Chapter 624: The Army of Lingnan

In the conflict between the two nations, the envoy was not executed, and Zhang Zhijie left unharmed. Yet Li Lin grew increasingly troubled. He understood the meaning behind Li Qingan’s letter—it was a final ultimatum to withdraw from Jiangnan. Logically, this was exactly what he had wanted all along. But previously, blocked by Jingxiang, he had been unable to retreat westward, which had left him deeply frustrated.

For some reason, now that Jingxiang had fallen to the Jiannan army and he could retreat westward at any time, there was a subtle change in Li Lin’s letter. He was less willing to leave Jiangnan. Perhaps without the worry of having his back covered, he developed a stronger attachment to it. Since he could retreat at any time, why not try to stay?

It was this indecision that filled Li Lin’s heart with conflict and distress. He paced back and forth inside the tent with his hands behind his back. Some in the tent advised him to withdraw, while others urged him to stay.

Deputy commander Li Chengshi and advisor Li Bai advised withdrawal: “The best strategy now is to preserve our strength. With the strength of the Anxi Army and Li Qingan leading an expedition to Jiangnan, we have no chance of winning. It’s better to retreat westward to Jingxiang and take over Li Mao’s former forces. This won’t only spare us losses but also allow us to maintain our strength.”

Meanwhile, the other three advisors unanimously advised Li Lin to stay: “The northern army is unaccustomed to naval battles. Even if they build warships, it will take two or three months before they can cross the river. And even then, their ships can’t compare to those of Jiangnan’s navy. Ge Shu Han is the best proof—such a brave general was killed by a boatman in battle. Besides, even if we retreat westward, we may not be able to stay in Jingxiang; we might end up guarding Nanzhao. Moreover, An Lushan in Hebei hasn’t been subdued yet. If he launches a counterattack, Li Qingan will have to withdraw northward, leaving us divided by the river. It’s not too early to give up Jiangnan. Also, if Li Qingan could cross the river to attack, why would he send envoys to threaten us? That shows he’s at a loss too.”

The two factions argued endlessly, leaving Li Lin extremely annoyed. “Enough! Get out all of you!”

He drove everyone out of the tent and sat down on the soft couch, staring blankly at the map of Jiangnan before him. How could he bear to give up this land full of natural treasures?

Just then, footsteps were heard outside the tent. The curtain was lifted, and his son Li Yi rushed in. Perhaps only his son could enter the tent without reporting. Li Lin doted greatly on his son, indulging him in every way and even granting him some military authority. But today, he was annoyed by his son’s rudeness toward the envoys from the north.

“Why such haste? What’s the matter?”

With a hint of dissatisfaction in his tone, Li Yi understood his father’s feelings. He knelt down and said, “I was too impulsive just now. Please punish me, Father.” Instead of admitting his rudeness, he blamed his impulsiveness, which he attributed to his youth and vigor—traits that could be forgiven, especially since a father would never scold his son for being impulsive. With this act of kneeling, the slight dissatisfaction in Li Lin’s heart vanished instantly. He nodded and said, “I don’t blame you for being impulsive, but remember next time not to be reckless. If it weren’t for me stopping you today, you would have caused a deep enmity between me and Prime Minister Zhang. Do you know that messenger was Prime Minister Zhang’s son?” “I already know, Father. That’s why I regret it so much and ask for your punishment.” “It’s fine. Just learn from this lesson.” Seeing someone else at the door, seemingly about to enter, Li Lin asked, “Is there anything else?” Given Li Yi’s character, he would never bow his head over such matters—whether it was Zhang Yun’s son or even the crown prince, he wouldn’t care. But if he did bow his head, it would only mean he had a request of his father. “Father, I just received news that He Guangping, the military governor of the five prefectures in Lingnan, has led 30,000 troops northward.” “What!” Li Lin was shocked. He Guangping had always been loyal to the Northern Tang. His arrival northward surely wasn’t to help him but rather to assist Li Qingan in besieging him. He quickly asked, “Where have the Lingnan troops arrived?” Li Yi turned around and waved, and the messenger at the door stepped in, kneeling down and reporting, “Your Highness, the Lingnan troops have reached Yuzhang in Hongzhou and are moving eastward.” It was strange that the Lingnan troops hadn’t taken the sea route, but Li Lin didn’t have time to worry about that. Anxiously, he went to the map, unrolled it. Yuzhang was today’s Nanchang. If the Lingnan troops continued northward and then eastward for another half month, they could reach Hangzhou and Huzhou—prosperous regions in the south with extremely weak defenses. If they really captured Hangzhou, the southern armies would be trapped between two fronts. This sudden news left Li Lin at a loss, but Li Yi’s eyes sparkled with excitement. He Guangping had arrived at just the right time to boost the morale of his troops. Moreover, Li Yi was very interested. The Lingnan troops might not compare to the Anxi troops, but he had never had the chance to command a major battle. How could he pass up such an opportunity?

“Your Majesty, need not worry. Li Qing’an has no warships and cannot cross the great river right away. Let me lead the troops to confront the Lingnan army. They only number 30,000—nothing to fear. I’m confident I can defeat them in one battle. This will boost the morale of our troops greatly. Father, this is a perfect chance to strengthen our unity!”
Li Lin was somewhat persuaded by his son’s words. If it were the Anxi army, he would never dare to confront them, but since it was the Lingnan army, the situation was different. He also wanted his son to lead the troops and hone his leadership skills. His only concern was that his son was too young.
After some thought, Li Lin said, “You may go. I’ll assign Li Chengshi as your deputy commander. And bring as many troops as possible—after all, the enemy has 30,000 men. You need twice that number so that I can feel at ease.”
Li Yi was overjoyed. Though he wanted to fight independently without Li Chengshi as his deputy, he knew that his father’s decision to lead troops in battle was already the greatest concession he could make. Moreover, his father giving him 60,000 troops was a decisive step toward him fully taking control of the military.
“Thank you, Father. I’ll set out tomorrow to block the Lingnan army outside Hangzhou and Huzhou.”
……
The nearly month-long calm in the north of the river greatly reduced the pressure on the Jiangnan army, making it possible for Li Lin to divide his forces. To intercept the advancing Lingnan army, at the end of December, Prince Xiangcheng Li Yi, as the main commander and Li Chengshi as the deputy, led 60,000 troops from Runzhou toward Hangzhou in the south.
The main camp in Jiangdu, Yangzhou—just the day after Li Yi led his troops southward—a detailed report appeared on Li Qing’an’s desk. It covered everything from the total number of troops to the count of soldiers in each branch, the number of warhorses, the transportation of provisions, and the marching routes. All the data was extremely detailed—something ordinary scouts could not accomplish. Undoubtedly, Li Qing’an had planted many spies in the Jiangnan army’s camp and even bribed some key officials.
Everything was unfolding according to his plan. The only slight deviation was that Li Qing’an had assumed Li Lin would send 70,000 troops south, but he had overestimated. Li Lin ultimately sent only 60,000 troops, which was somewhat disappointing.
In fact, Li Qing’an had been planning to seize Jiangnan for half a year. He had carefully devised one trap after another, including capturing the salt ports, announcing the construction of 300 large ships within two months, and sending Zhang Zhijie as an envoy to Jiangnan. All of these were feints. By doing nothing, he aimed to deceive the Jiangnan army into believing that the Anxi army was unskilled in naval combat, had no warships, and could not cross the river to attack.

He spent nearly a month deceiving the enemy and had already achieved initial success—Li Lin had lowered his guard and sent troops south to confront the Lingnan army. Of course, the Lingnan army’s advance north was also part of his plan, a crucial part at that. His goal was to get Li Lin to move his troops away from the Yangtze River, the farther the better. All the smoke screens he had deployed earlier served the same purpose. Conquering Jiangnan would be a piece of cake for Li Qing’an; even without warships, he could still do it easily. Li Lin’s defenses stretched only from Jiangning to Jiangyin, so he could cross the river using grain transport ships in Dangtu west of Jiangning or on Hudu Island east of Jiangyin, thereby bypassing Li Lin’s defensive lines and allowing the Anxi cavalry to head straight for Runzhou. But if that happened, Li Lin’s hundred-thousand-strong army would board thousands of warships and advance up the Yangtze River. The Anxi army, far from being a match for the Jiangnan navy in the vast river, would suffer heavy losses and could only watch helplessly as Li Lin’s army moved away. That wasn’t his strategic goal. His goal was not only to seize Jiangnan but also to annihilate Li Lin’s entire army of a hundred thousand. In that case, getting Li Lin’s troops away from the Yangtze River was the most critical step. Li Qing’an gently threw the report on the table, a hint of triumph on his lips. He stood up and slowly walked to the entrance of the tent, hands behind his back, gazing south. In five days, at most five days, he would receive a message from Li Baozhen via carrier pigeon. “General, although Li Yi is brave, his arrogance will cost him his life!” Zhang Zhijie whispered beside him. Li Qing’an glanced at him. He knew about the humiliation Zhang Zhijie had suffered in the Jiangnan camp—that slap was enough to make Zhang Zhijie hold a grudge against Li Yi for life. Li Qing’an smiled faintly and said, “I’ve been studying Li Yi for half a year now. He is Li Lin’s only son, raised in the palace from a young age, doing as he pleases. At the age of eight, he killed a eunuch who had followed him since childhood over a trivial matter—it was his first time killing. By eleven, he was already as tall as an adult. At twelve, he raped one of Li Lin’s concubines without facing any punishment. In the same year, he killed one of Li Lin’s guards but was praised by Li Lin. From then on, he abandoned literature for martial arts. Li Lin hired famous martial artists from all over to teach him powerful combat skills. He’s only eighteen this year, but the number of people he’s killed is countless, and the number of women he’s raped is even greater…” “That man is a demon!” Zhang Zhijie gritted his teeth. “No!”

Li Qing’an shook his head and said disdainfully, “Calling him a demon is an insult; he’s nothing but an ignorant and reckless brat.” At these words, a look of contempt appeared on Li Qing’an’s face. “He wields a large iron spear. He thinks it weighs 140 jin, but in reality it only weighs 138 jin. I probably know more about him than he does himself. Li Lin’s army will surely be defeated by him.”