readytorunbook Chapter 403: Zhang Li vs. Lü Dai
Chapter 403: Zhang Li vs. Lü Dai
War is a cruel game that only ends when one side falls forever. To defeat your opponent and have the last laugh in this game, you need to compete in all aspects, including both explosive power and endurance.
Compared to short bursts of bursts, sustained and stable output is more important, but not everyone can fight a protracted battle; it requires a stable base.
Guan Xing's current base is Kuaiji. After fighting the Wu army for many days, he has almost run out of grain and fodder he has seized from the gentry. Looting is unsustainable, as the gentry do not have enough grain for him to keep robbing.
Therefore, if Guan Xing wanted to avoid starvation, he had to find new sources of income. At the very least, he had to ensure that the fertile fields in Kuaiji County were not destroyed by the war and that the people could live and work in peace and have stable production.
The best way to maintain stability is naturally to eliminate all hidden dangers that affect stability. At present, the biggest unstable factor in Kuaiji is Lü Dai, who is blocked in Lishui. Only by dealing with Lü Dai can the people of Kuaiji truly live and work in peace and contentment, use new agricultural tools to reclaim wasteland, and provide Guanxing with a continuous supply of grain and fodder.
Guan Xing frowned and pondered, "You're right. Compared to Cao Ren, Lü Dai is the real threat right now. So, as you said, you will lead 20,000 troops to replace Cheng Li and take full responsibility for the war against Lü Dai. Wang Tao, Cheng Li, and Zhou Xun and Ji Jie's naval forces will all be under your command."
“I don’t care how you hit me, I just want Lü Dai himself. I want you to show Lü Dai with your actions that Kuaiji Commandery is not a place he can come and go as he pleases.”
"As for me, the great battle has just ended, the wounded need to recuperate, and the soldiers need to be comforted and reorganized. I will rest here for now and wait for General Guan's orders."
Shen Yi bowed excitedly and said, "General, rest assured, this humble general will personally deliver Lü Dai to you."
After saying this, he left without delay. On his way back to camp, he sent someone to Wang Tao to order him to take enough rations and sneak up behind Lü Dai to intercept him. He then returned to the army, gave a brief pre-battle pep talk, and returned along the same route, leading 20,000 troops to quickly attack Wushang.
……
Wu Shang.
The battle on Guan Xing's side has ended, but the battle on Cheng Li's side has just begun.
Before the battle, Guan Xing had anticipated that Lü Dai might land by sea, so he specifically wrote a letter to remind Prefect Xie Chong and Sima Chengli.
Xie and Cheng dared not delay upon receiving the letter. They had been preparing to defend against Lü Dai recently, so when they received news of Lü Dai's invasion, Cheng Li was not alarmed. He calmly transferred the garrison from Shan County to Wushang and personally led the troops into the mountains to set up defenses in the Yongkang Town area.
Previously, Xie Chong and Cheng Li both believed that Lü Dai would land at Zhang'an or Sanmen Bay, or even possibly at Kuaiji Bay. Landing at these three places and entering the Jinqu Basin would inevitably involve passing through Shan County. Therefore, they stationed 5,000 heavy troops in Shan County.
Unexpectedly, Lü Dai did not land at the above locations, but instead landed at Yongning and headed straight for Wushang. Fortunately, Shan County was not far from Wushang, and the garrison was able to return within a day of receiving the news.
Cheng Li, who led 3,000 reinforcements from Shan County and 1,000 garrison troops from Wushang, knew his own strength and did not intend to defeat Lü Dai on his own. He only wanted to trap Lü Dai in the mountains and patiently wait for reinforcements to arrive. So as soon as he entered the mountains, he divided his troops to seize various mountain passes and build fortified camps. Using the mining tools produced by the steel mill, he built seven strong camps in the Yongkang area, completely blocking Lü Dai's way into the basin.
Poor old man Cheng, he was a doctor who became a civil official, and not long after that, he became a military officer. His later years were incredibly colorful.
Even more pitiful was Lü Dai, who, at the age of sixty, traveled north by boat from Jiaozhou, landed at Yongning, and then crossed several mountains. He finally arrived in Lishui, only to find the road blocked and unable to pass.
Upon seeing the Han army camp and the Han flags within it, Lü Dai's heart skipped a beat, and he felt utterly disoriented.
The camp in front of us was clearly newly built, or even unfinished, with some people still working inside with hoes.
So here's the question: after landing, he deliberately sealed off Yongning City to prevent the news from leaking and the Han army from being prepared, thus losing the element of surprise in the attack.
If we were being so careful, how could the Han army have received the news and prepared in advance? Where did things go wrong?
While cursing under his breath, Lü Dai sent someone to arrange a meeting with the Han army commander, hoping to learn about him and find out about Lu Xun.
He was separated from Lu Xun by mountains and seas, and had not been able to communicate with him since the start of the war. He knew nothing about Lu Xun's current situation and it was necessary to find out.
Upon receiving the message, Cheng Li quickly appeared at the arrow tower. Lü Dai, protected by his personal guards' shield formation, arrived a hundred meters away from the camp. Looking up, he saw that the person opposite him was also an old man in his sixties, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of kinship with someone his age. He clasped his hands and called out, "I am Lü Dai, the governor of Jiaozhou. May I ask which general of the Han army you are?"
Cheng Li clasped his hands in response and said, "Cheng Li, the Prefect of Kuaiji, greets Governor Lü. Governor Lü has come from afar, and I have failed to greet you properly. I hope you will forgive me."
After pondering for a long time and confirming that he had never heard of this person before saying, "So it is Commander Cheng. I have long admired your name. Commander Cheng, since you have seen me, you should know that the Guan family father and son are rootless duckweed in Jiangdong and cannot hold out for long. Now that my lord has ordered Grand Commander Lu to lead an expedition to the east, I have also led my troops here. It will be only a matter of time before we join forces with Grand Commander Lu. At that time, the Guan family father and son will surely collapse. A wise man knows when to yield. Commander Cheng should also make plans as soon as possible. If you are willing to surrender, I am willing to personally write to my lord to vouch for you. What do you say?"
Cheng Li was amused by Lü Dai's words; it seemed Lü Dai was unaware of what had happened recently.
Indeed, only ignorance breeds fearlessness.
Cheng Li stroked his beard and exclaimed, "It seems that Lord Lü is completely unaware of the situation on Lu Xun's side. I have a few reports of victory sent from the front lines that I believe Lord Lü will be interested in. I'll be a good man and show them to you for free."
After saying this, he waved his hand and ordered someone to attach the victory report to an arrow and shoot it at Lü Dai.
Good news isn't just reported to superiors; subordinates must also be informed while reporting to superiors. Therefore, Cheng Li has many official documents exchanged with Shen Yi, including recent good news.
The arrow carrying the victory report landed ten meters to Lü Dai's right. His personal guard quickly stepped forward with his shield, retrieved it, and handed it to Lü Dai. When Lü Dai unfolded it and saw it, he was struck dumb, feeling dizzy and almost fainting.
Cheng Li sent not one, but seven or eight reports of victory. The letters detailed the events of Han Dang's suicide, Xu Sheng's death in battle, Pan Zhang's murder, Zhuge Jin's capture, and Zhou Fang's attempt to use a self-inflicted injury ruse, which resulted in his being detained by Shen Yi.
Cheng Li's last communication with Shen Yi was when he learned that Lü Dai had landed and asked Shen Yi for help. At that time, Shen Yi had just detained Zhou Fang, and he casually wrote down the matter of detaining Zhou Fang in an official document and handed it to Cheng Li.
Therefore, Cheng Li's information was almost synchronized with that of the front lines, unlike Lü Dai, who was separated by mountains and seas and had a terrifying information gap with the front lines.
These messages, sent individually, were barely acceptable, but when they arrived simultaneously, the impact was immense, so much so that even the seasoned Lü Dai could hardly contain himself, and his hand holding the letter began to tremble.
Han Dang, Xu Sheng, and Pan Zhang have all died in battle, and Zhuge Jin and Zhou Fang have been captured. What does Lu Xun have left?
At this moment, Lu Xun is probably surrounded in the corridor, completely cut off from all sides. How the hell is he supposed to play this game?
Also, what am I going to do if Lu Xun is beaten into such a cowardly state? Should I still go to Wushang to join forces with Lu Xun? Is it even necessary to go?