Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3719 The Tube's Tube
Under the cover of artillery fire, about a hundred paces from the forward artillery positions, in a low-lying area near the banks of the Sishui River, another silent battle was quietly taking place.

Nearly a hundred cavalrymen, covered in mud from head to toe, almost blending into their surroundings, were frantically digging at the ground like moles. They weren't digging trenches for defense, but rather carrying out a more meticulous and covert operation…

Level and reinforce the planned attack route.

They were "new" soldiers selected by Fei Qian from the ranks: "siege soldiers".

Or you could call them "engineers".

Ancient armies did not have a specialized division of labor similar to the "engineers" of later times, mainly because in cold weapon warfare, field battles were the main focus, and there were fewer instances of attacking fortified positions.

Large-scale, long-term, and sustained battles against adversity are even fewer.

A siege lasting a year or two is common, but a siege lasting ten or eight years is rare.

At the same time, the tactical and civil engineering technology required for cold weapons was relatively simple. The technical skills required for building fortifications, digging trenches, erecting pontoon bridges, and constructing simple siege weapons such as battering rams, ladders, and catapults were relatively simple, and ordinary soldiers or even laborers could complete the work under the command of individual craftsmen.

Furthermore, ancient warfare often involved a combination of farming and military service, or temporary conscription, which resulted in a lack of specialization and refinement in the military. Soldiers typically served during the off-season for farming. This non-professional, highly mobile, and unstructured military system made establishing and maintaining long-term specialized technical branches extremely difficult and costly in feudal dynasties…

Of course, the most crucial point is still mindset.

It's like some people can't see the ordinary people at the grassroots level, and they even feel annoyed when others mention ordinary people.

After all, the officials are kind-hearted and can't bear to see the common people suffer, let alone see them rise up and drive Land Rovers...

For ancient feudal rulers, training and maintaining a dedicated engineering force, which was likely to remain idle for a long time in peacetime, was seen as a huge financial burden. They saw no "benefits" in it and considered it a waste. In contrast, they felt it was more cost-effective to have cheap ordinary soldiers undertake engineering tasks when needed, or to temporarily conscript craftsmen during wartime.

But were there few civil engineering projects during the feudal era of cold weapon warfare?
Quite the opposite.

Most armies fighting in feudal dynasties were required to perform numerous basic civil engineering tasks, which were necessary for every battle, such as setting up camp, digging trenches, erecting palisades, building temporary roads, constructing simple bridges, and building siege equipment.

These jobs are completely unknown to people from families without military lineage, ordinary military personnel, or those who have not undergone systematic training.
This is why in ancient times, many scholars were excellent at theoretical warfare but were utterly inept on the battlefield. These armchair strategists lacked understanding of the intricacies of military operations. A single misstep, or a failure to provide adequate instructions, could lead to soldiers defecating or urinating upstream, which in turn contaminates the water downstream, resulting in the soldiers downstream drinking the contaminated water and thus polluting themselves…

Fei Qian was a commander who was "detached" from the front lines, and given his views from later generations, he would inevitably push forward the professionalization of the military academy.

Especially after the invention of gunpowder.

The development of gunpowder, especially highly efficient blasting techniques, has made it possible and relatively efficient to destroy fortified structures.

This has created a huge demand for professionals skilled in blasting techniques.

As artillery, which developed alongside gunpowder, gradually began to dominate the battlefield, the technical requirements for fortification and counter-fortification—that is, how to build bastions and fortifications that could withstand artillery fire, and how to efficiently dig fortifications, set up obstacles, and destroy enemy fortifications—increased dramatically, far exceeding the complexity of the era of cold weapons.

The amount of civil engineering work undertaken by the Flying Cavalry also increased dramatically after the invention of gunpowder.

However, some problems also arose during this process.

Originally, it was one or two craftsmen leading a group of soldiers, saying they would do this and that. But over time, they discovered that the specific operational processes differed. Even though it was the same task of paving roads and building bridges, and even though it was the same craftsman directing, the time required for the work and the final result could be completely different.

This led Fei Qian to gradually refine his thinking on the future improvement of the military.

Zhao Hong's artillery series, along with the emerging "engineer" series specifically responsible for engineering, is a manifestation of Fei Qian's push for the refinement of military branches.

Everyone is an individual, so even in the military, which places the greatest emphasis on collectivism, differences will emerge...

Just as Zhao Hong enjoyed the thrill of the roar of cannons, Chen Wu preferred the solid feeling of having his feet firmly planted on the ground.

The engineering corps leader was Chen Wu, a lean and capable middle-aged man.

He crouched down, using the smoke from the cannons and the nearby reeds for cover, to carefully examine the condition of the soil beneath his feet.

"Here! Lay down gravel! Lay down planks!" Chen Wu directed.

The engineers behind him immediately began to operate according to the instructions.

They moved swiftly, yet tried their best to avoid making loud noises, working efficiently and smoothly.

Soil was filled into straw bags, while gravel was passed from behind.

The ground beneath their feet, which was initially muddy and low-lying, gradually began to harden.

This originally muddy area has been layered with gravel, hardwood planks, and even broken bricks and clay transported from Luoyang. The low-lying, waterlogged areas have gradually been transformed into passable, "hidden" roads.

The reconstruction of Heluo required a large number of bricks, stones, and tiles, and defective products and byproducts were transported here from nearby areas.

These materials formed a solid framework in the mud, which was then covered with camouflage made from relatively dry, hard soil and turf taken from the edge of the trench.

A 'hard passage' about two zhang wide, disguised on the surface to blend in with the surrounding environment, but with an exceptionally solid foundation, was extending inch by inch toward the earthen rampart amidst the noise of artillery fire and in the blind spot of Cao Cao's army.

This is a blind spot for Cao Cao's army, because it was not originally suitable for soldiers to advance.

However, now, during each feint attack under the cover of artillery, the infantry of the cavalry would deliberately crush and compact a certain muddy area along their seemingly random advance and retreat routes, and secretly throw down materials such as gravel and planks.

The engineering squad would then follow up on these areas under the cover of darkness or artillery smoke to carry out more detailed reinforcement and camouflage.

"Team leader, Cao Gou didn't notice we're at the entrance to Section C, the section we filled in yesterday. It's perfectly stable to step on now!"

A young sapper, his face covered in mud, darted over from the other end, half-bent over, and excitedly whispered his report.

Chen Wu nodded, a smile appearing on his mud-covered face.

This is one of the real purposes behind their repeated "feint attacks".

Using the roar of artillery to attract attention, and the advance and retreat of infantry as cover and "steamrollers," they carved out and reinforced multiple relatively concealed assault routes in the mud and obstacles right under Cao Cao's nose, allowing heavy infantry and even cavalry to pass quickly!

These passages avoid the direct attack range of the earthen ramparts heavily fortified by Cao Cao's army. The known trap areas are like venomous snakes lurking in the shadows, waiting for the moment to strike fatally!
A moment later, Chen Wu looked up towards the direction of Cao Cao's army.

The shelling has ceased, and the last wisp of smoke is dissipating in the twilight.

On Cao Cao's earthen ramparts, shadowy figures began to move again, and faint curses could be heard, seemingly mocking the Flying Cavalry's "all bark and no bite."

Chen Wu grinned silently, revealing a set of white teeth that stood out against his mud-covered face.

Laugh, laugh to your heart's content.

When the final assault sounds, and your earthen ramparts are breached by an unexpected 'shortcut,' I hope you'll still be able to laugh.

"withdraw!"

Chen Wu decisively gave the order.

Taking advantage of the fact that Cao Cao's army's attention was drawn back to the front of the earthen ramparts, the engineers, carrying their tools, quickly disappeared from Cao Cao's sight along the pre-planned concealed routes.

All that remained were hardened paths that had quietly taken shape beneath the mud, leading to the vital points of Cao Cao's earthen fortifications.

……

……

The lights were bright in the central army commander's tent.

Fei Qian was not wearing armor, but only dressed in a plain dark robe. He was carefully reviewing reports that were similar to those submitted by mid-level military academies such as Zhao Hong and Chen Wu, which may still carry some traces of gunpowder and the smell of dirt.

On the detailed local map, Cao Cao's fortifications at the earthen mounds were clearly outlined with vermilion ink.

Below the map, several paths, finely marked with ink lines, resemble several sharp swords poised to strike. They originate from the front lines of the Flying Cavalry, cleverly avoiding the deep trenches and trap zones marked by Cao Cao's army, and directly attacking the key weak points of Cao Cao's earthen ramparts.

Zhang Liao stood to the side, his gaze also fixed on the few ink lines on the map, his eyes showing a mixture of amazement and bewilderment.

He was a veteran soldier of the Han Dynasty, especially skilled in frontline command and possessing great martial prowess, capable of breaking through enemy lines and always victorious. However, he felt somewhat lost in the face of Fei Qian's "new tactics".

Pang Tong was also reviewing the various reported data, then slowly said, "My lord, Commandant Zhao's records of the intervals between artillery bombardments and Captain Chen's route survey map are both complete. We have figured out the patterns in Cao Cao's army's reaction time, turtling range, and recovery speed to our artillery fire. We can begin preparing for battle..."

Fei Qian put down the report and gently tapped his finger on the core area of ​​Cao Jun's earthen rampart where the ink lines converged.

"Cao Zilian only knows that we want to attack the fortifications, but he doesn't know when, where, or how we will attack..." Fei Qian's voice was calm, carrying a sense of confidence in controlling the overall situation. "Cao's army wants to use high walls and deep trenches to wear down our forces... Heh, now we are using them as a whetstone to hone the coordination and teamwork between our different parts..." Zhang Liao looked at Fei Qian, and couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions.

He truly never imagined that a battle could be fought like this...

The troops coming from Longxi included Qiang and Han people, some were originally farmers and others were originally bandits. Although they had undergone a period of training, it did not mean that the different groups could integrate seamlessly and cooperate closely.

Zhang Liao originally believed that during the battle, the "impurities" in the army would be tempered out in the battle, eventually becoming refined and sharp peerless battle blades.

However, Fei Qian's approach was to conduct drills and feints before the battle, and then, through extensive military academy records, eliminate any "imperfections" directly before the frontline combat began. These imperfections were then either assigned to different roles or reassigned for use in the rear...

For example, Zhao Hong, and Chen Wu.

Zhao Hong liked cannons.

Some Qiang people were so frightened by the cannons that they prostrated themselves in fear, while Zhao Hong wished he could sleep next to the cannons every night.

Of course, the most crucial thing is not sleeping, but that Zhao Hong, without the support of ballistics and mathematical models, could adjust the firing angle and ammunition load solely based on his spatial imagination, thus making the artillery's landing point more accurate.

It's a talent.

If Fei Qian hadn't discovered it, and if the craftsmen and military academy hadn't compiled and reported it, Zhao Hong might still be wielding a knife, hacking and slashing face-to-face with Cao Cao's soldiers on the battlefield.

So, will Zhao Hong's "artillery accuracy buff" actually work?
Similarly, there was Chen Wu.

How about sending Zhao Hong and Chen Wu to the front lines to fight, wielding swords and spears?
It's possible, but it would undoubtedly be a waste, like stuffing golden nanmu wood into a stove to cook rice.

Before Fei Qian, no, even for most of the feudal dynasties, there was no concept of "making the best use of everyone's talents," but only the pride of "a large population."

Doing these things takes time...

However, some people simply don't like to spend time on it, and are even used to saying things like "If you don't do it, there are plenty of others who will." This permeated every corner of the feudal dynasty, blocking the path of some people who should have had the opportunity to display their talents.

The essence of this statement is that the rulers regard laborers as tools that can be replaced at will!

Tools are not people.

The reason why this phrase can become a typical threat to workers is that feudal rulers (from emperors and nobles to landlords and bureaucrats) monopolized almost all core resources for survival—land, official positions, promotion channels, and even personal freedom.

Peasants depended on the land of landlords, scholars depended on the imperial examination system and the bureaucratic system, and merchants depended on the permission and protection of the government.

In an environment where resources are highly monopolized and scarce, individuals have almost no bargaining power and no room for choice.

"If you don't do it" means losing your means of survival, while "there are plenty of people who will do it" cruelly demonstrates the buyer's market advantage of labor brought about by this monopoly.

Individuals are no longer seen as beings with dignity and unique value, but merely as 'tools' or 'consumables' to complete a task or fill a position.

In the feudal system, whether it was peasants, artisans, soldiers at the bottom, or officials at the middle level, or even some ministers at the top, they could all be regarded as replaceable parts in the face of higher levels of power. Their individual skills, loyalty, and contributions seemed insignificant in the face of "there are plenty of people."

At the same time, the ruling class systematically and effectively creates and maintains fear and a sense of powerlessness by constantly repeating this rhetoric, forcing ordinary people to submit to the existing order and suppressing their consciousness of resistance...

But Fei Qian knew that a normal society needs a diverse range of ideas to flourish.

The flourishing of diverse cultures during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods gave rise to the Chinese civilization that has endured for thousands of years.

During the Industrial Revolution in the West, a hundred flowers bloomed, with the Age of Exploration and Colonialism, and various ideologies surged forth. But in China, the prevailing attitude remained, "If you don't do it, someone else will..."

The earliest civilization to demonstrate human diversity was China, but it was also the earliest to eradicate diversity.

Fei Qian raised his head, his gaze seemingly piercing through the tent and landing on some unknown place.

After a moment, Fei Qian looked at Pang Tong, then at Zhang Liao, and said, "The time has come. Cao Cao's army is mostly used to it now... their soldiers see the cessation of artillery fire as a chance to catch their breath, and their generals are gradually becoming complacent and negligent..."

Zhang Liao understood immediately, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit. "This humble general requests permission to lead the vanguard and break through Cao Cao's earthen fortifications!"

Fei Qian nodded slightly. "Good. Order all departments to prepare according to the plan. Cook at midnight and depart at dawn! First, break through this outer layer of earthen ramparts!"

Outside the command tent, the night wind began to rise, causing the banners to flutter loudly.

……

……

Dawn in Gongxian County carries a rare crisp chill in the summer air.

The eastern horizon was tinged with the pale light of dawn, making the outlines of Cao Cao's earthen ramparts and walls appear even more menacing.

Most of Cao's soldiers behind the earthen ramparts were still huddled in their makeshift shacks, trying to hold onto the last bit of warmth.

The sentry on night duty, holding his spear, leaned against the cold battlements, his eyelids heavy and he yawned incessantly.

The cavalry's routine of making a lot of noise but doing little for more than ten consecutive days had long since worn away the initial fear, leaving only a deep-seated exhaustion and an almost numb "instinctive reaction."

When the cannon fires, take cover; when it stops, peek out.

It goes on and on, like a pendulum etched into one's very bones.

On the west bank of the river, the positions of the Flying Cavalry Army seemed to remain silent.

There was no usual pre-dawn commotion or the smoke from cooking fires; even the neighing of warhorses was deliberately suppressed.

Amidst the indifferent silence of Cao's soldiers, countless eyes gleamed sharply in the pre-dawn light, like a pack of wolves poised to pounce.

The soldiers silently inspected the straps of their armor, rubbed the tips of their swords and spears, looked at each other, and awaited the order.

The air was thick with tension, like a fully drawn bow, waiting for the first note to be released.

Forward artillery positions. The muzzles of four six-pound cannons are pointed darkly at the junction of the western fortress sections B and C on the opposite bank.

That area was the core region where Cao Cao's army habitually retreated, as determined by Zhao Hong after repeated firing tests. It was also the weak point that the extra passage laid by engineer Chen Wu ultimately pointed to.

Zhao Hong stood at the artillery observation post, his eyes fixed on the blurry figures of several sentries on the western rampart.

The soldiers filled the drip chamber with water.

Water droplets fell into the bucket at the bottom of the dripper, making a rhythmic sound.

Target confirmed: Joint between sections B and C.

Zhao Hong spoke slowly and deliberately, with unwavering resolve: "For the 'E' cannon, three jin and two liang of propellant; for the 'D' cannon, three jin exactly. The remaining two cannons, three jin and one liang. The firing angles will be adjusted according to the final calibration parameters set yesterday evening, one minute to the right for the 'E' cannon and one minute higher for the 'D' cannon."

His commands were precise down to every pound of gunpowder and every angle.

This is based on experience gained from previous rounds of shelling.

The artillerymen, like the most precise mechanical parts, operated silently and swiftly in the dim light.

The cannon barrel had already been cleaned, and the cold powder packs had been stuffed in. The solid bullets held in the soldiers' hands reflected a faint light in the dim light.

With a slight adjustment to the muzzle, the winch emitted a faint, teeth-grinding creak.

Every movement has been practiced hundreds of times, so smooth that there is not a single unnecessary movement.

Under the central command flag, Fei Qian stood quietly, draped in a dark cloak. He didn't look at the map again; his gaze passed over the Sishui River and landed on the outline of the still-sleeping earthen mound.

Zhang Liao, fully armored, stood to one side, his hand on the hilt of his sword, slightly raising his head to look at the pale white, pale yellow, and pale red hues appearing on the horizon.

The messengers stood like statues at each key point, their eyes fixed on Fei Qian's figure and the command flag behind him.

"My lord, the time is now."

Pang Tong looked at the numbers on the water clock and said in a low voice.

Fei Qian nodded, then raised his hand and, in the dim morning light, swung it down sharply!