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

Apart from Gu Tingye, Liang Zhao, and Jing Sili, there was no one else in the tent.

Gu Tingye looked around for a while, then turned back and said, "Recently, the main force of Xihe has moved north along Hezhou, cleared Lanzhou, and arrived at Lezhou."

"This campaign against the border involves 300,000 troops, and involves not only the Western Xia, but also the Tubo regime."

Gu Tingye said slowly, "Once the main force enters Lezhou, we will face a real battle."

"A battle involving hundreds of thousands of troops is a massive undertaking, and the outcome can change in an instant."

"The main force of the army entered Lezhou, and Wang Shao defended against the Tubo."

“The 30,000 border troops assigned to Gu by the commander-in-chief cannot be idle.”

As he spoke, Gu Tingye pointed towards Weizhou, and then upwards along Weizhou, pointing towards Xiping Prefecture and Xiliang Prefecture.

(As shown in the picture: the black box indicates Lezhou. Shaanxi Road and Xihe Road are adjacent to each other, with only three or four prefectures or counties in between.)

"Xiping Prefecture is close to Xingqing Prefecture, the capital of Western Xia, and its importance is self-evident."

"Xiliang Prefecture is actually the auxiliary prefecture of Western Xia, that is, the secondary capital. It connects to the vast desert and controls the throat of five prefectures."

Gu Tingye said slowly, "Both of these places are extremely important."

“Once border troops enter Western Xia territory and head towards these two places, Western Xia will surely be shaken.”

"Thus, it is not a surprise attack, but it has the effect of one."

An army of 30,000 is a force that cannot be ignored, no matter where it is deployed.

The Western Xia's 100,000 border troops were scattered along a considerable length of the border.

At a single border point, the number of troops stationed is not large.

Shaanxi Road and Western Xia were locked in a long-term standoff, not exactly evenly matched, but not by much.

With 30,000 soldiers launching a sudden attack, it wouldn't be too difficult to seize the opportunity and break through.

The real challenge is capturing a city and then holding it.

just

Both Liang Zhao and Jing Sili were surprised.

Attacking Xiping Prefecture was a common occurrence, as it was located directly north of the Shaanxi battlefield and was also close in distance.

Xiliang Prefecture?

"You're right if you can't guess it."

Upon seeing the astonished expressions on their faces, Gu Tingye couldn't help but clap his hands.

The two core generals couldn't guess the strategy, and no one else could either!

"In war, one cannot focus on one place; one must focus on the entire battlefield," Gu Tingye admonished.

This is the difference between a commander-in-chief and a general.

The gap lies in mindset, planning, and overall coordination!

The difference between a general and a commander may seem to be only a fine line, but in reality, the gap is enormous.

A narrow perspective is the biggest obstacle.

"Let's train the troops!"

Gu Tingye waved his hand: "We will hold a rally on a chosen day. General Zhongjing will lead troops to attack one area and assist us."

Liang Zhao and Jing Sili clasped their hands in a salute and withdrew.

After the two left, Gu Tingye looked heavily towards Xiliang Prefecture.

Indeed, he was on Shaanxi Road.

Many people believe that he intends to fight on the Shaanxi battlefield.

Even Zhongjinghou, Liang Zhao, and Jing Sili believed that he was going to attack Xiping Prefecture, north of Shaanxi.

Little did they know, Xiliang Prefecture could also be attacked.

South of Xiliang Prefecture lies Lezhou.

Whether they were to attack Xiliang Prefecture or turn south to attack the north of Lezhou, thus joining forces with the main force of Xihe to launch a pincer attack, it would be a highly strategic move.

Xining Prefecture, the capital city.

Chief Dongzhan sat on the throne and glanced at the geomantic map.

After pondering for a moment, he gave the order: "Raise an army to attack Lanzhou and Diezhou."

"The people of Muzheng will attack the land of Hezhou."

General Rendo Hochō bowed respectfully and said, "Yes."

Dong Zhan sighed and silently gazed into the distance.

Mu Zheng and he have been fighting for several years.

But now they have no choice but to unite.

There's no way around it; if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold too!

The Western Xia was besieged and unable to unite with the Tibetan Empire to resist other regimes.

Little did they know, the Tibetan Empire was no different.

Despite the fact that the Great Zhou Dynasty signed two unequal treaties, the Treaty of Shanyuan and the Peace Treaty of Qingli, and appeared weak and vulnerable, it was still a formidable force.

In reality, the Great Zhou was a first-rate behemoth regime.

Otherwise, it would have been impossible to seize the Hehuang region so quickly.

If the Western Xia were to be gradually annexed, Tibet would not fare much better.

For the sake of the overall situation, he had no choice but to temporarily negotiate peace with Mu Zheng, join forces to invade the Great Zhou, try to reclaim the Hehuang region, and establish contact with the Western Xia.

Hopefully, everything will go smoothly.

Dong Zhan stood with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance.

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."