107: Chapter 17 A pincer attack by land and sea

## 1. Slaughter on the Yangtze River

On the day after the air raid, Zhao Hengti's allied forces reorganized their ranks and continued their advance toward Anqing.

The Army of 250,000 split into three routes, marching majestically along both banks of the Yangtze River. Infantrymen carried rifles in loose formations; artillerymen dragged old-fashioned field guns, trudging laboriously through the muddy roads; logistics units drove horse carriages, transporting food and ammunition. The column stretched for dozens of miles, looking from above like a giant gray snake writhing through the fields.

Zhao Hengti rode on horseback in the middle of the column. His expression was slightly better than yesterday's, but the anxiety in his eyes could not be concealed. News of the bombing of Great Britain's gunboats had already spread throughout the Army. The soldiers' morale had visibly plummeted, and even their marching speed had slowed down.

"General, Anqing is just twenty miles ahead," the adjutant reported, riding up on horseback. "No enemy forces have been detected."

"None detected?" Zhao Hengti frowned. "Where are Li Ling's troops?"

"Intelligence shows that Li Ling has deployed fewer than twenty thousand men on the south bank, and most of them are garrison troops, not his main force."

Zhao Hengti pondered, feeling that something was amiss. Li Ling was no fool; he couldn't possibly be unaware of their movements. Why would he only station twenty thousand men there?

"Continue scouting," he ordered. "Have the vanguard slow down and wait for the main force to arrive before advancing."

"Yes, sir!"

After the order was given, the column slowed down even further. The soldiers dragged their feet, some even stopping to smoke and chat. They assumed Li Ling was terrified and didn't dare to come out and fight, which actually made them lower their guard.

What they did not know was that at the Jiangyin Fortress on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, Li Ling's artillery batteries were already prepared.

Jiangyin Fortress was situated at the narrowest point of the lower Yangtze River, where the river was less than two kilometers wide. The hilltops on both banks were bristling with large-caliber coastal defense guns. These guns had been brought in by Li Ling from the Production Base, with calibers ranging from 120 mm to 305 mm, and the longest-range ones could reach up to twenty kilometers.

"My Lord, the enemy's vanguard has entered our firing range," the artillery commander reported, raising his binoculars to look at the densely packed vessels on the river. "Distance is fifteen kilometers."

"No rush," Li Ling said, standing at the highest point of the battery with binoculars in hand. "Wait until they are closer. Let them draw near, then strike them hard."

"Yes, My Lord!"

Time ticked away minute by minute. On the river, the allied fleet grew larger, with vessels of all sizes crowding the water like dumplings in a pot. The infantrymen stood on the decks; some were smoking, some were chatting, and some had even stripped off their clothes to bathe in the river, completely unaware of the approaching danger.

"My Lord, they are eight kilometers away," the artillery commander reported once more.

"Wait a bit longer," Li Ling said, putting down his binoculars. "Wait until they reach five kilometers."

Five kilometers was the optimal range for the coastal defense guns. At this distance, a 305 mm shell could easily penetrate the armor of any vessel, tearing a large ship to shreds with a single hit.

When the allied fleet reached five kilometers in front of Jiangyin Fortress, Li Ling finally gave the order.

"Fire!"

305 mm, 240 mm, 203 mm, 152 mm... Over a hundred coastal defense guns of various calibers opened fire simultaneously, raining shells down upon the river like a torrential downpour.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

In the very first volley, over a dozen vessels were hit. A large ship packed with ammunition exploded, the violent blast tearing the entire vessel to shreds. Flames soared into the sky, thick smoke billowed, and debris flew hundreds of meters away. Another troop transport was struck at the waterline; river water rushed in frantically, causing the hull to tilt rapidly. The soldiers on deck fell into the river like dumplings, struggling and crying for help in the freezing water.

"Well hit!" Li Ling put down his binoculars and slapped the railing. "Keep going! Do not stop!"

In the second volley, another dozen or so vessels were struck. A gunboat was hit by a 305 mm shell; its entire bridge was blown away, and the hull split in two, sinking to the bottom of the river in less than five minutes. A grain transport was hit, scattering grain across the river to drift away with the current.

The river became a scene of absolute chaos. Ships collided with one another, and panicked soldiers leapt into the water. Some swam desperately toward the banks, some clung to wooden planks to stay afloat, and others simply raised white flags to surrender to the batteries on the shore.

"Retreat! Retreat quickly!" the allied commanders screamed hoarsely, but it was already too late.

Li Ling's fleet charged in from the mouth of the Yangtze River.

Six Cruisers and twelve Destroyers formed a battle line, sailing upstream along the Yangtze River. Their mission was to cut off the allied forces' retreat and completely annihilate the vessels trapped on the river.

The Cruisers' main guns roared continuously, their shells kicking up towering geysers of water on the river. The Destroyers maneuvered nimbly among the vessels, reaping lives with torpedoes and naval guns.

An allied troop transport attempted to flee, but a Destroyer caught up to it. A single torpedo hit, blowing the ship into two halves that sank rapidly. Hundreds of soldiers on board had no time to jump ship and went down to the riverbed along with the vessel.

"Help! Help!" Soldiers who had fallen into the water were everywhere. Some already had lips blue with cold, while others had been struck by shrapnel, their blood staining the river red.

Li Ling stood on the battery, watching the carnage on the river with an expressionless face.

"Send word to deploy the Marine Corps to clean up the battlefield."

"Yes, My Lord!"

The Marine Corps' landing crafts sailed up from downstream. Holding their rifles, the soldiers boarded the vessels that had not yet sunk, capturing the allied soldiers who had already lost the will to fight.

The battle lasted for less than two hours.

The allied fleet was utterly destroyed—out of over three hundred vessels, more than two hundred were sunk, over eighty were captured, and fewer than twenty managed to escape by luck. Over twenty thousand soldiers were killed or captured, and blood dyed dozens of kilometers of the river red.

When the news reached the allied headquarters, Zhao Hengti was in his tent studying battle plans with his generals. Upon hearing the report, he froze completely, the pencil in his hand slipping to the ground with a soft clack.

"General, do we... still fight?" a general asked cautiously.

Zhao Hengti took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

"We fight! Why wouldn't we?" he growled through gritted teeth. "The ships are gone, but we still have the Army. Have the troops march by land, bypass Jiangyin Fortress, and cross the river from upstream!"

"But General, Li Ling's fleet has already entered the Yangtze River. If we cross from upstream, their fleet will definitely intercept us."

"Then we march further!" Zhao Hengti slammed the table. "I don't believe his fleet can block the entire Yangtze River!"

The generals looked at each other, none daring to say another word.

But they all knew in their hearts that this battle was already lost.

## 2. The Fall of Yuzhang

Just as Zhao Hengti was pulling his hair out over the river crossing, even worse news arrived.

After landing on the coast of Zhejiang, Li Ling's Marine Corps had advanced westward at an astonishing speed. Within three days, they captured Shangrao, a key town in eastern Jiangxi Province, cutting off the allied forces' connection to their rear. Meanwhile, another Army under Li Ling marched south from Anhui, bloodlessly occupying Jingdezhen, and was now advancing toward Nanchang.

"Nanchang? Is not Nanchang still in our hands?" Zhao Hengti could not believe his ears.

"General, the Nanchang garrison has only three thousand men; they cannot possibly hold off Li Ling's main force," the adjutant said anxiously. "If we do not send reinforcements, Nanchang will hold out for three days at most."

Zhao Hengti's face turned ashen.

Nanchang was the provincial capital of Jiangxi Province and one of the allied forces' rear bases. Most of the allied forces' provisions and ammunition were stored in Nanchang. If Nanchang fell, the 250,000-strong Army at the front line would be cut off from supplies. When that time came, they would collapse on their own without even a fight.

"Send orders to draw twenty thousand men from the reserves and rush them to reinforce Nanchang immediately!"

"General, if we draw troops now, Wuhan will be left vulnerable..."

"We can't worry about that now!" Zhao Hengti interrupted him. "If Nanchang is lost, we are all finished!"

The twenty thousand reinforcements set out overnight, rushing toward Nanchang. But just as they arrived outside the city of Nanchang, they were bombed by Li Ling's Air Force.

Twelve biplanes dived from high altitude, strafing with machine guns and dropping bombs, sending the marching reinforcements fleeing in panic. In just half an hour, over a thousand casualties were inflicted, and the column was completely scattered.

To make matters worse, Li Ling's ground forces had already completed the encirclement of Nanchang.

The Nanchang garrison attempted to break out, but was driven back into the city by Li Ling's Mortars and Heavy Machine Guns. Outside the city, Li Ling's artillery began pounding the city walls, shell after shell landing precisely on the walls and blowing open breaches.

"My Lord, three breaches have already been blown in the city walls," the artillery commander reported.

"Good. Have the infantry charge in. Do not get bogged down in fighting; go straight to occupy the ammunition depots and granaries," Li Ling ordered. "Remember, do not harm the citizens."

"Yes, My Lord!"

Holding their rifles, the infantry charged into the city through the breaches. The Nanchang garrison's morale was rock bottom, and they had absolutely no will to resist; most of them simply laid down their weapons and surrendered. The few who put up a stubborn resistance were quickly dealt with.

In less than two hours, Nanchang had changed hands.

Li Ling stood on the city walls of Nanchang, looking down at the streets inside. The common people hid in their homes, not daring to come out, with only a few brave ones peering out from their windows.

"Send orders to open the granaries and distribute grain to appease the citizens," Li Ling said to the officers beside him. "Tell the people of Nanchang that we are here to liberate them, not to bully them."

"Yes, My Lord!"

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

When the news reached the ears of Zhao Hengti, he was sitting in his tent, dazed. The loss of Nanchang, the rout of the reinforcements, the cut-off of supplies... one piece of bad news after another hammered against his heart, leaving him unable to catch his breath.

"General, what should we do now?" The generals surrounded him, their eyes filled with fear.

Zhao Hengti was silent for a long time before finally speaking: "Retreat. Retreat to Wuhan."

"But Li Ling's fleet has already blockaded the river. How are we supposed to retreat?"

"Retreat by land. Bypass the Jiangyin Fortress, go through the mountains of southern Anhui, and return to Wuhan from the interior."

"How long will that take?"

"I don't know." Zhao Hengti shook his head, "But it's better than waiting here to die."

Thus, the 250,000-strong Allied forces began a wretched retreat.

It was called a retreat, but in reality, it was a rout. The troops had no organization and no order; soldiers threw away their rifles, ammunition, and even food, running desperately toward the west. The officers rode on horseback at the front, completely ignoring the soldiers behind them.

Li Ling did not pursue them.

It wasn't that he didn't want to pursue; it was that there was no need. The Allied forces' supplies were cut off, and their food wouldn't last many days. Even if he didn't pursue, these people wouldn't get far.

"Pass the order: have the Air Force continue bombing the enemy's retreat route." Li Ling ordered, "Do not let them retreat in peace."

"Yes!"

Over the next three days, the Allied forces' retreat turned into a disaster.

The Air Force's planes appeared overhead every day, strafing with machine guns and dropping bombs, sending the marching Allied forces scurrying in panic. The soldiers dared not take the main roads, forced instead to take small paths, crossing mountains and ridges, exhausted. Food became scarcer, and some began to rob the common people, sparking even more conflict.

By the fourth day, the Allied ranks had completely disintegrated. Of the 250,000 men, some scattered, some fled, and some were captured; fewer than 50,000 were able to return to Wuhan.

When Zhao Hengti returned to Wuhan with his broken, defeated troops, he had lost a significant amount of weight, his eye sockets were sunken, his face was covered in stubble, and he looked ten years older.

"General, Li Ling's troops have already pursued us to the outskirts of the city." The adjutant ran over to report, "The vanguard is only fifty kilometers from Wuhan."

Zhao Hengti closed his eyes and was silent for a long time.

"Prepare for negotiations." He finally spoke, his voice hoarse and weary.

## III. Empress Su Wanqing's Concern

Jinling, Li Ling's residence.

Empress Su Wanqing sat in the prayer hall, twisting a string of prayer beads in her hands, her eyes closed, murmuring to herself. Before her was a statue of Guanyin, three sticks of incense burning in the censer, faint smoke swirling through the prayer hall.

Since Li Ling had gone on the expedition, she had come to the prayer hall to pray every day. Sometimes she would kneel for several hours, her knees bruised and purple, but she did not care. She only prayed for Li Ling's safety, only prayed for his early return.

"Sister Wanqing." Emily pushed the door open and entered, carrying a bowl of lotus seed soup, "You've been kneeling all morning again; get up and eat something."

Empress Su Wanqing opened her eyes and saw Emily standing at the door, sunlight shining in from behind her, coating her golden hair in a layer of light.

"I'm not hungry." Empress Su Wanqing shook her head and continued to twist the prayer beads.

"You have to eat even if you aren't hungry." Emily walked over, placed the lotus seed soup on the table, and pulled Empress Su Wanqing to her feet, "If you starve yourself, Li Ling will blame me when he returns."

Upon hearing the name "Li Ling," Empress Su Wanqing's eyes reddened, and tears nearly fell.

"Emily, do you think Brother Ling will be alright?" She asked, her voice trembling, "He's been gone for so long, and there hasn't even been a single letter..."

"He will be fine." Emily held her hands, comforting her, "He is so powerful, who could possibly hurt him?"

"But..."

"There are no 'buts'." Emily interrupted her, "Come, drink the lotus seed soup first. When Li Ling returns, we will go to meet him together."

Empress Su Wanqing nodded, picked up the bowl, and drank the lotus seed soup spoonful by spoonful. The syrup was very sweet, but her heart was bitter.

What she did not know was that just as she was drinking the lotus seed soup, Li Ling's messenger had already ridden hard and fast to the outskirts of Jinling.

"Victory report! Victory report! His Excellency has captured Nanchang, the Allied forces have been routed!" The messenger rode his horse, galloping through the streets of Jinling, shouting as he rode.

The common people rushed out of their houses, cheering and jumping for joy.

"His Excellency Li has won another battle!"

"The Allied forces have been defeated! The world is at peace!"

The news reached the residence while Empress Su Wanqing was continuing her prayers in the prayer hall. Hearing the commotion outside, she stood up and walked into the courtyard, seeing the maidservants excitedly discussing something.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Miss Su, His Excellency has won a battle! The Allied forces have been defeated!" the maidservant said excitedly.

Empress Su Wanqing froze for a moment, and then tears finally could not be held back and streamed down. She pressed her palms together and said to the sky: "Bodhisattva bless him, Brother Ling is alright."

She turned around, ran back into the room, and wrote a letter to Li Ling. The letter was very short, with only a few words: "Brother Ling, I am waiting for you at home."

She put the letter into an envelope, handed it to the messenger, and instructed him to make sure to deliver it personally to Li Ling.

The messenger took the letter and rode off at full speed.

Empress Su Wanqing stood at the door, watching the messenger's back disappear at the end of the street, praying silently in her heart.

Brother Ling, you must return safely.

## IV. Negotiations at the Walls of Wuhan

Outside the walls of Wuhan, Li Ling's troops had completed the encirclement.

Six divisions, 120,000 men, had surrounded Wuhan so tightly that not even water could leak through. Outside the city, artillery positions had been established, with hundreds of cannons pointed at the interior. In the sky, twelve airplanes circled, ready to drop bombs at any moment.

Inside the city, Zhao Hengti sat in the command headquarters, his face ashen.

He hadn't closed his eyes for three days. His eye sockets were sunken, his lips were cracked, and he looked like a walking corpse. Li Ling's troops outside the city were getting closer and closer, while inside the city, it was chaos—some generals advocated for a desperate defense, some advocated for a breakout, and others advocated for surrender; no one could convince anyone else.

"General, Li Ling has sent a messenger." The adjutant ran in to report.

"Let him in."

The messenger was a young officer, wearing a crisp military uniform, his back straight, his gaze like a torch. He walked in and saluted Zhao Hengti.

"General Zhao, my master's words are already written in this letter." The officer handed over a letter, "Please take a look."

Zhao Hengti took the letter and opened it to read. The letter was very short, with only a few lines:

"General Zhao, there is no enmity between us. You were misled by others and became my enemy; I do not blame you. But you must think clearly: if you continue to fight, it is your soldiers who will die. I give you three days to lay down your weapons and surrender your territory. I will guarantee your safety and your assets. If you do not surrender after three days, I will personally lead the attack on the city."

Zhao Hengti finished reading the letter, his hands trembling.

He raised his head and looked at the young officer: "Your master... will he really guarantee my safety?"

"My master's word is as heavy as nine tripods." The officer said sternly, "If he says he will protect you, he will definitely protect you."

Zhao Hengti was silent for a long time.

"Fine." He finally spoke, "I surrender."

When the news spread, there was an uproar inside Wuhan. Some generals supported it, some opposed it, but the overall situation was decided, and no one could change it.

Three days later, Zhao Hengti officially announced his surrender, and the various units including the Xiang Army, E Army, and Gan Army were disbanded on the spot and accepted reorganization by Li Ling. On the walls of Wuhan, the flag of Qingxia Kingdom was lowered, and Li Ling's military flag was raised.

When Li Ling rode into Wuhan, Zhao Hengti led all the generals, kneeling on both sides of the city gate.

"Sinner Zhao Hengti pays respects to the Regent." Zhao Hengti lowered his head, his voice hoarse.

Li Ling reined in his horse, looking down at him from above.

"Get up." His voice was very calm, "I said I would guarantee your safety, and I will not break my word. Take your family and leave Qingxia Kingdom; go to Hong Kong, or go to the Nanyang, just do not come back."

Zhao Hengti kowtowed three times, stood up, and left Wuhan with his family.

Li Ling watched his retreating figure and shook his head.

"My lord, are you just going to let him go like that?" the Chief of Staff asked, puzzled.

"Otherwise what?" Li Ling countered, "Kill him? If I kill him, who will dare to surrender in the future? What I want is not killing; it is unification."

The Chief of Staff nodded thoughtfully.

Li Ling rode into the city, with 120,000 troops behind him.

The people of Wuhan stood on both sides of the street, watching this mighty Army; some cheered, some were silent, and some had eyes filled with awe.

Li Ling did not stop, proceeding directly to the former Governor's Mansion.

The Governor's Mansion had been cleaned, the flowers in the courtyard were in bloom, and the air was filled with a faint floral fragrance. He walked into the study, sat at the desk, picked up a pen, and wrote a letter to Jinling.

The letter was written to Empress Su Wanqing:

"Wanqing, I am doing well, do not worry. Wuhan has been taken, and the Allied forces have surrendered. In a few more days, I will return. Wait for me."

After writing the letter, he put down the pen, walked to the window, and looked at the sky outside.

The setting sun was going down, and the clouds on the horizon were dyed a golden red, beautiful like a painting.

"System." He recited silently in his heart.

There was no response.

"This guy, where did it run off to again?" he muttered.

He shook his head, stopped thinking about it, turned, and walked back to the desk to continue handling official business.