Chapter 589: Chen Cang’s Intention to Retreat, Preparing a Backup Plan |
"Subordinate... subordinate really doesn't know!"
Hearing Chu Tianhe's accusation, He Tianyuan looked equally bewildered. He hurriedly stood up, his face flushed as he said, "After Great Xia signed the ceasefire with Caiqiu in the third month, Yuwen Tao's right-route army has been stationed in Guangning City north of the Bone-Erosion Path, with no sign of movement; to the southeast lies the Twin Dragon Mountain cliff. Over the past few months, Great Xia hasn't redeployed any troops. How could a sudden force of a hundred thousand appear out of nowhere? Impossible, impossible, there has to be something wrong!"
"Am I asking you, or are you asking me? A sudden appearance of two hundred thousand troops, and they're already at the gates. You, the Chief Commander responsible for battlefield reconnaissance, had not the slightest awareness? Useless, useless, useless..."
Chu Tianhe's fury had already clouded his mind. Pointing at He Tianyuan, he spat the word "useless" three times in a row, his tone bordering on losing control.
Chu Tianhe, as the Commandery Governor of Xichuan and the son of the Fang Bo, was himself a Second Transformation Tribulation Body Realm powerhouse. Once his wrath rose, the generals in the hall went deathly quiet. He Tianyuan, who took the brunt of the scolding, was so frightened he collapsed to his knees.
"Sir, please calm yourself. The urgent matter now is to ascertain Great Xia's intent first. He Tianyuan's neglect can be judged after the battle!"
Only Fang Tianqing found the courage to speak up. In fact, when the reconnaissance report first arrived his expression had been even grimmer than Chu Tianhe's, but it was not the right time for blame, so he had to intervene.
"Originally there were only 150,000 troops in the Dongchuan Camp. Now another 200,000 have suddenly appeared, for a total of 350,000 Great Xia troops. Defending the city itself isn't impossible. Over the past three months we've also concentrated large supplies. Even if Great Xia seals off Beining Mountain and the Mo'ao Mountain pass and prevents hunting replenishment, we could hold out for half a year. The problem is there will be no follow-up reinforcements. If the city falters, that hundred thousand could be wiped out here."
Chu Tianhe said, his face sour. He first glared at He Tianyuan, then looked to the man who had brought the report and asked, "The other two Great Xia contingents, aside from carrying large siege engines, what does their overall composition look like?"
At that news, Chu Tianhe and his officers' expressions darkened.
They had been stationed in Dongchuan City, facing off against the Dongchuan Camp for nearly half a year, and thus knew the 150,000 Great Xia troops there intimately. Over that time, their intelligence gathering on Great Xia had never stopped, so they had a lot of information.
Great Xia's soldiers' armor was divided into four tiers.
The highest tier were the Black Scale Silver Armors, but they were few in number—only the Dragon Garrison Captains wore them, maybe a thousand total. Since the Dragon Garrison Captains were palace guards, encountering them on the battlefield was unlikely, so they were of little concern.
The second tier was the thousand-forged Thunder Kui Gold Armor. They had obtained samples through special channels. Local craftsmen in the feudatory verified that this armor, forged with Thunder Kui skull material, had defensive strength comparable to the square-forged iron armor produced in Chencang.
Third was thousand-forged iron armor. Great Xia's armoring techniques were not far behind the feudatories'; thousand-forged iron was currently the main battle equipment used by Chencang and the entire Mo'ao Chuan four feudatories' soldiers.
Fourth was hundred-forged Thunder Gold Armor, forged on the same principle as thousand-forged Thunder Gold but slightly inferior in defense to thousand-forged iron.
According to their intelligence, Great Xia had thirty elite designated units organized under the nine-level corps system, totaling 56,000 men. Currently only the Cloud Python and Dragon Slayer eighth-level corps—ten thousand soldiers—were equipped with thousand-forged Thunder Kui Gold Armor. The remaining 46,000 wore either hundred-forged Thunder Gold Armor or thousand-forged iron.
These were Great Xia's most elite designated units. Beyond them Great Xia also had town garrison forces. Previously those wore hundred-forged iron armor, but now they had all been upgraded to thousand-forged iron armor, putting them on par with feudatory field armies.
The scouts reported that these conscripted soldiers were likely drawn from the northern seven towns. Chu Tianhe heard that and immediately realized it was correct.
Forging thousand-forged iron armor required not only massive iron resources but also highly skilled craftsmen. Even if both were available, the production process was complex and time-consuming, so mass production still required some time.
Given the manpower and materials on the Southern Foothills currently, by requisitioning from the northern seven towns' treasuries, outfitting eight hundred thousand Great Xia soldiers in thousand-forged iron armor could definitely be achieved.
"Geng Lan, these tens of thousands are Sun Manifestation deserters! Didn't Great Xia confiscate the armor off our men? Otherwise, how could they muster so few?"
Chu Tianhe had already lost certainty in the answers, but he didn't bother correcting the scout. He turned to He Tianxin and asked, "Hold fast?"
"Of course!"
He Tianxin almost answered without thinking, then looked up. "They can't possibly insert a hundred thousand small troops into the Southern Foothills. The feudatory's minor forces and the Sun Manifestation troops are locked in stalemate. If the war drags a little longer it will settle down. The route from the Nine-Bend Blood Corridor down south to Danxue Peak has been sabotaged. If you can hold for a few months, the feudatory will be able to divert forces to help. Once Great Xia receives news that the Linchu County conflict is stabilizing, we'll be able to move in ourselves..."
After laying out his reasoning, He Tianxin suddenly realized something and paused, looking at Chu Tianhe with furrowed brows.
What Chu Tianhe was about to say had not yet revealed a clear intent to defend the city, but by directly asking whether to hold Dongchuan, he was effectively making his position known.
Was he inclined to hold? Chu Tianhe was Xichuan Commandery Governor, the Fang Bo's second son, and a staunch supporter of Chu Tianming's bid for succession. He would not have any malicious motives. Fang Tianqing thought for a moment, seeming to understand why Chu Tianhe might not want to hold, and cupped his hands.
"My lord, although our lord aided the Fang Bo on the eastern front to seize Linchu, no one would begrudge that achievement. Besides, the involvement in Southern Foothills affairs was the Fang Bo's idea. You know the situation at the Nine-Bend Blood Corridor. If we withdraw from Dongchuan we will retreat back to the corridor. Great Xia will surely station heavy troops at the southern exit of the corridor, and the difficulty of mounting a second southward campaign will increase greatly. Even if not for the feudatory's greater strategy, think of the Fang Bo. If he learns we withdrew from the Southern Foothills without engaging Great Xia, what would he think..."
Fang Tianqing's words were cut off by several generals in the hall.
"But that's three hundred and fifty thousand troops! And Great Xia's elite are all there. Mr. Fang, you are a strategist in Heyang's administrative headquarters and naturally think of Governor Tianming, but these ten divisions here are ours from Xichuan. Knowing there will be no reinforcements and still doggedly defending — does that do any good?"
"The fighting in Mo'ao Chuan will calm soon. Mr. Fang's words are easy to speak, but Caiqiu's counterattacks are growing fierce. There is news that Wei Bo and Hecang may deploy at any time. Just Caiqiu's counteroffensive alone has tied down the Fang Bo and feudatory forces. If the two feudatories move, then reinforcements will definitely not come. Ten thousand troops stuck here, isolated and unsupported — one misstep and it's total annihilation!"
"The internal war matters more. Priority is to take Caiqiu. How long can we cling to Dongchuan? Beining Mountain to the east and the Mo'ao Mountain pass to the west are sealed by Great Xia. We can't be self-sufficient, we have to rely on feudatory resource allocation. Holding this place serves no real purpose!"
"Three victories against Caiqiu do not mean Great Xia is weak. In the past three defeats of Caiqiu they did not send such massive forces. This is three hundred and fifty thousand troops! If we're trapped to death here, what then?"
...
When the four generals — Chief Commander He Tianxin, Vanguard General Lu Qinghu, Vanguard Deputy Garrison Gongsun Bai, and Rear Deputy General Chu Xuanying — spoke, Fang Tianqing's expression soured noticeably.
The four feudatories' army structure was similar. Chencang's field army, like Caiqiu's, was divided into three parts: the Fang Bo's most elite Red Dragon Army matching Caiqiu's Silver Scale force; below that the town garrison and prefectural guard armies commanded by the Mufu and regional leaders.
At the start of the year, the Fang Bo set a test for our lord with a premise: he could only use the funds and troops from Heyang Commandery. Heyang was far from the Southern Foothills, and speed mattered. If Governor Chu Tianming tried to mobilize troops all the way from his territory, it would be too late.
In principle, the closest to the Nine-Bend Blood Corridor was Yanling Commandery, but Yanling's governor, Chu Tianxu, was Chu Tianming's biggest rival for succession; he would never send a large force to help.
The hundred thousand troops stationed in Dongchuan City had been transferred from Xichuan Commandery by Chu Tianhe. The twenty thousand vanguard belonged to the Mufu's town garrison and were only stationed in Xichuan in peacetime; General Lu Qinghu had come out of respect for Chu Tianhe. Sixty thousand of the central army and the remaining twenty thousand of the rearguard were the prefectural guard troops of Xichuan, mobilized under the governor's authority.
Though Chu Tianhe remained silent, the three major commanders' voiced positions — He Tianxin, Lu Qinghu, and the two deputy generals — essentially reflected his stance. Fang Tianqing could not fail to see it. He even suspected these four might be acting on Chu Tianhe's instructions.
He Tianyuan remained kneeling and reflecting on his mistake; he had no qualification to speak. Among the three chief commanders only Wu Qingshan had not voiced an opinion, and both Central Army General Chu Xuanlong and Rear General Zhang Shiyan had also remained silent.
Wu Qingshan was the eldest grandson of Red Dragon Army commander Wu Dongyang. It was widely known in Chencang that Wu Dongyang disliked Chu Tianhe, and the two did not get along. Thus although Wu Qingshan was one of Xichuan's three chief commanders, he had little presence. Whether he spoke or not was irrelevant.
Chu Xuanlong was Chu Tianhe's son and Zhang Shiyan his son-in-law. They had no need to speak; they would follow Chu Tianhe's orders.
Running through this in his head, Fang Tianqing suddenly realized: with these four speaking out, Chu Tianhe's idea to withdraw and not defend had become the prevailing view.
This...
"My lord, absolutely not! If we withdraw from Dongchuan City we can only retreat north along the Blood Corridor back into the commandery. From then on it will be harder to intervene in the Southern Foothills, and the Fang Bo will thunderously rage..."
"Mr. Fang, don't worry. Would the county governor flee without a fight? With 350,000 Great Xia attackers, of course I will defend. But the feudatory must give a clear assurance. You can't let me and my hundred thousand be trapped here to die. Don't forget those dozen Beast Emperor-level puppets. If Xia Hong is determined, if he spares no cost to reclaim this city, can you and I with the other generals and a hundred thousand troops really hold it?"
Fang Tianqing's face darkened and his fists tightened at these words.
It wasn't that Chu Tianhe's words lacked logic; rather, they confirmed in Fang's mind that the other side truly did not want to fight. That was troublesome.
Dongchuan City had only him and one other Tribulation Body Realm strongman, plus over forty Sun Manifestation cohorts and a hundred thousand Warmth Realm soldiers. With that strength they could hold off 350,000 Great Xia troops for three to five months, maybe. But Chu Tianhe's final point was valid: if Great Xia truly resolved to retake Dongchuan City at any cost, how long could they really hold? Especially if Xia Hong deployed those dozen Beast Emperor-level puppets — could they still last three to five months?
"Great Xia will not mobilize every troop to attack. Three hundred and fifty thousand already exceeds their limit. The northern five towns were recently annexed; Great Xia's newly established commandery is unstable. They still have many internal issues to handle. The old factions in the five towns we bribed are still inside. If you, my lord, can lead the troops to hold for some time, I will send agents to stir trouble. Great Xia will be preoccupied; they have no reason to pay a too-high price to retake Dongchuan..."
Fang Tianqing was confident. Annexation and full integration were two different things. Great Xia's sudden acquisition of the northern five towns added millions of people less than half a year ago; population assimilation and territory governance posed many issues. They would not have the luxury to focus everywhere.
Confidence was one thing, making the decision was another. Seeing Chu Tianhe unmoved and determined, Fang Tianqing feared he might actually rashly withdraw troops. He cupped his hands and tried another tack. "My lord, I suspect Great Xia's move was meant to intimidate rather than truly to take Dongchuan. Why unsettle ourselves? Let's send envoys to Great Xia, meet Xia Hong, and probe his intentions. How about that?"
Chu Tianhe did not refuse this time and nodded.
"There's a little over an hour. Commander Wu, inform our troops to prepare and be on alert."
"Subordinate obeys!"
Chu Tianhe did not say what preparations, but Wu Qingshan seemed to understand. He immediately cupped his hands, then withdrew.
Fang Tianqing frowned slightly but said nothing. He followed Chu Tianhe out of the main hall and flew toward the southeast, heading for the Dongchuan Camp.
He Tianxin, He Tianyuan, Lu Qinghu, and the other two generals Chu Xuanlong and Zhang Shiyan followed behind.
The two deputy generals who had spoken earlier, Gongsun Bai and Chu Xuanying, watched Chu Tianhe lead the group away, exchanged a glance, and each showed a flicker of unease.
"We couldn't stop them anyway. Besides, the lord already inquired. The feudatory cannot spare forces. Even if we die defending for a while, what use is it?"
"Great Xia beat Caiqiu three times in straight encounters. How long can we hold this city? The Linchu County campaign won't end soon. Taking Dongchuan cost them little before; if they return the city there's no loss to us. After the Fang Bo defeats Caiqiu, what is Great Xia? Maybe they'll even invite us southward."
Both spoke with guilty expressions, as if they had done something wrong, searching for excuses to justify themselves.
...
"Five hundred million taels of silver. Chu Tianhe takes three hundred million by himself. The remaining He Tianxin, Lu Qinghu, Gongsun Bai, and Chu Xuanying each get fifty million. If before they were only fifty percent likely to accept, with the silver they now are seventy or even eighty percent certain!"
North of the Dongchuan Camp, the vast Great Xia army was accelerating its march. Hearing Qiu Peng's words from behind, Xia Chuan slightly nodded as he looked down at the Great Xia troops streaming through Wudu Pass and said in a low voice, "Five hundred million taels of silver. At the start of the year we only extracted 2.7 billion taels from the northern five towns' treasuries—almost a fifth of it.
"Chencang has been a feudatory for centuries and its Mufu system is far more complete than ours. Chu Tianhe is indeed Chu Longteng's son, but as Xichuan Commandery Governor his visible annual salary is only thirty million taels. He has a lot of descendants to support. Three hundred million taels is not a small sum for him."
Qiu Peng nodded and smiled. "And he needn't fear prosecution. I had the money pass through Caiqiu and then sent it to Xichuan Commandery under other hands. He has no reason to doubt the source. Our demands were not excessive: simply to have him withdraw from Dongchuan. We gave the city up of our own accord. If they hand it back, they won't have lost much..."
He paused, then his expression changed. "To be honest, I didn't expect the Xichuan governor's office to actually accept the money. At first I thought He Tianxin's four were only Sun Manifestation-level and not of the Fang Bo's lineage, and our condition wasn't outrageous. Their taking the silver might be understandable. But Chu Tianhe, the Fang Bo's own son, and his household's discipline is so lax? Ugh."
Qiu Peng shook his head repeatedly, clearly disgusted by Chu Tianhe accepting bribes.
"Don't be naive. Bribery is secondary. Chencang's inability to fight on two fronts is the core issue. Caiqiu's counterattack is too fierce. Wei Bo and Hecang seem poised to act. Chu Longteng certainly cannot spare troops to send south; that's why Chu Tianhe dared accept the silver."
Xia Chuan's eyes flashed and he pierced the matter to its heart.
"Also, merely taking the money is one thing. Their army still hasn't made a move. Ultimately, battlefield actions will decide. If we don't press the attack to force Chu Tianhe's hand, these people might still be tempted by that five hundred million taels."
Bribery was only a backup plan. To drive Chencang's hundred thousand from the Southern Foothills, they must still use force.
Two Tribulation Body strongmen, over forty Sun Manifestation-level fighters, and a hundred thousand Warmth Realm soldiers! Even without Eldest Brother, Great Xia could now handle them.
Xia Chuan turned his gaze toward the south where Red Dragon Lake lay. A shadow of gloom flickered in his eyes and his fist beneath his sleeve tightened.
Despite worrying about his elder brother's safety, when he considered that Xia Hong's ancestral spirit tablet in the Xia Capital ancestral temple showed no abnormalities, Xia Chuan calmed himself. He then turned and loudly ordered Liu Yuan, who was watching the troops below.
"Temporarily slow the march. Send word to Yuan Cheng and Luo Yuan to accelerate their respective columns. Have the three armies align and advance together. They must reach Dongchuan's foot within an hour."
"Subordinate obeys!"
Liu Yuan cupped his hands and answered loudly, immediately beginning to coordinate the deployments.