Start with a red name

"Transport people and transport grain," Zhang Shaohe replied.

Dong Guan looked confused after hearing his words.

After thinking for a while, unable to grasp the underlying logic, he directly asked, "What exactly are you thinking?"

Zhang Shaohe said:

"Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, our most urgent task is neither to immediately march westward and launch a strong attack on the enemy camp, nor to get involved in the situation further west."

"What is that?" Dong Guan asked in return.

"Strengthen our defenses, minimize weaknesses, and address any oversights to ensure we are in an invincible position!" Zhang Shaohe said.

Dong Guan was taken aback.

His answer not only reconciled his own explanation but also reiterated the general policy that everyone had jointly determined after much painful reflection.

After careful consideration, I realized that this statement is so correct that it cannot be refuted.

Their own experiences serve as the best counterexample.

After thinking for a while and finding no problems, Dong Guan asked again, "How exactly do we do it?"

Zhang Shaohe said:

"First of all, we should go another two hundred miles south; that's the place where we can set up camp permanently."

Dong Guan frowned again.

One person next to him even questioned it directly:

“Right now, we are nearly eighty miles away from the Black Wind Army’s camp, which is already quite far. If we move another two hundred miles, wouldn’t we be even further away?”

When chasing an enemy, you always get closer; you never see them getting further away.

Those who know the truth will think we have ulterior motives; those who don't will think we're using the pretense of pursuit to run away!

Faced with the questions, Zhang Shao calmly said:
"First of all, this place is not suitable for such a large group of people to stay here permanently. Putting aside everything else, the water source here alone cannot support our daily needs."

Secondly, and most importantly, have you all forgotten this?
Canglan Mountain is not far behind us.

Its importance is self-evident and needs no further emphasis.

Under the current circumstances, this is absolutely crucial and cannot be afforded to fail!

Upon hearing this, everyone, including Dong Guan, changed their expressions in shock.

"...Two hundred miles south, we blocked the enemy's main force's route to Canglan Mountain."

This will ensure the safety of Canglan Mountain to the greatest extent possible and stabilize the turbulent public sentiment.

In addition, we can not only obtain abundant water resources, but also make the most of water transportation.

The Canglan River flows through the Canglan Mountains, and it joins the Hang River at Canglan Bay... If we move two hundred miles south, we can choose to set up camp at the end of the Canglan River where it is suitable for water transport and navigation.

In this way, we can transport supplies from thousands of miles away at the lowest possible cost.

At this point, Zhang Shaohe looked at Dong Guan and said seriously:

"If Your Majesty believes that as long as we press on and march westward, we can crush the 'Black Wind Army' with overwhelming force, then consider me talking nonsense."

If that's not possible, then I believe that establishing a more suitable forward camp capable of sustaining a prolonged standoff with the enemy is far more important than immediately launching a half-hearted battle.

“In the past, we were always very cautious about mobilizing 10,000 cavalry or more, and we discussed it countless times in private.”

Even so, at the moment of the final transfer, everyone was filled with anxiety, fearing that there might have been some oversight or miscalculation.

...But now, let alone mobilizing 10,000 cavalry, even mobilizing more than 100,000 cavalry, in a major battle that concerns the life, death, honor, and disgrace of all of us, everyone can make up their minds very quickly.

I don't know what you think of this change.

Anyway, whenever I think about it privately, I feel a chill run down my spine, as if I've fallen into a bottomless abyss in a dream.

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed once again.

After a series of changes in his expression, Dong Guan nodded slightly and said:
I roughly understand what Shaohe means.

"...You don't advocate immediately initiating a new war, right?"

"For us, this is by no means the most urgent matter... Moreover, 'a general should not wage war out of anger, nor should a ruler raise an army out of rage!'"

Dong Guan stared at Zhang Shaohe without saying a word.

On the shores of Xuanqinghai, he had already demonstrated an attitude of "maintaining a calm mindset and humbly accepting advice."

Zhang Shaohe's words now seem to be a veiled insult.

but--

Dong Guan quickly adjusted his mindset and asked:
"Shaohe, you haven't finished speaking yet, have you?"

"Ah."

"explain."

"Your Majesty should appease the people under your rule... especially those sand people who have been driven from their homes by the 'Black Wind Army' and are now scattered and fleeing."

Your Majesty should issue an order for Canglan Mountain to take them in.

"We must provide timely relief!" Zhang Shaohe said.

Upon hearing his words, everyone in the room widened their eyes.

Dong Guan looked equally incredulous: "What are you talking about?"

Given his style of doing things, it would be merciful of him not to capture these escapees and use them as consumables, or even to turn them into reserve military rations.

If Zhang Shaohe were to speak up and persuade him to let these people go, that would be the limit of what Dong Guan could imagine.

But now, he suspects there's something wrong with his ears.

“…Please forgive my rudeness, Your Majesty,” Zhang Shaohe suddenly said.

Seeing this, Dong Guan frowned and said, "Just say what you have to say!"

Zhang Shaohe said, "I think Your Majesty's current focus is somewhat unbalanced."

"Biased?"

Dong Guandao: "Where is it biased?"

"You shouldn't focus all your energy on the military."

Upon hearing this, Dong Guan narrowed his eyes slightly, but only looked at Zhang Shaohe without saying a word.

Zhang Shaohe didn't wait for Dong Guan to ask any questions and continued speaking on his own.

"...Your Majesty is not only the supreme commander of the Iron Cavalry, but also the ruler of the Xuanyou and Xuanyou states."

Since the appearance of the 'Black Wind Army', Your Majesty, and all of us close ministers, have been completely focused on the 'Black Wind Army' and have ignored everything else.

This is why we suffered such a huge setback because of this group of 'filthy bastards'!

...Were the things they did really done really well-hidden?

Looking back now, we can see that many neighboring sand settlements had already noticed unusual signs, but unfortunately, these signs never reached us!
Isn't this lesson profound enough?

"Your Majesty, and all of you, have you ever considered what changes have occurred in the hearts of the people of Xuanyou and Erzhou during the past month or two of our entanglement with the 'Black Wind Army'?"

"You don't think that the people's hearts in Xuanyou Prefecture are still the same as they were two months ago, do you?"

"Let's not even talk about the western part of Youzhou. Even if we wanted to, we are currently powerless to interfere."

But we still have a small portion of Youzhou in our hands, whether it's population or resources, it's the essence of the entire Youzhou, and Xuanzhou... all of these are still in our hands.

If we continue to remain indifferent and ignore this situation, thinking we can still take whatever we want without worrying about any changes, we will suffer a great loss!

At this point, Zhang Shaohe looked at Dong Guan and said directly:
"Your Majesty, while the 'Black Wind Army' is certainly hateful, it is now showing signs of becoming a military stronghold."

If it can be extinguished quickly, then so be it.

If we can't eliminate it quickly, then I think it's very necessary for us to adjust our mindset as soon as possible!

Upon hearing this, Dong Guan's face twitched uncontrollably, and his cheeks felt a burning pain.

Adjust your mindset. What mindset should you adjust?
Of course, it's about voluntarily stepping down from the position of "the supreme ruler of the mystical realm, whose word is law" and examining everything with the perspective and mindset of a military garrison.

Once you switch to this perspective, Zhang Shaohe's advice becomes much easier to understand.

Military conquest refers to the increase or decrease of territory, rather than military competition.

The ebb and flow of people's hearts is also an extremely important factor.

Especially when the two sides are in a certain balance of power and one side cannot quickly destroy the other, winning people's hearts and minds and strengthening oneself while weakening the other side's foundation is a very common and effective method.

Now, the "Black Wind Army" has firmly grasped the hearts of those "filthy bastards".

And what about our side?

They are still immersed in the illusion of having the sole power over two states and having absolute authority.

Little did people know that the dramatic changes over the past month or two had already caused a profound shift in people's hearts.

If I cannot quickly stabilize the hearts of the sand people in my existing territory and firmly grasp them in my hands, then I will be in trouble.

Even if we wanted to fight the "Black Wind Army" to the death and attrition, we wouldn't be able to win!

Thinking of this, Dong Guan was truly drenched in sweat.

Only now do I have a clear enough understanding of my current perilous situation!

Prior to this, he had indeed focused excessively on military matters.

He also believed that all their losses were military setbacks. After a moment, he bowed deeply to Zhang Shaohe:
"Thanks to Shao He's reminder, I almost made a terrible mistake!"

With Dong Guan persuaded by Zhang Shaohe and agreeing with his proposal, the subsequent steps involved specific implementation, and there were no further disputes.

After a night's rest, the mighty army set off again.

Ignoring the Black Wind Army camp more than 70 miles to the west, they headed straight south.

……

When the news reached the "Black Wind Army" camp, the high-ranking officials looked at each other in bewilderment.

When everyone learned that Dong Guan had personally led an army of over 200,000 to a stop less than 80 miles to the east, everyone's hearts were on edge.

To achieve this goal, Song Mingzhu mobilized all available resources, using people as "animals," and worked day and night to barely construct a defensive belt more than ten miles long and several miles deep, specifically designed to slow down the movement of the iron cavalry.

Even so, Song Mingzhu still dared not relax in the slightest.

Liu Mu was even more nervous.

As a cavalry general under Dong Guan, he now had to compete with his former colleagues and even the emperor he was loyal to... Although he had been mentally prepared, the pressure was still too great when the moment came.

But now, with their hearts pounding at the limit, they suddenly learned that the enemy army, which had rested overnight, was not attacking them, but instead continued southward.

Song Mingzhu, Liu Mu, and the others looked at each other, completely bewildered.

Song Mingzhu looked at Liu Mu and asked for his advice:
"What is Dong Guan up to?"

"..."

Liu Mu stared at him speechlessly for a while before saying, "You're asking me? But who am I supposed to ask?"

Song Mingzhu looked around and said:

"After searching around, you're the only one here who knows him best, so naturally you're the only one we can consult."

Liu Mu said helplessly, "I can't read his mind... Besides, based on my understanding of him, this doesn't seem like something he would do."

Song Mingzhu stood atop the newly built high wall, facing east, gazing into the distance as if trying to see with his own eyes the large army moving southward seventy or eighty miles away.

Of course, I didn't see anything.

After a while, he murmured, "Could it be that we hit him too hard and he changed his personality?"

As the ruler of Xuanyou and Youzhou for decades, even Song Mingzhu, a "marginal man," had a "portrait" of Dong Guan in his mind, and he believed that the difference between him and the "standard portrait" was not much.

At least, the general direction is the same.

This is why they all believe that a wave of attacks will soon follow.

But now, things haven't gone as planned.

They were both surprised and puzzled.

Having suspended his cultivation, Geng Xuan, who had been forcibly invited to oversee the situation, didn't dwell on it too much.

He looked at the two of them and said, "In any case, this is a good thing for us, isn't it?"

The two, who had been frowning, gradually relaxed their brows and nodded gently after hearing these words.

Whatever the reason, with each passing day, the camp's defensive perimeter will grow larger and more solid.

The better prepared our soldiers will be.

The number of troops will also increase.

Therefore, regardless of any hidden motives behind it, the situation will only become more and more favorable to them.

Geng Xuan originally wanted to go and investigate himself, but after a slight hesitation, he gave up the idea and focused all his attention on his own cultivation.

And so, time slipped away quietly in this atmosphere that should have been tense, but was actually extremely calm.

The following day, reliable news arrived.

Dong Guan personally led an army of over 200,000 men, which stopped about 220 miles to the southeast and began to build permanent fortifications on the banks of the Canglan River.

Like a mother hen protecting her chicks, it shelters Canglan Mountain behind it.

Song Mingzhu and the others had some guesses about Dong Guan's choice.

But this is just speculation.

Meanwhile, another wave of troops from the Black Wind Army returned to the camp from the west.

Among them were a thousand iron cavalrymen who had gone out with Iron Wolf, and five or six thousand other miscellaneous soldiers.

Of these five or six thousand "miscellaneous soldiers," nearly two thousand were captured and surrendered Sandy soldiers.

There are as many as three or four thousand "Canglang believers" who came to pay homage to the "divine son".

The next day.

The scouts, who were inevitably sent out, continued to report new information.

Those sand people who were driven away by the "Black Wind Army" and were still fleeing in all directions are now entering the Canglan Mountain area in an orderly manner.

What's truly astonishing is that Dong Guan not only did not repeat his previous bad habits of exploiting and oppressing these poor people to the extreme, but he actually provided them with real money and food to offer relief and guidance.

However, Song Mingzhu soon lost interest in paying attention to Dong Guan's movements.

Thanks to the "cleanup" by Iron Wolf, Montau, and others, order in the rear was quickly restored.

At least, the obvious ripples have mostly subsided.

Those sand people who were scattered and hiding in various parts of the wilderness were also recalled one after another.

Some returned to their former tribal homes, while others settled in the nearest tribe based on distance.

However, this essentially disrupted the original, established tribal structure, and the potential problems involved were far too numerous.

Changing the timeframe is simply not feasible.

But now, all the tribes are actively dispersing and hiding their people in various parts of the wilderness.

In order to avoid uncovering more problems and to maximize the survival rate of each team, they had limited, or even no, knowledge of the movements of other teams.

Those tribal leaders who held power and had the right to say "no" were either transferred away by Dong Guan's order long ago and assigned to serve as auxiliary troops, or they have now all fallen into Geng Xuan's hands.

They were either dealing with those sand tribe soldiers and couldn't find out about the matter immediately, nor could they effectively make their voices heard.

By the time they find out, it may already be too late.

This was also the first seemingly simple but actually heavyweight order issued by Song Mingzhu after being authorized by Geng Xuan to handle this matter.

Song Mingzhu also shifted his focus from camp construction to this area.

Soon, he set his sights on Geng Xuan.

"Borrow grain?" Geng Xuan was somewhat surprised by Song Mingzhu's request.

However, as Song Mingzhu explained, Geng Xuan gradually understood.

Before dispersing and settling their people, each tribe naturally made arrangements for supplies, especially food.

If you delve deeper into these arrangements, you'll sense an almost chilling rationality.

Among those who were scattered and hiding, those with the most obvious traces, the easiest to find, and indeed the first to be found were the older ones, as well as some "sick" and "weak" groups.

The younger groups, on the other hand, leave fewer traces and are more deeply hidden.

On the other hand, the former carried the fewest supplies, and the food, when divided among each person, could only last for about a month.

Those groups that hide further away and deeper have the most resources per capita, especially food.

Especially those precious, living sheep, are all in the hands of these groups.

The intention behind this arrangement is clear at a glance, judging from the results.

The less valuable a group is, the easier it is to be discovered.

In situations where it is absolutely impossible to be completely flawless and leave no room for error, these groups deliberately expose their weaknesses to attract attention, distract attention, and waste time.

Whether voluntary or involuntary, they used their lives as cover to make other, more valuable groups of people hiding safer.

When making this arrangement, the tribal leaders did not consult or collude with each other.

Strangely enough, they all made similar arrangements without prior arrangement.

Now, the "Black Wind Army" has taken control of most of Youzhou.

Let them return.

Those who returned first were, of course, the elderly and weak who were closest to the tribes and had the lowest social standing.

Because of their nature, they usually returned empty-handed, having run out of food.

If the Black Wind Army doesn't provide some support, they really will starve to death there.

Meanwhile, the teams carrying more supplies had not yet returned.

The reason presented to Song Mingzhu was that these people had hidden too far away for safety.

But the reason they didn't say it aloud, though Song Mingzhu knew perfectly well, was that they wanted to observe for a while.

Song Mingzhu's arrangements for these returning tribal members will determine the enthusiasm of subsequent teams to return.

After all, no matter how nicely you talk, nothing is more convincing than concrete actions.

This pressure fell on Song Mingzhu.

The first problem he needed to solve was preventing them from starving to death. (End of Chapter)