Zhuang Li, surrounded by a group of soldiers, climbed onto the high platform and looked out at the battlefield.
The sound of war drums rumbled like thunder in the sky. The foreign coalition forces of Jin State rushed forward in the direction of the thunder. The neatly arranged square battle formations were filled with an indomitable momentum, and they broke the Mongolian army, which was arranged in a long snake shape, into pieces.
The Mongolian army tried to use the tactics they were best at, fighting and running, luring the enemy deep into their territory.
But the Jin army did not respond at all.
When the Mongolian cavalry came forward to harass them, the Jin army quickly gathered the small square formations into a large square formation and stabbed them with their spears.
The Mongolian cavalry, scattered into several small teams, had no chance of survival under the dense spearheads. They could only pretend to be defeated, turn around and run back, trying to lure the Jin army to charge forward.
But the thundering war drums suddenly stopped at this moment, and the Jin army, which was about to chase forward, immediately stood firm in their position, defending this battle formation indestructibly.
Seeing that they could not lure them away, the Mongolian cavalry had no choice but to run back and harass them again.
Just at this moment, the drumbeats that had stopped for a moment suddenly rang out, and the Jin army that had been defending its original position rushed forward desperately again, and the slanted spears quickly pierced the Mongolian cavalry's horses.
The Mongol cavalry, which had trampled countless territories and was feared by everyone, was defeated by the Jin army after just a few rounds. How could the remaining infantry of less than 100,000 people be a match for the 450,000-strong Jin army?
Just as Zhuang Li had predicted before, when the ratio of one's own troops to the enemy's troops reaches 5:1 or above, all strategies and tactics will become ineffective, and numbers will become an absolute advantage for one's side to win.
This is the ironclad mathematical law of the cyclical causal sequence of war, and it is also the place where countless military geniuses have failed.
"See?" Zhuang Li pointed at the battlefield, where the Mongol army was being crushed by the Jin army like a sickle slicing through wheat. He said slowly, "When our numerical advantage in warfare is great enough, the influence of our tactics will be minimized."
The generals watched the situation on the battlefield carefully and nodded in agreement.
Zhuang Li continued, "From now on, I require you to adhere solely to this strategic principle: only engage in battle when your forces are three times greater than the enemy's. Otherwise, retreat. This isn't cowardice, but a strategy for preserving strength. Unless you have to fight, never violate this principle."
"If you can do this, you will also become an invincible god of war." Zhuang Li looked around at everyone and spoke slowly.
He seemed to have a bewitching power that made everyone's heart burn with passion.
Huai Lao Er was the first to bow and shout, "This general will follow the instructions of the military advisor!"
"I will certainly follow the orders of the military advisor!"
"I have learned another trick!"
“…”
The other generals also spoke excitedly one after another, showing an extremely fanatical interest in marching and fighting.
Le Zhengming glanced around at the completely transformed soldiers and couldn't help but smile. He turned to look at Curly, his gaze filled with an indescribable tenderness. Noticing a cool breeze ruffle his hair, he reached out and gently brushed it away, his fingertips pinching his thin earlobe.
Last night, Le Zhengming quietly left a bright red mark behind this round earlobe. He wanted to mark this person so that he would never be able to find him again.
Zhuang Li glanced at him with a smile, then looked down at the battlefield below the platform. He said in a deep voice, "Before every battle, you must not only consider how to win, but also plan how to achieve victory at the lowest cost. In other words, you must use your utmost strength to protect your soldiers. If possible, not a single one of them should be lost."
"The military advisor is right! Every comrade is our relative, and no one can be left behind!" someone echoed.
The rest of the people felt sore in their eyes and noses.
Zhuang Li walked to the edge of the platform, speaking increasingly slowly: "Every time I go into battle, the first thing I think about is this: How can we win with zero casualties?"
The generals, nearly on the verge of tears, were stunned. Winning every battle with zero casualties, the military advisor was truly audacious!
“If a general doesn’t think this way when planning his strategy and tactics, he is not a qualified general.”
Zhuang Li turned around and looked at Le Zhengming with gentle eyes. He said slowly, "Using the blood of soldiers to smear his glorious achievements, one day, this general will be retaliated by more blood. Ask General Le Zheng if he thinks so. Why does he always rush to the front in every battle?"
Everyone's eyes fell on Le Zhengming, and gradually tears welled up in their eyes.
The general always rushed to the front of the enemy at the start of every battle, even risking his own life to charge into the enemy camp, take the commander's head, and end the battle prematurely. In doing so, wasn't he doing his utmost to protect everyone? He was sacrificing his own life to ensure the survival of the vast majority of his soldiers!
"General, I, Huai Lao Er, will follow you all my life!" Huai Lao Er knelt down with a plop, hugged Le Zhengming's thighs and wiped his tears.
The others were about to kneel down, but Le Zhengming raised his hand to stop them.
He grabbed Huai Lao Er and scolded him coldly: "Be my soldier, your knees can't be weak!"
Huai Lao Er immediately straightened his back and puffed out his chest.
Zhuang Li smiled at them and said slowly, "So, when you are able to defend a region in the future, you should also think this way."
"I understand. Thank you, Military Advisor, for your guidance!" Everyone hurriedly bowed in agreement, completely surrendering in their hearts.
Zhuang Li turned to look at the battlefield and continued, "Winning with zero casualties is the highest level of tactical application. Zero-casualty combat can be roughly divided into seven types: sneak attack, stealth, weapon generation gap, war dimension containment, strong shield, collapse, and exhaustion. On the battlefield, if you strive to create these seven conditions, you will easily achieve victory."
"There's no need to explain the sneak attack type; you all should understand." Zhuang Li asked with interest, "I suppose you've also conducted late-night sneak attacks on enemy camps before?"
The generals immediately became excited and said in unison: "We have done it!"
"That battle was truly exciting! The general led a group of twenty or so of us and killed three hundred barbarians!"
"We also burned the Hu people's camp and food supplies! Except for Huai Lao Er who was slightly injured, everyone is fine!"
"The sneak attack type is indeed powerful, but what about the stealth type?"
Zhuang Li replied, "The stealth model, as the name suggests, means concealing oneself. Bandits hiding in dense forests and shooting arrows at the imperial army's bandit-suppression troops employ this model. Bandits are often able to repel armies numbering thousands, or even tens of thousands, at minimal cost."
"Master Military Advisor is right! That's why there is a saying among the people that a strong dragon cannot defeat a local snake!" Huai Lao Er clapped his hands and shouted.
The others nodded in agreement.
Zhuang Li explained each point one by one: "The weapon generation gap type is even simpler. If you were to fight a group of bandits armed with stones while holding swords, spears, and halberds, the result would only be the annihilation of the bandits, because there is a huge generation gap between stones and swords, spears, and halberds. It's like a grandson meeting his grandfather."
"Yes, yes, that's right!" Everyone understood as soon as they heard it and nodded repeatedly.
"The War Dimension Inclusion type is somewhat similar to the Weapon Generation Gap type. Both rely on superior weaponry to achieve victory. However, both sides use the same weapon, such as the bow and arrow, but one side significantly improves its range, allowing its War Dimension to completely encompass the opponent, thereby annihilating the opponent with zero casualties."
"I understand now. Just like when we shot the Jie people with arrows in Guandu, but the Jie people didn't dare to shoot us with arrows at all, that is the inclusive type of war, right?" A general immediately commented.
"You're right. The Strong Shield type utilizes light armor, heavy armor, shields, fortresses, tunnels, and other protective equipment to reduce casualties. The Mongol heavy cavalry was a classic example of this tactic."
"The collapse and exhaustion types are what we're talking about right now."
Zhuang Li pointed at the remnants of the Mongol army, which had been driven back by the Jin army and was fleeing, and chuckled. "When all hope of victory is extinguished, and the shadow of death hangs over every soldier, they collapse and lose all desire to fight. When the last arrow is fired, and the sharp swords become blunt, an army, depleted of resources, can only be slaughtered by the enemy."
"Look at the Mongols below. They are facing a battle of collapse and exhaustion. At this time, the Jin army will hardly suffer any new casualties." Zhuang Li waved his hand, and his broad robe sleeves swept across the battlefield below where blood was flowing like a river.
However, most of the blood was shed by the Mongols, while the Jin soldiers were charging forward to the sound of thunderous war drums. No one fell, and they hacked the Mongols to pieces.
Zhuang Li watched the scene with satisfaction and chuckled, "Now, let me teach you another strategy. When the enemy's kill rate drops significantly due to exhaustion or collapse, sending a reserve force can quickly increase our kill rate and combat manpower. These two variables are the key to victory or defeat."
"In other words, at this moment, if our army suddenly sends a reserve force into the battle, our army's kill rate will increase to over 30%, and our strength will be restored to its initial state.
"The enemy's destruction rate has dropped to less than 2%, and their troop strength is reduced to one-third or even less than its original size. Using the war equation, we can conclude that our army will win the moment our reserve appears, and it will be a victory with zero casualties."
"The flexible use of the reserve forces is also one of the secrets to victory in every battle. I have said so much, do you understand what I mean?" Zhuang Li turned around and looked around at the generals.
Huai Lao Er shouted at the top of his voice: "I understand!"
The others also nodded vigorously to show their rapid progress in wisdom.
Everyone stood still.
Le Zhengming held his forehead, feeling very helpless. Finally, he held the little curly-haired boy in his arms, patted his back gently, and whispered softly: "Wait for me here, I'll be back soon!"
He turned to look at the group of roughnecks, his expression and tone becoming stern. "You understand, why don't you go down and inspect the troops? We are the reserve troops the military advisor mentioned! We must reap the spoils of victory against the Mongols and the Jin people at the last moment! This victory belongs to us!"
The generals were stunned for a few breaths before they reacted, and immediately let out excited wolf howls: "Oh my, the military advisor is too insidious! Let's go down and fight! Brothers, charge!"
Everyone rushed down the platform, screaming and shouting. Le Zhengming was about to hug the little curly-haired boy again when he saw him suddenly jump onto his back, tightly gripping him with his hands and feet, making it impossible to tear him off.
"Stop it, there's a war going on right now!" Le Zhengming scolded, but his heart was sweeter than honey. He knew that little Curly couldn't bear to leave him.
"Take me with you. You promised me you'd never leave me alone again." Zhuang Li wasn't the kind of person who would stay in a safe place and wait for others to fight for him. He was afraid of death only because he worried that his death would be meaningless, not because he was cowardly or incompetent.
"It wouldn't be bad to die with you." - Somehow, Le Zhengming's mind suddenly rang with the words that Little Curly had said in the night wind, and his heart suddenly ached.
This pain is not mixed with any negative emotions, but is caused by the huge and sudden burst of happiness and joy.
He knew the boy's feelings for him weren't born from physical pleasure, nor were they a fleeting curiosity, nor were they a desire to find someone to rely on and live comfortably. The boy's love for him was genuine, reckless.
And his heart towards the young man is the same...
"Come on, brother will take you to fight!" Le Zhengming held the person behind him steadily and strode forward.
The Jin army only needed to hold on for a few more quarters of an hour to completely defeat the Mongolian cavalry, but at the last moment they were intercepted by Le Zhengming's 150,000-strong army.
The Mongols, terrified by the sight of this new and powerful force, turned and fled the battlefield, quickly crossing several hills and heading west towards the steppes. Crossing those steps would allow the Mongols to return to their homeland.
"Chase! We can't let them get away!" Le Zhengming rode his warhorse at full speed, followed by a huge crowd of people.
Only a few scattered Mongols were left, and they fled with their commander.
The Jin army, completely unaware that their victory had been reaped, lay there, laughing heartily at the thought of surviving a disaster. The one beating the drums was a Wei general. He threw his drumsticks behind his head, pulled up a warhorse, and chased his comrades away.
Half an hour later, Le Zhengming returned triumphantly with his private soldiers. The same number of people came back as when they left, and there were no casualties at all.
The Mongols were so focused on running forward that they dared not turn back to engage this energetic and high-spirited army. Wouldn't that be courting death? Moreover, they had already exhausted all their arrows, so even thinking about firing a few more arrows was a pipe dream.
Le Zhengming raised his arms high and showed his victory to all the Jin soldiers.
There was a moment of stunned silence in the room.
He was holding a bloody human head in his hand. Although the facial features could not be distinguished, one could tell from the golden eagle tail feather inserted diagonally on the side of the temple that the head was the commander of the Mongolian cavalry, Prince Chirhan, the only son of the Mongolian Khan and the future monarch of Mongolia.
The exhausted and terrified Jin soldiers suddenly cheered in ecstasy. They had no idea how they had managed to hold on, only that Le Zhengming, who had descended from the sky, was a god who had saved them.
Zhuang Li sat in a chariot, watching the scene quietly through the bamboo curtains, then chuckled softly. The one he wanted to protect would eventually become the lord of this land.
7480 also peeked out secretly. At first, he felt only a little uncomfortable. After scanning the facial features of the head and identifying the other party's identity, he felt as if struck by lightning, and the entire core program was about to crack.
"Ahhhh! That's Chierhan! The iron-blooded monarch who will unify the desert in the future! Master, you, you, you actually killed him?"
7480 retreated repeatedly, stumbled a few times, and finally slid down to sit against the wall of the small dark room, his eyes filled with despair and emptiness.
The script broke again!
In the original plot, this Chierhan is considered one of the golden fingers of the son of destiny, Zhuang Xu.
Zhuang Xu captured Chirhan alive in this battle with the State of Jin, but finally released him against all odds, saying that he could not bear to kill such a heroic and extraordinary person. He also said that if God made a list of heroes, Chirhan would definitely have a place on it.
Chierhan was impressed by Zhuang Xu's wisdom and broad-mindedness, and promised to help him do something unconditionally in the future.
Therefore, when the Mongol cavalry was about to overrun Wei territory, it was Zhuang Xu who ordered Chil Khan to withdraw his troops and sign a ten-year non-aggression pact. This bought the Ninth Prince enough time and greatly enhanced his prestige within Wei.
Later, it was thanks to this brief period of stability that the Ninth Prince was able to defeat various countries and unify the Central Plains.
After establishing a unified kingdom, the Ninth Prince began to fear Zhuang Xu's achievements and wanted to eliminate him. Zhuang Xu saw the clues and fled to the border at night to join Chi Erhan, helping Chi Erhan defeat the Ninth Prince and dominate the continent.
Chir Khan was a tyrant who treated the Han Chinese like cattle, horses, pigs, dogs, and slaves, never considering them human beings. His Mongol nobles also slaughtered Han Chinese at will, without mercy. As a result, the land fell into even greater disaster.
But what did that have to do with Zhuang Xu? Throughout his life, he had been revered by Chierhan as a teacher and a close friend, living a life of superiority and carefree. He viewed his compatriots, who crawled at his feet, as nothing more than filthy, lowly dirt.
7480 deceived the host. In fact, the real child of destiny is Zhuang Xu, not the Ninth Prince.
The Ninth Prince is just a shield for Zhuang Xu.
However, 7480's clever trick didn't work at all.
With one move, the host killed Zhuang Xu's greatest support and even cut off Zhuang Xu's future path to success. The world is on the verge of collapse and even the Lord God, its biological mother, doesn't recognize it!
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