Chapter 672: Crushing Victory

Chapter 672: Chapter 672: Crushing Victory

Although it was already deep into the night, all the tents of the Central Army within Wu Lake still shone brightly. Many people remained awake throughout the night.

Shen Hao stood outside the tent, letting the cool wind brush past him as he gazed up at the star-studded sky, his mind uneasy. According to the prior military strategy meeting, the chained offensive along Jianchuan was set to commence at yesterday’s dawn, and if everything went smoothly, definite news should arrive tonight, or by tomorrow morning.

The hardest part is the waiting. Even though Shen Hao felt little patriotism for the Jingjiu Dynasty, it didn’t stop him from hoping for their victory. After all, his livelihood depended on the Jingjiu Dynasty—if he didn’t side with the Dynasty, would he really go flatter the Barbarian Race?

Jianchuan now stands as the salient point on the whole frontline. If a breach could be made here, it would surely determine the outcome of the entire war.

With Shen Hao’s half-baked military knowledge, he could see that once Jianchuan was broken through, the forces could pivot and encircle White Head Gorge directly. Or they could continue advancing, thrusting deep toward the heart of the Barbarian Race’s territory.

If they failed, Jianchuan’s current situation would revert to the previous stalemate, bringing with it the bloody and grinding war of attrition, which would be terrible news for the Jingjiu Dynasty.

Don’t be fooled by the unified, rousing voice across the nation—young men full of hot blood are all rushing to the south, eager to enlist and kill barbarians.

But war consumes the able-bodied youth; if too many die in a short time, that’s a heavy blame to bear. No one mentions it now, but what about after the war?

When it’s time to settle accounts, for sure someone will pin you with "disregarding the lives of soldiers." If you’re lucky, someone will come to your aid—at worst, your achievements offset your faults and you still walk away with some rewards. The greatest fear is "your achievements can’t offset your faults"—they give you a sugar cube first, then slap you hard, maybe even knock your head off.

Shen Hao believed Marshal Zuo was considering just this, which is why he launched a new offensive immediately after gaining some ground at Jianchuan. Success isn’t guaranteed, but if it works, think how many lives could be saved.

The 25th of February, at mid-1 a.m., an internal message from the Inspector was relayed to Li Jiang through the Thousand-Mile Sound, and Li Jiang promptly reported it to Shen Hao.

One piece of news leads to another. Soon, new messages came in succession from the frontlines at "Stone Gate," "Before the Door," the "Central Region," and the "Lower Part" Military Camps.

Li Jiang, together with Zhang Ye, who hurried over to inquire, quickly sorted out the messages and spread them before Shen Hao.

"The Front Gate Military Camp launched an all-out night raid. Then, Zeng Zhou’s unit ambushed and slaughtered over ten thousand enemy troops reinforcing Jianchuan’s Central Region.

Next, Shen Wanlin from the Central Military Camp allied with Li Zhongzheng, who brought reinforcements, using superior numbers to launch a fierce dawn assault against the Barbarian Race in Jianchuan’s Central Region.

Zeng Zhou’s unit again raided and cut down the Barbarian Race reinforcements coming up from Jianchuan’s Lower Part, then took a short rest before wheeling around to join the attack, forming a pincer maneuver against the enemies in the Central Region.

Finally, the Stone Gate Military Camp pressed in with full force, joining forces with Cheng Jinhou from the Before the Door Military Camp to exert pressure on Jianchuan’s Upper Part. Meanwhile, they also launched a fierce attack on the Lower Part to draw away attention.

First, the enemy’s main camp in the Central Region was broken. Then, the main camp in the Upper Part fell.

Estimated enemy losses: forty thousand eliminated in the Central Region, with a few thousand scattered. Upper Part saw over twenty thousand enemies destroyed; the rest retreated deep into the Barbarian Race’s hinterland. The midway ambushes claimed nearly thirty thousand more. Now, enemy forces in the Lower Part are also beginning to withdraw toward White Head Gorge.

Thus, from the night of the twenty-third until now, a series of major battles at Jianchuan have concluded.

My lord! Crushing victory on the front lines!"

Although they didn’t report the exact casualty numbers, it’s certainly far less than those of the Barbarian Race. With such a resounding victory, unpleasant news in the battle reports would "follow later."

"Good! Report this victory to Lord Jiang immediately. He must be anxiously waiting too."

"Understood!"

Li Jiang and Zhang Ye could hardly contain their excitement, bustling to relay the news upwards and discussing how the subsequent battles might unfold.

"With such a crushing victory, naturally we should pursue and kill enemies for a hundred miles, then push south, break through White Head Gorge, and then aim straight for Sangbi Hill!"

"I’d rather we proceed steadily. The road from Jianchuan to White Head Gorge isn’t short. Though we’ve won big, casualties surely aren’t few. If we rush south blindly, it may backfire and turn into a major defeat."

"A defeat? With our pincer formation, the Barbarian Race is as fragile as eggs—what strength have they left to resist?"

Zhang Ye was confident, believing that a rapid pursuit would swiftly expand the victory, allowing a direct pincer move toward White Head Gorge and clearing the path to Sangbi Hill.

Li Jiang appeared more seasoned. He felt that even after a resounding victory, it was prudent to consolidate their gains rather than push south, fearing the Barbarian Race at White Head Gorge might ambush them.

"White Head Gorge isn’t like Jianchuan. The terrain there is open and flat, rarely rocky or low-lying, perfect for cavalry action. Do you think Jianchuan’s infantry, after running there on foot, would fare well against a large force of Wolf Cavalry in that open field?"

"This..."

Zhang Ye had no answer. True, infantry have means to fight cavalry, but it’s widely accepted that on open ground, infantry suffer when facing sizable cavalry forces: they can’t run, can’t chase, and will be ground down relentlessly.

Shen Hao ignored how Zhang Ye’s face soured; he agreed with Li Jiang’s assessment. When it came to warfare, Li Jiang was clearly superior to Zhang Ye.

"So then, will there be a period of calm after Jianchuan?"

"My lord, yes, that’s what I think. Advancing past Jianchuan would stretch the front lines, weakening the advantages held by Shimen Military Camp and the Ten Thousand Miles Bamboo Sea Secret Path. That would risk our troops becoming isolated. So in the short term, Jianchuan should focus on consolidating gains rather than pushing forward or aiding the south."

Zhang Ye fell silent. He’d hoped to impress Lord Shen, but in military matters he truly lagged behind Li Jiang. He’d said something wrong earlier; now he could only stare, not daring to speak again.

Shen Hao looked at the terrain map pinned to the board. Indeed, after knocking out the two key strongholds in Jianchuan’s Central and Upper Parts, their position was solid. From a strategic standpoint, they had now formed a pincer against White Head Gorge.

"This already counts as a dominant situation, right?"

"Yes, my lord. Now Marshal Zuo has completely shattered the deadlock."

He waved his hand, signaling Li Jiang and Zhang Ye to get back to their work. Each army’s Inspector would surely send detailed updates soon, and all the information needed to be reviewed carefully—neither of the two would have a moment’s rest in the coming days.

Shen Hao didn’t sleep either, but stood lost in thought before the map. He was curious whether the unfavorable war situation for the Barbarian Race would exacerbate the internal standoff over the establishment of the Royal Court.

On the other hand, based on the usual reports from Black Water, the Jingjiu Dynasty’s own internal affairs were tumultuous, with several Princes itching to come to blows. This crushing victory at Jianchuan might offer some reassurance to the court and people, preventing even greater unrest from the major Royal Family "examination."