Tiger Guards

Chapter 499 Two-pronged attack
The following day, Right Wise King Liu Qubei led 8,000 cavalry and infantry to the Sheyan royal court and rested there.

The next day, General Zhang Liao, who was in charge of suppressing bandits, also arrived with more than 3,000 infantry and cavalry.

On the third day, more than 300 chariots and riders escorted Jia Xu across the river and arrived at the Sheyan royal court overnight.

Inside the secret room containing the sand table, Jia Xu, wearing a dark and shiny bear fur cloak that hung on the ground, examined the sand table and asked, "What is the feng shui official's opinion on the recent climate changes?"

Without hesitation, Pei Xiu said, "There are five feng shui officials in the camp, all selected by the local elders. According to their predictions, there are often heavy snowstorms in mid-winter. Does the strategist intend to launch an attack ahead of schedule?"

"Waiting for this snowstorm."

Jia Xu stared at the sand table: "Even if the news leaks out and the various Hu tribes secretly gather, a heavy snowstorm would be enough to make them unable to move."

Pei Xiu looked at Xu Huang, then at Liu Qubei, Zhang Liao, and Xiutu Dada. Xu Huang nodded: "I agree with the strategist's opinion. We cannot be complacent and assume that the Hu people are careless and unprepared. If they gather in one place and lie in ambush, when the blizzard comes, without shelter, people and livestock will surely suffer from frostbite. If the news has not been leaked yet, and we can rest for a few more days, our officers and soldiers will be full of energy and ready to fight the enemy."

Zhang Liao and the others nodded in support, and Zhang Liao felt safe looking at the sand table.

As a borderland military man with experience in the Imperial Guards of the capital, Zhang Liao had seen too many fools who hindered him from within, and had heard too many negative examples.

Now, the strategist Jia Xu holds the power to start the war, the military commander Pei Xiu does not vie for power, Xu Huang is known for his steady and brave military tactics, and Liu Qubei and Xiutu Dada have been tested by war. Even if they have not systematically studied military strategy, they know that war is a materialistic calculation problem.

This put a lot of pressure on Zhang Liao, as Xu Huang was someone he couldn't easily surpass.

Seeing that everyone agreed, Jia Xu said, "Since you all agree, please sign your names when you report to the Grand Marshal later."

Xu Huang smiled and said, "It is only right. Strategist, you must be tired from your journey. Please come and have a meal."

"No need. When making military decisions, I do not like greasy or meaty food; I prefer light meals."

Jia Xu refused on the spot, but his gaze fell on Zhao Yun's war game pieces.

He was well aware of how much the Grand Marshal valued General Zilong. If he launched a general offensive without Zhao Yun and won, all would be well. But if he lost, he would have to consider faking his death to escape.

Jia Xu continued to look eastward, landing on Lishi. Although there were no war pieces of Zhao Ji on it, he knew that Zhao Ji's vanguard must have already moved into Lishi.

Five days later, the Grand Marshal's central army began crossing the river.

Even if the initial offensive falters, the Grand Marshal can quickly provide strong support from the central army.

The stronger the resistance from the opposing Hu groups, the more ferocious the attacks they will suffer.

In fact, optimistically speaking, it is highly likely that no large-scale gathering of various Hu tribes will occur in this battle!
If the various Hu tribes of the three prefectures could unite so easily, then the two groups of Lushui Hu and Beidi Hu would not have emerged.

Although the Lushui Hu and Beidi Hu were originally Qiang tribes that migrated eastward later, these Qiang tribes were not of any particular Qiang ethnicity, but rather were hybrid Qiang, having incorporated Xiongnu, Yuezhi, Han border people, and Xianbei people.

The absence of renowned Qiang tribes within the region means a lack of families with noble lineages that can command respect.

Jia Xu understood the Qiang people too well. Even if the news leaked out, the various Hu tribes that the Qiang people had developed from would not easily form an alliance, swear an oath to resolve their hatred, and unite against a common enemy.

Because these mixed-race tribes included too many Xiongnu and Han border people, these people did not have the same blood and ethnic cohesion as the Qiang tribes. Naturally, they could not easily form a united army by holding a swearing-in ceremony.

Jia Xu then turned his attention to the three prefectures. He was not very familiar with Shangjun, but he knew about Andingjun.

When he was young, the Han and Hu chieftains and herdsmen would move their pastures in spring and autumn, and the roads would be blocked by cattle, sheep and horses, stretching as far as the eye could see.

At that time, he rode horses with his young companions, swords and bows at his side, mingling among the herds and engaging in lively discussions—how carefree he must have felt!

Looking at the rough sand table, memories of my youth flooded back.

In just over twenty years, the three prefectures fell into the hands of various Hu tribes.

After observing for a moment, Jia Xu composed himself and said to the generals, "Since there are no other matters, let us report to the Grand Marshal together."

"Here."

Xu Huang cupped his hands in greeting, and the others followed suit.

Jia Xu was a military strategist, and even the Grand Marshal had to respect him to his face. Jia Xu could be involved in all military matters.

The other strategist, Zhao Qi, was old and lacked energy. He was not very good at military affairs, so he was responsible for dealing with the court officials and also had the task of appeasing the people of Guanzhong.

Therefore, at present, Jia Xu is the one who can truly exercise the power of a military advisor.

Xu Huang's vanguard commander, Pei Xiu's protector, and even Jia Kui, the grain supervisor—these positions should be taken seriously by everyone except for these three. The Grand Marshal's request to appoint Jia Xu as his military advisor and his invitation to the front lines… ultimately, it was all to protect and support these three.

On the other side, away from Stone City.

When Zhao Jizhong's army arrived, it was already evening. The snow on the road had been compacted and the sleds could easily glide along.

The biggest advantages of sleds over vehicles are their simplicity in manufacturing and durability.

Normal military vehicles should be prepared for major repairs every 200 kilometers.

The heavier the vehicle load, the shorter the wear and tear cycle.

Even if the sled overturns suddenly while turning during winter use, it can be easily repaired.

The structure of the sled makes it very durable. A single horse can carry a light sled, while two horses can carry a heavy sled. There is basically no need to worry about sled damage or repair.

This is of great significance to the military.

In Lishi City, Zhao Ji entered the prefectural governor's mansion. Han Shu, who had arrived earlier, had already laid out the map and arranged war pieces on it based on the various information obtained by the central army.

After washing his face with hot water, Zhao Ji held a cup of sweet and sour hawthorn tea and examined the map: "What, are there still no unusual movements from the various Hu tribes? Did Xu Huang and Liu Qubei fail to detect them, or are the Hu tribes in the three commanderies just so negligent and careless?"

Han Shu, also holding a cup of hawthorn tea, simply said, "Why does the Grand Marshal overestimate the various Hu tribes of the three commanderies? They are nothing but mixed Hu people, and their power has never been sustainable."

“What Wenbai said makes some sense, but there are more than 100,000 men from the three prefectures and the Hu people. Who can say for sure that there won’t be any heroes among them?”

Zhao Ji took a sip of tea and continued, "I like to bully the weak, but even the weak can hurt me if they wield a powerful crossbow. We must never be careless. Analyzing the enemy and using troops cautiously is the greatest way to protect our officers and soldiers."

"Yes, it is because this humble general has been a bit arrogant."

Han Shu said this, and also took a sip of tea. He then said, "But I still think that the mixed Hu people in the three commanderies are not a concern. What I am concerned about is the Xianbei."

"It is the Xianbei. If the Xianbei were not by my side, why would I be leading troops to supervise the battle?"

As Zhao Ji spoke, his gaze shifted to the area around Chiyang in Guanzhong. According to the schedule, he had issued an order to Duan Wei, the governor of the Southern Route, nine days ago. Even if the delivery of the order was delayed due to road congestion, it would still be delivered four days ago.

In other words, Duan Wei, Yang Qiu, Zhang He, Zhu Ling, and more than 10,000 others had already begun to advance northward along the Qin Straight Road.

According to the marching plan reported by Duan Wei, they should now be approaching within a hundred miles of Gao Nu's southern border.

Military intelligence exchanges are conducted over long distances. If Xu Huang doesn't take action here, Duan Wei's various armies will also launch an attack on the mixed Hu tribes gathered by Gao Nu two days later.

If the various Hu armies were to gather and head south along the Qin Straight Road, they would inevitably clash with the southern army marching north.

If the three counties and their surrounding tribes were to launch a pincer attack from two directions, and if a heroic figure were to gather their forces and focus their efforts on attacking the weak southern route, it would be a viable strategy to break the deadlock.

After defeating the Southern Route Army, the morale of the allied forces of the various Hu tribes will soar. Once they obtain the weapons and armor abandoned by the Southern Route Army, they can take advantage of the victory to attack Xu Huang on the Eastern Route.

After observing for a moment, Zhao Ji sighed, "When there are no barbarians, the Han dynasty prospers; when the Han dynasty prospers, there are no barbarians."

When Han Shu saw Zhao Ji observing the southern army, he asked, "Is the Grand Marshal worried about General Duan?"

"Yes, he is the only weakness of our army in attacking the three counties from both sides. I am not afraid of the Xianbei coming to our aid in large numbers, but I am worried that the various Hu tribes will gather their elite troops and set up an ambush on the Qin Straight Road."

Zhao Ji shook his head and smiled as he spoke: "Perhaps I am being too cautious. Zhang He and Zhu Ling are both cautious in their military tactics and are able to correct Duan Wei's mistakes."

Han Shu also offered words of comfort: "This humble general believes that General Duan is well aware of the nature of the various Hu tribes. Furthermore, the Qin Straight Road is built along the mountain ridge, allowing the army to march at high altitudes. There is no shortage of scouts on the southern route, so how could the Hu tribes possibly ambush us?"

The problem also lies with the Qin Straight Road. The Qin Straight Road is not a river valley or mountain valley road, but is built on mountain ridges and peaks.

In other words, if the army marched north along the Qin Straight Road, it would be easily detected by the distant Hu tribes.

Even without professional reconnaissance, the scattered Hu tribes could spot the southern army marching on the Qin Straight Road.

In other words, at the latest, the Southern Route Army will inevitably be exposed to the Qiang and Hu people in the Gaonu area within two days.

The Eastern Route Army was operating and resting within the territory of the Xiongnu tribes, which gave them the opportunity to launch a surprise attack.

The Southern Route Army's northward march was blatant and impossible to conceal.

(End of this chapter)