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

Chapter 292 The Opportunity for Unification?!

Liangzhou.

Chinese army camp.

Zhong E picked up the document and stared at it intently.

Intercept and kill Liang Yili!
This move is actually quite similar to the one used to kill Li Liangzuo in battle.

The difference lies in the fact that intercepting Liang Yili would have a greater impact.

The killing of Li Liangzuo was limited to influencing the Tanguts and Tibetans, and was used as a means to expand the territory to five prefectures.

The interception and killing of Liang Yili would affect the political landscape of the three major regimes of Liao, Zhou, and Xia, and might even have provided an opportunity to expand the territory of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun.

"Helan Mountain, Tengger Desert, Qingtongxia!"

Zhong E pondered for a moment, weighing the options.

There are usually three routes from Xiping Prefecture to Xiliang Prefecture, namely the south, north, and central routes.

The southern route involves Shaanxi, the central route involves crossing the Yellow River, and the northern route involves traversing the desert.

Liang Yili took a unique fourth route—a semi-central route and a semi-northern route.

First, follow the central route, mainly traversing the relatively flat areas along the Yellow River.

After that, we traveled along the northern route, mainly through the oasis areas on the edge of the desert.

In terms of the route alone, it is flat and has no shortage of water.

The only drawback might be that it takes a relatively long time.

Compared to the separate northern and central routes, at least one-third of the time would be wasted.

The Helan Mountains, Tengger Desert, and Qingtongxia are also key nodes on the marching route.

There are mountain passes in the Helan Mountains, which can be used for ambushes.

There is a small river in the Tengger Desert that can be used for water replenishment, and it is a good place to set up an ambush.

Qingtongxia involves crossing a river, so an ambush could be set up.

Each of the three has its own advantages and disadvantages to varying degrees.

The Helan Mountains have the advantage of being easy to ambush, but the disadvantage is that they are located too deep in the mountains, making operations too dangerous.

The Tengger Desert has the advantage that enemies are more likely to relax their guard when replenishing water, but its disadvantage is that it is too flat. If you are not careful, the enemy may escape on horseback or launch a counterattack.

The advantage of Qingtongxia is that it is easy to attack while the enemy is crossing, but the disadvantage is that the enemy is already prepared, and the possibility of failure is too high.

"despair--"

"despair--"

"despair--"

The only sound was the faint patter of footsteps as they went up and down.

About half an incense stick's time.

Zhong E squinted, having made up his mind.

"Tengger Desert!"

Tengger Desert, Shiyang River.

About a mile and a half away, on a small hill.

There were about three or four hundred people gathered here.

"The person is coming."

Zhong Shidao leaned slightly forward and whispered.

Just two or three miles directly in front of the small hill, a long army was marching towards the river.

Judging from the speed at which the soldiers marched, it was clear that this was an exhausted army.

However, this is not surprising.

From Xiping Prefecture to Shiyang River, it is more than 700 li. The army marches every day, and anyone would be exhausted.

Fortunately, barring any unforeseen circumstances, this fatigue will soon be over.

The distance from Shiyang River to Xiliang Prefecture is less than two hundred li, and it can be reached in six or seven days by march.

Yang Keshi.

Zhong Shidao called out in a low voice, and a young general approached.

"Send someone to inform General Zhong and General Yao that the army can march immediately."

"However, it will take at least one or two hours for the army to replenish its water supply, so there is no need to rush it."

"Remember to remind the two generals not to be too hasty in their march, lest the horses lose their strength to charge," Zhong Shidao instructed.

This time, in order to behead Liang Yili, the Xihe border army mobilized more than 20,000 people.

Fifteen thousand of them, led by Zhong E, were ambushed downstream of the Shishui River, about ten miles from this place.

There were 5,000 men, led by Yao Si, who were lying in ambush in a low-lying area south of the Shishui River, about six or seven li away from here.

The positions of the two armies were not fixed, but would change flexibly according to the movements of the Western Xia scouts.

As for the three or four hundred people led by Master Zhong, their main role was to control artillery and bombs.

With fewer people, movement is easier and hiding is easier, allowing for observation from a distance of about one or two miles.

"Yes," Yang Keshi replied in a low voice.

"call!"

Master Zhong exhaled, glancing left and then right.

Right next to him were five or six people, all slightly crouching down.

Their eyes were exceptionally clear and bright, clearly those of a skilled eye expert.

Zhong Shidao whispered, "Liang Yili is the commander-in-chief of the three armies, so his clothing, manners and behavior must be different from others."

"Search carefully. If you find Liang Yili, I will give everyone a separate reward."

At the command, the group nodded repeatedly and began to observe more carefully.

About one or two hundred breaths.

"grown ups."

With a soft call, one person pointed to a shady area north of the Shiyang River.

But in that shady spot, a table was set up alone, and a person dressed in purple and jade sat in the center.

The remaining men, all generals, leaned forward slightly, adopting a fawning posture.

Zhong Shidao's eyesight wasn't very good, but he could still get a general idea.

One glance was enough to excite me.

"It really is him."

Zhong Shidao looked around and quickly asked, "Are you confident you can defeat him?"

One person stuck out their thumb and tried to take a look twice.

The others all looked over at him.

Clearly, this person possesses considerable "authority" in artillery aiming.

"About six minutes a mile."

After glancing at it a few times, the man shook his head: "Sir, one shot is probably a bit risky."

"However, if I could aim all ten shots myself, I would be 70% confident that I could kill Liang Yili."

Artillery technology has only been studied for less than five years.

With Jiang Zhao's guidance, the development of bombs and shells made extraordinary leaps.

However, the aiming technology of artillery systems involves far too many complexities, and Jiang Zhao was truly powerless to do so.

This leads to deviations in artillery aiming techniques.

Of course, this deviation is only about two or three zhang, which is almost negligible in large-scale battles.

However, when it comes to precise aiming, it inevitably relies a bit on luck.

According to this soldier, all ten cannon shots were aimed by one person, and even with the worst luck, at least one or two shots would hit someone accurately.

Based on this calculation, the probability of success is not low.

"Hmm~!"

Zhong Shidao pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "What is your name, and what is your current position?"

"Li San, the junior member, will be the deputy team leader."

“Sir, Li San is a well-known artilleryman in the Northwest Army,” someone chimed in.

“Okay.” Zhong Shidao nodded without hesitation and said simply, “You can aim with confidence.”

"If Liang Yili is really killed, I will report to the commander-in-chief and promote you four ranks separately."

Level 4?!
Li San was greatly shocked and immediately knelt down, knelt down, and kowtowed heavily: "Thank you, sir."

Even the others couldn't help but reveal their undisguised envy.

There are two types of military generals in the Great Zhou Dynasty.

One type is the son of a military family, or the son of a self-made military general with connections and influence.

These people were literate to some extent, and some might even know a little about military strategy. Once they joined the army, they would become military officers of various ranks, either the ninth or eighth rank.

Both Gu Tingye and Zhong E were among those in this group.

As for Master Zhong, he had an even more extraordinary network of connections.

The disciple of the Grand Chancellor was destined from the start to be a formidable figure in the army.

His achievements in life were nothing more than the difference between a fifth-rank official, a fourth-rank official, a third-rank official, or a Privy Councilor.

Another type is the military general who fights his way up from the bottom.

There are many people of this type, but few hold high positions. A typical example is Di Qing, the Deputy Privy Councilor.

This is also the path to promotion for ordinary soldiers who are illiterate, have no connections, and no influence.

Five people form a squad, and a squad leader is appointed.

A group of people is formed into a "shoulder," and a "shoulder leader" is appointed for each "shoulder."

Fifty people form a team, with a deputy team leader and a team leader.

One hundred men constitute a "du" (都), with a deputy "dutou" (副都头) and a "dutou" (都头).

This is basically the promotion level before reaching the official rank. Among them, if it is an infantryman, the deputy captain and captain are not yet at the official rank, while if it is a cavalryman, the deputy captain and captain will most likely have a ninth-rank honorary official position similar to Chengqi Lang, Chengxin Lang, or Chengjie Lang.

Thus, he was considered to have entered the ranks and could be called a "military officer".

From then on, each unit consisted of 500 men, with a deputy commander and a commander, both of whom were guaranteed to be of the eighth rank.

The ranks of "soldier", "corps leader", "squad leader", "deputy captain", "captain", and "deputy captain" are seven in total, which is the promotion path from "soldier" to "official".

Now, Zhong Shidao promised to promote him four ranks separately, which is equivalent to going from deputy captain to deputy commander-in-chief all at once.

He went from being a "clerk" to a "military officer" of the eighth rank in an instant. It was not an empty talk to say that he defied the heavens and changed his fate.

Therefore, it's no wonder that Li San was deeply moved.

“You few can also lend a hand,” Zhong Shidao said in a deep voice. “If we can really kill Liang Yili, it wouldn’t be impossible for all of you to be promoted two ranks.”

"Thank you, General."

The group was overjoyed and quickly bowed in greeting.

A two-level promotion was enough for several people to become deputy captains and captains.

Officials also had different ranks.

In fact, once you reach a position like deputy captain or captain, you'll have about fifty people under your command, making you a "junior leader" in the army. Life might not be super comfortable, but it's certainly not bad.

Even the military pay and benefits issued by the imperial court would differ.

The lives of a junior leader and a regular soldier are definitely not on the same level.

From a common soldier to a minor leader, it's not a huge difference, even if you don't defy fate.

So the others quickly joined in to help and started fiddling with it.

Whether it was laying stones, moving shells, or inspecting artillery parts, they were all very enthusiastic.

a stick of incense
Two incense sticks.
Three incense sticks.
Just as they were about to reach the point where four incense sticks were burning, the ground began to tremble slightly.

It is so light that it is almost impossible to notice without careful attention.

Just like the Western Xia soldiers a mile and a half away, they couldn't detect it at all.

"My lord, General Zhong and General Yao have arrived three miles away." A man came running up, sweating profusely, and reported: "We are just waiting for your cannon signal, my lord, to begin the march and charge."

"it is good."

Zhong E nodded, then looked at Li San: "How is it?"

"Rest assured, sir, it is without error." Li San nodded solemnly.

"The rest of you, prepare the cannons," Zhong E ordered, waving his hand.

This time, three to four hundred people were equipped with a full fifty cannons. Even if they fired in three rounds, they could fire about sixteen rounds at a time, which was almost enough to form a "concentrated firepower strike".

"Yes."

The cannons were then brought up one after another.

About ten breaths.

"ignition!"

Give an order.

The fuse rustled.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

Several soft sounds followed.

thereafter
"Bam—"

"Bam—"

A thunderous explosion suddenly rang out.

"what happened?"

Liang Yili was startled and quickly got up.

In an instant, he knew that someone was bombarding the area with artillery.

However, the explosion of the cannons inevitably startled the soldiers and horses.

Even trained horses are the same.

After all, trained horses are only unafraid of being startled, not unafraid of death.

The instinct of living beings is to survive.

There was an explosion, but since no one was holding them, the horses ran wildly.

It's a complete mess, from top to bottom.

Helpless, Liang Yili was about to order a retreat.

at this time
"Oh!"

An explosion suddenly rang out.

Liang Yili's vision went black. He looked incredulously at the holes in his body, and then suddenly collapsed to the ground.

"Prime Minister!"

"kill--"

"Kill!"

Faintly, only faint shouts of battle seemed to echo.

April 17th, cloudy.

Xiping Prefecture, Central Army Camp.

The civil and military officials stood solemnly.

Deputy Commander-in-Chief Li Qing picked up a document, his eyes slightly closed, a look of sorrow on his face, and tears silently streamed down his face.

"The Prime Minister was ambushed and has unfortunately passed away!"

As soon as the sound ended, everyone, from top to bottom, erupted in uproar.

In fact, rumors began circulating from the moment the army returned to camp.

However, the fact that this news was actually announced publicly still sent a chill down the spines of many.

The fact that the prime minister's only son and the prime minister himself both died means something that is quite obvious.

The situation in junior high school is about to change drastically!

"Ugh!"

A long sigh, filled with regret and sorrow.

Li Qing shook her head, her face already covered in tears.

Anyone who sees it will secretly think, "What a good dog."

"call!"

Taking a deep breath, a sharp glint flashed in Li Qing's eyes. With a wave of his sleeve, he resolutely declared, "I don't believe it!"

"I can't believe there could be such a coincidence in the world."

How did the people of the Great Zhou learn of the Prime Minister's decision to lead troops to Xiliang Prefecture?

"How did the people of Great Zhou know the exact whereabouts of the Prime Minister's army?"

"If no one informed the Prime Minister of his military strength, how would the people of Great Zhou know?"

"The prime minister's death must have some hidden story!"

"This matter must be thoroughly investigated!"

Its fierce and chilling aura is enough to take one's breath away.

People would occasionally exchange glances, their eyes filled with worry.

Indeed, a person with a clear conscience has nothing to fear.

But the problem is that this might not be a simple thorough investigation.

Rather, it was a political purge!
"Where is the military supervisor?" Li Qing shouted.

“I am here.” Wei Ming A Wu stepped forward, his face solemn.

"check!"

"Investigate thoroughly and find the real culprit!"

Li Qing retorted, "Even if the real culprit is in the army, or even in the capital, I, Li, will avenge the Prime Minister!"

"Yes." Wei Ming A Wu bowed, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes, and solemnly withdrew.

"this--"

"Lord Commander-in-Chief."

A military officer stepped forward and questioned, "Isn't it against procedure to investigate the military without reporting to the capital?"

"Ah!"

"From the border to the capital, it takes more than ten days just for messages to be delivered."

"If this process takes so long, and we don't investigate thoroughly soon, won't we give the real culprit an opportunity to take advantage of us?"

Li Qing glanced at it indifferently: "As the saying goes, the innocent are innocent."

"If he weren't the real culprit, why would he question Li's work procedures?"

"Somebody come!"

A loud shout, filled with rage, rang out: "Drag him away!"

For a time, everyone, from top to bottom, was in a state of fear.

Weizhou, Central Army Camp.

"Ha ha!"

Holding the document, Zhao Ceying couldn't help but clap his hands and laugh.

"The opportunity for unification is already here!"

……

(End of this chapter)