Chapter 65: Advancing on Jiangxia

“Understood, my lord. Then I shall remain here in Wan City.”

“Rest assured, my lord. I will defend Wan City to the death and await your triumphant return.”

Zhang Xiu immediately grasped Liu Xie’s intentions and agreed without hesitation. Liu Xie nodded in satisfaction.

A few days later, the entire Nanyang region was astir. Troops were mobilized from all quarters. Part of the army, led by Jia Xu, marched to Xinye to reinforce Hu Che’er. Another contingent followed Liu Xie out of Nanyang and into Jiangxia. The remainder fell under the sole command of Zhang Xiu, tasked with defending the north against Cao Cao and holding the flanks. Everything was in readiness.

Before his departure, Liu Xie paid a visit to Yuan Shu.

“Lord Yuan, we may be gone for some time,” Liu Xie said courteously. “With us away, I must entrust Wan City to you and Lord Zhang. You once governed the Huainan region and possess ample experience. I hope you, Gonglu, will lend your full support.”

Liu Xie was both polite and respectful, while Yuan Shu maintained a posture of caution. He was no fool; he could hear the subtext in Liu Xie’s words. What sounded like a request for assistance was in truth a reminder—or even a warning.

“Your Majesty, rest assured. I shall exert myself to the utmost. I was once blinded by ambition and committed the folly of proclaiming myself emperor. But now, there is only one emperor of the Han—Your Majesty, now and always.”

Yuan Shu was shrewd, choosing this moment to declare his loyalty. With this pledge, Liu Xie felt considerably more at ease.

A few days later, the great army marched south from Nanyang, a mighty host bound for Jiangxia. Though Liu Xie’s force numbered over a hundred thousand, even so, he did not possess much confidence. It would be difficult to take Jiangxia swiftly.

By his reckoning, the current Prefect of Jiangxia was Huang Zu—a man whose strength was well-known. Sun Jian of Jiangdong had perished by his hand; thus, Liu Xie foresaw a bitter struggle ahead.

“Send word to all units—be vigilant,” Liu Xie commanded. “I suspect Huang Zu already knows of our advance. Given the ways of war in this era, ambushes are all but inevitable.”

This was precisely what troubled Liu Xie. Though he commanded many soldiers, most were raw recruits lacking battlefield experience. Moreover, he was short on veteran generals. If they encountered a sudden crisis, they could be in real trouble.

While the army advanced, Liu Xie raised his hand, signaling the column to halt.

“My lord, ahead lies a valley nearly two kilometers long. The slopes on either side are gentle, but the forest is dense. It’s a perfect place for an ambush.”

His subordinates quickly saw the danger.

“Yes, which means there may well be hidden troops here,” one said. “But if it were up to me, I wouldn’t set an ambush in such an obvious spot.”

Liu Xie smiled. Indeed, the terrain was ideal for an ambush—but precisely because of that, anyone with experience would be wary. If everyone could see through it, the element of surprise was lost.

“So, my lord—do we go through, or not?” a subordinate whispered.

“We go, of course,” Liu Xie replied, raising an eyebrow. “How else are we to attack Jiangxia?”

“But there may be an ambush ahead,” the man insisted.

“Exactly. Since you suspect an ambush, doesn’t that tell you what to do next?”

“Order: regardless of whether there’s an ambush, have the archers sweep the area first.”

At Liu Xie’s command, over ten thousand archers moved to the mouth of the valley, but did not advance further. They formed ranks just outside and nocked their arrows.

“Loose!”

With a thunderous shout, a storm of arrows soared toward the slopes on both sides. As the arrows fell, cries of agony echoed from the forested hills. As expected, there were indeed hidden soldiers.

“Prepare fire arrows!” Liu Xie ordered next.

The archers lit their arrows and shot them into the woods. Soon, flames rose among the trees and the ambushers could hide no longer—their screams rang out unceasingly.

“Cavalry, charge! Infantry, follow! The first battle shall be here!”

Under Liu Xie’s command, the army stormed forward—not to pass through the valley, but to attack the forests on either side. The ambushers, seeing that their position was exposed, withdrew at once. They had neither the numbers nor the strength to face Liu Xie’s hundred thousand troops. Retreat was their only option.

Liu Xie’s forces pressed the attack, pursuing the enemy beyond the valley. Only then did Liu Xie order the pursuit to stop.

“Do not chase desperate foes. There is no need to rush. Regroup the troops and continue forward. How far to Jiangxia from here?”

“A little less than seventy li, my lord. We can arrive before nightfall,” came the report.

Liu Xie nodded lightly. “Proceed.”

“Make camp ten li from Jiangxia!” he commanded as the march resumed.

Within the Prefect’s mansion in Jiangxia, Prefect Huang Zu convened his generals to discuss their response.

“Gentlemen, Liu Xie of Nanyang is coming against us with a force of one hundred thousand. Our ambush failed badly. According to scouts, his army will arrive before nightfall. If anyone has a plan, speak freely,” Huang Zu said, his face grim. Faced with such overwhelming numbers and the rout of their ambushers, he felt deeply uneasy.

“My lord, I believe we should immediately request reinforcements from Xiangyang,” one subordinate suggested, though he lowered his head in frustration as he finished. For Xiangyang was not in a comfortable position either—most of Jingzhou’s forces had been sent to Xinye, and Nanyang had also dispatched reinforcements there. If Jingzhou’s troops withdrew, Nanyang might press their advantage, and Xiangyang itself could be endangered.

“We are left with no choice but to defend to the death. There are only two options: pray that Xinye’s campaign proceeds smoothly, or go out and defeat the Nanyang army ourselves,” another said, though it was little more than empty words. No one knew how things would turn out in Xinye, but it was certain that success would not come quickly—not when Nanyang had already sent Jia Xu with 150,000 troops to reinforce it.

As for defeating Liu Xie’s invading army, it was nearly impossible. Jiangxia could muster only thirty to fifty thousand troops, while the enemy had a hundred thousand. How could they prevail? If the enemy attacked the city, could they hold out? It was hard to say.

“Report!” a soldier ran into the hall, shouting.

“My lord, the Nanyang army has reached the outskirts of our city and is encamped ten li away.”

The report unsettled everyone present.

“They arrived so quickly,” Huang Zu muttered, unnerved. His generals were at a loss for words.

“Order all soldiers in Jiangxia to man the walls and prepare for battle. We must defend Jiangxia to the end!” Huang Zu commanded at once. It was all he could do: marshal every available force within the city.

Yet, in truth, there were many resources in Jiangxia he could not employ.

“My lord, our strength lies in our navy, but the enemy is attacking overland. In this, we have no advantage. In my humble opinion, we should quickly find a way to shift the battle onto the water.”