RPAGF Chapter 143 The Order to Assemble
Chapter 143 The Order to Assemble
Moreover, it would be best to inflict heavy damage on Ji Ling's forces so that Yuan Shu would not dare to easily provoke another war.
"Order the Second Army stationed in Donghai and the Seventh Army stationed in Rencheng to immediately withdraw two divisions each to reinforce Xiapi."
After quickly reviewing the intelligence, Gao Shun immediately made a decision. He said to the messenger, "Send a message to Yuyang immediately, requesting the lord's order to launch a counterattack against Yuan Shu!"
"Yes, General!"
This war was initiated by Yuan Shu, and Gao Shun was not worried about being held responsible for starting the war. Moreover, as the commander of the First Army Corps and the chief instructor of the autonomous region's army, Gao Shun was under orders from Chen Er when he went south.
He was fully in charge of the war in the south, had the authority to handle emergencies, and had the power to act first and report later.
"Order!"
"The First Army and the Fourth Division of the Second Army shall immediately leave the city and set up defenses. Each of the four divisions shall be responsible for one side and set up defenses. This time, we will show Yuan Shu what a real battle with firearms looks like!" Gao Shun ordered the division commander beside him.
Gao Shun said, "Yuan Shu is stubborn and closed-minded. Our lord has already secretly made the flintlock musket technology public, but Yuan Shu still equips his army with matchlock muskets. It's really hard to understand. This time, let's show him whether his persistence is worthwhile."
Just as everyone was laughing, Gao Shun suddenly changed his tone and said, "However! You must not underestimate the enemy. After all, the enemy has more than 100,000 people, which is not a small number."
"My First Legion still has a heavy local defense mission, and the enemy has also widely adopted arquebuses. They are not helpless. Being hit by an arquebus is just as fatal."
"If that unit loses to the enemy under normal combat conditions, don't blame me for reporting to the lord and having him revoke your unit's designation!"
"Yes, General!"
Following Gao Shun's order, the area outside Xiapi immediately transformed into a bustling construction site. Large numbers of autonomous region soldiers, dressed in red uniforms, were building fortifications under the leadership of officers of all ranks. Pengcheng was very close to Xiapi.
The enemy could appear before them at any moment, leaving them no room for carelessness. Before reinforcements arrived, Gao Shun would use two armies to resist the attack of Ji Ling's more than 100,000 troops.
Although Yuan Shu's army's firearms were not as advanced as theirs, Yuan Shu's army still had relatively rich combat experience, and officers at all levels had accumulated a lot of battlefield command experience in firearm warfare, which was something that the Yanzhou army outside Rencheng could not match.
"Despise the enemy strategically, but take them seriously tactically!" Gao Shun repeated this phrase he had heard from Chen Er. No matter what kind of enemy he faced, he had to prepare with the spirit of a lion hunting a rabbit in order to ensure his victory.
Gao Shun was a cautious man. He never fought a battle unprepared. In Gao Shun's view, no matter how much preparation he did, it was always necessary.
Let's turn our attention to Ji Ling, Yuan Shu's top general. Ji Ling seems quite capable, but he's also arrogant, especially after receiving Yuan Shu's orders.
Ji Ling had no worries at all. In his view, the army of the Northern Autonomous Region was nothing special and not as powerful as the legends said. He believed that his hundreds of thousands of troops taking Xiapi was just a spring outing. His army was on a spring outing to Xiapi.
On Ji Ling's desk lay intelligence on Xiapi City, which had a force of only 50,000 men. Ji Ling didn't take this number seriously at all, and like Yuan Shu, he had no idea of the power of flintlock muskets.
He always believed that the only difference between flintlock muskets and matchlock muskets was their ignition method; otherwise, they were not significantly different.
In this light, even if Ji Ling was capable, his talent was probably quite limited. On the very day he received Yuan Shu's order, Ji Ling issued a large-scale assembly order, commanding the army to pack their belongings and prepare for the expedition!
The first formal clash between Yuan Shu and Chen Er is about to begin, which may become the most memorable event of the year 2190. Yuan Shu challenges Chen Er! This is a challenge from a rising warlord to an established power. From the moment Yuan Shu ordered the attack, this battle has been the focus of the entire empire. A large number of spies from different forces flocked to Xiapi City, all wanting to obtain first-hand information. They also wanted to know as soon as possible whether the established power of Chen Er would win as always, or whether Yuan Shu could emerge as a dark horse. This would directly affect their subsequent diplomatic policies.
When Chen Er learned that Yuan Shu intended to challenge him, he simply smiled and replied to Gao Shun's order with a single word: 'Victory!'
He believed Gao Shun would give him a perfect answer. This stemmed from his deep confidence in his own abilities and Gao Shun's capabilities!
If you want to fight, then fight, just don't regret it!
"How is the construction of the fortifications progressing?"
In this battle, Gao Shun did not intend to take the initiative to attack. He wanted to launch a defensive counterattack. The shipyards in Sishui and Rencheng should have produced a considerable number of warships by now, although they were all inland river warships.
However, this was more than enough for the Sishui River basin. According to Chen Deng, Pengcheng only had a small number of government warships to suppress the river bandits in the Sishui River basin, and its strength was very weak. Yuan Shu's army had just occupied Pengcheng.
There's no way we can invest in the navy in the short term. That's exactly what Gao Shun was planning. The 7th Army stationed in Rencheng will send a division to strike Pengcheng by water! Cut off Ji Ling's main force's retreat from the rear, annihilate a portion of Yuan Shu's main force, and make Yuan Shu behave himself.
As a trusted general under Chen Er, Gao Shun was well aware of Chen Er's unwillingness to fight a major battle at this time, so he wanted to fight a battle to make Yuan Shu behave.
"Reporting to the general, the outer defenses of the city are ready, and all artillery positions are prepared for battle," said Xiahou Dun, the deputy legion commander.
"Xiahou, I will entrust you with full command of this defensive operation, directing the deployment of troops. I will only be an observer. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me," Gao Shun said to Xiahou Dun.
Upon hearing Gao Shun's words, Xiahou Dun immediately said excitedly to Gao Shun, "Thank you for your guidance, General."
"No need. This is also the lord's intention. With the continuous expansion of our army, there is a growing shortage of experienced commanders. In addition, your abilities are evident to all, so it is only natural that you have achieved what you have today. Moreover, I estimate that after this battle, you may take over as the commander of the soon-to-be-established Sixth Army Corps."
Gao Shun waved his hand and said to Xiahou Dun, "The overall strategy for this battle has been determined. You just need to continue to implement the previous plan. Of course, I hope that you can bring more surprises to me and the lord outside the plan. That will be more helpful to you in the future, Xiahou."