69novels Chapter 1090 Deploying Troops and Generals to Stabilize the Border!
Chapter 1090 Deploying Troops and Generals to Stabilize the Border!
Yunzhong City, located on the southern slope of Yinshan Mountain, was a crucial forward stronghold against the Xiongnu. Three years ago, it was destroyed by enemy forces, its walls were crumbling, and its inhabitants fled. Now, after reconstruction, the city walls have been raised and thickened, double moats have been dug outside the city, ballistae and catapults have been set up on the city walls, and thunderbolts are stored in the corner towers.
The garrison commander, Li Yunfeng, went out of the city to meet him from ten miles away. He was nearly fifty years old, but he was in good spirits and rode his horse with his back straight.
"This humble general, Li Yunfeng, pays his respects to Your Majesty!"
"General, please rise." Gao Yao dismounted and helped him up. "General, you have guarded the border for three years and repeatedly defeated the Xiongnu. You have worked hard."
“This is my duty,” Li Yunfeng said, leading Gao Yao into the city. “Your Majesty, please ascend the city walls to observe the defenses.”
Climbing the city wall, one can see the Yinshan Mountains to the north, with grasslands stretching to the horizon. The soldiers on the wall are all performing their duties. Upon seeing Gao Yao, they all salute, but no one leaves their post without permission, demonstrating strict military discipline.
"Last year, when the Left Wise King attacked, we repelled him right here." Li Yunfeng pointed to a section of the city wall where arrow marks were still visible. "Eight thousand Xiongnu cavalry launched a surprise attack at night. Our army used ballistae to fire from a distance, thunderclaps to explode nearby, and arrows rained down. The Xiongnu suffered heavy casualties, with corpses strewn across the field."
Gao Yao carefully inspected the defensive fortifications. Hidden burrows were set up at key locations in the city wall to allow soldiers to take cover from arrows; the parapets had firing holes so that crossbowmen could safely fire arrows; rolling logs and stones, as well as hot oil and molten gold, were prepared on the city walls; and there was a storage point for thunderbolts every thirty paces, guarded by special personnel.
"How effective is the Heaven-Shaking Thunder?"
"It is incredibly powerful, but its use is subject to many restrictions." Li Yunfeng said frankly, "It is susceptible to moisture and needs to be stored in a dry place; it is susceptible to open flames and needs to be handled with care; the blast radius is limited and it needs to be used intensively. However, it is extremely effective for defending cities, especially for blowing up siege ladders and battering rams. The Xiongnu did not know about this thing, and when they first encountered it, their horses were terrified and collapsed without a fight."
Gao Yao nodded. Black powder was his greatest technological advantage, but also his greatest secret. Currently, only a few high-ranking generals and core personnel of the Ministry of Works knew the formula, and the production process was carried out in steps; no one possessed the complete technology.
"What are the recent movements of the Xiongnu?"
Li Yunfeng's expression was solemn: "After suffering a loss last year, the Xiongnu were quiet for a while. But according to reports from scouts, since the beginning of spring, the various Xiongnu tribes have been frequently moving around, seemingly preparing for a major operation. Modu Chanyu unified the tribes of Hexi last winter, greatly increasing his military strength, and it is estimated that he can mobilize more than 150,000 cavalry."
150,000 Xiongnu cavalry—that's a terrifying number. Although we have fortified cities and powerful weapons like gunpowder, if the Xiongnu disregard casualties and launch a full-scale southward offensive, our northern defenses will be under immense pressure.
"How confident are we in holding on?" Gao Yao asked.
“If we only defend and don’t attack, we are absolutely certain of victory,” Li Yunfeng said confidently. “Each of the twenty-two fortresses in the three northern prefectures can hold out for more than a month on its own. The Xiongnu are not good at attacking cities and are even more afraid of thunderclaps. But to completely eliminate the Xiongnu threat, we still need to take the initiative to attack.”
Gao Yao understood Li Yunfeng's meaning. The best defense is offense, but his current strategic focus was on the east, and he couldn't fight on two fronts.
"How effective was Li Mu's cavalry exercise?"
"It was a bluff, but it did intimidate the Xiongnu." Li Yunfeng smiled. "Previously, General Lü Bu led 50,000 cavalrymen, galloping back and forth along the border, raising dust and fluttering banners. Xiongnu scouts reported that 'our army is gathering in the north,' and Modu hesitated and postponed his southward invasion plan."
This was Gao Yao's feint: he had Lü Bu conduct a large-scale military exercise to create the illusion that the main force was still in the north; at the same time, he strictly controlled the news so that the Xiongnu would not know about the movement of troops in the east.
"How long can this plan be kept secret?"
"At most three months," Li Guang said bluntly. "The Xiongnu spies are everywhere and will discover the truth sooner or later. Therefore, if Your Majesty wants to launch an eastern expedition, you must act quickly and decisively. Within three months, you must deal with Wei Bao or Liaodong and then return to defend the north."
Time was tight, but Gao Yao had already planned ahead. Three months would be enough.
After inspecting Yunzhong, Gao Yao continued north, visiting key fortresses such as Wuyuan and Yanmen, extending his regards to the border troops, and rewarding them with wine and meat. Wherever he went, the soldiers were invigorated and shouted "Long live the Emperor!"
The journey to the northern border took half a month. On the way back, Gao Yao had already made up his mind: the eastern expedition must begin as soon as possible. Before the Xiongnu could find out, he would pacify the east with lightning speed and then deal with the powerful enemy in the north with all his might.
Upon returning to the capital, Gao Yao tackled the most sensitive issue: the arrangement and checks and balances regarding the talent summoned by the system.
Over the past three years, he has summoned twenty-seven historical figures through the system, distributed across various levels of government, including the imperial court, the military, and local administration. These individuals possess exceptional abilities, but they also bring with them their own historical baggage and personality flaws. How to effectively utilize them and prevent internal strife is Gao Yao's biggest challenge.
On this day, Gao Yao summoned Xiao He and Zhang Liang to the Imperial Study to discuss personnel matters.
The Imperial Study was simply furnished, with only a desk, bookshelves, and a few chairs—this was at Gao Yao's request, as he disliked kneeling. Besides bamboo slips, the bookshelves held mostly paper books, covering classics, history, philosophy, military strategy, agricultural texts, medicine, and craftsmanship.
"Let's talk about the operation of the six departments first." Gao Yao gestured for the two to sit down.
As the Grand Secretary, Xiao He was in charge of administration: "The Six Ministries are functioning well, with efficiency far exceeding that of the previous dynasty. Zhang Liang of the Ministry of Personnel has improved the performance evaluation system, with officials being evaluated every three years, promoting the excellent and demoting the inferior; I personally manage the Ministry of Revenue, and all income and expenditure are accounted for; Huo Guang of the Ministry of Rites has formulated a new system of rites, simplifying complex procedures; Han Xin of the Ministry of War has reformed the military system with remarkable results; Di Renjie of the Ministry of Justice has revised the laws, balancing leniency and severity; and Shen Kuo of the Ministry of Works has made numerous innovations and inventions."
How are the ministers getting along?
Zhang Liang chimed in: "On the surface, things are harmonious, but behind the scenes, there's fierce competition. Huo Guang and Di Renjie often argue about the importance of etiquette and law; Han Xin and Shen Kuo have disagreements over the allocation of military funds; and I also have differences with Prime Minister Xiao regarding the criteria for selecting officials. But all of this is within a controllable range, and this competition has actually promoted improvements in government affairs."
Gao Yao nodded. Wherever there are people, there will be conflicts; the key is how to manage those conflicts.
"Where are the military generals?"
“It’s more complicated.” Xiao He said with a solemn expression. “The conflict between Lü Bu and Ran Min is well known; Huo Qubing and Yue Fei are both very talented, but their military philosophies are different; Li Jing is mature and prudent, and he thinks Ran Min is too radical; Xue Rengui leads the cavalry alone and doesn’t interact much with other generals… Fortunately, Han Xin is in charge of the Ministry of War, and he must maintain his authority and deter others, so there hasn’t been any major trouble yet.”
Gao Yao pondered for a moment: "I plan to make some personnel adjustments. Lü Bu will be transferred to the position of deputy commander of the Eastern Expeditionary Army to assist Huo Qubing; Ran Min will be promoted to commander of the Imperial Guards and will be responsible for the defense of the capital."
"Will Lü Bu accept?" Zhang Liang asked.
"He volunteered for the battle, and I went along with it," Gao Yao explained. "A man like Lü Bu is better controlled on the front lines than kept by one's side. With Huo Qubing in charge, there's military discipline to prevent major trouble. Besides, he is indeed a fierce general, and the eastern expedition needs such a vanguard."