Jinting Han people

Chapter 744 A Light Skim Over Xuanwu Lake

Just as the Han army launched a new offensive, Wang Mi was entertaining a distinguished guest on Zhongshan Mountain.

If Liu Xian were present, he would certainly be astonished to see this distinguished guest. This guest was none other than Fotucheng, who had disappeared from Yi'an for several months. He would also be baffled as to why Wang Mi, the Celestial Masters' supervisor of the Eastern Sea, would be sitting at the same table with Fotucheng, a high-ranking monk from the Western Regions, and engaging in such pleasant conversation.

The reason for this is simple: during this period, not only was the Han army operating intensively, but Qi general Wang Mi was also not idle. After occupying Jianye, he had been seizing the time to integrate the three Wu regions in order to strengthen his control over Yangzhou and mobilize more forces to join the war.

Faced with the current situation where the Wu region was filled with powerful and wealthy clans, Wang Mi first ordered the various Wu people to offer their children, forcing them to marry into the Qi army's generals who were marching south—this was, after all, the quickest way to express sincerity. Next, he recruited local scholars who had previously had little connection with Liu Xian, lavishly bestowing upon them official positions and promises. While Liu Xian did promise to establish vassal states in the Wu region, granting them some economic privileges, they were ultimately confined to a small corner. Wang Mi declared that soon the Qi people would emulate Sun Quan, moving their capital to Jianye, and making the Wu region their capital, thus making Yangzhou the center of the world. Finally, he carried out a blatant purge, focusing on a group of scholars close to Liu Xian, such as Gu Rong, Lu Ye, and Zhou Qi. These were all prominent figures from the Wu clans, with only their children and minor branches remaining in the area. Anyone captured by the Qi people was beheaded without mercy, and their land confiscated.

These measures caused great anxiety and uncertainty among the scholars of the Wu region. After much deliberation, many ultimately chose to surrender to the Qi people. Among them were members of the Eastern Wu imperial family, such as the brothers Sun Chong and Sun Bo, sons of Sun Hao; the brothers Zhang Han and Zhang Xiu from the Zhang clan of Wu Commandery; the brothers Zhu Teng and Zhu Mao from the Zhu clan of Wu Commandery; and some lesser-known scholars and literati, such as Yang Yuan and Xie Jin.

It was the defection of these people that ensured the logistics of the Qi people in Yangzhou and contributed a large number of ships and naval forces to the Qi people. However, with Liu Xian's personal expedition, the people of Yangzhou became unstable, and the situation changed again. There was a lot of unrest among the scholars in the Kuaiji area. Although Wang Mi tried to remain calm in front of outsiders, he felt uneasy in his heart and could only try to calm people's hearts in another way.

Initially, he planned to repeat his previous tactics, vigorously promoting the doctrines of the Celestial Masters sect in the Wu region, using rumors and rituals to emphasize the divine mandate that Qi and Han were destined for power. However, the response was minimal, and even when he personally performed sacrifices, very few locals paid attention. This puzzled Wang Mi greatly. After some inquiries, he learned that the locals did not believe in Taoism but rather in Buddhism, and had all gone to listen to the sutra assemblies of the eminent monk Fotucheng.

After leaving Yi'an, Fotucheng originally intended to travel downstream to Huainan first. However, while preaching in Xunyang, he heard that Buddhism was prevalent in the Jiangzuo region and that there were many believers there. Therefore, he changed his plans and went to preach in the Wuxing area instead. As expected, he was warmly welcomed by the local people.

It is worth noting that during the late Han Dynasty, Zuo Rong, the chancellor of Xiapi in Xuzhou, was a devout Buddhist and built a nine-story pagoda temple, attracting tens of thousands of followers. Later, when Cao Cao attacked Xuzhou, Zuo Rong led his followers south to Jianye, where Buddhism flourished. At that time, Taoism was also thriving in the Wu region, with famous alchemists like Yu Ji and tens of thousands of followers, but they were powerless to suppress the Buddhists who had migrated south. Later, Sun Ce unified Yangzhou, but was assassinated by Yu Ji's followers, which made Sun Quan extremely hateful of Taoists and alchemists. In addition, Cao Cao called himself Huangchu Zhenren and Taiping Zhenjun, so he vigorously supported Buddhism, making Buddhism in the Wu region even more prosperous, surpassing the Celestial Masters sect.

Now, Fotucheng, having traveled from the Western Regions, was well-versed in Buddhist scriptures and possessed a refined and elegant demeanor. He spoke extensively to the people about cause and effect, the three retributions, and the eight precepts and fasting. Previously, the Buddhism of Eastern Wu consisted of Theravada Buddhism, which had spread from the Jiaozhi region. Both its doctrines and precepts were relatively primitive. However, upon hearing about the Mahayana Buddhism and monastic precepts brought by Fotucheng, everyone was captivated. Even during times of war, they continued to offer sacrifices to Fotucheng, and people flocked to listen to his teachings.

Upon learning the reason, Wang Mi didn't dwell on it. He immediately dispatched soldiers to forcibly bring Fotucheng to Jianye, intending to debate the scriptures with him. His intention was to defeat Fotucheng in the debate, thus gaining immense prestige. However, upon meeting him, he discovered that he was no match for Fotucheng. Taoism, influenced by Laozi and Zhuangzi's "The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao," has always been characterized by its inexpressible meaning. Buddhism, from its inception, has been renowned for its rigorous logic and profound understanding. This resulted in a complete inequality in their interpretations of the scriptures, leaving even Wang Mi, with his shrewdness, helpless.

Wang Mi had no choice but to settle for second best, allowing Fotucheng to fully support Qi Han. After all, after the disillusionment of the late Han Dynasty, there were very few devout followers like them, and most of them only used their faith as a tool, with results being the most important thing.

His request was simple: to have Fotucheng proclaim that Liu Bogen was the current Chakravartin (universal monarch) and also the reincarnation of Buddha. He also wanted him to promote the theory of Laozi converting the barbarians, acknowledging that Buddha Shakyamuni was an incarnation of Laozi, and that Buddhism and Taoism were originally one. In return, Fotucheng would be allowed to continue preaching within the territory as a major branch of the Celestial Masters sect, and he could also win over the believers from the Wu region.

But Fotucheng refused to admit it. He claimed to be a man from beyond the borders, who had traveled thousands of miles to the Central Plains solely to spread the true scriptures, with only the Buddha in his heart. Such behavior, which belittled the World-Honored One, was tantamount to blasphemy, so he absolutely disagreed. This attitude once angered Wang Mi to the point that he wanted to draw his sword and kill him, but considering Fotucheng's enormous influence, he repeatedly restrained himself and instead placed him under house arrest.

Just as the Han army was attacking Baishibei, Wang Mi received news that Gu Rong's cousin, Gu Zhongzheng, was gathering troops in the Shouchang area, attempting a counterattack on Wuxing County. Although he was repelled by Ju Peng, this only deepened Wang Mi's sense of crisis. Therefore, he summoned Fotucheng again, attempting to negotiate once more.

This time, he no longer talked about scriptures, but directly analyzed the gains and losses for Fotucheng, saying: "Master, you might as well think about the advantages and disadvantages again. Our dynasty now has a million soldiers, occupies the Central Plains, and has great military achievements. Shi Le of Jinyang and Duan of Liaodong have all submitted to our dynasty as their master. Our dynasty deserves the most credit for destroying Jin."

"Today I wish for your assistance in restoring peace to Jiangnan. This is a great act of compassion and kindness. Why do you refuse? If Yangzhou continues to be in such chaos, the war will only worsen the situation, turning the Buddhist land into a wasteland and overgrown with thorns. Is this the kind of scene you would like to see?"

At this point, Wang Mi made a direct threat: if Fotucheng did not comply, his patience would run out, and he would directly carry out the extermination of Buddhism in Jiangzuo to eliminate future troubles.

Upon hearing this, Fotucheng remained silent for a long time. After chanting sutras with his hands clasped together for a moment, he said to Wang Mi, "This humble monk is not pleased to see this, but Benefactor Wang is learned in both ancient and modern times. Does he not know that everything has its consequences? When emperors serve the Buddha, they should be respectful and obedient, promote the Three Jewels, and not be tyrannical or harm the innocent. Now, Benefactor Wang wishes to harm innocent people and wants to compete with the Southern Lord for the world. Is this not absurd?"

“I also met the Southern Lord in Yi'an. The Southern Lord did not speak of gods, ghosts, Buddhas, or Taoism, but he was magnanimous and had a Buddhist heart. I am afraid that your esteemed lord cannot match him.”

Wang Mi felt quite embarrassed upon hearing this, knowing that Fotucheng had seen through his current predicament: under Liu Xian's threat, he had no power left to destroy Buddhism, and could only make verbal threats. However, upon hearing Fotucheng mention Liu Xian, he became quite smug and sneered:

"Master, you've probably overstated things. While people's hearts are important, in the end, it's all about seeking profit and avoiding disaster. It all comes down to the outcome of military campaigns. Even if Liu Xian is known as a military genius, so what? He was first defeated at Zishan, and then lost at Baishi the other day."

Fotucheng said calmly, "The outcome of a day's battle is not the outcome of a month's battle, nor is the outcome of a month's battle. Benefactor Wang is a person who discusses the Dao, how can you not know this principle?" Wang Mi naturally did not give in, and asked, "Then in your opinion, who should win the next battle?" He had already made up his mind to use this opportunity to break the golden body of the divine monk Fotucheng.

Fotucheng quickly replied, "The one who is compassionate will prevail."

Such an ambiguous answer was a term used by both Buddhists and Taoists, which made Wang Mi unable to suppress a smile. Just as he was about to continue questioning Fotucheng, a guard suddenly came to report that the Southerners had launched an attack and that the marshal should quickly take charge of the battle.

Wang Mi dared not be careless, so he disregarded Fotucheng, hurriedly put on his robes and went out of the tent to call the generals to go to the north side of Zhongshan to observe the situation.

At this time, the Qi army was deployed in six parts: Li Yun's 8,000 Xuzhou soldiers guarded Shitou City; Liu Ba's 9,000 Donglai soldiers guarded Mufu Mountain; Gao Liang's 12,000 Beihai soldiers guarded Fuzhou Mountain; Su Jun's 10,000 Guangling soldiers guarded Taicheng; Xu Fu's 6,000 Jinan soldiers were stationed in Yuecheng; and the remaining 40,000 troops were all gathered around Zhongshan Mountain, ready to be dispatched by Wang Mi at any time.

After the Han army's first attempt to build fortification failed, Wang Mi had already increased the number of scouts at Baishibei. If the Han army showed any signs of attacking Baishibei again, without informing Wang Mi, he would immediately order Gao Liang's troops to sail to defend against the enemy. As he climbed to a high vantage point, he could see the Han navy launching an attack from two directions, and Gao Liang's troops leading the army to defend against the enemy.

The Han army's offensive was extremely fierce, displaying a reckless, all-out attack from the outset. Amidst the thunderous war drums, several thousand fully armed soldiers surged onto Baishi Slope, arrayed in battle formation. On the Stone City side, the navy launched a fierce assault; dozens of warships lined up like a river fortress, unleashing a barrage of stones and arrows upon the city. The arrows and stones rained down like a storm, causing the city walls to crumble—a truly terrifying sight. Even Wang Mi, several miles away on Zhongshan Mountain, had heard of their ferocity.

"Is Liu Xian risking his life?"

Faced with the sudden large-scale attack by the Han army, Wang Mi did not immediately send in reinforcements. Instead, he observed the development of the battle while quickly making a comprehensive assessment. Having fought on the battlefield for so many years, Wang Mi had long understood the principle that all's fair in war. He did not believe that Liu Xian would take such a desperate gamble, especially since Liu Xian had frequently used the tactic of feigning weakness, which made Wang Mi even more wary.

Based on the previous battle, the Han army's intention was undoubtedly to occupy Baishibei. After their carefully planned scheme was exposed, it was only natural that the Han army had no choice but to seize Baishibei head-on. However, Wang Mi felt uneasy. Firstly, he did not believe that this would be Liu Xian's strategy. Secondly, the Qi people rarely engaged in rigid offensive and defensive battles around a single city or territory. This feeling of losing the initiative made Wang Mi feel extremely uncomfortable.

Wang Mi understood that to regain the initiative on the battlefield, he needed to be bold enough to launch a preemptive attack on the river. He knew that the Han navy was currently divided into two forces with a loose formation. If one Qi navy attacked from the Zhuque River and the other from Xuanwu Lake, they could have simultaneously attacked the Han navy's flanks. However, Wang Mi was uncertain about the Qi navy's strength. Even if he could launch a pincer attack, he wasn't sure he could win. Therefore, after much deliberation, he abandoned this plan.

While he was deliberating, the Han army's offensive not only did not increase but decreased, especially at the location of Baishibei. In just about an hour, Tao Kan's troops occupied several hills and shot arrows at the Qi people from a high vantage point, forcing Gao Liang's troops to raise their shields and surrender. Seeing this, Wang Mi knew that the battle situation did not allow him to hesitate. He immediately issued an order to send 10,000 men to support Mufu Mountain. At the same time, he was also considering whether to repeat the previous tactic of using fire ships to force back the Han navy in front of Baishibei.

But this time, the Han army's fire ships were faster. Wang Dun's meticulously designed mother-and-child fire ships had already unfurled their sails, gliding lightly through the waves, heading straight for Xuanwu Lake. These ships had a light load capacity, resulting in extremely high speeds, and directly ahead of them were the Qi army's ships, unaware of the danger.

The Qi soldiers shot arrows at the ships, which easily pierced the wooden planks of the fire ships. However, this did not affect the Han soldiers who were navigating the smaller ships in the rear cabin. They calmly continued to drive the ships forward. Once they had created enough distance between the ship and the lake entrance for the following ships to enter, they suddenly cut off the connection between the smaller ships and the mother ship. Then they threw a fire into the cabin of the mother ship, which was full of firewood, and quickly moved backward.

These fire ships were specially designed with ventilation openings. Once a torch was thrown in, a wave of fire would instantly engulf the entire ship. More than thirty fire ships were burning fiercely slightly south of the lake mouth, forming an astonishing curtain of fire that continuously advanced southward. The Qi sailors facing the fire ships directly had to frantically maneuver their boats to turn and escape as quickly as possible. Some even tried to tie several oars together and use the long oar to deflect the approaching fire ships.

Under these circumstances, the Qi fleet had no time to consider what lay behind the fire curtain. Over sixty ramming ships seized this opportunity, swiftly circling around the sides of Xuanwu Lake and continuing to approach the Qi fleet. Seeing dozens of fast boats ramming out from behind the fire ships, covered in cowhide and remarkably similar in style to the previous batch, the Qi people mistook them for a new wave of fire ships and, even more reluctant to approach, spontaneously scattered, revealing gaps large enough for the ramming ships to maneuver.

Faced with these flaws, the more than sixty darting ships would not let them go. They were already as agile as fish, and now that they had the opportunity, they leisurely left the more than two hundred warships of the Qi people in Xuanwu Lake behind them. Then, without stopping, they rowed towards Fuzhou Mountain, leaving only ripples behind the Qi navy.

This series of developments was completely unexpected by Wang Mi, but after witnessing a group of Han soldiers quickly abandon their ships and go ashore, he roughly guessed their intentions and even the Southern Han emperor's thoughts. However, Wang Mi felt no frustration or astonishment at having fallen into a trap; instead, he felt a sense of absurdity and anger at being looked down upon.

"Does this small force think it can turn my central army upside down? Does Liu Xian think my army is incompetent?"

"Have Wang Yan and Ran Long move closer!" Wang Mi, hands behind his back, one foot on a round rock, looked down at the enemies at the foot of the mountain who resembled ants, and chuckled as he gave the order: "I've long heard that Liu Xian has many fierce generals under his command. I want to see what kind of warriors dare to let him be so arrogant?!" (End of this chapter)