Hearing Wang Juan's words, Guo Tu was stunned. The other officers were also stunned. Guo Tu started to blame himself. The others looked at Guo Tu and didn't say anything. Their meaning was obvious. You scare them, continue to scare them. Bring them away after scaring them.
Looking at the situation, the other party still had more supplies to send over. Don't underestimate the fact that there were less than three hundred people. As long as they were equipped with horses, even a thousand Tibetan soldiers would not be able to stop them. Who would send out ten thousand soldiers to stop them under such circumstances?
It would be easy for them to go back, but what about their own supplies? If they let the people from the logistics camp go back, what would they do? Not to mention that they couldn't deal with the Tibetans, they couldn't even deal with two kids.
In order to cooperate with Wang Juan, Zhang Xiaobao frowned and showed a scared expression. He ordered the people around him, "Quickly call them back. We will run. While the horses at the foot of the mountain haven't been discovered yet, it is still not too late to run now."
"Don't, wait a moment." When Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan's people were about to call for the people, Guo Tu quickly stopped them. They could run, but he had many people here. They couldn't run at all.
"General Guo, Cuckoo and I don't want to be caught. We still have parents, grandparents, and Xiaobei at home. Without us, they will be sad."
Zhang Xiaobao said to Guo Tu timidly.
Guo Tu was speechless. This kid was really hard to deal with. He wanted to run after being scared.
He could only comfort him, "Battalion Commander Zhang, don't be afraid. I am here. Don't you want to make a big contribution and go back to make parents happy?"
"No, I just want to go back alive. I still have to tell stories to Xiaobei." Zhang Xiaobao's reply made Guo Tu slap his forehead. Depressing, it was really too depressing. These two kids were so easily scared.
"Battalion Commander Zhang, as long as you let me command them, I can let you go back alive. You don't have to worry about being caught by the Tibetans."
Guo Tu said in a different way.
Zhang Xiaobao shook his head vigorously. "If Cuckoo and I were in command, we would also be able to return alive. We wouldn't have to worry about being caught."
"Guards, protect Xiao Bao and Cuckoo so that Governor Zhang's children won't be harmed." Guo Tu wanted to persuade him, so he could only use this method.
As soon as his voice fell, a cold object was pressed against his forehead.
"Guo Tu, if you dare to put the Young Master and Young Lady under house arrest, I will immediately make your head explode. Do you believe me?" The same cold words came out of Huzi's mouth.
Guo Tu didn't know what was on his forehead, but he believed what this person said. The cold feeling of the metal told him that this was not a toy. Since it could be used on the battlefield, it could definitely take people's lives.
At this moment, Wang Juan spoke.
"Guards, Great General Guo is tired from the journey and needs to rest. Protect Great General Guo. If anyone dares to move, kill them!"
When Wang Juan and Zhang Xiaobao came, they wanted to persuade Guo Tu. However, at that time, they wanted to use gentle means. Now that Guo Tu showed his true colors, they didn't need to be polite.
Once the order was given, Guo Tu and the generals around him were all controlled. The cold blue arrowhead made them understand what kind of weapon the other party was holding.
While they were shocked that the logistics camp had such good equipment, they also understood their situation. If it had been an adult, they would have been able to threaten him, such as how they would explain it to the imperial court or talk about the righteousness of the nation.
However, was it useful to say such things to two children? The children always thought about themselves. They were unreasonable even in front of their parents. There was no reason to reason with them. They seized power as they wished.
Guo Tu was frightened. While he was being tied up, he said to Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, "If you guys tie me up, your family will be finished. Once the imperial court knows about this, your whole family will die."
"Xiao Bao, is what he said true?" Wang Juan asked worriedly.
"I don't know. Maybe it's true. If the imperial court knows, we will be finished. Unless the imperial court doesn't know." Zhang Xiaobao also had a fearful expression.
"Then kill him. This time, the imperial court won't know. Just say that he ate too much biscuits and died." Wang Juan waved at the guards, indicating that she was going to kill Guo Tu.
Guo Tu finally believed that the people who gave the order to kill the people were Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. They were too vicious. They even wanted to kill the people of the Tang Empire. How could the people of the Tubo Empire be any better?
He really didn't know if these two children were smart or stupid. Would anyone believe that they would die from eating too much biscuits? But no matter if anyone believed it or not, he and the others would be killed first.
In the instant when he was facing death, Guo Tu understood. He finally understood that he couldn't play tricks with the children, especially the smart children. Otherwise, he would die very miserably.
When the other people put the knife on his neck and prepared to pull, he understood many things. Thus, he said to Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, "Don't, we won't tell anyone. We will listen to you. You can do whatever you want. We will definitely let you go home. The other soldiers will also listen to you."
"You really won't say?" Wang Juan blinked her big eyes and asked in disbelief.
"I won't say. If you don't believe me, you can ask them and see if they also think the same." Guo Tu already felt the coldness of the knife. He only hoped that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan would believe him.
Zhang Xiaobao's eyes looked at the other generals and got a very uniform answer. The generals above the battalion level were all here, including the battalion commanders. Everyone did the same action and nodded.
They didn't want to die. To be precise, they didn't want to die like this. That would be too unjust. If they were killed by the enemy, they would be considered heroes. But if they were killed by two children, they would be sullen. They would be resentful ghosts.
"Then I am relieved. Bring them to rest. Now, the army will be commanded by me and Xiao Bao. If anyone has a different opinion, kill them."
Wang Juan revealed a happy smile. However, no one felt that her words were funny. The decisiveness to kill was actually reflected in the body of a little girl.
Wang Juan's cold eyes and pure smile made the generals feel that they weren't facing a child from an ordinary official's family. Instead, they were facing a child from the palace who had known cruelty since childhood.
Guo Tu and the others were locked up. Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan began to take their official seals to receive the troops. The process was relatively smooth. The main reason was that Guo Tu wasn't the original commander of these soldiers and didn't have much prestige. However, the logistics camp in Yizhou had left an indelible impression in their hearts, especially now that they were sending food.
"Damn, now I know why more than 200 people listen to two children. How are they children from ordinary families? Look at their calculation and ruthlessness. It's not that Zhang Zhong didn't have the time to take care of the logistics camp. He just felt that his children could do it.
Looking at the time, they should have been following us all the way to Pengzhou. That's why they were able to move so quickly once the imperial court's decree arrived. I didn't believe it when I heard that there were portraits of the two children hanging in the Emperor's palace, but now I understand. The two of them have long been favored by the Emperor. "
Guo Tu, who was locked up, ate something good again. It was actually fried melon slices. When he ate it, he felt nostalgic. It tasted better than any meat or wild vegetables.
After eating half a steamed bun, he remembered what Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan had done. He realized that the two children shouldn't be treated as ordinary people. He told the other generals.
The other generals also realized this. Unfortunately, it was too late. Their power was taken away and they couldn't turn the tables. They could only watch the two children do things. Of course, they admired Zhang Zhong more. They didn't know what kind of teaching could make two ten-year-old children like this.
The adjutant who had been giving advice to Guo Tu said, "From now on, Zhang Zhong's name will be more famous. The logistics camp in Yizhou will become a legend of the Tang Empire. To be honest, I don't hate the two children now. They are indeed more capable than us. At least under their leadership, the logistics camp found us. But who asked …"
He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was very clear. He was complaining that Guo Tu shouldn't have tried to seize the military power of others. Otherwise, the result wouldn't have been like this.
Guo Tu didn't refute. He was silent. He finally knew where he was lacking compared to the old general who was good at war. He wasn't decisive enough in killing and couldn't see the situation clearly.
He didn't speak, so the others also kept silent. It wasn't until they were all fed a steamed bun and a bowl of soup that a battalion commander, or rather a regiment commander, said in a low voice,
"I don't know what the two of them want to do after seizing our power. If they want to escape, it won't be easy. If we behave normally, we may be able to figure out their plan. "
Even if the generals didn't approve of letting Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan command the army, they couldn't do anything now. They were under house arrest. They could only hope that the two children wouldn't act rashly and get everyone involved.
*****
After half a day, Wang Juan successfully took over a team of 12,000 people. Guo Tu and the others didn't directly command this group of people before, and the logistics camp took care of them on the way here, but more importantly, Wang Juan used the name of Between the Clouds and the Water to bribe the 12,000 people.
That was, if they all died here, Between the Clouds and the Water would give their families enough money and food to let their families live well. If they returned alive, they would also be able to receive a reward from Between the Clouds and the Water outside of the imperial court.
In order to prevent the soldiers from not believing them because of their young age, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan sent out people from the Seedling Protection Team to take over the duties of each battalion. This way, others wouldn't know who was in command in the end. They would only think that someone more powerful had come.
"Xiao Bao, I'll give you a mission. That is to take 32 people from the Seedling Protection Team other than the 12 battalion commanders and deputy commanders. Organize your equipment and go find our soldiers who are alone. It's impossible for all 3,000 people to be killed. Especially when they were close to the mountain range, there must have been people who escaped into the mountains.
You go and look for them. Find as many as you can. Two days, only two days. After two days, no matter how many people you find, no matter whether you find them or not, you must continue to follow the path I took. I'll wait for you in front. "
After Wang Juan seized the military power, her first order was given to Zhang Xiaobao. Twenty-four people from the Seedling Protection Team were to be the officers of the remaining 12 battalions. Zhang Xiaobao was to lead 32 people to search for people who might have escaped to the mountains.
Zhang Xiaobao nodded and agreed, "Okay, I'll lead them to search here for two days. Once two days are up, we'll immediately evacuate. If we encounter an unexpected situation, we may evacuate even earlier."
After saying this, Zhang Xiaobao ordered the remaining people from the Seedling Protection Team, "Huzi, get into formation and follow me."
Zhang Xiaobao led 32 people and left. He wasn't afraid at all. If he really had to command a small scale battle, he might be unfamiliar with the application of battle tactics. However, with only 32 people, it was suitable for him to lead.
If the number of Tibetans searching the mountains was less than 100, he even dared to face them alone. Moreover, he had an 80% chance of keeping those Tibetans who were less than 100 in the mountains forever. Before he went abroad, he had already escaped from the armed police and police dogs time and time again. After he went abroad, he specially looked for various countries' veterans or special forces who wanted to earn pocket money to learn.
If there were too many people, he wouldn't be able to control them. If there were fewer people, it would be just right for him to form a team. He had already gotten used to it. The jungle battle experience that generations of people had written down with their lives was not something that the current Tibetans could understand. They were not on the same level as him.
After Zhang Xiaobao left, Wang Juan immediately made arrangements. Actually, she was very reluctant to let Zhang Xiaobao lead the team, but she had no other choice. Huzi was a good person, but in terms of flexibility, he was definitely not as good as Zhang Xiaobao. At least Zhang Xiaobao knew how to make a choice. He wouldn't be hot-headed and use his big knife to fight with the enemy's gun formation.
"Order, everyone tear the clothes under the armor into strips and use them to tie the legs. Battalion 1, 2, 3, and 3 will become the scout battalion and quickly open up the path. Everyone else will gather and advance. Battalion 4, 5, 6, and 7 will be the back of Battalion 7, 8, and 9. Battalion 10 to 12 will be the cooking stoves. There will be enough food for 30,000 people."
Wang Juan started to give orders to the people on her side. No one knew what exactly she wanted to do. The officers of the various battalions were all her people, so they immediately followed her orders. Those who opened up the path, those who carried the soldiers on their backs, and those who made the cooking stoves also immediately started to work.
This situation was quickly found out by Guo Tu and the other officers. Although they couldn't issue any orders, the news would still be passed to them and let them know.
This was also something that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan had discussed. If they were to constantly be in a situation where they couldn't interact with the outside world, it would be easy for them to develop other thoughts. Thus, the best method was to let them be able to clearly understand the information of the troops.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan didn't think that they would be able to guess the final goal of Wang Juan's troop deployment. Not to mention them, even Zhang Xiaobao wouldn't be able to guess it if Wang Juan didn't say it out loud. Just like what Zhang Xiaobao had always done in the past, those who weren't professionals wouldn't be able to understand the depth of the situation.
Zhang Xiaobao's original arrangements were dazzling to the eyes. Even Old Man Pi, Old Man Yao, and the others couldn't guess the final goal. And now, what Wang Juan was doing was the same. Every step had a deep meaning, strategic, and tactical. It made people's heads hurt just by looking at it.
Now, Guo Tu and the others had a headache. They knew the way to move the troops, but no matter what, they couldn't figure out why it was like this.
Guo Tu thought about the contents of the military books that he had learned in the past and said, "I understand. They are confusing the enemy and making them think that we still have a lot of people. It's not just 12,000 people, but at least 30,000 people. Then, dealing with 30,000 people is different from dealing with 12,000 people.
The reason why they made a fake camp is to make the Tubo think that we still have a lot of provisions. It's impossible for them to use the siege method to starve us to death. This way … this way … what do you think the Tubo people will think? "
At the beginning, his analysis was still smooth, but towards the end, he was also confused. What did it mean? To make the Tubo people think that they still had 30,000 people and sufficient provisions, this had to have some effect. However, he really couldn't think of what effect it would have. If he had to say something, it would be that the Tubo people would send more troops.
If there were more Tubo people, it would be more troublesome for them to break through the siege. The problem was, if that wasn't the case, why did they have to make such a layout? From the layout, it made people feel that the person who commanded the troops was definitely someone who didn't know anything.
Guo Tu couldn't figure it out, and the other generals also couldn't understand. After a while, the military staff said, "Could it be that they want to make the Tubo people lower their guard? Today, they have 30,000 camp, tomorrow, it will be 25,000, and the day after tomorrow, it will be 20,000. They want the Tubo people to think that our morale is not stable and that they have all become deserters.
When the camp is reduced to 5,000, do you think the Tubo people will still send more people to encircle and annihilate us? I reckon that they will think that we don't have enough people and only send out 20,000 people. 12,000 against 20,000, we still have a chance of winning. "
"If you can think of it, do you think that the Tubo people can't think of it? If it was me, I would send out 100,000 people to encircle and annihilate them. I don't care how many people you have in the end. Who doesn't know that the camp can be fake? "
A battalion commander beside the military staff said at this time. He didn't think that the Tubo people were fools. Such a classic layout, how many times had others used it?
"It doesn't matter whether the Tubo people know or not. What I am saying is whether they really have such a plan." The military staff retorted.
At this time, the others didn't say anything. They were really worried that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan's men had made such an arrangement. This kind of method that could be understood by those who had read military books didn't seem to be effective.
Their guesses changed again on the second day.
This time, Wang Juan only sent one battalion to open the path. Out of the ten battalions, five battalions were carrying the other five battalions. The last battalion built a camp that could only be used by 50,000 soldiers. The speed of the troops slowed down a lot.
"That's not right, that's not right. They should be reducing the camp. Why is there more camp? Oh, I know, they are trying to scare the Tubo people and make them think that there are too many people here. "
Guo Tu said to the other generals after he found some information that he thought was possible in the military books that he had read.
No one could agree with his thoughts. The military staff retorted, "If that's the case, why did they ask people to carry people? Don't tell me they have nothing else to do? "
The other generals nodded. They really couldn't think of anything. It seemed that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan's methods were a little strange.
On the third day, it was still 50,000 people carrying 50,000 people. The people who opened the path in front and the people who built the camp at the back didn't change. The people who were carrying each other changed back and forth. Today, they were building a camp for 70,000 people.
Thus, Guo Tu and the others who were under house arrest found new things to do and continued to research. They didn't have time to think about how to cause trouble.
*****
Zhang Xiaobao brought 32 people and gathered more than 300 people today. After giving them some food, he asked them to speed up and meet up with the main group in front. Zhang Xiaobao was in charge of bringing up the rear.
The 33 people didn't go to the back to welcome them. They just spread out horizontally and waited. If they met someone, they would help. If they didn't, they could only blame the other party's bad luck.
Huzi had been following Zhang Xiaobao. One was to listen to orders, and the other was to protect Zhang Xiaobao. Even though he knew that if it was a life and death battle, he didn't have the slightest confidence in killing the young master. It was more likely that he would be killed by the young master. He still had to protect the young master. Whether the young master was powerful or not had nothing to do with whether he protected him.
Zhang Xiaobao crouched in the underbrush, wearing a pair of tactical gloves, the kind that exposed part of the fingers in front of the gloves. After killing an inch-long bug that was about to crawl up his neck, he didn't even look at what kind of bug it was. He said to Huzi, "There's still two hours left. Once the time is up, retreat."
"Understood, young master. Can you make arrangements for the young lady?" Huzi agreed, but he was very worried. In the past, he had always listened to the young master's orders. He felt that the young master was more powerful than the young lady. He didn't know why the young master gave the command to the young lady on the battlefield, and he seemed to trust her very much.
How could Zhang Xiaobao not know what Huzi was thinking? He made a smiling expression and said, "Don't doubt Cuckoo. If she can't do it well, then no one can do it well in my heart. Your tactics were all taught by Cuckoo. I can only teach you psychology.
If I were to fight with someone like Cuckoo, I could beat two of them. But if I and Cuckoo were to fight a thousand people each, she could beat three of us by herself. Do you understand? "
"I understand. Young master is more powerful in normal times. When it comes to war, the young lady is in the leading position."
Huzi remembered the situation when he was learning tactics from the young lady, so he nodded and said.
It wasn't Huzi's fault. He really hadn't seen the young lady commanding people in battle, and he didn't know to what extent the young lady's art of war was. He also didn't understand what was a major, so how could he know the level of people who had skipped grades and graduated from the Central Military Command Academy in 2100?
Zhang Xiaobao said to wait for two hours, so he waited for two hours. During this time, he found 25 people. When the time was up, Zhang Xiaobao ordered without hesitation, "Retreat, full speed ahead."
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
