Jinting Han people

Chapter 757 The situation is determined

While the two armies were locked in a fierce battle, Liu Xian was still recuperating on Caizhou Island. After several days of rest, his health improved somewhat, and he was able to get out of bed and walk around, but as Li Xiu put it, he still couldn't stand the wind. This dispelled Liu Xian's idea of ​​going to the observation platform to watch the battle, so he lay on his couch by the fire, sending messengers to report on the battle situation on Stone Mountain while reviewing the memorials sent from Yi'an over the past few days.

This, of course, goes against the essence of quiet recuperation. The best way to recuperate is to relax the mind and not think about anything. However, at this moment, the Stone Mountain was filled with smoke and the sounds of battle were deafening. Even though he was more than ten miles away, Liu Xian could hear them clearly, as if they were distant calls. Under such circumstances, he naturally could not truly recuperate peacefully. His heart seemed to be pounding along with the fighting. Only by doing something, like pressing down on a stone, could he truly find peace.

But being a seasoned warrior, Liu Xian couldn't sit still after reading several memorials. He started fiddling with maps and pebbles on his desk, simulating the battle formations based on the messenger's orders. Seeing this, Li Xiu couldn't help but chuckle, saying, "Your Majesty, setting up battle formations here, could you possibly be remotely controlling the army?"

Li Xiu was mocking Liu Xian for doing futile work. She knew Liu Xian's habits; having chosen to delegate authority, he wouldn't interfere unnecessarily. Whatever his thoughts, he wouldn't interfere with the soldiers at the front lines at this time.

Liu Xian just smiled and said, "The Qi people have set up this formation because they are ready to fight us to the death. We dare not be careless! Even if we can't do anything, we should at least see clearly whether we win or lose."

"What did Your Majesty see?" Li Xiu, who also came from a military family, was very interested in military strategy and tactics, so she sat down to discuss it with Liu Xian.

Regarding the Qi people's deployment in this battle, Liu Xian commented: "Wang Mi must have run out of patience. His aggressive attack with such a wide formation is probably intended to achieve victory in one battle, but it is too contrary to his style."

"What kind of style is that?"

"The Qi people's military tactics emphasize unconventionality and deception." Liu Xian slowly analyzed, "Judging from all past battles, the Qi people's style is never to reveal their true intentions first. Instead, they use deception to lull the enemy into a false sense of security, and then seize the opportunity to strike a fatal blow."

Li Xiu recalled the previous battle of Huainan and Wang Mi's strategy of marching south to Jingkou and seizing the Three Wu regions, and felt that Liu Xian's summary was very insightful. However, she also had her own views on military affairs and retorted: "But Your Majesty, there are no constant situations in warfare, just as water has no constant shape. No one's strategy can succeed forever. Sometimes, when the situation forces us to adopt a strategy that we are not good at, we have no choice but to do so. Just like now, our navy has the advantage, and the Qi people can do nothing about it."

Liu Xian shook his head slightly and said, "There are ways to fight when there is no other option. Judging from the battle of Lion Mountain, if the enemy does not fall into the trap, the Qi people will use movement to control movement, first stirring up the situation, and then taking advantage of the chaos to win. This is better than stretching out the formation and attacking head-on."

At this point, Liu Xian tapped the table and arranged the formation for Li Xiu, saying, "I originally thought that given Wang Mi's situation, if he wanted to win, he would probably give up the head-on battle and take advantage of the strategic location of Stone City to send troops to raid Xuancheng County and threaten our army's rear. So I arranged for Gu Zhong to be stationed at key points in advance."

"But now it seems that this is not his intention. He wants to use the decisive battle as a pretext, but I have little idea about the specifics of his plan."

Li Xiu still had doubts about Liu Xian's judgment. She asked, "Is Your Majesty overthinking things? Even if he has some schemes, now that the two armies have already engaged in battle, our army only needs to gain a foothold in Stone City, and they will be helpless."

This was indeed the truth, and Liu Xian nodded, saying, "I hope so! As long as we win this battle, regardless of what happens to the Central Plains, at least there will be no more war in Jiangnan."

After talking with Li Xiu for a while, Liu Xian felt his breathing become labored and began to cough. He felt fine when he wasn't coughing, but once he started, the coughing became uncontrollable, as if he were about to vomit his lungs out. Seeing this, Li Xiu quickly patted and massaged Liu Xian's back. After about two quarters of an hour, Liu Xian recovered, but he was still dizzy and unable to speak for a long time.

Li Xiu helped Liu Xian back to bed, prepared his medicine again, and served it to him. Looking at Liu Xian's weary face, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. This man before her was now the emperor, knowledgeable, and refined, yet who could have imagined that he was actually quite dull? Liu Xian had few hobbies and rarely cared about his own life. His daily life consisted of handling state affairs, meeting with court officials, and learning about the hardships of the common people; he possessed almost no sense of romance or refinement whatsoever.

Li Xiu had heard of Liu Xian's reputation since she was young. After all, Liu Xian had achieved fame at a young age and was of noble birth. Ever since the heir of the Duke of Anle rose to prominence during the Qi Wannian Rebellion, no one in Shu and even the southern regions was unaware of his name; they all called him a towering hero. Li Xiu had also dreamt of marrying him, thinking how wonderful it would be. But after spending time with Liu Xian, Li Xiu realized that being a hero was not a happy thing, but an extremely heavy burden.

Liu Xian noticed Li Xiu looking him over, and he laughed self-deprecatingly, "What? Has my condition worsened again?"

Li Xiu smiled and shook her head. After thinking for a while, she suddenly asked, "Your Majesty, I'm wondering, what would you like to do when the world is unified one day?"

This question came as abruptly, but it immediately stunned Liu Xian. Since he set his mind on this matter over twenty years ago, he had never truly considered such questions. After all, he had so much to do; one task was finished only to be followed by another. The world was full of countless things, and as the emperor, he could always find something to do if he so desired.

Therefore, Liu Xian replied, "If we wait until the world is unified, I would like to spend several more years diligently managing the affairs of the land, so that the world may be peaceful and harmonious, and the people of the nine provinces may prosper." Li Xiu knew that the emperor had misunderstood her meaning, so she patiently asked again, "And what about Your Majesty yourself? Don't you have any wishes you wish to fulfill?"

Liu Xian then realized that she was asking him if he had any personal desires. He pondered for a moment and realized it was indeed a good question. Although he was already the emperor, and the entire land should belong to him, and he was already extremely wealthy and powerful, everyone knew that power and wealth had their limitations. If he abandoned his obsession with restoring the country and unifying the nation, what was left of him? Indeed, nothing. His initial motivation was revenge and vindication, and now, he had already fulfilled most of his life's ambitions, simply acting out of habit. Could it be that once the world was at peace, he would have no other desires?

Of course not. When he was a child, Liu Xian was just like any other ordinary child. He had an ordinary dream: to be a wandering knight-errant. To ride a fine horse, wield a fine sword, and travel the world, to see places he had never seen before, to meet people he had never met, to right wrongs, to punish evil and promote good, to bring smiles to the faces of those who suffer, to win the hearts of beautiful girls, to make hundreds and thousands of close friends, to drink when he wanted, to sleep when he wanted, to act on his heart's desire, and to be free and unrestrained.

These wishes, even now, still evoke a longing in Liu Xian. But he's no longer a child, and he knows these dreams are incredibly extravagant; without productive work, there's no responsibility, and they simply can't last. Now, as the emperor, he's conquering far and wide, seeing countless beautiful landscapes, and has gathered a group of like-minded friends—in a way, he's already achieved his goals, though it's not quite the same freedom he imagined as a child.

Therefore, after pondering for a while, Liu Xian smiled at Li Xiu and said, "Shuniang, apart from unifying the world, I have basically fulfilled all the wishes that I should have fulfilled. Looking back, I don't have many regrets. Now, I only hope that the next generation can surpass me and live peacefully. That's enough."

At this point, Liu Xian realized that Li Xiu must have something on her mind, so he asked in return, "And you, Shuniang? Is there anything you haven't fulfilled?"

Li Xiu sighed, twirling her fingers, "When I was seven years old, I heard the story of Chi Zhaoping rebelling against Wang Mang. I wanted to be like Chi Zhaoping, to fight on the battlefield and make contributions to the country. I never wanted to become an ordinary woman. So I pestered the officials in the manor to teach me swordsmanship. But I never expected that even now, I still haven't been able to fulfill my wish."

Liu Xian suddenly realized, and felt deeply ashamed. When Li Xiu first joined him, she had spoken eloquently and refuted the officials in front of them to persuade the court to launch a southern expedition, earning praise from A Luo. But after marrying him, she could only serve as a personal physician or an occasional clerk who helped write official documents. Wasn't this a waste of talent and a misuse of a gem? He hadn't even considered this; he was truly oblivious.

He sized up Li Xiu for a moment, and had to admit that she was indeed a very unique woman. She was pretty, but not in the ordinary way. Instead, she was graceful and poised, like a bamboo forest after the rain, with an undisguised air of heroism and spirit. It seemed that weariness was never a part of her.

Liu Xian nodded to himself and then asked, "Shuniang, can you still ride a horse and wield a sword today?"

Li Xiu understood the implied meaning in Liu Xian's words and was extremely pleased. She replied, "Of course, my lord once made me a suit of armor, which I still keep to this day!"

Having said that, she immediately took out a pair of two-piece armor from a wooden box in the tent, then disguised herself as a man and put on the armor, indeed exuding a unique heroic air. Liu Xian thought to himself: If she were to charge into battle, regardless of how many victories she could achieve, at least it would boost the morale of the soldiers. So he agreed, "Alright then, let's fight again tomorrow. I'll let you go forward for a while, how about that?"

Li Xiu showed no fear, and replied with a radiant smile, "This concubine will not embarrass Your Majesty."

As the two talked, dusk approached without them noticing, and Liu Xian grew somewhat weary. Not long after, he heard the thunderous cheers of the Han army from Stone Mountain, realizing that his side had achieved a considerable victory, having captured approximately ten thousand Qi people. Although he still felt something was amiss, victory was within reach, so he felt somewhat relieved and decided to finally rest.

Unbeknownst to him, during the very hour he drifted off to sleep, the battlefield underwent a dramatic shift. Despite suffering considerable losses, the Qi forces did not abandon their attack; instead, they launched another assault under cover of darkness. This time, they advanced by both land and water.

It should be noted that prior to this, the Qi navy had consistently adopted a strategy of avoiding direct combat with the Han army, at most launching night raids with fire ships. The Han army had almost assumed that the Qi had abandoned formal naval warfare. This sudden battle caught Wang Dun and his men completely off guard, causing some initial chaos within the army. They were forced to hastily array themselves at the mouth of the Zhuque River to face the enemy. Meanwhile, the soldiers on Stone Mountain, without even a proper rest, were forced into the next round of battle.

Fortunately, it was nighttime, making effective command difficult for both sides. Relatively speaking, the defenders only needed to maintain their formation, while the attackers found it difficult to launch another effective offensive. In about half an hour, the Han army on the rocky hill had stabilized their lines again. Meanwhile, Wang Dun's main navy, utilizing its superior weaponry, used its warships to launch volleys and catapults, and its large warships to exchange fire, quickly overwhelming the Qi navy. On the contrary, the Qi forces, who launched a second attack, were unprepared and lacked experience in ship handling, appearing extremely embarrassed.

Liu Xian finally managed to fall asleep, and Li Xiu, seeing that the battle was under control, didn't disturb him but let him rest. But at that very moment, in Xuanwu Lake, at the foot of Fuzhou Mountain, which had already returned to silence, dozens of daring warships were ready to set sail. They didn't light any lamps, but by the dim moonlight, one could vaguely see that the ships were filled with fully armed soldiers.

King Cao Yi of Qi-Han-Song had already counted the men; their carefully selected 1,500 brave warriors were all present. Departure was imminent, and Cao Yi, gazing at the firelight on the stone mountain, couldn't help but feel apprehensive. He knew that the journey ahead would determine victory or defeat, and failure would mean the annihilation of everything for the Qi people, like dew evaporating. Even though Cao Yi was known for his gambles, he had never felt so worried about the future as he did now.

But the war had progressed to this point, and there was no turning back. Fate was in the hands of Heaven; it was up to the Heavenly Emperor to decide who would truly be protected! With this thought, Cao Yi waved his hand, and his warship, the Mao Tu, began to paddle forward. As the first Mao Tu warship set sail, it was as if a string of pearls had been unleashed, with one after another following closely behind. In the darkness, they couldn't see the specifics of the scene, nor did they care about formations; the ships simply followed closely behind, relentlessly moving forward.

Because there were no lanterns and the Han army's attention was primarily drawn to the banks of the Zhuque River, almost no one noticed the fleet silently navigating the darkness. It wasn't until they reached the mouth of Xuanwu Lake, at the angle between Stone Mountain and Mufu Mountain, that the Han soldiers on Baishi Weir vaguely sensed something amiss. But before they could even cry out, this daring fleet had already darted out of Xuanwu Lake like arrows, entering the calm yet turbulent river. Then, they leveled their oars, and like carp, cleanly and decisively turned, heading straight for Caizhou. (End of Chapter)