RPAGF Chapter 269 Obtaining Supplies
Chapter 269 Obtaining Supplies
Ma Chao's method was simple and brutal, but it was indeed an effective one, especially since Ma Chao also had a cavalry force of 5,000 men, which matched the number of cavalry in Longxi.
The Longxi garrison will definitely send out troops as soon as the road is cut off, but Yanbo raised a key question: "General, your plan is indeed feasible, but what if the Longxi garrison has sufficient provisions?"
"This is where I meant the plan was flawed," Ma Chao said dejectedly.
"In my humble opinion, regarding the organization, shouldn't we have the intelligence department find out the specific situation in Longxi? Just deploying troops isn't enough; only with more comprehensive intelligence can we formulate a more thorough plan," Li Qing said.
“That’s feasible.” Ma Chao nodded and said, “Not only should we send them to gather intelligence, but we can also ask them to find a way to burn the grain and supplies of the Longxi garrison. If the enemy has no grain and supplies and no gunpowder, even if they have several times more men, they will not be a match for us.”
"Moreover, even if our organization cannot directly take Longxi, I believe we can still launch a large-scale harassment campaign against Longxi to lay the foundation for a subsequent major offensive," Yanbo said.
Ma Chao agreed. Even if he couldn't directly occupy Longxi, clearing obstacles and reducing the pressure on the main force would still be a merit.
“Brother Yan, you’re right! Starting tomorrow, I’ll have the cavalry divided into groups of a thousand men each and spread out to harass the garrison in Longxi, cut off the connections between the counties of Longxi and the rear, and we can even take some counties first, although this won’t cause direct damage to the garrison in Longxi.”
"But it can demoralize them while also allowing my organization to obtain some supplies."
In a few words among the three, Ma Chao's battle plan for Longxi gradually became more complete. Yanbo and Li Qing were initially somewhat resistant to Ma Chao's plan, as they were more concerned about avoiding heavy casualties in their team.
However, during the discussion among the three, Ma Chao's plan was gradually improved. Finally, after the three of them deduced the plan, they were confident that it would succeed by 60% or 70%.
Yanbo and Li Qing were also attracted by this plan. They were also organizers and were full of enthusiasm. They also wanted to gain more organizational merits and medals. Now that there was a relatively safe plan, Yanbo and Li Qing naturally agreed to go with the flow and start a war against Longxi.
In fact, Ma Chao did not know that if he directly ordered an attack on Longxi, Yanbo and Li Qing would still carry out the order. According to the organizational rules of the self-governing area, the orders of the superior must be carried out unconditionally. Before the expedition, Zhao Yun had given Ma Chao complete command authority. For Yanbo and Li Qing, Ma Chao was their superior.
They must carry out orders. Of course, in the event of heavy casualties during battle, the two of them will have the power to disobey orders or even refuse to carry them out, but before that, they must carry out orders.
Ma Chao was familiar with the organizational rules of the self-governing area, but he had not yet fully transformed his identity, so in actual operation...
Ma Chao was still seeking the opinions of Yanbo and Li Qing. Of course, it's also possible that Ma Chao knew this, but he did feel that his plan was incomplete, so he wanted to seek the opinions of Yanbo and Li Qing.
After all, Ma Chao was still somewhat self-aware. He was talented, but he didn't have much practical experience. In this respect, Yanbo and Li Qing could be his teachers.
Ma Chao quickly sent his plan and requests to the intelligence department back to Jincheng via carrier pigeon from the infantry brigade, requesting Zhao Yun's permission and asking Zhao Yun to order the intelligence department to cooperate in the operation.
Watching the carrier pigeons fluttering into the sky, Ma Chao said to Yanbo, "These carrier pigeons are indeed a good thing."
“That’s right. It’s because of carrier pigeons that our organization is able to quickly grasp battlefield intelligence, enemy movements, and requests for reinforcements,” Yanbo told Ma Chao.
Ma Chao smiled helplessly: "I used to think I was a genius, born to go to the battlefield. I learned martial arts from my father since I was a child, but the more I learned, the more I realized that force can no longer determine everything in this world."
"So I wanted to lead troops immediately, but my father never agreed to let me lead troops alone. I didn't understand why my father did this before, but now I understand a little. I still have a lot to learn."
Listening to Ma Chao's words, Yanbo smiled. He gained a new understanding of Ma Chao. Although the man in front of him was young, he did have a strong sense of battlefield awareness.
Having both courage and rationality is a fundamental requirement for a general. Yanbo said to Ma Chao, "General Ma, you are still young, unlike Li Qing and me, who are both over thirty. It will be difficult for us to climb higher. Being in the self-governed area is both a good and a bad thing for us organizers."
"What do you mean?" Ma Chao asked in astonishment, not expecting Yanbo to say such a thing.
"What does the organization think of the self-governing area's organized teams?"
“Strong, very strong!” Ma Chao said with certainty.
Yanbo smiled helplessly: "Yes, we are very strong, so we have been winning battles all the time and rarely suffered any real defeats. But precisely because of this, I have many soldiers and officers who have distinguished themselves in the organization! However, the positions within the organization are limited..."
Having said that, Ma Chao understood. He patted Yanbo on the shoulder and said, "Brother Yan, this is our good fortune!"
As an organizer himself, Ma Chao could understand Yanbo's helplessness, but he couldn't truly feel the helplessness Yanbo and his team felt because he hadn't had these worries before. However, this didn't stop him from imagining the scene of too many monks and too little porridge.
"It's alright. I'm already very satisfied with how I've risen from a private to an infantry brigade commander's guard rank over the years. Now I just want to become a general before I retire."
As a veteran after all, Yanbo quickly recovered from his earlier disappointment and followed Ma Chao back to the main tent. They needed to make more detailed plans based on their previous arrangements, striving to conquer Longxi at the lowest possible cost.
Before they could capture Longxi, Liu Hong sent an imperial edict. That year, Liu Hong had just become emperor.
One of the familiar faces was Wu Ban, the one Chen Er had saved, the one who led his troops westward swiftly across the river at the stone tablet. He had come to deliver Liu Hong's decree. Upon entering, he treated Chen Er and his son with respect, bowing to them and saying:
"General Chen, please forgive me for not being able to give you a proper salute. His Majesty has issued an edict for the young general and Ma Chao. Please accept the edict."