noveltune Chapter 13: Morale Soars, Wei Family Army in Crisis of Food Supply
Chapter 13: Morale Soars, Wei Family Army in Crisis of Food Supply
[Level 2 rewards settled]
Current level: 2, 390/1000
[Unlock Passive Skill: White-Clad Assassin!]
[Effect: When the host is dressed in white and not wearing armor, the morale of their troops increases by 50%!]
Wei Zhao was taken aback.
White clothes? No armor?
White-Clad Killer God.
Not wearing armor actually provides a greater bonus.
This skill was practically tailor-made for him—the commander-in-chief doesn't charge into battle; he stands in the rear directing operations and doesn't need to wear armor.
The moment the man in the white robe stood there, the morale of the entire army instantly increased by half.
No wonder Bai Qi was known as the "White-Clad God of Slaughter" in history; there's a reason for it.
Thirty-four free attribute points. Wei Zhao didn't hesitate and poured them all into his Constitution.
[Physical fitness: 20→54 (far exceeding normal levels—steel-like body)]
The changes are much more dramatic than the last one.
A warm current of air exploded from the dantian, flowing into the limbs and bones, causing a series of fine cracking sounds to emanate from the bones.
The muscles seemed to be reshaped and remolded by an invisible hand, becoming firmer and more compact in every inch.
Wei Zhao clenched his fist, his knuckles making a crisp sound.
power.
The power was substantial and real, on a completely different level than before.
He glanced at the combat strength value on the panel again—11.
It has 1 more point than when the template was first awakened.
It's not added by attribute points, it increases automatically.
Liu Jingshuang taught him the Wei family's spear technique over the past ten days.
With each thrust of the spear, his combat skills actually improved.
Wei Zhao's lips curled up slightly.
"The head coach?"
The junior commander of the personal guards beside him leaned closer:
"The battlefield has been cleared, and the enemy corpses..."
"Bury it on the spot."
Wei Zhao regained his composure and said calmly, "Bring the head back to Yanmen Pass."
The young commander was taken aback for a moment, then grinned.
"Yes, sir!"
……
Three hours later, at Yanmen Pass.
On the city wall, the old lady leaned on her iron cane, gazing into the distance towards the northwest.
The wind tousled her silver hair, and she stood there motionless, like a stone statue.
On the horizon, a flag appeared first.
The old lady's fingers loosened at the tip of her cane.
There was no laughter, no words spoken.
She turned around and walked down the city wall step by step.
The sound of the cane tapping the stone steps was steady and slow, exactly the same as when it came.
The guards on the city wall saw the returning imperial guards.
First came silence.
Then someone noticed the burlap sacks hanging on the horse's back—the sacks were tied tightly at the top, but their shape was too obvious, round and plump, one by one, tied to the sides of the saddle.
"A human head! It's the head of a Northern Rong person!"
The cheers, like gunpowder that had been ignited, exploded from the city walls and spread all the way into the interior of the pass.
Some people pounded on the battlements and shouted, some took off their helmets and threw them into the air, and some cursed with red eyes.
When Bei Rong's Quan Ya Mao wrote a letter to insult the entire Wei family, the new commander-in-chief's response was two thousand seven hundred heads.
No nonsense, no replies, just take action.
This guy is ruthless.
……
Naval Base.
When Wei Zhao pushed open the door, the old lady was already sitting upright in the main seat.
Her gaze swept over Wei Zhao—from head to toe—pausing for two seconds.
There was no blood on Wei Zhao.
He doesn't look like someone who just came back from the battlefield; he looks like he just came out of a study.
A hint of satisfaction flashed across the old lady's eyes.
A commander with blood on his hands is a fierce general.
A commander who has no blood on his body is a true leader.
This indicates that he did not personally lead the attack.
This shows that he knows when to charge forward and when to stay in the rear.
Last time when he entered the pass, he personally led the charge. It was out of necessity and it showed his true character!
With victory assured this time, he obediently stayed at the valley entrance to direct operations.
Know when to advance and when to retreat.
"I'm back."
The old lady spoke, her tone as casual as if she were asking if the child had eaten.
"I'm back."
Wei Zhao clasped his hands in a fist salute.
"How many were injured?"
"Forty-seven dead and over two hundred wounded."
The old lady nodded, without asking for further details.
"Well done. Go take a break."
She waved her hand and added:
"The Northern Rong will definitely take action once they receive the news in a few days. There will be no major battles for now, but minor skirmishes are inevitable. We need to conserve our energy."
"Yes."
Wei Zhao turned and walked out.
He was neither afraid of the possible retaliation from the Northern Rong nor regretted launching this surprise attack.
War shows no mercy!
You wrote a letter insulting me, so I'll retaliate with your troops.
The sight of over three thousand heads is more convincing than any reply.
The Northern Rong will not suffer in silence; Quan Ya Mao will retaliate sooner or later.
But so what?
The two sides have a life-or-death relationship, and this score will have to be settled sooner or later; it's better to settle it sooner rather than later.
At least for now, morale is high.
……
In the days that followed, Wei Zhao divided his time into three parts.
Practice shooting this morning.
Liu Jingshuang's teaching method was no different from the first day; it was simple and brutal.
Wei Zhao's central spear strikes have now reached a perfectly straight line.
Liu Jingshuang began to teach him the second move, blocking the spear. The spear shaft was deflected horizontally from the outside to the inside, parrying the opponent's weapon while simultaneously thrusting back.
After my physical fitness level soared to 54, practicing shooting felt completely different.
The gun barrel felt as light as a stick in my hand, and each thrust was accompanied by a dull whistling sound.
Once, Liu Jingshuang tested his strength with the barrel of a gun. After taking a shot, her hand went numb, and the way she looked at him changed.
"What exactly did they feed you at the Taoist temple?"
Wei Zhao smiled but did not answer.
During the day, they patrolled the various units of the Wei family army.
With the experience of the Battle of Luoyingkou as a foundation, the veterans looked at him with something more in their eyes—reverence.
It wasn't because his surname was Wei, but because of those three thousand-plus heads.
When the Northern Rong wrote a letter insulting him, he immediately wiped out the Northern Rong's reconnaissance battalion.
This ruthless, vengeful nature is exactly what Wei's army wants.
Liu Jingshuang stayed by his side the whole time.
During her inspection of the crossbow camp, she explained to him the range and loading process of the ballista.
When they reached the infantry formation, she explained the commands for changing formations and the meaning of the drums and bugles for the 10,000-person square formation.
When passing the stables, she even taught him to judge the training intensity of the cavalry unit by the wear and tear on the horses' chew bits.
They talked as they walked, covering every little detail.
Wei Zhao noticed that Liu Jingshuang had changed.
It's not that her personality has changed; she's still the same cold and aloof person during the day, speaking like she's giving military orders.
But her eyes were different.
When she looked at him, her phoenix eyes held less scrutiny and more affection.
Of course, her changes were more noticeable at night.
After each time she finished making a baby, Liu Jingshuang no longer turned over and went to sleep as she had in the previous days.
She would massage his sore shoulders and neck, while explaining some basic military strategy:
"In military campaigns, supplies are the most important thing."
"An army marches on its stomach; supplies must be ready before it can move." This saying is not just a joke.
"Have you calculated how much food and rations an army of 300,000 consumes in a single day?"
Wei Zhao honestly shook his head.
"You wouldn't understand even if I told you."
Her fingers pressed on a sore spot on the back of his neck, with just the right amount of pressure:
"You'll know once you go and take a look at the supply depot."
Wei Zhao remembered those words.
……
The next day, the supply depot.
Wei Zhao stood in front of the granary, his face grim.
He finally understood why Liu Jingshuang had asked him to come and take a look.
The granary is empty.
Not one, but a row.
Of the twelve granaries, only the last three still had grain sacks piled up, and they weren't stacked very high.
"Is this all there is?"
"How much longer can we hold out?"
The captain in charge of the supply battalion was a veteran in his forties, his face etched with the wrinkles of time.
Upon hearing this, his lips trembled slightly.
"Reporting to the commander, at most..."
His voice was very low, as if afraid it would be blown away by the wind:
"We can hold out for another seven days at most."
Seven days.
Wei Zhao's fingers slowly clenched.
Three hundred thousand troops, seven days' worth of rations.
What about seven days later?
He knew without reading any military books what would happen to an army that ran out of food—first, they would reduce supplies, then kill horses to eat, and then morale would collapse...
An army cut off from supplies is more terrifying than any enemy.
Even the well-trained Wei family army would find it difficult to maintain its fighting capacity without food and supplies.
He turned to look at Liu Jingshuang beside him.
Liu Jingshuang remained silent, clearly having anticipated the current situation.
Since we were stationed at Yanmen Pass, not a single grain of grain from the imperial court has been delivered!