Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors

Zhao Haiping did wonder whether it was feasible to forcibly conscript the true members of the Divine Strategy Army—those sons of rich families—into battle.

However, after some thought, the conclusion was that it was neither possible nor meaningful.

First, these sons of the wealthy were of high status and influence within the capital, and the fact that they could bribe eunuchs to enter the Divine Strategy Army meant that their families must have significant backgrounds and power.

If such people went into hiding, even if their location was known, could they be apprehended?

Second, the military situation was urgent, and the court constantly urged for action. With the manpower Zhao Haiping had at his disposal, there simply wasn't enough time to round up all these sons of the wealthy.

Lastly, even if they were all, indeed, rounded up, what then?

These pampered sons, who had never trained a day in their lives, would weep at the news of rebels approaching; their combat prowess might not even surpass that of the local thugs, the unemployed vagrants.

With this in mind, Zhao Haiping could only sigh silently and lead his three thousand men to the battlefield.

Before departing, the court had asserted with solemn promises, "You go first, and reinforcements will follow shortly!"

Zhao Haiping scoffed inwardly, holding little hope for this assurance.

Reinforcements?

If his vanguard was already in such a desperate state, what could he expect from reinforcements?

If there had truly been reinforcements, they would have already been dispatched alongside him to counter the rebels.

The army set out.

For Zhao Haiping, who had been through many battles and once commanded tens of thousands, leading three thousand soldiers was essentially without pressure.

The maxims of ancient military strategists often stated, "Commanding a few is like commanding the many," or it could also be "The more troops, the better."

This meant that a true master of military tactics, whether commanding three thousand or thirty thousand or even three hundred thousand, it would all be the same.

This was because a crucial aspect of military tactics is the transmission of orders, marching protocols, and battle formations. A true master already has these ingrained, forming a systematic approach, so no matter how many soldiers are under their command, it would not result in a command chaos.

Inefficient generals, however, are different—the more soldiers they command, the more disorganized they become, to the point that maintaining formation with a hundred thousand troops was considered an achievement.

Although Zhao Haiping hadn't reached the realm "Commanding a few is like commanding the many," he had received guidance from both Deng Yuanjing and Han Fuyue, two distinguished generals, and had mastered about seventy to eighty percent of their skills in leading tens of thousands into battle.

So leading three thousand people now was naturally easy for him.

However, these three thousand were not well-trained soldiers; they were mostly thugs, scoundrels, and vagrants pulled in by the sons of the wealthy—a group that General Deng Yuanjing himself had explicitly refused to draft.

Moreover, these men were clueless about military life. How to form ranks, recognize banners, or understand commands—most of them had no concept of these things.

There was no time for Zhao Haiping to train his soldiers as he had once done in the instance "Eight Thousand Li of Cloud and Moon."

He could only observe and select suitable candidates for junior leadership roles as they hurried toward the battlefield, gradually establishing the organizational structure of his makeshift army and endeavoring to teach the ragtag group the various details of military life.

Two days later, they arrived at Huazhou State.

However, by then, the military and civilians of Huazhou had fled to the mountains to hide from the rebels, leaving an empty city behind.

Zhao Haiping had no choice but to order a search throughout the city.

Because the court had provided no provisions for the army before they embarked on the campaign. Not to speak of sufficient weapons and equipment, even their rations were depleted.

With at least a three-day march to Tong Pass ahead, if they didn't find food in Huazhou, they would have to head toward Tong Pass on an empty stomach.

In such a case, it was likely Zhao Haiping, their commander, would be killed by his mutinous soldiers before they even reached Tong Pass.

Fortunately, after scouring the city, they found over a thousand hu of millet in the Huazhou storehouses.

These supplies could barely suffice for three thousand men for three days.

Apart from that, there was not a single other edible item to be found in the entire Huazhou.

Clearly, the army and civilians had ample time to retreat from the city, taking almost all the food they could carry with them.

With this barely edible old millet, Zhao Haiping again led his men toward Tong Pass.

Three days later, the three thousand men arrived at Tong Pass.

And just in time, the millet they had scavenged from Huazhou was completely consumed.

Meeting with the commander of Tong Pass, General Qi Kerang, Zhao Haiping's heart sank.

General Qi looked pale, and his soldiers all appeared dispirited.

Zhao Haiping tentatively asked, "General Qi... does Tong Pass have any military rations?"

General Qi Kerang was silent for a moment. "General Zhang, you've come to support us from the capital with the Divine Strategy Army, but... didn't you bring any rations?"

Zhao Haiping realized the dire situation, "No."

General Qi Kerang was once again silent before speaking, "Well, that's a coincidence; Tong Pass doesn't either. General Zhang, looks like we'll have to survive on tree bark and catching mice..."

The two looked at each other without a word.

Clearly, General Qi's situation was just as bleak.

By that time, Tong Pass was defended only by a scant force of ten thousand, and faced with the overwhelming rebel forces, General Qi had recognized that field battles held no prospect of victory, prompting him to retreat to Tong Pass. His ten thousand men had already fought numerous battles, suffering from a lack of supplies, and with the surrounding areas reduced to ruins and desolation, his troops could be summed up in four words: cold and starving.