Deploying Troops to Jizhou

Bingzhou.

"What do you two strategists think of this imperial edict?" Li Xiang asked Wang Meng and Wei Xiaokuan with a troubled expression. Emperor Ling's edict had indeed presented Li Xiang with a formidable dilemma.

While Emperor Ling of Han was willing to gamble the fate of four provinces on the successful suppression of the Yellow Turbans, Li Xiang was by no means ready to stake Bingzhou on such a hazard. If too many troops were transferred away, faced with the simultaneous threats from the Xiongnu as well as Wang Qing and Tian Hu, even if Bingzhou managed to remain unscathed, the resulting losses would be immeasurable. The development achieved over the past four years would be utterly squandered, setting them back to where they started overnight.

Given the immense wisdom of Wang Meng and Wei Xiaokuan, how could they possibly fail to understand Li Xiang's anxieties?

Yet, both Wang Meng and Wei Xiaokuan saw through the situation with absolute clarity. Although the Yellow Turban forces currently appeared formidable, they were nothing more than castles in the air. Without ambitious schemers like Li Xiang fueling the flames and secretly escorting the Yellow Turbans from behind the scenes, the Han imperial court would likely not be far from subduing the Yellow Turban catastrophe by now.

However, even ambitious schemers like Li Xiang only hoped to use the Yellow Turban rebellion to exhaust the vitality of the Han Dynasty as much as possible. The notion that the Yellow Turbans could genuinely overthrow the Han was something they had never even entertained.

Because the Yellow Turbans did not engage in production, all their material needs depended entirely on plunder. If the Han chose to practice scorched-earth tactics and stubbornly defend their walled cities, it was entirely possible to drag the Yellow Turban army down until they exhausted their provisions and lost the ability to fight. Unless Zhang Jue possessed the capacity to restore local production, which required a vast number of scholarly officials—precisely what the Yellow Turbans lacked most.

Yet, if victory in this grand war were truly achieved by merely dragging out the conflict, the most prosperous Central Plains region of the Han Dynasty would likely be utterly ruined in the process.

Judging by this analysis, the time to replace the Han Dynasty had not yet arrived. Moreover, the Han had endured for over four hundred years, and its imperial prestige was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people; it was not so easily supplanted. Whether for Li Xiang or for other hidden ambitious figures lurking across various regions of the Han territories, it remained quite necessary for the time being to continue obeying the commands of the imperial court.

After pondering deeply again and again, Wang Meng, who had followed Li Xiang the earliest, finally spoke first. "My Lord, the Han Dynasty is probably not yet destined to perish. You must still temporarily continue to heed the court's decrees. This time, it seems our troops must inevitably be dispatched."

Though he had long anticipated this answer, hearing Wang Meng state it aloud still left a lingering trace of reluctance in Li Xiang's heart.

After all, he had previously discussed the matter at length with Wang Meng and Wei Xiaokuan: for this great war, they should seek no merits, but only strive to avoid mistakes.

No matter how great his achievements might be, it was impossible for him to become a provincial governor. After all, his father was already the Inspector of Bingzhou—or rather, the Governor of the province now. If he were to become an inspector as well, what kind of disorder would that create?

Li Xiang guessed that even if he performed prodigious feats and enjoyed extraordinary good fortune, he would at best secure the post of a commandery administrator in Bingzhou or its neighboring provinces. And if luck were against him, he might be sent off to some remote commandery at the ends of the earth far from Bingzhou, or summoned to the capital to hold some mediocre, idle title.

Considering his youth, the most probable outcome was still being enfeoffed as a marquess of low rank holding a purely nominal title.

Yet even this assumed he had accomplished monumental merits; along the way, the Bingzhou army would inevitably suffer a certain degree of casualties.

If they were to dispatch troops now simply to comply with Emperor Ling's decree, Li Xiang felt it was even more unjust. Whether in Jizhou or the Central Plains, those were battlefields involving hundreds of thousands of men. Even if he intended to preserve his strength, the casualties suffered by the expeditionary force would surely not be few.

By then, preserving his strength would no longer be something he could decide at will. After all, once they arrived in Jizhou, he would nominally have to accept the command of Lu Zhi, and certain matters would simply be beyond his control.

To pay a heavy price without gaining the desired reward—this was the true reason why Li Xiang was unwilling to send out his troops.

Just as Li Xiang sank into deep thought, he suddenly heard Wei Xiaokuan begin to speak.

"My Lord, dispatching troops this time is imperative, but how we dispatch them and how many men we send still require careful deliberation," Wei Xiaokuan said with a solemn expression.

Upon careful reflection, Li Xiang realized that indeed, since sending troops had now become a settled matter, there was no longer any use in agonizing over certain issues.

All that remained was to consider, as Wei Xiaokuan suggested, how to dispatch the troops and what number would be most appropriate so as to minimize unnecessary losses.

Naturally, for Li Xiang, any loss incurred from fighting for the Han Dynasty against the Yellow Turbans without receiving a substantial return was an unnecessary loss.

Before Li Xiang could even pose a question, Wang Meng and Wei Xiaokuan both moved to speak at the same time.

Exchanging a glance, Wang Meng immediately cupped his hands in a bow, took a half-step back, and signaled for Wei Xiaokuan to speak first.

Seeing this, though Wei Xiaokuan felt grateful to Wang Meng inwardly, he did not say much; some gestures were best kept in mind.

Then, Wei Xiaokuan said slowly, "My Lord, although our Bingzhou army is currently numerous, the sixty thousand troops under General Meng Tian must absolutely not be moved lightly. Over the past few years, with a formidable ruler like Wanyan Aguda at the helm, the Southern Xiongnu have not only restored their strength to pre-Yanmen war levels but have actually grown considerably. Although they are still held in check by Temüjin's Mongol clan and the two sides engage in constant friction, matters concerning the security of the northern frontier cannot be treated with anything less than utmost caution."

The three thousand troops suppressing Bingzhou could likewise not be lightly detached. After all, within the interior of Bingzhou, there still remained Tian Hu's remnant forces; previously insignificant, they were becoming somewhat troublesome now. Although Tian Hu's remaining troops were not many, defending the entirety of Bingzhou with just thirty thousand soldiers was already stretching things to the extreme.

Therefore, My Lord, we can only transfer a portion of the troops currently preparing to counter Wang Qing out of Bingzhou."

Li Xiang mused silently; indeed, they could only draw forces from the thirty thousand troops preparing to face Wang Qing.

Yet, if they did this, the interior of Bingzhou would be reduced to a purely passive defense. Facing Wang Qing's forces, they would have no choice but to firmly guard the Eight Passes of Taihang, losing any capability for active offense.

"I wonder how many troops your two strategists think it most appropriate for us to dispatch this time?" Although he already had an answer in his heart, Li Xiang still needed confirmation from these two wise counselors, Wang Meng and Wei Xiaokuan. Matters concerning the safety of Bingzhou compelled him to be exceptionally prudent.

"My Lord, if we are to dispatch troops this time, thirty thousand is the most suitable number. Any fewer, and we risk incurring the displeasure of the court officials; any more, and the pressure in facing Wang Qing's forces might become excessive. After all, though Wang Qing's Yellow Turban army is mediocre in combat prowess, their sheer numbers remain a persistent problem. A quarter of a million Yellow Turban troops—even ants can bite an elephant to death if there are enough of them. We cannot afford not to guard against this."

Just as Wang Meng had yielded a step to Wei Xiaokuan earlier, Wei Xiaokuan now returned the opportunity to Wang Meng.

Pondering slightly once more, Wang Meng continued, "My Lord, it would still be best for our dispatched troops to consist primarily of cavalry. That way, our losses will be comparatively smaller."

Hearing Wang Meng's words, Li Xiang's eyes lit up.

Indeed, by leading cavalry into battle, siege assaults and city defense operations would definitely not fall to his lot.

As for open-field warfare, how many casualties could an army of ordinary farmers with mediocre combat power and crude equipment possibly inflict upon him?