My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 558 A great victory
Sun Ce's idea was good, but it didn't work out.

Both sides suffered heavy casualties in yesterday's battle. Although Yong Kai's troops were severely damaged and unable to recover, Wei Yan's side also suffered heavy casualties.

The Han army under Wei Yan alone suffered more than 400 casualties, while the more than 1,600 Han auxiliary troops suffered more than half casualties, totaling more than 900, of which more than 500 died in battle, exceeding half.

If it weren't for the Han army acting as a stronghold on the front line, Wei Yan's promises of great benefits and the distribution of land after the war, and his generous provision of salt water and sugar water to replenish the strength of the Han auxiliary troops during the war, coupled with the fact that the families of the Han auxiliary troops were all in Yuyuan City with almost no way to escape, such a high casualty rate would not have been possible to sustain.

However, after this battle, these Han auxiliary troops were like they had been tempered, and their fighting spirit was far greater than before the battle.

Even so, the heavy casualties made Wei Yan's troops urgently need to rest and recuperate. Even if the Han army could still fight with all their might, the Han auxiliary troops absolutely could not move their troops again. Otherwise, it would be a minor matter if the Han auxiliary troops were to become disloyal, but if they were to riot and scatter and flee, the reputation of the Han army would be ruined.

Under such circumstances, even someone as strict as Wei Yan took the initiative to approach Sun Ce the next day, explaining the difficult situation and requesting a postponement of the military campaign.

Wei Yan also promised that if troops were to be mobilized later, he would be willing to take a supporting role and let Sun Ce's troops take the lead.

This was tantamount to offering credit, and coupled with the objective difficulties, Sun Ce had no choice but to agree, even though he was unwilling.

While stabilizing the situation, Wei Yan also saw the value of the Han auxiliary troops.

Therefore, he took the initiative to report to Lu Xun, detailing the situation, and at the same time, with the discretionary power of the vanguard general, temporarily opened the treasury and allocated some resources to reward the meritorious soldiers.

The supplies in Yuyuan City were actually quite scarce. There were only two thousand shi of grain, more than three hundred bolts of various kinds of cloth, more than ten shi of salt, more than thirty shi of salted fish, no gold or silver, only tens of thousands of inferior copper coins.

The city had only a few dozen pigs, cattle, and sheep in total, all of which had been slaughtered before the battle and used to reward the entire army.

At this moment, Wei Yan took out all kinds of cloth, salt and copper coins, and added snow salt, sugar and silk that the army had brought, to reward the Han auxiliary troops first.

The rewards for the Han army were first recorded in military merits, and then distributed according to a separate system.

After allocating the supplies, Wei Yan gathered the Han collaborators together. When various kinds of cloth, silk, brine salt, snow salt, sugar, and copper coins were laid out in front of them, the Han collaborators, who had never seen such a generous reward, began to breathe rapidly.

Next, Wei Yan began distributing rewards according to the size of the merits and the number of casualties, giving priority to meritorious officials, then to soldiers who died, were disabled, or were wounded in battle, and finally distributing the remaining supplies equally among all the participating soldiers.

When the hefty reward was handed to the Han army soldiers, many of them burst into tears on the spot.

The system in the southwest was far more backward than that in the Central Plains. In the mountains of the southwest, not to mention the Baiyue tribes, even powerful Han families like the Yong family treated their retainers as serfs. They not only had the power of life and death over them, but these retainers also rarely had their own private property. Unless it was something given as a reward by their master, neither the tribal people nor their retainers could own private property.

In the Central Plains, tenant farmers typically split their land 50/50 with their landlords. Some kind-hearted landlords would even pay taxes, while even the more greedy ones would split the land 60/40 with the landlord, after paying taxes.

The situation in the southwest was completely different. Ordinary tribal people, retainers, and tenant farmers did not own any land. They cultivated the land collectively under the leadership of tribal chiefs and powerful clans. Not only did they not own any private property, but even fishing, hunting, and firewood in the mountains required the permission of the chiefs and powerful clans, because these resources also belonged to the private property of the chiefs and powerful clans.

As for grain distribution, it was generally divided into 70/30, with the lower classes receiving only 30%. Some ruthless individuals could even achieve a 80/20 or 90/10 split. Moreover, the retainers and tribal members had to serve in the military for the chiefs and powerful clans. Unlike farmers in the Central Plains who only served as regular soldiers, the retainers and tribal members of the chiefs and powerful clans in the southwest had to "work in the morning and fight in the evening," facing survival pressures far exceeding those in the Central Plains.

In peacetime, Han Chinese in the Central Plains could receive about 20 to 25 shi of grain per person per year, with some receiving as little as 15 shi. However, the tribal people in the southwest could only receive 8 to 10 shi of grain per year. The vassal serfs could receive a little more, but it was still only 10 to 12 shi. After being sold into slavery, they received less than half the grain rations of farmers in the Central Plains, which shows how heavy the oppression and burden were in the southwest.

Now, Wei Yan not only promised to distribute land to them, but also immediately provided extra rewards and compensation after the battle. Heavy loads of cloth, copper coins, salt, sugar, and other supplies were distributed to the soldiers one by one. Even for those who died in battle, Wei Yan ensured that their deserved rewards were given to their widows and families. The wounded not only received the equal medical treatment promised by the Han army, but also received a personal promise from Wei Yan that he would be their support and ensure their safety.

This dreamlike scene not only made the soldiers of the Han army feel as if they were in a dream, but also drove the people of Yuyuan City crazy.

These people, along with those in Wudan County, were almost all family members of Han soldiers. Wei Yan's purpose in rewarding them generously was to enhance the reputation of the Han army.

Wei Yan was well aware that while Dianchi Lake had contributed greatly, General Zuo's plan went far beyond that. The entire Yizhou Commandery was merely a springboard, part of a grand strategy to attack Jianwei and even the Chengdu Plain, ultimately sweeping across the entire Yizhou region.

If the Han army can gain a good reputation in Yizhou Commandery and win the support of the local Han people and Baiyue people, the support of more than 200,000 Han people in Yizhou Commandery and an equal number of Baiyue tribespeople, totaling 500,000 to 600,000 people, is equivalent to the support that the five to six million people in Jing, Jiao and Yang provinces thousands of miles away can provide.

Wei Yan wasn't the only one who saw this; Sun Ce saw it too. Unfortunately, he wasn't a vanguard general and could only watch helplessly as Wei Yan won over the hearts of the people and spread his good name for the Left General, feeling both jealous and envious. But that was all. Although Sun Ce had a fiery temper, he was by no means a fool. No matter how jealous he was of Wei Yan, he would never do anything to hinder him.

Putting everything else aside, General Zuo is someone who can't tolerate any nonsense.

Despite his displeasure, Sun Ce eventually found a solution: while Wei Yan was rallying the troops and currying favor with the Left General, Sun Ce stayed close to Wei Yan.

Given Sun Ce's status, Wei Yan naturally couldn't send him away. In doing so, Sun Ce also took the opportunity to boost his popularity. The local Han and Baiyue people couldn't distinguish between Wei Yan and Sun Ce; they only knew that these two were important figures they couldn't afford to offend and might never even get close to.

The following evening, Sun Ce's main force arrived at Yuyuan County.

Wei Yan immediately slaughtered pigs and sheep, and stewed a lot of fish soup to welcome his allies and to reward his own soldiers.

These pigs and sheep came from the neighboring Wudan County. On this day, Wei Yan specially sent troops to escort the Han auxiliary troops of Wudan County back home, and delivered the rewards and compensation they had received.

At the same time, some resources were also transferred from Wudan County, which is how the pork, mutton, chicken and duck for today's feast came about. In addition, Wei Yan also ordered Yu Yuan's fishermen to go back to the lake to catch fish, which were originally intended to supply the wounded, but now they were also used to reward the reinforcements.

After a grand banquet for his troops, early the next morning, Sun Ce led his own force of 2,000 men as the vanguard, with Wei Yan leading 1,000 elite soldiers as his support, and 500 Han laborers serving as civilians, totaling 3,500 men, northwards, their advance aimed directly at Dianchi County. Liu Feng's army was able to quickly regain its fighting spirit for several reasons: first, he kept his word and earned the trust of his men; second, Wei Yan distributed extra rewards, boosting morale; and third, and most importantly, Sun Ce's reinforcements arrived.

Wei Yan's main force of two thousand men, along with the Han auxiliary troops, had already dealt a heavy blow to Yong Kai. Now, another two thousand Han soldiers from Sun Ce's forces had arrived. In the eyes of the Han auxiliary troops, these three thousand-plus Han soldiers alone were enough to take over Dianchi Lake. Naturally, they were willing to take credit for the victory in this favorable situation.

Sun Ce's army moved extremely quickly. Just after the end of the afternoon, the vanguard of Sun Ce's army had already arrived outside Dianchi City, causing an uproar in the city.

Yesterday, the brothers Yong Kai and Yong Lü breathed a sigh of relief when they did not see the Han army arrive. They assumed that the Han army had also suffered heavy losses and had no strength left to pursue them, let alone attack Dianchi Lake.

But who would have thought that although the Han army did not come yesterday, they had already stationed their troops under the city walls by late today.

At this time, the troops in the city were still scattered and in disarray, with no fighting power whatsoever. Even the thousand guards left behind earlier were still somewhat usable, but the more than one thousand right-wing soldiers that Yong Lü brought back were extremely demoralized and had become unreliable.

Just as Yong Kai was in a state of panic, Yong Lü suddenly spoke up: "Big brother, let me protect you as you go."

"Walk?"

Yong Kai looked up at his younger brother, suppressing his anger, and asked, "Where are we going?"

"Wei County!"

Seeing that Yong Kai did not blame him, Yong Lü quickly continued, "Brother, there are still more than two thousand usable soldiers in the city, and the main force of the Han rebels has not yet arrived. If we break out now, we will surely succeed. There are still several thousand soldiers in Wei County. As long as you can safely reach Wei County, we can start over."

The Yong family had over ten thousand troops under their command, with the largest number, six thousand, located in Dianchi. In addition, the deep defensive lines deployed around Dianchi brought the total to eight thousand. The remaining three to four thousand were stationed in Wei County, another key city in Yizhou Prefecture.

There is also a large Han population here. Although the terrain is mainly plateau and mountainous, there are many basins (small plains in mountainous basins) within the territory. The county is also crisscrossed by many rivers. The farmland is second only to Dianchi County in Yizhou Prefecture, which has the Dianchi Plain and is irrigated by the Dianchi and Fuxian Lake water systems.

Compared to Dianchi Lake, Weixian County is slightly inferior in terms of population, economy, and farmland. However, it has convenient transportation, is a key hub of the Wuchi Road, and has relatively advanced farming methods. Like Dianchi Lake, it has mature rice-wheat rotation technology.

Hearing his younger brother's words, Yong Kai was actually persuaded.

He had no confidence in holding Dianchi City. He could still escape now, but if he waited any longer and the main force of the Han army surrounded them, he would not only be unable to escape, but he would also lose a lot of his current resources.

"it is good!"

Yong Kai recalled the incomparably brave and unmatched armored soldiers from the previous day's battle, and a chill ran down his spine. He immediately made a decision: "You must gather the men, only those who can keep up, and leave the rest alone. Half an hour later, we will assemble at the north of the city. We will leave the city from the north, head north to Guchang, and then take the Five-Foot Road to Wei County."

"Here!"

Upon hearing his elder brother's agreement, Yonglu was overjoyed. He had wanted to leave for a long time; staying would only mean waiting to die. He was still young and had endless riches and honors to enjoy; he didn't want to die.

Yonglu was about to turn around and go down to do his work when he was suddenly stopped by Yongkai.

He turned around and saw his elder brother staring at him with a ferocious expression, which made Yonglu feel uneasy.

Fortunately, Yong Kai's ferocity wasn't directed at him. Immediately afterward, Yong Kai instructed, "It is crucial to keep the news under wraps. Before we leave the city, the people in the city must not know. Do you understand?"

Yong Lü immediately realized that his elder brother was worried about being dragged down by these people, so he quickly nodded and said, "Brother, please don't worry, I know what to do."

It must be said that once they made up their minds, the Yong brothers acted very quickly. In less than half an hour, just over a quarter of an hour, the two of them, along with their personal guards and well-organized troops, gathered at the North Gate.

Apart from the two men's personal guards of about a hundred, there were only a little over two thousand one hundred men who could still be mobilized. The other troops were either demoralized and practically dead, or their organization had completely collapsed and they had deserted and gone home.

Yong Kai disregarded these people and immediately opened the north gate with his brother Yong Lü, leading more than two thousand followers in a hasty escape north.

At this time, Sun Ce's troops who arrived numbered only about 500, including more than 100 cavalrymen. Half of them were the result of Wei Yan handing over all his scout cavalrymen to Sun Ce.

Upon receiving the news, Sun Ce knew that the infantry would not be able to catch up in time, but he was unwilling to let the enemy go so easily. So he simply ordered the infantry to take the opportunity to enter the city and see if there was a chance to control the city gate defenses and break through the city. He himself led more than a hundred cavalrymen to pursue north.

The brothers Yong Kai and Yong Lü hastily left the city, taking with them almost all the troops who were still capable of fighting.

Dianchi City was instantly rendered a ghost town, utterly devoid of any resistance. Sun Ce's infantry bypassed the north gate, easily capturing it and setting up defenses to support the follow-up troops.

Sun Ce himself, with over a hundred cavalrymen, quickly caught up with Yong Kai's fleeing soldiers.

Sun Ce himself was an all-rounder in military strategy, proficient in cavalry warfare, naval warfare, infantry warfare, and mountain warfare. He was a true tactical genius who could formulate tactics and strategies according to the terrain.

After catching up with Yong Kai, Sun Ce did not rush to attack. Instead, he lingered at the rear like a vulture, occasionally using the mobility of his horse to harass and attack.

(End of this chapter)