Chapter 1008 The Soldiers and Horses Have Not Moved, but the Food and Grass Go First

On the first day of the first lunar month, Shanhai City.

According to the system, the imperial court will hold large-scale sacrificial activities on the day of the Spring Festival. This year's sacrifice was higher than last year's, because this year was the first large-scale ceremony for the founding of the Great Xia Dynasty.

Last year, according to the ritual system of princes, this year it is the ritual system of princes, so it is naturally different.

Another difference is that in addition to offering sacrifices to the Yellow Emperor and Xia Yu as usual, the ancestral temple is also offered. Just a few years ago, after deciding to accept the family, Ouyang Shuo took advantage of the opportunity to build the Taimiao in Wangcheng to worship the ancestors of Ouyang's lineage.

10% of the ancestral temple can be regarded as the last link of the dynasty.

In the eyes of the common people, the magnificence of the sacrificial scene and the hustle and bustle of the ostentation are naturally indescribable prosperity, but Ouyang Shuo's heart is as calm as water, and he has long been used to it.

…………

In the next few days, Ouyang Shuo was busy going to various banquets.

On the second day of the first lunar month, Ouyang Shuo held a banquet in the Summer Palace, entertaining the players and officials headed by Bai Hua, Mu Lanyue, Siege Lion, と砆, Ximian officials, etc., to enhance mutual friendship.

Today, they have become a new force that cannot be ignored in the officialdom of Daxia. Ouyang Shuo didn't want to alienate each other because of the continuation of time or the barrier of space.

Especially these few governors are related to the country and the country, and Ouyang Shuo can't afford to ignore them.

On the third day of the first lunar month, Ouyang Shuo hosted a banquet for the military generals in the Imperial Guard barracks. Commanders such as Bai Qi, Han Xin, Sun Bin, Huo Qubing, Li Mu, Shi Wansui and others were all present.

Taking this opportunity is also an opportunity for the generals to get acquainted with each other, especially Li Mu and other generals who have joined the army not long ago, can take this opportunity to get to know each other.

After the holiday is over, Ouyang Shuo will discuss with the generals the specific battle plan for attacking Annan.

On the fourth day of the first lunar month, Ouyang Shuo held a banquet in the Southwest University Hall, entertaining professors and outstanding student representatives from the three major colleges, to show his importance to the education of the Dynasty.

In the evening of that day, Ouyang Shuo also entertained foreign missions stationed in Shanhai City in the Sifang Pavilion.

*************

On February 23rd of the fifth year of Gaia, the fifth day of the first lunar month, the imperial court ended its rest and officially went to court.

The first day is the Dachaohui.

The symbolic significance of this court meeting is far greater than the actual significance. Jiang Shang, as the chief minister of the cabinet, speaks on behalf of the civil society group, reviews and summarizes the achievements of the past year, and announces Gaia's five-year plan and annual budget.

Bai Qi, the commander of the Long Xiang Army and the only general of the dynasty, spoke on behalf of the military, expressing his position on border defense, and at the same time briefly expounding Gaia's five-year combat plan.

All in all, it was a very harmonious meeting.

No argument.

The Dachaohui ended, and Daxia, a machine that had been dormant for a short time, was roaring into action again.

…………

Summer Palace, Royal Study Room.

Ouyang Shuo received Bai Hua, Governor of Yunnan alone.

"sit!"

The two are old friends, and they can be regarded as half-confidantes, so they seem more casual.

When Ouyang Shuo saw Bai Hua, he didn't mean to point fingers at Yunnan's government affairs, so the cabinet had to worry about it. This meeting is mainly to coordinate military and political cooperation.

To put it bluntly, it is to prepare for the battle of Annan and act as an outpost.

As the saying goes: "Before the soldiers and horses move, the food and grass go first."

Annan's land area is small, but it has 8 million players, which is really a difficult problem. In order to win this fierce battle, the Black Snake Guard carried out intensive investigation and infiltration against Annan as early as the first half of the fourth year of Gaia.

In the second half of the year, the Military Intelligence Department also got involved.

The Military Aircraft Department now has detailed information on various places in Annan.

Information ranging from the situation of the troops stationed in various places in Haiphong City to the topography, products, rivers and other information in every corner of Annan are continuously collected at the military aircraft and handed over to the staff for inspection.

In front of Daxia, Annan has no secrets to speak of.

For all this, Ruan Tianque, the lord of Annan Haifang City, only had a guess and a premonition, and knew nothing about the real situation. In terms of investigation, Daxia beat Annan countless streets, not on the same level at all.

For this reason, Daxia invests as much as four to five million gold coins in secret funds to the three major intelligence agencies every year.

In addition to intelligence investigations, preparations for war supplies also started before winter last year. As one of the provinces bordering Annan, Yunnan Province has become a key province for war preparations.

"One thing I don't understand is that the border between Mengding County in Yunnan Province and Annan is a rolling rocky mountain range, and it is difficult for birds to cross. How do we send supplies to the battlefield?" Bai Hua asked.

It stands to reason that because it is not in the national war month, Daxia wants to attack Annan, only by water, including the allocation of war materials should also be transported by water.

In this case, coastal provinces such as Lingnan Province and Fujian Province should undertake the task of preparing war supplies.

Bai Hua was puzzled.

But the order transmitted by the Privy Council is very clear, that is, to make the Yunnan Province prepare early.

Ouyang Shuo smiled slightly, "I've called you here this time to answer your questions." Saying this, Ouyang Shuo handed over a black iron seal, only half the size of a fist.

"what is this?"

Bai Hua took a look and checked the properties.

[Mountain Seal]: After using it, a tunnel can be opened in any mountain in the territory.

This seal was a special item dropped by a lord of the Star Country when the Star Country was conquered, and it has been kept by Ouyang Shuo until now.

At the beginning, Ouyang Shuo thought about using this seal on the Annan battlefield.

Since Bai Hua thought that Daxia's materials could not be transported into Annan, Ruan Tianque naturally could not have imagined that Daxia could open a secret tunnel in the rocky mountains, leading directly to the hinterland of Annan.

"You should understand now, why did the Privy Council make Yunnan Province prepare early?!"

"Say it sooner." Bai Hua shook her head.

With this secret weapon, Bai Hua feels sad for the Annan players.

Of course, it is impossible to win a war with only one seal, and in the end it is necessary to fight with real swords and guns. It's just that with this passage on land, the odds of winning the war are greater.

"I understand. I will step up efforts to urge the collection of war supplies after I go back." Bai Hua complied, and carefully put the [Kaishan Seal] into the storage bag.

"The specific location of use, Commander Bai Qi will contact you."

Naturally, the tunnel opened was not only used to transport war materials, but also a secret marching passage. Where to set it up has to be decided by Bai Qi, a war expert.

"Know!"

The conversation between the two came to an end.

…………

On February 25th, Hall of Martial Arts.

Ouyang Shuo summoned the generals in the army to discuss the matter of attacking Annan.

Almost the entire Great Xia Army was involved in this battle. Which army would act as the vanguard, which army would act as the main force, and which army would be responsible for guarding the domestic border had to be negotiated properly.

After the beginning of spring, the war will start.

Daxia has a vast territory, and if it is necessary to dispatch troops on a large scale, it must be ordered in advance. Such a large-scale assembly of troops is definitely not something that can be done in a week or two.

At the same time, in order to paralyze the enemy as much as possible, the army assembly must be kept as secret as possible.

All kinds of things are complicated.

Fortunately, the Military Plane Division took the lead, and Ouyang Shuo temporarily transferred two top advisers, Jia Xu and Pang Tong, to the Combat Division to assist Zhao Kuo in formulating a strict military plan.

As a king, Ouyang Shuo may not be able to rush to the front line if he wants to sit in the capital, so before discussing all issues, he must first decide on the chief general and deputy general of this expeditionary army.

A snake without a head can't do it, let alone a large-scale military battle.

Among the group armies, apart from the Imperial Guard Army and the City Guard Army, the Longxiang Army had the lightest defense task, and the secret tunnel between Yunnan Province and Annan was about to be opened, so the Longxiang Army was the main force in the Annan War.

Bai Qi, the commander of the Longxiang Army, is naturally the best candidate for the commander.

In fact, Ouyang Shuo had a secret conversation with Bai Qi last year when the defense zones of each group army were adjusted.

According to Ouyang Shuo's vision, the Longxiang Army will use the opportunity of the Annan War to jump out of the domestic circle in one fell swoop. In the future, it will mainly conquer the ASEAN region and become the strongest sword for Daxia to open up overseas territories.

When Bai Qi heard the words, he had nothing to say.

Therefore, at the end of last year, although the Longxiang Army had no defensive missions, Bai Qi took advantage of the winter break to increase the intensity of drills for the soldiers of the group army, making sure to maintain the combat power of the entire army at its best.

This year's military champion is from the Longxiang Army.

"Bai Qi obeys orders!" Ouyang Shuo looked solemn.

"The end is here!"

Bai Qi went out, still expressionless, not cool.

"Appoint you as the commander-in-chief of the expedition to Annan, to command the two armies on land and sea, and to control all the generals. The war is outside, and you are given the right to do things cheaply."

With that said, Ouyang Shuo personally handed over the letter of appointment and the military talisman.

Hearing this, Bai Qi's expression finally fluctuated a little, and with a "swipe", he knelt on one knee, raised his hands flat, and respectfully received the letter of appointment and the soldier's talisman.

When Han Xin and other leaders saw it, they were all envious.

Annan has 800,000 imperial guards, 300,000 territorial troops, and 1.5 million professional combat players. If he wants to take Annan, Daxia must send at least a million troops.

Without a doubt, this was the biggest battle in the Wilderness to date.

Even in the campaign map, there is no such scale.

According to preliminary estimates, the troops of Daxia will include the Imperial Guard Army, City Guard Army, Longxiang Army, and Flying Bear Army, while the navy will include the Royal Fleet, Yashan Fleet, and Pacific Fleet.

All are the elite of the elite, the trump card of the trump card.

For the Great Xia generals, being able to lead such an army and command such an epic battle would mean death without regret.

As soon as the news of the attack on Annan came out, there were endless voices in the army calling for a fight.

Among the commanders, Huo Qubing, the commander of the imperial guards, is the closest to the king, but Huo Qubing is a well-known solo fighter, and he is not very good at commanding such a big battle.

Therefore, Han Xin and others might not have thought of being the chief general.

If the leader appointed by the king this time is someone else, I am afraid that some people will not be convinced, but the king chose to kill the god Bai Qi, even if he is as arrogant as Han Xin, he is convinced.

In addition to his great reputation in history, Bai Qi is also a well-deserved number one heroic general in the journey of Daxia, and he is also capable and invincible.

No one in the army is dissatisfied.

The people of Daxia have long regarded Bai Qi as the "God of War".