stonecrandall Chapter 810: Debate, capture Yangping Pass!
Chapter 810: Debate, capture Yangping Pass!
Ordinary people, especially the elderly, women, and children who shouldered heavy farm and household chores, could only subsist on sweet potatoes, potatoes, and other coarse grains. This near-military rationing model resulted in an extremely low quality of life for the people, with health problems caused by nutritional deficiencies becoming increasingly common and resentment accumulating.
The fundamental way to completely reverse this situation lies in restoring and developing agricultural production. This requires reclaiming vast tracts of wasteland, cultivating it meticulously, and growing a diverse range of crops, especially staples like rice and wheat, supplemented by legumes and vegetables, and even developing livestock for meat and oil. But how easy is this? Reclaiming wasteland requires strong labor, and intensive cultivation takes time and experience. And all of this presupposes—returning some soldiers to the fields!
This was precisely the paradox the Chu army could not accept. To improve livelihoods, they had to weaken military power; to maintain or even strengthen military power to counter Gaoyao, they had to continually exploit the potential of the people, sacrificing their health and long-term well-being. This was an unsolvable vicious cycle. The Chu army was like being tied to a chariot hurtling towards a cliff, knowing the danger ahead but unable to stop due to the powerful enemy at their side.
Fan Zeng sighed heavily, realizing the truth: Yi Xiaochuan's vision for Yangping Pass was indeed beautiful, but the Chu army's current foundation was far too fragile. The current predicament—a distorted recruitment structure, declining livelihoods, a fraught food security, and a severely unbalanced resource allocation—was like a series of bottomless cracks that spread across the land where the Chu army had established its foothold.
Any strategic venture, no matter how brilliantly conceived, could, if it failed, be the straw that broke the camel's back, instantly shattering those cracks and consuming the entire Xiang family empire. He couldn't, and didn't, dare to, gamble the Chu army's remaining capital on a future that wasn't guaranteed to win. Stability, accumulation, and waiting for a more opportune moment, or forcing Gao Yao to make a mistake, were the options Fan Zeng considered more consistent with the Chu army's current realities and the more responsible. While tedious and likely to miss the immediate opportunity, at least it would preserve the possibility of survival. This harsh reality served as a cold footnote to Fan Zeng's adherence to a conservative strategy.
In the study, Xiang Yu, Fan Zeng and Yi Xiaochuan all had different thoughts and ideas. Fan Zeng still stubbornly insisted on focusing on defense.
"Mr. Fan Zeng," Yi Xiaochuan said, raising his voice slightly. With the youthful vigor and unquestionable confidence, he took a step forward, his gaze fixed on the white-haired and bearded old military advisor. "I understand your concerns. Caution in employing troops and cherishing soldiers are the words of a seasoned statesman. But seizing Yangping Pass is by no means reckless; it is a truly promising endeavor! The key lies in disrupting Gao Yao's deployment and forcing him into our grasp!"
He quickly walked over to the crudely hung map and pointed his finger heavily at the location of Yangping Pass. That point seemed to condense his entire strategic vision: "Look here! Yangping Pass, stuck at the throat of Xianyang and Hanzhong, is like a key! If our army can quickly capture it, it will be like a sharp blade, instantly severing the connection between Xianyang and Hanzhong, leaving them unable to take care of each other!"
Yi Xiaochuan's fingers traced two sharp lines on the map. "At that time, we will send our elite troops to quietly sneak to the outskirts of Xianyang, like a pack of wolves, ambushing in the mountain passes. On the other hand, we will send a brigade of elite soldiers to firmly defend the newly captured Yangping Pass, turning it into a nail deeply embedded in the enemy's rear! Once the Xianyang side learns that Yangping Pass has fallen, and the rear food supply and reinforcement routes are cut off, you can imagine their panic! Even if Gao Yao is the most patient, he will never dare to sit idly by and watch this vital throat be blocked. He will definitely send his main elite troops at the first opportunity, at all costs, to recapture Yangping Pass!"
His eyes flashed with a strong fighting spirit, as if he had already seen the picture of victory: "This is the opportunity we have been waiting for! Once the troops in Xianyang are mobilized and surge towards Yangping Pass like a tide, its hinterland will inevitably be empty! At this time, our main force ambushed around Xianyang will suddenly launch a surprise attack like a long-dormant tiger! With the world-leading speed and impact of our Western Chu cavalry, we will take advantage of their unpreparedness and strike directly at their core! Defeating the enemy troops who have hurried back to support or stayed behind will be a piece of cake! Even..."
Yi Xiaochuan's voice was resolute and filled with a heart-stirring heroic spirit. "Taking advantage of the situation and conquering Xianyang in one fell swoop is no foolish dream! If we can do so, the blow to Gao Yao will be far greater than just watching him fight with others! This is the thundering method that will truly damage his roots and shake his foundation!"
Yi Xiaochuan's rebuttal, articulate and forceful, was not only a direct challenge to Fan Zeng's conservative strategy but also fully embodied his understanding of the essence of warfare: "The army has no constant position, just as water has no constant shape." He emphasized not direct confrontation but proactive tactics, maneuvering the enemy, and exploiting the mobility of his cavalry to strike a fatal blow at their most vulnerable and disorganized moments. Using this aggressive and imaginative tactic, he attempted to persuade Xiang Yu to adopt a more proactive, risky, but potentially more profitable, strategy.
Listening to Yi Xiaochuan's impassioned speech, Fan Zeng's brow furrowed even deeper, deep wrinkles etched in the firelight. His bony fingers twirled his beard unconsciously, his eyes sharp as a hawk as he scrutinized Yi Xiaochuan's blueprint. He had to admit, the young man was quick-witted and courageous. His tactical concept certainly had merit and feasibility. Using Yangping Pass to mobilize the enemy and leverage the cavalry's superiority to deliver a devastating blow—there was nothing inherently wrong with the idea.
But the weight of worry weighing heavily on Fan Zeng's heart didn't lessen in the slightest. He shook his head slowly, his aged voice carrying an undeniable solemnity: "Xiaochuan, what you say does, at first glance, make some sense. However, war is a matter of national importance, a matter of life and death, a matter of survival and destruction. It's something we must carefully consider! Your plan, while brilliant, is also fraught with danger and precipice!"
He stood up, his steps slightly unsteady but his momentum undiminished. He walked to the map and tapped his fingers heavily on the vast area between Xianyang and Yangping Pass. "First, how easy is it to capture Yangping Pass? It's a vital pass. How could Gaoyao not send a large force to guard it? Our army has been attacking from a long distance. How can we attack it? If we can't take it for a long time, or only take it with heavy losses, our fighting spirit will be lost, and subsequent plans will become castles in the air! Second, you said that the Xianyang defenders will definitely rush to Yangping Pass to support you. This is your only assumption. "I'd love to! What if Gao Yao sees through this plan, holds his troops still, or even uses him as bait to ambush our forces outside Xianyang? Thirdly, even if everything goes well, Xianyang will be empty and our army will launch a surprise attack. Xianyang is the old capital of Qin, with high walls and deep moats. Even if the defenders are small, they can rely on the strong city to hold out until reinforcements arrive. Our army lacks cavalry with sufficient siege equipment. Are we going to use our horses to ram the city walls? If we get stuck, the enemy reinforcements will surround us from all sides, and our main force deep behind enemy lines will be trapped!"