Niu Youdao did not stand on ceremony with him. He took the map and rolled it into a scroll. When he passed by Shang Chaozong, he patted Shang Chaozong's shoulder. "Prince, it has already happened. There's no point in being anxious. Stay calm."
Shang Chaozong's face was filled with grief. "I cannot remain indifferent."
"I understand! But the army cannot be out of control. " Niu Youdao turned to Meng Shanming. "The Prince is restless. Commander Meng, please help the Prince to worry about the army."
Meng Shanming nodded. "It's my duty."
"Good. Let's go. Let me know immediately when there's news." Niu Youdao threw the scroll to Guan Fangyi and walked away with his sword like a walking stick. Guan Fangyi followed closely behind him.
Back in his tent, Niu Youdao signaled Guan Fangyi to hang up the map.
After hanging up the map, Guan Fangyi asked, "Daoye, do you have a solution?"
Niu Youdao sighed, "Under such circumstances, how can there be a solution just because you say so? But at least we have confirmed the whereabouts of the Princess and the Little Prince. We don't have to act blindly anymore. "He stood in front of the map and stared at the terrain.
Guan Fangyi paced slowly in the tent and did not disturb him. She knew that he was thinking of a solution.
About an hour later, the familiar sound of a wheelchair could be heard. Meng Shanming came in and said, "Daoye, there's news from Lan Ruoting." He handed over a translated letter with both hands.
Niu Youdao responded with an "Oh" and quickly opened it to check. Meng Shanming observed his expression and reaction.
After reading the letter, Niu Youdao heaved a sigh of relief. "Looks like I've been worrying too much."
In the letter, according to Lan Ruoting's own judgment, he felt that there shouldn't be any problems internally. Afterwards, he found out from Feng Ruonan what had happened. It should have been the child's cries in the tunnel that caused the accident, otherwise the relevant personnel would have already escaped.
The most important thing was that the Grand Supreme Elder of Xiao Yao Palace had indeed been killed. Lan Ruoting was a hundred percent sure about this. It couldn't be false.
Great Zen Mountain's Grand Elder was also killed.
From this, Niu Youdao confirmed that he was overthinking things. Even if the Three Great Sects wanted to do something to him, they would not go so far as to use the lives of their own sect's elders to do something.
Guan Fangyi took the letter from his hand and read it.
Meng Shanming asked, "What should we do next?" This was also the reason why he came here. Shang Chaozong didn't say much.
"Commander Meng, you've come at the right time. Commander Meng is very familiar with the enemy's troop deployment. I was just about to ask for guidance." Niu Youdao walked to the front of the map and pointed at a marked place. He asked, "Is this the location of the enemy's main camp?"
Meng Shanming raised his hand and Luo Daan immediately pushed him to the front of the map. "Yes, this is the location of the enemy's main camp."
Niu Youdao rubbed his chin and muttered, "Looks like Princess and the Little Prince are likely to be in this position." He then pointed to a nearby lake and said, "In the main camp, I saw this lake on the map and asked for the map. From the map, this lake is about one to two miles away from the Zhao army's main camp. Is this correct? "
The maps of this era weren't standard and were rather abstract. Some things had to be clarified.
Meng Shanming replied, "Yes, it's about two miles away from the lake."
Niu Youdao said, "This lake seems to be quite big. Can I trouble Commander Meng to explain the details?"
"Okay!" Meng Shanming agreed and asked for Luo Daan's sword. Using the sword as a handle, he started to explain the area around the lake. He knew that there must be a reason why Niu Youdao suddenly asked about this lake. He dared not be careless.
"This lake is about 50 miles long and 30 miles wide. It's the enemy's main water source. The Zhao army is afraid that we will cut off their water source. Moreover, the lake is big enough to dilute any poison so they don't have to worry about people poisoning it. Moreover, the lake can store enough water for a few million soldiers. That's why the Zhao army chose to set up camp near this lake. "
"My army is guarding the main roads around the lake. After the Zhao army was suppressed in this area, they surrounded the lake and burned the trees around it or chopped down a large number of trees to make wooden rafts. They used this lake as a natural defensive line. Pang Teng's arrangement caused a lot of trouble for my army. My army surrounded them and had to expand their encirclement. It's hard for us to concentrate our forces to attack them. "
"Once we concentrate our forces to attack them, the enemy will immediately drive the wooden rafts into the lake. The enemy can do the same from all directions. With the surrounding trees destroyed, my army cannot make wooden rafts to chase after them and can only watch as they retreat. The enemy that has retreated into the lake can come ashore from any point on the lake. My army cannot stay on the shore forever. If the situation is like this, we will not be able to form an advantage in numbers. Instead, the enemy can form an advantage in numbers and break through the encirclement. It will be too late for my army to circle around the lake to intercept them. "
Can a war be fought like this? Niu Youdao rubbed his chin and commented: "Looks like this Pang Teng is quite capable. Since that is the case, why did they suddenly attack the Prince's Residence to take hostages?"
Meng Shanming replied: "Their supplies have been cut off by us and they cannot hold out for long. At most, they can hold out for three months. There are pros and cons to Pang Teng's plan. His army is scattered. As long as we are patient and do not act rashly, he will not be able to concentrate his forces to break through the encirclement. He will not wait for his rations to run out before thinking of a solution. After breaking through, he will not be able to run far without some rations. "
Niu Youdao stared at the map and pondered: "This means that the Zhao army can hold out for another two to three months."
Meng Shanming shook his head: "No! Initially, I did not expect the Song army to have such changes. At that time, the Song army is not doing well and my Yan army is weak. I am worried that the Han army will threaten the Yan army after the Song army is destroyed. Hence, I did not want to drag it out with the Zhao army. From the start, I have made preparations to end the war quickly. Give me ten more days and I am confident of destroying the last few million soldiers of the Zhao army! "
Destroying the millions of Zhao army in ten days? Niu Youdao and Guan Fangyi exchanged a look and are bewildered. Even if there are millions of pigs, it will not be so easy to kill them.
Niu Youdao's mind was originally not on this aspect. He had never really interfered with how the war was fought. He was only asking casually because it involved this matter. At this moment, he could not help but ask in detail, "What does Commander Meng mean by this?"
Meng Shanming hesitated for a while and finally revealed the truth: "I deliberately caused the Zhao army to retreat here. The rebel army's attack on the Zhao capital is my plan to lure the enemy. I have been controlling the speed of the army. Once the Zhao army reaches a suitable area, the rebel army will immediately change their route and attack us from the front and back. Naturally, the Zhao army will be forced into this area."
"When millions of soldiers are moving together, they will need to find enough water to hold out. Naturally, the Zhao army will retreat here. This lake is a natural stronghold for our army and it is also a natural stronghold for the Zhao army. Based on Pang Teng's military habits, he will not gather his men and horses on one side of the lake and give our army the opportunity to attack from one side and cross the lake on the other, thus giving him the opportunity to be attacked from both sides. It is very possible that he will use this natural stronghold to set up a defense around the lake. Indeed, Pang Teng did this. "
"At the crucial moment, he wants to hide in the lake and gather his forces to find another place to break out of the encirclement. Dream on. I will not give him the chance."
Meng Shanming pointed his sword at the end of the lake. "Once the plan is completed, we can gather our forces to attack the downstream of the lake. Once we succeed, we will immediately order a large number of cultivators to quickly dig a drainage hole and increase the flow of water. When the time comes, the water level of the lake will drop rapidly and the area around the lake will become muddy. It will be difficult for the soldiers to move and the horses will get stuck. We only need ten thousand people on the shore to easily suppress the enemy army of a hundred thousand. We can't hide in the middle of the lake and not go ashore. There is no firewood in the lake for them to cook. Are they going to burn their rafts and let the army soak in the water? "
"Once the plan is completed, the millions of Zhao army will have nowhere to run. Maybe in less than ten days, we will be able to settle this!"
Niu Youdao and Guan Fangyi looked at each other. They were moved beyond words. They knew that if this battle is successful, it will be a great achievement that will shock the world!
Meng Shanming continued, "This battle is of great importance. We dare not leak any information. Other than me and the Prince, no one else knows about it. The three main schools also do not know about it. The rebel army did not leak any information to them either. Mister Yu Cang only knows that it is a joint operation."
The two knew what he meant. It was enough to keep it to themselves and not leak it to others. Once the secret is leaked, the Zhao army will not be wiped out in this battle even if they have to risk their lives to break out of the encirclement.
Guan Fangyi couldn't help but exclaim, "Everyone says that Yan Shan Ming, Qi Wuhen. Today, as a Daoist, I have learned a lot. This trip was not in vain. After this battle, it will be Commander Meng's masterpiece! "
Meng Shanming smiled bitterly and waved his hand, "I have no choice. The situation on the battlefield was ever-changing. No one knew what the outcome of a battle would be until the very end. Anything could happen. Everything was just an armchair strategist. Regardless of victory or defeat, we are fighting with the lives of our soldiers. It is not my wish to use the lives of our soldiers to build my reputation. I only wish that there will be no more wars in the world! Alas, His Highness is already deploying his troops for the final battle. Who would have thought that Junzhu and Xiao Wangye would fall into the hands of the enemy, causing us to be afraid of harming the innocent. What should we do? "
Niu Youdao was silent. He roughly understood. Shang Chaozong knows that this battle will decide the outcome of the battle. So many people have been sacrificed to reach this stage. How can he break out of this situation for his own selfish reasons?
Niu Youdao gathered his thoughts and pointed at the map. He returned to the topic, "Commander Meng, how deep is the lake?"
"This …" Meng Shanming hesitated and said, "Of course, there are deep and shallow areas. Every time I go to a place, I have the habit of checking the local chronicles. According to the chronicles, the deepest part of the lake is more than three hundred feet, and the shallower parts around it are naturally visible. The lake is vast. I don't know the exact situation because I haven't sent anyone to measure it. "
"That's enough. Thank you, Commander Meng, for explaining to me personally. You still have military affairs to attend to, so I won't disturb you any longer. I hope Commander Meng will keep my questions a secret. "Then, Niu Youdao made a gesture to send him off.
"Of course." Meng Shanming nodded and asked tentatively, "Is Daoye's exploration of the lake related to the rescue of the Princess and the Little Prince?"
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