novelSusiti Chapter 464 All Lines Halted
Chapter 464 All Lines Halted
Zhang Fan ignored Luan Diyun in the corner.
He stood up and sat down at the desk on one side of the tent.
"Luo Li, come and grind the ink," Zhang Fan instructed.
Luo Li put down her work, walked to the desk, picked up the ink stick, and slowly ground it in the inkstone.
Zhang Fan spread out a blank bamboo slip, picked up his brush, and dipped it in ink.
He began writing an urgent military report to be sent to Xianyang.
In the letter, Zhang Fan explained in detail to Emperor Qin Shi Huang the changes in the battle situation at the front, and then urged the production progress of the blueprints for the stirrups and high-bridged saddles that had been sent back earlier.
Zhang Fan knew that the only way to break the deadlock was in those small stirrups and saddles.
Once the warhorses of the 30,000-strong western army are equipped with this device, the Qin cavalry will be able to completely free their hands while on horseback.
This is important for our upcoming plans!
I have confidence in the industrial manufacturing capabilities of the Qin Dynasty.
The First Heavy Machinery Plant of Daqin has long implemented standardized and assembly line operations.
Whether it's crossbow bolts, long spears, or bronze swords, they all have standardized dimensions and molds.
Using clay or iron molds for high-temperature molten iron casting makes production much faster than blacksmiths forging by hand, hammer by hammer.
Once the drawings and samples are confirmed, the Imperial Workshop will gather craftsmen to begin mold making.
More than a dozen large iron smelting furnaces operate simultaneously, pouring iron day and night.
Producing 10,000 stirrups and horseshoes quickly would not take much time at all.
The most time-consuming part now is the transportation route from Xianyang to the front line.
It is imperative to use the fastest transport capacity from the rear to deliver this batch of equipment to the front lines as soon as possible and distribute it to the Qin army.
After finishing writing the military report, Zhang Fan rolled up the bamboo slips, put them into a bamboo tube, sealed it with sealing wax, and stamped it with his own general's seal.
"Give this to the messenger outside and send it back to Xianyang via the highest-level post station passage, on an urgent 800-li journey." Zhang Fan handed the bamboo tube to Luo Li.
Luo Li accepted the gift with both hands and quickly walked out of the tent.
Zhang Fan sat in the chair, closing his eyes to rest. The course of the battle would be decided in the next few days.
The next day.
The sun rises, and the cold wind on the grassland still blows the military flag.
Outside Gaoque Pass, in the camp of the western army, no war drums sounded signaling their departure.
In the main general's tent, generals such as Fusu, Zhao Ben, and Mofeng stood in their armor, awaiting Zhang Fan's orders.
Zhang Fan looked at the crowd and gave the order: "Order the entire army not to break camp today. The army shall remain in place and strengthen the defenses and patrols around the camp!"
Upon hearing this order, no one understood why.
Yesterday, the army abandoned its baggage and marched all day long, aiming to seize the initiative before the Xiongnu could encircle them, and even to gain a tactical advantage at the Wuyao River.
Now that their whereabouts have been exposed, suddenly stopping on the spot would completely violate the principle that speed is of the essence in warfare.
Zhao Ben stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Immortal Master, we have run out of supplies. Our soldiers only have three days' worth of dry rations! If we don't advance, staying put will just mean starving. Moreover, the Xiongnu could press on at any moment!"
Fusu also looked worried: "Teacher, if we stop here, the Xiongnu cavalry will keep harassing us. Should we retreat?"
"Neither retreat nor advance!"
Zhang Fan's calm tone dispelled everyone's doubts. "We'll set up camp here. Strengthen the barricades and fortifications. The soldiers just need to wait patiently. No one is allowed to leave the camp to engage in battle without my order!"
The generals looked at each other, but Zhang Fan's abilities were obvious to all, and no one raised any further objections.
"Zhao Ben, go and arrange the defenses."
"Mo Feng, send two messengers on fast horses to find General Meng Tian in the central route and General Wang Li in the eastern route."
Zhang Fan continued issuing orders, "Relay my instructions to them. Have both of their armies halt their advance simultaneously and halt in place. Without further orders from me, all lines remain on standby!"
"Your subordinate obeys!" Mo Feng accepted the order and left the tent.
Soon, the fast horse galloped out of the camp, heading east and southeast.
Several hours later, the 100,000 heavily armored infantrymen of the central army halted their advance and established a solid defensive position on the grassland.
Wang Li's army on the eastern route also received orders to halt in place.
The three armies of the Qin Dynasty formed a static triangular formation on the vast northern wilderness.
……
at the same time.
Deep in the northern desert, the royal court of the Xiongnu.
Inside the spacious royal tent, several braziers of charcoal were burning.
Touman Chanyu sat on the large animal-skin chair at the head of the table, his brows furrowed, his heart filled with doubt.
Several scouts had just finished reporting the situation at the front.
"Great Chanyu, all three Qin armies have halted. The 100,000 men in the central army have formed a defensive tortoise-shell formation. The Great Emperor Mofeng in the western army has also had deer antlers and horse traps set up around the camp. They haven't moved an inch in a whole day," the scout said, kneeling on the ground.
Touman Chanyu waved for the scouts to retreat.
He looked at the two wise kings and tribal leaders standing in the tent and asked, "Yesterday the Qin army was marching at breakneck speed, but today they've suddenly stopped. What are they waiting for?"
The Left Wise King stepped forward and speculated, "Great Chanyu, the western army didn't bring any provisions. Have they run out of food and are unable to continue?"
The Right Wise King retorted, "Impossible. They only left Gaoque Pass yesterday, and their soldiers must have carried several days' worth of rations. There's also a massive supply train of 100,000 men along the central route. Their stop certainly wasn't because they ran out of food."
Touman Chanyu became increasingly agitated as he thought about it.
The Xiongnu's original plan was to wait for the Qin army to reach the Wuyao River, and then use the terrain and ice-breaking tactics to divide and encircle them.
Now that the Qin army is stopped halfway and cannot take the trap, the Xiongnu army deployed on the north bank of the Yellow River has become ineffective.
Touman Chanyu turned his head and looked at the immortal master Ji Dan standing in the corner.
"Immortal Master, the Qin army's actions are truly bizarre. What should we do next?" the Chanyu asked.
Ji Dan was wearing a loose Taoist robe and a mask.
Upon hearing the Chanyu's question, Ji Dan stepped forward, pretending to be a wise man.
He stroked the fake beard on his chin and said, "Great Chanyu, do not panic. As the art of war says, 'If the enemy does not move, I will not move!'"
The Qin army's move clearly indicates they've detected our deployment at the front and are trying to test our strength!
Ji Dan glanced at everyone and continued, "Let's not move either. Maintain the army's defensive line and wait for the Qin army to make the first move. They can't afford to endure the harsh winter of the grasslands; they'll lose their patience sooner or later."
These words were not actually Ji Dan's own idea.
These instructions were all secretly given to Ji Dan by the wheelchair-bound Crown Prince Modu last night.
When Maodun learned that the Qin army was marching at full speed, he originally planned to close in.
But now that the Qin army has suddenly stopped without warning, Maodun immediately sensed the danger.
He judged that the Qin army commander was waiting for some kind of variable.
To be on the safe side, Modu had Ji Dan convey the strategy of "wait and see" to prevent the Xiongnu army from rashly attacking and falling into the Qin army's trap.