Sweep Yuan

Chapter 302 Two-Front War: Who's in a Hurry?

Along the Zhenjiang section of the Yangtze River, the water surged with gray-white waves under the biting north wind. Outside the Dantu County wharf, countless boats of all sizes were densely moored on the riverbank, their sails forming a forest that almost completely obscured the river surface.

Squads of fully armored Han soldiers, under the command of their officers and the guidance of their flags, silently and orderly stepped across the wide gangplank and onto the swaying cabin.

The neighing of warhorses could be heard from time to time. They were blindfolded and carefully led onto specially made horse transport boats under the soothing caress of their drivers.

Heavy armor, bundles of arrows, siege equipment parts wrapped in tarpaulin, bags of fodder... all kinds of military supplies were carried onto the ships by laborers chanting slogans.

Although the river crossing operation was extremely busy, it exuded a calmness and efficiency forged in the crucible of war.

Shi Shan stood on a high slope by the river, wearing a heavy black cloak and not conspicuous royal robes. However, the elite personal guards of the Moon Guard surrounding him, as well as his imposing and calm demeanor, already revealed his identity.

His deep gaze swept over the spectacular scene of thousands of sails racing, and turned towards the misty shore to the north.

"With this defeat of the Yuan army, Buyan Temur should be more obedient for a while."

The news of the victory in the battle for Ningguo County had been delivered to him in detail by a fast horse.

The Yuan army's motives and troop deployment in this battle were somewhat inexplicable. Based on the testimonies of Kang Maocai and others, Shishan speculated that Buyan Temur was probably waging a political war, but he did not expect to suffer such a crushing defeat.

Dong Tuanxiao, the Left Vice Minister of the Mongol-Yuan Jiangzhe Province, was killed in battle, and of the 20,000 troops, less than a thousand eventually escaped back to Huizhou, a complete defeat.

This crushing defeat not only proved once again with bloodshed that the Yuan army was incapable of breaking through the Han army's northern Zhejiang defense line, but also gave Buyan Temur a perfect excuse to deal with Toqto'a's constant urging for battle—it wasn't that his subordinates weren't working hard enough, but that their generals were incompetent.

Thinking of this, a cold smile involuntarily appeared on Shi Shan's lips.

"However, you will soon no longer have to rack your brains to deal with Toghto's anger."

Because he will soon personally "help" this "King of Jiangnan" resolve his current predicament of being caught between a rock and a hard place.

The Yuan army's defensive line around northern Zhejiang was said to have a total strength of over 200,000, but it was scattered across a vast area of ​​four routes: Chizhou, Huizhou, Jiande, and Wuzhou. There were countless passes, cities, and supply routes that needed to be defended.

The mobile force that can be readily mobilized and used as a weapon is no more than 100,000 at most.

After the disastrous defeat in the battle for Ningguo County, Buyan Temur would never dare to launch another large-scale battle involving tens of thousands of people in the short term. This gave Shishan a strategic window of opportunity to withdraw his main force and move north with peace of mind.

The Yangtze River Navy must remain stationed in Wuwei Prefecture to guard against the eastward advance of the Mongol Yuan navy and to deter the Yuan troops stationed in Huguang and Jiangxi provinces in Chizhou, so that they would not dare to act rashly. Shishan then ordered the East China Sea Navy to take charge of the escort mission for this crossing of the Yangtze River.

However, Fang Guozhen, the only force downstream that could threaten the Han army's control of the river, was engaged in fierce fighting with the Yuan army. The East China Sea Navy mainly provided transportation capacity, and even with the requisition of a large number of civilian ships, it could only transport more than 10,000 people across the river at a time.

To shorten ferry travel time and improve river crossing efficiency, Shishan moved his army ahead of schedule to Dantu County, Zhenjiang Prefecture.

For a time, thousands of sails raced and hundreds of boats competed on the Yangtze River, and a large number of elite Han troops were transported here to land at Guazhou Ferry on the north bank.

After a brief rest, the troops that landed formed orderly marching columns, organized by town, and proceeded in a grand procession along the official road towards Yangzhou. Along the way, banners fluttered, swords and spears stood like a forest, men shouted and horses neighed, and the dust raised obscured the sky, creating a somber scene of impending battle.

The Han army's high-profile display and undisguised strategic intentions, with plumes of dust clearly visible for miles around, made it difficult for the Yuan scouts to prevent them from discovering signs that Yangzhou was receiving large-scale reinforcements.

Fu Youde, the commander of the Zhenshuo Guard, was quite puzzled by this. When Shi Shan arrived in Yangzhou with the soldiers of the Pengyue Guard, he and Hu Weiyong, the prefect of Yangzhou, went out of the city to welcome the Prince of Han. Fu Youde couldn't wait to follow them and whispered to Shi Shan:
"Your Majesty, the Yuan army has been besieging Gaoyou for nearly a month, repeatedly failing to capture it. Their troops are exhausted and their morale is surely low. Once they learn that our main army is marching north to reinforce, their morale will be thrown into disarray and their deployment will be chaotic. This is a golden opportunity!"
Our army should advance with overwhelming force towards Gaoyou, coordinating with the defending forces inside the city to decisively defeat Tuotuo's main force and secure victory in Huainan!

Through information gathered from various intelligence channels, Shi Shan had a general understanding of Tuotuo's troop deployment in Huainan: about 20,000 troops were stationed in Taizhou, and about 20,000 were attacking Sizhou; the total number of troops stationed in key rear cities such as Xuzhou and Shanyang County, the seat of Huai'an Road, was about 20,000.

Based on this calculation, the number of troops that Toqto'a directly used to besiege Gaoyou should be between 80,000 and 120,000.

Fu Youde suggested taking advantage of the Yuan army's exhaustion from the long battle and their uneasy state of mind upon learning that their reinforcements had arrived, to launch a direct attack on their heartland. From a tactical perspective, this strategy did indeed have a very high probability of success, and if successful, the results would be extremely brilliant.

However, as the leader of a powerful force, Shi Shan's thinking could not be limited to the outcome of a single battle. He glanced at the majestic Yangzhou city wall not far away, ordered Hu Weiyong to lead the way, and gestured for Fu Youde to ride alongside him, slowly heading towards the city gate.

"Wei Xue (Fu Youde's courtesy name)."

Shi Shan's voice was calm, revealing no emotion.

"If our army defeats the Yuan army in one fell swoop, and the prefectures and counties in Huaidong are without a ruler, could they be incorporated into our territory?"

Fu Youde was in charge of the defense of Yangzhou, so he naturally hoped that the Han army's sphere of influence could expand northward. If he could take the opportunity to annex the entire Huaidong region, he would no longer have to hide behind Zhang Zhou and would have many opportunities to fight against the Yuan army, which meant more military achievements.

With the excellent location of Huaidong, he is the natural vanguard commander for the Han army's future northern expedition to the Central Plains!
But clearly, this is just an unrealistic fantasy.

After all, the Zhang-Zhou regime was stuck north of Yangzhou. If the Han army quickly defeated the Yuan army, the biggest beneficiary would be Zhang Shicheng, unless they turned against Zhang-Zhou now to eliminate future troubles.

Otherwise, even if the Han army occupies the cities in Huaidong, the two armies will eventually clash over the ownership of the cities.

"If Zhang and Zhou are not eliminated, even if our army takes over these places, disputes will arise over their ownership in the future, which will only waste the country's strength."

Fu Youde first gave his conclusion, then pressed his advantage, offering further advice with a hint of ruthlessness in his tone:
"There cannot be two suns in the sky, nor two rulers in a country! We have saved Zhang Zhou this time. If Zhang Shicheng is sensible, he should take the initiative to relinquish his title of king, acknowledge the legitimate calendar of our Great Han, and obey the king's orders! If this fellow is stubborn and still dreams of secession and becoming king, then he must not be allowed to live!"
"Your Majesty, why not seize this opportunity to annihilate Zhang Zhou in one fell swoop, completely pacify Huaidong, and eliminate future troubles forever?"

Just as Xia Yu had predicted, if the Yuan court's all-out southern expedition fails to defeat the rebels, its true nature as a paper tiger will be exposed, and it will completely lose its prestige and ability to command the world.

From this point on, the general trend of the world will officially transition from the stage of the national uprising of "driving out the barbarians and restoring the Han" to a new stage of warring states vying for hegemony.

Zhang Zhou and Shi Han belonged to opposing camps and had both established their own kingdoms and declared themselves kings, openly expressing their ambition to vie for the "Mandate of Heaven." Sooner or later, their armies would clash. From a purely military perspective, taking advantage of Zhang Shicheng's current weakness was indeed a highly tempting option.

But to conquer the world is like playing chess; it's not as simple as just thinking about capturing a few of the opponent's pieces.
Fu Youde is stationed in Yangzhou, a position of great responsibility. Shishan must ensure that he fully understands the overall strategy to prevent him from acting arbitrarily out of eagerness for personal gain and ruining the overall situation.

After a moment's thought, Shi Shan calmly countered with the question:
"In your opinion, how many troops do we need to commit to defeat Toqto'a's Yuan army, seize the cities in Huaidong, and ensure that we can wipe out Zhang Zhou in one fell swoop without leaving any future troubles?"

Fu Youde, seeing that Shi Shan had inquired, thought his suggestion had been taken seriously and was secretly pleased. After considering his options for a moment, he replied:

"Eighty thousand elite troops are enough!"

He seemed worried about giving Ishiyama the impression of underestimating the enemy and being reckless, so he explained in more detail:

"Toqto'a has stationed troops in Taizhou, Xinghua and other places to contain our army's movements. To ensure the safety of our supply lines and flanks, we must send some troops to stay behind and keep watch. However, the Yuan army is internally divided into factions, most of its troops are not strong in combat, and morale is unstable."

If we simply concentrate our forces to defeat the main Yuan army force beneath Gaoyou, our elite troops, numbering 60,000, will be sufficient!

At this point, he secretly glanced at Shi Shan's expression and subtly brought up his surprise attack tactics again:
"This humble general is only worried that if Toqto'a learns accurate intelligence that the King is personally leading a large army to reinforce us, he may become cowardly and dare not engage in a decisive battle with our army. If this old fox decisively abandons Gaoyou and leads his main force back to Huai'an Road to hold out in the city, then our army will be at a disadvantage."

If we were to launch a strong attack on Huai'an, we would also need to divide our forces to besiege Gaoyou and other places. Without an army of 100,000, it would be difficult to achieve a swift victory.

Fu Youde paused for a moment, then steered the conversation back to how to deal with Zhang Shicheng:
"As for eliminating Zhang Zhou, after our army lifts the siege of Gaoyou, if Zhang Shicheng comes out of the city to thank the king, then only a squad of armored soldiers is needed to capture him on the spot, and we can use him to command Zhou's army, and then the matter will be settled!"
If this man harbors doubts and refuses to come out, then our army can use the pretext of defeating the retreating Yuan army and recovering lost territory to swiftly seize the cities of Huaidong, cutting off their foundation. Once Huaidong is pacified, Gaoyou, an isolated city with no food or reinforcements, will be easy to deal with once the situation is resolved!

Shi Shan listened quietly until Fu Youde finished explaining his "perfect" plan with a serious expression, then slowly shook his head, a meaningful smile appearing on his face, and said:
"Unfortunately, I only brought the Moon-Holding Guard, the Loyal and Righteous Guard, and the Left Guard of the Army this time. Moreover, the army still needs to rush back to Jiangning for the New Year."

The number of personnel in the various guards of the Han army varied considerably due to differences in their establishment time, accumulated military achievements, and officer reserves.

For example, the Pengyue Guard, which is Shishan's personal guard, now has a full complement of nearly 20,000 men; while the Zhongyi Guard and the Fujun Left Guard each have only more than 12,000 men.

Adding Fu Youde's Zhenshuo Guard and the 4,000 men under Han Cheng who arrived earlier, the total number of troops that the Han army could mobilize in the Yangzhou area was only a little over 60,000.

When attacking Gaoyou, at least 10,000 troops were left behind to guard against Yuan army raids in Taizhou. In the end, only 50,000 troops were left.

With only this number of men, within the clearly defined time limit of "rushing back to Jiangning for the New Year" in Shishan, it was obviously impossible to simultaneously accomplish the three major strategic objectives that would shake the world: defeating the Yuan army under Tuotuo, seizing the cities in Huaidong, and destroying the Zhang Zhou regime.

Upon hearing this, Fu Youde felt as if he had been doused with a bucket of cold water, and he was unable to react for a moment.

He opened his mouth, his face full of astonishment and confusion. After hesitating for a moment, he asked in a somewhat hesitant voice:

"Your Majesty, was there anything wrong with the strategy I just presented?"

As the two were talking, they had already driven their horses to the Anjiang Gate in the south of Yangzhou City.

Shi Shan reined in his warhorse, pausing briefly. Ahead, Guo Ying's 2,000-strong vanguard of the Moon-Holding Guard had swiftly entered the city, taking control of key streets and high points, inspecting city security, and clearing roads and guiding the main army to its encampment.

"Only learning."

Shishan's gaze pierced through the deep city gate, looking towards the densely packed streets within the city, still revealing the outlines of its former prosperity.

It seems that after Fu Youde occupied Yangzhou, although he focused his main efforts on preparing for war, he cooperated quite well with the prefect Hu Weiyong, which shows his ability to govern and maintain this important town.

He spoke earnestly, his voice not loud, but each word clear and resonating in Fu Youde's heart: "Leaving aside the fact that Zhang Shicheng sent an envoy with humble words and generous gifts to ask for our help, if I led a large army here and immediately set a trap to detain him and seize his territory, would such an act be morally appropriate? If Zhang Shicheng refuses to submit even to the death, how will things end then?"

In chaotic times, people stop at nothing to fight for supremacy, and Shishan has no moral fastidiousness.

This was merely the weakest of the many reasons for not taking Huaidong for the time being, which is why he mentioned it first. He paused, allowing Fu Youde to digest this first layer of meaning, before Shishan continued to delve deeper, analyzing the advantages and disadvantages:
"Let's just talk about the most practical aspects. After Tuotuo's looting and destruction, Huaidong is already devastated, with people living in poverty and refugees everywhere. It is foreseeable that next spring, this place will be filled with starving corpses, bandits will rise up, and a great famine and turmoil will be almost inevitable!"
What benefit does our military gain from occupying such a piece of land, which requires a massive and continuous investment of manpower and resources to maintain stability and cannot provide tax revenue in the short term, at the cost of huge casualties and losses?
Not only will it be useless, but it will also become a constantly bleeding wound and a heavy burden!

Shi Shan's tone gradually intensified, highlighting the most critical strategic risk:
"More importantly, if my main force is bogged down in the Huaidong quagmire, and if Buyan Temur discovers the strength of my army, he will launch a full-scale attack on my northern Zhejiang defense line! Should I immediately abandon the hard-won Huaidong and hastily lead my army back to Jiangnan to provide relief?"
Or should we gamble with the fate of the nation, betting that our great Han Dynasty can simultaneously hold both the Huai-Dong and Jiangnan fronts and win both battles?!

As Fu Youde listened to Shi Shan's meticulous analysis, fine beads of sweat gradually appeared on his forehead.

He realized that his previous thinking was indeed too limited to the immediate gains and losses on the battlefield, focusing too much on tactical ingenuity while ignoring the more profound and crucial factors such as the overall strategic balance of his side in politics, public sentiment, and logistics.

Shi Shan didn't say one more thing—the Xu Song regime has been revived and is rapidly accumulating strength.

If Xu Shouhui hadn't launched a major counterattack while the main Yuan forces were firmly tied down in Huainan and Jiangdong, he wouldn't have been the first "Emperor of Xu Song" to dare to jump out and declare himself emperor.

With Xu and Song about to launch a full-scale counterattack and sweep across Huguang and Jiangxi again, how could Shishan possibly waste its precious elite troops and energy on the devastated Huaidong for a long time, allowing Xu Shouhui or other potential opponents to reap the benefits?

After all, the publicly available information is that the Xu Song regime was "destroyed" by the Yuan army just three months ago. Even if there were some remnants, it would be impossible for the world to believe that they could recover their strength and make a comeback in such a short time.

Shi Shan wasn't actually sure whether, after his interference with this plane, Xu Shouhui could still rise rapidly as he had originally planned and quickly push back into Jiangnan.

He has been working hard to eliminate the influence of the White Lotus Sect within his own faction and remains vigilant against any words or actions that might encourage religious mysticism.

In front of his core ministers, he can appropriately display his extraordinary foresight to consolidate his authority, but he cannot appear as a sorcerer with uncanny insight, as that would only invite unnecessary trouble.

However, Fu Youde was not stupid. The first two reasons pointed out by Shishan were enough. He was enlightened and quickly calmed down from the fanaticism of "achieving success in one battle".

Recalling the numerous strategic and tactical disagreements he had had since following Shi Shan, all of which proved that the King of Han's decisions were far more astute and far-sighted, the slight resentment he felt at having his suggestion rejected vanished instantly, replaced by genuine admiration and lingering fear.

Fu Youde solemnly bowed and clasped his hands towards the stone mountain, expressing his heartfelt admiration:

"Your Majesty's words are like the sun breaking through the clouds! I am short-sighted, only concerned with the gains and losses of a single city or territory, and my thinking is not comprehensive enough. I am far inferior to Your Majesty's far-sightedness and insight into the overall situation! I almost ruined Your Majesty's great cause of conquering the world because of my foolish views! I... know my crime!"

Shi Shan was quite satisfied to see that Fu Youde was able to understand and reflect on his mistakes so quickly.

After all, Fu Youde is a general who can command independently. If he is allowed to guard Yangzhou for a long time, he will inevitably miss out on many military achievements. He will be considered for a transfer when the time is right. But for now, it is essential that he truly understands and cooperates with my strategy for Huaidong.

Shi Shan nodded slightly, revealing a gentle smile, and reassured them:
"Learning doesn't have to be like this. For a general, being eager for battle is his duty. It's already commendable that you can be so frank with your opinions."

The situation in Huaidong is so complicated that we should not pursue this ravaged land for the time being, but we cannot allow tens of thousands of our soldiers to make a wasted trip and let Zhang Shicheng gain such a huge advantage for nothing.

This military expedition is ultimately aimed at reaping some 'interest,' ensuring that we maintain strategic initiative against both the Mongol Yuan and Zhang Zhou in the future.

Fu Youde's mind raced at that moment, and he immediately grasped the key to Shi Shan's words—interest and strategic initiative.

A glint of light flashed in his eyes, and he tentatively asked:

"Does Your Majesty mean... Taizhou?"

Shishan's goal is certainly not limited to Taizhou.

Moreover, he knew that Toqto'a was not someone to be trifled with. This last pillar of the Mongol Yuan dynasty was extremely loyal to the Yuan court and was by no means a mediocre person who would run away at the first sign of trouble.

To force him to retreat, simply staking out tens of thousands of troops outside Yangzhou is far from enough. We need concrete actions that can inflict pain on him and make him feel a fatal threat.

Just then, a series of orderly footsteps and the clanging of armor came from inside the city. Guo Ying, who had already arranged the city defenses and security for the royal temporary residence, appeared inside the city gate and made a flag signal indicating "safe, may enter the city".

Shishan immediately stopped talking, shook the reins, and said in a deep voice:
"Enter the city!"

While Shi Shan and Fu Youde were outlining the future strategic situation of Huaidong under the walls of Yangzhou, the atmosphere in the central command tent of the Yuan army camp, more than a hundred miles away in Gaoyou, was equally heavy.

Grand Tutor and Left Chancellor Toqto'a, after carefully examining and verifying the constant stream of intelligence reports sent back by his scouts, gradually pieced together and confirmed a fact that weighed heavily on his heart—

The puppet Han is massively reinforcing its troops in Yangzhou. Judging from the current movements, this is by no means a small-scale operation. It is very likely that this is a major force that could change the balance of power in the entire Huainan battlefield!

Just as Shishan had accurately predicted, after the initial shock and solemnity, Tuotuo did not show the panic that a typical general might have, but instead fell into an extremely complex and difficult dilemma.

If he were merely a mediocre military commander, then the wisest and safest choice at this moment would undoubtedly be to immediately cease the siege of Gaoyou and lead the main force in an orderly retreat to Shanyang County, the seat of Huai'an Road.

With the city defenses of Shanyang and the pre-stockpiled grain and fodder, they first stabilized their position, preserved the gains already made in this battle, such as Wuanzhou (formerly Xuzhou) and Suzhou, and established themselves in an invincible position where they could advance or retreat at will.

Then, we can observe the situation slowly, or try to divide and disintegrate the possible Han-Zhou allied forces, or continue to retreat north to the safer Wuan Prefecture, using space to buy time.

But he was no ordinary general; he was Toqto'a! He was the prime minister of the Mongol Yuan Empire, second only to the emperor and above all others, a loyal minister who claimed to have the heavy responsibility of saving the Yuan Dynasty from collapse!
Every decision he made concerned the fate of the empire, drawing the attention of countless pairs of eyes in the court—eyes filled with expectation, envy, or malice. He could not, and was unable to, consider only personal gains and losses or military stability.

Although the Yuan army missed the best opportunity to capture Gaoyou in one fell swoop due to the unexpected heavy snow, they watched helplessly as the defenders repaired the city's defenses and restored their morale, so the siege has not yet been fully successful.

However, after nearly a month of brutal siege warfare, the Zhou army inside the city was indeed exhausted, suffering heavy casualties and lacking supplies, making it difficult to pose a substantial threat to the Yuan army outside the city.

The current battle has already eliminated Zhou's army; at most, a small number of troops should be deployed to keep an eye on them and prevent them from leaving the city to cause trouble.

What remains is a strategic decisive battle between the Yuan and Han armies.

With Wulianghatai stationed in Taizhou, the Yuan army could effectively threaten the flank of the Han army in Yangzhou, preventing them from launching a full-scale attack.

At this time, Shi Shan led his army north. The Yuan army could rely on the camps and fortifications they had carefully built some time ago, wait for the enemy to tire themselves out, and use their superior numbers to engage the Han army in a fair and square battle!

Even if the Han army was formidable and the Yuan army could not defeat them in one fell swoop, these defensive fortifications could at least allow them to maintain a stalemate for some time.

"What if... what if, during the standoff between the two armies, Buyan Temur discovers that the Han army is weak and seizes this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to break through the Han army's defenses in northern Zhejiang?"

This thought, like a faint glimmer of light in the darkness, stubbornly flickered in Toghto's heart.

If this were to happen, it would be a true escape from a desperate situation, and might even turn the tide of the entire southern war, achieving a stunning reversal that would simultaneously destroy both Zhou and Han!

Of course, Tuotuo was not blindly optimistic. He had considered the reason why Shishan dared to withdraw his main force northward—it was very likely because the Yuan army in Jiangnan had recently suffered a major setback, making it impossible for them to effectively threaten the rear of the Han army.

However, the delays and uncertainties in the delivery of battle reports made it impossible for him to accurately judge the true situation in Jiangnan.

Moreover, deep down, Tuotuo had a strong conviction: he could not back down!

His decision to lead the southern expedition was forced upon him by political enemies in the court, such as Hama and Xuexue; it was a political gamble that he could only win and could not afford to lose.

Previously, he had only been able to maintain his personal prestige and suppress the restless demons and monsters in Dadu thanks to a series of victories from Wuanzhou to Huaidong.

Once news of the "unfavorable situation at the front" and the "Grand Tutor's retreat" reaches Dadu, his political enemies will undoubtedly seize the opportunity to stir up trouble and launch a campaign to remove him from power. If the court is thrown into turmoil again and he loses his authority, then there will truly be no one left to clean up this corrupt empire!
The Mongol Yuan dynasty may truly be on the verge of collapse!

This profound sense of responsibility and crisis acted like two invisible shackles, firmly binding the arm of Tokhtamysh as he signed the retreat order.

However, Tuotuo also knew clearly that his army of more than 100,000 men was composed of a variety of people, and the generals had different thoughts. It was impossible for them all to have the same determination as him to "be loyal to the emperor and serve the country until death".

Once they learn that the main force of the Han army is marching north in a large-scale offensive, with its troops aimed directly at Gaoyou, morale will inevitably be shaken, and there may even be large-scale fear of battle and desertion.

After careful consideration, Toqto'a demonstrated his decisiveness and skill as a commander.

He first ordered a halt to all siege operations against Gaoyou, and the entire army switched to a defensive posture.

Subsequently, the most resilient and resilient Goryeo soldiers, who were able to withstand the most casualties, were transferred to the outer front line to build the main defensive positions; while the weaker and more wavering miscellaneous troops and surrendered soldiers were assigned to the second line as auxiliary and reserve forces.
Meanwhile, the most core and elite guards and Liaoyang troops were firmly in his hands, placed at the rear of the entire battle line. Ostensibly, they were the general reserve force, but in reality, they also served as the most rigorous supervisory force, with swords drawn and arrows nocked, to suppress any possible signs of retreat!

Everything is ready, all that's left is to wait for Stone Mountain!
What Tuotuo urgently needs to confirm now is the exact number of Han troops heading north, their commander, and their marching route.

He was going to engage in a strategic decisive battle with this rapidly rising rebel at the foot of Gaoyou City, a battle that would determine the fate of the Jianghuai region and even the entire world!

However, just as Tuotuo was on high alert, fully preparing to meet the challenge from the Han army coming from the direction of Yangzhou, an urgent military report from the northwest struck him like another blow to the back of the head:

"Report! Grand Tutor! Urgent military intelligence! The Han army... the Han army has advanced down the Huai River and has already reached the walls of Sizhou! Minister Yuekuochaer has sent a distress signal!"

(End of this chapter)