After listening to the Black Snake Guards report, Ouyang Shuo frowned.
The entire north of Zhao Qing County, including Wu Long County, had a total of 12 territories. Every city had around one to two thousand soldiers, which was nothing to worry about.
What was troublesome was the fifty thousand patrolling Iron Cavalry.
The fifty thousand Iron Cavalry's main camp was located 15 km north of Tian Shuang County.
According to what the Black Snake Guards knew, the 12 cities had formed a wartime alliance. Whenever a city was attacked, the fifty thousand Iron Cavalry would be the first to receive the news, and rush over to reinforce.
~ Seems like the [Southern Alliance] has an expert to guide them. ~ The entire north of Zhao Qing County had been set up by the alliance army, and there were no gaps.
Ouyang Shuo's goal was to take down Tian Shuang County, and cut off the alliance army's rations.
Wu Long County was 3 days away from Tian Shuang County.
The alliance's fifty thousand Iron Cavalry were patrolling the entire north of Zhao Qing County. Thus, if they wanted to attack Tian Shuang County, they had to first take care of the fifty thousand patrolling Iron Cavalry, if not they would be caught in a pincer attack.
With a regiment, they had to fight against fifty thousand soldiers, and one against five.
Considering that they still had to attack Tian Shuang County after the battle, they could only use their wits. Without detailed information, Ouyang Shuo did not dare to make a move.
On the same day, Ouyang Shuo sent out ten teams of scouts to investigate the enemy's movements and movements.
Zhao Qing County, Yun An County.
The two hundred and twenty thousand alliance army had already gathered at Yun An County. Along with the army were large amounts of rations and siege weapons. Endless amounts of rations were transported from Tian Shuang County to Yun An County.
The fifty thousand vanguard troops had already investigated the deployment of Shan Hai City's army, and the members of the [Southern Alliance] once again gathered to discuss the battle plan.
This time, it was no longer a one-man show for He Fo and the rest.
The strategists and military leaders from the various territories all appeared. Afterall, they were the best at commanding battles. He Fo and the rest were only in charge of strategy.
Amongst the generals, there was one that was the most eye-catching, and that was the Northern Song Dynasty's famous general, Di Qing.
Di Qing, courtesy name Han Chen, had tattoos on his face, and was skilled in archery, and was known as the "Nirvana General". He was born in poverty, and was courageous and good at scheming. In the Song Dynasty and Xia Dynasty, he fought with disheveled hair and wore a copper mask, charging and breaking through enemy lines, and achieved outstanding military service.
In the imperial court, Yin Zhu, Han Qi, Fan Zhongyan, and other important officials all had a good relationship with him. Fan Zhongyan taught him the Spring and Autumn Annals of the Zuo Clan. Because of this, Di Qing studied hard and became proficient in the art of war. He was promoted to the position of Deputy Privy Commissioner.
Di Qing had fought twenty-five battles in his life, and he was most famous for his night attack on Kunlun Pass. When he was alive, he was suspected by the imperial court, which led to his death in depression. After his death, he was treated courteously and admired. He was posthumously conferred the title of Secretary of the Secretariat and given the posthumous title of Wuxiang.
"In military affairs, it is taboo for an outsider to command an expert." He Fo looked around and said, "Therefore, I propose that from today onwards, we lords will live in seclusion behind the scenes and no longer interfere with military affairs. As for the military affairs, I'll leave them to the generals to handle. What do you think? "
"Alliance Master is right, I agree!"
"Agreed!"
"Alright, then it's settled." Buddha He made the decision and continued, "If that's the case, then we have to choose a commander to lead the army. The commander-in-chief's orders are our orders. Any general of a territory who dares to disobey a military order will be dealt with by the commander-in-chief according to military law. We lords cannot plead for leniency on their behalf. What do you think? "
"Good!"
"That's right!"
All the lords knew that although the allied army was strong, it was not without hidden dangers. The biggest hidden danger was that the soldiers in the army came from dozens of territories. If there was no military law to restrict them, they would be like a plate of loose sand.
With just a few words, Buddha He had swept away the two biggest hidden dangers of the allied army. It was truly amazing. Even Ruan Ping had no choice but to accept it and not jump out to cause trouble.
Without any surprises, Di Qing was elected as the commander-in-chief of the army.
In front of all the lords and generals, Di Qing obtained the right to command. Buddha He and the others immediately left the tent and handed the entire battle to Di Qing to command.
Di Qing was a meticulous and taciturn person. He would first carefully consider the chances of success before choosing the right opportunity to win before attacking. It was somewhat similar to Bai Qi's combat style.
The arrangements in the north of Zhaoqing County were made by Di Qing.
Di Qing knew that in a big battle, provisions were the most important. Tian Shuang County was the supply center of the allied army. Heavy troops must be sent to defend it.
The lords retreated and Di Qing officially entered the tent to discuss matters. Just like the rumors, Di Qing wore a bronze mask and his hair was disheveled. He sat at the head of the table and exuded a majestic aura.
All the generals of the allied army were convinced by him.
"The enemy has three cities in a three-pronged formation. How should we break through it?"
Di Qing, on the other hand, was a maverick. He threw the biggest problem to the generals at the table right from the start.
When the generals heard this, they looked at one another and didn't know what the commander-in-chief meant. Logically speaking, since it was a discussion, it meant that the commander-in-chief already had a plan in mind. He just had to make arrangements and there was no need to ask for the opinions of the generals.
What they didn't know was that this was where Di Qing was smart. He knew about military matters. Although the generals present didn't have any objections to him becoming the commander-in-chief, they didn't know what they were thinking.
Since ancient times, there was no first in literature and no second in martial arts.
Thus, Di Qing wouldn't act arbitrarily right from the start. Instead, he used this chance to understand the personalities of the generals present. Once they were familiar with each other, he would make plans.
Knowing oneself and the enemy was the only way to win a hundred battles.
Di Qing's trip wasn't to know the enemy, but to know himself.
"What, do you all have no ideas?"
Seeing that the tent was silent, Di Qing spoke up. It was better to provoke the generals than to send generals.
"We should gather our forces and attack one of the cities."
As expected, a general couldn't help but stand up and say loudly.
Di Qing shook his head and said, "Since the enemy's three cities are like horns, they will naturally cooperate with each other. Attacking one city is actually pulling a hair and affecting the whole situation. If we are careless, the enemy might find an opening and turn the situation around. Don't forget that the enemy's commander-in-chief is the invincible Bai Qi. Apart from that, even the Immortal Soldier Han Xin is in the enemy's formation. I don't need to explain the commanding ability of these two. I'm sure all of you know it, right? "
"…"
The generals were speechless.
"Commander-In-Chief, aren't you raising the enemy's morale and lowering your own?" The generals in the army were all courageous and not a single one was a coward. Someone stood up and retorted, "Our army has an absolute advantage in terms of military strength. Naturally, we can concentrate our forces to attack one city and also divide our forces to guard against the other two cities and cut off the connection between the three cities. This way, the three cities will be fighting alone. The choice will depend on the commander-in-chief's words. "
"Well said!"
The generals cheered and swept away the previous dejection.
When Di Qing heard this, he nodded slightly and said, "General's words make sense. However, you have forgotten one thing."
"Commander-In-Chief, please enlighten us!"
The general who retorted didn't dare to be impudent.
"The enemy's three cities are the Three Talents Formation and can be switched at will. Although our army has the advantage in terms of military strength, it is slightly lacking compared to the enemy. Secondly, it was formed in a hurry and lacks tacit understanding. Just these two points are enough to offset a portion of our military strength. Thus, the actual difference in military strength between the two armies isn't that big. "
Actually, there was another point that Di Qing didn't point out because he wanted to give face to the generals. That meant that the generals of the allied army were far from the enemy army.
Any one of the generals from Shanhai City was a famous general in the world. Their ability to adapt to the situation was far stronger than those present. In such a large battle, the advantage was too obvious.
As expected, although the generals were a little unhappy, they didn't refute.
When Di Qing saw this, he looked around and said solemnly, "That's right. The current situation doesn't allow us to casually set up formations. If there are too few attacking troops, we won't be able to take down the city. If there are too many, the defending troops will be reduced and we might not be able to stop the enemy. If we aren't careful, we will lose everything. "
His words showed how careful Di Qing was when it came to using troops.
When the generals heard this, they were all impressed.
"Commander-In-Chief, please instruct us!"
Only at this moment did the generals come to their senses. Commander-In-Chief definitely had a comprehensive plan for this battle.
When Di Qing heard this, he knew that the time was ripe and the generals had basically acknowledged him. Only then did he reveal the battle plan, "The key to this battle is the real situation."
"What is the real situation? There are two meanings. Firstly, the enemy's real situation. We only know the generals defending the three cities. We don't know how many troops they have. If we can't find out the enemy's real situation, we won't be able to start this battle. Any city could be a trap and we can't act rashly. "
When the generals heard this, they all nodded their heads.
"Secondly, the real situation of our army. Since we don't have an absolute advantage in terms of military strength, we have to make it so that the enemy can't see through us. Before we officially attack, we have to make it so that the enemy can't be sure which city we are attacking. When our trump card is revealed, the outcome of the battle will be decided. This is the real situation. "
"Clap clap ~ ~ ~"
Waves of applause rang out in the tent.
After Di Qing's analysis, the generals' confidence in this battle increased by several times.
Di Qing reached out and pressed down to calm down the applause in the tent. He continued, "The two words' real situation 'are easy to say but not easy to execute. The most important thing was to investigate and test the waters. Thus, after the discussion ends, we have to send out more scouts to find out about the enemy's real situation. We can't let go of any of the places around the three cities. "
"Yes, Commander-In-Chief!"
"Scouting and investigation is just the prelude. The enemy is stationed in the cities and all the city gates are probably tightly sealed. It will be hard to get detailed information. Thus, the most effective way to find out about the enemy's real situation is to attack the three cities. Use a small number of sacrifices in exchange for first-hand information. "
With Di Qing's words, who knew how many soldiers would die on the battlefield.
All the generals knew that the enemy was not easy to deal with. To find out about the enemy's real situation, normal probing was completely useless. Although it was said to be probing, it was actually a real fierce attack. Only continuous attacks could make the enemy reveal an opening.
Even so, not a single person spoke out against it.
The merciful did not lead an army. None of the generals would be soft-hearted.
"Listen up, Commander-In-Chief!"
"Commander-In-Chief, please give the order!"
More than ten generals stood up in unison, their voices loud.
"From tomorrow onwards, the army will split into three groups and launch probing attacks on the three cities. If the enemy doesn't reveal flaws, they will not retreat. If they don't, don't blame the commander-in-chief for being merciless. "
With a swoosh, Di Qing pulled out the sword at his waist. The sword light flashed, and a corner of the table fell. A cold aura emanated from Di Qing's body. Together with the bronze mask, it became even more terrifying.
"Yes, Commander-In-Chief!"
The generals were shocked and didn't dare to slack off.
The next day, the allied army split into three groups and launched probing attacks on Yaogu District, Cangcheng District, and Genglou District. (To be continued.)
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