"Just as I expected!" Hou Junji looked at the marching speed of the army and couldn't help but feel satisfied.
Because he had deliberately set out early, the march of the western expedition army was quite smooth. The weather was cold, there were military coats, winter hats, and gloves, snow and ice blocking the way, and chariots clearing the way.
Although the march of the army was a little more difficult than usual, it could be overcome one by one. Compared to the expected marching speed, it was already much faster.
However, Hou Junji didn't think that he had been too optimistic. Things didn't go as smoothly as he had expected. Not long after the army entered the Gobi Desert, the snow in front of them became thinner and thinner. In the end, they didn't need to use chariots to attack the snow and could easily move forward. Moreover, there was already a large area of the Gobi Desert in front of them that had melted, exposing large areas of sand.
"How can this be?" Hou Junji didn't dare to believe it. He had never thought that the snow in the Gobi Desert would melt so quickly.
The generals also frowned. The melting snow along the way had helped them a lot, solving the drinking water problem of the soldiers. Once the snow melted, they would be in a predicament of water shortage. This was a big taboo in the Gobi Desert.
"Merton, do you know what's going on? Why can't the Gobi Desert store snow? "Niu Jinda whispered to Meton.
Although Niu Jinda's voice was soft, how could it escape the ears of the generals? In an instant, everyone looked at Mo Jiazi. Everyone knew that if there was one person who could explain the reason, it had to be Mo Jiazi.
Moton cupped his hands and replied, "The Gobi Desert is because it is too dry. This snow is a disaster for the Guannei, but for the extremely dry Gobi Desert, it is just a drop in the bucket. There are even rumors that in the Western Regions' eight hundred miles of Immensity Sea, the snow would disappear without a trace in less than a quarter of an hour. The reason why so much snow can be preserved here is because, firstly, the snow is rather heavy. Secondly, this place is not too deep into the Gobi Desert. In addition, the Gobi Desert is filled with sand and gravel, which is naturally more than a desert. That is why so much snow can be preserved here."
As expected, as soon as Meton finished speaking, a scout came back with a panicked expression. "Reporting to General, there is no more snow 50 miles ahead."
Everyone's hearts sank. Meton was right.
Hou Junji's expression changed. He didn't think that his plan, which he was so proud of, would be so full of loopholes. Furthermore, Mo Jiazi's words were spot-on.
Xin Yaoer was observing Hou Junji's expression. When he saw the change in Hou Junji's expression, he immediately said with an unfriendly expression, "Since Merton knew about the path ahead, why didn't he tell us earlier? Instead, he hid it from us. He even watched the 100,000 strong army fall into danger without doing anything."
Hearing this, Hou Junji's resentment toward Meton deepened. The other generals also seemed to be deep in thought. They looked back and forth between Meton and Hou Junji. The conflict between the two was already semi-public. Now, they couldn't help but suspect that Mo Jiazi was waiting for Hou Junji to make a fool of himself.
However, Meton's expression changed. "General Xin, please don't make irresponsible remarks. Where are we? We are in the vast Gobi Desert. Let's not talk about marching now. Even if we march at any time, the lack of water will always be a major problem. How can I sit back and watch the army fall into danger?"
The generals nodded. Meton was right. What the vast Gobi Desert lacked the most was water. There was no need for Meton to remind them. Everyone knew this.
"How can that be the same? If you had told me in advance, General Xin would definitely have postponed the expedition and the army wouldn't have fallen into danger," Xin Yaoer argued, pushing the blame for the lack of water onto Meton.
Meton sneered. "Postpone the expedition? In my opinion, General Hou's decision to advance the expedition is the most correct one. Our army has already marched eight hundred li. If it were in the past, we would definitely have fallen into a crisis of water shortage. Now that the snow and ice here has lessened, the army doesn't have to worry about a lack of water. The situation is already much better. Not to mention, if the heavens give us face and give us another round of snow, the army's water shortage will definitely be cured. "
The generals nodded in agreement again. It was precisely because of the snow on the ground that they could march eight hundred li without worrying about a lack of water. Hearing this, even Hou Junji's expression turned for the better.
However, Meton wasn't prepared to let Xin Yaoer off. Instead, he stared at him and said, "We all firmly support Hou Junji's wise decision. However, General Xin is the only one who opposes General Hou's decision to advance the expedition. I wonder what your intentions are!"
"Ah!" Xin Yaoer was stunned. He was clearly the one who was attacking Mo Jiazi for not reporting the matter. How did he end up questioning the general?
"General, I'm innocent. That's not what I meant." Xin Yaoer hurriedly apologized to Hou Junji.
As a trusted aide, he understood Hou Junji's temperament the best. Once he angered Hou Junji, he would definitely end up in a miserable state.
"Alright, you don't usually like to read, but now you know the importance of knowledge! Mo Jiu, General Xin is a boorish man and is a bit blunt. I hope you don't mind. "Hou Junji tried to smooth things over.
Meton laughed and said, "We're all comrades in the army. This little misunderstanding is nothing. When we return victorious in the future, I can give General Xin a set of Mohist classics. It can be considered as helping General Xin improve."
Hou Junji didn't seem to hear the sarcasm in Meton's words. He nodded and said, "General Xin, why aren't you thanking Mo Jiu for his good intentions?"
Xin Yaoer's face turned red. He cupped his hands in humiliation and said, "Thank you, Mo Jiu."
When the generals saw the reversal of the situation, they couldn't help but be shocked. They couldn't help but admire Mo Jiazi's eloquence. With just a few words, he had resolved Xin Yaoer's slander and turned the tables on him.
Hou Junji had been watching the argument between the two from the side. When he heard Meton say that this was the best choice, even he didn't realize that he actually felt slightly relieved. He waved his hand and said, "There's no point in saying more. From now on, immediately station troops to collect snow water for the army. I'm afraid that it won't be so easy for us to drink water in the future."
"Yes!" The generals felt a chill in their hearts. Before they set out, they were naturally aware of the difficulties they would face. Naturally, they were mentally prepared.
"From now on, each scout will ride three horses. Search for any water source two hundred li ahead. All soldiers are to bring as much water as possible. At the same time, increase the speed of the advance. We must pass through this vast Gobi Desert as quickly as possible."
This time, Hou Junji's superb military skills were displayed incisively and vividly. He didn't place his hopes on Meton saying that the heavens were waiting for the next snowfall. Instead, he did his best to make the army as well-prepared as possible.
"Yes!" Following Hou Junji's order, the army immediately stopped moving forward and began to collect snow water with all their might.
The next day, the army of one hundred thousand was ready to set out again. This time, the men and horses were full because everyone knew that they would only be able to drink until they reached Gao Chang.
"Full speed ahead!" Hou Junji ordered. The army of one hundred thousand immediately moved forward at top speed. They marched through the vast Gobi Desert as quickly as possible.
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