My Sims of the Eastern Jin Dynasty

In the days that followed, things quickly returned to normal in and around Qu County.

The military camp and drill grounds were bustling day and night. After initial screening of nearly two thousand surrendered soldiers, about 1,500 able-bodied men remained and were dispersed and incorporated into various battalions.

Han Yong and Chen Da's practical training quickly made these previously undisciplined garrison soldiers understand the completely different rules.

Although the food supplies were not plentiful, at least two meals of coarse rice a day were provided, which somewhat calmed the spirits of many surrendered soldiers who had only come to make a living.

Inside the city, order was quickly restored under the strict deterrent of military law.

Xiao Heng announced the opening of the market with an extremely low tax rate. Tan Lin and a group of veteran salt farmers quickly took over the salt fields outside the city and restored production. Although the scale was still small, it was at least a start.

To alleviate the food shortage, Xiao Heng sent Zhou Laosi back to Qingzhou. Less than ten days later, merchant ships from Qingzhou began to arrive one after another.

More importantly, on the information level, Xiao Heng now has many more channels to obtain intelligence from the outside world.

In particular, Xu Xianzhi was the first to send news of the situation at the imperial court, including information about the battle in Huainan.

Xiao Heng then learned that the entire Battle of San'a had changed. General Xie Xuan launched an attack from Guangling and engaged in a back-and-forth struggle with Peng Chao and the Junan tribe between San'a and Xuyi, resulting in a stalemate.

The Northern Army was formidable, but the Qin army had superior numbers. In Jiankang, Xie An had returned to his post, but there were still dissenting voices in the court. Xi Hui, due to his previous merits, was promoted to supervisor of military affairs in Huaibei and stationed in Jingkou to support Xie Xuan.

What surprised Xiao Heng even more was another unconfirmed rumor: Huan Chong of Jingzhou seemed to be making unusual moves, and his troops showed signs of gathering in Jiangxia, with unclear intentions.

After learning about the general trend of the world, Xiao Heng was unwilling to accept this situation.

A few days later, Liu Tanlin and Chen Da were stationed in Qu County, while a force of about three thousand men quietly left through the north gate. By water, Xiao Heng led two thousand naval troops upstream.

"My lord, are we really going to fight our way through like this?"

On the ship, Han Yong followed beside Xiao Heng and couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

He understood the occupation of Qu County, but the fact that such a small number of people would abandon a fortified city puzzled him.

Xiao Heng gazed ahead and said calmly.

"The main force of the Qin army is in Huainan, leaving the heartland of Donghai Commandery vulnerable. If we don't act now, when will we? Let's occupy it first and worry about the consequences later. Besides, these surrendered soldiers are bound to cause trouble sooner or later; let's just treat this as an armed parade!"

"Armed, a march?"

Han Yong still felt confused after hearing this.

Xiao Heng's goal was never a few empty county towns.

What he wants are historical points, but more importantly, he wants to stir up this still pond and see what kind of trouble it will cause.

The next two weeks became a nightmare for the Qin army in the eastern part of Donghai County.

One city after another fell, with almost identical processes. Xiao Heng led his army to the city, sometimes with a night raid, sometimes with a direct assault on the city gates. The small number of Qin soldiers left behind would often collapse quickly after a little resistance.

Xiao Heng's actions after entering the city were even more perplexing. He simply expelled the Qin officers and soldiers from the city, opened the granaries, distributed some of the grain, and then led his army away without any hesitation.

The ancient book in his mind kept sending prompts, and his points steadily increased, but Xiao Heng was more concerned about the external reaction.

Strangely, the anticipated strong counterattack from the Qin army failed to materialize. Only small groups of cavalry followed at a distance to scout, fleeing quickly once discovered. According to captured low-ranking Qin officers, it seemed that no one at the top cared about these cities.

This annoyed Xiao Heng. His series of "conquests" had hit a thick ball of cotton, with no one responding.

"Since nobody in Donghai County cares!"

Xiao Heng swallowed the last bite of food, patted the crumbs off his hands, and turned his gaze to the Shu River, which meandered into the Huai River on the map.

"Then let's go somewhere they can't ignore!"

"Order to change direction and head south along the Shu River, targeting the outskirts of Sikou!"

Xiao Heng's order sent a chill down the spines of Han Yong and the others.

Sikou (now Huaiyin District, Huai'an City) is a strategic point where the Huai River and the Si River meet. Xie Xuan had previously stationed the Northern Army here, and the Qin army could not possibly leave this place unoccupied. If the county seat of Donghai Commandery was insignificant, then Sikou was a soft spot close to the heart.

With a mere 5,000 troops, they directly attacked the flank of the main battlefield in Huainan. This was not harassment, but provocation.

"My lord, isn't this too risky? What if we're surrounded by the Qin army...?"

Han Yong offered a reminder from the side.

"We can't worry about that now. This is exactly the effect we need. General Xie is holding on desperately and urgently needs any force that can distract the Qin army. The bigger the commotion we cause at Sikou, the more difficult it will be for Peng Chao, and the more likely he will have to divide his forces..."

"..."

Xiao Heng led his army with great caution along the way, and the results of several routine simulations were quite accurate, which made his approach to Sikou very smooth.

Five days later, the mouth of the Shu River near the Huai River came into view. It was less than 30 li from Huaiyin City, but they still did not encounter the Qin army.

In a secluded wooded area by a river bend, Xiao Heng convened the final pre-battle meeting. On the unfolded map, the general deployment of the Qin army at Sikou was marked, and the locations of granaries, docks, and several outer camps were vaguely discernible.

"Our destination is here."

Xiao Heng first chose an inconspicuous small village for transportation to test the waters.

"Grain caravans arriving from Langya often change ships here; the garrison is less than two thousand..."

"..."

Jiankang, Wuyi Lane, Xie An's residence.

On the desk were piles of military reports from Jiangbei, memorials from the court, and several secret letters in different handwritings.

Xie An unconsciously tapped the edge of one of the secret letters. The few words on it made him more uneasy than a thousand troops.

"Three days ago, a close attendant of the Prince of Langya secretly met with Wang Guobao at his villa, and their conversation touched upon Jingzhou..."

"I've also heard rumors in Danyang that if the situation in the north remains unresolved for too long, Jiangling may be in turmoil..."

"A report came from Jingkou that General Xi's allocation of grain and weapons has been repeatedly obstructed by the Minister of Revenue, and the back-and-forth of the approvals has already delayed the deadline by five days."

The secret letters were giving Xie An a headache.

It wasn't physical exhaustion, but rather a worry about the overall situation spiraling out of control.

Xie Xuan was fighting a bloody battle on the front lines, depleting the precious elite troops and morale of the Northern Army every moment. Meanwhile, in Jiankang, the undercurrents did not subside with his return; on the contrary, they became even more turbulent due to the stalemate of the war.

Sima Daozi's faction, in collusion with Wang Guobao and others, is making a big fuss about the protracted war and the waste of resources. This is nothing unusual; it's just a normal part of political infighting.

What truly troubled Xie An was the subtle, albeit faint, connection to Huan Chong of Jingzhou.

Huan Chong was stationed in Jingzhou and held a large army. He always obeyed orders but not summons from the Jiankang court. The fact that his brother Huan Wen almost usurped the Jin throne in his later years is still a thorn in the side of the Sima family.

If the situation at the front continues to deteriorate, and if someone in the court stirs up trouble, persuading or pressuring Huan Chong to lead troops eastward to defend the emperor under the pretext of protecting the state...

That situation will be completely out of control. At that time, with the powerful Qin state on the outside and powerful vassal states on the inside, Jiankang may become a second Luoyang at the end of the Yongjia era.

All his plans will come to naught.

"Father, urgent dispatch from Jiangbei!"

The eldest son, Xie Yao, spoke from outside the door, sounding somewhat hurried.

Xie An composed himself and said, "Come in."

Xie Yao presented a sealed letter sealed with sealing wax, which was sent by a direct channel within Xie Xuan's army.

Xie An opened the letter and quickly glanced through it. It was written by Xie Xuan himself. The first half was still a description of the stalemate in the war and concerns about inadequate logistics, written in a somber tone. But in the second half, the writing suddenly sharpened:

"...Furthermore, news of a victory has arrived from Xiao Heng's forces in the East Sea. Not only did they hold Yuzhou firmly, but they also recently captured ten thousand men. Xiao Heng sent his trusted men to escort the captured Qin army commander, Murong Yan (of the Xianbei Murong tribe, the adopted son of Murong De), who has arrived in Guangling. Your Majesty has verified that he is indeed the leader of the detachment he was sent to. His capture alive will greatly boost the morale of the army. Your Majesty intends to send him in a cage to the front lines and choose a day to offer sacrifices to the flag, to inspire the three armies and intimidate the barbarians..."

"Murong Yan...captured alive?"

Xie An's gaze lingered on these few lines of text for a moment.

For a living Xianbei general, offering sacrifices to the flag was naturally a good way to boost morale, and Xie Xuan's handling of the matter was quite proper.

But Xie An looked at the contents of the letter thoughtfully, and a sharp light flashed in the depths of his seemingly calm eyes.

A flag-raising ceremony? A flag-raising ceremony in Guangling would only affect the frontline generals. It would take time for the news to reach Jiankang, and political enemies might twist it into killing prisoners to vent their anger.

Is the value of a living Murong Yan merely a head used as a sacrifice for a flag?

"Yao'er,"

Xie An spoke.

"With my warrant, the Clippers will immediately send a message to Guangling."

Xie Yao bowed: "Please give your instructions, sir."

Xie An picked up his pen, pondered for a moment, and then wrote an order with effortless ease, affixing his personal seal. The content was concise and to the point.

"Murong Yan, there's no need to send him to the front lines. Immediately select capable officers to escort him by water, traveling day and night, to Jiankang. Ensure smooth passage through all ferry crossings and checkpoints along the way, without delay. Upon arrival in the capital, he need not be taken to the Court of Justice; directly imprison him in the Northern Prison of the Imperial City. Furthermore, the escorting convoy should proceed slowly through the Imperial Street and the Vermilion Bird Ferry upon entering the city, allowing the people to witness it. Remember, this prisoner must be presented to the Emperor before the morning court assembly tomorrow! Along the way, spread the word that only that the Northern Army's detachment has captured a Qin general alive, and say nothing else."

Xie Yao took the order, her heart pounding. Her father was about to deliver this military victory to everyone in the most direct way!

"Father, isn't this grand gesture a bit too much of a shock?"

Xie Yao asked cautiously, knowing that this move could deter villains, but it might also escalate conflicts.

Xie An's gaze passed over the candlelight and fell upon the deep night outside the window, as if he could see those shadows stirring in the darkness.

"Some people already think that my Xie family is easy to bully, that the blood of the Northern Army soldiers can be shed in vain, and that this Jianghuai region can be used as a bargaining chip in their power struggles. They are even willing to let wolves into the house."

"Since they dare to cause trouble behind the scenes and dare to set their sights on Jingzhou, then I will show them what true power is."

"I want everyone in Jiankang City, from commoners to royalty, to have only one thing on their minds tomorrow morning—what they see, hear, and think!"

"The Northern Army is still fighting! In the Great Jin, there are still loyal and brave soldiers who can capture enemy generals alive!"

He looked at Xie Yao.

"Go quickly. Tomorrow at the court assembly, when all the officials gather in the Taiji Hall, you must hear the cheers of the people outside the Zhuque Gate."

"yes!"

Xie Yao obeyed the order with a stern expression, gripped the warrant tightly, and turned to leave quickly.

The study returned to silence.

Xie An sat alone at his desk, his fingertips slowly tracing the two characters "Xiao Heng" in Xie Xuan's letter.

"It's a bit late, but they certainly know how to create momentum, and they've got guts!"

Is it a blessing or a curse?

Xie An murmured to himself and gently closed his eyes...