The number of six hundred thousand troops was naturally a figure to intimidate the enemy. The actual forces mobilized by the Zhao state amounted to only around one hundred and twenty thousand infantry, cavalry, and navy combined. Additionally, with the establishment of supply ships and granaries along the way, the number of logistics personnel was significantly reduced. The total strength was around three hundred thousand.
For a war of conquest, this number might be considered somewhat insufficient. However, for the extremely fragile political situation in Eastern Jin, it was still an unshakable force.
Wang Dun dared not be negligent. He immediately deployed troops to confront the enemy along the Huai River. His response was not slow, but the mobilization of such a large army required considerable preparation of provisions and manpower. Before the front line was adequately arranged, the warships of the Zhao army sailed across the Huai River, and the defenders of Shou City surrendered the entire city!
“Surrendering the city? With my over ten thousand troops behind, that traitor actually surrendered the city?!” Having just led the army out of Jianye, Wang Dun was furious upon hearing this dreadful news.
“Prime Minister, Shou City has fallen, and Huainan is in danger! It might be better to defend along the Yangtze River with the navy against the enemy!” Immediately, a subordinate offered advice.
Although the Zhao state had sent thousands of ships this time, northerners were generally not adept at naval warfare. Crossing the Huai River was just the garrison troops defecting to the enemy. If a defensive line were established along the Yangtze River, the enemy might not be able to breach Jiangdong. Didn’t the Eastern Wu, back in the day, repel the formidable northern forces several times with their navy?
This was the best solution at the moment. Wang Dun, being a renowned general, was well aware of this. So, gritting his teeth, he restrained his troops, no longer advancing north but stationed them at Ruxu Pass. Ruxu Pass was a crucial stronghold that had defied Cao Wei in the past, with two mountains facing each other. The terrain was perilous, and it had countless fortifications. Even if the enemy forces were powerful, they would likely return empty-handed.
In addition, warships were also stationed at Jingkou on the east side of Jianye. Here, there was the Han Canal, which allowed entry from the Huai River to the Yangtze River. Even in years of continuous warfare, with rivers and canals becoming silted, large ships might not be able to pass through, but it was necessary to be vigilant. By guarding the two river mouths, they would control the vital passage of the Yangtze River. As long as Wuchang remained in their hands, it would be impossible for the naval forces of the Zhao state to travel down the Yangtze River from Jing County. Could they possibly cross the Yangtze River by bamboo rafts?
Tens of thousands of naval forces gathered, stationed on the river. The Jin state prepared for battle with a formidable army and well-fed horses. However, the Zhao forces, deep within enemy territory, did not immediately attack but steadily secured Huainan and Lujiang, the two counties north of the river. They began constructing fortifications.
“The construction of the dry toilets in the new camp is too slow! Urging them again, we cannot afford delays.” Jiang Da did not stay in his tent; he walked incessantly around the camp.
In this southern expedition, the emphasis was not only on the supply route and naval forces but also on epidemic prevention! The southern region was already plagued by diseases, and coupled with the recent floods in Jiangdong, there might be an outbreak of epidemics. Therefore, the Medical Department alone dispatched over five hundred people, with Jiang Da personally overseeing the central army. With such renowned physicians present, who would dare not follow orders? Even the construction of latrines in the military camp had to comply with regulations.
However, despite all these measures, Jiang Da still kept a vigilant mind day and night. With two to three hundred thousand people, it was equivalent to the population of a large city. Bringing so many people to the southern region, adaptation to the local environment would pose significant problems. They had to worry about everything from food and drink to sanitation, and they had to be particularly vigilant against epidemics. Even with a large number of doctors under his command, it was still quite challenging.
“The water poured into the water bags must be boiled. If anyone exhibits symptoms of vomiting or diarrhea, isolate them immediately.” The Medical Department had microscopes, and Jiang Da had witnessed countless times the presence of parasites in the water. Although he believed in Daoism, the Buddhist saying “Mount Sumeru in a mustard seed” might not be entirely baseless.
Even if it meant using more firewood to boil water, it was better than risking disease and epidemics.
“Commander Jiang, another group of refugees has arrived in Shu County…” someone reported.
“These damn pests!” Jiang Da cursed with resentment. “Send another five people over, be cautious about preventing diseases, and don’t let any hidden risks emerge.”
With such a massive flood, it was astonishing that no one in the entire Jin state paid any attention. Consequently, with the arrival of the army, besides reclaiming lost territory, they also had to settle the refugees. This added another layer of complexity to the affairs. Fortunately, both officials and doctors were accustomed to handling such matters. The more stability they could establish in the rear, the better.
Hundreds of thousands of troops in the north of the Yangtze River were tirelessly busy. The defending army on the opposite bank was growing impatient.
“What exactly does the Zhao army want to do?” Wang Dun anxiously monitored the intelligence reports every day.
While the Zhao army could slowly plan from the north of the river and attack the two counties of Huainan, Wang Dun couldn’t. Managing over a dozen large armies was not an easy task. Originally, Jin State was short of food, and now, after the flood, refugees were everywhere. The requisition of grain might have incited numerous rebellions. If they had to defend for a year or so, their own forces might collapse without the Zhao army even launching an attack.
However, besides holding their ground, what other options did they have? Attacking Huainan required minimal effort, and the Zhao army surprisingly found time to win over hearts and minds. Crossing the river under such circumstances might be a one-way journey.
Only now did Wang Dun deeply regret demoting too many capable generals. If Tao Kan and Liu Kun were here, he wouldn’t be afraid of the generals turning traitors.
No, he couldn’t let the enemy disrupt their formation. Wang Dun gathered his spirits and sent out scouts to investigate the situation. To capture the two counties, the Zhao army had already split into two groups. This didn’t seem like a thoughtless move. If the enemy divided their forces, they couldn’t easily fall into the trap.
After delaying for over two months, with winter approaching, the restless Jin army finally received the latest military report.
“Jingkou under attack?” Wang Dun stood up abruptly. “Are enemy ships coming down from the Han Canal?”
Were they warships or battleships? Could the Han Canal be navigated? Why didn’t the navy at Jingkou intercept them? Thoughts circled in his mind, but the scout’s answer shattered all guesses.
“Return to the Prime Minister, the enemy ships come from the sea! A total of twenty large ships! Breaking through our defenses, a thousand small boats are descending along the Han Canal and will reach the capital in a few days…”
“What?” Wang Dun’s vision blurred for a moment, almost falling back into his seat.
While it was true that ships could navigate directly from the mouth of the Yangtze River to Jianye, where did the Zhao army get so many large sea vessels? Moreover, there were numerous sandbars at the mouth of the river. Without knowledge of the terrain, running aground was common. How did they smoothly advance this far? Why didn’t anyone report in advance?
“Prime Minister, should we send reinforcements?” a general asked.
Jingkou was less than a day’s journey from Jianye. If the Zhao army broke through, it would be unimaginable!
“No… send a fleet for reinforcement!” Finally stabilizing his posture, Wang Dun quickly gave the order.
It seems that the enemy navy is coming south from Xu County. There’s no need to elaborate on where the infantry and cavalry will go. Even if their formation momentarily falters, the Zhao army may not be able to penetrate Jianye. After all, Jiangdong’s navy has numerous ships and soldiers, enough to block the enemy!
However, the infantry and cavalry are a different story! If the battle-hardened army, which had been fighting for a decade and annihilated the Xianbei and Xiongnu, crosses the river, it would be the pinnacle of Jin State’s downfall!
“Take out all the materials from the arsenal! I want those superstitious enemy troops to taste the power of ‘Thunder from Heaven’!” Wang Dun forcefully pressed down on the table, shouting angrily.
“Fire another round of ship crossbows.” Lu Kai, standing upright with his hands behind his back at the bow of the ship, commanded.
Since entering the mouth of the sea and rushing into the Yangtze River, the North Sea Navy had rehearsed countless times. The nautical charts obtained from pirates and merchant ships were numerous. It was precisely because of this knowledge that they could break through the blockade and assist the small navy boats. However, this contribution was still far from enough.
Under the signal flags, four or five warships began to turn their ship crossbows. The iron spears were engulfed in raging flames. Whether it was the penetration power of the spear crossbows or the fire cotton wrapped around them, it could significantly hinder the enemy ships. Taking down two more tower ships was not entirely impossible.
Although the navy’s role is only to lure the enemy, with so many large ships and hundreds of small support boats, the Jin navy might find it difficult to resist. If they can break through the enemy blockade and approach Jianye, the navy’s contribution would be significant.
With a howling sound, bolts with long trails of fire shot toward the distant enemy ships!
Wang Dun did not miscalculate. After the navy launched the attack, the Zhao army, which had been stationed at Ruxu Pass for a long time, also moved. Moreover, they launched a combined attack by both land and water.
The number of soldiers and horses in this army was not small, and there were also ships coming from Chao Lake. However, Wang Dun was not afraid. The strong fortress that even the tens of thousands of Cao army couldn’t break through, why would he fear the Zhao army splitting its forces?
For a moment, the sound of drums echoed on both sides of the riverbank!
“Commander, the enemy’s small boats are carrying gunpowder!”
If they wanted to attack Ruxu Pass, they had to engage in naval warfare first. Naturally, the commander of the navy, Yang Hui, led the troops into battle. Deploying vehicles and ships on the battlefield required careful arrangements. Since the North Sea Navy had already started firing, he could not afford to lag behind.
Unexpectedly, as soon as the battle began, some enemy small boats like Mongolian chargers and red horses rushed into the water formation. As long as they reached the warships, they immediately exploded, creating a deafening roar.
In the past few years, people might have thought it was thunder, causing chaos in the army. However, now, everyone in the Navy knows how gunpowder works. His Majesty had said long ago that gunpowder could not be monopolized by Great Zhao alone. Only when the entire army was familiar with its properties could it resist being surprised by such an attack. Now, it was evident.
Yang Hui smiled coldly, “Showing off in front of an expert! Let them see what a real thunderbolt looks like!”
The massive warships started rowing, three ships side by side, forming a line. The crossbows mounted on the decks were loaded with ammunition and fired simultaneously. For a while, the projectiles rained down like a storm, smashing toward the Jin army’s warships. The continuous thunderous explosions and the thick smoke filled the air, cries of despair echoing. Ordinary Jin soldiers, who had never witnessed such tactics, were terrified, and even those who understood the use of gunpowder couldn’t help but be awed by this terrifying attack. The naval formation began to disintegrate.
“The enemy formation is in chaos, let’s add fuel to the fire!” Yang Hui’s eyes flashed with sharpness as he loudly ordered.
Small boats loaded with combustible oil rushed out of the formation towards the enemy.
“How lively the battle is.” Standing on the shore, Sun Jiao grinned, putting down his telescope. “It seems that Commander Yang is sailing smoothly, even using thunderbolt bombs. We can’t lose to these water turtles!”
In a joint operation between the Navy and the Army, there was inevitably mutual disdain. While one side called the other “land ducks,” the other side retorted with “water turtles.” However, at this moment, Sun Jiao’s subordinates had no time to argue over these petty words. Their eyes were shining as they rushed towards the artillery on the shore.
The navy’s crossbows were nothing more than simplified versions of thunderbolt cannons. How could they compare to the power of the Divine Machinist Army’s incredible machines? Squeaking sounds echoed as each crossbow on the artillery platforms was fully loaded. Sun Jiao chuckled, “Fire. Just be careful not to harm our own forces.”
This statement was quite reasonable. In the chaotic naval battle, if the aim was off, there was a real possibility of a shot piercing through their own ships. However, those operating the cannons were not the useless ones who couldn’t aim properly. Ignoring the latter part of Sun Jiao’s words, the deputy general vigorously waved down his command flag.
In the perilous terrain of Ruxu Pass, how spacious could the river channel be? A distance of two or three miles was not much of a problem for the thunderbolt cannons of the Divine Machinist Army.
The hefty iron pellets, propelled by force, soared into the air, crossing over their own ships and smashing into the enemy’s water formation. With a single shot, wood splintered, and colossal waves surged. The already chaotic water surface became even more unbearable.
The battle raged from morning till night, and the remaining Jin navy was nearly wiped out. Wang Dun’s face turned ashen, and he clenched his fists, “Deploy the navy from Jing County again…”
“Prime Minister, if Jing County’s navy comes to the rescue, it’s afraid that Wuchang will be difficult to defend…” someone couldn’t help but remark.
“How many ships can they have? Mobilize the troops! Along the banks, all cavalry and infantry, summon them all and strictly guard Ruxu!”
The formula for the thunderbolts he had bought at a high price from the Taoist turned out to be so ineffective in front of the enemy. Now that Jingkou was on the verge of danger, they could not afford to lose Ruxu! The Zhao army must be stopped on the northern bank of the river!
Like a magnet, more and more Jiangdong troops gathered towards Ruxu. However, an ignored northern bank saw a large army avoiding the two river mouths and advancing towards another target.
“Is this Caishi Cliff?” Riding on horseback, Yiyan squinted his eyes and looked at the scenery ahead.
In the distance, the cliffs were towering, and the river water flowed rapidly. Beneath the shade of greenery, ancient temples appeared faintly. The mighty Yangtze River, like a winding dragon, slightly narrowed at this point, allowing a clear view of the opposite bank.
This place had also been a stronghold of Eastern Wu in the past, where Zhou Yu had stationed troops to resist the enemy with a combined force of land and water. However, at this moment, the defending army on the opposite bank had long been scarce. Forces and fleets had been drawn to the battlefields at the two river mouths, leaving a vacant area.
If they could successfully cross Caishi Cliff in one go, capturing Jianye would be like picking something from a pouch. However, with all of Zhao’s naval forces engaged in battle, where would they get the ships for transporting troops? With tens of thousands of infantry and cavalry, how could they possibly cross the Yangtze River?
Facing the rushing river, Yiyan just smiled faintly and gave the order, “Order the Corps to build a bridge.”
How could a bridge be constructed over the river? Unexpectedly, with a command, more than a dozen enormous bamboo rafts broke through the water waves and charged toward the center of the river!
Translator’s corner:
We’re almost there, everyone! After all those wars and frustrations, three more chapters to go! ૮₍ ꒦ິ꒳꒦ີ ₎ა
