Chapter 76: Storm is Coming (Part 2) Update
This time, when he brought the private guards of Xiguan Houfu to Linjun of the Great Zhou Dynasty and went deep into the eight tribes for investigation, Jin Jie returned to the royal court of the Di tribe.
Mo Zhe looked at his eldest son whom he hadn't seen for nearly four years, walked up to him and patted his shoulders several times.
"Nian'er."
Mo Zheyi said, "My father Khan misses me terribly."
This was the first time in Mo Zheyi's decades of life that he directly said the word "I miss you".
Mo Zhe Nian, also known as Jin Jie, knelt on one knee and saluted Mo Zhe Yiti: "Father, how are you?"
The father and son stood up together and exchanged a few words of farewell. Their time together was short, and the conversation quickly turned to the main topic.
Mo Zhe Nian said, "Before returning to the Di royal court, the grasslands of Yao Can of the Qiang tribe were almost devoid of men. The cattle, sheep, and tents were filled with women and children. Yao Can no longer lived at the royal court. He led the Qiang warriors, hiding and wandering the grasslands, hoping for a chance of escape. It seemed they were preparing for a guerrilla war against the Great Zhou."
"Guerrilla warfare?"
Mo Zhe was puzzled. What kind of tactic was this? Why had he never heard of it before?
Mo Zhe Nian paused, then realized that he had subconsciously said the usual words of the young marquis of Xiguan in front of his father Khan.
He frankly said, "True 'guerrilla warfare' is a tactical method. Its core principles are 'when the enemy advances, we retreat,' 'when the enemy camps, we harass,' 'when the enemy tires, we attack,' and 'when the enemy retreats, we pursue.' This is the tactical method my son learned from the young marquis of Xiguan."
Mo Zhe frowned slightly, thinking about the essence of the sixteen words his eldest son had just said.
I just feel that it really contains a lot of survival wisdom, which is extremely suitable for people like them, who are in an absolutely weak position but have a vast but complex combat area.
He asked sternly, "When did Yao Can master this kind of tactics?"
"No." Mo Zhe said, "Of course Yao Can couldn't have such a tactic. My son was just using it as an analogy."
"'Guerrilla warfare' focuses on both 'mobility' and 'attack', and definitely not escapism. However, my son observed Yao Can's movements, which focused on evasion and escape. He was afraid to confront the Great Zhou army head-on, and was timid and fearful, retreating and not daring to move forward."
Mo Zhe breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this.
"The Emperor of Great Zhou demands that all eight of our tribe leaders go to Yanjing. Yao Can refuses, but the other seven tribes are more united than ever before. A clan leader like Wang Khan entering Yanjing is a foregone conclusion. If the Emperor of Great Zhou breaks his promise and detains us in Yanjing, the eight tribes will be in danger. However, the fact that the Great Zhou has repeatedly summoned our Wang Khans but refused to come, and then threatened to send troops, is clearly not beneficial to the Great Zhou Dynasty. What do you think? Is the Emperor of Great Zhou truly determined to attack the eight tribes? Or is this just a bluff, a vain attempt to force our submission?"
This kind of speculation has always existed among the Eight Divisions.
After all, it was unbelievable that the emperor of the great Zhou Dynasty would mobilize the entire country to fight a war that would not be worth the cost even if the victory was achieved, just for the sake of a little so-called imperial dignity.
"Won't."
Mo Zhe Nian said firmly.
"Oh?" Mo Zhe didn't expect his eldest son to be so sure.
Mo Zhe Nian said, "Before coming to the Eight Tribes, we conducted reconnaissance within the Great Zhou Dynasty. The Great Zhou Dynasty is indeed conscripting civilians from all the counties to serve as soldiers. The central garrison originally stationed on the line between Xiguan County and Fanyang County is also mobilizing troops, horses, and food. Several major land and water routes of the Great Zhou Dynasty heading west into Xiguan County are transporting troops, food, and supplies day and night. The Great Zhou Dynasty is indeed fully mobilized to prepare for a war to annihilate the Eight Tribes in one fell swoop."
Mo Zhe was stunned. "Crazy, he really is a madman! Back then, the Holy Emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty knew how to be cautious. He knew that even if he tried his best, it would be extremely difficult to completely wipe out the Eight Tribes. He simply sealed us off to the north of Yansai Mountain and forbade us from entering the southeast. Now, Liu Jian is wasting people's money and resources and provoking war. How can he be a good leader?"
After saying this, Mo Zenian fell silent and did not comment.
Mo Zheyi didn't notice his silence and continued to ask, "The Great Zhou Dynasty has made up its mind to fight the Eight Tribes. Yao Can previously called on the soldiers of the Eight Tribes to unite and resist Zhou. What do you think of this?"
"Has Father Khan agreed to Yao Can's request?" Mo Zhe Nian asked.
"Hmph. Although the Zhou Dynasty faces a formidable enemy, Yao Can is not someone my Di people can trust to ally with. How could I possibly believe his seemingly selfless rhetoric?"
"That's right."
Mo Zhe Nian nodded. "Father, your consideration is sound. First, our Di people have always been marginalized in our relations with the Great Zhou. We have never asked for any favors from the Great Zhou, and therefore, we owe no debt to the Great Zhou Emperor. This is not the reason for the Great Zhou Emperor's anger. Secondly, Father, if the Great Zhou Emperor really wants to lead his soldiers through Xiguan County, cross the Yansai Mountains, and come to our Eight Tribes grasslands, then, in my opinion, the Eight Tribes cannot lose this battle."
Upon hearing this, Mo Zhe looked at his eldest son in surprise and asked, "Nian'er, do you think the Great Zhou Dynasty will be defeated?"
Although Mozhe Yiti and the other eight tribes all believed that the decision of the Emperor of the Great Zhou to attack the eight tribes was extremely irrational.
However, the outcome of the battle clearly showed that the Eight Tribes were no match for the millions of soldiers of the Great Zhou Dynasty. The Eight Tribes had no confidence in defeating the Great Zhou Dynasty, otherwise why would Yao Can have attempted to save himself?
"No, Father Khan."
Unexpectedly, Mo Zhe Nian denied the idea mentioned by Mo Zhe.
"The Eight Tribes cannot lose, and similarly, the Great Zhou Dynasty will not be defeated."
"If that's the case, what's the point of a war like this, other than wasting money and manpower, and killing countless soldiers on both sides?"
"War really shouldn't have happened. But my son believes that if it had to happen, it would have a meaning that no one could imagine."
Mo Zhe Nian said.
After he finished speaking, his eyes slightly drifted away, as if he was thinking of some people and things far away.
Mo Zhe naturally thought of his eldest son's possible meaning when he mentioned it. His expression turned extremely serious: "Nian'er wanted to say. The shaman's heavenly voice revealed."
Mo Zhe Nian's eyes gleamed again as he looked at his father: "That's right."
"In recent years, our clan has followed Tianyin's guidance and has become increasingly powerful. Regarding this battle between the Eight Tribes and the Great Zhou Dynasty, my son's advice to my father is to 'reject alliances and conduct guerrilla warfare.'"
Refusing to join forces with the Qiang people, rejecting the proposal of an alliance, and dispersing their forces were already guerrilla warfare above the first level.
After that, the Di tribe only needs to lead their own tribesmen and soldiers and follow the sixteen-character essence of this game war to avoid direct confrontation with the enemy to the greatest extent, consume the enemy while maintaining the vitality of the Di tribe.
Once you figure this out, Mo Zhe will definitely come up with a plan.
He looked at his eldest son with relief. "Three years ago, I thought about bringing you back. Now it seems that it is you, Nian'er, who should personally follow the Heavenly Sound Messenger so that our Di people can truly receive this Heavenly Sound blessing."
Mo Zhe Nian has his own experience in this regard.
But generally speaking, he agreed with his father's conclusion. He did need to personally follow the Heavenly Sound Messenger. He also knew that the Heavenly Sound Messenger still possessed an infinite amount of power that had yet to be released.
The meeting between father and son lasted only a moment.
Mo Zhe Nian soon left the Di tribe's royal court again and became a private guard of the Xiguan Marquis Mansion who went deep into the eight tribes to investigate the situation.
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Three days after Jin Jie returned to Xiguanhou Mansion, Du Hui also returned to Yucheng.
At the same time, both Du Hui who returned to the city and the private guards of the Marquis' Mansion who continued to investigate the situation outside brought back the latest news.
The windows of the study in the marquis's mansion were wide open.
The scorching sunlight outside illuminates the entire study.
It was the hottest time of the year, but Xiguan County was located in the north, so even in the hottest time of the summer, as long as you were in a cool and well-ventilated place, you would still feel cool.
Du Hui reported to Liu Ziye, "The central army has been dispatched. Our Great Zhou's general is General Qin Feng, who comes from the Qin family. The deputy general is Major General Chi Mu, who has been to our Xiguan before."
When Liu Ziye heard the name of the old acquaintance leading the troops, his eyebrows raised slightly.
Du Hui continued, "According to the news brought back by our caravans entering and leaving Xiguan, and according to what old friends of mine in Beijing have said, the Great Zhou Dynasty is planning to mobilize six of the twelve guards of the Central Army for this full-scale campaign against the eight Rong and Di tribes. At the same time, more than twenty counties, including Fanyang, Luyang, and Qingbei, will also gather all their existing prefecture troops and march from their respective counties to complete the first round of assembly in Fanyang County, which is adjacent to Xiguan County."
He added, "Originally, the governors of Xiguan County were supposed to be among those dispatching troops. However, the governor's household troops numbered no more than a thousand, and this wasn't mentioned in the decree. Wang Yanpeng, the governor of Xiguan County, was tasked with following the general's orders and clearing the main route through the border, providing both geographical and road support for the Great Zhou army's crossing. Wang Yanpeng has been confined to his office for several days, presumably preparing for this matter."
The private security investigation team of the Marquis' Mansion had almost obtained information on the movements of these troops.
After hearing this, Liu Ziye said, "The twelve guards of the central army each have at least 100,000 soldiers and at most 200,000 soldiers. The twenty-four prefecture troops add up to a total of 150,000 soldiers. So, the number of troops our Great Zhou Dynasty is calling a 'million-strong army' is no mere boast."
Du Hui nodded, "That's right. The current emperor is indeed going to start a war and really attack the eight tribes of Rong and Di."
Liu Ziye asked again, "When is the army expected to be assembled and when will it pass through Xiguan County and out of the Yansai Mountain border? Is there any news?"
"have."
Du Hui took a sip of herbal tea and continued, "Mobilizing and assembling an army of one million is no easy task. Already setting up camp and assembling within Fanyang County, these troops include the Seventh Guard of the Central Army, already stationed at Lingyuan Pass on the border between Fanyang and Xiguan County, as well as the regular troops from Fanyang County and the three surrounding counties. The remaining five Central Guards and the regular troops from the twenty counties, even from an absolute geographical perspective, would take at least two months to assemble and march to Fanyang."
"Plus, the cost of deploying a million-strong army is immeasurable. The six guards of the central army and the standing troops of the twenty-three prefectures require the conscription of civilians and laborers from all thirty-six prefectures of the Great Zhou Empire, as well as the transportation of supplies from granaries across the country. The speed at which the army can be assembled is inevitably limited by the transportation of supplies from all over the country."
Du Hui paused for a moment and said, "In my opinion, the first large-scale military assembly in Fanyang County will take at least four months."
hiss.
Liu Ziye didn't show it on his face, but he took a deep breath in his heart.
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