Chapter 82: The First Show of Strength (Part 2) Update
She said to the private guards at the barracks door, "Come here, please invite Mr. Xia Wuhao in."
Soon, Hao Wenchang and Xia Wu, who had been waiting, came in with some documents and maps.
After paying his respects to Liu Ziye, Chi Mu and Jin Jie, Xia Wu unfolded a blueprint and pinned it to the cork board in the barracks with a few thumbtacks.
Liu Ziye looked at Chi Mu and said, "If a million-strong army were to cross the border in any other prefecture in the Great Zhou Dynasty, it would have been impossible for them to not pass through some city. But in the thousand-mile Xiguan Prefecture, it's not difficult to design a perfect passage to bypass the two cities and thirteen towns on the map."
She stood up and walked to the upright cork board, and Chi Mu followed her.
Liu Ziye pointed to the clearly marked routes on the map and continued, "Xiguan County is vast and its terrain is varied. Generals Chi and Qin wouldn't have dared to rashly lead a million-strong army into the region without a thorough investigation. They had to first understand the geography and devise a route that would allow the million-strong army to smoothly traverse Xiguan County and reach the borders of the Yansai Mountains. Presumably, General Chi showed up here ahead of time for this very purpose."
Upon hearing this, Chi Mu nodded calmly.
Liu Ziye smiled. "Then, General Chi, with this blueprint before you, you'll be ready for action. The masters and craftsmen in my mansion have all been deeply involved in Xiguan County for over a decade, and are intimately familiar with its every feature. They've spent days designing a route for our million-strong Great Zhou army that's both convenient and safe, while also ensuring both sides don't interfere with each other. Xia Wu, you'll explain it to the general."
After she finished speaking, she slowly walked back to her seat and sat down.
In front of the cork board, Xia Wu began to introduce to Chi Mu in detail the overall planning ideas of the blueprint, as well as the terrain that each route passed through, the water veins and suitable camping spots along each road, the current road conditions of each road, the passage of the army, the different functional troops, the allowable travel speed, etc.
Even when arriving at an important information explanation point, Xia Wu would take out another hand-drawn picture from Hao Wenchang.
Show Chi Mu his true appearance in detail.
At the same time, Xia Wu and Hao Wenchang were holding something they called a "pencil" in their hands, writing and drawing on the blank pages of paper on the cork board to assist in the explanation.
In the entire plan, five marching routes, three main and two auxiliary, were designed for the passage of a million-strong army.
The army can be allowed to freely choose specific route planning without worrying about the risk of the route being too unique and the whereabouts being leaked.
The explanation lasted for most of the day.
Except for a short break during lunch, Chi Mu occasionally asked questions, and Xia Wu and Hao Wenchang's voices almost never stopped, and by the end they were hoarse.
When Ye Deng was in his hand, Chi Mu finally nodded, stood up and put away the drawings.
He turned around and saw that he had left the three of them aside at some point. He was also holding a pencil, with a very bright glass lamp placed in front of him, and was writing something about the Young Marquis of Xiguan.
Chi Mu said, "Young Marquis Xiguan has given thorough consideration and an ingenious design. I, Chi, would like to thank you in return."
Liu Ziye turned his head under the light, another careless smile on his face. "Just now, this Marquis said that the Marquisate had taken advantage of the General. Now, with this painstakingly crafted plan, we're even. After this deal, this Marquis and General Chi are officially even."
When she finished speaking, she spread her hands slightly and looked at Chi Mu with a smile.
Chi Mu couldn't help but increase the strength of his hand that was covering the blueprint.
Liu Ziye continued, "Then General Chi, are we settled?"
Chi Mu relaxed his grip: "Okay."
·
The Yansai Mountain Pass.
New passes sprang up in the originally desolate mountains. In order to accommodate the garrison of a million troops, camps were built and fortifications were constructed. Almost all the trees in the Yansai Mountains within a radius of dozens of miles were cut down.
Between the bare wooden stakes, teams of laborers who were conscripted from all over the Great Zhou Dynasty shuttled through the forest, carrying sections of newly cut wood.
Since the beginning of preparations for this war, they had traveled hundreds, sometimes even thousands, of miles from all corners of the Great Zhou Empire, transporting grain and goods, manning ships by water or driving carts by land. For nearly half a year, they had been hard laborers.
Everyone had a pale and muscular face, with dry skin including on the bones, and a thick layer of blood calluses had long been worn on the shoulders.
People had become numb and accustomed to the rough wood rubbing against their shoulders, and only knew to move forward numbly at the guards' urging.
“Clatter—”
"Drag him out and give him fifty blows of the cane in public!"
In the camp of Tiannan Pass, the expeditionary general Qin Feng pushed the military supply report in front of him to the ground. At the same time, a brush flew out and hit the military supply officer in the middle of his eyebrows. He bled profusely and fainted on the spot.
However, even though the quartermaster's life or death was unknown, a team of soldiers entered the room and dragged him out.
A moment later, the sound of "puff puff" of human flesh being hit was heard in the camp!
The unconscious quartermaster, after a few blows, regained consciousness in excruciating pain and screamed for mercy. But as the canes continued to fall, his pleas faded, and his voice gradually faded away.
In the end, a bloody man who was no longer in human form was carried out.
Qin Feng looked at the quartermaster with a cold expression. "The army is gathering, and war is imminent. The emperor has issued a requisition order for military rations and supplies to the entire Great Zhou. Our Great Zhou Dynasty is rich and powerful, yet you, as quartermasters, are speaking such ominous words before the battle! You are shaking the morale of the troops! If you no longer wish to continue your quartermaster duties, this general will make room for you now!"
The quartermaster was so frightened that he was sweating coldly and knelt on the ground, trembling.
He kowtowed repeatedly and said, "General, General, I acknowledge my guilt. Please give me a chance to redeem myself and make meritorious contributions!"
Qin Feng asked him, "You have fifteen days left. If you still can't deliver enough food and fodder for the army to the pass camp for two months and ensure that the army is ready to march at any time, I will sacrifice you to the army!"
"I understand, I understand!"
The quartermaster retreated with limp legs. The generals in the tent fell silent for a moment. Qin Feng said, "I have already submitted the deployment of the Eight Tribes to the Emperor in Yanjing. Upon learning that our Great Zhou army of one million has stationed at the border, the Eight Tribes have abandoned their camps, along with their main force and tribal inhabitants, and fled, scattering deep into the wilderness. His Majesty has approved our latest military report. The army will be divided into four groups and march out of Yansai Mountain. The goal of this campaign is to annihilate the main force of the Eight Tribes, relocate their settlements to the north, and capture their King Khan, led by Yao Can, and bring them to the capital to demonstrate the prestige of our Great Zhou."
This major conquest strategy had been discussed before, and the generals naturally had no objection.
But Qin Feng still sensitively caught a hint of worry and a slightly indifferent look on Chi Mu's face.
He just sneered faintly, changed the subject, and began the specific marching deployment.
Since Chi Mu didn't mention it, he had to accept this plan no matter how reluctant he was.
Why should he care whether he has any twists and turns in his mental journey?
In the spring of the thirteenth year of Tianxi.
A million-strong army of the Great Zhou Dynasty was stationed at the border defense line of the Yansai Mountains of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Half a month later, the army divided into four groups and marched across the eight grasslands of the northwest.
The eight tribes of the grassland fled in fear. In the newly melted ice swamps and endless grasslands of the northwest, they actually did not dare to lead their troops to fight against the army of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
The four armies of the Great Zhou Dynasty prowled the grasslands for months, until the end of midsummer, capturing only scattered women and children who hadn't been able to escape, and small groups of scattered soldiers. They never even managed to get close to the royal courts of the eight tribes.
That alone would have been fine, but the Zhou Dynasty army had not fought for a long time, and the terrain of the eight grasslands was too vast and complex.
In spring and summer, the once vast expanses of frozen tundra transformed into endless swamps. Units unfamiliar with the terrain were completely trapped deep within the swamp, unable to escape. Eventually, their food and fodder ran out, and the entire army was drowned.
Whether in summer or autumn, the grassland is full of continuous colors.
After walking on such ground for a long time, many soldiers lost their way. Even if they finally found their way back to the main camp, most of their soldiers and generals would be lost.
Qin Feng's feet stepped on the dry yellow grass, his anger had no place to go.
As a general in the expedition, he led a million-strong army of the Great Zhou Dynasty and consumed several years' savings of the entire Great Zhou Dynasty. Not only did he gain nothing, but he also suffered heavy casualties and was in a miserable state.
During the most recent troop inventory, Qin Feng was shocked to discover.
The Great Zhou Dynasty's million-strong army, which had never fought a direct war, had been reduced to more than 800,000.
Some were clearly damaged, but many more had vanished without a trace. It was impossible to determine whether they had sunk into the depths of the endless swamp, gotten lost in the grasslands, or perhaps...
Escape during the chaos.
The decree sent by the Emperor of Yanjing clearly expressed his dissatisfaction as the commander-in-chief.
He thought this expedition would bring him the highest glory in his life, but unexpectedly...
It will be the beginning of a fall.
However, what followed was the long and cold winter on the northwest border. If we continued to stay here, we would not gain any new gains.
Qin Feng spat out a mouthful of chewed grass roots, turned around and went back to the big tent, and called the military secretary.
"Draft a memorial to His Majesty, explaining the gains and losses of this battle and requesting a return to the court."
The secretary had a troubled expression, his brows furrowed, and he was thinking hard.
But I didn't dare to ask rashly.
Qin Feng didn't understand something and immediately threw the teacup in his hand.
"Crash!" It shattered on the ground.
"In April, our army captured over 4,000 Qiang soldiers. Isn't this a victory for our army?"
"In May, our army surrounded and killed over ten thousand guards from the Eight Divisions. Isn't this a victory for our army?"
Qin Feng counted out seven or eight items in one breath, and the secretary was sweating profusely, and he almost couldn't hold the pen in his hand.
Every single thing the general said seemed to be true.
But……
But every single thing doesn’t match!
He was in the army, responsible for exchanging war reports and information. How could he not know the results and casualties of every battle of every army?
General Qin is clearly trying to falsely report the results of the battle and deceive the emperor.
As he was shivering, Qin Feng suddenly came over with a blade and asked him, "If you can't write, get out now."
The secretary shuddered and nodded quickly: "I will write it right away, I will write it right away."
If he wrote it now, maybe one day the truth would be revealed and he would be beheaded. But if he didn't write it, the moment he left this tent, he would die.
After weighing the pros and cons, of course I still have to write it!
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