I run a training class in Shu Han

Chapter 129 Sneak Attack on the Rear

The sun was high in the sky, and sunlight filtered through the white mist, scattering across the tents.

The camp flag still fluttered in the wind, but the ink on the character "Li" on the flag was now covered with dust and was no longer as bright as before.

The camp was in a state of disarray, with soldiers covered in dust and grime as they gathered up the scattered equipment, their morale low.

Half an hour ago, the enemy launched a surprise attack on the camp.

This battle was neither a cavalry charge nor an infantry assault; rather, it involved throwing bundles of straw into the camp.

These clumps of grass emit large amounts of pungent smoke that, while not fatal, can cause tears and render someone incapable of fighting.

Moreover, the thick smoke persisted for a long time. If the terrain had not been open and upwind, the army would likely have scattered and fled, suffering a complete rout.

"hateful!"

Inside the central command tent, Li Yan fiercely plunged his sword downwards, embedding it into the desk, his face etched with anger and shame.

He knew that releasing smoke did not violate the exercise regulations, and that the enemy would immediately withdraw after throwing the smoke, leaving no trace, making it extremely difficult to capture them alive.

"It's nothing but a bluff; the enemy is cowardly, that's why they dare to resort to such underhanded tactics!"

In order to stabilize morale, Li Yan had no choice but to offer a forced explanation.

Although the soldiers under his command echoed his sentiments, their faces showed worry, and they knew better than anyone else what was going on.

This is not some unorthodox or heretical method, but a legitimate military strategy.

"Once our army captures the northwestern highlands, we will be able to keep track of the enemy's every move, and then we will surely avenge today's humiliation."

Li Yan was well aware of the importance of the Northwest Highlands; whoever controlled this area would control the initiative in this exercise.

"General Li, I believe that the enemy has already occupied the northwestern highlands, and it would be inappropriate for General Chen to go there now."

A discordant voice came from inside the tent, like a bucket of cold water extinguishing the fighting spirit that had just been ignited among the generals.

This man was dressed in a blue robe, had a very imposing appearance, and his eyes were bright and piercing.

This is Ma Su, the military advisor.

Li Yan raised an eyebrow, his eyes filled with disdain.

Ma Su was a favorite student of Zhuge Liang, a political rival, and was assigned to his own camp for this exercise.

Although he was a graduate of the Imperial Academy, I felt somewhat uncomfortable having him serve under my command.

Moreover, this happened at a time when the entire army needed to boost morale. Suddenly pouring cold water on them would inevitably make anyone feel uncomfortable.

Someone inside the tent shouted, "Ma Su, what are you up to by stirring up morale before the army has even fought?"

"The enemy is full of new recruits; how can they possibly withstand our vanguard?"

"You yourself are afraid of battle, so don't let this undermine the morale of the troops."

Although Li Yan disliked Ma Su, as the commander-in-chief, he patiently inquired, "Oh, what advice do you have for me, Advisor?"

Ma Su bowed respectfully and said, "General, since our army set out, it has been attacked twice by the enemy. We must not underestimate them."

"In my opinion, the enemy has been one step ahead of our army several times. This time they must have already seized the high ground. This is the essence of 'speed is of the essence in war'."

General Zhao Rong of the Left Army scoffed, "There's no need for Military Advisor Ma to remind us of this; which general present doesn't know it?"

"But both armies set off at the same time, and everyone has two legs, so it is impossible for the enemy to seize the high ground before our army."

Ma Su said, "General Zhao, you may not know this, but the military courses at the Imperial Academy have introduced a tactic called 'rapid march'."

"What's the difference?" Zhao Rong asked.

"The soldiers were lightly equipped, carrying only their own rations as needed for the battle, and were forced to march quickly in a short period of time with the aim of seizing key passes and strategic locations."

"Compared to a fully armed forced march, we have to travel at least twenty miles more each day."

Twenty li?

Everyone's expression changed upon hearing this.

Since ancient times, "speed is of the essence in war." Not to mention traveling an extra twenty miles a day, even being just one mile faster can change the course of a war.

In fact, both sides deployed lightly armored troops in this exercise, with no heavily armored units. If a comparison were to be made, the other side was not much faster than itself.

From the very beginning of the exercise, Li Yan's army made the grave mistake of underestimating the enemy, marching at a normal pace, which naturally made them much slower than their opponents.

Everyone present knew about this fatal mistake, but no one dared to admit it.

Apart from Ma Su.

Li Yan's face fell, and he was quite displeased.

"In my opinion, Military Advisor Ma, should we immediately send troops to reinforce General Chen, or...?"

Before Li Yan could finish speaking, Ma Su interrupted, "General, the enemy knows they are no match for you, so they cannot fight using conventional tactics and will surely launch another surprise attack. Our troops are stationed here, with deep fortifications in front and mountains and water on both sides, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. Only our rear..."

rear?

The generals all laughed upon hearing this.

"Military Advisor Ma, you must not know this, but although our army is backed by a plain, we have a wide field of vision, and no movement can escape our eyes."

"What if they sneak up from the cliff behind them?" Ma Su asked coldly.

"Ma Su, stop spouting nonsense."

Li Yan slammed his hand on the table, making the teacups rattle loudly.

"Behind the army are steep cliffs, and the enemy is a group of untrained new recruits. If we attack from the cliffs, we will have to climb the precipice, which is not only dangerous but also time-consuming and laborious."

"But what if they aren't new recruits?" Ma Su said confidently, "In this exercise, although most of the enemy troops are new recruits, there are still a small number of private troops. These people are well-trained elites skilled in mountain warfare."

The air inside the tent froze instantly, and the generals held their breath in silence.

They still found the idea of ​​a sneak attack from behind rather absurd, but no one stood up to refute it; they all looked at Li Yan.

At this moment, Li Yan was also extremely uneasy, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt that Ma Su's words made sense.

After hesitating for a moment, just as he was about to order a stronger guard, a soldier rushed into the tent, panicking, and said, "General... the enemy... has sneaked up from the cliff."

Li Yan suddenly woke up, grabbed his sword and rushed out of the tent, only to see shouts of battle erupting from the rear tents, and the rear camp was in chaos.

"Form ranks! Form ranks quickly!"

Li Yan roared and brandished his sword, directing his soldiers to turn and meet the enemy.

However, the army had already been ambushed twice, and its morale was low. They were completely unprepared, and their formation was in disarray. The soldiers were panicked, and some put up a hasty resistance while others were killed with a single blow before they even had a chance to pick up their weapons.

The exercise stipulated that in close combat, both sides would use knives and guns coated with white lime. Once a conspicuous white dot or line was left on the other side, it would be considered "killed in action".

Li Yan's rear army was in chaos, with soldiers falling one after another. He immediately led his personal guards to the rear camp, determined to stabilize the situation.

The enemy general in charge of this sneak attack was Zhao Tong.

Seeing Li Yan personally leading his guards to arrive, he immediately ordered the archers who had been lying in ambush to fire a volley to cover the squad's retreat.

Although Li Yan repelled the enemy's sneak attack in a short time, he suffered heavy losses and his morale was dealt a devastating blow.

He stood on the cliff, picked up the rope left behind by the enemy soldiers climbing, and watched them gallop freely across the plain until they gradually disappeared. His face turned ashen.

"Collect the money!"

"Summon Ma Su!"