Chapter 244 Traitors in Chaotic Times (Part 20): How to Become a Super Strategist...

Ten days later, banners fluttered outside the capital of Dali. Song Ce, clad in black armor, stood before the enemy lines, his crimson battle robe billowing in the wind, further enhancing his imposing presence.

He gazed at the 30,000 elite troops ready for battle ahead, decisively drew his sword, pointed it to the heavens, and declared in a clear voice: "As everyone knows, Heyang is the homeland of Dali, yet it has been occupied by the Meng army for many years, causing immense suffering to the people within the city! Today, our soldiers march not to plunder, but to reclaim the land of Dali and relieve the people from their dire straits!"

"Reclaim our lost lands! Relieve the people from their suffering! Reclaim our lost lands! Relieve the people from their suffering!" Thirty thousand soldiers shouted in unison, their voices soaring into the sky.

"I, Song Ce, have received great favors from the state and am entrusted with both internal and external affairs. Now, I will lead you gentlemen deep into enemy territory! We will advance without retreat and together achieve great merit! When we return in triumph, receive our titles and honors at court, and celebrate with toasts, would that not be wonderful?"

"No retreat, only advance; let us achieve great things together!"

Standing under the imperial canopy atop the city wall, Wei Shaosu looked at the spirited Song Ce and his soldiers ahead and shouted, "Brave warriors of Dali, I await your triumphant return in the capital!"

Thirty thousand soldiers knelt down in unison, shouting, "We will not fail the Great Li Dynasty! We will not fail His Majesty!"

"Good! Quickly offer the soldiers a farewell toast!" Wei Shaosu shouted.

After the soldiers finished drinking, they smashed their cups. With the sound of several powerful and resounding drums, the 30,000-strong army set off.

As the million-strong army of Dali gradually receded into the distance, Song Ce and his deputy general Mu Anyong rode side by side, with Captain Tang Yuan and Military Advisor Bao Zhuozhi following closely behind, while the vanguard general Fang Yiyan led the scout battalion to the front to scout ahead.

The army marched westward, and on the tenth day, Fang Yiyan rode up to report: "General, the army will reach Heyang after another hundred li."

Song Ce nodded and said decisively, "Immediately issue the order that the army should remain in place for two days to rest and recuperate before advancing."

"Yes, General!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Mu Anyong, Tang Yuan, and Bao Zhuozhi exchanged a secret glance. They were all descendants of powerful military families, and naturally they were not satisfied with such a refined scholar as the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel becoming their general! Such a thin and weak civil official would be better off staying in the capital and focusing on wielding power than volunteering to leave the capital to go to the battlefield to gain experience.

Song Ce seemed oblivious to their gazes and said calmly, "Please follow me into the tent."

Mu Anyong dusted off his hands. He was the deputy general directly appointed by Wei Shaosu. His role was to assist the general in commanding and managing the army. If the general made any mistakes, he could directly become the general's successor, serving as Song Ce's substitute.

"It's getting late, and the brothers have had a long day. I wonder what important military or political matters General Song would like to discuss with us?"

Song Ce lifted the curtain and entered the main tent, bringing the candlestick close to the map hanging on all four sides. He said gently, “Gentlemen, although the forces in Heyang City are weak, its terrain is strategically important, serving as a vital passage from Dali to Qinzhou. The Meng family army has been fortifying this area for many years, raising the city walls by more than ten feet. Although the garrison appears to be less than ten thousand, it is actually easy to defend and difficult to attack. If we can capture Heyang, it will be equivalent to opening the door to Qinzhou and gaining a forward base! The battle of Heyang will not only allow us to stockpile provisions for the subsequent battles but also stabilize our rear. Therefore, capturing Heyang is the first and crucial step in the entire campaign to destroy the Meng army.”

Mu Anyong sneered, stood by the tent flap with his arms crossed, a hint of disdain on his lips: "General, Heyang has less than ten thousand men, while Dali has thirty thousand elite troops. Thirty thousand against ten thousand, our army has the advantage in numbers. Let's just launch a direct attack. We can afford to wait it out, why should we stand still here?"

"A direct assault?" Song Ce turned to look at him, and said unhurriedly, "Does Vice General Mu know who the commander and prefect of Heyang are?"

Mu Anyong's gaze turned serious, and he straightened his body slightly. "It's Shi Antong."

Song Ce smiled slightly, “Shi Antong is a man of military background, and he is most skilled at defending cities. Last year, the Wu army attacked the city for a month but failed to take it down, losing nearly half of its troops. This was all thanks to this general. The battle of Heyang still requires careful planning.”

Seeing that Mu Anyong's expression was getting worse, Bao Zhuozhi quickly stepped forward to smooth things over, saying, "General, what you say is absolutely right. However, our army's food supplies are limited. Vice General Mu is also worried that if we delay too long, something might happen and we might fail to live up to His Majesty's grace!"

Seeing that Song Ce did not respond, Mu Anyong's expression grew even colder. "I have yet to ask General Song what good strategy he has for attacking the city?"

Song Ce remained calm, but then emphasized, “A fierce attack is a poor strategy, and reckless courage is not advisable. Once the main army has set out and is heading west out of Tongyi, we can lead our elite troops to launch a surprise attack and quickly disrupt the deployment within Heyang City. Then, our Dali army can tightly encircle and isolate the fortress.”

"An isolated fortress? What is the general's intention in doing this?" Bao Zhuozhi asked.

"Once our army arrives in Heyang, our first priority will be to completely encircle the city from all sides. This move will sever all communication between Heyang and the outside world, preventing the city's defenders from seeking reinforcements, obtaining supplies, or learning the true situation outside, thus..."

Before Song Ce could finish speaking, Mu Anyong's eyes lit up, and he stepped forward to say, "This will put enormous psychological pressure on the garrison of Heyang!"

Tang Yuan paused, then softened his tone: "I wonder which person the general wishes to appoint to command?"

Song Ce smiled and replied, "Me."

Mu Anyong, Tang Yuan, and Bao Zhuozhi were all stunned when they heard this. Song Ce, a civil official, actually wanted to personally command the army to advance and launch a surprise attack, and personally supervise the battle on the front line!

After a moment, the disdain on Mu Anyong's face gradually faded, replaced by a hint of seriousness. "It is commendable that the general has such a heart. However, as the commander-in-chief of the three armies, you can stabilize the morale of the troops by sitting in the central command. Why do you need to personally take risks?"

Tang Yuan also suggested, "General, this humble general is willing to lead the troops to carry out military orders and will certainly not fail in my mission!"

Song Ce waved his hand and said gently, "This battle is crucial to the overall situation. Heyang City is well-defended, and Shi Antong is a veteran general. Any slight mistake could delay our opportunity. Although I am not very capable, I can command the pace of the attack in real time according to the battlefield situation. If any offensive is thwarted, we can make adjustments as quickly as possible."

At this point, Song Ce looked at the group with bright eyes: "Furthermore, if the soldiers of Dali can see that I am with them, it will greatly boost their morale and inspire their fighting spirit."

Mu Anyong's expression was unreadable as he bowed and asked, "General, I have heard that Shi Antong has an incomparably brave archer battalion that specializes in sniping enemy commanders. I would be wise to make a decision with caution."

Upon hearing this, Song Ce smiled faintly, lightly tapping the location of Heyang on the map with his fingertip, displaying a hint of pride: "What is there to fear? Green hills everywhere bury loyal bones; why need a horse's hide to wrap the corpse for return!"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the people inside the tent changed instantly. They all straightened up, solemnly clasped their hands, and accepted the order.

After two days of rest, the Dali army was in high spirits. As soon as they passed Tongyi, Mu Anyong led the Dali elite troops with astonishing speed, following the tactics pre-arranged by Song Ce.

As it turned out, this high-speed maneuvering was completely unexpected by Shi Antong. He hastily engaged in battle and barely managed to defend Heyang City by taking advantage of the city walls' geographical location.

Late that night, Song Ce formulated a multi-force coordinated offensive strategy, appointed Mu Anyong as the vanguard general, and organized an offensive that combined long-range suppression, filling trenches, multi-point assault, and key breakthroughs. He also ordered Tang Yuan to lead troops to complete the encirclement of Heyang from all sides.

Just five days later, Heyang City fell to the Dali army. The defending general and the prefect Shi Antong were captured alive, which meant that the highest-ranking official in the Heyang area was under control, directly throwing the local command system into chaos.

"General, Shi Antong has been brought to the central command tent, and all sixty-four officials, both high and low, in the city have been apprehended," Tang Yuan reported loudly as he strode forward.

Song Ce glanced at the soldiers moving back and forth in the city and nodded slightly. "Issue an order for Bao Zhuozhi to lead his troops to inventory the grain and fodder in Heyang Prefecture. Choose another place to settle the prisoners, provide them with coarse food and water every day, and do not mistreat them. But if anyone incites trouble, show no mercy and kill them on the spot."

"Furthermore, Heyang has just been ravaged by war, and the people's hearts are unsettled. If we do not appease them, there is a risk of a popular uprising. I hereby issue an order that all residents of Heyang can come here with their household registration to receive two dou of coarse rice, which will be considered as a special relief ration issued by our Great Li Dynasty. As long as we stabilize the people's hearts, Heyang will naturally become our army's most secure rear."

"Yes, Your subordinate obeys." Tang Yuan responded and withdrew.

After the Dali army occupied Heyang, Song Ce's orders were strict and no Dali soldiers dared to harm the local people. The laws were simple and the government was lenient. The people of Heyang, who were suffering from the war, were overjoyed and spread the news to each other.

Meanwhile, inside Pingzhou City.

Meng Tianxi's eyes narrowed as he looked at the report coming from the front, and then he abruptly swept all the documents on the wooden table to the ground!

"Excellent! Very excellent! This Song Ce is truly excellent!"

Lu Ying, who was standing nearby, got up and picked up the battle report from a short distance away. After glancing at it, her eyes almost spit fire the next second.

"How could a weak scholar who pretends to be a charlatan break through my Heyang in just five days! Is that good-for-nothing Shi Antong just a good-for-nothing?" He kicked over the small table next to him and said angrily.

"General, please calm down! Young Master Lu, please calm down!" Deputy General Zhang Liuliang immediately knelt down and touched the ground with his forehead. "The Dali army is not known for its martial ethics, and Song Ce is also cunning in his tactics, launching a surprise attack in the dead of night. That's why Heyang was unable to resist. General Shi... he has done his best!"

"Try your best?" Lu Ying sneered, his face contorted. "What's the use of trying your best? With Heyang lost, Qinzhou's gates are wide open, and Song Ce will definitely head straight for Pingzhou next!"

Zhang Liuliang knelt on the ground, only to hear Lu Ying pacing back and forth inside the tent, but dared not make a sound to disturb him.

After a long silence, Meng Tianxi took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and said indifferently, "Heyang is not only the foundation of my Meng family army, but also the gateway to my Qinzhou. Song Ce's occupation of Heyang with the Dali army is tantamount to cutting off an arm of my Meng family army. Therefore, we must take Heyang back as soon as possible!"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Lu Ying replied angrily, then turned around: "Tianxi is right. Let's quickly discuss the matter of taking back Heyang! We must teach the Dali army a lesson!"

As he spoke, Meng Tianxi had already laid out the map on the wooden table, his finger landing heavily on the location of Heyang. He said solemnly, "Heyang is strategically important, easy to defend and difficult to attack. Song Ce has just occupied this place, and his foundation is certainly not yet stable. This is our opportunity to seize it! Currently, Pingzhou has a total of 50,000 troops, plus the strong soldiers recruited from the villages at the end of the year, totaling 70,000. This is more than enough to deal with the 30,000 troops that Song Ce has brought!"

Zhang Liuliang frowned upon hearing this and said, "General, the Dali army has just won a battle and their morale is high. If we attack rashly, I'm afraid we will suffer some losses!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Meng Tianxi's gaze suddenly sharpened.

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Author's Note: [Shrug][Shrug]