Chapter 689
Cao Yi Retreats
At this time, the Qi army was indeed caught in a dilemma of whether to fight or retreat at the foot of Zijin Mountain.
Zhou Qi's analysis of the Qi people was very accurate. In terms of ambushes and raids on the battlefield, and mobile warfare, the Qi people were indeed a very troublesome opponent. No matter how powerful the enemy was, once you fell into the trap of pursuing the Qi people, they could give full play to their cunning and endurance, moving around and dragging out the strong and the weak until they were exhausted, and finally the final battle. However, if it came to a head-on battle, it would be hard to say that the Qi people had any advantage. They might even be the weakest of the four major powers in the world today.
Faced with the formidable Zishan garrison, held by a mere four thousand men, the Qi army had changed its plans several times. Initially, they intended to seize Zishan before Liu Lang and his forces could consolidate their position, but this failed. They then switched to a prolonged siege, employing a strategy of besieging the stronghold and ambushing reinforcements. However, the main Han army did not fall for the ambush and instead repeatedly exerted pressure from the Huai River northwards. This put considerable pressure on the Daxing court, demanding that Cao Yi capture Zishan garrison as soon as possible and take Liu Lang prisoner. If this were achieved, the war would be considered over, and withdrawal would be unnecessary.
Cao Yi was forced to change his strategy, ordering his various units to attack Zishan Garrison in rotation, but the results were poor. Du Zeng had already contracted his battle lines, transporting supplies from the foot of the mountain to the top, and expanded Zishan Garrison, allowing all three thousand men to be stationed on the mountain. Although he had given back all the original camps to the Qi army, this made the Qi army's attack even more difficult.
Zishan Garrison is surrounded by sheer cliffs on three sides, leaving only one route for attack. This route would be vulnerable to Han army fire and falling rocks from higher ground, and with a fierce general like Du Zeng blocking the camp gate, even a general as formidable as Su Jun would find it difficult to breach the defenses. Furthermore, the increasingly cold weather allowed the Han army ample time for rest and rotation, and the camp's provisions were originally sufficient for several months. This made the Qi army's chances of victory extremely slim.
"A man must be willing to take great risks to achieve extraordinary feats. Now that our army has the upper hand, how can we fail to capture even a small mountain fortress? Wouldn't we become a laughingstock among the heroes of the world?"
Cao Yi admonished his troops in this way, but at the same time felt somewhat helpless. The state had only been established for a short time, and coordination between the various units was still very difficult. In these days, people rose up in rebellion simply to make a living, and had no desire to become heroes. The Qi army was not lacking in fierce generals and warriors, but faced with the marshal's order to launch a strong attack, most of them did not have any deep-seated hatred for the Han army, and none of the units were willing to fight to the death. Cao Yi wanted to use gold and silver treasures to incentivize them, but unfortunately, he had no money on hand, because most of it had originally been kept in the camp, but the Han army had taken it all.
Cao Yi could only report the situation at the front to the Emperor of Daxing. The Emperor of Daxing also found it extremely difficult. He did not intend to fight any major battles in Huaibei, but the Han army's offensive was so aggressive that he had no choice but to retreat and show weakness. Just then, Meng Tao marched into Ruyin, and Liu Baigen followed Wang Mi's plan to mobilize a large number of troops to frighten away the Han army.
Liu Zhongdao's 30,000 troops from Yanzhou were only the first batch of reinforcements. He also planned to call upon another 20,000 troops from Jizhou and 20,000 troops from Qingzhou to provide follow-up support, and to arrive in Runan and Ruyin to show off their power. In this way, the number of Qi troops at the front line would increase to 130,000, while they would claim to have 200,000, almost twice the number of the Han troops in Huainan, and would pose a great threat to the two counties of Anfeng and Yiyang.
To Cao Yi's disappointment, the news from Huainan was not that the Han army had withdrawn, but rather that they had reinforced their troops. A few days later, the Han army sent another messenger with a letter urging him to return north. The letter stated:
"The land under the sun and moon was originally Han territory. The Jin dynasty destroyed its virtue and was abandoned by the people. Therefore, our king raised an army in Bashu, and the King of Qi rode his horse in Qingxu. Each of them plundered east and west, swept away the evil, and cleansed the four seas. Their ambition was to continue the Han dynasty. This was all ordained by Heaven. Although there were differences in their paths and their struggles for power, those who were on the same path before did not hesitate to praise each other and not tarnish the reputation of heroes."
"Now my king, with a smile, raises an army, sweeps away the three Wu regions, and moves towards Western Chu. His elite armor shines in the sun, his million-strong army marches in droves, his warships stretch for miles, and his people are all devoted to destroying Jin. When have we ever had a disagreement with you? Yet your esteemed country, having only recently ascended the throne, has, emboldened by the victory over Xu, turned against Huainan and fawned upon the false dynasty. Is this the demeanor of a true king? How can you report this to the ancestral temple?"
"Though the Green Forest and Red Eyebrows have never met, they are all enemies of Wang Mang, which led to the restoration of the Jin Dynasty under Emperor Guangwu. The Jin court is in turmoil, and the princes are fighting among themselves. Even a vast territory can be destroyed. The gains and losses of the past should serve as a lesson for the future. If the two armies fight because of the Jin Dynasty, wouldn't that be ignoring the mistakes of the past and making the future a laughing stock? Why not follow the example of the sages, hold a meeting to quell the war, temporarily gain a chance to recuperate, and destroy the Jin Dynasty? Even if each side raises its troops next year to fight again, we will ultimately have no shame before the state."
Although Cao Yi was a skilled warrior, he was not well-versed in literature and only knew some of the more famous historical events. Therefore, he needed his staff to translate and explain things to him before he could understand He Pan's meaning. He knew the general outline of the Green Forest and Red Eyebrow uprisings against Wang Mang, but he had never heard of the peace talks during the Spring and Autumn Period before. Therefore, he couldn't help but scoff in annoyance, saying, "If you want to negotiate, then negotiate. What good will all this flowery nonsense do?"
However, since the Han army intended to negotiate peace, which aligned with Emperor Daxing's idea of forcing the Han army to retreat, Cao Yi readily agreed.
After all, with the arrival of Han reinforcements, the balance of power between the two sides had shifted once again. Even if peace talks failed, it would be a good opportunity to probe the Han army's strength and weaknesses once more. Therefore, Cao Yi dispatched Lu Pi, the Prefect of Changguang, as an envoy to the Han army camp, and specifically instructed him: "This mission concerns His Majesty's prestige, so you must not show any weakness! Also, observe the Southerners' arrangements and calculate how long they can hold out!"
Lü Pi readily agreed, and the next day he led a dozen or so followers on light cavalry to the Han army camp for the meeting.
Lü Pi was soon received by He Pan. After receiving the order from the King of Han, He Pan had made meticulous preparations for the peace talks. He chose to hold the meeting on a levee built by the Han army, which offered a commanding view of the city of Shouchun, which was being flooded, as well as the Han army camps surrounding the levee and the vast fleet of ships lined up on the Shaopi River—a truly magnificent sight.
He Pan himself was dressed in a round-necked, knee-length military uniform, with a cowhide belt adorned with gold studs around his waist and a sword hanging from it. He sat on a stool and ordered his trusted confidants to stand with large knives, creating a dignified and imposing entourage.
Lü Pi knew that He Pan was trying to intimidate him, but he calmly observed the Han army commander and suddenly noticed that He Pan's complexion was somewhat sallow and his body was somewhat thin. So he did not talk about the war or the negotiation terms, but changed the subject and asked with feigned concern: "It is a cold winter, and you have traveled a long way. How is your health, Lord He?"
He Pan has indeed been feeling unwell lately. After all, he is getting old and has to take charge of high-intensity battles, which has led to some exhaustion of his energy. This is why he is unwilling to rashly start a decisive battle.
However, Lü Pi brought this up with ill intentions. He continued, "Lord He is already old and cannot enjoy his remaining years. Instead, he has come to Huainan to compete for profit. If something unexpected happens to him, it is truly worrying!"
This was a veiled criticism of He Pan for not performing well in the war against Qi and for not being able to win the war in a prolonged standoff. He Pan simply smiled and said slowly, "No need for your country to worry. If I am ill, there is still Lord Li. If Lord Li is not able to win, my king will come to lead the troops."
Upon hearing this, Lü Pi tensed up. The thought of possibly facing Liu Xian filled him with fear, but he forced himself to say, "That's fine too. The Duke of Longxi is far away, and the end of the year is approaching. We were worried about not being able to entertain him properly. Your king's arrival from afar is a good opportunity for father and son to reunite." The implication was that even if Liu Xian came, the Qi army could capture him alive.
He Pan had no interest in arguing over such matters; the older one gets, the more one understands the power of silence. The edict from the King of Han appointed He Pan to be in charge of the initial ceremony, so he was only responsible for that part. He smiled and dismissed Lü Pi's words, saying, "In that case, it is my fault for not preparing a proper banquet. Let's have our meal first."
Having said this, he ordered the banquet to begin. Lü Pi was astonished to find the food served quite lavish. There was fish, shrimp, chicken, and duck, as well as winter bamboo shoots and water chestnuts, and a delicate white porridge made from lotus root starch—all local specialties brought from Yangzhou by Zhou Qi and his men. Seeing this, Lü Pi felt a pang of unease, wondering how much supplies the Wu people had brought to the Han army on their northward journey.
However, he was very clear about the Qi people's supply situation. The Qi army was currently facing a severe shortage of provisions, not only because of the Battle of Xuchang, but also because the Emperor of Daxing had renovated the city after his ascension to the throne, which had also consumed a great deal of wealth. This made mobilizing 60,000 troops to march south extremely difficult, and their food supplies were only enough to last until next spring. Now, with the loss of Zishan Garrison and the addition of tens of thousands of troops, the army appeared imposing, but the logistical pressure had increased exponentially. It was estimated that they would have to retreat by the end of the year. From this perspective, there was indeed room for negotiation. Lü Pi finished his meal with a strange expression, then asked He Pan, "Since you intend to negotiate, what are your conditions?"
He Pan glanced at Li Feng, who was accompanying him. Li Feng understood immediately and stood up with a smile, saying, "My king's meaning is that both sides are Han armies that oppose Jin and have come to destroy Jin. It is indeed not reasonable for them to leave empty-handed. My king is willing to give the two prefectures of Linhuai and Guangling to your country. What do you think?"
Upon hearing this, Lü Pi immediately sneered, "I'm afraid it's not appropriate for your country to do a favor by going along with the flow?"
The two commanderies of Linhuai and Guangling were part of Xuzhou, but they had previously been divided between the Qi-Han and Jin dynasties. The Qi-Han controlled the area north of the Huai River, while the Jin controlled the area south of it. Now that Shu Han had marched north to Shouchun, it had not yet established order in Huainan. So, while it was said that Shu Han was handing over these two missing commanderies to Qi Han, in reality, there was no loss; they simply lost a piece of land. In contrast, Qi Han, having mobilized such a large force, only gained one commandery, which must have been quite unsatisfactory.
Li Feng was well aware of this, but he was confident that the Han army had the greater advantage and underestimated the Qi army's recent performance, so he asked, "What does your esteemed envoy wish to do?"
Lü Pi said, "At the very least, I must have the Imperial Seal!"
Li Feng retorted sarcastically without backing down, "Your country wants the Imperial Seal, but instead of sending troops to take it yourself, you try to take advantage of the situation. Don't you feel ashamed?"
After a heated exchange, He Pan finally stepped in to mediate, saying, "This is a negotiation; let's not ruin the harmony."
He Pan then said slowly to Lü Pi, "Your Excellency must be tired. Please rest first. We are not in a hurry. If Your Excellency wishes to go anywhere, we will not stop you. Please feel free to do as you please."
He Pan's actions were a declaration, indicating that he didn't care if the Qi army knew the true situation, and that the Han army was certain to win. Seeing this, Lü Pi couldn't help but be suspicious. He felt this might be a trap set by the enemy, but such an opportunity was rare. So, after the banquet, he wandered aimlessly through the Han army camp. What he saw and learned, however, was even more alarming.
Because of the low tide on the Huai River, the Han army had not sent its warships into the river, but instead anchored at Shaopi. Therefore, although the Qi army recognized the strength of the Han navy, they did not feel they could not handle it. However, when Lü Pi saw the warship fleet up close for the first time and personally experienced the oppressive feeling of the river fortress, he was immediately filled with fear. He suddenly realized that if the battle in Huainan dragged on until the high tide of spring the following year, when the warships would also enter the Huai River, the Qi army would probably have no chance of victory.
After returning to the Qi army, Lü Pi reported the Han army's strength to Cao Yi. Cao Yi was also very worried, but he still pretended to be calm and said with a smile, "What's there to be afraid of? I will definitely decide the outcome within a month."
Cao Yi had realized that the Han army was an unprecedentedly formidable enemy, and rather than waiting for a later opportunity, he decided to seize every chance at hand. Therefore, he devised a plan to achieve a swift victory.
Cao Yi planned to feign peace talks and retreat, while secretly sending an ambush force to circle around to the south of Bagong Mountain. Once the Han army came out of their camp to take over Zishan Garrison, he would launch a surprise attack, ostensibly to repel the Han army, but in reality to have the ambush force dig up the Shouchun dike. When the dike collapsed, the accumulated water would rush down the Huai River, perhaps even flooding the seven armies and causing the Han army to suffer the consequences of their own actions.
However, since it concerned peace talks, he first reported the matter to the Emperor of Daxing, intending to take action only after obtaining the Emperor's approval.
But soon, Liu Baigen replied to Cao Yi with bad news: just as the two armies were negotiating peace, the Han army escalated its efforts again, ordering General Li Ju to lead 50,000 troops to Yiyang, claiming a force of 100,000. This brought the total number of troops facing each other north and south of the Huai River to nearly 300,000.
The situation had reached a critical juncture. In this contest of courage, the Qi army was outnumbered and lacked confidence, far from being prepared for a decisive battle. They also needed time to stabilize their rule in the Central Plains. Therefore, after hearing the Han army's terms for peace, Liu Baigen felt they could accept them, after all, the Qi people had won a battle and had not returned empty-handed.
He added only one requirement to the Han army: the Han army in Shouchun must first retreat 100 li to the south before the Qi army can retreat.
This was the emperor's decision, and although Cao Yi was extremely unwilling, he had no choice but to comply.
When the news reached He Pan, it immediately sparked a debate among the generals, who believed it was a trick by the Qi people to lure the Han army away so they could seize Shouchun. However, after reading the letter, Commander He Pan breathed a sigh of relief and showed a weary smile. He persuaded his generals, saying, "If they advance on Shouchun, it will give our navy a chance to prove its worth; that would be a foolish move. The Qi people are actually afraid of being pursued when they retreat!"
He stated his assessment: "The Qi people are truly withdrawing their troops. They'll leave a few ships to watch over Shouchun, while we retreat south."
As expected, after the Han army retreated south, the Qi army did not advance on Shouchun, but instead began to withdraw. However, instead of returning north, they withdrew eastward to occupy Guangling and Linhuai, the two places the Han army had agreed to divide, and plundered all the civilians and refugees they encountered along the way.
Three days later, the Qi army had left Zhongli, and the Han army, confirming this, resumed its siege of Shouchun. At this point, without the Qi army's support, the fall of Shouchun was a foregone conclusion. The Jin court was like a turtle in a jar, or a crop sown and awaiting harvest; the moment of its inevitable fall was finally approaching. (End of Chapter)