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墨書 Inktalez
Zhao Kuo watched as the soldiers brought over a captured individual dressed in a high-ranking military uniform. He couldn't help but curse under his breath: "Old fox! How old is Qin General Wang He now? This so-called general before me looks barely over twenty. Is this Wang He rejuvenated? Of course not!"
"Tell me where Wang He is, and I will let you go immediately!"
The captured Qin Soldier spat on the ground and squinted up at the officer on horseback. "My grandfather never knew anyone named Wang He! You dare to intrude into my Qin State territory? You will be killed!"
Zhao Kuo looked at this soldier, clearly brainwashed by King Zhao of Qin, and suddenly felt speechless. If he were to argue about the territorial claims of Shangdang in front of so many subordinates, it would surely be a waste of time. He simply waved his hand, signaling to drag the soldier away and execute him.
At that time, the Plain King had made a hasty decision, leading to all supplies for the feudal states' troops entering the Shangdang Region being provided by Zhao State. Before Zhao Kuo was ordered to march, the Zhao Army stationed at Taihang Mountain was running low on provisions. Consequently, the already strained logistics were becoming even tighter.
The second wave of the Zhao Army and the arriving feudal state troops had already taken all the supplies prepared by the Plain King. It could now be said that there was no grain left in Zhao State to send to Shangdang. Although the Plain King repeatedly assured that supplies would be arranged later, the resistance encountered this time was likely far more complicated than at the beginning.
Without supplies, this battle could not be fought. Considering this aspect, Zhao Kuo decided that the first target upon entering Shangdang would be Lightwolf Fortress. That fortress was originally a supply depot for the Zhao Army, and if luck was on their side, they might find some leftover supplies. However, no one expected that over a thousand men from the Zhao Army would suffer losses taking down a granary that contained nothing of value.
If it could be said that the Zhao Army initially aimed to seize land, now they were forced to search everywhere for Qin Army supply depots due to insufficient provisions. While pursuing and hunting down the command units of the Qin Army, they also hoped to discover their grain supplies. As of now, this goal had yet to be achieved.
Wild King City was certainly a supply transfer station for the Qin Army, but it felt somewhat distant for Zhao Kuo at present. If Old General Lian Po were still in charge, he would have applied for a surprise attack on Wild King City. However, with his change in status, such plans had to be temporarily shelved. At that time, Zhao Kuo was an assistant; now he was the Commander.
Unaware that his subordinates had already injured the Qin Army Commander, Zhao Kuo mistakenly believed that Wang He had once again escaped disaster. Just as he was feeling frustrated, he received news from the forward units that had already entered Shangdang Border—this was indeed great news: they had discovered a grain storage facility set up by the Qin Army in Daliang Mountain.
How much grain could there be? It was certainly more than they could count!
Zhao Kuo focused his attention towards the direction of Zhao Dan Shui River; it seemed that the Qin Army Commander had fled eastward. Meanwhile, the Qin Army's supplies were located in the opposite direction—southwest. Faced with this choice of direction, Zhao Kuo decided that capturing the Qin Army's granary should take precedence. As for capturing the Qin Army Commander, they could take their time after ensuring they were well-fed! Thus, he ordered tens of thousands of troops to turn around; what was once the front line became the rear guard.
Target Daliang Mountain! Advance!
Luzi indeed fulfilled the promise made to Wang Jian of one hundred fifty thousand troops. After arriving at the Dan Shui River Defense Line and completing the handover procedures, he immediately took on the role of a hands-off Keeper. Even so, his identity still held weight.
After notifying all departments to prepare for camp relocation, Wang Jian still came over to report on the situation. He wanted to leave a portion of troops within the defense line, but his suggestion was immediately dismissed. Luzi told him that even if they withdrew all the troops now, there was no guarantee of victory. If they left several thousand behind, the odds of winning would be even lower.
Luzi spread out the latest completed Military Map on the table and called Wang Jian over to take a look. "How should we win this battle?"
Wang Jian had not seen the latest enemy and friendly situation map until now, and upon seeing it, he realized that Lu Zigang's words were not unfounded. The two armies of Qin Zhao had completely thrown their formations into chaos; the only ones still free were the one hundred fifty thousand Qin Army remaining at the Dan Shui River Defense Line. However, he did not consider how those one hundred fifty thousand could defeat a million because anything was possible.
Wang Jian lowered his head to examine the Military Map again before saying, "General! The situation in the Shangdang Region is too complicated and chaotic, resembling a heavily locked Copper Lock. My main force at the Danhe Defense Line is like a key that can unlock this lock without dispersing our main strength."
Hearing this, Luzi, who was already troubled by this matter, couldn't help but feel overjoyed. "General Wang, please continue!"
Clearly having prepared his thoughts, Wang Jian immediately pointed at the Battle Map and laid out his action plan, stating that this might be the only solution available at present.
Luzi looked down at the map's guidance while listening and nodding. Indeed, he had not misjudged him! Wang Jian was fit for this task!
Moving over one hundred thousand troops was not as simple as gathering friends for a temple fair; from receiving orders to preparing and assembling took a considerable amount of time. Especially when reallocating defensive troops was even more challenging; they had fortified defenses while placing much heavy equipment in permanent fortifications. If they sent someone to stay behind, it would be easier as they could leave supplies that didn't need to be moved. However, this time it was an entire army mobilization; everything had to be moved.
As Wang Jian noticed that the designated time was approaching, he suddenly felt a strange sensation. Was this still that swift-moving Qin Army? How could it be that no troops had arrived early to report for such a long time!? He then greeted Luzi and went to check on each camp to find out what was going on. Soon after, he discovered the reason for the delay in the Army, and immediately issued an order to carry only weapons and food while abandoning all heavy supplies.
The opposing Zhao Army Commander was a person of fiery temperament; plans made rarely lasted overnight. If they continued dragging their feet like this and failed to move out in half a day, they would find themselves too late once they entered the battlefield!
As the operational orders were issued to each battalion, the issues were thoroughly resolved, and the Qin Army's rapid capabilities were finally restored. By the time Wang Jian arrived at the main camp with the troops that were farthest from the command post, the battalion commanders had already gathered together.
Now, it was not only the Zhao Army's supply of provisions that faced problems; Luzi's inquiry to Fan Chenglong of Wild King City regarding the supplies yielded similar results. Although an urgent document about the food shortage had been sent back to the capital, what was returned was not provisions but merely a letter from Chancellor Fan Ju.
While Wang Jian was out urging each battalion, Luzi secretly opened the letter to read its contents. Upon hearing footsteps reporting from outside, he hurriedly tossed the letter into the charcoal fire to burn it.
Wang Jian then reported back, stating that all units of the Qin Army were present.
On the surface, Luzi appeared calm, but he was actually anxious. Time was of the essence now. He clenched his fists tightly and took a deep breath, prompting General Wang Jian to formally announce the combat orders.
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