Northern Dynasties Imperial Industry

Xialuju was not a large-scale military fort, but just a fort along the Zhuozhang River. With the influx of large groups of people, the fort suddenly became overcrowded.

Even if the fort is filled with people, it can only accommodate a few thousand disciples, and most of the other soldiers can only sleep outside the fort. Due to the hasty situation during the retreat, a large amount of felt materials were abandoned in the frontline camps. The camp soldiers sleeping outside could only use the sky as their curtain and the ground as their seats. Fortunately, it is mid-summer now, so even if you sleep outdoors, you can still survive.

The danger of going without food is more serious than having no place to sleep. The supply of food and grass before the war started was not much, and as the army withdrew, most of the food and grass that was not much was discarded. If Duan Shao's men on the left had not packaged and transported some supplies, the army would have evacuated here. I am afraid that I will run out of food in this world.

Even so, the army cannot currently supply sufficient food. Many soldiers can only gather firewood, fish and hunt around Xialuju, trying every means to obtain food, and this method is obviously not sustainable for a long time.

However, on the way to withdraw the troops, the emperor fainted from anger. Although Duan Shao, the king of Pingyuan, soon rushed to take charge of the overall situation, Duan Shao could only confine his troops to Xialiju for the time being. As for more decisions, he could only Wait until the emperor wakes up before asking for instructions.

Although the news of the emperor's coma did not spread to the entire army, it was basically known to the officers and soldiers of the Forbidden Army and some important generals. For fear of any unexpected changes, the entire Xialiju Fortress is now closely protected by the Forbidden Army soldiers. Even the generals are not allowed to enter or exit at will and can only wait anxiously outside the fortress.

In the early morning of the third day after the army retreated here, Duan Shao, who was temporarily in charge of military affairs, was called into the fortress to face the saint. After learning that the emperor finally woke up, Duan Shao was so excited that he left his military affairs behind the desk and rushed into the fortress immediately.

In front of the emperor's temporary residence in the fortress, dozens of monks were holding some kind of religious ceremony. Duan Shao was anxious to see the emperor and had no time to elaborate. When he saw Zhao Daode, Liu Taozhi and others outside the hall, he hurriedly stepped forward and asked in a low voice: "When will the Supreme Being wake up? Can the Holy Body be considered?"

"Your Majesty woke up in the middle of the night and summoned the generals to come in and ask about the matter. Because he was afraid of disturbing the king's affairs, he did not inform the king until early in the morning."

Zhao Daode quickly lowered his head and replied respectfully. He was previously detained in the army by He Baren, the king of Anding. After He Baren's division and brigade arrived at Xialuju, he was rescued by Duan Shao from the camp and regained his freedom. Therefore, he felt in his heart I am also very grateful to Duan Shao.

"Is the King of Pingyuan here? Invite him to see you."

Qi Lord Gao Yang's still weak tone came from the inner hall, and after hearing this, Duan Shao hurriedly walked in with his head lowered.

There was no strong smell of soup in the room, but the smell of sandalwood was very strong. Qi Lord Gao Yang was lying on his side on the couch. At both ends of the bed sat a solemn eminent monk, each chanting quickly and loudly. .

"I see your Majesty, how is your Majesty doing now?"

Duan Shao took a moment to take stock of the situation in the room, then walked in, bowed and respectfully asked.

Gao Yang looked sideways at Duan Shao who was worshiping in front of the couch with some difficulty. A wry smile appeared on his pale face, and then he sighed in a weak tone: "I didn't expect to be able to meet the king..."

"I am guilty of failing to defeat a powerful enemy, which led to rampant thieves and the destruction of the Holy Eucharist!"

After Duan Shao heard this, he paused deeply and said in a sad tone.

After hearing this, Gao Yang shook his head and sighed: "I am defeated by Wang Wuyou this time. The king had given advice before the battle. It's a pity..."

At this point, his voice suddenly stopped. If we really want to investigate the matter of this defeat, then there is no doubt that Gao Yang will bear the main responsibility. He was too impatient and radical, always thinking of defeating his opponent in the shortest time and fastest speed, but instead he was taken advantage of by the opponent. He tried to counteract this mentality, but instead of defeating the enemy, he was defeated.

With Gao Yang's arrogance, it was difficult for him to admit his mistakes and failures in front of others. After a pause, he ignored the topic and turned to Duan Shaofa and asked: "What is the current military situation? Qiang thieves. Did you take the opportunity to continue the attack?”

"Today, more than 90,000 soldiers and horses have retreated. After a short rest, they still have the strength to fight. If we recruit more carefully in the future, we hope to gather more troops. Although the Qiang thieves were lucky enough to be temporarily defeated, But he didn’t dare to attack again.”

Duan Shao quickly reported again.

The Qi army invested nearly 160,000 troops in this battle, but due to the hasty defeat, a considerable part of the army was not even sent to the battlefield, and the army was defeated here.

Precisely because of this, the real casualties of the Qi army on the battlefield were not many compared to the overall strength of the army. The main casualties occurred in the frontal battlefield confrontation of the Chinese army where Gao Yang was personally in charge. The damage directly on the battlefield was There were more than 10,000 soldiers. As for the soldiers who were lost due to other reasons, it is difficult to make detailed statistics.

Secondly, He Baren's troops were pursued by the enemy on the way back. Although the actual casualties caused by the enemy were relatively limited, many frightened soldiers jumped into the river to escape or fled in other directions. In addition, they were captured by the enemy. The soldiers who returned suffered losses of tens of thousands.

Several casualties and losses were accumulated. Although there were tens of thousands of soldiers, due to the large base of Qi's army, there were still nearly 100,000 troops gathered in Xialiju at present, and the strength was still very impressive.

When Gao Yang heard this, his mood became even more complicated, and he sighed sadly: "After such a great victory, we can still guard against arrogance, impetuosity, and use our troops cautiously. This Li Boshan is really a stubborn enemy."

He rarely expressed his admiration to people sincerely, but after this battle, although he was still a little unwilling in his heart, he had to admit that Li Boshan far surpassed his past opponents and surpassed him.

After calming down for a while, Gao Yang looked at Duan Shao and said, "According to what the king sees, the situation is now at this point. How should we deal with the situation and resist the bandits next?"

After Duan Shao heard this question, he was silent for a long time before speaking again: "Now that Jianzhou and Jinzhou have been lost one after another, Jinyang should be safe and sound, but the arrogant words of the Qiang thieves that shook the morale of the army must also be investigated. Today, the thieves are fierce and stubborn, and all parties in our country are under control. If we want to solve the trouble quickly, I am afraid it will be very difficult..."

After hearing this, Gao Yang's eyes suddenly became a little gloomy. As he retreated from the battlefield, he had to admit that there was little chance of reversing the disadvantageous situation with a quick victory. Wei Jun's situation in the border confrontation The dominant position will surely continue for some time.

"In the current confrontation with thieves, we can no longer covet the outcome of a battle. Even if Wusu is recovered, there are still Qinyuan, Pingyang and other fortresses on the way back. The only current plan is to focus on prevention and build a strong wall here. However, the bandits are outside the border, so I can rest for a while and accumulate strength, and then I can fight back and regain the lost territory."

Duan Shao said in a heavy tone, although there are still nearly 100,000 troops gathered here, the morale of the army is completely different from before. If we continue to insist on the battle of the large army, and it is unfavorable to fight again, It may be a real disaster for Northern Qi.

Therefore, the most important thing at the moment is no longer how to defeat the enemy and regain the lost territory, but to try to avoid a war, gain some breathing space, and wait until the situation slows down before trying to counterattack.

After Gao Yang heard Duan Shao's opinion, he frowned and was silent for a long time. After a while, he spoke again solemnly: "Although I have the intention to kill the thief, but my current posture is like this... I will give all the military power here to the king." , please the king must work hard to maintain it, and don’t laugh at my king and ministers for their weakness and difficulty in controlling thieves and bandits.”

After Duan Shao heard this, he quickly nodded in agreement. He also saw that the emperor's current state made it difficult for him to control the army himself. It was a blessing to be able to discuss military affairs and state affairs without losing his mind. It would have been like the expedition to Heluo back then. Like the Yuwen black otter who died suddenly on the road, the situation must be even more dangerous.

Gao Yang summoned Duan Shao this time not just for the current military issues, but also for other reasons. But relatively speaking, this other reason made it even more difficult for her to talk about it.

However, considering that his physical condition was no longer optimistic, after weighing it up, he still sighed and said: "If we can defeat the invading Qiang thieves this time and show our country's prestige, the whole country will be happy. Worry about the future. Unfortunately, I am not victorious now, but I am suffering from serious diseases, and I am afraid that my life will not be repaired. The prince is young and has not reached the prime of life. If misfortune occurs again, who should I pay for the long-term plan of my family and country? Do you have any good ideas to teach me?"

When Duan Shao heard the emperor's words, he suddenly felt a chill descending from his head. In this sweltering midsummer room, he felt chills all over his body. No matter how dull he was, he knew that this question was difficult to answer. Although the emperor asked for advice, he could not really give blind advice based on the matter.

"Your Majesty is overly concerned. The reason why the holy body is in ill condition today is just because the military affairs are not going well and it happens to be hot and dry. It only needs a little care. After returning, the energy will be smooth and people will be able to do things smoothly. Everything can be done according to the capacity." It’s up to the fool to decide what to do.”

Duan Shao buried his head deeply between his arms and said in a deep voice.

Of course Gao Yang hoped that this would be the case, but this was not the answer he wanted to hear from Duan Shao, so after hearing Duan Shao's answer, a hint of gloom and disappointment flashed in his eyes.

He quickly concealed his disappointment, and then said: "I heard that when King Anding's brigade returned, they were carelessly unprepared and were ambushed by the bandit army, resulting in numerous casualties. I really ordered I am angry and disappointed. I am too sick to see anything. Please help me deal with this matter, so that I don’t lose the hope of others!”

After Duan Shao heard this, he frowned in embarrassment, but he couldn't refuse, so he could only nod and accept the matter.