roccoschili Chapter 5465: Fighting without bloodshed
Chapter 5465: Fighting without bloodshed
Chapter 5465: Fighting without bloodshed
Zhou Daowu could be considered a veteran general, having joined the army at the age of ten and honed his skills over many years. He possessed considerable combat command abilities. Upon hearing that Li Jinxing had led several thousand naval soldiers and boasted of defeating Li Jinzhong's 20,000 elite allied troops, he immediately felt that Li Jinxing was being overly arrogant.
He quickly reminded them, "Although the Khitans rose to prominence at the beginning of the Sui Dynasty, they have existed on this land for hundreds of years. The reason they were able to rise up and wipe out the other nomadic tribes in the midst of chaos is because they are skilled in archery and horsemanship and have a fierce style. Even though the various tribes are now embroiled in a war and their strength has been greatly reduced, they cannot be underestimated. An arrogant army is bound to be defeated!"
He had never participated in naval battles, nor did he know how the navy, which was touted by the world as invincible across the seven seas, was really so rampant. In his view, no matter how invincible the navy was, it was only at sea. In the grasslands and deserts, how much chance would it have against the brave and skilled Khitan cavalry?
He wasn't trying to kindly remind Fang Jun, but the outcome of this battle was crucial to him. A perfect end to the chaos in the Khitan territory was completely different from a crushing defeat for the government army, and it would mean diametrically opposed results for him.
Li Jinxing remained expressionless, ignoring everything, and only looked at Fang Jun.
Fang Jun nodded and said, "We should proceed according to the plan, but we must not be careless. The fighting strength of the Khitan is far superior to that of the natives of the East and South Seas. Once Li Jinzhong is determined to resist to the end, the fighting power he can unleash will be astonishing."
"Yes, sir! Rest assured, General, I will fight steadily and surely. If I fail to win the battle, I will bring you my head!"
"Why issue such a military order when the Khitans are nothing more than a few? Even if the plan is thwarted, it won't affect the final result. It will just take a little more effort. Go."
"Here!"
Li Jinxing didn't even glance at Zhou Daowu before accepting the order and turning to leave.
Zhou Daowu was both angry and anxious. He grabbed Fang Jun's sleeve and said urgently, "Second Brother is a general who has fought in many battles and is the commander of the three armies. How can you underestimate the enemy like this? The Khitan cavalry are as fast as the wind and as fierce as fire on this land. Not to mention that they are facing 20,000 with only a few thousand men. The consequences are worrying!"
If Fang Jun successfully completes his plan to divide and weaken the Khitan, then he will only be accused of a crime. After returning to Chang'an, whether he enjoys a leisurely life in the mountains and forests or actively strives to make a comeback, his chances are very high, and no one will hold a grudge against him.
However, if Fang Jun suffers a crushing defeat and heavy losses at the Songmo Governor's Office, he will inevitably face a flood of impeachments from censors for being "incompetent and foolish, causing internal strife among the Khitan and disrupting the stability of the border."
Who could stand this?
Fang Jun turned around and sat down behind his desk. He had his personal guards bring him a fresh pot of tea and said with a smile, "Please be patient."
Zhou Daowu quickly walked to the opposite side and sat down, unable to help but say, "This battle is not only related to the stability of the Liaodong border, but also to the overall development strategy of Liaodong. How can you, Erlang, take it so lightly and not take it seriously?"
Fang Jun poured tea from the teapot: "Are you worried that Li Jinxing can't beat Li Jinzhong?"
Zhou Daowu said irritably, "Why pretend to be ignorant when you know the truth? No matter how brave Li Jinxing is, or how powerful the navy is, this is Liaodong, and the opponent is the Khitan! A mere few thousand naval soldiers... just how many thousand?"
If we had eight or nine thousand elite naval troops, we might not be unable to fight.
Fang Jun took a sip of tea and said with a smile, "Three thousand."
Zhou Daowu was stunned for a moment, then his temper flared up, and he said angrily, "How can you underestimate the enemy like that, Erlang? That is the Khitan, the Khitan who have been invincible in Liaodong since the Sui Dynasty!"
He felt that Fang Jun had become arrogant because he had been successful and victorious in recent years, and had made the grave mistake of underestimating his opponent.
I would like to see Fang Jun suffer a setback and lose a battle, but since this battle is related to his life and future, that's another matter.
Fang Jun leisurely sipped his tea and said calmly, "No matter how powerful we are in Liaodong, no matter how invincible we are, in the end we are nothing more than Khitans. What is there to fear?"
From the moment firearms were invented, it meant the end of the era when nomadic tribes of the grasslands relied on fast horses and curved swords to roam freely like the wind. As the manufacturing technology of firearms became more and more sophisticated and their power increased, the nomadic people were about to abandon their curved swords and fast arrows and learn to sing and dance.
Although a repeating musket has not yet been developed, the cavalry's mobility advantage is lost under the saturation attack of bombs, muskets, rockets and other firearms used in rotation according to tactics, from far to near. They can only be lambs to the slaughter.
If Li Jinzhong led the Khitan to flee without a fight and scatter into the grasslands, deserts and deep mountains, then Fang Jun would be helpless.
But the Khitan's foundation lies in Raozhou City and Songmo Prefecture. How could the ambitious Li Jinzhong be willing to flee like a stray dog and go from being the head of the Khitan clan to a bandit and traitor pursued and killed by government troops?
Li Jinxing only needs to wait for the opportune moment and proceed steadily; victory is assured.
Moreover, Fang Jun never intended to annihilate the Khitan. He only intended to severely damage them when they were already weakened, forcing them to obediently submit to the rule of the Tang Dynasty...
Zhou Daowu was furious and sneered, "Stubborn and incorrigible, I want to see how you subdue the Khitan and quell the rebellion."
Fang Jun clicked his tongue and said helplessly, "You are really boring. Why do you have to say things that others don't like? Why don't you go back to the inner quarters and rest, and let Prince Linchuan come over and chat with me?"
Zhou Daowu was startled and asked warily, "What do you want to do?"
Fang Jun looked completely innocent: "I don't want to do anything, but in the past, I had many misunderstandings with His Highness Linchuan, and the gap between us had widened. If we take this opportunity to open up to each other and increase our understanding, we might be able to turn hostility into friendship, put aside past grievances, and become soulmates."
Zhou Daowu: "..."
Could this guy really be planning to harm Princess Linchuan?
We must be vigilant and take strict precautions!
But then I thought of what Princess Linchuan had said a couple of days ago. If Princess Linchuan really intended to offer herself to me, then it would be impossible to guard against!
On one hand, he thought that he was also a descendant of a meritorious official and the son-in-law of the emperor, a fine man who stood tall and proud. He should never do something like selling his wife for personal gain, like Chai Lingwu, and become a laughing stock. On the other hand, he wondered if Fang Jun would give him a break or even support him if he got a taste of the benefits.
His expression shifted rapidly, caught in a state of hesitation and indecision.
……
Li Jinxing led three thousand elite naval cavalrymen from Liuzhou City. Instead of heading straight north along the official road, they made a large detour to the northwest, passing through the reddish-brown foothills of the upper reaches of the Tu River, and after crossing the upper reaches of the Huang River, they headed straight for Raozhou City, nestled between mountains.
Throughout the journey, Li Jinxing continuously ordered the troops to slow down, keeping the area they passed through secluded and remote places. Only when they entered Raozhou City through the mountain road did he order them to advance at full speed. The three thousand elite troops galloped forward like a hurricane.
Li Kucao, who was stationed in Raozhou City, was greatly surprised after hearing the scout's report. He quickly sought out Mr. Zhao and asked, "What should we do?"
Mr. Zhao looked worried: "This government army arrived suddenly, hiding their tracks. I'm afraid they don't have good intentions!"
Li Kucao said urgently, "But didn't you say before that Fang Jun sat idly by while we annihilated the internal traitors and stabilized Liaodong?"
Mr. Zhao sighed, “Logically speaking, with the Khitan growing stronger over the years, the central government should be quite wary of us. By deliberately instigating internal strife and cutting off our own arm, we should have put the prime ministers at the central government at ease and lowered their guard against us. But who would have thought that the central government would actually send Fang Jun to take charge of the situation? This fellow has always acted eccentrically and recklessly. Who can really guess what he is thinking?”
Li Kucao was extremely worried: "Now the elite troops of the clan are all following my second brother to fight against various tribes, hundreds of miles away. The city's troops are weak and lack fighting strength. I'm afraid we can't stop them!"
Mr. Zhao suggested, "Since we can't stop them anyway, why not open the city gates? If the government troops really have ill intentions, our desperate resistance could very well lead to the fall of the city and incur the wrath of the government troops. The city is full of the elderly, women and children. If we suffer retaliation from the government troops, we'll be finished."
Li Kucao gasped, "You're right. I'll send someone to make contact and see what the government troops intend to do. At the same time, I'll open the city gates and prepare to welcome them."
Regardless of the intentions of the government troops, it is impossible to stop them from entering the city. If the government troops are hostile, then we can only rely on Li Jinzhong, who is leading troops outside, to deal with the situation!
Moreover, it is precisely because Li Jinzhong was leading troops outside that the government troops would not dare to start a massacre even if they entered the city.
He immediately sent someone to make contact, and then ordered the few remaining garrison troops in the city to lay down their weapons, open the city gates, and prepare to welcome the government troops.
Li Jinxing had anticipated this. Three thousand soldiers rushed into Raozhou City like a whirlwind, capturing the entire city without bloodshed. He then drove the garrison out of the city and completely took over the defenses of the Governor's Mansion, city gates, city walls, and other places.
Inside the Governor's Mansion, Li Jinxing saw Li Kucaoli, who was surrendering under Mr. Zhao's advice, and nodded in satisfaction: "Although the Dahe clan rebelled against the imperial rule and deliberately provoked internal strife among the Khitans, causing turmoil on the border and affecting the national policy of developing Liaodong, the court has always been lenient towards the Khitans and has never forgotten the contributions Li Kuge made to the empire. As long as Li Jinzhong immediately stops attacking the other Khitan tribes, lays down his weapons, and surrenders in full, the central government will surely show leniency and punish him lightly. However, if the Dahe clan remains obstinate and does not repent, they will have to bear all the consequences themselves!"
Li Kucaoli was bound by the Tang soldiers who rushed up, and looked at Mr. Zhao beside him with a blank expression.
All your predictions were wrong!
The government troops had no intention whatsoever of condoning the Dahe clan's unification of the various Khitan tribes.
They directly convicted the Dahe clan of "rebellion"!
This is a crime punishable by the execution of the entire clan!
Mr. Zhao maintained his composed and confident demeanor, and said gently, "Young General, there is no need to worry. You only need to write a letter to the Second General, urging him to lay down his weapons and surrender with his troops as soon as possible. The court will certainly not pursue the matter!"
"He—tui!"
Li Kucao spat a mouthful of phlegm in his face and cursed, "You old dog, you're completely muddle-headed! You've ruined my Li family!"