Damn it, I'm in the garbage book I wrote

Chapter 849 Was that a military exercise? It was a deterrent!

The blazing sun beats down on the Gobi Desert in the western region.

Outside the pre-arranged exercise area, the newly erected viewing platform, adorned with red ribbons and colorful decorations, could not conceal the tense atmosphere permeating the area below.

Envoys from the Tang Dynasty, the Northern Han Dynasty, and various states in the Western Regions arrived in succession.

The Vice Minister of War of the Tang Dynasty had a stern face, the Commander of Ten Thousand of the Northern Han Dynasty looked wary, and the envoy from the small kingdom in the Western Regions was uneasy. Each of them had their own thoughts, and their greetings were full of probing.

Xia Lin stood upright in his slightly worn marshal's uniform, exuding an aura of a thousand soldiers despite not wearing any medals.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, he nodded slightly.

At that instant, three red signal flares pierced the air with a sharp whistling sound.

The martial arts demonstration begins!
The first to move was the Blue Army, the formidable but ineffective force under Wang Zhuoheng, whom Xia Lin had singled out. Dust rose, hooves thundered, and infantrymen formed a forest, a strange aura—a blend of the disciplined Tang army, the fierce Northern Han, and the elite Wei army—pressing down.

A subdued murmur rippled through the viewing platform. The Tang Dynasty official's brow furrowed, while the Northern Han commander clenched his fists like iron. Both secretly pondered their chances of victory against this enemy. The thought sent chills down their spines.

But this is just an appetizer.

The Blue Army's vanguard stepped into the assault area, the cavalry began their charge, and the infantry phalanx advanced with shouts, their momentum like a raging torrent, aiming to crush the Red Army's defenses in one fell swoop.

Just then, a series of muffled thuds came from behind the red formation, sounding like an earth dragon turning over!

This wasn't just a signal cannon firing; it was a full-scale salvo from an entire artillery unit! The sound waves rolled across the sky, making people's feet go numb.

The next moment, the envoys on the viewing platform were horrified to see the front and rear of the Blue Army's assault group suddenly explode into thick flames and smoke! The shockwave, carrying a heat wave, hit them in the face, and even from a distance, they felt a burning pain on their faces.

The shells, seemingly with eyes of their own, struck precisely into the densest part of the Blue Army's ranks, blocking their cavalry's flanking maneuver. In an instant, men and horses were thrown into chaos, pre-set markers scattered, and plumes of white smoke representing casualties rose from the Blue Army's lines. The disciplined offensive stalled, revealing a sense of panic and disarray.

"Such...such a rate of fire! Such accuracy!" The old general from Khotan exclaimed, nearly dropping the telescope in his hand.

Having spent his entire military career, he had never witnessed such a fierce long-range strike, which was beyond the comprehension of military strategists and completely baffled this old man who had spent his life on the battlefield.

Li Tang, the Vice Minister, had a somber expression. He recognized cannons; the Tang dynasty also produced imitations, but the speed, accuracy, and coordination of the Wei army's cannons far surpassed those of the Tang dynasty at that time.

This is not a generational gap, but an insurmountable chasm.

Old Liu came to the Northern Han in person, and his heart was filled with coldness. The mobility and breakthroughs that the steppe cavalry relied on were like paper under this barrage of artillery fire. At that moment, he even seemed to see his own men bleeding and wailing.

Before the artillery fire had ceased, unrest broke out again within the Red Army ranks.

Relying on its "resilience," the Blue Army still had some fierce soldiers risking their lives to charge close to the Red Army's front line.

What awaited them was another nightmare.

Suddenly, the Red Army lines erupted in a dense barrage of gunfire, like a sudden downpour! There was no commotion, only the silent soldiers, in groups of three or five, mechanically and precisely loading, aiming, and firing. Their movements were cold and ruthless, their rhythm chillingly steady.

Bang bang bang... bang bang bang...

A hail of bullets wove a web of death. Charging close to the blue soldiers was like hitting an invisible iron wall; white smoke rose continuously from the specially made bullets fired from their bodies, and their momentum was abruptly halted a hundred paces before they finally collapsed.

"Unending, without ceasing?" Shule's voice trembled, unable to comprehend such a firepower that transcended the times.

Li Tang, the Vice Minister, clenched his fists until they turned white. He noticed that the Red Army's muskets were vastly different from Tang weapons, far surpassing them in rate of fire and reliability. What was even more frightening was their composure; facing the enemy's charge, they remained orderly and efficiently slaughtered with chilling ruthlessness. What kind of rigorous training and iron discipline must have been required for this?

Old Liu fell silent. While a grassland warrior might be able to draw a strong bow and wield a curved sword on horseback, in this purely weapon-based long-range combat, even his bravery might be shattered before he even saw the enemy. Whether his horsemanship and archery were truly invincible had become a knot in his heart.

The viewing platform was deathly silent.

Only the interplay of long-range artillery and close-range gunfire created a chilling war symphony, striking at the hearts and minds of all the envoys.

The exercise did not stop despite the Blue Team's setback.

The Red Army then demonstrated its ability to coordinate attacks from multiple branches of the armed forces. Under the cover of artillery and gunfire, the Red Army cavalry broke out from the flanks. They were not traditional light cavalry, but were all equipped with short guns. They fired from horseback to engage the enemy, and then used sabers to clear out the remaining enemy. Their tactics were cunning and ruthless.

Small groups of elite troops also took advantage of the terrain and smoke screens to sneak in like ghosts into the rear of the Blue Army, launching precise strikes on key locations such as the command post and supply camp, causing the Blue Army to be overwhelmed.

Throughout the entire battle, the Red Army maintained firm control of the initiative, manipulating the Blue Army at will. Their superior combat skills and coordinated tactics were evident in their frontal confrontations, flanking maneuvers, and rear harassment.

As the green signal flare signaling the end of the parade ascended into the sky, most of the reviewing stand were still deeply shaken and speechless for a long time. Only the fluttering flags and the pungent smell of gunpowder remained in the open field.

Xia Lin then slowly got up and strolled to the front of the stage, his hands behind his back, his face still bearing that unfathomable smile, his gaze sweeping over the various envoys below the stage with their different expressions.

"Gentlemen, have you seen clearly?" His voice was not loud, but every word was clear: "This little exercise is nothing but a game, it should not be taken seriously. Our soldiers have only shown a little bit of their training skills, making a fool of themselves."

His tone was relaxed, as if the military drill that had just subverted common sense about warfare was merely an insignificant game.

"However..." He changed the subject slightly, his smile fading, and said, "I think everyone hasn't had enough. This is a battle I had the Blue Team simulate everyone's tactics for."

He paused briefly, his gaze sharp as an ice blade, sweeping between Minister Li Tang and Old Liu: "Wait a minute, I'll have the Blue Army use my tactics for another round."

It was described lightly, yet it sent chills down your spine.

Li Tang's Vice Minister was ashen-faced, Liu Min of the Northern Han was drenched in sweat, and the envoys from the Western Regions trembled uncontrollably.

The artillery fire had just ceased, and the gunfire had also thinned out. Many officers on the Red Army's positions had begun to relax, feeling that the Blue Army had been decisively defeated.

The people on the viewing platform all thought the same thing. After all, the fight had gone this far, how could they possibly turn the tide? Only Xia Lin squinted, tapping his fingers lightly on his knee, as if waiting for some good show.

At this moment, behind the blasted gravel beach in the northwest corner, Wang Zhuoheng tossed his dirt-covered cloak, revealing the light armor underneath. He grabbed a handful of sand and threw it into the air, letting out a long sigh: "Finally, it's my turn. I was almost dying of impatience."

"Pass on the order." He turned to a few captains covered in dirt but with shrewd eyes and said, "We've played the fool enough. It's time for our logistics team to show their skills."

At this moment, the observers were already whispering among themselves, saying, "The Blues are doomed..."

But what they didn't see was that right behind the smoke and miasma on the front line, nearly twenty times the artillery fire of the Red Army and the latest rockets were already in firing positions. Although it was an exercise, the scene was truly frightening.

Wang Zhuoheng's voice, transmitted through a simple megaphone, echoed clearly over the concealed artillery position, carrying a long-suppressed excitement and determination:
"Artillery units, listen to my command!"

Behind the gravel beach, the gunners, who had been poised for action, suddenly tensed, their fingers hovering over the firing mechanisms. The observers, meanwhile, kept their eyes glued to the front, making final adjustments based on pre-calculated parameters.

"Target: Red Army forward command post, pre-positioned positions, and logistics and supply assembly area!" Wang Zhuoheng's order was cold and clear. "Full unit fire! Three rounds of rapid fire! Fire!"

He practically yelled the last word, "release."

Next second

It was as if an invisible giant hand had gripped the world and then torn it apart violently!
It wasn't a few scattered cannon shots, but the roar of hundreds or even thousands of cannons firing at the same instant! The sound was no longer the muffled thuds of before, but rather a continuous, deafening, and violent wave of sound, like thunderclaps exploding from the heavens or magma erupting from the earth! The ground of the viewing platform trembled violently, the tea on the tables rippled, and some envoys were even startled by the sudden roar and jumped up from their seats.

Behind the Blue Army's lines, and even on several pre-arranged concealed positions on the flanks, artillery fire erupted simultaneously, creating a dazzling sea of ​​flames that turned the sky orange-red. The thick smoke rose like heavy, dark clouds from nowhere, as if someone had ascended to heaven.

Immediately afterwards, shells ten times denser than during the previous exercise, like a cascading silver river, pierced the sky with a chilling shriek, densely and devastatingly covering the area controlled by the Red Army!
But this is just the beginning. The Blue Army was really frustrated. They were designed to be a monster army, and they were really humiliated by being suppressed by the Red Army. Now they need to get some fresh air.

Almost at the same time that conventional artillery roared for the first time, dozens of strangely shaped machines with multiple rows of launch tubes had already raised their menacing heads on a slightly higher open area further behind.

"Rocket artillery battalion, all battalions prepare for salvo!" The rocket artillery position commander's shout remained clear against the noisy background: "Set the firing data! Fire at will!"

The gunners operated at a dazzling speed, loading heavy rockets into the launch tubes and starting a series of fuse checks.

"Loading complete!"

"Second engine loading complete!"

"The entire battalion is fully loaded!"

Urgent reports rang out one after another.

The commander took a deep breath and roared into the microphone with all his might, "Full battalion, fire!"

He swung his arm down hard!
In an instant, a completely different screech tore through the sky!

On the rocket launcher position, a thick fire dragon, trailing a blazing white tail of flame, roared into the sky!

They drew countless dense and deadly arcs in the air, covering the sky and blocking out the sunlight, precisely casting the shadow of death into all the depths of the Red Army's positions!
The rockets didn't land in one spot, but rather scattered like petals, covering the Red Army's second line of defense, reserve assembly areas, transportation hubs, and all possible retreat routes. Vast areas were turned into an inferno! A rain of steel rained down, and explosions echoed across the Red Army's positions!
This was no longer a shelling attack but a divine punishment, a saturation baptism of iron and fire, a true earthquake with mountains shaking and thousands of cannons roaring!
On the viewing platform, everyone was stunned by the display of firepower that exceeded all expectations. The old general from Khotan was pale, the Li Tang official was stiff with rage, the old Liu from Northern Han was speechless, and the envoys from the Western Regions slumped in their seats.

Their minds went blank; they couldn't comprehend the existence of such terrifying and efficient destructive power. They were already astonished by the Red Team's performance, but now, seeing the Blue Team using what they called "Xia Lin's own style of play," they were left with only despair and helplessness.

However, the Blue Army bastards were still not satisfied. Although they were also elites selected from the Red Army, what in the world could be more fun than blowing up the old battalion headquarters?

Just as the roar of artillery and rockets reached its peak and began to extend its fire further as planned to clear a path for the infantry, a sharp and loud bugle call suddenly pierced through the aftershocks of the explosions and resounded across the Blue Army's attack starting position!
Then, something even more chilling happened!

Just moments before, the seemingly empty trenches, shell craters, and earthen slopes of the Blue Army's front line suddenly sprang up like mushrooms after rain, with countless people wearing steel helmets covered with blue cloths appearing on their heads!
They didn't rush in haphazardly, but rather surged out like a flood bursting its banks, forming a classic three-on-three tactical formation!
One soldier charged forward in a low stance with a gun, another soldier guarded the flanks with a gun and was ready to provide fire support at any time, and a third soldier carried explosives or focused on observation and command.

The three groups then formed a squad, providing cover for each other and advancing in shifts. From a distance, thousands upon thousands of these three-by-three groups resembled a surging blue tide or a disciplined swarm of migrating ants, spreading out in a wide yet orderly skirmish line across the entire front of the attack!

They followed closely behind the explosions from their own artillery fire, practically charging through the dust of the falling shells! The essence of infantry-artillery coordination was on full display at that moment!

"kill!!!"

Although it was just an exercise, the thunderous shouts, the endless blue waves covering the mountains and fields, and the artillery and rockets still roaring overhead created an extremely breathtaking picture of the attack!

Firepower preparation is a devastating storm of steel, and infantry charges are an omnipresent wave of death!
Artillery fire ravaged the land, and infantry swept through!
Under this double blow, the Red Army's already crumbling defenses collapsed completely. The surviving remnants, amidst the white smoke and chaos, could only watch helplessly as the blue tide relentlessly swept across the scorched earth, engulfing position after position…

On the viewing platform, some people laughed out loud, but no one blamed him for being rude, because people really do laugh when they are speechless, and it was not a mocking laugh, but a bitter laugh of a broken heart.

This tactical combination, which was ahead of its time, featured extremely fierce firepower coverage and a disciplined three-by-three infantry charge that swept across the mountains and fields.

They couldn't even understand the other party's way of expressing themselves, let alone break the deadlock.

Xia Lin had already sat down again, picked up his long-cold teacup, and blew on it with an air of affected nonchalance, as if the magnificent scene from just moments before was nothing more than children playing in the yard on an afternoon. He raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping once more over the bewildered envoys below the stage, and said with a hint of mockery, "Now, do you all see clearly? This is how we usually play."

Meanwhile, on the battlefield, the Red Army general, who had been "completely annihilated," sat in front of the position, gulping down a jug of water.

"The commander is being biased. Why should they get to use all the new equipment and tactics?"

"What the hell are you yelling for?" A colleague sitting next to him cursed, "You think you're the only one who's having a bad time? I've never fought such a humiliating battle in my life."

At this moment, Zhuo Heng stepped forward. He saw the fallen soldiers of the Red Team sitting there watching the Blue Army destroy their command post. He couldn't help but laugh and said, "The commander said that this will be a regular training exercise from now on. You can try your best to find a way to do it."

"We can't fight this, General Wang. This is really hopeless, what bad luck..."

(End of this chapter)