knife

Chapter 834: Clash of Powerful Armies

Before the war began, every army commander believed he would achieve final victory, every general thought he would shine in this battle and become the most dazzling figure on the battlefield, and every soldier thought he would receive spoils and rewards after winning.

No one felt they were doomed to die.

If that's the case, then there's no need to fight this battle. If the soldiers are already demoralized before the battle even begins, how far away can defeat be?
Therefore, whether a commander can adjust the morale of his subordinates to the best level before a battle is the most powerful evidence of whether a commander is excellent or mediocre.

If this can be achieved, then there is a possibility of turning the tide in adversity.

Of course, this is just a premise, not the result.

History is replete with examples of those who fought bravely, persevered tenaciously, and were fearless in the face of death, yet ultimately failed.

However, this kind of war is no longer a crime of war.

In contrast, the armies, generals, and soldiers who are defeated in such wars often go down in history and become role models for future armies.

The two armies currently fighting in Shapingba were like this before the battle: they both felt incredibly powerful, both felt they represented the side of justice, and both felt they would surely win the final victory.

The army from the Central Plains believed that they represented the legitimate succession of the Qin Dynasty and were the royal army. Although the enemy on the other side also flew the banner of the Qin Dynasty, they were nothing but a wolf in sheep's clothing. They were barbarians, savages, and savages who wanted to destroy the Qin Dynasty. Defeating them was to protect the millions of people in the Central Plains and to protect the splendid culture and long-standing heritage of the Central Plains.

This concept is common among the generals and officials of the Central Plains army. Most of these people come from aristocratic and scholarly families. In a sense, they really represent the mainstream public opinion in the Central Plains. The vast majority of the common people do not have much initiative and are more influenced by these people, thus believing in these concepts without a doubt.

They felt that if they did not defeat the enemy in front of them and let these barbarians invade the Central Plains, they would lose everything, and their families, wives and children would be in danger and become slaves of the enemy.

This realization became even stronger when they faced enemies whose appearances were quite different from those of the people from the Central Plains.

Therefore, they are very brave.

As for the soldiers of the Beiting Protectorate outside the pass, they naturally believed that victory would surely belong to them.

Firstly, this stems from the immense confidence gained from a long history of invincibility. Whether it was suppressing bandits outside the Great Wall, waging wars of unification, or ultimately defeating the Northern Yuan, these battles cultivated a strong sense of self-confidence in this army. When even the most formidable cavalry of the Northern Yuan turned to dust before them, the army's innate sense of self-reliance inadvertently forged their military spirit.

Secondly, they also believed themselves to be the legitimate successors of the Qin Dynasty. Their leader, Li Dachui, was the son of the former Qin crown prince. By lineage, Li Dachui should be the rightful ruler of the dynasty, while the man currently sitting in Chang'an was merely a collateral relative unearthed by Linghu Ye from who-knows-where, already beyond the fifth degree of kinship in the imperial genealogy. The kinship of a virtuous person ends after five generations; beyond five degrees of kinship, one is no longer considered a relative. Linghu Ye's actions were simply a step in the scheme of treacherous officials plotting to usurp the throne; their entry into the pass was to rectify the lineage.

Thirdly, and of course, it's because under Li Dachui's leadership, their lives have improved steadily over the years. Every soldier who appears on the battlefield is from a wealthy family in their hometown; every family owns dozens or even hundreds of acres of land, and every family has a multi-courtyard house. To ensure these assets continue and that their children and grandchildren live even better, the only way is to continue fighting and crush all enemies who try to take them away. In the most basic understanding of ordinary soldiers, the best guarantee for them is to put their supreme commander on the emperor's throne.

In their minds, the emperor was still the one whose word was law and whose authority was absolute.

Both armies possess strong fighting spirit, excellent equipment, and exceptional overall quality. In any era, they would be capable of crushing their enemies. Yet today, they have clashed.

At the outset of the war, the Beiting Protectorate army gained the upper hand thanks to its more closely coordinated combat system and rich combat experience.

Yang Rong's soldiers were indeed highly skilled, but they came from different units and families, and had not been working together for long. Their coordination was also quite unfamiliar. If they were facing ordinary troops, these weaknesses might not be exposed, but when they encountered an army like the Beiting Protectorate, they were immediately magnified. The Beiting Protectorate valued disciplined soldiers but undisciplined generals.

Military operations rely on a system, on the most junior officers, such as captains, regimental commanders, colonels, and lieutenants. They can automatically form a top-down combat system within a small area, even if the troops within this area originally belonged to different branches of the military or different units. As long as they form a range that they can manage, this system will automatically form.

Therefore, high-ranking generals like Xia Zhi sometimes get so caught up in the battle that they completely forget they still need to command their troops, yet their army remains perfectly organized. And when she wants to take over, she can reorganize everyone without any obstacles.

Because regardless of whether the wind is favorable or unfavorable, this combat system will never fall apart, unless the people are so dead that they can no longer form even the most basic combat unit.

Half an hour after the battle began, the Beiting Protectorate army gained the upper hand. An hour later, Xia Zhi led 3,000 heavy infantry, 5,000 light infantry, and 2,000 cavalry, gradually pushing the battlefield toward Yang Rong's central army position.

Although slow, the trend of movement is firm.

In other words, the Beiting Protectorate army was forcing the enemy to retreat.

On the city wall, Chen Liang, Chang Jian, and the remaining 12,000 troops showed no sign of moving.

Because on the other side, Yang Rong was watching helplessly as his troops were pushed back step by step, each step back meaning the loss of dozens or even hundreds of lives. Under such circumstances, he did not move, nor did he send reinforcements first. Chen Liang, who had the upper hand, would not move either.

Whoever makes the first move is now on the defensive.

Yang Rong tried to hold on, waiting for the possible changes that might occur in the next moment.

Chen Liang was naturally in no hurry.

"I have to say, the other side is really good at fighting!" Chang Jian sighed. "This isn't even Linghu Ye's main force. Just look at these guys, and you can imagine how intense the upcoming decisive battle in Boling will be!"

Chen Liang nodded silently. He had once been a member of Linghu Ye's army, so he was naturally very clear about the combat power of Linghu Ye's core troops.

That was an army that even the Northern Yuan Dynasty feared greatly.

On the southern battlefield, Chang Lei led a mere seven or eight hundred men and broke through the southern army's blockade. Although only Chang Lei appeared before Jiang Qian in the end, they had indeed broken through the formation of tens of thousands of men.

Now, beneath the city of Boling, Linghu Ye has a full five thousand such troops.

"A fierce battle!" Chen Liang laughed. "If we win here as soon as possible, it will be a huge boon for Boling!"

"Even if we win this battle, I'm afraid our support for Boling will be very limited!" Chang Jian sighed. "The casualties are quite heavy!"

Chen Liang turned to look at Chang Jian, smiled, and remained silent.

For a battlefield general like him, what are these casualties? This is nothing at all!
(End of this chapter)