vstars Chapter 1875 Eastern Front
Chapter 1875 Eastern Front
Chu Ning paused and briefed the generals on the latest information:
"According to secret reports from the Imperial Guards, Dugu Jia has completely taken control of the Chang'an Palace and part of the city's defenses. He also controls a portion of the former imperial guards of the Han capital, numbering approximately 20,000 men."
"Even more noteworthy is that she is leveraging her status as empress dowager and the treasury she controls to aggressively recruit soldiers and horses, promising them huge profits. She has already recruited nearly 40,000 new soldiers! The total force may have reached 60,000!"
"Sixty thousand troops!" Upon hearing this, the generals in the hall began to discuss in low voices.
This number would undoubtedly be an extremely difficult nut to crack if they were to defend a fortress like Chang'an.
Chu Ning took everyone's reaction into consideration and continued:
"Moreover, the slogan she used was 'restoring order' and welcoming the 'legitimate rule of the previous emperor'. This might have had some influence on the former officials and common people in the Han area who were unaware of the truth."
"Although our army is victorious, the soldiers are exhausted from continuous fighting and need to rest."
"What are your thoughts on this? Should we attack Chang'an head-on? Or should we rest and regroup before making further plans? And how should we deal with Dugu Jia and her 60,000 troops?"
Chu Ning raised the question and glanced at Xue Huaide, Zhao Yu, Ran Ming and other core generals, waiting for their opinions.
How to eradicate this last cancer entrenched in the imperial capital at the lowest cost and fastest speed, and successfully take over the entire legacy of the Han Dynasty, is the most critical strategic issue at the moment.
The atmosphere in the lobby of the county government office once again became serious and focused.
The question raised by Chu Ning was like throwing a huge rock into a calm lake, which immediately caused ripples among the generals.
After a brief silence, Ran Ming, who had the most explosive and direct personality, was the first to lose control and took a sudden step forward. His bell-like voice shook the hall:
"Your Majesty! What else is there to discuss?"
Ran Ming waved his hand, his face full of arrogance after victory and disdain for the women in the deep palace.
"That damn Empress Dowager Cixi in Chang'an City is nothing but a vicious woman who only knows how to plot and scheme!"
"The 60,000 soldiers under her command may sound like a lot, but they are most likely a hastily recruited mob. How can they be compared with the elite troops of the Great Chu who have fought hundreds of battles?"
He became more and more excited as he spoke, his saliva almost spraying into the face of the general opposite him:
"If it were you, I'd say we should take advantage of our recent victory and our high morale to charge straight to the gates of Chang'an!"
"With our current military strength, we can crush that ruined city to the ground! Kill Dugu Jia and Liu Xiang, mother and son, and hang their heads on the city walls!"
"By then, the entire Han Dynasty will be leaderless, and the remaining cities will surrender. Your Majesty will then be able to take over the entire Han territory in a natural and logical manner! That would be truly satisfying!"
Ran Ming's idea is simple and crude, but it represents the thoughts of some generals who are eager to attack the enemy directly and achieve unprecedented achievements.
As soon as he finished speaking, several generals who were on good terms with him whispered in agreement, thinking that this was the way to pursue the victory.
However, before Ran Ming finished his words, a calm but worried voice sounded, like pouring a bucket of cold water on the hot fire.
"Your Majesty, although General Ran's words are commendable, I believe that they are absolutely unacceptable!"
The one who spoke was Xue Huaide. His face was solemn. He took a step forward, bowed to Chu Ning, then turned to Ran Ming and said in a serious tone:
"General Ran only saw a small part of Chang'an, but ignored the real pressing need of our Great Chu!"
"Urgent?"
Ran Ming glared at him, unconvinced, "Liu Xiu is dead, and the main force of the Han army is gone. What urgent matter could be more important than taking Chang'an and establishing our rule in the Central Plains?"
Xue Huaide did not directly refute, but took out an urgent military report sealed with wax from his pocket and presented it with both hands:
"Your Majesty, this is military intelligence, urgently delivered from the eastern battlefield, eight hundred miles away! I was recently busy with the war and was unable to report immediately. Please review it, Your Majesty!"
Chu Ning frowned slightly, signaled the attendant beside him to take the military newspaper and quickly start reading it.
As he read, the relaxed expression on his face gradually disappeared, replaced by a solemn look.
Xue Huaide took this opportunity to explain to the generals in the hall: "Comrades! The situation on the eastern front of Wei is extremely critical!"
"Li Jing, the military god of the Tang Dynasty, has personally led over 200,000 elite Tang soldiers and allied with the fierce Scorpion Tribe. The total number of their coalition forces is likely no less than 300,000. They are launching an unprecedented fierce attack on our border!"
His voice was heavy, and every word struck the hearts of the generals:
"Although Generals Feng Anguo and Han Xing led our soldiers in a desperate and bloody battle, the enemy was far more powerful, and Li Jing was a master of his art."
"So far, our army has lost five important border towns in a row! The casualties among the soldiers are heavy, and morale is extremely low!"
"The military report says that without further reinforcements, the eastern front's defenses are in danger of total collapse!"
"If Li Jing breaks through the defenses and marches straight in, Wei will be directly exposed to the enemy's iron hoof!"
"The consequences will be disastrous!"
As soon as these words were spoken, there was an uproar in the lobby!
The generals who had supported Ran Ming just now also changed their expressions. They were so focused on the decisive battle in the Central Plains that they almost forgot that there was such a powerful enemy on the eastern border!
Xue Huaide looked at Chu Ning and said earnestly, "Your Majesty! Chang'an City and Dugu Jia are just minor issues. She may be able to hold out for a while by defending the city, but she has absolutely no power to initiate an attack."
"And Li Jing and the 300,000-man coalition forces on the eastern front are the real threat!"
"If our main force marches westward to Chang'an now, and the eastern front is lost, our army will be caught in a desperate situation, attacked from both sides and unable to protect both ends!"
"I believe that the most urgent task is not to advance westward, but to immediately mobilize the main force to rush to the eastern front to support it. First, stabilize the position and repel Li Jing. Then we can return to deal with Chang An!"
"General Xue is absolutely right!"
Another voice sounded, it was Zhao Yu.
He also stepped out in support of Xue Huaide with a serious expression: "Your Majesty, I also believe that the safety of the Eastern Front is more important than anything else."
"Li Jing is a famous general of his time. The threat he poses is far greater than that of Dugu Jia, who is trapped in an isolated city."
"Furthermore, our army has been engaged in continuous battles. Although victorious, we are exhausted and in urgent need of rest and recuperation."
"If we rashly attack the fortified city of Chang'an, trap our troops there, and fail to capture it after a prolonged siege, and the eastern front is defeated, then the situation will be completely lost! Your Majesty, please reconsider!"
At this point, the opinion advocating east first and west later prevailed.
Most generals realized the huge risks on the Eastern Front and nodded in agreement.
When Ran Ming saw that his proposal was opposed by everyone, especially when Xue Huaide and Zhao Yu refuted it one after another, he suddenly felt embarrassed and a nameless anger rushed to his forehead.
He stiffened his neck and yelled at Xue Huaide and Zhao Yu, "Bullshit! You're only boosting others' morale and destroying your own prestige!"
"What's so great about Li Jing? Feng Anguo and Han Xing couldn't handle it. It's their incompetence!"
"I, Old Ran, will lead the troops over there and make sure that Li Jing never returns!"
"Chang'an City is within easy reach. If we don't take it now, when will we? Should we wait for that vicious woman to gain a foothold and recruit more troops?"