vstars Chapter 2073 Chu Ning's Plan
Chapter 2073 Chu Ning's Plan
Although the imperial palace inside Zhennanguan was not as magnificent as the imperial palace in Beijing, it still appeared particularly solemn and dignified after the war.
As the palace lanterns were lit, they illuminated the main hall, dispelling the deepening twilight outside the windows.
Chu Ning had changed out of his battle robes and was now dressed in casual clothes. He sat upright in the main seat, his brows showing a hint of fatigue, but more so a calm composure as if he were in control of the situation and the majesty of a victor.
Feng Mulan had also washed and changed her clothes, dressed in palace attire, and sat quietly a little behind him.
Although he remained silent, his calm demeanor, forged in the crucible of blood and fire, was impossible to ignore.
Soon, the victorious generals—Feng Anguo, Ran Ming, Zhao Yu, Guan Yun, Xue Huaide, Xue Dingshan, and others—filed in one after another.
They had all changed into neater official robes or regular armor, but the lingering aura of killing intent emanating from them, as well as the barely concealed excitement and exhaustion from the fierce battle between their brows, still filled the entire hall.
"Your Majesty, we pay our respects! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
All the generals bowed in unison, their voices loud and clear, echoing throughout the hall.
Chu Ning slightly raised his hand, his gaze sweeping across the faces of each general, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable force:
"All of you, rise. Thank you for your hard work in this battle."
"I thank all the generals for their bloody battles in protecting the land of my Great Chu!"
As he spoke, he leaned forward slightly to show his approval.
The generals quickly bowed again: "We dare not! This is our duty, and we owe it all to Your Majesty's divine might and the soldiers' bravery!"
After a brief exchange of greetings and words of comfort between the ruler and his subjects, the atmosphere shifted to the main topic.
Chu Ning's expression turned solemn, and he asked in a deep voice, "Although we won this battle, our army must have suffered considerable casualties."
"What are the specific details of the battle, Minister Feng? Please tell me and the generals what happened."
On his way to the imperial palace, Feng Anguo had already used his position and prestige as Minister of War to urgently compile the preliminary battle damage reports from various army corps.
Upon hearing the emperor call his name, he took a deep breath, stepped forward, and bowed to respond.
He was not only a high-ranking official in the court, but also the emperor's father-in-law, making him the most suitable person to report on these significant achievements.
"Reply to Your Majesty,"
Feng Anguo's voice was steady, yet carried a hint of barely perceptible heaviness: "According to preliminary statistics, in this battle, our army suffered a total of over 85,000 casualties."
The moment this number was announced, the atmosphere in the hall, which had been somewhat relaxed due to the victory, instantly froze!
Even seasoned generals like Ran Ming and Zhao Yu, who were used to life and death, couldn't help but gasp in surprise, their faces showing astonishment.
Although they knew the battle was fierce and all units had suffered heavy losses, the sheer scale of the total figures was still astonishing when presented in detail.
It should be noted that the Chu army was well prepared for this battle. With the natural defenses of Zhennan Pass and the personal presence of Chu Ning and the cooperation of various parties, they even had a slight advantage in troop strength. Yet, they still paid such a heavy price in the end!
Eighty-five thousand vibrant lives have been lost, some buried on the battlefield, others left with lifelong disabilities. Behind this lies the grief of eighty-five thousand families.
The crown of victory is indeed forged from countless drops of blood and lives.
Chu Ning's brows furrowed instantly, and his hands on the imperial desk clenched unconsciously.
He had anticipated casualties, but this number still exceeded his expectations. He paused for a moment, then pressed for an answer:
"What are the details? What about the Tang army's losses?"
He needed to know what kind of results such a huge sacrifice had brought.
Feng Anguo was prepared and quickly continued to report: "Your Majesty, among our army's casualties, more than 8,500 are seriously wounded and may not be able to return to the ranks."
"There are also over 30,000 lightly wounded who will need time to recover. As for the Tang army and the Scorpion Clan allied forces..."
He paused, then raised his voice to lighten the somber tone:
"The enemy's total strength is about 250,000. After three days of fierce fighting, according to the battlefield count and reports from various armies, the number of confirmed dead is as high as 187,000!"
"In addition, more than 26,000 prisoners were captured alive!"
He glanced around at his generals and added, "The remaining troops either followed Li Jing in his hasty retreat or scattered and fled on the battlefield. Their main force is less than one-tenth of its original strength, and can be described as a complete annihilation!"
When the comparison of enemy and friendly casualties was clearly presented, the heavy atmosphere in the hall finally eased.
The generals' faces once again showed expressions of relief, and even a hint of excitement.
Although they suffered heavy losses, they did inflict a devastating blow on the enemy!
With a casualty ratio of 1 to 2.2 or higher, this was undoubtedly a glorious victory, enough to awe the world.
More importantly, they could finally give an account to the emperor, the court, and the people.
If, with such superior forces, they still manage to win a Pyrrhic victory or even suffer a defeat, then these generals would truly deserve to die a thousand deaths.
Chu Ning's tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed, and he nodded slightly, saying in a deep voice:
"187,000 men. It seems that Wang Zhongsi, Liu Hongji and their troops really fought to the last man."
"Although we lost many of our loyal and brave soldiers in this battle, we were able to severely damage the main force of the Tang army, greatly weakening them. For several years to come, they will probably not dare to covet our Zhennan Pass again!"
"I will remember the merits of all my ministers."
After acknowledging the results, Chu Ning changed the subject and began to focus on the future.
His gaze became deep and strategic, and he said in a loud voice, "Although our army has won this great battle, it still needs time to recuperate, replenish its troops, and restore its fighting strength."
"My mind is made up. Next, we must properly resettle the wounded and killed soldiers and provide compensation to their families."
"On the other hand, we must immediately recruit able-bodied men locally to bolster the various armies!"
"We must restore our border troops to combat readiness in the shortest possible time in order to cope with any possible changes."
Chu Ning's idea was straightforward: this place had just experienced a major battle, and the loss of manpower was enormous. Using local resources to quickly replenish the troops was the most efficient way to maintain border defense.
However, as soon as he said this, Feng Anguo's expression changed drastically.
Almost without thinking, he immediately stepped forward, his voice urgent and filled with worry as he advised:
"Your Majesty! This matter must not be rushed!"
He took a deep breath, organizing his thoughts, trying to make the emperor understand the implications:
"Your Majesty is wise. This land originally belonged to the State of Wei, and our Great Chu has only recovered it for a little over a year."
"It's still early days, and it remains to be seen whether the people here have truly won over their hearts!"
"They were once citizens of Wei, and now they are citizens of Chu, but how can the estrangement in their hearts be eliminated in just one year?"
“At this time when the people’s hearts are not yet won over and the foundation is not yet stable, if we forcibly conscript local young men into the army, I fear that not only will it not strengthen our army, but it will also cause panic and resistance among the people.”
"It even...forced some people who harbored lingering feelings for the former Wei dynasty to take desperate measures, gather in the mountains and forests, and become enemies of the government!"
"At that time, although the external threats will be temporarily quelled, internal troubles will arise again, and our Zhennan Pass will never have a peaceful day! I urge Your Majesty to reconsider!"