Hum ~! Zhang Shougui felt a buzz in his head. He raised his hands and pressed them against his temples. He felt that the more he feared something, the more likely it was to happen.
"Carefully investigate the enemy's forces." Zhang Shougui had a strange feeling. His opponent was not some logistical unit, but the enemy's main force.
What he felt was a very familiar fighting style. It was the style of strategizing and never giving in to others.
"I'm sure that it's definitely not Zhang Xiaobao. He can't possibly use this style. Zhang Xiaobao's style is soft yet tough. First, it's the spring breeze, and then you can feel the biting cold wind.
Right now, it's like the waves crashing against the shore, stacking endlessly. I was wondering why it felt so familiar. I felt it when I was in class. This is the style of Wang Juan's Whirlwind Thousand Snow. This is what she meant when she said that the dense clouds piled up, the wind couldn't blow back, and the rain fell like rain. "
Zhang Shougui instantly recalled a certain lesson, where a certain person had talked about the psychological pressure of attacking and seizing the advantage.
That person was Wang Juan. She had used the advantage in numbers to proactively penetrate the enemy, and then formed layers of encirclement to disrupt the enemy's advance.
"Someone, go and investigate the enemy's attack." Zhang Shougui was truly afraid now.
When he knew that Zhang Xiaobao was organizing a logistical attack, he had still underestimated the enemy. He acknowledged Zhang Xiaobao's economic leadership, but he was not convinced by Zhang Xiaobao's ability to command, even though Zhang Xiaobao's individual fighting prowess was extraordinary. "Report!
The enemy has revealed their flags and numbers. Logistical Division 1, Third Brigade, and Fourth Brigade. Our army is unable to break through, so they are using their battalions to attack. Our guns are unable to penetrate the enemy's human wall. They are throwing grenades at close range. The first wave of enemy troops is lying down, and the second wave is following. This is repeated endlessly. Our army's first line of defense has fallen. "
The messenger's words were extremely urgent.
"Reporting, our army's right flank is in an emergency. The enemy is using their bodies to fill the trench. After three layers, the trench has been leveled. The enemy has stepped on our friends." Another messenger also came over to report.
Zhang Shougui was dumbfounded by these two pieces of news. He knew of the trench. Wooden spears had been thrust into the ground, ten feet deep and two feet long. How could they so easily pass through with three layers of corpses?
You could either carry sand to fill up the path or use dozens of corpses to pave the way. But from the messenger's urgent report, it was obvious that they were not coming here one by one, but as a whole.
"Deploy the cannons and attack them. Our army is preparing to retreat. Pack up. Quick, tell the generals that we are facing Wang Juan's main forces. Zhang Xiaobao's logistics army is at the front line. They are using their lives to buy time. Retreat quickly."
Zhang Shougui finally understood what was going on. It was no wonder the enemy's attacks were so confusing. It was a two-man army using two different styles of fighting.
Yes, Zhang Xiaobao liked to be soft first and then fierce later. Wang Juan was definitely using the stacking tactic. She was the main force and she had the advantage in numbers. Even so, she was unwilling to immediately sacrifice herself and had let Zhang Xiaobao take the lead in the attack.
Now, Zhang Xiaobao was no longer soft. He was soft because he was waiting for his vanguard, Zhao Hanzhang, to arrive. How could the husband and wife not cooperate? This was not the time to investigate how the enemy had gotten here or why they could not retreat, but how they could escape.
"Reporting, our army's artillery is currently focused on Plateau 113. The enemy's flag is still fluttering under the artillery fire," the messenger reported.
"I know you're a member of the Zhang family. You don't have to praise them like this, right?" Zhang Shougui said in a fit of pique.
As soon as he said this, he regretted it. If these words reached the ears of others, how would they look at him? Could it be that they couldn't even tolerate a messenger? Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were fighting a war while also handling domestic affairs. Had they ever complained?
Without waiting for him to apologize, the messenger changed his tone. "Reporting, our army's artillery is currently fiercely attacking Plateau 113. The enemy is already unable to raise their heads. The plateau is about to fall, but the tattered flag is still there. Judging from this, the plateau is still in the hands of the enemy."
"I was wrong. Don't say anymore. It's not even as good as the previous report. At the very least, the previous report said that the enemy was tenacious. Now, aren't you saying that our army is incompetent?"
Zhang Shougui was even afraid of the messenger. He concluded that this was all because of his anger.
"Order the artillery to change directions and face our army … Wait a moment. Order the artillery to continue attacking Plateau 113 to create a false impression for the enemy. Our offensive personnel are to circle around and retreat. Attack the enemy's retreat path to the left."
"Understood." The messenger did not show any other expression. After receiving the order, he hurriedly ran out.
At this moment, the situation in every aspect of the battle could be seen.
In truth, there was no longer any plateau on Plateau 113. The hill was not large, and after being continuously bombarded, the entire hill had been shaved off by two meters. To be more precise, it had now become Plateau 113.
Fan Zhu and the others were still holding on. A total of three regiments had come in, including Xu Gu's personal guards. They had about a battalion's strength, but only two battalions were left.
However, the fortifications continued to dig down without stopping. This was the most helpless and most shameless method that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan had come up with.
Not to mention Wang Juan, who had been trained in military studies, even Zhang Xiaobao knew how tenacious the People's Liberation Army was. Let alone a small hill that had been blown off by two meters, even an entire mountain had been blown off by three meters. When the enemy attacked, did they see if anyone had formed a defensive position?
When there was a limit to manpower, there was also a limit to ammunition.
According to Zhang Xiaobao's words, 'Do you think that I'm a small country that will retreat after a few people die? I'll let you pick any high ground, throw down ten thousand earth penetrators, and then organize infantry to attack. See if you can easily charge up? '
Wang Juan admired Zhang Xiaobao's attitude the most. Thus, when she trained the people in her family, she taught them to compete in physical strength, will, courage, and life.
Fan Zhu and the others thoroughly carried out this teaching. Everything began with suffering.
The cannons were still roaring, but Fan Zhu, Liu Dong, and Xu Gu felt that the situation was different.
Xu Gu spoke first, "I say, aren't the cannons being too fierce? Zhang Shougui doesn't want to play anymore? The ammunition isn't infinite. If it were you or me, would we do this? Was he trying to make a feint so that he could turn his horse and retreat? Haha! "
Xu Gu's words were a joke to adjust the atmosphere, but Fan Zhu and Liu Dong were stunned. Then, the two of them said at the same time, "It's possible."
"Possible? What do you mean? "Xu Gu already had an idea in his mind, so he asked for confirmation.
"Is there even a need to think? Something must have happened to Zhang Shougui. Our troops have already moved. If it's not Xiao Bao, then it's Cuckoo. Otherwise, is Zhang Shougui an idiot? Would he just fire the cannons and not organize a large-scale attack? "Fan Zhu asked.
"Then should we launch a counterattack? That won't do. If we charge down, won't we fall under their artillery? And they still have people pretending to attack. They'll definitely try to intercept us, "Xu Gu said with a shake of his head.
Liu Dong patted Xu Gu and said, "Are you an idiot? One thousand people went past Highland 113. What's going on? "
"It's been almost five days, right? According to the time on the sand table, they should have met up with Zhao Hanzhang and then surrounded us, coordinating with Zhang Shougui's attack from the other side. Why hasn't there been any movement? Ha, I know. They've run into trouble. Fuck, then what are we waiting for? Let's retreat and reinforce them. Give Highland 113 to Zhang Shougui. Let's see if he dares to take it. "
Xu Gu finally reacted. The enemy had one thousand people. Whether or not they had met up with Zhao Hanzhang's troops, they had inevitably run into trouble. Perhaps their own troops were bitterly holding on, while their own side could still scrape together two battalions. If they didn't fight now, then when?
Thus, the three of them reached an agreement. With a clap of their hands, they took the remaining people and fled as fast as they could. Fuck Highland 113. They didn't even want the flag.
The three of them took their eight-hundred-some men down the mountain and then turned around to meet up with their own troops. Three regiments, including Xu Gu's personal guards, had been reduced to eight hundred people.
But even so, the three of them did not give up. They continued to actively train according to their own analysis and habits from their previous training.
*****
In the center of the sand table, Li Longji was also not resting well. The battle had truly been too intense. All sorts of things could happen at any time, and he couldn't bear to miss out on any of the exciting moments.
The others naturally had to accompany him, but when they were alone, they were able to take a nap and were in much better condition than him.
Seeing Fan Zhu's group of three leading their troops back, Li Longji sighed and said, "This is the outer courtyard, the outer courtyard of the Zhang Clan and Wang Clan. Look, look at the coordination between them. They don't even need to use telegrams to communicate. Just by relying on their usual tacit understanding, they can produce such results.
And look at their willpower. They're never afraid of being alone and without help. Look at Cai Cai. Even after breaking apart an entire regiment, she still managed to organize a counterattack. Who wouldn't be afraid of such a force?
After the commander gives out his mission, how many people can still judge the situation in an unexpected situation and coordinate with the main force to use the proper tactics? Zhao Hanzhang and Zhang Shougui didn't lose unjustly. "
Empress Wang was born into a family of generals, and she had been groomed like this since she was young. However, she knew that she had to admit that she had never seen such subordinates before, and they were only in the outer courtyard.
She had seen it on the sand table of the inner courtyard. Wang Yi's group, any random small group, was able to deal significant damage to the enemy. When they fought, they gave off a sense of complete unity. Don't just talk about luck and coincidence. If that was really the case, Cuckoo's group was simply too lucky.
But every opportunity was grasped by people. Everyone had a chance, so why did they grasp it so well? How many times was it still a coincidence?
The more she thought about it, the more excited Empress Wang became. "Your Majesty, after the martial examination, let's recruit the people from the Zhang Clan and Wang Clan who can't enter the inner courtyard."
"We also want to, but we reckon that they would rather stay in the outer courtyard than enter the court. Let's not talk about others, just Fan Zhu, Xu Gu, Liu Dong, Wang Nan, and Sun Quan.
Would they agree? Just how far did they push Zhao Hanzhang and Zhang Shougui? In their eyes, Zhao Hanzhang and Zhang Shougui are defeated generals, and they don't want to be in the same team. With just a glance, they can tell that you, the generals of the court, and the main forces of the Zhang Clan and Wang Clan, are only at this level. Why would they leave the outer courtyard? "
Li Longji said with jealousy.
*****
On the battlefield, the two regiments of the First Logistics Division's Third Brigade and the three regiments of the Fourth Brigade were still madly attacking Zhang Shougui's flanks without regard for casualties.
The bulletproof vests made of bamboo were a little heavy, but the effects were pretty good. If someone in the front was killed, the people at the back would carry the corpse and continue pushing it forward. The enemy would drop to the ground after throwing a grenade, so the losses weren't too great.
The people filling the trenches didn't use their own bodies to block the spears. Instead, they put on the bulletproof vests and found a good spot. Then, they carried the wooden poles up and filled the trenches with three layers of people. Those who filled the trenches were unlucky enough to be declared dead by the referees.
Once the last wave of people had passed, they would have to pull out those who had filled the trenches so that they could still fight.
When Zhang Shougui gave the order to retreat, the entire camp immediately fell into chaos. Fighting at night greatly affected one's field of vision, and with the order to retreat, the two flanks were pinned down. Of the eight-thousand-some soldiers, at least three thousand were used to defend the two flanks.
Originally, Zhang Xiaobao had ten thousand soldiers. After sending out one thousand reinforcements and attacking Heights 113 and 113, he left behind another one thousand soldiers. Against Zhang Xiaobao's five logistics regiments, nearly eight thousand soldiers, the three thousand soldiers on the two flanks were having a very hard time.
Moreover, under the influence of the soldiers who had retreated from Heights 113, the four-thousand-some soldiers in the center began to move back in batches. The referees immediately judged that their morale had plummeted.
The attacking logistics troops didn't light their torches for fear of being used as practice, but when Zhang Shougui's troops retreated, they lit their torches.
When their torches were lit, a messenger immediately placed a model of a torch on the sand table in front of the generals.
"What's this?" Zhang Shougui asked as he looked at the model.
"Reporting! These are the torches in the direction of our retreat and in the distance of our right flank. Based on the number of torches, we estimate that twenty thousand enemy soldiers have suddenly appeared."
The messenger pointed at the model and replied.
"How many?" Zhang Shougui bellowed. In an instant, his heart chilled as he numbly nodded. "I know. This is Wang Juan's main force. Pass on my order. Withdraw the order to retreat. Gather all the troops and advance … advance toward Heights 113 and then take Heights 225. Quickly."
"General, why aren't we retreating? If we continue to charge forward, our army will be surrounded and eaten, "a deputy general asked.
Zhang Shougui shook his head and sighed. "I also want to run, but Wang Juan won't let me. She's even more familiar than I am with constantly wiping out the enemy while running, so she won't give me a chance.
If we run, our morale will plummet, our heavy weapons will be thrown away, and our provisions will also be gone. We will scatter and then be surrounded by her men. Rather than that, I might as well concentrate my forces and fight for a chance of survival. "
With Zhang Shougui's order, the retreating soldiers turned around, abandoning the three thousand soldiers on the left and right wings. They arrived at the base of Heights 113 and gathered a portion of the soldiers there. With less than five thousand soldiers, they captured Heights 113.
"Reporting! We haven't encountered any enemy defending Heights 113," the messenger reported.
"I already know. I also know that they turned around to work with their own forces to wipe out the one thousand reinforcements that Zhao Hanzhang and I sent over. Other than the fact that I didn't scheme against Wang Juan and Zhang Xiaobao, do you know where we lost?"
Zhang Shougui first nodded to the messenger, then he asked the generals in the room.
One of the generals whispered, "Is it because our army is advancing too quickly? Shouldn't we have come to Mount Huangshan? "
"That was my mistake. Is there anything else?" Zhang Shougui asked with a heavier tone.
Another general thought for a moment, then said, "Could it be that by the time we sent our commanders to the regiments, there was already no one available?"
"Someone finally noticed. The several hundred commanders from the Zhang Family and the Wang Family's inner and outer courtyards formed the most luxurious command formation. Every regiment, every battalion, and even every squad had their own commander, let alone the brigade level.
Moreover, because there were so many people, those who normally commanded regiments could only be sent to command battalions. But what about us? How many generals do we have that have properly studied? Our regiments were larger than the brigades, and each regiment was divided into two brigades.
"The number of people in two brigades is still less than the number of people in one battalion. We have only temporarily transferred the Brigade Commanders and Regimental Generals who haven't studied for long. The Brigade Commanders are directly in charge of the current regiments, while the Regimental Generals are in charge of brigades.
They didn't have enough people, so they pushed them down. We didn't have enough people, so we raised them at the last moment. The Brigade Commanders who normally commanded two thousand people were sent to command five hundred battalions, while we normally commanded two hundred generals were sent to command fifteen hundred regiments.
Our battalion is currently the commander of a squad, and the captain is just someone who has performed well in the army. If not for the advantage in weapons, if the two sides met, our troops would have been instantly crushed. "
At this moment, Zhang Shougui was keenly aware of the weakness of not having enough people. In war, not only did the generals need to make decisions, they also needed the commanders under them to take charge of the situation.
The generals thought about Zhang Shougui's words and nodded. This was true. The strength of the generals was only a part of the equation. The rest depended on how the commanders at each level performed.
Zhang Shougui clenched his teeth and said, "Don't think about it anymore. Attack! Even if I die, I'll pull a few down with me."
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