bookrebus Chapter 360 Turmoil and Storms
Chapter 360 Turmoil and Storms
Xi Fenglie quickly tied his belt, while Gore rushed in, looking extremely flustered.
"what happened?"
Xi Fenglie asked, frowning.
Gore, panting heavily, blurted out in a panic, "Your Highness, things are dire! We just received a report from scouts that the Northern Emperor dispatched his troops last night straight towards Hanyang City. Moreover, 200,000 Great Zhou cavalry, led by Feng Yang and lurking on the border of Dayong, have begun to approach Hanyang City. Your Highness, they are planning a combined attack on Hanyang City! We must think of a countermeasure quickly, or it will be too late! At their marching speed, with hundreds of thousands of cavalry, speed is of the essence. They may arrive at Hanyang City by tomorrow evening. At that time, the Northern Emperor's 500,000-strong army will be at the city gates. Your Highness, we have less than 25 men in the city, I'm afraid..."
"Has Emperor Beizun gone mad? What business does he have attacking Tiansheng Pass? He's even brought the war all the way to my Hanyang City?"
Xi Fenglie couldn't help but roar. He had seen that Di Beizun had been targeting Tian Sheng for the past month or two, sweeping through the northeastern part of Tian Sheng with overwhelming force. He thought that Di Beizun was clearly going to fight Tian Sheng. On the surface, he only said that he wanted to punish their Great Liao. He didn't expect that Di Beizun would actually attack them directly. This really caught him off guard!
"Your Highness, the Northern Emperor is known for his unpredictable tactics in battle. This old minister has no idea what his intentions are. According to reports from scouts at the front, his hundreds of thousands of troops are extremely aggressive. They possess new siege weapons, and their hundreds of thousands of light cavalry are equipped with powerful crossbow formations, thunderbolt formations, and wind-controlling formations, making them formidable fighters. If we are trapped in the city, we will be in dire straits. Moreover, food supplies in the city are already running low. If they control the main roads and besiege us, our situation will be extremely precarious!"
"Your Highness, the Northern Emperor is currently employing a strategy of sustaining the war through war, so the issue of food shortages will not affect them. We must devise a countermeasure as soon as possible, or it will be too late!"
Gosu appeared very nervous and exhausted.
Ever since he learned that the Liao army of 500,000 men at Hangu Pass had been almost completely wiped out and that Ge Su had been killed by Sikong Jin, he had a vague feeling that their Liao's great eastern expedition plan was probably impossible to realize. Moreover, His Highness the Crown Prince had just recovered from his injuries and it was not advisable to start another war!
Hearing Gore's words, Xifeng Lie couldn't help but take a deep breath. He calmed down and looked at Gore, asking, "So what do you think I should do now?"
"Your Highness, in my humble opinion, since the defeat at Hangu Pass, our eastward expedition plan has been shattered. Further eastward advance is utterly pointless. Moreover, a few days ago, the Emperor sent a secret letter to the court, stating that several powerful noble families within the Shenxi region seem to be showing signs of rebellion. Sikong Jin's army has already captured Tashe City and Patan City and is continuing its westward advance. Faced with such internal and external troubles, our Liao Dynasty's eastward expedition plan is even more detrimental. Forgive my bluntness, Your Highness, but we have no choice but to abandon our eastward expedition plan. Now, our clearest option is to withdraw all troops, quell the internal conflicts and uprisings within the Shenxi region, and defend the border!"
Gore said with deep concern, paused, and continued, "The Northern Emperor's army is currently at its peak, unstoppable. Rather than fighting them to the death, it would be better to sacrifice a pawn to save the pawn. We should simply give up Hanyang City and let the Great Zhou and the Heavenly Saint fight to the death while we watch from the sidelines! We should immediately reorganize our troops and withdraw from Hanyang City, retreating north of the Jiangxi Fortress. The Heavenly Saint's defenses are weaker there. If things don't go well, we can use the strategy of sustaining ourselves through war, without worrying about supplies, and smoothly retreat back to the Great Liao!"
"Your Highness, time is of the essence. We must make a decision immediately, or it will be too late!"
Gore looked extremely flustered. During the Battle of Hangu Pass, Gosu's hundreds of thousands of troops, who were originally confident of victory, were almost completely wiped out. They were defeated by the fierce fighting power of the Third Northern Army of the Great Zhou Emperor. Moreover, Gosu's army was among the top-tier troops in the various tribes of the Great Liao. It was astonishing that they were so easily defeated. Even though they still had more than 200,000 elite troops of the Great Liao, these were the life-saving measures of the Great Liao!
Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, we must not confront the Great Zhou head-on, otherwise, the consequences will be unimaginable! Especially under such circumstances of internal and external troubles!
Upon hearing Gore's words, Xifeng Lie's gaze instantly darkened. He stared at Gore, remained silent for a long while, and then said, "According to you, our Great Liao has no choice but to retreat?"
"Yes, Your Highness! In my humble opinion, this is the best and only way!"
Gore bowed and clasped his hands in greeting.
Xi Fenglie let out a cold laugh, his smile chilling and sinister, and said in a sinister tone, "The only way? Is that it? If I were to approach Tuoba Yu and join forces with him to deal with Di Beizun, what are our chances of winning?"
Find Tuoba Yu, and let the Liao and Tiansheng join forces to deal with Di Beizun?
Gore was startled by West Wind's idea. Wouldn't that plunge the world into chaos?
Once the two dynasties join forces, the war situation will change dramatically. Such a situation will inevitably lead to a major war that will determine the fate of the world. Are you crazy?
This is a huge gamble!
"Your Highness! This..."
Gore was almost terrified and turned pale. This decision was practically gambling with the entire future of the Liao Dynasty. What could he say?
"Your Highness, you must think this through! Our Great Liao and Tian Sheng have just had some friction and fought several tough battles. How could Tian Sheng possibly set aside their past grievances and join forces with our Great Liao? Moreover, most of the conservative ministers in the court are also opposed. Faced with this situation, they will definitely think that seeking peace is the best course of action!"
Gore thought for a moment and then replied.
Xi Fenglie sneered dismissively, "You're mistaken, Lord Gore. Emperor Beizun's expedition this time is clearly aimed at sweeping through Tiansheng, controlling the Jiangxi fortress, occupying the southwestern part of Fengyun, the heartland of our Great Liao and Tiansheng, cutting off the two southwestern states, making it easier for him to continue his conquests. Do you believe that Tiansheng is even more anxious than our Great Liao right now? If our Great Liao proposes an alliance, they will definitely not refuse! Moreover, Tuoba Yu is not stupid. If he really fights Emperor Beizun to the death, it will only benefit our Great Liao. Therefore, if Great Zhou and Tiansheng are to go to war, he will not be unprepared for us, and he may even be thinking of dragging us into it!"
"Does Your Highness mean that as long as our Great Liao proposes an alliance, the Heavenly Saint Emperor will definitely agree?"
Gore asked.