Jinting Han people

Chapter 742 White Stone Slope

In mid-October of the sixth year of Qiming, the day after the military meeting was decided, the Han navy left Wujiang amidst the swirling river winds and officially headed towards Jianye.

Before dawn, with a strong westerly wind, hundreds of ships gradually weighed anchor and set sail, their sails fully drawn. A thin mist still clung to the river, limiting visibility to those closest to them, but the mist couldn't obscure the sound of oars cutting through the waves. Wave after wave crashed against the hull, creating a continuous, resounding roar. This stirred the soldiers' hearts, but what stirred them even more were the banners fluttering overhead.

To demonstrate the invincible spirit of the Jiangzhou army on the river, Wang Dun equipped each of his ships with three banners. Two of them were banners with the character "Han" on the left and right, respectively, while the middle one was a black banner with a white dragon. The dragon banners on the other ships were about ten feet tall, while those on the warships were several feet tall. They stood in the wind, baring their claws and fangs, truly resembling hundreds of dragons circling in the sky above the Yangtze River, captivating all who saw them.

Meanwhile, Liu Xian, along with Wang Dun and others, stood atop the central golden-winged warship, enjoying the river breeze and surveying the surrounding scenery. For the commander, now that the plan was set, the battlefield offered a relatively leisurely time; all the officers needed to do was execute the plan. Their primary task was to maintain composure and instill confidence in their soldiers.

Therefore, during this bumpy journey, Liu Xian played backgammon with Wang Dun on the highest deck.

Half an hour later, Liu Xian finally rolled a Lu, meaning all five pieces were black. The officials around him all congratulated him. Lu Yun congratulated him, saying, "Your Majesty, this is an auspicious omen. At this crucial moment in the war, Your Highness's ability to roll a Lu is truly remarkable. It is probably Heaven's will to bring you good news. Today, you will surely win easily."

Liu Xian laughed and said, "Hey, don't be careless. The Qi people have been able to roam the Central Plains for so long, they are definitely not easy to deal with. Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. We are the weaker party now, so let's not leave the outcome to fate."

Despite saying that, Liu Xian was still very happy. The last time he played backgammon with someone was probably back in Luoyang. He remembered that it was to arrange the engagement between his eldest daughter, Liu Lingyou, and Sima Xianxian, the second son of the King of Changsha. It should have been a very happy occasion, but because the King of Qi and the King of Changsha were about to fight each other, the atmosphere was rather tense. So Liu Xian and Zu Ti played backgammon together to find an opportunity to exchange secret signals, a memory that Liu Xian still vividly remembers.

Liu Xian then thought of Zu Ti, wondering how he was doing in Luoyang, and how Li Ju's campaign was progressing. According to the battle report sent a few days ago, Li Ju had officially led his army north to begin the siege of Wancheng. Liu Xian was also concerned about the situation there. He knew that the Han army was fighting on two fronts simultaneously, but this was not an isolated operation. Although Liu Xian, as the emperor, was personally overseeing the campaign in Yangzhou, the real main offensive was directed towards Jingzhou. If Li Ju could successfully capture Wancheng and advance into the Central Plains, even if his gains in Yangzhou were small, it would still be a significant victory. However, if he won on his side and Li Ju did not gain a sufficient advantage, Liu Xian, with his less than 60,000 naval troops, would find it difficult to expand his gains.

However, Liu Xian had great confidence in Li Ju's military strategy, believing that one should trust those one employs and not employ those one distrusts. He quickly turned his thoughts back to the current battle situation and awaited the first news from the front.

Thanks to favorable winds and currents, the Han army marched at an extremely fast pace. In about an hour, the vanguard of the Jiangzhou army had already covered forty li and arrived at Caizhou first. The person in charge of this unit was none other than Tao Kan. Tao Kan was not in a hurry to disembark and occupy the island. Instead, he personally led more than twenty warships to the south of Caizhou to demonstrate his power and observe the movements of the Qi navy.

It was just dawn, and the fog on the river was at its thickest. The Qi navy was having their meal. Suddenly, in this quiet moment, they heard a deafening sound of war drums erupting from the fog. On the vast, empty river, the sound was both lonely and undeniably real. Many who were still drowsy vanished instantly. They immediately went to their sampans to look out, but all they could see was a blur in the white fog, with only vague outlines of boats visible. The details were unclear, but the resounding drumbeats were unmistakably clear.

This was the first strategy the Han army decided on: to use a small naval force to attract the Qi people's attention from the front in order to determine their movements.

Although reconnaissance indicated that the Qi forces had no intention of engaging in naval battle, the Han army could not afford to be complacent and reveal any weaknesses. Therefore, Tao Kan used this method to probe the Qi forces. Ideally, the Qi forces would see this and withdraw their navy back to the Zhuque River, allowing the Han army to occupy Caizhou and Bailuzhou without interference. If the Qi forces dared to launch a harassing naval attack, Tao Kan and his men would then retreat, sending a signal to the main naval force in the rear to initiate a formal naval battle, thus avoiding falling into a trap.

As expected, the Qi people adopted a conservative approach. When they heard a sound of unknown origin coming from the river, they did not intend to retaliate. Instead, they quickly ordered their formation to shrink, and the various tribes along the river gradually moved towards the Stone City and the Vermilion Bird River.

Tao Kan and his twenty-odd warships patrolled the river for three quarters of an hour. Seeing that no Qi navy came to fight against them, they felt reassured. They then sent a ship back to report to the emperor, claiming that everything was going smoothly and that the main force of the Han army could directly enter Caizhou and Bailuzhou.

Thus, the main force of the Han army began to officially occupy the two islands. Wang Dun's Jiangzhou army occupied Cai Island, while Du Tao's Huainan army occupied Bailu Island. The ships of both armies were moored on the north bank of the sandbar. After disembarking, the Han soldiers began to seize the time to clear the reeds and weeds on the sandbar, and used the timber and felt brought down from the ships to set up camp and build watchtowers on the sandbar.

Liu Xian's ship was docked on the northeast shore of Caizhou. However, after docking, Liu Xian did not rush to land on the sandbar. Instead, he immediately sent Wang Zhen as an envoy to the shore, claiming that the Emperor of Han had something to deliver to the Qi general.

By this time, the fog had dissipated, and the Qi people saw that the Han army had begun to set up camp on the two continents. Seeing the Han army's seriousness, they dared not be negligent and invited Wang Zhen to the Qi army's command camp on Zhongshan Mountain to meet the Qi commander Wang Mi. Wang Zhen said, "You and we were still negotiating peace three months ago. Why did you suddenly break your promise and invade from the south? What is the reason for this?"

These words startled all the generals of Qi. They hadn't expected the Han army to go to such lengths to send an envoy only to spout such nonsense. Before Wang Mi could reply, Cao Yi interjected, "The people cannot have two masters, nor can the sky have two suns. Therefore, our army's southward march is at the behest of the Emperor. What is there to ask?"

Wang Zhen glanced at Wang Mi, then sneered, "Very well, Heaven rewards the good and punishes the evil. In that case, we plan to land at Xinting tomorrow and fight you to the death. Do you dare to accept the challenge?"

The Qi generals immediately understood that the Han army intended to use a provocation tactic. Wang Mi then laughed and said, "Why be so aggressive? Emperor Gaozu said, 'It is a contest of wits, not strength.' How could I lightly risk the lives of my soldiers for personal victory? Your Excellency can report back to your lord that my southward expedition will only occupy Yangzhou, and we can reaffirm our swearing agreement with your lord. This way, there will be no need for any more casualties." He then sent Wang Zhen back to his ship.

On the return journey, Wang Zhen was indignant and cursed loudly, attracting the attention of the Qi soldiers along the way. However, once on the ship, his expression immediately changed, and he reported in detail to Liu Xian about the Qi army's deployment. This was the second step in the Han army's strategy: under the guise of an envoy, to focus the Qi people's attention as much as possible on the Xinting area. At the same time, they were also using this opportunity to gather information on the Qi army's deployment around Jianye, and most importantly, to confirm whether Zhou Qi's troops in Taicheng could still hold out.

Now that Wang Zhen had joined the main camp of the Qi army at Zhongshan, he had the opportunity to get a full view of the details of Jianye Terrace City. He said to Liu Xian:

"Your Majesty, I have seen clearly that the majority of the Qi people are still gathered on Zhongshan Mountain. There are about 10,000 people each stationed in Taicheng and Shitoucheng. There are more people on Mufu Mountain, but they should not exceed 20,000. There are also more than 100 warships stationed in Xuanwu Lake, which can provide support at any time at the foot of the mountain. We must be on guard against this."

"As for Lord Zhou Xuanpei, although there is a long siege outside the city, there is smoke rising from the chimneys inside. There should be no major problem. It's just that he is isolated from the outside world and does not know our army's news."

Liu Xian nodded slightly and said to those around him, "The Qi people have made quite thorough arrangements. Whether we can succeed this time depends on whether the Qi people will fall for the trap and how long Du Zeng can hold out."

The next crucial step is to determine whether the Qi forces will strengthen their defenses after the initial warning of an attack on Xinting. At that point, the Han army will concentrate its naval forces to launch a fierce attack on Xinting, diverting as much Qi strength as possible there, thus weakening the defenses of Baishipi. This is a double-edged strategy; if Du Zeng can complete the fortification within the gained time, the Han army's objective will be achieved.

Even so, time was still short. The Han army's attack on Xinting was a feint, and Xinting's strategic value was limited; no matter how many troops the Qi army mobilized, the number wouldn't be large. It would be good if the Han army could hold out for half a day, and whether Du Zeng could build a fortified camp within that time was uncertain; a fierce battle was highly likely. Therefore, Liu Xian considered how long Du Zeng could hold out.

However, in Du Zeng's view, victory should be a foregone conclusion. This wasn't because he trusted the emperor's plan, but because he had previously fought against the Qi people. Although he had fallen for Cao Yi's scheme in the Battle of Lion Mountain, that was a battle of wits and didn't count. In direct combat, apart from Su Jun's troops, none of the other Qi people were his match, and even Su Jun was nothing to fear. He and Liu Lang had held Zishan Garrison for over a month, and Su Jun couldn't do anything to them. Therefore, in Du Zeng's mind, victory was entirely inevitable and required no hesitation.

The battle commenced as scheduled that day, with the weather still shrouded in thick fog. Du Tao led dozens of naval vessels in a fierce attack on Xinting. First, he used ballistae to exchange fire with the Qi soldiers on the watchtowers on the riverbank. Then, he sent armored soldiers ashore to challenge and provoke the Qi soldiers. He continued to beat drums loudly and had a large number of soldiers shout from the ships to create a loud noise, thus confusing the Qi soldiers.

Secretly, Du Zeng led ten warships around to the northeast side of Mufu Mountain, and with eight hundred men, he was the first to land and quickly seize Baishibei. Baishibei was located a few hundred paces east of the entrance to the Mufu Mountain riverbank. Compared to the low-lying riverbank, it was relatively high and unaffected by the tides. By establishing a camp there, they could control one side of the riverbank and continuously send reinforcements up Mufu Mountain.

During Du Zeng's smuggling phase, everything went very smoothly, but the subsequent construction of the fortifications progressed more slowly than expected. Because of the high elevation and slippery surroundings of Baishibei, the prepared deer antlers were difficult to move to their designated location. Fortunately, thanks to the diversionary tactics employed by the feinting troops, supplies and personnel were continuously transported to Baishibei over the next half-day, allowing the camp to barely take shape.

But just as Liu Xian had feared, the fog dissipated after half a day. The Qi people looked north from Zhongshan and could see the burned-out Stone Mountain and Mufu Mountain in their entirety. They could also see the rudimentary camp on Baishibei. They were greatly alarmed and immediately sent the Qi people from Xuanwu Lake by boat northward to fight against Du Zeng's troops.

What Du Zeng had hoped for—a fierce battle—did not occur. Wang Mi's statement that it was a battle of wits rather than brute force was not an empty boast. In such an abrupt turn of events, he surprisingly devised a solution in a short time: a fire attack. Instead of directly attacking the already occupied Baishibei, he loaded more than ten small boats with firewood and set them ablaze to burn the Han navy anchored on the riverbank.

At this time, the wind was from the northwest, and logically, the Qi people's fire was very likely to burn their own ships. However, due to the shelter of the rocky mountain, the wind and waves in Xuanwu Lake were not large, so there was no such concern. After more than ten small boats crossed the river mouth and arrived upstream of Baishi Weir, the wind suddenly became fierce, causing the fire ships to crash into the Han army's warships like flying tumbleweeds.

Seeing this, Du Zeng was terrified. Although he was exceptionally brave, he had no intention of losing his life here. The reason he was so confident in establishing a camp here was not only because he believed in victory, but more importantly, because even if he couldn't hold the position, he could leave by boat without any fear for his life. But once the warships caught fire, he would have no way to retreat, and the supplies in the camp were running low. Wouldn't that mean he was just waiting to die? Du Zeng immediately abandoned the idea of ​​continuing to build fortifications. Instead, he took the initiative to abandon Baishipo, led his men down to use long poles to hold back the burning ships, and ordered the boats on the riverbank to be moved away to avoid the fire.

Taking advantage of the situation, the Qi army dispatched a surprise force to attack the Han army's half-built camp. Du Zeng, with insufficient troops and caught between two opposing forces, simply burned down the camp he had spent half a day building, preventing it from falling into Qi hands. However, this meant that all the time the Han army had painstakingly bought for him was wasted, and his first attempt to build the White Stone Fortress was a failure.

Fortunately, Du Zeng's troops did not suffer major losses; they only lost two ships and a few dozen men, and the majority returned safely to Caizhou. Facing the disheveled Du Zeng, Liu Xian did not reprimand him, as the mission was indeed difficult. If Du Zeng had abandoned his warships and insisted on defending the fortifications, there was actually a chance to repel the Qi attack, but the risk was simply too high, and Liu Xian could not expect his soldiers to fight to the death. However, Du Zeng's lack of courage did indeed disappoint Liu Xian somewhat.

The war had to continue, and to change the situation, the White Stone Fortress had to be built. He then summoned his generals and asked again, "This is no small matter; who can build this fortress for me?"

Most of the generals remained silent, because they all believed that the plan was already very well done and that victory should be assured. They did not expect that the Qi people would break through the feint so easily, which made them feel extremely troubled.

In that moment of silence, Tao Kan suddenly stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "I am grateful for Your Majesty's favor; I am willing to accept this important task." (End of Chapter)