Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
When the Qin State Army halted its advance, an urgent military situation report was relayed back from the vanguard camp. The main force of the Zhao Army was discovered near the grain storage, two miles away from our Qin Army, with specific numbers still being verified.
It seems that the Zhao Army intends to ambush the approaching Qin Army; the time for a decisive battle has arrived!
Upon hearing the gathering bell from the Central Army, Luzi and Wang Jian hurried to the Central Army Camp. As over thirty generals of the Qin Army arrived one after another, Bai Qi, clad in general's armor, had already been waiting for some time.
Seeing Bai Qi in his general's armor, Luzi couldn't help but be taken aback. In previous encounters with the Grand Commander, he had never seen him wear armor. Compared to his own full-metal bronze armor, Bai Qi's general's armor could at best be considered a combat vest.
Aside from the metal heart guard in the center of the armor, almost all other parts were covered with fired terracotta armor plates. That said, it wouldn't be entirely accurate; the two beast heads on his shoulders were also made of bronze. It might give off a feeling of being shabby! Perhaps that is indeed the case!
"Greetings, Grand Commander!"
According to relevant regulations, special circumstances during military times require special handling. All cumbersome formalities were simplified as the generals standing in the main tent simultaneously saluted Wuan Jun with standard military courtesy.
Bai Qi waved his hand to indicate that no elaborate formalities were necessary and then called over the generals to arrange combat orders based on the map. When a large military map was displayed before everyone, a latest enemy and friendly situation chart appeared.
"Generals, listen up! By order of Zhao Xiang Wang!"
Upon hearing that there was a royal decree from the king present, the generals knelt down to receive it.
"...Since the forty-fifth year of Zhao Xiang Wang's reign, Korea has offered Shangdang County to Qin. Unexpected changes occurred midway... The treacherous minister Feng Ting used public sentiment as an excuse to surrender our vast lands to Zhao... How could we Qin allow our extensive territory to be handed over so easily!? Zhao has gone against heaven's will and foolishly believed in the words of traitors, sending troops to occupy our Shangdang Region. What can be tolerated cannot be tolerated! To punish traitor Feng Ting, my king commands... In the forty-seventh year of Zhao Xiang Wang's reign, I decree Wuan Jun as commander of the Qin Army, overseeing 450,000 valiant soldiers of Qin to reclaim lost territories! Generals must prioritize national interests and strive diligently for their country..."
Kneeling on the ground, Luzi quietly listened to the royal decree while his thoughts raced. Faced with a prolonged war, it seemed that the country truly could not hold out any longer. If not for this urgency, how could Chancellor Fan recommend his archrival to command the stationed Qin Army troops in Shangdang Region!? However, matters must be viewed from both sides; thus it could also be confirmed that Fan Ju's recommendation of Bai Qi as general was not out of good intentions!
Fan Ju could think of this, so how could Bai Qi not consider it too? Even if Bai Qi was temporarily unable to comprehend due to his youth, he still had the seasoned Wei Ran from the Qin State military and political circles behind him! It was believed that this former Chancellor, now out of office, would clarify the intricacies of the situation to Bai Qi and persuade him not to step forward.
Whether to fight or not, the outcome would be the same!
Luzi thought about this and glanced at his own shoulders. His small frame couldn't bear the burden, but someone else could!
If Bai Qi knew that someone below was listening to the imperial decree while still lost in thought, he would probably be infuriated. Fortunately, after reading Zhao Xiang Wang's mobilization order, it provided a legitimate reason for the Generals. Thus, after issuing the pre-battle mobilization order, they immediately dispatched combat orders.
What puzzled the Generals was that most of the Qin Army stationed along the defense line near the Dan Shui River had been reassigned by Wuan Jun. However, at present, it seemed that only they were seeking a decisive battle with the Zhao Army. Where had those three hundred thousand gone!?
This question was answered as the military deployment map unfolded. It turned out that these troops had not left Shangdang, but were all stationed near Daliang Mountain. However, the situation was not optimistic because surrounding the garrison at Daliang Mountain were hundreds of thousands of Zhao Army. The encirclement posed a significant threat to the Qin Army.
It is well known that at this time, the Zhao Army claimed to number in the millions. This meant that the forces surrounding thirty thousand of the Qin Army were no mere decoys. Could it be that Zhao Kuo intended to encircle and cut off reinforcements?
Wuan Jun and Bai Qi clearly did not consider this issue; for them, the immediate priority was to break through the grain-stopping garrison of Zhao. Zhao Kuo's intentions were clear: to keep this force in place to prevent this Qin Army from rushing to aid their besieged comrades at Daliang Mountain.
But questions aside, as a general, one must prioritize the greater situation. Obeying orders was paramount; they trusted that the Grand Commander would lead them to victory. Driven by this belief in certain victory, the generals who received combat orders gradually left the Central Army Tent.
When all the surrounding generals had departed, Luzi looked at Wang Jian standing idly beside him. How fortunate! Both incompetent leaders from the military were left behind! At this moment, seeing that Bai Qi was focused on the map and no longer assigning tasks, he took the initiative to step forward.
“Grand Commander! I request combat orders for two men; I hope you will grant it!”
Bai Qi looked up at Luzi, who had stepped forward, and smiled: “If General Lu wants to fight, that's fine, but where are your troops!? The battle is outside with an army; I can't just send two generals into battle alone!”
Wang Jian, unable to hold back any longer, stepped out and asked, "Aren't there still tens of thousands of our troops outside?"
Bai Qi suppressed a laugh and reminded Wang Jian to think it over carefully. The troops outside were all under the command of those generals who had just left. After the battles last night and this morning, some units were even missing personnel. With everyone short-handed, how could the commander feel justified in adding to their troubles?
"General Lu! General Wang! I will speak frankly today; apart from the two of you, there are only myself and a few dozen guards from outside. If you don’t mind, I am willing to accompany you two generals into battle with my guards."
Bai Qi said this, but there was no reason to bring the Grand Commander into the fray! Wang Jian knew that outside there were not just the few dozen guards of the Grand Commander; after all, General Lu still had a personal protection Hundred-Man Squad at his disposal. At this moment, however, the Army was in disarray. Charging in with just over a hundred people would surely lead to them disappearing without a trace.
This is a disaster!
Wang Jian initially thought that Bai Qi keeping him around as an aide was important, but he never expected it would turn out like this. Had he known, he would have preferred to continue as a Centurion. Realizing this, Wang Jian felt dejected, and the fire in his heart slowly dimmed. Just as it seemed about to extinguish, he hurriedly blew on it.
Bai Qi paid no attention to Wang Jian's solitary lamenting and simply smiled at Luzi without speaking. He wanted to see if a qualified general could still muster an army in such an awkward situation! And the Shangdang Region was not truly devoid of extra troops waiting to be dispatched; it was just that they hadn’t come to mind yet.
And did Luzi really not remember any good news? Perhaps not!
Comment 0 Comment Count