Chapter 1466: Chapter 1383: A Necessary Counterattack

“We must counterattack! We absolutely must counterattack!” Zhang Xuan stressed emphatically to Sun Guang and Ying Xu, who had hurried over for the meeting, pounding the table.

“Assembling our large corps for a powerful counterattack on the Tang Army is the key to whether we can hold the Shu Territory!” he asserted with righteousness and conviction: “If we continue to passively defend like this, we’ll be completely unable to turn the situation around.”

In fact, both Sun Guang and Ying Xu believed that Zhang Xuan was right. They too thought that continuing this passive defense wasn’t a good strategy.

Their troops seemed numerous, but they were spread out to fend off the Tang Army’s attacks. The so-called defense everywhere essentially meant no defense at all. The Tang Army came and went freely, choosing the battlegrounds at will, leaving the Qin Army in a passive state.

But Sun Guang and Ying Xu were helpless; they lacked the ability to mobilize such a large army, and likewise, the Qin Army could no longer launch a large-scale counterattack.

The harder the situation, the greater the disparity became between the two sides: the Qin Army was forced into defense, while the Tang Army could attack freely, making the Qin Army even more passive, forced to deploy more manpower in passive defense, while the Tang Army attacked at will… It was practically a vicious cycle.

In reality, because the Qin Army couldn’t assemble, the pressure on the Tang Army was reduced. The Tang Army had not even committed much force to building positions on the front line, as they were always poised for or engaging in attacks.

As a result, the Tang Army’s ammunition consumption was actually quite low. They fought key battles at critical points, naturally avoiding the need to stockpile ammunition and waste logistics and resources like the Qin Army.

This saved logistics allowed the Tang Army to revitalize the occupied areas’ economy, creating a more favorable atmosphere and gaining support from the local populace.

As this virtuous cycle continued, the occupied areas became a solid rear for the Tang Army, starting to supply blood to the Tang Army, creating even more pressure on the Qin Army.

Therefore, Zhang Xuan decided to launch a large-scale counteroffensive in the Shu Territory to break this cycle and force the Tang Army to divert attention and allocate more troops to defensive operations.

If this counteroffensive succeeds, the Qin Army can relieve the pressure and possibly even turn the unfavorable situation in the Shu Territory, buying more time.

“But General… assembling a force of over a hundred thousand troops won’t escape the Tang Army’s eyes,” Sun Guang reluctantly reminded Zhang Xuan. His words were like a cold bucket of water on Zhang Xuan’s head, rendering him speechless.

Everyone knew that it’s difficult to keep large-scale troop movements strictly confidential. Unfortunately, the Qin Army’s rear was as porous as a sieve, infiltrated by both the local defiant populace and Tang Army spies, making it impossible to hide any intelligence.

Setting aside the human factors, other factors also restricted the Qin Army’s mobilization and assembly. Large troop gatherings require support from road and rail lines, most of which had been destroyed.

Furthermore, modern army assemblies come with significant radiation signals, electromagnetic signals, and even visible changes to the terrain from encampments… which cannot be faked.

Because of these reasons, the Tang Army could confidently conclude that the Qin Army couldn’t assemble, hence maintaining their aggressive stance, pinning the Qin Army down in their positions.

The Tang Army’s electromagnetic suppression made Qin Army movements exceedingly difficult, further crippling their movements by destroying routes.

Hence, the Qin Army couldn’t gather large forces, and if they tried, the Tang Nation Air Force would find targets and carry out intense bombing.

“We can still clandestinely assemble tens of thousands of elite troops,” Zhang Xuan stubbornly insisted, thinking that even a limited counterattack was worth attempting.

Ying Xu also spoke up; though his credentials weren’t much, he was one of the few “capable generals” on the Qin Army front line, so his opinion mattered: “General… without tanks and heavy artillery, relying only on infantry might not yield any success.”

Even if the Qin Army used infantry to breach the Tang Army’s line, they would advance too slowly and fall into passivity without heavy firepower support.

What good could come of a bunch of light infantry squeezed into the gaps between Tang Army tanks and armored vehicles? Generally, wasn’t it the Tang Army that actively attacked and compressed the Qin Army infantry into gaps? Actively squeezing in now—aren’t we just being reckless?

“Then tell me, what should we do!” Zhang Xuan, without any great plan, resentfully retorted at the two.

Sun Guang shifted his gaze awkwardly; his main defensive sector was near Qingluan Port, where, relying on the city, he could hold out a bit longer.

Ying Xu also had nothing to say; stationed with his back against the Shu Mountain defensive line, he could at least use the mountain to maneuver with the Tang Army.

Only Zhang Xuan, responsible for the Shu Country plains, faced the least optimistic situation: his line was too long, and his forces too dispersed.

For now, the Shu Mountain defensive line at his back was relatively safe, but both his flanks were precarious: to his south, the Tang 7th Corps landing force had already penetrated the Shu Country’s heartland, while to his east, the Tang 6th Group Army was besieging the Xishan fortress.

In such a situation, a single misstep could lead to his encirclement in the Shu Territory, so he must find a way to eliminate a threat on one flank.

Looking at the terrain, his best option was to abandon the Xishan fortress, assume a decisive battle stance to the south, and drive the invading Tang Country 7th Corps back to the coast.

Yet everyone knew that wasn’t feasible; if the Qin Army moved south, the concern wasn’t just losing the Xishan fortress and the Tang 6th Group Army flanking them—it was uncertain if Zhang Xuan’s Qin Army contingent could even defeat the Tang 7th Corps alone.

To say it’s uncertain is putting it lightly; everyone was sure it was impossible. The Tang Army’s 7th Corps leaned on the Tang Country’s main fleet for support and could sustain itself from coastal supplies—it was untouchable.

It was like San Dezi discussing in 1945 whether to gather troops to drive the Anglo-American Allied Forces into the sea, pure fantasy.

“I can coordinate with you, General… launch a counterattack along the Qingluan line first.” Finally, Sun Guang, considering the bigger picture, proposed a plan: “If we can draw the Tang Army’s attention, and your troops flank them from the north, perhaps… a miracle can happen.”