Chapter 54: The Battle of Pingzhou (6)

  Western Army Qin Feng City

  Wang Xichen and Fang Gu's bodies gradually recovered, although they still needed to use crutches when walking, but compared to the miserable state of falling off the cliff, it was much better. Wang Xichen thought he would be left with a disability.

  That day, an old man with white hair and beard came to take Wang Xichen's pulse. After taking the pulse, he smiled lightly and told Wang Xichen to rest well, guaranteeing that she would be able to get out of bed in half a month and recover in two months. At first, Wang Xichen thought this person was a swindler, but now it seems that what the old man said was not empty words.

  Fang Xuegu's injuries were much more severe than Wang Xizhen's, and he was still unable to move around. Every day, Wang Xizhen would go to Fang Xuegu's room at mealtimes and feed him. At first, there was a bit of awkwardness, but soon Fang Xuegu also accepted Wang Xizhen. Although their relationship was unspoken, the way they looked at each other was already filled with warmth.

  One day, Wang Xichen was telling Song Ke about some strange people and things from the outside world. Song Ke's eyes were shining with excitement, and he wished he could rush out to see them immediately. Just then, two old generals with white beards and wearing black armor walked in with a majestic stride.

  Song Ke heard the footsteps and turned around to see the newcomer, immediately jumping up and rushing into the arms of the old general who was leading the way, asking: "Grandfather Chong, how did you come? Were the Western Xia soldiers repelled?" The old general affectionately stroked Song Ke's head, smiling and saying: "Of course they were repelled. Where are the Western Xia people a match for our Western Army? But have you been naughty these past few days?"

  Song Ke looked up with a pretentious serious tone and said: "Song Ke is indeed the most well-behaved."

  Wang Xichen was about to get up and pay his respects, but the old general took a step forward and said: "Young brother, don't be so polite, just lie down and rest well."

  Wang Xichen bowed his fist and said: "Thank you, General Zhong Shi."

  The old general moved over two chairs, the heavy armor creaking as it pressed down on them. Zhong Shi Dao patted his forehead and laughed self-deprecatingly: "I'm getting old and senile, I forgot to take off this armor again."

  The old man standing behind Zhang Shi Dao teased: "Big brother doesn't know how many chairs he has broken, the master and the thin ones all told me that you'd better stand from now on."

  Chóng Shī Dào pretended to be annoyed: "If Chóng Shī Zhōng dares to mock your brother again, this time you won't go with me."

  "Wait, I still want to go and slaughter those Korean barbarians. What's the worst that could happen? We just won't mention it later." Seeing Zhong Yise's serious face, Zhang Shisan and others burst out laughing.

  Zhong Bang helped Zhong Shi Dao take off his armor, and Wang Xi Zhen discovered that Zhong Shi Dao was already past his prime years, but his body was healthy and strong, with a gentle and long breath, which was quite extraordinary.

  "General, you have the bravery of Lian Po from the Warring States period and the strength of Zi Long from the Three Kingdoms."

  "Hahaha, I'm old, I'm old. My fate is to protect my family and country. Even if I die, my descendants will definitely continue this mission."

  "General Gao Yi is a role model for us juniors to learn from. Thank you, General, for saving my life this time. I will not decline any position that I can be of use in." Wang Xi Zhen bowed to Zhong Shi Dao.

  "I heard that young brother was once a champion, not in the imperial court as an official, why lead troops to Qin Feng City suburbs." These things must be asked clearly before deciding whether to reuse Wang Xizhen.

  "In the next imperial examination, I luckily became a top scorer. Later, because my father was forced to become a mountain bandit, he took me back with him. At that time, General Zhao Ze led the Imperial Guards to suppress the mountain bandits, and I took advantage of the situation to surrender to the government army and serve as a military advisor."

  "What's going on with His Highness Zhao Jun's body?" asked Zhong Shidao in doubt.

  Wang Xichen thought for a moment and felt that Zhong Shidao was trustworthy, so he replied: "Your Highness led a thousand Imperial Guards to Yan Mountain Prefecture to block the Jin army."

  He attaches great importance to the news he just received. Guo Yao Shi has defected to the Jin people, and the surrounding areas of Yan Shan Fu have been sealed off. Zhao Song led only a thousand men to block the tens of thousands of Jin soldiers, and Zhong Shi doesn't know whether to call Zhao Song reckless or heroic, but this spirit of defending one's home and country is worthy of admiration.

  Zong Shidao felt that Zhao Kuang was likely to be unlucky, and he and Zong Shiming would soon lead the army to support Bianjing. His son, Zong Shi Chong, was brave in battle, but not a talented general. Once, the generals were anxiously waiting for Zong Shi Chong's orders in the military camp, but unexpectedly, Zong Shi Chong had already led the troops to charge forward. Although they won, when he returned, he was scolded by Zong Shidao and locked up for three days. Zong Shidao was always worried that an army could not just know how to fight to the death, only flexible adaptation to the battlefield situation was a truly strong army.

  "Little brother, what do you think is the key to winning a local battle?" asked Zhong Shidao.

  "It's here, it seems that Zong Shidao is testing himself, and it seems that he needs to bring out some real skills." Wang Xichen thought.

  "General, the outcome of a local battle can be summed up as follows: those who are skilled in warfare use orthodox methods to gain victory, while those who are unorthodox use unorthodox methods to win." Wang Xizhen replied.

  Although Zong Shi Dao knew this was a truth that military strategists would never go beyond, he still said: "I wish to hear more about it."

  "Sun Tzu said that the superior military strategy is to outmaneuver, and maneuvering is a contest of wits. Whoever can break through conventions, catch off guard, and attack where unprepared will gain the upper hand and secure victory. Therefore, those who are skilled at unexpected tactics have endless possibilities like heaven and earth, and must be able to win the battle."

  "Alright, I've heard what you said, little brother," said Zhong Shi with a smile.

  "General Zhong has overpraised me, I am unworthy of such praise." Wang Xichen said humbly.

  That little brother doesn't know what a strong army is.

  "As I have said, a strong army moves as swiftly as the wind and is as gentle as wood; it attacks like fire and is firm as a mountain; it is as swift as lightning and as changeable as the clouds; its tactics are as unfathomable as the ocean."

  The commander-in-chief smiled and asked, "What does the young brother think of our Western Army? Is it considered a strong army?" His eyes were quite self-satisfied.

  Wang Xichen thought for a moment and said, "If we say that Qin Fengjun is undoubtedly a strong army, a hundred-battle veteran, but considering the entire Western Army, it cannot be considered a strong army. Although they have been fighting with the Western Xia for many years, most of them are defending cities, and on the battlefield, if they can defeat the Western Xia's most confident cavalry, that would be the true king's soldiers. Moreover, the Western Army often harasses the surrounding civilians, and soon the Western Army will become isolated. Now, from Tongguan to connect with the inland areas, there is no problem, but if the Tianjin army blocks Tongguan, the Western Army will definitely be trapped here."

  Zong Shidao and Chong Zhi remained silent, but in fact they also understood that Wang Xizhen was right. An army without the support of the common people would find it difficult to survive.

  "The last question is what is the way of marching, that is to say, if the army fights in mountainous terrain, how should it respond."

  Zong Shidao still has high expectations for Wang Xichen.

  Wang Xichen thought for a moment and said confidently: "If our army enters the mountainous area to fight, we should advance along the river valley. In terms of military deployment, we must occupy high ground with good visibility, which can be advanced or retreated. If the enemy occupies the high ground first, it is not possible to attack from below. We need to find a way to cut off the enemy's water source, or set fire to burn the grass and wood on the mountain, but pay attention to the wind direction."

  "What about fighting on the rivers and lakes?" Zhong Shidao hastily asked.

  "If our army enters the rivers and lakes for battle,"

  "After the army crosses the river, they must quickly leave the riverbank. If the enemy crosses the river to attack, we cannot engage in a blocking action in the water. We should wait until half of the enemy's troops have landed and then launch an attack when they are still in the water, which can achieve the greatest results. Our army should not be deployed on the riverbank, but rather on higher ground where the enemy is likely to deploy their troops. Once the enemy launches a surprise attack, we can take advantage of the high ground and launch a counterattack from above, defeating the enemy with one blow. As for our side crossing the river to attack the enemy, we should choose a place with shallow water to advance, avoiding downstream areas. This way, even if our army is suddenly ambushed while crossing the river, it will not lead to a complete defeat."

  "What if it's on the marsh? : Zong Shidao looked at Wang Xichen with great joy, what a talent! Someone like Wang Xichen is exactly what the Western Army needs right now."

  "Entering the swamp to fight, this battlefield is very harsh, the army must avoid being trapped in it. If forced to fight, we should occupy the land with water grass, which is beneficial for human and horse food. We should use the forest as our back, reduce the surface of being attacked by the enemy, and form a favorable stronghold." Wang Xizhen replied fluently.

  "Flatlands! How should our army proceed in this flatland?" Zhong Shidao was somewhat agitated, if Wang Xichen stayed with the Western Army to supervise Zhong Shi, he could ensure that Qin Feng City would not be lost.

  "Our army, if entering the plains to fight, must first occupy places with convenient transportation. On the right or left wing, deploy troops and choose a location that is advantageous for attacking. Behind the formation, choose a place that is advantageous for retreating. On one hand, it's beneficial for meeting the enemy head-on, on the other hand, leave a way out for oneself. Of course, as a commander, you must make correct judgments based on the situation at the time. If you rigidly adhere to conventions and blindly follow established rules, in the end, there will only be defeat." Wang Xizhen said seriously.

  Although he usually looks cheerful, but for military disputes, he is very serious. Because the general who holds the soldiers' hands is in control of these soldiers' lives and must not slack off.

  "Please, sir, teach me the way of Xijun's rebirth." He said, making a fist and bowing. In recent years, the Western Army has suffered heavy casualties, the people have become estranged, and the town of Zhenyuan is on the verge of chaos, leaving Zhong Shidao extremely exhausted. Although he racked his brains, he was unable to change the current situation. Although Zhong Shidao excelled at military affairs, his governance skills were somewhat lacking, but no one is perfect, this is also normal.

  Wang Xizhen hastily dodged and waved his hand, saying: "General Zhongshi, this is really killing me. I don't dare to accept it, sir. I do have a few suggestions, and I hope the general will adopt them."

  Wang Xizhen continued: "The Western Xia army is best at cavalry warfare, we should build more large-scale machinery to block the cavalry's charge. The fire weapons of our Song Dynasty are excellent and can be used for defensive attacks on the enemy, but many of the current manufactured weapons have uneven quality and poor quality. I hope that General Zong will establish his own gunpowder factory. Currently, we should dispatch troops to eliminate the bandits in the surrounding mountains who harm the people."

  Seeing Zong Shidao wanting to speak but stopping, Wang Xizhen said: "I knew early on that some of them were Song army soldiers, and by doing so, they would provoke the leaders of other Western armies. However, these people will eventually become a scourge, hoping that the officers will make up their minds."

  After weighing the pros and cons in his heart, Zhong Shidao stood up and said: "Sir, you are a great talent. I am acting on behalf of the Western Army to invite you to be our military advisor." Before Wang Xichen could react, Zhong Shidao placed a jade plaque in Wang Xichen's hand and smiled, saying: "This plaque is called the Jade Phoenix Plaque, which can control the Qin Feng Army. Originally, it was actually possible to control the entire Western Army. In a few days, I will lead the Qin Feng Army to rescue Bianjing. I hope that when the time comes, you will help me take care of my son and not let him do anything foolish."

  Wang Xichen held the jade token in his hand and muttered: "Why did the general give such great power to an outsider?"

  "Are you an outsider? If you still treat us as outsiders, then I really have nothing to say." Zong Shidao said with a smile.

  Xī jūn jiù zìjǐ yī mìng, zěnme kěnéng hái huì dàng zuò wài rén, Wáng Xī Zhēn bào quán dào: "Duō xiè jiāng jūn xìn rèn."

  Translation:

  Western army saved his own life, how could he still be treated as an outsider? Wang Xi Zhen bowed with his fist and said: "Thank you for the general's trust."

  Chongshi Dao burst out laughing and left the room with Chongshi Zhong, while Wang Xichen tightly grasped the jade token in his hand, lost in thought.

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