Of course, Chen Yu knew very well that Qinghe was not a weak country that would fall easily, so he did not think of a quick victory at the beginning. But after fighting for such a long time without any change, he could not tolerate it.
After all, the Chen Dynasty had a large army. In the stalemate war between the two sides, the biggest advantage of having more people is "more food". Moreover, the food and grass transported to the Chen Dynasty camp had to be transported to the front line, and there would be consumption. As a result, the logistics quartermaster knelt in front of Chen Yu at the risk of being beheaded, and complained that it was really difficult to collect food in the rear. Moreover, the day was approaching the autumn harvest, and if the civilians recruited by the army were not sent back to collect food, he was afraid that this winter would be very difficult.
The Chen Dynasty had a vast territory, fertile land, and abundant natural resources. In addition, the world's grain production was unreasonably high, so military rations had never been a problem that the rulers were overly concerned about.
Even Lin Hai had to rely on the inexplicable high productivity of this world to embark on the road of industrialization despite the shortage of population.
But the problem is that even the best farmland needs people to cultivate and harvest it. The protracted war not only caused the Chen Dynasty to lose a large number of people, but more importantly, a large number of young and strong laborers were conscripted by the military...
Just three days ago, Zhou Shangwen, the chief of the staff, had a conversation with Ma Huaide, saying that because the battle line was so long, it was very difficult for the rear to supply the army for a protracted battle, and that the land that the two sides were fighting for was not really a good place.
He instructed Ma Huaide to end this meaningless battle as soon as possible and that the army's attention must be drawn back to the vicinity of Zhaoyang City before the autumn harvest. At that time, the prince would send some of the laborers home to harvest. After the autumn harvest was completed and the army had sufficient food, they would then engage in a decisive battle.
Sensing the impatience revealed intentionally or unintentionally in Zhou Shangwen's words, Ma Huaide, who was equally experienced in officialdom and on the battlefield, smelled a hint of foreboding: he had dragged on for too long, wasting his troops without any real achievements, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was already impatient.
This made him feel very uneasy.
Not just about your own future.
Instead, he thought that it was just a meaningless mountain plain, and he couldn't take it even though he had absolute advantage. Then even if he took it regardless of casualties, how powerful and solid would Zhaoyang City and the "Guoping Fortress Group" built by the Qinghe people with all their efforts be?
Moreover, even if the "Guoping Fortress Group" was really captured, it would only be enough to advance to the border of Qinghe. There was still a long way to go to destroy Qinghe.
It’s already difficult to deal with a Liang Empire.
Now there is another Qinghe.
Could it be that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is really not suitable for that position?
Otherwise, why would so many things happen when it was his turn?
Ma Huaide shook his head vigorously, trying his best to get rid of these rebellious thoughts. After all, he was about to meet the Crown Prince who was about to lose his patience.
"Master Ma, for the past ten days, your troops have outnumbered the Qinghe army by at least three times. Could you tell me what results you have achieved?"
Standing on the hillside, he watched through a telescope as the Chen Dynasty infantry rushed forward in overwhelming numbers. The Qinghe soldiers retreated after a brief resistance. When victory was at hand, a group of Qinghe heavy armored soldiers, protected by strong crossbowmen, rushed out from the side and rear, cutting off the retreat of the Chen Dynasty's forward troops, and the army had to retreat again.
The salient that we had just painstakingly built was gone again.
The prince asked with a gloomy face.
This was actually the question Ma Huaide feared the most, after all, he had no achievements to show for himself. It was like a boy who forgot his girlfriend's birthday and was asked, "What gift did you prepare for me?"
Although he tried his best to bribe Zhou Shangwen and let Zhou Shangwen exaggerate Qinghe's military strength and combat effectiveness in front of the prince, and even created many military records out of thin air, he knew that the prince was also from the military, and he was also aware of these military records compiled by creativity, and he was just giving himself opportunities.
Ma Huaide forced himself to remain calm and began to talk incessantly about the series of plans he had taken and the "results" achieved by those plans in accordance with the confession agreed upon with Zhou Shangwen.
In short, under the leadership of the Crown Prince, with the assistance of Lord Zhou, and under the command of his general Ma Huaide, the Chen army was constantly on the offensive. The Qinghe army simply maintained the front by continuously sending in reinforcements, but the Chen soldiers' attacks were so resolute that a large number of Qinghe's effective forces were decimated...
Chen Yu looked at the general who had followed him for many years, waved his hand to interrupt him, and said through gritted teeth, "Our army has wiped out more than 18,000 Qinghe troops. The Qinghe First Group Army suffered heavy losses, and its First Army is almost decommissioned? Hmm? Can this number be taken seriously?"
Although Chen Yu tried his best to put a smile on his face while speaking, in Ma Huaide's eyes, this smile was colder than the ice in the far north of the continent.
He could only lower his head and reply, "Your Highness is wise... The enemy will take the body back, so the specific number..."
"Well, I just saw your work. You've really worked hard, and the soldiers fought bravely. That Jiang Yuan is still hiding in the middle of the battlefield, almost like a wild man. It shows that you all did a good job."
Chen Yu comforted.
The prince's rare kindness and mercy deeply hurt Ma Huaide. He bowed his head in gratitude and said, "Your Highness, I am truly ashamed of your praise..."
Chen Yu looked at him and smiled, "Since you feel guilty, then stand aside."
Then Chen Yu faced the crowd, sighed, and said, "I know some of you are not convinced and think you can fight better than Master Ma, but I don't think so.
It is obvious that we have fallen into the trap of the Qinghe people. They want to buy time with us through various means, here, or they will find a way to open up a new battlefield somewhere else. No matter what method they use, the short answer is to keep delaying and consuming time to avoid a decisive battle with our army.
You all know the logistics situation, so we can't waste any more time here. I gave the order to start the battle, so if anyone is to blame, I will be the first to be held responsible. You, especially Ma Huaide, don't worry. I just watched your command and the soldiers' combat, and it's all good."
Having said that, Chen Yu cheered up and raised his voice, saying: "The Great Chen Dynasty is powerful and has a deep foundation. It is not comparable to a country like Qinghe that was temporarily put together by a group of gangs. So don't worry about the gains and losses of a city or a place. The opportunity is still with us.
"Master Ma, let's push the front line forward and bring Jiang Yuan and the others back. We should retreat first this time, and there will be plenty of opportunities later."
Ma Huaide was overjoyed and agreed with everyone else.
Only the eunuch closest to the prince could hear the prince muttering to himself, "It's a good start."
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