Upon hearing their lord's remarks, Guo Xin felt as if the earth shook and the sky turned upside down. His mind was filled with a cacophony of sounds, like the beating of drums and cymbals. Suddenly, a deafening buzzing filled the air.
Among the four present today, Bi Yan and Yang Zu were both descendants of military families who served generations in Liaodong. They had been good friends with Gongsun Yuan since they were young. Liu Pu, the son of Liu Yi, was also a descendant of a high-ranking family in Liaodong. He had grown up together with Gongsun Yuan.
At the age of forty, Guo Xin, as the representative of the scholars in Liaodong, was invited to emerge from retirement by Gongsun Yuan after he usurped the power from his uncle, Gongsun Gong, and was appointed to the position of Chief of the Army and Cavalry Commander.
In their hearts, they also felt touched by Gongsun Yuan's former ambitious dreams of becoming a "smaller version" of Guan Zhong or Xiao He in this remote region of Liaodong.
But now that Gongsun Yuan was so timid on the inside while showing a fierce appearance, planning to invade the east to avoid the Wei troops, how could Guo Xin accept this? After the illusion of a wise ruler and loyal minister faded, even the appearance of Gongsun Yuan in his eyes seemed uglier.
Guo Xin's lips trembled slightly, and he forgot to bow: "How can Lord Gongsun just flee like this? Isn't that selling General Gongsun at Liaotui?"
Gongsun Yuan had never expected Guo Xin to express opposition. On the inside, he felt weak and on the surface, he still pretended to be strong: "What do you mean by fleeing? Preserving one's usefulness for future opportunities is not fleeing!"
"Currently, the situation is perilous, and all of you are my closest confidants and pillars. I humbly request your continued support as in the past."
"Reinforce the troops, mobilize the grain, and set out eastward as soon as tomorrow!"
"Although the times have changed and it is no longer the era of the chaotic end of the Han Dynasty when 'the ruler chooses his minister, and the minister chooses his ruler,' Gongsun Yuan's evident retreat still caused doubts among his few trusted followers."
At the moment of hesitation, Ji Yan and Yang Zu stood up and moved closer to Gongsun Yuan. Liu Pu got up and sat cross-legged next to Gongsun Yuan. He lowered his voice and said with an air of persuasion:
"Your servant understands Lord Gongsun's intentions. With the powerful strength of the Wei army, it is a reasonable move for Lord Gongsun to seek shelter in the east. However, if we rush to launch an expedition tomorrow, not only will the soldiers be uncertain in their hearts, but there will also be no time to inspect the grain and military supplies. The chances of victory in battle may be slim."
With the input from Liu Pu and the others, Gongsun Yuan knew through reason that winning in the east would be difficult. The facade he had maintained through bluster quickly collapsed.
Taking a deep sigh, Gongsun Yuan fell back into his seat and sighed, "The Gongsun family has held Liaodong for fifty years. Both my father and grandfather were even more disrespectful to the Cao family than I am. Cao Cao and Cao Pi never mobilized troops against Liaodong."
"I merely declined the invitation from Wei Emperor Cao Ruini, how could they truly march on me?" Gongsun Yuan looked at everyone in disbelief and said, "When I usurped the throne, you all assisted me. Now, help me think of a way to escape this crisis!"
Ji Yan pursed his lips and proposed, "In my humble opinion, the Lord is correct. It is indeed not advisable to resist the advance of the Wei army. Taking cover is the right choice. There are numerous fortified cities in Gokusoku that are difficult to capture. Why not head northeast to Fuyu instead?"
"Fuyu has always been loyal to the Lord. When the late Lord was here, he even married a princess of the royal family to the king of Fuyu. Moreover, the jade box for their royal succession is stored in Xuanyu Prefecture!"
Yang Zhuo looked at Ji Yan and said sternly, "Fuyu people cannot be trusted! When the Lord's power was strong, they kept low profile. Now that they are relying on someone else, they will definitely turn against the Lord and harm him. Have you forgotten how Chen Siang and Chen Xī were killed?"
How did they die?
The Gongsun family of Liaodong had once been compliant to the Yuan family. After Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi fled to Liaodong, they were beheaded by Gongsun Kang and their heads were sent to Cao Cao in exchange for the purple sash and golden seal of a Left General and Marquis of Xiaoping.
That was still because of the Gongsun family's own actions.
Seeing that the discussion among the group had reached an impasse, Guo Xin, whose wisdom and political strategies were among the best, closed his eyes and sighed lightly. Before the enemy troops even arrived at Liaotui or Xiaoping, the Lord had already lost his will to fight. If they tried to forcefully change his opinion, it would probably be difficult to defend Liaotui and Xiaoping.
As the status of the ruler and minister had already been established, how could they neglect it in times of crisis? The current solution is to find ways to assist the Lord and Generals in exhausting their forces and retreating eastward!
Guo Xin stood up and bowed, his voice a bit hoarse, "If the Lord wishes to campaign against Gokusoku, my lord has a strategy."
There are always some people in this world who lack great wisdom but are full of small cleverness. Gongsun Yuan is one of those people.
Upon hearing that Guo Xin had switched to the term 'campaigning against Gokusoku,' Gongsun Yuan knew that Guo Xin had changed his mind. Rising up in three steps, he took two steps forward and grabbed Guo Xin's hand.
"Please enlighten me, Chief of the Army and Cavalry Commander!"
Guo Xin said, "The Wei army has come from afar and does not know the true situation in Liaodong. Moreover, with the vast Liaozai marshes, the rapid flow of the Liao River, and the towering walls of Liaotui, plus the thirty miles of surrounding ditches on the east bank of the Liao River, there is no way Liaotui can be abandoned temporarily!"
Gongsun Yuan's eyes brightened: "Chief of the Army and Cavalry Commander, your suggestion is to use Liaotui to delay our enemies for a longer period of time?"
"Right!" Guo Xin said, "There are three urgent tasks that should be addressed at present. I kindly request that the Lord comply with my proposal."
Gongsun Yuan nodded repeatedly, "As long as we can hold out until the Wei army retreats, it doesn't matter if it's three things or thirty things, I can agree to all of them!"
Guo Xin spoke in a hoarse voice, "The first thing is to immediately dispatch the garrisons of all the cities south of Liaotui to arrive at Liaotui as soon as possible. With the garrison of Liaotui reaching its full strength of ten thousand. Furthermore, gather a total of one million soldiers, including both horsemen from Xiangping and those from Xuanfu Prefecture, and have them all sent to the top of the city of Liaotui!"
Gongsun Yuan was about to change his expression when he recalled what he had said a few moments ago. He gritted his teeth and asked with difficulty, "Can all the horsemen be sent to Liaotui? These are my lifeblood!"
"The Wei army is powerful, and ten thousand foot soldiers cannot hold the Liao River encirclement. Horsemen must be used to support them, so that they can withstand at all times," Guo Xin said seriously. "If the horsemen are not sent out, once the encirclement at the Liao River is breached, the Wei army could completely abandon Liaotui and directly head for Xiangping!"
Gongsun Yuan seriously thought for a long time before nodding, "I accept your proposal! If the situation turns unfavorable, we can still withdraw the horsemen in time. With ten thousand foot soldiers, losing some is nothing!"
Guo Xin sighed deeply at heart, but still tried to stay calm and said, "In order to launch the campaign with a justifiable reason, we need to come up with a pretext to attack Gokusoku. Lord Gongsun, the second thing is to forge a letter from the king of Gokusoku that shows disrespect towards you. This way we can lead our troops on a campaign."
Gongsun Yuan turned to Liu Pu: "Bo Ming, you handle this matter!" Liu Pu immediately agreed.
Guo Xin continued, "The third thing is to immediately issue an order for the four prefectures to conscript the people and collect their manpower and resources within five days to launch a three-pronged attack on Gokusoku!"
"Lead the center route with 20,000 infantry following the Grand Canal eastward to pressure E-shenggu city."
"Qi Jin will lead 4,000 infantry in Xuanfu Prefecture as the northern route, advancing east along the Hun River to rendezvous with the Lord at E-shenggu city."
"Hou will lead 4,000 Yalang troops and Dafang troops to reach Xianping first, then advance northeast along Ma Zi River, directly pointing towards the capital city of Baludu."
"Lord Gongsun," Guo Xin said seriously: "Leave the food necessary for the winter and early spring for the people, but take all the other food with us. Don't leave anything for Wei's troops. After capturing Gokusoku, we can counterattack in winter!"
Gongsun Yuan nodded repeatedly like a chicken pecking at grains, bowing deeply to Guo Xin and said, "Chief of the Army and Cavalry Commander, your wisdom is unparalleled! The Liaodong kingdom relies entirely on your rescue!"
After saying that, Gongsun Yuan stood up and looked at Ji Yan and Yang Zhuo: "Gentlemen, who among you can lead the mounted troops to aid Liaotui?"
Guo Xin is the type who comes up with ideas and doesn't have to do the dirty and hard work himself. It's easier to overcome his psychological barriers. However, Ji Yan and Yang Zhuo are not crooked individuals but merely generals who are on good terms with Gongsun Yuan.
If they go to Liaotui, it would truly be selling Gongsun Yan out and escaping eastward with the cavalry. Even if they rely on the speed of the horses and don't face any life-threatening danger, they might be cursed by the people of Liaodong for a hundred years!
Seeing the two men in silence, Gongsun Yuan became anxious and stomped his feet, "If you two don't go, who can I trust? Please help me out!"
Ji Yan gritted his teeth and said first, "I am willing to relieve the Lord's burden! If I die in Liaotui, my clan relies on the Lord for protection!"
Gongsun Yuan bowed to Ji Yan again.
......
On the twenty-fifth day of the fifth month, Emperor Cao Ru led his large army to continue eastward along the southern shore of Liaozai.
On the twenty-first evening, as the vanguard of Sun Li's light cavalry sent scouts back with army reports, which were handed to Emperor Cao Ru by Man Chong.
Emperor Cao Ru frowned slightly: "There are defensive ditches about thirty li on the east bank of the Liao River?"
"Is Gongsun Yuan really dumb from the winter in Liaodong? How can he defend a thirty-li long trench? Three or five li might be feasible. Guarding everywhere means leaking everywhere!"
Man Chong's face also carried a mocking tone: "Liaodong is a narrow and confined place. How could the people of Gongsun family have much insight?"
"Our Great Wei dynasty has been established for ten years, and Emperor Wu's military campaigns have lasted for fifty years. There have been countless major and minor battles, encounters, counterattacks, land battles, and naval engagements. The strategy and tactics passed down to us today are far beyond the reach of the edge dwellers of Liaodong."
Sima Yi nodded and interjected, "General Man is exactly right. I have observed that the Gongsun family of Liaodong has always been engaged in battles with the Huns, the Gokuryo people, and other barbarians such as the Baekje."
"In such battles, as long as one has the advantages of weapons, armor, and trained soldiers, they can succeed. How many strategies do they need? After 50 years without using military strategies, even if Gongsun Yuan is an extraordinary talent, how can he command an army?"
"Gongsun Yuan is on the brink of defeat!"
Hearing the words of Man Chong and Sima Yi, Emperor Cao Ru naturally agreed from the bottom of his heart.
The Great Wei has been fighting with the Shu Han and Wu for several decades, so they are well-acquainted with each other. Both sides have experienced victories and defeats in battles among generals who are familiar with each other.
The Great Wei has its own military strategies and profound insights, while Wu and Shu also have a wide range of tactical maneuvers. Both sides emerged from the chaotic end of the Eastern Han Dynasty to reach the finals, so there is little difference in their experience and perspectives.
The Gongsun family in Liaodong is different.
The end of the Eastern Han Dynasty and the beginning of the Wei Dynasty were the largest disturbances after the border between Han and Wei. Military strategies, military tactics, laws and regulations, and plans had all made significant progress.
Emperor Wu Cao personally wrote a military strategy and issued it to the army. Emperor Cao Rui himself had personally experienced and half commanded a battle involving 200,000 troops. His vision and awareness were far beyond those of the people of Liaodong.
Not to mention, among the troops there are experienced veterans like Man Chong overseeing military affairs, and wise men such as Sima Yi, Xu Zhi, and Pei Qian contributing to military strategy.
How can Gongsun Yuan think he can block the large army with only a thirty-li defensive trench?
Fantasy.
However, Emperor Cao Rui did not boast about Gongsun Yuan's strange defense strategy. He said calmly, "In any case, we still need to fight a real battle with real swords and spears to count it as a victory."
"The thirty-li defensive trench will still cause some trouble. When the army has gathered and broken through the trench, you can come back and say good things to the emperor." (This chapter ends)
