Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 368 Internal strife
The Ming army passed through the south gate of Shuozhou, formed into marching troops, and advanced slowly towards Jinzhou in a long snake formation.

The team was still very strong, but compared to when they had just broken into the city, they lacked some spirit.

Two days of putting out fires and dealing with the mess left behind by the Tang army in Shuozhou had greatly worn down the morale and energy of the young soldiers.

In the center of the team, the two main generals of the army rode on tall horses and marched side by side, each with his own troubles.

"The current speed of progress is too fast." Li Daozon advised.

Hou Junji turned a deaf ear and continued on his way.

Li Dao Zong refused to give in:
"Jun Ji! I told you to march more slowly, didn't you hear me?"

In the entire army, probably only Li Jing and Li Daozon dared to speak to Hou Junji in this way.

But no matter what he said, whether Lao Hou listened or not was his business.

"You think it's too fast? I think it's too slow! In order to put out that damn fire, we have already set out ten hours later than planned!"

Hou Junji responded angrily.

"I have agreed with His Majesty that we should rush to the north of Jinzhou in time, and attack Jinyang from both the north and south.

"Military orders are as heavy as a mountain. If you miss the deadline, you will be held accountable!"

Li Dao Zong was not frightened by the old friend's threats at all, and continued to persuade him earnestly, as if he was pulling a stubborn donkey:
"But His Majesty also said that we have 80,000 main forces, and we should march with stability as the top priority.

"There are cliffs on both sides. We are in such a hurry that the scouts don't have time to clear the way and patrol."

Hou Junji snorted contemptuously:
"Why are the scouts patrolling? Could there be an ambush by the Tang army ahead?
"During the Battle of Shuozhou, you saw how they fled in all directions with their tails between their legs.

Li Daozon opened his mouth, but couldn't think of any words to refute.

Yes, assuming there is really an ambush between Shuozhou and Jinzhou.

So why did the Tang army in Shuozhou fight to the death, and why did they set a fire before leaving?
Shouldn't we collapse at the first blow and put on a grand show to lure the enemy deeper into our territory?
The Shuozhou Army under Cheng Yaojin was just the opposite.

The will to fight to the death and the fire that was determined to stop the Ming army's advance by any means necessary perfectly illustrated what a desperado's last stand was.

No matter how brave an army is, they wouldn't take their own lives so lightly, right?

It seems that both the Tang army and the Tang Dynasty have collapsed like a landslide.

How can a collapsed army launch an ambush?

Li Daozon actually agreed with Hou Junji's judgment emotionally.

But as the deputy commander, he felt that he should be more rational and not let Hou Junji, the already irritable lion, get too carried away.

"And now the soldiers are already very tired..."

"The soldiers are tired because you asked them to put out the fire?" Hou Junji interrupted angrily:
"We didn't start the fire. The enemy is responsible for this. Why would our army want to wade into this muddy water?

"Originally, the troops could have rested peacefully for two days and went to the battlefield in high spirits! Now... Tsk!"

He turned his head away angrily.

Li Daozon, the Minister of Rites, was not a pushover and lost his temper:
"If we don't win over the people in Shuozhou, what will we do if the people in Shuozhou surrender to the Tang Dynasty and cut off our rear?"

Hou Junji turned around and angrily said:
"Don't forget that we are on a battlefield! Is a battlefield a place to win people's hearts?!"

The two of them held their own opinions and turned their heads away without paying any attention to each other.

"Gee!" As if disdainful of keeping pace with Lao Li, Hou Junji rode his horse ahead.

Li Daozon did not chase after him, but just sighed secretly in his heart.

Alas, it would be great if Su Dingfang and Xue Rengui were still alive.

They are both experts in mountain warfare. If they are responsible for scouting the mountains ahead, the scouts' work can be more efficient, maintaining a certain search intensity without hindering the troops' high-speed marching.

It is not like now, because the march is too fast, reconnaissance has become a perfunctory process, and the scouts sent out have almost become decorations.

Unfortunately, Lao Su and Xiao Xue had fought high-intensity mountain warfare against the Tang army stationed in Shuozhou during the early harassment phase, and both suffered some minor injuries. They are now resting in the rear.

"There shouldn't be an ambush ahead, right?"

Li Daozon didn't know whether he was making a judgment or making a wish.

…………

The Ming army marched along the winding mountain roads, and their ranks became twisted and crooked.

Among the mountains, there is a clear spring, gurgling towards the south.

"Where is this place?"

Hou Junji ignored Li Daozon who was standing aside and deliberately asked loudly to the scout who was reporting back.

Li Daozon also pretended not to hear, although he knew exactly what his old friend asked.

"Replying to the commander, this place is Guancen Mountain. That clear spring is the source of the Fen River."

The scout was unaware that the commander-in-chief and the deputy commander were having an argument, so he reported the situation truthfully.

"Is this the source of the Fen River? Such a small pool of shallow water has turned into a huge wave that can carry the Ming fleet. Dao Zong, look..."

Hou Junji subconsciously wanted to share his broad-minded feelings with his old friend, but suddenly remembered that they were having a quarrel, so he abruptly changed the subject.

"After entering the Fen River Basin, the land will be flatter!"

As usual, Li Daozon pretended not to hear and consciously kept a certain distance from the coach, falling behind.

The scout was confused and said:
"Yes, Marshal."

"Okay, it will be easy to walk on the plain road once we get there, let's speed up the march!" Hou Junji deliberately spoke loudly.

Li Dao Zong became anxious on the spot:

"Be careful!"

But no matter how much he protested, the deputy commander only had the right to "make suggestions".

At the command of the commander-in-chief Hou Junji, the marching speed of the entire army increased to a new level.

At this speed, the scouts' exploration of the route became a mere formality, and they were completely unable to find out the true situation ahead.

Although the Ming army had theoretically entered the Fen River basin, the complexity of the terrain had not decreased much.

The cliffs on both sides are still steep and rugged, as if they were cut by a knife or an axe.

The Ming army marched south along the gurgling Fen River. The road was extremely dark due to the strange peaks and the sprouting grass in spring.

It was the perfect place for an ambush.

But in ancient times when transportation was inconvenient, there was no choice but to go through this place.

Only the riverside is suitable for marching, the rest are all steep cliffs that are difficult to walk on.

The damage to the large army by going there would be no less than an ambush.

In such an unsettling environment, both the commander and the soldiers instinctively quickened their pace.

I just want to leave this dark and spooky place as soon as possible.

However, whatever you fear will come true.

A sharp sound suddenly rang out among the dark mountains, like a whistle.

"what sound?"

Hou Junji subconsciously pulled the reins of his horse.

Li Dao Zong listened attentively and said:

“Is that birdsong…?”

Before he finished speaking, a dull buzzing sound was heard among the surrounding mountains and forests, followed by the sound of a shrill wind.

The sound was like an alarm, causing the battle-hardened generals and soldiers to shudder at the same time.

"Get off your horse and lie down!"

Li Daozon skillfully rolled off his horse with his back turned purely by relying on muscle memory.

Almost in the next second, his mount let out a miserable neigh and fell to the ground with a bang.

This fall crushed his entire body underneath.

"King Jiangxia! Just shoot at him, you bastard!"

Hou Junji's eyes were bloodshot.

"Coach, get out of the way!"

The attendant jumped off his horse and knocked Hou Junji off the horse with his body. The two men rolled on the ground for several weeks.

The arrows shot from the mountain seemed to have eyes, following their tracks all the way and forcing them under a huge rock. Hou Junji finally got a temporary respite and glanced at the battlefield in surprise.

Countless arrows were shot at the Ming army in the center of the valley from all directions, like a swarm of locusts.

"There is really an ambush?!" Hou Junji was extremely shocked.

The Tang army's ambush was very methodical, and they gave priority to shooting at cavalrymen on horseback.

Cavalry are high-value targets, and the cost of training them is equivalent to that of ten infantrymen.

Their arrows could actually penetrate the solid Ming armor, causing real damage to the soldiers.

If you look closely, you can see that the arrows are shot in batches and alternatingly from the depths of different mountains.

This shows that the opponent's reloading speed is slow and constant.

Not like a bow and arrow.

"Armor-piercing crossbow?!"

Hou Junji's heart suddenly sank.

Armor-piercing crossbows and crossbow bolts are not cheap.

Being able to spray crossbow arrows like bows and arrows in one breath, the Tang army took out all their hidden stocks and concentrated them for use in the Battle of Guancen Mountain!
Under the crossbow, all beings are equal.

Even with the protection of thick armor, the Ming army soldiers were still as unyielding as wheat after autumn.

What's even more terrifying is that Hou Junji knows that this wave of arrow rain is just a prelude to death...

Boom!Boom!Boom!
The dull sound of drums echoed across the battlefield.

This is the signal to march!
Suddenly, shouts and cries of killing were heard everywhere.

From the front, from the back, from the middle...

From all directions of the battlefield, the Tang army seemed to descend from the sky, cutting off the head and tail of the Ming army that was trapped in the valley and attacking the middle.

It was a textbook ambush.

Hou Junji's eyes rolled around blankly as he watched the lives of his soldiers being ruthlessly harvested.

Damn it, there really was an ambush, the Tang army actually had enough strength to spare...

"You bastard! This farmer from Guanlong actually has the energy to plot against me!"

Not far away, a loud curse was heard.

Hou Junji subconsciously looked in the direction of the voice.

I saw a horse carcass torn into pieces where Li Daozon fell, and the thick flesh and bones were shot apart by the even more unreasonable armor-piercing crossbow.

And from between his broken flesh and blood, a hand suddenly emerged.

Prince Jiangxia crawled out from under the dead horse that was pinning him down, rolled and crawled to avoid the crossbow arrows shot from the sky, and hid under the same huge rock as Hou Junji in a panic.

"What a bastard! This farmer from Guanlong is so cunning! He can actually act so convincingly in Shuozhou, as if he is really making a last-ditch effort!"

Li Daozon was still in shock and cursing loudly.

"If it weren't for the fact that my armor is thick enough, I would have been crushed by that dead horse! Damn Guanlong guy!"

As a member of the Li family, and as a descendant of the Binzhou Hou family, we are both what you call "Guanlong farmers"... Hou Junji swallowed his inappropriate complaints and asked:

"are you OK?"

"What a bullshit! If it weren't for that horse blocking my way, I would have been shot into a sieve, just like it!"

Li Daozon pointed at the horse corpse that had been "shot to pieces" in the physical sense.

Hou Junji lowered his head and said in a low voice:

"I didn't expect you were right. I was reckless..."

"The battlefield is not the place to talk about this." Li Daozon interrupted Lao Hou's confession.

"You are the head coach, you are the one who will lead us out of this predicament!"

This sentence was like magic, and it immediately made Hou Junji get out of his initial panic.

After regaining his composure, he found that the situation was not as bad as he had imagined.

Although the armor-piercing crossbow is extremely powerful, the Ming armor is not made of paper.

The combat skills of the elite Ming army were not to be underestimated.

After being shot by arrows, many soldiers were still able to get up, quickly find cover, and under the command of grassroots officers, organized a counterattack against the first wave of attacks by the Tang army.

How could such a good soldier, one of the military pillars of the Ming Empire, be destroyed in his own hands, on the eve of victory!
Hou Junji immediately issued an order:
"The whole army obeys my order!"

…………

After a whole day of fighting, the Battle of Guancen Mountain came to an end.

The valley was filled with a strong smell of blood.

The blood of soldiers from both sides flowed into the Fen River, almost dyeing the water red.

Tang army soldiers were cleaning up the battlefield, collecting spoils, and counting the dead and wounded.

"They actually let them get away. They are really the Hebei people who were raised by wild wolves!"

Ashina She'er cursed loudly.

The ambush was perfect.

The enemy underestimated us, the terrain was suitable, and the weapons were sufficient. The three elements of time, place and people were all present.

During the battle, Ashina She'er even had an illusion that he could wipe out the main force of the Ming army that had escaped the two catastrophic disasters of the Central Plains War and the Shuozhou Battle!
“However, I ultimately underestimated their fighting ability, allowing them to successfully withdraw from the battlefield and retreat back to Shuozhou.

"Hou Junji is not an incompetent guy..."

Ashina was extremely depressed and rode back to the camp in disappointment.

As soon as he turned around, he felt a murderous intent approaching and leaned back subconsciously.

A huge axe came down almost on his head.

"Cheng Zhijie? You want to rebel?!" Ashina She'er was shocked.

Cheng Zhijie rode on his horse, brandished his axe, and roared like thunder:
"Now that the war is over, it's time to settle accounts with you! I want to avenge my brother who died in vain in Shuozhou!"

As he said this, he chopped at his own commander with an axe.

Ashina She'er was not a sheep who would not fight back. He immediately drew out his scimitar and started fighting the old bandit. While defending himself, he shouted:
"Are you crazy or stupid? It was the Ming army that killed your soldiers!"

Seeing that their general had no intention of stopping and the fight was getting more and more intense, their subordinates could not stand it anymore and quickly intervened and forcibly separated the two men.

Cheng Zhijie screamed with red eyes, every word was full of tears:

"Since you are ambushing and reinforcing here, why didn't you inform us in advance!
"I wouldn't have issued a death order, and the soldiers defending the city wouldn't have died so many times..."

Ashina She'er looked at the crazy old general and spoke slowly, his voice full of pity:

"This is what the Khan of Heaven meant."

"Is it His Majesty?!" Cheng Zhijie jumped on his horse as if he had been electrocuted.

Ashina She'er nodded and said:

"In order to make your plan of luring the enemy deeper into your territory appear more realistic and not to arouse the other side's suspicion.

"It turns out that Tian Khan's strategy was correct. Otherwise, the Ming army would not have underestimated the enemy and stepped into the ambush so easily."

"Lure the enemy deep into our territory?!" Cheng Zhijie kept muttering these four words.

The desperate resistance of the soldiers was actually part of luring the enemy...

Old Cheng shuddered in his heart.

After decades of military service, he finally understood those four words today:
Kindness does not command an army...

…………

Jinju South.

Li Ming personally led the army, advancing both by land and sea, towards Jinyang.

Something strange appeared on the open water ahead.

"iron chain?"

(End of this chapter)