knife

Chapter 431 A Stick Fights a Wolf, Both Sides Afraid

Linghu Zhishu stood on a high ground, looking down at the construction site where thousands of people were busy at work.

This is where an advance camp is being built.

A dozen miles ahead of this massive construction site, a cavalry force of up to three thousand men stood ready with their weapons at the ready.

This place is less than a hundred miles from Yangguan Pass.

After suffering a crushing defeat in Shu and returning empty-handed in Jiangnan, Linghu Zhishu returned to Luoyang and, upon meeting his uncle, learned of the final gamble that the Tiele tribes beyond the Great Wall were preparing.

In order to increase their chances of success, Tiele sent an envoy to seek Linghuye's assistance.

Linghuye readily agreed.

The situation is becoming increasingly clear: Linghu Ye now only has two major enemies left: He Zudao of the Eight Towns of Jiangnan and Li Dachui and Xiao Changche's group of the Beiting Protectorate outside the pass.

Linghu Ye would certainly give full support to Tiele's desperate gamble. If successful, Li Dachui and Xiao Changche would not only have the energy to look south into the interior, but they would also have to do their utmost to withstand the Yuan people's attack outside the pass.

Linghuye and Tiele are now natural allies.

Therefore, the time has come to break ties with Li Dachui.

After Linghu Zhishu returned, he immediately received a new mission: to return to the north and lead his troops to threaten Yangguan.

In fact, the relevant work had already begun before Linghu Zhishu returned.

This is also why the Beiting Protectorate dispatched Gu Xiaoman to lead his troops to Yangguan.

At that time, the Beiting Protectorate was unaware of the specific reasons and simply dispatched troops in a conventional manner to respond to the Linghu Group.

But as time went by, everything became clear.

The confrontation at Yangguan Pass thus became inevitable.

The Beiting Protectorate did not want the Linghu Group to concentrate all its efforts on attacking Chang'an, while the Linghu Group also wanted to start a war outside the pass. When the Northern Yuan made its last stand, the Beiting Protectorate also had to be distracted by the attack on Yangguan from within the pass.

Linghu Ye feared that the troops outside the pass would attack his rear. If he lost either the east or west banks of the river, his base would be in serious trouble. If the war in Chang'an went poorly, it could trigger a chain reaction and lead to a complete collapse.

As for the Beiting Protectorate, once it loses Yangguan Pass, it will be immediately locked out of the pass. It's important to understand that Yangguan Pass's original function was to prevent enemies from outside the pass from attacking the interior.

This is a classic case of someone trying to fight a wolf with a stick, afraid of both sides.

The reason for sending Linghu Zhishu was that Linghu Zhishu's status was high enough that he could make decisions at crucial moments.

Such a standoff requires considerable wisdom.

Can we fight?

When to play?

The parties involved all need to make a judgment on the spot.

This requires sufficient power.

It also requires sufficient judgment and decisiveness.

Otherwise, we will either lose the opportunity or be passively attacked.

Although Linghu Zhishu was repeatedly beaten by Li Dachui, his wisdom and ability were still widely recognized.

Compared to the Northern Yuan Tiele and their group, who were brought to this state by Li Dachui,
Linghu Zhishu's recent failures are really nothing to worry about.

Yangguan originally had 20,000 troops, of which a little over 10,000 were actually capable of fighting, and the rest were mostly auxiliary troops and logistics personnel. After Gu Xiaoman arrived, the number of troops here increased to 20,000.

More importantly, the 10,000 men that Gu Xiaoman brought consisted of half infantry and half cavalry.

This is not a defensive stance, but rather an offensive posture.

Who is the target of the attack?
It goes without saying. Currently, Linghu Zhishu has 20,000 infantrymen, including 15,000 combat soldiers, 5,000 logistics and supply soldiers, and 5,000 cavalrymen.

The infantry were all recruited and formed later, but the five thousand cavalry were all the original soldiers.

Linghu Ye knew the strength of the Beiting Protectorate's army well. If he didn't send out his old guard, the enemy might dare to charge in head-on.

People like Gu Xiaoman are inherently aggressive. If you give them a chance, if you let them see an opening, they can tear that opening into a huge hole.

If Gu Xiaoman were to defeat Linghu Zhishu, the troops outside the pass would likely advance, which would be a strategic disaster.

Comparing the two, the Beiting Protectorate outside the pass actually has some advantages, because they have Yangguan, a rear base that they have cultivated for many years, which allows them to attack or defend as needed.

Linghu Zhishu, on the other hand, had no choice but to build his own camp.

Of course, for the Linghu Group, their hope was not in their own victory, but in the possibility that the Northern Yuan Tiele could turn the tide this time. If the Tiele won, it would be equivalent to their victory.

“Tell the overseers that the sturdiness of the fortress is a matter of life and death for everyone. Many of the soldiers from the Beiting Protectorate have fought alongside them in the past, and you all know their backgrounds well. Don’t lose your lives because of negligence. This time, we’re not dealing with those cowards from inside the pass!” Linghu Zhishu spurred his horse down the hillside.

This war will certainly not end in a short time; it may last for several months or even longer. Therefore, he plans to build a systematic defense zone with a depth of fifty miles in this area.

Not just for the present, but also for the future.

If the Tiele fail this time, and the Beiting Protectorate completely resolves the crisis outside the pass, then this defensive zone will provide them with more military options.

Don’t worry about winning, think about defeat first.

Having experienced numerous failures, Linghu Zhishu now considers problems in a completely different way than before.

"General, we're still not comfortable having the combat troops take turns building the second and third lines of defense in the rear!"

"You think it's comfortable just sitting there eating and drinking?" Linghu Zhishu sneered. "Li Dachui told me that more sweat before battle means less blood during battle. I used to think it was nonsense, but now I take it as gospel. I told them that I would personally inspect every camp they built, and if it didn't meet the rules I set earlier, military law would not tolerate it!"

"Yes, sir!" The officer bowed and accepted the order.

It seems the general is deeply concerned about the current standoff; otherwise, he wouldn't have built such a large-scale fortification, indicating a readiness for a long-term defense.

At Yangguan Pass, Gu Xiaoman and Ma Liang are saying their reluctant goodbyes.

Gu Xiaoman arrived, but Ma Liang was transferred away.

Ma Liang was actually quite clear about this outcome.

The Beiting Protectorate would not allow any local warlord to exist; the Ma family had been operating in Yangguan for too long.

Yangguan can only be named after the Beiting Protectorate, not the Ma family.

So, taking advantage of this opportunity, a major defensive rotation was implemented.

Ma Liang led his elite troops to participate in this final battle against the Northern Yuan, while Gu Xiaoman was stationed at Yangguan to confront Linghu Zhishu.

Ma Liang was overjoyed, but Gu Xiaoman was full of regret.

After fighting the Yuan people for so many years, and now that the battle is about to end, he can only stand by and watch. Ma Liang, who has never actually fought the Yuan people before, will be participating in this battle as a general. Who knows, he might become famous in history.

However, this was an arrangement by the Beiting Protectorate concerning the overall situation, and Gu Xiaoman could not utter a single word of objection.

"Kill a few more Yuan people for me!" Gu Xiaoman patted Ma Liang on the shoulder. "But you have to be careful. The Yuan people are fierce. This is their last desperate gamble. Don't let them get caught off guard!"

"Don't worry! You've known me since I was a bandit with the boss. I'm the kind of person who won't act until I see a clear benefit. I'm extremely cautious, even if there's the slightest suspicion. Young Master Ma is riding high, he hasn't had enough of the riches and honors of this world yet, so he won't do anything reckless!" Ma Liang said with a loud laugh.

Amidst the thunderous drumbeats, thousands of soldiers marched away into the distance.

Ma Liang's departure marked the official end of the Ma family's nearly twenty-year management of Yangguan.

(End of this chapter)