On the morning of the third day of April, with the continuous explosions in Huangming County, the Huaxia army rushed out of the mountain pass and recovered the small point on the mountain road of Jiange that had become a ruin.
When the Female Zhenren retreated, she detonated the military supplies. The remaining flames and smoke were everywhere. The work of defusing, extinguishing the fire, and clearing the landmines lasted for more than half a day. Troops from the rear also came one after another. When it was close to evening, Ning Yi arrived here and summoned Pang Liu 'an and other senior military officers in the field after the demining work was finished.
"The mountain road is narrow, so the Female Zhenren retreated slowly. According to the scout who just came back, Batesu set up the iron cannon formation on the mountain top by the road three miles away. He is still in charge of the rear, but Sayama may have been taken forward by Saba … "Pang Liu 'an first reported the main situation at the front line." The cleaning and demining of Huangming County has been preliminarily completed. I can take two regiments to follow them first. "
"Zong Han's retreat is very methodical. Although it was a terrible defeat, in the past half a month, they have roughly figured out the mountain road between Huangming County and Rainwater Creek. It will be difficult for our scout team to penetrate through." After Pang Liu 'an, the chief of staff of the fourth division, Chen Tian, also came with Qu Zhengyan's opinion. "Five miles away from Rainwater Creek and Huangming County, the intersection point is Huangtou Cliff. Attacking Huangtou Cliff can make some people stay, but we think that the most important thing now is to attack from the rear …"
Everyone sat cross-legged on the ground. Chen Tian said, "After all, if we don't rely on the range of the rockets, the Female Zhenren will still have an advantage in defending the narrow road. They have traveled a long distance and all want to go back. The morale of the army hasn't completely collapsed. If we want to cause the greatest damage to them, the division commander thinks that the key is to attack fiercely and take down Jiange. After all, there are not many rockets left. Good steel should be used on the blade. "
"How many rockets do we have left?" Pang Liu 'an asked.
Lin Qiu's head popped out. "There are only 63 left in the inventory."
Pang Liu 'an stared. "So few?"
Chen Tian also stared. "Who is the one who uses too many? Our division commander has already told us to use them sparingly. Division Commander Pang, you keep sending requests to the higher-ups. Our fourth division strictly ordered us to use them at the most critical moment. "
"Old Chen, your 4th Division attacks from the back while we attack from behind. Most of the time, we fight head-on. Look, Ba Li is quick and cunning. He scattered the cannons on the mountain and used all his strength to block the way back. The Female Zhenren was defeated, but they all want to go back. Their fighting spirit is very tenacious. We can't fight them directly. Moreover, we only used it when we saw an opportunity. We killed a lot of people on our side … "
"Don't limit yourself to tactics. You have to look at the bigger picture. Old Pang … Our Commander Qu said you are a prodigal son," Chen Tian said and looked to the side.
Pang Liu 'an was so angry that he laughed. "Alright, alright, you guys can say whatever you want … When I see Qu Zhengyan, I'll let him say it in person."
The sun was setting in the west. Behind Huang Ming County, the bright red rays of the sun shone down. Ning Yi also smiled. Then, he took the document that Lin Qiu handed over. "Okay, I'll talk about the overall situation."
Everyone nodded and looked at him.
"We started the attack in early March. Until today, the number of enemies killed in the battle is close to 11,000. After Huang Ming County and Yu Yu River were blocked, there are more than 15,600 Jin soldiers captured in the mountains behind us. There are also some who are unwilling to surrender. Now, they are scattered in the barren mountains nearby. According to preliminary estimates, there should be about 3,000 to 5,000 people."
"In terms of strategy, the total number of troops that Wanyan Zonghan's army set off from the north this time is more than 200,000. Now, even if we can really go back, there will be less than 100,000 people, not to mention that Old Qin is still waiting on the road behind us … But we also have our own problems, so we have to pay attention to them."
Ning Yi said, "First of all, there are 20,000 people captured in Huan Qiao. Anyway, there are still more than 30,000 Han soldiers in the front line of Shiling and Xiukou. There are another 15,000 people captured in the mountains here. In addition to the captives in Yu Yu River and other places in the early stage … Although the militia and reserve soldiers in the rear have been mobilized, and the training and restraint of the Han army are also being done, I can tell you that we can't hold on just by looking after the captives."
When talking about being unable to hold on, Ning Yi smiled and then restrained himself. "In addition, there is the problem of the thousands of people in the mountains. They all came from the north. Now, they can't go back, and they are unwilling to surrender. Some will starve to death in the mountains, and some will come out to make trouble. We need manpower to patrol the 50-mile mountain road, and summer is coming. If they randomly set fire in the mountains, although they will burn themselves to death, it will also be troublesome for us. "
"Moreover, in the previous battles, we have already lost a lot of people. Although the first three months were a little smoother, we killed 10,000 enemies and captured 50,000. This is the result of small battles. Division Commander Pang just said that the enemy hasn't collapsed yet, but our casualties are already close to 5,000. We must be careful."
"From a strategic point of view, I have already discussed with everyone before the battle in March. There is one thing that must be confirmed, and that is, it is unrealistic to leave this group of enemies here. We don't have enough manpower. The ideal situation might be to use rockets to make them cry in a large-scale battle. But if we slowly grind them down bit by bit, no matter what the exchange ratio is, in the end, we will be stuffed to death. When that time comes, only those people from the Wu dynasty will laugh. "
"We should do our best to tear off the Female Zhenren's flesh in the most practical exchange ratio, or kill Zong Han, or pull out his teeth, and let them return to the north to cause internal strife. This is the most ideal result we can achieve. Therefore, although I also like the heroic idea of 'chasing a cornered enemy', after passing Huangming County and arriving at Jiange, the Female Zhenren is indeed in line with the saying of 'don't chase a cornered enemy.' Therefore, I agree with Qu Zhengyan's idea. We might as well put our strategic vision on Jiange. "
"After all, we still need Jiange to get out of the mountains in the future. Moreover, after leaving Jiange, the Female Zhenren still has a long way to go. At that time, we will be able to pursue them more easily, and it will also be easier for us to cooperate with Old Qin. What do you all think? "
Pang Liuan nodded. "We don't have enough rockets. I agree to put them into the strategic goal of seizing Jiange. However, we should continue to pursue the Female Zhenren troops, otherwise, the Female Zhenren will destroy all the roads. "
After the others expressed their agreement, Ning Yi also nodded. "Send a group of people to continue to pursue them. Give them some pressure, but don't be dragged into the water. Chen Tian, inform Qu Zhengyan to make preparations for seizing Jiange after the initial withdrawal of the Female Zhenren troops. Jiange is easy to defend and hard to attack. If the first round of attack fails, Old Qin's Seventh Army will be isolated outside Jiange and have to fight alone. So, we can only succeed in this battle. "
"Yes."
After Chen Tian nodded, Ning Yi was silent for a moment before he said, "In addition, there is one very important thing that I have to repeat. I may even repeat it a few times. Tomorrow, I will also send a message to all divisions. Regarding the torture of prisoners of war, stop it. It cannot happen again."
With a serious look, he took out a few pieces of paper and handed them to Pang Liuan. "The Military Discipline Office has investigated the abuse of prisoners of war. This is from your Second Division. Read it first. It's shocking. In addition, Chen Tian, you have it too. "
Pang Liuan and Chen Tian took the investigation report and read it carefully. After a while, Ning Yi said, "You may not agree with my evaluation of it as shocking. Because those are the golden dogs. They have a heavy debt of blood and deserved to die …"
Pang Liu 'an put down the report and said, "I've warned them about this before. However, to be honest, too many of our brothers in the division have died. The remaining people are fighting bravely to avenge them. So sometimes, they don't want to torture the prisoners of war on purpose. It's already very restrained that they didn't kill those bastards. It's as if they forgot to feed them food or apply medicine …"
Ning Yi's eyes were serious. "I don't care whether the Female Zhenren died or not. What I care about is whether our men will become bastards or not! Division Commander Pang, don't think that this is just a small matter. This is a matter of life and death for us. It's even more important than defeating Zong Han and chasing them all the way! "
"They're all good laborers," Chen Tian said in a low voice.
Ning Yi's gaze swept across the crowd, but he shook his head.
"About … ten years ago, I met Zhou Dong for the first time in Shandong. He taught his disciple Lin Chong a lesson. Later, he talked to Senior Fu Lu. I still remember that he said the most important thing for a martial artist is to learn how to hide a blade. Lin Chong is not a man with a blade in his heart, so he can't do that. His other disciples are reckless after learning martial arts. They can't do that without a sheath."
"When we were in the Wu dynasty, everyone was involved in these things. The army had no combat power, and the soldiers were weak and slippery … So, I killed the emperor and cut off the path of retreat. After arriving at Little Canghe, I spent several years polishing myself. When the Xixia people came, someone asked me what Little Canghe was like … Little Canghe was like a blade that had been polished for several years. No one could stop it when it slashed out."
"Until today, the Huaxia army is still such a blade. All the soldiers of the Huaxia army have seen the sharpness of this blade. Today, he abuses the prisoners because of his brotherhood. What if he recovers tomorrow? What if he's not a soldier? This blade will still be his best weapon. Many people will easily break the rules of this world. They will think that they have worked hard to conquer the world, so they should enjoy it. They will ask for more preferential treatment than others … Everyone, you've read those articles from Lin 'an. You may have scoffed at them, but I'm telling you that they are not alarmist talk. Once the process is out of balance, we will go back to the old road that we have been walking in every era. "
"When conquering the world, we rely on the army. When we rule the world, the army needs to enjoy life. The martial artists can't maintain a peaceful and prosperous world. So, every dynasty began to value the literati and belittle the military. Do you think that the rotation of generations is just because the literati can say some beautiful words? That's because if the power of the martial artists is not restrained, warlords will rise in less than a hundred years. "
"The more capable a person is, the more self-discipline and the more careful they are. Today, the soldiers of the Huaxia army can easily dominate another person's life with their personal strength because of the death of their brothers. They will keep this possibility in mind. One day, when they go to the place, they will encounter this kind of thing in their lives. They will see the blade in their hands. Why have I been reiterating military discipline for so many years? I have been holding meetings and have been strictly dealing with those who violate the rules. I want them to see that scabbard and let them always remember that military discipline is very strict. In the future, when they go to the place, they will remember that the law is as strict as military discipline! Even if their brothers die, this blade is not allowed to be used indiscriminately! "
"If we don't do this, a new privileged class will soon be born. When they become a level higher than ordinary people, they will also bully the villagers and oppress others. This is what the Female Zhenren did. At that time, we will kill the king and rebel, but in fact, we have not done anything. Today, we say that we have saved the world, but tomorrow, another black flag or red flag will come to destroy us. "Ning Yi sneered," At that time, we may be driven to some small island to struggle at death's door. "
The red setting sun sank into the horizon. Ning Yi paused, "Next, we will face many problems. After the huge loss of people in this war, how can we ensure our own rationality and not be corrupted? How can we digest the millions of people we have seized, millions of people, or even tens of millions of people's land …"
He said, "Our roots are in the Huaxia army. I will not allow the Huaxia army to have a sense of superiority. We are just one step ahead of others and understand some things first. We will expand our productivity through the study of things so that everyone in the land of Huaxia, regardless of whether they are rich or poor, can have food to eat and education to study. Reading will no longer be exclusive to the privileged class. When the majority of people understand the principle of working hard for themselves and fighting for themselves, we will gradually reach a society where everyone is equal. At that time, even if there is a foreign invasion, everyone will know the principle of working hard for themselves. It will not just be the numb soldiers who get paid, the generals who enjoy special privileges and do not dare to step forward, the soldiers who are not respected and do not have anything valuable, so they will collapse at the first touch. I will not allow this to be repeated again. "
Everyone listened to this and was slightly silent. Pang Liu 'an said, "I will strictly implement this."
Ning Yi nodded, "Old Pang, I know that this kind of strictness is somewhat unreasonable. Overall, the Huaxia army is already the most disciplined army, but it is still not enough. We have too few people. In the future, when the soldiers retire, we hope that they can participate in all aspects of our society. They will be like the backbone and the skeleton, supporting the whole society. So after this war, all kinds of learning in the army will be strengthened. I hope that each and every one of them can become an outstanding person who can be a role model for the children. I want this sense of honor. "
"On the other hand." Ning Yi smiled, "We will not mistreat everyone. After the war, there will be a lot of people who have lost their homes. While the population is being resettled, the army will often hold a few classes to teach everyone how to get along with girls, how to get married, and how many children they can have in the future. In fact, everyone has seen the development of the study of things. In the future, everyone's children will be qualified to study and will become reasonable, cultured, and decent people — but all of this is on the premise that the soldiers under your command must have a normal brain. They don't think about killing, drinking, causing trouble, and beating their wives all day long … such people will not be able to live a good life. "
Ning Yi slightly sighed, "Actually, I know that many of our lives have been ruined by the war. In the army, some of our family members have died in the hands of the Female Zhenren, or they have been homeless for more than ten years … Everyone lives for revenge, and it is very difficult for many of them to start a new life. But you have to admit that this world allows normal people to live. There are many young people like this in the army. Their elders died, and they encountered terrible things, but they will still meet a good girl and have two good children. On the day they die, they will see their children and grandchildren, and they will pass away with a satisfied heart."
"You have experienced so many things and fought for your whole lives. Isn't this the result you want?"
"So, everyone, I don't care if you are normal or not. You can still start a new life … or you can't anymore. As officers and elders, for the sake of the people under you, maintain good military discipline, so that they can return to normal life in the future. If you can't live your life anymore … you should let them help you. Apart from that, Chen Tian is right. They're such good laborers. If we kill them, will you still be able to eat meat? "
The Female Zhenren wreaked havoc in the world, and more than ten million people died directly or indirectly in their hands. In fact, most of the Huaxia soldiers who could walk all the way here without hesitation had their own painful memories hidden in their hearts. And most of the people who could walk to the top of the army were middle-aged or even old. It was not easy to start a new life and imagine the day when they or the people around them could leave the army. Ning Yi's words poked into the hearts of many people, and many people were a little touched. He patted his butt and stood up.
"In addition, from now on, don't call your compatriots brothers or brothers. Although it is intimate, it is too personal." He said, "From today on, let's call each other comrades."
The red sun was half swallowed by the western horizon, and the remaining sunlight showed a more brilliant and magnificent scene. The red light climbed up to the sky and burned the clouds. Ba Lisu, who was at the rear of the army, Zong Han and Shema who left the mountain with the army, Xi Yin and Qin Shaoqian who were far outside the Sword Garret, and even in Lin 'an City and Jin Land thousands of miles away, could see the huge red sun clearly.
How insignificant people were …
But it was precisely such a tiny thing that would play out scene after scene of ups and downs, joys and sorrows in the boundless world, and it was even to the extent that at certain moments, it would emit a vast brilliance that wasn't inferior to the mighty red sun. It was something that the humans wanted to leave behind in the universe …
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