The Princess of Northern Land
Chapter 549: Frontier (7)_1

Chapter 549: Chapter 549: Frontier (7)_1

Chu Suifeng, as the king of the Northern Land, had a clear understanding of the situation and personnel in the North Country.

Fearing Lin Ziyin might not fully understand the North Country, he specifically explained a few things to her, "State Preceptor Billy is the teacher of Prince Brukan and is also a staunch supporter of the prince. This man is well-versed in military strategies and especially adept at deploying formations and strategizing. If he goes with the army, I’m afraid it won’t be easy to deal with."

Lin Ziyin listened attentively, secretly making a mental note of the characters they mentioned.

Luo Heng was somewhat surprised by Chu Suifeng’s behavior. He was unclear as to why the prince would explain so much to a girl like Lin Ziyin.

"The Fire Bull Formation is very powerful. According to spies, Billy has tied sharp knives to the horns of the bulls. These tamed bulls are very obedient. If they also tied torches to their tails, a startled herd charging at our army could cause significant casualties," Luo Heng expressed his concern.

"How is the spear team trained by Si Jinhan?" Chu Suifeng asked again.

"The people trained by the Third Prince are intensifying their practice every day, and they hardly ever miss their target. However, dealing with the Fire Bull Formation still presents some difficulty," Luo Heng voiced his concerns.

"Difficulty? Speak up," Chu Suifeng commanded.

"The startled herd of bulls charges very fast. I’m not sure if the cavalry responsible for piercing the bulls’ legs can do it in the midst of the chaos. Furthermore, Billy will certainly not allow our troops to get close to the herd. If the cavalry doesn’t take down the target in one hit, the main force of our army would pay an extremely heavy price," as the Chief Commander, Luo Heng’s consideration of the battle was very thorough, and his analysis of possible incidents in the battle was spot on.

Chu Suifeng listened to Luo Heng’s words, his expression not showing worry but instead turned to Lin Ziyin, "The Tatar’s horses are more robust and ferocious than those of our Northern Lands. The startled Fire Bull runs very fast as well. The situation that General Luo is worried about is very likely to occur. Ziyin, what do you think? Do you have any countermeasures?"

"General Luo, what did Mr. Situ say?" Lin Ziyin didn’t respond directly but first asked Luo Heng, wanting to understand Situ Gong’s opinion. She had always had great respect for Situ Gong, Chu Suifeng’s advisor.

"Mr. Situ believes that our army has crossbows, which have a longer range than the Tatar archers. With the assistance of the archers, the cavalry can get close to the Fire Bulls," Luo Heng expressed with slight surprise. The king’s attitude was strange, frequently asking for Lin Ziyin’s opinions. Even if the prince was uxorious, he should not rely on the queen’s advice when arranging military affairs.

"What Mr. Situ said makes sense. Our crossbows have a longer range than theirs, which is an advantage. If we can take down the first row of charging Fire Bulls with the help of our ballista, the subsequent lines will be much easier to handle. The Long Snake Formation can fully resist their coordination. Even if the Tatar’s main force were following the Fire Bulls, they would still need time to break through the ranks. Indeed, while the Fire Bulls act as their vanguard, they could also be a hindrance to their charge," Lin Ziyin agreed with Situ Gong’s opnion.

Chu Suifeng was delighted, since both Lin Ziyin and Situ Gong believed that they could stop the first row of Fire Bulls, their chance of winning the war greatly increased. As for the frontal confrontaion , he was never scared. His soldiers trained by Luo Heng and Si Jinhan for so long would definitely not disappoint him.

Luo Heng didn’t expect that Lin Ziyin could analyse the situation of both enemy and ally so thoroughly, so he looked at her with curiosity.

"Our army’s east and west flanks are cliffs, and there is no need to worry about them coming from there. The south is guarded by Si Jinhan, and the north is the real battlefield. However, if the enemy is defeated, they will definitely hide in the mountains to the rear. The significant number of cliffs there will make it hard to attack," Chu Suifeng pointed at the map and analyzed.

"Shouldn’t that area also be our Northern Land’s territory?" Lin Ziyin looked at the map and asked.

"Beyond Dangkou ahead, several hundred li farther north is entirely our Northern Land’s territory. However, the population of our Northern Land is small, and we simply can’t take that into account," Luo Heng replied with a bitter smile.

The population is indeed crucial for a piece of territory.

The Northern Land, unfortunately, lacks population the most. Watching large expanses of land being occupied by the Tatars, yet being powerless to resist, was a kind of torment for the soldiers of the Northern Land.