Following Xu Rong's order, the Shannan Army slowly came to a halt.
Ahead, Wu Shuangren saw that the Shannan Army had stopped, so he also ordered his entire army to halt.
The twelve large drums in the center of the army were struck three times with great force, and the command flags were waved.
The army of tens of thousands of people slowly came to a stop. The archer brigade at the forefront lined up in formation, held their shields in front of them, and assumed an offensive posture!
The spear formation and the sword and shield formations on both flanks also raised their shields, the shields linked together to form a shield wall.
A spear emerged from behind the wall, its cold light gleaming!
Xu Rong watched as tens of thousands of people went from motionless to still. There was indeed some confusion, but they would quickly adjust. His brows furrowed even more.
This was also the first time Zhang Liao had seen this Yi Province Militia in person, and he looked surprised.
He admired Wu Shuangren's youthful heroism, but his admiration stemmed more from his personal martial prowess.
But now it seems that the opponent's military leadership is equally impressive!
This further solidified his desire to make their acquaintance.
"General Xu, shall I go and speak with Wu Shuangren?"
Zhang Liao approached Xu Rong and asked.
Xu Rong snorted coldly, "No need, I'll talk to him myself."
After saying that, he rode forward alone.
On the other side, Wu Shuangren also rode forward alone, passing through the archer squad, to meet Xu Rong.
The two men met on the battlefield, thirty paces apart, and each reined in his horse.
The wind blew from the west, whipping up bits of grass from the ground and sweeping between the two men.
"You're Wu Shuangren?"
Xu Rong sized up Wu Shuangren and asked.
Wu Shuangren was wearing a full set of infantry armor, but no helmet.
Holding a long-handled broadsword in one hand, he said loudly, "Indeed, it is I. General Xu has come from afar, and I, Wu, have failed to greet you properly; it has been my fault."
Xu Rong sneered, pointing his spear at the tense army behind Wu Shuangren: "Is this your courtesy?"
Wu Shuangren stood his ground, meeting the other's gaze. "General Xu, are you satisfied?"
Xu Rong roared, "How dare you! What, have you already colluded with the Mount Liang rebels and are you planning a rebellion too?!"
Wu Shuangren remained unmoved. "General Xu, you can't speak carelessly. The establishment of this Yi Province Militia by me was approved by all the officials of Yi Province. It was also the officials who entrusted me with the city's defenses and prevented outsiders from entering. General Xu, if you say that I am rebelling, are you implying that the entire Yi Province is rebelling?"
As he spoke, he took out a booklet from his pocket. "This is a document jointly written by the officials of Yi Province, concerning the Yi Prefecture City. Would General Xu like to take a look?"
Before Wu Shuangren arrived, Guo Jiwang obtained a document from a group of officials in Yi Province, thus binding all the officials in Yi Province to one side to fight against the Shannan Army!
Xu Rong was already used to the clashes of swords and spears, and he was very impatient with this kind of official jargon, and he didn't want to read any of this nonsense documents at all.
"Enough with the nonsense. What are you planning to do, leading a large army forward?"
"As I just said, I'm only here to welcome General Xu."
"Ha! If I were to lead my troops to Bo County, would you lead these men to block my way?"
"General Xu can give it a try."
Wu Shuangren spoke in a flat tone.
Xu Rong was furious and about to lash out when he suddenly heard the sound of horses' hooves behind him.
"General Xu! Militia Commander Wu!"
Seeing the tension between the two, Zhang Liao quickly spurred his horse forward.
"The Mount Liang rebels have not yet been wiped out. If you two were to fight amongst yourselves here, wouldn't that only cause pain to your loved ones and joy to your enemies?"
Zhang Liao offered his advice.
Xu Rong snorted coldly and remained silent.
However, Zhang Liao could tell that the other side had become wary after seeing the lineup of the Yi Province Militia.
So Zhang Liao lowered his voice and said, "Brother Xu, you brought your men out here to make a name for yourself and get rich. If you fight the Yi Province Militia here, you'll lose more than you gain, regardless of whether you win or lose!"
Xu Rong looked at him and shook his head. "But if we go back like this, I, Xu Rong, can't afford to lose face, and the brothers below won't agree to it either!"
Just as Zhang Liao was about to speak, Wu Shuangren, who was opposite him, seemed to have overheard their conversation and spoke first:
"General Xu, General Zhang, I do have a solution that satisfies both sides."
Xu Rong and Zhang Liao both turned to look at him at the same time.
"Please go ahead, Militia Commander Wu."
Zhang Liao said.
Wu Shuangren calmly replied, "What everyone is seeking is nothing more than merit and wealth, but the place with the most merit and money is no longer in Yi Province."
"Oh?"
"The Mount Liang rebels in Yi Province have been driven back by me, but a large number of rebels still occupy Rong Province. If you two generals are willing, I can lead the Yi Province Militia and the Shannan Army to Rong Province. All the military merits gained will belong to the Shannan Army; I will not take a single penny!"
Xu Rong was stunned upon hearing this.
He brought his men to Yi Province this time, hoping to gain merit and make a fortune. Little did he expect that the Mount Liang rebels had already been defeated, causing him to lose a great deal of merit for nothing.
This was also a major reason why he insisted on entering Yi Prefecture City; if he lost his merit, he could only make up for it with more money!
He just hadn't expected that Wu Shuangren would actually be willing to bring his own men to Rong Province.
"Are you serious?"
Xu Rong looked into Wu Shuangren's eyes.
Wu Shuangren met his gaze and nodded. "Of course, would I, Wu, joke about such a thing?"
What are you after?
Xu Rong frowned.
If Wu Shuangren wanted to seize this opportunity to make merit and receive a reward from the imperial court in the future, such as becoming a military officer in Yi Province, Xu Rong could understand.
But Wu Shuangren said he didn't want any credit and would give it all to the Shannan Army.
Leading your own troops to fight exhausting battles in other states, only to reap no rewards in the end—what's the point?
"Because Mount Liang and Wu had a grudge, Wu swore to destroy Mount Liang!"
Wu Shuangren suddenly said through gritted teeth, seemingly harboring a deep-seated hatred for Mount Liang.
"Just for revenge?"
Xu Rong was still somewhat skeptical.
Wu Shuangren said frankly, "Of course, I also want to make friends with the Shannan Army. Sending only some money is indeed a bit stingy. If I were to also send military merits, I wonder if General Xu would be satisfied with this gift?"
"..."
Xu Rong pondered for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter.
Hahahahahaha--
"Very well! Militia Commander Wu, I'll consider you a friend!"
Xu Rong said loudly.
Zhang Liao breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, and a smile appeared on his face.
A moment later, both armies retreated.
The Shannan Army returned to their camp, and Wu Shuangren also led the Yi Province Militia back to their camp outside the west gate.
Using military merit to persuade the Shannan Army, and allowing the Yi Province Militia to suppress bandits in Rong Province under the name of the Shannan Army, was originally Guo Jiwang's plan for Wu Shuangren.
For the Shannan Army, having an additional force to help them fight the enemy would reduce their own losses and increase their chances of victory. Most importantly, these men didn't vie for military merit, so there was really no reason for them to refuse.
In fact, Wu Shuangren could have chosen not to mobilize troops first, but instead sent someone directly to inform Xu Rong of his plans.
The other party will most likely agree.
However, Wu Shuangren chose to first lead the Yi Province Militia army to press forward as a deterrent, and then propose a joint plan to go to Rong Province.
"These border generals are used to being arrogant. If I appear weak and easily bullied, they will only take advantage of me. Only if I act assertively will they engage in dialogue with me as equals and cooperate with me."
These were the words Wu Shuangren said to Guo Jiwang before the troops were dispatched.
This time, Guo Jiwang did not try to dissuade Wu Shuangren from acting impulsively; instead, he approved of his choice.
Upon returning to Yi Prefecture City, Wu Shuangren immediately summoned Guo Jiwang, Xu Jing, Wu Dongrong, Liao Yu, and others.
He told everyone about the arrangements he and Xu Rong had made.
Everyone present already knew that he was going to lead troops to Rong Province to suppress the Mount Liang rebels, so they were not surprised to hear this.
This matter concerns not only Wu Shuangren's personal reputation and honor, but also the morale of the Yi Province Militia and the future of Rong Province!
Guo Jiwang supported and appreciated Wu Shuangren's decision to go to Rong Province.
"In recent years, the border troops of the Wu Dynasty have become increasingly incompetent!"
Wu Dongrong suddenly said in a deep voice, "The generals are greedy, and this sets a bad example, leading to a decline in military discipline. Xu Rong already considered Yi Province his prize before he came here, determined to take it. Although he has agreed to cooperate with you and go to Rong Province together, you are still blocking his path to wealth. The two armies will be going to Rong Province together, so you must be extra vigilant!"
Xu Jing hearing Wu Dongrong's words, Xu Jing sighed inwardly.
If someone else had said this, it might not have been true. But Wu Dongrong clearly had a lot of skills and could have made a difference if he had stayed in the army, yet he retired early and became a minor prison officer in the county town.
Hearing these words from the other side now, one can imagine how disappointed they were with the Wu Dynasty's border troops!
Wu Shuangren looked at Wu Dongrong: "Father, don't worry, I know."
Liao Yu chimed in, "Of all the military garrisons defending against the Tubo, the Shannan Army has the worst reputation; they've even committed massacres in cities before! Shuangren, you were right not to let them into Yi Prefecture City!"
Wu Shuangren smiled and nodded.
Xu Jing looked at Wu Shuangren: "When do you plan to send troops to Rong Province?"
Wu Shuangren: "After all the new recruits from various parts of Yi Province have arrived, we will train them for at least ten more days before setting off."
Xu Jing asked, "How do you plan to solve the problem of food supplies?"
The last time Wu Shuangren led his troops on a long march, he brought nearly three thousand men from West River Market to Yi Province.
This number of people can be transported by boat, and the soldiers can also bring their own rations.
However, with tens of thousands of troops fighting across states, the issue of supplies becomes much more complex.
Since deciding to lead troops to Rong Province, Wu Shuangren has been studying and thinking about the issue of provisions for a long march.
A soldier has to wear armor, carry weapons, and various other items needed for a long march. The load is already quite heavy, and he can only carry three to seven days' worth of rations at most.
To maintain a normal marching speed, it is best for a soldier to carry no more than five days' worth of rations.
This means that without bringing laborers specifically to transport grain, Wu Shuangren could only lead his army on a journey that would take a maximum of five days.
Moreover, these five days are a one-way trip; you can only go there, there's no way to return.
Five days is barely enough to get from Yi Prefecture City to the border of Rong Province, which is far from sufficient.
If laborers are used to transport grain, with one laborer specifically supplying one soldier, plus the soldier carrying five days' worth of rations, the journey can last a maximum of eighteen days one way; if it's a round trip, it will only last nine days. (Note 1)
Theoretically, the most efficient way to transport grain is to have three laborers supply one soldier. In this way, the maximum number of days for a one-way march can reach thirty-one days.
If we add more laborers, with four laborers supporting one soldier, or even five laborers supporting one soldier, it would be counterproductive, and the efficiency of transporting grain would actually decrease.
Because laborers also need to eat, the more people you bring, the more food you consume.
Previously, more than 6,000 people from Mount Liang came to Yi Province without bringing a grain transport team because Mist Hidden Temple was located in Yi Province at that time and could provide Mount Liang with food supplies.
Later, when the 15,000-strong Mount Liang army marched from Rong Province to Yi Province, they conscripted 10,000 laborers to transport grain from behind.
If Wu Shuangren were to lead an army of 10,000 to Rong Province, and considering the need to supply the 6,000 troops of the Shannan Army, at least 10,000 laborers would have to be conscripted!
"I plan to take only five battalions, plus 6,000 Shannan Army, for a total of 11,000 men. I also have over 3,000 prisoners from Mount Liang in my hands; these can be used as laborers to transport grain."
Wu Shuangren already had a plan in mind and spoke up.
Xu Jing did a quick calculation and came to the conclusion. "An army of eleven thousand, if only three thousand men are transporting provisions, the rations will only last for ten days at most."
"Recruit another three thousand laborers from within Yi Prefecture City."