Volume Three: The Southern Expedition and Expansion of the Realm Chapter 109: The Beginning of the Southern Expedition

The captive, shouting loudly, called out again, “Brothers, if you do not surrender soon, the Jingnan army will be upon us shortly.”

“I pledge allegiance to the Jingnan army and will slaughter all of you!” a burly officer of the Wuzhen army yelled, pointing to the city walls.

“Lei Hu, if you want to surrender to the Jingnan army, go ahead. The Military Commissioner of Qianzhong not only commands the Qianzhong Circuit but is also brother to the Defense Commander of Kuimen. Otherwise, how could the Qianzhong forces have taken Langzhou?” the loud captive retorted, speaking in turn.

“I will not submit to Cheng Rui. That rebel deceived Lord Lei Man into sending troops. I pledge allegiance to the Qianzhong Military Commissioner,” another fierce officer declared loudly from another location.

“You dog traitor, you actually side with Lei Man’s enemy!” Lei Hu shouted angrily.

“Cheng Rui is also an enemy of Lord Lei Man. Now that the lord is dead, am I not allowed to seek another way?” the tough officer argued back.

“Fine, I will fight you to the death! Brothers who pledge allegiance to the Jingnan army, follow me and we shall slaughter them in return!” Lei Hu raised his arm and shouted, then turned and walked away, followed by several hundred soldiers, soon joined by nearly a thousand more.

Afterward, more than two thousand Wuzhen troops dispersed, choosing to disband, leaving behind just over a thousand soldiers, many of whom were officers.

Wang Wentao ordered the over one thousand surrendering troops to lay down their arms. As a result, more than five hundred Wuzhen soldiers left, leaving only a little over six hundred willing to surrender. These were admitted into the city and scattered among the Chuannan army.

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After some time, nearly ten thousand Jingnan soldiers stood before the city.

Gazing at the seized Wuling County, the Jingnan commander, unwilling to accept defeat, launched an assault on the city. The remaining fierce Wuzhen troops who had surrendered to Jingnan led the charge, and a brutal battle between attacker and defender ensued.

Like two blossoming branches, shortly after the ten-thousand-strong Jingnan army left the occupied Yanyang County, the Chuannan army’s fleet of ten thousand warships landed at Shishou County and advanced toward Yanyang County.

Originally, when the Wuzhen army crossed the river to raid Yun’an Salt Well, Zhao Yidou, the commander stationed in Fuzhou, received the military report. He believed reinforcements were necessary for Kuizhou, so he led ten thousand troops downstream along the river.

The reinforcement fleet reached Kuizhou, but Lei Man had already left with the Wuzhen army.

Zhao Yidou communicated with the Kuizhou governor and military commander, then continued downstream to support Guizhou, fearing a combined attack by the Wuzhen and Jingnan armies on Guizhou city.

Upon arrival in Guizhou, the Jingnan army had already retreated to Jiangling Prefecture, and the Wuzhen fleet had sailed eastward along the river long ago.

In Fuzhou, Zhao Yidou was informed of Qianzhou’s troop strength and planned a distant campaign against Langzhou and Yanzhou.

Worried that the expeditionary forces to Qianzhou might be destroyed by the returning Wuzhen and Jingnan armies, Zhao Yidou continued downstream to reinforce Qianzhou’s forces.

On the way downstream, Zhao Yidou spotted twenty thousand Jingnan troops marching along the riverbank.

Cheng Rui also saw the large fleet in the river and was alarmed, hastily sending a messenger to the Jingnan army raiding Yanzhou.

Even on horseback, it was difficult to overtake the fleet moving downstream. Zhao Yidou’s army passed Jiangling Prefecture before Cheng Rui’s messenger arrived there.

Zhao Yidou’s forces landed on the southern bank of the river at Shishou County, ordering two thousand troops to take boats upstream back to Guizhou to await further orders.

The remaining eight thousand troops marched overland, and after receiving reports from mounted scouts, they resolved to attack Yanyang County.

Unaware that Qianzhou forces had seized Langzhou, Zhao Yidou, following the military governor’s directive to advance on the Wuzhen army’s stronghold, could only participate in the strategic decision. If defeated, he planned to return to Qianzhou by land.

Shortly after the siege, only five hundred Jingnan troops remained in Yanyang County.

With eight thousand of Zhao Yidou’s troops before the city, the five hundred defending Jingnan soldiers fled through the southern city gate. The overwhelming disparity in forces allowed Zhao Yidou to seize Yanzhou’s administrative center without bloodshed.

Having secured the city as a base, Zhao Yidou adopted cautious tactics, sending scouts to gather intelligence in all directions.

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At this time, Cheng Rui’s messenger finally caught up with Zhao Yidou’s army and hurried to deliver a message to Langzhou.

After a fierce siege, the attacking Jingnan army lost two thousand soldiers, while the Chuannan troops inside the city also suffered two thousand casualties.

In reality, the Jingnan army lost only one thousand; the other thousand were Wuzhen soldiers who had surrendered.

Such a war of attrition was unbearable for the Jingnan commander; the enemy inside the city outnumbered his troops. Prolonged fighting would inevitably lead to a reversal of strength.

The Jingnan commander had no choice but to halt his forces outside the city and await the Military Commissioner’s orders.

On the city wall, Commander Wang Wentao stood at the battlements, listening to Li Zhang, the secretary of the surrendered Wuzhen army.

Pointing outside to the Yuan River, Li Zhang said, “Sir, look there. Lord Lei Man planned to divert the Yuan River to encircle the city and build wooden bridges for access. If accomplished, even tens of thousands of troops would find it hard to breach the city.”

Wang Wentao nodded. Li Zhang respectfully added, “I am but a humble man, willing to serve you. I specialize in managing documents and finances.”

Wang Wentao turned and said calmly, “If you have the capability, I can recommend you to the Military Governor’s office. But if you wish to serve me, do not speak carelessly.”

Li Zhang was slightly taken aback. “If you take Langzhou, could you not become its governor?”

“I took Langzhou by order. The Military Governor’s office will reward accordingly. The Chuannan army system differs from other regional forces. I am only the commander; beneath me are the Military Commander and the elite generals, temporarily assigned by the White Tiger Hall. The Chuannan army has no permanent troops under direct command. I only have twelve personal guards,” Wang Wentao explained.

Li Zhang was surprised but respectfully inquired further. In the end, Wang Wentao promised to recommend him, though it would be difficult for him to secure a position in Langzhou.

...

The five hundred Jingnan troops who fled Yanyang County regrouped outside Wuling County with the main Jingnan force.

The Jingnan commander regretted deeply—after suffering heavy losses, they had even lost Yanyang County.

Cheng Rui’s messenger arrived late. After deliberation, the Jingnan commander reluctantly withdrew, fearing entrapment between two forces. They retreated around to the southern side of the river at Shishou County to regroup.

Cheng Rui received the report and wisely refrained from blaming his subordinates. He had underestimated the Military Commissioner of Chuannan’s ambition, who had dispatched troops from Qianzhou to invade Langzhou, snatching the prize from the Jingnan army’s grasp.

Although all calculations had favored the Chuannan army, Cheng Rui was neither discouraged nor fearful. Years of preparation and accumulation gave him confidence in defending Jingzhou, unafraid of attrition with the Chuannan forces.

Cheng Rui had a subordinate draft a strained letter of explanation, claiming he had been coerced and incited by Lei Man to feign an attack on Guizhou, intending instead to eliminate Lei Man, who had long plagued Jingnan.

With Lei Man’s demise, the Jingnan army would no longer operate south of the Yangtze River, and Shizhou, Yanzhou, and Langzhou would fall under the Qianzhong Military Commissioner’s jurisdiction.

The messenger went to Guizhou, where Governor Tian Wen received him and forwarded the letter to Jinzhou, directly to Wei Fufeng.

Wei Fufeng received battle reports and statements from various commanding officers, along with the Wuzhen Military Commissioner’s seal.

Learning the entire course of the war, he expressed relief. The Military Governor’s office had indeed dispatched troops to invade Langzhou, clearly at the behest of Old Feng. Other officials followed Old Feng’s lead in military affairs.

If not for Zhao Yidou’s timely decision to send reinforcements, the Qianzhou troops occupying Langzhou would have become isolated and destroyed by Cheng Rui’s superior forces.

Wei Fufeng sent a letter querying Zhao Yidou’s willingness to serve as Defense Commander of Yanzhou and Langzhou.

Retaining Yanzhou and Langzhou required deceiving the imperial court, allowing Chuannan and Jinzhou to enjoy prolonged peace.

Zhao Yidou replied that the internal and external situation in Langzhou and Yanzhou was complex, and he felt unfit for the role.

Moreover, Langzhou had been seized by Commander Wang Wentao. His appointment might cause discord. He wished to return to Fuzhou to continue simple military defense duties.

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Receiving Zhao Yidou’s reply, Wei Fufeng then reviewed Wang Wentao’s battle reports and official statements.

In the reports, Wang Wentao recommended Li Zhang, secretary of the surrendered Wuzhen army, for a position in Langzhou, citing Li’s familiarity with both internal and external affairs.

After consideration, Wei Fufeng wrote to Commander Gan Fengchi, inquiring if he could competently guard Langzhou and Yanzhou.

Gan Fengchi responded affirmatively, and Wei Fufeng appointed him Governor of Langzhou.

Gan Fengchi accepted the appointment and bid farewell to Guizhou Governor Tian Wen, who escorted him to the riverbank with warm regards. The two had worked well together.

Gan Fengchi arrived in Langzhou and sent Li Zhang to Jinzhou to meet Wei Fufeng and coordinate military and political affairs with Wang Wentao and Zhao Yidou.

Zhao Yidou’s eight thousand troops remained stationed, while Wang Wentao retained five thousand Qianzhou troops, reorganized as war cavalry. Together, they led a combined force of ten thousand Qianzhou soldiers back.

Gan Fengchi took command of fifteen thousand troops, reorganized the military structure, and issued proclamations to recruit farming soldiers and militia.

Following Wei Fufeng’s directives, stationed troops could voluntarily convert to farming soldiers.

Ten days into his command, Gan Fengchi learned that Lei Man’s son, Lei Yankong, had fled Wuling County, entered Dongting Lake, joined the expedition fleet heading to Kuizhou, and subsequently occupied Junshan Island in Dongting Lake.

It was said that Lei Yankong had pledged allegiance to the Eyue Military Commissioner Du Hong, serving as a naval military commander.

Gan Fengchi recorded this information in official documents along with his intelligence on internal and external situations, sending it to Wei Fufeng.

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After appointing Gan Fengchi, Wei Fufeng submitted a memorial to the imperial court, requesting his appointment as Governor of Langzhou and Defense Commander of Wuling.

He claimed to be a former subordinate of the late Wuzhen Military Commissioner Lei Man, who had perished attacking Yun’an Salt Well.

The memorial, drafted by an aide, included Lei Man’s seal and was sent to Chang’an.

In truth, this request defied normal protocol, as military commissioners typically succeed one another. Wei Fufeng was reluctant to let his subordinates assume such appointments.

The appointments for Yanzhou, Langzhou, and Shizhou had been discussed with his grandfather, who granted him full authority.

Wei Fufeng established military headquarters in Yanzhou and Langzhou, implementing the Chuannan army system, while the farming soldiers in Shizhou were placed under Qianzhou’s military authority.

Only Wei Fufeng and his grandfather were aware of the conflicts unfolding in the south. These events had no impact on Jinzhou, allowing the Wei family and its military and civilians to enjoy a peaceful New Year.

After the New Year, his aunt urged Wei Fufeng to travel to Chang’an together, but with southern affairs needing proper resolution, he asked her to wait. He wished to meet Li Zhang first before setting out.

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Under orders, Li Zhang left Langzhou, escorted by a contingent of Chuannan soldiers, and arrived in Jinzhou. Seeing the massive city south of the Han River, Li Zhang was unexpectedly impressed, unaware of Jinzhou’s city wall construction.

At the inner city gate, he underwent inspection, and upon mention of his intention to meet the military commissioner, the guard ordered someone to escort him to the commissioner’s office.