Xu Youchang smiled faintly and asked Yudra: "When is the estimated time for the enemy's reinforcements to arrive at Bien Pass and Kanas Lake?" ”

Hearing this, Yudra's brows furrowed and he shook his head: "General Xu, this issue of yours has not yet been fully investigated. To tell the truth, the Turks came this time with highly mobile cavalry, which moved very fast and changed the pace frequently, and we ...... It's not easy to judge. ”

Xu Youchang couldn't help but say in a deep voice: "Whether it is the Bien Pass or the area around Kanas Lake, there is no suitable terrain for ambush, if you can't find out their time node in advance, it will be difficult to formulate a corresponding interception plan." If you move too early, you will easily expose the target and be detected by Gemma; If you move late, you miss the opportunity to hit the head in vain. ”

The generals nodded when they heard this, but Li Jiangyao asked another question: "If this support army successfully arrives in the western frontier, where will they kill next?" ”

"Most likely go to Ulan City to meet Gema first." Horia said: "Gema's routine of fighting often likes to concentrate heavy troops in hand first, and then make a trick to make a trick, and finally use the power of lore. ”

"Not necessarily." Li Jiangyao gestured on the map with his hand and said: "It is right to gather heavy troops, but it does not necessarily have to converge at Ulan. If I were Gema, I wouldn't have wasted a chance to launch a surprise attack as you thought. ”

Xu Youchang looked at the map carefully and agreed: "That's right. Gema Khan is not a young man who has been on the battlefield for the first time. If a powerful new force suddenly breaks into the battle, it will be too wasteful if it is not used well. It is a decent thing to go to Ulan to assemble, but it does not play a greater role, and in turn, it is easy for our outposts to grasp their whereabouts. Instead of going straight to Ulan, exposing the traces in vain and losing the opportunity, it is better to remain in a state of uncertainty and wait for the opportunity to sneak attack our vital point. Even if we can't get it for a while, it can make us restless and tired of guarding. ”

Horia thought for a moment, "That's true. The other side is a pure cavalry unit, and it does not have as many troubles and worries as the infantry in terms of supply, as long as it keeps moving quickly, it is difficult for us to stare at an unfamiliar army in such a vast area of the western frontier. ”

"That's right!" Li Jiangyao patted the map and said: "In the worst case, they can also launch a multi-point attack with our light cavalry to resolve the blockade restrictions of our army to a certain extent." In particular, we now also have the need to transport food and troops, and once we happen to be bumped into by this new enemy, we will inevitably incur losses. ”

Horia continued, "It seems that Gema must think more intelligently so as not to make careless mistakes. The most critical question now is, how can we accurately grasp the movement of this support force? ”

She turned her head and looked at Yudra, "Can you think of another way?" ”

Yudra smiled bitterly and waved his hand: "Your Royal Highness, you think too highly of our Intelligence Department. The lowly position is not strong enough to that extent, he can be clairvoyant and smooth the wind, and he can also transmit sound for thousands of miles. ”

He paused slightly, then explained, "For the battle plan that the enemy has agreed upon, we can steal it out one step earlier through the brother of the hidden pile. At the same time, the enemy troops stationed in various parts of western Xinjiang are also under surveillance at all times, and we can all know in advance about the slightest movement of the other side. However, if the enemy chooses to respond to the situation on the spot, using unfamiliar cavalry units, and changing the battle plan or adjusting the attack target at any time, then no matter how quickly our scout agents react, they will not have time to inform the high command. ”

Xie Tanzhi, who had never spoken, suddenly said at this time: "Is it possible to attack the enemy and save it, and surround the point to send reinforcements?" ”

Xu Youchang thought about it seriously and hesitated: "I have also considered this idea before, Lao Xie. If our army suddenly marches into Ulan City, it is indeed possible that the reinforcements of Yakutia will have to rush to join us as soon as possible, but ......"

Horia asked curiously, "But what?" ”

"But it is still difficult for us to accurately grasp the direction and time when the enemy is coming," Xu Youchang said helplessly: "To make a decision at the right time, we must also have accurate intelligence as the premise." It is not clear where the enemy is, when and from where, and if you are careless, you will be flanked from both sides. ”

Li Jiangyao continued: "There is another possibility, which is also difficult for us to grasp. That is, whether the enemy will take the risk and not come to the rescue of Ulan, but take the opportunity to sneak up on the city of Metasequoia and the fortress of Mount Yarumqi in our rear, or attack some other important target. In this way, we will be very passive. ”

Xie Tanzhi pondered for a moment, nodded and said, "Makes sense." Although Gema has suffered defeats at our hands before, he is not easy to deal with, and judging from the fact that this man can become the second largest Khan of the Turks, it shows that he is by no means easy to match. If Gema sees our intentions, it is very likely that he will let the reinforcements attack our rear without regard for the safety of Ulan. ”

Hearing this, everyone also nodded, but just when everyone thought that Xie Tanzhi had given up the idea of encircling the point to send reinforcements, they didn't expect that the chief military advisor of the Zhenjiang Army stroked his beard and smiled: "Can we stand in each other's perspective and think about it, is there any place that is 10,000 times more important than Ulan City, and Gema can't save it if he wants to?" ”

Li Jiangyao understood what he meant, nodded and said: "I have been thinking about this kind of thing just now, so you might as well refer to it now and give the Turks a pulse." ”

Xu Youchang scratched his head, looked at Li Jiangyao, and suddenly found that Li Jiangyao's eyes had been staring at a certain location on the map, thinking about it to himself.

He followed the other party's line of sight and looked at the map, and couldn't help but be stunned: Wouldn't it?

Li Jiangyao seemed to feel Xu Youchang's surprise, raised his eyes and smiled: "What? Did you think of it too? ”

Xu Youchang hesitated for a moment, and asked tentatively: "Jiang Yao, I just guessed a little, do you think about it...... Two levels? ”

Li Jiangyao smiled: "Haha, are you the roundworm in my stomach?" Nothing can be hidden from your eyes! ”

Xu Youchang frowned slightly, looked at the generals around him who were still a little unclear, and said in a low voice: "I'm afraid the time is not ripe now." ”

"Of course you say it clearly," Li Jiangyao shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly: "First scare and scare Gema Khan, can't you?" ”

Xu Youchang reacted and couldn't help laughing: "Oh, yes! It's me who is confused, I am confused, and the soldiers are not tired of cheating, hahaha...... I think it's okay, no problem! ”

Listening to the conversation between the two like a dumb riddle, Horia was a little puzzled: "What are the two adults talking about?" What two levels? What does it mean to be a soldier who never tires of deception? ”

Li Jiangyao was happy at her, stretched out his hand and tapped on the map: "Oh, here." ”

Huo Liya took a closer look, and suddenly exclaimed in surprise: "Oh my God, you plan to attack Zijin Pass?!" ”

Xie Tanzhi obviously thought of this plan a long time ago, and smiled and bowed slightly: "County Lord, I guess the lord is not going to attack Zijin Pass, but to feint to attack Zijin Pass." ”

"Sir, clever! I really plan to feint at Zijin Pass. Li Jiangyao smiled and said: "Think about it, if we do our best now and go straight to Zijin Pass, how will Gema react?" ”

Yudra replied without thinking: "If that's the case, he doesn't care about any Metasequoia City, Ulan City, or Yarumqi Mountain, and he will definitely send troops to help Zijin Pass immediately." ”

This judgment was agreed by everyone present.

The reason is very simple - Zijin Pass and Shengyu Pass are the throat fortresses connecting Western Xinjiang and Shengtang. Once these two places fall into the hands of Li Jiangyao, they will suddenly cut off the supply line of the Eastern Expeditionary Army, and at the same time firmly close the door to Ashina's strategic retreat.

It is no exaggeration to say that for the Turks, it is better to temporarily lose the entire ghost desert of Western Xinjiang than to tolerate the loss of control of the two passes for a moment.

According to Li Jiangyao's previous plan, the Zhenjiang Army would only consider using troops against the two passes if it basically controlled the western Xinjiang.

Because once Ashina Zhijin finds that the two passes in the rear are lost, the Turks will definitely mobilize an elite army to reflexively kill back and recapture strategic points to ensure that their retreat is not cut off.

At that time, Li Jiangyao could only resist the crazy counterattack of the Turkic army if he had exhausted the strength of the entire western Xinjiang and did not have any worries.

Therefore, Xu Youchang will say the phrase "the time is not ripe".

But then again, if it's just a feint, then the situation is completely different.

According to intelligence, the four Turkic army thousand-strong troops currently guarding Zijin Pass and Shengyu Pass are subordinate to the Second Army of the Golden Clan. The reason why only such a small number of troops were left behind is also very understandable: to the east of the two passes, there is an 800,000 eastern expeditionary army led by Ashina Jin Khan himself, and to the west of the two passes, there are nearly 200,000 soldiers and horses of the Yakut army under the command of Gema Khan and the integrated army of Western Xinjiang. In this case, who can suddenly appear out of thin air and threaten the safety of Zijin Pass and Shengyu Pass under the attack of the two armies?

It is precisely because of this that if Li Jiangyao launches the main force of the Zhenjiang Army and rushes thousands of miles to attack Zijin Pass, it will be tantamount to stabbing the main artery of the Turks.

This is a fatal knife, and Gema will definitely not sit idly by.

Once the Zijin Pass or Shengyu Pass is lost, Gema Khan, as the governor of Western Xinjiang, will definitely be responsible, if the flank of the 800,000 Eastern Expeditionary Army is seriously threatened, he will most likely be directly divided into five horses.

Li Jiangyao and Xie Tanzhi also thought of attacking Zijin Pass, and they calculated exactly where Gema's fate was: he couldn't help it, and he didn't dare not save it.

In this way, whether it was the Western Xinjiang Reorganization Army stationed in Ulan City, or the rescue soldiers from the Yakutia grassland of the Western Continent, they all had to be led by Li Jiangyao by the nose and obediently sent to the door.