Capítulo 1819: Chapter 1736: Troops Emerge from the Valley

Tagg’s command headquarters remained stationed at Eternal Winter City without any movement, as the front line situation no longer required much of his attention.

The 11th and 9th Corps were laying siege to Furnace Fortress, the 7th and 3rd Corps were encircling and annihilating the Dwarf’s 11th and 12th Corps, and the 1st and 10th Corps were steadily advancing towards Hotwind Port… The Great Tang Empire had firmly established itself on the Eastern Continent.

As for the minor issues on the Southern Plains, they weren’t something he needed to concern himself with: It should be noted that the renowned 3rd Corps of the Great Tang Empire was positioned in that direction, under the command of Strauss.

If the Dwarves were still unfamiliar with this commander, then many young officers from Dorne were well acquainted with his name.

Once upon a time, this name represented victory in Dorne, and this General was their most trusted commander. Strauss had once led Dorne to win the most critical battles.

Furthermore, during the Great Tang Empire’s sweep across the Western Continent, Strauss continued to perform exceptionally well. He led the 3rd Corps to be invincible in battle, definitely ranking as a top-tier contemporary famous general.

Therefore, if Xie Ke knew he was facing such a commander, he would certainly be much more cautious. Unfortunately, he was unaware of this.

Even if he found out, it would be too late — his troops already created a salient on the Southern Plains, and this salient was rapidly expanding.

Standing on a snow-covered hill, Strauss exhaled a breath of cold air. The white mist dispersed in front of his face, leaving a faint layer of frost on the mustache above his lips.

Though not particularly old, he had grown a mustache, which made him appear somewhat more mature. The generals of the Great Tang Empire generally had the habit of growing facial hair, as most of them were young. As senior commanders, they generally hoped to appear more mature and reliable.

“Long live His Majesty! General! Our forces have retreated to Anliqi. Should we prepare to counterattack?” An officer, stepping on the soft snow, walked to Strauss’s side, stood at attention, and saluted as he inquired, “The enemy’s line has extended far enough.”

“There’s no need to rush; let the enemy enjoy a few more days. The more excited they are, the more despair they’ll feel when they see us… I’m curious to see what kind of expression Xie Ke’s face will twist into.” Strauss chuckled, raised his binoculars, and looked towards the distant valley.

His army was passing through here, and indeed, the speed of the infantry passing through the Central Mountain Region was not as swift as the armored corps. It was precisely because of this break in the formation that gave the enemy a gap for a counterattack.

Now, the slowest-moving infantry of the 3rd Corps had already crossed the mountains, and the so-called strength advantage of the enemy was utterly gone.

As one of the leading main corps of the Great Tang Empire, the 3rd Corps boasted a formation exceeding 200,000. Such a massive scale indeed appeared spectacular on the plains.

Hundreds of rocket artillery pieces lined up in formation along the narrow road, and in the nearby fields, dozens of idle ground-to-ground missile launch vehicles sat.

These missile launchers were not the initial Scud versions; they were new models with a shooting accuracy close to 100 meters, almost capable of undertaking long-range precision strikes.

The organizational structure of the Great Tang Empire’s army corps was becoming increasingly modernized, and the composition of the troops was becoming more complex. No joke, these troops were starting to have a bit of a “rabbit flavor”.

“The civil officials have already submitted an impeachment document to Marshal Tager against us… They say our relinquishing part of the area is destroying the local livelihood,” the Chief of Staff reminded Strauss.

As time passed, this war concerning unification had more and more political flavor mixed in. For His Majesty The Emperor to achieve the goal of world unification, many purely military issues had to consider the difficulty of post-occupation management.

Sighing, Strauss chuckled bitterly and said, “Let them sue; as soldiers, which of us hasn’t been sued by them a few times… This is the pressure we should bear for His Majesty. Without letting the locals compare, how would they know we are better?”

“What do you mean?” The Chief of Staff looked at Strauss, asking knowingly.

“Continue the retreat! Lure them to Anliqi! Seeing Anliqi, shouldn’t they muster some courage?” Strauss was unwavering, still prioritizing military achievements.

Throughout history, bait troops playing the role of luring the enemy deep have often been the most elite. Because attacking is easy, retreating is the hardest. The ability to maintain troop morale during a retreat and be ready to counterattack at any time is also the best proof of a commander’s capability.

The 3rd Corps was now enacting a grand-scale feigned defeat: All of its forces were retreating, except for the north-moving 3rd Armored Army, while the rest of the forward troops were withdrawing.

Now, Strauss was preparing to bring the opposition to Anliqi, the largest city on the Southern Plains, and then with a true counterattack, completely shatter all resistance forces south of Furnace Fortress.

Meanwhile, he calculated the effect on the local civilians, letting them experience the brutality of the Ice Cold Empire at their wits’ end, making these civilians more committed to integrating into the Great Tang Empire.

Of course, this matter couldn’t be openly discussed. If really brought up, the civil officials would vehemently attack it. After all, in their eyes, these civilians were His Majesty The Emperor’s subjects, and harming them was akin to damaging the emperor’s private assets — a sin beyond forgiveness!

People often tend to use right and wrong to judge certain matters, but in some wars, perhaps there truly isn’t a good person. Strauss knew he wasn’t a good person, and he was sure the enemies opposite him weren’t either… So he felt justified giving his orders.

“Send a telegram to General Eric; from now on, they can only supply the 3rd Armored Army with fuel and ammunition… Please take good care of them.” After deciding to continue luring the enemy deeper, Strauss didn’t even bother with his own forces to the north.

Several officers stood at attention and saluted, then went to deliver the orders. In the valley, the Tang Army continued its organized and orderly advance. Countless vehicles, surrounded by dense masses of soldiers, rolled forward tirelessly along the road.

The procession extended beyond the horizon, seemingly endless. The overcast clouds in the sky remained low, scattering fine snowflakes in the wind, stinging the skin faintly as they struck one’s face.