Chapter 128: Foolproof

On this matter, the entire Left Camp had reached a unanimous conclusion: they would invite Liu Yi and the Chaohu Navy to join the fight, no matter the cost. The moment Liu Yi appeared on the battlefield, the situation would surely undergo a earth-shaking transformation.

Everyone knew that such a measure could not be repeated again and again. If they continued relying on the Chaohu Navy and Liu Yi in this way, they would eventually become dependent on them. Yet people always preferred solutions that were easier and more certain, and so the Left Camp had reached a consensus at the very first opportunity.

Within Changzhou, however, no unified opinion had emerged. Marshal Shan Dashe, who had only recently joined their cause, declared with absolute conviction, “If His Majesty sends us another three thousand reinforcements, our army will naturally be able to secure victory. There is no need to worry about Liu Yi or Zhenjiang. You know nothing of that fellow Liu’s true capabilities, but I know him like the back of my hand!”

Shan Dashe was brimming with confidence, and he had ample reason to be.

Although barely more than twenty-five hundred men had followed him in defecting to Zhang Shicheng, Zhang Shide and Li Boshen had immediately bestowed upon him the title of Marshal in order to win him over. They had also placed all the Northern River Qing troops captured during this period under his command. After recruiting more defectors and surrendered soldiers, Shan Dashe now had a force of four thousand men at his disposal. On top of that, he had earned the foremost merit in the battle for Changzhou. Naturally, he was as boastful as could be.

Zhang Shide, however, held a somewhat different view from Shan Dashe. “Marshal Shan, I know you are eager to distinguish yourself, but in all things it is better to proceed with caution. Zhu Yuanzhang may not pose much of a threat at present, but Zhenjiang has twenty to thirty thousand troops under its command. That is a matter of great importance!”

At the mention of the army in Liu Yi’s hands, every general present grew tense. They had crossed swords with the Chaohu Navy many times, but all of them understood that the navy had never committed its full strength. It might not even have used half of it.

If the Chaohu Navy entered the battlefield in its entirety, the situation could be transformed at its roots. Thus, deep down, none of them agreed with Shan Dashe’s opinion. Yet Pan Yuanming, who had deliberately come to Changzhou to take command in person, spoke up in support of him.

“Marshal Shan is absolutely right. The court is preparing to launch a major campaign against Songjiang, Jiaxing, and Hangzhou. As long as Changzhou can hold out for one month, the army will be able to return here.”

Although Pan Yuanming had presented it merely as his personal opinion, everyone knew that it effectively represented the views of Zhang Shicheng and the Great Zhou court. Zhang Shide knit his brows tightly.

“Holding out for a month should not be a problem. What worries me is that this eastern expedition may drag on too long. After taking Songjiang, they will want Jiaxing and Hangzhou as well. Once Hangzhou falls, they will seek to conquer the whole of the Two Zhejiang Regions!”

Zhang Shide and Zhang Shicheng were brothers, and so he spoke without the slightest restraint.

Zhang Shicheng had committed all his mobile forces to the battlefield at Changzhou. That might not be enough to resolve the current crisis, but taking Songjiang Prefecture itself did not seem especially difficult. What Zhang Shide feared was that his elder brother would be unable to restrain his appetite and would continue expanding without limit.

Pan Yuanming did not deny the possibility. “Conquering the whole of the Two Zhejiang Regions would be a splendid achievement. If we can take all of them, we will be able to raise an army of two hundred thousand at once! Everyone, rest easy. Nothing serious can happen here in Changzhou. Zhenjiang can send at most another ten thousand troops, while His Majesty has already prepared three thousand elite soldiers to reinforce Changzhou at any moment!”

Those three thousand men would be the last mobile reserve of Zhang Shicheng’s entire faction. Zhang Shicheng had long coveted the immensely wealthy territories of Songjiang, Jiaxing, and Hangzhou, but he had always been hesitant and cautious. He wanted to seize every possible advantage while ensuring absolute security, and that was why he had devised such a measured and seemingly foolproof plan.

Zhang Shide also knew that once his brother had resolved to attack Songjiang Prefecture, nothing he said would change his mind.

“I also believe that taking Songjiang Prefecture would be a good thing. Although the bandits from Zhenjiang have not committed their full strength, I think we can hold out for a month without difficulty. But since we have agreed upon a one-month limit, we must not go back on our word. After that month, no matter how far the army has advanced, it must return. Zhenjiang remains a grave threat at our heart.”

Shan Dashe had heard of Liu Yi’s reputation, but he did not believe that Liu Yi or the Chaohu Navy possessed any extraordinary abilities. This was precisely the opportunity he needed to establish himself. If he seized it, he could become a regional lord commanding tens of thousands of troops.

“Your Majesty may rest assured. Although nearly ten thousand of Zhenjiang’s soldiers have yet to take the field, I also have tens of thousands of elite troops within the enemy camp!”

The moment Shan Dashe said this, everyone present was delighted. Zhang Shide replied without hesitation, “We do not need tens of thousands. A few thousand will do. Marshal Shan, if you can bring several thousand more men over, you may choose for yourself between the posts of Assistant Administrator and Councilor of State!”

Although the Great Zhou had somewhat overused its noble titles and official ranks, Zhang Shide had nevertheless shown the utmost sincerity. Pan Yuanming, another of Zhang Shicheng’s trusted advisers, answered just as decisively.

“General Shide’s words are His Majesty’s will. Marshal Shan, even if you cannot bring over several thousand men, a thousand—or even eight hundred—would be enough to make the Zhenjiang bandits’ efforts end in failure!”

Chen Erbao, the first man to defect, was deeply dissatisfied. Although Shan Dashe had been won over through his efforts, Chen Erbao believed that he himself deserved the greatest credit.

“Since everyone believes that Zhenjiang will certainly send troops, why not let me recruit freely? If I can raise several thousand more soldiers, then with us defending a fortified city, no matter how powerful the Zhenjiang bandits may be, they will never breach it!”

After clashing with the Chaohu Navy so many times, everyone had long since drawn the same conclusion: the navy was strong on the water but weak on land. Zhang Shicheng’s army, meanwhile, occupied the impregnable city of Changzhou and stood invincible from every angle. Zhang Shide therefore laughed.

“My view is much the same as Marshal Chen’s. No matter how freely the Zhenjiang bandits roam the waterways, can they truly use a navy to breach Changzhou? As long as Changzhou remains in our hands, how could the Zhenjiang bandits cross the city and make straight for Jiangyin or Pingjiang?”

Everyone shared much the same opinion as Zhang Shide. If anyone had claimed that the Chaohu Navy intended to charge deep into the river and sweep along the entire waterway, they would have regarded him as nothing less than an outright liar. Pan Qiyuan told them directly, “Let Zhu Ding of Jiangyin handle everything on the river. With Zhu Ding there, the great river will naturally remain perfectly secure.”