My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 454 The Crisis of Army Devastation
This time, in less than ten days, they had safely withdrawn from Linxiang City and were only one or two days away from Baqiu. This could not be considered slow at all, and the generals had truly done their best.

In fact, if the Yangzhou navy hadn't arrived so quickly, Kuai Yue would have had to praise his generals for their dedication.

But now that their retreat has been cut off, and only a few days have passed, Kuai Yue's reprimand of them has left the generals with no way to protest their innocence.

For a moment, the tent fell silent.

Everyone was pondering the current situation, their faces grim and gloomy.

After a moment, Wen Ping spoke first: "Grand Commander, Grand Commander, the Yangzhou fleet has a size of 10,000 men, all of them are large ships, while our navy has only 5,000 men, and our ships are all small boats. Even if we wanted to add more men, we would be powerless to do so."

The soldiers of Jingzhou were mostly skilled in water and boat handling. Even a large portion of the army could be temporarily transferred to the navy. Even if they could not handle boats, they could still participate in boarding operations.

Unfortunately, Cai Mao left behind too few ships, and they were all small boats, making it difficult to rely on sheer numbers.

All eyes were on Wen Ping, who was known in the Jingzhou army for his proficiency in both literature and martial arts.

It is no exaggeration to say that, aside from Liu Pan and Liu Wu, two relatives and generals, Wen Ping was Liu Biao's most trusted general from outside the Liu family, and the future Huang Zu whom he carefully cultivated.

Therefore, although Wen Ping said something meaningless, no one took it seriously; instead, they all looked at him.

Sure enough, Wen Ping continued, "Grand Commander, Grand Commander, since the navy cannot repel the enemy, our army is destined not to cross the river. The best course of action now is to find a way out for the army."

Kuai Yue suddenly realized what Wen Ping was trying to say.

Coincidentally, he was also pondering how to guide his generals.

Kuai Yue immediately chimed in, "Oh, that's very well said, but I wonder what detailed strategies General Wen has in mind?"

Wen Ping sensed Kuai Yue's encouragement from his words, and immediately stood up, walked to the large map behind Kuai Yue, pointed to the map and explained: "Now that we are in Jiangnan, it is impossible for us to return to Jiangbei for the time being. In that case, we might as well retreat to the south of Dongting Lake, then detour north, pass through Zuotang, take the route through Chanling, control Gong'an and Lexiang, and then find an opportunity to cross the river."

Wen Ping's plan was to approach Jiangling from Jiangnan via a land corridor, and then, after controlling strongholds such as Chanling, Gong'an, and Lexiang, to smuggle across the Yangtze River in batches and enter Jiangling City. Even if they couldn't enter Jiangling, they could at least hold out in strongholds near Chanling to prevent a complete collapse.

However, there are significant problems in implementing this plan.

The first question was alright, but the difficulty lay in the second one.

The army was currently located forty li south of Baqiu. If they changed course from there to Chanling County, it would take them ten to fifteen days to march. This was only because the entire area was the Dongting Lake Plain, where the roads were easy to travel.

Even if it's easy to travel, it's still a land route, which is far from comparable to a water route.

Starting from Baqiu, if you travel by the Yangtze River, it only takes four or five days to reach Jiangling City.

Therefore, to achieve the second goal, the accompanying naval force would have to break through the Yangzhou navy's blockade and proceed to Jiangling independently. Otherwise, they would have to abandon ship and go ashore, but if all the ships were abandoned, how would they cross the Yangtze River?

Jiangling does have a navy, but that's all it is.

The entire Jiangling City's navy numbered no more than a thousand men, with only a hundred or so warships of various sizes. It was purely an early warning fleet, primarily for defense against Yizhou.

The Yangzhou fleet is currently able to blockade Baqiu, and it will likely be able to blockade Chanling in the future as well.

Therefore, Wenping merely pointed out that there was such a path to choose from, but did not strongly urge everyone to choose it.

On the other hand, firstly, this is indeed the only way forward at the moment, and staying in Baqiu would only lead to greater danger. Secondly, if someone could solve the latter problem, wouldn't he, as the proposer, have also done a great service?

After Wen Ping finished speaking, everyone in the tent fell into deep thought.

Although they felt this strategy was not a brilliant one, they all acknowledged that it was one of the few feasible options available at the moment.

Baqiu is a dead end; one should not linger there.

Don't forget that there are more than 20,000 Jingnan troops behind them.

These 20,000-plus Jingnan troops would normally be no match for the Jingbei army. Liu Pan, Liu Hu, Wen Pin, Huang Zhong, and even Han Xi were all confident in leading their troops to defeat the enemy.

But now the situation is different. First, the opposing side has gained Sun Ce, whose command has significantly improved the fighting strength of the Jingnan army. Second, the even more powerful Yangzhou army has arrived.

Even if these 20,000 men were only tasked with assisting the Yangzhou army, the Jingbei army would still be unable to withstand them.

Moreover, from a strategic perspective, the Jingbei Army is now caught in a pincer movement between the Jingnan Army and the Yangzhou Army.

Don't underestimate this point. Before Zhuge Liang's decisive victory over Sima Yi at the Battle of Lucheng in the mid-Three Kingdoms period, there had never been a case in history where a team was successfully flanked by two enemy forces and then turned the tables to defeat the enemy.

This demonstrates the perilous and desperate strategic situation of the Jingbei Expeditionary Army at this time.

If Wen Ping's suggestion is adopted, although the Jingbei army will still be unable to cross the Yangtze River, at least they can get rid of their current unfavorable situation. As long as they can successfully reach Chanling, they will have the hope of holding out and waiting for reinforcements.

Of course, whether reinforcements will arrive is another matter entirely.

"What do you think?"

Kuai Yue's gaze swept over the generals, asking questions while observing their expressions.

The Jingbei army is now in a dangerous situation. Although everyone present is a veteran of Jingzhou, Kuai Yue still dares not relax. If anyone wants to betray their master for personal gain, now is the perfect opportunity.

When Kuai Yue asked for his opinion, Huang Zhong was the first to stand up and support Wen Ping.

In real history, Huang Zhong was not a minor figure in this period, as depicted in the novel, where his talents were not displayed.

In fact, Huang Zhong was already a colonel after Liu Biao entered Jingzhou and established himself. At that time, the rank of colonel was extremely prestigious. At the same time, Yu Jin under Cao Cao was only a centurion, and Yue Jin was just a platoon leader.

Not to mention that Huang Zhong was a very senior and close veteran captain. During the Battle of Guandu, he was promoted to Lieutenant General by Liu Biao, making him a true member of Liu's inner circle.

Huang Zhong, like Wen Ping, was a trusted confidant personally discovered and promoted by Liu Biao from the middle ranks, and he also had a very good relationship with Liu Pan.

The two were always used together by Liu Biao, with Liu Pan as the main general and Huang Zhong as the deputy. The effect of their cooperation was actually quite good. Later, when Liu Pan invaded Yuzhang, Huang Zhong fought under his command and once made Hua Xin suffer a lot.

If Sun Ce hadn't directly promoted Taishi Ci to a position in Yuzhang, Liu Pan's performance would undoubtedly have been even more outstanding.

However, with each new emperor comes a new court. Later, Kuai Yue, Han Song, Cai Mao, and others coerced Liu Cong into surrendering Jingzhou. Wen Ping gained Cao Cao's favor and became a trusted confidant, while Huang Zhong failed to win Cao Cao's favor and was sent to Changsha Linxiang as the Commandant of Changsha. Later, after the Battle of Red Cliffs, Huang Zhong surrendered to Liu Bei in Jingnan and was appointed as an important general by Liu Bei, who was eager to recruit talented people.

At this time, Huang Zhong held a fairly high position among the military generals of Jingzhou. Leaving aside his relatives and generals, his position was second only to Wen Ping, and half a rank higher than Han Xi and others. "Grand Commander, Grand Commander, you must make a decision when necessary."

Huang Zhong earnestly advised, "General Wen's plan is the only feasible option at present. If we delay any longer, once the Jingnan army from Linxiang catches up, our army will probably be in a dilemma."

Huang Zhong's words were still relatively polite. If things really came to that, it wouldn't just be a dilemma; it would clearly mean imminent annihilation.

Kuai Yue nodded. He had no objection to Huang Zhong and recognized Huang Zhong's military talent. As for the fact that Huang Zhong was Liu Biao's direct subordinate, at least at this moment, Kuai Yue did not remember that.

With their entire army nearly wiped out, Kuai Yue had no time to think about such things.

Huang Zhong's support for Wen Ping immediately sparked an even more heated discussion among the generals.

Liu Hu couldn't help but frown and ask, "What about the online army?"

As mentioned before, to cross the great river, one must have boats. Now that the army is heading to Chanling via the plains, the navy that wants to follow must either abandon ship and go ashore or break through Zhou Tai's blockade.

Therefore, Wen Ping, Huang Zhong, and even Kuai Yue were all prepared to abandon the ships.

But Liu Hu couldn't bear to part with it.

The navy left behind by Cai Mao is now entirely under Liu Hu's command. His elite Longhair Corps is composed of elite special forces soldiers specializing in naval warfare. Combined with the fleet left behind by Cai Mao, this naturally greatly strengthens his power.

But Liu Hu was very reluctant to abandon the boat before he had even settled in.

Liu Hu couldn't come up with a solution himself, so he simply brought it up, wanting to force others to help him think of a solution.

Wen Ping and Huang Zhong both frowned, and even Liu Pan was somewhat displeased.

At a time like this, you're still thinking about personal gain.

Besides, are these ships yours now?

Even if you manage to break through the encirclement and return to Jingzhou, wouldn't Cai Mao really ask you to take it back?

However, the other party was, after all, Liu Biao's own nephew and Liu Pan's cousin. Wen Pin and Huang Zhong were just generals from other clans, so they were naturally inferior to the other party.

Left with no other choice, Wen Ping could only grit his teeth and explain, "General Liu, for the safety of the army, those ships have to be abandoned."

Liu Hu, however, showed no respect for Wen Ping and immediately shouted, "The ships are the foundation of our army; how can we abandon them so easily? I disagree!"

Upon hearing this, Wen Ping and Huang Zhong's faces turned extremely ugly.
However, Liu Hu did not expect that Kuai Yue had actually been waiting all along.

Just as Liu Hu asked the question, Kuai Yue suddenly spoke up: "As General Liu said, the navy is the foundation of Jingzhou and should not be wasted. In that case, General Liu, please take the waterway, and we will take the land route. We agree to meet at Chanling."

Liu Hu's expression immediately changed, and he looked at Kuai Yue in disbelief.

Kuai Yue, however, remained calm. The army was switching to land routes, and he was worried about the rearguard. Since Liu Hu was still making a fuss at this point, it would be better to let him take charge of the rearguard.

Liu Pan wanted to plead for Liu Hu, but the problem was, if he did, who would cover for him?

Kuai Yue's confidants were naturally out of the question, and on his own side, Wen Ping was his uncle's favorite general, and Huang Zhong was his own favorite general; he couldn't very well send him to cover Liu Hu's retreat.

Thinking of this, I couldn't bring myself to say the words.

"Since General Liu does not object, then this matter is settled."

Kuai Yue acted swiftly and decisively, pinning the rearguard directly on Liu Hu's head.

Liu Hu's expression changed drastically. By then, it was too late to explain.

If he were to speak again now, wouldn't he be making a fool of the commander-in-chief?

Do you really think Kuai Yue's military law is a joke?
Sensing the chilling look in Kuai Yue's eyes, Liu Hu ultimately didn't dare to act recklessly.

Seeing Liu Hu retreat, Kuai Yue immediately ordered: "All generals, return to your camps to reorganize and prepare. Tomorrow morning, the army will turn back, heading west from the southern end of Dongting Lake, taking the route north of Datong Lake, and proceeding first to Zuotang County."

After saying this, he instructed Liu Hu, "General Liu bears the heavy responsibility of covering the rear, and I must offer some advice. If you can break through the blockade of the Yangzhou navy and bring the ships back to Jiangling, I will certainly hold a celebration for you in front of the governor. If things do not go as planned, General Liu can make his own decision."

Fortunately, Kuai Yue was not determined to kill the enemy and left them a way out, almost implying that if they didn't have the guts to break through by water, they should abandon their boats and go ashore to chase after us.

Liu Hu wasn't completely stupid; he understood the meaning behind Kuai Yue's words and immediately thanked him.

Afterwards, the generals left the main tent and returned to their respective units to prepare.

**
After receiving Liu Feng's orders, Gan Ning took Su Fei away ahead of time and led him to catch up with the defeated army day and night.

Standing at the bow of the ship, Su Fei bowed deeply to Gan Ning in gratitude: "Xingba, I was able to escape from prison this time entirely thanks to your intercession. I will never forget this life-saving grace."

Faced with Su Fei's gratitude, Gan Ning flew into a rage: "Brother Su, since I entered Jingzhou, I have been looked down upon and made things difficult for by others. You stepped in to help me out of my predicament. Since then, I have regarded you as my brother. Today, our two armies are at war, and life and death are uncertain. Since you have survived the battlefield, how can I stand idly by?"

"Are you thanking me so much because you consider me an ungrateful person?"

Gan Ning has a fiery temper, and even when facing Su Fei, whom he regards as an elder brother, he will still curse without hesitation. He would be willing to give up all military merits to save Su Fei, but he would not blindly tolerate Su Fei just because the other party is Su Fei.

Upon hearing this, Su Fei felt quite ashamed and immediately bowed, saying, "It was my foolishness, brother. Having just escaped the cage, I am filled with mixed feelings, hence my unwise words. I hope Xingba will not take offense."

Gan Ning then turned his anger into joy and said, "That's more like it."

Next, Gan Ning relayed Liu Feng's orders to Su Fei. Su Fei was somewhat surprised, not expecting Liu Feng to entrust him with such an important task. He was overjoyed and even more grateful to Gan Ning.

In Su Fei's view, he was just a minor general from the Xia River. If it weren't for Gan Ning's recommendation and plea, Liu Feng, who was a general of the left and governor of Yangzhou, would never have known such a nobody as himself.

However, Su Fei's mistake was somewhat accidental. Liu Feng remembered that it was indeed because of Gan Ning, so he had no reason to suspect anything.

After thanking Gan Ning, Su Fei quickly began to ponder the task Liu Feng had given them.

Based on Gan Ning's words, Liu Feng gave them a total of three tasks.

(End of this chapter)