With 100,000 elite soldiers at the start, what should you call me?

……

"How's the intelligence gathering going?"

The command center remained brightly lit even at night.

In ordinary households, people would never light candles unless it was something important.

Resources were scarce in this era.

Inside the command center, a group of people were busy moving around, and in the middle of a table, a clearer map was drawn.

This is a map that Zhang Yonghao arranged for the investigators to redraw during the day.

The personnel in the command center were all staff officers and assistants promoted by Zhang Yonghao.

They were specifically responsible for compiling intelligence and devising strategies.

"Reporting to the commander, the intelligence gathering is basically complete."

Zhang Yonghao reported to the leader.

"Collected, that's all. What do you mean by 'basically collected'?" Li Tian didn't want to hear an ambiguous answer.

Zhang Yonghao smiled bitterly to himself; it was impossible to gather all the information in just one day.

Although he wanted to complain, he chose to organize his thoughts and report the facts truthfully.

"Commander, please look at the map. We have already compiled the key information. As for other details, we will need more time to investigate."

Li Tian looked at the map; "Well, everyone, you've worked hard. This information is enough. We don't have that much time. If we can't defeat the Qing army, we'll be the ones wiped out."

War itself is not terrible, but a lost war is terrible.

Zhang Yonghao bowed and then began to explain the intelligence he had gathered, pointing to the map.

"The enemy's encampment is not far from us; they have set up camp near the confluence of the Xiaosongxi and Jianxi rivers."

"Their provisions were all transported by waterway. There were about twenty-six standard camps, stretching for twelve to fifteen miles along the Xiaosong River. The camps were about two or three hundred meters away from the riverbank. The Qing army also had camps on the opposite bank of the Xiaosong River, but there were relatively fewer of them."

"The Qing army stored grain and fodder in five places. The one in the very center was the other four, which were rectangular with two at the bottom and two at the top."

"The surrounding environment is mainly river valleys, plains and hills, like a basin, with the middle suitable for cavalry operations and the two sides being mountains and forests suitable for infantry operations."

"The enemy force numbered approximately 130,000, and its personnel were a mixed bag, including some who appeared to be farmers, some who appeared to be slaves, and some who appeared to be soldiers."

"Suspected soldier?"

Li Tian was somewhat puzzled by this answer.

He had only heard this phrase in a certain game, and a certain player was suspected to be a mid-laner.

Zhang Yonghao gave an awkward smile;

"It is indeed suspected, because these people transported provisions, built fortifications, and fed horses like farmers, but the next one could pick up weapons and train, but without armor on him."

"That should be local militia or garrison troops," Li Tian guessed.

If we look at the management of this era from a modern perspective, it is simply incredibly crude.

In this chaotic era, power seemed less distinct; a Minister of Justice could lead troops into battle, which would be unbelievable in later generations.

This action is like the Minister of Justice leading the charge on the battlefield.

The Qing army's camp setup was extremely bold. Weren't they afraid that the Ming army would press in and leave them with nowhere to retreat?

When Li Tian saw the Qing army's deployment, a question flashed through his mind, but then he thought of something and found the answer for himself.

The Ming army was constantly being suppressed, and the Qing army probably never considered the possibility of defeat, which is why they so casually chose a convenient place to build their camp.

The plains along the river facilitated the transportation of grain and fodder.

"The Qing army is fighting with its back to the river and has no way to retreat. If our army wins, we can annihilate the Qing army in front of us."

Zhang Yonghao said excitedly at this moment.

"You're right. First, we should understand the Qing army's advantages. We should establish camps along the river basin to facilitate the supply of food and provisions, which will be beneficial for cavalry operations. With the Jianxi and Xiaosongxi rivers behind us, we can obtain water support."

"Let's talk about their weaknesses. With no way out and the situation unfavorable, they will either immediately give up resistance or fight to the death. However, the probability of fighting to the death is very small. This leads to the next weakness: the Qing army is composed of a diverse group of people."

"The Qing army's real soldiers were very brave, but there were probably not many such soldiers. Most of them were just there to make up the numbers. The common people were afraid of dying, not to mention that these people were Han Chinese before. Given the chance, they might turn around and bite back."

Li Tian did not fantasize about victory, but calmly analyzed the situation.

"Our army's weakness is that it has little food and supplies, so it cannot fight for a long time and can only press on with one burst of energy."

"Personnel are precious; we can't afford to lose too many of our loyal soldiers."

"Our army's advantages are that its light firepower makes it easy to overwhelm the Qing army, and it has a large number of combat personnel, all of whom are soldiers. The composition of the personnel is not complicated, and they have a firm fighting will and strict discipline."

Zhang Yonghao and others were also analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy and themselves.

At this point, someone proposed a battle plan.

"Commander, if we want to end this battle quickly and with minimal casualties, I think we should launch a night raid."

Li Tian looked up and saw that the man was about thirty years old and had an ordinary appearance. He was a staff officer who had been promoted today and his name was Yao Bing.

During his time at military academy, he frequently simulated battle scenarios, which gave him a solid foundation in theoretical knowledge.

Li Tian gestured for him to continue.

"First, let's compare the firepower of both sides. The Qing army had about one hundred cannons, and the number of muskets is unknown, but the total number would not exceed ten thousand. They were all relatively outdated muskets and three-barreled guns."

"Our army has more than 30 cannons, but they are all light cannons, and shells are scarce."

"If this were a daytime battle, the Qing army would certainly use their superior artillery to inflict heavy casualties on us."

"Therefore, we need to avoid the enemy's artillery, so we must fight at night."

Yao Bing continued to explain in detail: "Our night battles must also be different; we absolutely cannot rush into the military camp indiscriminately."

"I think we should take advantage of our firearms to surround the entire Qing army camp in this night battle, and then advance in a closed-circle manner."

"If the other side wants to break out of the circle and escape, they can only do so by throwing lives at them."

"Unless they don't want to live anymore and jump into the Little Pine Creek behind them."

"Moreover, the enemy's navy is not able to provide support at night, thus reducing the Qing army's advantage."

After listening to Yao Bing's tactical analysis, Li Tian felt that it was highly feasible.

"Your plan is acceptable, but we can't completely surround them; we need to leave an opening for them to escape."

"Our goal is to defeat the Qing army and seize their supplies, not to annihilate them. If pushed too far, the Qing army will fight back with firearms."

"If no one else has any objections, our army will use this battle plan tomorrow."

Everyone nodded in agreement with Yao Bing's battle plan.

With the battle plan finalized, the next step was to refine the operational details and determine the troops to be deployed.

"Zhang Yonghao, summarize the plan and send it to Yu Qiang and the others. In addition to the Longxiang First Army, six more armies will be needed for this operation."

"Yes, Commander. I believe the nine army commanders will reach a conclusion on their own by tomorrow morning."

After finishing the battle plan, Zhang Yonghao immediately went to find Yu Qiang and the others.