Chapter 623: The Xinde Special Forces

After Ge Shuhan’s death, ambushers from all sides rushed in to attack. His personal guards who had not crossed the river were filled with grief and fury, fighting desperately, but outnumbered and gradually losing more men. Seeing the situation turn grim, the remaining few hundred people charged out of the encirclement with a shout and headed for Jingzhou.

News of Ge Shuhan’s death reached Jingzhou a few days later. Ge Shuhan’s son, Ge Shuyao, was so devastated that he fainted. He was revived only after being rescued by his generals. Immediately, Ge Shuyao ordered his entire army to wear mourning clothes and declared a period of mourning. He also cut his fingers and wrote the words “Revenge” in blood. Gathering 30,000 elite soldiers, he led them in a massive march toward Xiangyang.

But at that very time, Li Heng’s army of 100,000 had already reached Xiangzhou. Li Mao urgently ordered his general Zhao Fengzhang to lead 50,000 troops to confront them. In the Battle of Siguang Mountain, Shi Hui, the deputy governor of Jiannan, defeated Zhao Fengzhang’s army. The 100,000 troops then advanced toward Xiangyang City. Two days later, they crossed the Shu River and arrived at the gates of Xiangyang. Meanwhile, Ge Shuyao’s 30,000 troops reached Changlin County but stopped advancing.

At that point, Li Mao still had 70,000 troops inside the city. Just as he prepared to fight to the death against Li Heng, news came from the west city that his most trusted general, Zhang Weijin, had opened the city gates and surrendered. The 70,000 troops followed Zhang Weijin and surrendered to the Jiannan army. The 100,000 Jiannan troops then invaded Xiangyang City. It was only then that Li Mao realized that killing Ge Shuhan had been self-destructive. In utter despair and regret, he set fire to the Jingwang Palace and committed suicide.

Upon hearing of Li Mao’s suicide, realizing he could not defeat the Jiannan army, Ge Shuyao led his troops back to Jingzhou. He mobilized all 800 warships in Jingzhou and left for the south of the Yangtze River.

…

The war in the south of the Yangtze River had reached a stalemate. Although the Northern Tang army was highly motivated and aggressive in their attacks, they lacked large warships. Though they had many cargo ships, they were no match for the Southern Tang navy. The 80,000 troops could only sigh in frustration as they stared at the river. At this time, Li Qing’an ordered mass shipbuilding at Baisha Port, recruiting tens of thousands of shipbuilders to build 300 large ships within two months.

News quickly reached the Southern Tang army camp on the other side of the Yangtze River. Upon hearing that the Northern army had just started building ships, Li Lin burst into laughter. He also received intelligence that his elder brother, Li Heng, was personally leading 100,000 troops on an eastern campaign toward Jingzhou and Xiangyang. All these favorable developments finally put Li Lin at ease. On one hand, he ordered patrols along the riverbank to prevent the Northern army from crossing using cargo ships. On the other hand, he eagerly awaited good news from Jingzhou and Xiangyang.

On a night at Yan Gang, cold winds blew fiercely, with the north wind howling and whipping the large flags at the port into a rhythmic flapping sound. The port was tightly guarded by tens of thousands of soldiers, making it impossible for outsiders to infiltrate within twenty miles. After successive reinforcements, the number of troops stationed at Yan Gang exceeded 30,000. The area was highly concealed—stretching for a hundred miles were nothing but vast salt fields, devoid of homes or trees. Under the army’s blockade, scouts from the southern shore could hardly reach this place, let alone discover that 30,000 troops were stationed here.

Suddenly, the loud sound of horse hooves shattered the silence of the night. Thousands of cavalry rushed in from the northwest at lightning speed. Leading them was Li Qing’an, the commander of the northern army.

Yan Gang was the first strategic stronghold captured by Li Qing’an. He wasn’t after the salt profits of Jianghuai but rather valued its unique geographical location—situated at the mouth of the Yangtze River, facing the sea directly, and blocked by Hudou Island, making it difficult for the Southern Tang forces to investigate the situation here.

Yan Gang was crucial to Li Qing’an’s success in the battles in the south of the Yangtze River. Winning those battles was almost certain; the key lay in how many Southern Tang troops could be stopped. Li Qing’an knew that his Northern Tang forces had no advantage in naval battles and might even suffer defeats, so he had to eliminate as many Southern Tang troops as possible on land.

The thousand cavalry reached the port, and General Li Baozhen led his troops forward to pay respects. “Your subordinate greets the great general.”

“Have they arrived?”

“Soon. Scouts in the east have already spotted them. They’ll be here in no more than half an hour.”

“Good! Let’s go to the dock and wait.”

Li Qing’an spurred his horse toward the dock. Dozens of ships had already been moved to Hudou Island, leaving the dock empty. A few guide boats were in place. Black waves crashed against the green stone strips on the dock, producing a resonant sound. The night was especially dark, with a thin layer of gray mist covering the river surface, but it did not hinder navigation.

Li Qing’an gazed at the vast river. Dark clouds covered the surface, blocking out even the starlight. It was a highly concealed night, and it was the army the northern forces had been waiting for for a long time.

“Great general, I’m extremely eager!” Li Baozhen slowly stepped forward. He looked at the river and let out an excited sigh—not one of melancholy, but of anticipation and excitement. Zhao Chongjie also came forward; this time, he served as an assistant general.

Li Qing’an smiled faintly and said to them, “Your task this time is directly related to the success or failure of my strategy in the south of the Yangtze River. I have only five words for you: plan thoroughly before acting.”

The two bowed together and said, “Yes! We shall obey the orders.” At that moment, Li Qing’an suddenly turned to look at the river. It seemed he sensed something. After a while, he smiled and said, “You may get ready. They have arrived.” As soon as Li Qing’an finished speaking, a shrill bell sound came from the watchtower—“Dang! Dang! Dang…” That was the signal that ships were entering the harbor. Zhao Chongjie turned his horse around and rushed toward the military camp. Li Qing’an took a few more steps forward. Then, he faintly saw a series of bright spots appearing in the sky above the river. Gradually, those spots drew closer. Dark silhouettes emerged, looking eerily strange in the mist. As the silhouettes got closer, their true form became apparent—it was a huge sea ship weighing 5,000 dan, 70 zhang high and over 20 zhang long, capable of sailing into the deep seas and braving the waves. But it wasn’t the only one; there were more bright spots in the darkness, seemingly endless—unknown numbers of sea ships were heading here. Li Qing’an naturally knew there were 300 such sea ships, loaded with 2 million dan of grain. They had come from the distant Xindu and were originally supposed to unload in Guangzhou Port. But due to the wars in the Jiangnan region, Li Qing’an ordered the 300 ships to continue northward, with their final destination being this salt port before them. Two million dan of grain and a large amount of goods from Tianzhu were to be unloaded here, but what Li Qing’an wanted was not these goods, but these 300 ships capable of sailing into the deep seas. Under the slow guidance of the lead ships, the massive sea ships stopped at the dock. The dock was about two li long and could accommodate eight large ships at once. Torches were lit, casting dim light, but the dock still appeared very dark. Hundreds of sailors worked skillfully, tightening ropes as thick as arms around iron pilings to secure the ships. The decks were opened, long ramps were placed along the ship sides, and more than a dozen special sliding boards for unloading grain were also attached to the sides. At that moment, a group of Anxi army soldiers guarding the ships quickly came down from the decks. The leading officer suddenly saw Li Qing’an, and the soldiers became extremely excited. They never expected to meet their commander here. They all stepped forward and knelt down in salute. The leading officer said, “I, Tian Jianming, a lieutenant general of the Fifth Guard of Xindu’s army, lead my troops to pay respects to the great general.” Li Qing’an was also delighted to encounter the troops from Xindu by the coast of Jiangnan. It gave him a sense of transcending time and space. He quickly stepped forward to help him up and said with a smile, “General Tian, please stand up. All of you have traveled thousands of miles—thank you for your hard work. Everyone, stand up!”

The soldiers stood up, and Tian Jianming reported, “Reporting to the General, I led a thousand men to escort the fleet. The journey was smooth. There were originally hundreds of Persian and Sogdian merchants on board; they disembarked in Guangzhou. Now, aside from the crew, there are only our thousand Anxi troops on board. There are two million dan of grain and some medicinal herbs from India, all safely preserved.”

Li Qing’an nodded and said, “This is our first time transporting grain from Sindh to the Tang Dynasty. Once this route is established, there will be even larger-scale grain shipments—five hundred or even a thousand large ships. I hope General Tian can bring me more sailors capable of long-distance voyages. Don’t disappoint me.”

Tian Jianming was overjoyed. The General meant to entrust him with important tasks. He quickly bowed and said, “I am willing to do my utmost.”

Li Qing’an smiled and then said loudly to the soldiers, “Brothers, you have traveled thousands of miles through hardships. This time, each of you will be promoted by one rank. There are even more important missions waiting for us soon. I hope you will continue to strive and achieve new feats!”

The soldiers bowed together and said, “We are willing to serve the General!”

…

As soon as the fleet reached shore, it became busy. More than thirty thousand soldiers rushed onto the large ships, unloading bags of grain. Tens of thousands of soldiers worked tirelessly until the fourth watch of the night, when two million dan of grain were finally unloaded. At that point, thirty thousand soldiers and warhorses began boarding the ships. Li Baozhen bowed to Li Qing’an and said, “General, I am setting out on this mission.”

“General Li, I wish you success and early good news!”

In the darkness, Li Qing’an stood on the dock, bowing to the soldiers departing on their mission in the night breeze. One after another, the large ships turned around and sailed into the sea in the pre-dawn darkness, heading toward the distant south.

…

A few more days passed. The armies on both sides remained locked in a stalemate. Perhaps realizing that the Northern Tang army had no ships to cross the river and was inferior in naval strength, the previously demoralized Southern Tang army gradually regained its morale. They conducted regular combat drills on the water every day. Teams of large ships patrolled back and forth in the river, with drums booming and shouts echoing, as if to intimidate the northern shore. In contrast, the northern shore remained quiet, with only some cargo ships moving quietly along the coast, transporting grain and supplies.

That afternoon, a small boat came from the northern shore, carrying a young scholar and two soldiers with him. Before the boat reached shore, several Southern Tang warships immediately approached it.

The warship surrounded the small boat on all sides, with thousands of crossbow arrows aimed at the young scholar on board. Gao Xianqi, a general of the Southern Tang, stood at the bow and shouted loudly, “Who are you?”
The young scholar on board bowed and said, “I am Zhang Zhijie, a clerk under General Li, the governor of Anxi. I have been sent by the general to deliver a message to His Highness the King of Wu.”
Zhang Zhijie remained calm and unafraid despite being surrounded by arrows. He declared loudly, “There are only three of us, and I’m just a scholar. How could we scare King Wu’s hundred-thousand-strong army into thinking they face a mighty enemy?”
Gao Xianqi stared at him for a while before waving his hand and saying, “Take him to see His Highness!”
The warship cleared a path, and the small boat slowly approached the shore. Under the escort of over a hundred men, Zhang Zhijie headed to the camp of King Wu in Dantu County.
King Wu, Li Lin, had just received a message from Xiangyang: Li Heng’s hundred-thousand-strong army had captured Xiangyang City, Li Mao had committed suicide, and Jingxiang had been taken over by the Southern Tang forces. This meant that the route for the Jiangnan army to retreat westward was finally open. The news thrilled Li Lin greatly. Soon, cheers spread throughout the camp; many people hugged each other and wept. Not a single soldier or officer wanted to fight against Li Qingan—opening the retreat route meant giving them a chance to survive.
Yet some dismissed it as insignificant. Li Lin’s son, Prince Xiangcheng, Li Yi, was a typical example. He was now full of confidence. Hadn’t Cao Cao’s eight hundred and thirty thousand troops also been defeated by just tens of thousands of the Jiangdong navy? Moreover, the enemy force numbered only eighty thousand. He didn’t take those newly recruited troops seriously at all—since their numbers were smaller than his own, what was there to fear?
Hearing the cheers in the camp, Li Yi curled his lips and said to his deputy commander, Li Chengshi, “I think my father is too cowardly. He fears Li Qingan like a tiger. Last time, when only a thousand cavalry from Anxi arrived, they scared that hundred-thousand-strong army into fleeing in panic, even abandoning Jiangdu City—becoming a laughingstock throughout the land. It’s a shame I wasn’t in Jiangdu at that time; otherwise, I would never have suffered such humiliation.”
Li Chengshi also sighed and said, “It’s not that everyone fears the Anxi army—it’s their strength that’s truly terrifying. They’ve hardly ever lost a battle. They even defeated the Arabs.”
“What are the Arabs? Just a bunch of barbarians.”
Li Yi waved his arms, clearly unconvinced, and said, “I heard they don’t even have armor, and their bows and crossbows are inferior to ours. Is it really worth boasting about defeating them?”
“Alright! Alright! Even if the Arabs are barbarians, what about the Tibetans? Those Tibetans who have given us trouble for nearly a hundred years were also destroyed by the Anxi army. That should speak for itself, right?”

Li Yi shook his head in disappointment. “Vice Marshal Li, it seems you’ve been scared half to death by Li Qing’an. Discussing the battle situation with you is a disgrace to me.” With that, he turned and headed out of the tent. “Young Prince! Young Prince!” Li Chengshi called after him repeatedly, but Li Yi ignored him completely. Li Chengshi shook his head helplessly and sighed, “A newborn calf isn’t afraid of tigers!”
…
Feeling depressed, Li Yi stepped out of the tent and happened to see soldiers leading Zhang Zhijie in his direction. He asked loudly, “What’s going on? Why are they bringing this pedantic scholar to the camp?”
Gao Xianqi bowed and replied, “Your Highness, this is a messenger sent by Li Qing’an to deliver a letter to you.”
“Oh? A messenger from Li Qing’an.”
Li Yi walked around Zhang Zhijie twice, examining him from head to toe, before suddenly reaching out and saying, “Where’s the letter? Give it to me!”
Zhang Zhijie tilted his head slightly and replied coldly, “Our general ordered that the letter must be delivered in person to King Wu.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Yi slapped him across the face. Caught off guard, Zhang Zhijie staggered and nearly fell.
He covered his face and glared at Li Yi with hatred, saying nothing. Gao Xianqi was shocked and quickly tried to stop Li Yi. “Young Prince, he’s Li Qing’an’s messenger. You shouldn’t be rude.”
“Get out of the way!”
Li Yi pushed Gao Xianqi away fiercely and said, “I’ll say it one last time—give me the letter!”
Zhang Zhijie straightened up and said proudly, “If you have the guts, just kill me!”
“You bastard!”
Li Yi swiftly drew his sword and pressed the blade against Zhang Zhijie’s neck, sneering in his ear, “Do you believe I can kill you as easily as slaughtering a chicken?”
“Is that so? Then go ahead!” Zhang Zhijie glanced at him coldly.
Just then, a loud shout came from afar—King Wu Li Lin’s voice: “You wretch! Stop at once!”
Seeing his father rushing over anxiously, Li Yi snorted, sheathed his sword, and narrowed his eyes at Zhang Zhijie, saying, “I won’t kill you. I’ll use your head to tell Li Qing’an that while others see him as a tiger, in my eyes, he’s nothing but a common chicken or dog.”
“Great! I’ll pass on your words exactly. And I hope your head stays intact for a few more days.”
By then, Li Lin had arrived. After hearing from Gao Xianqi that his son, Prince Xiangcheng Li Yi, had threatened Li Qing’an’s messenger, he was both angry and furious and rushed over to stop it.
Li Yi pushed Zhang Zhijie aside and strode away. Li Lin quickly stepped forward to calm things down, saying, “Please calm down, esteemed messenger. My son has always been arrogant and has wronged you. I will surely discipline him properly.”

Zhang Zhijie touched his face, which still throbbed with pain. He remembered this hatred well and said calmly, “I am here on orders from the Great General to deliver a message to the Southern Camp. I won’t say anything else.”
“Very well, then please, esteemed envoy!”
Zhang Zhijie nodded and followed Li Lin into the golden tent. Inside, Li Lin was discussing matters related to Jingxiang with his advisors. When they saw Zhang Zhijie enter, they all stood up.
Li Bai, however, recognized Zhang Zhijie at first glance. He had visited Zhang Yun’s residence several times before—back when Zhang Zhijie was just a teenager who sought his advice on poetry. Even after nearly ten years, he still recognized him.
“Aren’t you the son of Prime Minister Zhang?”
Zhang Zhijie hadn’t expected to meet Li Bai here. Li Bai was his greatest idol, and he was stunned. “Li… Taibai, how come you’re here?”
Li Bai felt somewhat ashamed. Back when Zhang Yun had treated him coldly, he had written, “How can I bow my head and serve the powerful…” But now, he too had become one of King Wu’s advisors. He simply bowed his hands without saying much.
Li Lin, who was standing nearby, was even more surprised. So this envoy was Zhang Yun’s son! Zhang Yun’s son had become an envoy for Li Qing’an.
“So you’re the son of Prime Minister Zhang. I was rude.”
Zhang Zhijie had recovered from his shock at seeing Li Bai and regained his composure. He took out a letter written by Li Qing’an and said, “Your Highness, King Wu, I am now an envoy of General Li. This is a personal letter from my general for you.”
A guard took the letter and handed it to Li Lin. Li Lin sat down and opened it, frowning immediately. The tone of Li Qing’an’s letter was polite—he emphasized that they were all part of the Tang army and did not want to cause further bloodshed. He advised Li Lin to withdraw from Jiangnan to avoid the complete destruction of the Jiangnan forces.