Chapter 280: Jiangdong’s World Shakes
Shouts of killing shook the heavens on the river surface. Over a hundred Mengchong Warships of the Jiangdong Army, led by Ling Cao and fiercely battling Han Dang’s army, were met with arrows like rain, drum sounds like thunder, and shouts of killing shaking the heavens. Fire Oil Bottles intersected in the air one after another, firelight blazed across the river surface, and soldiers engulfed in flames continuously screamed as they jumped into the river.
Although Han Dang’s army was aboard Civilian Ships, their numbers were five times that of the enemy. Though they could not completely defeat the opponent, they successfully stalled them, creating an opportunity for the landing soldiers.
Over a thousand Civilian Ships were fully loaded with twenty thousand Cao Army soldiers, charging onto the opposite shore. The shore had numerous defensive fortifications built, made impregnable, but now they were all gone—every fortification stood empty, without a single defending soldier.
The twenty thousand Cao Army successfully occupied the opposite shore and soon also occupied Jiangning County.
At this time, the fierce battle on the Yangtze River was gradually coming to an end. Over a hundred Mengchong Warships had suffered more than half losses. Ling Cao saw that the enemy’s main force had already landed, and his two thousand troops were down to just over six hundred. Continuing to fight held no meaning whatsoever; it was better to hurry back and report the news.
The remaining fifty-odd Mengchong Warships quickly withdrew westward, rushing to Niuzhu to report the news.
Han Dang’s army lost two thousand men. Eight thousand troops then landed immediately afterward. Soon, over a dozen Warships led by Sun Ben and Xun You also arrived, landing on the south bank.
Ships continued to shuttle back and forth ceaselessly on the Yangtze River, transporting five thousand Warhorses across the river along with large amounts of Supplies.
The Cao Army did not head to kill toward Dantu but instead turned directly toward Niuzhu. At the same time, an army of thirty thousand Shanyue People also marched north, charging toward Niuzhu.
Although Niuzhu was a dangerous spot for dealing with enemy ships on the river, it held no advantage against enemies charging in from the land.
Lu Meng urgently led forty thousand troops to prepare to meet the pincer attack of the two armies.
Forty thousand against sixty thousand—Lu Meng had not a shred of confidence in his heart, but with the arrow already on the string, he had no choice but to fight.
Dark clouds hung low, banners fluttered, Spears stood like a forest, and the three armies silently faced off.
Suddenly, the War Drums boomed fiercely, the drum sounds shaking heaven and earth. Le Jin and Han Dang led thirty thousand troops in launching the offensive first. At the same time, Zu Lang’s thirty thousand Shanyue Army also charged toward the Jiangdong Army.
Lu Meng suddenly saw something, his pupils contracting sharply. He saw countless Cavalry appearing, surging toward them like the great tide of the Qiantang River.
“Cavalry!”
At this moment, Lu Meng suddenly understood—the enemy army facing him was not Sun Ben’s army, but the Cao Army. The Cao Army had come.
Lu Meng was utterly despairing. He brandished his Battle Saber and shouted fiercely: “Jiangdong’s sons, fight them to the death!”
……..
The Battle of Niuzhu proceeded without any surprises. The Jiangdong Army suffered a crushing defeat. Commander Lu Meng was killed in battle, the forty thousand Jiangdong Army completely collapsed under the impact of the Cao Army Cavalry, and in the end, the entire army was annihilated, with nearly thirty thousand soldiers surrendering.
Although Jiangdong’s Warships were still patrolling the Yangtze River, the entire Jiangdong had completely changed hands.
The existence of the Cao Army in Jiangdong could no longer be concealed. Everyone knew this was not Sun Ben’s army, but the Cao Army. Government Offices in all counties and commanderies surrendered one after another, local commandery soldiers eagerly joined, and the major Noble Families firmly declared their support. They brought out real gold and silver to support the Cao Army, providing money and grain, contributing their estate laborers, and bringing out hidden Armor and weapons. In just ten days, the Surrendered Army and Jiangdong youths joining the Cao Army reached eighty thousand.
Soon, the Cao Army’s total troop strength reached one hundred eighty thousand, completely surrounding Dantu County.
Any clear-eyed person could see that Jiangdong’s great momentum was gone, and the death knell for the Sun Regime had sounded.
On the thirteenth day of Dantu County’s encirclement, Cao Cao’s third son Cao Zhi set out from Guangling Commandery, landed at Jingkou, and appeared in the besieging army camp, formally taking command as the Commander of the southern campaign against Jiangdong.
Carrier Pigeons continuously took flight from within Dantu County, heading toward Chaisang.
The news of the drastic changes in Jiangdong reached Chaisang. If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold—the atmosphere in Chaisang became exceptionally oppressive.
That morning, Gan Ning convened a major Military and Political Affairs Meeting, specifically to discuss countermeasures.
“Sima Bu, tell everyone about it!”
Gan Ning’s voice was very low. He said to Bu Zhi: “In less than a month, Jiangdong faces a situation of complete disintegration. Why so fast?”
Bu Zhi sighed and slowly said: “This has to start from the establishment of the nation in Jiangdong. The Sun Ce era relied on the Huai Si Group to establish the nation, including Lv Fan, Zhou Yu, Sun Ben, Zhang Zhao, Zhang Hong, Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, Taishi Ci, and me, among others. Sun Ce’s nation-building approach was similar to ours: suppressing the Jiangnan Noble Families, emphasizing Military Merit, emphasizing northern Scholars. The turning point was the rebellion of Yangzhou Governor Chen Yu, whose supporters were the major Jiangnan Noble Families. After Sun Ce quelled Chen Yu’s rebellion, he began harshly striking against the major Jiangnan Noble Families. Wu Commandery Prefect Xu Gong was a victim of this purge.
In the end, as everyone saw, Sun Ce was assassinated, Sun Quan succeeded to the throne. Sun Quan ascended with the support of the major Jiangnan Noble Families and, to gain the throne, also reached a compromise with the Huai Si Group. He promised to establish Sun Ce’s son as heir after succeeding, thereby gaining the Huai Si Group’s support.
But after ascending, he immediately went back on his word, tearing up the agreement with the Huai Si Group, not establishing Sun Ce’s son as heir, and in turn suppressing the Huai Si Group, splitting with Sun Ben, demoting Taishi Ci, marginalizing Zhou Yu, revoking Lv Fan’s position as Strategist, forcing out Zhang Hong, replacing Cheng Pu with Lu Meng, and persecuting me over my niece’s matter.
At the same time, he heavily promoted the Jiangdong Group: Gu Yong, Lu Ji, Yu Fan, Xu Kun, Zhu Huan, Lu Meng, and others. These important figures of the Jiangdong Group began ascending to high positions.
The Huai Si Group had a strong sense of identity with the Jiangdong Regime and was very united, allowing Sun Ce to take the four commanderies of Jiangdong in just one short year. The Jiangdong Group was the exact opposite: Family interests always outweighed the interests of the Jiangdong Regime. They generally identified with the Imperial Court because the Court represented order, which local Noble Families needed most.
So when Cao Cao came to subjugate Jiangdong on behalf of the Son of Heaven, the Jiangnan Noble Families all demanded surrender. This is the fundamental reason for Sun Quan’s defeat and demise. The foundation of his rule was the Jiangnan Noble Families loyal to the Court. With the Cao Army entering Jiangnan, that foundation instantly collapsed, and his regime was finished.”
After Bu Zhi finished speaking, everyone fell silent. After a long while, Gan Ning slowly said: “Sima Bu’s analysis is very thorough. We must learn from Jiangdong’s lesson. The urgent task is to resolve the current crisis and seize the opportunity to recruit Jiangdong’s Anti-Cao Faction, especially the Jiangdong Navy. The Jiangdong Navy’s logistics naval base is at Jingkou, but Jingkou has fallen, leaving the Jiangdong Navy as rootless duckweed. Zhou Yu is unwilling to surrender to Cao Cao—this is our opportunity. We must win over this army.
At this time, Lu Su stood up and said: “I have a deep friendship with Gongjin. Let me go persuade him!”
Gan Ning was overjoyed and smiled: “I’ll talk specifically with the Strategist later. Next, I want to tell everyone that I plan to launch an offensive against Cao Cao’s Navy, completely destroying all Cao Cao’s Warships on the Yangtze River. That way, by sealing off the Yangtze River, we can prevent the northern army from coming south. Then we can concentrate our forces against the Jiangdong Cao Army. This may be our only chance. I’ve considered it for a long time—we don’t have much time left. We must resolve the northern Navy before East City falls.”
