Chapter 970: First Volume, Chapter 970: The Terrifying Logistics Power

First Volume, Chapter 970: The Terrifying Logistics Power

These tents were constructed with extreme simplicity: three wooden poles planted into the ground, then covered with cloth—only able to block the wind, not the cold.

Directly in front of each wind-shield tent, a bonfire was lit to provide warmth.

Five soldiers squeezed into each wind-shield tent; their heavy armor, warmed by the fire, transferred heat through their thick winter garments, making them extremely warm.

The wind-shield tents varied in size, depending on the quality of the three supporting poles, yet each was spaced exactly five to ten steps apart—allowing mutual protection while maintaining independence.

All wind-shield tents faced the mountain hollow, positioned exactly one hundred steps away—so if the enemy attempted to surge out from the hollow for a surprise attack, they would have to cross a hundred-step open stretch with no cover, making it nearly impossible.

Of the two thousand soldiers trapped in the hollow, not all rested; one man from each squad was posted at the First Line, rotating every two hours—ensuring four hundred men were always on combat readiness, constantly watching the hollow to prevent the enemy from overwhelming them.

When Nightfall came and the wind howled, the soldiers of the Logistics Battalion pulled two carts, each loaded with large wooden barrels filled with boiled meat broth.

Each soldier received one bowl of meat broth and two dried rations.

These dried rations, made from millet flour, were frozen as hard as stone; eating them directly would shatter teeth, so soldiers soaked them in the meat broth until softened, then swallowed them like porridge, devouring them eagerly.

The millet rations paired with meat broth were easy for the Logistics Battalion to transport, filling and nutritious; though bland in taste, in this freezing battlefield, a hot bowl of broth was nothing short of paradise.

The soldiers surrounding the hollow remained perpetually at peak condition.

But the Beixi soldiers trapped in the hollow fared terribly—they had marched rapidly to intercept the Expeditionary Brigade, all lightly equipped, carrying only minimal rations.

Dozens of Di soldiers huddled together, lighting a bonfire in the center, placing their frozen water skins beside the flames to melt the ice; once melted, they passed the water around to drink, while their steamed bran cakes could only be washed down with water, utterly inedible.

The Main General stood atop MountainTop, gazing down at the orderly ranks of Beixi Soldiers, and sank into despair.

"Our numbers are nearly equal, yet the enemy is well-equipped—wearing thick winter garments, possessing simple wind-shield tents, and most crucially, eating well and staying warm."

"That damned Qin Feng—has he drained all of Liang Kingdom's wealth? How else could his troops be so lavishly supplied?"

"They're an Expeditionary Brigade, deep in our Di heartland—and yet they're drinking meat broth? This is outright witchcraft!"

Hearing the Main General's curses, the several Colonels beside him couldn't help but sigh heavily.

"General, this is the Beixi Expeditionary Brigade. According to intelligence from the Ministry of War, Qin Feng designed the Beixi Expeditionary Brigade specifically for cross-border warfare: ten thousand troops, with two thousand dedicated solely to logistics, leaving only eight thousand as combat units."

"And during this encircling maneuver, every place they passed through was left utterly barren—all military supplies were seized."

"When we retreated into this hollow, we saw the enemy's Logistics Battalion carts piled high with supplies—it was enough to make anyone envious."

Logistics Battalion?

The Main General frowned deeply, gazing at the distant, brightly lit ZhuZhen, bewildered: "Are they bringing their logistics unit along on campaign? If so, how is their marching speed so fast?"

The Main General could not fathom it—he believed that for an army to advance swiftly, it must travel lightly; carrying a logistics unit would inevitably cripple speed.

After all, logistics units have low combat effectiveness, burdened with vast supplies, making them prime targets for enemy strikes—so the main force must always stay close, never separated; thus, the entire army's pace is dictated by the Logistics Battalion's speed.

Yet the Beixi Expeditionary Brigade had stormed all the way here at a pace resembling forced marches—impossible if they carried a sluggish logistics unit.

One of the Colonels present had previously fought the Beixi Expeditionary Brigade; after his stronghold was overrun, he fled north in panic and later joined the main force here to block the Beixi Expeditionary Brigade.

His eyes were filled with despair, his voice weak: "General, you yourself said the enemy is dripping with wealth—how can you judge them by ordinary standards?"

"The Beixi Expeditionary Brigade's logistics structure has two tiers: the upper tier is the Logistics Battalion, responsible for transporting supplies to support the main force; the lower tier is the Zhongying, assigned only to small units—one Zhongying per hundred soldiers."

"Each Zhongying consists of eight men, eight horses, two carts—each cart pulled by a pair of horses—with the remaining four horses carrying cargo."

"Eight men, eight horses—both their marching speed and supply capacity are astonishing."

Upon hearing this, the Main General was stunned speechless.

An eight-man Zhongying equipped with eight horses? This… this wasn't just dripping with wealth—it was richer than a nation!

The money Qin Feng spent on one Zhongying could have equipped a hundred elite troops.

And the Logistics Battalion under the ten-thousand-strong Expeditionary Brigade totaled two thousand men; with one eight-man Zhongying assigned per hundred soldiers, that meant eight hundred men were dedicated to Zhongying alone. Subtracting eight hundred from two thousand leaves twelve hundred.

These twelve hundred men formed the Logistics Battalion, always marching alongside the main force.

Even without rear-area support, the Expeditionary Brigade's own carried supplies were sufficient to crush the Di forces and march back again.

The terror of this Expeditionary Brigade had surpassed the Main General's comprehension.

Most terrifying was that other armies' "troop and horse" numbers were often inflated on paper but drastically reduced in reality—yet the Beixi Expeditionary Brigade's "troop and horse" figures were entirely genuine, with no deception.

These ten thousand troops were merely the headcount; if measured by "troop and horse," their true strength likely exceeded fifteen thousand!

Ten thousand troops with five thousand horses? This… who in the world ever ran an army like this? The annual expenditure on this Expeditionary Brigade alone was astronomical.

Where in heaven did Qin Feng get so much money?

As the Main General reeled in shock, a scout rushed over.

"General! Our light cavalry skirmishers have surrounded two isolated Zhongying units of the enemy!"

At these words, the Main General's eyes lit up!

After all, the Beixi Expeditionary Brigade's Zhongying were dripping with wealth.