Chapter 273
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Chapter 273: Tactical Deployment
The ballistas couldn’t penetrate.
Although his triple-bow crossbows were more powerful than ordinary ones, he had never truly tested them.
Thinking of the enemy’s bronze armored plating, Luo Ji’s head began to ache.
He really hadn’t tried if they could penetrate bronze armored plating, so he was a little unsure.
“Zhao Pan, move the triple-bow crossbows stationed on the east wall to the west gate later.”
Luo Ji had brought five triple-bow crossbows for this campaign.
After capturing East Frontier City, he left two there, and the remaining three were transferred to Songhe City.
Of these three, two were placed on the west wall, and the remaining one was on the east wall, just in case Songshan City suddenly launched an attack, it was always wise to be prepared.
Now, facing these two Bronze Age armored transport vehicles, Luo Ji clearly had no spare capacity to worry about Songhe City’s east gate.
Luo Ji’s move was clearly unavoidable, and Zhou Yi understood this, but he still had to voice his concerns.
“But Leader, if Songhe City’s west wall is attacked by Songshan City’s siege forces, without the crossbows, it will be difficult for us to strike at their siege equipment.”
It was impossible for Luo Ji not to have considered Zhou Yi’s concerns.
Then, he quickly pointed at the map.
“So, early tomorrow morning, I will dispatch 1,000 troops from Songhe City and another 1,000 troops from East Frontier City in the rear, using these 2,000 troops to attack Songshan City!”
“What about the enemy on the east side of Songhe City?”
Zhou Yi was startled by this and asked repeatedly.
“Don’t worry, Zhao Pan is here.”
“This…”
Faced with such an answer, Zhou Yi was momentarily speechless.
At the same time, looking at the composed man, he couldn’t help but become more curious.
What kind of ability did this man named Zhao Pan possess to earn such trust from the Leader?
Zhou Yi probably found this question difficult to comprehend, and Luo Ji would also find it hard to explain.
He couldn’t possibly tell him that Zhao Pan was a born defensive general, that his ‘Immovable as a Mountain’ talent could stabilize the morale of his soldiers at an acceptable level, preventing it from collapsing, and also boost the combat power of his units by 30% when participating in defensive battles, with a 30% chance of striking the morale of attacking enemies, causing their morale to drop by one level, plus a gold-tier slinger specialization skill.
Would you be afraid?
If he said that, Zhou Yi simply wouldn’t be able to understand.
Regardless, Zhou Yi eventually agreed with Luo Ji’s decision.
However, what he found slightly regrettable was that, early tomorrow morning, as the person most familiar with this terrain, he would have to accompany Luo Ji to attack Songshan City.
He clearly wouldn’t have the opportunity to witness Zhao Pan’s prowess.
However, that night, the three gathered.
Besides analyzing troop deployment issues, they clearly had to discuss combat tactics, with a focus on the defensive battle for Songhe City.
“Who is the enemy’s commanding general, and what is their style of command?”
Zhao Pan’s question was clearly directed at Zhou Yi.
After so many days of stalemate, Zhou Yi still knew who the opposing general was.
“The general in charge of commanding the siege forces is Li Kuo, the defender of Shangyuan City.”
“He’s somewhat of a…”
At this point, remembering Liu Hu, who he had just described as a fierce general before Luo Yong cleaved him in half with an axe, Zhou Yi’s voice paused slightly.
Finally, he spoke with a somewhat subtle tone.
“He should be considered a general whose fighting style is primarily focused on stability?”
“Should be?”
Zhao Pan’s brows furrowed slightly at this.
As a diligent person, he clearly disliked such subtle adjectives.
It either is, or it isn’t.
If it’s uncertain, then it’s uncertain.
What’s with a subtle phrasing like, ‘He should be considered a general whose fighting style is primarily focused on stability?’
Noticing Zhao Pan’s thoughts and detecting Zhou Yi’s tone, Luo Ji couldn’t help but smile inwardly.
Then he told Zhou Yi.
“Don’t overthink it. Just say what you know.”
Zhou Yi, realizing his thoughts had been seen through, also showed a hint of embarrassment on his face.
However, he spoke much more directly afterward, and Zhao Pan’s brows also relaxed slightly.
According to Zhou Yi, Li Kuo, the defender of Shangyuan City, was truly no ordinary character.
He had on several occasions curbed the invasion momentum of player armies, and his overall style was stability-focused, never seeking quick glory or making rash advances.
After hearing Zhou Yi’s assessment of Li Kuo, a flicker of understanding crossed Luo Ji’s mind.
At the same time, it had to be said that Zhou Dongnan had truly put thought into the deployment of this general.
When other players fought their way through cities and strongholds to the outskirts of Shangyuan City, it undoubtedly meant that the situation on the eastern border had collapsed.
At such a time, what was needed was to stabilize the situation.
Therefore, Zhou Dongnan specifically placed a general with a steady style in Shangyuan City, located in the central region.
As long as Li Kuo could hold out for one wave, he would have the chance to regroup and make a comeback.
Zhou Dongnan’s deployment was not bad, but Luo Ji remained full of confidence in Zhao Pan.
As long as Songhe City could hold, once he captured Songshan City and took control of the entire eastern “iron triangle,” he would have essentially won half of this full-scale war!
The next morning, after officially entrusting Zhao Pan with the task of defending Songhe City, Luo Ji prepared his army to depart.
Luo Yong, standing by, still somewhat reluctantly said.
“Chief, please allow this humble general to accompany you in this attack on Songshan City!”
“No need. You stay here in Songhe City to assist Zhao Pan in defending the city. This city is a vital hub, a strategic stronghold, and must not be lost!”
“But your safety, Chief…”
“Don’t worry about that. Yesterday, the messenger already left the city overnight and rushed back to East Frontier City to relay my instructions. In 2 days at most, Guo Zhen will bring 1,000 troops from East Frontier City to join me. Nothing will happen.”
Since the words had reached this point, Luo Yong knew that their Chief’s mind was made up.
In the end, he could only respond with a dejected expression.
Luo Ji, having finished his preparations, ordered all soldiers to carry 5 days of rations for the campaign.
After the army left the city, the supply convoy carrying provisions would quickly follow.
Clearly, Luo Ji was prepared for a prolonged battle.
After all, it was a mountain city, and with siege engines unable to be pushed up, capturing the city would likely not be easy.
For this purpose, he also ordered the soldiers to bring all the scaling ladders found in the armories of East Frontier City and Songhe City, forming a temporary scaling ladder unit, hoping to slightly reduce the difficulty of capturing Songshan City.
