The battle in Jinhe City concluded swiftly. Within three hours, the gunfire had ceased entirely, and Hu Hao's troops were already sweeping the battlefield. The bodies of the high-ranking Allied officers were being carefully segregated from the rest.
"Report! Casualty and battle damage assessments for Jinhe City are complete. From the moment the 7th Corps arrived until the cessation of hostilities, our forces sustained 6,029 killed in action and 4,823 severely wounded. The invading enemy force has been entirely annihilated!
"Our troops are currently clearing the perimeter outside the city of any remaining stragglers. Furthermore, we have positively identified the bodies of the 7th Corps Commander Ketonli, Chief of Staff Janlis, five Major General Division Commanders, and several Brigadier General staff officers. Their deaths are confirmed!" a staff officer reported crisply to Hu Hao.
"Nearly 11,000 casualties to wipe out an elite force of 40,000 to 50,000. Acceptable," Hu Hao nodded, his face impassive.
"Hao-ge, it's a massive victory! The majority of our casualties occurred during their desperate final counter-attack and their initial, brief assault into the city," the staff officer added.
"Mm. Tell Xiao Quan to have the subordinate officers immediately begin compiling their after-action reports and analyzing their tactical mistakes. Also, order the troops to immediately begin constructing a new, fortified defensive line.
"The Allied forces will undoubtedly launch further attacks on Jinhe City. It just depends on how many troops they commit. If they send another single corps, we'll chew them up. If they mass a massive, multi-corps offensive... then we'll have a real fight on our hands," Hu Hao instructed his staff.
"Hao-ge, since we just annihilated the 7th Corps, won't they definitely send a massive force to retaliate?" a staff officer asked.
"Hard to say. If we had remained entirely on the defensive today, they likely would have massed an overwhelming force to crush us later. But by launching that sudden, bloody counter-offensive, we handed Ketonli—and by extension, the Allied High Command—a false narrative.
"We made them believe our initial garrison was tiny, and that the counter-offensive was spearheaded by hastily deployed, green reinforcements. Therefore, they might conclude we don't actually possess overwhelming strength here, just enough to be a nuisance.
"However, we can't know for sure how they will interpret the data. We've played our hand; now we can only wait and see how many troops the Allied coalition throws at us next!" Hu Hao smiled wryly.
"But... if they do mass a heavy force, can we win?" another staff officer asked nervously, voicing the fear shared by many in the room.
"We have substantial forces of our own now. Several of our divisions have been blooded in actual combat. We possess massive tank divisions, air cavalry, and overwhelming artillery. Even if they hurl a massive army at us, holding the line for a month or two shouldn't be an issue. However, we must accelerate our recruitment drive!" Hu Hao stated firmly.
"Hao-ge, according to the latest recruitment reports from our various staging areas, we have conscripted nearly 330,000 men. We are only roughly 100,000 short of our target!" the staff officer responsible for personnel statistics reported.
"Mm. Faster. We must push recruitment to the absolute limit. Once they launch a massive offensive, we won't have the luxury of time to train new men!" Hu Hao nodded. He turned to the communications officer. "Get me General Bai Ye on the line immediately!"
"Yes, sir!"
Within a minute, Bai Ye's face appeared on the main screen.
"Hao-ge!" Bai Ye greeted him warmly.
"What is the status of the defense in Yonghe City?" Hu Hao asked straight to the point.
"Holding strong. The regimental commanders are handling the tactical direction quite well; I'm mostly just observing and advising.
"We've paired veteran commanders with the newly promoted ones. The Allied forces have been launching massive, sustained assaults for over two hours now, but they haven't breached our main line. Our casualties are within acceptable parameters, especially considering the sheer volume of troops they've committed to this push!" Bai Ye reported with a confident smile.
"Excellent. Listen closely: fresh reinforcements will arrive at your position tomorrow. Tonight, I want you to secretly detach several of your most experienced, battle-hardened regiments from the line.
"Order them to slip out of the city after 2:00 AM. They are to march on foot along the highway toward Wulin City. Absolute no noise discipline. No lights. They must slip away completely undetected by the Allied forces.
"Their heavy weapons and vehicles will be left behind; the relief forces currently staging in Wulin City will assume control of them upon arrival," Hu Hao outlined the stealth redeployment.
"Hao-ge, you want the veterans to march to Wulin City on foot?" Bai Ye asked, ensuring he understood the directive.
"Yes. On foot, and in absolute silence. They must slip away like ghosts. We cannot let the Allied forces realize we are constantly rotating fresh troops onto the line for live-fire training! If they realize our true objective, they will mass overwhelming force to crush us before the training is complete!" Hu Hao explained the vital need for secrecy.
"Understood. But Hao-ge, if we keep pouring fresh troops into the meat grinder here, won't the Allied forces eventually realize what we're doing anyway?" Bai Ye asked thoughtfully.
"No. They will assume our casualties are simply astronomical! When their commanders see us constantly funneling troops into the city to hold the line against their relentless assaults, they will believe their strategy of attrition is working! They will request even more reinforcements to maintain the pressure, convinced they are bleeding us dry!" Hu Hao explained the psychological manipulation.
"Ah! I understand perfectly. I will quietly pull five veteran regiments off the line tonight. They were among the first to see combat here, and their commanders have proven highly capable," Bai Ye confirmed.
"Good. Have them stage in Wulin City for now. I will reassign them shortly. We desperately need veteran cadres in every sector, especially those experienced in urban combat. Right now, our only viable defensive strategies rely on rivers and cities!" Hu Hao nodded.
Once those veteran regiments reached Wulin City, Hu Hao planned to disperse them to Xiwan City, Luotang City, Late City, and Daman City. By scattering these hardened veterans among the newly formed units, he could rapidly elevate the overall combat effectiveness of his entire army.
After concluding the call with Bai Ye, Hu Hao left the main command center and entered his private, secure office, followed by his core strategic staff.
"Get me the Crown Prince on the secure line," Hu Hao ordered.
"Right now, Hao-ge?" a staff officer asked, glancing at his watch. It was nearly 10:00 PM.
"Right now! We need to make sure the Crown Prince knows exactly what we just accomplished. When we inevitably need political or logistical favors down the line, we'll have the leverage to demand them! Since His Majesty explicitly ordered us to maintain contact with the Crown Prince, we might as well use him! Haha!" Hu Hao laughed pragmatically.
***
Meanwhile, in the Imperial Capital, the Crown Prince was seated in his private study with Liu Yuzi and several other close confidants, discussing the rapidly deteriorating situation across the Empire.
"Report!" a guard called out from the hallway, halting the discussion.
"What is it?" the Crown Prince asked, slightly annoyed by the interruption.
"An incoming call from General Hu Hao, Your Highness!" the guard announced.
"Oh! Bring it in immediately!" the Crown Prince ordered, his demeanor shifting instantly.
The guard entered and handed him the secure satellite phone. The Crown Prince gestured for the others to remain silent.
"Hello? This is the Crown Prince. Hu Hao, what news do you have for me?" the Crown Prince asked, his tone warm and engaging.
"Report, Headmaster! My forces in Jinhe City have just concluded a major engagement with the Holy Ancient Empire's 7th Corps! The 7th Corps has been completely annihilated!" Hu Hao reported briskly.
"What?! What did you just say?! You annihilated the Holy Ancient 7th Corps?! Are you absolutely certain?!" the Crown Prince gasped, his voice cracking with shock and sudden, overwhelming excitement. He had not expected such monumental news.
"Yes, Your Highness. We have recovered the bodies of their Corps Commander, Chief of Staff, and all five Division Commanders. We have documented the remains with video and photographs," Hu Hao confirmed.
"Excellent! Transmit that data through the secure network immediately! I must see it! And tell me everything! How did the battle unfold?! This is incredible... annihilating an entire heavy corps!" the Crown Prince practically vibrated with joy.
The confidants in the study stared at the Crown Prince in stunned silence. They had clearly heard the words 'annihilated' and 'corps.' Hu Hao had done it again!
The Crown Prince listened in rapt silence as Hu Hao detailed the tactical maneuvers: luring them into the city, the devastating creeping barrage that sealed their escape, the systematic reduction of their perimeter, and the final, brutal infantry assault that broke the elite Imperial Guard corps.
The Crown Prince praised Hu Hao effusively throughout the ten-minute call.
When he finally hung up, he began pacing the study, unable to contain his elation. "Do you know what he just did?! Hu Hao just annihilated another corps! The Holy Ancient 7th Corps! Their elite Imperial Guard! Tonight! It's magnificent!
"I simply cannot believe it! Just this afternoon, I was agonizing over how Hu Hao could possibly survive! The Allied coalition committed three full corps to crush him! Yet, he not only survived, he completely annihilated one of them! The strategic pressure on his front has just been drastically reduced!" the Crown Prince exulted.
"Congratulations, Your Highness!" his confidants immediately bowed and offered their praise.
(End of Chapter)