Chapter 93: Zhao's Army Goes to War (Part 1)

  Watching Li Yinghong galloping wildly with Luo Huan, Lin Wenqing's face was tense, especially when she saw Luo Huan dancing on horseback, her fists clenched and trembling slightly.

  Actually, Li Yinghong's riding skills were superb, and with the double-bridge saddle and stirrups, it was much more stable for people on horseback. Luo Huan followed Li Yinghong closely, so it was very safe. Seeing Lin Wencheng's tense expression, Gao Yuan couldn't help but sigh and say: "Lady Wencheng, don't worry, with Yinghong here, Huan'er will be fine."

  Lin Wenqing also felt that he was a bit too tense at this time and said: "Sorry, Lord Gao, it's Wenqing who lost his composure."

  Gao Yuan Dao: "Madam Wen Qing, when it comes to educating children, one cannot be too indulgent. There are times when one should let go. Forgive me for speaking bluntly, but you have indeed been overprotective of Huan Er, which is not beneficial for the child's growth."

  Mr. Lin was taken aback, and also sighed, saying: "The adult says it makes sense, but I'm young and widowed, leaving only this child behind, and indeed, I've been overprotective of him, finding it hard to put my mind at ease. Especially after going through the ordeal of being held hostage, I couldn't be more careful with Huan'er, fearing that something like that might happen again, so I've become a laughingstock for the adult, please forgive me and I hope the adult will guide me even more in the future."

  Gao Yuan shook his head and said, "At this age, the person who has the greatest influence on a child is their parents. At this stage, the role of teachers is far inferior to that of parents. Moreover, I have limited time to instruct Huan'er, so it's mainly up to you to teach him. I can understand your feelings, but you can only take care of Huan'er for a while, not forever. Huan'er will eventually leave you and become independent. Do you really want him to grow up and still be hiding under your wings? As for the kidnapping incident, it was just an accident. If something like that were to happen again, I'm afraid you would also be powerless."

  Lin Wenqing was stunned for a while, and finally lowered his head and said, "Then, sir, what should I do?"

  Gao Yuan Dao: "I will teach him some simple sword techniques, although he still can't defend himself, it can also strengthen his body. So when you go back, madam, you must supervise him to practice diligently and not slack off."

  Lin Wenqing nodded and said, "You are right, sir."

  Gao Yuan continued, "At Huan'er's age, children need peers to play with, which is beneficial for their physical and mental health. After you return, madam, it would be best to find him a few companions of the same age, both boys and girls. Arrange a specific time each day for them to play and learn together, even practice martial arts together. Let him grow up in the company of his peers. However, madam, please note that you must not let Huan'er have special privileges among these children. Try to treat him equally with the other children, including clothes, food, and everything else. Don't let Huan'er feel superior to others."

  Lian Wenqing nodded repeatedly after hearing this and said: "Sir is absolutely right, Huan'er indeed needs companions of the same age."

  Gao Yuan Dao: "And most importantly, Madam should leave some space for Huan Er's growth."

  "Space?"

  Gao Yuan Dao: "It means giving him some freedom, which is not to stare at Huan'er all the time. Even if Madam is worried about him, it's best to secretly keep an eye on him without letting him know. For things like falling or fighting, don't intervene and let him get up by himself. If Huan'er has conflicts, quarrels, or even fights with other children, Madam should not interfere and let the kids resolve it themselves, or have a fair-minded person mediate for them. Whoever is right or wrong must be treated fairly, without being biased towards Huan'er."

  Lin Wenqing couldn't help but laugh and say: "Sneakily staring at him? The adults' way of educating is really quite special."

  Actually, the educational methods mentioned by Gao Yuan are common in modern society, but in this era, they were all very novel. Therefore, Gao Yuan had to patiently explain: "At Huan'er's current age, he won't like being under his parents' eyes all the time. Sometimes he likes to hide from his parents, especially when playing with peers of the same age. If you control him too tightly, it will only trigger his rebellious psychology. It's better to give him a certain degree of freedom, which can also cultivate his independent personality. Moreover, this loose and tight approach is also beneficial for cultivating his relationship with his parents."

  Lin Wenqing nodded again and said, "I have taken note of what you said, sir. I will definitely follow your instructions from now on." After a pause, he continued, "Although Huan'er has been fatherless since childhood, being able to take you as his master is indeed a blessing for my mother and son."

  "Madam is overpraising me," Gao Yuan smiled. "Actually, I didn't teach him anything. It's just that he doesn't live up to his position."

  Two people were talking, Li Yinghong had already stopped the horse and jumped down, and also got Luo Huan off the horseback. Then he brought Luo Huan over, smiling: "Wenqing sister, now I'm returning Huan to you, but not a single hair is missing."

  When she said that, Lin Wenqing also felt a bit uneasy and hurriedly said: "Yinghong, it's really too much trouble for you."

  Gao Yuan patted Luo Huan's little head and said, "Huan'er, is horse riding fun?"

  "Great fun! The horse is really running fast. Master, when will you teach me how to ride a horse?"

  Gao Yuan smiled and said: "You're still young now, focus on practicing your sword skills first. When you grow up a bit more, I'll teach you how to ride a horse!"

  Just then, a soldier came over and said, "Sir, miss, the general has something to discuss with you both. Please go to the main hall immediately."

  Lin Wenqing also hastened to say: "Your Honor, Yinghong, you have something to discuss, I won't disturb you, I'll take my leave first." He also said: "Huan'er, quickly bid farewell to your master."

  Luohuan also respectfully bowed to Gao Yuan and said: "Master, we are leaving."

  Gao Yuan nodded and said, "Go." He turned his head to Geng Yan Yu and said, "Yan Yu, you see off Mrs. Wen Qing for us."

  Geng Yan Yu nodded and bowed slightly towards Lin Wen Qing, saying: "Lady Wen Qing, please."

  Lian Wenqing also said: "Thank you for your hard work." Then he took Luo Huan and followed Geng Yan to open together.

  Gao Yuan and Li Yinghong also rushed to the main hall. At this time, Li Mu was sitting in the main hall, with Sima Shang and Yuan Xuan on his left side.

  "See them coming?" Li Mu also nodded and said: "You've arrived, take a seat."

  After the two sat down, Li Mu said: "I have already received accurate news that Qin Guo has sent troops."

  Everyone was not surprised by this news, because in the new year, Qin Guo would inevitably send troops to attack Zhao Guo, which had already become a consensus. Now it has entered the second month, and during this period, Qin Guo has been recruiting soldiers, gathering grain and supplies, and attacking Zhao is inevitable, so everyone was actually waiting for when the Qin army would arrive.

  In addition, the total number of troops in Dai Prefecture is now close to 300,000. Excluding the troops guarding the northern border and resisting the Xiongnu, Li Mu can mobilize about 250,000 troops, with around 180,000 elite soldiers. This is because, apart from Li Mu's original army, there are also Sima Shang's troops. Therefore, whether in terms of troop numbers or actual strength, they far surpass those at the time of the Battle of Fanwu. Moreover, now that Li Mu is autonomous in Dai Prefecture, he no longer has to put up with the temper of officials from the imperial court. As a result, the morale of the Zhao army is very high, and the various generals are also somewhat looking forward to the Qin army arriving soon, so they can have a big battle with them.

  Simashiang slapped his thigh and laughed: "Finally, I've been waiting for a while, General, this time the Qin army came with how many men and horses, twenty thousand or thirty thousand."

  Because the previous time Qin State sent troops to attack Zhao State, the military strength was basically between 200,000 and 300,000. The last time Qin State sent troops on two routes, there were only 300,000 soldiers and horses, and it wasn't until later that they increased to 400,000, which is why Sima Shang asked this question.

  Li Mu smiled faintly and said, "It's 4 million."

  At this time, Sima Shang still didn't take it seriously and said: "400,000 troops, two routes of troops, 200,000 each route, it seems..."

  Li Mu smiled and said: "Not two roads, but one road."

  Simachen was taken aback for a moment and said: "One way?"

  Li Mu nodded and said: "It's all one way, the attacking force on Jiyuan is 400,000."

  Simachen also opened his mouth and said: "Is it just attacking Jiyuan that mobilized 4 million troops?"

  Li Mubai said: "That's right. Moreover, the vanguard is led by Wang Jian as the main general and Meng Wu as the deputy general. Li Xin, Xing Sheng, and Qiang Rou all followed the army to go on an expedition."

  Every time he mentions a name, Sima Shang's face becomes uglier, and Yuan Xuan's face next to him doesn't look good either. This is not because they are afraid, but the strength of both sides is indeed somewhat uneven, so it is also a normal reaction.

  Although Li Mu now has 250,000 troops under his command, he cannot leave Quyang and Daijun unguarded, so the actual number of troops that can be mobilized to resist the Qin army is only around 200,000. Moreover, Wang Jian, Meng Wu, Li Xin, Xin Sheng, and Qiang Rou are all not easy to deal with, let alone five at once. Although the ability of a general is not simply a matter of adding numbers, these five famous generals can complement each other's strengths and weaknesses, and any one of them can hold their own against the Qin army, which has the strength to divide its forces into two or three routes at any time, making it difficult for Li Mu to defend both front and rear.

  Although Zhao's army was at a disadvantage, it did not necessarily mean that they would lose. After all, the terrain of Jinyang was easy to defend and difficult to attack, giving the Zhao army an advantage in terms of geography. Moreover, the Zhao army had its commander-in-chief Li Mu, who had been leading the army for nearly thirty years and had never lost a battle, big or small. Throughout the entire Warring States period, only two people had achieved this feat: one was Wu Qi, who was on par with Sun Bin, and the other was Qin general Bai Qi. Therefore, both men's eyes were fixed on Li Mu, waiting for his instructions.

  Li Mu said, "Yuan Xuan, you will stay behind to guard Quyang and supply the army with grain and other materials. Sima Shang, you will come with me on this campaign. This time we are mobilizing 180,000 troops. You will lead 60,000 troops and station them at Fanwu, while I will lead 120,000 troops and station them at Jinyong. We will support each other from different positions. We will set out tomorrow."