Chapter 0008: Breaking the Siege

A group of able-bodied men can be recruited within the county town to supplement the army, and some individuals can also be conscripted from the nearby villages and towns. However, when all is said and done, the total number amounts to only a few thousand, and time will also be required for training

Finally, Song Wu cautiously inquired about the divine weapon used by Qin Feng to kill Meng Luo, but was directly refused. Firearms are too dangerous; he would not dare to let others get involved. The safest approach is to keep them firmly in his own hands

... ...

"By the way, how many wounded soldiers are there in the city?" Qin Feng suddenly asked

He is not one to fear death, but the general died under unclear circumstances, and even his body could not be retrieved. If we continue to press on stubbornly, what will the imperial army have to counter if those rebels employ the same tactics again

Since the great general set out on his expedition, he has achieved victory in every battle and has successfully eliminated several factions of rebels. He has cornered Zhao Yuanjin's troops to the brink of despair, and victory seemed imminent. However, it is unknown what despicable means this group of rebels employed, as they launched a surprise attack that resulted in the death of the great general and several other officers and captains, reversing the tide of battle and causing the morale of the once-mighty imperial army to nearly collapse

Moreover, this is a treatment that only the regular court army receives. In contrast, during the chaotic times at the end of the dynasty, those rebel forces and displaced people without stable territories faced a scarcity of various resources. Which ruler would spend too much thought on medical logistics? It would be commendable enough if the soldiers under their command had food to eat and clothes to wear

Currently, there are ominous signs of unrest and rampant rumors within the military. If such a bizarre and ominous defeat were to occur again, tens of thousands of troops would likely disband on the spot. Even if these generals were fortunate enough to survive, they would inevitably face dismissal and prosecution by the court afterwards

This issue has been discussed and concluded, and the next matter is the supply of arms and provisions. Due to the difficulty in procuring a sufficient quantity of grain and meat both inside and outside the county town at this time, it is necessary to purchase a large amount from Qin Feng

Qin Feng smiled; this governor naturally realized that regardless of the court's response, there was no immediate threat to him. Therefore, he could calmly reorganize his troops and restore his strength, and with a stroke of luck, he might even find opportunities to continue his conquests of the surrounding prefectures.

It seems that the governor has already made up his mind, so I do not need to worry too much.

Upon seeing the figure of Qin Feng appear, Zhao Yuanjin, who had been waiting here for quite some time, was overjoyed. Regardless of how peculiar the background of this mysterious young man may be, the fact that his extraordinary abilities helped him out of a predicament is undeniable.

In the large camp outside the county town

If Mr. Zhao has a way to save them, Zhao is immensely grateful. Zhao Yuanjin said with great joy.

I plan to first reclaim Qinghe County and Yuanxiang County, which are near the county seat.

To rapidly expand the military, it is necessary to seize more territory in order to meet such conditions

Under normal circumstances, it would be quite good if one or two percent of the several thousand injured soldiers under Zhao Yuanjin could survive. If the city ultimately falls, they might even be ordered to be executed by the imperial army to avoid becoming a burden

The resources in two ordinary county towns are indeed limited, but even the smallest mosquito leg is still meat. The vast majority of the fortunes of warlords and local tyrants have been accumulated little by little in this manner

The most critical point is that there were no antibiotics or similar anti-inflammatory medications in ancient times. The infection rate of wounds among injured soldiers was extremely high, and once infected, it meant a death sentence, as there was no remedy available

In the early years of the Ming Dynasty, in the space and time where one resides, among the three elite camps (the Five Armies, the Divine Machine, and the Divine Pivot) guarding the capital region, there was only one medical officer for an average of 17,300 personnel, and the medical officers stationed in local garrisons were even fewer.

With just a gesture, one can easily slay the court's generals and repel tens of thousands of imperial troops, turning the lord's perilous situation into safety. Such extraordinary abilities are not possessed by just anyone

Zhao Yuanjin replied: "There are more than 3,000 people, but due to the scarcity of medical officers and medicines in the city, these soldiers will hardly survive much longer"

Since that is the case, I can provide you with sufficient healing medicines to help these wounded soldiers recover as quickly as possible said Qin Feng

Without further ado, after capturing the next county, it will not be a problem to recruit over a thousand young men to strengthen the new army, especially with Qin Feng as support. Zhao Yuanjin nowadays is not lacking in provisions, and raising tens of thousands of troops is not an issue.

What is the situation outside, and where is the imperial army now? Qin Feng asked

The two of them then began to discuss, as the siege of the county town has now been lifted, and Zhao Yuanjin's troops can freely leave the city. However, it is still somewhat difficult to gather military supplies and expand the army, as the surrounding counties are no longer under his control.

Due to the meticulous mind of a strategist, he has a disquieting premonition that if this matter is not handled thoroughly and promptly, Zhao Yuanjin and his band of rebels will unleash like a tiger escaping from its cage, becoming uncontrollable and inevitably posing a grave threat to the court in the future

A group of generals fell silent. Yuan Feng let out a sigh and said gloomily, "The morale of the army has already been lost. Continuing to fight will only lead to more casualties. What else can we do?"

Qin Feng furrowed his brows in silence, which is actually a normal phenomenon. Due to the limitations of ancient conditions, the number of medical officers accompanying the army was very scarce, usually serving only those of high status, while ordinary soldiers rarely received timely treatment. Heavily injured soldiers would be abandoned on the spot, and those with minor injuries could only rely on their physical constitution to endure, and if fortunate, might receive some simple medication.

Certainly, the situation now is not the same as it was a few days ago during the siege. Moreover, adhering to the principle of assisting allies, Qin Feng has offered a much lower price, exchanging 2 taels of silver for 1 stone of grain, which can be converted into gold for trade. Calculating it, I can still obtain several times the profit.

The urgent task is to find a way to clarify the hidden means possessed by Zhao Yuanjin's troops and to devise methods to counter and restrain them, so that the rebel forces can be dealt with as quickly as possible

Ladies and gentlemen

The strategist Zhu Yuntai's hoarse voice sounded: "At present, our army has encountered a sudden change, and we must quickly establish a set of regulations. We cannot lose our composure and give those traitors an opportunity to exploit."

Zhao Yuanjin said: "These two county towns are not too large, but the population of the common people is still considerable. Moreover, according to the information collected by the scouts, both counties only have a few hundred imperial soldiers stationed, so capturing them should not be too difficult. Of course, this still relies on your assistance to ensure absolute certainty"

The imperial army has abandoned the encampment outside the city and temporarily retreated to the nearby Yangcheng County for garrison. It is said that they intend to submit a memorial to the court requesting additional reinforcements and to ask the imperial troops from the surrounding provinces and counties to come and assist.

In the handsome tent, the commander Yuan Feng's face was as dark as the bottom of a pot, and he sat silently, casting a gloomy glance at the more than ten colleagues around him, creating an extremely oppressive atmosphere

The remaining generals deliberated for half a day, yet they were unable to reach a conclusion. With Meng Luo's death, there was fundamentally no other leader in the army who possessed sufficient prestige, qualifications, and means to take control of the situation, thus no one could persuade anyone else

In the end, Zhu Yuntai could only propose that the army first retreat to the nearby county city to stand by, and then report the situation of the battle to the court, awaiting the orders and arrangements from the Ministry of War and the esteemed officials of the Cabinet

That said, there are still many areas where Zhao relies on Mr. to provide assistance

The surrounding trusted ministers, such as Sun Xiangqing, Su Mu, and Song Wu, stepped forward to pay their respects, their expressions not only extremely respectful but also tinged with a subtle sense of awe

Such a dire situation, shrouded in confusion, leaves even the reports at a loss for words; it is likely that the high-ranking officials in the court will not believe their accounts at all. They will only assume that it is due to incompetence in battle and underhanded tactics.

I share this sentiment as well," Qin Feng nodded in agreement

A guard hesitated and said: "Perhaps we can appeal to the Ministry of War to request additional reinforcements..."

Inside the city gate tower

Zhu Yuntai shook his head with a bitter smile, stating that the court is currently in turmoil and various regions across the country are in urgent need, leaving little military strength available for deployment and support. Moreover, the situation here cannot be resolved simply by sending a few tens of thousands of reinforcements.

Moreover, as long as Qin Feng can continuously provide him with such life-saving medications in the future, it will significantly reduce the mortality rate of the wounded under his command. In this way, the advantages compared to other regional warlords and righteous armies are self-evident.

The gentleman has returned

Zhao Yuanjin quickly clasped his hands and said: "Although the court's troops have temporarily retreated, they may return at any moment once reinforcements arrive. We must expedite the repair of the city defenses, recruit soldiers, and stockpile weapons and provisions in order to plan for significant undertakings. I hope you will not hesitate to lend your assistance, sir"

The only way for new recruits to grow rapidly is through actual combat. As long as they can fight and ultimately survive on the brutal battlefield, they will naturally become valuable elite troops. If these wounded soldiers can successfully recover and return to the ranks, they can completely become rare and formidable soldiers in the future

Qin Feng naturally had no objections. The imperial army had suffered a great defeat and was momentarily unable to recover. Seizing this rare opportunity, it was only right to focus on recuperating while finding ways to seize territory and expand strength.