bullyxtreme Chapter 127 Lack of Martial Morality
Chapter 127 Lack of Martial Morality
As dawn broke and the night drew to a close, at the end of the Yin hour (3-5 AM).
In the military camp north of Chengdu, the first morning drumbeat resounded from the central command post.
The deep, resonant sound of drums spread across the continuous tents, followed by the successive striking of clappers from each camp, their clear, distant notes piercing the cold dawn mist.
Upon hearing the sound, the soldiers all rose to their feet, fastened their leather belts, adjusted their armor plates, sheathed their swords, and stood in perfect order and silence.
In a short while, the various camp flags were raised one after another, and the dark blue banners fluttered slightly in the cool morning breeze.
Soldiers from each unit filed out of their tents, lined up in orderly rows, their steps perfectly aligned, their ranks imposing.
On the central command platform, the lanterns were still lit, and civil and military officials stood on both sides, while the chief clerk and military advisor stood by the register.
Li Yan, Wu Yi, and Zhang Yi strode over and ascended the platform.
The camp was completely silent, with only the sound of banners fluttering in the wind.
At dawn, the drums sounded again, and the officers of each troop and battalion stepped forward in turn to announce their names and take their places.
The responses were deep and solemn, rising and falling, echoing throughout the camp.
After the inspection was completed, on the command platform, Li Yan's sharp gaze swept over the thousands of armored soldiers in formation. With a wave of his hand, the supervising officer Zhang Yi, holding the imperial edict, stepped forward.
"By order of His Majesty, we are conducting military exercises to strengthen our army's morale. All matters concerning the exercises shall be based on actual combat. We hereby issue the Military Law to the entire army. Military orders are as firm as mountains, and military law is merciless. Anyone who is negligent or disobedient will be severely punished without exception."
Zhang Yi then solemnly read out the various military regulations of the Central Army, his orders resounding and each word powerful, reaching the ears of all the soldiers.
After the military order was given and the bugle sounded, Commander-in-Chief Li Yan strode forward.
"Today's military training is to demonstrate the might of our army, and all officers and soldiers must not slacken their efforts."
"All generals, heed my command!"
"Here!" the soldiers replied, bowing in unison.
"Mr. Chen, heed my command!"
"exist!"
Li Yan picked up the command token on the table and said, "You will lead a thousand troops as the vanguard to clear the way for the main army."
"Yes, sir!"
Chen responded in a deep voice, stepped forward to take the command token, and returned to the ranks.
"Zhao Rong, heed my command!"
"exist!"
"You will lead a thousand cavalrymen to form the left flank of the main army."
"Yes, sir!"
Zhao Rong accepted the command token with both hands and returned to the ranks.
"Du Qi, listen to my command!"
"exist!"
"You will lead two thousand infantrymen as the right wing of the main army."
"yes!"
"Lu Yi!"
"exist!"
"I hereby order you to lead two thousand infantrymen as the rear guard of the main army."
"yes!"
"Fei Guan, you will lead two thousand troops as the central army."
"Yes, sir!"
Li Yan deployed military affairs in an orderly manner.
In addition to the regular five armies, there were also mobile troops, reserve troops, guards, and logistics personnel, totaling nearly 10,000 people.
"All troops, heed my command!"
Li Yan drew his sword with a clang and issued orders.
"Set off!"
The military exercise stipulated that both sides would rouse their troops at dawn. Li Yan's army would depart from the northern camp of the city, while Zhao Yun's army would set off from the southern camp of the city, each carrying three days' worth of rations, and head to the designated exercise location.
The army led by Li Yan consisted mostly of veteran soldiers. Among the generals who served in the army were experienced commanders who had participated in the Battle of Yiling, as well as powerful generals who had been stationed in key locations for many years. Their combined strength was sufficient to launch a war against foreign powers.
On Zhao Yun's side, apart from his deputy Ma Zhong and military supervisor Yang Hong, most of them were young generals who had never been on the battlefield.
Apart from a portion of private troops, most of the soldiers in the army were newly recruited and minimally trained recruits, whose combat strength was far inferior to that of the enemy.
In the main hall of the palace, a huge sand table was placed in the center, with red and blue flags planted on it to distinguish the two sides in the battle.
Given such a disparity in strength, the court officials sitting firmly in the central command tent unanimously believed that Li Yan would achieve a complete victory.
"Report!"
The messenger hurried to the main hall, bringing the latest military intelligence.
"Your Majesty, both the Red and Blue armies have broken camp on time and are heading to the exercise location."
Liu Shan nodded, and after the messenger left, the court officials began to discuss the matter.
"The two sides are far apart in strength. If General Zhao's troops want to hold out for longer, they should build fortifications and hold their ground."
"Indeed. If they form a frontal battle, Protector Li's troops will surely crush General Zhao's forces with overwhelming force."
"General Zhao is known as the 'Tiger General,' but with such a disparity in strength, I'm afraid he is no match for him."
Qiao Zhou cupped his hands towards Zhuge Liang and said, "Prime Minister Zhuge, there is something I don't understand, and I hope you can enlighten me."
"Please speak."
"Both armies only brought three days' worth of rations. What if the battle remains undecided within three days?"
This was also a question on the minds of the court officials.
If Zhao Yun's troops rely on the terrain and hold their ground, even an elite force would find it difficult to achieve victory within three days, given the same troop strength.
"Grand Master Qiao, esteemed officials, if the two sides have not determined a victor after three days, I will make other arrangements, but please allow me to keep you in suspense for now."
The ministers knew that Zhuge Liang was going to give them a surprise, so they stopped asking questions and discussed state affairs while waiting for the latest military intelligence on the battle between the two armies.
After breaking camp, Li Yan's army headed straight for the exercise location.
The vanguard was positioned at the very front, with cavalry scouting ahead for several miles, followed closely by elite troops, their fierce advance making them the vanguard of the entire army.
The left flank consisted of cavalry, their formations extended and spaced out in a controlled manner, allowing them to control the plains.
The right flank consisted of infantry in formation, with archers and crossbowmen assisting, to defend against enemy flanking maneuvers and flanking attacks.
The rear guard is positioned at the rear, with armored soldiers forming a screen to cover the rear, thus securing the foundation of the entire army and eliminating any worries about the rear.
The central army was positioned in a commanding position, with Li Yan and Wu Yi protected by layers of armored soldiers. They were surrounded by a forest of spears and crossbows, all of whom were the elite of the entire army.
The entire camp was perfectly integrated, capable of breaking through enemy lines in the front and holding the rear, with support coming from both sides, and the central army maintaining overall control, demonstrating Li Yan's strict discipline in commanding his troops.
Behind a nearby hill, two heads peeked out and watched the army.
Young Zhang Bao, with a blade of grass dangling from his mouth, smiled slightly, clearly not taking this army of ten thousand men seriously.
"Just as that kid Bangguo predicted, although the Blue Army's formation is tight, it has a fatal weakness."
"Huang Chong, in my opinion, we can lead our troops to launch a surprise attack on the rear guard and catch them off guard."
Huang Chong peered over and looked again, finally nodding and saying, "The vanguard has not set up any sentries, and the main army is completely unprepared. We can launch a surprise attack."
"But the right wing is personally commanded by General Lu Yi, so we must not linger in battle. Otherwise, if the left wing manages to outflank us, we will definitely suffer a great loss."
Zhang Bao said impatiently, "I know, but I made a pledge to General Zhao."
"It's a real pity, though. If it were the enemy, I would have made several more infiltrations and dealt them a heavy blow."
Although the exercise was designed to be close to real combat, mistakes were inevitable once the cavalry charged.
Therefore, when cavalry charge, they cannot weave through the main army; they must circle around to the edge to harass the enemy and avoid casualties.
The two retreated to the dense forest on the hillside, where they found it filled with cavalrymen.
The man had a gag in his mouth, and the horse's hooves were wrapped in cloth; they were eager to try.
Zhang Bao and Huang Chong mounted their horses, and with a wave of their hands, a thousand cavalrymen came and went like the wind, raising dust as they swept in.
Li Yan's army was completely unprepared. When they discovered the enemy attack, Zhang Bao had already led his troops to charge in.
Arrows rained down, striking all of Li Yan's rear army.
The arrowheads were removed, wrapped in cloth, and dipped in white ash. Anyone hit by the white ash was considered "killed in action."
On the battlefield, there were military supervisors arranged by the Prime Minister's Office to ensure that the two armies fought fairly and justly.
Li Yan was furious when he saw that the rear guard had been ambushed by the enemy.
"Commander, Commander, our troops haven't even entered the exercise area yet. The enemy's sneak attack is a violation of regulations!"
"General Li, the regulations for the exercise are that it officially begins with the troops' roll call, so this action is not against the rules."
Li Yan was enraged upon hearing this.
He who hunts geese all day long will eventually have his eyes pecked out by the geese.
Wow, the younger generation is truly formidable!
You have no sense of martial ethics, huh!