Fu Shanhe

Chapter 335 The Final Torment
The sound of artillery fire mixed with shouts of killing rose straight into the sky.

The smoke of gunpowder filled the entire battlefield, blocking out the sun.

Countless rebel soldiers, braving the hail of bullets, set up ladders and risked their lives to charge towards the city walls.

"Pour the golden juice!"

Following the commander's order, boiling golden juice poured onto the rebel soldier's head.

In an instant, screams resounded throughout the battlefield.

Both sides of the war are trying to inflict maximum damage to the enemy.

At this moment, the world is full of killing.

"Behead those who retreat!"

After one round of offensive failed, the rebel soldiers just turned around and returned, but were forced back to the battlefield by the supervision team.

The unlucky guy who was running in front was beheaded and displayed to the public.

Some clever veterans fell among the dead bodies on their way to the charge.

In fact, playing dead does not mean safety.

If you want to survive, you must not only avoid enemy fire, but also avoid being trampled by your own people.

The bloody battle continued. As soon as one team of soldiers was defeated, new soldiers would immediately fill their place.

The rebels attacked at all costs, resulting in tens of thousands of casualties in just one day.

"Governor, Admiral, the rebels are crazy.

They attack just for the sake of attacking, and they don't care about casualties at all!"

Deputy General Liu Qifeng said with a serious expression.

The horizontal ones are afraid of the stunned ones, and the stunned ones are afraid of their lives.

This rule of life also applies on the battlefield.

The defenders also felt the pressure from the rebels' fierce offensive.

“It’s a good thing.

The crazier the rebels behave, the more successful our plan is.

Lieutenant General Liu, please relax.

If my guess is correct, a breakthrough was made in the Jiangxi battlefield, threatening the rebels' lair.

Without support from the rear, the enemy's stockpiled food and fodder at the front line would not last long.

The rebels were forced into a desperate situation and only then did they seek a decisive battle with us.

It's times like this that we need to stay calm.

Let's wait and see, this offensive cannot be sustained for long.

If the situation drags on for a few days and the casualties are heavy, the rebel leaders will realize that a strong attack is not advisable."

Li Yuan said with a smile.

In order to keep it secret, only he and Li Mu knew about the early plans.

The generals in the army were also kept in the dark.

Now that the plan has been successful, there is no point in keeping it secret.

Even if the rebels knew the truth, they had no choice but to face reality.

“Uncle is right. At a time like this, we just need to wait patiently. It is the rebels who should be anxious.

The rebels' violent attack at this time was simply a desperate measure.

Judging from the movements of the rebels, Wei Ni has given up the idea of ​​annihilating us completely and only wants to win the Battle of Wuchang, even at the cost of both sides suffering losses.

However, this was limited to his own troops. Fu Ni's army also participated in the siege, but with much less force.

The two rebel forces seemed to be fighting together, but in fact they had their own ulterior motives.

No one would feel comfortable if they were fighting hard while their allies were just doing nothing.

The more intense the fighting on the battlefield, the faster their internal conflicts will be intensified.

Order all units to defend the position strictly and not give the enemy any chance to exploit.

After ten days or half a month, when the rebels realize they cannot win, it is time to launch a full-scale counterattack."

Li Mu then added.

The more the rebels wanted a decisive battle, the less likely we were to go out and fight them.

The three axes were used up, no breakthrough could be made on the battlefield, and problems arose in logistical supplies.

When all the pressure comes together, that's when the enemy's top brass will make stupid moves.

The essence of war, apart from the competition of hard power and logistical consumption, is to see who makes fewer mistakes.

Generally speaking, the more tricks you use in a war, the greater the chance of making mistakes.

"Admiral, I'm afraid it's not good for us to keep dragging it out like this, right?

The situation in Shu continues to deteriorate. If Wei Ni leads his troops to attack from the rear, our defense line may be in trouble."

The Huguang governor on the side spoke up.

To him, the war started in confusion and continued in confusion.

He just accepted it since he couldn't understand Li Mu's strategy and tactics. He was not going to follow the path of a Confucian general anyway.

It’s no big deal if the military level is not good enough.

The military level of all the civil servants in the court is similar, and not many of them can talk about military affairs on paper.

Just because he doesn't understand doesn't mean we can just leave the governor out in the cold!
The Governor of Huguang, Marquis Zhenyuan, was not a permanent position and he would leave after the war.

According to the rules of Dayu, he, the governor, is the local boss.

He didn't have the courage to jump out and confront the uncle and nephew of the Li family.

In today's Huguang, people still have the final say.

If they really fell out, it would only make his situation more embarrassing.

During wartime, all kinds of accidents may happen, and it is possible that the governor may die unexpectedly.

After finally discovering a loophole, I must take the opportunity to show off and make my presence felt.

He did not expect to compete with the uncle and nephew of the Li family, but at least he had to let the civil and military officials of Huguang know that Huguang still had him as the governor.

"Governor, if there is no turmoil in Shu, it will be fine. But once there is turmoil, it will not be quelled in a short time.

Wei Ni wanted to take over all of Shu, but it would not be accomplished in a short period of time.

Even if he is willing to send troops to support the rebels, he must also consider his own actual situation.

Even if we send out troops immediately, it would not be an easy task to fight our way from Shu to Wuchang.

Don't forget that we still have Xiangyang Prefecture and Jingzhou Prefecture to serve as barriers in the rear.

No matter where the Wei rebels sent their troops from, they could not avoid these two places.

By the time they arrived at the front, the Battle of Wuchang was already over."

Li Mu refuted with an expressionless face.

He has no time to pay attention to the civil servants' little thoughts.

Unlike when he first started out, he was cautious and timid, but now he commands a large army and has become a pillar of the noble faction.

Even if there are factional struggles in the court, the opponents should be the bigwigs of the cabinet, or at the very least the powerful ministers of the six ministries in the capital.

The governor of Huguang, who had been sidelined, was no longer a player of the same level.

Seeing that the test failed, the civil servants who were originally ready to make moves all stopped.

Wartime is not a good time to cause trouble.

Even if they came from the capital with political missions, they would have to wait until the war was over.

By that time, Admiral Li Mu would have already left Huguang, and there would be no conflict of core interests between the two sides.

……

Allied Forces Camp.

“The food and fodder in the rear are still delivered on time, and the meat supply has been increased.

The puppet regime's attack on Jiangxi did not affect the work of raising military food supplies.

My dear ministers, you can rest assured now!"

Wei Jiarui said with a smile.

However, the sadness between his brows still exposed his inner anxiety.

Half of Jiangxi was caught in the flames of war, and it was obviously an impossible task to continue to ensure the logistical supply of the army.

The quantity of the supplies that just arrived is much less than planned.

Although it looks like there are many ships, in fact many of them are transport ships filled with sand.

The main purpose of pretending to have sufficient food and fodder is to appease the troops.

"Your Majesty, I have an unwelcome request.

I didn't know whether I should say this at first, but now that I see that your country has no worries about food and grass, I feel relieved.

The army of the Pseudo-Dynasty marched southward and after the war burned many prefectures along the Yangtze River, seriously affecting the grain production of the Wu State.

The domestic food and fodder were used to support the northern battlefield first, which caused problems with our logistics.

I hope that the prince can lend me a helping hand and lend me 100,000 shi of military rations. I will return them to your country immediately when the next batch of rations arrives!"

Weiyuan Hou Yin Mufeng's words put Wei Jiarui on the spot.

Logically speaking, he should lend a helping hand when his allies are short of food.

The problem is that there is sufficient food and fodder, which was a trick developed by the State of Chu to appease the army.

The army's food reserves are only enough for one month. Although this may seem like a large amount, it is actually a very dangerous number.

Given the fighting spirit shown by the government troops, even if they had captured Wuchang City immediately, it would have been difficult to end the war within a month.

Once the supply of food and grass is insufficient, a great victory can turn into a great defeat.

Under this background, withdrawing 100,000 shi of military rations from the army would undoubtedly further reduce the reserves.

"I must give Brother Yin face. But your country occupies the richest Nanzhili, which looks like one province, but is actually equivalent to several provinces.

Food shortage, are you kidding me? "

Wei Jiarui said with a gloomy expression.

He didn't believe a word of what Yin Mufeng said about food shortage.

It is true that the government troops' march southward affected the spring tax, but not all of the many prefectures in Southern Zhili were affected.

Although the Wu State failed in its Northern Expedition last year, the number of troops dispatched was not large and the war lasted a very short time.

The most costly battle was the Battle of Wuchang.

The Wu army only dispatched 100,000 troops to participate in the battle, but they dispatched a full 500,000 troops. The consumption of both sides was at a completely different level.

If we are sure that the enemy army is not short of food, then what is happening now is a professional sabotage.

"Ha ha……"

“Your Highness has a keen eye. Yin just saw that everyone was too serious, so he made a joke.

As for military rations, my Great Wu is naturally not short of them!"

Yin Mufeng replied with a smile.

The goal has been achieved by finding out the true situation of the Chu army, and there is no need to undermine the allies.

From the perspective of the State of Wu, they hoped that the King of Chu could win the war.

The war in the north once again proved that the declining Dayu Dynasty could not be easily shaken by them.

The capture of Southern Zhili was an attempt to take advantage of the invasion by the northern barbarians.

Opportunities like this don't come along every day.

“In this case, the next battle will depend on Brother Yin’s efforts.

In order to win the victory as soon as possible, the Chu army has tried its best.

But the enemy's defense was too stubborn and it would be difficult to make a breakthrough in a short time.

The place where the enemy's defense line is most likely to have a loophole now is the battlefield that you, Brother Yin, are responsible for.

In order to fight against the great cause of Yu, I hope..."

Wei Jiarui said, trying hard to suppress his dissatisfaction.

It was really embarrassing for him to think that as the ruler of a country, he had to bow his head and become brothers with the generals of the Wu army.

However, Wei Jiarui is a realist. Face has no real benefits. As long as it can be converted into cash, he doesn't mind cashing it in immediately.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I will do my best!"

Yin Mufeng assured immediately.

The fact that the King of Chu has a humble attitude does not mean that he can climb up the ladder.

The three kings who came out of the Holy Kingdom of White Lotus are unique.

Being on good terms with the King of Chu is equivalent to being on good terms with one's own emperor.

Even though Emperor Wu often did this, Yin Mufeng still rationally chose to be cautious and do his duty.

As for the promise made, it was a blank note.

It's not that he doesn't want to break through the enemy's defense line, it's simply that he can't.

Since the start of the war, the Wu army has lost nearly 10,000 troops, and the casualty rate is close to 10%.

According to the desperate fighting style of the Chu army, even though he had only 90,000 troops under his command, they could not withstand the turmoil.

The situation in the State of Chu was dangerous. In order to preserve his foundation, the King of Chu was willing to suffer losses on both sides with the government army, but that didn't mean he was willing to do so.

The number of troops under his command exceeded a quarter of the total number of troops of the Wu State.

If the army suffered heavy losses, even if they won the war, they would not be able to explain themselves when they returned.

"it is good!"

"As long as we work together, we will be able to defeat that villain Li Mu!"

Wei Jiarui immediately boosted morale.

He could find ways to boost the morale of his subordinates, but he could not eliminate the uneasiness in his heart.

The main purpose of convening this military meeting was to calm the troops and discuss strategies to defeat the enemy.

Yin Mufeng interfered in the process and the mission was only half completed.

It wasn't that Wei Jiarui changed his mind at the last minute. He had already read the answer in advance from the looks in everyone's eyes.

The government troops hid in the city and did not come out, with only the cavalry active outside. Apart from a violent attack, there was not much they could do.

Of course, they can continue to expand the front line and try to mobilize the enemy.

But the reality does not allow it.

As the battle line lengthens, not only the logistical pressure increases, but also the difficulty of command.

He can hardly take care of his current business and is often taken advantage of by the enemy.

If we continue to expand the battle line and spread the troops at hand, we will receive even more bad news.

The Chu troops in the marginal areas had the most say and were often bullied by government troops.

The losses of the scouts sent abroad were particularly severe.

As soon as they heard about selecting scouts, the soldiers started pretending to be sick.

To the extent that daily reconnaissance missions have to rely on the ancient method of drawing lots to select the unlucky ones to carry out.

By the time they organized a counterattack, the enemy had long disappeared.

……

In Shu, looking at the towering city walls, Wei Hao sighed helplessly.

Xu Wenyue was his old rival. The two fought from Guangdong and Guangxi to Huguang, and from Huguang to Shu.

Even though Xu Wenyue was not good at military affairs, his military level was passively improved after fighting so many battles.

Compared with the officials in Shuzhong, they are much more capable.

Having this person in charge of the defense of Chengdu Prefecture is definitely not a good thing for the rebel army.

If we can't take Chengdu Prefecture, it would be a joke to establish our own kingdom. We can only continue to hold high the signboard of the Holy Kingdom of White Lotus.

Unfortunately, as the rebel army wreaked havoc, the banner of the Holy White Lotus Kingdom had long since fallen into disgrace.

Not only does he not have much appeal, but his ability to attract hatred is unparalleled in the world.

If you want to conquer the world, you must de-religionize it. This is the historical lesson left by our ancestors.

"Your Majesty, news has come from Huguang that the Battle of Wuchang has entered a critical moment.

The puppet dynasty launched a full-scale counterattack and broke out in Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Nanzhili and other places.

The situation in Jiangxi was the most special. The army of the pseudo-dynasty quickly occupied half of Jiangxi, shaking the foundation of the King of Chu.

On the northern battlefield, the Pseudo-Dynasty border troops were dispatched to tie down most of the Wu forces.

The overall situation is very unfavorable to the rebels."

Xu Yanyu reported with a serious face.

Entering Sichuan does not mean that they want to live in peace in a corner.

Wei Hao's goal has always been to conquer the world.

In addition to the war in Shu, he also kept a close eye on the situation in the world.

“It seems that our initial plan to temporarily avoid the limelight was successful.

The rapid rise of Wu and Chu was simply due to the fact that they took advantage of the invasion of the northern barbarians, and the strength of the pseudo-dynasty was still strong.

Although there are various drawbacks in Shu, as long as we conquer Chengdu Prefecture, we can seal the border and hold our ground, and watch what happens in the world.

However, if one wants to conquer the world, the corner of Shu alone is not enough.

There has been a saying since ancient times that if you get something, you will always want more.

Now we have turned the situation around. We have first seized Shu and the next step is to take Guanzhong.

How is the instigation of the rebel army in Guanzhong going?"

Wei Hao asked with concern.

It is impossible not to envy the rapid rise of Wu and Chu.

It was only because he considered that the Yu Dynasty had not yet fallen and he did not want to bear the final blow of the last dynasty that he chose to temporarily avoid the limelight.

He himself had no idea whether the decision was correct.

Especially as Wu and Chu became stronger, their attacks on Shu were not as good as expected, and different voices arose within the rebel army.

Relying on his personal prestige, Wei Hao suppressed the opposition, but the hidden dangers still existed.

Now that Wu Chu is in trouble, it actually reduces his pressure.

"Your Majesty, the Guanzhong rebel army has just started, and the development is not very smooth.

Soon after they captured Baishui, they were besieged by government troops.

The rebels suffered heavy losses and had to retreat to the mountains for temporary shelter.

However, the disaster in Guanzhong was severe, and the spring grain production decreased again this year, and many people did not make it to the autumn harvest.

I estimate that in a few months, when the economy is in a period of transition, a new round of uprisings will be ignited again.”

Xu Yanyu explained immediately.

As a professional rebel organization, they are also summarizing and learning from their experiences.

When is the best time to launch an uprising?

When is it necessary to lurk?

When can we go out to preach?

……

A series of experiences were summarized by them and became the guidelines for the rebel army's activities.

(End of this chapter)