Chapter 3621
Their respective attack routes
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Unsure of Zhang Ren's thoughts, Yan Yan, based on her own position and abilities, assessed the corresponding direction and ultimately chose the direction where Zhang Fei was.
Compared to the direction Guan Yu was in, the direction Zhang Fei was in made Yan Yan feel more at ease.
After this period of battlefield competition, Guan Yu also quickly demonstrated his abilities and talents, transforming himself from someone who could not command the masses to a commander who was far ahead of the crowd.
Whether it was his command ability on the battlefield, his coordination between the navy and the army, or his personal breakthrough ability, Guan Yu demonstrated exceptional talent in every aspect, quickly turning it into a powerful figure.
From this perspective, Guan Yu did not betray the trust of the Han Empire, nor did he put too much pressure on others.
It was this rapid growth and strength that made more people believe in Liu Bei and in his ability to judge character.
Based on this, people's opinion of Zhang Fei has improved considerably.
After all, if Guan Yu could grow to this level, then Zhang Fei must be no less capable.
As one of Liu Bei's brothers, Zhang Fei's current abilities are still far from top-tier. However, with Guan Yu as a cautionary tale, no one would think Zhang Fei's talent is lacking, except for Zhang Fei himself.
Yan Yan didn't think there was anything wrong with Zhang Fei, so he chose Zhang Fei's route and prepared to lead his army to assist Zhang Fei in attacking Gaya and Rajagaha.
Before meeting Zhang Fei, Yan Yan felt that if she went to help, it would be like adding icing on the cake, and it wouldn't matter whether she was there or not.
However, since their Yizhou troops haven't secured a main attack route, they've divided their forces to provide assistance.
Although there is another route, Xu Rong's, that route is too brutal in combat. Even Yan Yan, who thought that the legion could be used as a safety net, avoided it.
After learning about Zhang Ren's control over the common people of Kushan, Xu Rong directly demonstrated what it meant to be the commander of an evil army.
Ignoring the loss of soldiers, Xu Rong, at a speed beyond everyone's imagination, successfully trained troops in formations and battle arrays, and then commanded these troops to participate in the attack.
On the way to the offensive, recruit soldiers, use soldiers, utilize these soldiers, and then put these soldiers into the war.
How many people were recruited, how many died in battle, and how many were lost?
To date, no one has an accurate number.
However, all the Han army units that participated in Xu Rong's offensive route held a sense of awe towards Xu Rong, a commander of such a large army.
Xu Rong exemplified the art of swift and decisive military tactics.
Of course, this is not about the ability to use soldiers at a loss, nor is it simply about consuming soldiers. In terms of offensive power, Xu Rong's attack speed is quite terrifying.
Putting aside the speed of marching on the road, the speed of attacking the coastal towns of the Kushan Empire would generally not exceed three days.
Their terrifying offensive capabilities were, in some ways, comparable to their marching speed; in a short winter, they cleared half of the coastline.
The threat it displayed put the entire Kushan Empire on high alert, and they even devised a plan to encircle it from multiple directions, advancing by both land and sea.
However, it was of little use. Xu Rong, despite suffering more than half his losses, forced his way out, then immediately began recruiting more soldiers and continuing his offensive. As for the attrition of new recruits, Xu Rong didn't care at all.
As long as you're a soldier, even a new recruit, you can become a veteran through fighting. Who cares about the price you have to pay in the process?
Xu Rong wouldn't have considered this issue before Luoyang; he would only consider it after Luoyang.
However, after going abroad, Xu Rong found that he no longer needed to consider this issue. As long as he didn't use Han Chinese, he could use these people who were deeply afflicted by theocratic ideology as expendable resources without feeling guilty.
At least when explaining things to others, Xu Rong was able to convince not only himself but also others.
Being able to persuade others means there aren't many limitations.
On the one hand, it was to eliminate internal destabilizing factors, and on the other hand, it was to ensure that these people could make the best use of their talents and at least contribute some value.
Moreover, the rapid advance along the coastline, displaying such domineering power, was not merely for Xu Rong to advance the battle line and weaken the Kushan navy's manpower, but more importantly, to project an aura of power.
It was an attempt to wipe out all of Kushan's ports through land warfare.
Whether or not it succeeds is irrelevant; what matters is having such momentum and seemingly possessing the corresponding capabilities. In that case, the Kushan Empire will inevitably consider this possibility.
Based on this possibility, Xu Rong will not lose money no matter what the outcome is, whether he calculates and plans or not.
As for the Kushan army's schemes, whether they would lead to the downfall of the entire army, Xu Rong was not too worried.
Although advancing along the coast, they were easily vulnerable to attacks from the Kushan navy. However, being an army, they could avoid the Kushan navy's attack range in a very short time by advancing deeper into the land.
As long as the Kushan navy's ships cannot sail ashore, it will be difficult to have a significant impact on them in a short period of time.
The only way to stop their advance is to deploy ground troops.
With both armies of similar size and quality, none of the Kushan army generals sent by Kushan were able to directly challenge Xu Rong.
Rahul was essentially the commander of the most powerful army in southern Kushan.
The commanders of land forces in coastal port cities were mostly on a part-time basis; their primary role was that of the commander of the naval flagship.
Despite having unrelated command backgrounds, an insufficient number of troops, low quality, and inadequate organizational skills, Xu Rong, leading new recruits deeply influenced by the theocratic Kushan Empire and with the elite troops of the Han Empire as the core backbone, could be considered to have done whatever he pleased.
It can be said that the information Xu Rong passed on to the rear was basically all about advancing, advancing and advancing again, capturing a port on a certain day, destroying a certain amount of timber, destroying a certain number of shipyards, and so on.
This is also the main reason why Yan Yan did not choose to ask further questions or follow Xu Rong after learning about his attack direction and achievements.
Xu Rong fought fast and had a strong record. Following behind the opponent always seemed like he was trying to gain credit for their battles.
In comparison, following Zhang Fei's direction would be much more reassuring for Yan Yan.
Zhang Fei, who has not yet demonstrated the qualities of a military commander, is, in Yan Yan's view, far superior to Xu Rong in terms of these traits… (End of Chapter)