If the Central Plains were the battlefield, Jiang Pengji could defend the city walls and avoid facing the cavalry head-on. She could use other methods to attack the North borderline.
But now, the northern border was the main battlefield. With such a wide terrain, it was a paradise for cavalry to come and go as they pleased.
If the Northern Borderline wanted to do this, there was a very important premise —
They have so many cavalrymen!
Ever since the horse plague a few years ago, the Northern Borderline's cavalry had suffered a great blow and were unable to recover.
The Royal Court of the Northern Borderline colluded with the Meng family of Cangzhou to purchase mares at a high price, which greatly increased the production of foals. However, it also took time to domesticate the foals. Jiang Pengji took advantage of the time difference. She chose the most awkward time for the Northern Borderline to send her troops, forcing the Northern Borderline to fight in a sorry state.
At that moment, it was unknown how many nobles of the Northern borderline were cursing Jiang Pengji's ancestors.
Of all the times to start the battle, they had to choose this timing.
Otherwise, they could wait for the Northern Borderline to recover more than half of its vitality. At that time, they could fight openly.
If they had done it earlier, the Northern Borderline would not have suffered such a big loss. The money saved from the deal with the Meng's could have been invested in the expansion of the army.
Now, the vitality of the Northern Borderline had not been restored in time, and the money that had been invested was also wasted.
"Liu Xi has gone too far!"
The Ninth Prince was so angry that he tore up the secret report.
Damn it — she actually dared to hit him!
But that woman actually used their Second Prince as a sacrifice.
When had the Northern Borderline suffered such grievances?
When had he ever been slapped in the face like this?
"Acting King, I am willing to lead the army to repel that traitor Liu."
Not only was Wu Liba the wise man of the northern borderline, but he was also one of the few wise generals of the northern borderline. He was experienced in commanding and was fully qualified to lead an army. However, the Ninth Prince was wary of the master-disciple relationship between Wu Liba and the Third Prince. He did not dare to relinquish his military power and chose another person to be the commander-in-chief with Wu Liba as his assistant.
Because the King of the Northern Borderline suffered a stroke and was paralyzed, he was unable to handle the court affairs. The Ninth Prince succeeded as the acting king and temporarily took over the duties of the King of the Northern Borderline.
Whether or not Wu Liba could become the commander-in-chief still required the approval of the Ninth Prince.
The result did not need to be said — Wu Liba had volunteered and received this result. Naturally, he was indignant.
Although he was indignant, now was not the time to be calculative about personal gains and losses. The most important thing at the moment was to repel the invading Thief Liu.
Even so, when Wu Liba found out who the commander-in-chief of the three armies was, he was so angry that his eyes turned red.
The commander was none other than Wu Liba's political enemy, Harrencha, who had assisted the Ninth Prince in becoming the acting king.
When enemies meet, their eyes turn red. Harrencha and Wu Liba were definitely incompatible like fire and water.
It would already be good if they did not drag each other down. How could he expect them to advance together?
The Ninth Prince did not notice the exchange of glances between Harrencha and Wu Liba, and suddenly threw out a bomb.
"I intend to personally lead the army to boost the morale of the three armies!"
Personally lead the army?
Sh * t —
Harrencha and Wu Liba cursed in their hearts in unison.
Was this bastard trying to stir up trouble?
Don't you know what it means to be out in the field and not to obey the sovereign's orders?
Putting everything else aside, the Ninth Prince was the acting king. After he personally led the army into battle, would the army obey the commander-in-chief or him? The Ninth Prince wasn't even as good as the Second Prince, let alone leading troops to war. At least the Second Prince had the experience of conquering tribes, but the Ninth Prince knew nothing at all.
Taking ten thousand steps back, the Ninth Prince arrived at the frontline and didn't do anything. He generously handed over the military power to the commander-in-chief and didn't interfere in the war.
That wouldn't do either. The swords on the battlefield had no eyes. If the Ninth Prince was caught by the enemy, would he be helping or causing trouble?
For the first time, Wu Liba and Harrencha reached a consensus to stop the Ninth Prince.
"Acting King, personally leading the army concerns the fate of the nation. Please think twice before acting …"
If they could win, it wouldn't be a problem.
If they lost, the acting king would be captured or killed. Regardless of whether he was dead or alive, it would be a huge blow to the morale of the Northern Borderline.
No matter how one looked at it, the current Northern Borderline had not reached the point where the acting king needed to personally lead the army. This matter could be avoided if possible.
The two of them didn't know that the Ninth Prince wanted to lead the army personally because he had a guilty conscience.
If all the troops were transferred to the frontline, he would be in charge of the Imperial Court. This meant that the number of troops protecting him would be greatly reduced.
If his brothers joined forces to launch a sneak attack on the Imperial Court, wouldn't he be dead for sure?
Rather than that, he might as well follow to the frontline. On one hand, he could boost the morale of the three armies. On the other hand, he could control the various generals and reduce the number of collusions and disagreements in the entire army. If he could defeat Liu Xi, he might be able to be promoted from acting king to a true king!
The first time he led the army personally, he achieved a great victory. What did this mean?
It meant that he was the king of the Northern Borderline chosen by the Great God of the grasslands, the Lord of Destiny!
Apart from Haruncha and Wu Liba, the other ministers suggested one after another. Their intentions were similar.
Stay in the Imperial Court and don't run around. Leave the war to the adults. You'd better dig in the mud obediently.
The Ninth Prince was furious when he heard this. He insisted on leading the army personally. No one could persuade him otherwise!
The arm could not twist the thigh. The Ninth Prince insisted on leading the army personally. Wu Liba and Haruncha could only agree with a gloomy face.
Anyway, the king had more than one son.
Without the Ninth Prince, there was still a string of princes waiting to take the throne.
The Northern Borderline was vast. Most of it was flat grasslands, Gobi, glaciers, swamps, and deserts. It seemed quiet, but it was actually full of danger.
After leaving the checkpoint at the border of the Northern Borderline and Dongqing, the further north they went, the flatter the terrain and the wider the field of vision.
Although Sun Wen had not stayed in the Northern Borderline for a long time, he had done his homework. It was as if he had lived in the Northern Borderline for decades.
Jiang Pengji listened to his suggestions carefully. She considered whether to adopt or improve them.
"… The further we go, the more open the terrain will be. The mountains will be flat … This place is very suitable for the cavalry to assemble and charge … According to the news from the scouts, they have already set up camp by the Yi River. This place is rich in water and the terrain is open. It's not easy to launch a sneak attack … "
Jiang Pengji led the Vanguard Battalion and the cavalry to their destination. The rest of the troops and logistics would need another day to arrive.
"Yi River?" Jiang Pengji stared at the river on the map in a daze. "The Northern Borderline has set up camp by the water?"
Sun Wen was puzzled. He said, "According to the scouts, that is indeed the case."
Setting up a camp was also very particular. The choice of the location of the camp and the distribution of the camp was a skill.
Not only did they have to consider the size and position of each camp to achieve the purpose of resisting the enemy's sneak attack, but they also had to consider how to quickly transmit information and ensure that the news on the battlefield was transmitted quickly. Apart from that, there had to be a clean water source near the camp.
Jiang Pengji frowned. She asked Sun Wen, "Zaidao, do you know the length and width of the Yi River and its source?"
Sun Wen was a smart man. Jiang Pengji didn't have to ask too clearly for him to guess part of it.
Feng Zhen, who was beside her, had a lot of ideas. He also figured it out. "My lord, do you mean to cut off their water source? I'm afraid that won't work. They know the distribution of water in the Northern Borderline better than we do. If we cut off this river, they can still choose another one. We can't defend against it. "
The water source in the Northern Borderline wasn't abundant, but it wasn't the time of extreme water shortage.
It was just the beginning of spring. As spring and summer approached, the glaciers upstream would melt, and the river would become more abundant.
Sun Wen frowned. "Could it be poisoning?"
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