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"Use me as bait to lure you into a trap."
It was nearly two thousand miles from the capital to Jizhou. One hundred thousand Beijing troops marched more than sixty miles a day, and had to rest on the spot when it rained. It took more than a month to reach Jizhou City, an important town in the north of Jizhou, on June 12. Jinzhou General Chen Sheng and Liaozhou General Meng Ji had already arrived a few days in advance to welcome the Beijing troops together with Jizhou General Guo Yanqing.
The three generals all received the imperial edict and knew that Princess Qingyang was the military supervisor, and Prince Yong and Hou Wanzhong were the main generals commanding the 100,000 Beijing troops.
However, when the two sides met, it was Princess Qingyang who inquired about the three of them and their three states' preparations for war, hitting the nail on the head with no wasted words. Throughout, whether it was the head-turning Prince Yong, the shrewd and experienced Hou Wanzhong, or the several lieutenants with their own unique temperaments, they all behaved as expected, showing no sign of dissatisfaction or suppressed resentment at a princess's meddling in the war. The three border commanders exchanged a few quick glances, fully understanding the importance and status of this princess's role as military supervisor.
Fan Huaizhong guarded the princess closely, taking in the expressions and thoughts of the three generals, and raised the corners of his lips slightly.
It was the height of summer during this month, and since the soldiers did not have to wear armor during the march, they only wore black cloth battle uniforms. They would just roll up their sleeves when marching, and when they stopped to rest, they would often take off their shirts and expose their arms. However, the princess wore four sets of armor in turn. During the daytime rest periods, except for a short break in the tent to relieve herself, the princess accompanied the soldiers in the sun and rain, rested with them under the shade of trees, and ate from the big pot with them. She never once rode in the princess' carriage pulled by four horses.
The evenings were a long rest period. After dinner, the princess would gather the military officers to listen to Hou Wanzhong explain the common tactics of the Hu people, their warhorses and swords, the grassland terrain, weather patterns, and the hidden snakes, scorpions, and venomous insects that lurked within the seemingly vast expanse of emerald green. He also discussed how to navigate back to Great Qi if one was left alone. Hou Wanzhong, a great general, wasn't good at such tidbits, but the princess was adept at asking questions, and through these conversations, the military officers and even the soldiers who volunteered to join him learned some skills.
The ordinary soldiers did not have to work hard, and the princess would inspect the camps, investigate the unfair management of the soldiers by the military officers, and correct the bad habits and discipline of the soldiers. She cared about those who needed care and punished those who needed punishment. By the time the army was halfway there, the entire army had already sincerely convinced the princess, and at least no one dared to look down on her anymore.
Qingyang had learned how to march and command troops during the Northern Expedition against the Western Hu and in the four major military camps, so she had been able to handle the entire journey with ease. Now that she had arrived in Jizhou, Qingyang wanted to use the military skills she had learned to quickly gain the trust of the three generals, so that they would truly regard her as a member of the tactical planning team rather than a flashy military supervisor.
But Qingyang was also humble. She knew that this Northern Expedition was only aimed at striking a blow to the arrogance of the Donghu, not at destroying their main force. She knew that the army had limited food and grass, so they had to fight for a quick victory and could not delay. She knew that she could arrange two surprise troops, but the real main battlefield was still on their side. She also knew that Guo Yanqing, Chen Sheng, Meng Ji, including Wang Shu and Hou Wanzhong, who had rich experience in fighting the Hu people, were the key to holding up the main battlefield.
So she temporarily stepped down from her position as military supervisor and let the five generals discuss the route, timing, tactics, etc. of the troops. She just listened, learned, and judged.
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When Qingyang and the 100,000 Beijing troops arrived in Jizhou, the Western Hu royal court also received food and grass sent by Qi. After the food and grass arrived, the Western Hu king saw Qi's sincerity and finally signed an alliance with the Qi envoy who had stayed in the royal court for a long time to attack the Donghu. It was agreed that when Qi officially sent troops, the Western Hu would send 50,000 cavalry from the west to march towards the Donghu.
The envoys from the Great Qi Dynasty had accomplished their mission and retired, but there were still some voices of opposition to the war in the Western Hu royal court.
The eldest son of the Western Hu King was furious. "I don't understand why we must form an alliance with Qi. Has my father forgotten that their emperor slaughtered 180,000 of our people in a single battle? Instead of forming an alliance with Qi, I would rather form an alliance with the Yelu family and fight Qi together. Together we can divide the land of the Central Plains and avenge the fallen warriors!"
Some of his six or seven brothers supported their eldest brother, while others remained silent.
The Western Hu King was in his fifties and looked quite robust. He reached out and held down his eldest son. He sighed and said, "Qi is our enemy, and so is Yelu Chong to the east. But the Qi people prefer farming, and our grasslands are useless to them. So they will only wait for us to attack them first. Qi's soldiers are like hounds guarding a large flock of sheep. Yelu Chong is different. He is an ambitious wolf king. He wants to devour Qi's sheep, but he wants to dominate the entire grassland first. Only when the wolves on the grassland obey his orders can he devour Qi's sheep without worries."
"So, we have to survive the other pack of wolves first and protect our own grassland. Only then will we have the chance to seek revenge on the sheep in the future."
"Qi wants to use our warriors to contain Yelü Chong, and we also want to use Qi's soldiers to weaken Yelü Chong's forces. If we stand idly by and watch, once Qi fails to defeat Yelü Chong and dares not leave the country again, Yelü Chong will gather all his troops to fight us for territory. Do you think we can defeat them?"
The eldest son snorted.
Left General Bormu spoke up, "Your Majesty is right. The people of the Central Plains have a saying: 'One mountain cannot hold two tigers.' The Central Plains can never accommodate two emperors, and the same is true of our grasslands. Previously, our two tribes were evenly matched in strength, and neither possessed the strength to annex the other. Ever since our defeat by Qi, Yelu Chong has already seized nearly 30% of our grasslands. Qi's dispatch of troops to the Donghu is a golden opportunity bestowed upon us by Heaven, and we must not miss it!"
Since the king and the left general both agree to form an alliance with Qi, others have to listen even if they don't want to, especially since the reasons for the alliance are indeed valid.
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The Western Hu formed an alliance with the State of Qi, and the issue discussed in the Donghu royal court became whether to fight or avoid it.
Yelu Chong, the King of Donghu, was just forty years old and in the prime of his life. He inherited the throne eleven years ago. Compared with his cautious and conservative father, Yelu Chong set two grand ambitions for himself. One was to incorporate the neighbors to the west into his own power and unify the grassland. The other was to march south to seize the throne of the Central Plains people.
Yelu Chong advocated war.
His uncle, Yelü Hong, the Left Wise Prince, advised him to avoid the battle: "The Emperor of Qi is old, and I've heard his crown prince is weak and sickly. The Emperor of Qi is wise and sagacious. He wouldn't leave our grave danger to his son. How can a frail lamb withstand the fierce wolves of the grassland? Therefore, the Emperor of Qi must have made every effort to win this battle. Furthermore, the Western Hu are determined to seize this opportunity to retake their lost territory from us. With two powerful and highly motivated armies approaching, our chances of victory are slim. It's better to avoid Qi first, wait for them to withdraw, and then strike the Western Hu by surprise."
Yelu Chong: "No, Uncle Wang thinks too highly of the Emperor of Qi. I think he's getting senile, actually sending a princess to supervise the army. Women are really good at fighting. Even sheep on the grassland can fly into the sky. Hahahaha..."
After laughing enough, Yelu Chong's eyes grew even more ferocious. "No, I'm determined to fight this battle. Otherwise, people will think I'm afraid of even a woman. I heard that Princess Qingyang is the Qi Emperor's favorite daughter and the child of his favorite concubine. She must be a beauty. I will personally capture her and make her my captive. Humph, the Qi Emperor wants to humiliate me, so I will humiliate him twice as much!"
Yelu Hong: "Your Majesty, please think twice. A princess who can serve in the court is definitely not an ordinary woman. In my opinion, the person you should least underestimate in this battle is this princess!"
Yelu Chong: "I didn't look down on her, I just wanted to capture her! Since you are so afraid of the Qi army, please stay at the royal court. You don't need to lead the troops in this battle. I will lead the troops myself!"
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In early July, Qingyang and several generals led an army of more than 300,000 troops from Jizhou and officially marched into the grassland.
There are more than 300,000 troops, but only about 200,000 of them can be used for combat.
The sentinels of Qi were searching everywhere for traces of the Donghu troops, while the sentries on the Donghu side were also keeping an eye on the movements of the Qi army. When they learned that only half of Qi's so-called 400,000 troops were available, with half being cavalry and half infantry, Yelu Chong arranged 80,000 cavalry to go west to meet the Xihu troops, and at the same time selected 150,000 cavalry to accompany him to fight Qi, leaving only 60,000 to 70,000 veterans and new recruits to guard the royal court.
The Western Hu's left general, Bormu, was cunning and unwilling to engage the Donghu. Qi had promised them that they could tie down some of the Donghu's forces. If Qi won, they would still have time to launch a serious attack. However, if Qi's army was no match for the Donghu, they would have to conserve their strength, fearing that Yelu Chong, with his main force, would turn around and attack them after Qi's defeat.
On the main battlefield, the five main generals Chen Sheng, Guo Yanqing, Meng Ji, Prince Yong, and Hou Wanzhong were indeed the famous veteran generals of this dynasty. Each of them could boost morale, and the five generals together allowed the infantry to exert 70% of the combat power of the cavalry. Several battles with Yelu Chong's troops barely ended in a draw, and neither side had a clear advantage.
Yelu Chong was very dissatisfied, and so was Qingyang. It was not because they were disappointed in the soldiers, but because fighting a war cannot always rely on morale. The difference in the strength of the two armies was there. Qingyang concluded that if there were one or two more draws, the casualties would increase, and the five main generals would no longer be able to maintain their morale.
After observing that Yelu Chong always charged towards her, and that Guo Yanqing and others were also constrained by protecting her safety when deploying troops, Qingyang found an opportunity to fight.
In early September, after repelling Yelu Chong's troops once again, Qingyang called the five main generals to her tent.
After fighting so many battles, the five main generals were all injured to varying degrees. Among them, Prince Yong, who fought the most fiercely, was the most seriously injured. His left arm was even in a sling, and it was newly injured today.
King Yong was not afraid of pain and only wanted to win, so when he heard his niece announce the withdrawal of the troops, King Yong slammed the table and stood up: "If you want to retreat, retreat, I will not leave!"
Meng Ji and the other three were no longer surprised. They couldn't control Prince Yong's temper, but the princess had her own way.
Qingyang smiled and said, "Don't worry, Uncle Wang. Listen to me first. If we continue to fight north, Yelu Chong will naturally think highly of us. The higher his opinion, the more cautious he will be. But if we retreat, he will think we are afraid. This complacency will give us an opportunity to take advantage of him."
Prince Yong was half-believing and half-doubting: "How can I take advantage of this opportunity?"
Qingyang pointed to a river valley on the map that they had passed on their way here, and casually drew a circle around it. "Use me as bait, and lure you into the trap."
【Author’s words】
I'll just update today, but I'll be done with it tomorrow. 100 little red envelopes, see you tomorrow [three-colored cat head]
ps: The previous chapter gave Zhang Su and the others three months to train, but it has been changed to two months.
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