Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors-Chapter 470 - 259 Pincer Attack_5

Wanyan Sheng, though strung up and beaten by General Han Fuyue, was already the strongest among the Jin people and had fully utilized the characteristics of the Jin soldiers in his leadership.

At this moment, as usual, he spotted a rare opportunity for battle.

For Wanyan Sheng, the best strategy was naturally to wait until Han Fuyue withdrew his troops and then have Qin Huizhi falsely accuse him of murder. To eliminate his archenemy without shedding blood would be the ideal outcome.

But at this time, General Han Fuyue had surprisingly defied orders and did not plan to return to the capital.

It seemed that the Qi Dynasty had no intention of deploying their own troops to exterminate General Han Fuyue.

In that case, it was up to the Jin people to handle the situation.

Wanyan Sheng could clearly see the current situation; if the Jin people did not act, the likelihood of the Qi Dynasty moving against General Han Fuyue would approach zero.

Delay could lead to unforeseen changes.

Although General Han Fuyue had only a little over thirty thousand men, if he were really allowed to grow his forces, it would become problematic.

Therefore, Wanyan Sheng decided to take swift, decisive action while Han Fuyue’s army was still unconsolidated, lacking adequate support, and had not yet secured a stable source of military provisions, to exterminate him in one fell swoop.

This would not only deter others across the world and boost the morale of the Jin soldiers, but also thoroughly eliminate this formidable foe.

Thus, the various large forces of the Jin people, which were on the verge of collapse, were forcefully unified by Wanyan Sheng, combining elite cavalry and infantry to form a total of eighty thousand men, and they headed straight for Zhuxian Town.

...

At this time, Zhao Haiping did not rush to mobilize his troops but remained where he was.

He did only three things.

The first was to build high walls and deep trenches, continuing to perfect the various defense works within the camp, constructing layers of defenses as impregnable as a fortified city;

The second was to still rigorously train his soldiers every day;

The third was to accept the military provisions sent by nearby commoners.

Though the Zhao Yi Army was now reduced to just over thirty thousand men, and the rate of military provisions consumption had slowed, there were no longer continuous supplies of food and fodder from the rear, and they were effectively living off decreasing local resources.

The provisions left behind when the main forces withdrew could not support them for long.

But at least in the short term, Zhao Haiping did not need to worry about the supply of military provisions.

Because the commoners from the newly liberated areas behind the enemy lines were competing to bring grain.

Historical records indicate that the commoners "rushed to pull carts and oxen loaded with cooked rations to aid the Rebel Army," and when it was learned that General Han Fuyue had received the imperial order to withdraw, the commoners of Central Plains had also pleaded, "We carry the incense burner, transport fodder, to welcome the official army, the enemy knows all of this. If Your Excellency leaves now, we will have no way to survive."

With General Han Fuyue’s great reputation in various places, it was common for commoners to deliver military provisions.

Not only was this true for General Han Fuyue, but also for other Qi Army commanders who had achieved victories and had good reputations among the people; they too received such treatment.

Before Zhao Haiping tore up the imperial edict, the approach of General Han Fuyue and other commanders was basically to "reward generously with silver and silk."

That is, they could not just take the commoners’ grain for free but had to reward the commoners with some gold and silver based on the amount they supplied.

But the Jin people, in their frustration and embarrassment, were simultaneously sending people to intercept and kill those supplying grain to the Qi Army, and employed group liability, killing all the surrounding commoners of anyone found transporting military provisions.

Nevertheless, the supply of provisions transported by the commoners of the Qi Dynasty continued unabated.

Furthermore, when the Jin people withdrew from various strategic locations, they did not have time to take all kinds of supply wagons, so this could also serve as a replenishment.

Previously, various Qi Army units did not accept provisions delivered by the commoners because they truly did not lack food, but now, Zhao Haiping truly lacked provisions.

So, he ordered his men to accept all the military provisions laboriously brought by the commoners, recording each contribution.

Not only that, but he also called over a few elderly locals who had transported provisions and had long discussions with them, telling them something very important.

These military provisions, although they cannot currently be exchanged for gold and silver treasures, the villagers can obtain certificates written and stamped personally by the military.

Zhao Haiping promised that once the lost territories were recovered, unclaimed lands would be distributed among these common folk. Those who had transported military supplies would receive additional land based on the amount they had transported!

The amount of military provisions exchanged for land was clearly written on the certificates.

Of course, the so-called unclaimed lands... some might truly be unclaimed, while others might become so after eliminating the Jin impostors and landlords by force.

The villagers who came to deliver food were overjoyed to collect these certificates, even happier than if they had received gold and silver treasures. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

Because in ancient times, land was the only means of production!

Although gold and silver were also hard currency, they were far less attractive to the ordinary people compared to land.

Though this was still just an empty promise and might not be fulfilled, it was regarded by the people as something that would definitely be honored.

Because of the illustrious reputation General Han Fuyue earned through his campaigns, the people were convinced he could win and absolutely would not renege on his word.

Not only that, Zhao Haiping continued to establish three rules with his soldiers.

First, they had to continue fighting bravely, always striving to be the first. Both past and future military achievements would still count.

Second, they had to adhere to the principle of "freezing to death without dismantling a house, starving to death without looting," no matter the desperate situations, they must not harass the common folk.

Third, anyone who achieved military merit, like those who transported grain, would be rewarded with land!

This defined the goals and the reward and punishment system for the Zhao Yi Army.

The goal was to fight the Jin people and recover the lost lands.

The reward and punishment system was to distribute the reclaimed lands according to military merits!

Previously, General Han Fuyue absolutely could not and dared not do this. Because he was still a subject of the Qi Dynasty and led the Qi Dynasty’s army, the lands captured naturally belonged to the Qi Dynasty.

How those lands were distributed depended on the emperor’s will, and as a commanding general, he had no authority over them.

But now, since he was no longer heeding the emperor’s edicts or requiring the emperor’s supply of provisions, why should he share the land he captured?

Of course, he would keep it for himself!

Such a reward system was irresistibly tempting, both for his soldiers and for the villagers transporting grain.

Just then, Zhao Haiping received military reports that Wanyan Sheng had once again gathered eighty thousand troops and was making a comeback.

This time, clearly informed about General Han Fuyue’s falling out with the Qi Dynasty, he was seeking to right previous humiliations.

Zhao Haiping took a deep breath, ready for a fight to the death.

On the numerical strength of the forces, there was naturally a great disparity.

In terms of logistical supply, there was also a significant difference.

Though there were stockpiled provisions and spontaneous support from villagers, since a stable supply line had not yet formed, the logistical pressure on the Zhao Yi Army was sure to be much greater.

If this battle dragged on, perhaps the Zhao Yi Army would indeed be trapped and perish here.

But what about that?

When Zhao Haiping tore up the imperial decree, he had already anticipated today’s situation.

Then let’s fight!

As long as he won this battle, the world would be vast, and he could race freely under the vast skies.

Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om