Jinting Han people

Chapter 750 Wang Dun's Troop Deployment

As dawn broke, the Han army, having already eaten breakfast and changed into their armor, began to board their ships, preparing for their third attack on Stone City.

At this moment, there was no wind on the river, and a thin mist still shrouded its surface. All was quiet; the sun was nowhere to be seen, only an overwhelming white blanket surrounding everyone. It was as if the heavens had closed their eyes, keeping the world in a dream. But when the first warship slowly set sail on the river, the sound of sailors rowing and oars striking the water instantly shattered the early winter silence. It was as if a flock of seagulls had taken flight, invigorating the soldiers. More and more men began rowing, joining the fray. And amidst this vast roar of the waves, hundreds of warships plunged into the mist, advancing like a tidal wave towards the south bank of Jianye.

Although the attack was ostensibly on Stone City, the first place the Han navy stationed was Xinting, opposite Caizhou. Because this battle was of utmost importance, a decisive one, the Han army needed a stable foothold on the south bank to better deploy its troops. Stone City, located at the intersection of Xinting, Stone Mountain, and the Zhuque River, and with Xinting offering no natural defenses, was the ideal foothold for the Han army—more precisely, the location of Commander-in-Chief Wang Dun's main camp.

He led his warships to block the mouth of the Zhuque River, and quickly brought his thousands of men ashore. They swiftly built a watchtower on the mudflats to survey the surrounding area. Despite the thick fog, they could clearly see the cliffs of Stone City on the opposite bank, and the faint outlines of Stone Mountain behind it. Perhaps due to the long years of erosion by waves and rain, both the rocks on the cliffs and the boulders on the mountain resembled stark, grim skeletons.

Upon seeing this, the Qi scouts at Xinting fired two whistling arrows into the air, signaling their retreat. The Han army did not send out scouts to pursue, as time was precious and they needed to quickly form their ranks.

Having thoroughly mastered the terrain of Stone City, the Han army had meticulously planned its deployment over several days. Using Xinting as its central command, the Han army blocked the mouth of the Zhuque River to prevent the Qi navy from interfering with the battle. They then positioned their left flank to the west of Stone City and their right flank to the east, effectively flanking the city. The navy would then provide timely support from the river. Meanwhile, Zhou Qi's forces within the palace city were tasked with containing Qi reinforcements from Zhongshan and Mufushan. The deployment was remarkably precise.

From this perspective, the Han army's attack on Stone City was both a feint and a real move. From the overall objective of the war, attacking Stone City was far more difficult, which led the Han army to settle for capturing Baishi Slope instead. However, if the Qi forces within Stone City couldn't hold out, and the Han army had a chance to take the city, they would naturally turn the feint into a real attack. After all, once Stone City was captured, Jianye would lose its geographical advantage, and victory would naturally fall to the Han army.

Therefore, the Han army's offensive in this battle was planned with the goal of capturing Stone City.

The Left Army was deployed to the west of Stone City, mainly composed of the Huainan Army. Its commander was naturally Du Tao, the Duke of Xiangnan and General Who Conquers the East, and it had six subordinate units: the unit of Du Hong, the Marquis of Longchuan County, General of the Warships, and Governor of Xuzhou; the unit of He Zhang, the Duke of Huainan, Military Advisor Who Conquers the East, and Commandant of Lujiang; the unit of Wang Zhen, the Marquis of Chaling County, Protector of the Army Who Conquers the East, and Commandant of Guangling; the unit of Gao Bao, the Marquis of Nanxiang and Commandant of Linhuai; and the unit of Guo Yi, the Marquis of Huaxiang and Commandant of Xuancheng.

These six units totaled 12,000 men. In addition to launching a fierce attack on Stone City from the east, they also had the obligation to support Tao Kan's troops at Baishibei. If Tao Kan failed to build a fortification, they were responsible for leading their troops to provide support. If the fortification was successfully built, they could report to Wang Dun and end the offensive.

The main force of the Jiangzhou army was deployed to the east of Stone City. After the previous two attempts, the Han army had realized that the combat pressure here was the greatest, not only because it was the most dangerous place, but also because they might be attacked by the Qi army from further east, and would be attacked from both sides. Therefore, Wang Dun deployed his elite troops here.

The commander in charge of this operation was Wang Dun's cousin, Wei Yi, the military commander of Jiangzhou. He commanded 20,000 men, arrayed against Qingliang Mountain, in nine divisions. These divisions were: those of Huangfu Dan, Marquis of Pengze County and Military Advisor of Jiangzhou; Suo Lin, General of Yangwu and Marquis of Huannan County; Qian Feng, General Who Subdues Rebels and Commandant of Wuchang; Fu Xuan, Military Advisor of Jiangzhou and Commandant of Luling; Shen Chong, Protector of Jiangzhou and Commandant of Yuzhang; Chen Ban, Protector of Lingbo and Commandant of Linchuan; Zhuge Yao, Protector of Mingwei and Commandant of Jian'an; He Kang, Protector of Yukou and Commandant of Poyang; and Zhou Guang, Military Commander of Jiangzhou and Commandant of Nankang.

The remaining troops were positioned at Xinting, forming the central army, which also numbered over 20,000 men—a formidable force with a distinguished array of generals. Among them were commanders from the Huainan army such as Du Zeng, Qian Hui, Zhou Fu, and Pei Shuo, as well as Wang Dun's own trusted elite generals, including Xie Yong, Li Heng, Fan Jun, and Wen Shao. They were capable of both mounted and foot combat, and thus, the central army's ships were well-stocked with horses, ready to provide support as the battle situation changed.

The Han army's formation was not yet complete when the Qi army descended from Zhongshan Mountain and arrayed itself on the west side of the city. The mist had dissipated somewhat, and it was now quite bright, but the sky was still thick with clouds, casting a somber atmosphere. The Qi army moved slowly, a mix of infantry and horses, their footsteps echoing like muffled drumbeats. Because of the cold weather, a layer of frost covered the wild grass, preventing any dust from rising. This allowed the Qi army's dense, surging ranks to be clearly seen, like waves of water spreading over the city, one after another, an astonishing sight.

Leading the charge were the Qi cavalry, numbering around ten thousand, followed by even more infantry, their long spears and halberds forming a moving forest as they advanced south. Blue banners fluttered among them, and between the banners and the spears and halberds was a gleaming expanse of gleaming armor. It was clear the Qi had brought out their full strength; had the sun been shining, their army would likely have been an even more dazzling golden sea, mesmerizing to behold. Even so, the clanging of their armored weapons, combined with the snorting and neighing of their horses, created a sound, even from miles away, that the Han soldiers could hear—a roar akin to the fierce barrage of wild beasts before their prey.

Although the Han army had long known that the Qi forces were numerous, seeing them arrayed in such a manner, seemingly preparing for a decisive battle, still caused them some apprehension. However, due to the limited size of the battlefield at Stone Mountain, the Qi could not possibly commit all their forces in one fell swoop. Therefore, Wei Yi's troops east of Stone City intensified their formation and did not advance to interfere. The Qi army's formation was divided into three echelons, slowly and calmly unfolding before the Han army: cavalry in front, infantry behind, and the navy on one side of Xuanwu Lake. Although numerous, their deployment was not chaotic; everything was orderly, clearly indicating they had come prepared.

At this time, Wang Dun, surrounded by his trusted commanders, boarded a speedboat and went to observe the battle formations of his own troops.

He first went to the Left Army, located between Qingliang Mountain and Ma'an Mountain. This Left Army wasn't his own direct subordinates, but rather Du Tao's troops. Du Hong, Wang Zhen, Gao Bao, and others were all soldiers Du Tao had personally trained in southern Hunan. Wang Dun and Du Tao had fought a fierce battle in Xiangzhou in the past, and Wang Dun had even poached some of Du Tao's men, creating a significant grudge. Therefore, if Wang Dun wanted to wage war successfully, he had to dispel the discord between the two armies and avoid any negative consequences.

Upon realizing this, Wang Dun wanted to say something kind to Du Tao to ease the tension between them. However, when he saw Du Tao, Wang Dun felt somewhat awkward, because this was happening in front of everyone. If word got out, he might lose face and be perceived as inferior to Du Tao, which was something Wang Dun found unacceptable. Therefore, after much deliberation, Wang Dun finally said to Du Tao, "If we lose this battle, I fear we will both be laughed at by others."

These words startled Du Tao for a moment before he realized that Wang Dun was trying to curry favor with him, indicating that they were on the same side. This made him smile and reply with a cupped hand, "I am willing to be your sworn brother."

The phrase "sworn brothers," originating from the *Records of the Grand Historian*, specifically describes the profound friendship between Lian Po and Lin Xiangru, generals and ministers of the Zhao state. Both men set aside personal grudges for the sake of their country, earning praise from their contemporaries. Du Tao's use of this phrase in response to Wang Dun was perfectly fitting. Upon hearing this, Wang Dun breathed a sigh of relief and immediately ordered his men to bring a suit of gleaming armor, which he personally presented to Du Tao's sworn brother, Du Hong. He added, "I have long admired your bravery. I am not skilled in battle, so this armor is useless to me; I will gladly give it to you, Du Qing. Since you gentlemen are on the left flank, I entrust you with your utmost efforts to prevent the enemy from having any opportunity to exploit!"

Afterwards, Wang Dun returned from the left flank and was about to inspect the various units of the central army when a messenger arrived on horseback reporting that the Yue tribes of Nankang and Jian'an counties were causing trouble in the right flank. He immediately took a boat to the foot of Stone Mountain to investigate. It turned out that a Yue chieftain, seeing that the Qi army far outnumbered the Han army, had become fearful and wanted to secretly flee to the depths of Qingliang Mountain to avoid battle. However, General Qian Feng, upon learning of this, immediately sent his men to pursue and kill them, and most of them were killed and their bodies abandoned in the mountains.

Enraged by this, Wang Dun ordered Qian Feng, "These barbarians dare to disrupt our morale! Desertion in the face of battle is an unforgivable crime. Do not let their followers go!" He then stripped the captured Yue people naked, tied their hands to their hair, and pushed them before the army lines, where they were all cut in half at the waist. Before the battle even officially began, over two hundred had been killed, and the stench of blood filled the air. Seeing this, all the generals were awestruck by the cruelty of Wang Dun's methods.

Wang Dun then grasped his cousin Wei Yi's hand and encouraged him, saying, "The Right Army bears the heaviest responsibility in resisting the Qi people's fierce attack, and only a trusted confidant can accomplish this. I will transfer all the barricades, crossbows, and wagons in the army to you. As long as you can hold out here for one day and one night against the enemy's main attack, our army's mission will be accomplished."

Huangfu Dan and Suo Lin were veteran generals who had fought countless battles. Shen Chong, Qian Feng, Zhuge Yao and others were participating in such a large-scale battle as the Han army for the first time. They knew the commander-in-chief's personality and understood that this battle could not be lost. They couldn't help but look solemn and repeatedly agreed.

Wang Dun returned to the central army headquarters at Xinting. Seeing that the various units were still relatively well-organized, he summoned all the generals and asked them questions. Pointing to Caizhou not far away, he said, "His Majesty has contracted typhoid fever, yet he still refuses to retreat, wanting to see you all perform meritorious service for the country. Will you disappoint His Majesty?"

The generals of the Huainan army all said in unison, "Our army has fought for many years and is invincible throughout the world. How could the Qi people, who are just petty bandits, embarrass His Majesty here!"

The generals of Jiangzhou Army replied, "Please rest assured, Marshal. Our army has been training for years, and this is the day we have been waiting for! After this battle, we will surely become an invincible force!"

Wang Dun nodded repeatedly, but inwardly he sighed: judging by their demeanor alone, the Jiangzhou army was not as decisive as the Huainan army; it seemed they lacked experience with bloodshed and victory. Had he known this earlier, he should have gone to Jian'an County more often to fight the mountain tribes and experience the feeling of victory more thoroughly.

Thinking of this, he carefully examined the various units of the central army again, then turned to his adopted son Wang Ying and said, "Whether I am Guan Zhong or Zhao Kuo depends on the outcome of today's battle."

Having said this, he went to the Xinting watchtower to observe the enemy's situation. He could see that the Qi army's formation was gradually taking shape, like a blue cloud spread down from the sky, covering the mountains and plains, stretching as far as the eye could see. This terrifying momentum made the generals feel as if they were facing a formidable enemy, but Wang Dun remained calm. He gripped his sword and thought to himself: "Regardless of victory or defeat, this battle will surely be recorded in history. Even if I cannot be remembered for eternity, I will not be forgotten. Even if I die, I will have no regrets." Thus, his expression gradually became relaxed and composed, as if he were at home. Even though the Qi army was as mighty as a forest, he seemed to be merely listening to the wind and watching the sea.

Upon seeing this, many of the Han generals felt inferior and secretly discussed among themselves: "After the Battle of Yi'an, we thought that the Wang family members were all just empty names. But we didn't expect that today we would see that Wang Jiangzhou not only has pride, but also true nobility!"

Just then, someone suddenly volunteered to Wang Dun: "Marshal, a great battle is imminent, and we must have brave warriors to take the lead. I am willing to lead my troops to the right wing and serve as the vanguard of the entire army to seize the first victory!"

The man's voice was loud and his imposing manner startled everyone at first. Then, they looked in the direction of the voice and discovered that it was Du Zeng, the General Who Pacifies the East, who had stepped forward. The generals then turned their attention to Wang Dun, to see how he would respond.

It was a good thing that some soldiers volunteered for battle. However, Wang Dun's opinion of Du Zeng was consistent with the emperor's. In his view, Du Zeng was indeed brave, and his reputation as the bravest warrior in the Jianghan region was well-deserved. But Du Zeng was rather shrewd; he could fight a favorable battle as well as a close battle, in which case he was a first-rate general. But with their forces at a disadvantage, Wang Dun did not believe that Du Zeng's personality would allow him to fight against the odds. To put it bluntly, there was even a risk of him defecting. Otherwise, the strategy for the first attack on Baishibei would not have failed.

Therefore, he patted Du Zeng's hand and shook his head, saying, "I appreciate the general's good intentions, but the enemy's morale is currently high. According to military strategy, the first attack is the most effective, the second is less effective, and the third is the most effective. Our army should wait until the enemy is exhausted before sending out elite troops to deliver a fatal blow. Therefore, I am of great use to the general. The general should stay in the central army and follow my orders."

Du Zeng tried to persuade him again, but Wang Dun suddenly changed his expression and said, "There is no joking in the army. My mind is made up. Are you going to disobey my orders, Du Qing?"

The remains of the more than two hundred Yue soldiers were still on the front lines, their blood not yet cold, which made Wang Dun even more imposing. Seeing this, Du Zeng also felt a bit of fear and naturally dared not say anything more, so he had no choice but to retreat back into the formation unwillingly.

Shortly after, the sound of war drums rang out from the Qi army ranks. (End of Chapter)