Bam!
Another loud sound rang out. God knew how many times he had tried to dig here and there on the mountain. When he was about to dig all over the mountain, he finally swung the long sword down, and a stream of clear mountain spring water gushed out from the cracks in the stone.
The shining white water danced in the air, sprinkling around the crowd. In that instant, everyone was stunned. Even the messenger who was wielding the WuZi Steel sword was still holding his sword high. He was drenched all over, and stood there in a daze, stunned.
"Water! It's water! It's actually water! — — "
"Young Master actually dug out water on the mountain!"
…
Luoji, Lin Wushou, Zhao Hong, The Eagle, and everyone else were stunned. The surrounding soldiers couldn't help but exclaim in excitement. Everyone knew that Young Master had given a strange order to dig around the mountain.
But no one had ever thought that it had something to do with water. Even The Eagle hadn't expected it to be like this.
Digging out a water source on a dry, rocky mountain without much vegetation was like a miracle to everyone.
"Boom!"
In an instant, the surrounding soldiers all rushed forward, scooping up the spring water gushing out from the cracks in the rocks, and gulping it down madly. As they drank, they trembled in excitement.
The Tang dynasty's water source had been completely depleted a few days ago!
And before the water was depleted, everyone had to go through a long period of water restriction. Everyone's daily water consumption was calculated by drops. And the water in the rice was extremely little.
As early as a few days ago, the rice cooked by the stove was already half-cooked. The reason was simple: there wasn't enough water.
Under such circumstances, everyone was already dizzy from hunger, and their mouths were dry. More importantly, because of the lack of water, everyone was severely fatigued and tired easily.
No one could imagine the feeling of someone who had been thirsty for a long time suddenly coming into contact with a pool of clear water.
That kind of feeling was driving them crazy.
"What are you waiting for? There's so many soldiers, is one look enough?"
Wang Chong stood on the mountain and said.
"Yes, young master!"
The messenger was startled, as if he had just woken up from a dream. He hurriedly followed Wang Chong with a joyful expression on his face. For an army of sixty thousand, a clear spring was obviously not enough. He waved his sword again and again, not knowing that he was doing such an important thing. If he had known, he would have been more diligent than anyone else.
"Young Master, tell me, I'll do it! … "
One mouthful, two mouthfuls, three mouthfuls … Rocks were split open one after another. Between the cracks of the rocks, a shallow layer of cold water continuously flowed out. As the clear spring water flowed out, rumbling sounds could be heard as the entire army boiled over.
Warhorses, soldiers, all the soldiers were drinking to their heart's content. After such a long time, this was the happiest and most exciting day for everyone. Even the mountains were lit up with cooking fires in advance to celebrate.
The warhorse neighed in Neigh, overflowing with joy and excitement.
"Chong-er, how long can these springs last for?"
At the summit of the mountain, Wang Yan, Xianyu Zhongtong, and Wang Chong stood side by side with their banners fluttering in the wind.
At the base of the mountain, the soldiers and their horses were all drinking, many of them using their armor and waterskins to receive the spring water. Many of them were so excited that their faces were red.
This could be said to be the best sight that Wang Yan and Xianyu Zhongtong had seen in a long time.
"I also don't know."
A faint smile appeared on Wang Chong's lips, but his words left Wang Yan and Xianyu Zhongtong greatly surprised. Just how much shallow water was on this mountain and how long the water could last was something that no one could estimate.
In this regard, Wang Chong said nothing.
"… But it definitely won't last too long."
Wang Chong said. There was a limit to the shallow layer of water. Although there was no way to estimate it, one could basically determine that it wouldn't last too long.
"Then why is Young Master allowing everyone to drink, cook, and water the horses so wantonly?"
Xianyu Zhongtong turned his head, his complexion slightly changing.
A general's duty was on the battlefield, how to arrange troops and defeat the enemy. Logistics and command, digging up water in the mountains, geography and geology, forging steel city walls, these weren't Xianyu Zhongtong's strong points at all.
Xianyu Zhongtong had originally believed that Wang Chong dared to allow the army to enjoy the water because there was enough to drink. He had never imagined that Wang Chong's answer would be this.
Everyone on the mountain was drinking, and the horses were also swollen. The water that had not been collected was spilled all over the mountain.
This was already a waste!
"Young Master, the problem of water is related to the army. It's not too late to control it now!"
Xianyu Zhongtong said seriously, his expression incomparably stern.
Wang Yan said nothing, but his brow slowly creased. It was clear that he was inclined to agree with Xianyu Zhongtong. If the spring was limited, then controlling the water supply was necessary.
This was something that a general had to understand.
"No! There's no need to control it! "
Wang Chong shook his head and smiled, his expression calm and relaxed. He gave off the feeling that everything was within his grasp and that nothing was out of his control.
"Father, Lord Xianyu, in the current situation, not only should we not control it, we should let loose and let them enjoy the water without restraint and waste it!"
Wang Yan and Xianyu Zhongtong were both dumbfounded. As the highest-ranking commanders of the southwest, the two had experienced countless battles and possessed rich experience, but Wang Chong's answer had left them bewildered.
"Why is that?"
Wang Yan frowned. The two of them stared at Wang Chong. In the current situation, wasting water was not a wise decision, but the two were confident that Wang Chong had a good explanation.
"Father, Lord Xianyu, with how the war in the southwest has developed, do you think that it is better to end it quickly or to drag it out?"
Wang Chong said.
"This …"
The two commanders of the southwest fell silent.
In the past, the two of them would have definitely answered that the longer they dragged it out, the better. This way, they would have enough time to wait for the Imperial Court to send reinforcements.
But now, neither Wang Yan nor Xianyu Zhongtong dared to say this.
No one knew when the reinforcements would arrive. If the reinforcements did not arrive and there was not enough water, the longer the war dragged on, the more disadvantageous it would be for the army. After all, people could go three days without food, but they could not go three days without water.
As long as Dalun Ruozan put up with it, he could still surround the Annam Protectorate and completely crush it. And when that happened, the Mengshe – Ü-Tsang army would not even need to use a single soldier to wipe out the entire Annam Protectorate!
That would actually be the worst plan.
"Young Master Wang, I understand your meaning."
Xianyu Zhongtong suddenly said.
"Let's do as you say!"
On the side, Wang Yan solemnly nodded.
… …
On the other side, as the men and horses on the mountain were drinking, the white spring water gushing out of the cracks in the rocks, and everyone was heartily laughing, the Mengshe – Ü-Tsang army at the base of the mountain was dumbfounded.
Several cavalry galloped off, and the news quickly reached Dalun Ruozan and Gelofeng.
"Something like this actually happened?"
When Geluofeng received the news, he almost slammed the table and shot to his feet, rushing out of the tent without a second thought. However, by the time Geluofeng arrived at the scene, two tall and sturdy figures were already standing in front of him.
"This is impossible!"
As he looked at the splashing water on the mountain and heard the rushing water, Dalun Ruozan's entire face paled. The massive impact had even caused his body to slightly tremble.
"… How could something like this happen? This can't be possible! Absolutely impossible!! "
Dalun Ruozan's eyes were as wide as saucers. Let alone Geluofeng, even Huoshu Huicang, who had known him for so long, had never seen such an expression on his face.
Dalun Ruozan was known as the 'civil minister', the 'wise minister'. His most basic impression was that he would remain unfazed even if Mount Tai were to collapse in front of him. Even in his most intense battle with Zhangchou Jianqiong, Huoshu Huizang had never seen such an expression on his face.
But the impact of the scene before him was clearly different.
'Transforming the air into water, digging up water from the mountain' — this matter had far surpassed the limits of Fan Bo's imagination. After all, this was a rock! A rock!
At this moment, Dalun Ruozan's entire body was as cold as ice.
Before the battle of Erhai had even begun, Wang Chong had seemed to have foreseen it and constructed Lion City on the Erhai plains. This was something that Dalun Ruozan could accept. In the north, he had laid down many layers of traps, allowing Wang Chong to smoothly charge south to the Erhai region. This was also something that Dalun Ruozan could accept. Even the fact that a seventeen-year-old youth like Wang Chong possessed such terrifying military tactics, using only one hundred thousand soldiers to stop the five hundred thousand Mengshe – Ü-Tsang coalition army, was something that Dalun Ruozan could accept.
But Dalun Ruozan could not accept that Wang Chong had actually dug up a clear spring on a barren, treeless mountain!
Ever since he was a child, Dalun Ruozan had been well-versed in literature, astronomy, geography, divination, and all the books of the Central Plains. He had read all of them, and he was extremely familiar with them, but he had never seen any of them mention how one could dig up water from a mountain!
If he had not seen with his own eyes, how that shining white water flowed from the mountain all the way to the foot of the mountain, completely wasted, Dalun Ruozan would never have believed that such a thing was possible.
"Prime Minister, what should we do now?"
Gelofeng and Dalun Ruozan stood side by side as they spoke. He had been fully aware of Dalun Ruozan's plan, but everything had changed.
Wang Chong had actually produced clear water out of thin air, instantly resolving the problem of the Annam Protectorate's water supply. Thus, the premise of the Mengshe – Ü-Tsang coalition's plan no longer existed.
If this continued, the diarrhea of the Ouzan soldiers would only worsen, and their fighting strength would plummet. On the other hand, the Annam Protectorate would slowly recover its strength.
The scales were subconsciously tipping in favor of the Annam Protectorate.
"There's no other choice. Advance! Forward! Open! Fight! "
Dalun Ruozan's complexion was incomparably nasty, and he had to enunciate each of his last words through clenched teeth. He had never imagined that in this battle, when he had the advantage in numbers, he would be forced into such desperate straits!
"Prime Minister, perhaps the situation isn't as serious as we think. The Tang Dynasty has sixty thousand soldiers, so how long can the clear water on the mountain last? "
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