Chapter 52: No Direct Confrontation

Xue Chengqian had tried his best to break down his thoughts and explain them to everyone as clearly as possible.

However, only a few showed looks of comprehension, while the majority remained completely bewildered.

He had discovered the reconnaissance function granted by the system, which also allowed him to filter out who among the crowd grasped his tactical explanations more quickly by distinguishing their emotional attitudes.

Outwardly remaining completely calm, Xue Chengqian secretly made a mental note of those soldiers who caught on faster.

For the vast majority of ordinary foot soldiers, there was naturally no need for them to deeply comprehend the strategic concepts of the campaign. As long as they did not cower when facing battle and charged forward alongside the "majority" of the soldiers, that would suffice.

However, to become an elite force capable of altering the tide of the battlefield, one had to deeply understand how the campaign they were participating in was to be fought. Only then could they handle unexpected situations and maintain their fighting spirit even when accidents occurred.

"Boss Sun, immediately dispatch your men to scout out the water sources used by the Northern Barbarian army."

"Observe their daily encampments from high ground, and figure out the pattern of their rotational sieges. The troops that have just spent an entire day assaulting the city walls are bound to be utterly exhausted—they will be our best targets for a surprise attack!"

Everyone listened with rapt attention, fearing they might miss a single word.

Originally, even though they had already arrived at Baguzi Mountain, facing an army of one hundred thousand with a mere two thousand men left them with a pervasive sense of helplessness.

Though they burned with righteous fervor, they were not foolish enough to fight a head-on, desperate battle—no, that would simply be throwing their lives away!

Now, hearing Xue Chengqian systematically assign tasks to everyone, their minds suddenly cleared. It seemed they vaguely understood how the battle should be fought and who their offensive targets should be.

Sun Fushan was even more excited.

He could hear from the tone that in Xue Chengqian’s operational plan, his own brothers played a pivotal role!

If he and his brothers could also follow Xue Chengqian to win a victory akin to the Battle of the Raging River, or perhaps even one on an even larger scale, then smoke would truly be rising from their ancestors' graves!

"Please rest assured, Boss Xue! Even if we have to scrap with the Northern Barbarians ourselves, we will scout out the military intelligence you need!"

Logically speaking, Sun Fushan and Xue Chengqian were now on "equal footing," both holding the rank of Captain in the Zhenyi Battalion.

Yet, Sun Fushan could never bring himself to place himself on par with Xue Chengqian, so he simply continued to address him as Boss Xue.

"No, you must instruct the brothers to exercise patience. Even if it takes us a little longer, we must not arouse the enemy's suspicion."

"Our greatest advantage right now lies in the fact that no matter how brilliant the Northern Barbarian commander is in warfare, he would never expect an army to be hidden right here on Baguzi Mountain, eyeing them like a tiger eyeing its prey!"

The Northern Barbarians indeed had plenty of cavalry that could be dispatched for reconnaissance.

However, their understanding of the local terrain fell far short of locals like Sun Fushan and his men.

Although a smaller troop size meant insufficient combat strength, it also made it much easier to conceal oneself.

Had the force they led been the main supporting army sent from Wangjiang City to join the fight, then not even the heavens themselves could have allowed them to slip past the Northern Barbarian scouts and approach quietly; a head-on pitched battle would have been inevitable.

Fully grasping the intent, Sun Fushan immediately went to instruct his men according to Xue Chengqian's wishes.

True to being locals, their efficiency in gathering intelligence was exceptionally high.

Together with the Song brothers, they drew a rough map indicating the distribution of the enemy camps and explaining the rotation sequence.

"As for their water sources, they are divided into two types: first, the spring water from the mountains; second, chopping open parts of the Raging River's ice sheet and drawing water from beneath the ice."

"However, regardless of the method used, manpower is required to transport it into the enemy's main camp."

Wei Xiao said happily, "Captain Sun truly has skills. The efficiency of your reconnaissance is even superior to that of the Imperial Guards."

Sun Fushan said somewhat sheepishly, "My brothers only know how to put in some brute labor. In truth, we owe it all to Boss Xue's guidance."

"Oh? What good idea did you come up with, Xue Chengqian?"

The only one whose attitude toward Xue Chengqian remained unchanged was Kang Yu.

Wei Xiao, Luo Fang, and the others also looked at him with curiosity.

Sun Fushan explained on his behalf, "Near Dongping City, water sources are normally not lacking, but we are in the dead of winter now. Most of the rivers are frozen over, and the Northern Barbarian army also has to supply a full one hundred thousand troops."

"They have to expend tremendous effort just to hack a few holes into the ice sheet of the Raging River, and it freezes right back over by nightfall. Therefore, the Northern Barbarian army must heavily rely on finding unfrozen natural springs in the mountains."

"Since most of the water sources are difficult for the Northern Barbarian army to use, locals like us can easily scout out their water-collection points on the mountain as well as their transport routes."

Luo Fang said excitedly, "Now that we’ve figured out the Northern Barbarian army's water sources and their siege rotation sequence, we can launch targeted surprise attacks next!"

As an Imperial Guard Lieutenant, Fang Xiaoyou had initially looked down upon the Zhenyi Battalion, feeling all the more that Xue Chengqian understood nothing of military strategy and was merely issuing blind commands.

Unexpectedly, their deployment and reconnaissance had turned out remarkably well-structured.

At this moment, he could not help but step forward to "offer guidance" to them.

"Do not look at the fact that we have over two thousand men; our strength for a head-on battle remains negligible. Even for a surprise attack, we must concentrate all our might and select a specific target for the assault."

Though everyone held a low opinion of Fang Xiaoyou, they had to admit that there was some sense to what he was saying.

The enemy surely understood the importance of water sources and would station at least some troops to guard them.

And while the Northern Barbarian troops who had just fought through a day of siege warfare were exhausted, it did not mean they had completely lost their combat capability. Even if a surprise attack were launched against them, if they could not be routed in a single blow, the meager manpower on their own side would not suffice once the enemy counterattacked.

A system prompt flashed before Xue Chengqian's eyes.

[You have successfully led the expanded Zhenyi Battalion to lurk near the Northern Barbarian main force without arousing their suspicion.]

[However, the disparity in strength between the enemy and yourselves is too vast, and every step you take remains fraught with peril. Any tactical misstep that provokes a counterattack from the Northern Barbarians will cost you your chance to rescue Dongping entirely, even if you manage to escape successfully.]

[You have already discovered the weaknesses of this army in advance. Next, which weakness will you choose to launch your surprise attack from? Please bear in mind: should the war be forced to escalate into a decisive battle against the Northern Barbarians, does the army you lead possess sufficient fighting spirit and resolve?]

[Make your choice. Complete this mandate choice, and you will receive massive system rewards.]

Xue Chengqian nodded thoughtfully. It seemed even the system was reminding him of the risks involved in this major battle.

"I know that most of you are hoping that by simply launching a surprise attack on the Northern Barbarians' mountain water sources, we can throw the enemy into chaos and give Lord Wei inside Dongping City an opportunity to counterattack."

Anyone who merely compared the troop strengths of both sides would naturally arrive at such a choice.

If their surprise attack on the Northern Barbarians' flank camp failed to cause widespread chaos, it would inevitably provoke a counterattack from the Northern Barbarian heavy cavalry stationed in the other camps.
"I can tell you in advance: if you harbor such thoughts, this battle is bound to end in utter defeat!"