novelAbuy Chapter 186 The Army Approaches the Yangtze River
Chapter 186 The Army Approaches the Yangtze River
Before the smoke and corpses of Wulin had completely sunk into the mud, the Star Army, riding the wave of its great victory, was no longer concerned with the gains or losses of a single city or place, but with the formidable barrier that stretched from north to south and divided the territory—the Yangtze River.
Liu Kun's retreat was less a strategic withdrawal and more a meticulously concealed rout. Abandoned supply wagons blocked the roads, and hastily set ablaze camps billowed black smoke under the gloomy sky, further amplifying the dejection of the defeated army. He had hoped to use waterways and his familiarity with the terrain to quickly retreat south to Jiangling to regroup, but the pursuit by the Xing army was far more swift and deadly than he had anticipated.
Chen Wei's main force did not launch a direct assault on the Jingling camp. Instead, they exerted continuous pressure from the perimeter. At the same time, they dispatched several elite units, guided by surrendered soldiers familiar with the routes, to take shortcuts and seize several strategic passes and river ports leading from Jingling to Jiangling. When Liu Kun's vanguard arrived at these locations, panting, they were met with the Star Army's well-prepared archers and "Star" banners.
"There's an ambush!"
"Our escape route has been cut off!"
Desperate cries echoed through the defeated army. Pursuers were at their backs, and ambushes lay ahead; morale utterly collapsed. Large numbers of soldiers abandoned their weapons and uniforms, fleeing into the mountains or kneeling to surrender. Liu Kun's once-elite central army was decimated by the successive blows and the flight of soldiers. He himself, if not for the desperate protection of his personal guards, narrowly escaped being overtaken several times by the Star Army's cavalry. Ultimately, he led a remnant force of less than ten thousand men, abandoning most of his ships and heavy equipment, and fled in disarray along winding mountain paths, taking a long detour before finally arriving in Jiangling City several days later, his spirits still shaken. By this time, he had long lost the dignity of an alliance leader, left only with the terror of surviving a calamity and a deep fear of the Star Army.
Meanwhile, Zhang Heng's cavalry, like leeches, relentlessly expanded their gains along the plains between the Han and Yangtze Rivers. They swept through routed troops, attacked and plundered poorly defended county towns and fortified villages, seized supplies, and successfully burned down an important granary on the outskirts of Xiakou Water Fortress. The raging fire illuminated half the sky, a sight that terrified Gu Yong, who was inside Xiakou City. The Star Army's advance had already reached the outskirts of Xiakou; the nearest scout cavalry could even see the sails of the Jiangdong navy on the Yangtze River.
Gu Yong faced a dilemma. Should he rescue Liu Kun? Leaving aside the question of whether the waterways were open, the speed of Liu Kun's defeat and the ferocity of the Xing army's land forces meant that if he sent troops north, Xiakou would be vulnerable, and the Xing army could easily seize the opportunity to attack. Should he hold Xiakou? That would be tantamount to watching Liu Kun's demise and the allied forces completely collapse. Could his Jiangdong navy and weak land forces alone defend the Yangtze River? The secret letter from the Jiankang court was becoming increasingly ambiguous, hinting at abandoning the north bank of the Yangtze and retreating to the south.
While Gu Yong hesitated and Liu Kun remained holed up in Jiangling, the main force of the Xing Army, under Chen Xing's personal command, did not linger too long around Xiakou or Jiangling. On Jia Wen's advice, Chen Xing made a bolder, more strategically astute decision: he left Chen Wei with a portion of his forces to monitor and contain Liu Kun's remaining troops in Jiangling; he ordered Zhang Heng to continue harassing and pressuring the area around Xiakou, but to avoid a direct assault on the fortified city; while he himself led the central army and Dian Xiong's troops, bypassing the enemy's still-strong core strongholds, and rapidly advanced southeast along routes relatively easy to traverse after the floodwaters receded, aiming directly at the vast area north of the Yangtze River, especially several strategically important locations traditionally easy for large armies to cross.
In the third month of the first year of Wuxing, despite the lingering chill of spring and the biting winds of the river, the vast banners of the Xingjun army finally appeared on the north bank of the Yangtze River.
The first to arrive at the riverbank were Dian Xiong's vanguard. They chose a riverbank called "Puqikou," where the river was relatively wide and the current was gentle, with flat terrain on the opposite bank and no steep mountains to obstruct their view. When Dian Xiong and his elite troops first saw the vast, boundless river that seemed to divide heaven and earth, even these men, accustomed to the desolation of the north and the sandstorms of the desert, were deeply shocked.
"Damn it... this river is so wide! It's more than twice as wide as the Yellow River!" Dian Xiong stared wide-eyed at the faint outline of villages on the opposite bank and the distant shadows of green mountains, unable to help but click his tongue in amazement. The river water was muddy and yellow, rolling eastward, its waves crashing against the shore with a majestic force, far surpassing any river in the north. On the river, the occasional sail could be seen, belonging to merchant ships or fishing boats traveling from the south. Upon seeing the military flags that had suddenly appeared on the north bank, they all panicked and turned their rudders away.
Subsequent troops arrived one after another, setting up camp along the river. The continuous rows of camps, the towering banners, and the patrolling cavalry stretched along a long, menacing battle line on the north bank of the Yangtze. The arrival of the Star Army shattered the long-standing relative peace on the north bank of the Yangtze, and directly pushed the shadow of war to the very threshold of the south bank.
Surrounded by his generals, Chen Xing ascended a high mound by the river and gazed into the distance. The mighty Yangtze River flowed ceaselessly, displaying a myriad of magnificent sights. Across the river, the Jiangnan region appeared hazy yet prosperous in the spring mist, a different kind of flourishing and civilization from that of the north.
"The Yangtze River, indeed, lives up to its reputation as a formidable natural barrier," Chen Xing said slowly, his tone filled with admiration and the ambition of a conqueror. "The ancients said, 'The Yangtze River is the boundary between north and south.' Yet today, my army has reached its north. This natural barrier may stop the barbarian cavalry, but can it stop the mighty warriors of my Xing Kingdom?"
Jia Wen stood to the side, stroking his beard, and said, “Your Majesty, although the Yangtze River is treacherous, to defend the Yangtze, one must defend the Huai River, and to defend the Yangtze, one must control the upper reaches. Now, Liu Kun has just been defeated and is holed up in Jiangling, leaving the upper reaches open; Gu Yong is hesitant at Xiakou, and although his navy remains, he has no land support and his morale has plummeted. Our army, riding the wave of our recent victory, has deployed troops on the north bank, causing tremors in the south of the Yangtze. Our momentum is now established. Next, we may either force them to negotiate peace or seek an opportunity to cross the river; the initiative is now in our hands.”
Chen Wei also said, "Your Majesty, our army has just arrived. We need to consolidate our camps along the river, collect ships, train our navy, and investigate the hydrology at the ferry crossings. In addition, we can send more spies across the river to spread the word about our army's power and shake the morale of the people in Jiangnan."
Chen Xing nodded: "Then we will follow your advice. Order the 'Jinghai Camp' naval forces to relocate to the waters near the mouth of the Han River and the mouth of Puqi, strengthen their training, familiarize themselves with the river's characteristics, and find ways to requisition and build more ships. All camps along the river should dig deep trenches and build high walls, maintaining strict vigilance to prevent enemy naval attacks. Wenhe, the 'rumors' in Jiangnan can be fueled a few more times. Tell the people on the other side that I have arrived."