My Realistic Simulation Game

Chapter 277 War Begins! War Begins!
Qin Yuan's decision to wage war against Funing Prefecture and even Fuzhou Prefecture was by no means an impulsive act, nor was it solely because Cheng Xueqi brought hope to the field of medicine.

After more than a month of intensive management and military reorganization, the Guangfu Army has undergone a complete transformation.

More importantly, through the initial establishment of the tax system and the "temporary requisition" policy, the funds, grain and supplies of Jianning and Shaowu prefectures were greatly replenished, and the foundation for supporting the army's operations was solidified.

In short, the Guangfu Army has already begun to absorb the population and resource potential of these two prefectures.

However, in order to support the hundreds of thousands of soldiers and their families in the long term, and to plan for greater development, it was imperative to expand the territory and acquire a more fertile base.

When the decision to attack Fuzhou was communicated to all the armies, it immediately received unanimous support from the army commanders to the ordinary soldiers.

For these soldiers who longed to make a name for themselves and change their destiny, war meant military merit, rewards, and opportunities for advancement.

Their desire for war was even more intense than Qin Yuan's.

However, for Qin Yuan, the significance of this upcoming battle goes far beyond simply conquering cities and seizing territory.

This was also a touchstone for his second round of in-depth reorganization and testing of the Restoration Army.

Only through the tempering of actual combat can the true combat effectiveness of each unit, the abilities of its commanders, and the adaptability of the new system be most effectively tested.

He needs to leverage the immense prestige brought by victory to make more thorough and idealistic adjustments to the power structure and personnel arrangements that still bear the imprint of the old-fashioned military.

To this end, Qin Yuan had already planned ahead and designed a complete new military rank system for the Restoration Army.

This system is divided into six ranks: soldier, non-commissioned officer, junior officer, field officer, general officer, and marshal.

The purpose is to break away from the old practice of rewarding based on seniority, social status, or vague military achievements, and to establish a promotion channel based solely on military achievements, abilities, and contributions.

Qin Yuan was naturally the sole commander of the Restoration Army.

Who will become the first batch of "generals" awarded by the Restoration Army depends on their performance in this battle.

This clear and transparent upward mobility system is undoubtedly extremely attractive to the majority of civilian children in the military.

To facilitate the implementation of the military rank system, Qin Yuan specially established a clothing factory in Jianning Prefecture to design and produce new military uniforms and insignia such as shoulder boards and collar badges representing different ranks.

He planned to hold a ceremony to confer ranks on the entire army after capturing Fuzhou, so that the Restoration Army would completely change its old appearance and become a truly new army.

But before that, they must first take on the tough nut of Fuzhou and defeat the Qing army, which was said to number 100,000.

Qin Yuan strode into the staff headquarters' operations room, which was already taking shape.

"Commander!"

Upon seeing him enter, the staff officers who were busy at the sand table and maps all stood up and bowed.

The staff is no longer solely managed by Zhang Suimou. After more than a month of intensive training, outstanding trainees selected from the 2,000-person training group have been added, enabling this brain institution to operate efficiently.

"We have completed the preliminary battle plan for attacking Fuzhou."

Zhang Suimou stepped forward and spread out a detailed battle map on the table. He solemnly reported: "Currently, the forces that our army can deploy in the Funing direction are mainly Fu Zhongxin's Fourth Army, Tan Shaoguang's army, and a part of Shi Zhenji's First Army that can move from Xianxia Pass, totaling about 68,000 people."

"The General Staff's plan is for the two armies to join forces and break through from the front. The primary objective is to capture the two key passes of Zhoudun and Yuxi. Once they succeed, they can advance directly towards Fu'an, the capital of Funing Prefecture."

He traced the map with his baton: "Commander, look, there is a crucial waterway within the territory of Fuzhou Prefecture—the Xixi River. Both the Yuxi River and Fu'an City are within its basin. If our army can seize control of the Xixi River, we can take advantage of the water transport to sail downstream and directly threaten Fu'an, forcing the main Qing army to come out of the city to provide reinforcements. Our army can then wait in a pre-arranged battlefield to meet the enemy's attack..."

Zhang Suimou's explanation was clear and logical. He used detailed maps to thoroughly analyze the enemy's and our own situation, the attack route, the possible resistance we might encounter, and the subsequent developments.

Although Qin Yuan had no experience in directly commanding large-scale cold weapon warfare, he possessed excellent map reading skills and a macro-strategic vision, and was fully capable of understanding and assessing the feasibility of this plan.

This is precisely the modern military model that Qin Yuan wants to establish.

Relying on meticulous intelligence, accurate maps, and a professional team of advisors to conduct repeated wargame simulations in order to seek the optimal solution, rather than relying on the commander's momentary inspiration or the general's reckless courage.

Qin Yuan basically approved of the General Staff's plan to break through head-on, seize key locations, and lure the enemy out, but he believed that the overall strategy could be broader and the methods more flexible.

“Yuanzai, your plan is sound, but a bit conservative.”

Qin Yuan tapped his fingers lightly on the location of Fuzhou on the map, his gaze turning to Fuzhou further south. "The Qing army has 100,000 troops. It seems powerful, but they belong to different systems: Zhejiang soldiers, Fujian soldiers, Green Standard Army, and local militia. Such a mixed and coordinated force must be difficult to manage."

"Moreover, they need to defend many points across a wide area, so their actual pressure is far greater than ours. Don't they want to encircle us? Then we'll do the opposite and force them to make a choice!"

His voice was calm and firm: "We must attack Fuzhou Prefecture! But we must also launch a fierce offensive against Fuzhou Prefecture!"

"For the Qing court, the provincial capital Fuzhou was far more important than ten Fuzhou prefectures!"

"We will not seek a decisive battle with them in one city or one place. We will take advantage of the mobility and inner line advantage that our army has initially formed..." Qin Yuan's palm swept across the area controlled by the Restoration Army and the Qing army's defensive line on the map: "We will force the Qing army to make a strategic miscalculation and drag them into a protracted battle!"

"Use all our forces to fight a campaign consisting of countless small-scale battles across the vast battlefields of northeastern and central Fujian!"

"By constantly attacking their supply lines, harassing their strongholds, and annihilating their small units, the 100,000-strong Qing army was caught in a predicament of being surrounded and exhausted, and ultimately collapsed completely amidst continuous blood loss and panic!"

"To achieve victory in one battle? No, we must achieve victory in a hundred battles, a thousand battles!"

The execution of this campaign must be maximized, and troops and generals who cannot keep up with this level of flexible warfare will be at a disadvantage.

It was inevitable that he would take it down after the war.

This battle was actually a large-scale rehearsal for his Restoration Army before they went to Southeast Asia.

After all, there weren't that many cities to be besieged in Southeast Asia.

Instead, they were scattered islands, villages where indigenous tribes gathered, and fortified stone walls built by the Spanish.

Therefore, the future Restoration Army must be able to adapt to this kind of high-intensity combat with full execution capabilities.

But Qin Yuan's plan was clearly beyond everyone's expectations.

As soon as he finished speaking, there was silence in the staff headquarters, followed by a collective gasp of surprise!
They certainly didn't guess Qin Yuan's idea of ​​training troops.

Instead, they were awestruck by this grand strategic ambition.

This is no longer just about capturing Fuzhou, but about swallowing up the Qing army's main force in Fujian and paving the way for sweeping across the entire province!

However, after the initial shock, especially the young staff officers and the officers of the training regiment who had come with Qin Yuan for the inspection, their eyes shone with fervor and admiration.

This unconventional and holistic vision is precisely why they are willing to follow them to the death!

"Commander, we will immediately formulate a new battle plan."

Zhang Suimou responded immediately.

For him, Qin Yuan's orders were his direction.

Subsequently, the General Staff immediately sprang into action, and within just one day, it formulated a completely new and more aggressive operational deployment based on the original plan.

Zhang Suimou explained the final plan to Qin Yuan and the generals while facing the sand table:
"The First Army under Shi Zhenji, with its main force departing from Xianxia Pass, made the appearance of a counterattack against Zhejiang, and launched a surprise attack on Longquan and Jingning counties, disrupting the Qing army's rear and forcing the Qing court to transfer troops from other directions, causing confusion in its strategic judgment!"

"Chen Hengrong's Second Army bypassed the main force in Fuzhou and Ningzhou and went straight to Gutian, a key town on the northern route of Fuzhou Prefecture. Their advance was aimed directly at the provincial capital, creating the situation that we wanted to take Fuzhou directly. This forced Fuzhou to urgently request reinforcements and disperse the enemy's forces!"

"The Third Army under He Mingbiao is heading south to Yanping Prefecture. Its primary objective is to capture the prefectural city of Nanping, use its naval superiority to control the upper reaches of the Min River, cut off Fuzhou's waterway connection with the inland areas, and threaten the passage from Jiangxi into Fujian!"

"The Fourth Army under Fu Zhongxin, as originally planned, will maintain strong pressure on the enemy in front of Fuzhou, launch a fierce attack on Yuxi and Zhoudun, and engage in a tug-of-war and containment of the main Qing army, preventing them from paying attention to other matters!"

This battle plan perfectly aligns with Qin Yuan's thinking.

In an instant, the war, which was originally confined to the corner of Funing, expanded to the entire Fujian battlefield.

After obtaining Qin Yuan's approval, the new battle plan was stamped with the General Headquarters seal and then quickly disseminated to all armies.

The order immediately ignited a surge of fighting spirit throughout the entire army.

Shaowu Prefecture, Headquarters of the Third Army.

Looking at Lai Yuxin, who was travel-worn but had bright eyes, He Mingbiao asked with a smile, "Old Lai, are you really not going to Jianning Prefecture to pay your respects to His Highness first, but instead insisting on staying here with me?"

Lai Yuxin shook his head, stroked his beard, and said, "I have lost Ruizhou and suffered heavy losses. I have no face to see His Highness Prince Yi immediately."

"Now that we are in the midst of a great war, if we do not achieve any merit, how can we face Jianning?"

"Now that you're going to attack Yanping, you're going to be taking on a tough nut to crack! You're in luck this time; I'll be your vanguard!"

Instead of being happy, He Mingbiao suddenly became angry: "So that's why you, you miser, were lingering here. You were trying to steal my credit."

In his eyes, Yanping Prefecture was already his for the taking.

Lai Yuxin laughed boisterously, "What? Let's see who takes Nanping City first."

A major city that controls the upper reaches of the Minjiang River has now become the stake for the two of them.

(End of this chapter)