Chapter 14: Northern Expedition (I)

  "Now, let's talk about the military adjustments." As expected, after selecting the three state governors, Haotian immediately pulled the topic to the military front: "After our army captured Dingzhou, there were nearly 40,000 people. Now that we have also captured Kezhou and Yanzhou, the number of troops has swollen to almost 100,000 people. However, due to the chaotic organization, it is still unable to form a strong combat force. Therefore, someone decided to disrupt all the organizations and reorganize them."

  "The legion was temporarily named the Blood-colored Legion. It was divided into four armies, each with 25,000 people. The first was the Golden Eagle Army, all of whom were light cavalry, led by Feng Jing; the second was the Tiger Roar Army, equipped with 10,000 heavy infantry, 10,000 light cavalry and 5,000 heavy cavalry, led by Xue Sha; the third was the Blue Wolf Army, equipped with 10,000 light infantry and 15,000 light cavalry, led by Xin Ke; the fourth was the Phoenix Dance Army, with 15,000 light cavalry and 10,000 heavy cavalry. Hmm, this was led by……"

  Hao Tian's words had not finished yet, when Tian Yi interrupted and said: "My lord, let me lead this army."

  Everyone was stunned, and the old master's mouth was even agape in surprise. However, Huang Tian nodded quickly: "Alright, you lead if you want to lead. Just don't overexert yourself with these daily drills."

  "Heavenly Will nodded: 'I understand, thank you for your concern, Master.'"

  "Does anyone have any other suggestions?" Haotian asked as he looked around.

  "My lord has considered everything thoroughly, we subordinates have no opinions." Xuanji and others hastily said.

  "My lord, I have one more thing to add." Tian Yi interjected once again. In this situation, only she dared to interrupt Huang Tian's words.

  Hao Tian was somewhat surprised, but he didn't get angry: "Alright, you speak."

  The heavens did not notice the astonished gaze of the crowd, she simply tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said: "The purpose of Master's establishment of the Blood-colored Legion is naturally for the needs of external warfare. In other words, this will be a field army. However, our internal situation is not very stable at present, and our control over the three southern states is only nominal. I am worried that if our main force goes to the northern three states, won't there be people with ulterior motives who take advantage of our empty rear to set fire and loot?"

  Haotian understood the meaning of Tianyi at that moment, but he didn't say it out loud. He just smiled and nodded slightly, indicating for Tianyi to continue.

  "So, I think that outside of the Blood Legion, we should also form a certain number of garrison troops. The main responsibility of this force is not to go on the battlefield and kill enemies, but to maintain local normal law and order and suppress the plots of those with ulterior motives. However, when necessary, this force can also quickly transform into a field army."

  "Hao Tian asked with interest: 'Then how many troops do you think each of our three states should maintain?'"

  "The Ke state is located in the heart of our military, and it's currently the safest place, so I think maintaining a garrison of 5,000 troops is sufficient. Yan state is the capital of the Yellow River region, located at its center, so we need at least 10,000 troops for defense. As for Ding state, it's our main base, where almost all our logistical supplies are stored, so we must pay extra attention to it. I think Ding state should have at least two garrisons of 10,000 troops each." Tian Yi said slowly. When she mentioned Ding state, everyone in the hall except Xin Ke understood her meaning. Especially Luo Xiang and Xuan Ji were even more impressed with Tian Yi.

  Everyone present understood the meaning, and smiled without saying another word. The people present were all intelligent, and they naturally understood the key point. What Dingzhou really needed to guard against was not the foreign tribes that were still entrenched in the three northern states, nor the scattered armed forces of refugees in the three southern states, but the heavy troops accumulated by the Song and Li families in the Sword Gate Pass and the Yin Wind Ancient Fortress in the rear. The three major families had long had a heart of disobedience, and since they could design and use foreign tribes to eliminate the empire's direct military units, it was hard to say whether they would or would not launch a surprise attack on the rear of the Imperial Court. Dingzhou happened to control the throat of the Sword Gate Pass and the Yin Wind Ancient Fortress going north, so the two families must first occupy Dingzhou if they wanted to send troops northward. Therefore, the heavenly intention was that the military strength in Dingzhou reached 20,000 people. Although 20,000 people facing the elite forces of the two major families in the south were still a bit thin, at least they could delay for a period of time and allow the Imperial Court to quickly come to reinforce.

  Hao Tian furrowed his brow and turned to Xuan Ji and Luo Xiang, asking: "I don't know what you two think?"

  Luo Xiang nodded: "There is a saying that 'being prepared for danger in times of peace' and I agree with your wife's point of view."

  Xuanji continued, "Dingzhou is a strategic location that controls the north and south, it's a place that military strategists must contend for. However, the two major families in the south each have an army of no less than 50,000 soldiers. If they were to concentrate their forces, even if Dingzhou has high walls and thick defenses, 20,000 soldiers would be slightly insufficient. Why don't we do this instead? We can directly deploy our 50,000 soldiers here, with half cavalry and half infantry. The people of Hequan are known for their bravery, although Dingzhou is facing difficulties, having an army of 50,000 is not a problem. These people may not have been on the battlefield before, but they are more than enough to defend the city. When our army expands again in the future, they can also serve as reserve forces. What does your excellency think?"

  Hao Tian nodded in approval, but a hint of worry appeared on his face: "The military advisor's words are extremely correct. But I don't know if our side can support so many troops?"

  Xuanji smiled slightly: "After our army captured the three southern states, all the people's hard-earned money fell into our hands. In addition to building the military, a large part of it can be used for civil construction. Moreover, even if we don't have money, the imperial court has money. We protected our homes and recovered lost lands, so the imperial court should give us some rewards. Master, if not as someone expected, after we recover the Yellow River Basin, the imperial court will inevitably let you enter the capital. At that time, we can promote it all the way, and I'm not afraid the imperial court won't give us money."

  "This idea of yours isn't bad." Haotian smiled wryly, never expecting that the mysterious plan would have such a cunning side.

  Luo Xiang's face, however, was gloomy: "It's not just the imperial court, but also the three major families. We must take advantage of this opportunity to extort some money from them. Although the three major families seem calm and collected after the defeat of the Northern Expedition, those with discerning eyes can see that they are not flawless. Once we make contact with them, I'm sure they'll be willing to pay up."

  Haotian smiled and said: "It seems that from now on, this liaison matter is yours to handle, Mr."

  A sly smile spread across Lu Xiang's face: "Don't worry, Your Excellency. I will make them suffer and not be able to speak out. These days, I have been practicing my writing skills, and now they can finally be put to use."

  "This matter is settled. Now, let's discuss the next battle." Haotian waved his hand and said seriously: "Our army now occupies three states, the enemy must be shaken. So we must take down the entire river suite before the foreign tribes outside the pass reorganize their coalition forces, and then rely on the great river danger to confront each other. Therefore, we must complete all preparations for the attack within three days, as for the army's reorganization, it must be completed within two days. Do you have confidence?"

  On the third day of capturing Yan State, Huan Tian hastily led the newly reorganized Blood-colored Army on their campaign. The personnel following the army included Jin Jiu Military Commander Feng Jing, while his deputy Li Xiao was reassigned to Ding State as its commander due to its recent formation of a 50,000-strong city defense force and Li's meticulous nature in training troops; Hu Xia Military Commander Xue Sha, still riding on his ferocious tiger, with the surrounding cavalry not daring to approach him within a ten-foot radius under the intimidation of Zhen Shan; Cang Lang Military Commander Xin Ke, along with his deputy, Si Tu Lie, specially assigned by Tian Yi; and also the two military strategists, Xuan Ji Luo Xiang, and Feng Wu Military Commander Tian Yi.

  The three states under Haotian's control have gradually gotten on the right track. He Fu, although mediocre in military talent, has shown great ability in governance. As he had been an official in Dingzhou for many years, and after the great chaos, what Dingzhou needed most was to recover and rebuild. After receiving Haotian's appointment, he quickly set to work. And Wei He, the governor of Yan state, who would later be known as the iron-faced monster with no smile, fully demonstrated his exceptional organizational and coordinating abilities here. Under his smooth tactics, Yan state quickly showed signs of improvement. As for Lin Taiyue, the governor of Kezhou, he had only taken office yesterday. Haotian was right; a clever person like him naturally knew how to make choices. Faced with Xinkou's intimidating presence, Lin Taiyue wisely chose to obey. He knew that Xinkou was not like the polite officials who had come to invite him out of retirement before; if he really dared to refuse, that rough man might actually turn him into a meat paste. So although he was unwilling, he came to Kezhou with his family and students in tow. However, he also developed a strong interest in Haotian, the future master who had dared to instruct Xinkou to come invite him.

  "General, which state should we conquer first?" Haotian said hesitantly on horseback.

  Xuanji smiled and said, "Haven't you already decided, sir? First remove the thorn of Jizhou Qiuying, then attack Tieying in the north, and finally surround and annihilate the garrison troops stationed in Anzhou under Baijing and Mandan."

  Hao Tian furrowed his brow and said: "Military Advisor, you say that when we take over Ji Zhou, will the other two states send troops to rescue?"

  "The Iron Eagle Guard will not take the initiative to rescue, and when our army besieges Jizhou, he will definitely not send troops to reinforce. As for Shen Jie of Anzhou and Ye Lü Zhaochang who escaped, although they are both talented, they have always been at odds with each other, and after being tricked once, they will be even more cautious, so I think that even if they send troops to reinforce, there won't be many soldiers. It's just right for us to launch a campaign of surrounding the point and attacking the reinforcements." Xuanji said with a smile.

  After hearing his words, the worry on Haotian's face did not decrease much, but instead became even more intense. Luo Xiang was greatly puzzled and couldn't help but curiously ask: "Your Excellency is still worried about what?"

  Hao Tian furrowed his brow and said, "Yelü Zhaochang is a man who, although we have not yet clashed head-on, was able to abandon his soldiers and flee in the face of danger that night. He must be no ordinary person. With his intelligence, he should see through our strategy of individual battles. I think he will definitely come to provide reinforcements, but his relationship with Shen Jie has always been poor, so I don't know how many men Bai Jing will bring back besides Yelü's 15,000 cavalry."

  Luo Xiang said in puzzlement, "Our army has an army of 100,000, even if he and Shen Jie come with all their might, we have the ability to swallow them whole. Why is the lord worried?"

  The Emperor did not respond, and Xuanji took over the topic and said: "Your Majesty is worried about the difference in combat power between the two sides. Although our army has a million troops, it has been formed for a short time and has not yet formed an effective fighting force. In the first two battles, we were actively attacking and ambushing with tactics. Under such circumstances, the comparison of military strength was also unclear. Now standing in an objective and fair environment, our army cannot match the opponent's veteran elite soldiers even if they have the same number of people. Moreover, the elite heavy cavalry of the Mandan dynasty is unparalleled in the world, and we are very skeptical whether the soldiers under us can withstand the opponent's frontal breakthrough."

  "Reporting to Your Excellency, a large-scale military activity has been detected 10 miles ahead." Just then, a scout came forward to report.

  Hao Tian's heart skipped a beat, could it be that the enemy had taken the initiative to launch a surprise attack on him here? He hastily asked: "About how many people are there, and which army is it?"

  "General, I estimate that there are between 8,000 to 10,000 people. Judging from their signs, they don't seem to be an army of foreign tribes outside the pass, but rather resemble our empire's regular troops." The scout replied loudly.

  "Imperial army?" Haotian was shocked again. At that time, the Northern Expeditionary Army was defeated, and the three major families' direct military units led the way south. The Eastern Xuanwu and White Tiger Legions directly under the empire were either defeated or captured. How could there still be an army left here?

  "Let's get in touch first." Haotian waved his hand and brought a group of followers to the front row of the team.

  Due to this unexpected event, the advancing troops also came to a halt. When Haotian arrived at the vanguard, he saw Feng Jing and a refined-looking man standing off against each other from a distance of about 100 paces.

  With a leap of his horse, Haotian shouted loudly: "I am Haotian from Dingzhou, I don't know how to address you?"

  "The White Eared Army, Dugu Yu Ming." The elegant young man replied loudly.

  "The White Ear Army has already retreated to Jianmen Pass, why are you still staying here?" Haotian said curiously. But in his heart, he was very puzzled. Since the three major families had an agreement with the foreign tribes, they shouldn't have left a branch of the army behind enemy lines. And the person in front of him didn't seem to be lying, so what was going on?

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