Chapter 1069: Biochemical Warfare

The orange-red afterglow of the setting sun, round and full in the west, spilled across the Loess Plateau of northern Shaanxi.

The sky was orange-red, the earth was earthy yellow; the world was filled with warm colors, which should have been a joyful sight. Yet, between heaven and earth, a group of human silhouettes and the booming of war drums shattered the warmth of nature. The world was filled with a murderous aura...

Although it was merely a clash between two hundred-man squads of the Song and Xia, on this plain, it possessed a certain overwhelming momentum.

Because when two armies engage, they do not collide in a hundred-man square formation—that is something only fools would do. It is necessary to disperse and stretch out the ranks, maintaining specific intervals to the left, right, front, and back, ensuring contact between individuals and squads. Unless one is a peerless warrior, there is no opportunity to show off individual prowess. This is highly collaborative, large-scale team combat.

Commander Wang Da's unit had cavalry on the flanks, shield-bearers in front, crossbowmen in the rear, and spearmen in the middle. Stretched out dozens of meters horizontally, they also maintained ten-meter intervals vertically. Viewed from afar, the entire formation appeared extremely loose, yet everyone was within three steps of a support distance.

The opposing Western Xia army was roughly the same; by this day and age, various military strategies and formations held no more surprises.

In the land of China, from the wars of ancient legends, the wars recorded in history during the Shang and Zhou dynasties, the five hundred years of warring states during the Spring and Autumn period, the unification by Qin, the Chu-Han Contention, the chaotic Three Kingdoms, the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the rebellions of the Tang, the chaos of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, up to this winter in the fifth year of Huangyou, wars have been fought back and forth for over two thousand years. The art of war, this compulsory course, has been learned quite well.

The Song Dynasty's inability to expand outward was due to a combination of factors, not merely military issues. In fact, war has never been solely a military issue...

With Wang Da and Xiao Dongliang as the two forward points, the unit ran toward the enemy, shields raised and blades drawn. As the drumbeats grew more urgent, their speed increased accordingly.

The first to engage were the archers and crossbowmen on both sides; the distance of fifty or sixty meters was enough to loose two rounds of arrows. In this regard, both sides suffered casualties, and neither held a significant advantage. Because the Xia and Liao territories had plundered many Song craftsmen, and with the various smuggling activities of the wealthy, their armaments were not inferior.

After the archers and crossbowmen, it was the turn of the cavalry. They engaged each other with tacit understanding, without bypassing the main force to harass the infantry.

Finally, it was the hundred-man squads of both sides engaging in a head-on, steel-against-steel confrontation.

Xiao Dongliang ran swiftly. From afar, he saw the Western Xia soldiers and noticed their armor was different, and the gazes they cast were ferocious. But Xiao Dongliang was not intimidated; he calmly parried a long blade with his shield, tilted his head to dodge a spear thrust from behind the Western Xia soldier, swung his blade to slit the throat of the man who clearly looked like the leader, and then slammed his shield into the Western Xia ranks.

Just after Xiao Dongliang moved past, three spears pierced firmly into the gaps of the Western Xia leader's armor. The spears were trembling; Wang Yan's fine lads had lost their minds at this moment. Their brains were hollow, but their actions were not slow. They knew nothing else; they only knew how to charge and how to thrust.

"Kill!"

Wang Da let out a roar. His movements were wilder than Xiao Dongliang's; he leaped up violently, vaulted over the first person, swung his blade in a full arc, and hacked heavily into the face of the spearman behind, then charged fiercely inward.

He wanted to prove himself, for he had always believed his promotion was not entirely honorable, and his subordinates did not look at him with favor. Thus, he trained the most diligently and led his troops with the greatest strictness. He wanted to prove that he was a strong man, that he had the ability to sit in the position of a squad leader and commander.

Now he finally had the chance. A soldier must kill the enemy to distinguish the strong from the weak, so he charged and killed with all his might...

The battle between two hundred men in total was not a friendly spar, but purely a matter of taking lives, so the battle ended quickly. Basically, within the two or three minutes of the initial charge, this ordinary border skirmish was already over.

"Chen Liu, that lad, had no luck." Wang Da shook his head, tore Chen Liu's hempen clothes, carefully wrapped the throat that had been half-severed, and finally closed those unwilling eyes.

"He had no luck, but his family will. The Master keeps his word; after the new year, the Chen family will build a new house and get more land. Damn it, these barbarians aren't much either. Why can't we just push through?"

"Nonsense, is fighting a war with a hundred people the same as fighting with a hundred thousand?"

"It's just the incompetence of the officials. If the Master were the Pacification Commissioner, he would have been kicking that dog-shit Western Xia Emperor's head like a ball long ago."

"War isn't any different. At first, my heart was pounding, but in the end, I hacked three of them to death..."

The group laughed and joked one moment, then became somber the next, then cursed and swore, lamenting that war wasn't difficult and that if everyone practiced more, they could cut off the Western Xia Emperor's head and give it to their Master to kick like a ball.

But their actions did not stop; they stopped the bleeding and bandaged their wounded brothers, and those with broken limbs had to search for their missing parts. They also had to tidy up the fallen brothers before finally setting off, dragging their feet on the way back.

It was only after they left that people from the Western Xia army came out to clean up. They drove over twenty people and beheaded them on the spot. Because those people had run away earlier, now, the entire hundred-man squad was dead and neatly accounted for...

"Hiss..."

On the city tower, Zhong E accidentally plucked out a few hairs from his beard and frowned, saying, "Prefect, these barbarians are establishing their authority. If my subordinate's guess is correct, the barbarians will surely seek provocation tomorrow."

"How does Zi Zheng know I have no intention of seeking provocation?"

Zhong E asked with some hesitation: "Does the Prefect mean we are to fight a battle every day?"

"One in the morning, one in the afternoon. I want to see how long they can play with me."

"Is the Prefect trying to train troops with Western Xia? The compensation costs will be high..." Zhong E said, "In the battle just now, I observed that the soldiers under the Prefect's command advanced and retreated with order, the formation was strict, and the coordination was tacit. Although I don't know the specific casualties, I estimate that half of them still have the strength to fight again. The Prefect has been training troops for less than a year, yet such combat power is already astonishing, sufficient for major battles. Why waste the lives of soldiers? Why pointlessly consume money and grain for compensation? Prefect, think twice."

"They must see blood to become elite."

"But they are local garrison troops, Prefect."

"Under my command, there is no such thing as garrison troops or imperial guards; there are only strong armies that fear no life or death on the battlefield and are invincible."

Wang Yan said without looking back, "Transfer another two thousand men to Qingjian. With three thousand troops, we will fight them for half a month first. Ensure the distribution of veterans and new recruits; let those who have fought lead those who haven't. Expedite the transport of grain and military supplies, and transfer doctors from the Spring and Autumn Medical Hall. Urgent, they must arrive within five days."

"Yes, Prefect, I will go and pass the order." The military clerk received the order, turned, and ran down the city wall.

Zhong E was stunned on the side. There was no help for it; this Prefect was truly overflowing with arrogance. His words were hard, his actions were harder, and his heart was harder. With a few light words, many soldiers would die. And he considered it a loss of no practical significance.

Glancing at Zhong E's expression, Wang Yan chuckled and said, "Wasting money and grain, pointlessly sacrificing the lives of the lads—is Zi Zheng blaming me for being heartless?"

"I dare not!"

"You dare not, but you do not lack the thought." Wang Yan asked with a smile, "Does Zi Zheng know the compensation benefits for garrison troops?"

"I do not."

"Those disabled and unable to fight have their children's schooling fees waived, are exempt from land taxes for three years, and for the following five years, pay one-twentieth in tax, with an annual subsidy of three strings of cash until the children reach fifteen. For those disabled and unable to care for themselves, on top of the previous basis, a new house is built, with an annual subsidy of six strings of cash, and a fixed amount of oil, sugar, and cloth provided annually."

"For those killed in action, a new house is built, land taxes are waived for five years, and for the next ten years, they pay one-twentieth in tax; their children's schooling is free, and the government pays to raise them until they are fifteen. If there are no children, ten strings of cash are paid annually to their parents..."

Wang Yan recited the compensation criteria roughly. It was very complex; for example, if a child was seven or eight years old, they couldn't enjoy fifteen years, or if there was a wife but no children, or if the family had split up, or if the soldier was a rogue with no relatives—the situations were diverse.

But there was only one principle: generosity.

And this was not even mentioning the regular pay; a small soldier received one string of cash per month, food and drink were free, and clothes and shoes were issued annually. No wonder Wang Yan couldn't afford too many troops; the daily cost was a significant sum. If there were casualties in war, the compensation would be life-threatening...

Standing on the city tower were not just Wang Yan and Zhong E, nor were they all officers; there were also common soldiers standing straight because their leaders were present. Hearing Wang Yan recite the benefits, their eyes went wide. Previously, they thought the imperial guards were prestigious and garrison troops were not even worth a dog's life, but now they had a new understanding of garrison troops...

Wang Yan looked at the equally stunned Zhong E with a smile: "What does Zi Zheng think?"

"They died for a worthy cause!"

Zhong E's heart was already shouting; if the money Wang Yan used to raise troops were given to him, he could raise an army of fifty thousand. No wonder a group that had never seen blood could be so ferocious in battle; in a head-on field battle, a group of new recruits had actually achieved a two-to-one casualty ratio, even though over twenty of the enemy were hacked to death by their own side.

After a moment of silence, he looked at Wang Yan, who stood straight with his hands tucked into his sleeves, gazing at the returning lads below, and asked hesitantly, "With such generous benefits for garrison troops, I fear the prefecture cannot support it?"

"Why do you think I have been so extensively implicating others and confiscating homes?"

"Wealth without roots is hard to sustain for long. Moreover, the Prefect cannot stay at the border for long; surely, when the person leaves, the policy ends, wasting the Prefect's painstaking efforts."

"Rest assured, whoever dares to let my painstaking efforts go to waste, I will let them go to waste. I have served as the Assistant Prefect of Hangzhou and the Inspector of the Kaifeng Military Patrol Court, and currently, things are exactly the same as when I was there. As for the matter of wealth without roots being hard to sustain, I will not say more to you. You only need to know that as long as I am here for one day, the money and grain will increase day by day."

Zhong E turned to look at the innocent, wide eyes of his subordinates, couldn't help but lean closer, and asked in a low voice, "Prefect, I wonder if you could incorporate my Qingjian troops into the garrison?"

Wang Yan shook his head with a laugh: "My authority lies in Yanzhou, not the imperial guards. If I interfere in the affairs of the imperial guards, it is an act of overstepping authority. It would further invite suspicion of buying hearts, forming cliques, and private association with border generals. Zi Zheng should be clear about my situation in the imperial court. If that were truly the case, I would be setting off for Lingnan to take up office tomorrow..."

"It was my recklessness..." Zhong E felt a bit embarrassed; mainly, he couldn't hold it back—even an honest man would be jealous...

Wang Yan descended the city tower to welcome back his fine lads.

Wang Da knelt on one knee with a clatter: "Master, I have not failed the mission. Fifty-seven beheaded in battle, twenty-six hacked to death while finishing them off. Thirteen of my unit died in battle, twenty-one seriously wounded, the rest are lightly wounded and can fight again after a few days of rest."

"You are all fine men. I keep my word; the compensation for the lads will not be a penny short. Let the seriously wounded live well; when they return to their hometowns, keep an eye on those officials for me and live well. Disperse, go and get treated quickly."

Wang Yan waved his hand and turned to address the remaining garrison troops.

"A soldier should protect the home and defend the country, guard the land and defend the borders, and protect the people. I have told the lads that fighting and dying on the battlefield is not for others, but for ourselves. If the Western Xia barbarians break through our Yanzhou defenses and drive straight in, then it is the lads' fathers, mothers, wives, and children who will suffer."

"I have also said that for the lads to protect the home and defend the country, fighting and dying, I cannot let the lads' hearts grow cold. As the parent official of Yanzhou, I represent the people of Yanzhou to ensure the lads are well-fed and well-cared for, removing any worries behind them. The lads use their lives to fight, and I will ensure the lads' affairs behind them."

"The lads have not failed my expectations, training with their lives... Now, it is time to test the lads' hard training. You have all seen the battle just now. I tell you all now, this will happen every day from now on. For every barbarian we kill, there is one less danger. Starting tomorrow, one battle in the morning, one in the afternoon. Lads, go and meet the Western Xia barbarians and let them see the bloodiness of our Yanzhou lads..."

After Wang Yan's speech, the one thousand garrison troops he brought out were already shouting and killing with excitement. It wasn't just the garrison troops; the watching imperial guards were also bewitched by Prefect Wang, their shouts shaking the sky.

It scared the Western Xia soldiers on the opposite side, making them nervous. In the sunset afterglow, one could see rapidly moving silhouettes...

Wang Yan did what he said; from this day on, Wang Yan began to play the game of hundred-man squad duels with the opposite side.

His garrison troops were truly well-trained; after all, they were supplied with good food and drink and raised with generous benefits. Their will to fight was strong, and their momentum was sufficient. On this basis, as long as they were physically fit, had strength, and were trained to master military formations and coordination, and learned to watch the flags, it was enough to take them out to fight.

Every day at a fixed time and place, at two quarters past the Si hour (9:30 AM) in the morning, and two quarters past the Wei hour (1:30 PM) in the afternoon. At these two times, they would punctually send out a hundred-man squad to challenge.

The Western Xia side was idle anyway, and they had a huge psychological advantage, so they didn't refuse anyone. After all, they had won in the past, and if the Liao hadn't stabbed them in the back, they might have really fought their way into the Guanzhong region.

So the previous small skirmishes suddenly escalated with Wang Yan's arrival. Two hundred people could fight a skirmish; if it were Han Xin, he could micromanage this hundred-man squad to conduct a surprise attack.

So although it was still called a border skirmish, it was absolutely different from the past, where two expert archers would provoke, or someone would come to disgust the other side, or dozens of people would kill each other.

After all, Zhong E had less than ten thousand troops under his command; one hundred people a day would only last three months.

Of course, in the actual battle, it wasn't that the hundred people had to die completely. It was just that the Western Xia felt they had lost face and dealt with those who ran away, to warn others and make them fight with their lives...

Overall, the battles were won and lost by both sides, but generally speaking, Wang Yan's side won more and killed more. However, their will to fight was strong, and no one ran away; if Wang Yan didn't sound the retreat, they wouldn't withdraw.

After half a month and thirty battles, in the most tragic one, only ten of the hundred-man squad Wang Yan sent out returned.

It wasn't that Western Xia lacked elites; they naturally saw that Wang Yan was using them to train troops, but their new recruits couldn't beat them, and even with veterans leading, they couldn't beat them. They would also occasionally form an elite hundred-man squad just to slaughter the Song army.

After thirty battles, the three thousand people Wang Yan sent out were reduced to less than two thousand; this was a terrifying casualty rate. But Wang Yan could say for sure that the opposite side had lost at least two thousand, and the vast majority were not just wounded, but dead.

Because his soldiers' blades, spears, and arrows were quenched with a liquid made from a mixture of livestock feces and other things, all to increase the infection rate of blade wounds, playing a game of biochemical warfare—it was very dirty.

However, Wang Yan's side was different. He had been running hospitals for five years and had long since researched anti-inflammatory drugs; the only issue was that productivity was insufficient. But taking them out to use for the garrison troops on his side was still no problem. Moreover, the doctors he trained had even higher medical skills. The post-battle survival rate was still quite good.

His force of less than two thousand men was combat-ready. Of the remaining thousand-plus, the attrition from deaths and serious injuries was less than eight hundred. The rest were all salvageable and had a high probability of survival.

With this back and forth, his combat loss ratio remained one to two.

Furthermore, he had gained two thousand battle-hardened soldiers who had fought with real blades and spears; having been on a battlefield versus never having been on one were absolutely two different concepts. If he sent these two thousand men to continue the fight, the combat losses would certainly decrease further.

Of course, he would not do that, because he had transferred another three thousand garrison troops, dispersing the thousand-plus veterans who had fought into them to reorganize the groups. With these men, who could be considered veterans, leading the new recruits into battle, the effect would absolutely be stronger than the original force, which was composed mostly of new recruits. It could unleash more powerful combat effectiveness while simultaneously further reducing his own side's casualties.

As for the coordination issues of the newly formed units, that was not a problem. Because they were all from the same mold and had the same training, they all knew how to coordinate, and the veterans were all officers, directing them as easily as moving one's own arm...

Wang Yan took the initiative to provoke conflicts, arranging battles with Western Xia every day, which looked like child's play. Fighting, training troops, and consuming the enemy's vital strength—this was all a matter of killing a thousand enemies while suffering eight hundred losses of one's own.

But Wang Yan never fought wars in ancient times purely through battlefield clashes; he always targeted logistics and national strength. He could rely on his powerful logistical capabilities to turn those eight hundred losses into four hundred.

He was even dirty enough to engage in biochemical warfare; how were the Western Xia supposed to play?

He wasn't even afraid of them sending out their elite teams; his troops had already been updated once and were three times stronger, and he was specifically targeting their elites...

On the sixteenth day, when the three thousand garrison troops Wang Yan had newly transferred arrived, they all rested for a day with good food and drink, reorganized their units, and were on time to go out and arrange a fight at nine-thirty that morning when a change occurred.

The Western Xia people didn't come out...