzling as the sun, had led a mere three thousand men in an act of madness — a scene forever etched into his heart.

And when he asked Liu Xiu for guidance on the art of war, Liu Xiu admonished Feng Yi thus:

"Advancing and retreating, opening and closing, shifting unpredictably — that is a living army. Encamped in one place, troops growing stale and men sluggish — that is a dead army."

"Gongsun, you are steady by nature, but war is a way of deception. You should use more living armies and fewer dead ones."

"Do not go south."

In the end, Feng Yi made the most radical decision of his military career. He gazed at the firmament beneath the Northern Dipper:

"We…"

"…continue north!"

……

"Feng Gongsun actually jumped to the eastern bank a step ahead? This match truly is a meeting of equals across the board."

When Cen Peng received Zhang Yu's urgent report, he felt no regret. He had long anticipated that this campaign would never be so easy. This was merely the first round of the contest, and his chess piece seemed to have missed its mark…

The colonels under his command were quite pleased: "With Feng Yi's rear cut off, he must first resolve the threat behind him. That being so, we need only leave a few thousand men at Fan City to keep an eye on Deng Feng, while our main force crosses the Han River to link up with the detached force at Atou Mountain and attack Xiangyang at will."

Yet Cen Peng only issued orders for the divisions to follow this plan — raising extra banners and feigning a crossing of the Han to strike south at Xiangyang. But he still kept a full twenty thousand troops massed at Fan City. No one knew what he was waiting for.

It was not until one day in the first ten days of the third month, when a dispatch rider rushed in with a piece of intelligence, that the colonels in the main camp were utterly stunned.

"Feng Yi has taken the Han army's main force north from Liqiu and is driving straight for Fan City!"

What a man — most people, about to be trapped in a sack, would desperately scramble toward the sack's mouth.

But this Feng Yi — he means to act as an awl and punch a hole right through the bottom of the sack!

Yet the officers promptly rejoiced: "Our heavy forces are still at Fan City, and the detached force at Atou Mountain can return north at any time. If Feng Yi comes here, he won't pierce the sack — he'll just crash into an iron plate!"

Could Feng Yi really be counting on coordinating with Deng Feng, who is trapped in Deng County, to first defeat Cen Peng's main force?

Cen Peng, too, felt deeply perplexed, for this was the complete opposite of Feng Yi's past style of steadiness and caution — and it looked very much like a desperate, reckless move…

He stood before the map for a long while, and at last, sudden understanding dawned. He let out a long sigh.

"A worthy man in this world is like an awl placed inside a sack — its tip will show itself at once."

"That is Feng Gongsun. Ordinarily, his edge is never revealed; only in a moment of peril does his point thrust forth."

"What he means to stab is not Fan City."

Cen Peng once again made a prediction.

"Where then?" the colonels asked, astonished.

Cen Peng's finger landed on a position east of Fan City, hidden by forest, running parallel: "Nanyang!"

"Caiyang, Chongling!"