Do You Know?: I, the Little Cabinet Elder, Regent of the World.

Chapter 287 Two hundred thousand against two hundred thousand, evenly matched!

The sun sets in the west, and a gentle breeze blows.

The rivers were a deep red.

Even the vast fertile fields were not immune to its influence, and were thus tinged with a unique crimson hue.

riverbank.

Zhong Shidao stood with his hands behind his back, gazing intently into the distance.

"General!" a loud shout rang out as his subordinate, Qu Can, strode forward. "This humble general has already sent men across the river to spy on the situation."

"The Western Xia cavalry have all retreated."

Judging from his gait, he was very light and quick, clearly very excited.

However, this is not surprising.

Without losing a single soldier, they attacked while the enemy was crossing the river and utterly defeated more than 10,000 cavalry.

This is an absolutely monumental achievement!
Those who venture into the border to fight, who wouldn't want to achieve merit, gain promotion, and make a fortune?

"Ah."

Zhong Shidao nodded steadily.

"Pass on my orders!"

Zhong Shidao waved his hand and shouted, "Collect the remains and bury them, and restore order to the battlefield; all intact armor and weapons shall be brought back to camp, and the damaged ones shall be burned!"

"Yes!"

Qu Can bowed and strode away.

"call!"

With a deep breath, Zhong Shidao stood with his hands behind his back, his calm demeanor gradually fading, replaced by a look of excitement.

At the age of twenty-two, he was actually quite experienced.

As a half-disciple of Grand Master Jiang Zhao, Zhong Shidao never lacked opportunities to gain experience.

Zhong Shidao participated in the three territorial expansions during the Xifeng, Yanyun, and Jiaozhi periods.

In terms of seniority, apart from Gu Tingye and Wang Shao who could easily surpass him, the other military officers, even Zhang Ding and Zheng Xiao, were only about equal in rank.

However, while their seniority is similar, his achievements are somewhat inferior.

This is mainly due to a lack of opportunities to perform.

Xi Feng expanded the borders, and his mentor, Grand Master Jiang, presided over the operation. Zhong Shidao initially became his disciple and was given command of a portion of the central army, protecting his mentor.

With the expansion of Yanyun territory and the decisive victory at Yanmen Valley, there was naturally little opportunity for them to make a significant impact.

The destruction of Jiaozhi was mainly due to the capture of Yongji Pass, leaving little opportunity for him to demonstrate his abilities.

Of course, when we say "lack of opportunities to perform", we are mainly referring to the lack of any "highlight performances".

In reality, Zhong Shidao's achievements were not insignificant.

His three expansions, the development of the anti-hawk crossbow, and other miscellaneous achievements, combined, are enough to surpass those of 80-90% of military generals and nobles.

However, these are all minor opportunities to showcase one's abilities, which are more suited to gaining seniority than opportunities that are truly appreciated by the master.

Now, after six years of learning the craft, the hard work has finally paid off.

Without losing a single soldier, they attacked while the enemy was crossing the river, forcing more than 10,000 cavalry to retreat!
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he has the bearing of a great general, would it?

Liangzhou.

Chinese army camp.

Liang Yibu's face was grim, his back teeth were clenched, his body was hunched over, and his eyes were filled with unbearable grief.

With each breath, there was an indescribable heaviness, as if one was taking in little air and exhaling much, and was about to die.

Below him, on the left and right, stood the old general Ren Duolingding and his subordinate Liang Yongneng.

"General, please don't get angry over this, or you'll harm your health."

Liang Yongneng's eyes darted around slightly, and he said in a low voice, "It's really unexpected that the Great Zhou has acquired new types of weapons."

"This defeat was not a fault of war."

"It is known that in the Battle of Yanmen Valley, Emperor Yelü Hongji of Liao lacked military strategy, and nearly 60,000 soldiers were killed or wounded in one battle."

"The General led his troops across the river, suffering only 2,700 casualties. If it weren't for the General's resolute and decisive retreat, I fear..."

As Liang Yongneng spoke, he glanced at the screen and said, "This is already a rare level of command from a renowned general!"

"It is likely that even if Li Shiji were alive, he would have no choice but to lead his troops to retreat and temporarily avoid the enemy's sharp edge."

As a lackey, Liang Yongneng was quite familiar with his master's personality.

Liang Yibu's grief was most likely feigned!
When crossing the river to fight, and then attacking while the enemy is halfway across, Liang Yibu is naturally filled with fear.

Half a day had passed since the retreat, and the fear had subsided, but a trace of sorrow appeared in Liang Yibu's eyes.

This guy's a spoiled brat!
Given Liang Yibu's temperament, is it possible to expect him to grieve deeply and be heartbroken for some complete strangers?

Therefore, there is only one truth—Liang Yibu felt ashamed!

Before crossing the river, Liang Yongneng and others alike praised Liang Yibu extensively.

They're either champions or reincarnations of Li Shiji, or even boast about being as skilled as the military genius Han Xin.

Liang Yibu was arrogant and had never suffered a major loss. He also often put on an air of confidence and certain victory.

Liang Yibu even put on airs in front of the old general Renduolingding, refusing to listen to any advice and maintaining an unusually firm attitude, which can be described as popping champagne halfway through the event.

However, even under such circumstances, the river crossing failed?!
This is a bit embarrassing.

How confident was Liang Yibu?

A confident person will inevitably value self-esteem.

Liang Yibu, in his early twenties, was still a naive young man just starting out in his career. He couldn't bring himself to admit his feelings, so he could only pretend to be extremely grief-stricken.

As a lackey, Liang Yongneng naturally rushed to comfort him and offer him a way out.

“General Liang is right.” Ren Duolingding wasn’t stupid, but he still gave a faint reply.

Liang Yibu's background was too powerful; he couldn't afford to offend him.

Young people are often ambitious and proud, so it's not surprising that they lose. We should give them a way out.

Furthermore, objectively speaking, Liang Yibu's retreat strategy was indeed not problematic.

Of course, it would be even better if one could cross the river without being arrogant.

as predicted!

As soon as the steps were offered, the sorrow in Liang Yibu's eyes lessened by seven-tenths.

His hunched body was no longer hunched.

"Ugh!"

Liang Yibu sighed deeply, no longer putting on airs, and quickly took the opportunity to back down: "I suffered because I was unprepared!"

"Since the development of bombs, horses have no longer been startled."

"But who would have thought that the devil is one step ahead of the saint!"

"The new weapon developed by the Great Zhou can kill people even from two miles away."

Liang Yibu shook his head repeatedly: "This is simply impossible to handle!"

"It's fortunate that it was a general. Otherwise, anyone else would have been annihilated," Liang Yongneng quickly echoed.

"Ah."

Liang Yibu nodded, feeling much better.

"A crime other than war!"

"After this battle, I am now prepared."

"Our army will rest for a few days and then make a comeback. I refuse to believe we can't cross the river!"

Two thousand infantrymen faced over ten thousand iron cavalry and were unharmed, losing not a single soldier.

They attacked while the enemy was crossing the river, and their artillery fire killed enemies within a two-mile radius.

As expected, this single battle will shake the world!

……

Xiping Prefecture, Western Xia Dynasty.

The wind is gentle, the grass is shallow, and the aquatic plants are gradually becoming lush.

Yanyun, Xinzhou.

Chinese army camp.

There was complete silence throughout the entire place.

As the documents were laid out, Yelü Hongji's face darkened, his fists clenched, and a hint of unspeakable surprise flashed in his eyes.

Two miles!

The people of the Great Zhou Dynasty developed a military weapon called a cannon, which had a destructive power of two miles!

Is this still the era of cold weapons?
Yelü Hongji took a deep breath, his eyes darting left and right involuntarily, unable to concentrate.

Artillery! This military weapon was so "novel" that its near-overwhelming attack gave him the illusion of "returning to Yanmen Valley".

In the Battle of Yanmen Pass, 60,000 cavalrymen were routed, abandoning their armor and fleeing in disarray, with only 5,000 surviving!
This can be described as less than one in ten surviving.

Even after reviewing all of history, there are few defeats comparable to this one.

And all of this was simply because of the existence of the bomb.

This time, it seems, will be the same.

"call!"

With his eyes slightly closed, Yelü Hongji was already covered in cold sweat in just a few breaths, his back was covered in sweat, and long strands of sweat were streaming down his face.

Below them, the officials facing north and south stood solemnly to the left and right, also engaged in endless discussions.

There was noise, shock, horror, or pallor.

Without exception, they were all primarily characterized by fear and panic.

In particular, Chancellor Zhao Hui was deeply distressed.

The disastrous defeat at Yanmen Valley was the sole reason for the demotion of the former prime minister, Xiao Wuerguna.

Yelü Hongji was forced to demote Chancellor Xiao Wuerguna and execute the envoy Xiao Xi. He claimed that he had been misled by the two men in order to quell public anger.

If this is also a major defeat.
Zhao Hui's heart sank.

With a single glance, a fifth-rank grain transport official stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, this is my report."

The grain transport official took a few steps forward and bowed respectfully: "Since ancient times, there has been the saying 'sleeping on firewood and tasting gall'."

"Your Majesty desires to expand the territory and stabilize the country, with a long-term vision. However, continuous wars inevitably lead to the depletion of food supplies."

"Recently, news of new weapons has been coming in, causing great shock in the army and low morale. It is not advisable to start a war."

“In the past, Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, did not retreat his troops to avoid battle, and thus the siege of Baideng occurred.”

"I humbly beseech Your Majesty to learn from history, send envoys to negotiate peace, and establish friendly relations between our two nations."

After saying a few words, the grain transport official, with a serious expression, bowed deeply.

"I humbly beseech Your Majesty to learn from history, send envoys to negotiate peace, and establish friendly relations between our two nations." Zhao Hui raised his hand in a salute and hurriedly echoed in a loud voice.

The Zhou people even have military weapons with a lethality of two miles. What's the point of fighting them?
The only solution is to seek peace!

"We humbly beseech Your Majesty to learn from history, send envoys to negotiate peace, and establish friendly relations between our two nations." The officials from the north and south exchanged glances and hurriedly echoed this sentiment.

Scattered and fragmented, about half of the people chose to agree.

Having learned from the experience of Yanmen Valley, neither the civil officials nor the military generals wanted to continue fighting.

This kind of overwhelming military weaponry is truly despair-inducing!

"Now, the Great Zhou's artillery is formidable, and the Great Liao is like Xiang Yu trapped at Gaixia."

"In my humble opinion, we may be able to use the resources of the Liao Dynasty to win their favor."

“In this way, peace can surely be achieved, and the two countries can remain harmonious,” one person echoed.

On the small wooden table, about ten feet long, Yelü Hongji stretched out his hands, his arms trembling slightly.

My concentration, which was not very good, was suddenly pulled back.

There's no other reason than that the morale of the troops is about to collapse!

Compared to the damage caused by artillery, the collapse of morale was no less devastating.

Yelü Hongji looked down.

In fact, in terms of actual warfare, the Liao and Zhou states had not even officially started fighting each other.

A large-scale operation involving around 100,000 people would take at least 20 to 30 days to fully unfold and spread out across three fronts.

In other words, a considerable number of people were afraid before the battle even began.

Yelü Hongji frowned, a chill running down his spine.

"presumptuous!"

"Disrupting morale and spreading rumors!"

"Somebody come!"

Yelü Hongji stared intently, his face grim, and slammed his hand on the wooden table: "Drag the grain transport official out and behead him!"

At the order, the fifth-rank grain transport official's face changed drastically, and he exclaimed in horror, "Your Majesty, I know I was wrong! Please forgive me!"

"Your Majesty, I know I was wrong! Please forgive me!"

Several calls went unanswered, but there was no sign of forgiveness.

Zhao Hui's expression changed slightly, and he quickly lowered his head.

Then, several soldiers came in and dragged the man away.

"With the sword drawn and the bowstring pulled, how can we retreat lightly?"

Yelü Hongji stood up with his hands behind his back, took two steps, and said in a deep voice, "To be cowardly before the battle is unbecoming of a warrior of the grasslands."

"Furthermore, according to our scouts, artillery is not cheap. Even on the Zhou side, only a few troops possess artillery, so there's nothing to fear. Why retreat now?"

Yelü Hongji was reluctant to withdraw his troops.

On the one hand, mobilizing 100,000 troops is extremely difficult.

On the surface, conscripting 100,000 people is just a matter of a single sentence.

But in reality, this matter is not simple at all.

The 100,000 soldiers were destined to come from different tribes and ethnic groups.

Going to the border to fight always involves death.

They won, the power of the Khitan people increased greatly, and the prestige of the king rose.

If they lose, it is the young and strong men of other tribes and ethnic groups who die.

For non-Khitan people, it was natural to refuse to send their young and strong men to fight.

In the fourth year of the Xifeng reign, Yelü Hongji suffered a major defeat at Yanmen Valley, which greatly diminished his prestige, and many tribes and ethnic groups began to show signs of resistance.

If we retreat without a fight, the other tribes and peoples will naturally not suffer much damage.

However, as a monarch, his prestige will continue to decline!

Even though the Zhou side had more advanced military weapons, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and continue the war.

If we really lose then, it won't be too late to seek peace.

on the other hand……

Yelü Hongji squinted, a sudden inspiration striking him, and added, "Besides, cannons are nothing more than bombs that can be thrown further."

"The Liao cavalry are no longer afraid of being startled; the outcome is still uncertain!"

With just one sentence, many military generals exchanged glances and breathed a sigh of relief.

This statement makes a lot of sense.

The artillery didn't seem as terrifying as one might imagine.

Isn't this just a knock-off bomb?

It's just that the range is a bit longer.

Yelü Hongji, with his hands behind his back, reassured the troops, saying:
"The Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun were the site of more than thirty major battles throughout history. The rights and wrongs are difficult to fully discuss, but historians have all noticed that this ancient battlefield in the Central Plains was the pivot of the rise and fall of dynasties, and the rise and fall of one dynasty after another. Hence the ancient saying 'to contend for the Central Plains'."

"In the past, Emperor Shengzong and Empress Dowager Xuanxian led a southern expedition, once reaching as far as two hundred li from the capital of the Great Zhou, and won a great victory. In terms of military strength, the Central Plains are really nothing to fear!"

"I don't understand: why do they all say that Xiang Yu was trapped at Gaixia, as if this ancient battlefield in the Central Plains was destined to be more dangerous than safe for us?"

"The defeat at Yanmen Valley was a national humiliation for a century, but the key to the great defeat lay in the effect of the bombs startling the horses."

"Today, the scene of bomb research and development, horses undisturbed, and 100,000 iron cavalry full of vitality and all things thriving is still vivid in my mind."

"If that's the case, why has this place become my final resting place?"

"In any case, the armies in this battle are evenly matched, with two countries against one, and two hundred thousand against two hundred thousand!"

Yelü Hongji said in a deep voice, "All of you, step back. Let this matter not be mentioned again; consider it a joke."

"Otherwise, don't blame me for turning ruthless!"

"Yes." The two rows of ministers were all in awe and quickly bowed.

……

Hedong Road, Yunzhou.

Chinese army camp.

Zhao Ceying picked up the documents, rubbed his slightly itchy left arm, and nodded slightly.

Jiang Qing's disciple!
Putting aside other things, anyone who can learn even 30% of Jiang Qing's military command skills can become a capable leader and have the demeanor of a famous general.

If one can truly achieve great feats, then one has real skills.

Emperor Zhao would not mind bestowing upon him the honor of hereditary succession!

……

(End of this chapter)