Chapter 571: Urgent Report

Chapter 571: Chapter 571: Urgent Report

The original plan from the Military Affairs Department was to hand over all internal transport capacity to civilian carriage and horse shops in three batches within a month, freeing up the supply battalions to be dispatched outside the border.

But it’s only mid-August, and over half the capacity was handed over in the first batch already—much faster than what was agreed upon before.

Why is there such urgency?

Shen Hao paced back and forth in the Public Office, arms folded, feeling that something wasn’t right.

Suddenly, there was a silent vibration in his chest—it was the Thousand-Mile Sound. Shen Hao took it out and opened it—it was from Wang Jian.

After reading it, Shen Hao’s unease grew heavier.

Wounded soldiers don’t get sent back so suddenly. Even in previous situations like Zuo Yuliang described with "multiple clashes," the wounded were recuperated at nearby supply points. Sending them back over such a long, bumpy journey would only worsen their injuries, and some might die.

What? Severely wounded? In wars with the Barbarian Race, very few seriously wounded survive—far too few. Of course, taking prisoners isn’t something the barbarian side likes either. To be fair, the Human Race isn’t much different—they only take prisoners to sell for profit, not out of mercy.

Mercy for the enemy? Only those scholars sitting far from the battlefield talk that nonsense. Anyone who’s ever tasted real battle would sneer at such shameless talk.

Now, according to the scouts’ reports from the first convoy, wounded soldiers boarded right after the initial transport swap, and in considerable numbers. A thousand-man battalion had over a dozen wounded. If those wounded are all coming back from outside the border, there’s only one explanation: something major happened outside, so severe that they could no longer shelter large numbers of wounded, forcing all ambulatory injured to retreat as a precaution.

And with the border army speeding up transport clearance, the urgency is obvious.

Such a situation is of utmost urgency, so Shen Hao had no time to verify further—he immediately reported everything he knew directly to the Jingxi Town Governor’s Office. If mistakes are made, so be it; the real fear is missing something important.

This update was also ordered by Shen Hao for Wang Jian to hand over to the Four Divisions and be incorporated into the string of cases in the southern military affairs for analysis.

...

Imperial City. A report of utmost urgency was personally delivered into the palace by the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, Wen Mingju. All the guards and sentries along the way perceived his anxious manner.

It wasn’t that Wen Mingju couldn’t keep his composure, but the events were simply too sudden. He just couldn’t pretend everything was normal. Besides, such information wouldn’t stay hidden for long anyway.

By the time he saw the Emperor, it was almost 5 p.m.

"Your Majesty, an urgent report from the Southern Military Affairs Director Zuo Yuliang!"

"Hand it over!"

The Emperor’s face, pale and frail, instantly straightened upon hearing the words "urgent report." He sat up, reaching out his hand, and an intense authority emanated from him. A pair of sharp rays seemed to flash from his eyes, making Wen Mingju’s knees grow weak, forcing him to kneel at once.

The Emperor took the copper rod, opened it, and read the hasty, messy handwriting:

On the ninth day of August, at night, around mid-9 p.m., fifteen thousand of our troops stationed along Jianchuan were hit by a sudden attack from Barbarian infantry and cavalry. The vanguard was the heavily armored Long-toothed Elephant Race, flanked by Red-eyed Wolf Race cavalry cutting from both wings. Our garrison suffered heavy losses and could only retreat thirty li, while calling for reinforcements to White Head Gorge in the center.

Around Chou Chu at night, five thousand reinforcement cavalry from White Head Gorge encountered Barbarian ambushes sixty li from Jianchuan. After initial casualties, they successfully counterattacked, breaking the Barbarian ambush, but the reinforcements lost thirty to forty percent of their strength.

At around mid-noon on the tenth of August, the White Head Gorge reinforcements joined the remnants from Jianchuan. After two hours, they reclaimed the military camp at Jianchuan. Further reinforcements have already set out; they are determined to hold Jianchuan and prevent the overall line from being pushed back, maintaining our pressure on the Barbarian salient...

However, the Barbarian Race’s massive assault is now confirmed. So, this subject bows from ten thousand li away, begging Your Majesty to open the War Opening Token and grant your servant the courage to wage war! I will pacify the Barbarian Race for Your Majesty, to protect the realm!

This urgent report was meant specifically for the Emperor, and that’s why Wen Mingju rushed it to the palace himself.

It was, in fact, a personal note, submitted through Wen Mingju as Vice Minister, not through the official military channels as a Red Feather Urgent Report of utmost urgency.

Of course, a Red Feather Urgent Report will still follow, appended to this initial notice. By then, it will be formally "sung into the palace" and copied to the Six Ministers and the Left and Right Prime Minister’s Office. At that point, all of court will know.

Zuo Yuliang reporting to the Emperor early was, in part, out of respect.

Still, this brief urgent report made the Southern front’s peril utterly clear before the Emperor’s eyes.

Jianchuan was lost at first, then retaken the next day. There were several bloody clashes in between, and ultimately, if not for the reinforcing cavalry from White Head Gorge fending off and counterattacking the ambushing Barbarians, Jianchuan would likely have been lost completely; White Head Gorge could have lost its five thousand mobile force as well, shattering the defensive stance from Jianchuan to White Head Gorge to Hu Zhu Yuan, and potentially causing the Jingjiu Dynasty to lose their grip and rhythm for attack and defense in Barbarian Territory, ruining every plan.

The result turned out barely satisfactory, but the process was fraught with peril.

And nobody expected the enemy, even in this phase of stalemate, to field their most elite heavy shock troops so soon.

The heavily armored Long-toothed Elephant Race—each one weighing over eight thousand pounds! At full charge, even a normal military camp gate might not hold. The Emperor, who had led the last great war with the Barbarian Race, remembered this terrifyingly gifted race vividly. His hand holding the copper rod trembled slightly, but quickly steadied again.

"Hoo..."

The Emperor let out a long breath, as if expelling the oppressive air from his chest.

"Who else knows of this?"

"No one but your servant as of now."

The Emperor nodded and, turning to the attendant eunuch behind him, said, "Call for Pang Ban, immediately."

After giving instructions, the Emperor asked, "Previously you reported several times that supply transport beyond the border was moving slowly. Has this been resolved?"

"It has been resolved. Earlier, Your Majesty ordered Xuanqing Guard to have Inspectors adjust their authority in the army; now, Inspectors within the Southern Border Army have taken the initiative: the Military Supervisors’ restraints were immediately removed, and the Border Army promptly redeployed the core supply battalions from the main defense areas. They have all now been sent outside the border. Construction at the supply points from Zhuo Huo Pass to Wuhu has doubled in speed, and at the latest all will be finished by the end of this month."

"Good. And the other preparations? How far are we from being thoroughly ready?"

"According to the plan drawn up by Zuo Yuliang and the Ministry of War, we’re about seventy percent complete."

The Emperor’s expression improved. Absolute certainty was always ideal; seventy percent was already quite good.

"Have someone announce the Red Feather Urgent Report throughout the court tomorrow. The timing’s good—it’s just in time for the Great Court Assembly, and we’ll settle the affairs of the southern front then."

"Yes, Your Majesty."