Moma Liangshan

Chapter 253 Black Armor, Dark Red Bloodstains

It was only natural for the emperor to send three thousand guards with him on his return journey north. However, Wanyan Aguda issued an imperial edict in a nonchalant manner: "Regent Wuqimai should focus on the battle of Shangjing. The bandits who harass the supply lines will be wiped out by me on the return journey!"

Watching the dust settle on Aguda's northward retreat, Wu Qimai sighed, "It seems my imperial brother is still unwilling to accept being tricked by us!" Lou Shi, however, paid no heed, saying, "Now that the imperial guards have been handed over to the prince, even if the emperor is unwilling, it's futile!" The coup had been made, leaving no room for maneuver. To bolster everyone's resolve, Wu Qimai said, "After my imperial brother's passing, I will undoubtedly ascend the throne! However, rumors can spread like wildfire, and who knows how much trouble he might cause me?" Lou Shi suddenly realized, saying, "While the supply route was indeed robbed, it was ultimately the work of a small enemy force. Our reason for changing our attack direction based on this is ultimately untenable. If the emperor reveals the truth after pacifying the enemy, it will likely be detrimental to the prince's reputation!"

Wu Qimai nodded and said, "A thousand-mile dike can be breached by an ant hole; we must take countermeasures against the hidden dangers right under our noses!" Just as everyone was in a dilemma, Zhamu said, "In my humble opinion, the reason for delaying the conquest of Shangjing is not only because the supply route was intercepted." Wu Qimai's eyes lit up and he encouraged her, "Go on!" Zhamu continued, "There are 100,000 troops inside and outside Shangjing, and their morale is firm, and the city's defenses are solid. Although the 200,000 tribal troops are watching and not advancing, they are also slow to retreat. Moreover, the Sanhe Army and the Pituo Army fought side by side, but they suffered more than 7,000 casualties, which is already a considerable defeat."

Previously, everyone was preoccupied with the struggle for the throne, and seemed somewhat indifferent to the casualties on the ground. Now that the matter of the throne was almost settled, attention shifted back to the battlefield. When Wanyan Zhamu finished speaking of "seven thousand casualties," everyone present couldn't help but gasp. Lou Shi even said directly, "If we disregard the overall situation and only look at the local situation, that army outside the city should be eliminated as soon as possible!" Wu Lu shook his head and said, "Your Highness has just assumed regency; changing orders frequently is a major taboo!" Wu Qimai, how could he not understand the implications, looked at Wanyan Zhamu again and said, "You seem to have not finished speaking!" Wanyan Zhamu continued, "This humble general believes that Your Highness should personally visit the Pito army to express your concern. And take this opportunity to instruct the commanders of each army that the closer we get to the final moment, the more cautious they must be, and to minimize casualties as much as possible!"

Wanyan Zhamu's words implied a clear message: to preemptively shift public opinion, diminishing the "supply route being intercepted" argument and elevating the "reducing casualties" argument to the forefront. Wuqimai couldn't help but burst into laughter, looking at Wanyan Zhamu and saying, "General Wulu strongly recommended you to me earlier. Although I've heard of your illustrious military achievements, I was worried that while you were brave, you lacked wisdom. Now it seems I was overthinking it!" Wanyan Zhamu was flattered and quickly replied, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness, and thank you both generals for your recommendation!" Wanyan Zhamu remained unfazed, which further impressed Wuqimai, who said, "The men of the Wanyan tribe are of iron will; they don't need the empty formalities of the Song people!"

The ravenous cavalry, roaming the grasslands, seemed to have gradually become accustomed to the life of licking blood from the blade. After fourteen battles, large and small, only about six hundred of the original eight hundred soldiers remained, with over fifty killed in action and more than one hundred and thirty discharged due to injuries or illness. Lin Chong, as the instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards of Dongjing (Kaifeng), considered almost every aspect of the training process. As the battles progressed, the ravenous cavalry dwindled from over eight hundred to just over six hundred, but the overall structure of the force remained unchanged. Yang Yong, Zhao Tuo, Xiong Pi, Morigen, and Jida each led an army. However, to prevent the formation of factionalism and the differences in the overall organization of the army due to the different commanding generals, Lin Chong periodically rotated and reorganized the troops to ensure uniformity among the five cavalry units.

At this moment, apart from Xiong Pi's troops responsible for guard duty, the rest of the Hungry Wolf Cavalry were drying their armor by a small river. War is a bloody affair, especially war dominated by cold weapons. While on the march, there were few opportunities to peacefully enjoy the bright sunshine and clear rivers. The armor forged in Jiaozhou was originally black, but the bloodstains, both new and old, had created patches of varying shades of red. The soldiers removed their armor and carefully washed away the remaining bloodstains using makeshift brushes made of dry grass. After cleaning their armor, the soldiers began to remove their undergarments and jump into the river to wash their bodies and clothes. Lin Chong was no exception; he also jumped into the river to bathe and rinse, and then took out his dagger to groom his beard.

Yang Yong approached from a short distance, cut off a small piece of soap, and gave it to Lin Chong, saying, "This is soap I brought from Jiaozhou, but I haven't been willing to use it!" Lin Chong looked at the broken piece of soap in Yang Yong's hand and said, "We'll be going back soon, and this soap probably won't have a second chance to be used. Distribute it to everyone today!" Yang Yong came from a wealthy family, had received some education, was always clean, and held Lin Chong in high esteem. Hearing Lin Chong's order, though reluctant, he complied. About half an hour later, everyone finished washing, and Zhao Tuo's men replaced the soldiers who had been on guard duty. Cleaned and refreshed, the soldiers didn't give them a chance to dry their clothes, even though the sun was shining brightly. Instead, Lin Chong ordered all the soldiers to put on their wet clothes and rest on the spot. Yang Yong, puzzled, asked, "It's still early, why does the general want everyone to wear their wet clothes?" Lin Chong explained, "Wearing wet clothes in the sun won't cause you to catch a cold, and it will allow the clothes to dry quickly." Yang Yong nodded slightly, but then asked, "What if we wear them after they've dried?" Lin Chong shook his head and said, "When leading troops in the field, there is no absolutely safe place. Even with soldiers on guard, there isn't always enough time to react in every situation." Frankly speaking, Yang Yong was only basically competent at leading troops in battle, but he was adept at strategizing and coordinating internal and external affairs.

Lin Chong suddenly had a bold idea and said, "Would you be willing to come and serve as my deputy?" Yang Yong was somewhat puzzled and asked, "If I become your deputy, how will my troops be arranged?" Lin Chong said, "We've been out here for quite some time, and fought more than ten battles, large and small. Have you noticed that in cavalry warfare, four units are actually the best?" Yang Yong thought for a moment and understood Lin Chong's meaning, saying, "The central army, the vanguard, and the left and right flanks!"