Chapter 558 – Drought, Refugees (4)
There are many types of cavalry, but in this era, military classifications are quite vague, with a rather simplistic approach to troop types.
For example, in the Northern Border, most cavalry are light cavalry.
Lacking mineral resources, the soldiers’ armor is naturally not made of bronze or iron—it’s all woven from special vine strips.
This is somewhat similar to their ancestors, the Qiangwu Clan.
The Qiangwu’s vine armor was soaked in oil repeatedly and crafted with special techniques, making it incredibly durable and somewhat resistant to damage, not to mention lightweight.
However, just look at the outcome of the Qiangwu Clan: hundreds of thousands of cavalry perished in a blaze set by the grand minister Huangfu, leaving the Northern Border’s three clans to learn their ancestor’s lesson. They’ve remodeled their vine armor craftsmanship and now seem somewhat fireproof.
As for the infantry in the Northern Border, they face similar circumstances, dressed in vine armor and wielding large blades or long spears.
What about troop classification and coordinated combat?
Oh, is that a thing?
Jiang Pengji has only fought against the Green Garment Army, who were just unarmored rabble with a combat strength below five.
Northern Border’s elite cavalry and infantry cannot be compared to the third-rate Green Garment Army; their sheer numbers alone are terrifying.
To deal with such enemies, a serious attitude is essential—let them witness the art of war.
Thus, classifying troop types becomes quite important.
If a single troop type encounters a type that counters it, it’s essentially a nightmare.
Jiang Pengji shared her ideas, planning to divide her army into different types for targeted training.
Feng Jin said, “Time is too tight; we don’t have enough manpower. It might be very difficult—”
“Even if it’s difficult, we must try. Otherwise, we’ll just sit back and wait for death.”
If the Northern Border mobilizes their army, they will certainly need preparation time. Jiang Pengji can utilize this time to train new recruits.
In ancient times, many able-bodied men were conscripted into the military, getting barely a few days of training before heading to the battlefield. But such troops had weak combat strength and poor quality; Jiang Pengji’s new recruits will need a minimum of six months of training, concentrated during the winter and summer seasons.
Harsh weather can further sharpen one’s will and physique.
As for spring and autumn?
Spring is for plowing, autumn for harvesting; training must continue during the free time—no stopping!
Once entered Jiang Pengji’s military camp, every season is training time, with just one day off each month.
After all that training, the soldiers can be considered elite, not to mention that most have participated in more than one battle, with combat experience and quality far surpassing those inexperienced new recruits. They aren’t the type of useless rabble that can easily be dismissed, easily handling five-to-one odds.
Almost a day later, news of An Yina’s sudden death reached the other three counties in Fengyi County.
When Qi Guanrang received the news, night had fallen. He was processing documents under an oil lamp, barely keeping his eyes open, when hearing the news felt like a lightning bolt struck from head to toe, instantly jolting him wide awake.
Xu Ke had a similar reaction; he abandoned his work and sent a letter overnight to Xiangyang County.
The only one who remained calm was Wei Ci from Cheng’an County, or more accurately, just Wei Ci.
Yang Si asked, “How can you not be worried at all? The Northern Border’s ambitions are wild; this time they’ve mobilized forces that must be considerable. How can Chongzhou’s military strength withstand their iron hooves? If the border collapses, Dongqing is likely to follow the same path as Nansheng… Your lord might struggle to keep his head!”
Yang Si didn’t care who would be Emperor of Dongqing, but it absolutely couldn’t be a foreign tribe from the Northern Border!
Wei Ci, unfazed, chuckled, “No need to worry; the Northern Border probably can’t strike this time. They have enough issues of their own.”
Yang Si, taken aback, urgently asked, “You cunning fox, just spill it! You can’t just tease half the truth and not fear a beating. Why can’t the Northern Border come south this time? They’ve long coveted Dongqing, and with the northern wars never-ending and the south in turmoil, it’s a perfect opportunity for them to march down. Are you saying the three clans in the Northern Border are in internal chaos?”
Wei Ci shook his head, “Currently, the king of the Northern Border’s Royal Court has great authority, is in his prime, and knows how to command. He unified the Northern Border’s forces when he first became king. Before he reaches old age or passes away, the Northern Border won’t descend into chaos internally.”
Yang Si was puzzled. If there’s no internal strife, why can’t they march south?
Wei Ci said, “As the Buddha lays it out, some things cannot be uttered.”
Yang Si retorted angrily, “What the hell! You’re just asking for a beatdown!”
Bad company!
On this issue, Wei Ci had already sent a letter to Xiangyang County.
Others might not understand, but he believed Jiang Pengji would surely trust his words.
The letters from Qi Guanrang, Xu Ke, and Wei Ci arrived almost simultaneously, with the three messengers riding through the night.
Jiang Pengji tore open the wax seal and pulled out the neatly folded letter inside.
She first read Qi Guanrang’s letter, followed by Xu Ke’s, and lastly, Wei Ci’s.
Unlike the first two, who inquired about countermeasures, Wei Ci’s letter contained only a few brief words.
Yet, those few characters caused Jiang Pengji to relax her brows and her eyes twinkled with joy.
【In the twenty-first year of Tianwu, November, the Northern Border faced a horse plague; war horses fell ill and died unexpectedly, with only about ten to twelve surviving.】
After reading the letter, she took a fire stick, lit it, and turned it to ash.
“If that’s the case, it seems I’ll have to ask Uncle Gu to grab one last pot of gold from the Northern Border. Make it a big one!”
Her eyes glimmered with excitement as she spread out a sheet of paper, ground the ink, and picked up her brush to write a letter.
“Bring me the head of the brick kiln manager; I have important matters to discuss.”
Within the Northern Border’s three clans, the ratio of infantry to cavalry reached one-to-two. If a large number of war horses fell ill and died, it would be like cutting off their left arm and right leg. They’d be unable to restore peak combat strength for years to come, let alone march south, giving Jiang Pengji plenty of time for her growth.
She had previously thought time was running short, but now she felt a little more relaxed.
However, she didn’t fully trust the contents of the letter—not due to a lack of faith in Wei Ci, but because of the butterfly effect. How could she know if the plague in the Northern Border would strike on schedule? Maybe it would flutter away like a butterfly’s wings, or perhaps the timing would be set back.
Until fully confirmed, Jiang Pengji wouldn’t let her guard down; preparations still needed to be made.
Regardless, whether or not the Northern Border could march south, their business wouldn’t last long.
Jiang Pengji planned to fetch one last big payday, aiming for several million in silver.
The brick kiln manager rushed over overnight, and Jiang Pengji instructed him to open the kiln again and produce a large batch of exquisite glassware.
Previously, while milking the Northern Border dry, the number of glass items produced had been limited, and sales were slow, creating a false impression of glass’s high value.
Almost every noble in the Northern Border prided themselves on owning a set of glass tea sets as a status symbol. The local noblewomen loved to collect glass jewelry; wearing a complete set made them the center of attention at parties. Many noblewomen had the money but couldn’t buy enough.
Now that Dongqing and the Northern Border were about to go to war, Jiang Pengji aimed to cash out before relations soured.
Setting a small goal, she planned to rake in a cool hundred million!
