Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 344: Crouching Dragon vs. Phoenix Chick
Where did the Ming army go?
Could it be that they didn't take this route, or simply didn't come to Shuozhou at all?
All the Tang troops lying in ambush here, regardless of their rank, had the same question in their minds at the same time.

They could stay in the food-scarce Jinyang City for a whole winter, but a few days in the wilderness had already made these tough kings exhausted.

This is said to be the "main road" that must be taken to enter Shuozhou, but in fact it is just a wider gap between two mountains.

The main force of the Tang army was now squatting on the mountains on both sides.

This damn place is indeed well hidden, but the conditions are quite harsh.

Tens of thousands of people were just soaking in the damp mud, their eyes wide open, shivering in the cold wind.

It is now the time of late spring cold, the snow is melting slowly, and it feels damp and cold, even colder than in winter.

Not to mention the wet mud, which is so soft that you can't even pull yourself out once you step on it.

Not to mention that they were all short of supplies and starving.

The entire Tang army was stuck in a mud pit that had just thawed in early spring, like a giant in a swamp. They felt that their feet were about to be rotten and mushrooms were about to grow on their bodies.

It's torture!

What's even more frightening is, when will this hard time end? There's no end in sight!

Who knows when the Ming army will come, who knows whether the Ming army will come at all!
Under this kind of double torture, both psychological and physiological, even the most elite troops will lose their edge.

At the beginning, the morale of the Tang army was high and they were looking forward to a great victory over their old enemy.

Just imagining the panic of the Ming army when they were jumped in the face made them tremble with excitement!

But now, their morale has rapidly fallen to the bottom.

After being frozen for several days in a row, even the most fanatical militants will calm down along with the temperature.

"Damn it, I can't stand it anymore!"

Cheng Zhijie slapped his thigh, climbed up the mountain in a menacing manner, and went to find the chief steward Li Shiji.

"Li Shiji, do you think those damn Liaodong guys are coming?"

Facing the old brothers from Wagangzhai, Cheng Zhijie was no longer gentle and polite, but went straight to the point and expressed his true feelings.

It’s no wonder that Lao Cheng lost his temper.

Similar time, similar place, and the same Ming army that never showed up.

This familiar scene really made his PTSD act up. It was really like you would feel numb even if you stomped on it.

"Hiss..." Li Shiji took a deep breath and said as calmly as possible:

“This is the only passage for the army to go north to Shuozhou. Unless Li Jing goes insane and commands 80,000 troops to forcibly cross the snow-capped mountains, the loss to them may be greater than being ambushed.

"According to the decree of His Majesty the Retired Emperor, as long as the Ming army is determined to return to the city, they will sooner or later step into our ambush circle."

He kindly gave the old fellow, who had been a little irritated, a bowl of chicken soup, and at the same time lightly passed the blame to a certain majesty who could not be questioned.

But Cheng Zhijie declined the inspirational quote and asked:

"I don't care about this. What should we do next?"

Li Shiji's tone also became tough:
"Of course, we will faithfully carry out His Majesty's orders and continue to stay here to ambush the Ming army until their main force is annihilated!"

Perhaps this firm attitude infected his old friend. Without saying anything else, Old Cheng nodded and returned to his position.

"call……"

Li Shiji exhaled the turbid air in his lungs, and his body seemed to have shortened by half a head.

Old Cheng was anxious, and as the head coach of this battle, he was even more anxious than Old Cheng.

These days, he has been looking forward to the direction of Daizhou in the south, and he is almost becoming like a resentful woman in the boudoir waiting for the Ming army.

You bunch of traitors raised by a bitch, I've come to Shuozhou Street to arrest you, where are your fucking people? !

If the Ming army knew clearly that their speculation was wrong, it would have been fine if they just stayed at the headquarters and did not go anywhere.

However, Daizhou was emptied, and local villagers also confirmed that the Ming army marched northward after leaving the camp.

So many days have passed, according to the normal marching speed, they should have reached Shuozhou long ago!

Where did the Ming army go to fish?

At least it wouldn't be broken directly... No, it must have broken its spine due to hunger, and it must have gone over the Taihang Mountains and returned to Hebei to feed its mother!

This superposition state between "coming" and "not coming" is what makes Li Shiji most upset.

He didn't know what to do.

Just keep waiting here. Not only will you accomplish nothing, but it will also be a huge waste of time.

Not only does it consume precious military rations, but it also wears down the morale of the soldiers.

If they continue to sit and wait like this for a while, it is hard to say whether this army can remain organized, let alone fight.

But retreating to Jinyang would also be a dead end.

With logistics already so difficult, they still had to tighten their belts to launch such a large-scale military operation, but in the end it was a wasted trip.

How can I explain to His Majesty the Emperor if I fail to complete the mission? How can I explain to the soldiers who were fooled? How can I explain to the country of Tang?

Personal responsibility is a small matter. What is more important is that this ambush may be the last straw for the Tang Dynasty to turn the tide.

If the 80,000 main forces of Li Jing can be wiped out in one fell swoop, then the Tang Dynasty can temporarily revive and compete with the Ming Dynasty for supremacy.

Otherwise, considering the dire situation on the Shanxi frontline that the Tang Dynasty cannot sustain even at full capacity, it would be better to surrender as soon as possible.

"What should I do? Where on earth are these bandits and rebels that I raised hiding?"

Li Shiji deeply understood Lao Cheng’s feelings when he was “Waiting for Godot”.

His plan was originally perfect.

When the Ming army, short of supplies, marched to the city of Shuozhou, they must have been eager to return home and only wanted to go back to Shuozhou for a big meal.

This is when the enemy is most relaxed.

At this critical moment, Tang Jun suddenly shouted "Wow" and jumped out.

No matter how well-trained the Ming army was, they would be like the young lady who encountered robbers on the road, pale, panic-stricken, fluttering their hearts, and surrendering to others...

Unexpectedly, the mean-spirited Ming army actually stood Li Shiji up, putting him in an awkward situation where he could neither go up nor down. His stubbornness ended up being blocked at both ends!

"Grand Steward."

When he was most depressed, the deputy general came to report.

"It's getting dark, it's time for the soldiers to have their evening meal."

Li Shiji frowned, feeling puzzled by the deputy general's sudden report:

"The matter of eating will be handled by the warehouse officer according to the routine. Do you need to ask me for special instructions?"

The implication is, if such trivial matters bother me, then why should I do anything else?

However, the deputy general did not seem to understand the subtext and insisted:

"This is a serious matter, and the decision should be made by the chief steward himself.

"Because the army's rations are insufficient."

Hiss... Li Shiji felt a headache and rubbed his temple subconsciously.

It seemed that since the beginning of winter last year, this sentence had been echoing in his ears, and he would wake up from hunger in his dreams at night...

"In an ambush in the freezing cold, the soldiers' physical strength is much greater than in a warm barracks, and the consumption of the rations they carry is faster than previously predicted."

The adjutant's expression was beyond anxiety, only fatigue and numbness.

Li Shiji wiped his teeth and said:

"At the current rate, how many days can the rations we have last?"

"It can barely sustain our army's return to Daizhou." The deputy general replied expressionlessly.

"Hiss!" Li Shiji's head hurt even more, and he couldn't help but shout out.

In other words, if the Tang army does not set out to retreat today, the only two options left are to storm Shuozhou or to starve to death in the wilderness!
After going around in circles, we are back to the old question -

To stay or to withdraw?

Time is running out and the soldiers’ stomachs cannot wait.

Li Shiji must make a decision now!

He frowned for a long time, and then his tense expression suddenly relaxed, as if he had made some kind of decision.

"Pass on my orders..."

Just as he was about to finish his words, a loud shout interrupted him.

It was a message, with a long tail tone.

"Report to the chief steward!"

Li Shiji's heartbeat suddenly quickened, his eyes became sharp, and he looked straight at the messenger.

Not just him.

Deputy generals, guards, warehouse officers, ordinary soldiers...

Everyone stopped what they were doing and focused their eyes on the messenger, their ears perked up.

They were all waiting for the information they had been waiting for for several days -

"Ming troops spotted!"

It's finally here! The soldiers cheered at the same time.

"Fuck him!" The deputy general couldn't help but growl.

Li Shiji couldn't help but clench his fists, trying to let out the anger that was accumulating in his chest.

But he controlled himself and gave orders in an orderly manner:
"All units should quickly hide and let the outposts go. Before the enemy's main force has completely entered the ambush circle, no unauthorized attack is allowed, and no sound or movement is allowed.

"If the other party discovers this in advance and lets the big fish escape, I will grind you to dust!"

He almost uttered the last few words through gritted teeth.

But in fact, there is no need for him to explain it in such detail.

The elite Tang army soldiers had already taken their positions, holding their breath and waiting for the Ming army.

This is truly a battle of wills!

Perseverance is victory, just when they are about to give up.

They had been rolling around in the cold mud like pigs for days, and now the damn big fish was finally about to take the bait!
The orderly footsteps were getting closer and closer, and the vanguard of the Ming army had entered the sight of the ambush.

The queue was in good order and discipline was not relaxed even when the destination was approaching.

The Tang army couldn't help swallowing and tightened their grip on their spears, bows and crossbows.

Those who can walk out of such a team are definitely elite.

It's not a fake by a civil engineer on some front.

And considering that the enemy had experienced serious supply difficulties and had to cross mountains and ridges and travel long distances on the Shanxi Plateau, they were still able to maintain such a neat and positive military appearance, they were the elite among the elite.

He's a strong enemy...

The Tang army ambushed quietly and patiently on both sides of the avenue, staring intently at their incoming enemies, feeling both nervous and excited.

Li Shiji stood on the top of the mountain with the best view, looking calm and composed, as if everything was under control.

But his hands behind his back were shaking slightly, indicating that he could hardly contain his nervousness and excitement.

The air seemed to be frozen.

Facing the big fish, the Tang army lost their impatience. All the soldiers turned into statues, waiting with great patience for the big fish to be completely caught in the net.

This is the opportunity they have been waiting for since the beginning of the war after so many days of hunger, hunger and cold... No, this is the opportunity they have been waiting for since the beginning of the war.

The opportunity to achieve success in one fell swoop is right in front of us. No one wants to fail at the last minute and ruin the country because of his or her own impatience!

however.

A quarter of an hour passed...

An hour passed...

Not to mention the main force of the Ming army, even their outposts have not yet entered the maximum range of bows and crossbows!
The Ming army did not turn around and leave by taking another route. They were always within the sight of the Tang army's ambush troops, and the troops that came into sight were getting larger and larger, and they were indeed slowly approaching the ambush circle.

However, the speed of approaching is too slow...

Look three steps ahead before you take one step, stop from time to time, and be alert to any disturbance around you.

This pace, slower than a snail's, finally made even the most determined Tang army impatient.

Are these insects teasing our army?

"Hold on, even if it rains knives from the sky don't move! Otherwise I'll fuck your ancestors!"

Cheng Zhijie shouted in a low and rapid voice to the somewhat restless soldiers, fearing that these big-name soldiers would ruin their plan.

It is no exaggeration to say that the rise and fall of the empire depends on this battle!

Be patient, you must be patient!
…………

Just when the Tang army was holding its breath.

The Ming army was also holding its breath.

Hou Junji was also an old bureaucrat. He felt that he had predicted that Li Jing would be defeated and pass the blame on others, so he strictly ordered all troops to resolutely carry out the orders of the commander-in-chief, pay extra attention, and be always vigilant against the "possible" shameless sneak attack by the Tang army.

This is how the Tang army saw the "one step, three looks back" method of walking.

Scouts search the mountains in front, elite vanguards lead the way, the strongest main force is in the middle, precious logistical supplies follow, and veterans bring up the rear.

Along the way from Daizhou to Shuozhou, the entire Ming army searched the mountains in this way.

It is really safe, but it is also really time-consuming.

Not only did the army move slowly, but it also stopped and started from time to time.

There was also an oolong incident in which a wild boar was mistaken for an enemy, which frightened the entire army so much that they loaded their bows and crossbows and were ready to fight at any time.

This was also the real reason why the Tang army had been waiting for so long under the city of Shuozhou and once thought that the Ming army had stood them up.

The Tang army calculated the arrival date of the Ming army based on their normal marching speed.

But who could have thought that the Ming army's journey was so "abnormal"?

As a result, the Tang army traveled almost twice as long as them, but still arrived at the destination first, and was left stranded in the mud and exposed to the northwest wind for several days.

However, the old rival was not satisfied with the slow pace of the Ming army, but the Ming army's own commander Li Jing was very satisfied with it!

There is no intention to blame Hou Junji for his low-level red and high-level black, and the soldiers for delaying the opportunity to fight.

On the contrary, he was very satisfied with his subordinates' resolute implementation of his orders.

He looked like a fool who didn't care about the war situation but only cared about the stability of his own power.

"I didn't expect that Lord Li Wei, the one who swept across half the world and was as famous as General Tiance, would be so decadent now...

"The hero is old!"

The young general Xue Rengui sighed as he raised his machete, slashed it down, and cut through the vines that were blocking his way.

"Keep your voice down and follow me closely! This mountain is not like the plain. If you get lost, even the Lord won't be able to find you!" He whispered to his scouts.

Perhaps because he was tired of the overly foul bureaucratic and "adult" atmosphere in the main military camp, Xue Rengui volunteered to serve as the vanguard and personally led scouts to search the mountains ahead to clear the way for the large army.

He wanted to see with his own eyes whether the Tang army was really as omnipotent and omnipresent as those two old men who were more like bureaucrats than soldiers.

Seeing through the feint attack on Jinyang to lure the tiger away from the mountain, predicting the Ming army's retreat to Shuozhou, setting up an ambush on the way north to chase and intercept...

According to Li Jing's concerns, did the Tang army open their third eye?

Or did His Majesty Li Shimin peek at the script?

"Open your eyes and search carefully. Don't miss any clues!"

Xue Rengui repeatedly instructed his men.

Complaints aside, the reconnaissance mission still needs to be completed without fail.

You must execute whether you understand or not.

"If something does go wrong, at least it won't be within my responsibility...

"No, no, no, Xue Rengui, oh Xue Rengui, how come you have become so pedantic and smelly?

"If you keep company with vermilion, you will be red; if you keep company with ink, you will be black; if you stay in an abalone shop for a long time...

"oops!"

As he was muttering to himself, his feet suddenly slipped and he tumbled down the cliff.

Fortunately, the mountain is not steep, and there is a thick layer of dead branches, leaves and unmelted snow at the bottom of the cliff.

So Xiao Xue didn't fall very hard.

"Oh, it hurts, why am I so careless..."

Xue Rengui felt dizzy.

"Shh!" someone next to him reminded him.

"Keep your voice down, don't let the other side find out!"

"Oh." Xiao Xue responded subconsciously, with the world still spinning in front of his eyes.

A strong arm stretched out in front of him.

"Come on, buddy."

"Oh, thank you."

Xue Rengui stood up with the help of the other party's hand, and did not forget to say thank you.

"It's okay, we're on the same side. You were too careless, how did you roll down from up there...

"Hey, buddy... no, this gentleman. Your armor... why do I feel that General Cheng doesn't wear as fancy as you?"

The kind-hearted man's voice was full of confusion.

Xue Rengui was also stunned.

General Cheng?
Is there any officer named "Cheng" in our team?
After thinking about this, his brain finally recovered from the dizzy state, and his eyes focused for the first time on the kind person who helped him up.

This familiar yet unfamiliar infantry armor...

Are there still Ming soldiers wearing such old styles?
At the same time, the enthusiastic stranger soldier was looking at him with the same surprised eyes.

It’s bad… This thought came to both of their minds at the same time.

(End of this chapter)