Jinting Han people

Chapter 743 Choosing a Son for Another Battle

The first attempt to fortify Baishi failed, resulting in relatively minor losses for the Han army, but it was nonetheless a significant setback. For the Qi people, the Han army's previous painstaking efforts had been rendered ineffective, and their true intentions had been exposed. Consequently, the Qi people would inevitably increase their vigilance and defenses against Baishi.

Fortunately, the Qi people could not build fortifications at Baishi Slope, as this location was within the range of the Han navy. If the Qi people attempted to build fortifications there, the Han army could still inflict sufficient damage on them before they could establish a firm foothold. Therefore, after missing the first good opportunity, the Han army still had the chance to build fortifications a second or even a third time, but the difficulty of building fortifications increased dramatically.

Tao Kan volunteered to take on this important task, which undoubtedly relieved everyone. However, everyone was also very curious about what clever strategy Tao Kan planned to use to deceive the enemy in building fortifications under such unfavorable circumstances.

Tao Kan said to Liu Xian, "Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, it is impossible to build the camp without anyone noticing. Therefore, our army can only change its approach and see if we can take a risky move and fight a real battle with the Qi people to prevent the enemy from sending reinforcements."

These words immediately disappointed the generals, and then caused an uproar. After all, who doesn't know how to fight a tough battle? However, the Han army was now at a clear disadvantage in numbers. If they were to fight a manpower war, even if they successfully built a fortress at Baishipo, they would likely suffer heavy casualties, and the Han army would be unable to fight the Qi army again.

However, Liu Xian did not immediately deny this idea. Given the current situation, sometimes a price had to be paid to achieve victory. Although Emperor Gaozu had said that on the battlefield, one should fight with wits rather than brute force, to achieve victory by completely outsmarting the enemy required not only meticulous planning but also the enemy's foolishness.

As things stand, in terms of cunning and resourcefulness, the Qi people are arguably unmatched among all the enemies Liu Xian has encountered, perhaps only Zhang Fang can be considered somewhat comparable. Fortunately, their fighting spirit has never been particularly strong; the key is to target their weaknesses. Facing such an enemy, perhaps a decisive battle is indeed necessary to break their will to fight.

However, how to fight and how to fight are matters of great importance. Even in a tough battle, it doesn't mean reckless and brute force; choosing the right battlefield and opportunity is crucial. Liu Xian believed Tao Kan understood this principle, so he wanted to hear what ideas he had.

Therefore, Liu Xian ordered the other generals not to express their opinions for the time being, and to wait until Tao Kan finished explaining his thoughts before discussing them.

Tao Kan didn't dawdle. Based on his experience of the first failed attempt to build fortifications, he analyzed for everyone: "The reason why our army was so passive in building fortifications is fundamentally due to the Qi navy. They dared not fight our army on the river, but in Xuanwu Lake, they had no such scruples and could freely use their navy to quickly transport troops, which is why our army was in a predicament of fighting against a large number of enemies with a small force."

"Your Majesty, gentlemen, so I was just thinking, could we first use our navy to defeat the Qi navy, so that we can build our fortifications safely?"

Liu Xian had considered this question, and he quickly shook his head in denial:

"I'm afraid that won't work. We've all seen the entrance to Xuanwu Lake. It's surrounded by two mountains, making the water calm and easy to navigate. If our ships attempt to attack Xuanwu Lake, the Qi people can block the entrance with their own ships. With the two mountains closing in, there's only about a mile of space, and the river on the Stone Mountain side is turbulent with many hidden reefs. I estimate that it can only accommodate about thirty ships at a time. Once inside, our movements will be no secret to the Qi people. They can quickly gather hundreds of ships to outnumber us. Even if the Qi people aren't good at naval warfare, they can't be so easily fooled."

"Moreover, when our army enters the lake, the ships are packed together. The Qi people can use fire attacks to attack our fleet, just like they did this time. If that happens, the ships will be trapped at the lake mouth and have nowhere to hide in time, resulting in great losses."

At this point, Liu Xian couldn't help but marvel at the wonder of Jianye's terrain. Such a perfect defensive system, yet he had allowed it to fall into enemy hands—it was truly a grave mistake.

Faced with the emperor's various questions, Tao Kan did not deny them. He said, "Your Majesty is quite right, but what if our army uses fire ships to clear the way?"

This suggestion made Liu Xian's eyes light up, but he immediately frowned and said, "This is indeed a solution, but it's not a long-term plan, is it? The waves in the lake are not big, and the fire ships can clear the way, but the Qi people can also easily evade them. As soon as the fire ships leave the lake mouth a little, the Qi people can block the lake mouth again, and the situation between the enemy and us will not change fundamentally."

Tao Kan cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty is wise. This is indeed not enough to change the situation between the two armies, but the fire ships will give our army a brief opportunity to deploy several thousand elite troops to attack the enemy's stronghold."

"If we attack the enemy, they will surely come to our aid?" Liu Xian pondered for a moment and finally understood Tao Kan's intention. He wanted to take the opportunity to send a surprise force ashore from Xuanwu Lake and directly attack the Qi army's main camp at Zhongshan. The Qi people would not allow this elite Han army to rampage through Zhongshan and would definitely send a large force to besiege it. It was at this time that the Han army could take the opportunity to build fortifications on Baishi Slope.

Sure enough, Tao Kan then gestured to the map and said, "Your Majesty, with fire ships leading the way, I estimate that we can send more than sixty ships to follow closely behind, carrying over a thousand elite troops. We can disembark at Fuzhou Mountain and then head straight to Taicheng to meet up with Zhou Xuanpei."

"Zhou Xuanpei still has nearly 10,000 troops. Let him move around in Taicheng and break out towards Shitoucheng. Our army will lead the navy to wait for support in Shitoucheng, making a show of attacking Shitoucheng from the inside and outside. With such a big commotion, do we still have to worry about the Qi people taking Baishilei seriously?"

What a bold idea! The generals present were all shocked by Tao Kan's suggestion. The discussion had escalated to a point where the scale of the battle had completely exceeded their expectations. They had initially thought that building the White Stone Fortress would only require a few thousand men, a task Tao Kan himself would oversee, and no one else would be involved. However, they hadn't anticipated that Tao Kan's plan would require the entire Han army to cooperate, even mobilizing Zhou Qi's troops within the city. How could the Qi people not rise up in response? The saying "a single hair can move the whole body" perfectly describes Tao Kan's strategy.

Liu Xian was extremely impressed, praising him repeatedly: "Excellent! Excellent! I originally planned to build the White Stone Fortress before deploying Zhou Xuanpei's troops, but I didn't expect Tao Gong's plan to be even more advanced, ahead of my time!"

At this point, he smiled and said to Tao Kan, "However, if that's the case, then building the fortifications at Baishi must have been the easiest task for you, Master Tao." Tao Kan did not deny it and replied with his hands clasped, "Your humble servant is, after all, an old man. Those who can offer their wisdom will do so, and those who can exert their strength will do so. We will all do what we can."

Liu Xian laughed it off and, without further hesitation, immediately began to study the personnel for this operation. Because this battle involved the entire army, Liu Xian did not discuss it further with everyone, but instead appointed generals on the spot and instructed each unit to make the necessary preparations.

The operation was divided into three routes: two main forces, one in the east and one in the west, and a central force as a surprise attack. The western route was led by Wang Dun's troops, who attacked Stone City from the water using golden-winged warships. The eastern route was led by Du Tao's troops, who escorted Tao Kan's troops from the water to Baishi Slope and build stone fortifications there. The central route was led by Dai Yuan, who was familiar with the terrain of Jianye.

The deployment of these three forces is nothing unusual, but the most important thing is to grasp the order and rhythm of their coordinated attacks.

First, the eastern and western routes should attack simultaneously, drawing the Qi people's attention to their flanks and leaving the Qi defenses at Zhongshan relatively weak. Then, a surprise attack from the central route should strike directly at the heart of the Qi forces, causing chaos before entering Taicheng. At this point, all three routes can rest and regroup, waiting for Zhou Qi to complete communication. They can then use campfires as signals to agree on a time, followed by Zhou Qi's breakout and Wang Dun's pincer attack on Shitoucheng from both inside and outside. Simultaneously, Tao Kan should build fortifications on Baishipi. This wave-like offensive will force the Qi people to defend one side while another falls, making it difficult for them to confront the Han army head-on, even though their forces outnumber the Han forces.

However, Liu Xian had to consider that if he wanted to break through the Qi army's long encirclement in the central route and achieve his goal of joining forces with Zhou Qi's troops in Taicheng, even ordinary elite troops would find it difficult to accomplish. Based on previous intelligence, Su Jun's troops were considered among the strongest in the Han army. Therefore, Liu Xian needed to commit a sufficient number of reliable troops in this direction.

Liu Xian had originally intended to use Du Zeng's troops, but after the first failed attempt to build a fortification, Liu Xian realized that Du Zeng was rather frivolous and probably not capable of shouldering the heavy responsibility of attacking a stronghold. Therefore, he focused on thinking about other suitable candidates.

After pondering for a moment, Liu Xian gradually came up with a plan. He suddenly asked Liu Lang, who was standing next to him, "Fengyao, I want you and Commander Dai to go to Taicheng. Do you dare to go?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Lang was initially incredulous, but after he came to his senses, a look of wild joy appeared on his face. He quickly cupped his hands to his father and promised, "Please rest assured, Father, your son will certainly not fail in his mission!"

This personnel appointment was once again unexpected, because the central route battle was the most dangerous in this operation, yet the emperor sent the Prince of Longxi to participate. Swords have no eyes, and if something unexpected happens, who will bear the consequences?

However, Liu Xian's decision was well-considered. The involvement of a prince in such a dangerous mission would undoubtedly reassure the troops. Even amidst the perils, the morale of the elite troops would be boosted, and their loyalty would be guaranteed. After entering the capital, Zhou Qi also felt the court's trust, ensuring the successful breakout. Moreover, Liu Lang's martial arts skills had already reached a high level; he was indeed a formidable general, well-suited for such a task.

Regarding life and death, Liu Xian had long since come to terms with it. Liu Lang's personality was what it was; adults should help him discover his good points, not constantly suppress him. Liu Xian actually enjoyed seeing Liu Lang's current dashing appearance, which reminded him of his own experiences fighting on the battlefield in his youth—risky, but also honorable. Parents can't shield their children from the storms of life forever. Although he worried about what might happen to his eldest son, he was happier to see his children grow up and shoulder responsibilities.

In fact, although Liu Xian generally disliked flatterers, he made an exception for his children. Whenever someone praised how outstanding a prince was, Liu Xian would squint his eyes with joy. Regarding Liu Lang's achievements in Huainan, although Liu Xian criticized him afterward, he secretly hid the memorial praising his son's merits written for him by He Pan, and would look at it when he had nothing to do, imagining his son's brilliance on the battlefield. The satisfaction in his heart was indescribable.

Now, Liu Xian places the key to the success or failure of the war on his eldest son, which is both a sign of trust and recognition, believing that Liu Lang can lead the army with the demeanor of a great general.

Liu Lang naturally felt his father's approval. Since the start of this eastern expedition, he had been without any missions and was feeling disappointed, thinking that his father would once again leave him idle until the war was over. Unexpectedly, he was suddenly entrusted with such an important task, which instantly ignited his fighting spirit. He secretly resolved that he could not make any mistakes this time and must complete his father's mission no matter what.

Liu Xian naturally hoped that he could successfully complete this mission. Therefore, half of the elite troops assigned to Liu Lang and Dai Yuan's forces were the personal guards that Liu Xian brought from Yi'an, and the other half were famous strongmen drawn from the Huainan Army and Jiangzhou Army. Even Huo Biao's mountain Qiang army and Qiao Deng's armored cavalry troops brought from Baxi were handed over to Liu Lang. Although the number of people to be dispatched was not large, only more than 1,300, everyone was wearing iron armor, carrying long spears, equipped with crossbows, and each had a charioteer.

That evening, Liu Xian specially called Liu Lang to his room to impart his battlefield experience, instructing him: "When charging into battle, you must also keep your eyes and ears open and constantly observe the enemy's situation. When outnumbered, the most important thing is to make use of your speed and not give the enemy a chance to breathe, nor allow them to advance steadily. Do you understand why?"

Liu Lang did not show any impatience or irritability in response to his father's teachings this time. He nodded repeatedly and concluded, "I understand what you mean, sir. War is actually about winning people's hearts and minds. As long as we can make the enemy panic on the battlefield and have no time to think, even if the number of casualties is not large, the war will turn in our favor."

Liu Xian was very satisfied with this answer. Liu Lang's military talent was beyond doubt. He had been taught by Li Ju in his childhood and often followed Liu Xian in his youth. Under such influence, his intuition had become instinctive before his experience. Given time and more personal experience in battle, Liu Xian believed that he would definitely become an excellent general.

Two days later, the sun shone brightly, the morning glow blazing like fire. The thin mist no longer appeared on the river; instead, the water shimmered, captivating all who saw it. The Qi people admired the beautiful scenery of the river, feeling somewhat pleased and relaxed. They assumed that the Han army would not launch an attack on such a clear day, and that the entire day would be quiet except for the sound of the wind and waves.

But the tranquility didn't last long. With a sweeping west wind, the Han army's ships set sail once more, launching a second, undisguised attack on Jianye under the astonished gazes of all the Qi people. (End of Chapter)