Ma Zhenling and the others were fiercely opposed to promoting Hu Hao to full General. Conversely, they had no objections to promoting Li Tianyuan to full General and giving him command of a Group Army.
Firstly, the Li family had been an established military clan in the Empire for over a century. They understood the rules of the aristocracy and could be reasoned with. Their actions were driven by clan interests. If Jiang Kai offered them greater benefits, Li Tianyuan would follow Jiang Kai. But if the Grand Marshal offered more, Li Tianyuan would just as easily align with him.
But Hu Hao was completely different. He was a hot-headed twenty-something who had been rapidly promoted by Jiang Kai. He would undoubtedly feel a strong sense of loyalty and obligation to repay that debt. Therefore, if Hu Hao were promoted, he would be firmly in Jiang Kai’s camp. Whenever Jiang Kai needed his support, Hu Hao would undoubtedly stand with him.
Furthermore, once Hu Hao was in a position of power, swaying Li Tianyuan would become much harder. Hu Hao was a brilliant commander, and his relationship with Li Jingsong was excellent. This meant that if Hu Hao was promoted, Jiang Kai would effectively control 1.2 million troops. With that kind of power, others would naturally flock to Jiang Kai’s banner, potentially giving him control over half the entire Imperial Army.
To Grand Marshal Tang Long and General of the Left Ma Zhenling, this meant Jiang Kai would have the strength to openly challenge them and the rest of High Command. This was a scenario they desperately wanted to avoid. However, looking at the Emperor’s current demeanor, it seemed he was dead set on promoting Hu Hao.
Seeing Ma Zhenling’s objection shot down by the Emperor, Tang Long quickly interjected: “Your Majesty, Hu Hao’s forces are currently entirely encircled. Even if you promote him to full General and order him to form a Group Army, he simply has no way to accomplish it!”
“Indeed, Your Majesty. Hu Hao is trapped. How is he supposed to organize a force of that size?” Ma Zhenling quickly chimed in.
“That is of no concern. There is a massive refugee population in Hu Hao’s area. I previously discussed this with Jiang Kai, and I retroactively approved Hu Hao’s ‘illicit conscription’ of 60,000 troops. He has the capability. With so many refugees, he can easily draw enough recruits to form a Group Army!” the Emperor dismissed their concerns.
“Ah?”
The generals, the Crown Prince, and the other Princes stared at the Emperor in shock. Aside from the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince, the other three Princes were already calculating how to best ingratiate themselves with Jiang Kai.
If they could forge a strong relationship with Jiang Kai and secure his support, they would have the power to shake the Crown Prince’s position.
The Crown Prince, realizing the danger, spoke up urgently: “Imperial Father, what about weapons for Hu Hao’s troops? How will they be supplied?”
“Mm, that is indeed a problem,” the Emperor nodded, acknowledging the issue.
“Exactly! Without weapons, Hu Hao cannot win, regardless of his skill. The core issue is that his forces are encircled; they cannot retreat to our lines to resupply!” the Grand Marshal echoed, seizing the opportunity.
“However, Hu Hao has annihilated numerous Allied units recently. He must possess a vast stockpile of captured weapons that he hasn’t been able to send back to High Command. Therefore, his forces will have to rely on Allied weaponry for now. The real critical issue is ammunition.
“Sigh. It is a tragedy that the Late City arsenals were bombed. If they hadn’t been destroyed, he could have resumed production there, and the ammunition problem would be solved,” the Emperor mused with a sigh.
In the Emperor’s view, weapons weren’t the main obstacle; ammunition was. He genuinely believed the Late City arsenals had been destroyed by the Allied forces. He had no idea that not only were the arsenals perfectly intact, but all the illicit weapons and ammunition the Grand Marshal’s faction had secretly produced there had fallen directly into Hu Hao’s hands.
“Therefore, Your Majesty, I believe promoting Hu Hao to full General right now is highly impractical. Let us wait until he manages to break through the encirclement and return to our lines. Promoting him then would not be too late!” the Grand Marshal argued smoothly, building on the Emperor’s concerns.
“It matters not. Let him establish the framework of the Group Army first. If the Air Force finds an opening, they can deliver supplies via transport planes. Luo Xin, are you confident your fighter jets can penetrate the enemy airspace and escort our transports?” the Emperor asked, turning to Luo Xin.
“Your Majesty, landing would be nearly impossible. We no longer have any ground crew at the airbases in that region. The most we could manage is airdropping the ammunition!” Luo Xin replied honestly.
“Mm, that will suffice. Dispatch a larger number of transports for each mission and airdrop the ammunition to Hu Hao. That should allow him to hold his ground.
“Once we punch through the Allied lines and re-establish a supply corridor to him, we can deliver ammunition by land. By the way, Luo Xin, what is your opinion on promoting Hu Hao to full General?” the Emperor asked, looking at the General of the Right.
“Hu Hao is an exceptionally formidable commander. The strategy to destroy the bridges and enemy airbases was his proposal. Thanks to that strategy, the Allied fighter squadrons are finding it incredibly difficult to press into our airspace, and repairing those airbases is equally arduous for them.
“Whenever our reconnaissance detects them attempting repairs, we launch fighter escorts to punch through their defenses and bring in bombers to obliterate the partially repaired runways. This has made it exceedingly difficult for their fighters to reach our current lines.
“Our Air Force has been employing this tactic recently, successfully destroying twelve Allied airbases undergoing repairs and annihilating a massive number of enemy aircraft in the process.
“The Allied fighters try to intercept us, but because they have to fly from much further away, they arrive with very little fuel remaining. Our pilots simply have to drag the dogfight out, and the enemy fighters are doomed!” Luo Xin reported.
Behind the Emperor’s back, the Grand Marshal was frantically winking and signaling Luo Xin to oppose the promotion. If Luo Xin opposed it, everything else would be negotiable. But Luo Xin acted as if he didn’t see him.
“So, you support Hu Hao’s promotion?” the Emperor asked with a slight smile.
“I do. The Empire needs such heroes. We need talents like him to rise to the occasion, otherwise the Empire will truly fall. The only reason our Air Force has suffered such catastrophic losses is because our Army and Navy have failed to halt the enemy’s advance.
“Fortunately, our aircraft are relatively advanced, giving us a slight edge in combat. If we didn’t have that technological advantage, I wouldn’t even know how to fight this war right now!” Luo Xin nodded grimly.
“General Luo, you have worked tirelessly. I know the immense pressure you are under. As I said before, whatever aircraft the Air Force needs, I will provide. My only demand is that you continue to intercept the Allied fighters and bombers.
“You must understand: if the Allied Air Force manages to establish operational airbases in the Central Region, their bombers will be within striking distance of the Imperial Capital. That is absolutely unacceptable.
“I also expect the Army to push our defensive lines forward by 200 kilometers. Doing so would place us outside the combat radius of their bombers. Without fighter escorts, any bombers they send will be easily destroyed by our interceptors.
“If the Capital is bombed, I assure you, none of you will have a good life afterward. Therefore, I am giving the Army three months. Within three months, you must launch a counter-offensive. You must push the Allied forces back and guarantee the safety of the Imperial Capital!” the Emperor ordered, his gaze sweeping over the generals.
“Yes, Your Majesty!” the generals responded in unison.
“Your Majesty, I believe that if Hu Hao is appointed Group Army Commander and provided with sufficient troops and ammunition, pushing the central front forward by 200 kilometers will not be an issue.
“I have reviewed the combat reports detailing Hu Hao’s battles. I also spoke with Commander Jiang Kai recently regarding the overall strategic situation. He assured me that with Hu Hao holding the central front, there is absolutely nothing to worry about.
“And he was right. Not only has the central front held firm, but the casualties inflicted on the Allied forces there are vastly higher than those suffered by Jiang Kai’s troops. Even if we exclude Hu Hao’s miraculous victories, the casualty ratio for the rest of Jiang Kai’s forces remains highly favorable compared to the enemy.
“If the other two flanks hadn’t collapsed, I firmly believe that even if the Allied forces deployed ten additional corps, Jiang Kai and Hu Hao could have held the line!” Luo Xin stated, looking directly at the Emperor.
Grand Marshal Tang Long was seething with anxiety. His relationship with Luo Xin was purely professional. The Crown Prince had constantly tried to recruit Luo Xin to their faction, but Luo Xin had always remained neutral, refusing to commit to either side.
“Mm, you make a valid point. Can you guarantee the delivery of sufficient ammunition to Hu Hao?” the Emperor nodded, asking Luo Xin.
“As long as Hu Hao requests it, the Air Force will fight to the death to deliver it. But Your Majesty, the Air Force cannot hold out for many more months.
“If this rate of attrition continues, there will soon come a day when not a single Imperial aircraft remains in the skies. The Army must step up. If they continue to fail, our nation will truly be destroyed!” Luo Xin bowed his head, his voice filled with sorrow.
“Indeed, Your Majesty. Thus far, the Air Force has lost over 3,500 fighter jets and 1,100 bombers. We currently have just over 2,000 fighters and 1,400 bombers remaining.
“Your Majesty, at our current rate of consumption, we are on the verge of total collapse!” the Vanguard General of the Air Force stepped forward, his expression equally grim.
“Good, good. As I have said, the Air Force has fought exceptionally well! Exceptionally well! I have absolutely no dissatisfaction with your performance! None! Luo Xin, tell me honestly: can Hu Hao help me hold the line?” the Emperor asked, his own eyes tinged with sorrow.
“I cannot say for certain. But I believe that a general who can use a single corps to annihilate four Allied corps in a single campaign must be heavily relied upon. We should entirely disregard his background and his past! His monumental achievements have more than compensated for any past transgressions!” Luo Xin declared.
“Well said! The Empire is on the brink of annihilation; who cares about his background or his past!” the Emperor nodded decisively.
Standing nearby, the Grand Marshal sighed silently. He knew Hu Hao’s promotion to full General was now a foregone conclusion.
Tang Long was incredibly frustrated. He was frustrated that Jiang Kai’s power was growing, and he was even more frustrated that Hu Hao wasn’t one of his men. He knew Hu Hao was exceptionally capable. If Hu Hao belonged to his faction, Tang Long would have treated him even better than Jiang Kai had, and he would have been the one desperately recommending him to the Emperor. What a pity.
“Are there any remaining objections to promoting Hu Hao to full General and appointing him as a Group Army Commander?” the Emperor asked, looking down at the silent room.
(End of Chapter)