Chương 719: Pre-Battle Arrangements

Liu Ce tapped the map with his fingertip and began to divide his troops and assign generals, his strategy clear and organized:

"Xue Rengui led 50, 000 cavalry as the left vanguard, took the northern route through the Pamir Mountains, cleared the border outposts, and marched straight to Kabul to pave the way for the main army."

"Your humble servant obeys the imperial decree!" Xue Rengui stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and exuded a commanding presence in his white robe and silver armor.

"Xu Da, lead 50, 000 cavalry as the right vanguard, take the southern route through the Pamir Mountains, wipe out the southern mountain strongholds, support the left flank, and prevent the Kushan army from outflanking us from the rear."

"Understood, sir!" Xu Da stepped forward, as steady as a mountain.

"Yue Fei, command 100, 000 firearms soldiers and over 10, 000 cannons of various sizes. Advance with the central army, clearing roads through mountains and bombarding cities. All the work of attacking fortified cities is entrusted to you."

"Your Majesty, I obey! I will not disappoint you!" Yue Fei cupped his hands, his eyes shining... His favorite thing was to bombard cities with cannons, it was so satisfying.

"The rest of the troops will advance in three routes. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei will lead the central infantry, Zhao Yun and Qin Qiong will lead the cavalry on both flanks, and Cheng Yaojin and Dian Wei will be responsible for protecting the imperial camp and supplies. Proceed step by step, and do not be greedy for merit or advance rashly."

"Your Majesty, we obey!" the generals responded in unison, their voices so loud that dust fell from the tent ceiling.

"Furthermore," Liu Ce added, "100, 000 naval troops have already set off, heading west along the South Seas, rounding the Indian Ocean, heading straight for the Persian Gulf, cutting off Parthia's sea route, and incidentally seizing ports. At that time, our army will attack from the west, and our navy from the south, launching a pincer attack. Parthia will be attacked from both sides and will have no way to escape."

Everyone's eyes lit up... This is a ruthless move! A combined land and water attack, and Parthia is like a turtle in a jar.

After dividing the troops, Liu Ce glanced at Zhang Fei and gave him a friendly reminder with a smile:

"Yide, stop thinking about climbing the city walls and risking your life. This time we have more cannons, tens of thousands of them. What city wall can't we breach? We don't need you to be a human battering ram, carrying a ladder and charging up. Do you hear me?"

Zhang Fei grinned, his voice so loud it made dust fall from the tent roof:

"Your Majesty, rest assured! I, Old Zhang, know what I'm doing! I'll be crouching behind the cannons, waiting for them to breach the city gates, then I'll be the first to rush in and cut down the flag! I absolutely won't charge blindly!"

Guan Yu, standing nearby, stroked his beard and snorted, giving him a "I don't believe you" look.

"Third brother, you're reckless. Be careful not to jeopardize military plans. If you charge too aggressively and get wounded by a stray arrow, how will you explain it to His Majesty?"

"Just you wait and see, Second Brother! I understand tactics now too!" Zhang Fei patted his chest confidently, making a loud thud.

The generals chuckled softly, knowing Zhang Sanye's temperament: he was quick to agree but would forget his life once the fight started.

Li Jing added with a smile:

"Generals, although these three kingdoms have some resources, they are no different from paper in front of our firearms. Remember the rules: cannons clear the ground first, then infantry advance. Don't waste time with any one-on-one duels in front of the battle."

What we need is efficiency, minimizing casualties, and a swift victory; we can't afford to waste time with them.

Yue Fei chimed in, his tone tinged with a hint of pride:

"The pharmacist is right. Our field artillery can shatter cavalry formations from three miles away, and our siege artillery can bombard the city walls in half a day. You all just need to wait and watch the fireworks; it'll be quite a spectacle."

The atmosphere inside the tent was relaxed; no one took the three western countries too seriously... It wasn't underestimating them, but rather the difference in strength was stark—a difference of an entire era.

They used bronze swords and iron armor, while we used firearms and cannons. This isn't war; it's a dimensional reduction attack.

Liu Ce waved his hand, setting the final tone:

"Alright, it's settled then. Tomorrow we'll hold a flag-raising ceremony before setting out. Within three years, I'll be drinking from the Mediterranean Sea. Let those Western barbarians know who truly reigns supreme."

"We are willing to fight to the death!" The generals clasped their fists in unison, their morale soaring.

Outside the tent, bugles sounded in unison, their mournful sounds echoing throughout the camp. The 400, 000-strong army was sharpening its swords, polishing its guns and cannons, waiting for the order to march west.

The three empires to the west were still living their own lives, completely unaware that what was coming from the east was not a caravan, but a plague that could wipe them all out.

By the time they realized what was happening, cannons were already at their doorstep.

......

That night, the moon was bright and the stars were few. The Gobi Desert was exceptionally clean, and the stars shone as if they had been sprinkled with diamonds.

Cao Cao couldn't sleep, so he put on his clothes and went out of the tent to take a stroll and clear his head.

Guo Jia followed him out, carrying a wine jug, which he shook.

"Hey, Mengde, can't sleep?"

"Hmm." Cao Cao nodded, gazing at the night sky in the west.

After a while, Guo Jia said, "Your Majesty appeared out of nowhere, not only unifying the world but also inventing steam engines, cannons, and trains... Now you're going on a western expedition, all the way to the Mediterranean. If you said this twenty years ago, who would believe it? They would have thought you were crazy."

"Yes," Cao Cao laughed, took the wine jug, and took a sip. The wine was fiery, but as it went down his throat, it warmed his stomach.

"My biggest dream back then was to become a general who conquered the west, pacify the western Liang, and have my tombstone inscribed with 'Tomb of Cao Hou, the late general who conquered the west of the Han Dynasty.' That would have been enough for me."

He paused, gazing at the distant, rolling mountains, his expression complex:

"Now look what's so great about the General Who Conquers the West? We're going to march straight to Rome and expand westward for tens of thousands of miles."

Your Majesty... is truly a genius. Following him, we can see scenery never before seen by anyone, and do things never before done by anyone before. This life has been worthwhile.

Guo Jia nodded, deeply agreeing: "It is our good fortune to be born in this era. In the future, we will also have a place in history books, following His Majesty to pacify the four seas and expand the territory by thousands of miles. This life will not have been in vain."

The two stood on the hillside, the evening wind blowing through the Gobi Desert, looking down at the lights of the camps stretching for dozens of miles, like a starry sky on the ground, and remained silent for a long time.

As they were chatting, they heard a noise not far away. They turned around and saw Zhang Fei and Cheng Yaojin squatting on the ground, drinking with a bag of peanuts, and making quite a racket.

"Old Cheng, do you think the Kushan war elephants are really that big? Bigger than our oxen?" Zhang Fei asked, munching on peanuts.

"Of course!" Cheng Yaojin gestured, "I heard from people in the Southern Theater Command that war elephants are two zhang tall, and one stomp can kill a person, and several people can stand on their backs. However, they are afraid of fire. Once a fire starts, they run wildly and trample their own people."

"Hey, what's there to be afraid of?" Zhang Fei scoffed.

"If we bombard them with our cannons, won't the elephants just be blown to bits? Why would we need fire attacks? I think they're just uncultured barbarians who treat elephants like treasures."

"That's true." Cheng Yaojin nodded.

"When we reach Rome, we two brothers should have a good look around. I've heard Rome has huge bathhouses and wine. We should try them out."

"Absolutely!" Zhang Fei slapped his thigh.

"After the battle, I'm going to take a bath in the Mediterranean and bring some grapes back for my wife and kids to try."

The two of them whispered among themselves, mostly eating, drinking, and having fun, showing no sign of the tension of war.

Cao Cao and Guo Jia exchanged a glance and couldn't help but laugh.

With such fierce generals and such a strong army, this battle is a sure win.

..................