Chapter 169 Staying too soon, I can't protect you. ...
With the battle in full swing, the first thing Yan Yue agreed upon with Huan Xun after assuming the position of General of the Southern Expedition was to adjust the entire Beiye army's attack route.
Yan Yue analyzed that, judging from the scale of his defeat of the right flank vanguard of Nan Yin, Nan Yin claimed to have 800,000 troops, but in reality, the estimated force was less than 700,000.
In this way, the more than 500,000 troops of Beiye and the less than 700,000 troops of Nanyin were nearly evenly matched in terms of military strength.
Following the change in troop strength, the next step was to adjust the entire offensive axis of the Beiye army.
Yan Yue changed Huan Xun's previous strategy.
Under his command, the left flank was no longer tasked with harassment. He ordered his generals to lead 150,000 light infantry, supplemented by 50,000 iron cavalry, to completely penetrate the Nan Yin defense line, advance south along the east bank of the Si River, and plunge straight into the enemy's heartland.
Meanwhile, the central force, consisting of 150,000 Red Armor Guards and 50,000 Northern Cliff Army, continued to advance, relying on the natural barrier of the Si River. They planned to force a crossing of the Si River and crush the most elite army of Southern Yin in one fell swoop.
On the right flank, regarding Wanren Pass and the Lianyun Mountain area, Huan Xun had previously sent 50,000 light troops to infiltrate behind enemy lines. This time, Yan Yue added another 100,000 elite troops and ordered his generals not to launch a direct attack on Wanren Pass. Instead, they planned to feign an attack in front of the pass and send another 50,000 lightly armed troops, led by Guan Zheng, to cross the Lianyun Mountain and cut off the connection between the left flank of Nan Yin and the central army. Furthermore, they aimed to capture Liyang, the defensive barrier of Shangjing.
The new strategy retained the core of Huan Xun's previous strategy of avoiding the enemy's strength and attacking their weaknesses through indirect maneuvering, while amplifying and strengthening each force and strategic objective.
With an army of over 500,000, Beiye was no longer in a passive position, but instead launched a three-pronged attack with the goal of completely annihilating Nanyin and unifying the world.
Thus, the generals brought by Yan Yue were basically divided into two routes, left and right.
Huan Xun was appointed commander of the central route, leading an army of 200,000. Xie Cheng was promoted to vanguard general of the central route, commanding 30,000 red-armored cavalry, responsible for crossing the river and attacking the enemy, opening up the beachhead for the main army.
The remaining generals, such as the military commander, the supply transport supervisor, and more than ten officers from various battalions including guerrillas, crossbowmen, and infantry, each performed their duties and fought bloody battles against the enemy.
Faced with the overwhelming force of the Beiye army and the critical situation of the right flank retreating hundreds of miles, and then suffering the defeat at Zhenyong City.
Upon returning to Yishui City, Xiao Daozun adjusted his strategy, abandoning a full-scale offensive and shifting to a focus on defense and attacks from the right and central routes. He personally led the central route to confront the overwhelming Red Armor Guards, gathering all 300,000 elite troops at Fengqiao, while secretly sending 50,000 iron cavalry to the east under the cover of the Lianyun Mountains, intending to join forces with the retreating right flank army.
The left flank was ordered to advance forward, cross the river at the front, and then no longer advance westward to take Geng County. Instead, it was to rely on the Huai River to build a defensive line, stabilize the flank, and take the opportunity to harass the southeast grain route of Beiye as a means of containment.
At this point, Nan Yin's right flank had completely shifted to a defensive posture.
Xiao Daozun strictly ordered the right flank troops to defend Nanyang to the death, relying on the natural defenses of the Lianyun Mountains to establish layers of defenses. They no longer sought a decisive battle with the left flank of Beiye. Their sole mission was to hold their ground firmly and not retreat another step. Once the 50,000 iron cavalry in the central flank quietly arrived, they could coordinate with the Nanyang defenders to form a pincer movement against the left flank of Beiye, cutting off Beiye's offensive route and reversing the tide of defeat.
So after Yan Yue returned to Zhenyong City and adjusted the layout, the two sides fought fiercely again.
In the back-and-forth battles, the Southern Yin suffered more defeats than victories, while the Northern Ye experienced the opposite.
In order to investigate the firearms of the Southern Yin and measure their quality and manufacturing speed in order to determine their advantage, Yu Nie insisted on coming to the front line as well.
She had things to do, so Huan Xun could only let her follow his team.
During battles, she would stay slightly away from the fighting in the rear, watching the gunpowder she had made emerge from Nan Yin. Her heart was always heavy.
She didn't know who created these thunderbolts, but putting aside their respective positions, she admired that person.
They were able to get here so quickly.
Looking at the fire bombs seized from Nan Yin, she ran her hand over the rough seams and the substandard bamboo tubes, and finally, she breathed a sigh of relief.
"How is it?" Huan Xun asked her as he sat at the table in the tent.
She put down the fire bomb in her hand, her tone relieved: "They did get my gunpowder manual, but thankfully, they only learned the basics. Look at the seams of this casting and the quality of this gunpowder. The workmanship is so crude, its power is far inferior to that of our gunpowder workshop."
She looked up at him, her almond-shaped eyes filled with a relaxed smile: "Moreover, based on my observations over the past ten days or so, the number of firearms that Nan Yin has deployed on the battlefield is far less than ours. Leiyao Workshop is currently operating at full capacity, and its production speed is much faster than theirs."
At this point, she finally relaxed a bit: "Now I can rest assured."
Seeing her smile, Huan Xun's expression softened considerably, a far cry from the intimidating demeanor he displayed when commanding on the battlefield during the day.
As if she had just thought of something, she excitedly asked him, "Huan Xun, can I continue to stay in the army?"
"No way." He refused decisively: "We agreed that we would return to Jiangling after we had ascertained the enemy's situation. Now that the war situation is unstable, it is too dangerous to stay."
“But I just want to stay,” she insisted.
"The situation on the battlefield is constantly changing, and I may not be able to keep an eye on you every moment."
Seeing her instantly disappointed expression, he chose a reason to persuade her: "Aren't you worried about Lei Medicine Shop? They need you there to oversee things."
But she wasn't fooled at all.
"With the Xiang Zhi watching over Lei Yao Fang, nothing will go wrong."
"Your mission is complete; there's no point in you staying here."
Seeing that she pursed her lips because of these words, he felt sorry for her, sighed, and took her hand.
"I didn't mean to keep you away. In peaceful times, I would love for you to be by my side."
Yu Nie: "But I insist on staying, and there are legitimate reasons."
Before he could ask, she continued, "I taught you the method of alcohol refining before, hoping to reduce casualties on the battlefield for the medical officers."
"But in the past few days, I have observed that the medical staff are already stretched thin. They are not entirely unfamiliar with the control of distillation temperature and condensation timing, and their output is extremely limited."
“If I stay and personally oversee the refining process, the alcohol production rate will be several times faster. The faster it is, the more people can be saved. Huan Xun, I’m not being willful; I want to save more soldiers.”
In order to stay, she continued to find sufficient reasons for herself.
"Besides, the firearms of Nan Yin are no longer a threat, and Lei Yao Fang is fully prepared. If I can produce more alcohol, I can significantly reduce casualties. Do you think I should stay?"
Looking at the unwavering certainty in her eyes.
Her words were well-reasoned and logical, and she had already outmaneuvered him.
He had no reason to refute it.
He sighed, the last bit of his insistence fading from his voice: "In that case, of course I'll do as you say."
Huan Xun: "Then I will entrust the wounded soldiers camp to you. Please take good care of their safety."
"Don't worry, I will definitely live up to your mission." Seeing that he had agreed, she replied with bright eyes.
Looking at her smiling face, Huan Xun's heart softened. He had been busy with military affairs these past few days and hadn't had a chance to talk to her properly.
He was about to step forward and say a few words of private conversation when the curtain was suddenly lifted.
Xie Cheng strode in with a brisk pace, his face filled with barely suppressed excitement.
As if a secret had been discovered, Yu Nie hurriedly pulled her hand out of Huan Xun's grasp, a faint blush rising on her cheeks.
Xie Cheng was a quick-witted man. Upon seeing the situation, he immediately realized what was happening and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "This subordinate was impetuous and disturbed Lady Rong and the General. This subordinate will come back to report later." With that, he was about to leave.
Yu Nie quickly said, "It's alright, it's alright. Guard Xie, please speak freely. Military matters are of utmost importance."
As she spoke, she tried to use this as an excuse to turn around and leave, to avoid this awkward situation.
Before she could even take a step, Huan Xun reached out and grabbed her.
“There’s no need to avoid it,” he told her, then turned to Xie Cheng and gestured for him to continue his report.
Yu Nie understood his intention and did not insist on leaving. Instead, she obediently sat down and listened to the military report together.
She also wanted to know how much her gunpowder had played a role in the conflict and whether it could end the war sooner.
Upon hearing this, Xie Cheng then clasped his hands in a fist and reported: "The Grand Commander just sent someone to report that the vanguard of the left wing army has breached Qing'ai City."
Qing'ai City is a vital strategic town leading to the heart of Nan Yin. Yet, Yan Yue has managed to reach this place in just half a month.
Unbeknownst to him, the Beiya army, armed with firearms, was even more swift and powerful. Nan Yin never imagined that the Beiye firearms would be so powerful, causing them to suffer repeated defeats.
Xie Cheng: "The report says that the Beiya Army has hardly rested and has been advancing triumphantly. At this rate, we will be able to set foot on the official road to the capital in a few days."
This sudden news of a great victory filled Yu Nie with both joy and surprise.
She didn't know exactly where Qing'ai City was, but she knew that the tide of battle was turning in their favor.
She looked at Huan Xun, and surprisingly, he didn't seem very happy.
He simply asked Xie Cheng, "You're saying the Beiya Army hasn't had much rest or reorganization?"
Xie Cheng, unaware of the meaning behind his question, replied, "Yes."
After Xie Cheng finished speaking, Huan Xun's eyes darkened slightly.
Something's not right.
Something's not right.
He got up and walked to the sand table behind him, carefully looking at Yan Yue's marching route over this period of time.
Yan Yue was neither a reckless man nor someone who was greedy for merit and acted rashly.
He always insisted that exhausted soldiers should not be used hastily, and that it was better to slow down the offensive and let the soldiers catch their breath.
The situation in the Jianghuai region is far from reaching the point where we need to advance day and night at all costs.
His pursuit was very different from his previous marching style.
Since entering the Jianghuai region, the Beiya Army has only rested for a few days in Zhenyong City. However, since leaving Zhenyong, they have not had a proper rest, and the number of days they have had to rest is very limited.
Why is Yan Yue launching such a rapid attack? What exactly is he chasing?
Huan Xun pondered to himself, but couldn't find a clue for the time being.
Just then, a personal guard rushed into the tent, his voice urgent: "Report—General, the Southern Yin army is crossing the river at night and launching a surprise attack on us!"
Huan Xun's eyes sharpened, his earlier doubts replaced by a chilling fighting spirit.
He didn't get up immediately, but instead asked, "Which direction did they come from?"
"Southwest direction."
In the past ten days or so, he has already captured five cities along the central route, and his troops are now on the north bank of the river.
Once this river is crossed, Nan Yin will have no natural defenses and will be in grave danger.
Xiao Daozun was well aware that this was a critical moment for them, and launching a night raid was something they had to do.
Huan Xun showed no sign of haste, and the tense atmosphere in the tent, which had been created by the urgent report, immediately subsided.
"Order Deputy General Sun to have the vanguard retreat two hundred paces and allow them to ascend first. Crossbowmen should be densely deployed along the riverbank and wait until they are halfway across before firing in unison. Cavalry should wait in the woods on both flanks to cut off their retreat."
He turned around, picked up the helmet from the table, and came to Yu Nie: "I have to go to the front bank to watch the battle. You should rest first."
There was no panic in Yu Nie's clear eyes, but deep worry.
With the situation at stake, all she could do was tell him, "Be careful, I'm waiting for you."
"Hmm." Huan Xun looked at her deeply, all the unspoken words conveyed in their silent gaze.
He stroked her cheek briefly, then abruptly turned and strode out.
At the same time, a low shout rang out: "Xie Cheng, follow."
She followed him all the way to the outside of the tent, her eyes filled with worry as she watched his retreating figure.
At this moment, Cuiwei came up and comforted her, saying, "My lady, don't worry, the prince consort will be alright."
Despite saying that, she was still very worried.
She knew Huan Xun was a brilliant strategist and understood that any worries would be futile, but the feeling of unease still lingered.
Perhaps it was the firearms she brought that propelled the battle so rapidly, causing Nan Yin to collapse so quickly.
The evening breeze, carrying the chill of December, brushed against her cheeks, and an indescribable unease welled up in her heart.
She looked up at the lonely moon overhead.
From late autumn to the depths of winter, this battle has lasted for nearly three months.
For some reason, a strong premonition arose in her heart, as if something big was waiting for her.
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