Chapter 138: Collapse On The Western Front
The perspective shifts to the west side of Da Yao. Just as Wu Fei began implementing the theories of “amass grain,” “use espionage extensively,” and “protracted warfare” throughout Bo Prefecture for the entire month of October, at the same time in early October, Zhao Cheng finally unleashed his full strength and turned his rotten hand into a heavenly hand.
After Emperor Shu strategically contracted his troops in September, with Hao and Yao exchanging positions, Zhao Cheng quickly integrated the desolate Xingzhou and Sha Prefecture, and dispatched a surprise troop into Yongzhou, transporting food and grass from Yongzhou as loans to the major households in Xingzhou.
Zhao Cheng did not directly provide disaster relief. Xingzhou’s disaster was endless to relieve. Under natural and man-made disasters, with the overall grain shortage in the prefecture, there would always be some people who starved to death. The key was whether the survivors were his own people!
Whether these surviving people and forces would align with him in the future, pay him taxes, and provide soldiers. As a legitimate military strategist, Zhao Cheng naturally understood what “weapons are instruments of war” meant.
Under Zhao Cheng’s integration, the local households in Xingzhou could survive if they were willing to work like oxen and horses to align with him, but if they did not pay guarantees, they could not survive.
On this point, the modern man Xuan Chong from Bo Prefecture could not grasp it. After confirming deaths by starvation, he made a big fuss, even beginning to reduce troop numbers, disbanding several thousand to the countryside to eat chives, dig for rats, overturn ant nests for snails, and fend for themselves, reducing millet consumption in the military camp.
Zhao Cheng did not reduce his troop numbers at all. By Zhao Cheng’s current standards, many people from Xuan Chong’s previous life era would not deserve to live under natural disasters.
Good agricultural land was concentrated in river alluvial plain areas. The groups controlling the means of production were “selectively” allowed to survive disasters and warfare by military forces within the year. For Eastern military groups, a obedient, grateful child had more reason to survive than an adult strong man.
Europe’s side focused selectivity on the disaster not there, but on “strong and healthy, even valuable as slaves” people who were chosen to survive. Whether these selected people aligned with the military collective, and then climbed into the ruling class through displays of loyalty? Europe’s military groups were highly monopolized and solidified internally, not allowing just anyone to casually align.
Europe’s weak ones, besides their own strong and healthy condition, could not improve their selection probability one bit through effort.
So in Xuan Chong’s previous life, when Eastern people habitually used the Eastern approach, it was purely casting flirtatious glances at the blind.
…Xuan Chong had already deliberately “acted ancient,” but there was still incompatibility with the Xi Ren Realm…
While Zhao Cheng completed resource integration here, the Yao Army troops that withdrew to the inner lines on this side remained chaotic.
The five armies of Da Yao were rife with internal contradictions and lacked food and grass. Some of their recruited laborer troops began losing restraint, shifting from regularization toward banditry.
It must be known that back in Xingzhou, due to food and grass shortages, Yao Army generals had already allowed troops to plunder localities, but that could still be called living off enemy territory. Now, after returning, in their own inland soil, the destructive power was released in their own rear.
Like how dogs turn into wolves upon entering deep mountains, or domestic pigs become like wild boars in the wild.
Armies were the same; without belief and food and grass supply chains, they quickly turned into bandits.
Wherever Emperor Shu’s procession went in September, roads were littered with bones, villages overgrown with weeds, even though he had already ordered each prefecture to provide food and grass. But he forgot that the local food and grass had already been requisitioned once by him. Military strategy states, “food and grass absolutely cannot be requisitioned a second time.”
At this time, the Yao Army was still docile before him, but out of sight, they frantically plundered. Even this docility before the monarch was hard to guarantee would last much longer.
After all, after September, some soldiers’ defiance of generals’ suppression became increasingly “incorrigible.”
Emperor Shu looked at the map at the two grain transport paths on the west side and east side. Now these two key roads were ambushed by roving bandit armies (laborer uprising armies), causing insufficient food and grass transport and supplies.
These farmer laborer uprising armies appearing everywhere made the main army even more sluggish.
Under the candlelight, Emperor Shu breathed heavily: to think that he, the majestic Son of Heaven, had fallen into such a predicament during his personal expedition.
Even if he safely returned to the Imperial Court this time, he would be used by those ministers in the Imperial Court as a case to instruct future emperors to stay in the center for coordination and not lightly “conquer.”
Ministers seemed to advise the emperor to be prudent, but this instruction was actually an attempt to lock the monarch’s power to conquer.
Emperor Shu now did not understand where he went wrong in “military affairs”?
If Wu Fei were by his side, he would definitely give him an analysis with two, three, four, or five points. Even Wu Fei would need a non-commissioned officer corps to consolidate information. Emperor Shu now was “solely enlightened.”
If Wu Fei were on site taking over Emperor Shu’s situation, it would be like this: first plan the nearest attack points, now those points in Sha Prefecture, reward heavily regardless of cost to assault fiercely, even if it meant mountains of corpses and seas of blood. As long as the grain-eaters were consumed, it would be fine.
The saying is that military officials do not speak of mercy. Back when Wu Fei was just a camp team, he supplied salted meat to the frontline—that was snake people jerky sent forward, and he ate it himself.
In this Eastern frontline campaign, facing grain shortages, Wu Fei also had a “vicious plan.” That was, in desperation, to cross the sea on a large scale into Yan Land to plunder, creating battle losses to reduce personnel, thereby reducing their own grain consumption and holding out.
If Zhao Cheng returned north and restarted the Bo Prefecture campaign, Wu Fei would definitely use this strategy.
If using chess as an analogy, this was actively exchanging pieces when having the advantage of “one extra chariot.”
If Wu Fei now had a high-pitched horn directly to Zhao City, he would shout to him, “Come to XX Street, bump into me, you won’t have good fruit to eat.”
Zhao Cheng seemed to see through Wu Fei’s intentions; before resolving the Sha Prefecture situation, he would not return to Yan Land no matter what, even Pu E urging was useless.
This exchange pieces strategy was flawless on Emperor Shu’s current situation, completely feasible as five-for-one. Even if Zhao Cheng was good at training troops, exchanging away too many laborer troops in an extremely short time would collapse morale.
While Wu Fei, hundreds of miles away judging the Da Yao west side war situation, was anxious and frustrated: now Emperor Shu’s entire army lacked supplies; it was no longer time to think about preserving strength. Survival hinged on the next ten-plus days; the longer the delay, the weaker the upper levels’ control over the lower, so turning around sooner was better.
Counting the granary grain, Wu Xiao Que once again emphasized: the first element of war is always calculating how to make the enemy collapse first.
As for the vicious consequences of overdrawing resources, only victors have the right to consider them; defeated ones reduced to fish on the cutting board have no qualification to worry.
However, Emperor Shu did not make this decision because he already owed much in rewards and could not make the generals bleed.
These generals in the Yao Army had little schemes in “self-preservation” mode, preparing to be the final winners at the end, seizing food and grass, and singly “escorting” Emperor Shu’s power.
In the Da Yao military formation, the five-zhang-tall strongman no longer stared down the giant Jade Brave giant soldier, but after gnawing trees, squatted in the military tent sleeping to digest the wood chips in his belly. Lacking grain, the strongman could not fight.
…Both sides had given each other enough eye drops…
Zhao Cheng in the main camp, under the lamp looking at the map; at this time he had trapped the Da Yao emperor in a dead end. As long as holding out less than a month, he could achieve total victory.
But at this moment, his Sha Prefecture food and grass was also cut off. The reason was that dragon descendants within Hao State had attacked him, not only not transporting food and grass, but even cattle and sheep near the grassland were transferred to the east.
With a clang, Zhao Cheng heavily placed the oil lamp on the table, clearly furious.
Although Zhao Cheng had done better than Wu Fei in stabilizing situations in Xingzhou, Yongzhou, and other places, he still took a moral low blow from Wu Fei.
Wasn’t the “Dragon Slaying Decree” effect in Bo Prefecture very good! Wu Xiao Que here began expanding it.
In October, after Wu Fei confirmed Zhao Cheng was not a dragon descendant but a native of Da Yao, after failing to “box” Zhao Cheng, Wu Fei began actively fabricating his background.
Wu Fei, based on those famous military families in northern Da Yao, directly fabricated seven versions of his origin for him. —Wu Fei: I don’t believe you popped out of nowhere; one version must be right by sheer luck.
The rumors about Zhao Cheng’s versions were nothing more than being driven out of the family, then self-taught success, and now repenting, thinking of restoring order, quietly vowing to slay the dragon.
Wu Fei used this move often in his previous life, whether between countries or in fistfight disputes, various white noise bombs and information pollution were all part of the struggle. But in a ritual law world where lying without blinking was the case, it was bound to be dramatized in later historical records. Oh, Wu Xiao Que’s future unofficial histories would surely be quite wild.
Undoubtedly, the Haotian dragon descendants’ reaction showed Wu Fei’s “information tactics” had dealt real damage.
King Hao already had dissatisfaction with Pu E’s faction, and dragon descendants had extra prejudice against Zhao Cheng, so there was this operation of withholding food and grass during the great war.
Changes also appeared in Zhao Cheng’s military camp, as an advisor began persuading. General has gained two prefectures; the people there only revere the general, with no spring warmth feeling toward Hao State. General, should not make plans early.
Zhao Cheng stared at this advisor, drew his treasured sword and flicked it, then said: I once swore loyalty to Hao; I do not fail Heaven, do not fail the monarch, do not fail the iron. Mister, do not make it difficult for me.
…The monarch is always the number one external factor affecting victory or defeat outside the battlefield…
On October 25, under pressure from the rear situation, Zhao Cheng began arraying to proactively attack the Da Yao west expeditionary army corps.
His 15,000 troops arrayed on the north side of the Da Yao west expeditionary corps, advancing at 15 li per day. Like Mount Tai pressing down, smashing toward the Da Yao troops group.
The Da Yao west expeditionary corps was originally divided into five routes; under Emperor Shu’s balancing act, much friction had accumulated. Now even less possible for sincere cooperation.
The checkpoint Zhao Cheng defended was originally on the west side; now suddenly bringing the corps to the north side to attack was a careful choice.
Because that northern route Da Yao troops’ general was Hong Ri Xian, and the general of the troops originally in front of him was Wu Shi Chang. These two routes of troops were now contending over a batch of newly transported food and grass along the Sha River channel.
Hong Ri Xian wanted to bypass from the north road to surpass ahead of Wu Shi Chang, while Wu Shi Chang did not want Hong Ri Xian to overtake him. Their troops formed a race, leading to chaos.
And Zhao Cheng seized this battle opportunity, bringing main troops from the north, crashing over like a dump truck.
Since Zhao Cheng had limited strategic time, pursuing the effect of crushing the Da Yao west route army in the shortest time, he adopted the method of “better to break one finger than injure ten.”
At 9 a.m., “creak creak” sounds of stones rolling and friction appeared from the north side of the Da Yao corps, like tiny sand and gravel sliding in a mountain collapse, leaving only the sound of large stones colliding.
Da Yao panting soldiers involuntarily looked up to both sides, seeing from the north what seemed like someone riding something over, immediately alarmed and shouting “enemy attack.”
While dozens grouped in hasty formation, seeing those things getting closer, Yao Army laborer soldiers’ formation began to waver; some wanted to retreat, because this was not ordinary horse cavalry. As the figures neared, Da Yao soldiers’ hands gripping poles trembled.
In the Haotian army formation, besides two-meter-tall, hundred-stone heavy jade lion war beasts, there was a twenty-stone size horse-like jade lion. Hao Army iron armor warriors could ride them to break enemy formations like iron hammers cracking walnuts.
Hong Ri Xian’s left wing laborer army soldiers faced this flood like sandcastles under tidewater, embodying “flowers drifting away like flowing water.”
Even before the stone lion cavalry arrived in the formation, soldiers dropped their long spears and ran, purely using others as buffers against the impact. One leads ten, ten lead a hundred.
This Yao Army originally had supervising personal soldiers, but during these days’ march, the ranks were fully disordered, the chaotic queue stretched too long; even if Hong Ri Xian’s personal soldiers wanted to supervise, they could not maintain order in each area.
Hong Ri Xian’s these personal soldiers were all following the marshal now relying on the river side confronting friendly troops for grain; when the main army periphery encountered impact, they also could not rush back to handle.
…Yao Army was extremely deficient in the “manpower” element…
Perspective to high ground: such heavy cavalry assaults totaled five places, like chopping ribs, evenly segmenting this Da Yao northern route main army. Iron hoof floods swept through, leaving along the way corpses with “necks cracked red” and “chests bloodstained.”
As the attacker, Zhao Cheng could confirm his segmentation points, but the unprepared Da Yao generals only knew the army suddenly disordered, unaware of where the chaos originated. Thus, they could not accurately dispatch suppression troops first.
Zhao Cheng’s troops had similarly suffered a Yao Army cavalry assault half a month ago.
Then, Yao Army cavalry also caused “segmentation” to his laborer troops, but each segmented Hao Army unit quickly reassembled according to benchmarks.
A few minutes later, Yao Army cavalry assault fell into an ambush on all sides. Because the assaulted segmented corps became the vessel shape, Hao Army were the four mouths of vessel, while Yao Army cavalry became the dog clamped inside.
Zhao Cheng-trained officers and soldiers could, after the first impact, reform small unit formations; between each “mouth” formation, they could still dispatch messengers, command chain intact.
Now Yao Army faced stone lion cavalry counter-charge but could not do this.
Note: Wu Fei’s side army situation similar to Zhao Cheng’s, of course Wu Fei’s troops here also had shoulder mark system.
Wu Fei anticipated the most extreme case, even if his troops’ small formations were crushed, after crushing, high-rank soldiers could rally low-rank ones, identifying by insignia, reforming organization.
And Wu Fei set “first-class merit” for this situation; such awesome deeds would get merit badges, ensuring the military system insiders (his successors) seeing this badge would understand this minister’s weight.
Back to the current scene of Zhao Cheng’s assault on Yao Army. After Zhao Cheng cavalry completely disrupted Hong Ri Xian’s left army into mush, then Hao Army main troops entered the battlefield.
From the chaotic Yao Army perspective, northern horizon first showed Hao Army large flags one after another, then like grass growing, layer upon layer armored soldiers raising spear square formations rose from the horizon. This time using square formation frontal pressure.
Yao Army areas not yet collapsed barely formed military formations, preparing several hard prongs to block this Hao Army grand formation’s crushing.
Resulting at two hundred paces away, clusters of glossy arrowheads like raindrops fell toward the formation—this was silk-wrapped wind control rune armor-piercing arrows.
Such heavy arrows weighed two hundred grams, about an apple’s weight.
An apple smashing down from five meters high in a tree could bump a person’s head and inspire ideas, but from fifty meters high, cause concussion. Such heavy arrows were lobbing shots from fifty-meter height, armor-piercing ability like human-thrown javelins.
Under this Hao Army barrage of arrow rain, that remaining elite soldiers of Yao Army Hong Ri Xian clustered in non-collapsed formation areas fell a large patch of people.
While arrow rain suppressed, Hao Army Jade Brave spear cavalry charge also began; these leather armor cavalry entered from prior collapse points, circling to the flanks of Da Yao’s several die-hard square formations for side impacts.
Hao Army light cavalry following heavy cavalry, sabres like barbs drawing more flesh from already torn wounds.
These Da Yao war camps wanting to be pillars were generally five hundred paces apart; this distance too far, would be segmented. Now with fleeing soldiers scale further expanding, plans for these war camps to close up were foiled.
Fleeing soldiers like sheep quickly driven away, while remaining elite battle soldiers clusters like nitric acid corroded exposing skeletons, left on three-li-wide open space.
These Hong Ri Xian elite battle soldiers, in the fighting, found the cannon fodder around them all ran.
Haotian cavalry galloped between these battle soldier clusters; Hong Ri Xian’s battle soldiers formed dozens-person small formations shooting crossbow bolts. But small formations too spread out, unable to suppress Hao Army cavalry infiltration.
Hao Army also like crosswind passing through these small square formations, seemingly pursuing fleeing soldiers, but Hong Ri Xian’s battle soldiers not relaxed because forward Hao Army infantry large square formation pressed up.
Just as Yao Army battle soldiers fully faced the frontal grand battle formation, the Hao Army cavalry that had passed to the rear turned back with a carbine charge.
Military strategy states: with double troop strength, strike front and rear.
When Hao Army battle formation pressed to Yao Army remaining battle soldiers’ front, Yao Army battle soldiers could not hold, facing several times Hao Army frontal large square formation had to retreat step by step.
Hao Army light cavalry seized the chance, crashing into the flanks and rear of Yao Army’s remaining five hundred troops forming six small square formations.
This charge like hammer smashing flawed tempered glass.
Hong Ri Xian’s reserve forces, the Yao Army war camp previously wanting to be mainstay to turn the tide, directly collapsed.
Half a shichen later, when Hao Army killed into under the large flag, they could not find Hong Ri Xian at all.
This general had already changed into infantry clothes and fled.
