Chapter 3360
Absolute Tolerance
...
Meanwhile, Gacholi, whose own legion was not present, did not offer much advice in the face of Barak's arrangements, choosing instead to observe quietly.
Faced with Gachori's attitude, Barak understood the reason and calmly mobilized the army to reach the designated positions as arranged.
The five-level command system ultimately needs to be validated before the final outcome can be determined.
Whether to adopt a five-tiered command system for defense or switch to a dual command system depends on the outcome against the Han army.
Faced with the Han army's offensive, the Yuezhi people in the north carried out extremely efficient troop movements and transportation.
In a very short time, in addition to drawing troops from the designated defense area, Barak also drew troops from the mountains to assist, creating an overwhelming numerical advantage.
Cao Cao, who possessed a large number of cavalry, also invested in scouting in a way that was in no way inferior to the massive army under Barak.
As a result, even in such large-scale conflicts involving scouts, Cao Cao was able to obtain a great deal of battlefield information and deduce the behavior of the Yuezhi people.
After receiving the intelligence gathered by these scouts, Cao Cao, who was originally decisive, hesitated for a moment.
"The Yuezhi army they have mobilized numbers no less than 300,000, ten times our size, and many of them are elite troops comparable to our own." Looking at the generals around him, Cao Cao did not hide anything but stated the truth. "We are now only half a day's journey from the enemy. What are your opinions? To attack or to retreat?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiu turned to look at Pang De, but did not express his opinion for a moment. Instead, he waited quietly for Pang De and the others to give their response.
As one of the six generals present, even if Zhang Xiu was not very bright, he knew that the first person's opinion was very important, and he absolutely could not be the first to express his opinion.
As for what this opinion was like, Zhang Xiu himself didn't care much.
Whether it's offense or defense, Zhang Xiu is completely fearless and not at all intimidated.
The Xiliang Iron Cavalry under his command are among the most elite in the land, with unquestionable combat power. Especially in terms of defense, they are not easily broken by ordinary people. Whether it is fighting a protracted war, launching a violent breakout, or staying behind to cover the rear, they can carry out all tasks.
Among cavalry, aside from being unable to harass or act as scouts, it is a fairly well-rounded legion.
"We will obey Cao Cao's orders!" Pang De glanced at Ma Chao beside him, who was full of enthusiasm and fighting spirit, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart. Then he stepped forward and expressed his support for Cao Cao.
Judging from Meng Qi's attitude, he probably wants to continue fighting, and he's not afraid of war.
However, the decision of whether or not to wage further war cannot be left to them, especially not to these outsiders.
Whether out of emotional intelligence or considerations of future power, Pound made what he believed to be the right choice.
“That’s right, as long as Cao Cao speaks up, our army can be the vanguard if it really comes to war!” Having been reminded by Pang De many times, Ma Chao turned to look at Pang De, repeated Pang De’s opinion, and expressed his willingness to accept the idea of war.
Cao Chun, Xiahou Yuan, and Xiahou Dun exchanged glances, then tacitly replied, "We are willing to follow Lord Cao's orders."
Seeing that everyone had made their stance clear, Cao Cao couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. After all, no matter how you looked at the current situation, the enemy was strong and we were weak, putting us at a disadvantage, and conventional methods couldn't change that.
"Since we are united in purpose, let's fight under the cover of night and retreat in the latter half of the night!" Cao Cao looked up at the sun, which was already setting in the west, and then made up his mind.
If they were to lead their army in a direct retreat, it would be tantamount to exposing their weakness. With such a large army, the Yuezhi would surely pursue them. Even with the cover of hundreds of miles of desert, they would probably be unable to stop such a massive army.
Instead, by launching a strong offensive, they forced the Yuezhi people, who were unaware of the actual situation, to adopt a defensive strategy.
Whether for the subsequent retreat or for the establishment of a subsequent defensive line, this will provide a good amount of time.
Now that the objective was set, everyone began to lead their troops to replenish their strength and prepare for the battle, especially for night battles.
On the one hand, they slowed down their march, and on the other hand, they intensified their intelligence gathering on the two mountain ranges.
This difference in the Han army also caught the attention of the Yuezhi scouts, who then reported this intelligence.
This intelligence was quickly passed on to Barak, who took precautions in advance to address the situation.
Regardless of the final outcome for the Han army, Barak approached the situation with the utmost caution, given his formidable military strength and ample room for error in probing the enemy.
"Regardless of the Han army's final choice, we should be prepared for a possible night attack. In any case, we have a large army, and we can simply have some legions take turns resting." After considering his troops, Barak finally allocated ten legions to deal with a possible night attack by the Han army.
If the Han army were to launch a night attack, its force of nearly 50,000 men could hold off the Han army for a considerable period of time, allowing the dormant troops to regroup and regain their fighting strength.
If the Han army had not launched a night attack, the remaining troops, including those who had rested well, would have been able to deal with the Han cavalry with ease.
Barak acted without any problems, adhering to a foolproof strategy.
As for Gachali, who served as both a reference and the commander, he wholeheartedly approved of this arrangement.
Having such a large army at your disposal, making full use of your numerical advantage, and then overwhelming the enemy with sheer force is itself a virtuous approach.
This kind of benevolent approach can be considered righteous in military matters.
In fact, when night fell, the legions that Barak had used to prevent nighttime attacks did indeed prove effective.
Not long after nightfall, Ma Chao's army launched an attack. The orderly and large-scale cavalry charge produced a deafening roar, and its effect was very strong and obvious.
Knowing that there were large armies patrolling and defending the area, the Yuezhi people awoke from their slumber, neatly and orderly regrouped, and prepared for war.
"The Han army has indeed arrived; our preparations were indeed flawless." Looking at the Han troops in front of the camp, Barak's eyes revealed a hint of relief. (End of Chapter)