ushernet Chapter 258 Heading Straight to Jincheng
Chapter 258 Heading Straight to Jincheng
“Uncle Pang De, you must not address Father as Lord anymore. We are now generals under the King of Wei,” Ma Chao reminded him.
Pang De quickly said, "It's not something that can be changed in a short time. It's been so many years. It's not easy for the Ma family organization to get to where it is today. It went from a rebel organization to an official organization. Brother Teng was also appointed as the General Who Conquers the West, although everyone knows that this was just an appointment made by Dong Zhuo."
"After all, he was a general recognized by imperial decree. Now, although our Ma family organization is to be reorganized into a part of the self-governing district organization team, our status will only rise, not fall, compared to before, especially your father."
"As far as I know, lieutenant general is currently the highest organizational rank in the autonomous region. There are only a dozen or so people who hold this rank. This shows how much King Wei values our Ma family organization. Chao'er, I know you admire King Wei, but you must remember that admiration doesn't mean you can do it. If you want to solidify the future position of our Ma family, you still have a lot to do..."
Gradually, Pang De's words changed from sighs to lectures. However, as Ma Teng's top general, he was also Ma Chao's elder, so it was reasonable for him to give Ma Chao advice. Moreover, although Ma Chao was extremely talented, he had very little experience, and some appropriate reminders would be beneficial to his growth.
Han Sui's large army retreated for more than 50 li before stopping. They were too exhausted to run any further. Han Sui chose a strategically advantageous spot on a mountainside and ordered the army to set up camp on the spot. After the army stopped and took stock, Han Sui discovered that he had lost more than 7,000 men in the battle (some of whom had deserted during the retreat).
Fortunately, Zhao Yun did not launch a large-scale counterattack, otherwise his losses might have been even greater. This was precisely what puzzled Han Sui. Zhao Yun had 10,000 cavalry on the east bank. Any experienced general would have used cavalry to launch an attack and expand the victory after gaining the upper hand.
But why didn't the cavalry in the self-governed area make any move just now? Fear? Impossible. That might be true for anyone, but not for the cavalry in the self-governed area.
Han Sui also knew that the cavalry of the autonomous region were a force that could flatten the grasslands with one foot. Their cavalry was quite elite and there was no possibility that they would be afraid to attack. So there was only one possibility left. Han Sui thought to himself: Zhao Yun is brewing an even bigger conspiracy.
"A conspiracy?" Han Sui muttered to himself. What kind of conspiracy could it be? Could it be that Zhao Yun wanted to wipe out his main force organization in one fell swoop?
"Guards!" Han Sui shouted loudly.
"What are your orders, my lord?" A personal guard entered the tent and asked Han Sui what his orders were. Han Sui replied, "Order General Chen to organize a dense network of spies within a 50-mile radius around the area! Also, set up a perimeter at least 10 miles away."
"Yes, my lord!" The guard acknowledged the order and left.
At Zhao Yun's place, Liao Hua and Zhao Yun are also actively discussing how to seize the opportunity when Han Sui brings out his main force to annihilate Han Sui's main force in one fell swoop. At the same time, they are urging the three organizations to speed up their organization and immediately head south to Jincheng to occupy it!
"Zilong, you should be in charge of this battle. After all, I know nothing about cavalry command. This battle is related to the overall strategy, so it is more appropriate for you to command it. I will only be the infantry commander."
Zhao Yun once again wanted Liao Hua to be the commander-in-chief of the front line, but this time Liao Hua did not agree. He knew his own limitations and lacked experience in commanding large-scale battles. The annihilation of Han Sui's main force in this battle was crucial to the overall strategy, and Liao Hua did not want to fail to annihilate Han Sui's main force due to his own reasons.
Upon hearing Liao Hua's words, Zhao Yun had no choice but to retract his earlier statement. He would remain the overall commander, while Liao Hua would serve as the infantry commander, jointly commanding the infantry of both organizations.
To compensate for the Ma family's organization, Pang De was appointed as the cavalry commander, with Ma Chao as Pang De's deputy, and Zhao Yun led a self-governing infantry brigade and five thousand Blood-Clad Cavalry as reserves.
Having made up his mind, Zhao Yun immediately summoned Ma Chao and Pang De. He explained his plan to them and asked for their opinions. Zhao Yun was ready, so what other opinions did they have?
Not to mention that Zhao Yun's plan was very reasonable. Although the Ma family organization was not an infantry commander, the two of them were cavalry commanders. Moreover, they understood that they were not familiar with the infantry tactics in their own territory. Rashly giving orders would not only affect their relationship with each other, but could also cause a lot of casualties or even the failure of the plan.
“General, please give the order. We, along with the soldiers of the Ma family organization, will be at your command. No matter the mission, we will not hesitate to obey,” Pang De said.
Zhao Yun gestured for Pang De to sit down and said, "The soldiers of the Ming and Ma generals' organizations have not received complete training in line infantry tactics, so it is better for you to take on the task of flanking maneuvers in this battle. As for the frontal breakthrough, the two infantry brigades led by Liao Hua's organization will be the main force."
"This subordinate will obey the organization's arrangements." Pang De understood that Zhao Yun was right, and he did not object to Zhao Yun's opinion. Zhao Yun continued, "The cavalry in my jurisdiction are all equipped with flintlock weapons. Your organization should make good use of them."
Hearing this, Pound couldn't help but feel envious. The cavalry in the self-governed area were really rich. Each of them had a flintlock weapon. With such a weapon, the cavalry could be more flexible in their tactics and strategies. They could not only launch frontal assaults but also kite the enemy from a distance.
Seeing Pang De's expression, Zhao Yun smiled and said, "General Lingming, don't worry. After we pacify Liangzhou this time, you will soon be equipped with firearms produced in your own region."
"Hehe, you know the organization, this humble general can't resist good equipment."
Pang De displayed a naiveté that was beyond his years. Seeing Pang De like this, Ma Chao was furious. Was this still his Uncle Pang De?
“That’s only human nature, I understand, I understand!” Zhao Yun said with a smile.
Time passed second by second, and the sun was about to set. Stepping out of the tent and looking at the sunset in the west, Zhao Yun said to everyone, "The forces on the east bank now exceed 70,000, giving us an absolute advantage in terms of troop strength. Therefore, I have decided to launch a surprise attack on Han Sui's main force tonight to avoid any unforeseen complications!"
Zhao Yun's words were agreed upon by the other three main generals. Today's defeat of Han Sui was a good opportunity for a surprise attack. Moreover, they were not sure if Han Sui had backed down. What if Han Sui ran away first thing tomorrow morning? At that time, it would not be so easy to annihilate him.