A few days passed, and the sound of cannons still roared during the day and began to build new fortifications. The siege progressed much slower than that of Jinyang. Guo Shao asked Yang Biao had not woken up yet.
The sun gradually sets down the horizon to the west, and the world is also dim and quiet.
Guo Shao walked out of the central army's tent and saw that the sky was gray and black, with no stars or moon. I vaguely remember that when I first arrived in Youzhou, he also walked out at night, but his mood at that time was incomparable.
At this moment, the soldiers had returned to the camp, and there were bonfires in the wilderness, and there were faint cries of insects in the grass.
The soldiers guarding the camp stood up straight and looked at Guo Shao.
Behind him, Wang Pu and other aides were still standing at the door of the tent.
The sky is gray, and the clouds seem to be pressing very low, making people feel depressed. The wind and clouds are surging in the dim and hazy place, mysterious and vague.
There may be gods in the sky, but Guo Shao is still standing on the ground.However, people think that he is the God of War, and of course God is omnipotent and must be able to win.
Guo Shao clearly realized that once the army retreated, he felt that he could not get out of the Taiwan Strait.
This is a difficult choice.
The pressure Guo Shao faced was not mainly not being haunted by the first wave of reinforcements of the Liao army, but rather the unsuccessful siege of the city.
The main force of the Liao Kingdom will arrive... Youzhou City is 10 or 20 miles in circumference. Except for more than 50,000 mobile cavalry, more than 100,000 people surrounded the city and their troops were very scattered, so they could not fight the Liao army at the city. Unless they left Youzhou City and went deep into the Youzhou area to fight against the Liao army without conquering Youzhou, that would obviously violate the strategic expectations of this war.
He has thought a lot these days.This Northern Expedition itself was a strategic adventure.
If the Hu Ben Army's horse-riding infantry attacked the Liao Army's palace tent team, which in turn affected morale, if the location chosen for excavation of the tunnel was correct, if the defenders did not put a large number of catapults in the artillery blind spot, if... the luck was better, there would be no so many subtle factors that affected the progress of the siege again and again, and it might be possible to capture Youzhou City in time.
Then strategic adventure is the right decision, and Guo Shao will no longer think about these things.
The showdown between countries mainly depends on strength, but there is great uncertainty in the result of just one or two battles, and even luck.
Wang Pu is right, there is still a chance and time to this day.
...But Guo Shao felt that he dared not take risks anymore.
This battle was a strategic adventure from the beginning, with low fault tolerance and a great risk of missing; but now the risk has suddenly become larger.
The consequences become even more serious. If the main force is lost, Guo Shao will face an irreversible catastrophe; the elite of the imperial guards will be almost no longer renewable in the short term, and once the loss is lost, Guo Shao will not have the strength to maintain national defense and rule.
With such serious consequences, even if the risk is very small, it will make people feel worried, and the risk of delaying it now is not small.
In a trance, he seemed to have returned to the college entrance examination in his previous life. At that time, everyone told him that it was a turning point in human life.
He has done countless exercises and is well prepared, but he is still worried about accidents and failures on the spot. Even if the risk is relatively low, he will not be able to be at ease as long as his grades fail.
And now, he faces much greater risks and threats of failure and much more serious consequences.Once the Great Zhou army is defeated, it is not just his fate!
Guo Shao’s worries are unspeakable.
He also had to weigh the trade-off: Is this kind of adventure worth it between the benefits and the consequences?
...Guo Shao was unwilling to give up.
He wanted to avoid serious consequences, but he did not want to give up Youzhou, and he would come sooner or later.However, this time, waiting for the next time is a long time, which is an unbearable torture.
Retreat will also cause other risks and consequences, mainly from the domestic market.
Guo Shao can't escape, and he has to face challenges when advancing and retreating, and different challenges.
He felt a silence in his heart and couldn't help coughing twice.
At this moment, Wang Pu walked up and said: Your Majesty, it’s cold at night. You have been standing outside for too long.
Guo Shao turned around and walked into the tent, saying: I will not admit defeat, but will accumulate strength and find a new path for the next comeback... There must be a better path than the current strategy.
After hearing this, Wang Pu asked in a deep voice: Your Majesty is determined to withdraw his troops?
Guo Shao felt like he didn't know where he was, and he felt a little floating when walking. He raised his head and stared at Wang Pu's old face: The green mountains are still there and the strength is not damaged, so he can take the initiative to choose a new opportunity; instead of having to stay here passively to take risks... There is a better opportunity than now.
well.Wang Pu's sigh was simply coming from his heart.
Guo Shao whispered in a heart-wrenching tone: I can't afford the risk of losing the Innocence Army, but I can still afford the temporary challenges in China.
Wang Pu said: The old minister agreed with His Majesty’s intention... he was just a little disappointed.
I understand.Guo Shao said, clenched his fists and said, "Tomorrow morning, we will gather all generals to deploy an orderly withdrawal strategy to prevent the harassment of the Liao cavalry and the Youzhou defenders."
Wang Pu clasped his fists and said: I obey the order.
Guo Shao walked through the big tent and went to bed behind him.Wang Pu stood in the account and bowed to say goodbye, but did not leave for a long time.
A servant bent down and lifted a curtain. When Guo Shao walked in, he turned his head slightly and glanced at Wang Pu with his eyes.
The furnishings inside are very simple, but the table and tent walls are maps, so they don't look so neat.
There was a candlestick on the table, and a very thick candle and wick illuminated the place. The bed and table were brighter, and the light in the corner became more and more hazy.
Guo Shao sat down and watched the flames pounding.
The inner loss cannot be covered up no matter how rationally it is.On such a night, in front of such lights, he still felt cold...
He remembered Luo Mengzi, whose third brother had limited qualifications. As Guo Shao did more and more over the years, his third brother was a little far away from Guo Shao's core circle.
But Guo Shao still cannot forget that he once was in Gaoping, Wuqi Town, and Qinfeng with his third brother...
If I hadn't had iron on my body, I would have been shot and leaked, haha...
My elder brother said he would do it, and I, Lao Luo, followed...
Guo Shao reached out and rubbed his forehead hard, doing some trivial movements, but he didn't say a word.
Even if he became an emperor, Guo Shao still couldn't escape these simplest emotions. When he was in such an environment, his psychological quality was not very good... What kind of qualifications should the emperor and the hero have?
Anyway, it shouldn't be him.
The world has put too many expectations on a series of successes, believing that he is fearless and capable, and even thinking that he is God!
At this moment, Guo Shao felt that he was really not a god.
In his previous life, he was just an ordinary person who was too ordinary to be more ordinary, and he had to do his best to make a living and was overwhelmed. Even he himself did not think he was the master who could do great things before... At this time, all kinds of negative emotions flocked in, and he felt extremely fragile.
However, already in this position, he will not admit defeat.
Even if you stick to each other, you will make a comeback!
Because for that grand goal, too many people have died and too many people he cares about, it is impossible to give up!
Cough cough... Guo Shao covered his mouth and endured the coughing sound.
He felt tired, and he didn't take off his socks, kicked off his boots and went to bed.There are constant nightmares in my sleep, as if I am in a volcano.
...That night, the attendant found that Guo Shao's face was flushed and his face was hot.He was shocked and hurriedly called Wang Pu and Zuo You in overnight.
Zuo You said anxiously several times: Your Majesty has always been strong and healthy, so why did he suddenly get sick?
Wang Pu suddenly realized and said anxiously: My adopted daughter is in the healing camp, please send someone to call her!
Zuo You said: The adopted daughter of the king envoy?
It is Lu Lan, the goddess doctor whom His Majesty recovered from Shu Kingdom, who cured my husband's illness. I am old and asked her to be my adopted daughter.Wang Pu said.
Zuo You hurriedly said: Then call me quickly.
……
Early the next morning, Privy Councilor Wang Pu summoned officials from the Former Camp Military Office of Youzhou and a few generals from various armies to discuss matters in the central army's tent, announced the emperor's imperial edict, and ordered the withdrawal of troops.
First, we discussed the deployment and strategy of withdrawing troops, and then continued to convene generals above the military commander's guard to make specific arrangements to the Central Army.
The generals were talking, and they were all unwilling to accept it.
In this battle, the Zhou army had not suffered a real failure. It had been almost a month since they arrived in Youzhou. After several battles, only a thousand people died. The generals believed that they could defeat the Liao army and make achievements!
It is impossible to understand why the emperor wanted to withdraw his troops.
Later, someone asked Wang Pu why the emperor did not personally pass on the imperial edict.Only then did the news that Guo Shao fell ill came out.
After a civil servant from the former camp military office left the central army tent, he privately discussed: According to the current situation, Youzhou City will not be easily broken in an instant, and Your Majesty has damaged his sworn brothers, so he may have to withdraw his troops, so he pretended that the dragon body was not safe...
Why should I be called sick?
The civil servant whispered: If you lose the general and then withdraw your troops, you may be defeated... Withdrawal of troops due to illness, you will give up your lives for the time being.
In any case, the orders that the Privy Councilor and a group of generals believed were still authoritative. The troops began to prepare for retreat in accordance with the military order... The artillery fire had not stopped immediately. According to the meaning of the former camp military mansion, it was to confuse the enemy and hide their intentions.
But the next day the artillery stopped roaring... because it was raining!
The sky was covered with dark clouds, and the sound of spring thunder replaced the sound of cannons. The rain was very small, but the drizzle slowly wet the soil. The wet soil was trampled back and forth by countless people, and the barracks were muddy for a while.
Zuo You looked at the rain curtain and sighed: God really doesn’t help me, God won’t let the Great Zhou recover Youzhou!Even if we don’t order the withdrawal of troops, if the rain stops quickly, we will not be able to conquer the city.
Wang Pu sighed: It rained well, so we won’t be able to make this battle a pity.
He lowered his head and remembered the Xuanren Merit Pavilion built in Tokyo City. He gradually admitted in his heart that before the war, he and the ministers had been instigating the emperor to fight the Northern Expedition in order to achieve success and fame, and they were indeed blinded by the desire to be famous in history... There were too many factors that could not be grasped by the strategy of breaking the city within a time limit and raiding the city.
The sun gradually sets down the horizon to the west, and the world is also dim and quiet.
Guo Shao walked out of the central army's tent and saw that the sky was gray and black, with no stars or moon. I vaguely remember that when I first arrived in Youzhou, he also walked out at night, but his mood at that time was incomparable.
At this moment, the soldiers had returned to the camp, and there were bonfires in the wilderness, and there were faint cries of insects in the grass.
The soldiers guarding the camp stood up straight and looked at Guo Shao.
Behind him, Wang Pu and other aides were still standing at the door of the tent.
The sky is gray, and the clouds seem to be pressing very low, making people feel depressed. The wind and clouds are surging in the dim and hazy place, mysterious and vague.
There may be gods in the sky, but Guo Shao is still standing on the ground.However, people think that he is the God of War, and of course God is omnipotent and must be able to win.
Guo Shao clearly realized that once the army retreated, he felt that he could not get out of the Taiwan Strait.
This is a difficult choice.
The pressure Guo Shao faced was not mainly not being haunted by the first wave of reinforcements of the Liao army, but rather the unsuccessful siege of the city.
The main force of the Liao Kingdom will arrive... Youzhou City is 10 or 20 miles in circumference. Except for more than 50,000 mobile cavalry, more than 100,000 people surrounded the city and their troops were very scattered, so they could not fight the Liao army at the city. Unless they left Youzhou City and went deep into the Youzhou area to fight against the Liao army without conquering Youzhou, that would obviously violate the strategic expectations of this war.
He has thought a lot these days.This Northern Expedition itself was a strategic adventure.
If the Hu Ben Army's horse-riding infantry attacked the Liao Army's palace tent team, which in turn affected morale, if the location chosen for excavation of the tunnel was correct, if the defenders did not put a large number of catapults in the artillery blind spot, if... the luck was better, there would be no so many subtle factors that affected the progress of the siege again and again, and it might be possible to capture Youzhou City in time.
Then strategic adventure is the right decision, and Guo Shao will no longer think about these things.
The showdown between countries mainly depends on strength, but there is great uncertainty in the result of just one or two battles, and even luck.
Wang Pu is right, there is still a chance and time to this day.
...But Guo Shao felt that he dared not take risks anymore.
This battle was a strategic adventure from the beginning, with low fault tolerance and a great risk of missing; but now the risk has suddenly become larger.
The consequences become even more serious. If the main force is lost, Guo Shao will face an irreversible catastrophe; the elite of the imperial guards will be almost no longer renewable in the short term, and once the loss is lost, Guo Shao will not have the strength to maintain national defense and rule.
With such serious consequences, even if the risk is very small, it will make people feel worried, and the risk of delaying it now is not small.
In a trance, he seemed to have returned to the college entrance examination in his previous life. At that time, everyone told him that it was a turning point in human life.
He has done countless exercises and is well prepared, but he is still worried about accidents and failures on the spot. Even if the risk is relatively low, he will not be able to be at ease as long as his grades fail.
And now, he faces much greater risks and threats of failure and much more serious consequences.Once the Great Zhou army is defeated, it is not just his fate!
Guo Shao’s worries are unspeakable.
He also had to weigh the trade-off: Is this kind of adventure worth it between the benefits and the consequences?
...Guo Shao was unwilling to give up.
He wanted to avoid serious consequences, but he did not want to give up Youzhou, and he would come sooner or later.However, this time, waiting for the next time is a long time, which is an unbearable torture.
Retreat will also cause other risks and consequences, mainly from the domestic market.
Guo Shao can't escape, and he has to face challenges when advancing and retreating, and different challenges.
He felt a silence in his heart and couldn't help coughing twice.
At this moment, Wang Pu walked up and said: Your Majesty, it’s cold at night. You have been standing outside for too long.
Guo Shao turned around and walked into the tent, saying: I will not admit defeat, but will accumulate strength and find a new path for the next comeback... There must be a better path than the current strategy.
After hearing this, Wang Pu asked in a deep voice: Your Majesty is determined to withdraw his troops?
Guo Shao felt like he didn't know where he was, and he felt a little floating when walking. He raised his head and stared at Wang Pu's old face: The green mountains are still there and the strength is not damaged, so he can take the initiative to choose a new opportunity; instead of having to stay here passively to take risks... There is a better opportunity than now.
well.Wang Pu's sigh was simply coming from his heart.
Guo Shao whispered in a heart-wrenching tone: I can't afford the risk of losing the Innocence Army, but I can still afford the temporary challenges in China.
Wang Pu said: The old minister agreed with His Majesty’s intention... he was just a little disappointed.
I understand.Guo Shao said, clenched his fists and said, "Tomorrow morning, we will gather all generals to deploy an orderly withdrawal strategy to prevent the harassment of the Liao cavalry and the Youzhou defenders."
Wang Pu clasped his fists and said: I obey the order.
Guo Shao walked through the big tent and went to bed behind him.Wang Pu stood in the account and bowed to say goodbye, but did not leave for a long time.
A servant bent down and lifted a curtain. When Guo Shao walked in, he turned his head slightly and glanced at Wang Pu with his eyes.
The furnishings inside are very simple, but the table and tent walls are maps, so they don't look so neat.
There was a candlestick on the table, and a very thick candle and wick illuminated the place. The bed and table were brighter, and the light in the corner became more and more hazy.
Guo Shao sat down and watched the flames pounding.
The inner loss cannot be covered up no matter how rationally it is.On such a night, in front of such lights, he still felt cold...
He remembered Luo Mengzi, whose third brother had limited qualifications. As Guo Shao did more and more over the years, his third brother was a little far away from Guo Shao's core circle.
But Guo Shao still cannot forget that he once was in Gaoping, Wuqi Town, and Qinfeng with his third brother...
If I hadn't had iron on my body, I would have been shot and leaked, haha...
My elder brother said he would do it, and I, Lao Luo, followed...
Guo Shao reached out and rubbed his forehead hard, doing some trivial movements, but he didn't say a word.
Even if he became an emperor, Guo Shao still couldn't escape these simplest emotions. When he was in such an environment, his psychological quality was not very good... What kind of qualifications should the emperor and the hero have?
Anyway, it shouldn't be him.
The world has put too many expectations on a series of successes, believing that he is fearless and capable, and even thinking that he is God!
At this moment, Guo Shao felt that he was really not a god.
In his previous life, he was just an ordinary person who was too ordinary to be more ordinary, and he had to do his best to make a living and was overwhelmed. Even he himself did not think he was the master who could do great things before... At this time, all kinds of negative emotions flocked in, and he felt extremely fragile.
However, already in this position, he will not admit defeat.
Even if you stick to each other, you will make a comeback!
Because for that grand goal, too many people have died and too many people he cares about, it is impossible to give up!
Cough cough... Guo Shao covered his mouth and endured the coughing sound.
He felt tired, and he didn't take off his socks, kicked off his boots and went to bed.There are constant nightmares in my sleep, as if I am in a volcano.
...That night, the attendant found that Guo Shao's face was flushed and his face was hot.He was shocked and hurriedly called Wang Pu and Zuo You in overnight.
Zuo You said anxiously several times: Your Majesty has always been strong and healthy, so why did he suddenly get sick?
Wang Pu suddenly realized and said anxiously: My adopted daughter is in the healing camp, please send someone to call her!
Zuo You said: The adopted daughter of the king envoy?
It is Lu Lan, the goddess doctor whom His Majesty recovered from Shu Kingdom, who cured my husband's illness. I am old and asked her to be my adopted daughter.Wang Pu said.
Zuo You hurriedly said: Then call me quickly.
……
Early the next morning, Privy Councilor Wang Pu summoned officials from the Former Camp Military Office of Youzhou and a few generals from various armies to discuss matters in the central army's tent, announced the emperor's imperial edict, and ordered the withdrawal of troops.
First, we discussed the deployment and strategy of withdrawing troops, and then continued to convene generals above the military commander's guard to make specific arrangements to the Central Army.
The generals were talking, and they were all unwilling to accept it.
In this battle, the Zhou army had not suffered a real failure. It had been almost a month since they arrived in Youzhou. After several battles, only a thousand people died. The generals believed that they could defeat the Liao army and make achievements!
It is impossible to understand why the emperor wanted to withdraw his troops.
Later, someone asked Wang Pu why the emperor did not personally pass on the imperial edict.Only then did the news that Guo Shao fell ill came out.
After a civil servant from the former camp military office left the central army tent, he privately discussed: According to the current situation, Youzhou City will not be easily broken in an instant, and Your Majesty has damaged his sworn brothers, so he may have to withdraw his troops, so he pretended that the dragon body was not safe...
Why should I be called sick?
The civil servant whispered: If you lose the general and then withdraw your troops, you may be defeated... Withdrawal of troops due to illness, you will give up your lives for the time being.
In any case, the orders that the Privy Councilor and a group of generals believed were still authoritative. The troops began to prepare for retreat in accordance with the military order... The artillery fire had not stopped immediately. According to the meaning of the former camp military mansion, it was to confuse the enemy and hide their intentions.
But the next day the artillery stopped roaring... because it was raining!
The sky was covered with dark clouds, and the sound of spring thunder replaced the sound of cannons. The rain was very small, but the drizzle slowly wet the soil. The wet soil was trampled back and forth by countless people, and the barracks were muddy for a while.
Zuo You looked at the rain curtain and sighed: God really doesn’t help me, God won’t let the Great Zhou recover Youzhou!Even if we don’t order the withdrawal of troops, if the rain stops quickly, we will not be able to conquer the city.
Wang Pu sighed: It rained well, so we won’t be able to make this battle a pity.
He lowered his head and remembered the Xuanren Merit Pavilion built in Tokyo City. He gradually admitted in his heart that before the war, he and the ministers had been instigating the emperor to fight the Northern Expedition in order to achieve success and fame, and they were indeed blinded by the desire to be famous in history... There were too many factors that could not be grasped by the strategy of breaking the city within a time limit and raiding the city.
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