With the Hanzhong garrison stationed at Dingjun Mountain confirmed, Helian Heng felt even more at ease with his march.
"Who is commanding the enemy forces at Dingjun Mountain, Nan Jiyun or Lü Changhe?" Helian Heng anxiously questioned the scout who returned with the report.
The scout looked ashamed. "We attempted to approach Dingjun Mountain, but within twenty li of it, there were large numbers of enemy scouts and cavalry. We couldn't slip past them to observe Dingjun Mountain!"
Helian Heng's expression turned grim.
The Shu region had always been deficient in cavalry. The Great Gan Empire, however, had captured enough warhorses from the barbarians to increase its national cavalry strength to one hundred thousand.
This disadvantage in cavalry meant his troops' reconnaissance capabilities were inferior to the Great Gan forces.
Although the terrain around Dingjun Mountain was rugged, the efficiency of horses on mountain paths, even diminished, was still superior to that of humans in critical moments. Compared to the decreased efficiency of men on mountain paths, it was essentially an improvement.
"My Lord, the enemy might be laying an ambush around Dingjun Mountain. Our army should avoid passing through the mountainous areas to prevent fire attacks! Simultaneously, dispatch soldiers adept at mountain climbing to scout the surrounding mountains, guarding against enemy surprise attacks!"
The old man offering advice was Helian Heng's chief strategist, who had since changed his name to Helian Ting.
Helian Heng gazed at the mountain road ahead, which obscured his vision, his expression solemn. He readily agreed.
The Hanzhong garrison's proactive deployment to Dingjun Mountain made him somewhat suspicious.
"Is it because our army has been advancing stealthily, and the enemy scouts cannot ascertain our exact numbers, thus emboldening them to defend outside the city?" Helian Heng asked.
The strategists offered differing opinions, none of them conclusive.
"Regardless, Liang Xiao's army is nearly at Liaodong. To withdraw troops for reinforcement, they would be far and weary, requiring at least five months. This general can safely advance into Hanzhong. Furthermore, Lü Yi is currently pacifying the Western Regions and confronting the Kushan Dynasty. Hanzhong is a treacherous land; if we do not seize it, we shall suffer for it!"
Ultimately, Helian Heng adopted strategist Helian Ting's suggestion and decided to accelerate their march. Their camp would be established sixty li southwest of Dingjun Mountain, allowing for quick deployment and defense against surprise attacks from the Hanzhong garrison.
The Great Gan soldiers at Dingjun Mountain also received orders from Liang Xiao.
They maintained a low profile, most of them cooking their meals north of the mountain.
This was Liang Xiao's strategy to prevent enemy scouts from observing the army's size by the smoke from their cooking fires to the south.
"Fortunately, Xichuan has not yet constructed 'Jiameng Pass.' Otherwise, the Helian family might still hold this pass, becoming another barrier before Jian'ge," Liang Xiao mused.
The terrain here was similar to his homeland, but some passes had not yet been built due to the constraints of the era.
The absence of Jiameng Pass also allowed Helian Heng to confidently break through Jian'ge and rush towards Dingjun Mountain.
Given Helian Heng's army size, even if the Hanzhong garrison truly numbered only thirty thousand, it would be unrealistic for them to bypass Dingjun Mountain and attack Hanzhong.
Ancient formations were typically only employed during battles; sustained marching in formation was impractical and could lead to severe congestion and trampling.
Therefore, the march of tens or even hundreds of thousands of regular troops formed a line several li, or even dozens of li long, rather than the formations seen in movies and television.
Even encampments might be spread out over long distances, as exemplified by the devastating "burning of a hundred camps" incidents.
This was because ancient transportation was not as convenient as modern methods, making sustained marching in formation impossible.
Consequently, a marching force of ten thousand men required numerous vanguards, outposts, and scouts to provide advance warnings, guard against enemy surprise attacks, and even protect logistics.
Unless there was an overwhelming superiority in troop numbers, an attacking force attempting to bypass a stronghold to launch a surprise attack faced risks far greater than directly assaulting that stronghold, as they could easily be intercepted by the enemy's defenses.
This was precisely why Liang Xiao had deployed his forces at Dingjun Mountain. If Helian Heng retreated to this location from Hanzhong, Dingjun Mountain could become Helian Heng's defensive barrier. It was better to occupy it early and secure the high ground for better observation of enemy movements.
The scouts dispatched by Liang Xiao were led by local soldiers familiar with the terrain, accompanied by scouts from Liang Xiao's own contingent, ensuring no oversight.
Since entering the Shu region, Liang Xiao's army had been slaughtering pigs and sheep extensively, ensuring the soldiers were well-fed daily to replenish the energy expended during their long march.
It was early spring, and the army did not have to endure the torment of extreme cold. They honed their arms and prepared their horses, awaiting the command to march out of Dingjun Mountain for a decisive battle!
Both sides had undertaken long marches, with the Great Gan soldiers having marched rapidly for nearly two months, and should have been utterly exhausted.
Liang Xiao's army, however, was at leisure, while Helian Heng's army was still on the move.
Over a hundred skilled forest fighters from the Qianlang Guard, who had accompanied Liang Xiao from Yanzhou to the Shu region, emerged from Dingjun Mountain in groups of three to five, carrying their weapons and tools, to patrol the surrounding mountains.
Great Gan cavalry were deployed to the southwest, south, and southeast of Dingjun Mountain, strictly preventing enemy scouts from infiltrating through the main routes.
Nan Jiyun's army had reached Nanzheng, reinforcing the city walls while maintaining contact with headquarters.
"Marshal, the enemy is within a hundred li of Dingjun Mountain!"
Upon receiving the message, Liang Xiao suppressed his anticipation and immediately issued the order: "All three armies, prepare yourselves. Battle will commence within five days. We must annihilate Helian Heng's entire army!"
Three thousand Qingtian Guards, led by Yue Qingtian, arrived at the foot of the mountain, standing ready.
Two hundred sets of plate armor were specifically designed to counter longbows that the enemy might attempt to replicate.
Of course, this did not mean that the "burenjia" (infantry armor) was completely ineffective, but plate armor also offered excellent defense against siege crossbows.
According to previous intelligence, the purple fir wood in Xichuan was already scarce, with most of it secretly acquired by the Shadow Guard and sent to the Armory Department for the production of longbows.
However, it was not impossible that Helian Heng, upon learning of the conflict between Great Gan and the barbarians, would have immediately scoured the remaining purple fir wood in Xichuan and forcibly replicated longbows.
While the external shape of a longbow appeared simple, its production was not easy.
Longbows had a simple arc shape, unlike the complex recurve of composite bows. They could not be heat-shaped, as that would reduce the bow's tension; nor could they be bent into their full shape all at once. Doing so would either break the bow's back or cause internal damage that would lead to a loss of elasticity, rendering all previous efforts futile.
"Bow tempering" involved gradually allowing the bow's back to adapt to the curvature. This required a specialized rack. The rack could be made of hardwood, with a groove carved vertically at one end to support the bow's back, and the other end securely fixed vertically to the ground.
Unless the technologies of the Armory Department and the Yanzhou Steel Plant were leaked, even if outsiders could replicate the shape of the longbow, its power would be greatly diminished.
Furthermore, it was even more challenging to substitute other woods for the most crucial material of the longbow, purple fir.
However, Liang Xiao always considered all eventualities and did not rule out the possibility of the enemy mastering accurate bow-making techniques and acquiring large quantities of materials.
If they were so cautious about longbows, it went without saying that they were even more so about gunpowder. This was one of the reasons Liang Xiao personally led the army to pacify Xichuan.
Hearing that Helian Heng's army was approaching Dingjun Mountain, the ninety thousand soldiers were excited and eager for battle.
Apart from some veteran soldiers from Yanzhou, over fifty thousand of them were new recruits, who constantly dreamed of achieving merit under Liang Xiao, and even if not comparable to the legendary "seal wolf at the frontier" feat, they could at least bring glory to their ancestors after their retirement.
The Huichun Sect and the Ri Yue Army were also traveling at full speed, heading towards Jian'ge.
Upon hearing of Helian Heng's proactive offensive, Master Longyue and the Brocade Robe King were both shocked and enraged.
"Weren't we supposed to dispatch our troops together? Is he trying to get there first?"