bayedsolid Chapter 2005 Three-pronged approach!
Chapter 2005 Three-pronged approach!
Inside the palace.
Changsun Wuji's voice carried a hint of inflammatory rhetoric: "Your Majesty, please immediately write a letter in your own hand, using the most earnest words, and send it by secret envoy to the Scorpion Clan's royal court as quickly as possible."
"The letter expressed condolences and sympathy for the sacrifice of General Helian Wujiu."
"On the other hand, we must clearly state to the Khan the threat posed by the Chu army, and point out that the main force of Chu is currently concentrated in the southern border to confront our army, while its domestic defenses, especially the northwestern border, are weak!"
"The Scorpion Clan's iron cavalry are as swift as the wind. If we can seize this opportunity to march eastward and penetrate deep into the heart of Chu, we will surely conquer cities and territories and capture countless riches!"
"At that time, Chu Ning's rear is on fire and his supply lines are in danger. How can he not return to rescue him?"
"The siege of the southern border can be lifted without a fight! This is a strategy of using one tiger to devour another, achieving two goals at once!"
Upon hearing this final plan, Li Shiming abruptly stood up from the dragon throne, his eyes gleaming with astonishing light!
The previous gloom and anger were replaced by an emotion that mixed ruthlessness and hope.
Changsun Wuji's strategy progressed step by step, from consolidating his own defenses to strengthening his own power, and then to introducing external variables, taking into account almost all possibilities!
"Excellent! Excellent clenched fist, excellent all-out strike, and even better, a move to drive a tiger to devour a wolf!"
Li Shiming clapped his hands and shouted, finally revealing a long-lost strategist's sharpness on his face.
"Let's follow the Prime Minister's plan! Let's take a three-pronged approach!"
Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately turned to the eunuch holding the imperial scribe standing beside him, his voice resolute and imposing, carrying an unquestionable imperial authority:
"Draft an imperial edict immediately!"
"First, order Gao Xianzhi of Canglang River to immediately abandon his existing defense zone upon receiving this decree."
"Lead your troops to Zhennan Pass immediately, join forces with Li Jing and Wang Zhongsi, and hold the position under Li Jing's command, awaiting reinforcements!"
"Secondly, I hereby order the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue, together with Prime Minister Changsun, to immediately formulate a plan for mobilizing 100,000 reinforcements and to select a commander-in-chief, and to submit it to me within three days!"
"Third, prepare writing materials, ink, and silk. I will personally write a letter to the Scorpion Khan!"
Each order was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, quickly creating ripples within the vast imperial machine.
Outside the Taiji Hall, the wind and snow continued.
However, the decisions made within the palace have already injected new and more unpredictable variables into the scorched land of the southern frontier, as well as the more distant heartland of the Chu Kingdom.
A larger-scale game has quietly begun with this emergency decree issued in the dead of winter.
Two days later.
The Canglang River, which served as a natural barrier on the border between Chu and Tang, appeared particularly cold in the twelfth lunar month.
The river was swift, carrying pieces of ice, crashing against the rocks on both banks with a splashing sound.
On the south bank, the Tang army camp was built according to the terrain, and the banners fluttered in the cold wind. The white breath of the patrolling soldiers was instantly blown away by the wind.
Although there was no major battle, a tense atmosphere of impending war permeated the air.
Inside the central command tent, the charcoal fire dispelled some of the chill, but it could not dispel the solemnity between the brows of the commander-in-chief, Gao Xianzhi.
He was wearing armor and a thick fur cloak, standing in front of a simple sand table, his gaze lingering on the model representing the Luoxia Mountain area, which was marked by Chu army flags.
Although he was far away on the Canglang River, news of the disastrous defeat at Luoxia Mountain had already been spreading through various channels. The ominous premonition weighed on his heart like a dark cloud, growing heavier day by day.
Just then, a hurried and suppressed report came from outside the tent: "General! Chang'an, urgent dispatch from His Majesty!"
Gao Xianzhi's heart skipped a beat, and she turned around abruptly.
A messenger, travel-worn and with frostbite on his face, staggered into the tent, carrying a sealed copper tube in both hands, and knelt down with a thud.
"General, a secret decree!"
Gao Xianzhi strode forward, took the cold copper tube, checked that the sealing wax was correct, then twisted it open forcefully and took out the bright yellow silk roll inside.
He took a deep breath, unfolded the imperial edict, and quickly scanned the words on it.
Although I was mentally prepared.
But when the clear words "abandon Canglang River", "quickly retreat to Zhennan Pass", and "join up with Li Jing's troops" came into view, Gao Xianzhi still felt as if he had been hit hard in the chest by a heavy hammer, and his breath caught in his throat.
His hand holding the imperial edict trembled slightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.
After a full dozen breaths of silence, he finally let out a long and heavy sigh from deep in his throat.
The sigh was filled with helplessness, resentment, and a hint of sorrow for the enormous sacrifices made by Tong Ze on the front lines.
"Alas, Commander Li's meticulously planned strategy of dividing the army into three routes to contain the Chu army and seize the opportunity to defeat the enemy has now completely failed."
He muttered to himself, his voice low and deep, as if he had aged several years in an instant.
The Luoxia Mountain route collapsed, Helian Wujiu's entire army was wiped out, and Wang Zhongsi suffered heavy losses.
His journey along the Canglang River is now forced to retreat without a fight, completely disrupting the strategic layout of the entire southern border and putting it in a highly passive position.
But the imperial edict had been issued, and military orders were absolute.
As a border general, Gao Xianzhi knew that any hesitation at this moment could bring even more disastrous consequences.
He abruptly raised his head, his eyes regaining the decisiveness of a soldier, and shouted in a deep voice to the outside of the tent: "Guards!"
A bodyguard entered in response.
"Immediately summon Huyan Ying, the leader of the Blood Eagle Tribe, to my tent for a meeting! Be quick!"
Gao Xianzhi spoke urgently, with an undeniable sense of urgency.
"Yes!"
The messenger rushed away.
Silence fell once again inside the tent, with only Gao Xianzhi's heavy breathing and the crackling of the charcoal fire remaining.
He paced back and forth, his mind racing as he considered the retreat route, the disposal of supplies and provisions, and how to deal with a possible pursuit by the Chu army.
He knew that persuading the unruly scorpion chieftain would be the first hurdle before the retreat plan could be implemented.
About 35 minutes later, heavy and slightly disordered footsteps came from outside the tent, accompanied by the clanging sound of metal armor plates colliding.
The tent flap was suddenly flung open, and a chilling blast of air rushed in. Immediately afterward, a tall, imposing figure blocked the doorway.
The newcomer was none other than Huyan Ying, the leader of the Blood Eagle Clan of the Scorpion Tribe.
He was nearly nine feet tall, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, wearing a simple suit of armor made of animal hides and iron plates that did not conform to the Tang army's standard. His bare arms were bulging with muscles and covered with all sorts of hideous scars.
His face was rugged, with high cheekbones, and his hawk-like eyes carried the wildness and ferocity unique to nomadic peoples of the grasslands.
He swaggered into the tent, casually cupping his hands in greeting to Gao Xianzhi as a formality, his voice booming, tinged with impatience:
"General Gao, why did you summon me in such a hurry? Has the Chu army attacked, or is there some easy prey to plunder?"
He grinned, revealing teeth slightly yellowed from the smell of mare's milk wine. His tone showed no respect for his superior, but rather carried the arrogance of a tribal chief.