Looking at Brother Quan's face, are you just trying to stir up trouble?
Hong Xiaoduo looked a little guilty: "Isn't it because our Tianquan parents are stationed here? If we don't find a way to make Yunwu Kingdom suffer a loss, he won't learn his lesson."
Haha, whether it was the small battle in the mountain valley yesterday evening or the big one just now, it can't be considered a 'minor' loss for Yunwu Kingdom. Besides, you even encouraged Gong Wei to attack and capture one of their cities.
Although Quan Jinghuai had never been there, he had seen the map in General Gong Wei's tent yesterday.
That Red Willow City is no small city; judging from the dotted line, it's even larger than Huazhou City.
Let the other party suffer a loss? That's a huge loss!
If we succeed in conquering it, it will be like taking a piece of flesh from the emperor of Yunwu Kingdom, and a big piece at that!
Quan Jinghuai couldn't help but feel sorry for the one on the dragon throne of Yunwu Kingdom. Why did your troops have to come to invade at the exact time, when she was coming with her child to recognize her relatives?
At the same time, they also felt that the one on the dragon throne of Fengliang Kingdom was too lucky. Not only did someone enthusiastically help him resist the enemy army, but they also helped him conquer the country. Soon, he would have another city and expand his territory.
"Have you considered that if this succeeds, the person in Fengliang Kingdom might become greedy and ask you to help plunder even more?" Quan Jinghuai had to remind him.
Hong Xiaoduo listened and said dismissively, "Whether he gets greedy or not has nothing to do with me. You know my personality. Even if he were the emperor, he couldn't control me if I didn't want to do something."
If he dares to threaten me with someone I care about, and he angers me, you believe me? I'll make sure someone else sits on his throne.
Hearing her say such outrageous and rebellious things again, Quan Jinghuai really wanted to slap himself, because he was the one who started it!
With her personality, she's really capable of doing that kind of thing.
Seeing Gong Wei approaching with a general-looking man, Quan Jinghuai quickly changed the subject, telling his disciples to hurry up and feed the horses.
"Young Lady Hong, the amount of grain needed has been calculated." After saying this, Gong Wei hesitated for a moment before handing her the booklet in his hand.
Hong Xiaoduo reached out and took it. Looking at what was written on it, she read it aloud: "Seven thousand soldiers, each with one jin and two liang of grain per day, would need eight thousand four hundred jin of grain per day."
Two thousand warhorses, each requiring eight catties of fodder per day, totaling sixteen hundred catties per day.
After seeing all this, Hong Xiaoduo realized that war really is expensive.
No wonder that once there is war, the people suffer as well. When food supplies run out, people will inevitably plunder from the people.
“Young Lady Hong, the military camp still has enough food for three days. If we can successfully take Hongliu City within three days, the enemy's food should be enough to support us for a few more days, provided they don't burn it themselves.”
"We need to be on guard now. If the delay goes on too long, our supply of provisions from the rear will be insufficient. Without provisions, our soldiers can survive for two or three days without food, but beyond that, defending the city will be difficult. Therefore, I need to trouble Miss Hong to help our army gather at least two days' worth of provisions within six days." Gong Wei said this with great difficulty, as he genuinely found it hard to say.
It wasn't that he didn't trust Hong Xiaoduo, but he was worried that she didn't understand the daily consumption of troops in a battle between two armies, which was far more than a matter of a few thousand kilograms of grain.
However, as the highest-ranking general stationed at the military camp, he was well aware of these matters.
So I felt like I was being too demanding.
Raising nearly 20,000 catties of grain in a short period of time is no easy task.
Therefore, he was prepared to go hungry for three days so that he would have more time to help Hong Xiaoduo gather food.
After hearing Gong Wei's words, Hong Xiaoduo naturally understood that he was afraid of putting her in a difficult position, so he also made the plan that the soldiers would go hungry for three days in order to give her ample time to gather food and supplies.
"General, since I made the request myself, I will do my best to fulfill it. Rest assured, General, I will not let our soldiers and horses go hungry, not even for three days," Hong Xiaoduo assured him confidently.
"Then I, Gong, will thank you on behalf of all the soldiers. I will go and discuss the capture of Hongliu City. I will leave the matter of supplies to Miss Hong." Gong Wei felt relieved after receiving a very relaxed and affirmative response from Hong Xiaoduo. He clasped his hands in thanks and turned to leave.
The idea of attacking Red Willow City had been considered before, and I had even discussed it with my subordinates. However, this decision was made on short notice. I had only just spoken to the military affairs officer in charge of supplies, but now I could discuss it with the other generals.
"Sir, please wait a moment. I have some questions to ask you." Hong Xiaoduo called out to the officer who was about to leave with Gong Wei.
Upon hearing this, Gong Wei turned around and gestured for him to stay.
"I think the general had something to say, but he didn't say it because of the general. Please tell me what it was."
"We're about to pull off something big. What concerns or difficulties might you, General, find hard to say? You can't hide it from me. I hope this officer will tell me the truth." Hong Xiaoduo glanced at Gong Wei's retreating figure and whispered.
"I am Tan Weidao, the Director of the Military Affairs Department under the General. Young lady, you are indeed clever; nothing can be hidden from you. It is like this: the matter of the provisions required by the army that the General just showed you is the standard ration in the army. The standard ration is one and a half catties of grain per soldier per day, and ten catties of hay per warhorse per day."
However, the general said that gathering such a large amount of provisions in a short time was not an easy task, which is why he... Actually, according to the general's instructions, the rations for each soldier's horse should be even lower; in my opinion, it cannot be lowered any further." Tan Weidao hesitated for a moment after hearing Hong Xiaoduo's words, then told the truth.
"However, in the battles of the past few years, we also went hungry because the grain we were escorting was ambushed and burned by the enemy. That time it lasted for five days. We had no choice but to kill the wounded warhorses. The people of Huazhou City also tightened their belts and saved money on food, and risked their lives to deliver grain. That's how our army survived," Tan Weidao added.
That meant telling Hong Xiaoduo that the entire army could really go without food for three days.
"I see. Okay, I understand. Thank you for telling me. You can go back to your work now," Hong Xiaoduo nodded.
Tan Weidao immediately went to attend to his own business. As the person in charge of the army's provisions, he naturally had things to do.
Hong Xiaoduo scratched her chin, thought for a moment, and then asked Tian Shu to bring her paper and pen.
The children who had overheard the entire conversation didn't react in any particular way, but Quan Jinghuai sighed helplessly. He'd taken on such a heavy responsibility, yet she hadn't even frowned or shown any sign of worry…
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