Chapter 64: The Prelude to War
If it were by other means, winning would be much easier. However, this is a war that exposes muscles to the outside world and is also the highest test of the army's strength. Zong Bao's 10,000-strong army happens to meet the definition of a fish-scale army. The main force of the army fights head-on, although it will also cause relatively heavy casualties, but overall, there are great benefits.
An army that has never experienced bloodshed, will forever be unable to become a truly strong military. Those top-notch armies, aren't they all standing on the shoulders of equally matched troops to attain their status?
Whether it was Yuan Shao's strong army or the vanguard of dead soldiers, they were all made with the blood of white horses and forged their glory, which also forged Yuan Shao's position as a hegemon.
This time's bloody battle is a must-win, with honor and integrity as our guide, we will defeat the army of Zongbao!
"Alright, since that's the case, we'll report this matter to Master Xian and prepare with all our might for an ultimate showdown with the Zongbao army!"
After the two had finished their discussion, Guan Hai immediately said.
"This is great! As long as Master Xian nods his head, then there will be no problem at all. The time for the grand inspection of the army has finally arrived, and this treasure, the Great Army, couldn't be any better!"
Wu Qing also nodded with a smile.
The Zongbao army, although not in their eyes, is much stronger than the defending soldiers of Donglai Prefecture, and just meets their standards. It can be said that the Zongbao army has already doomed them to tragedy!
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"Fight a decisive battle on the front line, with a majestic and upright army, establish our military prestige, and also train the army?"
Zhang Xu smiled slightly after receiving the joint memorial from Guan Hai and Wu Qing, and immediately looked towards the western region. "Our great army has just been formed, sweeping across Donglai Prefecture all the way, but indeed we haven't encountered any tough opponents yet. The words of the two generals are excellent!"
Zhang Xu understood in his heart that this battle in Donglai County was really too easy, the army's momentum was too strong, and there was no opponent at all. It wasn't until they reached Huang County that they slowed down their offensive, but it wasn't because they couldn't capture the city, just that it didn't make sense to attack.
Actually, attacking the city is more of a cannon fodder behavior. Attacking the city with elite warriors is a luxurious behavior, so there was no direct attack on Huang County, and most importantly, it was to lure Kong Rong's army.
Now that everything is ready and Kong Rong has also sent a large army of 10,000 to come and support him, this is naturally in line with Zhang Xu's wishes.
"Order, Gan Hai and Wu Qing can act according to plan, in order to ensure the exercise of the army, but must annihilate the Zong Bao army!"
At this moment, Zhang Xu gave an order and said directly.
"Agreed!"
Wu Zhong, who was below, accepted the order and transmitted the military command.
At this time, the Zong Bao army marched on, as if entering a land without people, which further boosted their morale. However, they did not know that the strategy of arrogant soldiers had already taken effect, and what awaited them was the 8,000-strong army led by Guan Hai and Wu Qing.
At this time, among the 8,000-strong army, 800 cavalrymen had already been deployed to the rear of the enemy as a force for encirclement and pursuit. The cavalry under Zhang Xu's command were mainly composed of light cavalry, without heavy cavalry. In his view, the power to break through the battlefield could be left to the infantry, and the greatest advantage of the cavalry was its high mobility, so the light cavalry was naturally the best choice.
Zhang Xu still remembers that in the world, but with cavalry, it is possible to destroy cities and countries. Only a military genius like Genghis Khan has strategic vision, which brings out the power of nomadic cavalry to the extreme. The Mongol army's expedition was able to overcome all kinds of harsh environments, largely due to their war horses.
Mongolian horses are not a strong breed, but their unique performance is indeed fierce to the extreme, with tenacious survival ability, creating the Mongolian army that shook the world.
The cavalry war horses under Zhang Xu's command were selected from the best Mongolian horses in the harsh and cold regions of Mobei, although they were not yet called Mongolian horses at that time. However, they could survive in the most difficult environments outside the Great Wall and had incredible endurance, which was also Zhang Xu's first choice.
Of course, those high-headed and fine horse breeds are not used now, but in the future when there are enough excellent generals and talents, they can be equipped on a large scale. Under current circumstances, using this type of mobile cavalry is more in line with his military development strategy.
Donglai County has a terrain that includes both mountains and plains, making it unsuitable for heavy cavalry, but suitable for light cavalry.
At this time, Guan Hai and Wu Qing were full of confidence in their hearts. Now they had already set up everything and were waiting for a head-on battle with the army of Zong Bao.
At this time, Zong Bao had already fallen into the encirclement of the large army, but he didn't know at all that he had entered a land of death. Now, he was still rejoicing over his own army's swift advance.
"Haha, it won't be long before we arrive at Huang County. Let's set up camp for today and send out a messenger to inform the officials of Huang County to prepare fine wine and delicacies to reward my great army!"
After finishing speaking, Zong Bao had someone go and notify, himself then arranged the camp.
At this time, the scouts were constantly reporting back with messages, and Guan Yu and Wu Qing couldn't help but think of the poor guy's reaction when he saw the sudden arrival of the large army.
At this time, Guan Yu gave the order: "The whole army is to tidy up the camp, the enemy is within thirty miles of us, everyone has it, follow me to go and kill the enemy!"
As soon as the military order was issued, the army immediately got organized and after half an hour, they were ready to set out. The army then marched out in a mighty and powerful manner. A distance of thirty miles was not too far, but Guan Yu and Wu Qing did not hurry, instead, the army advanced slowly, deliberately wanting to let Zongbao's army discover them.
At this time, Zong Bao's scouts finally investigated the movement of the main army, and some scouts immediately returned to the military camp.
"General..., it's bad! The enemy is attacking!"
The scout rushed in, looking extremely flustered. All the way, he galloped his horse within the military camp, holding the token directly in his hand, looking extremely anxious. As soon as he entered Zong Bao's large tent, he hastily knelt down on one knee and shouted out in a panic.
"What?!"
Zong Bao hastily stood up: "How dare you, how many soldiers and horses does the enemy have, what is the current situation?"
"Reporting to General, the enemy's forces are extremely large, estimated to be no less than our own great army!"
When the troops passed by, it was generally boundless and endless. Now with more than 7,000 troops, they still stretched for hundreds of meters, looking indeed boundless and endless. This is also the reason why the scouts were extremely frightened.
"What's there to fear? It's just a band of thieves with tens of thousands of troops. Issue the order, launch the attack, and annihilate the enemy!"
Zong Bao let out a loud roar, and after finishing speaking, he had his personal guards help him put on his armor. He was still very confident in dealing with the bandits and refugees, but what he didn't know was that he would be facing Zhang Xu's army, which was even stronger than the average vassal state's military!
