My Sims of the Eastern Jin Dynasty

Shanyangdu is actually another name for Hangou Canal.

The waterway meanders southward from Shanyang (present-day Huai'an, Jiangsu) and reaches the Yangtze River (southern part of present-day Yangzhou). Its original purpose was to connect the Jianghuai water system for the purpose of transporting grain.

Originally dug by King Fuchai of Wu during the late Spring and Autumn Period, the project was initially rudimentary and the river was narrow, allowing only small boats to pass. However, during the Eastern Han Dynasty, Chen Deng oversaw the diversion and dredging, widening and straightening the riverbed and standardizing the embankments, which transformed it into a vital waterway connecting the Yangtze and Huai Rivers. The transport of grain and the passage of troops all depended on this waterway, making it a strategically important and dangerous location.

The Qin army consisted mostly of cavalry and did not deploy any defenses in this type of terrain, allowing He Qian and Zhuge Kan's naval forces to pass through safely and without obstruction.

At this moment, on both sides of this strategically important location, the air was thick with the stench of blood and dust. A brief but fierce skirmish had just ended, leaving the battlefield littered with corpses and weapons and flags scattered everywhere.

The Qin vanguard of 5,000 men, who were ordered to leave the camp to intercept the Jin navy, are now in a state of collapse. Only less than 100 men remain, who are being relentlessly pursued by the Jin army.

Many soldiers were already scrambling to clean up the battlefield, collecting usable armor and valuables from the corpses.

Liu Laozhi sat on an overturned chariot, his black battle robe still soaked in blood, and the blood that had congealed on his armor slowly dripped into the mud. He stood on the head of Du Yan, the vanguard general of the Qin army, and the blood from the cut on his neck had already dried. His bloodshot eyes swept over the corpses on the ground, and he bit into a piece of gold ingot in his hand.

"How frustrating, it ended before it even started!"

Sun Wuzhong, standing beside him, was bending down to tidy up the skirt armor he had just captured, but he was still a little annoyed. He was supposed to be the vanguard, but Liu Laozhi had charged ahead of him.

"General, you are incredibly brave! You took the enemy general's head right amidst a sea of ​​soldiers. I, Sun, am truly impressed!"

Having said that, he straightened up and kicked the overturned boat beside him. The boat hit the water and splashed up muddy water. He looked towards the vast reed marshes upstream of the Han Canal.

"The reeds in this waterway are so dense they could hide half a troop, yet the Qin army walked right into it without even sending out a scout!"

Liu Laozhi's smile faded slightly. He kicked Du Yan's head aside, naturally understanding Sun Wuzhong's meaning: the victory in this battle was entirely due to the terrain.

He exhaled a breath of stale air, his tone still firm.

"Let's set up camp along the riverbank and see who dares to come again!"

Sun Wuji nodded.

"Then let's do as the general says, hold the mudflats, and wait for Peng Chao's main force to arrive before giving him a proper fight!"

As the two were talking, several guards carried several bundles of captured Qin army flags over. Liu Laozhi took a flag that was still relatively intact and gripped it tightly in his hand.

"I don't know what Governor Xie needs all this junk for?"

Sun Wuzhong also picked one up and glanced at it. He didn't answer, but he vaguely guessed what it meant.

Downstream of the Huai River, thirty li from Sikou, deep in the reed marshes.

The main force of He Qian's Northern Navy had been anchored here for nearly half a day.

A hundred warships of various sizes, under the cover of dense reeds, had their masts half-lowered and sails billowing, with only the dark masts and crossbow windows on the sides of the ships exuding a chilling murderous aura.

Before long, a fast boat sped across the water, and the scout boarded the ship, kneeling on one knee to report.

"General, my reconnaissance team has reached Sikou and found no trace of battle. The Qin army on the city wall is heavily guarded, and the soldiers are moving about in an orderly manner, showing no signs of being attacked."

"Oh?"

He Qian raised an eyebrow, walked a few steps to the bow of the boat, looked towards Sikou, and spoke with impatience and complaint.

"Strange! Peng Chao's five thousand reinforcements just entered Huaiyin. According to Commander Xie's assessment, since Xiao Heng dared to probe Sikou, he would surely entangle the Qin army here, drawing them into a corner. But Sikou is completely quiet, without even a sound of fighting. There's not a trace of that Xiao Heng. It seems the Commander was wrong this time. Either Xiao Heng chickened out and ran away, or he never dared to come at all!"

"Snapped!"

He Qian grew angrier as he spoke, lightly slamming his fist on the table, his voice filled with agitation.

"We are isolated here, with the fortified city of Huaiyin in front and the Sikou water fortress to our side. If Peng Chao comes to his senses and sends a detachment downstream, we..."

"General, you've overestimated us. If the Qin army had warships, we wouldn't have had such a smooth journey!"

Zhuge Kan looked at the map while reassuring her.

"The Qin army's five thousand reinforcements were not for show. In the last battle of Pengcheng, although Peng Chao's military skills were not as good as those of Murong Chui and Deng Qiang, he was by no means mediocre. Since he sent troops to rush to the aid, he must have felt a real threat here, and a significant one at that. Otherwise, why would he so easily destabilize his main force?"

"The reinforcements did not enter Sikou, but instead all went to Huaiyin. There are two possibilities: First, the source of the threat is not in Sikou, but north and east of Huaiyin, requiring the Huaiyin garrison to attack and eliminate it; second, Sikou is temporarily safe, or the Qin army judged that the Jin army's main attack direction was not in the water fortress, but in Huaiyin city itself."

He Qian waved his hand impatiently: "Where is Xiao Heng? The governor clearly stated that his troops were to provide support, but now there's not a trace of him! Could it be that his few thousand men could possibly fly over this network of waterways and attack Huaiyin?"

"This is the key. General, do not underestimate this man. He must have a strategy to dare to remain behind enemy lines!"

After Zhuge Kan finished speaking, he put down the map in his hand.

"From Donghai Commandery southward, there isn't only one waterway leading directly to Sikou. The Mu River and You River (ancient river names, roughly in present-day Guannan and Lianshui areas) both connect to the Huai River. Xiao Heng has a fleet that, starting from Qu County, might not head straight for Sikou. Controlling this area would force Qingzhou's grain supplies to detour. He could also sail south along the Mu River or other tributaries, choose a landing spot, threaten Huaiyin's flank and rear, and even feign an attack or actually capture key locations like Mukou (where the Mu River flows into the Huai River, northeast of Sikou) and Liankou. Even if the Huaiyin garrison leaves the city, they won't be able to do anything to him. Now, Xiao Heng can disrupt the Qin army's supply lines and force Peng Chao to divide his forces!"

The more he spoke, the clearer his thoughts became, and he leaned forward slightly.

"The scouts only explored the Sishui Pass and, finding no battle, assumed all was well. Have they considered that the fighting might be taking place somewhere thirty or fifty li upstream, at some abandoned ferry crossing? His defeat of Murong Yan at sea is certainly not illogical. His forces are inferior to the Qin army; he needs to utilize the Huai and Si waterways to employ a strategy of evasion!"

He Qian was taken aback by what he said, his anger subsided slightly, and he also looked down at the map.

He was a brave general, whose ability to charge into battle was second to none, but this kind of strategic, roundabout thinking that relied on complex terrain was not his forte.

"In your opinion..."

Without further hesitation, Zhuge Kan stood up abruptly and gave orders to the guards standing outside the door.

"Send the order! Dispatch three more teams of elite scouts, aboard light boats and speedboats, and set off immediately!"

"Team One, continue westward along the main channel of the Huai River, cross Sikou, and explore the hundred-mile stretch of water upstream towards Xuyi. Watch for any gathering of boats, signs of campfires, or unusual activity on the shore!"

"Second team, head north! Proceed upstream along the Mu River and other tributaries flowing north, focusing on investigating all possible landing beaches, ferry crossings, abandoned cities, and large refugee strongholds within 50 li north and northeast of Huaiyin City! Especially the old strongholds marked on the map, such as 'Chenliuwu' and 'Quyangshu'!"

"Three teams, disembark! Quietly land from the reeds on the east side, disguised as refugees or woodcutters, and scout south and east by land, paying close attention to any signs of recent troop movements, conscription of laborers, or reinforcement of fortifications around Huaiyin City!"

"Order the entire army to set up camp at the bend of the Hidden River!"

The guards received the order and left quickly.

Zhuge Kan then turned to look at He Qian.

"General, the Commander-in-Chief entrusted us with this important task without any ulterior motive. Xiao Heng's troops may not have launched a full-scale attack on Sikou, but he must have already made his move somewhere in this network of waterways! We must not be hasty or rash at this time!"

He Qian took a deep breath. Although he still felt suffocated, he knew that Zhuge Kan's analysis was more thorough.

He walked to the window, looked at the vast river and the endless reeds, and hummed.

"Let's hope that Xiao Sanlang really has some skill, and doesn't make us come all this way for nothing, only to starve!"

Zhuge Kan remained expressionless. He actually greatly admired Xiao Heng, believing that Xiao Heng was the reason he had achieved his current status...