"Your Highness, urgent military intelligence!"
When Li Xin heard these words, he was stunned.
After a moment, Li Xin's expression softened again.
Li Xin had anticipated this urgent military situation, and he calmly asked, "Have the grassland bandits launched an attack?"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
The staff officer nodded and said, "We just received news that the grassland bandits have mobilized 60,000 troops and are moving towards Dongning."
Moreover, a large number of troops are gathering in the western part of the grasslands!
"oh?"
Li Xin's expression changed slightly, and he said, "I didn't expect so many people to be mobilized."
These grassland bandits have really gone all out this time!
I wonder who the general is, and whether they've learned from their previous defeats!
"The commander-in-chief is currently conducting reconnaissance."
The staff officer said, "We should report as soon as we have any news. This information has also been relayed to General Wei Jun and General Zhang Cheng."
The Divine Might Army should also be mobilized during this time.
"Tell Wei Jun and Zhang Cheng,"
Li Xin instructed, "The bandits on the northern grasslands will be under their full responsibility. The militia members in the surrounding area will also be under their command."
Dongning and Liaodong are covered with dense forests.
This is the perfect place for us to implement guerrilla tactics in the mountains and forests, and they are both familiar with this. I feel at ease letting them fight!
"Okay!"
The staff officer quickly responded.
Li Xin wasn't too surprised by the attack from the grassland bandits, since he had been informed beforehand.
Moreover, everything had been arranged in advance.
Right now, Li Xin is most concerned about Yuguan City.
"The grassland bandits have set out, and the enemy forces inside the pass are probably about to move as well!"
Li Xin frowned slightly and said, "It is estimated that the enemy forces inside the pass will launch an attack on Yuguan City in the next few days."
"I reckon they'd already planned this out in the capital; they were just waiting to act together!"
"Very likely!"
Zhao Bingzhang nodded and said, "The original plan for the capital was probably to launch a three-pronged attack."
However, they probably didn't expect such a thing to happen in Silla.
That disrupted their original plans, haha.
Now that we can catch our breath, we can calmly deal with the three armies.
On the Yuguan side, we will adopt a defensive posture, relying on the strong city defenses to resist the enemy's attack from inside the pass.
On the grassland bandits' side, we will defend and attack simultaneously, making full use of the advantages of the Divine Might Army and the militia's mountain guerrilla tactics to eliminate the grassland bandits little by little and delay their movements.
As for Silla, we will adopt a defensive posture for now, and send all the new recruits there once they are ready for battle.
Silla is located on our flanks and rear, and its strength is not great, making it a potential point of attack!
To break through the three armies, we must use Silla as our breakthrough point!
Your Highness, what do you think?
Hearing Zhao Bingzhang's words, Li Xin frowned slightly and said, "Overall, defending the north and attacking the south is not bad!"
This is a great way to break the deadlock!
After all, Dongning has the advantage of a navy, and can launch surprise attacks on Silla from behind at sea, which is a great advantage!
Let's follow this strategy: defend the north and attack the south!
After the overall strategy was finalized, final preparations began in all areas.
Meanwhile, the situation in Yuguan City also became tense.
Just as Li Xin had predicted, shortly after the grassland bandits mobilized their large army, the enemy forces inside the pass also began to move.
After the start of spring, the grain and supplies transported to the front lines from the capital, Tongzhou and other places were also plentiful.
Meanwhile, on the front lines at Yuguan City, the imperial court had also assembled an army of nearly 300,000 men, a vast and imposing force.
On the morning of the third day of the fourth lunar month, an army of 300,000 men was deployed in a row in front of the Yuguan defense line, stretching for dozens of miles.
At a glance, the entire outer perimeter of Yuguan City was filled with a dense, dark mass of people.
On the city wall of Yuguan, Li Xin narrowed his eyes, staring at the dark mass of enemy troops in the distance, and took a deep breath.
"Your Highness, look!"
Beside him, He Chaojun, the commander of the Shenji Army, holding binoculars, said, "The enemy has prepared a lot of siege equipment: siege engines, arrow towers, battering rams, and catapults in the rear."
Having prepared for almost half a year, they intend to take Yuguan City in one battle!
"They're overthinking it!"
Li Xin smiled calmly and said coldly, "Times have changed. The Yuguan City of today is not the Yuguan City of the past."
What kind of military force are we in now?
That was a new type of unit equipped with flintlock muskets, artillery, and hand grenades!
Can cold weapons compare to our firearms?
How ridiculous!
Li Xin sneered as he looked at the enemy forces in the distance through his binoculars.
Despite his outward disdain, Li Xin knew that he still had to be cautious when it came to fighting!
Strategically despise the enemy, tactically take the enemy seriously!
Li Xin understood this principle!
"He Chaojun,"
Li Xin instructed, "Don't be stingy with cannonballs; just make more when you run out!"
Spring has arrived, and the artillery shells produced by the Dongning Manufacturing Bureau will be shipped over continuously. Give them a good blast, bombard them to death!
"Okay!"
He Chaojun quickly agreed.
"Our advantages,"
Li Xin put down his binoculars and continued, "It's powerful firepower!"
With insufficient troop strength, they relied on their firepower advantage!
Therefore, we cannot be stingy. Only by severely striking the enemy's arrogance and letting them know our strength can we defend Yuguan City!
In addition to the artillery on the Yuguan city defense line, the Dongning warships on the sea will also participate in the battle simultaneously!
Play well!
"Yes, Your Highness!"
He Chaojun quickly agreed.
After giving some more instructions, He Chaojun returned to his command post.
As the commander of the Shenji Army, He Chaojun was in charge of nearly two hundred cannons. At the start of the war, the Shenji Army was among the first to engage in battle, thus placing a heavy burden on He Chaojun's shoulders!
"All personnel, prepare for battle!"
He Chaojun shouted loudly.
The flag bearer beside him waved the flag, relaying orders one by one.
At the same time, the final preparations began for the construction of Yuguan City and the cannons on the city walls.
The dark muzzle of the cannon was aimed at the dark mass of enemy troops in the distant wilderness.
The artillerymen on the side carried shells and ammunition packs to the side of the cannon.
All soldiers entered into final battle preparations.
Just as the Divine Machine Army was preparing, the dark mass of enemy soldiers in the distant wilderness moved.
The army, stretching for dozens of miles, numbered in the hundreds of thousands, and marched forward. Their chaotic footsteps thundered like a bolt from the blue.
The entire earth trembled slightly.
One after another, siege engines and arrow towers were pushed forward.
At the front of the procession, warhorses galloped along.
At the rear of the column, on a high platform, the fully armed commander, Marquis Zhang Fuchen of Yongchang, raised his sword and shouted: "All troops, attack!"
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