Chapter 980 981 [The curtain gradually opens] (Part 1)

In the royal study, the two princes and more than a dozen important ministers looked solemnly, looking at the young spy leader who had a delicate appearance and a soft voice, which was very different from Silent Cloud's style, and learned from him the general situation of the war in Northern Xinjiang.

After the wasteland barbarians captured the nine military stations on the border, they did not continue to go south and penetrate into the territory. Instead, they stayed at the border line of Daliang and made a wait-and-see attitude. Shu Yi, the commander of Xuanhua Camp, dispatched troops and generals. On the one hand, he divided his troops to garrison in various states. Pass, on the other hand, he led the army to approach the border of Huazhou.

While the army was advancing, the barbarians also took action. They were divided into teams of a hundred people and raided the north of Huazhou and Yunzhou. However, they were very restrained and cautious and never went deeper than a hundred miles away. When Ge Shuyi arrived, he led the army At the border, these barbarians retreated into the wilderness. With their familiarity with the terrain and strong physique, they constantly interfered with Ge Shuyi's judgment with sneak attacks by small groups of troops.

Hearing this, Emperor Kaiping, who was behind the case, looked indifferent, while Luo Ting, the governor on the right, looked at the noble Wu Xun opposite.

Wang Pingzhang's gray eyebrows wrinkled and he said solemnly: "Why are barbarians so cunning?"

No one answered.

After a long time, Liu Gongchuo, the Minister of War, said carefully: "Master Junji, the reason why the barbarians cannot form a climate is because the environment in the wilderness is too harsh, which fundamentally limits their development. If you look for the answer from the pile of old papers, you can't underestimate it. Look at those tribes. According to historical records, there were traces of barbarians in northern Xinjiang more than 700 years ago. The fact that they were able to survive in that kind of ice and snow may mean that they are extraordinary."

Pei Yue glanced at the new Minister of War with a blank expression.

Although Liu Daxia, the former Minister of War, liked to go against Pei Yue and often impeached him in the court, according to Pei Yue's analysis, Liu Shangshu, who had a temperament like a firecracker, was just out of hostility to Wu Xun, especially someone like him. A newly rich man who rose to great heights at a young age.

In the case of the Fourth Prince's rebellion, Liu Daxia stood in the wrong position and was liquidated afterwards. The person who took over as Minister of War was Liu Gongchuo.

Silent Cloud said calmly: "Your Majesty, although Ge Shuyi is responsible for underestimating the enemy's aggressive advance, the root cause of the defeat in this battle is that the initiative is in the hands of the barbarians. They rely on their own advantages to advance, attack and retreat. If we blindly insist on Passively defending, the 50,000 soldiers of the Xuanhua camp could not fill the border of more than 1,600 miles. Therefore, he took the initiative to seek a war based on the overall situation, but he was not fully prepared when facing the enemy."

Emperor Kaiping nodded slightly and motioned for him to step aside.

Both Wang Pingzhang and Gu Liang are not people who can talk on paper. The two of them can reach their current position by virtue of their outstanding military exploits. If they were not like this, they would not be able to convince the public.

Chen An paused for a moment and said in a low tone: "This battle broke out very suddenly. The barbarians seemed to know the marching route of Marshal Geshu very well. They used about 2,000 to 2,500 people to charge simultaneously from the east and west. It snowed heavily, and our army was not ready for battle. In addition, the individual barbarians were very fierce in combat. In the end, our army paid the price of more than 2,200 people killed in battle, and the rest were all injured and returned to the territory of Bao'an Mansion. Marshal Geshu He is not afraid of fighting, but he was seriously injured and is currently being treated in Baoanfu City."

Emperor Kaiping said coldly: "How do you want me to appease my anger? Those people are my subjects, but they have become slaves of those barbarians. If I don't kill them all, how can I face the people of the world?"

?”

After a short interlude, Chen An continued to talk about the situation of the war in Northern Xinjiang. Compared with the surprise when he heard the battle report before, he could no longer see anything strange at this moment, only a heaviness between his brows.

"Bang!"

Everyone couldn't help but look at the two Xifu military planes.

Pei Yue looked away, with a vague suspicion in his heart. It seemed that Liu Shangshu had a very deep background.

"Your Majesty, please calm down." The ministers persuaded in unison worriedly.

As we all know, in the court system of Daliang, due to the existence of the Fifth Military Governor's Office, the position of the Ministry of War has become extremely embarrassing, almost reduced to a Qingshui Yamen responsible for supervision and audit. Perhaps this is why Liu Daxia was always unwilling to remain silent in the past.

The reason is, however, Liu Gongchuo's acting style is completely different. He never shows off his behavior and is extremely cautious every time he speaks.

He raised his eyes and looked at Emperor Kaiping, saluted and said: "Your Majesty, this is what Luan Yiwei discovered in northern Xinjiang. A more detailed report will be sent within seven days."

Once upon a time, he was the one who introduced the situation on similar important occasions, but this time Chen An took the lead. Although there was nothing wrong with Silent Cloud's calm expression, this kind of new person replacing the old one was still embarrassing.

Silent Cloud bowed slightly and said: "Reporting to Your Majesty, Commander Chen's statement is generally correct. The urgent report from Kanbu that I received earlier today stated that after the battle ended five days ago, the barbarians disappeared in the wasteland again.

superior.

After paying the price of seven people being killed, Kanbu's spies found out that the barbarians had turned and headed towards the northern border of Yunzhou. At Xuanhua Camp, because Ge Shuyi was seriously injured and unable to take charge, deputy commander Guo Linxi is currently in charge of specific military affairs.

"

Wang Pingzhang also said: "Your Majesty, as an old minister of the West Government, I bear unshirkable responsibility for the unfavorable war in Northern Xinjiang. I beg your Majesty to convict and punish him."

Emperor Kaiping said quietly: "Although the barbarians are suffering from scabies, they cannot be allowed to invade the border and harm the people. How should we deal with this battle? Let us discuss it."

The ministers bowed to accept the order.

Emperor Kaiping took a breath and said: "After my brother Shuyi's injury improves, he will be ordered to return to Kyoto to wait for treatment. He will be relieved of his position as the head coach of the Xuanhua Camp and will be temporarily replaced by deputy commander Guo Linxi. A decision will be made after the war."

"According to the decree."

He looked at Emperor Kaiping and said unhurriedly: "Guo Linxi has a calm temperament. At present, he has withdrawn the soldiers from all the military stations on the border of Huazhou and Yunzhou, focusing on defending the passes in the northern parts of the two states. There is another thing worth noting.

Details, the barbarians went south this time not just to plunder supplies, but Kanbu’s spies also discovered that they had kidnapped many people from Daliang, and now I’m afraid they have taken them into the wilderness.”

Emperor Kaiping raised his hand and slapped it on the table, with real anger bursting out of his eyes.

"Commander Geshu believed that the barbarians did not have the strength to fight head-on, so he extended the front line with the intention of forming a larger encirclement and continuously compressing the barbarians' space for movement. On March 27, five days ago, in Huazhou

North of Bao'an Mansion, about sixty miles away in the wilderness, Marshal Geshu personally led five thousand infantry and encountered a barbarian raid."

The atmosphere in the Imperial Study Room was a little strange, and some people couldn't help but look at the middle-aged man who was standing solemnly in front of the Imperial Palace as usual.

However, at this time, Emperor Kaiping looked at Silent Cloud and asked, "Is there anything to add from Taige?"

Taishitai Pavilion is silent.

In fact, when Emperor Kaiping used the Lin Heyi case to put Luan Yiwei on the stage, many people expected this scene today.

After a brief silence, Wang Pingzhang said slowly: "Your Majesty, I believe that the barbarians have a small but elite force, and are especially familiar with the terrain of the wilderness. If they want to win in a single battle, they should use elite cavalry to entangle the enemy's main force, supplemented by infantry formations. A siege cannot give the other side a chance to wander leisurely in the wilderness."

This was a mature and prudent policy, and the others nodded in agreement.

As if he had a telepathic connection, Pei Yue raised his head and looked at the emperor behind the case, seeing some expectation in his eyes.

However, Pei Yue changed his past decisiveness and responsibility and did not choose to stand up and take the initiative to challenge.
Chapter completed!