1056 The Joy Of Not Knowing The Resul (2/2)
Ever since the Divine Halls of West-Hill forced Tang to sign the treaty to cede Xiangwan Plain, and from the day that the warhorses were handed over, they were doomed to be helpless and inferior.
The morning sun rose again in the east. Those with better sight as well as Xu Chi, who stayed in the General's Mansion, could see vaguely the outline of Min Mountain under the bloody morning glow.
The cavalry of Golden Tribe Royal Court retreated yesterday to Kaipingji for a break as well as preparation for a final attack. The Tang army was very resolute and the organization of their infantry was flawless. But the Chanyu of the Golden Tribe Royal Court could no longer be satisfied with the minor victories in the fields and got obviously anxious with time passing by. The coming field battle would be the most brutal one that the Northern Battlefront Army had ever confronted.
Situ Yilan stood by the meadow, held the saber on his waist and stared at the barracks of the cavalry of the Golden Tribe Royal Court. On her dust stained face there was nothing but calmness and alert. Her squinted eyes shone chillingly, even colder than her blade.
As a student of the Academy and a descendent of a former famous general, she had always been outstanding in the Northern Battlefront Army and became the youngest leader long ago. Now she was already the deputy-general to Hua Ying and widely respected by the soldiers and officers.
During the over ten days of fighting, especially in the past few days, the Northern Battlefront Army was under overwhelming pressures and paid great prices. Their surgeons did not sleep for three days and nights.
While thinking of that, Situ Yilan seemed very calm so as not to worry her guards. But the problem was always there, pressing on her heart like a heavy rock.
The Golden Tribe Royal Court was taking a break rather than retreat. The general had commanded to guard Guhe to the very last and could not take one step backward. It seemed that the fields here were going to become the graveyard for tens of thousands of soldiers. But who was going to win eventually and write epitaphs on their gravestones as the victor?
She ranked high in the Northern Battlefront Army and knew a lot of information that was kept secret from ordinary soldiers. Some reinforcements tried to sneak attack a troop of the Golden Tribe via the Min Mountain. But the enemy saw through their plan and called troops back to the Royal Court immediately. Therefore the Northern Battlefront Army had lost a best chance to upset their enemy's foundation.
Then what could they do next?
Situ Yilan stared at the sand table for a long while. She tried to compare what she learned from the Academy and her experience in the military, but could never find out any solution.
Only General Xu Chi was qualified to make military decisions for the Northern Battlefront Army. Or perhaps so could the siblings in the imperial palace as well as the seniors from the Academy. But she did want to help.
However…
Apart from the rock pressing on her heart, Situ Yilan had many other doubts.
General Xu Chi's strategy was never wrong, from the retreat at the beginning to the command of defending right now. The former was meant to obtain more time and exhaust the enemy, while the latter was to maintain the morale and stay seemingly superior. They had to be absolutely resolute and ruthless in order to defend the northern territory of Tang. But it seemed there should have been some better, more flexible or less desperate strategy.
General Xu Chi's current strategy was to attract all the troops of Golden Tribe Royal Court to the battlefields at Guhe. If only they would win there would be no chance even for the enemy's best cavalry to escape. Because throughout the hundreds of years of war between Tang and the Golden Tribe Royal Court, the most annoying part for the Tang was that the Royal Court was so good at escaping. Even if the Tang army were to win, the cavalry of the Royal Court could always retreat swiftly to the heart of the grassland and make it impossible for the Tang to wipe out their principal force.
It was a very wise military strategy. But in order for this plan to be executed, the Tang army would have to win the battle in the first place. Otherwise how could they ever think of wiping out the principal force of the Golden Tribe?
But how could they win the battle? Situ Yilan could not think of any solution. She did not believe that General Xu Chi would have a better answer either. Therefore she could not understand what the general or the imperial court was thinking about.
She was not a pessimist or a defeatist. Like her guards and the soldiers in the Tang barracks, she was never afraid of the cavalry of the Golden Tribe Royal Court. Yet her senses were reminding her that a victory was indeed illusionary.
The Northern Battlefront Army was very well trained and they had a pretty favorable location with Guhe behind them. Although they might not have the best timing or morale, it should not be so desperate. However, there had always been the everlasting problem.
No horses. No warhorses. The Northern Battlefront Army was in a great need of warhorses.
Situ Yilan led her guards back to the barracks. Soldiers along the way saluted to her. She could still tell the difference from their postures that seemed almost exactly the same. Those new soldiers who had been in the Northern Battlefront Army less than two years had much clearer eyes and seemed a bit shy. Whereas the veterans seemed indifferent. And their eyes… seemed frivolous when they glanced at her. She could feel it distinctively even with the slightest glance.
The veterans reminded her of a person she had not met for years. He used to be her classmate, and later on the so-called mister, who had made his way to the top of the world.