Chapter 544 Strategic confrontation!

In the meeting room of the Fengwu Army General Staff, a group of senior generals headed by Ye Mingsheng, He Jingyun, Yuan Song and others were all in place. Huo San, the director of the General Coordination Office, reiterated the judgment he had just made...

When the generals heard that Zhao Fuqu was likely to come out in full force to counterattack Shunping and Xinle, the expressions on their faces became solemn and serious.

Ye Mingsheng observed the changes in the expressions of the generals calmly, and at the same time he felt a little sad that the old ones are indeed the most experienced, and Zhao Fuqu really seized this opportunity very well!

Now the troops of Ma Zhongjun and Gu Shouting who are guarding Shunping and Xinle have just experienced a battle, and the firearms and ammunition they are equipped with are almost exhausted. Without the advantage of firearms, the combat effectiveness of the Fengwu Army will be greatly reduced. Therefore, it will be difficult for Gu Shouting and Ma Zhongjun, with less than 10,000 troops together, to hold out for too long under the fierce attack of the Yan army.

If Ye Mingsheng wants to keep the two cities of Shunping and Xinle, and does not want to give back all the meat he has just eaten, then there is only one way to go, that is to send more troops for support. However, the Luobi people are now causing trouble in the northern border, and they look like they may go south to invade at any time.

Although Ye Mingsheng judged that the Luobi people would not easily go south, if the main force of the Fengwu Army supported Shunping and Xinle, leaving the northern border empty, then given the Luobi people's greedy nature, the possibility of them taking advantage of the situation would undoubtedly increase a lot, and this is most likely what Zhao Fuqu wanted.

Ye Mingsheng originally planned to stabilize the situation in Shunping and Xinle, and then continue to erode the territory of the Yan army step by step, just like butchering an ox. After about a month or two, when the logistical supplies were sufficient and the Luobei people retreated to the northern border and peace returned, Ye Mingsheng would send a large number of troops to completely wipe out the remnants of the Yan army. This was the safest and least loss-making method...
But now it seems that Zhao Fuqu and the think tank around him are not fools. They have seen through Ye Mingsheng's plan, so they did not continue according to the script designed by Ye Mingsheng. Instead, they chose to burn their boats and force Ye Mingsheng to gather his main forces to fight a decisive battle with them. By the way, they wanted to drag the Luobi people into the water as well, creating a situation of attacking the Fengwu Army from the north and the south!
After giving the generals about a cup of tea to think, Ye Mingsheng rubbed the Qingming acupoint and said in a deep voice:

Please share your opinions!

As soon as Ye Mingsheng finished speaking, General Peng Ce of the Fourth Division said:
"I think our army should rush to Shunping and Xinle to hold out and wait for help. It is wishful thinking for that old man Zhao Fuqu to want to make a comeback at this time!"

Listening to Peng Ce's righteous words, Ye Mingsheng did not speak, but waved his hand to signal Peng Ce to sit down, and then looked at He Jingyun. As the chief of staff of the Fengwu Army and the specific developer of the Fengwu Army's combat plan, He Jingyun's speeches have always been very constructive, so Ye Mingsheng wanted to hear his ideas at this time.

Under Ye Mingsheng's gaze, He Jingyun was also secretly guessing Ye Mingsheng's thoughts. He knew that with Ye Mingsheng's character, there was no way he would spit out the meat he had eaten. However, if he did not give up Shunping and Xinle, it would mean that he would most likely have to fight a decisive battle with the Yan army.

After all, the Yan army came out in full force this time, with a force of nearly 100,000. Even after the reorganization of the Sixth Division, the Fengwu army still did not have so many soldiers in Youyan. Although the combat effectiveness of the Yan army was not as good as that of the Fengwu army, the enemy army of nearly 100,000 was a force that could not be underestimated. If too few reinforcements were sent, not only would there be no support effect, but the Yan army might also surround and attack the reinforcements. The tactic of adding fuel to the fire was the most taboo in the art of war...

However, if a war mobilization is carried out and a decisive battle is fought with the Yan army in Shunping, then the Luo Bi army in the direction of Yuyang Shanggu will be a huge trouble!

After thinking carefully for a while, He Jingyun said very cautiously:

"Marshal, I think we should send a pigeon to Gu Shouting now, asking him to temporarily abandon Xinle City and retreat to Shunping City!"

Before He Jingyun finished speaking, Peng Ce stood up and said in confusion:

"Chief of Staff He, what do you mean? Shunping and Xinle are mutually supportive. If we retreat before the battle and hand Xinle over to others, it will not only be a blow to our army's morale, but it will also be a fatal blow to Shunping's defense. Shunping will be even more isolated and helpless and become an isolated city!"

Facing Peng Ce's questioning, He Jingyun patiently explained:

"From Zhuo County to Xinle, the distance is about 350 miles, and from Yijing to Xinle, the distance is about 800 miles. If you take into account the time Zhao Fuqu has to prepare in advance, if Zhao Fuqu really wants to launch a strategic counterattack now, then it will be too late for our army to immediately support Xinle!"

"General Peng, what you said is correct. Xinle's geographical location is indeed very important to Shunping, but we cannot ignore Xinle's own situation. Xinle City has been in disrepair for a long time, and the walls on all four sides are uneven. There are no defensive offensives such as moats. What's more, our army there is only General Gu's 3,000-odd people!"

“If the intelligence from the Coordination Office is correct, and the Yan army really counterattacks with a force of 100,000, then Xinle City cannot be defended at all, and may not even be able to hold out for a day. So instead of watching these 3,000 soldiers die in Xinle, it is better to let them support Shunping. With the support of these 3,000 people, our army will have nearly 10,000 people in Shunping. Although we are still at an absolute disadvantage in terms of manpower, we can at least hold out for a while, buying time for my next move…”

He Jingyun's words left Peng Ce speechless. He could only sit back in his seat awkwardly and keep silent. At this time, Yuan Song, who seemed to be relatively silent, stood up and reported:

"General, I don't recommend that our army engage in a decisive battle with the Yan army at this time. If we want to fight, we have to wait at least half a month!"

Seeing that Yuan Song had clearly expressed his suggestion, Ye Mingsheng nodded slightly and asked:
"Tell me your reasons!"

After getting Ye Mingsheng's permission, Yuan Song slowly said:
"A decisive battle with the Yan army at this time is exactly what Zhao Fuqu wants. He hopes that our army will expose the empty rear and create an opportunity for the Luobi people to be dragged into the water. He will also drag those greedy Luobi people into the water, forming a situation of attacking from both the north and the south. Therefore, I believe that our army must not fall into his evil plan!"

"As for waiting for half a month to fight, there are two reasons. The first reason is that the Luobi people are both civilians and soldiers. In normal times, they graze and hunt, and in war, all the people join the battle. Currently, the Luobi people are stationed at my northern border with more than 100,000 soldiers, which is already the majority of the Luobi people's military strength!"

“Gathering so many young and strong men will inevitably affect the grazing production of the Robe people. Now is the important season for fattening cattle and sheep. If we miss this period of time, it will inevitably affect the Robe people’s livestock harvest this year, and then affect the Robe people’s wintering. Now the Robe people are afraid of our army’s fortification and clearing the fields. Although they have deployed troops on the border to create a tense situation, they are reluctant to start a war...”

"In my humble opinion, although they may sound impressive now, they are actually in a difficult situation. If they cannot make a breakthrough in the short term, they will have no choice but to withdraw their troops!"

"The second reason is that Zhao Fuqu has nearly 100,000 soldiers and horses just based on the southern part of Youyan. The food and money consumed by 100,000 people every day is a huge number. Judging from their logistical support, they can't hold out for long!" "So Zhao Fuqu is now pursuing a quick victory and wants to fight a decisive battle with our army as soon as possible. As long as our army can drag it out and hold out for ten days or half a month, and the old thief Zhao can't take Shunping and Xinle, he will face the danger of collapse due to lack of successors!"

After listening to what He Jingyun and Yuan Song said, Ye Mingsheng's eyes flashed with light, and he gradually came up with a plan to deal with the situation.

After thinking for a while, Ye Mingsheng looked at Yuan Song and said:

"You lead the First Division, and I will give you the Sixth Division. Are you sure you can hold back Zhao Fuqu in Shunping?"

Under Ye Mingsheng's gaze, Yuan Song thought quickly, and then said firmly:
"If I can get the cooperation of our soldiers in Shunping City, I am confident that I can hold Zhao Fuqu back for ten days. I will never let Zhao Fuqu capture Shunping City within ten days!"

･･････････
･･････････
While heated discussions were taking place at the Yijing Fengwu Army Staff Headquarters, a secret battle between women was quietly taking place in the Murong Mansion in Dongning.

In the back garden, Murong Qingwu, dressed in green, is enjoying the spring in the garden accompanied by her maid Xiaohuan. As the eastern border of the Great Zhou territory and also the coldest place, Dongning has to suffer from cold weather almost half of the year. Therefore, Murong Qingwu cherishes good weather to enjoy the spring in the garden.

Because she was aware of the danger, she basically did not go out unless it was necessary during this period. Besides reading books and playing the piano when she had nothing to do at home, Murong Qingwu had recently become fascinated with painting, and now the beautiful scenery in the back garden was the subject of her painting.

Just when Murong Qingwu was concentrating on transferring the willow trees and pond in front of her onto the paper, a very pretty woman with a seemingly fragile body came floating in accompanied by her maids. Murong Qingwu, who was concentrating on painting, did not notice the appearance of this woman, but Xiaohuan, the maid beside her, noticed it at the first time. When her eyes swept over this woman, a complicated look emerged in her eyes······················

After a cup of tea, Murong Qingwu, who was concentrating on painting, finally finished a painting of spring. Just as she was smiling and wanted Xiaohuan to comment on it, a gentle voice came to her ears.
"Qingwu, although your painting technique is still immature, your personal style is very distinct. You have achieved such accomplishments after only learning for a month. Qingwu, your talent is really enviable!"

As soon as this voice came out, the smile on Murong Qingwu's pretty face slowly faded away, and she said to the visitor indifferently:
"I didn't expect that Mrs. Evian knew so much about painting. I'm so disrespectful!"

Hearing Murong Qingwu addressing him, Yiyun shook his head and said with a hint of bitterness:

“Qingwu, I told you and I are of similar age. When we are together in the mansion, you can just call me Yiyun…”

Murong Qingwu still said calmly after hearing this:
"Etiquette and laws cannot be abolished!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the bitterness on Yiyun's pretty face seemed to become three times more intense. She turned and left without saying anything else.

The appearance of Evian seemed to have affected Murong Qingwu's interest in painting. She could no longer find the state of mind she had just had. After trying several times and failing, Murong Qingwu could only turn around and leave and return to her boudoir.

After returning to the room, Murong Qingwu sat on a chair and closed her eyes to rest, while Xiaohuan was beside her. After thinking for a while, Murong Qingwu suddenly spoke:
"Xiao Huan, are you curious about why I am targeting her so much?"

Xiao Huan was a little surprised to see her feelings exposed by Murong Qingwu. After hesitating for a while, she nodded and said:

"Miss, you are obviously very kind to others. You give porridge to the displaced refugees on the street, and you also help the servants in the mansion as much as possible. Everyone in the mansion will give you a thumbs up and say that you are a beautiful and kind person when they mention you!"

"And Madam Yiyun is also a very good person. I heard that last time Aunt Wang from the kitchen wanted to withdraw three months' salary in advance from the account because her son was sick, but Manager Liu disagreed. It was Madam Yiyun who secretly lent her own salary to Aunt Wang..."

Murong Qingwu opened her eyes upon hearing this and said to Xiaohuan quietly:
"What you see is just the surface. Chen Yiyun is not as simple as you think. She is a daughter of an official, but she can still fool those young masters. Not only did she not let them take advantage of her, but she also used those people to raise her own value and fame. What kind of means is this?"

After hearing this, Xiao Huan said in surprise:

"Miss, you said she was innocent before?"

Murong Qingwu nodded and said:

"Well, otherwise why do you think my father dotes on her so much? Isn't it because he thinks it's very rare for her to be able to maintain her innocence in this place of prostitution, to be untainted by the mud and pure and not coquettish? In my father's heart, Chen Yiyun's image is so pure and holy!"

"Do you remember our previous trip to Liaoyang? Besides sightseeing, I also secretly investigated the young men who were close to Chen Yiyun. Each of them said that he and Chen Yiyun were in love and sweet and inseparable..."

(End of this chapter)