Chapter 233: On The Brink Of Breaking Out
The Western Chu Army smoothly captured Hepu Commandery. Hepu Commandery is not small in area, including today’s Maoming, Zhanjiang, Beihai, Leizhou Peninsula, and Hainan Island. Its easternmost point is near the Pearl River estuary.
Hepu Commandery has a sparse population, with only five counties. The largest is Hepu County, with only a few thousand people. Additionally, Hainan Island is called Zhu Cliff Continent, administered by Xuwen County at the southernmost tip of the Leizhou Peninsula.
Five thousand Jiaozhou troops followed Shi Xie to Jiaozhi Commandery, and all grain and supplies were transported away. The county town is in a state of desolation.
Bu Zhi brought several salt officials to the seaside. One of their major objectives in capturing Hepu Commandery was the salt source. The azure sea water is very clean, clear and sparkling under the sunlight. They found several boiling salt sites.
In the Three Kingdoms Period, sea salt was still produced by boiling. It was only after the Song Dynasty that sun-drying methods began to be used. Therefore, boiling salt requires abundant fuel. Tropical seashores do not lack plants, but there is another severe problem: transportation.
Transporting salt certainly cannot rely on animal power—it is time-consuming, laborious, and low in capacity. Salt must be transported by ship, but there is no river here connecting to the Yu River, and between them lies a Ten Thousand Mountains range.
After discussion, the lead salt official said to Bu Zhi: “We just considered it. Either use sea ships to transport to Lingding Ocean in Nanhai Commandery—that is the mouth of the Yu River. The fleet can pass through the Yu River—Li River—Ling Canal—Xiang River route. But here is the problem: if we do that, why not just boil salt directly in Nanhai Commandery, avoiding an extra sea voyage?”
Bu Zhi understood their meaning—they had actually rejected the plan to boil salt in Hepu Commandery. Bu Zhi of course did not force it. Hepu Commandery has a sparse population, making it hard even to find labor for boiling salt.
“Very well. Later I will send someone to escort you to Nanhai Commandery for inspection.”
Bu Zhi appointed Sima Lu Hui of Hepu Commandery as Prefect of Hepu Commandery. He led his army back to Cangwu Commandery.
Half a month later, Bu Zhi led his army back to Guangxin County in Cangwu Commandery. As soon as he arrived at the county town, Xu Jing came forward and said: “Sima Bu, the Marquis of Chu has sent an urgent message, which arrived just yesterday.”
Bu Zhi quickly opened the letter and read it carefully. The Marquis of Chu had issued instructions on his previous report, adopting the first option of the second plan for Shi Xie in Jiaozhi Commandery: once Shi Xie led his army in stubborn resistance, annihilate his family completely, leaving no future trouble.
If Shi Xie surrendered without fighting, his life could be spared, and his family property retained, but his entire family must be sent to Chaisang.
Secondly, protect the scholars living in Jiaozhi well, and safely send them and their families back to Chaisang. Jiaozhi has many famous people who fled from the North, such as Yuan Hui, Liu Ba, Cheng Bing, Xue Zong, Xu Ci, Mouzi, Kang Seng Hui, and others.
Three days later, Bu Zhi led forty thousand troops, carrying over a thousand ships fully loaded with grain and supplies, plus forty thousand army donkeys, marching grandly toward Linchen County in southwestern Yulin Commandery. That is the county town closest to Jiaozhi Commandery, connected by waterway to Guangxin County, allowing navigation of small boats under five hundred shi.
That morning, the army arrived at Linchen County.
Linchen County is today’s Chongzuo City, but in the Three Kingdoms Period, it was just a small county. However, it is the first county of Jiaozhi Commandery entering Yulin Commandery, with prosperous commerce and shipping.
The army transported grain and supplies into the county town. Bu Zhi immediately ordered the city cleared—all merchants and non-local residents must leave Linchen County before noon.
Bu Zhi is a civil official, and civil officials consider matters meticulously. On one hand, he worried that the county town might have spies who could leak their military intelligence. On the other hand, as a key logistics hub, Linchen County had too many outsiders, which would certainly affect the safety of grain and supplies.
The county town instantly quieted down. In the temporary military yamen, Bu Zhi consulted with Zhao Yun and Taishi Ci on the next steps.
“Linchen County is still about five hundred li from the Red River plain. To avoid enemy army ambushes, we will need at least seven or eight more days. I want to hear the two generals’ opinions.”
Zhao Yun thought for a moment and said: “Soldiers using donkeys can carry a month’s dry rations, but considering other supplies, they can carry at most half a month’s dry rations—equivalent to a round trip. That leaves us only one or two days for attack. Time is too tight. We must find a logistics point to continuously transport grain and supplies to support the army in combat. This logistics point can be said to be the key to victory or defeat in this Jiaozhi campaign.”
Beside him, Taishi Ci also said: “I strongly agree with General Zhao. In terms of strength, we can certainly defeat the Jiaozhi army, but we fear various accidents, such as grain shortages or soldiers falling ill, etc. I also believe capturing a county town as a logistics base is crucial, providing a place to nurse sick soldiers.”
Bu Zhi spread out the map and pointed to a county town: “I have actually considered this problem too. What do you think of this county town?”
Zhao Yun and Taishi Ci looked together, seeing Bu Zhi pointing at Wangmei County. Zhao Yun frowned: “I remember the Sima said this county town is quite difficult to attack!”
“It is indeed very difficult to attack. It is said to be a sturdy fortress, easy to defend and hard to attack. But its location is too ideal—only eighty li from Longbian County, with walls twenty li around and abundant water sources. Once we capture it, it will become a strategically valuable logistics base, allowing us to gain a foothold in Jiaozhi Commandery.”
“Are there trees around?” Taishi Ci asked.
“The surroundings are all vast forests.”
Zhao Yun and Taishi Ci exchanged a glance. Zhao Yun smiled: “Good things are indeed hard to obtain, but once taken, they become the key to victory. We will certainly capture Wangmei County!”
At this time, Shi Xie was also actively preparing for war. He recruited another twenty thousand troops, bringing his total to forty thousand. Shi Xie had received the carrier pigeon message from Linchen County: tens of thousands of Yuzhang troops had arrived at Linchen County.
Shi Xie pondered for a long time, then said to his brothers and several sons: “Coming from Linchen County is too far; their logistics cannot sustain it. They must capture a city as a logistics support point. If I am not mistaken, they are certainly aiming for Wangmei County.”
His second brother Shi Wu said: “Wangmei County is our northern gate. If the northern gate falls, it will be very unfavorable for us. Big brother, I am willing to lead troops to defend Wangmei County.”
Shi Xie nodded: “I think we can tackle it on two fronts: defend Wangmei County on one hand, and send ambush soldiers to harass the enemy army on the other, utilizing our advantage in familiar terrain. If we can raid the enemy army’s logistics grain team, that would be best.”
His second son Shi Zhi immediately stood up: “Son is willing to lead two thousand troops to harass the enemy army!”
Shi Xie immediately decided, ordering his second brother Shi Wu to lead eight thousand troops carrying over a hundred medium catapults to rush to Wangmei County. Adding the original two thousand troops there, that makes ten thousand defending the city.
He also ordered his second son Shi Zhi to lead two thousand mountain troops to harass the Yuzhang Army along the way, fully utilizing their familiar terrain advantage to harass the enemy army, especially sneak attacking the enemy army’s logistics grain team.
Shi Xie never considered surrendering to Gan Ning. He was loyal to the Imperial Court and to Cao Cao; he looked down on a minor local power like Gan Ning.
A great battle was imminent.
