Chapter 187: Urgent Assault On Wuling
The changes in Nan Commandery were dazzling, Gan Ning was still watching every detail of Nan Commandery’s movements, for which Pang Tong specially tripled the manpower and carrier pigeons.
“Reporting to the general, Liu Bei’s army has indeed withdrawn toward Bashu!”
Gan Ning smiled and shook his head, saying to Pang Tong: “They are not withdrawing, but strategically relocating.”
Pang Tong hesitated, “They arranged it long ago?”
Gan Ning nodded, “Nanyang Commandery is a place of four battlefronts, Cao Army pressing from the north, Liu Bei cannot hold it, Liu Bei himself knows it well, previously Cui Zhouping advised him to go north to Guangzhong, but Liu Bei refused, Liu Bei wanted to capture Nan Commandery, but the plan Zhuge Liang gave him was to capture Bashu, to establish a foundation in Bashu, look at Zhuge Liang’s arrangement, letting Liu Qi stationed in Jiangling, then advising Liu Qi to lead the army north to join Liu Bei, then he comes to stationed in Jiangling, preparing for the westward advance, all linked together.”
Pang Tong sighed: “The general sees through it clearly, put this way, it is indeed premeditated, but Cao Ren’s army is besieging Yiling, Jiangling City is empty, should we take the opportunity to occupy Jiangling?”
Gan Ning laughed, “Strategically, Jiangling County has no meaning other than relieving the siege of Yiling, no need to interfere in Nan Commandery, the next step is for us to capture the Jingnan Three Commanderies, not giving the Cao Army a springboard to go south.”
“But this subordinate obtained intelligence that the warships in Nan Commandery have basically all been taken by Liu Bei, I’m afraid the Cao Army has no way to cross the Yangtze River.”
Gan Ning shook his head, “The premise of not being able to cross the river is that the opposite shore is not their territory, across from Jiangling is Wuling Commandery, if Wuling Commandery’s Prefect Jin Xuan surrenders to the Cao Army, then the Cao Army crossing the river won’t need war, using civilian ships like ants moving house, in one month’s time, a hundred thousand army would cross the Yangtze River, the consequences would be very serious.
So we must take the opportunity while the Cao Army has not yet stood firm in Nan Commandery to quickly capture Wuling Commandery, then Lingling Commandery and Guiyang Commandery.”
Pang Tong clasped his fists: “This subordinate has traveled in Jingnan for two years and is very familiar with Jingnan, this subordinate requests orders to capture the Jingnan Three Commanderies.”
Gan Ning gladly said: “Then I will hand over Old General Huang’s division and General Zi Long’s division to you, change the plan to attack Jiangling to the plan to attack Wuling Commandery.”
Since the Yuzhang Army had made a lot of preparations for attacking Jiangling County, no further preparation was needed, Gan Ning ordered Taishi Ci’s division to go to Jiangxia Commandery to take over Huang Zhong’s division, Huang Zhong’s division and Zhao Yun’s division totaling more than thirty thousand men, also prepared a thousand warships, the thirty thousand army boarded ships and majestically charged toward Wuling Commandery.
In the more than one month of changes in Jingzhou, Jiangdong was always an onlooker, they were too far from Jingzhou, out of reach, but the final result also worried Jiangdong.
The hall was very quiet, Jiangdong had just received the news, Liu Cong surrendered to Cao Cao, Liu Bei took Liu Qi far away to Bashu, a hundred thousand Cao Army smoothly occupied Nanyang Commandery and Nan Commandery, Jiangdong high officials all realized that this would greatly change the situation in Jianghuai and Jiangnan.
Lv Fan slowly said: “The Cao Army occupying Jingzhou will have a profound impact on us, this means Cao Cao is starting to gradually turn around, perhaps the North is not yet pacified, but Cao Cao is already starting to pave the way for the southern campaign.”
Gu Yong had a different opinion, “Marquis of Wu, I think this is just an accident beforehand, an accidental event triggered by Liu Biao’s illness and death, Jingzhou had an opportunity, and Cao Cao did not want to miss this opportunity, this has nothing to do with Cao Cao’s southward strategy, I believe the time for Cao Cao to go south is definitely not now.”
Sun Quan nodded and asked Zhang Zhao: “What does the strategist think?”
Zhang Zhao slowly said: “This Jingzhou change is indeed an accidental event, but major accidental events will change decisions, if Cao Cao originally planned to attack the south in five years, then this Jingzhou change will definitely advance Cao Cao’s southern campaign plan, perhaps to attacking the south in two years, Marquis of Wu, we must speed up war preparations, conscript soldiers, train, store grain, repair city walls and various military facilities.”
Sun Quan paced a few steps with hands behind his back: “Does the strategist think if the Cao Army marches south in force, they will go through the Jingzhou line?”
Zhang Zhao shook his head, “All possible, depending on the Cao Army’s shipbuilding situation, but no matter the situation, we must speed up urgent war preparations, even if going through the western line, once Cao Cao eliminates Gan Ning, the next is us.”
Sun Quan nodded, “You are all right, strengthening war preparations is already urgent!”
Among the Jingnan Three Commanderies, the easiest to attack is Wuling Commandery, Wuling County is today’s western Hunan, southern Hubei and eastern Guizhou, vast territory, but mostly mountainous areas, Wuling Commandery has several major rivers inside, the most famous river is the Yuan River.
The Yuan River can be said to be the mother river of Wuling County, most important county towns of Wuling Commandery are distributed on both banks of the Yuan River, including the commandery seat Linyuan County, Yuannan County and Hanshou County, additionally Lingyang County is also near the Yuan River.
If continuing west along the Yuan River, there are also Yuanling County, Youyang County Qianling County and Chenyang County, the important county towns of Wuling are basically on both banks of the Yuan River.
There are many county towns, but they are all relatively small, with few people, mostly only a few thousand population, the most important city is the commandery seat Linyuan County, with tens of thousands of population, additionally there are three county towns on the Yangtze River that are also crucial, Yixian County, Chanling County and Zuotang County, which must also be taken.
Wuling Prefect Jin Xuan is about fifty years old, from Jingzhao, long-term official in Jingzhou, in the third year of Jian’an appointed as Prefect of Wuling Commandery, when Prefect of Changsha Zhang Xian rose up against Liu Biao, Jin Xuan also followed and rebelled, although Zhang Xian’s rebellion was extinguished, but Liu Biao could not attend to Jingnan, Jin Xuan also gave Liu Biao face, sent people to submit a memorial to Liu Biao, indicating continued submission to Liu Biao.
Liu Biao got face, Jin Xuan got the reality, both got what they needed, Jin Xuan was still de facto independent, becoming a vassal lord of one commandery.
At this time, Jin Xuan also knew about the Jingzhou change, the Cao Army had already reached Jiangling, very close to him.
Jin Xuan immediately sent his son Jin Yi to Jiangling County to submit a memorial to Cao Ren, willing to surrender to Cao Cao.
Jin Xuan surrendering to Cao Cao is not strange, why Prefect of Changsha Zhang Xian rose up in rebellion was because Cao Cao supported Zhang Xian behind the scenes, Cao Cao sent Huan Jie to persuade Zhang Xian, Zhang Xian secretly surrendered to Cao Cao, and the other Jingnan Three Commanderies also followed to surrender to Cao Cao.
Jin Xuan was at that time surrendered to Cao Cao, only he was not important, Cao Cao also looked down on him, never gave him a clear reply, he also did not know if he was Cao Cao’s man.
So this time Jin Xuan sent his son Jin Yi to find Cao Ren, surrendering to Cao Cao once again.
But there was no news from Cao Ren’s side yet, Pang Tong then led thirty thousand army to Linyuan County.
Pang Tong’s army passed through the Yangtze River, then entered Dongting Lake, then entered Xiang River, then entered the largest tributary of Xiang River, the Yuan River, the fleet sailed more than two hundred li along the Yuan River, finally arriving at Linyuan County.
Although Gan Ning paused attacking the Jingnan Three Commanderies the year before last, he had deployed intelligence points in advance, making the Yuzhang Army grasp the situation in Wuling Commandery.
Wuling Commandery has only a hundred something ten thousand population, of course not only, a hundred something ten thousand population is just the registered population of each county, actually there are also a large number of Shanyue People not in the government office’s household registers.
Insufficient population base, the army also only ten thousand men, among them the commandery seat Linyuan County has seven thousand troops, the other three thousand then garrisoned in Yidao County, Yuanling County and Youyang County, each with one thousand garrison, mainly surveilling the Shanyue People.
There is a large area of flat land near Linyuan County, the fleet can dock directly, the thirty thousand army quickly assembled, soon arriving under the city wall.
Huang Zhong knows Jin Xuan, he wrote a letter, sent someone to shoot it onto the city wall with an arrow, waiting for Jin Xuan’s reply.
