Mythic version of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 7215 Things Have Come to This
"Should we just mobilize troops?" Huangfu Song looked at Chen Xi with great complexity. How to put it... well, it's hard to say, but given Chen Xi's situation, this was indeed the fastest and most effective solution.

The Kushan Empire could only muster so many troops, but the Han Dynasty was different. With over a decade of military service underway, the Han Dynasty had over ten million able-bodied men who had served. Coupled with Chen Xi's almost endless logistical support, they could easily handle any tough tasks.

It can be said that in the previous battle against Han Gui, Chen Xi fought relatively conservatively, focusing more on rotational warfare to hone the soldiers' skills and give all the soldiers training in the rear a chance to experience the intensity of the front lines and reap the benefits of the era.

Although going to the front lines could indeed lead to death, given the prevailing societal attitude towards life and death in this era, many people were still willing to try their luck on the front lines compared to the potential benefits. After all, under Chen Xi's leadership, fairness was guaranteed, and even if someone died on the front lines, the compensation they were entitled to was indeed paid out in full.

In addition, families these days typically have many children, both young and old. Coupled with the high mortality rate caused by the living environment, ordinary people tend to take a relatively indifferent view of life and death. Or to put it more directly, people in this era are more tolerant of suffering.

Chen Xi felt that if these people were living such a miserable life before he arrived, and they were still living such a miserable life after he arrived, then he had come for nothing.
Therefore, Chen Xi tried his best to reduce the suffering of the people in his own way.

In terms of resilience, the Han Dynasty could indeed deploy three million regular troops to deal a severe blow to the Kushan Empire, while the Kushan Empire, even if it bled itself dry, would never be able to mobilize such a large force.

this is the truth.

The reason they hadn't done this before was simply because it wasn't necessary. Chen Xi hadn't dispatched a large army to the Kushan Empire, but had maintained a relatively reasonable force of 300,000 to 500,000. This was to make the Kushan Empire believe that they could still hold out, thus encouraging them to commit more troops and bleed them dry little by little. In addition, they relied on relatively low intensity and high safety to allow their soldiers to complete their final training on the battlefield.

The three million-strong army that marched against Kushan was not just three million regular soldiers, but three million real, regular troops who had participated in the imperial wars. They had all seen blood, and at the very least, they had served in support roles and on the battlefield. At the very least, they had provided close support to the main force.

After all, with the Imperial War having progressed to this point, Chen Xi also knew the importance of the quality of the troops. Sending ragtag soldiers into the Imperial War, especially to fight the decisive battle against the Han nobles, would not only be a matter of participation, but also a matter of sending them to their deaths.

Take the Kushan Empire as an example. Does Oswin not have 600,000 people? What a joke! There are still people. The Kushan Empire has tens of millions of people, which is no joke. 600,000 able-bodied men are easily within reach. But why did Oswin only deploy 250,000 troops this time?

Forget about things like speed being of the essence in war, or the mobilization of troops being too commotion and the Han army stationed in Prayerga being afraid of receiving the news and running away. The most realistic point is that the time it takes for Oswin to mobilize 600,000 troops is enough for the Han dynasty to amass a similar number of elite troops on the Ganges.

The difficulty of mobilizing troops for the Han Dynasty is now very low. The Kushan Empire's advantage of being able to mobilize troops indefinitely during its many years of home wars has gradually been leveled by the Han Dynasty. The Han Dynasty can now mobilize troops to the Ganges River region very quickly. In fact, due to logistical and material reserves, if the Han Dynasty really wanted to mobilize troops, it might be able to do so even faster than the Kushan Empire once the scale reached a certain level.

This is reality!
During the same decade, Chen Xi continued to do something that further diminished the already limited advantages of the Kushan Empire.

"With such troop strength, we have not only caught up with the enemy but also surpassed them. What remains is actually a matter of command. To be honest, if Guan Yu were in Ganges, I wouldn't be too worried about this. Yu Wenze's command level is only so-so." Huangfu Song mentally assessed the situation in Ganges and gained a deeper understanding of it. But since he was here, he had to say everything he wanted to say.

"No need for such polite language, just tell Chen Zichuan the truth." Han Xin glanced at Huangfu Song, feeling that it was indeed a bit outrageous that Huangfu Song would be so considerate of Chen Xi's thoughts and perceptions during such a major battle.

“Well, I know that Wenze’s command ability is limited.” Chen Xi nodded. “But over the years, the commanders who fought on the Ganges River have been able to command about 30,000 to 50,000 men. Although they are not good enough to command large armies, they can still cooperate with Wenze without any problems.”

"Actually, that's not the factor. What the Marquis of Huaiyin meant was that troop deployment is a good idea, but it can't solve all the problems. If Oswin can really break through quickly, troop deployment could easily become a piecemeal tactic." Huangfu Song translated what Han Xin wanted to say.

Huangfu Song made a rough estimate in his mind. With his strength, it was indeed possible to carry out this operation. However, considering Oswin's level and the efficiency of the Han Dynasty's troop deployment, it would not become a piecemeal tactic. Therefore, overall, troop deployment was not the most correct option, but it was still an effective one.

"Didn't you consider troop redeployment before?" Bai Qi asked Chen Xi with some curiosity.

“I haven’t considered it, because we have enough troops there.” Chen Xi shook his head. “The main force maintained on the Ganges is around 30, plus some local auxiliary troops, such as Lidas, a lackey of General Guan. With the help of the Han army, they can deal with the main force of the Kushan Empire without any problem. If we include these, the Han army has about 42 troops on the Ganges.”

Lidas is the fanatical believer who meditated on the god Garan and eventually joined Guan Yu. He now possesses the ultimate strength of internal energy leaving the body and has elevated the blessings of gods and Buddhas to the level of legion talent. His soldiers are basically all from the Garan lineage, and after being armed by the Han Dynasty, their combat power is in no way inferior to the main battle legion.

To put it bluntly, if this guy were in Kushan now, he would be a key player. According to Chen Xi's estimate, given his fanaticism, he could probably maintain the army even if 70% of it died. He's the kind of guy with incredibly strong fighting power.

The reason they haven't made much of a splash in recent years is largely because Chen Xi doesn't like armies armed with religious ideology. Even if such armies aren't actually lacking in fighting spirit, Chen Xi fundamentally dislikes them, subconsciously believing they represent a kind of distortion.

Regardless, there are still 120,000 of these fully assimilated local troops who are willing to die for the Han Dynasty in the Ganges. Although they mostly serve as garrison troops and maintain order, when it comes to military missions, these troops composed of southern nobles are no less capable than auxiliary troops.

Zhong Yao was indeed a remarkable person, no matter how you look at it. He did make great efforts to assimilate the local people and he did achieve certain results.

"Actually, if the current situation wasn't so dire, I would have just watched this battle end quietly." Chen Xi sighed and said, "I knew from the beginning that we would lose, but there's a difference between losing and losing. In the current situation, according to you big shots and geniuses, there's a possibility of total annihilation. If I don't quickly mobilize troops, wouldn't I be just watching Wen Ze jump into the pit?"

"You're not planning to use the troops from Huashi City, Shilu Forest, and other regions?" Huangfu Song reacted instantly. "You'd rather transfer troops from other places than use the legions from these areas?"

“Yes, these elite troops are the safety net. They are the guarantee that even if the Ganges suffers an extremely devastating defeat, the core area of ​​the middle and lower reaches of the Ganges will remain in our hands. In other words, even if any turmoil occurs, I can still deploy the necessary troops to the battlefield.” Chen Xi said solemnly. “Wen Ze also knows this, which is why he didn’t touch the legions there.”

Although Yu Jin's understanding differed somewhat from Chen Xi's, Yu Jin at least knew the location where Guan Yu's army was currently stationed. He advised against moving the area if possible. The area had been conquered by the Han Dynasty for seven or eight years and had been repeatedly reinforced. As long as the elite Han army was stationed there, even if the Kushan side achieved an incredible victory, it wouldn't cause ten years of hard work to collapse in one day.

“In that case, if there is a significant difference in command ability, it could be dangerous.” Huangfu Song thought for a moment and still warned him. He could understand Chen Xi’s caution, but Chen Xi’s actions were similar to Yu Jin’s previous actions, which were somewhat like playing both sides.

“If it really comes to that, holding this position will be extremely important,” Chen Xi said very seriously. “If Oswin really manages to defeat even the reinforcements, what good will it do to give up everything else besides this stronghold to Oswin?”

Tactically speaking, Chen Xi is indeed not very good, but if you take your eyes off the tactics and consider the strategy, Chen Xi is almost too good.

Generally speaking, Chen Xi does not want to lose, let alone suffer a crushing defeat. However, given the current situation, Chen Xi is no longer considering the present and is instead focusing on how to plan for the future.

So, setting aside those unnecessary emotions and focusing on the future, Chen Xi only needs a fulcrum, a fulcrum that can safely deploy three million troops two years from now. As for other things, in fact, they are not important.

“Actually, I want to say something.” Zhu Jun, who hadn’t said much since Lord Wu’an and Marquis Huaiyin arrived, suddenly spoke up.

"Please speak." Chen Xi nodded and asked. Although Zhu Jun was indeed not as good as the group around him in terms of offense, he was quite good in defense. Moreover, even if Zhu Jun was defeated, he could ensure that his main force could easily retreat. This ability was not something that ordinary people could have.

Often, when a famous general is defeated, that's the end of the story. But Zhu Jun, even though he couldn't win, managed to retreat with his main force intact. That's truly remarkable.

It is clear that in this current predicament, Zhu Jun's rare abilities are desperately needed.

“Actually, I don’t think we need to go through all this trouble.” Zhu Jun looked at the very detailed light and shadow map on the table and said very seriously, “Why do we need to go through so much trouble? To keep it simple, just give orders to Yu Jin and Xu Shu at the front line, as well as Huang Zhong and Chen Dao on the Varanasi side, and tell them not to attack, but to defend their own areas and carry out a scorched earth policy.”

To be fair, a scorched-earth policy is likely to lose the support of the people, because most of the time, only a portion of the population lives in the city, and choosing to implement a scorched-earth policy means that all the people living in the surrounding areas who do not live in the city must be forcibly relocated.

Of course, you can choose not to forcibly relocate them, but instead confiscate all the local people's homes, fill in all the local wells that need to be filled in, confiscate all the local people's grain that needs to be confiscated, burn all the local unharvested grain and grass that needs to be burned, and even go so far as to destroy all the local people's houses.

In this way, only one fortified city remains in this area. As for the people outside the city, whether they live or die is irrelevant. As long as the city is defended, that's enough. People can be recruited later.

This defensive strategy is very effective, even extremely effective, because it allows you to focus on defending the core area without any distractions, and you won't suffer any losses even if all other areas fall.

Upon hearing Zhu Jun's words, Chen Xi's face twitched involuntarily. To be honest, in all these years, apart from the time when he fought Yuan Shao and, due to insufficient strength, he had implemented a scorched-earth policy, he had never carried out such a plan since.

To be honest, this kind of behavior is simply treating ordinary people like dirt.

“Chen Zichuan will not agree to such tactics.” Huangfu Song glanced at Chen Xi and understood his thoughts. “He would never do such a thing. War is sometimes not just about the war itself, but also about higher-level political demands, like in the current situation, understand?”

“That’s not a problem!” Zhu Jun glanced at Chen Xi. He was testing Chen Xi because he wanted to see what Chen Xi could do and how his morality would be demonstrated. And clearly, Chen Xi’s morality was completely reliable.

“Even without a scorched-earth policy, we can force the officers and soldiers in these two places to hold their ground at Prayaga and Varanasi, and not engage in battle with the enemy. We can then engage Oswin after the Prince of Jin arrives. With a unified command and the Prince of Jin as a safety net, even if some trouble arises, it won't be a major problem.” Zhu Jun quickly rejected his previous suggestion and became more humane.

“It’s still impossible.” Huangfu Song sighed and said, “Gongwei, how come you feel that after all these years in Chang’an, you don’t understand Chen Zichuan as well as I do?”

“Because Marquis Xixiang probably wants to see what I can do and what my definition of an army really is,” Chen Xi sighed. “To be honest, Marquis Xixiang is right. Defending the city, not fighting with Oswin, and waiting for Lord Xuande to arrive is indeed a good plan, and it can even solve most of the problems, but it’s impossible to do it.”

This relates to the question of what the army Chen Xi is now building is responsible for. If the previous army was like a sieve, then now Chen Xi can at least say with his hand that his army is indeed protecting the people and will not actively oppress the local people. He may not say that the army and the people are one family, but at least they know their own origins and know that they are not human beings just because they wear this skin!
In other words, the Han army during Chen Xi's era had the obligation to protect the people and fight for the country, and even the soldiers themselves were aware of this.

Therefore, a scorched-earth policy is not advisable, and similarly, allowing the Kushans to plunder is also not advisable. This is why Xu Shu informed Chen Dao and Huang Zhong in advance to make arrangements west of Varanasi.

Because it takes time to relocate some of the civilians in the war zone.

"Then I have nothing to say. Although I don't quite understand, I still have the basic sense of decency. I just have to carry out the orders from my superiors." Zhu Jun was silent for a while, and his mindset changed noticeably. Although he said he didn't understand, he was quite moved inside.

This is not a matter of opinion, but a matter of right and wrong that Zhu Jun had long recognized. What's worse is that even if they had realized right and wrong, they had no way to correct it.

So-called morality can only be practiced when one is strong enough.

"Let's arrange it like this for now, but tell Wenze and the others what needs to be said. If it really doesn't work out, we'll just withdraw. That's all we can do." Chen Xi sighed. He wasn't really optimistic about this battle, but war is something that can't be changed by his personal will.

"Lord Chen, Lord Shu is here at Weiyang Palace." Yuan Yin returned from his trip and gave Chen Xi a clear answer. Upon hearing this, Chen Xi raised an eyebrow slightly. What is this guy doing at Weiyang Palace?
"Forget it, let him come too." Chen Xi thought about it and felt that Zhou Yu's opinion could be taken into consideration, after all, he was a prominent figure.

Soon, Zhou Yu, Mahinda, and Langarajan appeared together at the government office. Chen Xi was taken aback when he saw the trio, but he didn't say anything and gestured for them to take their seats.

"Is this a map of Balayaga?" Mahinda hadn't even sat down yet when he saw the map with its light and shadow. After a quick glance, he understood what the map was about.

“Yes, Prayaga, we are considering what to do next.” Chen Xi nodded to Mahinda, making no attempt to hide anything.

"To be honest, this place is not easy to defend from the Han Dynasty's perspective now. Back when the North-South War was raging and those old fogies in the North were still alive, we simulated the attack methods for almost all the fortified cities in the South," Langarajan said casually after glancing at the place.

Compared to Mahinda, who excels in internal affairs and organizational structure, Rangarajan is actually closer to a strategist. After all, using fleeting flashes of inspiration to break through is just a common tactic. The real tactic is the imaginative tactics that can be executed by those fleeting flashes of inspiration on the battlefield.

While strategically speaking, Rangalajan is nothing special, tactically, his mental talent often enables his officers to execute extremely impressive tactics.

While lying dormant, the author is going further and further down the road to ruin.