Reborn and returned, sisters swapped

Chapter 118 Waiting for her opportunity

This strategy reminded Gu Jinyan of the low-lying areas of the southern city defense line. If these places, which are easy to hide in, are cleverly fortified, they can form an impenetrable defense line.

She pondered that if she combined the "Ground Net Formation" with the "Cloud Dragon Formation," set up multiple sentry posts in the forest, and then sent out light cavalry to patrol, even the most cautious enemy would find it difficult to escape her defenses.

These ideas kept running through her mind, and she couldn't help but carefully consider every sentence in the book, repeatedly pondering the strategies of warfare contained within.

Gu Jinyan continued to peruse the text and came across another article about the formation of the "no-striker formation".

This formation is primarily defensive, emphasizing a layered and progressively solid defense. The book states: "The formation is like a knife, its edge unseen, yet concealing deadly intent."

Every fifty paces formed a defensive line, with barbed wire and horse traps, and cavalry and archers guarding the area in alternating shifts, advancing step by step. She carefully studied these descriptions, comparing them one by one with the terrain of the southern city.

If several layers of defense can be set up in the low-lying areas of the south city, and archers can be ambushed in the woods, a counterattack can be launched immediately once the enemy approaches, trapping them in the formation and leaving them with no way to advance or retreat.

A complete picture gradually formed in her mind: if the enemy troops sneaked in from the south city, she would deploy the "Cloud Dragon Formation" to lure the enemy deeper into the city.

If the enemy launches a concentrated offensive, the "ground net formation" and the "no-front formation" will be combined to lay layers of traps, gradually forcing the enemy into a predicament.

She mentally rehearsed every detail and every troop movement.

Gu Jinyan's gaze gradually shifted from the book to the map of the southern city that she had drawn herself.

An idea began to surface in her mind: these words alone were far from enough; she needed a more concrete simulation.

So she found a piece of coarse paper in the tent, spread it out, and used pen and ink to draw a simple map of the southern city defense line, marking each terrain feature according to her observations.

She used thin lines to mark every weak point in the defense on the map, noted down the sparse distribution of soldiers, and carefully depicted every detail, such as forests, low-lying areas, and hidden passages.

She stared intently at the map, mentally simulating the changing battle situations.

She wondered how she, as an enemy general, would devise a plan to achieve a surprise attack.

Whenever she thought of a strategy, she would draw the enemy's stealth route on paper and devise countermeasures for our defense.

Gradually, she realized that if the patrol routes of the southern city defense line were not adjusted, the enemy could very likely bypass the patrols and sneak into the camp under the cover of night, while our defense line would have difficulty detecting them in time.

Over the course of several days, Gu Jinyan meticulously recorded these battle plans and remedial measures, and repeatedly rehearsed them.

In the dead of night, she carefully considered every possible method of surprise attack, meticulously analyzing the enemy's movements and our army's countermeasures. She recalled the words in the book: "If the enemy is in the dark, I will be in the light; if the enemy is far away, I will be close."

So she drew out several patrol strategies on paper, trying to fill the gaps in the defense by rationally distributing patrol routes.

To ensure these ideas were realistic, she even took the opportunity to consult with veterans to learn how to allocate troops and defensive lines in real combat.

One day, she encountered an old soldier who was counting his weapons alone.

She stepped forward, clasped her hands in a respectful greeting, and asked in a humble tone, "Brother, if we encounter a surprise attack from the enemy during defense, how can we best mobilize our forces?"

The veteran glanced at her, remained silent for a moment, and then replied in a low voice, "The most important thing is to ensure that we are prepared for every step."

If the enemy advances and patrols are not frequent enough, it will expose weaknesses to the enemy. Patrols must be layered, with key areas densely populated to prevent surprise attacks.

Gu Jinyan kept the veteran's words in mind and, after returning to his tent, reviewed his deductions once again.

She meticulously traced the map, reinforcing several areas with weak patrols, and envisioned deploying additional soldiers at night for continuous patrols.

At the same time, she tried to set up early warning posts in low-lying areas to form a layered defense line.

A complete defensive picture appeared in her mind, with all the soldiers in good order within the defensive line, capable of wiping out any enemy who dared to launch a surprise attack.

It was another late night. Gu Jinyan sat under the dim candlelight, carefully drawing a map and outlining the improved defensive layout.

She marked every weak point and silently practiced various response plans when the enemy attacked.

As she continued to simulate the defenses, she gradually gained confidence that as long as the plan could be implemented, the defense of the southern city would become impregnable.

Through repeated study, Gu Jinyan gradually realized that the essence of military strategy lies not in complicated words, but in simplicity and effectiveness.

To ensure a truly impenetrable defense, one must thoroughly understand these defensive strategies and make them readily apparent, so that one can respond swiftly and decisively when war breaks out.

The following morning, Gu Jinyan organized all the simulated battle situations and defense strategies, writing down the results of his overnight reflections in his notes.

Her hand gently stroked the paper, silently reminding herself: although no one approves, she will eventually prove with her actions that so-called "armchair strategist" can also achieve real results.

Gu Jinyan walked through the military camp day after day, quietly observing the training and cooperation of different branches of the armed forces.

At dawn, as the sky began to lighten, she stood at the edge of the training ground, watching the cavalry gallop through the morning light.

Hooves pounded through the thin mist, their momentum like a rainbow. Amidst the billowing dust, the cavalrymen gripped their horses' bellies firmly with their legs, their lances held steady as they moved.

She watched intently, silently noting the cavalry's tactical characteristics—their speed, their surprise attacks, and their unstoppable, invincible force when launching a surprise attack on flat ground or in open areas.

However, she also saw the limitations of cavalry. In complex terrain or dense forests, the cavalry's flexibility would be greatly restricted.

In the afternoon, she quietly went to the infantry training ground.

The infantrymen were in perfect formation, their spears like a forest, and they advanced slowly with steady steps, their formation as solid as a rock.

She watched intently, noticing the infantry's steadiness and unity, as impenetrable as steel.

He thought to himself that infantry is well-suited for defense and siege warfare, especially in urban warfare and areas full of traps, where the infantry's dense formation and endurance are key.

She observed that at the leader's command, all the infantrymen instantly changed formation, from a horizontal line to a vertical line, moving swiftly and without hesitation.

Although infantry lacks the speed and aggression of cavalry, it is precisely because of their composure and tight organization that they can become the first solid barrier when the enemy attacks.

Her gaze then shifted to the archers' training ground.

The archers stood in rows, their eyes fixed on the distant targets, their fingers fully drawn back on the bowstrings, their bodies as steady as rocks.

At the commander's order, a rain of arrows suddenly shot out, streaking across the sky like a sudden downpour.

She marveled at the archers' precision and long-range firepower, imagining that if the enemy were to encounter a hail of arrows while breaking out of the valley, they would be plunged into an abyss, unable to escape.

However, she also noticed that although the archers' arrows were swift, they would be put on the defensive if the enemy got close.

She pondered silently that archers were suitable as a support unit, capable of quickly weakening the enemy and preventing them from getting close, in coordination with ranged attacks.

During these days, she quietly followed along the training ground, memorizing the characteristics and roles of each branch of the military.

No matter how brilliant a military strategy may be on paper, it can only be effective when implemented with real troop deployments.

The battlefield is ever-changing, and each type of soldier has its applicable scenarios and limitations. Only by being familiar with these details can one truly achieve what the book describes as "adapting to local conditions and responding to changing circumstances."

One day, while she was observing, she happened to meet an elderly archer named Wang Rui.

Wang Rui is over fifty years old and his arm strength is not as good as before, but his eyes are as sharp as an eagle's and his archery skills are superb.

He could tell that Gu Jinyan was no ordinary soldier, and he appreciated her observations quite a bit, so he said, "Don't you find it boring to come and watch over me every day, young lady?"

Each type of soldier has its strengths and weaknesses; how can one truly understand their ingenuity without experiencing them firsthand?

Gu Jinyan smiled slightly, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Although I am not skilled in archery, I am well aware of the wonderful uses of this instrument."

Military strategy texts say, "A single arrow can break through an enemy formation." I have many questions about this and would like to ask Brother Wang for his guidance.

Upon hearing this, Wang Rui said with great interest, "The way to break through the formation lies not in the power of arrows, but in the art of coordination."

"No matter how strong you are, it's difficult to win a battle alone." He handed a bow and arrow to Gu Jinyan, gesturing for her to try it herself.

Gu Jinyan held the bow with both hands. Although she had no years of training, she drew the bow as instructed and aimed at the bullseye in the distance.

While observing her posture, Wang Rui pointed out, "On the battlefield, archers cannot act alone; they must coordinate with infantry."

If the enemy approaches, the infantry will form shields in front, with archers providing cover from behind.

Once the enemy breaks through their shields and attacks, the archers will have already retreated to infantry, allowing for a counterattack that can severely cripple the enemy.

She silently absorbed these teachings and returned the bow and arrows to Wang Rui.

On the battlefield, the various branches of the armed forces are like pieces on a chessboard. If they can cooperate in battle, they will be as invincible as mercury flowing across the ground.

In this brief exchange, I sensed the soldiers' years of experience and realized that theoretical knowledge of warfare is far less valuable than practical experience.

Over the course of several days, she gradually adjusted her mindset and stopped being in a hurry to prove her views.

I am currently just an observer and it is difficult for my words to have any effect in the military.

So she chose to slow down, patiently and quietly accumulate experience, continuing to draw wisdom from these veterans and sketch out a true picture of the battle from their experience.

She began to focus on observation and learning, no longer eager to show off, but with a patient determination, waiting for her opportunity.

One day, she stood outside the infantry training ground and saw a squad of new recruits practicing in a horizontal formation.

The team leader shouted slogans authoritatively, demanding that everyone maintain a uniform pace.

She noticed that although the recruits tried to keep up with the order, they had difficulty coordinating their rhythm, and their formations were always showing weaknesses.

The instructors' shouts continued, but the soldiers still struggled to maintain their synchronized steps; their formation was loose and lacked any sense of authority.

Gu Jinyan pondered to himself that if these new recruits were put into actual combat, they would probably be defeated by the enemy within a few steps.

She recalled a method mentioned in her family's military manual called "United Steps," which advocated adjusting everyone's steps to be consistent during training, requiring soldiers to move forward in unison, form tacit understanding with each other, and avoid loose formations.