Chapter 960

First Volume, Chapter 960: It's All About Speed

Since Qin Feng entered Beidi, Li Zhang and Qin Feng had maintained close communication through Jin Yi Wei messengers; the Winter War had long been fully planned, and Li Zhang knew every detail inside out, so its execution proceeded with ease.

According to Qin Feng's strategic thinking, the entry of logistics forces signaled the true beginning of this war.

The entire Zhuozhou situation had become clear: the Light Cavalry Corps and Main Force had plunged straight into Daqi County at Zhuozhou's northernmost tip, splitting Zhuozhou in two, while the flank units had pinned down the two key border towns of Sanggan and Nanhua, isolating them as lone cities—whether receiving outside support or sending troops out to aid others, both had become Huangliang Dream.

Due to their inability to contact Sanggan and Nanhua, outposts and towns across Zhuozhou dared not launch troops rashly, instead adopting the safest approach: defending their own One Mu Three Fen Land.

Meanwhile, the Expeditionary Brigade executed a large flanking maneuver from the left wing, advancing via Yuan Hui routes; regardless of how many cities or strongholds they captured, the mere military pressure they exerted on Zhuozhou's Xi Xian ensured no enemy dared move lightly.

On the right wing's Eastern Front, Tianji Camp Guards had been causing disruptions at multiple points, forcing towns and strongholds along Zhuozhou's Eastern Front to dare not send troops out of their walls.

As a result, not only was Daqi County isolated and unsupported, but the offensive paths opened by the Light Cavalry Vanguard and Main Force had also become relatively secure; at this moment, the restless Ming Wang voluntarily requested the task of securing these lines, marching northward to eliminate potential threats, establish strongholds, and followed by engineers who further fortified them.

This route was not merely an offensive path, but gradually being consolidated into a communication and logistics transportation line.

Finally, the logistics forces entered.

If this were summer, the enemy cavalry could leverage their high mobility, and logistics forces would never dare advance lightly—even if they moved, they required heavy military protection on all sides.

But long before the Winter War began, logistics had been Qin Feng's key area of study.

Beixi County itself was a massive commercial hub, with trade routes built in all directions; the trade roads leading to the Border could rightly be called Kang Zhuang Da Dao.

Materials and Supplies gathered from within Shedynasty were concentrated in Beixi County and, leveraging the trade route advantage, delivered to the Border in an extremely short time.

The Border Guan Kou itself was a massive material transit hub; a shortest trade route had long been constructed between Guan Kou and Xiongyingling Outpost.

Along this trade route, there were over a dozen military garrisons, large and small; though the largest stronghold housed no more than a few hundred troops, they indirectly ensured the safety of the trade route.

Materials arriving from Guan Kou would be delivered at maximum speed to Xiongyingling, then channeled into Zhuozhou.

Established forward strongholds would select several as transit stations, continuously reinforcing them with personnel and defense forces, transporting materials forward in batches to form a major artery continuously supplying the front battlefield.

Yet this materials supply line feared most enemy harassment and attacks; precisely because of this, most of the money spent in this Winter War went toward consolidating logistics transportation routes!

At this moment, Ming Wang had already led his troops into Zhuozhou's Rear Area; he ordered his soldiers to rest in place while beginning to plan the positioning of new strongholds.

Since this region was vast, barren steppe with no troops stationed, no existing strongholds could be seized; they had to establish and construct them from scratch.

Ming Wang marked out a plot of land along the planned transport route; nearby there was an abundance of stone, sufficient for local materials to build a temporary stronghold.

The moment Ming Wang finished marking the land, a soldier rode up on horseback.

There were six of them; their leader was a Tianji Camp Guard, followed by a young man wearing only a breastplate, with four Beixi Soldiers behind him.

Ming Wang instantly recognized the young man as Lu Ming, chief envoy of the Tianji Camp!

Lu Ming also spotted Ming Wang; from afar, he dismounted immediately and ran forward on foot.

"Your Highness, it's been a long time—how is your health?"

Who ever greets someone by asking if their health is good?

Hearing this simple, even slightly comical greeting, Ming Wang did not mind—in fact, he threw back his head and laughed heartily.

"Hahaha, I've spent years in Fuyun County and lived in comfort in Beixi County for so long—my body is nearly falling apart; if I don't get beaten up soon, I'll become useless in no time."

"Though the freezing cold is hard on this old frame of mine, the more I fight, the more my blood boils!"

Among those bearing heavy responsibilities in Beixi County, Lu Ming was the youngest.

He had once been a destitute vagrant wandering Jingdu; had Qin Feng not found him, he would surely have starved to death on the streets.

Now a top figure in the Tianji Camp, Lu Ming had not changed his original heart; despite Ming Wang's warm and casual demeanor, Lu Ming remained cautious, immediately bowing his head in salute.

Ming Wang paid no mind to Lu Ming's timidity and asked casually: "Kid, rushing over like this—surely you've got urgent Beidi War Intelligence?"

Lu Ming shook his head quickly: "Your Highness, matters of Beidi War Intelligence are not under my purview; I merely came ahead to scout ahead, and happened upon Your Highness resting here."

Hearing this, Ming Wang frowned: "Scouting ahead?"

"Boy, didn't you come straight to Zhuozhou and race over without stopping?"

"I just arrived with my troops—you're logistics, how could your legs be faster than mine?"

Facing Ming Wang's questioning, Lu Ming blushed, embarrassed: "This junior indeed advanced too hastily, but Marquis Qin once said logistics is of paramount importance, and cannot be neglected for a moment."

"Following Marquis Qin's orders, rear material transit strongholds have been established in batches; the first group of craftsmen has already arrived at Shuan Ma Shan."

Shuan Ma Shan, less than fifty Li from here, was once guarded by over a hundred Beidi soldiers and served as a small stronghold.

In summer, vast grasslands surrounded Shuan Ma Shan; whenever warhorses passed through, they would rest here and graze on the grass, hence its name.

Just yesterday evening, Ming Wang captured Shuan Ma Shan; according to schedule, engineers wouldn't arrive for at least three more days.

Yet…

At this very moment, the first batch of engineers had already reached Shuan Ma Shan?

Is this speed not too fast?

Ming Wang had fought half his life and never seen such swift-moving laborers… damn it, they weren't laborers—they were engineers!

Not only were they well-equipped, but their craftsmanship was highly refined.