Fu Shanhe

Chapter 530 Good News
People's hearts are broken and it's hard to lead the team.

In a single day, they broke through three lines of defense, suffering tens of thousands of casualties, which dealt a fatal blow to the Liaodong army.

Before Shi Jingming could make any tactical adjustments, the Liaodong army, already in turmoil, collapsed even faster the next day.

The painstakingly constructed defenses were as fragile as paper, easily breached with a single puncture.

Beneath the walls of Xuzhou, at the Liaodong camp.

Looking at the battle report in his hand, Shi Jingfeng was completely dumbfounded.

"waste!"

"They're all trash!"

"Shi Jingming is the biggest idiot in the world!"

"And Zhou Qihai, he's even more incredibly stupid!"

"I really don't know how such a stupid person could be born!"

……

A barrage of greetings followed, even extending to his own ancestors.

The failure of the blocking battle immediately plunged the Liaodong Army into a dangerous situation.

The plan to build a dam on the Yellow River has only just begun, and the enemy is about to arrive right under our noses.

"Prime Minister, please calm your anger!"

The ministers' persuasion did not diminish Shi Jingfeng's anger, but it did pull him back to reality from his rage.

No matter how it's handled, the failure of the defensive battle is a foregone conclusion.

Judging by the time, the enemy will be at the city gates in two days at most.

In such a short time, it is almost impossible to capture Xuzhou.

"I can appease your anger, but how do we defeat the enemy now?"

Shi Jingfeng asked in an icy tone.

The enemy arrived too quickly, completely exceeding his expectations.

In such a short time, even if they dug a tunnel through the moat, they wouldn't be able to reach the walls of Xuzhou.

The idea of ​​digging up the Yellow River is utter nonsense; the damming hasn't even been completed yet, so there's no time to store water.

Relying solely on the Yellow River's own flow, it wouldn't be able to bury the loyalist army, let alone the city of Xuzhou.

This mother river of Chinese civilization actually has a relatively small annual water flow, with many larger rivers having a greater flow.

In particular, the north has frequently experienced severe droughts in recent years, and the Yellow River has dried up more than once.

Every time the Yellow River breaches its banks, causing devastating damage, it happens during the flood season.

"Prime Minister, since the blocking battle has failed, the previous battle plan must continue."

Why not wait for the enemy to tire themselves out and fight a fair and square battle against the loyalist army?

Li Mu only brought tens of thousands of soldiers with him on this northward expedition.

Even with the garrison in Xuzhou, we still have a numerical advantage of several times.

"Just overwhelm them with sheer numbers, pour in human lives, and we can wear them down on the battlefield!"

Shi Jinglin was the first to speak up and offer his advice.

He wasn't sure if he could prove he had defeated the enemy, but the Shi family had no other choice.

With hundreds of thousands of troops at their disposal, no one would be content without fighting the enemy.

"Prime Minister, perhaps we could consider contacting the Northern Barbarians."

Mr. Kong made the suggestion tactfully.

In fact, joining forces with the Northern barbarians to divide the world has always been their alternative plan.

The main reason for not putting it into practice was the consideration that the political impact would be too severe.

Not to mention the people of the world, many within the Liaodong army themselves could not accept it.

"Shut up!"

"You surnamed Kong, you're trying to frame my Shi family!"

Shi Jingzhong was the first to speak out.

Despite the Shi family's lack of enthusiasm in resisting the Northern Barbarians, they still harbored a deep-seated hatred for them.

Many members of the Shi family also died under the iron hooves of the northern barbarians.

It wasn't just the Shi family; all the military families in Liaodong had a grudge against the Northern barbarians.

"presumptuous!"

"We are in the middle of a meeting, and everyone is free to speak their minds. Are you trying to stifle free speech?"

Shi Jingfeng immediately reprimanded him.

If you want scholars to work hard, you must give them the necessary respect.

While uniting with the northern barbarians is emotionally difficult to accept, it is militarily feasible.

"Brother, I..."

"Only the Prime Minister is here!"

Before Shi Jingzhong could finish speaking, Shi Jingfeng decisively interrupted him.

At this crucial moment of brainstorming, he didn't want Shi Jingzhong to say anything outrageous that would discourage everyone from offering advice.

"Prime Minister, don't forget the deep-seated blood feud between my Liaodong people and the Northern barbarians."

If they were to join forces with the Northern barbarians, then Liu Conghan would not be just one or two.

With hearts and minds scattered, how can we contend for the world?

Shi Jingzhong said indignantly.

The Liaodong Army's performance on the battlefield did not live up to its reputation as the strongest army in the world.

The long-held belief that the north produces strong soldiers was broken by them.

A series of questionable political maneuvers have further alienated the public.

Those Qingliu Party members who were previously willing to cooperate with them all fell silent after the death of Emperor Yongning.

Even though the Shi family arranged for a substitute to take over the job in time, a fake is still a fake.

For the civil and military officials who had seen the emperor, they could tell at a glance.

For the Qingliu Party members who pursue fame and fortune, the only way to get them to follow the regicide would be if the Shi family had a very clear advantage in seizing power and were willing to rule the country together with them.

The Sima family is the best example. Through political bribery of "powerful clans ruling the world together," they completed their usurpation of power from Cao Wei.

These are things that the Shi family cannot learn.

Even if they were willing to share power with powerful clans, they themselves would first have to be powerful clans.

The military families that rose to prominence on the frontier were simply not worth the attention of the powerful clans.

Besides, times have changed.

When the Sima family seized power, they only needed to win over dozens of powerful families across the country to stabilize the situation.

Now, the powerful clans have become history, transformed into individual gentry families.

These aristocratic families also wielded enormous political influence, but due to the prevailing preference for civil officials over military ones, they had long since severed ties with the military, and their power was nowhere near that of the powerful clans.

They can indeed play a certain role when it comes to stabilizing the local area.

However, the struggle for power still requires the Shi family to fight for it themselves.

Due to the scarcity of supplies, the Liaodong Army had long since turned against these people in order to survive.

No matter what they do now, they are still supporting the Southern court.

Even though the Great Yu Dynasty carried out a major purge of aristocratic families in Jiangnan, slaughtering a large number of gentry.

However, most of the profits that were left vacant ended up in the hands of the powerful families in the north.

In the eyes of the gentry, this was an internal conflict within the gentry group.

The tax resistance of the gentry in the south led to the collapse of the imperial court, and the gentry in the north suffered heavy losses, so it was only right for them to retaliate.

Moreover, everyone has long suffered under the influence of the gentry in Jiangnan during the imperial examinations, and wishes they were all dead.

Since the knife hadn't landed on their own bodies, many people were just watching the show.

"Prime Minister, Jingzhong's words may be unpleasant to hear, but that is indeed the reality."

The northern barbarians are ambitious; if we were to offer ourselves up and cooperate with them, we would be devoured without a trace.

Shi Jinglin echoed in a heavy tone.

Even if we were to cooperate with the Northern barbarians, it would be a case of too little, too late.

At this crucial moment in the decisive battle between the two armies, maintaining morale within the ranks is of paramount importance.

In chaotic times, the law of the jungle prevails.

For two major powers to cooperate, they must first be on the same level in terms of strength.

The Liaodong Army is currently in an awkward position, neither here nor there.

They wanted to cooperate with the Northern Barbarians, but their own strength was too weak.

If you seek refuge with someone and become their underling, their strength is too great.

"Ok!"

"Since you all say so, let's defeat the loyalist army first, and then consider the next step of the plan," Shi Jingfeng said, feigning composure.

However, this composure did not reassure everyone.

A person's name, the shadow of a tree.

The name "Li Mu" carries immense destructive power.

As time goes by, the title of the greatest general in the world has long been deeply ingrained in people's minds.

Anyone who lived in the Great Yu Dynasty knew this.

Anyone would feel uncertain if they encountered such an enemy.

After glancing at everyone's expressions, Shi Jingfeng secretly groaned.

If I had known that the Great Yu Dynasty would collapse so quickly, I should have shown my mettle on the battlefield back then.

If one has a few major victories, even if one cannot reach the level of Li Mu, one can still earn the title of a famous general.

In chaotic times, this title is more useful than any birth.

……

The camp of the loyalist army.

Looking at the compiled battle reports, Li Mu felt it was somewhat unreal.

A defensive battle is certainly a tough job.

This kind of work is usually done by the military's elite troops. Sending a bunch of cannon fodder to do a blocking action is just sending them to their deaths!

Even if the Liaodong Army needs to deploy troops in many places, it cannot be treated like this. At the very least, an elite force must be mixed in among the cannon fodder.

Unfortunately, apart from that slippery cavalry, they did not encounter any significant enemies throughout the entire battle.

After a major battle in which tens of thousands of enemy soldiers were annihilated, the vanguard suffered fewer than a thousand casualties.

It can be said that from beginning to end, the enemy did not launch any decent resistance.

The only commendable aspect is that the Liaodong Army is actively exploring new tactics.

Despite only having a superficial understanding, this learning ability still surpasses that of many contemporary military units.

If they fight a few more battles with the loyalist army, the surviving enemy generals will be ready to complete their campaigns.

Learning from real-world experience is more reliable than any military strategy.

"The heads that have been captured are pickled, loaded onto ships and sent to Nanjing, so that all the civil and military officials can see them."

He also drafted a report of victory for the imperial court, urging them to distribute the reward money as soon as possible.

The rewards for official ranks and titles will be settled collectively after the war ends.

Li Mu immediately gave instructions to the military clerks.

There are many ways to establish authority, but foolishly launching a massacre in the imperial court is undoubtedly the worst choice.

Killing the emperor to establish authority was the most foolish choice.

It may seem to be effective quickly, but it actually has many hidden dangers.

In comparison, establishing authority subtly is more effective.

After the Liaodong rebels expanded their forces, their combat effectiveness declined drastically. This was known to the officers and soldiers at the front, but not to the officials in the court.

In many people's minds, the Liaodong Army remains the strongest military force in the world.

Li Mu also played a part in leading to this erroneous conclusion.

During the suppression of the White Lotus Rebellion, the noble faction had extensively expanded its army.

While it wasn't as exaggerated as the Liaodong Army increasing its troop strength fifteen times in six months, it was still common for the army to expand several times over in a year.

After the expansion, the focus was on training newbies first, and then gradually increasing the difficulty.

Throughout the entire tournament, they rarely suffered defeats.

In the eyes of many officials, expanding the military suddenly became simple.

When they saw that the total strength of the Liaodong Army had exceeded 600,000, many people were stunned.

If Li Mu hadn't stopped them, the Southern court would have expanded its army by a million for its own sense of security.

If we actually did that, the numbers would increase, but the combat effectiveness would be far less than before.

On the one hand, there is a shortage of officers and insufficient troop training; on the other hand, no one can effectively manage a million-strong army.

Even Li Mu himself felt a chill run down his spine if he were asked to command a million-strong army in battle.

Unless communication technology improves, transmitting orders via light will cause a series of problems.

The historical records of leading a million-strong army are all just boasting.

Even with so many soldiers under their command, the productivity of ancient feudal dynasties could not support a war of this scale.

"As ordered!"

……

"My lord, according to the intelligence we've gathered, the rebels seem to intend to attack the Yellow River."

To be on the safe side, we must finish this campaign before the rainy season arrives.

This humble general suggests that we drive out the remnants of the rebel army to serve as the vanguard, thereby undermining the enemy's morale and, with the momentum of a great victory, wipe out the Liaodong rebels in one fell swoop.

Kong Yutang spoke with great enthusiasm.

His triumphant advance on the battlefield gave him ample confidence.

As the Liaodong cavalry retreated, the last trace of fear they had of the enemy vanished.

"If the rebels were to immediately breach the Yellow River, what would be the impact on us? Have we made any contingency plans?"

Li Mu asked.

Even though I know the Yellow River is in its dry season and the water flow won't be very large, it is still the Yellow River.

Experienced generals would be on high alert just by hearing the name.

"Rest assured, my lord, I have sent men to gather intelligence on the Yellow River. With the current water level, the downstream drainage system is fully capable of handling the situation."

The enemy can at most use the floodwaters to slow down our march.

Our internal assessment is that the Yellow River will recede in two or three days at most, and it will not change the outcome of the battle.

The rebels attacked the Yellow River by building dams upstream, preparing to store water for an attack on Xuzhou.

Kong Yutang answered calmly.

A swift victory would be most advantageous for the vanguard.

If, as the vanguard of the main army, they could inflict heavy losses on the Liaodong rebels before the other troops could join the battle, they would have made a fortune.

Not only will they get promoted, but they'll also be able to brag to their colleagues to their heart's content.

In future history books, when mentioning famous generals of all dynasties, his name will also be included.

"You may continue to lead the vanguard, but be careful of enemy cavalry."

Although the Xuzhou area belongs to Southern Zhili, it is fundamentally different from the Huaihe River region, which is densely covered by waterways.

Further north, you enter the North China Plain, a flat and open terrain that is perfect for cavalry to perform their duties.

It can be said that from now on, the enemy cavalry encountered will be in their complete form.

Whether marching into battle or setting up camp, vigilance must be heightened.

Li Mu immediately gave instructions.

During the march, enemy cavalry harassed the troops, but there were many rivers in the Huaihe River region.

Despite its limited width, it also restricted the effectiveness of enemy cavalry.

On the contrary, the cavalry under the loyalist army, being more adapted to the terrain and climate of the south, gained a considerable advantage in the battle.

Once you enter the North China Plain, the situation will gradually change.

The geographical advantage that originally belonged to the loyalist army will gradually be reversed.

"Rest assured, my lord, I am well prepared for the new situation that is about to unfold."

The enemy cavalry may seem formidable, but due to their inferior equipment, they no longer dare to approach our camp.

Their primary role was simply to harass the army's supply lines.

However, the vanguard and the central army were not far apart, and the provisions they carried were enough to wait for the central army to arrive and join them.

The subsequent transport of supplies for the main army also mainly took place by waterway, leaving little room for the enemy cavalry to maneuver.

If the enemy is courting death, this humble general wouldn't mind going along with it and arranging a grave for them.

Kong Yutang said with great confidence.

The transformation of military technology has had a tremendous impact on traditional armies, especially cavalry.

With the advancement of firearms technology, the importance of cavalry is steadily declining.

It's now the mainstream military branch because firearms technology wasn't advanced enough.

Once the Industrial Revolution is complete and firearms technology is further improved, they will gradually become auxiliary troops.

……

Nanjing City.

"Get out of the way!"

"Urgent dispatch!" (600-li express)

(End of this chapter)