Chapter 551: Ambushing Chenliu

After a moment, a personal guard brought in Ge Shu Han’s trusted subordinate who delivered the letter. He knelt on one knee and bowed to Li Qingan, saying, “I have been sent by General Ge Shu to pay my respects to His Highness the Prince of Zhao!”

Li Qingan smiled slightly and said, “You’ve had a hard journey. Please stand up.”

“Thank you, Your Highness the Prince of Zhao!”

The subordinate stood up and handed a letter to Li Qingan. “This is a personal letter from my general to Your Highness.”

A personal guard took the letter and handed it to Li Qingan. After opening it and glancing through it, Li Qingan asked the messenger, “Does General Ge Shu have any other message?”

“Your Highness, General Ge Shu says that if Li Hen captures Jingxiang, it will create a situation where he and An Lushan can attack the Central Plains together. He asks the Great General to consider this!”

“I understand. You may go now.”

Li Qingan then instructed the personal guard, “Take them away to rest. Do not neglect them!”

The personal guard took the messenger away. At that moment, Li Qingan handed Ge Shu Han’s letter to Wei Qingping. “Sir, take a look!”

Wei Qingping took the letter and read it. Frowning, he said, “Li Mao is willing to exchange 300,000 dan of grain for our troops. How does he have that much grain?”

“He does!”

Li Qingan, who was well aware of the situation in Jingxiang, smiled and said, “Actually, Li Mao has reaped great benefits from controlling Jingxiang. A few years ago, the grain transport channels were blocked, so the court decided to use the Yangtze River and Han River for transportation. Large amounts of grain from the Jianghuai region were sent to Jingxiang. But since the Han River channels hadn’t been fully cleared, the grain was temporarily stored in Xiangyang. As a result, all the advantages went to Li Mao. Otherwise, how would he have the funds to build a royal palace and recruit troops on a large scale? Now he wants to offer 300,000 dan to us. What do you think of this deal? Can we reach an agreement?”

Wei Qingping pondered for a moment before saying, “Great General, I think it’s not that simple for Li Hen to take Jingxiang by force.”

“Oh?” Li Qingan askedinterestedlyly, “Please explain. I’m quite interested to hear your thoughts.”

Wei Qingping sighed and said, “Does the Great General know how Li Wan and Yang Guozhong ultimately failed?”

“I’ve seen your reports. It was Emperor Li Longji who secretly ordered Gao Xianzhi to arrest them overnight, right?”

“That’s the key to it. Although Li Wan had already taken control of Gao Xianzhi’s military power and Gao Xianzhi had retired home, how could Gao Xianzhi lead troops to carry out the arrest? That night, Li Wan also used an imperial order to urgently summon troops from the camp outside the city, but no troops came to assist—none at all. Desperate, Li Wan was killed.”

Li Qingan began to understand. “So, your point is that actual military control still lies in Gao Xianzhi’s hands?”

“That’s exactly right. The key generals in the Jiannan army who hold real power—Xi Yuanqing, Zhao Chongjin, Jia Chongguan, and others—are all trusted officers brought by Gao Xianzhi from Anxi. Although Li Wan has taken command, Gao still actually controls the army. With just a command, these generals will obey him. Li Longji understands this, and so does Li Heng.”
“I see!”
Li Qing’an smiled in realization. “So Li Heng sent troops to Xiangyang under the pretext of conquering the east, but in reality, it was to seize Gao Xianzhi’s military power, right?”
Wei Qingping nodded with a smile. “I believe that’s the case. If he doesn’t hold military power, Li Heng’s position as emperor won’t be secure. How could he let Gao Xianzhi control the army? So in this campaign, Li’s faction is the main commander, Gao Xianzhi is the deputy, and Yu Chaoen oversees the troops—making the situation quite delicate. If I’m not mistaken, Li’s faction will eliminate Gao Xianzhi’s trusted officers one by one, and with Gao’s orders, those generals have no choice but to obey.”
At this point, Wei Qingping stepped forward to the map and pointed to the route the Jiannan army would take. “General, please look. The Jiannan army will leave Shu through Kuizhou. I estimate they’ll stay in the Jingzhou area for a while, ostensibly waiting for Li Lin’s troops, but actually cleaning out Gao Xianzhi’s loyalists. As for whether they’ll fight against the Jingxiang army, I don’t think that’s what Li Heng is focusing on.”
Wei Qingping’s analysis left Li Qing’an deep in thought. He paced back and forth in the tent with his hands behind his back. The situation in the south was indeed complex. Sending troops to Jingxiang had its advantages, but so did its disadvantages. The key was to weigh them carefully. As Guo Shu Han had suggested, he didn’t want Li Heng to unify the south too soon. He was currently focusing on dealing with An Lushan and didn’t want to be attacked from both fronts. Yet, Li Mao wasn’t easy to deal with either—he had 50,000 troops in Nanyang, eyeing the capital region. But he hadn’t had the chance yet. If Li Heng withdrew his troops while he was engaged in battle with An Lushan, Li Mao might take the opportunity to attack the capital region.
“General, I think keeping the south in a state of stalemate is more beneficial for us than otherwise,” Wei Qingping said softly.
Li Qing’an nodded. Wei Qingping was right. With Li Heng holding back Li Mao, Li Mao wouldn’t dare attack the capital region. Maintaining a strategic balance in the south was in his best interest.
Thinking this, Li Qing’an smiled and said, “I decide to do Guo Shu Han a favor by sending troops to assist. But there’s no need to actually go to Jingxiang—just creating the illusion is enough!”
……

Two days later, Li Qing’an’s orders reached Chenliu. At that time, Li Guangbi’s 20,000-strong army was stationed there. Chenliu is today’s Kaifeng, a place of great strategic importance—It can prevent the armies from Jianghuai from advancing northward and defend against forces from Hebei from moving southward. It was also an important transit point for grain transport along the Bian River.

This area had originally been Xu Shuyi’s base, but in order to concentrate his forces to confront Li Qing’an and gain support from An Lushan, he abandoned Chenliu and gathered his troops along the Hua Zhou area. As a result, Li Guangbi easily occupied this strategic location.

On the day Li Qing’an’s orders arrived in Chenliu, Li Guangbi was ordered to launch an attack. He personally led 10,000 cavalrymen, equipped with double-mounted horses, like a sharp sword, crossing Songzhou and heading straight for Xuzhou, hundreds of miles away. Two days later, Li Guangbi’s cavalry captured Xuzhou, but they did not stop there and continued southward toward Sizhou. Just one day later, the vanguard of the Anxi army—3,000 elite cavalrymen—reached Huaiyin County.

In just three days, the Anxi cavalry had traveled a thousand miles from Chenliu to Huaiyin, less than 300 miles from Yangzhou. The sudden onslaught of the Anxi army shocked the region of Jianghuai.

Appeals for help flew to Yangzhou like snowflakes. Chaos reigned in the Yangzhou military camp. King Wu Li Lin was stunned by this news. He had originally planned to send troops to Jingxiang again to join forces with the Southern Tang army to eliminate Li Mao’s forces. Now, with the Anxi army pressing on Huaiyin and only one day’s march away from Yangzhou, he dared not send troops to Jingxiang anymore. Instead, he sent urgent messages by carrier pigeon to the Jiannan army in Jingxiang for help. At the same time, he ordered the ferries on the Yangtze River to be prepared, so that he could retreat to the river and escape by boat once the Anxi army attacked Yangzhou.

However, after occupying Huaiyin, the Anxi army did not continue southward but instead eyed Yangzhou warily, holding their arrows ready but not firing.

This was the power of Li Qing’an’s forces—a display of strength, a trend. Here, it was not only a demonstration of power but also a threat and a warning. Although the Anxi army that reached Huaiyin consisted of only 3,000 cavalrymen, this military momentum froze Li Lin’s 100,000-strong army and halted Li Heng’s plans to capture Jingxiang in the east.

It was as if under some spell, the entire southern battlefield fell into a frozen stalemate, just like in the depths of winter.

…

But just as even the coldest winters have animals that brave the cold to find food, despite the Anxi army’s thunderous advance into Jianghuai, some still dared to target them.

This man was Xu Shuyi. He led 70,000 troops and took shelter in a narrow area near the Yellow River in Huazhou, too afraid to advance south or retreat east. Yet the Anxi Army also did not attack him, merely confronting him in Zhengzhou. Over twenty days had passed without any sign from the Anxi Army of intending to wage war.

As the stalemate prolonged, Xu Shuyi’s fear of the Anxi Army gradually faded, and he began to consider breaking free from this situation, even thinking of testing the Anxi Army’s strength. Coincidentally, at that time, Li Guangbi led 10,000 cavalry southward, leaving only 10,000 troops in Chenliu, which seemed rather weak. Xu Shuyi saw an opportunity to break the deadlock. If he attacked Chenliu, Li Qingan would surely send troops to rescue it, thereby creating a chance for An Lushan’s forces on the north bank of the river to carry out his original plan.

In fact, Xu Shuyi’s concerns were not unfounded. He believed the Anxi Army was delaying its attack on Huazhou, waiting until An Lushan withdrew completely before dealing with him. So he wanted to start a war while An Lushan’s forces were still in Weizhou. Driven by this determination, Xu Shuyi personally led 30,000 troops in a lightning attack on Chenliu…

At that time, the Yellow River of the Tang Dynasty had not yet been diverted to flow through Huai. There were no major rivers in Bianzhou, only numerous small and medium-sized rivers. The dense river network and fertile land made Bianzhou the most prosperous grain-producing region in Henan Province. Vast fields stretched as far as the eye could see, with villages and towns scattered among them, along with winding rivers and extensive forests.

At night, a large cavalry unit sped north along the wide official road. It was 10,000 Anxi cavalry, marching north like a surging iron tide.

This Anxi cavalry was the force stationed in Chenliu. After Li Guangbi moved south, they were led by General Li Sheng. Li Sheng had also returned from Longyou with Li Guangbi. After suppressing the Tibetans, there was no need for him to stay in Longyou any longer. Li Guangbi, valuing him, brought him back to the Central Plains.

Attending to intelligence and analyzing the trends of war are essential qualities for a great general. Li Sheng became one of the famous generals of the mid-Tang Dynasty thanks to his meticulous thinking, accurate judgment of the situation, and exceptional skill in using unconventional tactics.

As Li Guangbi led his troops south, leaving only 10,000 troops in Chenliu, Li Sheng grew wary of Xu Shuyi. He keenly sensed that Xu Shuyi was likely to launch a surprise attack on Chenliu. Therefore, he sent nearly a hundred scouts to Huazhou to monitor Xu Shuyi’s every move. Almost as soon as Xu Shuyi led 30,000 troops south to launch a surprise attack on Chenliu, Li Sheng received intelligence right away.

He immediately sent a pigeon to seek Li Qing’an’s advice. Li Qing’an replied with just one word: Fight!
Li Sheng was full of confidence. Most people would think that the Anxi Army would defend Chenliu City firmly, relying on its sturdy walls, and then send for reinforcements from the main Anxi Army forces not far away in Zhengzhou—this would be the normal and safe approach. Yet Li Sheng immediately decided not to defend Chenliu but to take the initiative to attack, using the agility of his cavalry to crush Xu Shuyi’s surprise assault. This was undoubtedly an extremely bold and risky move.
The Anxi Army marched at great speed. In just one day, they reached Fengqiu County north of Bianzhou. By then, it was already dark, and as they neared Huazhou territory, Li Sheng ordered them to slow down and wait for news from scouts.
At that moment, a scout on horseback rushed over from afar. He galloped up to Li Sheng, stopped his horse, and bowed, saying, “Reporting to General Li, Xu Shuyi’s army is already fifty li away!”
Li Sheng was slightly surprised. Had Xu Shuyi’s army arrived so quickly? Only fifty li away—Xu Shuyi must have noticed them by now. After a brief moment of thought, he asked, “Did you encounter Xu Shuyi’s scouts?”
“We encountered a small scouting party. We fought fiercely. Eight of their ten men were killed, one was seriously injured, and one escaped despite being wounded. We are incompetent! Please punish us, General.”
Li Sheng waved his hand, saying there was no need for punishment. The enemy wasn’t stupid either; they wouldn’t send just one scouting party. This plain area wasn’t like mountainous regions where it was easy to hide. His army of ten thousand couldn’t avoid being detected by their spies.
He looked around. The area was flat with vast farmlands, and a river flowed from south to north. Compared to the south, Fengqiu County had sparse forests, making it difficult to hide, but the flat terrain was ideal for cavalry battles.
Li Sheng knew a fierce battle was inevitable. He immediately ordered, “Pass my command: the entire army must prepare for battle right where they are!”
The ten thousand Anxi soldiers dismounted. They fed their horses water and hay to keep them strong, while checking their bows, crossbows, spears, and other weapons. This was the combat discipline developed over years of warfare in Anxi. No orders were needed—everyone knew what to do. Many sat cross-legged with their eyes closed to rest, knowing that maintaining full strength was the key to victory in such a battle.
Time passed slowly. An hour later, the scout returned with news, “General Li, Xu Shuyi’s thirty thousand troops are already ten li away and are speeding toward us.”

Li Sheng couldn’t help but sneer. It seemed Xu Shuyi had indeed discovered them, and he was eager to claim credit, determined to annihilate them. Great!
Li Sheng immediately gave a low order: “Pass my command—prepare for battle!”
After an hour of rest, the Anxi Army became vibrant once again. They mounted their horses, loaded their bows and crossbows, drew their swords, raised their round shields, and sharpened their spears. A desire for battle flashed in every soldier’s eyes.
They seemed to have turned into professional soldiers—war was their feast, killing was their delicacy. It had been a long time since they had experienced such an exciting “moonlight feast.”
Under the cold moonlight, small black dots appeared on the distant horizon. These dots grew closer, forming a long line of darkness that surged toward them!
They had arrived. The Anxi Army, like leopards that had spotted prey, began to radiate a murderous aura. This aura, like an nuclear explosion, sent powerful shockwaves in all directions.
Li Sheng’s pupils narrowed to slits as he ordered, word by word: “Prepare for the charge! Reward based on heads taken!”