N-A-A Chapter 1041 The Qiang tribe attacks, but is there another purpose?
Chapter 1041 The Qiang tribe attacks, but is there another purpose?
He had initially thought that the undercurrents would brew for a while longer, or perhaps unfold in a more covert manner. He hadn't expected the other side to be so impatient, even daring to tamper with the palace guards—their audacity was considerable. This made some people feel the time was ripe to take the risk.
"Yes," Qinglong replied, but did not leave immediately. Instead, he spoke again, his tone more serious than before, "Your Majesty, there is another matter concerning military intelligence, which has just been delivered urgently."
"Military intelligence?" Gao Yao's brows furrowed instantly. Internal troubles unresolved, and now external threats arise? He quickly scanned the distribution of surrounding forces in his mind. "What is it? Report in detail."
According to Gao Yao's prediction, Wei Bao of the North, after his previous defeat, would have neither the courage nor the strength to launch another full-scale war against the powerful Southern Border in the short term. Wei Bao was not a fool; he knew very well that if he broke ties with Gao Yao now, regardless of whether the Southern Border army was weakened by the previous battles, it still had hundreds of thousands of battle-hardened veterans as its backbone.
Once war breaks out, Wei Bao will face a pincer attack from the west and south, with Gaoyao in the south, putting him in an extremely unfavorable position. Why would he choose to launch an attack now that Gaoyao has stabilized its internal situation and reclaimed Longxi, instead of when Xiang Yu had previously launched a surprise attack on Gaoyao's rear?
As for the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan, he's already dead. The so-called Han King's forces he left behind are riddled with internal factions. Even if they haven't immediately disintegrated, they're probably not far from chaos. They're barely able to take care of themselves, let alone expand outwards. As for Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, he was severely weakened after his defeat at Gaixia. He retreated to a corner with his remaining troops, and even his stronghold of Longxi was taken back by Gao Yao. His strength is far less than before. Where would he get the confidence to provoke others?
"A scout risked his life to deliver a secret report: the Chu army has dispatched a secret envoy to the Qiang royal court. After a secret meeting, the Qiang leader immediately summoned the chiefs of his various tribes under the pretext of a hunting party. Currently, the various Qiang tribes are rapidly assembling their forces. It is estimated that they can gather at least 50,000 to 60,000 cavalry, who are marching in a mighty force toward our Longxi border, their advance aimed directly at Didao!"
"What? The Qiang people!" Upon hearing this, Gao Yao's pupils suddenly contracted, and for the first time, a genuine look of surprise appeared on his face.
This wasn't because he feared the Qiang's fighting strength. Although the Qiang had formed a tribal alliance by this time, they were far from the powerful and unified force they had been during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han. Their smelting technology was backward, and their weapons and equipment consisted mainly of bone arrows and leather armor, lacking the ability to breach fortifications. Given the superior equipment and training of the Southern Border Army, relying on the city's defenses, defeating this Qiang army head-on would not have been difficult.
To his astonishment, Xiang Yu had actually managed to persuade the Qiang tribe to send troops! And the Qiang tribe had actually agreed! The price they paid behind this was likely considerable, and… “Could it be because they heard…unstable news from Xianyang?” Gao Yao’s heart sank. If that were the case, then this web of collusion between insiders and outsiders had been cast much wider and faster than he had imagined!
"Is the information confirmed?" Gao Yao's voice was icy.
"Confirmed! Multiple intelligence reports have confirmed that the Qiang army has indeed set out. Given the speed of their cavalry, if left unchecked, their vanguard will reach the Longxi border in three days at most. If they join forces with any remaining Chu troops, their strength will be even more formidable. The situation is urgent, and I urge Your Majesty to make a swift decision!" Qinglong's tone was also urgent.
Gao Yao fell into a brief silence. He had not ignored the Qiang issue. The Hehuang region, where they occupied, was rich in water and grass and held a strategically important position, but its high altitude and relatively harsh environment made a long expedition costly and risky for the infantry-based Southern Border Army. In addition, his previous focus had been on internal consolidation and dealing with the warlords of the Central Plains, and he had adopted a policy of appeasement and control over the Qiang, temporarily setting the matter aside.
Unexpectedly, this temporary setback has become a major problem. The Qiang people were able to quickly gather over 50,000 cavalry, almost their entire force. Nomadic peoples are characterized by their high mobility, swiftness, and skill in field battles and raids, but are less adept at siege warfare. While the Chu army's persuasion and promises were certainly key to their willingness to launch such a large-scale attack, they likely also assumed that the southern border was currently unstable and unable to quickly mobilize elite troops to respond.
And that is precisely the crux of the problem! The Qiang people's movement is like a stone thrown into water, inevitably creating ripples—or even huge waves. Would the remnants of the Chu army in the north sit idly by? They would certainly seize the opportunity to move, either joining forces with the Qiang to launch a pincer attack on Longxi from the east or opening up another battlefield to contain the main force in the south.
Gao Yao quickly assessed his forces: the garrison in Xianyang numbered about 10,000, all elite troops. The Fourth Army Corps, stationed around Xianyang and responsible for the defense of the capital region as a strategic reserve, numbered about 70,000. Adding them together, 80,000 troops seemed like a considerable force.
However, the hidden dangers are enormous! More than 60% of the soldiers in this Fourth Army Corps are new recruits who were only enlisted in the last six months! Their training time is severely insufficient, they lack real combat experience, and their combat effectiveness is simply incomparable to those veterans who have experienced the bloody battles of destroying Qin and resisting Chu. Using such a force to face the fierce Qiang cavalry and the possible veterans of Chu is an uncertain outcome. Even if they win, it will likely be a Pyrrhic victory, which will greatly deplete the strength of the southern border.
"Azure Dragon," Gao Yao suddenly spoke, breaking the silence, "what are your thoughts on this situation?"
Qinglong, having clearly given this much thought, immediately replied, "Your Majesty, I believe the military situation is dire and we must be on guard. We should immediately order the main force of the Fourth Army to set off swiftly to reinforce the border of Longxi, seize strategic locations, and hold the fortified cities to blunt the enemy's advance. At the same time, we must send 20,000 troops to march rapidly and garrison Qianyuan Pass! This pass is the vital passage connecting Longxi and the northern regions; we must hold it firmly to prevent the Chu army from taking advantage of the situation and forming a pincer movement with the Qiang tribe!"
After listening, Gao Yao revealed a smile that was hard to decipher: "Hmm, not bad. You can think of basic countermeasures, which shows you've improved. But Qinglong, what you can think of, our enemy... can't they think of?"
He walked to the railing and looked again at the faint outline of the mountains in the darkness in the distance. His voice became deep and resonant: "The Qiang cavalry are brave, but they lack siege equipment. Would they really be foolish enough to use their cavalry to ram into the fortified city of Longxi? The remnants of the Chu army have not yet recovered their strength. Would they really dare to come out in full force and clash head-on with our army at Qianyuan Pass? I'm afraid... this 50,000 Qiang cavalry coming in a raging storm, seemingly the main attack, is actually nothing more than bait."
Upon hearing this, Qinglong's expression hardened: "Your Majesty means..."
"Their target may never have been Longxi, nor Qianyuan Pass." Gao Yao turned around, his gaze sharp as if piercing through the heavy walls of Xianyang City to see the core of the conspiracy hidden in the shadows. "They want to use this to lure our main force away from Xianyang! To leave Xianyang... empty!"