Fu Shanhe

Chapter 451 Division of Troops
The emperor's personal command of the army had an immediate and significant impact on morale.

The two armies fought evenly on the battlefield, and some border troops even took the initiative to leave the city and launch an attack on the grassland coalition.

"Your Majesty, the enemy's main force is constantly changing positions, so we should prioritize stability."

Li Yuan followed up with words of advice.

Even knowing that Yu's army was coming to their aid, the Northern barbarians were not fools.

Leveraging their cavalry advantage, the grassland allied forces and the Yu army engaged in a zigzag maneuver.

They first stirred up trouble in Jizhou, and after the Yu army arrived, they immediately turned towards Xuanfu.

After the main force of Yu's army arrived in Xuanfu, it is now heading to attack Datong.

The two armies were running outside the Great Wall and marching inside the Great Wall defense line, which made things difficult for the officials in charge of logistics.

The location of the main force determines the location to which food supplies must be transported.

As the main force constantly changes positions, logistics and transportation must also change accordingly.

In an era of slow communication, grain transport teams often traveled hundreds of miles before receiving news of a change in destination.

The temporary change of location not only increased the distance the grain transport teams had to travel, but also caused a sharp increase in consumption.

Several cabinet ministers were nearly driven to despair by the need to procure strategic resources.

It wasn't just logistics that was in disarray; troop movements also experienced varying degrees of chaos.

Commanding hundreds of thousands of troops in battle, the most important job of the commander-in-chief is not commanding, but coordinating the various forces.

Without a doubt, this kind of mentally and physically demanding task was beyond the capabilities of the inexperienced Emperor Yongning.

The officials of Dayu were typically good-sounding but not-so-good-sounding; even minor disputes were covered up by their subordinates.

By the time things escalated to the point where the emperor had to intervene, minor conflicts had already become major problems.

Unfortunately, Emperor Yongning was an idealist, and this was fully demonstrated in his handling of internal problems.

The final outcome often leaves all parties dissatisfied.

These are not the only problems; the emperor also lacked foresight.

We always react passively after something happens.

It wasn't that no one in the army offered advice, but unfortunately, the Yu army's secrecy was too poor, and the issues discussed in the tents would be known to the Northern barbarians within a few days.

The enemy adjusted their deployment in time, causing Yu's plan to fail, and the blame fell on the general who made the advice.

After several rounds of this, no one dared to offer any suggestions, for fear of getting into trouble.

This change has caused great concern for the two powerful figures from the aristocratic faction.

From the moment the emperor personally led the expedition, the situation spiraled out of their control.

"Grand Secretary Li, speed is of the essence on the battlefield."

"What if we remain overly cautious and allow the northern barbarians to breach Datong?"

Minister of War Luo Wenbo began to question him.

He was fully aware of the predicament Dajun was facing, but his position determined his perspective and his status determined his stance.

In recent years, with the rise of the nobility, the power of the Governor-General's Office has become increasingly heavy, putting the Ministry of War in a very awkward position.

Having finally witnessed the emperor's personal expedition, with the Governor-General's Office responsible for guarding the capital and the Ministry of War accompanying him for logistical support, they naturally wanted to make a good impression.

The constant movement of the main force increased the difficulty of logistical coordination.

But it is precisely because of the difficulties that their abilities are demonstrated.

At worst, we can conscript more laborers and consume more money, food, and supplies on the road.

Anyway, the cabinet is responsible for procuring strategic materials, and since the supply of materials from the rear is insufficient, it is not their responsibility.

"Datong is a well-fortified city; it is not so easy to breach."

If our army is constantly led by the nose by the enemy, we will only find ourselves in a passive position at every turn.

The best option is for the enemy to fight their own battles, and for us to fight ours!

Li Yuan responded with a gloomy expression.

Being led by the nose by the enemy on the battlefield is undoubtedly a major taboo in military strategy.

If you keep following along, even the fresh troops will become exhausted.

If this continues, morale will definitely be affected.

"Grand Secretary Li, please calm down."

Minister Luo was a little agitated, but what he said was not without merit.

The situation on the front lines in Datong is critical, and we are receiving a constant stream of requests for help. We can't just ignore them.

Even if we don't send the entire army to support them, we should at least send tens of thousands of troops to help defend the city.

Gao Jingfeng then spoke up.

The border between Dayu and the Northern Barbarians was far too long.

If the enemy wanted, they could easily spread the flames of war all the way from Liaodong to Gansu Town.

The nine border towns were all built to defend against invasions by nomadic tribes from the grasslands. Now, the Tatars are the overlords of the grasslands, and their stronghold is in Liaodong. Therefore, the main focus of Dayu's defense is on Liaodong.

However, this does not mean that the Northwest region is completely peaceful.

There are also Guifang tribes there, but they are relatively weaker due to natural conditions.

In recent years, there have been few reports of northern barbarians besieging the passes in the northwest, because the northwest region is plagued by natural disasters and man-made calamities, and there is nothing worth robbing.

With too few troops mobilized, they were unable to break through the defenses.

With so many troops deployed, water supply alone becomes a major problem.

……

Emperor Yongning was very annoyed to see the civil and military officials in court arguing again.

"enough!"

"You two argue the moment you meet, what about me!"

"By imperial decree, the right wing army is to be mobilized to reinforce Datong, while the remaining troops launch a counterattack against the enemy at Xuanfu!"

Taking into account the positions of all parties, Emperor Yongning ultimately chose a compromise.

The main force of the Northern Barbarians is elusive; by the time they reach Datong, the main enemy force might have already reached Xuanfu.

The constant back-and-forth travel was unbearable not only for the soldiers below, but even for the emperor himself.

After leaving the capital, his backside was so sore from all the travel that it felt like it was about to fall apart.

……

The grassland allied forces' camp.

"Great Chanyu, the Yu army has divided its forces!"

"The enemy's right flank has broken away from the main force and is heading towards Datong."

Erd ran over quickly to report.

"Oh!"

"The fish took the bait so quickly!"

"It's a pity we didn't manage to lure Emperor Yu here, otherwise the situation in the world would have been reversed after this battle!"

After receiving the intelligence and reading it carefully, Hugjil said with slight disappointment.

Although smuggling was carried out along the entire Great Wall defense line, the stronghold of Shanxi merchants was ultimately in Shanxi.

Its influence in the Greater China region far exceeds that in other regions.

If the main force of Yu's army arrives here, with the help of both inside and outside, even if they cannot wipe out the enemy army, they can still inflict heavy damage on them.

If they were lucky, they might capture Emperor Yongning, which would bring even greater political gains.

"The Great Chanyu, the enemy's right flank army, although only 80,000 strong, is a first-class elite force."

In terms of combat strength, they are much stronger than the Jingying garrison that serves Emperor Yongning.

If we can wipe out this Yu army, the subsequent battles will be much easier.

Prime Minister Sarina smiled and offered her advice.

While it's desirable to conquer the enemy in one fell swoop, high returns come with high risks.

If you're not careful, you could choke to death.

Based on the previous Battle of Changping, the Tatars had already concluded that engaging in a war of attrition with the main force of the Yu army was not advisable. Even if they had to fight desperately, they should make good use of their cavalry's mobility to gain an absolute advantage in local battles.

"Ha ha……"

"You're right, I, the Chanyu, am too greedy."

With such a large force, it's simply unrealistic for Yu Jun to wipe out the enemy in one fell swoop.

The time has come for those anti-kings we've been funding to show their true colors.

Order the entire army to prepare to cross the Great Wall and annihilate the enemy's right flank once they are trapped!

Hugjil immediately issued the order.

With the Great Wall being so long, it was impossible for the defending troops to maintain strict defenses everywhere, so finding a breakthrough point was not difficult.

Finding the enemy's weak points, blowing up the city walls, and storming in—there are countless successful examples of this.

However, these actions are basically just grabbing things at the border and leaving, without daring to go deeper or stay.

Yu Jun has held the strategic passes firmly; if these thorns are not removed, it will be easy for the army to enter but difficult to leave.

Historically, nomadic tribes that ventured deep into the grasslands alone almost always paid a heavy price in blood.

For Yu Jun, as long as the important passes are not lost, the Great Wall defense line will be as solid as Mount Tai.

The border fortresses were merely cogs in the machine of the Great Wall defense line.

As long as it's not a critical screw, losing a few screws elsewhere won't affect the operation of the war machine.

……

Right flank camp.

"Admiral, the imperial court has once again issued a military order, urging us to speed up our march."

Upon hearing this news, Jing Yifeng frowned.

He was doing well as the Governor-General of Southern Zhili when the emperor suddenly led a personal expedition, drawing troops from various southern provinces to form the Right Route Army.

Sending a group of southern soldiers to fight in the dead of winter is a considerable challenge in itself.

Compared to fighting the enemy, the biggest problem was not adapting to the local environment.

Even though the imperial court provided them with cotton-padded clothes, many soldiers still developed frostbite on their ears, hands, and feet while marching in the freezing cold.

The large number of non-combat casualties became the biggest problem plaguing the right flank army.

Against this backdrop, the imperial court's demand for them to march hastily was utterly irresponsible towards the soldiers' lives.

"understood!"

Jing Yifeng replied with a gloomy expression.

Military orders must be carried out, but practical issues must also be considered.

If the army goes to battle in its current state, it will have only five or six tenths of its original fighting strength left.

Unfortunately, he was of low status and his words carried little weight. Several times he offered advice to the court, but to no avail. He even received a reprimand from the emperor.

Finding someone was useless, because of the conflict of positions, Jing Guoliang and Li Yuan were so angry that they resigned and left a few days ago.

The resignation of the Grand Secretary and the Second Grand Secretary was a major event that shocked the court and the public. In order to stabilize public sentiment, Emperor Yongning hurriedly sent people to bring them back.

The emperor personally intervened and managed to keep the person on the run. However, once the rift was formed, it could not be repaired.

In subsequent matters, Jing and Li claimed to be ill and refused to appear in public.

The two powerful nobles were giving up, which caused great suffering for their subordinates.

Jing Yifeng did not write a letter to persuade his cousin. Because the current choice was, in effect, a matter of political self-preservation for both the Jing and Li families.

The emperor, unwilling to be a rubber stamp, personally intervened in military command, making the outcome of the war unpredictable.

They were not Cao Cao; they lacked the power to imprison the emperor and seize power, and naturally could not force the emperor to act as a rubber stamp.

Sensing the danger and not wanting to take the blame, Jing Guoliang and Li Yuan, after failing to salvage the situation, decisively chose to prioritize their own safety.

It's not that they don't love Dayu, it's just that this time the mess is too big for the Jing and Li families to handle even if they join forces.

For the sake of the family's interests, the only option was to withdraw in time.

"Admiral, in this freezing weather, being able to travel thirty miles a day is already quite difficult."

If we speed up any further, the soldiers' bodies won't be able to take it!
"Do you think we should send a letter to the two Grand Secretaries and ask them to come out and take charge..."

General Song said with a solemn expression.

They originally thought that with the emperor personally leading the expedition, everyone would have a chance to shine, but little did they expect it to be a trap.

Emperor Yongning's command, while seemingly in accordance with military strategy, was in reality a mere mechanical imitation.

While theoretical simulations may seem foolproof on paper, they become problematic in real-world scenarios.

"My cousin and Grand Secretary Li are both ill and unable to manage affairs. We can only rely on ourselves now."

Jing Yifeng shook his head and said.

Outsiders thought the two were faking illness, but only their close confidants knew that they were genuinely sick.

In the Great Yu Dynasty, where the average life expectancy was less than forty years, anyone over fifty was considered old.

Although Jing Guoliang and Li Yuan were born into noble families, they had been on the battlefield and had been wounded when they were young.

I caught a cold in northern Xinjiang, and then I fell ill with both major and minor ailments.

If that's all, a few days of rest will be enough for recovery.

Unfortunately, the two of them were filled with anger and had nowhere to vent it.

A series of factors combined led to the two people going from claiming to be sick to actually being sick.

The current political retreat is also a preparation for the future.

They had a very strained relationship with the emperor, but while they were alive, there were no problems.

Once someone unfortunately passes away, the situation changes.

Although the Jing and Li families wield considerable influence in the court, they are the strongest aristocratic families in the Great Yu Dynasty when both are in charge.

Before the next generation has even grown up, the loss of a leader will cause internal divisions to occur even before outsiders can intervene.

If they were to face further attacks from the emperor, it wouldn't be long before they declined amidst internal and external troubles.

In fact, this is considered good.

If it weren't for the rise of the Marquis of Hanshui, who wielded power and influence in the region, there might have been a disaster that led to the extermination of his clan.

Throughout history, very few powerful ministers have managed to die a peaceful death.

"What? The two Grand Secretaries are seriously ill!"

Upon hearing this news, the generals' expressions changed drastically.

All the generals present were from noble families, and they were very clear about the significance of Jing Guoliang and Li Yuan's existence.

Although they often complained in private that the two were too conservative in politics, the aristocratic faction really couldn't do without these two highly respected figures.

Without two people above them holding down the reins, the position of the new boss would be fiercely contested.

If not handled carefully, the once mighty aristocratic faction could fall apart.

In fact, the nobility group mostly operated independently.

It wasn't until the reign of the previous emperor that they began to band together in order to counterbalance the civil service.

Even now, the only thing binding this group is the personal prestige of Jing and Li; it does not have the power to enforce anything.

Apart from Jing and Li, there was no other noble family with enough prestige to lead the noble faction against the civil officials.

Even the renowned Li Mu only had influence among the younger generation; the older generation of nobles did not respect him.

"Alright, you just need to know about this, but you absolutely must not let it get out."

Jing Yifeng immediately rebuked him.

This kind of information simply cannot be kept secret.

Pretending to be sick and staying home for a short period of time can be seen as a sign of spite.

At most, they'll be ridiculed by outsiders for lacking magnanimity.

If someone doesn't show up for a long time, anyone will notice something's wrong, and all sorts of rumors will start circulating.

Instead of letting others guide public opinion, it's better to take the initiative and release the information first.

……

(End of this chapter)