Fu Shanhe

Chapter 580 Prelude to the Great Battle
"What a treacherous person who appears loyal!"

"It seems General Shi has quite a talent for writing!"

Hugjil commented expressionlessly.

It's clear he wasn't satisfied with the answer.

Whether Li Mu's ministers of the Great Yu were loyal or treacherous, it was meaningless to the current situation.

What the Tatar Kingdom needs now is a strategy to defeat the enemy, not to distinguish between loyal and treacherous officials for the Great Yu Empire.

"This humble general is terrified!"

Shi Shichang answered hastily.

It wasn't that he wanted to get by; he genuinely couldn't think of a solution.

If he had been able to defeat the Marquis of Hanshui, the Shi family's rebellion would have succeeded back then, and they wouldn't have had to abandon their family business and seek refuge in the Tatar Kingdom.

"Since General Shi is apprehensive, what about General Cao?"
You wouldn't be like General Shi, giving the Marquis of Hanshui a seemingly loyal but actually treacherous assessment, and then standing by shouting in fear, would you?

Hugjil asked, almost mockingly.

From the perspective of the Tatar Kingdom, these surrendered soldiers from the Yu Dynasty should be both given important positions and be closely guarded against.

Betrayal can happen once or countless times.

Since these people could betray the Great Yu, they could naturally betray the Tatar Kingdom as well.

His constant reprimands kept Yu's generals in a state of constant fear; this was his strategy for managing his subordinates.

The reason this scene was staged in front of all the civil and military officials was mainly because the previous campaign to recover money and grain had been too brutal, causing the surviving Yu Dynasty officials who had surrendered to become disloyal.

Based on his past temperament, such disloyal ministers would naturally be executed without hesitation.

But with a major battle about to erupt, it is precisely the time for both sides to vie for hearts and minds.

All the surrendered officials were killed, and from then on, no one dared to seek refuge with the Tatar Kingdom.

If you can't bring yourself to use it drastically, and you're not comfortable with using it, the best option is to tame it as soon as possible.

"Great Chanyu, today many heroes are rising up in the world, but only three have become truly powerful forces."

Besides us and the Marquis of Hanshui, there is also an anti-king alliance entrenched in the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River.

Despite the unpleasantness of their previous cooperation, both sides made contributions in the war to destroy the Great Yu.

The common enemy did not disappear with the fall of the Great Yu Dynasty. Since the two sides could unite once, they could unite a second time.

No matter how weak the rebel alliance's army was, it still had a force of over a million.

Even if so many troops were just standing by and watching, the Marquis of Hanshui wouldn't dare launch a full-scale attack against us.

Unable to withstand the pressure, Cao Zirui hastily offered what he considered a perfect solution.

As for the specifics of how to achieve the goal, that's not something he needs to consider.

"Great, everyone should brainstorm!"

"A united front against the king is indeed a viable path. Do any other ministers have anything to add?"

"Marquis Shunyi, when you served as the Left Censor-in-Chief during the Dayu era, you held the highest official position among all the officials."

My esteemed ministers are somewhat hesitant; you should set an example for them.

Upon hearing Hugjil's words, Shu Jinglun, who had been singled out, almost fainted on the spot.

He served as the Left Censor-in-Chief, not the Left Army Commander-in-Chief, and was not in charge of military affairs at all.

Asking him how to fight a war is clearly beyond the scope of the curriculum.

"Reporting to the Great Chanyu, I believe General Cao's words are reasonable."

It would be such a waste not to make use of the million-strong army of the anti-king alliance!
If we could provoke a major war between the two sides, and then reap the benefits, that would be perfect.

Shu Jinglun added accordingly.

As a professional troll, as long as he's not in charge of the actual implementation, he can easily spout nonsense.

The only regret is that the plan became increasingly difficult to implement after his additions.

The Tatar leadership naturally wanted to reap the benefits without lifting a finger, but the problem was that none of the players at the table were fools.

Even the anti-king alliance they despised the most had fought their way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood; fools would have been eliminated long ago in the early stages of the chaotic era.

"I will not continue to name names. My beloved ministers, please speak freely!"

Hugjil said calmly.

He never expected these people to offer advice or suggestions.

Forcing everyone to offer suggestions is cutting off their escape route.

Even though both are subjects who surrender, the nature of voluntary surrender and involuntary surrender is naturally different.

……

The camp of the loyalist army.

"My lord, all the troops have arrived at the front lines. The left and central armies have fought several battles in Huguang and Jiangxi, and even against the anti-king alliance."

However, the Northern barbarians' behavior was somewhat strange; they didn't take advantage of our unstable foothold to launch a preemptive attack.

"The Right Army Staff Officer Xu Hongchang stepped forward to report."

With the arrival of the loyalist army, the situation in the country suddenly became delicate, and the three major camps formed a strategic standoff in the southern lands.

The anti-king alliance that was the first to successfully cross the river was halted by the defending forces after capturing two or three prefectures in Huguang and Jiangxi.

The sphere of influence of the Northern Barbarian Allied Forces was further confined to Yingtian Prefecture and Zhenjiang Prefecture.

The two major factions failed to launch an attack in time, and now that the loyalist army has arrived, they have to pay a huge price for every step they take forward.

If it's a clash between two strong teams, then there's no need to hesitate; they should just start fighting.

Unfortunately, the situation is currently a three-way standoff, and none of them want to expend a lot of strength in the early stages of the war, so they become hesitant and timid on the battlefield.

"Perhaps it's not that they don't want to attack, but that they lack the ability to attack."

"How long has it been since the Northern barbarians' cavalry have been out and about?"

Li Mu asked.

The army that came to the aid of the emperor came from the south, and everyone was already used to the hot weather in Jiangnan.

Although everyone felt the weather was hot, there were very few non-combat casualties.

By putting themselves in the shoes of the Northern Barbarians, they naturally found the enemy's inaction perplexing.

"Since the beginning of summer, the activity frequency of the Northern Barbarian cavalry has decreased."

Even when they do occasionally go out, it's only in the morning and lasts for a very short time.

Xu Hongchang immediately replied.

On the battlefield, knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory. Li Mu always attached great importance to intelligence gathering, and the generals in the army followed suit.

The enemy's daily troop movements were no secret to the generals.

"Whether it was the Northern Barbarians or the anti-king alliance, their offensive gradually slowed down after the start of summer."

It wasn't that they didn't want to fight faster; it was simply that northerners weren't used to the southern climate, forcing them to slow down the pace of the war.

I've lived in the capital, and the summers in Jiangnan and the North are completely different.

Warhorses are more sensitive to changes in temperature.

Warhorses that have lived in the north for most of the year find it difficult to adapt to the sweltering heat of the south.

"If the northern barbarian cavalry dared to operate at a time like this, we wouldn't even need to fight them; they could exhaust themselves to death."

Li Mu said expressionlessly.

A lack of geographical knowledge is also a common problem among military generals these days.

The generals who had followed him for a long time were better off; they had fought in both the south and the north and had some understanding of the climate and natural conditions of various places.

The younger generation of military officers learn this knowledge from textbooks.

No matter how detailed the content taught in books is, it can't compare to personal experience.

Everyone knows that the Jiangnan region is hot and humid, but few people know that this heat lasts from morning till night.

What southerners take for granted is a huge challenge for northerners.

Li Mu deliberately chose to fight in the summer and set the battlefield in Jiangnan in order to seize the advantage of timing and location, and to weaken the power of the northern barbarian cavalry to the greatest extent.

"My lord, the more the northern barbarian cavalry dare not move, the more we must force them to move."

Since the outbreak of war, we have blocked trade routes and cut off the enemy's supply lines. In most of the areas controlled by the enemy, the people are impoverished and the strategic materials that can be procured are limited.

Neither the Northern Barbarians nor the anti-king alliance possessed the strategic resources necessary to sustain a protracted war.

In contrast, our side had been preparing for this war for several years and had stockpiled a large amount of strategic materials in advance.

Not only were a large number of ships mobilized for transportation, but more than 1.5 million laborers were conscripted from various provinces.

The enemy must be in a very difficult position right now.

They lack the opportune moment to launch a decisive battle immediately. But if we delay until autumn to fight them, the logistical burden will be too great.

If they fail to achieve a swift victory and the war drags on, they'll be left with nothing but regret!

Lan Linjie couldn't help but offer his advice.

In the era of firearms, the mode of warfare has changed.

The sheer number of troops is insufficient to determine the relative strength of the two sides.

On the surface, the army that came to the aid of the emperor mobilized the fewest troops, but the number of people serving the army behind the scenes was several times that of the army itself.

The Northern Barbarians and the anti-king alliance were the opposite; they didn't seem to have a large army, but they had to do everything themselves.

Although they nominally occupied a considerable territory, the production in these territories was severely damaged, making it impossible for them to provide sufficient strategic materials.

Even the most basic food supplies had to be procured on short notice, not to mention the gap in industrial production.

"Yes, we do need to mobilize the Northern Barbarian cavalry, but not to attack them directly."

Pick the softest persimmon first; compared to the northern barbarians, the rebel alliance is obviously easier to bully.

Order the left flank army to quickly defeat these rebels crossing the river and complete the final strategic encirclement of the northern barbarians.

Order the border troops in Shandong and the Beijing garrison to launch a counterattack on Xuzhou at all costs, and I will compensate them for any losses incurred.

From now on, the Logistics Department will also include the Shandong troops in its supply scope.

The navy was instructed to enter the Yangtze River and be allowed to freely bombard enemy-occupied areas such as Zhenjiang, Nanjing, Yangzhou, and Anqing.

If necessary, we can make a show of retaking Yangzhou; I want to make the enemy uneasy!

Li Mu calmly gave the order.

Of the four armies sent to defend the emperor, only the left-wing army's strategic objective was the anti-king alliance; the other three were all heading towards the northern barbarians.

At this critical juncture, the central army has entered Ningguo Prefecture, while the right-wing army has entered Suzhou Prefecture and Songjiang Prefecture, thus creating a two-pronged attack on the northern barbarians.

The smallest expeditionary force has now headed north to Liaodong, heading straight for the northern barbarians' stronghold.

In addition to the government troops in Shandong, there was also the navy that was about to enter the Yangtze River.

While it appeared to be a decisive battle in Jiangnan, the actual battlefront had already been stretched to over a thousand miles away.

……

Beneath the walls of Wuchang, an alliance against the king was formed.

"Wuchang City has been under siege for a long time without being captured, and government reinforcements are approaching. How should we fight the next battle? Do any of you brothers have a strategy?"

Gao Yunliang asked.

Because of the previous alliance with the Northern Barbarians, the anti-king alliance focused its offensive efforts on Huguang and Jiangxi.

After crossing the Yangtze River, they caught the government troops off guard and took Jiujiang Prefecture in one fell swoop.

However, their good fortune ended there. Whether they marched south to attack Nanchang or north to capture Wuchang, they encountered trouble.

Their forces were divided and expanded in all directions, but progress was still slow.

The government troops held the city to the death, refusing to come out and fight them no matter how much they clamored.

The setbacks on the battlefield, on the contrary, temporarily suppressed the ambitions of the scattered rebel kings.

The rebel kings who usually wanted to split up their power were no longer mentioning it.

Everyone knew that if they couldn't break the deadlock, their only fate would be annihilation.

"It's all those northern barbarians' fault!"

"They can rob all they want, why go and destroy the Great Yu?"

Without those idiots in the court holding things back, officials in various provinces are now flocking to the Marquis of Hanshui.

The soldiers of the Yu army, who had been eating only bran and wild vegetables, were now enjoying rice; how could their fighting spirit not be strong!

King Tianyun said indignantly.

That makes sense. When the Great Yu Empire existed, it was the Great Yu court that was responsible for paying the soldiers' wages.

The bureaucrats skimmed off the money at each level, leaving the soldiers with very little by the time it reached them.

The situation is different now; things have changed.

Even if the military commanders stationed in the southeastern provinces were not trained by Li Mu, they had all served under him.

These people were among the first to take sides during the power transition following the fall of the Great Yu Dynasty.

The military generals' choice of sides forced the civil officials to do the same.

They are still colleagues, but their political status has changed.

Everyone in the local area, both civil and military, knew Li Mu's rules. As newcomers who had just joined him, they all wanted to earn merit by following the emperor, so they didn't dare to defy him.

Weapons and equipment are insufficient, and replenishment will take time.

However, the basic issues of money and food can be addressed by first subjecting the local gentry to hardship.

Local governments are working hard to procure grain, and major grain-producing provinces like Huguang and Jiangxi have no shortage of starving soldiers.

Changes in treatment directly impacted morale and fighting spirit among the troops.

"What's the use of saying all this now? The Northern barbarians won't listen to us anyway."

Since Wuchang has been unable to be captured after a prolonged siege, it would be better to simply bypass it.

"With so many prefectures in the Great Yu, I refuse to believe that the enemy can station a large army in every single one!"

The King of Slaughter said, cursing and swearing.

Compared to other rebel kings, he was the most decisive in heading south, leaving no one to garrison his stronghold.

It wasn't that he was resolute; it was mainly that he was too ruthless in his killings, and it was rare to see even cooking smoke in his territory.

This kind of eating habit, which involved digging up even the roots of leeks, was notorious even among the rebel army.

Since there's nothing behind us, there's no need to worry about being cut off by government troops; we can just charge straight ahead.

If you ever run into a wall, then just smash your head against it and die.

"late!"

"If we had recklessly attacked southwards right after crossing the river, we would have had a better chance."

Now that the loyalist army has arrived, if we march south, we will run right into them.

You are all probably aware of how powerful the troops personally trained by the Marquis of Hanshui were.

Back then, on the Central Plains battlefield, a single town could chase down hundreds of thousands of rebel troops.

The left flank army they're facing now numbers over a hundred thousand!

"The mighty king said with lingering fear."

The reason the rebel army was able to grow so large was not because they were so powerful, but simply because the Great Yu Dynasty was so incompetent.

The main reason for the setbacks after entering the south was that the people were still able to make ends meet and had no motivation to rebel with them.

Lacking the support of the local people, these outsiders could only rely on their strength to rampage through the crowd.

"They all have two arms carrying one head, and the soldiers of the Marquis of Hanshui are not invincible."

Even if the enemy's fighting strength is strong, they only number a few hundred thousand.

"Everyone, bring out your resources! At worst, ten will be exchanged for one. With our numerical superiority, we can overwhelm the enemy!"

The King of Slaughter's arrogance influenced the emotions of the other rebel kings.

They had only heard of the Marquis of Hanshui's power; few had actually witnessed it firsthand.

Moreover, this time he only encountered a subordinate of the Marquis of Hanshui, not himself.

"Done!"

……

(End of this chapter)