Do You Know?: I, the Little Cabinet Elder, Regent of the World.

Chapter 197 The Scenery of the North: A Thousand Miles of Ice, Ten Thousand Miles of Snow! (4k)

Lezhou, Leling County.

The Chinese military tent.

On a long table, about ten feet long, a geomantic map of the "Great Zhou-Western Xia-Tibet" region was laid out.

Led by Jiang Zhao, Zhong E, Zhang Ding, Zheng Xiao, Bao Shun, Yao Si, Yang Wenguang, and Guo Kui gathered together.

Li Liangzuo personally led an army of 100,000.

The so-called army of 100,000 only numbered about 30,000 to 40,000 combat-ready soldiers, distributed in Lanzhou and Lezhou.

With the Western Xia forces dispersed, the 70,000-strong army of Xihe swept through the area, making their advance as smooth as cutting melons and vegetables, unstoppable.

As of now, all 70,000 troops have entered Lezhou.

Lezhou was the last prefecture where Western Xia soldiers were stationed.

Once the remaining Western Xia army is eliminated or driven back, it will be considered a successful "defense against the enemy" and the new emperor's entrustment will be fulfilled.

As for whether they can expand their territory, that's another matter entirely.

Several people were gazing at the geomantic map.

Several major cities were highlighted in red ink.

Heading north from Leling, the routes are Datong, Xunhua, Longzhuhei, and Miaochuan.

"What's the situation in Datong, Xunhua, Longzhuhei, and Miaochuan?" Jiang Zhao asked, his hands behind his back, looking at Zheng Xiao of the vanguard.

"Originally, Li Liangzuo was stationed in Xunhua, intending to move south. But since the royal army marched north with unstoppable momentum, Li Liangzuo retreated to Miaochuan."

"According to reports from scouts and after several verifications, Datong, Xunhua, and Longzhuhei each have approximately three thousand people, while Miaochuan has around twenty thousand," Zheng Xiao reported.

Jiang Zhao pondered for a moment, then nodded.

Three thousand, three thousand, three thousand, twenty thousand, totaling about twenty-nine thousand.

The army marched north along Lanzhou, eliminating six or seven thousand scattered Western Xia troops.

Li Liangzuo had less than 30,000 troops remaining, which was roughly the estimated number.

"Three thousand men to defend the city?"

Zhong E glanced at the map, his brows furrowing slightly: "Ordinary cities have a garrison of only a little over a thousand men. Three thousand men are already overcrowded, and there's not even enough room on the city walls. With so many men, what is Li Liangzuo up to?"

"He wants to use the city as bait to deplete our troops and demoralize us."

After a moment's thought, Zhong E saw through the crux of the matter: "These three cities block the only way to the north to Miaochuan. To conquer Miaochuan, we must first break through these three cities."

"Judging from Li Liangzuo's strategy, it is estimated that he intentionally ordered nearly 10,000 soldiers from Datong, Xunhua, and Longzhuhei to defend the cities to the death. On the one hand, this could deplete the morale of the northern border army; on the other hand, it could also reduce the number of soldiers attacking the cities."

To conquer Miaochuan, we must first take control of the three cities of Datong, Xunhua, and Longzhuhei.

With 70,000 troops in the Northern Expedition, it would certainly not be difficult to capture three cities in succession.

However, not being difficult does not mean the cost is small.

Siege warfare has never been easy.

To truly conquer a city, you need at least a five-fold difference in troop strength.

This is just the initial attack.

The troop losses during the siege were exceptionally high.

If 10,000 men attack a city with 2,000 men, and the defending soldiers are not strong enough, at least 2,000 to 3,000 men will be lost.

If the soldiers defending the city are of good fighting ability and high morale, it would not be surprising to lose 5,000 men.

Firstly, the defending side has a terrain advantage, allowing them to look down from a high vantage point and wait for the enemy to tire themselves out.

Secondly, defending a city is like a "do-or-die" situation for soldiers, often leading to a desperate fight.

Combining these two factors, the price to pay to capture a city would naturally be considerable.

The so-called "attacking one out of ten" is based on this principle.

Attacking a city with ten times the troops is a common occurrence on the battlefield.

With 70,000 troops stationed in Xihe Road, capturing three cities in succession would certainly not be difficult, but the losses would definitely exceed 10,000.

For an army with high morale, losing more than 10,000 soldiers in a short period of time is undoubtedly a heavy blow.

Once morale is dampened, combat strength will be reduced by at least half.

The three cities of Datong, Xunhua, and Longzhuhei are blocking the way and will be captured sooner or later.

Li Liangzuo must have been aware of this as well.

Otherwise, he would never have retreated to Miaochuan.

For Li Liangzuo, the three cities of Datong, Xunhua, and Longzhuhei were obstacles that would deplete Xihe's military strength and reduce its morale.

The real battle was the Battle of Miaochuan.

If he wins that one game, he can turn things around.

The generals looked at Miaochuan and frowned inwardly.

The key is that the three cities of Datong, Xunhua, and Longzhuhei cannot be bypassed.

Once you get around it, you'll have to worry about being betrayed.

Without major cities as "supply stations," the margin for error in conquest is relatively low.

"No rush, focus on attrition."

Jiang Zhao slowly said, "Li Liangzuo is simply taking advantage of the fact that his army is eager to fight against foreign enemies and recover lost territory."

"The Xihe army has been fighting continuously, and the soldiers are easily becoming exhausted. We must end the campaign as soon as possible."

"Therefore, we must exert all our strength to attack the city and dare not delay for a moment. In the end, what enters Miaochuan is an exhausted army."

"On the other hand, the Western Xia soldiers were well-rested and ready to fight, and their combat strength was superior."

Little did they know, he was the one who should be in a hurry.

"The Western Xia's national strength was simply insufficient to support a long-term expedition of 100,000 troops."

Jiang Zhao waved his hand and said slowly, "Attack Datong and Xunhua gradually, and surround and trap Longzhu and Hei. Once the city is captured, hold a grand celebration and reward the city in a timely manner."

"Gathering 70,000 soldiers, they captured a city in a month, and successively took down Datong and Xunhua."

"After that, five thousand men were assigned to set up camp around Longzhuhei, surrounding the city without attacking, which would be enough to besiege the enemy forces."

Of the three cities, Datong and Xunhua are located on the route leading directly into Miaochuan, and they must be captured.

As for Longzhuhei, it is relatively biased towards the north, so there is no need to conquer it and waste troops for nothing.

Just surround them with five thousand soldiers.

Five thousand men against three thousand men—it's nothing short of a pipe dream to try and capture a city.

However, it is not difficult to surround people.

Those three thousand Western Xia soldiers would definitely be no match for five thousand once they left the city.

Five thousand people surrounded them, but they wouldn't attack.

By attacking one less city, the casualties among soldiers will certainly be less.

"The remaining 60,000 soldiers marched straight into Miaochuan."

"By maintaining the morale of the soldiers, we can achieve unstoppable momentum and be invincible in every battle."

With the strength of the Western Xia, it could not sustain a prolonged war.

As time went on, internal conflicts within the Western Xia would become more apparent.

In contrast, the Great Zhou army could not afford to lose more than 10,000 soldiers in such a short period of time.

Otherwise, morale will be severely damaged.

Therefore, we should try to "delay" and prolong the process.

Of course, dragging it out for too long will also damage morale.

The key to maintaining morale lies in the use of several cities and the control of the time intervals between capturing them.

A city is captured in about a month, and the emperor rewards the soldiers. The intervals are neither too long nor too short, giving the soldiers something to look forward to and helping them to get rid of their fatigue.

It took about two months to capture two cities.

If we include September and October, then the war lasted for four months. The Western Xia could not afford to lose so much, and internal conflicts arose one after another.

This gives us hope of defeating the enemy in one fell swoop.

"The commander-in-chief is wise," Zhong E echoed.

Jiang Zhao nodded calmly and ordered, "The army will rest for three days, and then march straight for Datong City."

"promise!"

The seven men bowed and then withdrew.

After the others left, Jiang Zhao took out a stack of letters from his former students, officials, and cronies and began to examine them.

Ouyang Xiu and Lü Gongzhu actually took advantage of his absence on a military campaign to submit a memorial requesting that relatives of the empress be allowed to enter the border region to divide his power.

They even intended to unite the officials to submit a memorial, thus coercing the emperor.

That's incredibly bold!
Jiang Zhao read through each and every letter.

After about two incense sticks' worth of time, Jiang Zhao put down the letter in his hand and shook his head inwardly.

Since you've chosen to coerce the new emperor, be prepared to face retribution!

Miaochuan City.

Li Liangzuo frowned, staring at the dozens of memorials on the table, his face so gloomy it could drip water.

The dozens of memorials were either about supplies or about the war situation.

Some memorials expressed concern about the food supply problem, lamenting that the food was running out, while others hoped for peace and a postponement of the southward advance. As for those advocating war, there were very few.

The nobles are used to a life of ease; how could they possibly advocate for war?

Even within the royal family, there were voices of opposition.

Li Liangzuo stared for a while, and his heart sank.

Since marching south in August, the 100,000-strong army has been constantly consuming provisions. These provisions, of course, could not have appeared out of thin air.

Part of it is grain and fodder stockpiled from previous years.

Part of it was collected temporarily for the following year, or even the year after.

Only by combining both methods could the provisions for an army of 100,000 be gathered.

However, as the war dragged on, these two supplies could not last much longer.

Some memorials were then submitted.

The reason for this was that they were worried Li Liangzuo would target the powerful nobles in the country to replenish the military supplies.

In fact, Li Liangzuo did indeed show signs of doing just that.

Unfortunately, someone guessed it.

In short, it all means the same thing.

Either advocate for peace, or simply avoid war altogether.

Without war, there is naturally little expenditure.

Alternatively, they could levy taxes on ordinary people again, bleeding them dry.

In any case, we can't target the high-ranking nobles.

The entire court was more united than ever before.

"A bunch of scourges to the country and its people!" Li Liangzuo cursed in a low voice.

Not only do they not go to the front lines, but they also dare to hold others back.

Having won a great victory in this campaign and entered the capital with great momentum, he will surely have to deal with a group of pro-peace ministers, eliminate dissidents in the court, and consolidate imperial power.

November 9th.

"kill!"

"The city has fallen!"

"Today is the day to break through the city and achieve merit!"

The clash of metal and the sounds of battle echoed continuously.

Bloodstains were frequently seen flying everywhere, staining the city walls and sending a chill down one's spine.

About a thousand paces away, Jiang Zhao stood with his hands behind his back, observing everything.

Just then, a crystal snowflake fell.

Jiang Zhao was taken aback, letting the snowflakes fall into his palm.

"It's snowing!" Zhong Shidao exclaimed from three steps away.

Since receiving permission, Zhong Shidao has always stood by Jiang Zhao's side as a disciple.

On one occasion, with Jiang Zhao's approval, he took on the role of the commander-in-chief's bodyguard and concurrently held a portion of the military power.

At seventeen, he commanded an army of over ten thousand!

Jiang Zhao glanced back and shook his head slightly.

No prospects!
After a long pause, he slowly recited: "The scenery of the Northland is magnificent, with thousands of miles of ice and ten thousand miles of snow!"

As the words fell, Jiang Zhao couldn't help but sigh.

Who would have thought that a dynasty confined to a corner of the country would have the opportunity to recite this poem?
"Sir, you truly are a celestial being descended from the heavens, your every word is a classic masterpiece." Zhong Shidao exclaimed in surprise, and quickly echoed.

He finally understood why Jiang Zhao was shaking his head.

Saying "It's snowing" is a bit too casual.

Jiang Zhao smiled and shook his head.

The God of Literature, does that seem to be exclusive to the top scholar in the imperial examination?

It feels both familiar and strange.

Since he rose to prominence in officialdom, no one has called him the God of Literature for many years.

More often, he was referred to as "Young Grand Secretary".

I wonder if, after this battle, there will be a chance to remove the word "small" from the title?

After about half an hour, the sounds of fighting gradually subsided.

The attack of 50,000 to 60,000 soldiers on a city defended by only 3,000 men was destined to be a bloody battle with no suspense.

The difference lies in the issue of damage.

Before long, a man wielding a spear, covered in blood, arrived and bowed respectfully.
"Reporting to the commander, Datong City has fallen."

Guo Kui, the one who broke through city walls and charged into battle!
Jiang Zhao glanced at him, threw down the reins, dismounted, and reached out to help him up.

"Zhongtong's charge into battle and defeat of the enemy is truly the greatest achievement in capturing the city," Jiang Zhaowen said gently.

Zhongtong was the courtesy name of Guo Kui.

"Thank you, Commander!" Guo Kui was overjoyed and bowed again.

Just for that one sentence, his desperate fight was worthwhile.

"Your subordinate will go and wipe out the remaining rebels."

Guo Kui stood up, clasped his hands in a salute, and mounted his horse.

"Kill the Western bandits!"

"Kill!"

The sound of metal clashing was incessant.

It's January again, early December.

Xunhua City fell.

Xunhua City, Central Military Tent.

Civil and military officials stood in rows on the left and right.

In the main seat, Jiang Zhao held a secret letter and watched intently.

"Lord Zhongjing raised his troops and marched north, directly attacking Xiping Prefecture, thus drawing away the Western Xia soldiers from the Shaanxi direction."

"Marquis Ningyuan launched a surprise attack on Xiliang Prefecture, cutting off the enemy's retreat!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the morale of the dozens of people soared, and a wave of jubilation swept through the crowd.

Is the final battle finally about to begin?

Jiang Zhao pressed his hand down, and the tent fell silent.

"Reward the army, and three days later, march straight into Miaochuan."

"promise!"

Bianjing, the Imperial Study.

In the main seat, Zhao Ceying held a report of victory and paced back and forth.

They captured two cities in succession.

If nothing unexpected happens, the next battle will be the decisive battle at Miaochuan.

Even more so, they expanded their territory.

Jiang Qing will be back in a month or two at most!

Thinking of this, Zhao Ceying sighed deeply.

God knows how he's been living all this time.
He was threatened by his ministers from the outside and advised by the empress from within.

The new emperor has been absent from court for more than a month since his ascension to the throne.

Fortunately, he held on.

If he can hold out for a while longer, and all the military generals come to the capital, he will be able to completely seize military power.

Holding military power means the throne is completely secure!

After putting down the good news, Zhao Ceying picked up a memorial and began to read it.

Even though court has been suspended, all the administrative matters that need to be handled still need to be addressed.

With just one glance, Zhao Ceying knew the contents of the memorial.

"Laba Festival?"

"I remember that every year on the Laba Festival, all officials are given a three-day holiday, and a banquet is to be held at Jinming Pond to entertain them?" Zhao Ceying asked Huang Shang, the Imperial Household Attendant.

"Exactly."

Huang Shang quickly replied, "The third day after the winter solstice is the Laba Festival. According to custom, the emperor must host a banquet for all officials, and the common people must offer sacrifices to all the gods, drive away plagues and pray for blessings, and exchange wine and meat."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ceying frowned inwardly.

Lately, he really hasn't been in the mood for holidays.

With war raging on the frontier, why should the capital still celebrate festivals?

"Could we not celebrate the Laba Festival?" Zhao Ceying asked.

"This"

Huang Shang hesitated for a moment before replying, "The most important matters of the state are sacrifice and war."

“On the Laba Festival, we offer sacrifices to all the gods, which can be considered a ritual,” Huang Shang said respectfully.

"Ugh!"

With a sigh, Zhao Ceying picked up his vermilion brush and wrote his instructions.

What else can I do?
It's accurate!

Life without Jiang Qing is so uncomfortable!

(End of this chapter)