The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 402 Fighting
sunny.

The hilltop was teeming with people.

The few trees around Yangwuyu were all cut down, leaving a camp on each side of the valley, which was connected to the camp at the bottom of the valley and echoed each other.

The mountainside and above and below.

The soldiers quickly dug ditches, and used the excavated soil to build earthen mounds.

A sturdy barricade was built outside the camp, and numerous wooden caltrops were scattered throughout to prevent enemy surprise attacks and to cover the enemy's speed.

The passageways between the various fortifications allowed soldiers to pass through quickly.

"Delay as much time as possible."

Wang Xin was followed by a group of generals who looked out over the valley from the mountainside. More and more troops were arriving from the rear. In fact, Datong did not lack labor, but Wang Xin did not want to annihilate Zhou Wen's troops.

"Since we are both Zhou's troops, this is ultimately a civil war, so the objective of the operation must be changed to reduce casualties and force surrender."

The group of more than ten men, including three guerrillas, Qi Shannian, Zhuo Zhi, and Zhao Sheng, along with seven or eight battalion commanders and their personal guards, were not conspicuous on the mountainside, despite their large numbers.

Zhuo Zhi chuckled and said, "I really want to see what Zhou Wen will look like after his defeat."

Everyone is familiar with Zhou Wen. He served as the commander-in-chief of the Western Army of Datong for more than a year, and can be considered everyone's former superior.

However, no one considered him one of their own; they were only wary of him.

Wang Xin didn't care.

Zhou Wen's inability to gain everyone's approval indicates that he cannot accept the old ways of the Datong Western Army. This man was originally a traditional military general. Many years ago, when I first came to the capital, I met him in the government office, and he had a strong sense of manners.

“This man is quite skilled in warfare.” Wang Xin worried that his subordinates were becoming too arrogant and complacent, so he pointed out, “There are countless people who want to join Zhang Jifu’s cause, and he doesn’t need Zhou Wen. Yet he has chosen to stand out. Although Zhang Jifu promotes his cronies extensively, he doesn’t like to overuse mediocre people.”

Qi Shannian chimed in, "The commander is right; this man should not be underestimated."

The smiles on everyone's faces vanished.

Zhou Wenbu should arrive at Yangwuyu at the earliest tonight, and at the latest tomorrow. Sharpening the axe won't delay the work of chopping wood. The more solid the fortifications are, the more time can be delayed, thus slowing down Zhou Wenbu's attack.

The general regarded the Hongyi cannon as his trump card.

They captured Ningwu Pass.

Then cut off Zhou Wen's retreat and attacked them from both sides, defeating Zhou Wen's forces in one fell swoop.

Such an ingenious idea, if it were to be implemented, could indeed minimize casualties on both sides as the commander-in-chief had said, while also achieving the greatest possible results. Although everyone wanted it, they were all somewhat uneasy.

"Are the Hongyi cannons really that powerful?" Zhao Sheng asked in a low voice, hoping that the general would think twice.

Wang Xin nodded.

Why could the Qing army's cannons win a battle, but our own cannons couldn't?
The Shun army was unaware of this item and was unprepared.

Zhou Wenbu was also unfamiliar with the area and was equally unprepared.

"Nothing is absolute in this world." Even so, Wang Xin said, "Even if we fail to take Ningwu Pass, we can strengthen our fortifications and rely on our terrain advantage to prevent Zhou Wen from succeeding."

No one objected.

"Even if we transfer troops from Shuozhou, how many can we actually spare?" Qi Shannian sighed. "If we can hold onto Daizhou, we'll win."

Ultimately, the problem stems from the fact that Datong's military forces were too scattered.

There was nothing we could do about it.

The group pondered how to fight the upcoming battle.

As the commander said, if Zhou Wen hadn't come, they certainly wouldn't have dared to attack, as they wouldn't have been in the right. But if Zhou Wen dared to come, they would be forced into a defensive posture. Once the war started, it was normal for them to get carried away.

Regardless of whether the court can accept these reasons, they have something to say.

It's better than flipping the table.

night.

Yan Zhongzheng looked around the camp and returned to the central command tent.

The wind was stronger at night than during the day, and the temperature dropped sharply. Many soldiers on guard duty couldn't help but stomp their feet. Yan Zhongzheng also exhaled white breath, and when he lifted the tent flap, a blast of cold air came in.

Wang Xin shivered.

Yan Zhongzheng quickly lowered the curtain and looked at the general, who had lost a lot of weight, and couldn't help but show concern in his eyes.

"I didn't even need to wear a cotton robe a couple of years ago," Wang Xin joked, sitting behind his desk, wearing a cotton robe.

"Marshal, you must take care of your health."

Yan Zhongzheng sat down at the desk and blurted out.

Wang Xin had a smile on his face.

At his level, he no longer needed to do many things personally; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to manage so many tasks. He had subordinates who were both civil and military officials, with hundreds of generals and tens of thousands of elite soldiers.

Many faces have become unfamiliar, so image becomes very important.

"In a year of great disaster, we proposed to cut back on food and clothing and produce to save ourselves, but we ended up gaining a lot of weight. What do the people below think?"

"It won't be that the commander-in-chief is short of food."

"Put yourself in their shoes," Wang Xin said with a smile. "Many smart people don't believe in loyalty to the emperor and patriotism. Don't be fooled by their loud pronouncements; they're just following the crowd. They work hard and go hungry, and when they see the proposed military governorships that only provide for themselves, do they really believe it?"

Intelligent people are not easy to deceive, or you can simply separate the unintelligent people from the intelligent people, so that the unintelligent people hate the intelligent people, and the intelligent people despise the unintelligent people?
These are not what he wants.

That's not what he wanted to see either.

He wants to see what he wants to see.

What is it that you want to see?
I am just an ordinary citizen, and I have never forgotten this. What ordinary people want to see is what I also want to see.

This is not about pandering to the common people.

This is the most advanced production relation!
Does it matter if I eat one more bite or one less bite?

Of course it matters.

This demonstrates integrity towards subordinates.

The night wind howled.

The soldiers in the camp kept their eyes on the outside.

The sound of the torches burning was particularly loud in the quiet night, occasionally bursting into a string of sparks that startled the soldiers. Although their young faces were thin, their features were sharp and distinct in the firelight.

The young soldier's bright eyes were not at all numb.

"There's a high chance of war tomorrow."

In the stable.

The cavalrymen fed their warhorses with concentrated feed at night, working silently. An older cavalryman pulled another younger man to a secluded spot and said with his head down, "Follow behind me when the time comes."

"I don't want to!"

The young people refused.

"Listen to me, I'm your uncle." The older man was anxious; his nephew was becoming increasingly disobedient.

"I only obey military orders. If you tell me to charge, I will charge." The young man said without hesitation, "The commander is here. He is behind me. I can't be a coward, and I can't let the commander down."

The older man was stunned, hesitated for a long time, and then sighed, patted his nephew on the shoulder, and went back home helplessly.

The young people didn't take it seriously.

The warhorses were meticulously cared for, as if they could smell the battlefield. They lowered their heads and ate the fine feed in their mangers. Despite the hundreds of warhorses and the comings and goings of people, there was not much noise under the illumination of torches everywhere.

"Snapped!"

Under the moonlight.

Liaozhou.

The caravan moved slowly forward, with laborers struggling to push the carts. The road had become potholed and uneven due to years of disrepair and lack of maintenance, making it too difficult for the animals to pull, so the laborers had to help push.

They didn't even have livestock; they relied entirely on manpower.

"How dare you slack off!"

The supervising soldier raised his whip, leaving a bloody welt on the laborer's back. "Ah!" the laborer screamed, trembling as he knelt on the ground. He quickly struggled to his feet and returned to the crowd, laboriously pushing the cart. "Thump."

Someone fell down.

"Get up! Are you looking for death?!"

"Sir, he is dead."

Someone reminds me.

The soldier looked down and, sure enough, saw that the man was lifeless. He cursed, "Damn it."

Because of the urgency of the situation, in order to ensure that grain and fodder were transported to Taiyuan on time, many people were sent to the local areas to urge them on. Liaozhou, which is close to Taiyuan Prefecture, was the first to bear the brunt and was assigned a heavy task.

Ma Lin, the Assistant Surveillance Commissioner, personally came to supervise the grain transport.

"not enough."

Liaozhou Prefecture Government Office.

Ma Lin shook his head and said, "It's not that I'm heartless, but you all need to know that Wang Xin is a perverse and tyrannical person. If we let him run wild, how can we have a good life? In any case, this time we must support Admiral Zhou to defeat him."

The prefect frowned.

Someone nearby explained, "Your Excellency, you may not know this, but the Liaozhou region has suffered a severe disaster. We have repeatedly asked the provincial government for grain, but to no avail. Now we are barely able to take care of ourselves. We have managed to gather four thousand laborers, but the grain in the granary is truly gone."

"Are you complaining about the provincial government?" Ma Lin questioned.

"I wouldn't dare," the man said, stepping back.

Ma Lin glanced at everyone, his expression softening, "If the provincial government doesn't hold up this time, it will be your turn next time."

After a moment of contemplation, Prefect Liu Wei said, "Let's make the people suffer a little longer."

Upon hearing this, everyone relaxed and nodded in agreement.

Ma Lin frowned. Seeing everyone's expression, he sighed inwardly, calmly nodded, and accepted the prefect's suggestion.

The Taiyuan army needs to be mobilized with funds.

Normally, it's okay to fool people, but this time no one dares to fool people, so the departure allowance and rewards must not be lacking.

The army is well-equipped and supplies are plentiful.

"Squeak, squeak~"

The wheels made a sound on the ground, and the heavy tiger-squatting cannon on it emitted a black light.

Rows of cannons of various colors, including mother-and-child cannons, and boxes containing shells capable of killing ten thousand men, which could be exploded and burned. On both sides were marching soldiers, and in front and behind were cavalry, with banners and flags.

"Squeak and sway"

This strange multi-barrel vehicle, with each barrel containing a rocket that can be launched, can fire multiple rockets at once, covering the enemy in front of it with tremendous power. It is one of the Taiyuan Army's trump cards.

"嘚嘚嘚~"

The cavalrymen wore armor and carried the banners of the Taiyuan military garrison aloft.

A general knelt on one knee.

"Reporting to the Admiral, Yangwuyu is already twenty li ahead."

Zhou Wen was on the open ground nearby, surrounded by a group of generals, discussing that the army would arrive in the afternoon. After the scouts returned again, everyone became more certain.

"Send someone to tell Jiang Heng to be careful, to make sure he has a firm foothold, and to clear the way for the army."

Zhou Wen gave the instructions.

Soon, a messenger was ordered to set off, and several cavalrymen rushed forward.

"According to the information we've gathered, Wang Xin has strengthened his fortifications after arriving at Yangwuyu. It seems he's determined to defend." Zhou Wen looked at the map, feeling relieved. He smiled and said, "If he dared to attack, I would be a little worried. Since he has chosen to defend, it means he has no other choice but to rely on the terrain."

The generals were unconvinced, but Yao Baoshan stepped forward and said, "Do you think they are invulnerable to swords and spears? Since they are all made of flesh and blood, and we have mobilized 30,000 to 40,000 troops this time, as long as we are not careless and do not give him any chance, no matter how famous he is, we will make him suffer a crushing defeat this time."

Zhou Wen was constantly worried about Wang Xin, fearing that he might have overlooked something.

I stared at the map for a long time.

I really can't think of any other oversights. We have 30,000 to 40,000 troops on our side, and more than 10,000 guards at Ningwu Pass not far away, totaling 50,000 troops, while Wang Xin can only use 20,000 troops at most.

Moreover, half of the troops were blocked outside Ningwu Pass. Not to mention that Ningwu Pass has more than 10,000 troops, even if there were only two or three thousand, given the terrain of Ningwu Pass, which is ten times larger than Yangwuyu now, it would not be something that the opposing 10,000 troops could take down.

Zhou Wen's brows gradually relaxed.

"If Wang Xin can still win like this, I'll cut off my own head and let him kick it like a football," said Cao Zhen, the guerrilla commander of the central army, with a smile.

“Wang Xin is still a military governor of the imperial court after all. We should give him some face. Let’s arrest him and parade him through the streets of Datong. Doesn’t he like that?” someone laughed. “Let him have a taste of it too.”

"Haha."

"That's a good idea."

Once people are on the rise, the world becomes boundless.

The entire wilderness was covered with the flags of the Taiyuan Army. Behind them were tens of thousands of laborers temporarily conscripted from various places to transport grain and fodder. The laborers were exhausted, hungry and cold, and their bodies turned to dust as they collapsed on the road.

"Woooooo~"

"Woo~"

The sound of bugles echoed throughout Yangwuyu.

The Datong Army in Sanzhai was on high alert. The soldiers on the mountainside looked down at the enemy at the foot of the mountain. The enemy had nearly 10,000 men, no less than the troops in Yangwuyu. Although they were not as clean and tidy as the Datong Army, they were well-equipped.

As a powerful town backed by Taiyuan, it has a rich history and has not suffered a complete defeat.

"He is a tough opponent."

"No wonder that bastard Zhou Wen became so arrogant after he went to Taiyuan."

On the mountainside, several generals were discussing among themselves.

"When two tigers fight, one will surely be injured." An old general lamented, "They are all armies of the Great Zhou, yet they are killing each other here. It is truly a pity."

Upon hearing the veteran's words, the other two looked displeased.

Realizing his slip of the tongue, the veteran quickly tried to salvage the situation, saying, "But anyone who blocks our Datong Army is being unreasonable. They should not only not stop us, but support us instead."

Regardless of whether the veteran's words made sense or not, he was right about one thing.

It was indeed a battle between two tigers.

Several mid- to lower-ranking officers had some thoughts on the matter.

"Hopefully, the general leading the troops on the other side will see our formation and consider the overall situation, and not launch an attack on us." Battalion Commander Liu Yi sighed, "Although we are outnumbered, we are not afraid of them. The more they do so, the more casualties we will suffer on both sides in the end."

“Boss, I’m afraid they don’t think that way.” Sentry Xu Shi pointed. “They’ve already made a move.”

"Dong dong dong dong!"

"Boom boom boom!"

War drums sounded.

After the opposing side gained a foothold and saw no sign of attacking, they took the initiative to launch an attack.

"kill!"

"Kill!"

At the officers' command, the soldiers charged forward, waving their weapons.

The barricades could stop the cavalry and slow their advance, and they tried to move them aside.

"Fire arrows!"

"Swish swish."

Peng Shizhi gave the order without hesitation.

Arrows swarmed out of the air and fell densely to the ground.

(End of this chapter)