Chapter 972

First Volume, Chapter 972: Fighting the Logistics

Due to poor communication, propaganda warfare became especially critical; with so many voices, the larger the stronghold or fortress, the more vulnerable it was to propaganda assaults—so long as morale was weak and hearts were divided, internal chaos would erupt long before the city walls were breached under the tide of public sentiment.

Of course, in warfare, one cannot rely on the enemy to surrender voluntarily; thus, the Beixi Soldiers' mission was merely to siege cities and capture strongholds, securing the battlefield's momentum—while the true large-scale advance and attrition of Zhuozhou was left to the Wild Emperor Party.

The next morning, the Main Force and the Expeditionary Brigade had already departed Zhuozhou and entered Ezhou territory.

Jing Qianying sat high atop her warhorse, gazing into the distance, knowing she was drawing nearer to Qin Feng, her heart brimming with anticipation for the impending reunion.

"Feng'er, wait for me!"

"No matter what achievements I attain in the future, I am still the Qin Family Fourth Miss, still your Qian Ying…"

That same afternoon, Xu Mo had already received news from the Front Line: Chen Si was mobilizing his troops and organizing a defensive line in northern Ezhou.

Though speed in warfare is paramount, given that the enemy's Main General was Chen Si and the Beidi excelled in cavalry, if they spared no cost or loss and marched through the bitter cold and heavy snow, they could still assemble a massive army in a short time.

For safety's sake, Xu Mo did not press forward; instead, he immediately dispatched messengers to relay word to Li Zhang in the Rear.

In grasping grand strategy, across all of Beixi County, Qin Feng ranked first, Li Zhang second, and Xu Mo third.

Since Qin Feng was trapped in Changshui County and cut off from external communication, all military maneuvers had to follow Li Zhang's orders.

Before Li Zhang could reply, Xu Mo ordered the army to halt and rest, conserving strength for the next battle.

News of Xu Mo's army halting in place also reached the north; upon hearing it, Chen Si immediately summoned all his Deputy Generals to discuss war strategy.

Chen Si stared at the Ezhou map and said gravely: "The enemy has halted in place—likely fearing direct confrontation with our forces and excessive losses, seeking a foolproof strategy."

"Given the enemy's marching speed through Zhuozhou and the time required for communication, the earliest they can reach our pre-set defensive line is fifteen days from now."

"This timeframe is crucial—we must make full use of it."

Jing Peng, who had come with Chen Si to defend Ezhou, still carried the arrogant bearing of an Imperial Cousin; while all others stood, he sat in a chair, casually remarking: "Fifteen days? That's not even enough time to mobilize our troops."

"General Chen, our marching speed can't possibly be compared to Qin Feng's army."

At these words, the officers in the tent cast suspicious glances at Jing Peng.

Merely from this statement, Jing Peng could be charged with "undermining military morale," but since he was an Imperial Cousin—and among the Imperial Nobility, the most formidable fighter—they could only pretend not to hear.

Chen Si paid no mind to Jing Peng's bold words; instead, he asked thoughtfully: "Vanguard General, what is your assessment? Speak freely."

Jing Peng leaned back in his chair and smiled lightly: "How long did it take the enemy to march from Sangzhou all the way to Ezhou? Less than a month, surely?"

"Such speed is unprecedented—Qin Feng has been planning for so long, waiting precisely for this battle, and must have made every preparation."

"As the saying goes: 'Before troops move, grain and forage must precede them.' Isn't our slow mobilization precisely due to logistical constraints?"

"In contrast, Qin Feng's Expeditionary Brigade took a long detour, yet when they reached Daqi County, they were only three days behind the Main Force."

"Clearly, their self-contained Logistics Battalion and Supply Train have proven extraordinarily effective—without worrying about logistics, their marching speed naturally reached a hundred li per day."

"Just now, General, you said the enemy would need fifteen days to reach our defensive line—I believe they won't need that long."

"If I were the enemy commander, I'd change tactics: deploy the Expeditionary Brigade as the vanguard, with the Main Force guarding the rear to maintain logistical support. That way, the Expeditionary Brigade's speed would offset communication delays. Thus, I estimate the enemy could arrive within ten days at the latest."

In the past, none of the officers here would have believed a word Jing Peng said.

In this freezing, brutal environment, to march from the southernmost tip of Ezhou to the northernmost in just ten days was pure fantasy—this was warfare, not mere marching.

But the events in Zhuozhou had sounded a warning bell: the enemy arriving within ten days was no longer impossible.

Most crucially, the enemy's tactics were bizarre: their frontline troops charged relentlessly, never lingering anywhere, and only after piercing the entire battlefield did follow-up units sweep through and conduct attrition.

This lightning-fast tactic not only terrified the officers but also opened their eyes—and for a "nation on horseback," this method clearly suited the Beidi better, given their abundance of Beidi Warhorses, making it feasible to form identical Logistics Battalions within elite units.

Yet now was not the time for military reform; if we cannot survive this crisis, no matter how much we learn, it will all be a Huangliang Dream.

Chen Si nodded and looked at the officers: "Assume, as the Vanguard General suggests, that the enemy will arrive within ten days—how far can our defensive line be constructed in that time?"

At these words, the entire camp fell silent.

After a long pause, a Colonel stationed in Ezhou ventured a reply: "General, if it were spring or summer, we could mobilize ten thousand cavalry within ten days—but now, in deep winter, with snow blocking the mountains, not only will the soldiers collapse, even the animals cannot endure."

"Even if we ignore the snow and force-march large cavalry units, how do we handle logistics?"

The word "logistics" once again plunged the officers into confusion.

Cavalry could move swiftly—even with snow, they could still assemble in large numbers within ten days—but what then?

The larger the army, the more grain it consumes; aside from winter gear, the grain problem alone could starve the entire force to death.

And if cavalry forms the Main Force, movement must be mobile, flexible, and guerrilla-style, with no fixed garrison—making logistical supply even harder.

Even just delivering grain to a fixed garrison takes seven or eight days, not counting the difficulties of requisitioning food.

This war is not fought against armies—it is fought against logistics.

The Beidi are already in absolute disadvantage.