King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 483 Meeting

After walking around the camp and making sure that the Zhenwei central defender was fully prepared, Zhu Jinghong and Fan Changchun sat up together.

"How do you think this battle should be fought?"

Zhu Jinghong was very self-aware about specific command operations, so he asked professionals like Fan Changchun.

"The enemy's army is strong and has been assembled, but our army now has no unified command. It is extremely difficult to win a head-on battle!" Fan Changchun told the truth directly.

"If you want to win, you have to take a different approach!"

Fan Changchun and a group of deputies were thinking about this issue when they learned that Ning Huanxiang was killed and the army was forced to shrink.

And one afternoon was enough for them to come up with a "recipe."

"Tell me about it!" Zhu Jinghong asked with a serious expression.

"The enemy army is strong, but its weaknesses are also obvious. If they gather quickly and set off, they will not be able to bring much food and grass!"

"And it is rapidly approaching south and lengthening its food path, so..."

At this time, Zhu Jinghong interjected: "So the key is to cut off their food routes, so they are very likely to retreat without a fight!"

"That's right!" Fan Changchun replied.

Cutting off the enemy's food routes and causing them to retreat is a strategy that can be traced throughout history.

Although it is a cliché, its effect is very obvious, so it is used over and over again.

Of course, the difficulty of achieving the goal of attacking the grain road is also obvious.

Taking what Fan Changchun said as an example, how to find the Junggar grain transport team in the vast Gobi, how to avoid being discovered by enemy scouts in the process, and how to defeat the heavily trooped grain transport team...

There are many levels of difficulty that can be listed. If you want to complete this kind of mission, you must have the right time, place, and people.

"How many people do you think is appropriate to send to attack the enemy's food road?" Zhu Jinghong asked in a low voice.

Fan Changchun replied: "At least a thousand cavalry are needed. At this time, I asked several generals, and they all asked for permission to fight...especially Shi Chong, the general of Zuodu!"

Among the four younger generations, Shi Chong is considered to be the oldest one, and he is also the fastest among them.

Thinking of this person, Zhu Jinghong couldn't help but think of the people in the Jia family. Compared with Shi Chong, these people were simply... unworthy of comparison.

"Since he is so determined, let him go... He has always considered things carefully, and the chance of getting the job done by him is greater!"

"Master Thirteen, do you really want to send people to attack the grain road?" Fan Changchun hesitated.

If such a risky move succeeds, everyone will be happy, but if it fails...not to mention the consequences of ruining the overall situation, the death of Shi Chong and Fan Changchun will offend the Shi family to death.

"Is there still a lie? Send Shi Chong. Without the more than a thousand people under his command, it will have little impact on the overall situation on the front line!"

"But……"

"What time has it been? You still owe it to your mother-in-law and mother-in-law. Hurry up and arrange the matter. Tomorrow we will discuss how to face the enemy!"

Fan Changchun looked at the colleagues and officials present, hoping that they would stand up and say a few words, but these people were all like wood at the moment.

Seeing that Fan Changchun was still hesitating, Zhu Jinghong immediately expressed his position: "Okay, I have made the decision on this matter. If anything happens, I will be responsible for it. Go and call Shi Chong over now!"

Having said this, Fan Changchun no longer hesitated and immediately ordered someone to call Shi Chong.

"Send someone to spread my message again, and ask the Qinghai Xingdu Division and the armies of all tribes to come closer as soon as possible with your guards as the center!"

"Pass my message again, all generals from all ministries will come here at noon tomorrow to discuss strategies against the enemy!"

Zhu Jinghong issued two more orders in succession, which made Fan Changchun and others feel that it was against the rules, but at this time they could not care so much.

The most important thing at the moment is to gather the morale of the troops as soon as possible to form a unified command, otherwise a major defeat is inevitable.

"Yes!"

After giving these instructions, seeing that Fan Changchun and others looked tired, Zhu Jinghong's tone softened and said: "There will be discussions tomorrow, you all go back and rest!"

"Yes!"

After a day of tossing and turning, the spirit was at a high level, and they stayed up until midnight. Fan Changchun and the others were indeed extremely tired now.

There was no point in staying any longer, so Fan Changchun and others left.

Not long after they left, Shi Chong arrived on horseback. After approaching Zhu Jinghong, he dismounted and walked.

"See Thirteenth Master!"

He raised his hand to signal Shi Chong to stand up. With the faint light of the fire, Zhu Jinghong looked at him and said, "Commander Wan said that you volunteered to attack the enemy's grain road!"

Bowing and clasping his fists, Shi Chong replied: "Otherwise, we cannot defeat the enemy!"

"Going deep behind enemy lines and into the vast Gobi desert is a narrow escape, so you're not afraid of never coming back!" Zhu Jinghong asked seriously.

"Thirteenth Master, the Shi family has been greatly favored by the Holy One. Now is the time to serve the country, how can we shrink back in fear of danger!" Shi Chong's eyes were firm.

Zhu Jinghong nodded, looked at Shi Chong more highly, and secretly praised that this man indeed had the legacy of his ancestors.

"Your commander-in-chief was afraid that something would happen to you. I said that I would be responsible for this matter, and he agreed to let you detour behind enemy lines!"

When Shi Chong was about to speak, Zhu Jinghong had already walked up to him, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Have you really thought about it?"

"I wish to go!" Shi Chong knelt down on one knee.

Reaching out to help him up, Zhu Jinghong said solemnly: "You are a general, and since you are so spirited, I will not stop you..."

"Thank you, Master Thirteen, for making it happen!"

"You must come back safely!" Zhu Jinghong said in a serious tone.

Feeling Zhu Jinghong's concern, Shi Chong bowed deeply again and replied: "I obey!"

So Shi Chong also left. He would lead the team to move tonight and sneak into the enemy's rear under the cover of darkness.

After Shi Chong left, the guards had set up a tent to allow Zhu Jinghong to rest temporarily.

Zhu Jinghong has been on the road all day. Even though he is in excellent physical condition, he is still a little overwhelmed now.

He got into his tent to rest, but his orders were flying around the Gobi and reaching all the front lines.

After Zhu Jinghong left the Governor's Office, Yang Longshan also returned to his headquarters. It was almost dawn.

Less than half an hour into his sleep, he received a message from Zhenwei Zhongwei. Zhu Jinghong asked the army to move toward the northeast and bring the generals there to discuss matters at noon today.

"With this arrangement, it seems that this war is inevitable!" Yang Longshan sighed.

He originally had the opportunity to preside over this battle, but he refused because of his timidity.

But Yang Longshan has no regrets. He is very clear about his own strength. If he takes over this mess in the northwest, there is a 80% chance that he will mess it up.

"The Thirteenth Master is the legitimate son of the Holy Emperor, and no one can match him in the Holy Family. It would be good for him to take command. At least the defeat will be easier!"

Yes, Yang Longshan saw clearly that this battle was commanded by Zhu Jinghong, not something everyone discussed together.

"Send the order, the army will continue to move northeast and get as close as possible to Zhenwei Central Guard!"

To participate in the decisive battle, they must arrive near Zhenwei Central Guard today so that they can form a unified formation.

Time was running out, how could Yang Longshan dare to delay.

And his decision was exactly the same as Zhou Quanhui on the northern front. After receiving the order, the latter also let the army continue to move closer to the south.

…………

On the morning of the eighth day of the lunar month, Zhu Jinghong woke up from his tent. He was awakened by the movement outside.

Soldiers who had been repairing all night were eating breakfast and preparing for battle, so it was inevitable that they would make noises.

After getting up, Zhu Jinghong was not in a hurry to go out, but picked up his pen and started writing a letter. It was only now that he remembered that he should write a letter to the old man and explain a little about what happened on the front line to avoid misunderstandings as much as possible.

Since he wanted to equalize military power, it was normal for him to be misunderstood and even jealous by the emperor.

Even if the old man doesn't doubt me, the prince and the sixth child will be afraid of me, and the next life will not be easy.

Thinking of this, Zhu Jinghong couldn't help but sigh. Now that he has embarked on this road of no return, he can only keep going forward.

After sealing the envelope, Zhu Jinghong handed it to the accompanying guards, who would deliver the letter to the urgent courier from eight hundred miles away.

After finishing this matter, Zhu Jinghong just walked out of the military tent. At this time, most of the soldiers around him were eating.

I saw him walking towards one of the circles. When these people noticed that he was approaching, they immediately put down their food and hurriedly saluted Zhu Jinghong, the Thirteenth Master.

"See you, my lord!"

After signaling everyone to get up, Zhu Jinghong asked: "What do you want to eat?"

There were about thirty soldiers present, and the leader was a captain. When he heard the question, he stood up.

"Replying to the prince, each person has two noodles in the morning, plus a strip of beef jerky!"

While this person was answering, Zhu Jinghong was also observing carefully. There were unfinished pancakes and dried meat on the spot.

In this era, it is actually incredible that soldiers can eat so luxuriously.

Of course, it was very expensive to do this. No wonder the emperor felt poor at all times. There were too many places to spend money in the court.

Zhu Jinghong asked with a smile: "I'm leaving in a hurry and didn't bring anything to eat or drink. Can I borrow a meal from you?"

Upon hearing this, before the team could speak, the accompanying guards spoke to remind him that he actually brought his meals.

Yes, even if he is on the front line, Zhu Jinghong's "logistics" support is still superior.

The team member thought he had heard wrongly at first, and then he felt particularly frightened.

Mainly because he had never encountered this kind of thing before, so he didn't know how to deal with it at this time.

"Your Majesty...we are here..."

Seeing his embarrassment, Zhu Jinghong said, "Is it possible that you are still reluctant to let go?"

"How dare you, little man!" Duan Zheng knelt down again.

"Get up!" As he spoke, Zhu Jinghong walked into the crowd and picked up a piece of bread.

"You can all sit down, don't be so formal!" Zhu Jinghong sat down on a stone.

He tried his best to appear kind, but his status as a prince still brought great pressure to everyone.

Not to mention these ordinary soldiers, even top martial arts disciples like Shi Chong could not relax in front of Zhu Jinghong.

"The prince asked you to sit down, so you should stop standing!" Gao Hong, the guard from Baihu, said.

Seeing that Zhu Jinghong was sitting down, everyone still felt uneasy, but they still sat back down one after another.

While eating the cake, Zhu Jinghong asked: "If you eat these in the morning, what will you eat at noon?"

This was the first question Zhu Jinghong asked, which made everyone at the scene very confused, but the leader of the team still answered honestly.

Next, Zhu Jinghong asked them what they wanted to eat. This question was undoubtedly even more strange.

Fortunately, because of his ridiculously high status and his somewhat legendary personality, everyone did not regard him as an "idiot". Instead, they thought he was somewhat unpredictable and profound.

Under Zhu Jinghong's "homely" questions, a group of soldiers gradually relaxed, allowing him to understand their truest mentality.

Although Ning Huanxiang's death had a great impact on the morale of the army, the cavalry in the Beijing camp did not lose all their fighting spirit. On the contrary, the aggrievedness in their hearts made Zhu Jinghong feel that he could take advantage of it.

When Zhu Jinghong was having a good time with everyone and took the opportunity to watch these people show off their martial arts, Gao Hong reminded him by his side: "Your Majesty, Commander Wan has sent them here!"

Zhu Jinghong glanced over and saw that besides Fan Changchun, Yang Longshan and Zhou Quanhui were all here.

He was chatting here not only to understand the morale of the army, but also to wait for the arrival of these people.

So now, it's time for him to leave.

"Wang Chengfu, I have remembered your words. As long as you can kill thirty heads, I will personally prepare a drink to celebrate with you!"

A personal beheading of level 30 was an incredible achievement, but Wang Chengfu boasted about it.

But Wang Chengfu's martial arts display just now made Zhu Jinghong believe that this man has this ability, provided that he can survive the next battle.

That's why Zhu Jinghong said the last sentence, which was actually a wish for Wang Chengfu.

"See Thirteenth Master!"

After Fan Changchun and others approached, they saluted Zhu Jinghong.

After signaling them to get up, Zhu Jinghong pointed to the high hillside and said: Let's go up and talk! "

"Yes!"

So more than a dozen generals in this group followed Zhu Jinghong and walked up the hillside.

It has a better view and can isolate outsiders from eavesdropping. It is an excellent place for discussions.

Looking at Zhu Jinghong's leaving figure, Wang Chengfu looked around and asked: "Do you think... can I eat at Prince Xiang's banquet?"

"Sir, thirty heads, this is not easy..."

"What nonsense are you talking about? With the ability of our team leader, thirty of them are not even a matter of raising their hands!"

After all, Wang Chengfu is a famous team leader. He has honest people who tell the truth under him, and naturally there are flattering and cunning people.

When Zhu Jinghong was here, these people were like wood. As soon as he left, everyone regained their "humanity".

Everyone here was talking and laughing while eating, but Zhu Jinghong and others had reached the high slope, where they could already overlook the camp below.

"Everyone, sit down!"

At the scene, the guards had set up a chair "mazar". Such portable objects are not uncommon nowadays.

The setting of the chairs is also very interesting. Zhu Jinghong is undoubtedly the main seat, and the rest of the people are arranged left and right according to official rank.

After everyone sat down, Zhu Jinghong asked them to talk about the situation of his troops first, so that he could formally exercise his frontline command authority.

After hearing everyone's reply, Zhu Jinghong said: "Everyone... although the Junggars are coming this time, there is no need to be afraid of them!"

"As long as we gather the army, not to mention whether we can defeat them, at least we will have the power to protect ourselves!"

Although Zhu Jinghong's words were slightly pessimistic, the generals present breathed a sigh of relief. They were afraid that this man was young and frivolous and would forcefully confront the Junggar people.

Seeing that everyone was silent, Zhu Jinghong then asked: "Everyone, if all our troops retreat, can we get rid of the Junggar army?"

It's a very simple choice to run away if you can't win. Zhu Jinghong doesn't have much to do with face.

After Zhu Jinghong finished speaking, he heard Yang Longshan say: "Your Majesty, this is not feasible... I'm afraid the Holy One will not agree!"

"The Holy One's intention is to severely inflict heavy damage on Junggar within this year. The previous year's war situation was anxious and there was no progress. Now there is a slight advance and if we don't advance but retreat, the Holy One will definitely punish us..."

This is the greatest pressure on the generals, and Ning Huanxiang is under the greatest pressure, so he is too cautious and excessively seeking stability, which makes the situation anxious and difficult to make progress.

Now that Ning Huanxiang is dead, Yang Longshan and other generals have to face the emperor's wrath, so they will oppose the retreat.

This is actually a tragedy. The generals should have just fought and made excellent decisions based on the existing conditions.

"Now that all the ministries have gathered together, do you have any ideas on how to fight this battle?"

(End of this chapter)