My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 437 The Great Victory at Wangcheng
"My lord, everything is ready."

Sun He walked to Sun Ce's side and whispered his report while looking down the mountain.

"Okay, get ready for action!"

Sun Ce looked down the mountain and saw that the Cai family was preparing to attack the city. When he went down the mountain to attack and rushed onto the plain, the enemy was trapped in the city and could not advance or retreat.

Jade Pool Mountain is not very high, with an altitude of only over 700 meters, but it has the advantage of covering a large area. Sun Ce's 6,000 troops were hiding in it, and it would be impossible to find them without sending thousands of people to search for them.

Sun Ce's main force hid in a mountain valley, not far from Wangcheng, only a dozen miles away. Under a forced march, it would only take one and a half to two hours to reach the city.

With Sun Ce's order, the army began to move.

The vanguard was not cavalry, but light infantry. Their mission was to advance to the plains and then try their best to reach the Xiang River to the north to block the Jingzhou army's escape route.

Following behind them were the cavalry, personally led by Sun Ce.

The Cai family army's offensive was quite fierce, and their troops were well-trained. Now, having received Cai Zan's promise not to shelve his sword, they naturally became tyrannical.

In less than half an hour, soldiers of the Cai family army had already scaled the city walls on the north and east sides and begun advancing towards the city gates. It was believed that they would soon be able to capture the city gates, at which point the main army would pour in, and the guards would have no power to resist.

Just as Cai Zan and Cai Yan were beaming with joy, scouts in the distance suddenly began to frantically warn them, whipping their warhorses and galloping towards the main force. Behind the scouts, a large number of Jingnan soldiers gradually appeared before Cai Zan's eyes.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!!!"

The scouts sped off, shouting at the top of their lungs.

Cai Zan swayed slightly, then quickly regained his senses.

No, I have to run!
But when he turned his gaze forward, he saw his own soldiers on the city wall chasing the enemy into the city, completely unaware of the changes outside the city.

At this point, it would take at least half an hour to withdraw the troops.

Cai Zan was in agony, but gritted his teeth and gave the order: "Order Cai Zhongwang to assemble north of the city, and order Cai Yan to retreat to the Xiang River to form ranks. The main force should move north and join forces with Cai Yan."

Although he didn't know if it was too late, Cai Zan still issued a series of orders, trying to seize an opportunity.

********
"My lord, a letter has arrived from Jingnan."

Lu Xun presented Liu Feng with a silk scroll: "Sun Ce decisively defeated Cai Zan at Wangcheng, capturing Cai Zan, Cai He, and Cai Zhong alive. Over 700 were killed in battle, and more than 2,000 were taken prisoner. Many drowned, and only Cai Yan escaped with a few hundred men across the Xiang River."

"oh!?"

Liu Feng looked up in surprise, not expecting Sun Ce to have made such a big show of things in Jingnan. It seemed that he had already gained considerable power in the Jingnan army.

Liu Feng opened the silk scroll and began to carefully read through it.

As he watched, a smile appeared on his lips.

Lu Xun also flattered at just the right moment, saying, "Sun Bofu's battle bears a strong resemblance to the lord's battle of Qiantang. Although he did not use the navy, hiding troops at Yuchi Mountain can be considered a brilliant move."

Liu Feng nodded. The battle report sent by Sun Ce was very comprehensive, including the fact that Cai Zan, Cai Yan and others had sent out many scouts to guard the four directions.

With the boost from Sun Ce's victory, it will be no easy task for Kuai Yue to quickly take Linxiang.

"it is good."

With a smile, Liu Feng raised his head and instructed Lu Xun, "Boyan, Bofu fought a brilliant battle. You can write a letter in my name to tell Bofu that he doesn't need to hold Linxiang to the death, but should act according to the situation."

"Kuai Yidu has only just arrived in Xiakou. Although the forwards have suffered a minor setback, it is nothing serious."

Liu Feng rose and paced slowly in the hall, pondering, "In my opinion, the right time to send troops is when the main force of the Jingzhou army is bogged down in Linxiang for at least two or three months."

Lu Xun nodded in agreement, saying, "It's only April now, and it won't be until July until March. As long as Linxiang can hold its ground, we can at least send troops before the autumn harvest and even obtain supplies from the enemy."

"good!"

Liu Feng nodded: "Tell Bo Fu this message. Unless Linxiang City cannot be defended, or Zhang Xian and Huan Jie undergo some changes, tell him to contact the headquarters as soon as possible."

Lu Xun respectfully replied, "Yes!"

********
When the news reached Linxiang, the entire city was once again in an uproar, and even Zhang Xian, who was bedridden, was overjoyed and felt a sense of recovery.

After receiving the news of the victory, Huan Jie confirmed it several times before he believed that Sun Ce had really made him look so good.

Little did he know, Cai Mao's selfish motives played a part in this. If Huang Zhong and Wen Ping had led their own 4,000 troops instead, Sun Ce would likely still have won, but the spoils might not have been so plentiful.

After confirming the good news was true, Huan Jie immediately went to the prefectural government to see Zhang Xian.

"My lord! This is a great joy!"

Huan Jie arrived at Zhang Xian's bedside and saw that the other man looked much more energetic, so his smile widened.

Zhang Xian had already heard the news of the victory at the front, but he didn't know as much as Huan Jie, so he asked, "Bo Xu, what's the cause of this joy?"

Huan Jie stepped forward, opened the silk scroll, and read its contents aloud.

As Zhang Xian listened, he smiled, his face full of surprise: "Sun Wentai has such a son, I can die without regret."

Huan Jie was a die-hard fan of Sun Jian, and hearing his new benefactor praise his old benefactor made him feel proud: "What you say is very true, my lord. This boy is quite like his father, especially skilled in military strategy. With his help, he will be of great use."

Zhang Xian pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded.

This crushing defeat at Baqiu made Zhang Xian and Huan Jie realize one thing: the people of Jingnan were indeed no match for the people of Jingbei.

Zhang Cheng was the only general among Zhang Xian's relatives. Qu Xiong was a top local strongman in Changsha and also the foremost general in Linxiang. Although Xiong Shang was a scholar, he represented the Xiong family and led the Xiong family's troops and county soldiers to Linxiang to provide support.

Yet this was a team of elite soldiers, defending a fortified city.

The city was breached by the Jingbei army in just one night. If Qu Xiong hadn't broken through and escaped, he would have been wiped out in one fell swoop.

Sun Ce was different. Not only was he a great fighter, but he also had a special status, with the even more capable Liu Yangzhou standing behind him.

Both Zhang Xian and Huan Jie were shaken.

********
After his great victory, Sun Ce decisively abandoned Wangcheng and led the people of Wangcheng to retreat towards Linxiang.

In order to annihilate Cai Zan and Cai Yan's forces as much as possible, Sun Jiao kept Cai Zan and Cai Yan's attacking troops occupied in the city and deliberately let them into the city to achieve a good restraining effect.

However, this also meant that the city suffered considerable damage from the fighting.

This frightened the wealthy and common people in the city. Fearing that the Jingbei army would vent their hatred on them if they returned, they obediently followed the Jingnan army and retreated from Wangcheng. Fortunately, the two sides were more than two hundred li apart. By the time Cai Yan escaped back to Baqiu, Sun Ce had already arrived in Linxiang with a large group of elderly, weak, women and children.

Otherwise, with so many burdens, the journey would be difficult.

When Sun Ce arrived in Linxiang, Huan Jie replaced Zhang Xian and led all the officials of Changsha out of the city for five miles to welcome him, giving Sun Ce a great deal of face.

After discussing the matter, Zhang Xian and Huan Jie decided to temporarily place Sun Ce's former troops under Sun Ce's command and to adopt Sun Ce's suggestions as much as possible when defending Linxiang.

That evening, Huan Jie rewarded the entire army in Linxiang City and promoted the meritorious soldiers according to the list sent by Sun Ce. The morale of the Jingnan army was greatly boosted, and the gloom since the start of the war was swept away.

********
On the ninth day of the fourth month, Kuai Yue's army arrived at Baqiu.

Cai Mao went out of the city and traveled ten miles to greet him.

After the two sides joined forces, except for the troops personally led by Kuai Yue who entered the city, the rest of the army was stationed outside Baqiu City.

Along the way, Cai Mao was filled with anxiety, after all, he had just suffered a defeat, allowing the Jingnan army to turn the tide.

Kuai was resourceful, decisive, and adept at understanding people's hearts. Cai Mao had always admired him. Now that he was not only under Kuai's control but had also made a mistake, he naturally felt guilty and discouraged.

Kuai Yue, on the other hand, acted very naturally. Not only did he not mention the Battle of Wangcheng at all, but he also constantly reassured Cai Mao's soldiers along the way. His friendly attitude won the respect of the soldiers.

Upon entering the hall, Kuai Yue's face immediately darkened, making Cai Mao's heart pound with fear.

“Yi… Grand Commander Mao was greedy for merit and acted rashly, which led to the defeat at Wangcheng.”

Cai Mao walked up to the hall and prostrated himself before Kuai Yue, saying, "This is all my fault. I beg the Grand Commander not to punish others."

Cai Mao was a member of a prominent family in Jingzhou, a family of great wealth and luxury. He had been well-informed and experienced from a young age, and thus developed a generous and magnanimous personality with extraordinary self-confidence.

Furthermore, he was wary of Kuai Yue, so he dared not lie to him, nor did he try to shift the blame onto Huang Zhong, Wen Pin, and others.

Upon hearing Cai Mao take full responsibility, Huang Zhong, Wen Pin, Cai Yan, and the others hurriedly stood up, walked behind Cai Mao, and knelt down together, saying, "We are all responsible; it is not solely the fault of the Commander-in-Chief. We beg the Commander-in-Chief to understand."

Kuai Yue looked at Cai Mao and the generals below the steps, sighed, and waved his hand: "De Gui, what is the meaning of this? Please rise first."

Cai Mao then stood up, stole a glance at the other party, and found that Kuai Yue's expression was calm and there was no displeasure on his face, so he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"De Gui".

After Cai Mao returned to his seat, Kuai Yue called out, "Tell me the whole story of the Battle of Wangcheng."

Cai Mao immediately agreed and then began to explain in detail. If there was anything unclear, he would ask Cai Yan for clarification.

Kuai Yue was satisfied, but his face remained calm. He listened attentively to what the other person had to say, occasionally asking a few questions, always hitting the key points.

After about the time it takes to eat a meal, Cai Mao and Cai Yan finally finished their story.

Kuai Yue then nodded: "The responsibility for this battle truly lies with you, De Gui."

"Grand Commander, this humble general confesses his crime."

Cai Mao, quick-witted, hurriedly stood up to apologize, but saw Kuai Yue wave his hand and say, "If I had to point out your mistake, it would be that you didn't go straight down to look at the city earlier, and then you were greedy for merit and rushed forward."

After the Battle of Wangcheng, Cai Mao reviewed the situation and realized that he had indeed come to this conclusion.

If we had followed Kuai Yue's orders and immediately launched a surprise attack on Wangcheng after capturing Baqiu, we would most likely have succeeded. If we had stayed in Baqiu and followed Kuai Yue's orders to only clear out the two flanking strongholds of Luocheng and Yiyang, without going to Wangcheng, then the defeat at Wangcheng would not have happened.

Cai Mao knew very well that, in the end, it was because he had altered Kuai Yue's orders without authorization, failing to act when he should have and acting recklessly when he shouldn't have, which led to this great defeat.

He bears all the responsibility, and he is absolutely not wronged.

However, Kuai Yue then changed the subject: "But it would be unfair to put all the responsibility on you; I also bear some of the responsibility."

Cai Mao was startled and looked up at Kuai Yue, who smiled and nodded at him: "After all, no one could have predicted that Sun Jian's son, Sun Bofu, would actually appear in Linxiang, and that Zhang Xian would actually dare to entrust him with military power. It is truly astonishing."

Kuai Yue feigned surprise, but his eyes remained calm as the sea: "De Gui."

"My subordinate is here!"

Cai Mao immediately stood up and bowed with his hands clasped.

"Although our army suffered a minor setback in the Battle of Wangcheng, our strategic advantage remains unchanged."

Kuai Yue said solemnly, "You will continue to be the vanguard of the army, marching towards Wangcheng. Do you dare to accept the order?"

Cai Mao was overjoyed. He had thought that although Kuai Yue would be lenient with him out of consideration for the relationship between the two families and their personal friendship, he also felt that he would not be able to keep his position as the vanguard, since Liu Pan was watching him from behind.

But to his surprise, Kuai Yue stood by him so strongly, even at the cost of taking the blame for him, which moved and excited Cai Mao.

Cai Mao immediately stood up, cupped his hands to receive the order, and said with great enthusiasm, "Rest assured, Grand Commander, if I make any further mistakes, you need not take action. I will take my own life at the camp gate."

"Excellent! What lofty ambition!"

Kuai Yue first praised Cai Mao, then cautioned him: "De Gui, victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. You must not act impulsively out of righteousness. You must know that it is easy for the enemy to take advantage of you. Be careful."

Cai Mao immediately realized his mistake and bowed in gratitude, saying, "I will keep the Grand Commander's teachings firmly in mind."

Kuai Yue then issued an order to secretly send men to Linxiang, intending to exchange the heads of Xiong Shang and Zhang Cheng for the captured Cai Zan, Cai He, Cai Zhong, and others.

Secondly, veterans and junior soldiers were drawn from the Jingbei Army to supplement the young and strong men of Jingbei, and a new school with two battalions and four thousand men was reorganized. For the time being, Cai Mao and Cai Yan will still be in command, and the various units will be divided after Cai Zan and others are returned.

Next, laborers were conscripted from Baqiu, Luocheng, and Yiyang to fill the shortage of able-bodied men in northern Jingzhou and to undertake tasks such as transporting grain.

After dealing with numerous trivial matters, the army rested for three days in Baqiu, and then set off with Cai Mao as the vanguard, advancing by both land and water, with its forces heading straight for Wangcheng.

Kuai Yue's envoy traveled by water and soon arrived in Linxiang.

After receiving the report, Huan Jie immediately summoned Sun Ce to ask for his opinion.

After hearing the whole story, Sun Ce pondered for a moment and said, "Brother, in my opinion, exchanging prisoners is feasible, but..."

"Just what?"

Huan Jie encouraged him, "Bo Fu, there's no need to hold back. Speak your mind freely."

With Huan Jie's statement, Sun Ce dispelled his concerns and said directly, "If we're going to exchange them, we have to exchange them all. In the Battle of Baqiu, at least five thousand people were captured by the Jingbei army, including many of our elite troops. If we can exchange them all back, they only need ten or fifteen days of rest before they can go to the city and fight again."

(End of this chapter)