Deploying Troops and Generals

"Dragon Spine Pass has fallen!"

When Victor received the news, his mind went blank.

For as long as he could remember, Dragon Spine Pass had been synonymous with impenetrability.

It had the sturdiest walls, the most advanced magic crystal cannons, and an anti-magic field the empire had built at enormous expense.

Both its physical and magical defenses had been pushed to their limits.

According to official claims, it could withstand ten or so forbidden spells.

To take Dragon Spine Pass, an enemy would either have to lay siege to it for a long time or throw lives at it.

The empire had stockpiled vast quantities of provisions and weapons inside the pass. Even if it were besieged for a year or two, it would not run short of supplies.

And if the Tuwu People threw lives at it, how many would have to die?

"Do we know what happened at the front?"

Victor asked, concerned.

The loss of Dragon Spine Pass had a tremendous impact on the Third Army.

The border between the Holy Glory Empire and the Golden Horde Khanate stretched for over ten thousand li, but mountains blocked most of it, making it unsuitable for large armies to cross.

Unsuitable for passage did not mean impassable.

Most of the supplies smuggled from the empire to the grasslands went through these places.

Whenever disaster struck the grasslands, Tuwu raiders would take these paths south, leaving the surrounding populace in turmoil.

His original plan had been to wait for imperial reinforcements to arrive and draw the enemy's attention, then find a chance to return home by one of the paths around Dragon Spine Pass.

With the fall of Dragon Spine Pass, the plan had failed before it could even begin.

"Commander, the Tuwu man we captured is too low in rank to have access to any more information.

If his tribe hadn't held a celebration, he might not even have known what Dragon Spine Pass was!"

Maddox said with a troubled look.

The Third Army was stationed a little over a thousand li from Dragon Spine Pass, a distance that was neither particularly far nor particularly close.

But sending scouts to find out what had happened at the front was no simple matter.

If the enemy happened to catch them, they might expose themselves instead of finding out what had happened at the front.

He did not believe every soldier in the army was prepared to face death without fear and could withstand the Tuwu People's torture and interrogation.

On the Pannosia Continent, physical death was not the end. The soul remained.

The enemy had necromancers, and once a soul fell into their hands, there were no secrets to be kept.

"Pass down the order. Have the commanders of every battalion come to a meeting tonight!"

After a little thought, Victor promptly gave the order.

Without knowing the situation at the front, he could not judge how many troops the enemy had lost.

Knowing nothing, he could only prepare for the worst and assume the enemy had suffered no major losses.

The Golden Tent Royal Court.

The joy of taking Dragon Spine Pass had lessened the sorrow over the previous high priest's death.

The shackles that had bound the Tuwu People had finally been broken today.

The fertile lands to the south had opened their gates to them once more.

"Pass down the order. Strip Dragon Spine Pass bare, every blade of grass, every tree, every brick and tile. I don't want to see a single building left standing!"

After several rounds of drinks, Silas gave the uncompromising order.

Ambitions were constantly changing.

Before breaking through Dragon Spine Pass, he had only wanted to raid the south to make up for his tribe's shortfall in winter supplies.

After successfully taking the pass, he had suddenly discovered that the "southern giant" he feared so greatly was sick.

The magic crystal cannons that had failed to fire, the anti-magic field that had malfunctioned, the shoddy weapons and equipment... all of it showed that something was wrong within the Holy Glory Empire.

Since the enemy was already rotten inside, their previous assessment of its strength had been inaccurate.

Perhaps the gap between the two nations was not so great after all.

With some effort, they might just be able to take down this mortal enemy.

Even if they could not swallow the entire Holy Glory Empire, taking a few northern provinces would still be an enormous gain.

Once the thought arose, he could no longer shake it.

Opportunities like this were rare. As long as he annexed the Holy Glory Empire, he would be the greatest khan in the history of the Tuwu People.

"Rest assured, Great Khan. I'll arrange for people to carry it out as soon as I leave. We won't leave a single brick or tile behind!"

Prime Minister Oliver promptly promised.

Demolishing Dragon Spine Pass seemed like an act of venting anger, but it was actually a political statement.

They were demolishing more than a pass; they were kicking aside an obstacle on the road south.

Riding the momentum of their great victory, the pro-war faction held an overwhelming advantage at the royal court, and many officials in the pro-peace faction had changed their stance as well.

"Mm!"

"Good. Tear it down!"

"Without that mighty pass blocking our way, the road south is wide open. The age of the Tuwu People has arrived!"

Silas said, full of high spirits.

Now that the pro-peace faction had backed down, it was naturally time to quit while he was ahead.

For the khanate's political landscape to remain stable, a balance had to be maintained between the factions. No single faction could be allowed to dominate.

"Report..."

"Great Khan, an urgent report from the Black Bear Tribe! An army of southern barbarians has invaded the grasslands.

The Goshawk Tribe and the Cors Tribe fell victim to them. Fewer than one in a hundred survived.

Our scouts have so far discovered that the enemy is entrenched on the outskirts of the Dragonbone Mountains..."

The urgent military news the messenger brought made the atmosphere in the tent tense at once.

The Goshawk Tribe and the Cors Tribe were not among the Golden Horde Khanate's major tribes, but neither were they unknown.

Two tribes had been wiped out at once, with more than twenty thousand tribespeople lost. No one could take that lightly.

"Great Khan, to deal with external threats, we must first secure our own lands!"

"With the khanate's main forces all deployed, the southern barbarian army deep in the heart of the grasslands poses far too great a threat.

If we cannot eliminate them quickly, I'm afraid the surrounding tribes will suffer as well!"

Xavier, the newly appointed high priest, was the first to state a position.

As the khanate's spiritual leader, it was necessary to safeguard the common interests of all the tribes.

The enemy army deep in the heartland had undoubtedly touched on everyone's core interests.

If left alone, the enemy would roam the grasslands, and no one knew which unfortunate tribe would be next to suffer.

Once the news got out, the army's morale would be thrown into disarray.

"Mm!"

"This thorn does need to be pulled out.

Bennett, which unit is free right now and can be sent back to our lands to wipe out the enemy?"

Silas asked, looking at the minister of military affairs.

Deploying troops and generals meant more than considering military matters; it also required balancing the interests of all sides.

The toughest obstacle had been removed, and now it was time to reap the rewards. Whoever was sent away would be unhappy about it.

"Great Khan, Dragon Spine Pass has been taken, and what follows is a time for unrestricted plunder. None of the units have many duties.

The enemy is entrenched on the outskirts of the Dragonbone Mountains, most likely held back by their wounded. They shouldn't get far in the short term.

The thousand-strong contingents the khanate drew from the Goshawk Tribe and the Cors Tribe all serve in the Seventh Tumen. They should not be left out of a matter of revenge."

Bennett answered after a moment's thought.

The grasslands were so vast that even among people of the same ethnicity, multiple dialects had developed.

To make command easier, the khanate liked to put tribal soldiers from neighboring tribes in the same unit when forming armies.

Even if something went wrong on the battlefield, it would be tribes from the same area that took the blows together.

That allowed the balance of power within a region to be maintained as much as possible, preventing civil war on the grasslands caused by an imbalance in strength.

At a time like this, sending any other unit back to eliminate the enemy would draw complaints.

The Seventh Tumen alone was an exception.

Besides the survivors of the Goshawk Tribe and the Cors Tribe who wanted revenge, the other neighboring tribes were also worried about the safety of their people.

"Good. Send the Seventh Tumen to deal with it!"