Moma Liangshan

Chapter 211 Desperate Measures, Recruiting New Soldiers on the Eve of Battle

The Shu princess was utterly astonished by Wang Hao's audacious move. She exclaimed, "You intend to use 110,000 palace troops to tie down 180,000 elite Jurchen soldiers?" Wang Hao nodded, saying, "It's not just about tying them down; we must also achieve victory in this localized battle. Otherwise, how can 200,000 tribal troops willingly send troops?" The Shu princess retorted, "That's impossible! We simply cannot do it!" Wang Hao replied, "Military strategy dictates, 'Surround them when they are five-tenths strong, attack them when they are ten-tenths strong.' With 110,000 troops defending the city, why can't we withstand 180,000 Jurchen soldiers?" The Shu princess blushed, but gritted her teeth and said, "The 110,000 palace troops are the last resort of the Liao royal family; we cannot afford the slightest mishap!" Wang Hao shook his head, saying, "The enemy is strong, and we are weak. Even the enemy is fighting with all their might, while our army is focused on preserving its strength. How can we not be defeated?" Undeterred by Wang Hao's mockery, the Shu princess said, "If the Jurchens are defeated, they can regroup and fight again. But if the Liao is defeated, it means the destruction of our nation and the death of our people!"

Wang Hao showed no sign of backing down, saying, "You too have fought on the battlefield; you should understand that in battle, only by advancing without hesitation can one achieve victory!" The Shu princess still couldn't make up her mind, asking, "Could you tell me what the odds are of winning this battle?" Wang Hao himself had no clear idea, but setting aside the current situation, he had no better plan than this arrangement, saying, "Yelü Dashi and Xiao Yu should be arriving soon; let's hear their opinions first!" The Shu princess nodded, saying, "That's fine!"

About half an hour later, Yelü Dashi and Xiao Yu arrived one after the other. After Li Cangbai explained the current situation of the Jurchens, Yelü Dashi said, "The key to this battle lies in whether the 200,000 tribal troops dare to fight!" Xiao Yu nodded and said, "The tribal troops are not a rabble. It's just that after the Battle of Huanglongfu, the twenty Khitan tribes have been passively avoiding battle, and even now they seem to be watching from the sidelines!" The Shu princess had no interest in listening to their lamentations and said, "The enemy is about to besiege the city. Please tell me, Generals, how should we fight this battle?" Although Yelü Dashi was brave and resourceful, he always knew how to protect himself and did not answer immediately. Xiao Yu, though brave, lacked wisdom. He spoke first, saying, "When soldiers come, we'll block them; when water comes, we'll dam it. I'm willing to lead the charge and charge forward without hesitation!" The Shu princess followed suit, saying, "I request General Xiao to be the vanguard and secure the first victory in the Battle of Shangjing!" Xiao Yu, full of vigor, replied, "Rest assured, Princess, the enemy will not cross the gate unless they step over my dead body!" The Shu princess then said, "Please prioritize supplying provisions and weapons to the soldiers of Yunzhong!" Xiao Yu was overjoyed and quickly said, "Thank you, Your Highness!"

At this moment, Yelü Dashi, who had been silent all along, finally spoke, saying, "The defenses of Shangjing are far greater than the military camps outside the city, yet the troops inside the city number less than 50,000. Should we mobilize some troops into the city?" The Shu princess instantly realized her oversight and said, "Dashi Linya's words are quite right!" Yelü Dashi said, "This subordinate believes that our troop deployment does not need to be moved for the time being. Your Highness should enter the city immediately to ascertain the situation within!" The Shu princess said, "Please, Generals, return to your camps to prepare for battle. I will enter the city immediately!"

With military matters pressing, after Yelü Dashi and Xiao Yu departed, the Princess of Shu and Wang Hao immediately entered the city. Upon hearing of the Princess's arrival, Emperor Tianzuo immediately summoned her and said, "The Jurchens are sharpening their swords; are you afraid, my son?" The Princess of Shu replied, "Hearing of the Jurchen attack, the soldiers are eager to fight, and Xiao Yu has volunteered to be the vanguard, vowing to achieve the greatest merit. Yelü Dashi is worried about the insufficient troops in the city and suggested that I ask Your Majesty whether to send troops into the city." Seeing that the army's morale was high, Emperor Tianzuo said, "Good! Good! Good!" He then added, "The troops outside the city should remain at their posts for now. I want these treacherous officials to understand that the Liao dynasty's territory is not something anyone can seize!"

Wang Hao suddenly said, "I wish to recruit warriors from among the common people to fight alongside me!" Emperor Tianzuo was puzzled by Wang Hao's request and said, "The enemy may not give you time to train your troops!" Wang Hao replied, "This battle is destined to be difficult. If those brave and fierce individuals are not properly managed, they may become daggers in the enemy's sleeve at a crucial moment!" At this point, Emperor Tianzuo could not afford to worry about much else and said, "I can grant you the authority to act as you see fit, and I can also give you military tokens and banners, but I hope your troops will not be easily defeated!" Wang Hao took a token from his waist and said, "I already have the military token, only the banners are lacking!" Emperor Tianzuo looked at the princess of Shu and said, "Did you give him this military token?" The princess of Shu nodded and said, "Yes!" Emperor Tianzuo did not say much, but smiled knowingly and continued, "You are a Han Chinese, so I allow you to make your own banners!" Wang Hao was somewhat surprised and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Upon returning to the camp, Wang Hao immediately summoned Yang Zhi and asked, "Where is Lin Chong?" Yang Zhi replied, "Based on the news from two days ago, Lin Chong should arrive in the capital in three more days!" Wang Hao continued, "How many soldiers and armor did Lin Chong escort?" Yang Zhi answered, "Six hundred sets of armor and two thousand swords." Upon hearing this, Wang Hao sighed and said, "Order He Li that the iron mine in Pingzhou must be in production within a month, and the coal mine in Luanzhou must be in production within two months." Yang Zhi cautiously advised, "Although Pingzhou has several small iron mines, reaching the scale required by you, young master, is not easy. Isn't a month too short?" Wang Hao was somewhat angry and said: "How many people did He Li recruit at the mine?" Yang Zhi replied, "Nearly a thousand!" Wang Hao answered, "Double the wages, recruit ten thousand, and those who bring their own tools will receive an extra half-month's pay!" Yang Zhi hesitated slightly and asked, "Is Luanzhou doing the same thing?" Wang Hao replied, "Yes!" Yang Zhi cautiously said, "But this will be extremely expensive!" Wang Hao smiled slightly and said, "The hundreds of millions of gold and silver in the capital are enough to cover any expenses!" Yang Zhi understood that Wang Hao was not a reckless person and said, "I will do it immediately!" At this moment, Wang Hao said again, "You will also send an order to Jiaozhou, to have Lu Da take over all of Lin Chong's positions. As for Lin Chong, I have other arrangements for him!" Yang Zhi replied, "Yes, sir!"

Three days later, Lin Chong arrived with the armor and weapons as scheduled. Wang Hao was overjoyed and went out to greet him personally. Upon seeing Wang Hao, Lin Chong immediately dismounted and bowed. Wang Hao stopped him, saying, "When on the march, there's no need for formalities. General Lin, let's speak in the main tent!" After receiving the military tally from the Shu princess, Wang Hao began recruiting soldiers within Liao territory. These six hundred sets of armor and two thousand swords were not for the Khitans, but for Wang Hao's own use.

Search for books on Shuqi Bar!