Chapter 574: This Is an Army of Benevolence and Righteousness

Good book.........

Many people have the impression that Caishiji lies directly opposite Nanjing.

But in fact it does not. Caishiji is about forty or fifty li upriver from Nanjing on the Yangtze.

Moreover, the exact location of Caishiji differed slightly from dynasty to dynasty.

The reason Caishiji is famous is that this stretch of the Yangtze is, one might say, the easiest place to cross.

Here the rushing river is blocked by an island in midstream, forming a flow that resembles a right angle.

After the current strikes the bank at this point, it turns from flowing east to flowing north, and its speed immediately slackens.

Furthermore, because of the island in midstream, the Yangtze is split in two, and this island lies extremely close to the right bank, leaving a channel only about five hundred meters wide.

In addition, because the island's geology is relatively soft, no fort or stockade can be built on it, so it cannot be defended.

Thus, once an attack comes, the defenders on the right bank of the river go directly from possessing the natural moat of the Yangtze to having only a five-hundred-meter stretch of water to defend.

That alone would be enough to give the defenders a headache, but unfortunately, because the Yangtze changes its course here, thousands of years of scouring have also formed a broad plain.

It is practically a landing ground purpose-built for an invading army.

Over the centuries, Caishiji became the favorite landing point for attacking Jiangnan.

The Northern Song destroyed the Southern Tang by landing at Caishiji, and several hundred years later it was also the place where Prince Hailing delivered his grand gift, helping Yu Yunwen leave his name in history forever.

However, the river-crossing conditions at this time were still far from as good as they were in Wanyan Liang's day.

Because the island in midstream only began to form during the Tang dynasty, and it would not become most suitable for crossing and landing until the slow accumulation of sediment continued into the transition between the Northern and Southern Song.

Moreover, for Zhang Zhao to reach Caishiji, he still had to take Hezhou first, and before taking Hezhou, he still had to pull out the thorn that was Chuzhou; otherwise his rear would be in danger of being cut off by Chuzhou.

Zhang Zhao had indeed been driven into a rage by the surprise attacks of Chen Hui and the others, and of course Li Jing's attitude all along had also infuriated Sage Zhang.

Because all along, in Zhang Zhao's impression, the historical Li Jing was a coward with little ability and a timid disposition, easily beaten to the ground by Guo Rong.

What was this? When Guo Rong hit you, you fucking kowtowed and begged for mercy, didn't even dare keep the title of emperor, and offered up the fifteen prefectures of Huainan and Jiangbei with both hands.

I, Sage Zhang, have merely arrived ten years early, and to this day you haven't even sent a gift. I've already captured Yangzhou, and you still want to take Chuzhou back, is that it!

You've got guts! You've really got guts!

Zhang Zhao was so angry his stomach was about to burst. He left the veteran general Zhao Hui, father of Zhao Yanjin, as Defender of the Jiangbei Field Headquarters, commanding six thousand naval and land troops to hold Guabu, while he himself personally led ten thousand infantry and cavalry westward.

Brother Southern Tang, is it? I'll wipe out your three little minions of Wu, Ma, and Chu in one pot, and see whether you kneel or not!

Three days later, Zhang Zhao arrived northwest of Pukou, at the foot of Lao Mountain.

This Lao Mountain is not the Lao Mountain of the Lao Mountain rotation battles, but rather the Lao Mountain Forest Park of later Nanjing. This mountain is an offshoot of the Huaiyang range, running across the entire later Pukou district of Nanjing.

To the southeast is the Yangtze, and across the river is Jiangning. To the northwest is the Chu River, and northwest of the Chu River is Chuzhou. Further down is Hezhou, where Caishiji lies. Its geographical position is extremely critical.

By the time Zhang Zhao arrived, Li Cunhui had long since led troops and taken Lao Mountain, and Murong Xinzhang and Gao Huaide had also long since led their troops there to join forces with Li Cunhui.

After Zhang Zhao arrived, more than forty thousand Zhou troops were arrayed around Lao Mountain.

However, the main force among them was still the fifteen thousand cavalry who had earlier taken Yangzhou, along with the ten thousand infantry and cavalry Zhang Zhao himself had brought.

The remaining fifteen thousand were Southern Tang soldiers captured in the battle of Yizheng; they had been brought along to serve as cannon fodder.

By the time Zhang Zhao's great banner and yellow silk canopy reached Lao Mountain, Guo Tingwei, the Southern Tang Prefect of Chuzhou, who had been watching the situation here the whole time, was nearly frantic with anxiety.

He sent out messenger after messenger carrying pleas for aid, heedless of their lives, toward Jiangning.

But as expected, all of Guo Tingwei's pleas for aid were intercepted. Zhang Zhao detained all these messengers, planning to release one or two across the river after Chuzhou was taken.

Of course, Guo Tingwei's pleas for aid were not sent only to Jiangning. Liu Renzhan, Military Governor of the Qinghuai Army at Shouzhou west of Chuzhou, and Huang Yanqian, Military Governor of the Bao Xin Army at Luzhou, both received Guo Tingwei's pleas for aid.

Watching the departing messengers, Zhang Zhao waved a hand to tell Li Cunhui not to send men after them. If the Qinghuai Army of Shouzhou and the Bao Xin Army of Luzhou could be lured over together, Zhang Zhao would be more than happy.

Just as he was about to arrange the attack on Chuzhou, Zhao Pu came in with a memorial and a Brocade Guard.

The business of ordering Gao Conghui to march from Jiangling and Ma Xifan to march from Changsha was all groundless.

At the time Zhang Zhao had indeed been blinded by rage, but he quickly calmed down. Ma Chu did not matter; they would soon begin the Ma clan's internal strife anyway.

But Gao Conghui was different. This man truly had ability, and if he were allowed to gain Ezhou (Wuchang), that would be losing the great for the small.

However, Zhang Zhao was actually overthinking it. Gao Conghui was quite capable, but he no longer had the lifespan to exercise that ability. This gentleman would die of illness in just over a year, only seven or eight months later than Liu Zhiyuan.

But Zhang Zhao could not possibly remember it that clearly! So his orders for Ma Chu and Nanping to march were nothing more than a bluff to frighten the Southern Tang envoys and Li Jing.

However, when Zhang Zhao opened the letter in Zhao Pu's hands, he could not help frowning.

Because this letter was from Qian Zuo, King of Wuyue. It was written sincerely and humbly, expressing willingness to send troops to attack the Southern Tang from both sides.

This man has come to pick the peaches!

Last year this Qian Zuo had sent a minor fifth-rank official to pay court, and now he was hastily writing to express willingness to follow the court's arrangements and strike the Southern Tang from both sides. Of course it was not that Qian Zuo had suddenly learned loyalty, but that he had come to seize territory.

Zhang Zhao pondered for a moment, then asked Li Xiaojie beside him, "Do the Brocade Guards know why the King of Wuyue suddenly wants to offer troops? Has something happened on the border between Southern Wu and Wuyue?"

Li Xiaojie quickly replied, "I was just about to report to Your Majesty. Yao Yanhong, Commander of the Jinghai Commission of Southern Wu, after being defeated by our army at Yizheng, immediately fled back to Jinghai with over a thousand remnants. It is said he has already defected to Wuyue. The Brocade Guards are still verifying the details."

Zhang Zhao nodded in understanding. Given the transportation and chaotic conditions of this time, getting intelligence in Jiangnan, where their roots were shallow, was already no easy matter.

"It seems this is true, then. This Qian Yue state got a taste of sweetness when the Min kingdom fell, and now that they see Southern Wu's elite troops have all been destroyed by us, they want to come up and swallow territory."

"Li Fang, write back to Qian Zuo, King of Wuyue, at once. Tell him that We shall personally punish this insolence, and that he should guard his own borders and beware of Southern Wu's routed troops."

Last year, when Zhang Zhao had first arrived in the Eastern Capital, Li Fang had been recommended by Liu Tao, and Zhang Zhao had also admired his learning, so he kept him at his side for service.

Li Fang was about to withdraw upon hearing this, when Zhang Zhao suddenly waved for him to pause.

"Also, tell Qian Zuo that We did not receive his tribute for this year's Lantern Festival, and We hope he can make it up by next year's Lantern Festival.

The wording... try not to make it too harsh, but do not let Qian Zuo think We do not care either."

This was the role of a skilled writer. Choosing the right words in such matters was something ordinary people could not do.

Having dealt with these matters, Zhang Zhao immediately began the assault on the city.

The army used the Southern Tang captives as cannon fodder, with the three thousand men of the Wuning Army from Xuzhou as the main force.

All the remaining infantry and cavalry dismounted, using divine-arm crossbows and wooden single-bow ballistae to suppress the city walls, while the Fenjin Division began preparing gunpowder coffins on the spot, and the Shenji Battalion began assembling trebuchets and erecting siege towers.

On the walls of Chuzhou, Guo Tingwei personally led his guards everywhere "putting out fires." This man was also a famous Southern Tang general, always loyal and righteous.

Historically, when the Later Zhou attacked Haozhou, the one who held out to the very end was Guo Tingwei; only after the Later Zhou captured Niuma City was he forced to surrender.

Before that, at the Wokou pontoon bridge and Dingyuan Stockade, he had fought the Later Zhou's great general Wu Xingde, who barely escaped with his life alone — Guo Tingwei could be counted as a very capable commander of the Southern Tang.

But no matter how capable he was, he still needed soldiers!

Even the cleverest wife cannot cook without rice. Chuzhou had originally existed as the second line of defense for Shouzhou.

Its purpose was that, once Shouzhou fell, Chuzhou could immediately take in Shouzhou's routed troops, then organize a defense at Chuzhou city and Qingliu Pass. For that reason, it had stockpiled plenty of supplies but few elite soldiers.

When it was first designed, no one in the Southern Tang, high or low, had considered the possibility of the enemy coming from Yangzhou. Therefore, including Guo Tingwei's own yabing guards, there were fewer than two thousand men in all, while the city had been built large because it served as a reserve.

Now it was besieged and assaulted by forty thousand men. Over ten thousand cannon fodder, driven forward at swordpoint, swarmed up the walls like ants, while strong bows and heavy crossbows suppressed the ramparts. At all four gates, men were charging forward, digging at something unknown.

Guo Tingwei held out for less than a single shichen before he could hold no longer. He had no choice but to abandon the outer city and fall back to the inner city.

Zhang Zhao sat upright on horseback, surrounded by jubilant faces. Although the Chuzhou garrison had withdrawn to the inner city, which strengthened their defense because the inner city was small and two thousand men were enough to hold it,

in fact Chuzhou's outer city had been the harder one to take, for it was a mighty fortress! It had a moat, parapets, a barbican, and watchtowers — everything complete.

If the Southern Tang garrison had had ten thousand men, it would have taken at least a month or so to capture, and even a month or so might have offered little hope.

Now that Guo Tingwei had withdrawn and they only had to attack the inner city, it had instead become simpler.

"Raise the Great Tang banners outside all four gates. Let the Youyi Army spread the word everywhere: the people of Chuzhou may leave the city, and our army will not harm a single person nor plunder a single coin.

Order the Brocade Guard to wear brocade and white helmets as military judges. Anyone who commits crimes or offenses is to be seized at once."

Guo Tingwei had withdrawn to the inner city. He stood atop the inner city gate tower, his expression stern. His cousin Guo Tingzan said in a low voice,

"Chuzhou has more than thirty thousand residents, and it is a rich, great city. Once the Zhou army finishes dealing with all this, it will take at least ten days to half a month. By then, Shouzhou's Qinghuai Army and the court's relief forces will have arrived."

What Guo Tingzan said was, in fact, Guo Tingwei's open stratagem.

Given the conduct of soldiers in this age, once they took a great city like Chuzhou with tens of thousands of residents, would they not indulge in all the rape and pillage they pleased?

Without half a month, there was simply no way to gather their fighting strength back together.

"The commanders are incompetent, feeding the people to the enemy. This is our shame!"

Before Guo Tingwei could speak, the Adjutant Li Yanzou beside him looked at Guo Tingwei and said, his face full of anguish.

Guo Tingwei had no words to reply. He could only cover his face and sigh.

But before his sigh had faded, Guo Tingzan pointed into the distance, too astonished to speak.

It turned out that not a single Zhou soldier had entered the city. Instead, Great Tang banners had been raised everywhere, and all around were Youyi cavalry, waving the royal banner and loudly proclaiming the Zhou sovereign's edict.

Seeing that the Zhou army had not entered the city, Guo Tingwei quickly sent his cousin Guo Tingzan to lower himself down from the wall and investigate.

Before long, the people of Chuzhou began tentatively leaving the city, and found that the Zhou army indeed did not kill or plunder. Instead, those young officers even kindly cleared the way for them.

Wang Jiulang had grown much fatter, but that did not hinder his silver tongue in the least.

He stood at Chuzhou's west gate, loudly calling out to the departing citizens, his Jianghuai official dialect — promoted by the Southern Tang court — sounding quite passable.

"My lord is a sovereign mandated by Heaven, a sovereign of benevolence and virtue, and naturally he cherishes the people. The great army has come to Chuzhou only to punish the obstinate and wicked. Have no fear — simply leave the city.

If anyone's house is damaged, the Great Zhou's brilliant Son of Heaven will pay compensation from the imperial treasury.

If anyone has been plundered, violated, or beaten or killed by Great Zhou officers or soldiers, the victim or their kin should go at once to where the Three Stars Banner is raised and lodge a complaint. The Son of Heaven will personally see justice done for you.

And if any blind fool tries to stir up trouble, beware the mercilessness of military law!"

No rape, no plunder, no killing, and if your house was damaged the Son of Heaven would pay compensation from the imperial treasury — the people of Chuzhou gradually set their minds at ease.

In truth, their demands were very low. They did not care whether their damaged houses were compensated or not; they only wanted not to be harmed.

And so, word spread from one to ten, from ten to a hundred. What Guo Tingzan had thought would take ten days to half a month, the Zhou army accomplished in half a day.

When evening came and it was time for the evening meal, many of the citizens who had left the city had brought no food. Zhang Zhao had white rice porridge cooked, served with pickled vegetables, to feed them.

In any case, all these things had been seized from the Southern Tang. The great army did not lack grain, and if they did not bestow this kindness, the kindness would simply go to waste.

After Guo Tingzan hurried back to report, the Southern Tang soldiers throughout the inner city fell silent, and even Guo Tingwei fell silent.

The Adjutant Li Yanzou, who had spoken of "our shame," also fell silent. Only after a long while did he say in a low voice,

"This is an army of benevolence and righteousness!"