The strongest devouring system in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 144 Ji Ling

"Thank you for your guidance, General. I have learned a great deal." Xiahou Dun bowed respectfully to Gao Shun. He admired Gao Shun from the bottom of his heart. Gao Shun's troop training, battlefield command, and strategic vision were all beyond his reach. Xiahou Dun still had a lot to learn from Gao Shun.

"I must live up to my elder brother's kindness in taking care of me." Xiahou Dun said to himself. He was a newly promoted major general who was directly assigned to Gao Shun's First Army Corps as his deputy.

Xiahou Dun had seen the care Chen Er had given him as his elder brother, and the loyalty of family members was more reliable. This was why Chen Er spared no effort in cultivating talents in his family, firstly because these people's abilities had been demonstrated in the history of Earth.

Chen Er was able to make good use of talent, and the loyalty of these family members ensured their allegiance to Chen Er during the war. As for the post-war period, Chen Er had already planned to implement a preliminary democratic political system.

For large families like the Chen and Xiahou families, Chen Er would definitely deal with them by superficially bestowing honorary titles and rewards, while limiting the privileges of the nobility, initiating a system of decentralization, and carrying out preliminary democratic politics. Even aristocratic democracy would be better than autocratic rule centered around a core family.

"This subordinate will take his leave now." Xiahou Dun, of course, did not know Chen Er's future plans. Of course, even if he did know, he probably wouldn't think anything of it, because Xiahou Dun was a military general, a rather pure soldier.

In politics, he also disapproved of those who flaunted their power, especially those who relied on their ancestors' influence. Xiahou Dun found them particularly distasteful.

On March 14th, Ji Ling, a general under Yuan Shu, led an army of 130,000 to the gates of Xiapi. A major battle was imminent. Gao Shun, who had already relinquished command, was sitting on the city tower with great interest, observing the military formation of Yuan Shu's army outside the city through a telescope.

The yellow-clad Yuan Shu army and the red-armored autonomous region troops were clearly distinguishable. Overall, the yellow-clad Yuan Shu army now surrounded the entire city of Xiapi. Perhaps Ji Ling was bursting with confidence, because he did not adopt the tactic of surrounding three sides and leaving one side open, but instead surrounded Xiapi from all sides from the start. Perhaps in Ji Ling's mind, Xiapi was already his for the taking.

"Go up and shout for the defenders to surrender, or they will be killed without mercy when the city falls!" Ji Ling said to the loudest messenger among his men.

The messenger mustered his courage and walked to within a hundred meters of the First Army Corps' outer perimeter, shouting to the soldiers of the Autonomous Region Army inside: "My general has ordered that those who surrender will be spared, while those who stubbornly resist will be killed without exception after the city falls!"

"roll!"

No sooner had the messenger finished speaking than a tremendous roar erupted from the defensive position, hitting the messenger's ears and making his head buzz.

It turned out that this guy had unintentionally wandered into the position that was under the command of Huang Gang, the commander of the Sixth Regiment. Huang Gang's abilities were only average, but he had one skill that few people could match.

That's because he has a loud voice. It's said that this guy once scared a dog to death with his roar when he got angry!

He was quite a formidable figure, which is why the discipline of the Sixth Regiment of the First Army Corps was considered the best in the entire army. It was all because they had a loud-voiced regimental commander. If anyone violated military discipline or made a mistake, the scolding they received was worse than being put in a dark room for five days.

"Damn it, they're actually telling us to surrender! How ridiculous, they're telling us to surrender before the war has even started?"

Huang Gang said to his men, "I heard that the general on the other side is named Ji Ling. I don't know where he gets his confidence. Doesn't Yuan Shu have any generals who are worthy of the task?"

Huang Gang is a historical figure.

"I think I, Huang Gang, am much stronger than him." Huang Gang's voice was as loud as thunder, even when he spoke softly. The soldiers around him could only smile bitterly and curse the messenger from Yuan's army in their hearts. If it weren't for him, they wouldn't be suffering this kind of treatment.

The only response to Ji Ling was a roar, and Xiahou Dun ordered a cannon to fire from behind, directly blasting towards the direction of Ji Ling's command flag. Xiahou Dun's actions were very simple; he wanted to provoke Ji Ling, according to intelligence.

Ji Ling was a very impulsive person, and Xiahou Dun wanted to take advantage of this to make Ji Ling give wrong orders in a fit of rage, since the enemy's forces outnumbered them by two.

As commander, Xiahou Dun's task was to defend Xiapi at minimal cost and then proceed with the next counterattack plan.

boom!

After a cannon shot rang out, everything unfolded exactly as Xiahou Dun had predicted. Enraged, Ji Ling issued the order for a full-scale attack.

In war, those who are prepared will always have the upper hand. For example, the First Army Corps at this time, with Gao Shun's early strategic preparations and Xiahou Dun's tactical preparations, occupied a relatively advantageous position in preparation.

As a result, Ji Ling's hasty attack only resulted in him suffering heavy losses against Xiapi City's relatively well-developed defense system.

"Immediately send someone out of the city to find a way to notify the Seventh Army of Rencheng and order Li Ji to attack!" Xiahou Dun said to the messenger behind him. The messenger glanced at Gao Shun, who nodded. Only then did the messenger turn around and walk down the city wall.

Li Ji is a historical figure.

Gao Shun smiled and said to Xiahou Dun, "Don't worry about me, just give your orders."

"Yes, General, I understand."

"The enemy is coming up!"

Just then, the lookout shouted loudly.

Generals Gao Shun, Xiahou Dun, and others raised their binoculars and saw the positions outside the city. Hmm, a yellowish-brown wave was coming.

Boom! Boom! Although Gao Shun and his men looked down on Yuan Shu's army, Yuan Shu's army, which had more battlefield experience, still understood the tactic of launching an infantry assault after artillery support.

Xiahou Dun did not order the counter-battery to retaliate because he did not want to waste artillery fire on solid shot, as that would not yield much result.

When the enemy gets within 200 meters of the front-line position, the best tactic is for the front-line artillery to fire directly with shotgun shells. Although the city has sufficient reserves, it is besieged and there is no logistical support, so ammunition must be used sparingly.

Seeing Xiahou Dun's calm demeanor, Gao Shun smiled. He understood that the most important thing for a strong army is the constant influx of fresh blood. This applies not only to the lower-ranking soldiers but also to the middle and high-ranking commanders. Only with a constant influx of fresh blood can the army remain strong.