Wind rises time and space gate

Chapter 508: The King of Yue’s Thoughts

Zhao Guangyuan paced anxiously in the commander's tent.

Therefore, Hangu Pass now only has more than 220,000 troops, and less than 30,000 cavalry! The entire northwest defense line is said to have a million soldiers, but the loss of troops over the years has never been replenished!

What is the Ministry of War doing? What are those people in the court doing?
Zhao Guangyuan was so angry that he almost went berserk.

The court has been numb from inside to outside due to the long period of peace in recent years.

The Xirong Fanjue had been besieging the city for less than a month, and had already suffered more than 20,000 casualties, and they were still mainly defending the pass, without any large-scale battles. This combat power was worrying.

Moreover, there have been reductions in troops on all the defense lines in the northwest, and I don't know the situation in other places. If the gap in troops in one place is too large and the defense is weak, and the enemy attacks strongly, I am afraid that Da Qi will be in danger.

"Have you tried to spy on the enemy, the 400,000 soldiers thirty miles away? Have the rear defense lines received reinforcements? Have other guards sent letters to learn about the situation? Are there any enemy advances in other places?"

A series of questions forced Fang Sheng to suppress his emotions. "The intelligence that Chihou has gathered so far is only about the 400,000 troops of the coalition forces. We haven't found any reinforcements behind them. There is no movement elsewhere either."

Zhao Guangyuan couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Hangu Pass is the most important pass in the northwest defense line, with the heaviest military presence. If the defense here is weak, other places will be even more vulnerable.

The two discussed the battle deployment again, and then Fang Sheng wiped the sweat off his face and went out.

When the generals outside saw this, they came over to ask what was going on.

Fang Sheng didn't want to say more.

I thought it would be easy to communicate with the King of Yue about the battle situation. After all, he was a prince raised in a wealthy circle. Even if he was demoted for ten years, he still had food and drink and people to serve him in the imperial palace. It was much better than those of them who lived on the northwest border and had to eat and drink.

I can communicate with him and discuss the combat situation in depth.

He thought the King of Yue didn't understand the situation here and would be easy to deal with, but the questions he asked made him break out in a cold sweat.

Fang Sheng seriously suspected that the King of Yue must have followed Duke Lu to the battlefield when he was young.

"The King of Yue has ordered people to set up the general's tent. Go and find someone." Fang Sheng was tired and did not intend to say more. He instructed the generals to find people.

The King of Yue came only today, firstly because he was too busy fighting the enemy, and secondly because he didn't expect him to come so soon, and the "Marshal of the Western Expedition" hadn't set up his tent yet. The tent he was using was still his.

When everyone heard this, they rushed to help.

As a result, Zhang Zhi beside the prince was seen directing everyone to build the tent bigger and bigger. It was obviously twice as big as Marshal Fang's tent, and it was still expanding.

The generals frowned.

"The nobles from the capital are indeed different from us."

I thought that after the battle in the morning, everyone would look upon the King of Yue, whom they had never met before, with new eyes, but I didn't expect that in the afternoon, they would become so extravagant.

After hearing this, many people showed their dissatisfaction directly on their faces.

Marshal Fang had led them against the enemy for nearly a month, and had been with them through thick and thin at Hangu Pass, but his position was not even half as big as this one. How could this wealthy prince from the capital enjoy himself before he had even suffered so much?

He directly ordered his soldiers to start the fight, not even thinking about helping. He just walked away.

Fang Sheng wanted to call them to stop, but they were still upset for him and wanted to drag him away. Fang Sheng did not follow them and stayed behind.

Wei Zuo on the side watched the scene calmly and took note of those people who left with a wave of their sleeves.

Wei Zuo was one of the most capable of Zhao Guangyuan's many trusted aides. What was rare was that he was also well-versed in military affairs. This time, Zhao Guangyuan couldn't find a suitable military advisor, so he brought him along.

Zhan Qian looked at the generals who had left and glanced at the generals who had come from the capital. Among the generals who had come with the King of Yue as the vanguard, none had left.

Zhan Qian couldn't help but feel comforted.

He was relatively familiar with these generals. Like him, they were all descendants of noble families in the capital. Their ancestors, like the Zhan family, were awarded titles for military merit. But over the years, they were considered to be living in the capital in glory.

Twelve years ago, after the incident with Duke Lu, more nobles who had risen from the military ranks began to live a low-key life. Some families had also turned from military to civil.

To support Hangu Pass this time, some nobles with ideas sent their own children over.

First of all, of course, the blood of defending the country has not been extinguished, and secondly, everyone has had a hard time in recent years. The court values ​​civil officials over military officials, and many people in the capital have long lost their real jobs and are becoming increasingly marginalized. They are looking forward to making some achievements this time and restoring some of the glory of their ancestors.

But everyone was not optimistic about the King of Yue leading the troops.

First, the King of Yue had a status like that and had never been on the battlefield. Second, the King of Yue himself showed resistance. He did not go to the camp to inspect the troops before leaving the capital, and he did not meet with the generals to make any arrangements on the way.

The King of Yue said he wanted to lead a vanguard army to Hangu Pass quickly, but not many people responded.

As a result, they unexpectedly were impressed by the King of Yue.

Zhan Qian thought that the generals who joined the first batch of vanguards with him must have the same idea as him. Their views on the King of Yue had changed greatly. Some even surrendered.

He recalled what his father had said before leaving Beijing...

"According to my observation, the King of Yue is not a simple person... Our family does not need to flatter the superiors or take sides. You just need to do your best on this trip and don't need to pay attention to other things. But if the King of Yue needs help, you can help him at the right time..."

Seeing Zhang Zhizheng carrying a log, he hurried forward to lend a hand.

Zhang Zhi turned around and saw that it was him. He smiled and thanked him, "Thank you, Master Zhan."

"It's my duty. It will be better to set it up earlier so as not to disturb the prince's rest. The prince was injured today."

It was not difficult to set up a general's tent, and it was completed in half an hour. However, it took some more effort to decorate the interior according to the King of Yue's requirements.

After the general's tent was set up, Zhao Guangyuan also moved back to his exclusive general's tent.

That night, he paid for a good dinner for all the soldiers and officers. Hundreds of sheep were killed, and the whole camp was filled with the aroma of meat.

"King of Yue, King of Yue, King of Yue!"

The soldiers ate with their plates full of meat, enjoying the meal. The tension from the early morning battle was instantly gone. The entire camp was filled with voices shouting for the King of Yue.

Several generals gathered together, eating the delicious meat, and felt that the reputation of the King of Yue was a little too high.

"It's too extravagant and wasteful to have the war going on. Shouldn't we be deploying and mobilizing to fight the enemy now?"

A general shook his head. The King of Yue had indeed performed bravely in the morning, but this time his tent was twice as big as the Marshal's, and he also paid attention to his enjoyment. "This is not a good sign."

"Should we ask the Crown Prince to send another military supervisor?"

Lu Ye, who was standing by, took in this scene. Born as a secret guard, he had sharp ears and eyes, and his hearing was naturally better than others, so he naturally heard those words.

Jiang Huan, who was squatting next to him, only realized that the people opposite him might have said something bad, but he couldn't hear the content. Meng Yan, who was next to him, was just busy eating meat and didn't notice this. Although his arm was injured, it didn't affect his speed of eating meat.

"It smells so good!"

Why is the guarding marshal not the King of Yue? Just transfer Marshal Fang to another place and let the King of Yue stay at Hangu Pass. Maybe he can eat meat every day. Eating meat every day is not realistic. Eating meat two or three times a month is fine.

It is said that the King of Yue is good at making money. He has only been back in Beijing for less than two years, but he has made more money than others can spend in several lifetimes. It would be great if the King of Yue could stay in Hangu Pass. He could eat meat frequently with the King of Yue.

Really fragrant.

In the commander's tent at the Hangu Pass camp, Zhao Guangyuan spent his first night on the battlefield.

The next day, before dawn, the entire camp was already extremely lively. The sound of drills could be heard everywhere.

Zhao Guangyuan also followed Fang Sheng to the training platform to watch the soldiers train.

Seeing that everyone was training seriously, the worry about the lack of combat effectiveness that I had since yesterday was slightly alleviated.

Zhao Guangyuan said a few words of encouragement to the soldiers on the high platform, "If you don't want to shed blood and sacrifice in war, you must be extremely alert! Treat every battle as the last! Only by defending Hangu Pass can we defend our homes behind us! Do you want to return home with honors after your military achievements, or do you want the Ministry of War to issue a death certificate to your family?"

"Achieve military merit! Achieve military merit!"

“Return home in glory!” “Return home in glory!”

The sound shook the nine heavens! The waves of oaths struck everyone's heart, and the blood of the Hangu Pass camp was boiling at this moment.

Fang Sheng watched from the side, and couldn't help but tremble with excitement. He turned his head to look at the King of Yue beside him, and the admiration in his eyes almost overflowed.

After the morning drill, all the generals followed Fang Sheng to the King of Yue's tent to discuss the battle deployment.

When they arrived, they found that all the captains under their command had also arrived.

Usually, Marshal Fang would discuss battle plans with his generals, and only call twelve generals to participate. After the discussion, the generals would convey the information to the captains, lieutenants, battalion commanders and other low-ranking non-commissioned officers. Why are the captains and lieutenants here today?
I had thought that the King of Yue's tent was big, but after these captains arrived, the tent seemed crowded.

"Greetings, Marshal Fang, and all the generals!"

Dozens of lieutenants spoke in loud and clear voices, full of energy and vigor. If you listen carefully, you can hear the excitement and excitement in their words.

The King of Yue invited them to discuss the battle plan! The King of Yue values ​​them! Yesterday, my admiration for the King of Yue increased even more.

"sit down."

Zhao Guangyuan glanced at the twelve generals of various levels from Hangu Pass who came in, including Lu Ye and Jiang Huan.

There were two rows of chairs on both sides of the commander's seat, but there were only twenty of them. After the twelve generals sat down and the generals from the capital sat down, there were still four chairs left. Another four generals were still on the way with their follow-up troops.

Dozens of captains could only stand behind their respective generals.

Fortunately, the commander’s tent was big enough to accommodate everyone.

Lu Ye sat down below Jiang Huan according to his rank as a fifth-rank cavalry general, glanced at the captain opposite him, and then looked at the King of Yue at the top with admiration in his eyes.

Half of these generals were from other forces, so it would be difficult to win them over. The prince had probably given up and turned to winning over the captains under their command.

The generals at Hangu Pass led about 5,000 to 20,000 troops, depending on their rank, and the colonels led three to five battalions of troops, with one battalion consisting of 500 people.

If you can win over some loyal captains and then sideline those generals who have ulterior motives, your majesty will be able to accomplish your goals.

Jiang Huanyi was stunned for a while when he saw so many captains in the morning, but he soon guessed the prince's intention and agreed with the prince's move.

Fang Sheng had guessed the King of Yue's intention earlier. He had no other ideas. He was just worried that there were too many people and someone among them might leak the information about the deployment, which would lead to bad things.

Zhao Guangyuan had naturally taken precautions against this, and would only reveal important matters to a few people he trusted.

"Today is the first time that I have formally summoned you to discuss the battle deployment with you. You know the situation at Hangu Pass better than I do. Yesterday I learned that there are only 250,000 soldiers at Hangu Pass! There are only 30,000 cavalry!"

When the generals sitting in the chairs heard this, their expressions changed.

The four generals from the capital were stunned. Didn't they claim to have 300,000 soldiers? They only had 30,000 cavalry? Some of the generals at Hangu Pass looked normal, while others looked at the faces of those from the capital.

How come there were only 250,000 troops at Hangu Pass, and the capital was unaware of it?

Everyone has different expressions.

Zhao Guangyuan glanced at the generals below, and focused his attention on those from other forces.

It seems that the capital has known about the situation for a long time, but has kept it secret from the person in the palace.

Perhaps the person in the palace also knew about it, but he felt that there was no difference between 250,000 and 300,000, so he did not announce it to the public.

Zhao Guangyuan suppressed his thoughts and said, "The generals are short of soldiers. Yesterday, I discussed with Marshal Fang that we would not replenish the troops. The soldiers from Beijing would be led by the generals from Beijing. But last night, I thought about it again. After all, the generals and soldiers from Beijing do not have enough combat experience. It is more reasonable to put them under the command of the generals, with one commander and one deputy commander. As for how to arrange it, I need your suggestions."

A master and a deputy can also check and balance each other, making it easier for him to deal with it.

There was a buzzing sound below.

Who doesn't want to recruit more troops? Do they want to be a general without any troops?

Without sufficient troops, they had fewer opportunities to make achievements than others. Now they no longer despised the Beijing soldiers for being delicate, and they all got close to the Beijing generals.

The captains also enthusiastically participated in the discussion and offered their opinions and suggestions. Zhao Guangyuan accepted some good ideas and praised them, which made the captains even more proud.

The troops from the capital have not arrived yet, and it has not been decided which team to recruit from and how the generals should cooperate. This matter needs to be discussed again.

Next, Zhao Guangyuan ordered his men to lift up a piece of cloth in the middle of the tent, revealing a large sand table. The generals screamed and surrounded it.

Everyone of them has seen a sand table, but none of them have seen such a realistic sand table.

I don't know what material it is made of, but it comes alive, and it depicts the terrain inside and outside Hangu Pass, mountains, rivers, trees, roads, villages, and even the location of enemy troops and the surrounding conditions, all of which are marked one by one, making it extremely realistic.

"This is where the enemy camps. They have 400,000 soldiers. Their casualties are almost the same as ours, but nearly half of them are cavalry. The daily food and grass consumption is a shocking figure. The enemy has been besieging the city for nearly a month, and the food and grass they brought are probably almost consumed. The next offensive will only be more fierce. How to deal with the enemy, please give us your good advice."

The generals looked around the sand table and after being amazed, they realized that they had misunderstood the King of Yue yesterday.

The King of Yue built such a large tent not for his own enjoyment.

If it wasn't built so big, there wouldn't be a place for so many people to stay. And how could they accommodate such a large sand table?

I felt a little ashamed in front of the King of Yue. The captains who were invited to discuss the battle analysis for the first time wanted to perform well in front of the King of Yue, and they all rushed to speak...

The effect is remarkable.

Even their superiors found it incredible.

These people weren't so eloquent in front of them before, but now they are so knowledgeable when it comes to tactics and strategy?
I underestimated you. The King of Yue is still good at leading people. My admiration for the King of Yue has increased.

That night, just after they had discussed how to fight the enemy, the camp was attacked by the enemy.