Chapter 681
Cao Yi's Conservatism
The Qi army arrived at the north bank of the Huai River in the tenth month of the fourth year of the Qiming era (1742).
At this moment, the Han army was constructing earthen ramparts and filling in dikes around Shouchun, and had just completed a rough outline. It was estimated that it would take until mid-October to completely connect them. Even before the dikes were completed, it was still far off. Looking out from inside the city, the Jin people saw the besieging Han army as densely packed as ants, while the nascent dikes resembled summer vines, growing at an astonishing speed. They lacked the courage to leave the city and stop it, and could only watch helplessly as the dikes rose higher each day and the earthen ramparts around the city grew longer each day—a psychological torture.
It was at this moment that Cao Yi, the Grand Commandant of Qi and Han, arrived late with his southern expeditionary force.
The Qi army marched south along the Ying River to the Huai River, then halted at Xiashi City. The Han army at Xiashi City looked north towards the Huai River and could see the vanguard cavalry, who were the first to arrive. They carried banners bearing the character "Xu," indicating they were likely the troops of Xu Kan, the governor of Yuzhou under both Qi and Han, and their cavalry numbers were astonishing. After setting up camp, they released their horses to the riverbank to drink and bathe. Tens of thousands of warhorses neighed and galloped back and forth on the riverbank, a truly magnificent sight, seemingly no fewer in number than the Han army. Even veteran Han soldiers with several years of service were utterly astonished by this scene.
Similarly, the Qi vanguard, seeing the Han army's continuous encirclement of the city on the south bank, with infantry and cavalry layered upon each other, reaching all the way to the foot of Mount Bagong, and with large ships on the river unlike anything they had ever seen before, felt a sense of dread. Therefore, they did not make any rash moves, but waited in place for the arrival of the main force.
The next morning, Liu Ling, the Commandant of the Capital Region of Qi and Han, led his troops to Huaibei. After joining forces with Xu Kan's vanguard, they did not stop north of Xiashi City but continued eastward, seemingly heading towards Zishan Garrison. Upon receiving intelligence, Liu Lang led scouts to the Huai River to observe the enemy's situation. They saw the enemy troops marching in columns, leading their horses, wearing robes for warmth during their journey, and covered in dust as they headed eastward.
It wasn't just Liu Lang who came to observe the enemy's situation; Du Hong's troops from the Xiangdong Army also came. They traveled by boat with the Qi people, constantly mocking or scolding them loudly, trying to provoke them and demoralize them.
Whether the Qi people had prepared beforehand or not, halfway through their journey, someone seemed to suddenly whistle. The Qi soldiers, with remarkable tacit understanding, removed their robes, revealing the iron armor they had worn underneath. It was nearly noon, and the early winter sun shone brightly on the armor of the Qi and Han soldiers on the north bank, making it gleam with golden light. With most of the leaves fallen, the bare branches made the sky appear exceptionally vast. The terrain north and south of the Huai River was unusually flat, and the shimmering river surface, reflecting the light from the Qi soldiers' armor, created a dazzling spectacle, blurring the lines between water and people.
This sight immediately stunned Du Hong's constantly provocative navy. Liu Lang was equally shocked and surprised to see the elite armored troops of Huaibei.
He had previously heard that the Qi-Han army was mostly composed of refugees, so he naturally assumed their equipment would be rather dilapidated. He was surprised to see such excellent armor and weaponry today. But upon reflection, it made sense. After all, Qi-Han had captured several major cities this year, including Xuchang and Pengcheng. These important towns contained many of the Jin court's stockpiled superior armor and weaponry, which had now fallen into Qi hands, naturally making their equipment far superior.
Moreover, what surprised the Han army was not only the Qi army's equipment, but also their sheer number of troops.
Logically, the Qi army had just experienced several major battles this year and needed considerable time to rest and resupply. Therefore, before the battle, Liu Xian and He Pan estimated that the Qi army might deploy fewer than 70,000 troops. However, unexpectedly, the Qi army established a continuous encampment for over 50 li in Huaibei, stretching from Xia Cai all the way to the north bank of Dangtu. Moreover, there were many bonfires and torches in the camp at night, and troops continued to enter the camp during the day. Based on this situation, it was predicted that the enemy had deployed more than 100,000 troops.
When the news reached the Han army camp in Shouchun, the generals were greatly alarmed, and there were even discussions about lifting the siege. However, He Pan convened a meeting and quickly came to a conclusion: "The Qi rebels are merely bluffing. Where would they get so many provisions for 100,000 men? Impossible! If they truly had enough troops, why would they still be stationed north of the Huai River? They would have already crossed the Huai River to confront our army. They are simply imitating the old tricks of Dong Zhuo and Du Yu, trying to scare us."
Upon hearing this, the crowd was skeptical. What the commander-in-chief said made sense, but they couldn't completely believe it. This place was very close to the capital of Qi. If Liu Baigen were to follow Cao Cao's example and forcibly conscript soldiers regardless of the lives of the people, he could indeed achieve that number. It was always better to be cautious in all matters.
To persuade everyone, He Pan then made a prediction: "Just wait and see. To avoid our army discovering our strength, the Qi bandits will not dare to cross the river with their main force. Instead, they will leave the majority of their troops in Huaibei and send a small number of them across the river first, just to probe our army's strength."
For several days in a row, although people came and went in the Qi army camp, they did not cross the river rashly. Instead, they sent an envoy who said that Marshal Cao Yi had always admired the reputation of the King of Han. Although they had never met, the King of Han had come from afar and wanted to show some hospitality. Therefore, he sent a hundred pearls, a box of candles, and seven dancers.
Upon hearing this news, He Pan couldn't help but laugh. He said to those around him, "He says he's just trying to show hospitality as a host, but he's only afraid of my king's reputation. I told you he wanted to test me, and look, here he is!"
At this moment, he guessed Qi Jun's thoughts. The enemy was mostly guessing; this attack on Shouchun was led by Liu Xian personally, hence their extreme caution. However, this was not what He Pan wanted to see.
Analyzing the current situation, the Han army is an isolated force that has penetrated deep into enemy territory to besiege Shouchun. Although they have already taken control of important passes such as Ruxukou and Hefei along the way, the number of troops left to defend these passes is not large, and their control over Huainan is weak. If the Qi army adopts a cautious strategy of large-scale flanking maneuvers to attack Hefei from the rear, it is possible for them to succeed. At that time, although supplies can still be obtained from Anfeng, the war will inevitably bring huge losses to Huainan and put considerable pressure on the construction of the dikes.
Therefore, the ideal scenario would be for the Qi army to attack from the northeast. The Han army, with its naval advantage, has captured two mountain fortresses to the north, and its defensive fortifications are complete. In a frontal battle, they can advance or retreat as needed. If they can achieve a few minor victories and inflict some damage on the Qi army, they can hold out until the dikes are completed, which would greatly increase the chances of forcing them to retreat.
So He Pan summoned the messenger, deliberately feigning underestimation of the enemy, and sneered, "In this war, I am the commander-in-chief. Shouchun is but a small city; why should my king personally lead the troops? You island barbarians are of evil origin, quack doctors and sorcerers who make a living through deceit and sacrifice to evil spirits. In this chaotic world, it is already a miracle that you have survived, yet you dare to covet the divine artifact! You slander my king! And now you hypocritically come to offer gifts—this is intolerable!"
"Go back and inform Cao Yi that I have moved the navy thirty li back. I'll see if he dares to cross the Huai River to fight!"
After saying this, He Pan immediately sent someone to cut off one of the messenger's ears and carve the words "Ugly Scoundrel" on his face before letting the messenger go back to report.
That night, He Pan had already rested in bed for a while when a messenger came to report that the Qi people had sent light cavalry to shoot an arrow with a silk scroll attached into the city of Xiashi before leaving. He Pan opened the silk scroll and saw that it contained only sixteen characters: "At the second quarter of the hour of Chen (7:45 AM), north of Bagong Mountain, each side will send out their bravest warriors to determine the victor."
Seeing this, He Pan hesitated for a moment, somewhat disappointed. It seemed that his provocation had not worked. Although Cao Yi said he had accepted the challenge, he only said that he would send out his best troops to fight. It seemed that he still did not intend to send out his main force. He should still follow the original plan and use a portion of his elite troops to test the waters and see how things went.
"To tolerate this is the act of a traitor who only cares about maintaining the status quo..." He Pan muttered to himself, then sent a messenger to summon Du Hong and said to him, "Since the traitor intends to challenge us, you must muster eight thousand troops and form ranks with the Duke of Longxi north of the mountain. Prepare for battle and do not tarnish the prestige of our king." After Du Hong agreed, nothing more was said that night. The soldiers rested quickly, as the appointed time was at dawn, and they could not wait until the appointed time to form ranks.
The next day, the Han army prepared their meal at dawn and left the camp at dawn.
Winter skies always brighten later, and when the soldiers left camp, it was still barely light, and a cool breeze was blowing. Because the order was given in the middle of the night, the march was somewhat hasty, but fortunately, the soldiers had been waiting for this battle for a long time, so they were not bothered. Nearly 20,000 troops marched steadily north of Bagong Mountain, infantry in front, cavalry behind, and then large shields and mounted troops. The soldiers held high their crimson Han banners, which fluttered slightly in the wind, and the march was orderly and disciplined.
Liu Lang, leading his horse, stood by the gate, urging the soldiers to leave the camp while occasionally glancing northeast. He saw torches dotting the distance, indicating that the Qi army was crossing the river.
To cross the river, the Qi army hastily constructed a pontoon bridge at the Zishan garrison overnight. At He Pan's instruction, the Han army did not obstruct them. They ordered their soldiers to cross the river in the same order, appearing almost identical to the Han army. The most significant difference was probably that the Qi army's banners were bluish-yellow, while the Han army's banners were crimson. At dawn, it was as if a golden and a crimson cloud had risen in the east and west, respectively.
At this time, the Han army's formation was with Liu Lang's army on the right and Du Hong's army on the left. Since Liu Lang's troops were mostly cavalry, they were able to form their ranks much faster. By the time their own army had completed its formation, some of Du Hong's troops were still not in position.
Bored, Liu Lang went to the front of the formation to observe the enemy's posture. He saw that the Qi army's formation was very well-organized, with infantry in front, archers in the middle, cavalry in the rear, and the long spear battalion and iron armor battalion in the center. He roughly estimated their numbers to be over ten thousand, fewer than the Han army.
Fu Chang, who was traveling with Liu Lang, analyzed, "Your Highness, this is a typical plum blossom formation. It seems that the enemy is going to defend first and then attack."
The so-called Plum Blossom Formation is a commonly used defensive formation when outnumbered. The four armies, front, rear, left, and right, firmly protect the central army, while the elite troops are concentrated in the central army. After the enemy is slightly tired, the elite troops in the central army, who are waiting for the enemy to tire, strike and defeat the enemy in one fell swoop.
Du Hong, as the commander of this battle, was clearly also paying attention to the Qi army. He quickly sent an order to Liu Lang, instructing him to prepare a thousand light cavalry. Obviously, Du Hong planned to first use the light cavalry to probe the outer perimeter, exchanging arrow fire to see which part of the enemy army was the weakest, before launching a larger offensive.
However, the appointed time for the battle had not yet arrived. Du Hong had only given advance notice of the plan; the specific time of the attack would have to wait for him to issue the order from the central command.
But Liu Lang couldn't sit still any longer. After his last conversation with He Pan, he had been silent for quite some time, and then a strong desire to prove himself arose within him. Now, seeing the two armies arrayed but not yet engaged in battle, the battlefield solemn, an idea suddenly flashed through his mind, and his blood surged. Without consulting those around him, he suddenly spurred his horse out of the formation and galloped towards the open area between the two armies.
His actions were so sudden that his attendants, including Lai Guang and Ju Tan, were caught off guard and looked at each other in bewilderment. Although they did not know why Liu Lang had suddenly decided to do this, it was their duty to protect him. After a brief hesitation, they all spurred their horses and followed.
As soon as Liu Lang left the ranks, he immediately attracted the attention of the soldiers of both armies. After all, on the vast plain in between, only a few of them were riding by, and no one could ignore them. His purpose was also clear: to take the initiative and challenge the Qi army.
Du Hong had just finished lining up his troops and was about to order them to rest when someone from the right wing stepped forward to challenge them without authorization. This overstepping of authority greatly displeased him, and he was about to reprimand him when he took a closer look and realized that the one who had challenged them seemed to be the Duke of Longxi. Cold sweat immediately broke out on his forehead.
At this point, it was impossible to dissuade Liu Lang. The only correct course of action was to beat the drums to encourage him, so that the Qi army would not suspect anything amiss and would treat it as a normal challenge.
Fortunately, the Qi people were not familiar with the Han generals. The one in charge of this battle was Xu Kan, the governor of Yuzhou of Qi and Han. When he saw that the Han army sent a small cavalry squad directly to the front of the formation and stopped about three hundred paces away from them, he thought that the Han army had come to provoke them. He immediately pointed to the approaching cavalry and asked his guards, "The southerners are challenging us. Who can drive them away for me?"
As soon as he finished speaking, his trusted soldiers stepped forward to volunteer. His subordinate, Yu Yao, said, "My lord, please allow me to attend to you for a while."
Yu Yao was a well-known and brave general under Xu Kan. He wielded a long spear weighing twenty catties with ease. In the war in the Central Plains, he repeatedly killed enemy generals for Xu Kan. Xu Kan trusted him greatly and immediately ordered him to go into battle.
When Yu Yao arrived at the front of the battle with his spear, he saw that Liu Lang was wearing a helmet but had no beard and looked very young. He couldn't help but laugh and said, "Everyone says that Liu Xian has many fierce generals under his command. Why is he sending a kid who hasn't even grown his hair yet to fight today? Is there no one else in the army?"
Before he finished speaking, Liu Lang suddenly spurred his horse forward, swung his sword, and deflected Yu Yao's long spear. Using the speed of his horse, he reversed the hilt of his sword, and as the two passed each other, he used the blade to plunge into the horse's belly, causing Yu Yao to fall to the ground with the horse. Then he circled back and spurred his horse to trample Yu Yao underfoot.
This series of actions happened in the blink of an eye, as swift as a rabbit leaping and a falcon swooping. Before either army could react, Liu Lang had already trampled Yu Yao to death, and everyone stared at him, genuinely incredulous. This didn't resemble a back-and-forth battle at all; it looked more like killing a chicken.
Liu Lang once again leaped onto the front lines, wiping the blood from his sword with a handkerchief his mother had prepared. Without even glancing at the corpses on the ground, he casually challenged the enemy in his newly formed, manly voice: "This isn't enough, who else will come?" (End of Chapter)