Chapter 290: Destroy 1% of Luchuan's troops and horses, and destroy the country
Chapter 290: Destroy % of Luchuan's troops and horses, and destroy the country
Five miles north of Pingshan'ao is Kuihuagang.
This is the final entrance to Pingshan and the widest place along the way.
At this moment, a few soft hums came from the hillsides on both sides.
Then there was the sound of trees swaying and rustling, followed by muffled bangs.
Soon, Deng Zhizhong, the commander of the Dragon and Tiger Guards, led his men to this place.
Seeing more than ten corpses gathered together, excitement appeared in his eyes!
"Damn it, so he's hiding here. No wonder we couldn't find him."
Guan Wenji stood aside, shook off the blood on the long sword in his hand, and said in a deep voice:
"Sir, these should be the real elite troops of Luchuan.
Several brothers were lost in the search for them."
Deng Zhizhong's face was calm and he nodded gently:
"It doesn't matter. There are always casualties in war.
The soldiers walked past Sunflower Hill, and they should have seen them all."
"Your Excellency, I took action only after I saw them report back.
The five thousand soldiers should have been discovered."
"good very good!"
Deng Zhizhong's eyes were filled with excitement, and he rubbed his hands, then looked towards the sunflower hill below.
The terrain there is flat, with hillsides on both sides.
Most importantly, it is spacious enough.
It can accommodate at least 10,000 soldiers without crowding.
It is the best ambush location in this area.
It is worth mentioning that there is a better place ten miles away from Pingshanao.
The river bank is like a big pocket with only one opening to enter.
But it was too far away. We could still pursue them at a distance of five miles.
If the loss of Shili is too great and the time consumed is too long.
Deng Zhizhong looked at Mu Sheng, the commander of the Hongfu Guard, who was standing on the side, and spoke in a deep voice:
"General Mu, please lead your troops to set up defenses here and wait for our army to draw their main force here!"
Mu Sheng's face was solemn at the moment, and he spoke hesitantly:
"Pretend to be defeated to lure the enemy. Five miles is a bit too far.
Even if it is a fake defeat, there will be casualties in the pursuit, isn't the price too high?"
Deng Zhizhong's face was solemn:
"General Mu, the battlefield is a place of life and death.
Death is the keynote of all wars, and it will never change.
The enemy has 30,000 soldiers. Even if the Dragon and Tiger Guards lose half of them,
It would be worth it if we could defeat and capture these 30,000 people!
Moreover, there are only 1,000 of us here to lure the enemy, so not many will die."
one thousand.
Mu Sheng hesitated. A garrison only had 5,600 men.
At most 6,000 people, 1,000 people is almost 20%,
In a normal war, such casualties would be enough to determine the victory of a war.
Seeing his hesitation, Deng Zhizhong explained:
"General Mu, what you are looking at are some magical weapons.
Since Lord Mu followed His Majesty to start an army, he has been good at defeating the enemy with fewer troops and making long-distance raids.
Young Marquis Muchun also learned a thing or two from him, and repeatedly defeated the enemies in the wars against Annan and Laos.
Your brother-in-law is a man of great skill and foresight.
All three can achieve a big victory without much damage."
As he spoke, a complicated expression appeared on Deng Zhizhong's face:
"But real war is not like this. I think I have some talent for fighting.
But when faced with a war, we can only fight step by step.
Grind away little by little, exchanging damage for victory,
As for the other generals, they were more cautious and dared not make any mistakes, so they could only fight stupid battles.
It is common for more than half of the troops in a battle to be killed or wounded.
Now if we can get a thousand deaths in exchange for a great victory of thirty thousand men,
This battle will certainly be recorded in the family tree for future generations to admire."
This this.
Mu Sheng was stunned for a moment.
He had previously been suppressing rebellions in Yunnan, and his enemies were chieftains and foreigners.
They are vulnerable to a single blow and often surrender when a large army arrives, so they never suffer much damage.
In addition, he had some knowledge of the battles between the three people, which led to a misunderstanding.
A great victory often results in few casualties, while the enemy suffers heavy casualties!
After Deng Zhizhong's reminder,
He seemed to suddenly realize that the real war was not what he thought.
"Until the war is won, we must fight at all costs, no matter how many people are killed or injured."
Deng Zhizhong spoke in a deep and firm voice, filled with a strong sense of solemnity!
Mu Sheng suddenly thought of something and asked in a confused tone:
“But I once heard that if 10% of the army were killed or wounded, it could lead to a rout. What about now?
Please help me, Mr. Deng. I will be very grateful! "
As he spoke, Mu Sheng clasped his hands together and bowed to Deng Zhizhong.
This action frightened him, and he quickly helped him up:
"No, no, no."
After Mu Sheng stood up, Deng Zhizhong smiled and said:
"General Mu is right. A loss of 10% could lead to a rout.
But it is not applicable now, it is only applicable to ordinary guards, not to elite guards like us."
Mu Sheng's eyes showed confusion and puzzlement.
"A garrison has 5,600 men, all of whom are military households.
But my Ming Dynasty is newly established, and we need to reclaim wasteland, build canals, and repair cities.
These are to be handled by the guards.
In an ordinary garrison, there are more than 5,000 people in one garrison.
We are lucky to have a thousand men to handle the war and to use for daily defense.
There were even some garrisons with less than 500 soldiers and less than 100 horses. They did not have to do any work and only needed to take charge of military affairs.
Others say they are soldiers, but they are all civilians, craftsmen, farmers, etc.
Can such a garrison be deployed to the battlefield to fight?
When all the soldiers, whether one thousand or five hundred, are dead,
Others could only stare blankly, thinking that defeat was still a good outcome.
Just like the northern expeditionary army that attacked the Northern Yuan Dynasty, it only had 150,000 men.
Among them, more than half were auxiliary soldiers and civilian laborers, used for logistics, transportation, repairs, earthwork, and livestock feeding.
If we count the civilians mobilized along the way, the number would be even greater, far more than one million.
If we continue to calculate in this way, the 50,000 to 60,000 people used in the battle is only 10%.
If these people died, it would be more than just a defeat.
The entire Ming Dynasty would be seriously injured and would need to rest for ten years.
The grassland people's army was better, claiming to have an army of hundreds of thousands each time.
But excluding the elderly, women, children, cattle and sheep, the combat personnel were about 20%.
As long as these two are defeated, the war will be won.
The same is true for Luchuan. Silunfa claims to have raised 300,000 troops, but the actual elite combat troops may be less than 30,000. "
Deng Zhizhong laughed and said, "If we can kill this group of people in this southwest war, Luchuan will be destroyed."
After hearing this, Mu Sheng understood a little.
He had never participated in a large-scale military battle, and now he felt it was a refreshing change.
"What about the Dragon and Tiger Guards?"
"The Dragon and Tiger Guards are the elite troops of the capital. A unit of 5,600 people does not need to work.
All I study all day is how to fight. Even if I am a fireman, I can pick up a sword and ride a horse to fight.
This kind of army will not retreat even if 80% of their soldiers are killed.
The same is true for the Hongwu Guards under General Mu."
As he spoke, Deng Zhizhong's eyes showed some reminiscence, and his voice was hollow:
"I remember in the 19th year of Hongwu,
My troops were ordered to follow Huaiyuan Hou Cao Xing to the northwest to quell the rebellion. There were 40,000 of us on this trip, and we claimed to have 100,000.
But only 5,000 Dragon and Tiger Guards and 3,000 Border Troops were actually used in combat.
Now the Beijing troops have arrived in Yunnan with four guard posts and a scout unit.
These are all soldiers who are combatants. To put it bluntly,
If the imperial court spares no expense and kills all 25,000 people in Yunnan, the destruction of Luchuan will be imminent. "
Mu Sheng looked thoughtful, and he finally understood the difference between elite troops and ordinary troops.
I can also understand the reluctance of my father and elder brother when they handed Hong Fuwei to me.
It turns out that I was blinded by my own shortcomings.
After taking a deep breath, Mu Sheng smiled bitterly and said in a deep voice:
"Thank you, Lord Deng, for clearing up my doubts. If I hadn't personally been to the battle, I wouldn't have been able to get a glimpse of the essence of the first and second battle formations."
Deng Zhizhong spoke in a deep voice:
"General Mu, the Hongfu Guards are lying in ambush here.
This is a move to kill the general and defeat the enemy, so please General Mu, take care of it.
If we are unable to retain all the pursuing enemy troops, then the soldiers of the Dragon and Tiger Guards will have died in vain."
After hearing this, Mu Sheng suddenly felt some pressure in his heart.
With a solemn look in his eyes, he waved his hand behind him.
"Bring the battle plan over here."
Soon, Hong Fuwei's battle plan appeared in Mu Sheng's hand, and he handed the document over:
"Please check, Lord Deng, to see if there are any omissions."
Deng Zhizhong didn't hesitate to take the document and started reading it. His eyes lit up.
The battle plan was well-reasoned and clearly structured, completely different from the sluggishness just now.
Deng Zhizhong was not surprised at all, he just smiled.
These generals' children always have this problem, they have high expectations but low skills.
He is familiar with many tactics, but knows nothing about some basic military knowledge.
With just a little improvement, he would be able to integrate what he had learned and use, surpassing many generals of ordinary backgrounds.
He handed the document back and said in a deep voice:
"General Mu's battle plan is excellent.
However, the number of people firing bows and crossbows at the periphery should be reduced, and the number of people entering the battlefield to fight the enemy should be increased by 30%.
Real wars all end with sword-fighting and broken limbs.
Only bloody scenes can weaken the enemy's fighting spirit to the greatest extent. "
But soon Deng Zhizhong's face turned strange.
Thinking of the battle report of the front army scouts attacking and killing the Golden Tooth Guards,
Among them, firearms accounted for almost 20% of the number of kills, and they were all at the key points of defeating the enemy.
He thought about it, but still didn't say it.
The actual use of firearms on the battlefield still needs further exploration and there is no definite result yet.
Mu Sheng seemed to be thinking about something, and spoke in a deep voice:
"I'll go arrange it right away."
Deng Zhizhong nodded vigorously:
"Brothers of Hong Fuwei, please be ready.
If the battle goes well, the front troops will launch an attack tonight to lure out the enemy."
"it is good!"
As time passed, the sunset gradually disappeared below the horizon.
The remaining afterglow in the sky was swallowed up by the night, and the drizzle finally stopped.
Leaving behind a moist scent in the air and the occasional sound of falling raindrops.
The sky was still covered with thick clouds, looking extremely gloomy, without even a trace of starlight.
The entire southwest forest was shrouded in darkness, blurry and far away.
Only nearby objects were vaguely visible in the dim light.
Deng Zhizhong had already arrived at the front army of 1,000 men two miles away from Pingshan'ao.
His deputy general Guan Wenji was also beside him.
At this moment, more than a thousand people were resting as if no one was around, as if they were unaware that there were enemies ahead.
Deng Zhizhong and Guan Wenji's armor had been replaced with the most common black armor.
The two of them sat with the soldiers, pretending to be ordinary soldiers.
They were the only two people talking among the dozen or so people gathered around the campfire.
The rest of the people were silent, staring around silently, especially towards the south.
Deng Zhizhong drank the soup in the bowl and looked at Guan Wenji:
"Go back quickly after eating. I will be fine here."
"Sir, I'd better stay here. There are four thousand men in the rear. It will be safer for you to stay there."
Guan Wenzhi had a worried look on his face, and his gaze lingered on Deng Zhizhong's gray beard.
"What nonsense! If you are not careful in faking defeat, you will be defeated.
How can I feel at ease with more than a thousand brothers here?
Don't talk nonsense, follow the original plan,
I will lead more than a thousand men as bait, waiting for the enemy.
Fight the enemy and then pretend to be defeated and return, then join your troops and then charge again.
If General Luchuan was smart, he should have gathered most of his troops in the rear and wait for our 4,000 men.
At that time, they would pretend to be defeated and flee to Sunflower Hill in a rout.
Remember, don't run too fast, and fight back appropriately.
It will make General Luchuan scratch his head and unable to stop. "
Deng Zhizhong looked at the soldiers present and ordered:
"Don't blame me for not reminding you. This battle was a free achievement.
If we fail, our Dragon Tiger Guards will not be able to hold our heads up even if we return to Kyoto.
No matter how much it costs, we must lead them to Sunflower Hill! ! "
"Yes"
As low shouts rang out, the soldiers who had been bowing their heads raised their heads.
They are the generals of each department and are in charge of the most core military affairs.
"Okay, everyone, take your positions.
If they don't arrive in another hour, I will take the lead in attacking."
"Yes!"
There was a rustling sound, and the soldiers drank all the soup in their bowls.
Then they stood up and dispersed like ordinary soldiers.
Not far away, Nabudi is at the entrance of Pingshan Valley.
Looking at the fire not far away, he sneered:
"Even a fool knows that you can't light a fire in the southwest forest. These Ming people really don't take us seriously."
Meng Wu, the general of the front army, showed a gleam of light in his eyes and said with extremely suppressed excitement:
"Sir, these soldiers in front of us should not be soldiers from the Yunnan Military Commission, otherwise they would not be so clumsy in luring the enemy."
Nabudi nodded slightly, with a look of relief on his face. His personal guard Doji bowed slightly:
"General, these Ming people don't know how high the heaven is and how deep the earth is.
They didn't expect that we had already grasped the movements of their 4,000 soldiers in the rear and were still trying to lure the enemy in deep."
Nabudi's tall body stood tall in the darkness, like an iron tower.
The sharp cold light in his eyes seemed to shoot straight into the sky, flashing with black light.
He turned his head a little bit and looked at Doji who was standing aside, with a smile on his face:
"Doji, I know you always want to lead the troops.
Today is a rare opportunity, do you want to give it a try? "
Doji's eyes suddenly widened and his heart began to pound.
He had expressed his desire to lead troops many times before, but was rejected and delayed every time.
Why today
Dorje's eyes quickly revealed enlightenment.
Thinking of what he said this afternoon,
A smile appeared on his face involuntarily, and his breathing became rapid. Fortune and wealth must be achieved through risk.
Now it seems that he made the right bet!
Doji's face became a little more solemn, and his slightly well-proportioned figure looked tall at this moment!
He said in a deep voice: "General, I am willing to lead the troops to defeat the enemy."
Nabudi smiled and nodded slightly:
"Doji, listen to my orders. I will order you to lead two thousand soldiers to encircle the enemy.
Defeated more than a thousand enemy advance guards, and then pursued them.
If you encounter a large enemy force, quickly retreat and lead them into our encirclement! "
Dorje straightened his back instantly, and spoke in a clear and loud voice with a hint of excitement:
"Yes!"
After Doji left, Nabudi looked at Mengwu.
The dark face was not visible in the darkness, but a row of teeth could be seen, as if smiling:
"Mengwu, the enemy has 4,000 troops. How many soldiers are needed to defeat them?"
Meng Wu's eyes flickered. He had led the army for many years and had already restrained his emotions. He said in a deep voice:
"Sir, six thousand soldiers will be enough!"
"No, all the remaining troops of our army will be under your command.
These four thousand soldiers must be strangled to death.
When dealing with Ming people, we must go all out and not leave any room for luck!"
Meng Wu suddenly raised his head, his eyes flickering.
I understood immediately.
This is the reward for today's pledge of allegiance!
Meng Wu took a deep breath:
"Reporting to the general, I will do my best to wipe out the enemy, even at the cost of my life.
If you fail to complete your military duties, I will bring my head to you!"
Nabudi smiled softly:
"There is still a long way to go. Today's annihilation of these Ming troops is only the first step for you and me to achieve merit. Be cautious."
Meng Wu only felt his heart pounding, and an indescribable excitement filled his heart.
I wonder if he can take over the title of the second bravest warrior after the Lord becomes the first bravest warrior in Luchuan!
"Okay, go down and get ready.
Launch the attack in half an hour! The enemy will be annihilated!"
"Yes!"
The moonlight was hidden behind the dark clouds, and the sky became darker.
The southwestern forests were immersed in darkness. It was difficult to distinguish the five fingers of a hand, and the outlines of everything were blurred.
Only the rustling of wind through the treetops broke the silence.
In the distance, the camp of the Dragon and Tiger Guards seemed to be the only lonely light in this dark world, emitting a faint and firm light.
The outline of the camp was illuminated, and the firelight and shadows intertwined, reflecting the determined and expectant faces of the soldiers.
Deng Zhizhong held a telescope in his hand and scanned the jungle.
He tried hard to check the branches and leaves that were not blown by the breeze but were swaying gently, and the corners of his mouth rose slightly.
He held the telescope away from his eyes and looked carefully.
I couldn't help but sigh.
I have to admit that with this thing, the battlefield situation can be seen at a glance, and the winning rate increases by at least 20%!
At this time, the outer scouts hurried over.
They also had telescopes in their hands and said in low voices:
"Sir, the enemy is coming, coming from the east, west and south, with about 700 people in each team!"
"Only two thousand?"
Deng Zhizhong's expression was extremely strange.
These Luchuan people didn't seem to take these elite troops seriously.
Do you think you can destroy them with only two thousand soldiers?
Deng Zhizhong's eyes sparkled, and he gave the order in a deep voice:
"Change your strategy. If two thousand people come to attack us, we will fight them back!
The scouts must remain in their positions. If the enemy forces come to reinforce, report immediately!"
"Yes!"
(End of this chapter)