ushernet Chapter 300 Causes Great Chaos
Chapter 300 Causes Great Chaos
Liu Xie looked at the several secretaries from the Internal Affairs Department who were still busy going in and out after he came in, and asked Jia Xu, "Are you really that busy?"
Jia Xu was speechless at this emperor who loved to delegate authority to others while enjoying the benefits himself. He shook his head and smiled bitterly, "Now I have to be in charge of social security after the domestic troops are transferred to Central Asia, as well as the defense arrangements of Luoyang after the capital garrison is transferred to various places to assist in the defense. I also have to organize intelligence on the Central Asian countries and try to prevent Rome and Parthia from intervening in the war. Do you think I'm busy or not?"
Liu Xie opened his mouth, looked at Jia Xu, whose head had grown a few strands of silver hair, and said rather apologetically, "There's nothing we can do about it. The capable should do more, and others can't handle this mess. After this war is over, we'll gradually reform the organization and clarify the division of labor, and I think you won't be so busy anymore!"
Jia Xu shook his head and said, "Having reached this position, it's impossible to relax anymore. Your Majesty, what brings you here?"
Liu Xie nodded and said, "I have something I want to ask you. Currently, the main leaders in various regions are still the old officials left over from the previous dynasty. The university graduates have not yet fully matured. What is the security situation in various regions?"
"There are basically no problems domestically. Our government system is basically in place. The main issues now are in India and Japan."
"The Indians have their own religious beliefs and are unwilling to submit easily. The old ministers lack the ability to handle emergencies, and being too far from the country, several dangerous situations have occurred, almost causing a major upheaval."
"Many people in Japan know that those captured and brought back to the country are here to work as miners and laborers, so they refuse to come no matter what. They even secretly plot a rebellion, which has led to several clashes that have injured some of our soldiers," Jia Xu said.
"Those Indian devils and Japanese bastards!" Liu Xie muttered through gritted teeth, then said to Jia Xu, "I know about this. I will punish them and let them know what the Chinese Empire is all about. Is there any other information?"
"Yes, news has come from Kangju that King Shayad Sultan may surrender the entire country. If we can achieve this, we can not only avoid the trouble of fighting against hundreds of thousands of Kangju soldiers, but also allow them to besiege the Wuxi Flying Soldiers from the west and take down the strongest Wuxi Flying Soldiers state in Central Asia in one fell swoop," Jia Xu nodded and said.
"We must do our best to secure this. Some time ago, Yu Jin persuaded Ban Naina, the garrison commander of Amraz, to surrender. Not only did he capture the second largest city of Great Xia without lifting a finger, but he also easily incorporated tens of thousands of Great Xia soldiers into his ranks. After all, captured soldiers are not as easy to subdue as those who surrender voluntarily. The Great Xia soldiers that Yu Jin has incorporated can now be put into battle immediately. In a couple of days, I will discuss suitable terms with Xi Zhicai and the others. You have someone send a message to Sultan Shayad. As long as he surrenders voluntarily, he will definitely receive his due rewards."
Upon hearing this news, Liu Xie was overjoyed. Ouyang Qian, who was standing next to him, noted down the arrangements for discussing with the advisors of the Imperial Advisory Office the conditions for surrendering Sultan Shayad.
More than 100 kilometers north of the Yimusi Pass, Gao Shun's troops had just arrived at a dam. Seeing that there were no suitable places to set up camp, Gao Shun ordered the entire army to set up camp and rest, while waiting for news from the vanguard scouts.
On the evening of March 17, Ma Chao, who was in charge of the 3rd Cavalry Brigade of the 113th Society, sent two messengers back to Gao Shun's main force to inform Gao Shun of the basic situation of the Yimusi Pass that he had scouted.
“The Wuxi Flying Soldiers have been fortifying the area for a long time. The passes are high and the walls are thick, stretching for ten kilometers. The mountains outside the passes are undulating and the forests are dense. There is no way to bypass them. The enemy forces number as many as 5. How can we break through them?” Gao Shun asked, resting his chin on his hands.
"It's too early to think about these things now. Let's wait until we get to the pass in a couple of days and observe the situation of the pass walls before we talk about it!" Xun Yuyou shook his head and smiled.
"Intelligence says that the current defenders of Xichuan are composed of three groups, half of whom are deserters who fled back from the Xichuan River. Their morale is probably low, so it shouldn't be too difficult to take them down," said Yang Hong, the intelligence chief.
"This intelligence is useless. They have all the advantages of timing, location, and manpower. They are in a defensive position. Even if they have fewer people and lower combat strength, we won't be able to take them down easily," Le Jin said, shaking his head.
“Who said they have all the advantages of timing, location, and popular support? While the advantages of location and popular support are undeniable, timing is another matter; it all depends on how each side utilizes it,” Yang Xiu retorted.
"Alright, everyone, take a rest. Traveling dozens of miles every day must be exhausting. We'll discuss the attack on the pass once we reach Imus Pass." Gao Shun waved his hand, telling everyone to rest, while he himself led a few soldiers to inspect the barracks and check on the camp's setup.
At noon on March 19, Gao Shun's army arrived at the foot of the mountain north of Yimusi Pass and set up camp in the valley. Gao Shun and Xun Yuyou, along with other high-ranking generals, led by a vanguard soldier, went to a relatively high hillside to check on the situation of the Xichuan garrison at the pass.
At this time, inside the city of Imus Pass, the soldiers of the Five Streams Flying Soldiers were bustling about in a chaotic frenzy. Gao Shun's 200,000-strong army was at the city gates, and Yumiti was on high alert, sending 20,000 men to defend the city walls and 10,000 men to prepare for battle.
Only 20,000 men remained to rest. Countless logs, stones, and crossbow bolts were carried up the city wall, especially on the central section with the city gate, where defensive equipment was piled up like mountains. Thousands of Xichuan soldiers stood densely packed on this section of the wall, seemingly giving the Hua soldiers no chance at all.
Gao Shun used his binoculars to examine the only gate in the city wall, then looked at the "Great Wall" extending out on both sides. He shook his head and said, "It's quite difficult to attack. The people of Xichuan are very well prepared; there's no opening to exploit!"
"Not necessarily. Ma Chao arrived two days earlier than us, so he should know something about the situation. Should we ask him?" Yang Xiu suggested.
Seeing Gao Shun nod, a communications soldier left the hillside and went down to find Ma Chao, the vanguard who had arrived two days earlier. A dozen minutes later, Ma Chao, covered in sweat, climbed back up the hillside and asked Gao Shun, "General Gao, are you looking for me?"
"Hmm, what are you doing? Why are you all sweaty?" Gao Shun asked.
"Hehe, I was just sparring with a few soldiers," Ma Chao said with a laugh.
"Oh, still making the most of your time to practice martial arts! You've been here for two days, have you found any openings in the enemy ranks that you can exploit?" Xun Yuyou asked.
"No, when we came here the day before yesterday, there were already scouts from Xichuan appearing dozens of miles outside the pass. Their vigilance range is very wide. I sent people to look around. There are many Xichuan sentries on guard throughout the entire Yimusi Pass area."