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Chapter 707: Elite Willpower and Army Talents
🕑 Added 2024-10-05 05:06:10 +0000 UTC"It was my carelessness," Chen Xi finally spoke after a long silence.
"It's nothing. At least we avenged them, and last night was a resounding victory for our army," Gan Ning shook his head, trying to comfort him.
"Yes, at least we won," Chen Xi murmured, his resolve strengthening once more. He lifted his gaze toward the defenders atop Chiping, where both Xu You and Wen Chou had appeared on the city wall.
"Chen Zichuan..." Xu You's voice was filled with gritted teeth, and his pale face made Chen Xi almost want to mock him.
"Xiaozhi, do you think we should attack the city?" Chen Xi asked, frowning as he looked at Wen Chou and Xu You atop Chiping.
"Isn’t Kongming leading troops to attack the Jishui crossing? As for Chiping..." Fa Zheng hesitated. While their morale was high, capturing a well-defended city like Chiping wouldn’t be easy. On the other hand, after last night’s battle, they had thoroughly decimated Yuan Shao’s army. Letting them go now would feel unsatisfying.
"Then let’s first make a show of preparing to attack the city and surround Chiping," Chen Xi decided after a moment of thought. Chiping was only on par with the defenses of Le Ling back then, but with Wen Chou and Xu You stationed there, taking it wouldn't be easy.
"Sigh, it’s a pity. Last night was probably the best chance to completely annihilate them, but since it was our first time doing something like this, we lacked experience," Fa Zheng sighed.
"That reminds me, why could our troops see at night? If I remember correctly, common folk can’t see beyond five steps in the dark, which used to be one of the distinctions between ordinary people and the aristocracy," Fa Zheng continued, now curious about the night blindness issue, which had long been an affliction mostly avoided by the wealthy and a marker of the divide between rich and poor.
"Xu You’s response was incredibly quick, and we indeed lacked experience. If Kongming hadn’t asked, I might have forgotten that my soldiers can see at night," Chen Xi sighed. Some things, even though he had issued the orders himself, had become so routine that he tended to overlook them.
"As for the so-called disease of the poor, I can only say that Zijing and I did a good job—there are no poor people left, so there's no more of this disease," Chen Xi said, clearly a bit proud.
"That’s a fair point," Fa Zheng agreed, glancing up at the sky before a hint of pride appeared on his face. "At least in the future, I can tell my descendants that I had a part in the revival of the Han dynasty!"
"You really have thick skin," Chen Xi said with a smirk. "But today, let’s not do anything else. Dig trenches around Chiping and get Huang Yueying to prepare the latest trebuchets. We’ll bombard the city."
"No problem. We’ll leave three thousand soldiers as reserves; the rest will be sent to cut down trees and dig trenches," Fa Zheng ordered Gan Ning. After last night’s battle, Chen Xi had already sent Xu Chu to assist Zhuge Liang in securing the Jishui crossing.
Speaking of Xu You’s foresight, it was indeed sharp. He had directly cut off one of Chen Xi’s supply routes, nearly severing two backup routes as well. But unless absolutely necessary, Chen Xi wasn’t willing to activate the final supply line.
"Our cavalry disadvantage is too significant," Chen Xi sighed, watching Wen Chou and Xu You make defensive preparations on the city walls. "Our soldiers are clearly stronger than Yuan Shao’s, but the cavalry evened the odds."
"Yuan Shao’s cavalry is incredibly fierce," Gan Ning said, pointing to the bandages on his body. "They must possess some sort of elite troop willpower."
"It’s a kind of bravery-based attribute," Fa Zheng mused. "Their combat power is overwhelming when charging forward, but it’s still not as formidable as when General Guan activates his army talent."
"The three elite northern cavalry units all have inherent elite troop traits, which means they come with their own attributes. The White Horse Cavalry, for example, has speed—whether it’s shooting speed, attack speed, or movement speed. As long as it involves speed, once the White Horse Cavalry reaches a certain number, this trait emerges," Chen Xi explained after some thought.
"The Xiliang Cavalry’s trait is toughness, which means they can fight without armor. I’m sure you’ve seen this for yourselves," Chen Xi added with a sigh. "As for the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry, their trait is versatility, boosting all aspects of their abilities."
"I see. But the downside is that they’re not particularly strong in any one area, right?" Fa Zheng frowned at first but then realized what Chen Xi meant.
"Not exactly weak, but not particularly strong in any one area either. They can’t compete with the White Horse Cavalry in terms of speed, nor can they outlast the Xiliang Cavalry in a head-on clash. But when it comes to fighting other troops, it’s like fighting children. Of course, when facing the other two elite units, they’re more likely to end in a stalemate," Chen Xi explained, recalling what Chen Gong had told him. The strength of the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry lay in their adaptability to any battlefield, with few counters.
"The three great cavalry units of the world are indeed formidable," Gan Ning said, touching his bandages. He had fought hard against the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry, and his wounds were enough proof of their combat prowess.
"But then, why doesn’t Zijian’s Xiliang Cavalry seem as ferocious?" Fa Zheng asked, puzzled. In the many battles they had fought, he hadn’t seen the Xiliang Cavalry under their command be particularly fierce.
"Because elite troop traits and army talents are different. Generally, army talents are uncontrollable—whether they cover a thousand or three thousand troops, the effect remains the same. But with elite armies, the more soldiers there are, the more pronounced the enhancement. A thousand Xiliang Cavalry and three thousand Xiliang Cavalry exhibit significantly different levels of strength," Chen Xi explained seriously.
"That’s why I’ve been having our best trainers work on the Qingzhou and Danyang troops. We need sufficiently elite forces too, or we’ll struggle in large-scale battles," Chen Xi continued, his expression grave.
"So, what you’re saying is that we only need one army with a strong soul to serve as the core, while what we really need are vast numbers of powerful elite troops?" Fa Zheng asked, his expression also becoming more serious.
"Exactly. An army with a strong soul primarily serves to boost morale. They’re like great generals—raising morale and stepping in when the situation is most dire to turn the tide. In truly large-scale battles, with over two hundred thousand troops, not all can be elite or led by mighty generals," Chen Xi explained calmly.
"At that point, the battle will be decided by the ordinary soldiers," Fa Zheng sighed. "No wonder you’ve been gathering mid-level officers and civil officials. You’re preparing for the war with Hebei, aren’t you?"
"Subscription numbers are still important to me. My little money depends on the main site subscriptions. After all, it seems I don’t have a wireless option..."
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