It Was Difficult to Meet Rain Along the Way
(25)
When the Martial King met Lu Shang, it was already dusk. The gloomy weather would hasten the arrival of night. In front of them was Liang Village, and the first troops to arrive were choosing a place to set up camp. King Wu pointed to the front and said to Lü Shang,"When we reach Liang Village, we are still more than 400 li away from Shangdu, but there are only three days left until the Jiazi Day." They had to walk a hundred miles every day. I'm worried that I won't be able to make it." The Martial King voiced his concerns.
"If we travel to Shangdu on the 60th day, we will have enough time at this speed.”Lu Shang said worriedly, pointing to the sky." Look, it might rain." If it really rained, it would slow down their speed. Then it will be very difficult to arrive on time." Lu Shang's face was tense as he looked at the sky. The dark clouds were low as he said,"The army has been advancing for more than ten days. The soldiers are very tired, but with their high morale, they persevered. We need to protect our troops and prevent them from exhausting too much of their strength. After shrinking the camp, the soldiers must rest well. Seeing that the battlefield was approaching, they had to pay attention to the troops to protect a certain amount of physical strength to fight. He loved his soldiers like his own children, but he had to use them boldly in times of war. This was what it meant to use love and to make a difference. The gains and losses of war were all based on the reasonable relationship between the times.”
"We can't go back on our word. We have to reach Shangdu on the 60th day. More importantly, we have to use this to disrupt the enemy's plans and make them panic. At this speed, they would still need to travel for 10 to 16 hours a day. Time was too rushed, and it was difficult for the troops to get enough rest. Father Shang, you see, the problem of speed is something that I'm particularly concerned about. Can you think of a way to speed up?”
"Three days later is the Sixty-Year Day. Tomorrow, he would persevere and cross this mountainous road.”Lu Shang said to King Wu," King Wu, gather the generals at night and explain the urgency of the time. Ask all the troops to work hard and strive to cover 150 miles tomorrow. Hold on a little longer the day after tomorrow. We'll be able to reach there the day after tomorrow."”
"Alright, let's do that." King Wu calmed down." Father Shang, the closer we are to Shangdu, the heavier my heart feels. All he wanted to do was to hurry up and hurry up. The sooner he arrived, the more he could fight with all his might.”
"This is your sense of responsibility. As a commander, he was concerned about the fate of the entire army, so he had to focus on the key areas of the military struggle, such as rushing to the battlefield in a short period of time to gain the initiative. Taking the initiative was the key to victory. Our army will definitely defeat King Zhou of Shang this time. However, they still had to go through a tough battle. And after taking down the Shang Capital, they had to take measures to recruit the merchants and settle the merchants. This would be even more difficult and important. Your father's will has been fulfilled. The next step is for you to use your wisdom to govern the world.”As Lu Shang spoke, he stroked his beard." I'm old too. I'm very content to see victory. However, I still want to use these old bones to fight for some credit.”
This morning, not long after the army set off, a drizzle began to fall from the gloomy sky. The fine drizzle was so thin that it could not be caught. Occasionally, it would be accompanied by slightly larger raindrops, which gave people a slightly cool feeling. The troops continued to advance. In the morning, everyone's clothes were slowly soaked by the drizzle and felt cold to the touch. The sackcloth on the hood was also soaked by the rain and was tightly stretched. At noon, the rain gradually became heavier. Occasionally, there would be a heavy downpour, making the hood of the car rustle. Water started to drip down from the hood. The rain that came and went slowly soaked the surface of the ground several inches thick. Mud began to stick to the soles of his feet. The road was covered in footprints. It felt especially strenuous to walk.
The next morning, the road was as if it was soaked in oil. As soon as the team walked over, the road turned into a muddy pulp. The troops that followed behind felt even more difficult. In the past two days, the heavens had increased the difficulty of advancing. Just as King Wu was worried that the troops would slow down due to the long distance raid, it began to rain heavily.
The troops advanced in the rain. Without the Martial King's orders, they were not allowed to stop. The soldiers of the various armies stepped on the muddy road with rain on their heads. They moved their feet forward with difficulty.
The Martial King's chariot drove up a small hill and stopped at the highest point. He looked back at the chariots behind him, one after another, heading toward the hill. The rain lessened a little. The problem now was not the car bumping, but the slippery road. The wheels of the chariot kept slipping on the slope, and the horses pulling the chariot struggled to climb up the slope. Many soldiers stepped forward to push the carts. There were people pushing the boards on both sides of the carts. Some people even ran to the front to pull the horses or the shaft of the carriage. It was very difficult to walk up the slope. The Martial King could not help but sigh. Since yesterday, the troops had entered this barren mountain road. They were worried that they would be pressed for time, but they encountered rain, which increased the difficulty by a hundred times. Through the curtain of rain, he could vaguely see the people and horses in the distance squirming toward the hill. Yo yo hi hi, the sound of the horn kept ringing. The chariots and horses that had yet to climb up the slope were all hoping to climb to the top of the slope as soon as possible and cross this difficult journey. When the chariots reached the top of the slope, they couldn't help but cheer. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief and stopped to rest. Some of them were even taking small steps to admire the scenery.
The Martial King was infected by the pride of a victor, and a smile appeared on his face. He looked at the tank that was going downhill in front of him, and his heart was gripped by an even more uneasy feeling. The soldiers pulled on the reins and restrained the horses, carefully preventing them from slipping and being frightened. Many people surrounded the chariot and pulled it with their hands to increase the resistance of the chariot going downhill. They controlled the chariot to slide down the slope slowly. From the movements of the soldiers, it seemed that it was more difficult and strenuous to go downhill. Ah, I didn't expect that even going downhill would become a big problem. The war chariots went downhill, and the soldiers were worried about the anti-slip. The soldiers suffered a lot because of this. If the person pulling the rope didn't get knocked down by the carriage, he would slip and fall first. The people who were pulling the chariot with their hands were even more nervous. They jumped down the slope step by step. Many of the soldiers were already covered in mud and were dressed like clowns. Looking further into the distance, the chariot on the flat road moved even slower. It took a long time before it moved forward. It turned out that because the road was wet, soft, muddy, and potholes, the wheels often got stuck and could not move, so many people had to continue pushing them. She pushed it up and then sank in. With every step forward, the soldiers had to put in a lot of effort. It seemed that the muddy road on the flat ground was not easy to walk on.
The Martial King was very touched when he saw the difficult march. He really wanted to have the troops stop and take shelter from the rain. However, he remembered that it was the Jiazi Day the day after tomorrow and they still had over 200 miles to go to Shangdu. Today, the army encountered such bad weather and unexpected difficulties, which greatly slowed down their marching speed. If they stopped, they would not be able to arrive on time tomorrow. As a commander, he was faced with the choice of stopping or advancing. What should he do? The Martial King stood on the top of the mountain, letting the raindrops hit his face. However, his heart was in a fierce struggle. In the end, the idea of moving forward took the lead. Seeing Shangdu, he couldn't let the rain stop the army and the muddy road stop the army. Victory was in front, and time was the guarantee of victory. The Martial King gritted his teeth and stood there silently.
After a while, King Wu walked to the front of the carriage and patted the horse's neck. He saw the long sheath that held the halberd, and the hood of the halberd was also filled with rainwater. Drops of water rolled down the sheath and onto the ground in front of the horse's neck. The rain finally stopped. Fortunately, it was a shower today, so it stopped immediately. He had seen a drizzle yesterday and was worried that it would continue to rain. This time, he felt a little relieved. He looked at the sky covered by the dark clouds to the north, revealing a little blue sky.
"The heavens are not kind. The rain for the past two days has hindered the advancement of our army. Shouldn't King Zhou of Shang attack?" King Wu asked as he looked at the sunny sky in the northeast. However, his mood was even heavier. He couldn't relax even if he wanted to.
At this moment, Lu Shang, who had just caught up, was already standing behind the Martial King. He saw that the chariot was difficult to climb up the slope, so he got off and walked. Unexpectedly, he reached the top of the hill before the chariot. He heard King Wu sigh and continued,"This is a test. If a person wanted to conquer Zhou for Heaven, he must first undergo the baptism of Heaven. The Heavenly Dao was at hand, and it depended on people to act. This kind of difficulty could strengthen his determination to win.”
"Father Shang, I'm worried that this rain will weaken our morale.”King Wu turned around and looked at Lu Shang. He asked with concern,""Father Shang, are you tired? No one had expected that the last part of the journey would suddenly become so difficult.“
"It's unexpected, but it's not unreasonable. There were many accidental factors in marching and fighting. It was difficult for anyone to predict the temperament of the heavens after ten days of such a long journey. Moreover, the weather was too different from the distance of a thousand miles. Sighing was useless. It was better to rely on one's courage and resourcefulness to overcome it.”Lu Shang stood beside King Wu and pointed at the advancing troops.""This rain has consumed the strength of our army. There was only one day left, and the day after tomorrow would be the Jiazi Day. At this juncture, no matter what, they had to hurry. No matter what the price was, he could only persevere and work hard to complete this final and most arduous journey. I believe that victory will come after a difficult situation.”
King Wu said worriedly,"I was thinking that the soldiers would lose their morale if they couldn't stand the rain and the mud road."”
"Why? Morale hasn't declined yet, but the general's heart has changed. Then we can't even talk about leading an army to fight." Lu Shang smiled and said to King Wu,"We've already reached this point. The only way out is to move forward."”Lu Shang's face glowed with a divine light, covering his tired expression, making it difficult for others to notice. He knew that after decades of hard work, he would succeed in this one day of perseverance, and his failure would also be relieved at this moment. He knew that the Martial King was also worried about this, but he could still persevere and was still confident. He was afraid that he would waver, so he said,"Victory comes after fatigue. Before this, the soldiers would not be able to endure the hardships and would not be willing to persevere. This required the commander to strengthen their confidence, encourage them to persevere tenaciously, and go all out to overcome these difficulties. After victory, they would recall the fatigue they had endured in the past and feel that victory was not easy to come by. They would feel proud. The harder they toiled, the prouder they felt, and the deeper they felt the joy of victory. However, that victory seemed to be very far away now. Little did they know that victory had followed the toil and hardship and was coming soon. However, it had only been one or two days. Thinking of this glory, I was already smiling in my heart. Martial King, what do you think?"
King Wu did not smile. His serious face only relaxed a little. He said firmly,"I will persist." Father Shang, you're right. These are the last two days, the last journey. It concerns decades of hard work, father's lifetime of hard work, and the future of the entire Zhou Country. He could not give up halfway. Don't worry."
King Wu let out a long breath, expressing his desire and hope for victory. His bright eyes looked at the troops that were going up the slope behind him, and then looked at the troops that were going down the slope in front of him. As he looked at them, his eyes were fixed on them.
Lu Shang noticed this strange change and followed the Martial King's gaze. He saw that the troops that were descending the slope were in an uproar.
"What's going on? Go and take a look." The Martial King turned around and instructed a servant.
The attendant ran forward. After running for about ten meters, he slipped and fell on his butt. He sat down and continued to slide down the slope. "Ah!" The Martial King was shocked. He was about to call for help when he saw the servant slip more than ten meters away. He took advantage of the slippery inertia on a relatively flat slope and staggered to stand up before running forward again.
Lu Shang added,""The road is indeed difficult. It's not enough. Compared to fighting on the battlefield, this is nothing.”
The attendant had not yet reached the scene of the accident. The troops that had been in chaos gradually calmed down and returned to normal order. However, the formation was a little messy. A war chariot climbed up the slope, but it could not move after climbing halfway. A person alighted from the carriage and rushed towards Martial King. So it was Rui Zhuhou. He came in front of the Martial King and said while panting,""Martial King, this road is too slippery. The more people walk, the more slippery it seems. Just now, a war chariot had flipped over. The chariot and the horse had flipped over a few times. One of the horses lost its reins and ran around in panic. Coupled with the slippery road, it crashed into the army and injured many people.”As he spoke, he looked at King Wu and then at Lu Shang.""Hurry up and think of a way. Otherwise, this slippery road will affect the army behind us.”
" Sigh." King Wu asked with concern," How is the person injured? Is it serious?" Is the armorer in the car injured?"
" When the carriage flipped over, the armorers in the carriage took the opportunity to jump out and somersaulted a few times. They weren't really injured, but the people who were going downhill didn't know that such a thing would suddenly happen on the slope. They weren't paying attention and were hit by the horses that rushed down quickly. A few of them were seriously injured, and one of them injured his leg and couldn't walk anymore.”Rui Zhuhou replied, pointing at the hillside."It's difficult to go up the hill, but I didn't expect it to be even more difficult and strenuous to go down the hill. If the road to the east was filled with such undulating slopes, the soldiers would suffer. Sigh!"
" This is the highest slope," Lu Shang interjected." After this slope, there are still a few small hills ahead, but they are not high anymore. Song Li said that the road to the east would be relatively flat after crossing the small hill in front.”
The Martial King thought for a moment and said to Lu Shang,""Father Shang, I think we have to take some measures and put all our eggs in one basket. On the slope that was really slippery and difficult to walk on, some grass was laid to prevent slipping so that the main force could pass.”
"There are only bare mountains nearby.”Marquis Rui sighed as he spoke.
The servant who had been sent out came back and reported the panic and chaos. The injured had been settled, the chariot had been broken, and the horse had slipped to the bottom of the hill, so it could not walk.
When King Wu heard this, he made up his mind and said,""Tell the guards to take out half of the horse fodder to pave the road.”
"Ah!" When the attendant heard this, he could not help but respond and paused. Marquis Rui also turned to look at King Wu in surprise.
King Wu repeated,"Take the horse fodder and grass to pave the road." The army's safety was the top priority. Quickly inform the guards and do as they are told.”
"Yes, sir!" The attendant turned around and called for the guards.
Rui Zhuhou said,"The horse grass is used up. What does the horse eat?" Without grass, a horse can't do it."
"The army's resources will be allocated in a unified manner. They would arrive at Shangdu tomorrow or the day after, and two days of fodder storage would be enough.”King Wu turned around and looked at Lu Shang with an inquiring gaze.
Lu Shang nodded." I had prepared a month's worth of supplies. It's only been a little over ten days now. Three more days of supplies will be enough." Our army crawled and waded long distances, and the advantage lay in quick action. Not even a day could be delayed. As long as they could reach Shangdu as soon as possible, they would have a higher chance of victory. It was still more important to advance. The Martial King's method was feasible. Marquis Rui, don't worry, King Wu will make the necessary arrangements.”
"Follow Martial King's orders. I'm going to rush the troops. Half of the grass was left behind, and the rest was left to pave the difficult road ahead. Let the army pass through smoothly." After saying that, the Rui marquises bowed to King Wu and Lu Shang before running towards the chariot in the middle of the hill. Then, he got on the chariot. More than ten soldiers immediately surrounded the chariot and pulled it. The chariot carefully and slowly slid down the slope. The wheels of the chariot spun and slid, and the soldiers followed the shaking chariot down the slope with difficulty.
King Wu turned around and said to Lü Shang,"Father Shang, we should hurry up and see how the road ahead is."”
King Wu and Lu Shang walked down the hill. The carriage followed behind, the coachman driving nervously while the soldiers behind pulled even harder, holding onto the carriage as it slowly went downhill. They were on tenterhooks, afraid that if they were not careful, the chariot would slip and crash into the Martial King and Lu Shang who were walking in front.
After a while, King Wu and Lu Shang's chariots were in a hurry to move forward, so they deviated a little when overtaking. The wheels sank into the mud pit on the side of the road. The four horses stomped their hooves but could not pull them. The more they pulled, the deeper the wheels sank. King Wu and Lu Shang got out of the carriage and asked the soldiers to push the cart. A team of more than ten people came over from nearby. They pulled and pushed the car with a loud " yo yo hi hi " sound. The more people there were, the stronger they were. Soon, they pulled the car out of the mud pit. The helpers returned to the team. The coachman drove the carriage to a flat area that was a little wider and steadier. He stopped and waited for King Wu and Lu Shang.
At this moment, King Wu and Lu Shang were standing on a small mound by the roadside, looking at the troops in front and behind them. It was cold in early spring, and many soldiers were sweating and panting. Some even took off their coats. However, the soldiers were covered in mud, and they stepped on the mud with great effort, moving forward step by step. The soldiers pushing the carts were even more exhausted. The mud splashed onto their bodies and faces, and they were covered in sweat and mud. Other than leaving the coachman behind to drive, the armored soldiers all got off the carriage and walked on foot to reduce the burden on the carriage. A picture of man competing with nature appeared in front of his eyes. King Wu said with emotion,"Shang Fu, this is really a difficult military struggle." Other than that, there was no other way to seize back the time. Sigh!"
On the morning of the third day, not long after the troops set off, San Lei returned from the front. He stood behind the Martial King for a while before saying,""Martial King, the road ahead is even more difficult. Just as he pushed it out, it immediately sank in again. The rain had turned the road into mud. The soldiers pushed and pulled with all their might. He spent a lot of effort to walk a short distance. They were already very tired. Duke Bi also asked if the troops could stop and rest. They would wait for the road to dry up tomorrow before moving on.”
King Wu turned around and glared at San Lei, asking,""What else did Master Bi say?"
San Lei felt the majestic gaze of the Martial King and said in a low voice,""He only asked if the troops could stop and rest.”After a pause, he added in a low voice,"I said, the soldiers are very tired. We should stop and rest. We will leave tomorrow.”
"Time is of the essence now. In order to reach Shang City in time, the army cannot stop. Because there was not much time left. If they didn't continue moving forward, they wouldn't be able to arrive on time. I won't be able to make it tomorrow…" The Martial King said.
"Martial King, I don't think it'll make much of a difference if we arrive a day earlier or later," San Lei hurriedly interrupted.”
"No, I don't. The impact would be huge. When King Zhou of Shang receives our appointment, he will think that we won't be able to make it. He would slowly prepare for the battle. If we don't arrive on time, we'll be breaking our promise. He had set a date and had to arrive as promised. If they arrived on time, it would be out of King Zhou's expectations. He would think that our army had suddenly surrendered, which would shake his heart and greatly reduce his morale. When the two armies met, we already had a 50% victory. If this march was not done well, there might be a danger of being completely annihilated. Tell me, are the consequences serious?”King Wu tightened his waist and said to San Lei,""So, the rain is heaven's will. We have to overcome these difficulties caused by the rain. Continue to advance. San Lei, are you tired?”After a pause, he said meaningfully,"You're a general. You have to know how to take the big picture into consideration."”
"I'm not tired. We just came from Chongguo. Compared to those who came from China, we have a much shorter journey. He would suffer less fatigue. We all have the energy and strength to move forward. I saw that all the soldiers felt very tired, so I felt some pity in my heart. This speed was too slow. Pushing them like this would probably consume too much of their strength. He would not be able to hold on for long. King Wu, we have to think of a way to reduce the fatigue of the soldiers.”
"Alright, I'll do it. That's a good idea." The Martial King turned around and nodded at San Lei. He then said with concern,""Go back quickly and stabilize the morale. If we have any ideas, we will send someone to inform you. Also, tell Bi Gong not to stop without an order.”
"Yes." San Lei turned around and left. Chen Zhuhou came up again. Following closely behind him, Ray Zhen also caught up. The two of them complained loudly. They blamed the muddy road and the rain. They found the carriage troublesome and burdensome. They kept asking King Wu to come up with an idea or for the troops to stop and rest.
King Wu paced back and forth anxiously. Suddenly, he walked forward happily. When Chen Zhuhou and Lei Zhen saw Lu Shang walking towards them, they clapped their hands and signaled for him to follow the Martial King. The two of them ran after the Martial King.
Lu Shang looked at the Martial King, then at Chen Zhuhou and Lei Zhen. The four of them stood on a small high ground by the road, watching the soldiers crawling on the road and the carriages stopping and moving with concern. Seeing Lu Shang's expression, Chen Zhenhou and Lei Zhen pouted and didn't say anything. They knew very well that Father Shang was always at odds with them.
King Wu said,"Shang Fu, this road is even more difficult to walk. Look at them." Pointing at the troops on the road, he said," Sigh!”He sighed." There's no other way. I can only persevere.”
Uncle Guan also came and saw the four of them standing there silently. He also stood silently at the back. After pausing for a moment, seeing that the four of them were silent, he could not help but approach the Martial King and say bluntly,"If the soldiers are too tired, their stamina will be exhausted. Once they reached the battlefield, they would not have the strength to fight against the enemy. Some of them fell sick and could not even go to the battlefield. Big brother." He turned around and said to Lu Shang, who was also watching the soldiers from a distance,"Father Shang, the army is in an extremely difficult situation right now, so why do we still insist on advancing? Our division can't hold on much longer. Please, father Shang and big brother, show your compassion and order us to stop.”
"Uncle Guan, since the army is already advancing, we can't stop halfway. You know the army is in a difficult situation. " But do you know that Shangdu is not far ahead? If we can't get to the battlefield early and seize the initiative, giving King Zhou enough time to prepare for resistance or organize a counterattack, we will be in a passive position. That would not only be difficult, but it would also be a very dangerous situation. He advanced with a strong enemy, retreated for more than a thousand miles, and was far away from the country. He was in a dilemma. Now, he could only persevere. It was all in one go. They would either be wiped out or fight for victory with all their might. Do you know this situation?" Lu Shang continued to observe.
"I don't know. However, the soldiers were so tired that even the horses could not pull the chariots.”Uncle Guan argued.
King Wu angrily said to Uncle Guan,"As a general, you are in the most difficult time of the army. Instead of sharing the joys and sorrows with the soldiers and setting an example to boost morale, why are you here to nag?" Don't just look at the current difficult situation, but also look at the situation on the battlefield tomorrow after the difficulties. Victory was something that could only be won after a thousand trials and tribulations.”
"When people are exhausted and horses are exhausted, what can they use to fight on the battlefield? What kind of strength should he use to win?”Uncle Guan resisted King Wu's tone and argued, unwilling to be outdone.
"You should listen to your big brother." Lu Shang walked to Uncle Guan's side and said,"You should understand what I just said. At the critical moment, everything had to be done according to the command. They couldn't be swayed by a little difficulty, as it would affect their morale. This is related to the overall situation."
"Father Shang." Uncle Guan still wanted to argue.
Lu Shang immediately stopped him with a hand gesture. Lu Shang knew that King Wu was in a nervous and conflicted state of mind, so he gently said to Uncle Guan,""As a general, you are the backbone of the Zhou clan and the pillar of the country. The survival of the country should be the most important thing in everything. The victory or defeat of the military war was related to the survival of the country. They had to consider the overall situation. Ah!" He turned around and looked at Lei Zhen and Chen Zhuhou, who were about to interrupt."Don't say anymore. Let the Martial King consider it carefully before making a decision.”
Zhao Gongshuang also caught up. He didn't know that there had just been a dispute here. He walked to King Wu and said,""Big brother, we really can't do it. The morale of this eastern expedition was high, and the soldiers were working hard, pulling and crawling forward with difficulty. Every step required a lot of effort. The soldiers were too tired. He couldn't continue like this. The soldiers should be allowed to rest. Look at them." He pointed at a chariot that was being pushed by more than ten people. The chariot had just moved for a moment before it was stuck again. Everyone shouted and pushed the chariot out of the mud pit again. They took a step forward, but who knew that the chariot would slide back into the mud pit again. Just as everyone stood up and took a breath, they had to bury their heads and push the cart again. A squad leader stood up and called four more people to help push the cart. The car finally pushed out of the mud pit. However, these people were already panting from exhaustion. Some of them even started to sway. "If we continue to walk like this, the soldiers will naturally lose their strength. Before they can fight, they will have no strength left.”
"You." The Martial King had just calmed down when he was stirred up by Zhao Gongshuang's words. He turned around and was about to scold Zhao Gongshuang when he suddenly saw Zhou Gongdan rushing over from behind. He suppressed his temper and changed the topic." Let's talk about it later."”
Zhou Gongdan came to King Wu and saw that King Wu's expression was not right. He looked back in shock at Zhao Gongshuang, Uncle Guan, and then at Lu Shang, who was stroking his beard, Lei Zhen, and Chen Zhuhou. Everyone had a serious expression on their faces as they looked at the marching troops. The atmosphere here was suffocating. At this moment, another group of soldiers walked over. The soldiers walked on the mud with one foot high and one foot low. Zhou Gongdan immediately understood the deadlock in front of him. He said softly and slowly,"Big Brother, time is of the essence." It was so difficult to advance. He had to think of a way. Otherwise, it would consume too much of the soldiers 'stamina. The most important thing is to weaken the spirit first." He turned around and said to Lu Shang,"Father Shang, what do you think we should do?"”
Lu Shang walked back and stopped beside the Martial King. He looked around at everyone and said,""The rain is God's will. No one can change it. This also caused the road to be muddy and difficult to walk on, making it very difficult for us to advance. Now we are in even more trouble, tired and tired. Look, the chariot that just passed was walking with difficulty. Then look at the group of soldiers behind. Even though it was difficult to walk, they still looked relaxed. I see that we have also added a great burden to ourselves, and caused difficulties.”
Lu Shang's words reminded the Martial King. "Father Shang, I understand. I've figured it out since you've mentioned it." I've been wondering why it's always so difficult to increase our speed. It is our own doing. You see, once the front team passes, the road is muddy, and the back team has difficulty walking. The main reason was that there were too many things on the car. When the wheels rolled, they would sink into the soil. Originally, the chariot could move forward quickly, but now it had become a burden. Even the soldiers were not relaxed. Many people were assigned to help push the cart, and the burden of so many people was added to the people who did not push the cart. Those who pushed the cart were tired, and those who did not push the cart were even more tired. Don't you think so?"
Lu Shang laughed when he heard the Martial King's explanation.
Everyone looked at each other in surprise, then looked at Lu Shang with the same gaze, seemingly understanding something. Then, they forced a silly smile and looked at the Martial King.
King Wu said decisively,"It is hard to achieve great profits without giving up small profits." Father Shang, by reducing the burden, at least the troops can move forward more easily. This way, we can speed up and overcome these difficulties. Everyone, listen up." King Wu turned to everyone and said firmly,""For the sake of victory, for the sake of reaching Shangdu as soon as possible, I now order all the troops to leave behind three days 'worth of rations and fodder. In short, the troops should advance lightly."
Seeing that everyone still did not understand this order, the Martial King added,""Everyone, except for your weapons and three days 'rations, leave everything else behind. As long as the things in the car were not needed on the battlefield, they had to give up. The light carriage was traveling so that the chariot would not easily sink into the mud pit.”
"Alright, I'll do it. This will do." Lu Shang also said firmly," The most important problem now is how to make time to get to Shangdu. Everyone is thinking about this and will definitely get through this difficult situation.”
"Then you don't want these things?" Zhao Gongshuang asked with concern.
"Zhou Gongdan, leave a group of people behind to collect the things that the army abandoned and send people to guard them. Come back and get it when you need it." the Martial King replied.
"Big brother, if we can't defeat King Zhou of Shang in three days, we'll starve to death. Instead of dying in battle, he would starve to death. He would die without any honor.”Uncle Guan retorted.
"Big brother's method is temporarily feasible. At the very least, it could save the situation. He had to rush to Shangdu first. Losing a fighter jet on the battlefield would be a big problem.”Duke Dan of Zhou supported King Wu's method and expressed his agreement." Our troops will carry it out resolutely. Leave behind three days of rations and move forward lightly."
"It's decided. Go back and pass down the order. Get ready. The troops will stop for a while. Have a meal and reorganize before continuing. By nightfall, they would have to travel at least sixty miles.”The Martial King didn't care if anyone had any objections and carried out the order forcefully. At the same time, he encouraged them,"No matter how tired the soldiers are, they must continue to advance." As generals, you can't complain anymore. You should prioritize the overall situation and set an example. Now was the time to use troops, not to love them. He went to kill the enemy and fight for benefits, building meritorious deeds, hoping that everyone would be the first to fight.”
Seeing the determination of the Martial King, everyone bid farewell and rushed back. Before Zhou Gongdan left, he came to Lu Shang's side and asked,""Father Shang, will this drag down the army?”
"Don't worry. If he persisted, he would be able to reach his destination very quickly. Since victory was in front of him, he had to endure no matter how hard he tried.”Lu Shang encouraged.
The troops moved again. He abandoned the extra baggage and moved forward lightly. When the sky turned dark, the troops had unexpectedly traveled more than a hundred miles. After crossing a few small hills, they arrived at the plains.
At a glance, the scenery in the distance was ethereal, and the mist was rising nearby. They were only a hundred miles away from the Shang Capital. The next stop was Muye. It was only fifty miles away. The Martial King finally revealed a victorious smile on his face. He ordered the troops to set up camp and rest for six hours before entering at dawn.
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