Wu Jie was only twenty-seven years old when he became famous in the Northwest for his bravery and skill in battle. He was one of the most valuable generals of the Song Dynasty.
But he was not only a talented general who could charge into battle, but also a commander who could sit in charge of a region and even formulate and coordinate strategies from a higher perspective.
He is still very young, only thirty-six years old this year, and has already been appointed by the emperor as the commander-in-chief of the three armies of Jingyuan Road. He will surely become a capable and skilled general of the empire.
After Wang Kui'an left, Wu Jie finished his last sip of wine. His originally amiable face slowly tightened, like a mirror lake that had been gently touched by a spring breeze, gradually turning cold and stern.
He gently wiped the stubble from his chin with his hand, and a cold light gathered in his bright eyes.
He stood up, tall and straight. Years of military service had tanned him dark, making his skin look like that of an old farmer tilling the fields. But the years had also etched the marks of time on his face, making his features strong and resolute.
He put on a helmet and a dirty cloak, which was stained with dried and discolored blood.
As they walked out, the outside world was covered in ice and snow. Squads of soldiers, dressed in heavy armor, with long swords at their waists and spears in their hands, marched past in neat formation, seemingly unconcerned even though their faces were red from the cold.
Tactically, Wu Jie promoted Zhang Jie's scorched-earth policy.
What is Zhang Jie's scorched earth policy?
During the Pingxia City War, the Song court unanimously agreed to first implement a scorched-earth policy to weaken the enemy.
However, Zhang Jie believed that what should be adopted was not the traditional scorched earth policy.
The scorched earth policy can only be applied to the front lines. However, within a few hundred miles, there are already many inhabitants. The imperial court cannot possibly relocate all these residents to the city, as this would lead to a severe food disaster.
In doing so, they were instead controlled by the enemy.
Therefore, Wu Jie's scorched-earth tactic was to continuously tie down the Tangut army on the front lines through the efficiency and flexibility of his troops, preventing them from gaining a foothold in the rear.
Furthermore, in the first half of this year, Wu Jie made a special trip to the Imperial Academy in Tokyo, where he also visited the training of the Central Army. Ostensibly, he sought advice from Han Shizhong on military administration and also heard about Yue Fei's strategies for governing the army.
Wu Jie was a person who loved learning. Although he was already the commander-in-chief of the three armies, he always believed that many people in the world were very wise and that he should learn from the strengths of others to make up for his own weaknesses.
Therefore, Wu Jie's troops now undergo more intensive training, starting with strengthening their willpower.
After inspecting the three armies, Wu Jie ordered all the generals to come to the main camp for a meeting. After explaining the battle plan, the generals and commanders of each unit began to go to their own camps to conduct pre-battle mobilization.
Wu Jie knew that this battle was the first after the emperor personally led the expedition. He was the one who spearheaded the attack, eliminating the right flank of the Dangxiang army and removing the hidden dangers on the emperor's central army. This was crucial to the subsequent development of the entire battlefield.
Therefore, for him, this battle is one where he must win and not lose!
By evening, the wind and snow had subsided slightly.
Wu Jie's fifth vanguard battalion set off, tasked with uncovering any potential ambushes ahead and minimizing the possibility of the main force being disrupted.
As darkness fell, the soldiers finished their last meal of the day, and Wu Jie's main force set off.
Before setting off, the marching order was passed down from top to bottom. Some people were dragging their feet, deliberately not wanting to march, and using the excuse of catching a cold.
Upon learning of this, Wu Jie immediately ordered his Political Propaganda Department to arrest two hundred people who said they did not want to march, and then, without hesitation, pinned them to the ground and beheaded them in front of the soldiers in the snow!
Two hundred heads rolled down, their blood standing out vividly against the snow, steaming hot.
Immediately afterwards, he beheaded three more captains and even a commander!
In this way, the bad signs that had just started to emerge were suppressed.
After the two hundred heads were hung high, the soldiers began their march.
They formed long, dragon-like lines, moving quietly and quickly through the snow.
Unlike the south, the northwest is dry, so the sky looks exceptionally clear.
After the snowstorm stopped, there were clouds and the moon in the sky.
The cedar forest in front stretches out in a continuous line, reflected against the deep blue sky, displaying an unyielding and resilient posture.
Wu Jie's opponent was the cunning and shrewd Rendo Yasutada.
What exactly is the role of this Renta Yasutada?
He was a confidant of Empress Dowager Liang, the birth mother of King Li Ganshun of Xia. Back then, Empress Dowager Liang held power in Xia, which aroused the dissatisfaction of many people. She was poisoned by the Liao emperor. Li Ganshun personally led the expedition. Renduo Baozhong was not killed because of his outstanding military achievements, but he was imprisoned.
He is now nearly eighty years old, but he is still very healthy.
Not long ago, he was not only pardoned by Li Ganshun, but also became the nominal commander of the right wing army in this campaign against the Song Dynasty.
However, the true commander of the right wing army was actually Zhao Renzhong, a member of the imperial clan.
This arrangement was closely related to the political landscape within the Xia Kingdom. Li Ganshun was deeply troubled by Empress Dowager Liang's monopolistic power, so he consistently sought to support members of the imperial clan to counter the power of the maternal relatives and court officials.
This time, Ren Duo Baozhong personally supported Zhao Renzhong in the campaign against Song, reflecting Li Ganshun's expectations for Zhao Renzhong.
For Wu Jie, Renduo Baozhong was a figure from the previous era. He had fought against famous generals of the Song Dynasty such as Zhang Jie and had caused irreparable disasters to the Song Dynasty on several occasions.
If Wu Jie can kill Ren Duo Baozhong this time, he will surely become famous throughout the Song Dynasty!
Wu Jie kept patrolling the marching troops, his brows always slightly furrowed. Once he entered the state of marching and fighting, he would become very serious, like a cold block of iron.
This time, the opponent is stronger than ever before. According to reports from scouts at the front, the right flank army has 3,000 Iron Falcons and 3,000 infantry.
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