Chapter 1088

What people could not have imagined, Chen Wuji not only achieved, but it almost became a standard tactic.

Chen Baojia and the others are now practically addicted to it; they have long been accustomed to this method of securing supplies before the enemy, and before marching out, they no longer ask about provisions but instead demand detailed maps and ways to gather intelligence.

This is the greatest difference between Chen Wuji's way of waging war and others', and it is the one thing he can proudly boast about in front of these cunning strategists.

The intelligence he has cultivated truly can illuminate the battlefield.

Others move provisions before troops, but Chen Wuji moves intelligence before troops!

Although this approach was initially forced upon him, now the benefits are simply too numerous to ignore.

Aside from the advantages in warfare, this is also a major reason why Chen Wuji can fight frequently in the nearly exhausted Nan Jun without going bankrupt, but instead growing richer.

Xu Zengyi finally understood Chen Wuji's full calculation, chuckling and shaking his head: "So the lord's concern lies here—if General Chen Wuyi successfully marches north, then this route is already nearly half-open, and we can also clarify the exact relationship between Shangfang Commandery and Jiannan Commandery."

Chen Wuji waved his hand: "Of course, just a thought—Chen Wuyi's northward march is inherently difficult, and without unexpected events, using this method to open the route to Hezhou and Nanyue Jun would be even harder."

"Even if Chen Wuyi succeeds the first time on this road, there's no guarantee he and Guo Jin'ge will succeed a second time; the extra benefit we might gain is roughly that we can seize the opportunity to clarify the power dynamics between these two commanderies."

Xu Zengyi nodded: "In that case, I have no objections—I was overthinking it."

"No wonder the lord dispatched so many elite spies at once, and with the Spy Camp's agents already lurking in these two commanderies, figuring out the route and the approximate troop deployments of each faction should not be difficult."

Chen Wuji sighed: "But after all, I was still greedy."

"Later I still need to talk with Chen Wuyi; sir, if you have time, please summon a few assistant officers to temporarily assist Chen Wuyi, offer a few strategies—this northward march will certainly not be easy."

Xu Zengyi nodded: "Deputy Officer takes his leave."

After finishing the official business, his attention finally turned to Chen Wuji's catch.

Just a glance, and he silently turned his head.

The virtue the lord lacks on the battlefield seems to have been repaid in fishing.

"My lord, today is not a good day; otherwise, pack up the rod!" Xu Zengyi hesitated before advising, "Today is the drill between Qian Fugui and Chen Ruoshui—otherwise, let's go watch?"

"Today's feng shui really does seem bad; let's go, let's go see the excitement!"

Although warfare has paused, the soldiers have not a single day of idleness.

The required drills are not only not lacking daily, but are being layered with increasing intensity.

The more elite the unit, the better the treatment they enjoy, and the harder the training becomes.

Two-army confrontation drills have become a constant of the three-six-nine system.

Chen Wuji has consistently been training his two-hundred-thousand-strong army toward the direction of professional soldiers.

Whether it is welfare benefits, military systems, promotion mechanisms, or daily drills, he is cultivating them toward the direction he was familiar with and understood in his previous life.

So far, progress is good; the performance of each unit on the battlefield has also been remarkably outstanding, living up to his expectations and not wasting his efforts.

……

Chen Wuyi recently has felt as if a group of ghosts were choking his throat, suffocating him.

Since the day Chen Wuji ordered them—their Wing Rest Camp—to march north to Hezhou, they have not had a single good day.

Originally, the big fellows' training had been pushed to the extreme, with thirty-li runs morning and evening, followed by various martial arts drills and combat, filling the day from dawn to dusk.

Now it's even worse: in the mornings, they must follow a few assistant officers to learn small-scale tactics, learn various vicious tricks for battlefield confrontation, learn formation setup, learn feng shui calculation, and learn geomancy.

Just after lunch, the military doctors arrive.

What they teach is even more complex.

It's all kinds of herbs, and how to simply combine them, what ailments they can treat after combination, and how to consume those herbs advantageously when food is scarce.

And this is still not the end.

After evening training, when preparing to sleep, there are still veteran hunters from various armies lighting oil lamps to teach them how to more easily capture prey in the wild.

This appears to be the simplest, but is actually the most difficult.

Because many soldiers cannot even imagine what animal trails look like, what the footprints of wild creatures resemble—these things being unimaginable, they naturally cannot accomplish distinguishing tracks to identify where prey is located.

Chen Wuyi also cannot imagine it.

He followed Chen Wuji into the mountains, but he truly does not understand.

After several days, Chen Wuyi feels as if he has lost seven or eight layers of fat, his whole body lacking energy.

After enduring five days of alternating torment from assistant officers, military doctors, and hunters, Chen Wuyi finally could bear it no longer; he gritted his teeth and stormed into Chen Wuji's central command big tent.

"My lord, please let me leave early—from Yǐnmǎchuān to Hezhou there is not much distance; even if I don't learn those things, I believe I should be able to lead the soldiers safely there and win a few splendid battles." Chen Wuyi gripped his head and spoke muffled.

Chen Wuji was enjoying Zhang Xiuer cleaning his ears.

If it weren't for Chen Wuyi, this half-way-killed Cheng Yaojin, Chen Wuji would already be lying comfortably on Zhang Xiuer's soft thighs for an afternoon nap.

He has a lovely wife and beautiful concubines, yet only today did he discover how delightful it is to nap on thighs!

"Learn as much as you can from the impromptu Buddha-hugging—it won't hurt you, and from now on this will become routine. Do you think I easily persuaded those few to give a lecture to your entire army of ten thousand?" Chen Wuji said.

"Besides those few old hunters, the rest I must treat politely—you still dare complain to me? Broad daylight, don't block my sunlight—hurry back to your Wing Rest Camp and stay there."

Chen Wuyi said with a bitter face: "But... my lord, those things are simply too difficult for the soldiers."

"The few assistant officers like to conduct surprise tests; if you can't answer, they make you stand on plum blossom posts, with two soldiers sitting on your thighs. The military doctors are even more outrageous—they casually order soldiers to attack their comrades, and if this continues, military morale will be worrying, my lord!"

Chen Wuji frowned: "Really that serious? I understand—I will speak to them!"

Chen Wuyi felt a surge of joy, thinking he had seen hope, but the result was just hearing Chen Wuji say: "Really, how did you give me slack work and reduction to this state? I clearly told them: if one person fails to answer, the entire unit is punished—three hundred push-ups or standing posts for half an hour."

"And this bunch of military doctors—truly outrageous, so soft-hearted and soft-handed, what can they possibly learn!"

Chen Wuyi: ……