Song Xiu

Chapter 104 Master of Array Diagrams, Pan Mei, is Heartbroken (Bonus Chapter for Monthly Tickets)
Before Zhao Guangyi led his army south, Cao Bin and Lu Duoxun, as envoys of the Song Dynasty, set off for Jiangning Prefecture ahead of time.

Jiangning, also known as Jinling, is the Nanjing of later generations.

Previously, when Zhao Kuangyin was planning his campaign in Huainan, he entrusted the mission to the Southern Tang Dynasty to Zhao Dexiu.

After receiving the assignment, Zhao Dexiu returned to the Prince's Palace and discussed it with his subordinates.

In that era, the Huaihe River region and the Jiangnan region had gradually become the economic center of China.

Since ancient times, wars have always been fought over money and supplies.

Although the "south first, north later" strategy has not yet been formally proposed by Zhao Pu, it is widely known among insightful people in and out of the government:
"To recover Yan and Yun, we must first take over Jiangnan."

Knowing this well, Zhao Dexiu carefully selected the envoy for this mission.

Cao Bin had experience as an envoy to the Wu-Yue Kingdom, and given his steady and reliable character, he was the perfect candidate to serve as the chief envoy.

The chief envoy should be calm and composed, while the deputy envoy should be quick-witted and adaptable.

Therefore, Ludoson would be a very good candidate.

Because their mission to the Southern Tang Dynasty was crucial to the war situation in Huainan, Cao Bin and Lu Duoxun didn't even attend Zhao Dexiu's wedding banquet before leading their delegation by boat towards Jiangning Prefecture.

After several twists and turns, the Song Dynasty delegation, led by Cao Bin and Lu Duoxun, finally arrived on the Yangtze River.

Looking at the Yangtze River flowing eastward all around, Lu Duoxun said to Cao Bin beside him:

According to the guide, we should be able to arrive in Jiangning Prefecture early tomorrow morning.

The deputy envoy should remember the purpose of the King of Taiyuan's dispatch of the two of us.

The "deputy envoy" that Lu Duoxun referred to was Cao Bin's position as deputy military governor of Chanzhou.

The two served in the same shogunate and addressed each other by their shogunate official titles in private, which could be seen as a sign of their close relationship.

Before the two left Kaifeng, Zhao Dexiu had revealed his intentions.

However, since Cao Bin was new to the shogunate and had previously been too quiet, Lu Duoxun did not have much confidence in Cao Bin's talent.

To avoid delaying Zhao Dexiu's plans, Lu Duoxun had to give him another reminder as they approached Jiangning Prefecture.

After hearing Lu Duoxun's reminder, Cao Bin nodded seriously:
"Bin remembers."

In front of outsiders, Cao Bin always speaks very briefly.

After receiving Cao Bin's affirmative reply, Lu Duoxun said no more.

The night passed quickly, and the next morning, the Song Dynasty's envoy fleet successfully docked at the port outside Jiangning Prefecture.

On the shore, a group of officials from the Southern Tang Dynasty were already waiting.

The Southern Tang officials who came to welcome the Song Dynasty delegation today were led by Han Xizai, the Minister of Revenue.

Upon seeing Cao Bin and the other envoys disembark from the ship, Han Xizai stepped forward and bowed to Cao Bin and Lu Duoxun, saying:

"Your humble servant Han Xizai pays respects to the envoy of the superior state."

After Li Congjia moved into the Eastern Palace, Han Xizai, who was deeply trusted by Li Congjia, gained an increasingly higher status in the Southern Tang Dynasty.

However, Han Xizai's humility did not earn Lu Duoxun's understanding.

"Since you know that we are envoys of the Great Song Dynasty, sent by the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty to Jiangnan, why did the King of Wu not personally come out to welcome us?"

Lu Duoxun's sharp tone caused Han Xizai's expression to change slightly.

After the disastrous defeat at Huainan, Li Jing, the ruler of the Southern Tang Dynasty, often considered moving the capital.

In recent months, Li Jing has often resided in Hongzhou with the Three Dukes and other important officials, while entrusting most of the affairs of state to Prince Wu, Li Congjia.

Although Li Congjia did not have the title of Crown Prince, he had already gained the real power of regent.

As the suzerain state of the Southern Tang, the Song Dynasty should have personally welcomed the Song envoy, both morally and logically.

Han Xizai's expression changed only briefly before he regained his composure.

"Your Highness, I have recently caught a cold and am feeling unwell. I hope the messenger will forgive me."

Your Majesty, I have prepared a banquet within the city to welcome the envoy and to bid him farewell. Please, envoy, proceed to the city.

After speaking, Han Xizai respectfully bowed again to Cao Bin and Lu Duoxun.

However, Han Xizai's respectful attitude did not satisfy Cao Bin and Lu Duoxun.

"The bloodshed in Huainan has flowed for hundreds of miles, yet it has only been a matter of a few years!"

Upon hearing Cao Bin's words, Lu Duoxun was surprised, and Han Xizai and other Southern Tang court officials all changed their expressions drastically.

How devastating was the Southern Tang defeat in the Battle of Huainan a few years ago?
That battle made Li Jing even consider passing the throne directly to his eldest son.

Cao Bin's description of "blood flowing for hundreds of miles" may have been an exaggeration, but the actual horrific scene was not far off.

Only a few years have passed, and the officials of the Southern Tang Dynasty certainly have not forgotten the tragic atmosphere of "almost losing the country" a few years ago.

When Han Xizai and the others' expressions changed drastically, Cao Bin continued:

"I am an envoy, sent on behalf of the emperor to inspect the Jiangnan region."

The King of Wu personally welcomed us, which is the duty of a subject and is beyond question.

With Nanjing in sight, the round trip will take at most an hour.

No more waiting!"

This is what it means to say the coldest things while using polite, formal language.

After speaking, Cao Bin turned away with a solemn expression, giving Han Xizai no chance to explain.

His decisive actions demonstrated the demeanor of a great general.

Cao Bin's four large characters, "No waiting after the deadline," caused Han Xizai's expression to change drastically.

This time, the color change won't be so easy to reverse.

Han Xizai knew that if the Song envoys were to leave in anger, it would be tantamount to declaring war on the Song Dynasty.

Leaving aside whether the Southern Tang could win in the war later on.

But Li Jing, who had long feared the Central Plains like a tiger, would have to have him skinned alive first upon learning of this news.

With his own life at stake, Han Xizai saw that he couldn't stop the Song Dynasty envoy, so he could only order his men to return to the city and hurriedly invite Li Congjia.

Li Congjia was not sick at all!
After returning to the ship, Cao Bin said to Lu Duoxun, who was standing beside him:
“As soon as we set out on our mission, Li Congjia caught a cold, which is suspicious.”

As I suspected, it must have been Li Chongjin who sent an envoy to Jiangning Prefecture before us.

Huainan has always served as a bulwark for Jiangnan. Some court officials in Jiangnan may have suggested to Li Congjia that he could take this opportunity to reclaim Huainan.

Therefore, Li Congjia's attitude was ambiguous.

When analyzing the situation, Cao Bin's words were much more detailed.

Cao Bin's words were agreed upon by Lu Duoxun.

"If Li Congjia can come soon, it will show that most of the officials in the Southern Tang Dynasty are inclined to support the Central Plains."

If Li Congjia insists on not coming, it will indicate that the Southern Tang has already shown signs of rebellion.

When making the second judgment, Ludoson looked worried.

If the Southern Tang army joins the battle, the battle of Huainan will become much more difficult.

Time passed quickly, and just before an hour had passed, a young man dressed in fine clothes rode a fast horse to the shore.

Seeing that everyone on the shore was bowing deeply to the man, he realized that the man was Cao Bin, Li Congjia's subordinate. Only then did he lead Lu Duoxun and his entourage toward the shore.

It seems that within the Southern Tang Dynasty, those who were unwilling to go to war with the Song Dynasty still constituted the majority.

Realizing this, Cao Bin gradually formed a plan in his mind.

August of the first year of the Jianlong era of the Great Song Dynasty.

Zhao Guangyi, the Marquis of Donghai County of the Great Song Dynasty, led 50,000 imperial guards south to Wokou.

The vortex mouth is the inlet where the vortex water flows into the Huai River.

Leading troops to Wokou means that if they take another step forward, 50,000 Song troops will enter the Huainan region.

However, after leading his army to Wokou, Zhao Guangyi ordered the army to set up camp on the border of the Huai River.

The Central Plains have always lacked warships.

After Zhou's army won the Battle of Huainan, although they captured a lot of ships from the Southern Tang, most of those ships were left in the various prefectures of Huainan.

Once the Huainan rebellion broke out, the Song army was essentially back to square one. To successfully cross the Huai River and enter Huainan territory to quell the rebellion, the only option was to build a pontoon bridge across the Huai River, just as the Zhou army had done in the past.

While the laborers were building the pontoon bridge, Zhao Guangyi ordered his generals to be summoned.

After all the generals had arrived at the command tent, Zhao Guangyi pointed to the map behind him and said:
"Our army is now stationed at Wokou, and will soon be able to enter the Huainan region."

According to scouts, the main force of the rebels was mostly gathered in the Yangzhou area.

"What do you all think we should attack first after entering Huainan?"

As soon as Zhao Guangyi finished speaking, all the generals in the tent turned their attention to the map.

Some of the generals in the tent had participated in Emperor Shizong's campaign against Huainan in his early years, so Zhao Guangyi's question was answered quickly.

"Haozhou or Shouzhou."

Tian Chongjin shared his opinion.

Haozhou and Shouzhou are positioned on either side of the Wokou Pass, and on the surface, if these two states are not captured first, our supply lines will be easily threatened.

When Emperor Shizong of Zhou conquered Huainan, he also prioritized attacking these two prefectures.

Unexpectedly, no sooner had Tian Chongjin finished speaking than Zhao Guangyi interjected:
"Our army should take Yangzhou quickly."

Upon hearing Zhao Guangyi's words, Tian Chongjin's expression changed. He was about to speak up to stop him when someone publicly expressed their support.

“What the Marquis of Donghai said is correct.”

The person who spoke was Wang Quanbin.

Wang Quanbin came from a military family and served as a bodyguard for Emperor Zhuangzong of Tang, Li Cunxu, in his early years.

Despite serving through several dynasties and winning many battles, Wang Quanbin never received a significant promotion.

This is mainly because Wang Quanbin was greedy and liked to embezzle the army's "relief funds".

This character flaw meant that many monarchs, despite knowing Wang Quanbin's talent, dared not give him a significant position.

During the Xiande era, Zhao Guangyi discovered Wang Quanbin's talent and repeatedly pleaded with Zhao Kuangyin, which finally gave Wang Quanbin the opportunity to enter the upper echelons of the Imperial Guard.

Out of gratitude for Zhao Guangyi's help, Wang Quanbin gradually became one of his men.

Upon hearing Wang Quanbin's agreement, Tian Chongjin hesitated for a moment in trying to dissuade him.

Just as Tian Chongjin was hesitating, another general spoke up in support of Zhao Guangyi's view.

“If the main force of the rebels is in Yangzhou, then Shouzhou and Haozhou are indeed insignificant.”

The person who said this was Pan Mei.

Pan Mei's expedition was a deliberate arrangement by Zhao Kuangyin.

Zhao Kuangyin knew that Pan Mei was a talented commander, so he wanted him to come to Huainan to fight and accumulate some military merits so that he could be given important responsibilities in the future.

Upon hearing Pan Mei's support for Zhao Guangyi, Tian Chongjin fell silent.

Since Tian Chongjin had heard Zhao Kuangyin praise Pan Mei, he would not speak recklessly.

As for Pan Mei's agreement with Zhao Guangyi, it was not because he was Zhao Guangyi's man, but because it was a judgment he made based on his own military strategy.

Of course, this judgment is based on the premise that "the main force of the rebels is in Yangzhou."

Pan Mei looked up at Zhao Guangyi and asked:

"Is the Marquis's intelligence accurate?"

Zhao Guangyi was naturally aware of Zhao Kuangyin's high regard for Pan Mei.

He, who was keen to win over Pan Mei, smiled and said:
"Zhongxun, please rest assured, my information is infallible."

Zhao Guangyi spoke with great confidence.

Zhao Guangyi had reason to be confident, because this intelligence was delivered by Zhai Shouxun.

Zhai Shouxun was Li Chongjin's strategist.

As early as the beginning of the year, Li Chongjin wanted to join forces with Li Jun to attack Zhao Kuangyin from both the north and south, so he sent Zhai Shouxun north.

To Li Chongjin's surprise, Zhai Shouxun did not go to Luzhou, but instead went straight to Kaifeng to seek refuge with Zhao Kuangyin.

Under Zhao Kuangyin's arrangement, Zhai Shouxun returned to Li Chongjin to slander Li Jun, causing Li Chongjin to miss the best opportunity to attack from both the north and south.

This secret is known to very few people.

Before Zhao Guangyi set off on his campaign, in order to ensure the success of the war, Zhao Kuangyin gave Zhao Guangyi the contact information for Zhai Shouxun.

After Zhao Guangyi made his promise, Pan Mei nodded in agreement.

Before the army set off, Zhao Guangyi's eagerness had left a less than favorable impression on the Imperial Guards.

However, at least for now, Pan Mei doesn't think Zhao Guangyi is bad.

Wang Quanbin and Pan Mei's support left all the generals with no objections, which gave Zhao Guangyi a sense of satisfaction.

Zhao Guangyi had a notable personality trait—he loved to show off.

This personality trait becomes more apparent after achieving certain "successes".

Seeing that it would take some time to build the pontoon bridge, Zhao Guangyi ordered the other generals to leave first, leaving only important figures such as Wang Quanbin and Pan Mei behind.

After everyone else had left, Zhao Guangyi took something out of his pocket and placed it on the desk in front of him with an expectant look on his face.

Upon noticing this, Tian Chongjin became very interested.

Tian Chongjin recalled the scene in Huguan City when Zhao Dexiu pointed out the battlefield with a map in his hand, and felt as if he were drinking fine wine.

Memories of the past piqued Tian Chongjin's interest, and he eagerly moved closer.

But when he got closer, Tian Chongjin stared at the picture on the desk and was completely dumbfounded.

The picture showed eight formations drawn densely, which were:

Heaven Formation, Earth Formation, Wind Formation, Cloud Formation, Dragon Formation, Tiger Formation, Bird Formation, Snake Formation.

The eight formations were stacked one on top of another, chaotic and disorderly, dazzling and bewildering to the eye.

The feeling of drinking stale water filled Tian Chongjin's mind.

And Tian Chongjin was not the only one who felt this way.

Wang Quanbin and Pan Mei, both renowned generals, were stunned by the sight.

This is?

Seeing that the three generals were "shocked," Zhao Guangyi said with a smile:

“I have been well-versed in military books since childhood. I once viewed the battle formation diagrams in the Tang Dynasty’s Taibai Yin Jing and was quite impressed by them.”

Therefore, the inner formation diagram was improved, forming this Eight Trigrams Formation.

If our army uses this formation, linking them together in a continuous chain to fight the Khitan army, the Khitan army's cavalry advantage will be difficult to utilize, and they will inevitably be defeated at our hands.

A confident glow shone on Zhao Guangyi's face.

He was completely unaware that the gazes of the three generals toward him were becoming increasingly strange.

Of course, at the end, Zhao Guangyi still humbly said:
"What do you all think of this formation?"

Zhao Guangyi's words were like poison to Tian Chongjin.

He really can't appreciate it.

Of all the people, only Pan Mei was able to maintain a certain level of composure.

"Does the Marquis intend to use this formation in this campaign?"

"If the opportunity arises, I will definitely give it a try!"

Pan Mei asked cautiously, while Zhao Guangyi answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Hearing this answer, Pan Mei was secretly saddened.

He had just thought Zhao Guangyi was acceptable, which was a huge misunderstanding.

This formation diagram alone would take a lot of effort to create, let alone actually setting it up on the ground.
Almost instantly, Pan Mei saw the fatal flaw in this Eight Trigrams Formation:

The formation is cumbersome, difficult to command, easily fragmented, and poorly adaptable to terrain.

Each of these fatal flaws could give the enemy an opportunity to bring the Song army to its doom!

(End of this chapter)