Chapter Ninety: Zhenjiang

Anqing Route?

Tang He had originally assumed that since Liu Yi and the Chaohu Navy had made such a sweeping concession, they would surely drive a hard bargain. If Zhu Yuanzhang and the Left Camp took Anqing Route, perhaps Liu Yi and the Chaohu Navy would demand not only a fine place like Pingjiang Route or Hangzhou Route, but at the very least Changzhou Route. No one had expected him to choose Anqing Route.

Anqing Route was not even part of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provincial Circuit; it belonged instead to the Huainan Provincial Circuit under Yangzhou. That alone made it clear that Anqing Route was by no means a rich and fertile prize, and taking it was no easy matter.

At present, Anqing Route was defended by Yu Que, a scholar-official of the Colored Peoples who had risen through the civil examinations. Learned and martial both, with a will of uncommon steel, he had repelled countless full-scale assaults by the Xusong Red Turban Army over the years. Time and again they had attacked Anqing in force, and time and again they had fled in utter defeat. Anqing had become the Yuan dynasty's most impregnable bastion in the middle reaches of the Yangtze.

Liu Yi was taking the long way around, to everyone's eyes no better than courting hardship for himself. Whether it was Tang He, Marquis Zhao of the Four Thousand Households, Guo Tianjue, or anyone else, they all felt Liu Yi was swallowing humiliation for the sake of the greater whole. Marquis Zhao was the first to speak up in support: "Marshal Liu, as long as we stand united, let alone one Anqing Route, ten of them would be no problem!"

Guo Tianjue found that he understood Liu Yi less and less, but to him that was a good thing. "Commander Tang, go back and tell Marshal Zhu that if he is unwilling even to cede Anqing Route, then I will follow Marshal Liu and spend some time north of the river as well!"

Tang He also felt Liu Yi's terms were exceedingly sincere, and he agreed at once. "I can speak for Zhu Yuanzhang on this matter. Let me confirm once more: Marshal Liu only wants Anqing Route?"

"Confirm it again: Liu Yi only wants Anqing Route!"

Yet when Zhu Yuanzhang heard the news, he was not pleased but alarmed. "There are so many prefectures and counties along the Jiangdong and Western Zhejiang circuits, and Liu Yi doesn't even want Xuanzhou Route or Guangde Route. He wants only Anqing Route in Huainan Circuit. He still has thoughts of splitting away!"

Everyone else thought Liu Yi was acting for the greater good, but Zhu Yuanzhang saw it very differently. He believed that deep down, Liu Yi still wanted to break away.

Why had Liu Yi chosen Anqing Route? Aside from the fact that it was far enough from Jiqing Route, or Jinling, perhaps he intended to join forces with the Xusong Red Turban Army at Jiujiang and Poyang. Although those rebels now fought under the reign title of "Zhiping," and were not of the same camp as the Chuzhou Red Turbans, historically they had maintained an exceptionally close relationship with the Chaohu Navy and often fought alongside them.

Once Liu Yi seized Anqing Route and then joined with the Xusong Red Turbans at Jiujiang and Poyang, not even ten Zhu Yuanzhangs would be able to solve the problem of the Chaohu Navy. For that reason, Zhu Yuanzhang changed his mind at once. "Commander Tang, trouble you to make another trip north of the river and tell Marshal Liu this: I can take Zhenjiang Prefecture and hand it over to him, but Anqing Route is of vital importance and concerns the grand design. I will lead the Left Camp in person to attack Anqing!"

In ordinary times, Tang He treated Zhu Yuanzhang with all the deference and care in the world, but hearing this, he could not help but question him. "Old Zhu, before crossing the river, didn't you repeatedly tell me that any condition could be agreed to, save only Zhenjiang Prefecture?"

Zhenjiang was not only a place soldiers must contest, but also the gateway to Jinling. So long as Zhenjiang fell under Chaohu Navy control, Liu Yi could strike into Jinling City at any time.

Previously, Zhu Yuanzhang and all the civil and military officials of the Left Camp had been unanimous that everything else could be handed over to the Chaohu Navy, but Zhenjiang Prefecture absolutely could not. Tang He had never imagined that after merely making one trip north of the river, Zhu Yuanzhang would change his mind.

Not only Tang He could not make sense of it; even Li Shanchang, Zhu Yuanzhang's chief strategist, could not understand. "My lord, we cannot hand Zhenjiang Prefecture over to the Water Camp. If Zhenjiang falls into Marshal Liu's hands with the Water Camp, it will be more than adding wings to a tiger."

Zhu Yuanzhang understood all these truths. The riverfront city of Zhenjiang was the single most important base for the Yangtze naval forces, and if the Chaohu Navy controlled it, that would be tantamount to controlling the very lifeline of Jiqing Route, Jinling, and the Jiangdong Circuit. Yet with a bitter smile he said, "I used to think Liu Yi would never dare speak of breaking away, but now it seems he truly does mean to split from us. Still, given the present situation, the Chuzhou Red Turbans must remain one body!"

All of Zhu Yuanzhang's schemes up to this point had been aimed at dealing with Liu Yi and eliminating the Chaohu Navy. But with Liu Yi making such a commotion and crossing the river, Zhu Yuanzhang was instantly jolted awake.

Liu Yi really did dare to take the Water Camp and go over to Xu Shouhui. But if that happened, the sky over the Chuzhou Red Turbans would collapse.

Since Zhu Yuanzhang regretted having driven Liu Yi so hard, he could only try to mend matters after the fact. "Not only can Zhenjiang Prefecture be given to the Water Camp, but whatever other territory Marshal Liu wants, he can bring it up. I will help him take it!"

Unable to accept the consequences of a split, Zhu Yuanzhang could only choose to win Liu Yi over. Li Shanchang immediately asked, "Then should we put the agreed matters on hold for now?"

Zhu Yuanzhang said, with great helplessness, "We shall distribute rewards after Jiqing Route has been taken."

Even so, there was a measure of bitterness in his heart. Right now they could not even deal with Liu Yi; once they had taken Jiqing City and their footing was still unsteady, they would have to distribute rewards, and by then it would be even harder to deal with Liu Yi and the Chaohu Navy. "In any case, all the other territory can go to the Water Camp, but Anqing Route absolutely cannot be given to him!"

For the Chuzhou Red Turbans and the Chaohu Navy, this was nearly the perfect ending. When the news spread, cheers and firecrackers rang out everywhere. The low spirits that had hung over them suddenly soared to the sky. The question on everyone's mind had shifted from fighting with their backs to the river to how the spoils would be apportioned after taking Jiqing Route.

The pressure now all settled upon Liu Yi and the Chaohu Navy. Everyone felt that Zhu Yuanzhang's willingness to cede Zhenjiang Prefecture showed the greatest sincerity, and now it was Liu Yi and the Chaohu Navy's turn to truly enter the battlefield and become the key to victory or defeat.

Over the past half year, the Chaohu Navy had advanced steadily and fought the Yuan forces on the principle of "seeking not total victory, but only not to be defeated." Though this tempered the troops and won them no small number of victories, such a cautious strategy also caused them to miss countless chances, leaving many resentful of the Chaohu Navy. Not to mention that Liu Yi had twice thrown down his burden and crossed north of the river, which only stirred up even more grievance.

Now, since the terms had finally been settled, everyone felt that Liu Yi and the Chaohu Navy had to live up to the many concessions Zhu Yuanzhang had made. Liu Yi himself spoke without the slightest politeness. "Since Zhu Yuanzhang is unwilling to hand Anqing Route over to us, then we will take Jiqing Route first and talk afterward. Of course, the land operations will be left to Marshal Zhu, and we will handle matters on the water. Manzi Haiya and Kang Maocai are both old adversaries; everyone knows how to deal with them, yes?"

At this, Zhao Posheng burst into laughter. "Rest assured, Great Commander. They're still using the old trick of chaining iron across the river. We've seen that stunt more than once at Chaohu Mouth, and no matter what variations they add, we have ways to handle it. So long as the Great Commander gives the order, we can push the front line right up to the walls of Jiqing City."