My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 432 Liu Biao's Military Campaign
In the spring of the third year of Jian'an, on the first day of the third month.

In Xiangyang, Jingzhou, Liu Biao appointed Kuai Yue, the former governor of Nanyang and Marquis of Fanting, as General Who Subdues Rebels and Grand Commander of the Land and Navy, commanding 70,000 troops (claimed to number 300,000) to march south to Jingnan to quell the rebellion. He also mobilized 30,000 laborers, over 400 warships of various sizes, and over 600 grain transport ships for Kuai Yue's use.

The news sent shockwaves through the Central Plains.

Liu Biao spared no effort, even entrusting the command to Kuai Yue, whom he secretly feared. This shows how much he valued this battle, hoping that Kuai Yue could quickly quell the rebellion and then withdraw the main force back to Xiangyang.

However, although Liu Biao relied heavily on Kuai Yue, he also laid three contingency plans.

The first, of course, was the hostages. The entire Kuai clan, including Kuai Liang, was detained by Liu Biao in Xiangyang. Only Kuai Qi accompanied Kuai Yue on his expedition.

The second is Cai Mao. Although the Cai family and the Kuai family are allies, and Cai Mao himself has a very good relationship with Kuai Liang and Kuai Yue, Cai Mao is also Liu Biao's brother-in-law, a true maternal relative. Placing him next to Kuai Yue as the naval commander is naturally a form of restraint.

The final trump card was his nephew, Liu Pan. Liu Pan was not only exceptionally skilled in martial arts but also capable of leading troops. He had a relatively harmonious relationship with the senior and middle-ranking generals in the Jingzhou army, but he was at odds with Zhang Yun, who was also a relative. At this time, he was quite suitable to serve as the Commander-in-Chief of the Army.

Liu Pan's qualifications were actually somewhat lacking, but at this critical moment, he couldn't care less about that.

Liu Biao recommended Liu Pan with the bottom line of abandoning Kuai Yue. Fortunately, Kuai Yue was also sensible and did not object, which made Liu Biao secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

In fact, Liu Biao was unaware that Kuai Yue had little interest in this southern expedition.

However, he also saw through Liu Biao's intentions and knew that if he refused this responsibility, the entire Kuai family would become the target of Liu Biao's suppression in the future.

Fortunately, Liu Pan and Cai Mao were both top-notch naval and land generals in Jingzhou. Although Liu Biao was extremely selfish, he did not make a mistake in using them.

Kuai Yue accepted it.

When the army set off, Liu Biao personally escorted them twenty li outside the city, bestowing upon Kuai Yue ample favor and honor.

Subsequently, the largest war in the Eastern Han Dynasty this year, and a preview of an even larger war to come, began.

News of Liu Biao's army's campaign against Zhang Xian, with its main force departing from Xiangyang and marching south along the Han River, spread rapidly.

Zhang Xian, the person involved, was naturally shocked. He did not expect Liu Biao to be so decisive and to launch such a large-scale southward march as if Mount Tai were pressing down on him.

Zhang Xian immediately summoned Huan Jie, Zhang Yi, Sun Ce, Liu Pan, Qu Xiong, Zhang Cheng, Liu Ba, Xiong Shang (Guiyang Quhongchang), Xiong Yuan (Lingling Duliangchang), Wen Chun (Changsha Chalingchang), Du Hui (Lingling Chong'anxiang), Huan Zuan, and Huan Yi (a member of the Huan clan in Changsha and a relative of Huan Jie) to discuss matters.

Among these people, there were many factions. Zhang Yi was Zhang Xian's son, Huan Jie was Zhang Xian's strategist, Sun Ce was Zhang Xian's guest, Zhang Cheng was Zhang Xian's clansman, Liu Ba, Xiong Shang, Xiong Yuan, Du Hui, and Wen Chun were all Zhang Xian's fellow townsmen from Lingling County, while Liu Pan, Qu Xiong, Huan Zuan, Huan Yi, and others were all powerful clans in Changsha County and local strongmen in Linxiang City.

Zhang Xian and the others had previously discussed that Liu Biao would either not launch a military campaign southward, or if he did, it would inevitably be after the spring.

Sure enough, now in March, with the weather just starting to warm up and the rivers thawing, Liu Biao couldn't wait to send his troops south. He was determined to eliminate Zhang Xian.

It was precisely because of this expectation that the number of people attending this meeting was relatively complete.

After Sun Ce entered the hall, he bowed to Zhang Xian, who then rose to return the bow. The two then took their seats.

Zhang Xian treated Sun Ce with great respect, for a simple reason: Liu Feng, who stood behind Sun Ce, was the only ally Zhang Xian could hope to obtain. Moreover, Liu Feng's strength and combat prowess were second to none in the south.

Just out of respect for Liu Feng, Zhang Xian had to treat Sun Ce with the utmost respect, not to mention that Sun Ce himself had considerable influence in Changsha and was treated with great courtesy by Huan Jie, Qu Xiong, and others.

Finally, Sun Ce himself possessed exceptional military talent; at least among the four commanderies of Jingnan, no one could rival him.

Now that Liu Biao's army is marching south and will soon be at Linxiang, it is a time when he needs men. Zhang Xian also hopes that Sun Ce can do more for him.

After Sun Ce took his seat, he also began to ponder.

After becoming deeply involved in Jingnan, he naturally learned more information.

The Jingnan army, which originally numbered between 20,000 and 30,000, has grown to nearly 50,000 after nearly five months of expansion.

However, the strongest force among them was the 10,000-strong army that Sun Jian, Sun Ce's father, had led when he returned to his hometown. Next were the county and prefectural troops from the four commanderies of Jingnan, as well as the retainers of the powerful clans and gentry of Jingnan. The county and prefectural troops numbered approximately 15,000, with one-third of them being from Changsha Commandery. The retainers of the various local powerful clans numbered about 7,000, and Zhang Xian himself had 2,000 retainers.

All of these together amount to approximately 31,000 people.

The last part consists of newly recruited young and strong men from various counties and prefectures. These men number about 16,000 to 17,000, but most of them can only serve as laborers and can barely be of use in the defense of cities.

If we want to rely on them for field battles, it will only lead to the collapse of our own army's formation, which is not worth the effort.

Therefore, the Jingbei Army far surpassed the Jingnan Army in both quantity and elite status.

Sun Ce suggested sending 5,000 to 8,000 elite troops by land and water to garrison Yiyang, threatening the rear of the Jingbei army and preventing them from concentrating all their efforts on attacking the city.

Then, two thousand elite troops were stationed in Luo County to harass the logistics of the Jingbei Army.

As for Baqiu and Wangcheng, Sun Ce hoped to abandon them after a series of attacks, rather than defending them to the death. The best approach was to abandon the cities and retreat after their defenses were destroyed, in order to preserve his troops.

However, while this approach is quite excellent, it is also extremely difficult. Even if Sun Ce himself were to take the lead, he wouldn't be confident, since he's not leading his old subordinates now.

Once everyone had arrived, Zhang Xian immediately spoke up: "Liu Biao has raised an army without cause and invaded our borders. Now the enemy is strong and we are weak. What good strategies do you gentlemen have to help us repel the enemy?"

Zhang Xian's words sparked a discussion in the hall.

The crowd whispered and discussed amongst themselves, but no decision could be reached for quite some time.

Zhang Xian glanced at Huan Jie, who then gestured to him with his eyes, glancing at Sun Ce.

Zhang Xian understood that Huan Jie had instructed him to personally consult with Sun Ce.

Of all those present, only Sun Ce had experience commanding tens of thousands of men; for that reason alone, no one else could compare.

If we also consider the record, the gap becomes even larger.

Zhang Xian was aware of this, but he wanted to see if anyone else in the hall had any suggestions before asking Sun Ce.

To his disappointment, although the people in the hall discussed the matter for a long time, they could not come up with a single practical solution. They only criticized Liu Biao for raising troops without imperial orders, which they considered an act of rebellion. Even Huan Jie placed his hopes on Sun Ce.

Helpless, Zhang Xian could only ask Sun Ce, "Bo Fu has commanded large armies for many years. In this great battle, please do not hold back your knowledge."

Sun Ce straightened up and cupped his hands in greeting to Zhang Xian: "I am deeply grateful for Your Excellency's kindness and have no way to repay you. I am willing to offer my advice to Your Excellency in order to resist Liu Biao's tyranny."

Upon hearing Sun Ce speak, everyone in the hall fell silent, listening to his advice.

Zhang Xian, Huan Jie, and the others did not expect that Sun Ce's first suggestion would directly ignite the entire court.

"Your Excellency, Baqiu is truly indefensible. I implore Your Excellency to immediately withdraw the garrison from Baqiu and relocate to Yiyang."

Zhang Cheng, a general in Zhang Xian's clan, was greatly alarmed and instinctively objected, "How can this be allowed? Baqiu is an important town in Jingchu, the gateway to Linxiang, and a strategic pass on the Xiang River. How can we give up such a vital place?"

"Indeed, Baqiu City is high and deeply moated, with water on one side and the Xiang River as its moat, making it a strategically important military town."

Changsha General Qu Xiong was also greatly alarmed and hurriedly stood up to persuade Zhang Xian, "If you give up, wouldn't that be like crippling your own martial arts?"

Sun Ce's suggestion immediately provoked fierce opposition from the people of Linxiang. The court was in an uproar, with senior officials either refuting Sun Ce or advising Zhang Xian not to believe him.

Apart from a few people closely related to the Sun family, most others disagreed, and even Huan Jie and others remained silent, not daring to speak up for Sun Ce.

The reason is simple. Wangcheng is fine, after all, it is just a small city. Although it is a barrier for Linxiang, it is small and the land is small with a small population. Even if it is defended, it will not be of much significance. Moreover, its main function is to form a defensive system with Baqiu on the front line.

Unlike Wangcheng, Baqiu City was a large city in the Jingchu region. Not only was its defense very strong, but it was also a vital transportation hub controlling the Xiang River and Dongting Lake.

If you can't take Baqiu City, don't even think about driving straight to Linxiang via the Xiang River.

Baqiu's location is crucial, roughly situated on what would later become Yueyang. It has always been a strategic location fought over by military strategists, and numerous major battles have been fought around Yueyang, perhaps even more so than those around Changsha.

Zhang Xian, Huan Jie, and the others also frowned deeply. If they didn't know that Sun Ce had already surrendered to Liu Feng and had a blood feud with Liu Biao for killing his father, they would have even suspected that Sun Ce was Liu Biao's spy.

How can one abandon their own important military stronghold at the very beginning of a war?

Zhang Xian slowly raised his right hand, and the hall fell silent. Then, he asked Sun Ce, "Bo Fu, all of you have already explained the advantages and disadvantages of Baqiu. Do you still want to persuade me to give up Baqiu?"

"Exactly!"

Sun Ce, however, showed no sign of panic and continued to persuade Zhang Xian, saying, "My lord, you are wise. Baqiu is indeed a strong city in Jingchu and a shield for Linxiang. However, Jingnan is currently a city with many cities but few soldiers. If we had 100,000 troops, I would strongly urge you to station a large force in Baqiu to defend against the enemy. But right now, Jingnan has only 30,000 soldiers who can fight, and in terms of elite troops, they are not even as good as the Jingbei army."

"In this situation, we should then divide our forces and send them to Baqiu..."

Sun Ce looked at Zhang Xian and asked, "How many troops do you think should be stationed here, Lord?"

Zhang Xian was speechless.

There are only 30,000 people in total. A large city like Baqiu needs at least 10,000 people to defend it. Moreover, you can't just send 10,000 people. You also need to arrange several thousand reserve troops to supplement them. Otherwise, if Baqiu suffers 20 or 30% casualties without replacements, it may collapse at any time.

In that case, how many more troops will be stationed in Wangcheng?
How many troops would be left to defend Linxiang?

It should be noted that although Wangcheng is small, Linxiang is a larger city than Baqiu.

Linxiang, as the prefecture seat of Changsha and the capital of Jingnan, has been an important military stronghold for the Han people since the Qin Dynasty, used to suppress the Baiyue and Jingman tribes.

Linxiang City was not only a super city with a very complete defense system, but its city walls were also more than three zhang high. It also used the Xiang River as a moat, and was surrounded by water on three sides, with the Xiang River on one side, the Liu River on another side, and only a river delta to the north.

The only place where an offensive could truly be launched was southeast of Changsha, with the east and south sides each having only half available. What's even more outrageous is that Linxiang, already so easily defended, also had two garrison cities, forming a pincer movement with Linxiang.

Such an impregnable fortress naturally requires a sufficient number of personnel.

According to Sun Ce's estimate, Linxiang would require at least 30,000 men to defend it completely; with fewer than 30,000, the various city defense fortifications would not be able to be used to their full potential.

Sun Ce's question not only left Zhang Xian speechless, but also silenced Zhang Cheng, Qu Xiong, and others who had just strongly opposed him.

They knew Jingnan's military strength all too well; to put it bluntly, it consisted of 30,000 combat-ready soldiers, plus more than 10,000 able-bodied laborers.

Of these 30,000 combat-ready troops, no more than 20,000 are elite. The remaining 10,000 county and prefectural soldiers are alright if they can hold their own against the city walls, but they would probably be a hindrance in open field battles.

Baqiu needs at least 10,000 people, but Linxiang can't muster 30,000.

If Baqiu only releases three to five thousand people instead of ten thousand, then it's just as Sun Ce said: it would be better to give up directly.

Huan Jie, having received Zhang Xian's hint, hesitated and said, "Bo Fu, is there not a way to have the best of both worlds?"

Sun Ce was silent for a moment, then shook his head: "Brother, you don't know this, but if my own troops were by your side, they could defend Baqiu for you, wear down the Jingbei army, abandon the city and retreat, then hold Wangcheng to block the enemy again, and finally retreat into Linxiang. This would not only maximize the role of Baqiu and Wangcheng, but also greatly damage the morale and energy of the Jingbei army."

"Then why not now?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xian immediately became anxious: "If Bo Fu is willing to take command, he can choose any of the elite troops from Jingnan."

Sun Ce's words resonated with Zhang Xian, who naturally hoped that Sun Ce could fulfill his wish.

But Sun Ce wasn't stupid. War was dangerous and he didn't have any trusted men under his command. These troops belonged to Zhang Xian and the powerful clans of Jingnan. They might abandon him and run away at any time.

Sun Ce has lost even the title of Little Conqueror. Can we expect him to break through the encirclement of 100,000 men single-handedly like the Conqueror?
Even if these people didn't abandon him, this action was still extremely dangerous, and Sun Ce had no obligation to help Zhang Xian pull chestnuts out of the fire.

"Your Excellency is wise. It is not that I am unwilling to accept the order; there are two reasons."

Sun Ce declined, saying, "Firstly, I am only temporarily residing in Linxiang and have not yet taken office as your retainer. My position is not legitimate, so how can I lead a large army into battle?"

Zhang Xian was about to speak when Sun Ce pretended not to see him and continued, "Secondly, the armies in Jingnan also have elite troops, but I have no contact with them and do not know their strengths. As the art of war says, 'Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. If you do not know yourself and do not know your enemy, you will surely be defeated.'"

(End of this chapter)