plumnovel Chapter 43 The Roots of the Fubing
Chapter 43 The Roots of the Fubing
Yang Yan stared intently into Li Mi's eyes.
"Why is it that they seem to have never even had the courage and determination to attempt a head-on assault, to risk their lives for advantage?"
The composure on Li Mi's face froze in that instant.
Yang Yan's seemingly casual question was like an invisible, cold, thin blade.
It quietly bypassed all discussions about tactics, formations, and differences in troop types.
It pierced straight to the very core of what sustains an army's fighting spirit—why fight? For whom to die?
Li Mi's well-prepared analysis of the inadequate training of the local militia and the inexperience of the generals in command was completely choked off by this casual remark.
The intense focus on military affairs that had been in his eyes was replaced by a deeper light, mixed with astonishment and horror.
He suddenly realized that this sixteen-year-old Prince of Changning was no longer concerned with the outcome of the exercise in front of him.
What he was examining was the distinctly different inner spirit that underpinned the existence and actions of these two armies.
Just as Li Mi was filled with emotion and had a thousand words stuck in his throat, the drumbeats suddenly changed!
Thump! Thump-thump! Thump-thump-thump!
Three rapid war drumbeats sounded like a hurricane urging the troops forward.
On the east side, the six hundred silent Imperial Guard infantrymen moved.
There was no earth-shattering roar.
The entire line split in two instantly as a small red flag in the center was waved.
They transformed into two sharp columns of three hundred men each, like venomous pythons emerging from their caves, swiftly cutting and maneuvering along the gaps on the left and right flanks of the main army formation.
Their movements were synchronized and their formation changes were smooth and swift.
In the instant they passed the flank of the Imperial Guard formation, the soldiers on the flanks of these two Imperial Guard columns moved almost simultaneously—drawing their bows, nocking arrows (unbowed arrows used in exercises), tilting them upwards, and launching them!
A series of actions were completed in high-speed movement. Although there was no aim, the overwhelming rain of arrows still poured down on the massive gray square formation with a piercing sound.
"Raise your shield—!"
A slightly distorted shout rang out from the ranks of the soldiers.
The shield bearers in the front row could barely raise their large shields at an angle to protect their upper bodies, while the spearmen in the middle and rear rows could only hastily raise their arms or the spears in their hands to block.
Although they were arrows without clusters, those who were hit in the head, face, or torso still felt pain, and muffled groans and subtle commotions inevitably arose in the formation.
After a rapid volley of fire, the Imperial Guard column did not stop, but instead spread out to the sides to create distance and break contact. Then they turned again and regrouped into a single horizontal line.
The entire process, from launching the attack to harassing the enemy and then regrouping, was smooth, efficient, and decisive.
On the other hand, the massive "fish scale formation" of the soldiers seemed to be enraged but malfunctioned. The command flag on the platform had been waved frantically several times, and the order to "turn and meet the enemy" was clearly delayed for several breaths when it reached the outermost soldiers.
The entire square formation of several thousand men, under the officers' roars and the flags, began to clumsily try to turn around as a whole, aiming their spears back at the harassing Imperial Guards.
However, this adjustment was slow and laborious, and some chaos and compression even appeared at the edges of the formation.
"Your Highness...did you see it?"
Li Mi's voice rang out beside me, much lower than before. What was suppressed in it was no longer simple excitement, but a deep, almost tangible bitterness and a kind of cold clarity.
"That's the difference."
"The Imperial Guards are strictly disciplined because they are professional soldiers who practice killing techniques every day. Their honor, future, and even their lives are tied to this."
"And the garrison soldiers..."
He took a deep breath, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
"The roots of the local militia lie on the ridges of the fields."
"They are farmers, husbands, and sons. For them, military service is an obligation they must fulfill, not a career to gain fame and fortune."
"Give them the courage to fight to the death to protect their homeland and their trusted general, and they will not hesitate..."
"Let's watch the training first!" Yang Yan interrupted him to continue.
Because he had already seen the answer he wanted from Li Mi's tone, from his tense profile, and from the complex light in his eyes.
"Whoosh—buzz—!"
Just then, the bugle call in the arena suddenly changed again! It was no longer a desolate wail, but three short, sharp, and continuous screechs, like the fierce cry of a raptor when it discovers a weakness in its prey!
Almost simultaneously, the two Imperial Guard columns that had just reunited, without a moment's rest, brought down the central red flag with a fierce, aggressive angle—
Moved!
This time, it's no longer a roundabout harassment.
The left flank lagged slightly behind, while the right flank suddenly accelerated forward. The formation shifted again as they ran, no longer a tight column, but quickly spreading out to form a slightly curved attack line. Their target was none other than a tiny loosening at the flank and rear joint of the "fish scale" formation, exposed by their clumsy turn!
Even more fatal was that the left-wing column, which was originally slightly behind, did not charge straight ahead, but instead ran wildly along an outer arc. Their intention was all too clear—they wanted to form a pincer movement with the right wing and attack that point from both sides!
The real attack, the deadly fangs, are now being revealed!
"Halt! Form a circular formation! Quickly!" The shouts of high-ranking generals within the garrison formation were tinged with obvious shock and anger.
However, the transmission and execution of orders appeared so slow and powerless in the face of the Imperial Guards' swift advance.
The soldiers at the loosened "scales" looked at the advancing torrent of black-armored soldiers on both sides, their armor gleaming coldly, and panic was visibly evident on their faces.
With this shift in power, a significant weakness soon emerged in the direction of the local militia.
"Foolish!" Li Mi blurted out instinctively.
Immediately afterwards, the left wing of the Imperial Guards feigned a retreat, and almost a whole group of soldiers from the Fubing formation actually left their formation.
Before the small, outstanding squad had even advanced thirty paces, the Imperial Guards on the left flank, feigning retreat, turned around like tigers and launched a swift counterattack. Together with another squad that had been positioned on the flank, they instantly engulfed the hundred-odd men!
In just the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, more than a hundred people were disarmed and rendered unable to fight!
A gap has been torn open!
After hundreds of men lost their fighting ability, the soldiers were thrown into chaos, and their once tightly packed "fish scales" were torn to shreds.
Yang Yan stared at the dazzling array of changing flags in the formation, then recalled the obvious slow reaction of the soldiers.
"Is the difference between the local militia and the Imperial Guards really that big?"
In his mind, that modern soul was racing.
"In the era of cold weapons, I remember that the casualty rate was not high. Most troops would collapse in morale and desert after suffering 10% to 30% losses. The most crucial indicator of whether an army was elite was where this 'collapse threshold' was! The Imperial Guards were clearly far superior to the local militia."
"But that refers to wartime mentality. In peacetime training, it's more about physical strength and individual combat prowess! The soldiers of the Fubing are all strong men from Guanzhong, working the fields during the busy farming season and training during the off-season. They are all strong and robust. Why do they become so vulnerable once they enter the battlefield? Their combat effectiveness is inexplicably poor!"
Yang Yan's gaze shifted from the routed army formation to Li Mi beside him.
On that young and resolute face, there was no trace of the joy of victory, but rather a deep, indescribable melancholy.
What seemed like a triumphant "victory" to him was, in his eyes, a far greater tragedy.