Chapter 121

Considering the suddenness of this operation, Xue Jin'an selected 3,000 people, most of whom were teammates from the Blue Team in the last exercise. Having cooperated once before, these people were more obedient to Xue Jin'an and could basically execute orders without any disconnect.

Three thousand men, lightly armed, marched to a treacherous place. As dawn broke, they saw no sign of human habitation. Xue Jin'an sensed the messages carried by the air, calculated the distance, and immediately ordered his men to signal a halt and rest.

"General Xiaolong, what's wrong?" Deputy General Han, who was closest, immediately rode forward to ask.

"Let's set up camp here." Xue Jin'an dismounted, and the soldier who had been following behind him immediately ran over to take his horse.

"Here? Set up camp?" General Han and his adjutant looked at each other, neither of them understanding his meaning.

They thought Xue Jin'an had brought them here for a surprise attack, but instead they were suddenly sent to this godforsaken place. They had traveled thousands of miles without even seeing a trace of the enemy!

They had no idea what Xue Jin'an was up to, but fortunately, they knew their limits and didn't say anything in front of the soldiers. After dismounting, they all planned to talk to Xue Jin'an.

The soldiers under his command had no idea what their superiors were arguing about. They obeyed orders without question, stopping as soon as they were told to and getting to work efficiently. Some were unloading things, some were setting up tents, and some were setting up stoves.

Xue Jin'an didn't leave in a hurry. He patted the horse's head and said to the soldier leading the horse, "Xiao Jia, tell the cooks to cook more food. Make sure the soldiers eat and drink well, as a reward for them."

Xue Jin'an didn't hide his words from anyone, and immediately some sharp-eared soldiers heard them and cheered, "Oh! General Xiaolong is mighty!"

"General Xiaolong is mighty!" Everyone cheered and jumped for joy, their fatigue from the midnight run completely gone, and they were all full of energy again.

Upon hearing this, Deputy General Han and the others raised their eyebrows and looked at him hesitantly, as if they wanted to say something but couldn't.

Xue Jin'an ignored them and turned to Xiao Jia, instructing him, "Call Blind Ding over."

"Yes!" Xiao Jia immediately ran off.

— Xiao Jia and Blind Ding were the cooks who had worked with Xue Jin'an during the previous drills.

Xiao Jia was a new recruit who was assigned to the cook battalion because of his poor physical condition. In addition, he lacked battlefield experience. Under normal circumstances, such lightly armed raids would only be carried out by the elite of the elite, and he would never be the one to participate.

However, Xue Jin'an felt that he was obedient and well-behaved. Even if he didn't understand the orders he was given, he would try his best to complete them. The last time they cooperated was quite pleasant. Since every general needs to have a deputy by his side, he directly assigned him to that position. Xiao Jia's current position is equivalent to that of an orderly by the commander's side.

Ding the Blind's situation was quite different from Xiao Jia's. Those who could enter the Sharpshooter Battalion were the elite of the elite, with top-notch physical qualities and combat experience. He was just unlucky enough to lose an eye, which forced him to become a cook.

During the last drill, Deputy General Han noticed Ding Xiazi's performance and reported it to Helian Cheng. They both felt that it was a waste to leave such a versatile talent as Ding Xiazi in the cook camp. After consulting Ding Xiazi himself, he was transferred to the scout camp.

Ding the Blind still possessed the sharp eyesight and battlefield awareness of a master archer, and coupled with his ability to adapt to changing circumstances, he quickly became a qualified scout and was able to return to the battlefield.

Incidentally, because of the precedent of Ding the Blind, a disabled soldier who found new employment, many soldiers in the Northwest Army who were forced to retire to the second line due to injuries are now eager to find new ways to make a living.

Helian Cheng was also very happy about this, but it was still early, and the camp had not yet issued any relevant regulations or policies. At present, only one wounded soldier, Blind Ding, had successfully found new employment.

Xiao Jia went to call Ding the Blind Man, Xue Jin'an's horse was led away by another soldier, and he also turned and headed towards the place where the main tent was set up. Seeing this, Deputy General Han and the others quickly followed.

Deputy General Han glanced at the surrounding soldiers, making sure no one was paying attention, and said in a worried whisper, "We came out lightly equipped and didn't bring much food. We can't last long at all. Is it not good to eat it all now?"

The adjutant beside Xue Jin'an had a blind trust in him. He sighed and said, "General Han, we should trust General Xiaolong. He must have his reasons for doing this. He will surely be able to annihilate the Rongdi barbarians before our food supplies run out!"

Xue Jin'an gave a direct negative answer: "I can't."

“The Rong and Di tribes intend to swallow up the entire Qizhou, and their army will number no less than 300,000.” Xue Jin’an made a hand gesture.

In fact, Xue Jin'an's figure was a conservative estimate. To attack a city, one would need at least twice the troops, not to mention that the Northwest Army had 100,000 men, all of whom were brave and skilled warriors. Taking Qizhou with 300,000 men was really a stretch.

As for the possibility that the Rong and Di tribes might not take Qizhou this time, it is basically zero, which can be seen from the timing of when the Rong and Di tribes provoked the war.

Generally speaking, these ancient wars mostly occurred after the autumn harvest and before the spring planting, because agricultural production was the foundation of the country. The soldiers of the country were not only soldiers but also farmers. Most armies had a policy of settling in the fields, and they were busy going back to plant in the spring. As a result, many wars would end before the spring sowing.

Although the Rongdi were a nomadic people who did little farming, the springtime thaw and renewal of nature made it an ideal time for grazing. They mostly raided in winter, precisely because the grasslands were nearly devoid of resources in winter, making survival impossible. The Rongdi lived in the northern desert region, which consisted of both vast grasslands and deserts. Resources there were even scarcer than those of other nomadic peoples, which allowed them to raid more brazenly in winter.

Since the Rong and Di people have given up the good time of spring for herding sheep and cattle, they must seek greater benefits. Otherwise, the coming year will likely be even more difficult, and internal discontent among the Rong and Di people will soon lead to problems.

"Their losses will be transferred to Daqi; Qizhou is their bottom line," Xue Jin'an explained calmly.

The generals' initially bewildered expressions gradually turned serious; they realized that this would be a desperate battle to defend Qizhou.

Having guarded the border for many years, they understood the importance of Qizhou even better than Xue Jin'an. They knew that the barbarians were greedy and insatiable, and would never want just Qizhou. Once Qizhou fell, the entire Northwest would fall under the iron hooves of the Rong and Di tribes, and the people would suffer.

Many soldiers came from military households, many were locals of Qizhou, and many had settled down in Qizhou... The consequences of the Northwest Army's defeat were not only the loss of their lives, but also the loss of their families, children, and friends.

Almost instantly, General Han and his men's bodies stiffened and became numb. An unknown weight pressed down on their shoulders, making them feel uneasy.

"Three thousand men... can we stop them?" The lieutenant felt that there were too few people around him, and it was very unsafe.

Another lieutenant licked his chapped lips, patted him on the shoulder, and said in as lighthearted a tone as possible, "What are you thinking? We're just the vanguard; the main force is still waiting to attack from the camp."

Although everyone tried their best to think positively, they were still unsure when they suddenly heard that the enemy numbered 300,000, and their words unconsciously revealed a hint of unease.

Finally, Vice General Han took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "What are you worrying about? It's already a good result, isn't it? It's better that General Xiaolong knew about the Rongdi's actions in advance than that the enemy suddenly broke through our defenses while we were sleeping."

"The worst has already passed, what are you afraid of?" Deputy General Han said fiercely.

The crowd gradually came to their senses. While 100,000 against 300,000 might seem like a disparity in troop strength, they had already avoided the worst-case scenario. So, no matter what, they were still ahead. Once they understood this, their spirits lifted, and they temporarily put their anxieties aside.

Xue Jin'an watched them quietly as they talked to themselves and brainwashed themselves, tilting her head in confusion.

It's a bit of a pipe dream for 3,000 men to fight against 300,000, but it's still possible to devise a way to swallow a portion of them. The 3,000 men he led were not an advance force, but the main force. As for the remaining 90,000 men, apart from leaving some at the main camp, they were all mobile troops of the 3,000 main force.

As for how to maneuver, that would depend on the intelligence gathered by the scouts. Xue Jin'an deliberately chose a location not too close to the Rongdi army. He could vaguely sense some information carried by the wind, but he still needed to see the Rongdi army in person to know the specific details.

While the group was talking, the main tent was already set up. Xue Jin'an went in first, and the others followed closely behind. A soldier came in and poured hot water. Vice Commander Han and the others drank the hot water casually to calm themselves down. Xue Jin'an took out a map and spread it on the table.

Not long after, Xiao Jia arrived with Blind Ding.

“You’ve come at the right time. Come here.” Xue Jin’an interrupted Ding Xiazi’s bow and called him forward. He pointed to several places on the map and said, “Take the scout camp to these places to check, especially the first one. There is an 87% chance that the Rongdi army is stationed here.”

When Deputy General Han saw the places Xue Jin'an pointed out, all of which had crossed the border, his brow twitched violently, and his fists clenched. "The army is stationed here and no one has reported it? This is too negligent!"

“Since they dared to station themselves here, they must be able to ensure that no one reports their whereabouts.” The commotion of 300,000 troops stationed here is not small, and some villagers must have noticed something unusual. The only reason why no word has come out yet is that there are no more people from Daqi around here.

The Rong and Di tribes may have massacred entire villages or even entire cities.

Upon hearing this, Vice General Han and the others fell silent.

Xue Jin'an ignored their emotions and continued to move his finger across the map, pointing out several places and saying, "If you see that the Rongdi army is less than 300,000, then look in these places to see if there are any Rongdi troops."

“That place is the border of Yanzhou.” The lieutenant saw the last spot Xue Jin’an pointed out and murmured in disbelief, “They actually still covet Yanzhou?”

"They would only covet Yanzhou after they've taken Qizhou. They just want to capture this city so they can encircle the Northwest Army from the east and west, seize Qizhou, and cut off the Northwest Army's supply lines." Vice General Han is quite capable in military affairs; otherwise, Helian Cheng wouldn't have chosen him to be the Blue Army's marshal. He just lacks tactical flexibility and tends to go to extremes, but he's still good at basic battle analysis.

Qizhou was a natural barrier for the Rong and Di tribes to move south, and Yanzhou was also a border region. However, it was long and narrow, bordering all sides, and even connected directly to Yuzhou, which was closely connected to the capital.

Yanzhou's rise and fall were both due to its long and narrow terrain. Its excessively long and narrow shape led to significant differences in its internal culture, economy, and other aspects, making it difficult to achieve balanced development. At the same time, its long and narrow shape also meant that it could only expose one foot to external enemies, while its lower part was completely protected by the natural defenses of Qizhou.

This is why it is said that once Qizhou is captured, Yanzhou will also become a place for the Rong and Di tribes to plunder. Given this interdependent relationship, it is not difficult to understand why the Northwest Army's supply lines run through Yanzhou.

From the perspective of the Northwest Army, having Qizhou in Yanzhou meant absolute safety. However, if the Rong and Di tribes were to conquer this exposed corner of Yanzhou, they would have the potential to besiege Qizhou. If they could seize an opportunity to uncover and intercept the Northwest Army's supply lines, the Northwest Army would be trapped like a caged beast.

Of course, although this corner belongs to Yanzhou, it is actually guarded by Qizhou soldiers. Qizhou soldiers can summon the Northwest Army at any time, making it very difficult to capture this place. The prerequisite for the Rong and Di to attack this place is to contain the main force of the Northwest Army and keep them busy.

Xue Jin'an analyzed the Rongdi's troop deployment and divided it into single-point attacks and multi-point attacks. A single-point attack would involve concentrating all forces in one place to break through directly and forcefully, while a multi-point attack would involve dividing the troops into several locations for tactical coordination, allocating the combat power of the Northwest Army, and then defeating them one by one.

The two tactics that Rong Di were most likely to use were, in addition to which Xue Jin'an casually mentioned three other possible plans with a probability of over 40%, which is why he sent Ding the Blind Man.

The entire scout battalion was dispatched to investigate the whereabouts and situation of the Rongdi army. It wasn't until noon, when the sky was bright, that some of them returned one after another. The first thing they did upon returning was to report the situation to Xue Jin'an.

It turned out that Blind Ding felt there were too many places to go, so he simply divided the scout camp into several small teams, which improved both speed and efficiency. After scouting, they would return directly to the camp to report to the commander. The only unsatisfactory thing was that the content reported by the scouts to the commander after returning to the camp was completely unfiltered; it was just a bunch of stuff thrown into the commander's head.

Blind Ding had the privilege of listening to his new colleagues report their findings, and he expressed his desire to give them a lesson on proper reporting templates.

Fortunately, Xue Jin'an was no ordinary person; with both his brains working simultaneously, he quickly pieced together and summarized the scouts' reports.

Ding the Blind was the last to return, because he had gone to the farthest place with the highest risk factor, so he was very careful.

Ding the Blind said, "General, your predictions are truly prophetic. The Rongdi army there only numbered 200,000. Later, I discovered 30,000 more within a hundred miles of Lincheng, and Ning Kai discovered 20,000 more in Wancheng. According to observations, Ningcheng has already fallen, and there are no civilians in sight. Peng Guo and Li Gu discovered 30,000 and 70,000 more respectively within a hundred miles of Jiecheng..."

"Wait a minute, this number isn't right, is it? It's already over 300,000!" the lieutenant said.

Deputy General Han sighed, rubbing his forehead: "At least 300,000, but not necessarily 300,000. It seems the barbarians are really going all out."

"To think that 450,000 men could take on a single Qizhou is really overestimating the situation," he said sarcastically.

The crowd was somewhat dejected. Three hundred thousand troops were already terrifying enough, but the reconnaissance revealed an additional one hundred and fifty thousand, which truly left them with no hope whatsoever.

Xue Jin'an suddenly said at this moment: "The total population of Rongdi is only a few million. 450,000 is the entirety of Rongdi's military strength. At this time, the Northern Desert Royal Court must be vulnerable. Why not launch a blitzkrieg and take the royal court directly?"

Huo Qubing's lightning-fast campaign against the Xiongnu was renowned throughout the country, and with such a successful example before them, they were immediately filled with confidence.

“Good, that’s a good idea!” Both lieutenants agreed.

Deputy General Han stared at the map for a while, then hesitantly pointed to the location of the royal court. "Isn't it a bit too far?"

The others, however, didn't take it seriously. "Otherwise, how could it be called a blitzkrieg? Besides, General Huo and General Li fought against the Xiongnu together in the past. General Li lost his way and failed to provide timely support. We have been dealing with the northern desert for many years, and you have even conducted guerrilla warfare deep into the northern desert. We will not lose our way, and our combat effectiveness will not be damaged."

Deputy General Han remained deep in thought, his brow furrowed, appearing quite preoccupied.

Xue Jin'an glanced at him, and after giving instructions on the upcoming troop deployment, he kept Deputy General Han behind.

Vice General Han also felt that this tactic was too risky and needed to be discussed further. "General Xiaolong," he said, "this humble servant believes—"

However, Xue Jin'an stopped him as soon as he spoke, saying, "Let them believe it to be true, so they will work harder and the Rongdi will not notice anything amiss."

Deputy General Han immediately understood that Xue Jin'an was using this as a trap to lure the troops, and that the real trick was probably not so simple. However, when he asked again, Xue Jin'an just shook his head and did not answer. He only said, "Tell the soldiers to tie a bag of sand to the back of their horses and make sure they set off with great fanfare."

...

After a hearty lunch, they set off again, lightly equipped, towards the northern desert. Dust billowed and hooves pounded, and the imposing sight quickly attracted the attention of the Rongdi scouts. Soon, the Rongdi scouts discovered that their 200,000-strong army was hidden in a well-defended valley. They did not believe they had been discovered. Upon hearing that the Great Qi had a large army heading towards the northern desert, they were alarmed.

The commander ordered the scouts to investigate quickly and discovered that there were many traces of the Daqi army's former encampment. After counting the traces of stoves, it seemed that there were tens of thousands of people there!

"Something must have gone wrong in the capital. The Great Qi has decided to strike first. The royal court doesn't have much fighting power right now, so we can't let them get through!" The commander couldn't care less about anything else and quickly led more than 10,000 cavalrymen in pursuit, with the rest of the troops following closely behind.

Unexpectedly, halfway through the pursuit, the Great Qi army launched a surprise attack, cutting off the 10,000 men and their follow-up troops horizontally!