Chapter 3620
Strategic Initiative
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Loyalty itself does not need reward, but Zhang Ren was extremely resistant to this kind of loyalty that does not require reward.
Because the object of their loyalty is not a person, nor is it him, but an being who is in the name of God and bears the title of a deity.
Whether out of resistance to the gods or to this belief, Zhang Ren, apart from ordering some personnel to participate in labor to ensure production and transportation at Chen Chi's request and arrangement, did not issue any orders for these Kushan troops to participate in the battlefield.
It's not because these soldiers' lives are more precious, nor is it because this belief is hateful or disgusting; it's simply that this fanatical army instills a deep-seated unease in people.
A massive and fanatical army, even one right beside you, built upon the enemy's power structure—if they have any backup plan, their collapse is imminent.
Although Chen Chi had prepared for the collapse of the front-line army and had enough time to make a comeback even if the front-line army was defeated, Zhang Ren naturally did not want to use any of the backup plans that Chen Chi had prepared if possible.
A backup plan built on failure is itself a recipe for failure once it is used.
While failure is not unacceptable, this level of failure is unacceptable.
As a general, bearing the heavy responsibility of the army and the lives of its soldiers, how could he make such a choice?
We must be responsible for ourselves, for the army, for the entire Yi Province, and even more so for the Han Empire.
Having the corresponding awareness and possessing the corresponding power is what Zhang Ren feels he should do.
"Forget it, I'll just lead the legion to support General Guan. This place isn't suitable for me..." Although Zhang Ren could have a god-like status in Zhanbo City and god-like power among the Kushan people, he didn't want it at all. If he could get rid of it, he wouldn't have any regrets.
Indulging in praise and fanaticism will only make one sink deeper. As a general of Yizhou and a general of the Han Dynasty, Zhang Ren did not think this was a good thing at all.
Had Zhang Ren known things would turn out this way, he would never have accepted Lu Min's initial advice and arrangements.
Although Zhang Ren experienced the treatment befitting a top general by following these suggestions and arrangements, he also faced difficulties as a top general when they arose.
If he truly possessed such strength, that would be one thing, but Zhang Ren, with his self-awareness, was well aware of the vast gap between himself and top-tier generals.
In the war against the Kushans, Zhang Ren was always targeted as a top general whenever he chose to appear on the battlefield.
Whether it was the Kushan Empire or the Han Empire, Zhang Ren was basically assigned based on this ability.
Therefore, if Zhang Renzhen chooses to go to the front line, it will put pressure on both the Han Empire and the Kushan Empire.
For the Kushan people, this kind of pressure is something that almost everyone who faces Zhang Ren will experience.
For the Han Empire, only a general like Zhang Ren would bear this burden.
"Then I wish General Zhang a safe journey." Although he didn't quite understand Zhang Ren's choice, Chen Chi personally felt that this was perhaps the behavior expected of a top-ranking officer.
Remain calm and composed in the face of honor or disgrace!
"What did General Yan say?" Zhang Ren turned to look at Yan Yan beside him and asked calmly, "General Yan, which direction do you plan to go?" After a winter of military preparation, the Han Empire's army had also been reorganized, and there were multiple options for attack routes and targets.
With multiple offensive lines, the key players on each line are different.
Compared to Guan Yu and others, the Yizhou troops were in a better position in terms of initiative, and could actively participate in any offensive line.
In fact, among the original offensive lines, the Yizhou troops could have independently undertaken one of them.
However, because the army was still replenished and there were still huge gaps in military supplies and logistics, the Yizhou troops did not take over a separate offensive line.
As a result, there are basically three existing routes for the Han army to attack.
One force, led by Xu Rong, advanced westward along the coastline, primarily to attack prosperous coastal towns, destroy shipyards, ruin ports, and weaken the Kushan navy.
The goal is clear, the route is also clear, and the possibility of getting lost is practically nonexistent.
The downside is that they are very likely to run into the Kushan navy and be attacked by both the army and navy. Without sufficient hard power, even retreat is a pipe dream.
One force, led by Guan Yu's army, advanced upstream along the Ganges River towards Huashi City.
The same clear offensive routes and the same well-defined objectives, but the weakness lies in the Kushan's formidable and impenetrable defenses.
If we want to continue moving upstream, we can only rely on sheer strength to force our way through.
If you win, you continue to advance; if you lose, you are pushed back by others. With cities as nodes, you advance in one section after another.
Another strategy was to use Zhang Fei as the main force to clear out the area south of the Ganges River, focusing on Rajgir and Gaya, and completely eliminate the Kushan's flank forces, thus depriving the Kushans of their ability to launch flanking attacks.
Without these two cities, and without these two cities that could radiate influence over the surrounding area, the Kushan Empire would no longer have the possibility of projecting its power east of Pataliputra.
At that time, the war between the two sides will completely engulf the area around Pataliputra, and the ownership of the city will determine whether the Kushan Empire can defend its core area.
If the Han Empire were to win and completely capture Huashi City, then facing the core area of the Brahman, with its fertile plains stretching for thousands of miles, it would truly be a place where one could advance or retreat as needed.
How could the Brahmins, who had no natural defenses, possibly hold onto this fertile land?
The core Brahman region, cultivated over many years, is also extremely suitable for cavalry warfare. Without a large number of elite cavalry, how could the Brahmans stop the advance of the Han Empire?
It can be said that Huashi City was extremely important, directly determining who would take the strategic initiative between the Han Empire and the Kushan Empire.
The side that seizes the initiative has a devastating impact on the war.
Especially in wars at the imperial level, strategic initiative is extremely important.
It was precisely because of this importance that Zhang Ren directly chose the direction that Guan Yu was attacking.
Because of his immense importance, even though others considered Zhang Ren to be exceptionally capable, Guan Yu could not simply relinquish the initiative to him.
In this way, Zhang Ren wouldn't have to bear too much psychological pressure and could assist Guan Yu in battle with a relatively calm mindset. (End of Chapter)