Cut the Grass and Remove the Roots

The next morning, all the troops had begun boarding ships to cross the river. Victor stood by the dock, watching over a thousand soldiers cross in an orderly fashion, his heart filled with pride.

With such scale and momentum from just a thousand men, it was no wonder Emperor Fu Jian of Former Qin dared to boast of his million-strong army being able to "divert rivers with a single cast of a whip."

Victor had revised his previous plan. He had originally intended to focus on farming in the northern territories, with military matters as a secondary concern. However, after his experiences and observations in recent days, Victor decided to prioritize the military. He would do his utmost to expand his forces. Fortunately, this world had many superior crop varieties. After calculations by the seed module, even with the current technological level, staple crops like wheat and barley could have their yields doubled. As long as a portion of the labor force produced enough agricultural goods to meet the daily needs of the entire territory, the remaining laborers could be fully dedicated to the military industry.

Combined with Victor's principle of maximizing military expansion, Number 1's calculations yielded the following result: half of the eligible males would join the army. The remaining one-third, along with the women, would serve as agricultural labor. The other two-thirds would be channeled into related industries to develop preliminary industrialization, providing the resources for the army to wage war.

The Golden Sunflower Territory had a population of [number] people, with [number] males between the ages of 16 and 40. According to Number 1's calculations, Victor could mobilize 5,000 men to join the army. If he were to recruit barbarian soldiers at a one-to-one ratio, he would need to conquer at least [number] barbarian tribes. Relying on the territory's existing population base, Victor could organize a non-production military force of [number]. It could be said that if this plan were completed, Victor would become the Grand Duchy of Vera's foremost warlord, second only to the Duchy itself and Baron Colt.

Victor was highly optimistic about this. Furthermore, this was merely the potential maximum strength of his own territory in the future. If he were to include the entire population of the nobles who came to the north to develop the land, plus the original population of the northern nobles, his army's scale could multiply dozens of times. His population utilization rate would be more than five times that of any noble of the same era. For example, Count Colt's territory had a combined population of 300,000 freemen and serfs, and about a dozen loosely controlled barbarian tribes with a population of 200,000. If mobilized with Victor's intensity, he could muster a non-production army of nearly 100,000 men. This wouldn't be 100,000 men consisting of serf auxiliaries, but a true professional standing army. Such production and mobilization efficiency would surpass even modern nations of World War I and II.

This would certainly be impossible to achieve on Earth, but this world was too special. Tree bark could be used as a special alloy, wheat without fertilizer could yield four to five hundred jin per mu, and even more astonishingly, sunflowers from one mu could yield two tons of oil. Three serfs could pull a heavy plow to till the land. Victor could only say that those who haven't transmigrated don't understand; people in this world are like supermen, capable of achieving miracles even in farming.

These miraculous material foundations, combined with the professional plans formulated by the seed module of the Beacon Lighthouse and optimized production techniques, were what enabled such high productivity and efficiency.

After his reflections, Victor refocused his energy on the upcoming battle. After all, the objective had been set, and the route designated. All that remained was to proceed step by step. That was the Hanging Brother's confidence.

After more than half a day, all the troops had completed crossing the river. Victor immediately ordered Jack to lead his 100 cavalrymen, along with the scouts, to conduct armed reconnaissance on the Green Grass Tribe, and to delay their movements if necessary.

The remaining troops were to advance together, controlling their pace and conserving their energy. The speed of mounted infantry and carts would undoubtedly be slower than professional cavalry. Advancing together would also prevent them from becoming separated. Moreover, the carts carried all the army's supplies. Just in case, Victor had utilized all the carts, bringing enough provisions for half a month for the entire army.

The weather on the grasslands had been calm for the past few days, possibly due to the arrival of autumn. It was generally dry, and the ground was relatively firm. The main force's progress was even faster than anticipated. By evening, they had traveled 30 kilometers, completing half the journey.

Victor, mounted on his horse, had just received a report. Jack's unit should have reached their designated position, which was 20 kilometers away from the Green Grass Tribe's encampment.

Tomorrow, Jack and his men would commence armed reconnaissance on the Green Grass Tribe, attacking herdsmen and scattered barbarian soldiers to ensure the main force remained undetected.

Soon, the entire army arrived at the designated encampment point. Officers began directing soldiers to set up a simple camp. As it was already autumn, the temperature on the grasslands dropped at night, making it essential to provide the soldiers with a relatively warm place to rest; otherwise, widespread illness could easily occur.

Victor watched as the various units methodically set up camp and pitched tents, nodding with satisfaction. This army, which he had largely forged himself, might still lack combat experience, but their fighting will and discipline were already outstanding. They were among the best in the entire Duchy's noble armies and would be a reliable cornerstone for his future hegemony.

In the evening, Victor gathered all the unit commanders at the camp for a pre-battle mobilization meeting. "There are two objectives for this operation. First, to cut the grass and remove the roots. The Green Grass Tribe initiated the attack on our territory. They are no longer ordinary barbarian tribes. For barbarian tribes that act hostile towards us, we must strike with full force. Therefore, my bringing everyone here with our full might is also a demonstration of our strength. Second, we must establish a foothold on these grasslands in the future and require a large number of cavalry. By capturing the herdsmen of the Green Grass Tribe, we will have leverage over these barbarian soldiers. We can mobilize at least 800 to 1,000 barbarian cavalry, which will be crucial for the future strength of our territory."

"Tomorrow's battle may not be intense, but I demand that you showcase the might of our territory's army, to awe these barbarians, to etch our forces deeply into their minds, and to make them obediently serve us in the future. These are my orders, and you must carry them out without fail. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Lord Victor," all the officers replied loudly as they stood up.

Victor nodded. He found himself increasingly enjoying this feeling of giving orders. No wonder so many leaders in his past life loved holding meetings.

Victor inwardly reflected, "I am here to convey orders, not for my own selfish desires. The downfall of a group begins from the top."

"Number 1, add a work reminder. Remind me daily not to hold useless and time-wasting meetings."

"Task confirmed, Victor."