Starting with a Wei Wu soldier

Chapter 181 Internal Strife Among the Allied Forces

The defeat at Shiling Pass was like a boulder thrown into muddy water. Before the ripples it stirred up had subsided, the poison of suspicion that Jia Wen had carefully sown had already begun to spread and ferment rapidly deep within the seemingly massive body of the Anti-Star Alliance, causing unsettling spasms and colic.

Xiangyang, the Chu King's Palace.

"Bang!" Liu Kun slammed a document of "inquiry" delivered by an envoy from Jiankang onto the table, causing the sandalwood surface to shake. His face was ashen, his chest heaving violently, and he roared at the Chief Secretary Wang Jun and several trusted generals standing below, "Outrageous! Utterly outrageous! Zhu Huan, you scoundrel! Your incompetence led to defeat, damaging the morale of our allied forces! I haven't even investigated your crimes, yet these Jiangdong rats and Jiankang pedantic scholars are already suspicious and questioning whether I mismanaged the situation, whether... whether I secretly colluded with the Star Army?! And they even sent these worthless documents, implying that someone under my command leaked military secrets? This is outrageous!"

Wang Jun frowned deeply. He too felt something was amiss; the defeat had been too swift, and the rumors had arisen so conveniently, as if someone were secretly orchestrating it. But now was clearly not the time for calm analysis; the alliance leader was already enraged. "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. This must be a divisive tactic by the Star Army, intended to sow discord among our troops. General Zhu Huan may have made a mistake, but pursuing it too harshly now might damage harmony. As for Jiankang and Jiangdong..."

"A scheme to sow discord? How could I not know that!" Liu Kun interrupted him, his eyes flashing coldly. "But if Zhu Huan were cautious and prudent, how could he have fallen for it? A defeated general, instead of reflecting on his own mistakes, indulges in rumors and shirks responsibility! And that Gu Yong, with his righteous appearance, privately condones the defamation of my prestige! In their eyes, do they still consider me the leader of the alliance?!"

One hot-tempered general couldn't help but say, "Your Majesty! The Jiangdong army has always been arrogant. This defeat not only hasn't damaged their foundation, but they've also used rumors to criticize Your Majesty! In my humble opinion, we should summon Zhu Huan to Xiangyang and confront him directly! If he refuses, we should use the alliance leader's order to strip him of his military power! Let's see if they dare to be so arrogant then!"

Another general, however, expressed his concerns: "No! With a major battle imminent, seizing the general's command would only throw us into disarray. Moreover, the Zhu family is deeply entrenched in Jiangdong, and this could provoke a major upheaval. It would be better to be patient for now, order Zhu Huan to atone for his crimes through meritorious service, and thoroughly investigate the rumors to reassure the troops."

"Endure? If we continue to endure, they'll ride roughshod over us!" Liu Kun roared. "Issue the order! Command Zhu Huan's troops to immediately relocate to 'Black Stone Beach,' thirty li north of Hefei. It faces a crucial point where the Xing Army might advance eastward; the terrain is unfavorable, and the supply line is long. He wants to redeem himself through merit, doesn't he? I'll give him that chance! Let's see how he handles it! At the same time, issue a proclamation rebuking him for underestimating the enemy and advancing rashly, ordering him to reorganize his troops and prevent further mistakes! Also, send a reply to the families in Jiankang and Jiangdong, stating that the rumors are baseless and urging them to prioritize the overall situation and not fall into the enemy's trap. Anyone who spreads false rumors and disrupts our morale will be punished according to military law!"

This order, seemingly offering Zhu Huan a chance to "redeem himself through meritorious service," actually placed his troops in danger and carried a clear punitive intent, serving as a public reprimand. Wang Jun's lips moved, but he ultimately sighed inwardly and did not try to dissuade him further. He knew that once the seeds of suspicion sprouted, trust would be difficult to rebuild. While the king's actions vented his anger, they also further exacerbated the conflict.

Almost at the same time Liu Kun issued the order, Zhu Huan's anger reached its peak in the Jiangdong army camp.

Having just returned from defeat, he was already filled with shame and indignation. The suspicious questioning from the clan elders, the cold words from Gu Yong, and the perfunctory yet reproachful "consolation" from the Jiankang court had made him feel like he was sitting on pins and needles. Now, receiving Liu Kun's order to relocate, which was clearly humiliating and punitive, made him even more furious.

"Liu Kun, you old bastard! How dare you deceive me like this!" Zhu Huan roared in the tent, kicking over a table. "Before the battle, you swore an oath to fight the Northern barbarians together! Now that we've suffered a slight setback, you're shifting all the blame onto me! You even want to send my troops to that godforsaken Black Stone Beach to die? You say the Star Army was prepared and there might be spies... I think Liu Kun is the biggest spy! He wants to use the Star Army to eliminate my Jiangdong troops so he can dominate Jingzhou and then annex Jiangnan!"

Several of Zhu's direct subordinate generals were also filled with righteous indignation: "Master! Liu Kun is clearly eliminating dissidents! Black Stone Beach is easy to attack but difficult to defend, and supplies are scarce. If the Xing Army attacks, we will be the first to bear the brunt, while he can sit and defend Xiangyang, preserving his strength! This order must not be obeyed!"

"But disobeying the leader's orders could give others a handle to use against us..." Some of the more cautious generals worried.

"Alliance Leader? What merit or ability does Liu Kun have to call himself Alliance Leader?" Zhu Huan sneered. "If it weren't for the financial and logistical support from Jiangdong, could Jingzhou have mustered so many troops? Now he's putting on airs like an Alliance Leader! Issue the order: my troops are still wounded and sick, and our supplies are running low. We will not be relocated for the time being! We need to rest and replenish our forces! Also, send someone back to Jiankang to report the situation and ask the court and Lord Gu to make a decision! I want to see what Liu Kun can do to me!"

Zhu Huan chose to stand firm. He was confident in the strength of the Zhu clan of Jiangdong and believed that the defeat was not his fault, but rather due to Liu Kun's faulty intelligence or even ulterior motives. How could he obediently submit? When news of his disobedience spread, it immediately caused an uproar within the allied forces.

Upon hearing the news, Liu Kun was furious and issued three strict orders, urging Zhu Huan to move his garrison. He also threatened that if Zhu Huan disobeyed the orders again, he would be punished for "disobeying military orders and delaying the battle," and the allied forces would then attack him together!

The attitudes of Gu Yong and the other families in Jiangdong were also quite delicate at this moment. They were happy to see Zhu Huan suffer a setback, which would weaken the Zhu clan, but they did not want to see Liu Kun's authority become too inflated. They were also worried that if Zhu Huan were truly forced to rebel, it would lead to the split of the allied forces, and the Xing army would take advantage of the situation, resulting in everyone's misfortune. Therefore, Gu Yong wrote a letter to Zhu Huan, advising him to "be patient and prioritize the overall situation." On the other hand, he sent an envoy to Liu Kun to mediate, saying that "General Zhu has just suffered a defeat, and his soldiers are in a state of panic. The matter of relocating the troops may be postponed for the time being. The most urgent task is to regroup and fight back." In reality, he was trying to appease both sides and smooth things over.

The envoys from the Jiankang court were more tactful. On the one hand, they appeased Liu Kun and emphasized his position as the leader of the alliance. On the other hand, they expressed "understanding" towards Zhu Huan. At the same time, they secretly contacted several other powerful families in Jiangdong, attempting to form a middle force that could both check Liu Kun and suppress Zhu Huan, in order to gain greater influence for themselves.

Liu Mao, the younger brother of Liu Zhang of Yizhou, was not very enthusiastic about the Northern Expedition to begin with. Seeing the infighting among the allied forces, he became even more reluctant to retreat. He began to delay the expedition by citing reasons such as "difficulty in transporting supplies" and "dangerous mountain roads," and withdrew the troops that had already left Shu a distance, adopting a wait-and-see attitude. Shi Hui of Lingnan even used the excuse of "frequent outbreaks of malaria and many sick soldiers" to directly stop the reinforcement of troops to Jiangbei.

For a time, the originally well-planned allied operation fell into serious stagnation and chaos. Arguments, bickering, and mutual accusations replaced unified military deployment. Liu Kun's authority was openly challenged, and his orders could not leave Xiangyang; Zhu Huan, seething with anger, remained entrenched in his position; Gu Yong and others skillfully played both sides, secretly expanding their influence; and other forces, each with their own agendas, hesitated to move forward.

Meanwhile, the southern front of the Star Army remained unusually quiet. After receiving intelligence from various sources, Chen Xing merely ordered all troops to strengthen their defenses and fortify the lines, refraining from launching a preemptive attack amidst the chaos. He was waiting, waiting for the internal rifts within the allied forces to widen further, waiting for a better opportunity.