Xiangyang used to be a military stronghold during the Southern Bian Dynasty. Thus, It seemed logical for Feng to station his army here. The old but well maintained city walls offered good protection, even in this age of firearms, the double walls still cause great hardship for invaders. Even though it will no doubt never hold off an invasion force for years on end ever again, staving off minor warlord armies is no trouble.
But with these old fortress cities, comes a flaw as well. One flaw that may be the demise of a certain warlord.
The city layouts are too predictable. The headquarters are all too easy to locate. The possible dead-ends and hidden sectors of the base were all built ages ago. Therefore, it will be no difficulty to find Feng.
And I have.
It didn't take long. The sun has yet to set, but is beginning to bleed dry. The sky has turned a scarlet orange shade. It has gotten noticeably colder as well. Feng's soldiers are still on alert, but many have fallen back into their lethargy and began to idle. The extended period of time between the alarm and now, has set the world's apathy back into their minds, diminishing their false bravery.
In their alertness, they failed to see the betrayal within their ranks. None of them expected the perpetrators to have been dressed in their own pale blue; none of them had considered it possible that the alarm they were alerted to concerned a threat within.
As I was making my way from the outer edges of the base towards the central headquarters, I spotted the elite divisions of Martial Feng. Soldiers brought from the central headquarters in Taishang - the de-facto capital of the Republic of Shenzhou. Elite divisions trained by Occidental generals. These soldiers who once guarded the Empire and the Republic against the existential enemies of Shenzhou, are now used as puppets of whichever warlord residing in Taishang. They still wear their signature Marcomagne Helmets as well as carry their distinct Marcomagne rifles. Even after years of use, their equipment is seemingly in better condition than newly issued weapons used by Feng's conscripts. Obsessed with the glory of days past and a forsaken legacy. The Eighty-Seventh hold onto extreme standards for recruits and strict disciplinary measures unnecessary for the foes they face in Shenzhou.
They will be a difficult enemy to confront. Therefore, I'll simply not confront them. There is no need to engage with relics of the past, unfit for the contemporary age. Better not interfere with them basking in their decaying glory, it would do me no good. Time will take grind them down to dust, every last bit of their personal piety. No mortal in Shenzhou can face them, however, time will weather them down to oblivion.
It seemed that the Eighty-Seventh are not the only noteworthy fighters as well. General Xie Ganzhu and the Elite from his Jingzhou Army have come to welcome their Marshal as well. Out of all of the armies in the Huaijiang Clique, the men of Jingzhou are by far the most notorious for their endurance and stubbornness - this all along with their terrible ignorance and uncurbed aggression to all.
The Eighty-Seventh will be easy to avoid, as they are relegated to their own section of the base, detached from the rest of the Army, their own apathy and indifference to Shenzhou infighting will damper their initiative. However, the same cannot be said of Xie's men.
Despite possessing inferior outdated equipment - unlike their counterparts in the Huaijiang Clique - they still manage to be on par or superior to much of them. The Jingzhou Army make up for their inferior armaments with their hardy characters and undying morale.
During the Third Beixia-Huaijiang War, the Jingzhou Army was able to do what their allies could not. While the rest of Feng's generals were unable to break through into Taishang. The men of Jingzhou scaled the cities great walls, despite continual suppressing fire from Beixia's best soldiers. Many men were said to have pushed on with catastrophic injuries, it was as if they felt nothing as bullets tore through their limbs, as artillery dismembered them arm by arm. It was said that The Beixia soldier's, upon seeing their mutilated enemies rush towards them, could do nothing but stand frozen in awe as Jingzhou men cut them down one by one. The Jingzhou commander that day, not wishing to use more of the meagre supply they had, had ordered his men to rush the walls with only small arms and machetes. By the end of their siege, the Jingzhou men left no soul remaining on Taishang's walls. Not even their own. With their efforts, the rest of the Generals were able to enter the city and take it.
Since then, they were given the nickname of "Five Headed Serpents". As unless one was able to completely rid a Jingzhou men of all his limbs, they would not be stopped.
It must he noted. That there attack happened completely independently. And that the order to conduct such an insane suicide attack was not given by General Xie. Instead, it was a spontaneous decision agreed upon by hundreds of Jingzhou men one evening at their mess hall. The survivors have stated that their reasoning was simply because "they had balls and they're gonna use them" or "I rather die than fight here for another week". The Captain in charge of the troops heard his subordinates ideas and quickly agreed to lead the charge.
Just a few Jingzhou soldiers were able to change the entire course of a war occurring half an empire away from their homes with their insanity and bloodlust. Completely overrunning the sophisticated Beixia Army through sheer brutish force.
It would be wise to remain out of conflict with them, but as effective as they are in combat, their unruliness may be even greater. Much of the squabbling between Huaijiang Clique factions erupt due to incidents caused by Jingzhou soldiers.
The most recent clash between Feng's generals occurred due to a disagreement between Jingzhou and Yuanzhou soldiers. Reportedly angered by General Hua of Yuanzhou's insult towards General Xie. Apparently it was a rumor that Hua has insulted the appearance of Xie's favourite concubine - Lady Diao. Xie's loyal men could not stand for their General's honor to be stained. Thus, they launched a raid on a border town along the Yuanzhou Province's south.
Xie does not have a concubine surnamed Diao. And it just so happened the town that was raided possessed large amounts of Opium and alcohol. And the men who started the raid were also regular customers of the many adult establishments there. It is not hard to imagine what really caused the incident, but the result was definite. It resulted in a short but vicious border war between the two Huaijiang generals. All due to what can be assumed to be minor issues.
Perhaps there was a bar-fight which escalated.
Maybe they could not pay the establishments and decided to sack them, or they were wronged - cheated, and sought revenge. Either way no matter how petty the reasoning, it would not be unexpected from the men of Jingzhou.
We can only hope that confrontation with them can be avoided. But if it does come to it, which I'm sure it will, I'm sure the Azure Leopards will survive, but I know not in what state.
Hence, to lesson the threat of them on my own men, it would make sense to distract them from us with another foe. And well, there are more than enough varying factions present in Xiangyang itself. The Jingzhou dogs would pick a fight with anyone. Anyone. When they aren't united against one foe, they're busy fighting each other.
In Xiangyang we have the Eighty-Seventh, Marshal Feng's levied conscripts, General Xie's levies, General Xie's personal retinue, and finally, Marshal Feng's personal guard.
All with their own loyalties, or more accurately, their own paymasters.
The Eighty-Seventh are unlikely to be willing to engage with any of the other parties. They are out of the question. Even Jingzhou men might take some heavy convincing and much time to even think about aggravating the Eighty-Seventh.
No. There must be a good balance between fighting prowess and volatility for who we instigate conflict with. If they are too weak then they won't be much help in distracting the Jingzhou Elites. However stronger candidates might not be as willing to fight. I need to choose carefully, lest pointlessly risk the lives of my troops.
Second to the Eighty-Seventh's fighting prowess is likely Feng's personal guard - the Thirty-Third. They are selected from the best of the best all over the Huaijiang Clique. They are without a doubt, the most elite warlord fighting force, and just as true, the most underused and neglected. Feng takes the guard everywhere he goes, but he treats them like a trophy on a pedestal. Only to be admired from behind velvet ropes, not to be touched or polluted. The only military engagements the Thirty-Third has had in all its years active were during the First Wan-Huaijiang war... thirty three years ago.
It's not even a problem of them being receptive to being coerced to fight the Jingzhou Elites. In fact I'm sure many of them wish to teach the rabid Jingzhou dogs a lesson in humility and filial piety, however, they will not leave Marshal Feng's side. It will be nigh impossible to trick them to leave Feng aside and engage Xie's Guard.
How can I go about this? Feng's Xiangyang garrison are all green, even if I got them to fight the Xie's Elites they won't be much of a bother for them, perhaps I could get Xie's levies to start something?
Maybe both?
Yes that could work. If both Feng's and Xie's levies are pit against Xie's Elities together, than it might be able to actually distract them. Knowing the likeness of Jingzhou Elites, they would throw themselves deep into the midst of battle without hesitation, therefore, the sheer quantity of the combined levies would be able to drown them.
Beixia only lost at Taishang due to their lack of manpower. To stop an immense force, you need to meet it with equal inertia. The Beixia Army may have had superior firepower and weaponry, but it couldn't make up for their lack of mass. Jingzhou's force is not unending, Beixia's wall of men was too little, thus, Jingzhou could break through. But what if that wall was made thicker.
There are around one thousand of Xie's Elites. Out of the fifteen-thousand men at Xiangyang, around twelve-thousand are levied conscripts. Roughly half are Feng's and half are Xie's. Perhaps if Feng's Elites saw that their comrades were being slaughtered, then they would come to their aid? Therefore it will be another thousand against Xie. No they would not care. Feng himself has to be put in danger for his Elites to act.
Even if I get them to fight each other, I doubt anyone is willing to disturb the Marshal. Even if you're of Jingzhou stock. But the commotion will be enough. The chaos will be good cover for the rest of my men to infiltrate and kill Feng.
And then, I'll take the head of the Grand Pacifier of the North.