The Demon Lords-Chapter 667 - 126: Being An Individual_2
The Eldest Prince began, "This time we intend to cross the river from here to attack the rear of the Chu army. What's unclear is why we aren't being sent to assail the rear of the wild people."
It seemed as if he were asking a question and muttering to himself at the same time.
Since he had suffered a defeat, the Eldest Prince was now studying Tian Wujing's strategy. The sons of the Ji Family, particularly these princes, were remarkably resilient under the brutal rule of their father, the Yan Emperor.
Zheng Fan had once joked with his blind companion that, despite the Yan Emperor's cruel methods of education, the princes all matured exceptionally well. Were the Yan Emperor living in a later era, he could have written a treatise on the effectiveness of adversity in education and transformed himself into an educational authority.
Jin Shuke chuckled, took a sip from his waterskin, and explained, "Because the Chu people are prone to supply shortages, unlike the wild people."
"Why so? The Chu people would have brought plenty of supplies with them on their expedition, and they should have received support from their homeland during this period. In contrast, the wild people are known for their marauding and pillaging habits, sending many of their spoils back to the tundra."
Jin Shuke laughed awkwardly and said, "Because the wild people herd."
"Now? Herd?"
"Yes, and they can eat sheep."
"No, that's impossible. Sheep wouldn't be enough," the Eldest Prince asserted confidently.
He was not the type to stay idle in his princely mansion. He knew what cattle and sheep signified to herdsmen—they were the equivalent of the Central Plains people's crops. How could they be consumed carelessly?
Jin Shuke shook his head and said, "Your Highness, do you know there is a kind of sheep that walks on two legs?"
"..." The Eldest Prince.
The atmosphere suddenly turned quiet.
After a long pause, the Eldest Prince nodded, bit his lip, and indicated he understood.
Could Tian Wujing's strategy of focusing only on the Chu people's supply lines and rear be because he already knew the wild people would resort to such measures?
Jin Shuke knew of this tactic because it had been used against the Yan people during the years when the Barbarians were strong.
However, now that the Desolate regions had weakened and the Yan people had grown strong, attempting the same was nearly impossible.
"In my opinion, Your Highness," Jin Shuke continued, "the wild people are just wolf cubs. They appear formidable but are ultimately no match for tigers. To deal with them, one only needs to find an opportune moment to charge at them head-on. When that time comes, it will be clear who is stronger and who is weaker."
In some ways, the wild people were similar to the Barbarians. However, the Barbarians traditionally looked down on the wild people, and Jin Shuke shared this sentiment.
I may not be able to defeat the Yan people, but handling you lot is another story.
"On the other hand, I find the Chu State somewhat more challenging to confront. On the battlefield, the adversaries I least want to encounter are those who maintain order."
The Eldest Prince nodded in understanding. He had fought the Chu people before; Li Bao had even died leading his men to cover the retreat on the eastern bank.
The Chu State's Blue Luan Army was indeed elite.
"The Chu infantry's square formations are tough to break."
Chu infantry are exceedingly strong and possess comprehensive military units. Even on open ground, breaching their formations once they are organized is a challenge.
Jin Shuke smirked and said, "That's why the Chu people must be trapped."
The Eldest Prince followed up, asking, "And after we trap them? Do we then move to attack their cities?"
"After we trap them, we strike at the wild people."
Trap the Chu people and attack the wild people?
The Eldest Prince suddenly felt that this Barbarian before him was truly different, truly remarkable. This Chiliarch named Jin Shuke, who was now his nominal 'official', seemed to have already figured out Lord Jingnan's upcoming strategic layout.
The Eldest Prince immediately sat cross-legged, faced Jin Shuke, and said, "Please elaborate."
Jin Shuke was somewhat excited. He loved to talk, but some things simply couldn't be voiced when a suitable audience wasn't present.
"The wild people, to put it bluntly, are just a pack of mad dogs. But the Chu people are different; they can build and defend cities.
The current stalemate at the Wang River is so difficult to break precisely because the Chu people are involved, isn't it?
On this eastern bank of the Wang River, the Chu people and the wild people are actually complementing each other."
"Ah..."
The Eldest Prince didn't point out the misused phrase; he understood the meaning, and that was enough.
"Without the wild people, the Chu people wouldn't be able to deploy effectively and would only suffer passively against our cavalry. The presence of the wild people compensates for this deficiency on their part.
And if the wild people didn't have the Chu people—without the Chu people occupying and defending Jade Plate City for them—their only options would be to fight or retreat.
It's because of the Chu people's presence that the wild people are qualified to be in a standoff with us.
This is called... war... strategic depth. Yes, that's the term.
So, if we trap the Chu people, the wild people will inevitably come to their rescue. The king of the wild people—even Mr. Bei says he's an extraordinary figure—will definitely not just watch from the sidelines. Is it called 'setting a fire from the other bank'?"
"Watching the fire from the other bank."
"Oh, right. Ultimately, we are stronger. Even though we were defeated once, counting our Zheng's Army... no, counting our Shengle Army, another fifty thousand Jingnan Army troops have arrived, and the Lord himself is here. To say something you might not like to hear, Your Highness, a person's reputation precedes them. Having that Lord at our back versus having you at our back previously... it gives us soldiers a different feeling."
"I know." The Eldest Prince nodded.
On this point, he did not deny it, nor would he try to.
The boost in morale and confidence that a god of war can bring to an army, beyond mere tactical and strategic advantages, is truly formidable.
The Eldest Prince then asked, "So, how do we fight the wild people?"
"HEH. What's so hard about that? Mount up, charge! After two rounds of mounted archery, draw sabers and crash right into them! When it comes to mounted archery skills, Your Highness, your Zhenbei Army and Jingnan Army are truly no worse than us Barbarians. What's there to fear from the wild people?
Fighting the wild people, in my opinion, is just like two packs of wild dogs fighting. The strongest and most capable fighters must be placed in the center to clash with and overwhelm the enemy!
As long as you beat down and subdue their most capable group, the fighting spirit of the rest will dissipate.
Last time, the reason the Left Army was defeated so thoroughly was because that group of people was simply..."
Saying this, Jin Shuke closed his mouth, realizing he had perhaps said too much.
The Eldest Prince closed his eyes, took a deep breath, nodded, and said, "It was my fault."
The mistake was overthinking, being excessively cautious, and making simple matters unnecessarily complex.
"Your Highness, your temperament is truly good. HEH HEH."
"I also grew up in the army."
"HEH HEH. Is that so? Well, perhaps I'm not qualified to say this, but Your Highness, Mr. Bei once said that failure is the mother of success. Don't be discouraged; you'll rise again in the future. Your resources are far greater than ten thousand others."
"Having a general like you under General Zheng is truly enviable."
The undertone of that statement hinted at something more. After all, everyone knew the Eldest Prince couldn't remain a Captain in the Shengle Army forever.
But Jin Shuke merely pretended not to understand. The Eldest Prince, thinking he himself had been a bit too hasty, diffused the awkwardness by saying, "I'll take a few more men to scout over there again, to ensure there are no Chu spies."
"Alright. Be careful, Your Highness."
"It's what I should do."
「」
After the Eldest Prince left, a Barbarian soldier approached Jin Shuke and whispered, "Jin Shuke, that Yan State noble seems to admire you greatly. You're going to be successful!"
Jin Shuke showed a disdainful smirk, then unceremoniously slapped the Barbarian soldier's helmet and cursed, "Forgotten who provides your meals?"
"No, I wouldn't dare. I... I was just happy for you."
"Happy?"
Jin Shuke HUMPHED, his face devoid of the respect he had shown the Eldest Prince earlier, and said coldly, "The nobles of Yan State treat us like dogs. Only General Zheng truly treats us as human beings.
I'm from the penal tribes. I've had enough of being a dog.
Now,
I want to be a man."
