Tiger Guards

Chapter 532 Tactics at Will
On the frozen surface of the Yellow River, knights from various Xianbei tribes swarmed out.

Like a black tide, the Han scouts did not resist and wisely retreated.

As the Xianbei army launched its full-scale attack, the tribal elders in the temporary encampments outside Heyin City were too exhausted to fight. All they could do was lead the younger generation in urging the slaves to start setting fires.

All tents and hay were within the burning area, and if given a choice, these tribal elders would not have wanted to burn them.

If we want to force all the able-bodied men, nobles and commoners to fight desperately, we must emulate the wisdom of the Han people in their willingness to burn their boats and break their cauldrons.

If they defeated the Han army and obtained their supplies, the victorious Xianbei people could survive.

Even if we can't win a single battle, but can severely damage or even defeat the Han army, we can still catch up with the hem and sash of the goddess of victory.

If the battle is lost and the Heyin camp is burned to the ground, the Han army will receive fewer supplies. Other settlements and tribes will hold their ground and hold out until the day when the Han army has no choice but to retreat. Although it will be tragic, it will still be a victory.

More than 60,000 Xianbei cavalrymen slowly advanced northwest, with smoke and fire billowing behind them. They had no choice but to either break through the Han army to survive, be killed, or freeze to death.

If the Han army is short of supplies, even if you surrender to the Han army... there is only so much food and fodder. Will the Han army eat it, or will you, a prisoner or a surrendered enemy, eat it?

The Han army could adopt a scorched-earth policy, leaving the Xianbei people who came south to raid the border with nothing to show for their efforts.

Military operations that do not yield returns will naturally not be advocated by nobles or responded to by tribal herders.

Now the situation has reversed, and it's the Xianbei people's turn to adopt a scorched-earth policy.

At the Han army camp, Zhao Ji led over a thousand chariots and cavalry out of the camp and headed southwest.

On the flat, wide ice surface of the Yellow River, there are almost no obstacles.

Even from a distance, Zhao Ji could see the black line rolling horizontally towards him, twisting and turning, making it difficult to see clearly.

His expression was calm, not because he was unafraid of war, or because he enjoyed it.

Rather, he was confident he could survive the chaos, and no one could stop him if he wanted to break through.

It was precisely because his personal life was guaranteed that Zhao Ji was able to calmly face the war.

Gazing at the dark line advancing from the southwest, Zhao Ji looked at the ice surface covered with a layer of snow and narrowed his eyes slightly: "The enemy outnumbers us. This battle cannot be fought according to the Xianbei people's plan. Otherwise, if we remain locked in a stalemate, the Xianbei can take turns attacking, while our officers and soldiers are insufficient and will inevitably become exhausted."

The officers and soldiers around him simply held up flags, spears, halberds, and shields without saying a word, observing their surroundings.

Zhao Ji, holding his horsewhip, pointed diagonally at the ice surface of the lower reaches of the Yellow River, that is, to the east: "This is a divinely ordained opportunity. Order the chariot troops in the camp to leave the camp and head east. After fifteen li, assemble on the ice surface of the river. When the central army raises the large yellow smoke, the entire chariot army will move out and attack the Xianbei's flank."

One of the clerks accompanying him took out a command arrow he carried with him, while another clerk wrote on the command arrow. Zhao Ji also took off his own hexagonal gold seal and handed it to the guards beside him.

The guards stepped forward with the seal and stamped it on the blank space of the command arrow, leaving seven stamps in a row, some clear and some not so clear, rather casually.

That's how it is with stamping. Apart from a few key related stamps that need to be clearly identifiable, the other stamps are for auxiliary identification and don't need to be paid too much attention to.

This had become a habit for Zhao Ji's entourage to use seals... If an outsider were to forge a seal without knowing the inside story, and produced a clear inscription, it would expose them.

Finally, Zhao Ji examined the order and signed it.

He carefully put away his seal and watched as more than fifty knights escorted the messenger to his aid.

Zhao Ji then looked at the main cavalry force of the Xianbei royal court pressing in from the southwest, and couldn't help but smile, grinning.

Looking out to the farthest point, one could vaguely make out a large banner of the Xianbei royal court, but it was impossible to be certain.

The thought of assassinating the enemy leader in a surprise attack was fleeting in Zhao Ji's mind.

He turned to ask the person beside him, "Has Zhang Wenyuan sent any messengers into the camp?"

"We did not receive General Zhang's battle report before we left the camp."

One of the guards, a centurion, spoke up, continuing, "Perhaps there are messengers traveling back and forth, but we have no way of knowing." "Select two teams to respond. One team will investigate Zhang Wenyuan's messengers, and if found, report back to me immediately. The other team will carry my command token and urge Zhang Wenyuan to gather his troops and Han and Hu auxiliary soldiers, and wait for an opportunity to join the battle. I don't care how he fights; I hope he can establish a rare feat."

After Zhao Ji finished speaking, he went to observe the marching formation of the Xianbei people. By observing from a distance, he could discern the strength of their left and right flanks.

At the same time, this is also an effective way to demonstrate courage and confidence to all officers and soldiers.

Soon, a command token written according to his tone was made, and Zhao Ji handed over the seal, which was then affixed.

To ensure the safe delivery of this command, Zhao Ji assigned a hundred cavalrymen to escort the messenger.

Zhao Ji casually arranged the tactics to meet the enemy, and Zhang Liao gathered various forces from Wuyuan County to launch an offensive, which can be regarded as the northern fist of his camp.

The other force consists of the chariot troops withdrawing eastward from the camp. After assembling in the east, they will launch an attack along the wide ice surface of the Yellow River, forming the southern force of the main camp.

The main camp's task was to withstand the Xianbei people's fiercest offensive and deplete their morale and physical strength.

Once Zhang Liao arrives to join the battle, he can command the remote-controlled vehicle infantry to launch an attack by releasing yellow smoke.

The real trump card, of course, was the daredevils in the main camp.

While the two sides were locked in combat, the suicide squads were only responsible for charging and destroying the core noble families of the Xianbei.

Zhao Ji didn't even need to consult with the military leaders. Now, within the army, he didn't need to lobby or persuade anyone to support or cooperate with him.

This is military prestige, and it is also the obedience, cooperation, and mutual trust that a core unit should have.

I still need to communicate with people like Zhang Xiu, Duan Wei, and Jia Xu.

Even with people like Xu Chu and Zhang He, Zhao Ji needed to understand their attitudes before issuing orders.

Not all armies are the same. The various armies fighting at Yulin Pass, including the Xiongnu volunteer troops, do not need Zhao Ji to test or inquire about the attitudes of Liu Qubei and Xiutu Dada.

As for the pre-battle military conference... Zhao Ji made arrangements based on his experience, and there was no need to discuss anything with others.

As for whether it was appropriate or not, Zhao Ji didn't have anyone like Jia Xu around him at the moment.

The accompanying military officers now tend to blindly follow Zhao Ji's judgment and will not insist on his assessment at all.

Even if something contradicts their own judgment, they will think it's because they lack experience and knowledge.

Even if some brave individuals raise objections in a small circle, his colleagues will persuade him to give up the idea.

People like Han Xin, who insisted on their own opinions, were ultimately a minority.

Zhao Ji didn't expect any extraordinary talents to emerge from his personal guard. He would be content with having captains and battalion commanders who could lead troops and execute orders steadily.

The emergence of so many geniuses around us now may not be a good thing.

Seeing that the Xianbei vanguard had approached within ten miles, Zhao Ji said, "The whole team should prepare to retreat. I will go and shoot the enemy general."

"Here!"

The officers responded loudly, and no one even tried to dissuade them.

The Grand Marshal doesn't need them to express their care or concern, so how could the Grand Marshal possibly fail?
The crowd responded, turned the sled around, and headed towards the camp.

Zhao Ji also picked up a powerful bow and said to the charioteer, "Pass past the enemy's vanguard and then turn northeast to return to camp."

Worried that the imperial guard might have misunderstood, Zhao Ji gestured with his hand, and the imperial guard immediately understood: "Understood!"

(End of this chapter)