Chapter 973 – War in the Northern Frontier (10)
Qi Guanrang and Wei Ci were leading the main forces to this location, but neither of them was inside the tent at the moment.
Sun Wen frowned. It wasn’t poison or a water blockade… so then…
“Is the Lord suggesting—flooding?”
What exactly does flooding mean?
The audience in the live stream provided a clearer answer.
Genius Guo Fengxiao: Flooding? We see it quite often in the Yellow River here. It’s usually caused by ice in the lower river or an ice dam blocking the flow, leading to rising water levels; mild cases result in overflow, while severe cases can lead to disastrous breaches.
Cafeteria Lunch Lady: I’ve noticed our streamer is getting sharper; it feels like the brain-dead Northern Frontier has no way out anymore.
Big Ginger Marry Me: No way, if it’s a man-made flood, the streamer is currently downstream; is she trying to drown herself?
How could that be? Jiang Pengji aimed to crush her opponents, not dig a pit to bury herself.
“Currently, it’s brutally cold, and it will take at least another month for the ice and snow to melt. The Lian River is wide and long, with significant differences in elevation from upstream to downstream, flowing through various major tribes of the Northern Frontier. If we can create a flood situation, allowing the Lian River to overflow, that would indeed be a great strategy.”
The Northern Frontier consisted of nomadic peoples; they followed water sources wherever lush pastures were abundant.
In other words, if the Lian River flooded and burst its banks, all the tribes nearby would suffer.
At that moment, a live stream viewer recalled a detail and quickly posed a question.
Xie Xingchen: Streamer, I took a close look at the maps of the Northern Frontier and Dongqing; it seems the waters of the Lian River will flow into Dongqing, right? If the upstream Lian River breaks and floods, won’t the water flow in Dongqing be affected?
Flooding the Northern Frontier is fine, but let’s not end up flooding ourselves!
Regarding this question, Jiang Pengji was not overly concerned.
The water systems of Dongqing are extensive and well-developed; as the excess water from the Lian River flows into Dongqing, it will run off in many directions, having little impact.
Feng Zhen pinched his chin, saying, “That may be true, but how could the three tribes of the Northern Frontier, who have lived here for so long, not know about flooding?”
The Northern Frontier herders were very dependent on water sources, having dealt with this river for generations.
If the people of Dongqing relied on blessings from the heavens for sustenance, the Northern Frontier depended on these rivers for survival.
Once the river dry up or floods occurred, the tribes living along the banks would indeed suffer.
If any changes occurred with the Lian River, they would definitely notice it right away, their experience far surpassing the others.
Sun Wen tightened his brows. “Zishi’s worries are not without merit…”
If our intentions were detected by the enemy first, then even the most brilliant strategies would lose their effectiveness.
Surprising tactics can yield unexpected results because of the information gap between both sides.
Feng Zhen gazed at the Lian River, a look of contemplation crossing his face. He narrowed his eyes slightly, as if a spark of insight flickered within.
The Northern Frontier has more than just the Lian River; if they could control the upstream flow, they wouldn’t just be standing there like fools.
Creating a flood involves risks; given the Northern Frontier’s familiarity with the Lian River and their rich experience, the likelihood of them detecting the opportunity is not small.
Losing the initiative would turn the advantage into a disadvantage.
Therefore… wouldn’t it be better to cut off the water upstream, ensuring the Lian River flows normally while storing water upstream?
This thought sparked within Feng Zhen, and he couldn’t help but ponder in that direction, simulating its feasibility.
After a while, Feng Zhen said, “There is indeed a plan—”
While Jiang Pengji and her team discussed within the tent, disputes arose in the Northern Frontier camp.
After all, the Northern Frontier was fighting on home ground, and their efficiency in gathering troops and setting up camp was much faster than Jiang Pengji’s.
Messengers returned with news—
Jiang Pengji’s forces were gathering twenty miles from the camp, and the main troops had yet to arrive.
Upon hearing this, Wu Libai’s entire body shook, and he hurriedly stepped forward to speak.
“The Liu Thief has a vast army; I’ve heard that each of their soldiers is a meticulously trained elite. If we let them gather an army of tens of thousands, it will definitely become a grave threat to us. In my opinion, the Dai Wang should order an offensive while the Liu Thief’s main forces have not yet arrived, and catch them off guard! If we can successfully crush their elite vanguard, the spirit of the Liu Thief’s army will surely plummet!”
In ancient warfare, morale was one of the key factors determining victory or defeat.
If morale was high, even eunuchs could chase chickens.
If morale was low, a few burly men could be chased by a bunch of weaklings.
As long as they defeat Jiang Pengji’s elite vanguard and seriously damage her morale, would the Northern Frontier warriors still fear her tens of thousands of elite troops?
Forgot to mention, during battles, both sides like to exaggerate their numbers.
A claimed army of a million might only number around five hundred thousand, rounding up to a million.
Here, the Northern Frontier boasted about fifty thousand lions, but in reality, there were only about eighteen thousand, with eight thousand militia being poorly conscripted.
The Liu Thief flies a flag claiming one hundred fifty thousand…
Hmm, from what one can guess, perhaps it’s only fifty or sixty thousand, right?
Wu Libai’s suggestion was rather sensible. Though the Northern Frontier cavalry was at only about thirty percent of their peak power, they were still not afraid of a surprise attack.
However, Wu Libai had a political rival, Halencha, who did not agree with his suggestion.
Halencha recommended that the Dai Wang hold steady and wait until Liu Thief’s troops showed signs of fatigue or lowered morale before counterattacking.
After all, the Dai Wang was currently leading the forces; if a rash offensive jeopardized the Dai Wang’s safety, who would take the blame?
Can we really switch from defense to attack?
Wu Libai’s complexion darkened, silently cursing Halencha’s stupidity.
What do you mean “hold steady”? The Liu Thief’s vanguard only has about twenty to thirty thousand men; with such a small force, they’re afraid? Go home and drink your mama’s milk!
Wu Libai was so furious he wanted to flip the table, but, alas, the camp was not under his control nor Halencha’s, but rather the Dai Wang’s.
The Ninth Prince, fearing for his life, wanted to lead the troops personally to avoid being ambushed by his brothers exploiting the royal court’s vulnerability.
But once in the army, he was still scared, worried that the generals in charge of the troops would revolt against him.
To limit everyone’s military power, he issued a rather foolish order—
“Any military maneuvers, regardless of size, must be reported and approved by me; do not act independently!”
What does this mean, translated plainly?
In simpler terms—
No matter the military matters, big or small, you must inform me to make decisions; you cannot decide for yourselves!
凸(艹皿艹)艹!
Upon hearing this order, both Halencha and Wu Libai felt a headache coming on.
Do they not understand that opportunities in battle are fleeting?
Everything requires sending a message to the Dai Wang for approval. Meanwhile, Liu Xi has already led his troops straight into the royal court, cutting through like slicing cucumbers!
The Dai Wang didn’t care how they thought; the world is big, but his safety is the biggest.
Halencha’s reasoning was sound, cautious and prudent, but Wu Libai’s suggestion was tempting.
The Dai Wang had just taken office, his prestige unstable; he urgently needed a victory, no matter how small, to establish his authority.
“This matter—please allow me to think for a moment; I will give you a response within the hour at the earliest.”
Wu Libai: “…”
An hour?
Hurry your ass up!
He truly wanted to press the Dai Wang’s head and make him understand how to write the phrase “time is of the essence.”
