novelSusiti Chapter 52 Tian Heng's Mindset and Strategy for Defeating the Enemy
Chapter 52 Tian Heng's Mindset and Strategy for Defeating the Enemy
Great Xia, Youzhou, Beique Pass.
Inside the council chamber, giant tallow candles burned brightly, their flickering flames casting shimmering light and shadow on the enormous military intelligence maps hanging on the walls.
On the map, arrows and ink dots outlined in vermilion are densely packed, especially along the northern border, which is strikingly crimson, vividly depicting the terrifying situation of the 300,000-strong Eastern Barbarian army being surrounded and advancing straight towards Beique Pass.
The air was thick and oppressive, filled with the smell of tung oil, ink sticks, and a barely perceptible stench of rust and blood.
Since three days ago, when King Tian Heng of Qin personally led 8,000 imperial cavalry in a night raid on the vanguard camp of the Eastern Barbarians, annihilating the vanguard army, Beique Pass has been like a taut bowstring.
Above the fortress, warning smoke billowed day and night, straight as pillars, piercing the leaden sky. Outside the fortress, the hooves of scouts thundered like a sudden downpour, shattering the silence of the frozen wasteland. One after another, sealed with lacquer and marked with urgent battle reports, like death warrants, flew into the solemn council hall.
The latest battle report shows that Helan Cangfeng, a trusted general and confidant of the Eastern Yi prince, has assembled a coalition army of 300,000 tribes and is marching south. His vanguard cavalry has already appeared within a hundred miles of the pass, their banners fluttering and obscuring the sky.
In the center of the hall, on a heavy long table made from a single piece of ebony, the newly drawn enemy and friendly situation map and troop strength comparison book were laid out.
The ink was still fresh in the candlelight.
Tian Heng stood solemnly at the head of the table. Although he had removed his blood-stained battle robe and changed into a black prince's casual clothes, the murderous aura honed on the battlefield and the faint marks left by the friction of his armor still lingered around him, making people dare not look directly at him.
His gaze was sharp as he slowly swept over the generals lined up on both sides of the hall.
These were mostly veterans of the northern frontier, their faces etched with rough lines by the harsh winds and frosts of the borderlands, and at this moment they all held their breath and focused intently.
"Gentlemen," Tian Heng began, his voice not loud, but with a metallic quality that clearly drowned out the crackling of the candlelight.
"The Eastern Barbarians have mobilized their entire nation, with an army of 300,000 fierce warriors pressing upon our borders. The enemy outnumbers us, and the disparity is so great. Today's meeting is not to discuss defense, but to seek a way to break through! I hope you will all speak freely and work together to devise a good strategy to repel the enemy."
After speaking, he nodded slightly. The commander of the personal guards standing to the side picked up a stack of copied battle reports with both hands and, with steady steps, distributed them to each of the generals present.
The rustling sound of paper rubbing together was particularly jarring in the silent hall. With each copy passed around, the general's expression grew more serious, and the atmosphere in the hall became increasingly somber.
The military system of the Great Xia Dynasty was strictly hierarchical and clearly defined.
The elite troops were the border troops and the imperial guards.
The border troops guarded the nine border regions year-round, always ready to fight. Fighting against foreign tribes was commonplace for them. Every soldier was a fierce warrior who had crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Their martial arts skills were ruthless and practical, and their murderous aura was overwhelming.
The Imperial Guards protected the capital region. As the emperor's personal troops, they were better equipped than any other army. Their armor was made of finely forged steel, and their weapons could cut a hair in two. Their discipline was as strict as iron, and their orders were obeyed without question.
Second-class combat strength, serving as the standing army of each state.
They are stationed in key prefectures and counties, conducting regular drills and serving as the backbone in times of war.
Border states like Youzhou, which directly face the northern barbarians, often have standing armies whose combat strength is no less than that of ordinary border troops, making them truly armed forces.
For example, Xingzhou, which was guarded against the Great Cang Kingdom, had 50,000 border troops and 50,000 regular troops, making it a formidable defensive force protecting the nation's gates.
The third rank consisted of soldiers from various prefectures.
Most of them were local able-bodied men who took turns serving, and they usually maintained the village and suppressed bandits. They rarely experienced major battles and lacked experience.
The number of people depends on the size and location of the prefecture; large prefectures may have nearly 10,000 people, while small prefectures may have only three to five thousand.
However, its advantage lies in its rapid mobilization. Once a national war breaks out, a single military order can gather tens of thousands of troops. Although their combat strength is questionable, they can fill gaps and boost morale.
At this moment, the resources of Beique Pass are so meager that they send chills down one's spine.
Tian Rangju, the garrison commander of Beique Pass, was the first to stand up. After carefully reading the battle report, he looked up at Tian Heng:
"Your Highness, the Beique Pass was originally garrisoned with 10,000 regular troops from Youzhou. Last time, they intercepted Nurhaci's vanguard of the Eastern Barbarians fifty miles outside the pass. Although they inflicted heavy losses on the enemy, our army also lost more than 3,000 men. Now we only have a little over 7,000 men available."
He paused, then pointed to a mark on the map.
"There are also about 5,000 remnants of soldiers who retreated from the garrisons outside the pass. Their morale is low and their organization is incomplete. At present, they can only be placed in the barbican and auxiliary camp inside the pass as a reserve. It is feared that they will have to wait until the city's defenses are in danger before they can be driven into battle."
His gaze shifted slightly, his tone softened, and a hint of barely perceptible relief lingered in his voice:
"Fortunately, His Highness personally led eight thousand iron cavalry to our aid. Although the surprise attack the night before resulted in minor losses, it was only a few hundred, and the elite troops were unharmed."
Most of the Eastern Barbarian vanguard perished in the chaos of trampling and the charge of our iron cavalry. In this battle, our army's edge remained sharp.
With the accounts settled, the tension in the hearts of the generals in the hall had reached its peak.
Seven thousand regular troops, five thousand defeated soldiers, and eight thousand cavalry—all in all, that's barely twenty thousand!
The contrast between 20,000 and 300,000 is almost a ratio of 1 to 15!
Even though everyone present was a seasoned veteran who had seen life and death and waded through seas of blood, they couldn't help but feel a suffocating pressure at this moment, and cold sweat seeped from their palms.
Tian Rangju took a deep breath, steadied himself, and bowed respectfully, saying in a deep voice:
"Your Highness, the disparity in troop strength between the enemy and ourselves is as vast as heaven and earth. In my humble opinion, the most urgent task is to rely on the natural defenses of the northern capital, fortify the city with deep trenches and high walls, consolidate our forces, and hold out for reinforcements!"
He pressed his finger heavily on the location of Beique Pass on the map.
"Although we won the previous two battles, it only dampened the morale of their vanguard. Now, Helan Cangfeng leads a coalition of 300,000 tribes, which is far superior to Nurhaci's forces."
"By defending this strategic pass, we can firstly exhaust the enemy's strength with our twenty-zhang-high walls and two-zhang-thick ramparts, and secondly, wait for the imperial reinforcements to arrive. At that time, we can open the gates to welcome the enemy and launch a pincer attack, perhaps finding a sliver of opportunity for victory!"
Upon hearing this, most of the generals in the hall nodded in agreement.
Having long been stationed in the northern frontier, they were well aware of the strategic importance of Beique Pass. The pass was built against the mountains and along the river, with high walls, deep moats, and numerous arrow towers. It was well-stocked with rolling logs, stones, kerosene, and molten metal, making it truly a formidable stronghold. If the people could unite as one and hold out for several months, it would not be an unrealistic expectation.
Tian Heng nodded slightly, his gaze turning to Huangfu Gong, who stood at the head of the left.
Ever since his elder brother was killed in a surprise attack by the Eastern Barbarians, this young general had always had an unyielding anger and grief between his brows.
At this moment, he was clad in gleaming silver armor, his hand resting on his sword hilt. Upon hearing Tian Rangju's words, he remained silent for a moment, then stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and spoke in a voice as cold and hard as iron:
"This humble general seconded General Tian's words. The Eastern Yi army has come from afar, and their supply lines are long. The grassland tribes can only carry a limited amount of food."
Our army only needs to fortify our defenses and scorched earth, hold our ground and wait for them. If they cannot conquer us after a long siege, and their food supplies run out, conflicts will inevitably arise between the tribes.
"The safest approach is to wait until their troops are exhausted and internal strife begins, then seize the opportunity to launch a counterattack."
The voices in the hall echoed the sentiment. Using inferior forces to hold a fortified city and exhaust the enemy is indeed a common tactic in warfare.
However, a faint yet sharp smile appeared on Tian Heng's lips.
He raised his hand, his well-defined fingers pressing on the map, moving it slowly until it finally stopped at the mark of the winding blue river outside the pass, the Onon River.
This river originates from the mountains in the north, flows southward with rapid currents and a wide surface. It is a natural barrier between the grasslands and Youzhou, and also an essential route for the Dongyi army to march south.
"What you all say about defending the city and waiting for reinforcements is certainly the right thing to do."
Tian Heng spoke, his voice not loud, yet it carried a strange penetrating power and an undeniable decisiveness, instantly silencing all other noise in the hall.
"However, I believe there may be a better solution."
He surveyed the generals, his gaze intense:
"The 300,000-strong army of the Eastern Barbarians sounds formidable. But think carefully, gentlemen, where did these 300,000 men come from? They are a 'coalition' forcibly assembled by the Eastern Barbarian royal court, cobbled together from dozens of tribes of the grasslands!"
He tapped his fingertips heavily on the messy markings representing various tribes on the map, his tone resolute:
"The biggest weakness of the tribal coalition is the lack of unified command and the selfishness of the members! When they win, they fight for credit and rewards; when they lose, they rush to flee."
Even though Helan Cangfeng is the Crown Prince's confidant and can mobilize troops, he may not be able to truly command these tribal leaders and make them willing to die for him.
Moreover, Nurhaci had just suffered a defeat, and Helan Cangfeng had hastily assembled his army to march south. The various units lacked coordination, and commands were not clear – this was one of the problems!
Upon hearing this, the generals were first taken aback, then seemed to be deep in thought.
Grassland tribes have always been a place where the strong prey on the weak, and fighting each other is the norm. Now that they have been forcibly brought together, how can they be a cohesive unit? This is indeed the truth.
Before they could think it through, Tian Heng continued his analysis, his voice growing colder:
"Secondly, the imperial court has 150,000 reinforcements on its way, but only 50,000 of them are truly capable of fighting. The rest are all hastily conscripted soldiers from various prefectures and counties, who have never fought in a major battle and whose equipment and training are unreliable."
Even if reinforcements arrive as scheduled and engage the 300,000-strong Dongyi army in a direct battle at the pass, even if we achieve a Pyrrhic victory, the elite troops of our Great Xia's northern frontier will be almost entirely wiped out, our strength severely diminished. It will take at least ten years of recuperation to fully recover! Such a Pyrrhic victory is neither what I desire nor a blessing for the nation!