Experience is accumulated through experience. When you do anything, your first state of mind and your subsequent state of mind are completely different.
This was the case for the Pathfinder team. At the first larger gathering point, they did something that made them feel unhappy, and the soldiers were still gloomy for a few days. After attacking the second gathering point, they quickly
The mood was restored... After all, from the guide's mouth, they knew that their mission would be completed soon.
"There will be an air plague going forward. We can no longer attack them all at once, or even the whole team can explore the road..."
"Let's select a suicide squad. Some of them will explore the road first to form what officials call a relay. When and where the air plague will appear must be marked in detail."
After completing the clearing of the last stronghold, the control of this passage has basically been completed. The closer to success, the more cautious one should be. Therefore, the five teams of pathfinders now need to discuss how to complete the last section of the road.
"Judging from our experience during this period, there is an adaptation process to the epidemic. For example, when I started running for the first time, I felt a little short of breath after a few steps, but it became less uncomfortable later on."
Wang Shunchen is purely psychological. It is undeniable that when people are nervous and focused on certain feelings, those feelings will be much more sensitive and intense. In fact, there are few areas above three thousand meters above sea level along their way, and altitude sickness is not a problem.
Obviously, the reason why he felt tight when he fought against the horse bandits for the first time was actually caused by Wang Shunchen's psychological effects.
The real air epidemic on this road is focused on the current mountain area, which is further northwest from where they are... Of course, in this era, only Zhao Xi understands this.
Wang Shunchen's words were obviously recognized by everyone.
Although they agreed, the five people still followed Zhong Jianzhong's advice to act cautiously and prepared to move forward in batches in a relay manner.
······
When the pathfinder team came, Zhao Xi and all the ministers who knew the specific details were really relaxed. For a crucial but unknown passage, it turned out that only three soldiers died and twelve were injured.
The price is paid.
"The officials and the Hehuang Governor's Mansion have begun to reorganize themselves into parts due to the attachment of Dong Fe's tribe, and have sent troops to march westward. From this point of view, a strategic encirclement deployment can be fully formed next year, which is better than what the officials expected.
A year early!”
Fu Bi was very optimistic. In this way, the deployment of the Western Front for the Xixia expedition would not be so urgent.
"This passage... how should I put it? It is estimated that it will be opened according to the time I estimate. Prime Minister Fu, the basic work will take a certain amount of time to complete."
Regarding that area, Zhao Xi, without a guide, knew that it was not that easy to pass through with a partial force.
Xixia deployed about 30,000 troops in the Shazhou, Suzhou, and Ganzhou areas.
The imperial army's battle plan against Xixia was a pincer attack. This pincer attack refers to the pincer attack on Xingqing Mansion. This requires that after crossing Dangjin Mountain, the partial division must quickly break through Shazhou, Suzhou, Ganzhou and Liangzhou.
Before the government could react, the troops pointed directly at Xingqing Mansion.
Only in this way can the party members be completely despaired... They will be cut off from their path to the west, and their strategic depth will be lost. Only in this way can the purpose of encirclement be achieved.
In order to achieve this, the partial division must have an overwhelming advantage in terms of combat power, equipment, and quantity.
This requires transporting soldiers and supplies through this road in large quantities. And according to Zhao Xi's understanding, the time that this passage is suitable for the Central Plains people to survive is probably less than half a year.
"Officials, now the pathfinders have completely controlled the passage and have basically reached the edge of the sandbank controlled by Xixia. After solving the Qingtang, the imperial court sent engineering troops there. In one year, it will be enough to complete the infrastructure of the military station relay..."
This kind of thinking is probably what most important ministers think.
"This matter... Judging from the intelligence from all parties, this passage is suitable for passage, or the time suitable for the Central Plains people to survive, is only half a year at most."
"The entire territory of this passage, most of the way, is covered with heavy snow for nearly half a year. It is really heavy snow, which makes it impossible for people and livestock to pass."
"In the past six months or even more than half a year, all people can do is cat winter, and they can hardly do anything."
"The way of heating there is to use animal dung to be dried and burned as firewood. There is very little firewood, let alone charcoal."
"In such an environment, it is impossible for us to garrison too many troops. The long winter and the provisions of the soldiers determine that there cannot be too many garrison... This is why I dare to let two hundred people explore the road. There is no way there
Too many troops."
After Zhao Xi finished speaking, he handed Fu Bi an excerpt compiled from the fragments he had finally found after looking through the pile of old papers during this period.
It was really difficult. Zhao Xi knew the situation well, but it was difficult to convince the cabinet ministers out of thin air.
Therefore, he looked through almost all the books in the collection, specifically looking for some records about winter in that area.
I was stunned, even the cabinet ministers were stunned after reading it.
No one thought it would be like this.
Perhaps you have all heard of the cold weather in Liaodong, and even the climate was blamed for the defeat of the previous dynasty's several campaigns against Goguryeo.
But I never expected that this area would have such a climate compared to places farther north than Hedong and Hebei.
Even people's activities will be restricted, and there will be no engineering troops to build military fortifications. It will take a year to reach the relay station mentioned by the officials...~ It should be half a year in spring and summer.
This year we opened and controlled the passage, leaving some soldiers behind.
Next year, engineers will be sent westward and military depots will be built along the way... If we want to launch an attack on Xixia, it will be the year after tomorrow at the earliest.
"The officials, the Hehuang Governor's Mansion has been divided into parts and the troops are marching westward. Should we stop it?"
"Well! The imperial court must issue a special edict on this matter. State the specific situation and ask the Hehuang Governor's Mansion to decide the number of soldiers marching westward based on the various items they carry for the winter."
"In addition, after completing the pathfinding mission, the pathfinder team retreated to Hehuang to rest and observe the impact of the soldiers' trip on their combat effectiveness in order to evaluate the combat effectiveness of the partial division in the later period."
"I am considering that the loot captured by the pathfinder team during the process of opening the passage this time should be sufficient for one or two thousand soldiers to survive the winter."
"The key point is to instruct the Hehuang Governor's Mansion to bring enough items to keep warm and warm against the cold for the soldiers marching westward, from clothes to charcoal, and even the heating stoves in Gongfang City."
This is no choice.
Despite the fact that the pathfinder team had almost no delays along the way, they could complete the path exploration and then turn back. This trip took nearly four months.
After setting off at the end of May, four months later, it will be time for this passage to be covered with heavy snow.