Drive a RV and go farming in ancient times.

Of course Gu Huanxi understood that even if the battle was not fought as expected, the court would conceal those dissatisfactions and exaggerate the results of the victory as much as possible.

What's more, this battle was fought quite well. The city was captured at the lowest cost, and it can be justified no matter where we talk about it.

The only drawback is that the rebels ran away. If only a few remnants of the defeated army ran away, it would not be a big deal. But if they retreated tactically, preserving most of their manpower and being able to make a comeback at any time, that would be disheartening.

"Didn't you chase them?"

"How could they not chase them?" Xu Huaiyi shook his head, looking worried. "They say you should not chase a desperate enemy, but as soon as the rebels retreated, Master ordered people to chase them. But I guess they couldn't catch up. When they retreated, they were very orderly. It was obvious that they had planned and prepared in advance. Perhaps they didn't intend to defend the city from the beginning."

Gu Huanxi was stunned for a moment. "You mean, their goal is not to occupy the city and advance towards the capital little by little, but... to attract the troops from the capital and contain them?"

Xu Huaiyi said "hmm", "That's my guess. Of course, the rebels did this to ruin the reputation of the court and the emperor, so as to stir up trouble. Now that they have escaped, it will be difficult to wipe them out in a short time. Well, you just wait and see. It's too early for these 80,000 people to return to Beijing."

As soon as they left, the rebels who had escaped would come out again to cause trouble. They didn't need to confront the imperial army head-on. Provoking them from time to time and fighting guerrilla warfare would be enough to delay them.

Gu Huanxi frowned when he heard this, "Then you will have to waste time there too?"

Xu Huaiyi said gloomily, "I don't know. It depends on Master's opinion and the court's arrangement. Maybe it's better not to go back now. I can avoid the trouble in the palace and save myself from being in a dilemma.

When you realize something is wrong, take the children to live in the hot spring manor for a while. No matter what happens in the capital, you don't have to worry about it. Wait until the winner is decided and there is a definite result, then go back and ask Han Jun to transfer all the guards to protect you."

"Let's talk about it later." Gu Huanxi didn't want to think about it for the time being, and instead reminded him, "But you, if you stay, you have to think carefully about how to deal with King Qi. He went there with all his efforts, can he be willing to return empty-handed?"

Speaking of this, Xu Huaiyi had a headache. "Sometimes, I wish he would just let the assassin kill him, and put an end to it, so that I don't have to worry about all this."

"Then you will be charged with lax protection, right?"

"That's better than dealing with him. Anyway, I have made contributions, and the court hasn't rewarded me yet. At worst, the merits and demerits will offset each other, and I won't lose or gain anything."

Gu Huanxi was puzzled, "Are you that scared? You are a military commander, don't you want to be in charge of the military power?"

Xu Huaiyi sighed, "Military power is too sensitive. Anyone who gets involved will be in danger. Only Prince Qi is confused and thinks it is a good thing. He can't see that it is a death warrant."

"When you went to fight the Japanese pirates before, you were active and tried to win people's hearts?"

"It was a different time. I didn't think too much about it at the time. I wanted to be popular and cooperate well in battle so that no one would hold me back. How unfair would that be? As for later, it was all a coincidence. I wanted to earn military merits and climb up the ladder, so I had to perform well.

In the army, everyone admires the strong. They like me, so of course they will curry favor with me. But after I returned to Beijing and was awarded the title, apart from a few classmates and friends, which military officer did I have close contact with? "

"Okay, as long as you know what's going on. If you can't make up your mind, go ask your master. I don't understand the world of men anyway." She really had no interest in fighting and killing, fighting for power and profit. "Just don't lose your wife and children."

Xu Huaiyi immediately came forward and expressed his determination and loyalty.

Gu Huanxi waved his hand, yawned, and urged him to get back to business.

Xu Huaiyi flashed out of the RV, called Wei Liang in, and asked about the follow-up of the war.

Wei Liang had already inquired about it and was waiting for him to wake up to ask questions. He pretended to be unconscious and told him everything that had happened up to that point.

Only then did Xu Huaiyi realize that the troops they had chased out not only failed to catch the rebels, but also fell into a trap and suffered a small loss. In the end, the rebels escaped successfully, while the court army returned in disgrace.

This news cannot be concealed even if one intends to.

"Master Sun is very angry, right?"

Wei Liang nodded, "He got angry at General Li who led the team to chase the rebels, and scolded everyone. He also beat those who were greedy for merit and rushed forward with fifty military sticks. If it weren't for Prince Qi who stopped them, I'm afraid they would have lost their lives."

"Prince Qi? Why is he everywhere?" Xu Huaiyi frowned irritably, "What is he going to do? To curry favor? He really doesn't know how to choose the right time."

Pleading for mercy also depends on the occasion and the severity of the matter. The army's failure in pursuing the rebels must be explained. Not punishing them is not enough to appease the people. Doesn't King Qi even understand this?

Wei Liang said, "King Qi put most of the blame on the rebels, scolding them for being cunning and despicable, retreating to advance, and setting an ambush that injured our troops. If they really had the ability, they would fight openly. It is really despicable that they fled in panic and did such a despicable thing..."

Xu Huaiyi's mouth twitched when he heard this. Wars are full of lies and truths, so what's wrong with setting an ambush? In order to clear himself of any responsibility, he can really come up with any excuse. Do you think everyone else is a fool? It would be wiser to simply admit his mistakes at this time than to shirk responsibility. Unfortunately, King Qi didn't understand.

"What happened next? What did my master arrange?"

"General Sun temporarily let the army rest in the city. Some of them repaired the city walls, some took over the government office, and some sorted out the city's law and order to prevent any escapees from causing chaos. The injured soldiers were also placed in appropriate places."

After hearing this, Xu Huaiyi could no longer lie still, so he told Wei Liang, "Go to the master's tent and check. If the master is asleep, don't disturb him. If the light is still on, come back and let him know."

Wei Liang agreed and left.

How could Sun Yu sleep? He was pacing back and forth in the tent. When he saw Wei Liang and heard him say that Xu Huaiyi had woken up, his frown suddenly relaxed. Without waiting for Wei Liang to go back and pass on the message, he put on his cloak and left with him.

In just a quarter of an hour, Xu Huaiyi not only waited for Wei Liang, but also Sun Yu, who looked hurried. Just as he was about to get out of bed to salute, someone raised his hand to stop him.

"Lie down well. The doctor said that you need to take ten days or half a month to recover from this illness. Otherwise, it will leave a root of the disease and affect your future leadership in battles. Don't be careless."

"Yes, master..."

I was so excited that I forgot that he was still a delicate patient. Doctor Jiao's medicine was really effective.

Sun Yu sat beside the bed and asked about his physical condition with concern. Seeing that he was in good spirits, he breathed a sigh of relief and then talked about business. "The rebels were not caught and were ambushed. You heard about it, right?"

Xu Huaiyi nodded. "Wei Liang told me what happened to General Li. He is usually mature and steady, and not a reckless person. How could he be ambushed?"

Sun Yu said angrily, "What else could have happened? He got carried away because of his complacency, thinking that the rebels had been defeated and no longer a concern. He was also instigated by his deputy general and lost his mind. He only cared about taking the credit, and fell into the trap. It's a pity that I, the master, entrusted him with such an important task. I was blind. If I had known earlier, I would have handed it over to Zhao Sanyou and Li Yunting..."

The two were the main force in this siege. They were full of vigor and unstoppable, but they were too young. Sun Yu was worried that they would not be able to win the support of the people, so he sent General Li to go. Unexpectedly, he was severely slapped in the face.

"It would be great if you didn't faint..." It would be most reassuring to leave it to Xu Huaiyi.

Xu Huaiyi smiled bitterly, "It is already the limit for me to hold on until the city is breached. Even if I don't faint, I don't have the energy left to lead the troops to pursue the rebels."

Do you think his contribution is not high enough? He dare not snatch it again.

Sun Yu immediately felt guilty, "Thank you for your hard work last night. You took such a big risk and suffered so much. I am sorry for you..."

Xu Huaiyi interrupted, "How can this be Master's fault? I took the initiative to ask for it. Besides, wealth and honor are achieved through risk. I have not suffered any loss. I would like to thank Master for giving me this opportunity."

"Huai Yi..."

"Master, you really don't have to blame yourself. I was willing to do it. In order to reduce casualties, someone has to go blow up the city gate, right? Besides, it was I who proposed this method. It's only natural for me to do it. Everyone's life is a life. I have a certain ability to protect myself, and my hope of surviving is much greater than that of others. So, who else but me?"

The more he heard him say this, the more guilty Sun Yu felt. He patted his shoulder and took a deep breath, "Don't worry, no one can take away the credit that belongs to you. The master has asked people to remember it. This time, you should be the first to gain credit for breaking the city."

Xu Huaiyi said with a tangled look on his face, "We didn't capture many rebels, is it appropriate to ask for credit?"

Sun Yu said, "One thing is one thing. I am asking for credit for you because you recaptured the city occupied by the rebels. This is the credit for recovering lost territory. As for the failure in pursuing the rebels, that has nothing to do with you. It is because of your poor command. I will take the responsibility."

"master……"

"Alright, Master, I know what's going on. You don't have to worry about me. The court will at most reprimand me, but they won't really do anything to me. After all..." He laughed at himself, "Destroying the city is also a great victory. The merits and demerits can be offset. And we still have to count on you to continue chasing the rebels in the future."

If we remove him, who will replace him?

In the court, who would seriously want to fight? They were all busy fighting among themselves, eyeing the position in the palace so that they could win the credit of being a follower of the emperor.

The merit of following the dragon is much greater than the benefits gained from fighting the rebels. No one is a fool. How can they throw away the watermelon in their hands for a sesame seed?

Xu Huaiyi understood what he meant, but didn't know how to comfort him, so he changed the subject, "Disciple heard that King Qi asked you for mercy? How did he intervene?"

Hearing this, Sun Yu snorted coldly, with a hint of suppressed annoyance in his tone, "He saw victory was within reach, and he couldn't wait to pick the peaches."

Xu Huaiyi complained speechlessly, "You really don't have any taboos at all."

Sun Yu whispered, "It's already this time, I'm afraid he can't take care of it anymore. If he continues to avoid suspicion, he won't have any chance at all."

If the royal descendants fail in the struggle, the only choice is death, or a life worse than death, so they must fight hard before the outcome is revealed.

Xu Huaiyi blinked, "The situation in the capital...is even more tense?"

Sun Yu nodded, "You and I both know who is behind this rebel army. Originally, I thought that the purpose of the rebels' rebellion was to slander the emperor's reputation and majesty, and it was also a retreat for the King of Chu after his defeat. They could use the occupied cities as a barrier to oppose the court, and even divide the world in the future...

But now, I don’t think so.

"Master, you are still oversimplifying things. The King of Chu's goal is not here, but the capital, the palace. These rebels, under the banner of rebellion, are not trying to occupy the city, but to contain us. Now the court has sent 100,000 troops out of the capital. How many imperial guards are left in the capital?"

His face was solemn as he answered his own question, "Less than 100,000, and some of them are spoiled young masters who have been blessed by their families. They are usually too lazy to train, and have no combat effectiveness at all. Relying on them to guard the capital and the palace..."

Xu Huaiyi said cautiously, "It's not that serious, right? Besides, if we can guess it, how could the emperor not think of it?"

Sun Yu sighed, "What can we do? The imperial court only has so many soldiers and horses, and they are stretched thin everywhere. Although the north is negotiating with the Tartars, the army cannot be transferred away. It's the same here. Believe it or not, as soon as we leave, those rebels will pop up again to claim territory and rule over us.

The garrison in the south cannot be moved either. We have to guard against the Japanese pirates' return.

In short, everyone has their own responsibilities, and any unauthorized transfer of them may cause major chaos. Compared with internal troubles, external worries cannot be ignored.

so……"

He didn't say anything else, but his unfinished words were obvious.

They were powerless to deal with the chaos in the capital and could only rely on the emperor and the court to find a way to resolve it.

Xu Huaiyi said, "One hundred thousand people is not a small number. Even if we eliminate those who are unreliable, there should be at least 70,000 or 80,000 people who can fight, right?

"Seventy or eighty thousand people can't defend the capital? The city wall that is more than ten meters high was built in vain."

Anyway, he felt that Emperor Jianxing was cunning and treacherous. To be able to sit on the Diaoyutai, he must have made some arrangements. Maybe he had already seen through the King of Chu's plan and was ready to catch the King of Chu in one fell swoop when he took action.

Sun Yu was worried. "The capital city is indeed impregnable. It won't be a problem to defend it for a year or two. But the question is, what if the chaos starts from inside?"

Then what’s the point of guarding the city gate?

Xu Huaiyi said, "That would require a lot of people, right? How did so many people get into the city?"

Sun Yu said, "There is still a way."

"What can I do?"

"For example, the secret passage..."

Sure enough, just as he guessed, there must be a secret passage in the Prince of Chu's Palace leading directly to the outside of the city. With the secret passage, the troops could be brought into the city without anyone noticing. It wouldn't take too many, just about 10,000 elite soldiers to cause chaos in the capital.

If there are still people in the palace, attacking from both inside and outside, it is hard to say how the situation will develop.

The master and the disciple did not continue talking, each having their own thoughts. Xu Huaiyi did not want to care. The royal family members were fighting among themselves and did not care about the lives of the people, so let them fight. It would have nothing to do with him whether they were killed or maimed.

Sun Yu, on the other hand, did his best and left the rest to fate. He had already submitted a secret memorial, and as for what the emperor would do, he could not control it even if he wanted to.

"Master, are you still chasing the rebels?"

"Well, tomorrow I will ask Zhao Sanyou and Li Yunting to lead a team to look for them. However, the hope is not great. Those rebels have already arranged a retreat. Once they break up into small groups and go deep into the mountains, we will be unable to catch them. They have the advantage of terrain, and we will be in a passive position."

"Then continue the siege? There are still two left..."

"Of course we have to attack, it's best to take advantage of this momentum and take them all down in one go."

"What about blowing up the city gate?"

"You should take good care of your injuries. I will take care of this matter."