usatvline Chapter 101 Blitzkrieg
Chapter 101 Blitzkrieg
In Xiaxiang County, Li Sheng sheathed his sword and looked around.
The shouts of battle in the city gradually subsided, and the flags of the Taiping Army were already flying on the four city walls in the east, west, south, and north.
The morning light pierced through the thin mist and spilled onto the cobblestone street, revealing patches of blood that were not yet dry.
"General!"
Liu Wu, covered in blood, strode quickly from the main street of the city and clasped his hands in greeting.
"The county government office has been captured, and Magistrate Wu Hong escaped through the north gate. I have already dispatched a cavalry unit to pursue him, but I estimate it will be too late; that fellow is riding incredibly fast."
Li Sheng nodded, not surprised.
"Where is the granary?"
"We got it!"
Liu Wu grinned.
"General, we've struck it rich this time! The grain in the Xiaxiang County granary is even more than Chen Yuan said. I've roughly counted it, and it's at least 15,000 shi! Adding the grain stored in the county government's back warehouse, it's probably 18,000 shi."
Li Sheng's eyes lit up, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.
Eighteen thousand stones.
With the remaining grain in Xiapi, it would be enough to feed the army for quite some time.
"Where's the armory?"
"The armory was also captured. There were over four hundred swords and spears, eighty bows and crossbows, and over forty bundles of arrows. There were fewer armors, only thirty-odd suits, all of them iron armor."
Liu Wu became more and more excited as he spoke.
"And horses! The county government's stables have over a dozen fine horses, all plump and strong, not much worse than the ones we ride!"
Li Sheng patted him on the shoulder.
"Alright, alright, stop following this country bumpkin. Pass down the order: all spoils must be registered and recorded, and all actions must follow the experience of Xiapi. Anyone who disobeys will be punished according to military law."
"promise!"
"Also, the fire in the city must be put out quickly to prevent it from spreading. In addition, post notices to reassure the people, telling them that our Taiping Army will not disturb the people, loot, or kill. Send brothers to patrol the streets and alleys to maintain order, and execute anyone who takes advantage of the fire on the spot."
"promise!"
Liu Wu accepted the order and left.
Li Sheng then turned to look at one of his personal guards beside him.
"Go and call Li Zili here."
A moment later, Li Zili came running up, panting.
"General, what is it?"
Li Sheng said briefly.
"You'll have to do this for a bit. Take some men and go and take stock of the spoils of war. Count everything—grain, weapons, horses, money—one by one, and make a list for me."
"promise!"
Li Zili clasped his hands in a fist salute, turned around, and was about to leave.
"etc."
Li Sheng called him back again.
"Casualty statistics also need to be done. Each battalion reports to its battalion commander, the battalion commander reports to you, and then you compile them and give them to me. I need to see the numbers before dark."
Li Zili nodded and left in a hurry.
Li Sheng stood at the South Gate, watching the streets and alleys of the city gradually return to order, and let out a long breath.
The battle went even more smoothly than he had anticipated.
That's the power of blitzkrieg!
Moreover, having gained experience from attacking Xiapi, they were much more composed than before in terms of command and siege tactics.
The soldiers were no longer the reckless, desperate warriors they had been before, but rather fighting with discipline and method.
Everything was moving in a positive direction. Once this battle was over, the Taiping Army would gain many veteran soldiers who had seen bloodshed.
……
The sun gradually rose higher, and it was three quarters past 9 AM.
The main hall of Xiaxiang County Government Office.
Li Sheng sat in the seat that originally belonged to County Magistrate Wu Hong, with several newly delivered booklets spread out in front of him.
Li Zili stood in the hall, holding a thick list, his voice filled with undisguised joy.
"General, the spoils of war have been counted. In terms of grain, a total of 18,000 shi (a unit of dry measure) were obtained. In addition, more than 800,000 coins and more than 200 bolts of silk were also seized from the county government's treasury."
He paused, then turned the page.
"In terms of weaponry, there are 240 ring-pommel swords, 180 spears, 120 shields, 80 bows and crossbows, including 60 horn bows and 20 crossbow mechanisms. There are 46 bundles of arrows, with 50 arrows per bundle, totaling 2,300 arrows. There are 37 suits of iron armor and 80 suits of leather armor."
"As for horses, there are twenty-six warhorses and fifteen pack horses, all of them are good horses."
Li Sheng listened and nodded, a satisfied look on his face.
Eighteen thousand bushels of grain would be enough to feed an army of seven thousand for two or three months.
With the remaining seven or eight thousand shi of grain in Xiapi, there shouldn't be any major problems sustaining them until the autumn harvest.
Indeed, force is far better than hard work!
Moreover, the acquired weaponry greatly enhanced the overall strength of the Taiping Army.
"What about casualties?"
Li Zili turned to the last page, his expression becoming more serious.
"Reporting to the general, three were killed in action, twelve were seriously wounded, and over thirty were slightly wounded. The fallen brothers were all hit by rolling stones from the city walls during the siege. The seriously wounded brothers are being treated by the medics and should be out of danger."
Li Sheng let out a soft breath.
The casualties were much smaller than expected.
There are many reasons, including the suddenness of the attack, the lack of preparation by the defending troops, and the superior training of the Taiping soldiers.
But most importantly, it was a lightning strike that was planned but caught off guard.
From scout reconnaissance to intelligence analysis, from marching routes to siege tactics, every step was taken with utmost care. The Taiping soldiers knew what to do, and the officers knew how to command. Under such an all-out attack, how could Xiaxiang possibly resist?
This is growth.
Li Sheng closed the booklet and his gaze swept across the faces of everyone in the hall.
Liu Wu, Chen Yuan, Li Zili, and several battalion commanders were all waiting for him to speak.
"This battle was fought well."
He made a statement of affirmation, and everyone in the hall smiled.
Li Sheng's gaze fell on Liu Wu.
"Liu Wu".
Liu Wu was startled and subconsciously straightened his back.
"Your subordinate is here."
"I'm entrusting Xiaxiang County to you for defense."
Liu Wu was stunned, his mouth agape, unable to react for a moment.
"General, what...what did you say?"
"I said, I'm handing over Xiaxiang County to you."
Li Sheng repeated it, his tone calm.
"You're one of the earliest veterans who followed me, fighting all the way from Siyang Township. What haven't you seen? I'm at ease leaving Xiaxiang County in your hands."
Liu Wu's Adam's apple bobbed, and his expression changed from surprise to fear.
"General, this...this won't do! I only know how to fight, how could I possibly govern a region? Xiaxiang County has tens of thousands of households and tens of thousands of people, how could I possibly have that ability?"
"I didn't leave it to you to manage alone."
Li Sheng waved his hand.
"Li Shi will stay with you. He will be in charge of civil affairs, and you will be in charge of military affairs. Li Shi is steady and reliable. He has also learned from Li Feng and the others before, so he can be trusted. He will handle the affairs of Xiaxiang, and you will be responsible for leading the troops to defend the city. Zili will also stay and help you."
He paused, looking into Liu Wu's eyes.
"Your primary task is to stabilize the lower realm, eliminate the remaining enemy forces, maintain order, and cooperate with Li Shi in implementing the land redistribution policy. Understand?"
Liu Wu took a deep breath and clasped his hands in greeting.
"This humble general...this humble general obeys!"
He hesitated for a moment, then asked again.
"General, where are you going?"
Li Sheng stood up, walked to the map hanging in the hall, and pointed upwards.
"Pursue the victory, head north, and attack Siwu County."
A commotion erupted in the hall.
Liu Wu was the first to step forward.
"General! Siwu County is over a hundred li to the north. Our army has just captured Xiaxiang, the soldiers are exhausted, and our supplies haven't been transported yet. Isn't it too hasty to march north now?"