Moma Liangshan

Chapter 227 Flanking Maneuver: Shooting the Horse, Not the Man (New)

Xiong Pi's answer did not completely satisfy Lin Chong, so he looked at Morigen and asked, "And you?" Although Morigen did not have Xiong Pi's eagerness for revenge, he had an unusual coldness and said, "On the Mongolian grasslands, people fight each other and wolves all the time. A man who is fourteen years old, even if he has never killed a man, must have killed a wolf. Otherwise, he is a coward, and cowards do not deserve to live on the grasslands!" Jida nodded repeatedly and said, "Bows and arrows and scimitars are the true life-saving locks for Mongolian men. When I was ten years old, a pack of wolves attacked at night. My father and brother were out. As the only man in the family at the time, I shot and killed three grassland wolves. Later, the wolf king came to fight me. I thought I was going to die on the spot. Fortunately, my father and brother returned in time and I was saved."

Lin Chong, not being very familiar with the grasslands, said, "Wolf raids at night seem to be quite common!" Morigen replied, "The wolves on the grasslands are fierce and cunning, and whenever a wolf pack takes three sheep, one person will starve to death." Lin Chong was somewhat puzzled and said, "I didn't expect life on the grasslands to be so cruel?" Morigen answered, "In normal seasons, losing a few sheep wouldn't necessarily lead to starvation. But the peak season for wolf attacks is usually after the snow and ice arrive, which is when food is scarce, and every pound of rations is a matter of life and death!" Lin Chong finally understood and said, "After the snow and ice, not only do people lack food, but the wolves do too!" Morigen nodded.

Not long after joining the army, Yang Yong asked, "We've been in Shangjing for some time now, why have we only seen a few lone wolves?" Jida smiled helplessly and explained, "Wolves are better at assessing situations than humans. With hundreds of thousands of troops gathered here, the wolves would avoid them like the plague, so how could they possibly bring about their own destruction?" Yang Yong smiled sheepishly and said, "I'm sorry for making you all laugh!" Lin Chong didn't criticize Yang Yong, saying, "Since the young master has bestowed upon us the title of 'Hungry Wolf Legion,' then we cannot betray the ferocious reputation of the steppe wolves." Everyone agreed in unison. Lin Chong then deliberately instructed Zhao Tuo and Yang Yong, saying, "Morigen, Jida, and Xiong Pi are all from beyond the Great Wall, and they understand the customs and culture of Liao better than we do. In future campaigns, listen to their opinions and don't be arrogant or reckless!" Zhao Tuo and Yang Yong replied, "Yes!"

For the next two days, Lin Chong led his army on a detour of over 300 li from west to north, finally arriving at the flank and rear of the Jurchens. During these three days, the eight hundred soldiers endured hardship, sleeping in the open and suffering greatly. Morigen and others, chewing on thinly sliced ​​dried meat, remarked, "The ham the young master sent seems even more delicious than dried beef!" Lu County was Wang Hao's earliest supply depot built in the Yangtze River basin, initially responsible for trading Eight Immortals Wine with Fang La's group, later adding the function of arms trading. Afterwards, Wang Hao ordered the merchants of Lu County to contact the weaving workshops of Huzhou to find dense silk that could minimize arrow wounds; at the same time, he also placed large orders for ham in Wuzhou. The people of Wuzhou began curing pig legs during the Tang Dynasty, but the name "ham" only came into use in the Northern Song Dynasty. Legend has it that Jinhua families cultivated multiple fields, brewed wine, and raised pigs; after each meal, they would first strain the juice and mix it with lees to feed the pigs, which would become plump and delicious; those who made ham needed many pigs to fetch a good price; therefore, there were even more pig farmers. At the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, Zong Ze, a famous general who resisted the Jin Dynasty, returned victorious. The people of Wuzhou vied to send him cured pork legs as a reward, which were named "fire ham" because of their fiery red color. Although Wang Hao was not from a military background, he deeply understood the principle that "an army marches on its stomach." Genghis Khan, in his conquest of Eurasia, relied not only on the advanced military equipment and war strategies of his Mongol cavalry but also on dried beef, a crucial military resource. Just as Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, would draw lessons from the Qin Dynasty in every battle, Wang Hao, in building the Jiaozhou army, also had an important reference point: the Mongol cavalry and the Ming Dynasty's Shenji Battalion. However, building a strong army is not something that can be achieved overnight. Wang Hao also closely considered the current political situation and national conditions, much like Yuan Shikai's training of troops at Xiaozhan, gradually expanding his overall strength.

Oxen have been an important source of labor throughout history, and ordinary people who slaughtered them faced imprisonment. During the Northern Song Dynasty, the imperial family, nobles, and wealthy merchants preferred mutton, while beef remained a rare commodity in daily life, let alone beef jerky. Upon hearing Morigen mention "dried beef," Lin Chong exclaimed, "In the Song Dynasty, killing a cow without cause is a crime punishable by imprisonment! Although I've eaten cooked beef, I've never seen dried beef before!" Morigen replied, "I imagine it won't be long before dried beef appears in our food supplies!" Lin Chong, puzzled, asked, "Why?" Morigen explained, "Cao Hong was ordered to accompany the Khitan Prince Zhao on a mission to the tribal armies. Dried beef was listed in the trade catalog. However, Cao Hong wasn't a Mongol and wasn't familiar with such unfamiliar items. So, before his departure, he specifically asked me which tribe's dried beef was of the best quality. I told him that the dried beef from the Qiyan tribe on the grasslands was the finest!" Lin Chong couldn't help but sigh, saying, "Those in positions of power throughout history, how many have cherished their soldiers as much as you, sir?" Everyone nodded in agreement.

Eight hundred cavalrymen, each riding two horses, formed a formidable force. A hasty attack would not only easily alert the enemy, but could also attract the attention of the main Jurchen force, resulting in certain death before the mission even began. After much deliberation, Lin Chong made a bold decision. He selected thirty elite riders, personally led by Morigen, to serve as bait, while Lin Chong led the main force ten miles away. Of the main force, six hundred men formed an ambush, specifically tasked with encircling and annihilating any enemy who broke through the encirclement. The other two hundred were divided into four groups, positioned in the four cardinal directions, ready to pursue and kill any enemy that broke through. It must be said that Lin Chong's tactics bore a striking resemblance to the "wolfpack" tactics used by German submarines to attack Allied merchant ships during World War II. Perhaps this was a case of great minds thinking alike!

Morigen, true to his heritage as a nomadic people, readily accepted Lin Chong's arrangements. On the very first day of battle, he discovered a Jin supply convoy. This convoy, numbering over a hundred men, was escorting dozens of large carts piled high with heavy sacks; from a distance, it was clear they were a grain transport team. Morigen looked at his soldiers and asked, "The enemy is right before us, are you afraid?" The soldiers replied in unison, "No!" Morigen commanded, "Flank thirty paces to the side, shoot the horses, not the riders!" A flanking maneuver of thirty paces meant their attack route would form an arc, with a minimum contact distance of thirty paces. Shooting the horses was due to their large size and clumsy movements, making them easier to attack; any casualties among the horses would severely disrupt the supply transport, ensuring the enemy's revenge.