My Sims of the Eastern Jin Dynasty

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

The Hangou tributary on the east side of San'a has clear water and quiet banks, with reeds swaying gently in the wind, concealing the grim atmosphere of the battlefield.

Xiao Heng leaned against an old locust tree by the river, his expression so relaxed that he didn't seem to be on a battlefield at all.

The fishing rod was gently lowered in front of him, but the float remained motionless on the water.

For the past two weeks, Xiao Heng has been living a leisurely life. Since the Qin army launched its probing attack, there has been no further movement on the eastern waterway. The Qin army has only dared to launch feigned attacks to contain the enemy, and has never dared to actually cross the water to invade.

On the other hand, on the north side, Sun Wuzhong has been under repeated attacks by the Qin army for days. Although he has held his stronghold, he has suffered heavy casualties. The scouts report every day that Sun Wuzhong is about to die. Xiao Heng has also thought about sending reinforcements, but he has remained inactive since receiving the message from Zhou Laosi.

"My lord, the messenger has arrived; it's the governor's order!"

The guards approached quietly, their tone respectful, as if afraid of disturbing Xiao Heng who was fishing.

Xiao Heng took the order and opened it. The float moved slightly as he did so, but he didn't rush to lift the rod. His eyes swept over the words in the order, and a look of understanding flashed in his eyes.

Xie Xuan ordered him to dispatch 3,000 elite troops to reinforce Sun Wuzhong's forces on the north side, helping them to stabilize their defenses. At the same time, he instructed him to leave 2,000 naval troops to guard the eastern waterway and guard against the Qin army taking advantage of the situation to break out by water.

After carefully confirming that it was Xie Xuan's signature, Xiao Heng smiled faintly.

Xie Xuan's arrangement was quite in line with his wishes. Although the matter of Murong Yan had been resolved, news of his surprise attack on Huaiyin had spread throughout the court.

Xiao Heng had a vague feeling that someone was trying to push him into the limelight, and the main evidence was that Murong Yan's supposed stupidity was attributed to the unlucky Yin Zhongkan.

The rumors in the army were spreading that the position of Chief Secretary would soon belong to Xiao Heng.

The bigger the tree, the more the wind will blow against it. He had already intended to avoid the limelight for the time being and hand over some military power to clear his name. Xie Xuan's transfer order just happened to give him a way out.

What's even more remarkable is that Xie Xuan didn't send anyone else to take over, but instead sent him to reinforce Sun Wuzhong.

Handing the man over to Sun Wuzhong would prevent him from feeling resentful about losing his military power, and would also allow the reinforcements to quickly integrate into the northern defense line, achieving the best of both worlds.

Xiao Heng suddenly lifted the rod and caught a grass carp about a foot long, which he casually tossed to his personal guard beside him.

"Go and summon Han Yong and Lu Da."

Before long, two men dressed in exquisite armor hurried over. They were now Xiao Heng's confidants and his most trusted and capable lieutenants.

"Does Your Excellency have summoned the two of us for important business?"

Han Yong spoke first.

Xiao Heng gestured for the two to sit down under the tree and handed them the transfer order.

"The Commander-in-Chief has ordered me to send three thousand men to reinforce Sun Wuzhong and defend the northern stronghold. I have decided that you two will temporarily lead the troops there and be under General Sun's command."

Han Yong and Lu Da were both taken aback, and Lu Da immediately spoke up.

"My lord! We only have five thousand men. If we transfer three thousand, we'll only have two thousand left on the eastern waterway. If the Qin army attacks, I'm afraid we won't be able to hold out!"

"rest assured."

Xiao Heng waved his hand and slammed the pole down forcefully.

"The Qin army is wary of our navy, and the eastern side is covered by a dense network of waterways. If I leave two thousand men, it will be enough to hold the line using the terrain. Besides, the Qin army is running out of food and their minds are focused on breaking out. The northern land route is their main attack direction. Reinforcing Sun Wuzhong is the key at the moment."

He looked at the two of them, his expression becoming more serious, and slowly gave them his instructions.

"I called you here to make a few things clear. Once you reach the north side, you must obey General Sun's orders and not be arrogant or act on your own. You know General Sun well; he is straightforward, so be accommodating to him. Help him reinforce the defenses, rotate tired soldiers, and focus on guarding against Qin army night raids."

Han Yong nodded in agreement.

"Rest assured, Commander, I know what I'm doing."

"Also, remember to keep the matter in the East China Sea a secret. Don't tell anyone who asks. There are people secretly investigating us recently, so remember that!"

The two exchanged a glance, knowing the gravity of the matter, and said in a deep voice.

"This subordinate understands!"

Xiao Heng then looked at Han Yong and added.

"The Qin army has been attacking fiercely for days, seemingly aggressive, but in reality, they are running out of food and their morale is low. They are most likely conducting a final test. You must remind General Sun not to be hasty or reckless, and not to let him go into battle himself. You too, holding the stronghold is a great achievement. Also, take good care of your men and try to minimize casualties. I will be waiting for you to return on the east side."

These words of advice warmed the hearts of Han Yong and Lu Da, who clasped their hands in a fist salute.

"Your subordinate obeys! I will certainly not fail in my mission!"

"..."

A few days later, the night was as dark as ink.

At the naval camp on the east side of the Han Canal, Xiao Heng had just fallen asleep when he was pulled from his dream by urgent shouts.

"General! General, wake up!"

He suddenly opened his eyes, grabbed his outer robe and draped it over his shoulders, then strode out of the tent.

Chen Da's face was full of anxiety, and he was panting, clearly having run all the way from the front.

"My lord! Something terrible has happened! Peng Chao has led the Qin army in a breakout attempt overnight!"

Xiao Heng's eyes sharpened, his sleepiness vanished instantly, and he said in a deep voice.

"What's the panic! Speak clearly: what's the breakout direction, how many troops do you have, and what are the enemy's movements?"

Chen Da took a few deep breaths and quickly reported.

"This is an urgent message from Commander Xie! Under the cover of darkness, Peng Chao has led over ten thousand remnants of his army in a breakout from the southwest, attempting to flee towards Xuyi! Commander Xie is personally leading the main force to follow, and before leaving, he specifically instructed the Prefect to immediately lead troops westward to intercept the Qin army by water!"

"Southwest?"

Xiao Heng quickly reviewed the hydrological map in his mind. The southwest side had many branching waterways and was covered with muddy swamps. It was likely that they had already left the pursuers behind, and ordinary pursuit would not be able to catch up.

"Pass down the order: travel light, in fast boat formations, carrying only three days' worth of rations, personal weapons, and bows and crossbows!"

Xiao Heng made a decisive decision.

"Furthermore, I instructed my subordinates not to linger on scattered, fleeing soldiers, but to focus on pursuing and annihilating the main force!"

"promise!"

The bugle call for an emergency assembly outside the camp pierced the night sky, waking the soldiers from their sleep. Moments later, they had all lined up on the shore.

In the darkness, more than a dozen speedboats cut through the water and sped off in the southwest.

Standing at the bow of the boat, Chen Da held a torch to illuminate the dark river ahead. In the flickering firelight, he couldn't help but turn around and ask.

"My lord, Peng Chao is traveling by land. If our navy pursues him along the river, can we really catch up?"

"As long as we are heading in the right direction, we can reach the outskirts of Xuyi first, but we may not be able to intercept their main force."

Xiao Heng's gaze was fixed on the fork in the road ahead, his tone grave.

"Send three more scout boats ahead, firstly to find out if the Qin army has split up, and secondly to pay attention to the river markers so that we don't go in the wrong direction."

Xiao Heng deliberately didn't say it, but he had already planned to go directly to Xuyi. The historical timeline was completely messed up. The final battle of the Three A War was in Junchuan. Peng Chao fled to Xuyi, then went to Huaiyin, and was finally pursued to Junchuan. He couldn't go to Huaiyin now, so this might be the last battle.

Chen Da responded and left, quickly dispatching scouts and fast boats to rush forward.

As night fell, the scouts sped back in their fast boat, reporting back in a flustered manner.

"My lord! We've reached the Huai River ahead; we've gone astray!"

Xiao Heng's heart sank, and he immediately gave the order.

"The convoy must stop!"

He strode to the bow of the ship, took the map handed to him by his personal guard, and carefully compared it with the morning light. It turned out that the fleet had veered off course by an abandoned tributary last night and was now far from the main route of Peng Chao's escape. This place seemed to be closer to Xuyi South and was not in the right direction from Junchuan.

"My lord, we're going completely the wrong way! Should we turn back immediately and head towards Xuyi?"

Chen Da also boarded the main ship, his tone urgent.

Xiao Heng put away the map.

"It's too late! Send the order down: the fleet must change course to the abandoned western branch canal, conceal themselves, and then scout the Qin army's movements! We are now deep in enemy territory and cannot afford to advance any further!"

Chen Daming realized that his troops had ventured too far into enemy territory, he immediately turned around and gave orders.

The fleet quickly turned and entered a narrow, abandoned tributary. The water was murky, and the reeds on both banks were several meters high, which perfectly concealed the speedboats. Although the tributary had not been dredged for many years, it was still barely wide enough for the speedboats to pass through.

As dawn broke, just as the fleet had concealed itself in the reeds, the sound of chaotic hoofbeats, accompanied by the neighing of warhorses and the panting of soldiers, could be heard in the distance.

Xiao Heng gestured for everyone to be quiet, then peered over the ship's railing and saw a troop of cavalry approaching in a disheveled state. There were only a few dozen men, but their armor was still relatively intact, and their warhorses were panting heavily. They were clearly a defeated army that had become separated from the main force.

The Qin army, scattered like this, had already encountered several groups during their pursuit, and the soldiers under their command were already used to it.

At that moment, Liu Dan, who was in charge of covering the rear, immediately nocked an arrow and drew his bow, his eyes fixed on the leading rider. Although the man's armor was disheveled, he was upright and his sword at his waist was not the kind that an ordinary general would have.

"call out!"

The arrow pierced the air and struck the rider's horse's eye with precision.

The warhorse neighed in pain, throwing its rider to the ground. Immediately afterward, Liu Dan's archers unleashed a barrage of arrows, a dense rain of arrows shooting towards the cavalry. In an instant, men and horses fell, and the screams ceased abruptly.

As the threat was removed, a deep, muffled bell suddenly rang in Xiao Heng's mind, and his consciousness was directly pulled into his brain, where the ancient book slowly appeared.

[Achievement Completed: Slay the Commander and Capture the Flag]

[Historical Impact Assessment: To slay the enemy commander on the battlefield is an unparalleled feat, enough to shock the entire army, make one famous throughout the land, and secure a place in history after such a battle.]

[Condition for achievement: In a battle, a unit or general under your direct command must kill the enemy commander!]

[Reward: 1000 History Points]

[Special Reward: Title "Champion Marquis," usable on a designated target, significantly increasing character leadership and combat potential!]

Xiao Heng was startled, stumbled, and almost fell to the ground.

The guards rushed forward to help him up.

"My lord! What's wrong?"

He was completely oblivious, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief. Slaying the enemy commander? His subordinate had just killed him? Could it be? He suddenly looked up and roared in the direction from which the rain of arrows was falling.

"Don't touch the body! Nobody is allowed to touch it!"

The voice was heart-wrenching, filled with an unprecedented urgency.

Liu Dan and the others who were cleaning up the battlefield on the shore were stunned. They stopped what they were doing and stared blankly as Xiao Heng staggered into the water and waded through the shallows to run ashore, completely ignoring the mud and water soaking his shoes and clothes.

Xiao Heng rushed to the corpses scattered on the ground, his eyes scanning them frantically. Each corpse had been hit by more than ten arrows, making their faces unrecognizable.

He bent down to search, and when he touched the lining of a corpse and felt the delicate silk texture, his heart skipped a beat.

This was not something an ordinary Qin general could wear; it must have belonged to someone of high status.

"Bring out everything you've found! Everything!"

The archers hurriedly pulled out the loot and daggers they had seized. Liu Dan stepped forward, holding a jade seal in both hands, and bowed, saying, "Reporting to the Lord, this was found in the arms of the leading rider. It doesn't look like an ordinary military tally."

Xiao Heng snatched the seal and rubbed the characters on the seal with his fingertips, revealing the character "Peng".

He suddenly burst into laughter, his laughter filled with ecstasy and excitement, yet he deliberately kept his voice down, afraid that it would be heard.

"Ha...haha! Good! Good!"

He turned to look at Liu Dan, his gaze complex and unreadable, containing both praise and solemnity.

Do you know who you shot?

Liu Dan scratched his head, his face showing a mixture of restraint and speculation.

"Judging from the seal and clothing, he must be a general in the Qin army?"

Xiao Heng shook his head, not revealing Peng Chao's identity, but patted him on the shoulder and said in a deep voice.

"You have done a great service; I will remember this."

He then turned to Chen Da and gave him an order.

"Immediately load these bodies onto the boats and secure them properly. No one is to be allowed to divulge this activity. Furthermore, send scouts to investigate the surrounding area to confirm there are no remaining Qin troops before slowly withdrawing along the branch canal!"

Although Chen Da did not know what had happened, he saw Xiao Heng's solemn expression and immediately accepted the order.

"Yes, sir! I'll arrange it immediately. Keep the news strictly confidential!"

"..."