Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 226 A Desperate Stand Without Clever Calculations

In the early summer of the fifth year of the Tongzheng calendar, in early May, Xuan Chong and Zhao Cheng had already set up their chessboard for a game of chess. The pieces—chariots, horses, and cannons—were arranged in order.

On this chessboard spanning thousands of miles, Zhao Cheng made the first move, moving his cannon from the second to the fifth rank. He placed his piece on Xiazhou, which is west of Zhenzhou.

Exhausted from years of fighting in Xia Prefecture, Zhao Cheng dispatched his general "Zhen Hao," who came from Yuhua Prefecture, with 30,000 troops to cross the Jia River and advance on three western cities of Xia Prefecture.

Zhenhao carried a large number of siege weapons. According to the Zhaocheng strategist group's prediction, as long as Zhenhao arrived at the battlefield, this "first shot" could penetrate from the central front of Xiazhou and "capture Xuanchong's army."

However, on the map of mountains and rivers, Xia Prefecture was shrouded in sandstorms, its peace and tranquility extremely poor; Zhenhao, the "cannon" piece, was originally on the front line, stacked together with the "pawn." —Supply of provisions was difficult, and military losses were enormous.

The place where the "chess pieces" vie for dominance between the Chu River and the Han Border is a real battlefield. Zhao Cheng's "cannon" was blocked by Xuan Chong's inserted "horse".

The perspective shifts to this "interlude" point: when Zhenhao's army was marching towards the three western cities of Xiazhou, they stopped about forty miles from the city.

The earthen ramparts built by the Chen army had been waiting for many days, but the artillery fire of this era was not enough; it would also take some time for the Hao army to break through these earthen ramparts.

…turning to the north, about 100 kilometers away…

Faced with Zhao Cheng's move, Xuan Chong confidently began to advance his horse from the eighth rank to the seventh.

Xuan Chong carefully calculated that there were only so many pieces his opponent could move; if he moved one piece, the others wouldn't be able to move.

On the battlefield of Yongzhou, Su Ming was the commander-in-chief, with Cai and Heng as his deputies, leading a combined force of 13,000. In this grand game, they were also "pawns," relying on the city's defenses and advancing step by step during their long march. Of course, before the battlefield was determined, the "pawns" wouldn't move rashly.

Among them, the 5,000 mobile troops under Su Ming's command are called "Horses." The "Horses" are to be active on the battlefield.

When the northern part of Yongshui, loyal to the pseudo-Hao royal court, brought out siege weapons and wanted to follow suit and attack the three cities of Yongzhou, tearing away a piece of Xuanchong's territory, Su Ming swiftly leaped to the flank of the battlefield like a "horse running on the sun," suddenly penetrating deep into the border of Hao Kingdom.

The advance of Su Ming's cavalry, moving in a "日" (sun) shape, was a flanking maneuver. Within three to four days, Su Ming's cavalry regiment advanced to the main roads connecting important cities in Yongzhou.

In the small court of Hao Kingdom in Xingzhou, the crazy Hao Kingdom ruler announced that he would mobilize 50,000 troops and demand that all cities in Yongbei and Xingzhou send troops; however, as soon as these troops left the city, they encountered a "storm of panic" and the conscription of laborers blocked the road.

Instead of ordering his troops to attack, Su Ming dispatched several hundred men to raise a cloud of dust ten miles to the flank of Hao's army when they encountered the troops leaving the city, thus hindering Hao's march.

In recent years, the northern part of Yongzhou and Xingzhou have been exhausted by the dragging on; the Hao army's artillery wheels have been worn down during the pulling process, and they have to carry fewer shells, even preparing only two or three shells per cannon.

…The battlefield shifted again to the south, about 100 kilometers away…

Facing the combined forces of Yong, Xia, and Xing prefectures, Zhao Cheng of Yu Prefecture sent orders to Chen Prefecture in the south, mobilizing the troops there to assemble and march towards Xiang Prefecture (where Donghua County is located), a move known as "Ma Er Jin San".

In mid-May, Zhao Cheng dispatched another general, Wang Yushan. Zhao Cheng ordered him to lead three thousand elite troops as the vanguard to organize ships on a northern tributary of the Donghua River, preparing to enter the river for battle.

After the chess pieces were placed, the actual scene showed that the rolling river was clogged with ships.

Zhao Cheng poured the efforts of half the nation's artisans into building the warships that sailed down the river.

They advanced by both land and water to directly seize Donghua County.

This time, however, Xuan Chong did not send out his most elite forces. Also in mid-May, he advanced a pawn in the southeast, a "pawn 7 advances 1," sending a second-line force to reinforce Donghua County, led by Wen Siting. …

In this way, the battle line was also opened in the east.

These moves shocked the world. At this time, heroes from all walks of life turned their attention to the Wuyuan Changzhen Kingdom, which they had never thought highly of.

…Those watching the game were all horrified…

No one in the world expected that Zhao Cheng could achieve such a great victory against Wu Yuanchang, who was confined to a remote corner of the country.

As Zhao Cheng's advisors predicted, with their multi-pronged attack, the garrisons in various directions of Zhen would retreat due to the overwhelming odds.

At that time, all armies will advance together and converge at the foot of Lelang City. After annihilating Wu Yuanchang's core main force, they can issue a proclamation to settle the matter.

After all, Wu Yuanchang had accumulated many signs of national ruin over the years, such as "being betrayed by his people and relatives," "being warlike and aggressive," and "being stubborn and self-willed."

Historically, all regimes that were confined to a small corner of the country were destroyed, much like a nail puncturing a balloon. Once a single point is punctured, a once vast nation vanishes instantly.

This was true of the Shu Han dynasty, the Southern Dynasties in history, and even modern-day Saddam Hussein and Assyria.

Why? Because large, powerful countries attack small, weak countries. Since the distinction between "strong" and "weak" is already clear before the war, the people of small, weak countries are not united. So as long as the die-hard faction is defeated, the huge country will immediately surrender, and there will be surrender-oriented strategists everywhere to lead the way.

In the eyes of many scholars in Da Yao (all the old cultural classes of Da Yao), the strength of the Zhen and Hao states has already been determined. Before the war, many scholars from Nan Zhen flocked to Hao, which surely meant that the balance of power was already set.
The best outcome for the people of this country right now is to welcome the royal army and obediently lie on the chopping block to be cooked.

Ultimately, Zhao Cheng of Hao Kingdom will, based on the wealth accumulated in this area over the years, give the local forces of Zhen Kingdom a chance to preserve their local power.

"Insightful people" also believed that the Wu family should surrender as soon as possible. Moreover, surrendering now, before Zhao Cheng's army launches its attack, is the best opportunity.

The reason given by the "wise men" was that Zhao Cheng would grant Xuan Chong a marquisate because "Wu Yuan often guarded a peaceful place in the chaotic world and was well received by the local people."

…National wars are not just about wealth, but about how many people believe they can win…

It is worth mentioning that when Xuan Chong first transmigrated, while he was developing the southern border, he also thought that after the Da Yao was overthrown, he would get a decent treatment based on his merits.

But now, Xuan Chong says, "If I can win, why should I surrender?!"

In this battle, it wasn't just Xuan Chong who thought he could win; the entire faction believed they could win!
And so, despite the two sides clashing on various fronts, the entire nation of Zhen did not consider itself "weak." The "young, angry youths" gathered by Xuan Chong thoroughly slapped these prominent scholars in the face.

Zhao Cheng sent out a force, and Xuan Chong immediately dispatched another general to lead the troops into battle. In the early stages, the two sides' "advancement" resembled a game of chess, with turns and rooks, knights, and cannons interchanging positions.

Therefore, the strategists under Zhao Cheng felt their worldview had collapsed. How dare they! How dare a small corner of the world compete with the entire world?

At this moment, Xuan Chong wrote the answer in his history notebook: Because this is a revolution!

As long as they believe that "their own governance is superior," even if it is only a border province, they dare to confront the central government, which occupies most of the country, such as General Cai's National Protection Army.

Xuan Chong: "The governance model of this world is too outdated. Now I am going to present a brand new governance model. This model has been tested step by step over the years as I have fought in the north and south, in Lingnan, the southern border, Donghua County, Zhendi and Bodi. It is a stable, feasible and progressive governance model of the times."

In other words, Zhao Cheng has the support of a group of scholars who "consider themselves the best" from across the country; while Xuan Chong now has a pool of military and political talents who have become accustomed to the new model over the past ten years.

Moreover, these new talents have all undergone the "long and tedious" southern expedition, and dare to treat nobles as mere dogs!

When facing a veteran like Zhao Cheng, Xuan Chong used all the advantages he could as a time traveler to demonstrate his respect for the opponent's high level of skill.

…the old guard is witnessing…

In Yuhua Prefecture, in a thatched hut, scholars discussed the current situation.

A few days ago, everyone thought that with multiple armies attacking simultaneously, Zhendi wouldn't be able to withstand a single round; after the country was destroyed, the question would be how Hou Hao would appease the people and how they would deal with General Zhao Cheng. But now Wu Yuanchang has held on, no, not held on, Xuan Chong's main force hasn't even moved yet, they are currently fighting back and forth with Zhao Cheng, and his multiple armies are not defending, but instead launching a counterattack.

So now! There's a huge problem for the whole world.

This is a national war, and such national wars rely on the "accumulation of provisions." For both sides, the deployment of a few thousand troops on any front requires the supply of provisions from nearby prefectures to move accordingly.

The original Hao army did not consider this point, believing that after the multiple armies attacked, they could directly forage in enemy territory, eat local grain, and fight the Hao army! — What is the situation now? The various forces of the Hao army are not at a disadvantage at all, and both sides have begun to fight for their remaining supplies.

In terms of supplies, Hao Kingdom is clearly at a disadvantage. Even now, during the initial strategic probing phase, many of Hao Kingdom's prefectures have been emptied, making a second wave of conscription impossible.

As Xuan Chong's troops began to maneuver during the standoff at the front, it greatly disrupted Zhao Cheng's established battle plans and forced him to make adjustments. These adjustments worked fine for Xuan Chong's troops, but caused significant problems for Zhao Cheng's troops.

The Kingdom of Zhen not only had the resources of grain and fodder, but also a transportation advantage. Subsequent train lines were continuously transporting grain and fodder to various stations along the front lines.

…Switching perspectives during a game…

Before the battle, Xuan Chong conveyed the "combat spirit" to all his officers: "In the early stages, we must establish a large camp and fight a protracted battle." Only after our staff has determined the enemy's strategic priorities should we become more mobile and flexible.

Xuan Chong emphasized: "The enemy's weakness is their food supplies; they cannot sustain large-scale warfare. The military camp must remain stable, and reconnaissance cannot stop for even a day."

"In the General Staff's simulations, you all have a chance of encountering Zhao Cheng's main force. As long as you maintain a certain level of mobility, you can retreat if you can't win."

Narrator: In fact, Xuan Chong had deployed a large number of "spies" to keep an eye on Zhao Cheng's main force, fearing that he might come up with some unexpected move, such as "flash" into the battlefield, wipe out one of his troops, and then retreat immediately.

Xuan Chong: "When you march, make sure to set up the grain depots in advance to ensure that you can advance rapidly and have the ability to move fifty miles forward and backward."

"If a large enemy force suddenly approaches (only Zhao Cheng can mobilize such a force), burn the supplies, destroy the grain depots, and retreat the force. Even if you can't burn everything, it's fine; any remaining troops can still return. (Note: Xuan Chong will not leave excess grain in any grain depot.)"

As for burning grain depots and supply depots, Xuan Chong was confident he could do so, as he had plenty of grain. In Xuan Chong's view, exchanging the supplies and "small amount" of grain of one army unit for Zhao Cheng's "flash" attack was entirely worthwhile. And once the battlefront where Zhao Cheng "flashed" was determined, other battlefronts could then launch a large-scale flanking attack.

Xuan Chong had studied Zhao Cheng's military tactics: Zhao Cheng often used feints to lure the opponent's main attack, and only after the opponent's entire army had been mobilized did he launch a sudden surprise attack on their base. Therefore, one had to mobilize his main force once before attacking.

Thus, the current strategy of playing chess, where both sides bring out their vice generals to lead their troops in a head-on clash, came about.

When Zhao Cheng took only one step, Xuan Chong dared to follow suit, taking only one step as well. He dared not hold back more troops, fearing that Zhao Cheng was merely feinting, using a detachment to hold him back, and then turning around to launch a surprise attack.

Xuan Chong's plan was ingenious: as long as the enemy's main force made a move first, he could then take the initiative and lead his main force to engage them, thus gaining a significant strategic advantage.

This strategic thinking originated from Ridgway's tactical conception: when logistical conditions are superior, adopting a conservative, drawn-out tactic maximizes the chances of victory.

In fact, according to Xuanchong's current strategic deployment, one of their troops could be completely wiped out by Zhao Cheng. Xuanchong is also capable of effectively conducting a decisive battle to encircle and annihilate Zhao Cheng.

But Xuan Chong couldn't bear to see his own forces wiped out.

…When fighting wolves, the goal is to avoid injury…

Back in Yuhua Prefecture, Zhao Cheng was compiling intelligence on Xuan Chong; compared to Xuan Chong, he was now somewhat balding. Over the years, the mental strain he had endured had been immense.

When the situation of the stalemate between the various army groups in the north and south was presented to him, he took a deep breath; it was clear that he understood the situation in Xuanchong. The main forces of the two sides were less than two hundred miles apart. When he moved his troops, Xuanchong followed suit.

Furthermore, the main force of Xuan Chong always remained in the place with the most convenient transportation; because they needed to anticipate their own movements, cross mountain and river obstacles, and quickly move to another battlefield.

Zhao Cheng whispered, "He's waiting for me to go first!" As Zhao Cheng's mood turned solemn, the map on the silk scroll on the table displayed undulating mountains and rivers.
The staff members standing by remained silent, for the current military confrontation was too unexpected.

Now they understand why Zhao Cheng, despite controlling half the land, remains cautious towards Wu Yuanchang. — To some extent, Zhao Cheng's conquest of the Central Plains, sweeping across half the land, was largely aimed at dealing with Xuan Chong; while Xuan Chong, in recent years, has been confined to his home, developing his strength and attacking the natives to the south, not joining the chaos of the Great Yao, which means he is preparing for a war with Zhao Cheng.

Zhao Cheng looked up and asked, "How are the provisions for each unit?"

After being called upon, the five advisors reported on the state of their supplies along the way. The results showed that they could only last for two months, or even less than a month. One of the places that couldn't even last a month was Yongzhou.

Zhao Cheng took a deep breath and suddenly laughed: "Hehe, wonderful, wonderful."

Many of the advisors looked embarrassed when they saw their lord stand up.

Zhao Cheng: "The more you calculate, the more you win; the less you calculate, the less you win. He's using the least calculation method to fight me now, and no matter how much I calculate, I can't escape the circle he's set for me." — His weakest link has limited Zhao Cheng's ability to use his military strategy.

Zhao Cheng turned to his advisors and said, "Where do you think our army should choose to fight him?"

The strategists exchanged glances and then said, "We leave it entirely to our lord."

Zhao Cheng looked helpless: "No matter which path I choose, my calculated win rate is less than 20%, at most it will be a draw. This person is already in an invincible position."

...At a low skill level, they can't even see the current enemy formation...

If the opponent were someone else, Zhao Cheng could still turn the tide by launching a surprise attack on the grain depot, even with such a significant advantage in supplies. However, Xuanchong's defenses were too dense.

The main supply depots were located in heavily guarded major cities, and the train lines in these cities spread out like an octopus to various regions. Wherever the army went, a series of secret small supply depots were set up, with supplies stored separately on the train platforms.

Xuan Chong was smug about this: "You burning my entire line is just one wave, unless you have a railway guerrilla force; but do you have that kind of mass support in my area? Attacking a train station is not something that can be solved by bribing one or two 'spies'."

In other words, Xuan Chong did not give Zhao Cheng any room to maneuver in the "Battle of Guandu" and the burning of Wuchao.

Zhao Cheng was having a headache watching Xuan Chong's actions; he had never seen such a flawless strategist.

Xuan Chong mastered the art of maximizing strengths and minimizing weaknesses, avoiding all confrontations with Zhao Cheng that he couldn't outmaneuver. Instead, he targeted Zhao Cheng's weaknesses with deadly precision, seizing upon Zhao Cheng's most vulnerable points.

Xuan Chong's maneuver is something even a commander who has only studied military strategy for two years could do; it's completely out of character for someone of Xuan Chong's caliber. But the difficulty lies in the fact that, despite having such a significant advantage, he still stubbornly sticks to this "clumsy" method.

In Zhao Cheng's view, Wu Yuanchang's military skills and tactics had become no less than his own over the years; if he could conquer the world, Xuan Chong could do the same. But now, he was stubbornly resisting him in this way that "had no clever calculations whatsoever."

Wu Xiaoque didn't care at all about the later generations' comments that she was "second-rate in military strategy" and "not a hero even if she won," and she just focused on success and failure!

Zhao Cheng felt a little ashamed for a moment: he had really overestimated himself.

Because in the initial stages of the military confrontation, Xuan Chong's generals, the mobility of his several thousand troops, and the comprehensive reconnaissance capabilities of his scouts were already superior to the generals selected by his own side.

Zhao Cheng's gaze once again fell on the various battlefields in the north and south, and he secretly admired Xuan Chong's military academy system.

Before everyone, Zhao Cheng paced back and forth once more, seemingly choosing a location for a major battle. However, after a long while, Zhao Cheng still chose to keep the main force stationary.

Having been invited out of retirement by Pu E for so many years, this is the first time Zhao Cheng is contemplating defeat.

Zhao Cheng silently thought to himself, "Even in defeat, there must be a way to lose, and there must be a chance to learn from the shame and rise again."

(End of this chapter)