My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 453 The Army Marches to Baqiu
This is where Huang Zu's value lies.

However, Huang Zu didn't fully understand either; he underestimated Liu Feng's appetite.

Liu Feng actually wanted to implement the entire strategy, that is, he wanted all three strategies: superior, middle and inferior.

In Liu Feng's estimation, the Yangzhou troops were enough to be divided into two parts. One part would go west first to wipe out the Jingbei expeditionary force. In fact, Liu Feng had already dispatched Zhou Tai as the main general and Dong Xi as the deputy general, leading 12,000 naval troops to Baqiu first to block the enemy's retreat.

At the same time, he had already dispatched fast ships to Shaxian at the beginning of the great victory. In addition to reporting the victory, he also issued an order for Taishi Ci and Zhao Yun's troops stationed in Shaxian to come to Zhouling by ship to provide reinforcements.

Among them, Taishi Ci and Zhao Yun's troops were tasked with annihilating the Jingbei expeditionary force, while the remaining part of Zhao Yun's army took over the task of guarding the prisoners in place of the navy.

It's worth noting that in this battle, Liu Feng's army captured over 40,000 prisoners, which is one of the reasons why Liu Feng treated Huang Zu and the Jiangxia faction generals well.

If Huang Zu were willing to surrender, most of these Jiangxia generals would also surrender. In this way, most of these 40,000 prisoners would become usable soldiers, and there would be no need to guard them like thieves anymore.

When the time comes, we can split them up and add them to the Yangzhou navy, and hand over the rest to Jiangxia faction generals like Su Fei who are close to Yangzhou. That way, we can be able to digest them in the first place.

In addition, he sent a message to Linxiang, instructing Sun Ce to find a way to stall Kuai Yue, ideally forcing Kuai Yue to halt his troops outside the city. If the enemy insisted on withdrawing, then they should try to slow down their retreat as much as possible.

With Sun Ce's abilities, although he might not be able to hold off Kuai Yue, he could certainly cause Kuai Yue some trouble and slow down his northward retreat.

However, this meant that Liu Feng's forces were stretched to their limit. He not only had no reserves left, but he was also unable to expand his territory in Jiangxia Commandery.

If Liu Feng wanted to implement all three strategies, he had to get Huang Zu to surrender and be used by him.

Seemingly sensing Huang Zu's inner turmoil, Liu Feng pondered for a moment before speaking up, "Don't worry, I have no personal grudge against Liu Zhendong. I'm just following the imperial edict to suppress the rebels. As long as Liu Zhendong doesn't do anything foolish, even if we break through Xiangyang in the future, I will still give him some dignity."

Hearing Liu Feng's words, Huang Zu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and the turmoil in his heart quietly dissipated.

Huang Zu immediately bowed deeply to Liu Feng, shouting, "General Zuo, your kindness and righteousness are truly like my second parents. I am willing to surrender!"

Liu Feng's face lit up with joy. With Huang Zu surrendering, Jiangxia could be pacified.

So Liu Feng took the initiative to step forward and help Huang Zu, who was kneeling and begging for surrender, to his feet. He then pulled Huang Zu into the banquet and comforted him, saying, "Liu Zhendong once rode alone into Jingzhou, pacified Jiangbei, comforted the people, and encouraged mulberry farmers. All of this is due to Liu Zhendong's merits, and the court is aware of it."

"However, in recent years, Liu Zhendong has been stationed in Jingzhou and Xiangyang for a long time. He has become increasingly arrogant and lawless, harboring rebels and opposing the imperial court. This is a path to his death!"

Liu Feng rebuked him in a stern voice, and although Huang Zu was sitting in the room, he felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.

“Feng Feng was ordered to suppress the rebels. Liu Jingsheng’s only way out is to surrender as soon as possible.”

Liu Feng sighed, "Otherwise, in the Emperor's rage, even I, Feng, would have difficulty protecting him."

Huang Zu said tremblingly, "If General Zuo has any orders, I will do my best and go all out."

"good!"

Liu Feng then revealed a satisfied smile: "In that case, I will trouble Lord Huang to go and persuade the many counties and towns in Jiangxia Prefecture to surrender."

**
Liu Feng ordered Zhou Tai, Dong Xi, and Huang Gai to lead 12,000 men to attack and capture Baqiu.

Upon receiving the order, Zhou Tai immediately led his troops out, traveling day and night, and arrived outside Baqiu City in just two days.

At that time, Baqiu was just a township and had not yet been designated as a separate county.

Only two thousand Jingbei soldiers were stationed in Baqiu City. Since it was located in the rear and was not under any threat, it was natural not to station too many soldiers there.

The reason why the Jingbei army was able to leave two thousand men here was entirely due to the importance of Baqiu.

As soon as Zhou Tai and his men arrived, the garrison in Baqiu Town became highly tense, fearing that the Yangzhou army would launch an attack.

It's no wonder they were nervous. If Baqiu fell, the Jingbei Expeditionary Army's retreat would be completely cut off.

After arriving at Baqiu, Zhou Tai and his men did not launch an attack. Instead, they anchored and rested on the opposite bank of the Yangtze River outside Baqiu. At the same time, they sent scouts across Baqiu to the south to investigate, especially to find out the location of the main force of the Jingbei Expeditionary Army led by Kuai Yue.

As a result, the reconnaissance ships hadn't even traveled two or three hours when they ran into the main camp of the Jingbei expeditionary force. At this time, the enemy was only about forty li away from Baqiu, which was a day's march.

The discovery of the Yangzhou navy's scout ships greatly alarmed the Jingbei army, and their vanguard and oars immediately rushed out to pursue them.

The Yangzhou scout immediately turned and fled, relaying the news back to Zhou Tai.

Zhou Tai was also extremely shocked, never expecting that the Jingbei expeditionary force was already close to Baqiu.

At the same time, in the Jingbei expeditionary camp, Kuai Yue also changed color upon receiving the report.

After Cai Mao fled, perhaps because he had suffered such a crushing defeat, or perhaps because the pursuers were too close, he actually forgot to send a message to Kuai Yue.

As a result, Kuai Yue was unaware of the outcome of the Battle of Zhouling, let alone that the Jingzhou navy had been almost completely wiped out in the battle.

Even though he acted very quickly, in just eight or nine days he had already broken free from the constraints of Linxiang City, and his army moved rapidly northward, almost reaching Baqiu City.

Once they reach Baqiu City, it will take at most two or three days to transport the troops across the Yangtze River. Even if the supplies, provisions, and military equipment are not in time, the army can go to Nanjun to replenish them.

Kuai Yue never dreamed that no matter how fast he rushed, he couldn't keep up with the speed at which Huang Zu and Cai Mao suffered defeats.

Upon receiving the news, Kuai Yue was filled with doubt and uncertainty, while Kuai Qi, who was beside him, turned deathly pale, devoid of any color.

"Uncle, Uncle, how did the Yangzhou navy end up in Baqiu? Could it be that Prefect Huang and Commander Cai..."

"impossible."

Kuai Yue stopped Kuai Qi with a glance. He wasn't just worried about morale, but he didn't believe it would turn out this way.

Cai Mao had only led his troops north for ten days. Judging by the time, it would take the army at least five or six days to reach the outskirts of Zhouling. After that, they would need to rest and reorganize before fighting the Yangzhou navy.

Although Kuai Yue did not know the exact strength of the Yangzhou navy, the Jingzhou navy alone had more than 50,000 men and over 6,000 warships of various sizes. The generals of the Jiangxia navy were all key figures in Jingzhou, veterans of countless battles, and Huang Zu was a meritorious leader who had saved the emperor in the past. He had long been stationed in Jiangxia, and the people were loyal to him, so he had a very high reputation.

Although the size of the Yangzhou army is unknown, it is estimated that there are at least 20,000 to 30,000 men, and even 40,000 to 50,000 men is not impossible.

Such a large-scale battle would likely take at least ten days to half a month for the main forces to clash.

This was actually due to Kuai Yue's lack of information; he was unaware that Huang Zu had already abandoned Xiakou and Shaxian, retreating to Zhouling. Huang Zu had nowhere left to retreat to. If he went further west, he would have to retreat all the way to Baqiu. Although Baqiu was not a small city, it still had a garrison of no less than fifty or sixty thousand people.

The bigger problem is logistical support.

Although the Han River has been cut off, the waterway from Jiangling to Linxiang is still very smooth. With the Jiangxia navy blocking the way in Zhouling, the Yangzhou navy cannot get through either, so there is no danger of total annihilation.

Similarly, the Jiangxia navy could obtain supplies from the local treasury in Zhouling, as well as from Jiangling via the Yangtze River waterway.

However, once the two sides are locked in a stalemate at Baqiu, the Yangzhou navy will be able to disrupt the Jingzhou army's supply routes, and the supplies in the state tombs will also fall into enemy hands.

As the art of war says, "If you can eat one bell of the enemy's food, you will be better than if you eat ten bells of your own."

Considering that water transport costs far less than land transport, this is equivalent to the Yangzhou navy gaining two to three times the amount of supplies that the Jingzhou navy abandoned at Zhouling and Shaxian.

This was something that neither Huang Zu and Cai Mao, nor the generals of the Jingzhou navy, could accept.

Kuai Yue frowned and instructed Kuai Qi, "Send someone to summon Liu Pan, Liu Hu, Huang Zhong, Wen Pin, Han Xi and other generals to come for a meeting."

Kuai Qi acknowledged the order and was about to turn around and give further instructions when he heard Kuai Yue's admonition behind him: "Be careful. The morale of the army is still unstable. Do not cause any more trouble."

The appearance of Yangzhou's navy on the Yangtze River, and a large fleet at that, could no longer be concealed, especially since their scout ships had already penetrated deep into the Xiang River.

Although Kuai Yue issued a gag order a long time ago, it was a last resort.

With Kuai Yue's wisdom, he certainly knew that preventing people from talking was more difficult than preventing a river from overflowing, but he was helpless. At least issuing a gag order could ensure temporary stability. If the soldiers were allowed to discuss things freely, rumors would spread, and the morale of the army would be completely destroyed.

"Rest assured, Grand Commander, I will keep this in mind."

Kuai Qi calmed down and displayed the demeanor expected of a scion of a prominent family, which brought a satisfied smile to Kuai Yue's face, who had been feeling worried.

After leaving the tent, Kuai Qi immediately sent people to inform the various camps, and noted that after receiving the order, the generals of each unit should not inquire about anything, and after stabilizing the morale of their troops, they should immediately go to the main tent to discuss matters.

After receiving the order, Liu Pan and the others felt a little more at ease.

Humans are strange like that. As long as they have someone to rely on, they can stay stable even in the most difficult situation. But once they lose that person and no new person appears to rely on them, they completely collapse.

Kuai Yue's orders gave the generals a sense of security, and their hearts were calmed down without them even realizing it.

Before long, all the generals gathered in the command tent, but the position of commander-in-chief was still vacant.

The generals, whose hearts had just settled down, immediately became anxious again and began whispering among themselves.

Fortunately, they didn't have to worry for long. Before long, Kuai Yue, looking calm and composed, came out from behind the tent and sat down in the commander's seat.

When Kuai Yue appeared, all the generals breathed a sigh of relief, and straightforward people like Liu Hu even showed a smile.

After Kuai Yue sat down, his gaze swept over Liu Pan and the others, and then, amidst their expectant gazes, he said, "As you all already know, the Yangzhou navy's scouts have reached the Xiang River outside our main camp, and there is also a fleet of the Yangzhou navy on the Yangtze River. Now our retreat route along the river has been cut off by the Yangzhou army."

These words caused an uproar inside the tent. The generals could no longer contain themselves and began to discuss and argue loudly.

Kuai Yue remained remarkably calm, refraining from speaking to stop them, and instead allowing the generals to whisper amongst themselves and discuss the matter.

Only after the time it takes to drink a cup of tea had passed, and the generals' voices had gradually subsided, did he speak: "Gentlemen, please speak freely about your thoughts. What is the reason for this commotion?"

After hearing Kuai Yue's words, the generals gradually quieted down.

Then, Liu Pan looked around and found that all the generals were looking at him. He had no choice but to stand up and ask, "Reporting to the Grand Commander, we have heard that there are Yangzhou naval scouts on the Xiang River outside the camp. We do not know if this is true or not, which is why we are discussing it."

"Didn't I just say that this matter is indeed true?"

Kuai Yue looked up and answered seriously.

Liu Pan was immediately speechless. What he wanted to ask was not whether the matter was true or not. He had seen it with his own eyes, how could it be false?
But he never expected that Kuai Yue would pretend to be stupid with him, which left Liu Pan at a loss.

After racking his brains for a long time, Liu Pan finally came up with an answer: "What are the Grand Commander's strategies?"

Kuai Yue did not answer Liu Pan's question, but pointed to a silk scroll on the table: "A message from Baqiu, Yuanji, is to have all the generals read it."

Kuai Qi responded and passed the silk scroll down.

Liu Pan, being of the highest status, was naturally the first to watch.

It would have been better if he hadn't looked; once he did, Liu Pan's face immediately turned extremely ugly.

Following that, Liu Hu, Huang Zhong, Wen Pin, and others looked at the document one by one. After they finished reading, their expressions were either shocked, angry, or worried, all as ugly as Liu Pan's.

Liu Pan asked somewhat uncertainly, "Grand Commander, is this true?"

Kuai Yue, however, said calmly, "This is the latest news sent from Baqiu City half a day ago, how could it be false?"

Upon hearing Kuai Yue personally confirm that the news was true, the generals' faces looked as if they had lost a loved one.

It's no wonder they reacted this way; this was news that their escape route had been cut off. The fact that they could remain calm and composed in their tents, without panicking, was befitting their status as important generals of Jingzhou.

"Grand Commander, if that's the case, our army's rear will be in grave danger."

Liu Pan asked with difficulty, "What should we do now?"

Kuai Yue snorted coldly: "I told you to withdraw your troops earlier, but you were reluctant to leave Linxiang, making all sorts of excuses and dragging your feet. If you had listened to me earlier, we would already be north of the Yangtze River. What would we have to fear even if the Yangzhou navy arrived in full force?"

The generals blushed and lowered their heads in unison.

In reality, the situation was not as serious as Kuai Yue described. Linxiang City was already completely surrounded, and all the facilities outside the city had been destroyed. The attack could reach right up to the city gates and walls, so it was understandable that the generals did not want to withdraw their troops.

Kuai Yue was highly respected and ruthless, and held a high position of power in Jingzhou. How could the generals dare to play dirty tricks on him?

(End of this chapter)