Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors

Lord Qin said coldly, "Every situation is different, military deployment varies, why should the Crown Prince compare me with those mediocre generals?

"In less than ten years, I will surely pacify the Desert North, I speak no idle words!"

Emperor Gaozu of Liang slapped the armrest, "Enough, both of you stop quarreling!

"Lord Qin, you and Prince Qi will gather your forces and lead an expedition to Binzhou State to repel the Turkic people."

Lord Qin nodded, "Yes, Your Majesty!"

With that, he took long strides and left.

Prince Qi and the other ministers also excused themselves one after another.

In the vast palace hall, only Emperor Gaozu of Liang and the Crown Prince remained.

The Crown Prince's face was somber as he spoke, "Father, though the Turkic have long been a border nuisance, they often withdraw after bribery, not a serious threat to our heartland.

"However, Lord Qin's action seems like an attempt to monopolize military power under the pretext of fending off invaders, part of his plot to seize the throne.

"Father, you must not overlook this!"

Emperor Gaozu's face showed irritation, but he did not scold his son, merely waving him off, "I understand, you may also withdraw."

After the Crown Prince had also left, Emperor Gaozu paced several steps in the great hall, looking out at the endless curtain of rain, his thoughts inscrutable.

...

The scene shifted, a troop left Chang'an, following the valley of the Jing River northward to Binzhou State.

Lord Qin and Prince Qi led the troops, advancing despite the rain.

When the grand army entered the city of Binzhou, Jie Li Khan as well led tens of thousands of elite cavalry to the west of the city, arranging his forces on the high grounds of Wulong Slope.

At that moment, the Liang Army that arrived in the field, gazing up at the Turkic cavalry above, all showed fear on their faces.

The perspective quickly descended to Lord Qin.

That invincible feeling of being a towering figure surged through him once more.

The previous few times, Li Hongyun, playing as Lord Qin, had barely activated before the Turkic would retreat. He had yet to properly engage in a fight.

This time, the Turkic would likely not disappoint him.

"Second brother,

"It has been raining over Guanzhong for a long time, our supply lines are cut off, the soldiers are exhausted, and our equipment is in disrepair. In my opinion, we should retreat and defend Binzhou State, relying on its strong city for defense. The Turkic will naturally withdraw after some time."

Li Hongyun turned and saw that the speaker was his fourth brother, Prince Qi.

He had no good impression of this Prince Qi.

Historically, Prince Qi did indeed often march to war alongside Lord Qin, such as during the battle at Hulaoguan Pass, capturing two kings when Prince Qi led the main army to besiege Luoyang City.

However, this did not mean Lord Qin valued Prince Qi. Prince Qi was parachuted in directly.

According to historical records, Prince Qi had a decent combat power, but in other aspects, including political acumen and military ability, they were all problematic.

After initially rising up and entering Chang'an, Emperor Gaozu tasked the Crown Prince with logistics and managing court affairs, Lord Qin was charged with expanding territories and waging wars, and as for Prince Qi, being only fifteen at the time, he was left to guard the entire River East from Taiyuan.

After all, this was the birthplace of the Liang Dynasty.

As a result, Prince Qi not only went hunting every day but also allowed his men to plunder the people's possessions and openly shot arrows in the streets, amusing himself by watching passersby dodge.

Thus, the land of River East quickly fell into disarray, to the point where even the wet nurse who once saved his life was killed for advising him.

Before long, Liu Wuzhou attacked, driving Prince Qi to a desperate escape, almost effortlessly capturing Taiyuan. Emperor Gaozu, though enraged, had lost the River East and contemplated abandoning the entire region and holding only Guanzhong.

In the end, it was Lord Qin who insisted on deploying troops and after months of arduous struggle, he defeated Liu Wuzhou and regained the River East.

Later, Emperor Gaozu no longer allowed Prince Qi to be independently in charge, but he always had him accompany Lord Qin in military campaigns. Partly to share the military merits with Lord Qin, partly as a form of surveillance.

Therefore, for the Crown Prince to conspire with Prince Qi against Lord Qin was not surprising.

Li Hongyun looked at Prince Qi, dismissing his words as if they were mere nonsense.

The long-lasting rain was indeed true.

The muddy roads due to the rain and the logistical issues behind were also true, and the soldiers' morale was indeed low.

But if because of this they cowered and dared not fight, if the Turkic perceived their weakness, then any hope of making the Turkic withdraw would be impossible.

They could indeed remain fortified in Binzhou State and not come out, but what if the Turkic circled around Binzhou to raid and pillage in secret?

Or what if the Turkic simply ignored Binzhou and marched directly toward Chang'an?

Would they continue to stay within the city walls, watching the Turkic as they pleased?

Li Hongyun surveyed the terrain around him.

Binzhou State was located on a small plain created by the Jing River and served as an important transportation hub. Around the city of Binzhou, various streams and hills had been formed.

At that moment, the Turkic's tens of thousand cavalry were on the Wulong Slope to the west of the city.

This was a high slope, and from the angle facing the Liang Army, there was a small ditch in front.

This ditch could also be considered a tributary of the Jing River. Although it was true that the continuous rain had raised the water level, it was still possible for horses to cross.

Of course, with the Turkic on the opposite side of the ditch, on a high slope, they held the high ground advantage.

If the Liang Army rashly tried to cross the small ditch, and the Turkic decided to charge down from Wulong Slope, catching them mid-crossing, it was likely the Liang Army could not hold its ground.

While knowing not to retreat to the city, exactly how to fight, Li Hongyun had no clue.

His level of military command, though not as high as Zhao Haiping and others, was clear on some basic war knowledge.

At this moment, although the Turkic had traveled from afar, they had already been looting near Binzhou State for a while. On the contrary, the Liang Army had just arrived from Chang'an.

The Turkic were essentially resting and waiting.

And looking at the terrain, the Turkic held high ground, a small ditch separating them, ready to maximize their cavalry's advantage.

On Liang's side, due to the long rain, not only were logistics problematic, but also morale was extremely low.

If they foolishly attempted to attack now, the outcome was sure to be bleak.

One could even say certain defeat.

They could not show weakness, nor could they be reckless.

How then should they fight?

Li Hongyun temporarily suppressed the urge to look for Emperor Taizong's standard answer and wished to try solving this dilemma with his own methods.