Endless Winter: My Camp Infinite Upgrades

Chapter 568 Yuwen Yong, He Gambled Wrong

Guangning Mountain, as its name suggests, is a mountain.

But this mountain is no ordinary mountain!
Its unique features are why it was used by Cai Qiu to garrison troops.

Guangning Mountain is only a little over 100 meters high. The top of the mountain is flat, three kilometers wide and eight kilometers long, and is rectangular in shape. The area is about 20 square kilometers. It is surrounded by gentle slopes. As long as the army is stationed on the mountain, it can have a commanding view from all sides. It is a typical terrain that is easy to defend and difficult to attack.
Not only is the mountain unique, but its location is also extremely coincidental.

Changqing Valley runs in a north-south direction, with the Mo'ao Mountains on its east and west sides. The valley's average width is about 40 kilometers, and in the narrowest part, it is less than 10 kilometers wide. The area where Guangning Mountain is located is only 12 kilometers wide.

The mountain range of Guangning Mountain stretches for eight kilometers. Inserted into this location, it is practically a natural fortress. The mountaintop is inherently easy to defend, and with the army keeping an eye on the passageways close to the mountain walls on the east and west sides, even if several times or even ten times the number of enemies come, as long as they are not too strong, they can almost always hold the position.

Guangning Mountain is located deep in the southern part of Changqing Valley. In the past, when there was no war, Cai Qiu would not have paid much attention to it. However, times have changed. After the warlords were defeated twice, the Xia army was coming with great force. Cai Qiu Hu naturally wanted to make use of this natural fortress.

Cai Yunzhou is the city lord of Qinghua City. Yesterday during the day, his uncle Cai Qiuhu ordered him to station troops at Guangning Mountain. He immediately understood the meaning and ordered the army to be stationed on the mountain. At the same time, he had already sent out a large number of scouts on both sides to keep an eye on all the Xia army's movements.

He had calculated that, given the advantageous terrain of Guangning Mountain, even if the Xia army mobilized five times more troops, they would not be able to break through it. His only concern was the fourteen Beast King puppets.

Considering the situation of the four vassal states, Xia Hong would no longer have the intention to continue this war; this was a conclusion that had already been reached.

Uncle Cai Qiuhu had already said that the Great Xia's Beast King Puppet could most likely only be activated by Xia Hong, so as long as Xia Hong didn't come, there was no way Guangning Mountain would have any problems. Cai Yunzhou was almost certain of this.

However, at this moment, he was genuinely starting to panic.

Another Xia army suddenly appeared from the north slope of the camp!
It shouldn't be said that they went down the slope, because the nearly 20,000 Xia troops had already broken through the gates of the stockade and were swarming towards the Caiqiu soldiers inside.

Unfortunately, Cai Qiu's soldiers had just received his orders and were all charging eastward, their attention focused on Hou Bing's 10,000 Xia soldiers and 40,000 rebels.

Furthermore, since the rear guard was on the west side, and he had just commanded these men to shoot the enemy, they were all in a position with their bows drawn and arrows nocked. The Xia army rushed in quickly, and the men in the last row didn't even have time to change their weapons.

"How is this possible! There were so many scouts on both sides, and we didn't see a single Xia soldier pass by. How did you get to the north?"

Cai Yunzhou was shocked and his emotions were almost out of control. He couldn't believe that Xia Jun had gotten behind them without anyone noticing.

Cai Yunzhou had already recognized Yuwen Yong, the man who had just said he was completely wrong; he was none other than Yuwen Yong, the general of the Xia army.

Wasn't Yuwen Yong leading his troops to wipe out the remaining soldiers on the south side of Guangning Mountain?
…………

"It's a bit risky, but there's a high chance it will work!"

Yuwen Yong clearly saw the utter shock on Cai Yunzhou's face. His initial apprehension before the expedition vanished instantly, replaced by excitement. He knew that this gamble with Hou Bing was likely to be a winning one.

Yesterday, on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, when Hou Bing sent Lu Yin to him to propose a joint attack on Guangning Mountain with his 20,000 troops, his first reaction was that Hou Bing had gone mad.

He had participated in the two major battles at the valley entrance, and he knew exactly how strong Cai Qiu's army was. He had 20,000 troops under his command, and Hou Bing had 20,000 under his command. Even if all 40,000 Xia troops were mobilized, it would be nothing short of a pipe dream to break through the Guangning Mountain camp.

Nevertheless, Yuwen Yong patiently listened to Lu Yin explain the entire plan.

There was no other way; Hou Bing wasn't the only one who wanted military merit.

It can be said that Hou Bing's eagerness to make merits and gain titles was just a microcosm of all the Xia people, not to mention the Xia soldiers.

Yuwen Yong was Yuwen Hu's adopted son. His relationship with Yuwen Tao was nominally that of brothers, but in reality, they were master and servant. Although Yuwen Tao genuinely treated him as an elder brother, he never overstepped his bounds and always considered himself a retainer of the Yuwen family.

His desire for military merit stemmed from Yuwen Tao's influence.

Among the core high-level factions of the Great Xia Dynasty, the status of the Jinggu faction is self-evident. Nowadays, there is a saying in Xia City that the Jinggu faction occupies half of the Xia army, which shows how high its status is.

However, what outsiders see is completely different from what one sees. At least, this is not the case in the eyes of Yuwen Yong, the number two figure in the Jinggu faction.

Despite its seemingly formidable presence, the Jinggu faction has never truly penetrated the heart of Lord Xia Hong. It cannot compare to the Luoge faction, represented by Luo Yuan, within the Hongmu Ridge faction, let alone the Tupo faction led by Yuan Cheng and Xu Ning.

The head of the family, Yuwen Tao, was in competition with Xia Chuan and was naturally disliked by Yuan Cheng and others. There were rumors that Yuan Cheng and others felt that the position of Director of the Ministry of War was too important and had been urging Xia Chuan, the assistant director, to have Xu Ning replace Yuwen Tao.

It can be said that the reason why the Jinggu faction has such a high status in the Great Xia Dynasty is entirely because of Yuwen Tao, the Director of the Ministry of War. If Yuwen Tao were to be removed from office, what use would military generals like Yuwen Yong, Meng Yi, Hong Guang, and Hong Tian be?

Once the Jinggu faction loses its position as the Director of the Military Affairs Department, it is not impossible that it will quickly fall from grace, be neglected by the lord, or even be marginalized, and gradually detach itself from the core circle of the Great Xia Dynasty.

In the battles of Aikou and Jinyang, the Right Route Army twice defeated the combined forces of the two towns. In the major battles on both sides of the Erosion Road, although other Xia armies participated, the Right Route Army was still the main force. This time, with the establishment of the Great Xia on the southern slope and the four armies of the Northern Expedition, if nothing unexpected happens, the Right Route Army will definitely have the most outstanding achievements.

But the current situation made him see the possibility of an unexpected event.

The lord has no intention of continuing the war with Caiqiu, and even plans to build a city in River Valley Village, clearly intending to control the battle line here.

If we're not going to fight Caiqiu anymore, what about Chencang?

The 100,000-strong army of Chencang has taken over Dongchuan City and stationed there. Not to mention the lord's temperament, even from the perspective of the actual needs of the territory, it is impossible to let them continue to occupy it.

The lord's next move will inevitably be to find a way to drive away the Chencang army.

In this way, the left wing army stationed by Sicheng at the Dongchuan camp will come in handy.

They conquered Dongchuan, destroyed Beishuo, took over Wuchuan, and joined forces with the central army to force back the Wuchuan army. Among the four armies that launched the Northern Expedition, apart from their right-wing army, the left-wing army led by Sicheng was the most outstanding in this campaign.

Moreover, once the battle with Chencang begins, it may not only be the left flank army that will be mobilized; the central army in Luoyuan and the rear army in Yuancheng may also have the opportunity to kill the enemy and make meritorious contributions.

As for their right flank army, they'll be relegated to the sidelines, since they no longer intend to fight Cai Qiu.

Moreover, rumors circulated last night from the main camp of River Valley Village that Lord Xia Hong was considering a troop rotation and might be drawing other troops to replace their right flank army and station them in River Valley.

If he gets replaced, he'll have even less chance to make a contribution later.

The other three routes, especially the left wing under Si Cheng, could easily catch up with the right wing in terms of military merit once they clashed with Chen Cang. Losing to Si Cheng was one thing, but if they lost to the two large armies of Yuan Cheng and Luo Yuan, where would Yuwen Tao, the Chief of the Military Affairs Department in charge of the Great Xia, put his face?
Furthermore, when the war with the two vassal states ends and rewards are distributed, Yuan Cheng and his group might use this opportunity to launch an attack and challenge Yuwen Tao's position as the Director of the Ministry of War.

As a retainer of the Yuwen clan, Yuwen Yong saw all of this and was anxious about it, always wanting to share Yuwen Tao's burdens.

Before the lord officially decides to cease hostilities, we must seize as many military merits as possible to ensure that the right wing army firmly holds the top position in this northern expedition. Only in this way can we be absolutely certain that Yuwen Tao's position will not be challenged.

This was the core reason why Yuwen Yong was so eager to continue making contributions, so even though he knew Hou Bing's plan was very bold, he was still tempted.

After Lu Yin revealed the whole plan, he was even more tempted. He hesitated for less than thirty breaths before agreeing to join forces with Hou Bing.

"The commander-in-chief only gave Commander Hou 20,000 soldiers. The lord must give half of them to guard the prisoners of war, so the number of troops available is only 10,000. Adding the 20,000 under General Yuwen's command, we only have 30,000 men. The Guangning Mountain camp has 70,000 Caiqiu troops. It is definitely impossible for us to fight on our own. Therefore, we must rely on the rebels in Changqing Valley."

The battle on the north side of the Bone-Eating Road ended the night before last, before more than 90,000 rebels even arrived. Cai Yunzhou led 70,000 troops to garrison Guangning Mountain. These 90,000 rebels dared not come over and were scattered on the north side of Guangning Mountain. They are now living in constant fear, afraid that Cai Qiu will settle scores with them after the battle ends. Lord Hou found Su Xing'er, the person in charge of Cai Qiu's rebellion, and has already sent people to join them in contacting the rebels.

With 30,000 troops plus 90,000 rebels, the hope of breaking through Guangning Mountain is still not high. However, the entire Caiqiu believes that our Great Xia cannot continue fighting, so there is probably no one at Guangning Mountain who has reached the Tribulation Realm. Moreover, because they occupy advantageous terrain, they are very relaxed. As long as we plan properly and launch a surprise attack, we have a great chance…”

Without the order of Commander-in-Chief Yuwen Tao, and with Lord Xia Hong himself in Hegu Village, how could Yuwen Yong not understand the immense risks he and Hou Bing were taking by starting a war on their own?
The rules of the Ministry of War were established by Yuwen Tao. One of the rules clearly states that those who disobey military orders will be punished with fines and caning, or dismissed from their posts and expelled from the army. If any irreparable bad consequences are caused, they may even be stripped of their titles.

Of course, the rules aren't set so rigidly. After all, there are many special circumstances on the battlefield. If everything required military orders, then there would be no point in fighting.

Everyone's smart enough to understand that on the battlefield, whether you're rewarded or punished depends on the outcome. To put it bluntly, it depends on whether you succeeded or failed in what you were willing to do, even if it meant disobeying orders.

If you succeed, you've seized the opportunity, which is certainly true.

If the task is not accomplished and causes serious consequences, then it is a grave mistake, and one should obediently await punishment.

As Yuwen Tao's right-hand man, how could Yuwen Yong not see through such a small matter?
As Hou Jing stepped down from his post, the Longbei faction gradually began to lose power. Hou Bing, the new leader, was eager to turn the situation around, so he took a gamble and proved his ability to Xia Hong.

He also saw the precarious situation of the Jinggu faction and the potential crisis facing the family head, Yuwen Tao, and felt it was necessary to take a gamble.

Of course, more importantly, he is not the head of the Jinggu faction; at most, he can only be considered a relatively important figure. Even if he loses the bet, he can simply take the responsibility himself and not implicate Yuwen Tao.

But if they win the gamble, the left wing army will accumulate more military merits, and Yuwen Tao's position will become more secure.

If these were his motivations for agreeing to join forces with Hou Bing, then what truly made him decide was the meticulous plan that Lu Yin later revealed—

The plan was to capture Guangning Mountain by surprise.

“Cai Qiu believed that my Great Xia would not continue its northward advance, and that was their biggest weakness.”

Lord Hou has led an army of 10,000 towards Guangning Mountain, and with Su Xing'er's cooperation, he has gathered 40,000 rebels along the way. We did not make any attempt to conceal our actions, and now Cai Yunzhou's attention has been drawn to us.

There is a secret passage inside the mountain wall on the east side of Guangning Mountain. Su Xing'er's three brothers had already smuggled themselves through the secret passage to the north side of Guangning Mountain and connected all 50,000 anti-government people.

General Yuwen ordered 20,000 of his men to disguise themselves as rebels and travel in batches through secret passages over the next two days. Even if a few were discovered, it wouldn't matter; Cai Qiu's scouts would simply assume they were scattered rebels and might not even report it to Cai Yunzhou…”

Hou Bing's plan, to put it bluntly, was a feint attack. He led 10,000 Xia soldiers and 40,000 rebels to launch a feigned main attack from the east to attract Cai Qiu's army's attention; then, Yuwen Tao's 20,000 troops, along with 50,000 rebels, launched the real main attack from the rear of the camp, that is, from the north.

Cai Qiu's advantage at Guangning Mountain lies not only in the terrain but also in his 70,000-strong army. If he can quietly sneak up the gentle slope of the camp, he will have won more than half the battle. If the attention of Cai Qiu's 70,000 troops is drawn to the east side, the success rate of the raid will be at least 80%.

This plan is feasible and has a very high success rate.

Adding to the reasons mentioned earlier, Yuwen Yong had no reason not to gamble!

In retrospect, he undoubtedly made the right bet.

Just like the expression on Cai Yunzhou's face at this moment, Cai Qiu's army was completely unprepared for the Xia army that appeared behind them. Yuwen Yong led his most elite scout battalion and charged into the enemy's territory three or four hundred meters deep in one go, and was less than a hundred meters away from the main camp of Guangning Mountain.

"Defend against the enemy! We only have 30,000 Xia troops, and the rest are rebels. Don't panic, don't panic at all! The rear guard will turn around and block the enemy on the north side, while the front guard continues to fight the enemy on the east side..."

Cai Yunzhou's daze lasted only a moment. The miserable state of the army below forced him to make arrangements quickly, almost shouting to remind all the Caiqiu soldiers.

Unfortunately, although he told others not to panic, his own voice was full of panic. How could he reverse the decline in this way?

Furthermore, in battles between two armies, unless the opposing side is in a favorable position, the soldiers on the losing side are generally less likely to obey their commander's orders, or their completion rate of the orders is not very high.

After all, people have eyes and can see for themselves.

The collapse of Cai Qiu's army was a foregone conclusion, and their psychological defenses were quickly and completely destroyed by the fierce Xia army that attacked.

"Brothers, if we don't capture the Guangning Mountain camp, we can't be Xia people. If we stay in Changqing Valley, we will surely be purged by Cai Qiu!"

"Slaughtering all the soldiers of Caiqiu is our only way out!"

"Brothers, charge with the Xia army!"

…………

As the front-line Xia army completely stormed into the camp, the rebel forces behind them also rushed in one after another. They were only at the Digging Realm or even the Logging Realm, but the morale of tens of thousands of people united together seemed to be even higher than that of the Xia army.

As the saying goes, a great reward will surely bring forth brave men, but brave men don't only emerge under conditions of great reward. Sometimes, extreme despair can also force out brave men.

These more than 90,000 rebels faced certain death if they did not capture Guangning Mountain; this was the ultimate despair.

Therefore, at this moment, the idea of ​​breaking through Guangning Mountain was even more urgent and intense in their minds than in Xia Jun's.

(End of this chapter)