RPAGF Chapter 7207 Talk is cheap, life is still important.
Chapter 7207 Talk is cheap, life is still important.
Chapter 7207 Talk is cheap, life is still important.
Meanwhile, on the Ganges River, Yu Jin, as the new commander, was stationed in Prayaga, leading the generals of the Ganges. Yu Jin had carefully observed this place for a long time and felt that it was indeed a very good fiefdom. Zhao Yun was simply too lucky.
"General, there's some unusual activity on the Kushan side." A scout at the front reported to Yu Jin, who was eating fruit salad. Unlike Guan Yu, who ate and lived with his soldiers, Yu Jin also had special meals prepared for him.
"Strange activity, indeed. It's only been a short time since the New Year, and the Kushans are already making moves. It seems a major battle is inevitable. I wonder what kind of strength Oswin can muster this time." Yu Jin stopped eating and said with a touch of authority.
With Guan Yu and Zhang Fei no longer around, Yu Jin found it incredibly comfortable to be able to sit alone on the Ganges River and do whatever he wanted.
As for the warning from the rear, Yu Jin had taken precautions. After all, he was in the Ganges River, and he was there before the key personnel were transferred to Central Asia for study. So he was quite familiar with the current situation in the Ganges.
To be fair, Yu Jin completely understood these people's thoughts. After all, even he, Yu Jin, didn't want to carve out a piece of land in the Ganges. It would be strange if the phrase "General Yu's Khunjerab" didn't tickle Yu Jin's itch. To be honest, if the Kushans hadn't been so heavily fortified, Yu Jin would have actually wanted to take people to Khunjerab to see what his future fiefdom would look like.
As a general who was still a relatively normal person, Yu Jin wouldn't engage in the kind of double standard where only officials are allowed to set fires while ordinary people are forbidden to light lamps. He himself would have his own wild thoughts, so what's wrong with his officers having their own? People should have empathy and not be strict with others while being lenient with themselves.
Even though Yu Jin couldn't be as arrogant as Guan Yu, yet not bully his subordinates, strong but not oppressive, and extremely kind to his soldiers, as a normal person, Yu Jin would never think that a veteran was a bastard or deserved to die just because the veteran shared his thoughts!
According to Yu Jin, most soldiers are not so much driven by lofty beliefs as they are simply looking for food and a decent life.
While there are certainly elites of noble character, most people in this world are just ordinary people, and those who can charge forward with lofty beliefs are ultimately only a minority.
Since that's the case, why be so harsh!
As long as the military orders are carried out, Yu Jin can accept any ideas these people may have. As for the potential for mutual sabotage, instead of worrying about middle-ranking officers doing so, he should consider whether the commanders can suppress such problems through command.
Soldiers are only part of an army; generals and commanders are the core of the army.
Yu Jin was quite dismissive of Chen Xi's statement that the problem lay with the middle and upper-ranking officers. It wasn't that he thought Chen Xi couldn't see the facts, but rather that he believed Chen Xi's attribution of such a thing to the middle-ranking officers was probably a sign of cowardice in not wanting to see the essence of the problem.
A bad soldier is a bad soldier, a bad general makes a bad army. If there are problems with middle-level officers, we need to find a reason. The corps commander must be held accountable!
At the very least, Yu Jin should ask himself: if he hadn't had this greed, this thought, and indeed this thought of taking care of his old subordinates, or to put it more directly, if he were really as impartial as Man Chong, would so many things have happened now?
No, absolutely not. If Yu Jin really didn't covet Qu Nu City, it would be a miracle if the officers and soldiers below could even relay the message to him!
You have to understand that if some rumors can spread, get into important people's homes, reach the ears of important figures, and silence those involved, then the meaning behind them is self-evident!
When Yu Jin invited Guan Yu for drinks and mentioned this rumor, Guan Yu merely frowned without refuting it or trying to suppress it. Yu Jin knew that Guan Yu also thought it was the right way to do it!
Guan Yu's loyalty to Liu Bei was absolutely beyond doubt, and his arrogance was also deeply ingrained.
In the official history, the Records of the Three Kingdoms, when Guan Yu heard that Ma Chao had surrendered, and since they were not old acquaintances, Guan Yu wrote to Zhuge Liang, asking who could be compared to Ma Chao in terms of talent. Knowing Guan Yu was protective of his reputation, Zhuge Liang replied, "Mengqi (Ma Chao) possesses both literary and martial talents, and his heroic spirit surpasses others. He is a hero of his time, comparable to Ying Bu and Peng Yue, and should be compared to Zhang Fei (Zhang Fei). Yet, he still falls short of Guan Yu's unparalleled and extraordinary abilities." Guan Yu had a beautiful beard, hence Zhuge Liang called him "Bearded Man." Guan Yu was greatly pleased upon reading the letter and showed it to his guests.
Guan Yu's personality was like that, so the appointment of Mo Tu Luo for General Guan and Wu Jia Yan Na for General Zhang were both results of public approval and consensus, even for Guan Yu himself.
Following this line of thinking, Yu Jin was relatively lenient regarding the situation on the Ganges River. At the very least, he wouldn't punish others for discussing uncertain matters like fiefdoms.
"Go to the government office and summon all the officers and soldiers for a discussion. Then send someone to inform Military Advisor Xu to return as soon as possible," Yu Jin said to his guards after finishing the fruit in his bowl.
Soon, all the officers and above who were stationed near Balayaga arrived at the government office.
"Everyone should have received the news by now. Those who haven't probably made some guesses. That's right, there's been some unusual activity on the Kushan side. It seems they really can't hold back any longer," Yu Jin said with a smile. Since becoming the new commander of the Ganges, Yu Jin's mood has been noticeably better than before.
The group burst into laughter after hearing this. Although many of them wanted to protect their own jars and pots, most of them were currently hoping that the Kushan Empire would attack them as soon as possible!
After all, at this stage, only a few mid-level officers have secured their own fiefdoms, while most other officers are still waiting to make their mark and earn a larger fiefdom in the future.
The exchange of titles and fiefs is already showing some promise. Even if it's not very clear, most of these people know how the fiefs will be divided in the future. Under these circumstances, for most officers and generals, nothing is more important than making achievements. In the past, both Guan Yu and Yu Jin had been holding them back from launching attacks, but now the opportunity has finally arrived.
Suppressing allies, remaining inactive when they are in trouble, and reducing the number of people who can be granted fiefs in order to increase the fiefs that one can acquire—that's something only a small number of unscrupulous middle-level managers do. Most middle-level managers haven't even thought of that level yet!
It takes time for humanity to degenerate. The process of transforming from a brave and fearless vanguard into a cowardly bastard who betrays his teammates to survive is certainly not short.
As for the dangers of going to the battlefield, the loss of everything if you die, the fact that you already have a title and will eventually be granted a fiefdom, and that your life is becoming valuable, most middle-ranking officials don't actually have time to think about these things when they actually go to the battlefield. Those who can think about these things are only when they have the upper hand in the battle.
When it's truly a life-or-death situation, you're still thinking about these things? What a joke! When that time really comes, all you'll be thinking about is how to survive!
So when they heard that the Kushans were making their move, most of the mid-ranking officers present were itching to fight. They couldn't wait any longer. Whether they could get a promotion or a larger fiefdom depended on this struggle. Death was not a consideration for most of them. They had survived so many battles and faced far more dangerous situations than this one. How could such a small danger kill them? If that were the case, it wouldn't be the Kushans' fault, it would be their destiny!
Yes, people's hearts are unsettled, but no matter how unsettled they are, it can't change the fact that all the officers and soldiers are very confident in dealing with the Kushans. Even if Chen Xi came here, he would have to admit that they are all full of confidence!
Moreover, this confidence was earned through the battle with Kushan!
"Starting today, all departments must strengthen patrols, increase scouts, expand patrol areas, and fully activate the super-model cloud defense system. Be prepared for day and night defense." After the group finished laughing, Yu Jin solemnly ordered, "Conduct reconnaissance along both overt and covert lines, and be fully prepared for defense!"
Although he had great confidence in the fighting strength of the Han Dynasty, and knew that some of the mid-level officers were eager to fight, and that his soldiers were all eager for battle, the elite veterans of the fifth to eighth ranks were even more determined to risk their lives for the fiefdom!
For these elite veterans who are only at the fifth to eighth level, the eighteenth-level noble title and the granting of land and territory is completely out of the question. But the ninth and tenth-level noble titles have the potential to grant fiefdoms. What else is there to say? I, XX, am going to gamble on the family tree opening today!
However, Yu Jin showed no intention of taking the initiative. As a general who was well aware of the situation in Ganges, Yu Jin was very tough in his replies to the rear, but when it came to actual combat at the front, he was very cautious.
"General, why don't we deploy our elite troops to the northwest of Baloyajia to establish a defensive stronghold and keep the enemy at bay?" Zhu Ling stood up, clasped his hands in a salute to Yu Jin, and offered his suggestion. Since Zhang Fei was not at the front line, Zhu Ling, as the deputy general, had the right to make such a suggestion.
Having witnessed the death of the Chang'an investigator, Zhu Ling is somewhat fearful of the current situation. Therefore, she doesn't want to stay with her teammates. She feels that she is still at the forefront, and if she can withstand this wave of attacks and retreat directly to the rear, there is no possibility of being betrayed by her teammates.
To be fair, it's a very good idea. No matter how strong Oswin is, his vanguard couldn't possibly swallow up an entire core Han army corps in one go.
Zhu Ling had been on the Ganges River for several years and had faced many Kushan elites. He naturally knew that if he personally led the army to the front to fight a defensive battle, even if he suffered heavy losses because he was on the outermost edge, Oswin would never be able to send his entire army up because he was the first to go. Regardless of victory or defeat, it would be quite easy for Oswin to retreat after the battle.
In addition, Zhu Ling, as the vanguard, took the brunt of the first wave of attacks, and the rear would never abandon him under any circumstances. In this way, he would gain merit and be relatively safe.
After all, compared to the losses on the battlefield, being betrayed by teammates is the most dangerous thing for Zhu Ling. So after much consideration, Zhu Ling decided that she could risk going to the outer side to set up defenses and build a defensive foothold for her teammates.
“General, General Zhu is right. I can also lead my troops to assist from the side.” Wu Yi stood up and said.
Unlike Zhu Ling, Wu Yi is currently looking for a way out for himself simply because his sister gave birth to a son.
Being Liu Bei's brother-in-law was indeed a good thing, but his sister Wu Yuan had given birth to a son who might compete with Liu Shan for the throne. Wu Yi felt it was better to let it go and find a place to contribute his efforts and blood, so that even if something came up in the rear and they needed to find him, he could avoid it.
So when Wu Yi heard that Zhu Ling was going to be a defensive stronghold, he felt that he could assist Zhu Ling. With Zhu Ling holding the line, he didn't need to worry about his safety. Moreover, as an assistant, he was also on the front line. In any case, he could say that he had shed blood and risked his life for the country, which were reasons he could use later.
"General!" One after another, several people stood up. They were all officers who had suggested defending the northwest side, and it seemed that the morale of the army was completely high.
“There’s no need to build a defensive stronghold on the northwest side of Prayaga. The main task for each department recently is to continue building earthworks around Prayaga, making it as permanent a defensive structure as possible. Our main force here consists of shield guards and elite infantry. Moreover, our priority this time is defense. Holding Prayaga is victory, so we can just use the same defensive tactics as the Kushans.” Yu Jin said cautiously.
Yu Jin had absolutely no desire to engage in a direct confrontation with Oswin. It wasn't a question of whether he could win; as someone who had already stepped into the ranks of commanding large armies, Yu Jin was confident in his abilities. However, the Kushan Empire's actions this time were extremely significant. A direct confrontation, regardless of whether he won or lost, would be disadvantageous for Yu Jin at this point. In that case, why not stall for time?
“General, Prayaga is located along the Ganges River, and it is situated between the Yamuna and Ganges Rivers. If we simply hold our ground, it is indeed not difficult, since it is surrounded by water on three sides. But what if Oswin chooses to bypass Prayaga and launch a strong attack on Varanasi?” Sun Guan stood up and said with some caution.
Last time, Zhou Yu attacked Kanauj by going upstream along the Ganges. Now, if the Kushans go downstream along the Ganges and bypass Prayaga, are they just going to stand by and do nothing?
“If Oswin leads his army across Balayaka, we will attack from the northwest to cut off his retreat, and then wait for him to return,” Yu Jin said confidently.
Yu Jin pondered that he might not be able to defeat Oswin, who was leading the entire army, but if Oswin's idea was to rely on the river, navy, and triangular terrain to blockade Balayaka, and then lead the main force to attack Varanasi, then Yu Jin felt that if he cut off Oswin's retreat with his strength and forced Oswin into a decisive battle, he would most likely be able to defeat Oswin.
Yu Jin hadn't considered a major victory, but he was quite confident that he could gain an advantage over Oswin by taking advantage of the terrain, given that Prayaga was a city situated between the Ganges and its tributary, the Yamuna. Of course, this was on the premise that Oswin couldn't capture Prayaga and had to use part of his forces to besiege it while his main force bypassed it to continue the attack.
After thinking it over, Sun Guan felt that the idea was not problematic from a planning perspective. In addition, since the capture of Baloyaqia, the Han Dynasty had been continuously building defensive fortifications there. After Yu Jin took over, he further strengthened the earthen fortifications outside the city and built many semi-permanent defensive facilities.
If Oswin's main force stays here to wear things down, these things can be taken down in a while. But if Oswin's main force leaves, leaving only a portion of the legion to blockade this area, it seems that a counterattack is indeed possible.
Putting everything else aside, just the core Shield Guard legion led by Sun Guan alone, building a defensive line between the two rivers, is enough to keep Oswin's main force busy for quite some time. As I said before, if the Shield Guard legion doesn't do offensive work but instead relies on the terrain for defense, then without some tough opponents, you really don't have much of a way to deal with them.
"So we only need to consider Oswin's presence in Balayaka. However, we have enough fortifications and strong cities. As long as we don't launch an attack, stalling for time shouldn't be a problem." Yu Jin said calmly. He was very composed when it came to Oswin, showing no sign of being aggressive, which was completely different from the promises he had made to Liu Bei and Chen Xi before.
All I can say is that while boasting is one thing, when it comes to actually doing things, one must be cautious and prudent. After all, war is a matter of life and death!
"Xue Shao, you will lead the White Horse Cavalry to increase patrols recently. You don't need to engage in battle with the enemy; just report any large groups of people you spot immediately," Yu Jin ordered Xue Shao.
"Yes!" Xue Shao stood up and replied. Zhao Yun's faction considered Yu Jin's plan to be an excellent one. Putting aside everything else, this strategy should be enough to hold Boluoyejia!
Yu Jin glanced at Xue Shao and handed him the command token. He understood Xue Shao's situation, but wasn't this perfect? It boosted morale!
To be fair, Yu Jin's choice of this plan was based on a combination of the thoughts of his officers and the actual situation. After all, abandoning Prayerga and retreating was completely unacceptable to Yu Jin. Putting aside the issue of losing territory, Yu Jin simply couldn't bring himself to go against the will of the people.
Given the relationship between Yu Jin and Liu Bei and Chen Xi, they could discuss the loss of territory and frontline combat strategies without any trouble. However, if Yu Jin really chose not to fire a single arrow and directly abandoned Balayaga, then his ability to command the army in the future would be questionable.
Besides command ability, the recognition of subordinate officers is also very important for a commander of a large army. Oswin absorbed Banner's qualities and was able to surpass Banner by so much, largely because Oswin was recognized by his comrades far more than Banner!
Therefore, after considering all the options, Yu Jin came up with this conservative defensive strategy, the core of which was to avoid mistakes rather than seek merit!
"All units, execute the order," Yu Jin commanded, looking directly at the assembled officers and soldiers.
Lying in bed