Chapter 841 Jingnan Army, Mighty!

Sanshan Pass, as its name suggests, is formed by three overlapping mountains, with the pass serving as the connection.

Even Xuehai Pass, universally acknowledged as having the most advantageous terrain, is actually a defensive system composed of a series of military fortresses and outposts along the surrounding Tian Duan Mountains.

In this world, military cities and passes built by humans rarely possess the "one man holds the pass, ten thousand cannot pass" configuration in the imagined sense.

Of course, you can choose to go around it, but your supply lines and retreat routes will be left with a sharp knife, ready to stab you from behind at any time, putting you in a passive position from the start.

The strategic advantage of Sanshan Pass lies in this, being the most dangerous terrain between the Zhao and Liang kingdoms, easy to defend and difficult to attack.

The pass is one aspect; in addition, military outposts are also established on the mountain tops and slopes outside the pass. The attacking side must attack upwards, and can coordinate with the pass itself as mutually reinforcing positions.

To break through the pass, you must first remove the military outposts on the mountain tops.

At this moment,

the sun had just risen.

Bo Chen Yang of Yishan, of the Great Yan, held a large bowl in his hand, filled with rice, meat, pickled vegetables, and sauce. Beside Chen Yang was a large group of soldiers.

These soldiers were generally strong and sturdy, and their armor and weapons were piled aside. Everyone was eating breakfast.

Normally, the soldiers could eat a little worse, but in wartime, there must be no carelessness or compromise. As many good conditions as possible must be provided.

Young masters and misses who haven't truly done long-term physical labor wouldn't understand what to eat in a day to ensure they have the strength and energy to last until evening. Without oil and salt in their stomachs, they'd be like without a ballast stone, unable to walk steadily.

And fighting is far more exhausting than purely physical labor, because it's accompanied by intense mental stress, consuming even more energy.

Breakfast must be eaten heartily, because the battlefield situation is changeable, and who knows when the next meal will be available, or even if there will be a next meal at all.

Around them, there was another group of soldiers responsible for serving rice and water. Although they were all comrades-in-arms and soldiers, everyone was willing to serve them.

Assault troops were the spearhead of an army, enjoying the best treatment and the highest respect in the military.

One detail was that these people were not sitting completely while eating, but squatting with one foot raised, and their weapons were all placed on their left hands.

Those on the periphery were generally in an elliptical facing pattern, which meant that even while eating, they maintained a state of vigilance.

These soldiers might not be able to calculate accurately in the red tent, and they might not find it strange to be taken advantage of after a few cups of liquor.

But on the battlefield, once this atmosphere emerged, everyone naturally entered a state of instinct.

This was the aura of an elite.

The principle was similar to that of Prince Pingxi at home, who had to pursue a sense of ritual in eating and sleeping, otherwise he couldn't enjoy his food or sleep well, but once he was on the battlefield, all those problems disappeared.

Chen Yang's adopted son, Chen Xiong, sat beside Chen Yang, also holding a bowl and eating.

"Father, I heard that Prince Pingxi's Jindong troops have strict standards for breakfast, lunch, and dinner when fighting. Everyone eats the same thing."

Because the logistics relied on plundering the local Zhao territory for supplies, the Yan army didn't lack food at this stage, but they ate whatever they could get.

The Pingxi Royal Mansion, as early as in Shengle City, had already established a strict and prudent logistics supply system.

Now, when the army goes on expeditions, the supplies needed have even more stringent procedures. It's not about letting the soldiers in the front military outposts find materials locally and be flexible, but rather the various workshops and shops under the royal mansion prepare the military rations as semi-finished products and transport them to the front lines.

This greatly improves the supply efficiency and reduces losses, and it also maximizes the military supply level of the front-line soldiers.

And this "standardized" process, manifested in food, clothing, housing, and transportation, extends into a pursuit of order and discipline, which can reinforce military discipline.

But it's difficult to achieve this. You must have your own complete logistics system, and at the same time, you must shoulder the responsibility of "self-production and self-sales."

And logistics is the biggest weapon for the imperial court to control the military leaders in front.

Therefore, throughout the entire Great Yan, only two families can currently achieve this level:

One is the Zhenbei Royal Mansion. Even though the Zhenbei Army has been split up, the foundation of the royal mansion is still there, and the influence of the Li family, the local emperor of Beifeng Prefecture, has not completely dissipated.

The other is the newly rising Pingxi Royal Mansion.

Even the former Jingnan Royal Mansion couldn't achieve this level, because the Jingnan King never truly delineated and managed his own territory. However, even a blind person wouldn't naively believe that the Jingnan King himself couldn't do it. After all, the shadow of "knowing a little" was too deep. It can only be said that Tian Wujing never thought about starting a rebellion from beginning to end.

And the shock brought about by the Battle of Fancheng has long deviated from the war itself.

For ordinary Yan people, it's that their prince has won another hearty victory, but for the Great Yan imperial court, it means that the foundation of the Pingxi Royal Mansion in Jindong has been firmly established to the point where it can "independently" cope with the war.

It's no exaggeration to say that during the collapse of Great Xia and the chaos of the various countries, the so-called "countries" were not as "orthodox" as the current Pingxi Royal Mansion.

Economy, people's livelihood, military affairs, culture, all grasped in one hand. Those monarchs who disappeared in the long river of history failed to achieve this step.

"When this battle is over, I'll take responsibility for what happened before. You can go to Jindong. The Pingxi Royal Mansion is currently in need of talent, and there will be a place for you."

"Father, that's not what I meant."

"But that's what I mean." Chen Yang looked at Chen Xiong very seriously. "Instead of being forced to choose sides later, it's better to take a seat early."

Chen Xiong was about to say something, but Chen Yang raised his hand to stop him.

Chen Yang took a wet towel from his guard and wiped his face and hands.

He said:

"Li Fusheng is dead."

Chen Xiong was silent. Since his adoptive father learned of the death of the Tiger Might Earl at the front line, he would often talk to himself like this.

In fact,

for Chen Yang, he was already an earl. Not every general has the good fortune and ability of Prince Pingxi to be ennobled as a marquis for military merits and then as a king.

This has even gone beyond the purely accumulation of military merits. First of all, you must be a member of the Sixth Lord's faction early on, and have a deep and trusting relationship with the emperor.

Therefore, in terms of career, Chen Yang was almost at his peak. If Great Yan could launch a war to unify Zhuxia in the future, he might have a chance to aim for a marquisate.

In terms of family, he had no regrets.

Perhaps,

the only missing piece

was the departure of King Jingnan.

Once King Jingnan left, the military spirit of the Jingnan Army had actually been drawn out.

Struggling, resisting, wanting to maintain the glory of the past, this was the instinct of this group.

But in reality, Chen Yang had long accepted and resigned himself to this final outcome.

Yes, he confronted the imperial envoy in the Sushan Barracks, but if it were in the past, he would have rebelled in the face of such humiliation, and the imperial court would not have dared to directly use such methods against local military leaders.

Claiming illness and staying at home was actually a way of coping within the rules, saying one thing but doing another. No matter how much he shouted against it, he had actually integrated into it long ago.

Originally, his life should have ended like this.

Leading troops for a few more years, training two more batches of new recruits, and taking care of his nephews and nieces, he could find an excuse to retire, enjoy his grandchildren, how good.

If the imperial court had another conscription in the future, he would simply die on the battlefield, which would be considered a good ending.

But the problem was that Li Fusheng's death made Chen Yang's later life have to endure this guilt forever.

At this moment,

Chen Yang raised his head and looked at the slope in front of him.

He said:

"Later, if I fall, let me lie down for a while."

"Father..."

"Alright, alright, what kind of talk is this?"

The soldiers around Chen Yang all looked coldly at the dwarf.

The vanguard was mainly composed of troops from the Sushan Barracks, which were Chen Yang's own troops. And this dwarf had been riding on their Earl's head a lot these days.

The humiliation, the disdain, was more than that of the imperial envoy back then. And because he was even more shameless, there was really nothing they could do to him.

That day,

the prince in the rear sent an order,

which was relayed by this dwarf.

The dwarf cleared his throat,

and directly "read from the script" and "kept it authentic."

He opened his mouth and said:

"Chen old dog, receive the order!"

This shocked the jaws of many generals in the military tent, to the point where they even forgot to be angry.

But Earl Yishan laughed out loud at that time,

got up,

knelt down,

received the order,

and shouted:

"This old dog is here!"

The grudges had already been formed one after another. Throughout history, the interests of the supervising army were actually consistent with the overall direction of the main general. It was probably unique for a supervising army to be so hated by the entire army like this dwarf.

Xue San directly ignored the cold gazes of these soldiers,

reached out and patted Fan Li's calf beside him,

and said:

"A'Li, you must charge ahead of our Earl Yishan later. Earl Yishan wants to slack off and slip away."

Fan Li, who was standing on the side, didn't cooperate with Xue San's words.

Instead, he bent down

and asked:

"Is there any more rice?"

…

On the city wall of Sanshan Pass, the newly crowned Zhao King, Guan Shantong, sat at the end of the seat.

Sitting in the main seat was a graceful young master, beside whom sat the Great Qian commander-in-chief, Han Laowu.

"Don't worry, both of you. The mountain road is rugged, and the terrain is in my favor. The Yan cavalry cannot deploy here. Moreover, I have always emphasized the use of bows and crossbows by my soldiers.

Three mountain tops, three military outposts. The Yan people won't even think about taking them down in a month!"

Guan Shantong was patting his chest and guaranteeing.

Han Laowu smiled and said, "Your Majesty, a month isn't necessary. It's enough to hold it for ten days."

The Yan people have to attack upwards, taking down one military outpost at a time. Their side can also send troops from Sanshan Pass to repeatedly engage in a tug-of-war with the Yan people. Three military outposts are enough for the Yan people to have a hard time.

Xie Yu'an then said, "Six or seven days will be enough."

Guan Shantong immediately said, "Young Master, this king..."

"Don't worry, don't worry. Six or seven days will be enough to wear down the Yan people's sharpness. At that time, Commander Han's troops will be able to attack. If we can win another battle here at Sanshan Pass, this game will be alive.

At that time, our army can defeat the Yan army in front of us and take the opportunity to advance westward, recapture the capital of Zhao, and help you, King Zhao, to officially ascend the throne!"

Han Laowu and Xie Yu'an exchanged glances. There were some things that the two of them didn't say explicitly.

After the victory in Liang Prefecture, both Chu and Qian had sent money, food, and troops to Liang Prefecture for replenishment, but not too much.

Chu had to guard against Zhennan Pass and the Pingxi Royal Mansion's attack from Fancheng.

Qian's side of the Three Borders could no longer continue to transfer elite troops.

In fact, Qian had a lot of troops in other places, but throughout the entire Great Qian, only the troops from the Three Borders could be trusted a little. Sending troops stationed in other places would only serve as auxiliary soldiers. If you really pulled them out to the battlefield, you would have to worry about them collapsing first and dragging down the overall situation.

Therefore, within the Qian-Chu allied forces, Meng Gong and Xie Zhuyang had already reached a tacit understanding.

The main tone was withdrawal.

But while the main tone was being carried out, it wasn't impossible to try a little bit in the local areas.

The pie was too big, because no matter how you looked at it, Prince Pingxi's dispatch of troops this time was really too reckless.

Most importantly, he had even captured the capital of Zhao. It was easy to choke if you tried to grab too much, and it was easy to be broken down one point at a time.

In any case, Zhao people were being used to try. This new King Zhao, who was "supported" by both Qian and Chu, would contribute his last value.

However, these words could not be said to this new King Zhao.

At this time,

the flag signal was transmitted.

Guan Shantong immediately said:

"The Yan army has begun its first round of offensives."

…

"Brothers."

Chen Yang faced the two thousand-plus armored soldiers in front of him.

This was the vanguard, because the battlefield situation was here, and only so many troops could be filled in at a time. Even if you had a greater troop advantage, you couldn't deploy it.

Only after the vanguard opened up the path could the subsequent troops have room to follow.

Melee combat with cold weapons was extremely cruel. Pre-battle speeches were also necessary, because the upcoming uphill attack would inevitably pave the way for advancement with blood and corpses. The soldiers must be kept passionate in their minds.

"Tiger Might Earl is dead. They all say it was because our Sushan Barracks didn't obey orders that led to the death of the Tiger Might Earl. This crime of harming our comrades, whether we want it or not, is actually on our heads.

You,

are all soldiers that I, Chen Yang, personally brought up. You have all followed King Jingnan in the southern and northern wars. You are the core of the core of my Jingnan Army.

How can we, the sons of Yan,

endure such humiliation!

What does it matter if the world slanders me more? Today, I, this earl, will lead you to use military merits to wash away this shame!

Before I fall, you are not allowed to retreat!

After I fall, you are still not allowed to retreat!

Right now,

in Great Yan,

the strongest army in the world is about to become Prince Pingxi's Jindong Army.

It's time to remind the world

that back then,

my Jingnan Army

was the first-class strong army in Great Yan!

Comrades, follow me, kill!"

A brief pre-battle mobilization.

Afterwards,

Chen Yang took the lead, holding a bow and carrying a saber forward, with a group of armored soldiers closely following behind.

Fan Li had eaten his fill and had long been staring at Chen Yang. He stood beside Chen Yang like an iron tower. In addition, Fan Li's armor was like the large iron cans of the European Middle Ages. This defensive power was truly astonishing.

And these armored soldiers were all wearing heavy armor and carrying hard bows. Very few of them carried shields.

The armor was already very heavy, and it was even harder to hold a shield when drawing a hard bow. Most importantly, this kind of uphill attack required not defense, but a fearless spirit of enterprise. The defending side often hoped to slack off more than you.

In fact, under this heavy armor protection, it didn't make much difference whether you had a shield or not. The defensive power of heavy armor could often allow people to still wield their swords even after being shot into a hedgehog.

But on the one hand, the price was too high, and on the other hand, the maintenance cost was also heavy. Most importantly, it was difficult for the soldiers to maintain their strength for a long time.

However, in the past few years, Great Yan had been invincible in its southern and northern campaigns, and fundamentally, it relied on the fierce and sharp nature of these sons of Yan. These old soldiers and fierce generals, who had experienced many battles, generally possessed considerable strength, and at the same time, they knew better how to preserve themselves and conserve their strength on the battlefield.

They were the true essence of the Yan army.

This had to be fed out by one victory after another. Simple training could not achieve this level.

Why did it have to be victories?

Because people who fought losing battles easily lost…

The attack

began.

Chen Yang and Fan Li were in the front, and the Jingnan Army armored soldiers spread out behind and beside them.

Charging in a swarm was really stupid. Everyone was hunching over, trying to find cover to advance upwards.

Soon, the military outpost above began to shoot arrows. Some people were unlucky and were shot, and coincidentally, they were shot into the soft ribs area of the armor. Those who could still persevere continued to advance, and those who couldn't had to find a place to lie down on the spot.

The Yan army did not shoot back, but continued to advance silently, completely facing the arrows of the Zhao army above.

People kept falling,

but this rhythmic process did not diminish.

Chen Yang's face did not show heaviness, but instead became more and more relaxed.

At this moment,

the depression and frustration he had accumulated in his heart seemed to have finally found a chance to be relieved.

What imperial envoy, what old dog, what criticisms,

go to hell!

Li Fusheng,

I'm here to avenge you!

The Yan army's silence was exchanged for the pressure of the Zhao army above. They seemed to see a group of fearless "ghosts." As soldiers themselves, the Zhao soldiers knew in their hearts what kind of elite it was that could calmly face the arrows and overcome difficulties!

Finally,

after paying a certain price in silence,

the distance between the two sides was finally narrowed to a degree that Chen Yang could accept.

He drew his bow and notched a signal arrow.

When the signal arrow was shot,

it was accompanied by his loud roar:

"Up there, it's just the Zhao army!"

The meaning of this roar, when it fell into the ears of the surrounding Yan soldiers, could be translated to be roughly equivalent to:

"Up there, it's just a bunch of pigs!"

Chen Yang roared again:

"Great Yan, Victory!"

"Victory!"

The previous forbearance, repression, watching comrades being shot and falling to the ground without doing anything, finally exchanged for the instantaneous burst at this moment.

All the Yan soldiers stood up, drew their bows and notched arrows, ignoring the arrows above while trying to make their arrows hit the enemy as much as possible.

Li Fusheng had once said very arrogantly to Zheng Fan: Fighting a war depends on strong soldiers and strong horses!

My soldiers have much more exquisite archery skills than you,

my soldiers have much stronger morale than you,

my soldiers have much deeper experience than you,

I crush you in all aspects,

what do you have to stop me?

After the bloody exchange of fire, the Zhao army, which occupied the terrain advantage and was waiting in full battle array, panicked all of a sudden.

The Jingnan Army's elite, even if they didn't have warhorses under their crotches, even if they were wearing heavy armor, their moving and rushing speed was still astonishing, and the accuracy of the arrows they shot while moving was even more frightening.

After the chaotic state of the Zhao army above had completely spread out, Fan Li alone charged forward, sweeping away a group of obstacles like antlers. Chen Yang led a group of armored soldiers, dropped their bows and arrows, drew their sabers, and bravely charged in.

The soldiers below didn't seem to have expected that the vanguard's offensive would be so smooth, suppressing them directly with one charge.

Below, Chen Yang's nephew, Chen Yuan, immediately ordered the subsequent troops to be invested!

…

Guan Shantong had told Xie Yu'an and Han Laowu half an hour ago that he could ensure that Sanshan Pass could be defended for a full month without a doubt!

And before that,

he had also informed

the two of them, according to the flag signal, that the Yan people's first round of offensives had begun.

Afterwards,

another flag signal was transmitted.

Because the flag signals of various countries were not the same, and even different troops within the same country had their own flag signal habits,

therefore,

Han Laowu got up and walked forward a few steps, and asked:

"The Yan people's first round of offensives is over, right?"

Guan Shantong, who had already read the flag signal, was stunned there, just nodding numbly and in disbelief.

Han Laowu didn't notice the expression on Guan Shantong's face behind him,

but instead smiled and said:

"The Yan people were actually beaten down so quickly, tsk tsk, were they beaten down as soon as they went up?"

Xie Yu'an, who had been sitting there, looked at Guan Shantong's expression,

and said to Han Laowu, who was standing in front:

"The Yan people's first round of offensives took down the first mountain top."

Han Laowu turned around somewhat blankly,

looked at Guan Shantong,

and said in disbelief:

"Damn it,

the Yan people went up and took it down?"