Yuan Xiang slapped himself a few times in his heart before he could say, "Since Madam Chang is worried about you, I will have someone contact the brothers in Luoyang City and ask them if they have any news about the Grand Commander."
Chang Suining nodded.
As soon as Yuan Xiang stepped down, Xiao Min came up.
After the two of them finished talking about their respective affairs as usual, Commander Xiao looked at the soldiers who were training on the deck not far away and finally couldn't help but ask, "May I ask Madam Chang a question?"
Chang Suining said, "Yes, indeed not."
Coach Xiao: “What?”
Chang Suining: "There was no spy. I did deceive Coach Xiao at the beginning."
"..." Coach Xiao's expression changed. Although he didn't want to ask this question, he couldn't help but feel a little scared when he heard Chang Suining admit it clearly.
Fortunately, Xu Zhengye really left Jiangdu and attacked here. If Xu Zhengye had not come, and he and Chang Suining secretly led troops out of Huainan Road, once Huainan Road was lost due to lack of troops, it would be a capital crime.
Seeing his reaction, Chang Suining couldn't help but ask: "Isn't that what General Xiao wanted to ask?"
"No..." Xiao Min's expression was a little complicated: "Before coming here, Xiao also vaguely noticed something."
After all, when Madam Chang talked about the "spyliner" at that time, it seemed too impromptu, as if she was just saying something perfunctory on the spot to shut him up and calm him down...
General Chang's improvisational acting, which he was forced to do, was not really that great.
Chang Suining exclaimed: "General Xiao is indeed very insightful."
Facing the surprise and admiration in the girl's eyes, Xiao Min coughed lightly and almost choked on his own saliva.
He wanted to say "not really", but then he heard her praise him very seriously: "Your courage and insight are unmatched by ordinary people."
Faced with this praise, Xiao Min was not modest. He admitted that he had some courage and the ability to judge people, especially the latter.
Chang Suining smiled at him and said, "Thank you, General Xiao, for trusting me. You knew I was lying, but you still took the risk to lead the troops out of Huainan Road with me."
"It is because of Madam Chang's past deeds that I am worthy of trust and risk." Xiao Min said, "And since it is something that General Chang has approved, why should I question it?"
General Chang had won more battles than he had beaten his son at home.
In front of General Chang, he is just a younger brother, no, a younger brother among younger brothers, or simply the younger brother among younger brothers.
General Xiao believed that as long as one always recognized the fact that he was the youngest among younger brothers and maintained this awareness, he would not make big mistakes. This was the first-class life experience he had accumulated.
If he followed the footsteps of his predecessors but still made a big mistake and capsized, it was just bad luck and there was nothing he could do about it. He should think positively. If he had done it himself, perhaps the result would have been even worse. General Xiao, who was good at introspection, never tried to question or blame those who were better than him.
Facts have proved that sincerity is very useful, so useful that Chang Suining even felt guilty for once: "But I still have to apologize to General Xiao. It is always wrong to lie."
"But didn't Madam Chang give Xiao a huge 'compensation'?" Xiao Min said, pointing to the south with a smile.
That was the direction where Xu Zhengye’s army was.
There are now countless voices of accusation outside, and the court is also holding them accountable, putting the blame on them for Xu Zhengye leaving Jiangdu and attacking Luoyang.
But those voices calling for accountability could never have imagined that they had already secretly arrived at Bianshui ten days ago and had been waiting for Xu Zhengye there for a long time.
The hasty pursuit was just an illusion to confuse Xu Zhengye and others.
The desperate pursuit is fake, the real thing is to lure you into a trap.
Now, in this matter that concerns the safety of Luoyang, it is they, not Xu Zhengye, who have taken the initiative.
"The outcome of this battle has not yet been decided, so it cannot be used as an apology." Chang Suining said.
Xiao Min smiled and said, "Then we'll wait until this battle is won."
"Okay." Chang Suining also smiled: "Then I have to win this battle well."
Then he asked, "So, what question does General Xiao want to ask me?"
"Xiao wants to ask... General Chang and Madam Chang ignored the court's repeated urgings and insisted on not starting a war in Jiangdu, just to wait for Xu Zhengye to come here?"
"yes."
"Can Xiao ask why you do this?"
Xiao Min could roughly guess some of it, but at this moment he wanted to hear the complete intention and layout, even if it was just to understand the way of fighting and discuss and learn from it.
"There are two reasons." Chang Suining put his hands on the fence, looking at the gradually deepening dusk and the soldiers who had finished their training: "Yangzhou and Jiangning have natural barriers as barriers, and we don't have enough numbers to guarantee victory. If we want to attack by force, it may not be able to shake Xu Zhengye's foundation in a year or two."
"If the siege fails for a long time, the imperial court will certainly lose face, which will only encourage the arrogance of Xu's rebellious army. The officials who are firmly in power will not listen to explanations. They will only think that the army has spent a huge amount of money and food, but has not been able to take back Jiangdu, which has damaged the imperial court's face and is a serious fault."
Xiao Min frowned slightly when he heard this, he knew that this was the truth.
Especially now that the national treasury is empty, those officials have been forced to donate their family property to support the war. Those who have spent money naturally feel that they have more confidence to punish them.
"More importantly, if we ignore the natural barriers and continue to attack for a year, at least 30% of our soldiers will be killed or wounded." Chang Suining said, "We have 170,000 soldiers now, and 30% means 50,000 lives."
She looked at the soldiers who were returning to the cabin after finishing their training and said, "As soldiers, they can die, but their death must not be in vain, and it is best not to die."
They were not her soldiers, they belonged to the court and the empress. But now that she was their chief coach, she could not risk their lives to fight an "unprofitable" war.
Xiao Min was a little stunned for a moment.
He thought of many reasons why the Chang family father and daughter planned this, and guessed all the military strategies he could think of, but all the unpredictable military strategies suddenly paled in comparison with this sentence - you can die, but you cannot die in vain, and it is best not to die.
"Once this battle begins, there is no way that both sides can stop easily. It will be difficult for Xu Zhengye to leave Jiangdu by then, so we must not start the battle before then." Chang Suining continued, "This place is more suitable for starting a war than Jiangdu. Not only can we win quickly, but it can also greatly increase our chances of winning."
She said, "Although we cannot compare with the elite navy, we have been practicing water warfare these days. We are definitely better than the army that Xu Zhengye has temporarily recruited."
"Yes." Xiao Min said, "Thanks to Madam Chang's foresight, she had stepped up her training on water warfare before the Lantern Festival."
He also looked at the soldiers, each of whom was training diligently every day.
Madam Chang has chosen no less than ten river channels like this one that are convenient for hiding her tracks.
Therefore, their warships are far more than the dozens nearby, but are scattered around.
In addition, they set up sentries at all important roads and kept a close eye on the movements of each river section.
In other words, the seemingly calm Bian River was actually under their control at all times.
"In addition to our combat capability, we have the upper hand and we also use unconventional tactics to minimize casualties." Chang Suining looked at the river: "One more thing, it's also very convenient..."
Xiao Min listened very carefully throughout the whole process. When he heard her words pause, he couldn't help but look at her, not hiding the inquiring look in his eyes.
"After killing the enemy, throw the body directly into the water to save the trouble of cleaning up the battlefield." Chang Suining said, "It's just right to feed the fish. The fish in the Bian River need to eat meat for the New Year."
Knowing that she said this deliberately to ease the mood, Xiao Min was silent for a moment before nodding: "...Yes, all the fish in the Bian River and their descendants should be grateful for Madam Chang's kindness."
"Well, it can just offset the sin of killing." Chang Suining let go of his hand holding the railing and turned back to the cabin: "Okay, it's time to get ready for bed."
In order to hide their tracks, they hardly ever turned on any lights at night. Apart from patrolling at night, everything else had to be done during the day, so they went to bed early.
As the night rose above the water, this world fell into a deep sleep, without any sign of being disturbed by human habitation.
…
The sky cleared up for three days in a row, and Xu Zhengye finally led his army forward.
The fact that they could now set off meant that the pursuers behind them had also resumed their journey, so they could not delay.
During the more than ten days when they were trapped on the road due to heavy rain, Xu Zhengye was anxious and had repeatedly discussed the next marching route with his staff. In the end, they decided to attack Bianzhou by water.
This is the fastest, most feasible and least resistant shortcut.
The army's lack of experience in naval warfare cannot be ignored, but they incorporated the surrendered troops from Yangzhou and Jiangning, among whom there were many soldiers who were good at naval warfare. Before deciding to come to Luoyang, Xu Zhengye also ordered them to train the army.
Moreover, they have the most superior warships and weapons in Jiangning, which are far superior to those in Bianzhou.
The Bianzhou garrison numbered only tens of thousands. Even if all of them were deployed to intercept them on the water, there would be nothing to worry about.
As for the Xuan Ce Army outside Luoyang City...
No matter how intimidating Xuan Ce's army was, for Xu Zhengye, since he had chosen to come to Luoyang, he would naturally not be naive enough to think that he could take Luoyang without any effort.
What he was doing was the most risky thing in the world, so how could he retreat just because there were Xuan Ce's troops ahead? If he retreated when faced with danger, what was the point of raising an army? He should just go back to the countryside and carry manure as soon as possible.
Since ancient times, who has achieved great things without fighting in bloody battles? Moreover, there are still pursuers behind, so retreat is not so easy.
But if he faced the 70,000-strong Xuan Ce army and fled without fighting, he would become a laughing stock of the world.
Moreover, in Xu Zhengye's opinion, even if they were to face off against Xuan Ce's army, the outcome was still uncertain.
As far as he knew, the one leading the Xuan Ce Army this time was Li Xian. Xu Zhengye was not familiar with this person and was temporarily reserved about his leadership ability, but what was certain was that this person was certainly not as good as Cui Jing.
Many noble families in Luoyang City have been secretly in contact with him, and they can work together with him when necessary...
Therefore, the current plan is to quickly capture Bianzhou first, use Bianzhou as a camp, and then make plans to take Luoyang!
Xu Zhengye stepped onto the deck, his scarlet cloak fluttering in the wind.
After traveling by water for two days, Xu Zhengye received a secret letter from Luoyang City, saying that Li Xian had no intention of sending troops to Bianzhou. At present, it seemed that he intended to hold on to Luoyang.
Xu Zhengye laughed: "It seems that he is a coward who is always looking ahead and behind!"
Some staff members also made fun of him: "Could this Duke of Han be the same as Li Yi?"
"I don't care whether he has the ability or not, or what his intentions are—" Xu Zhengye looked forward, his eyes full of determination: "Since he won't come, I will take Bianzhou first."
Rows of warships moved slowly forward on the water, like swords cutting through waterways. Battle flags with the word "Xu" fluttered in the wind, looking very imposing.
…
“…Not coming?!”
When Hu Lin, the governor of Bianzhou, heard the news from Luoyang, his face turned pale.
Xu Zhengye has led his army to the Bian River and is attacking Bianzhou!
General Li Xianli was unwilling to send troops to support Bianzhou. His reason was that they were ordered to defend Luoyang tightly, and in order to ensure the safety of Luoyang, they could not leave without permission while the battle situation was unclear.
This statement is certainly not wrong.
It is said that Xu Zhengye has an insider in Luoyang City. The situation is unpredictable and we must not be careless.
But Luoyang City is too valuable to be lost. Is their Bianzhou not worth mentioning?
Their soldiers are also living lives, and the people in their city are also the people of Dasheng! Hearing the officials below were furious, Hu Lin raised his hand to stop them from talking any further.
There is no point in saying more at this moment.
"The noble Li from the capital really looks down on our small Bianzhou!"
"If you don't want to come, then don't come. Do you think you are anything?" A general stood up, his eyes red and angrily said: "Without them, I can still defend Bianzhou!"
"Let's go, follow me and kill the enemy!"
Watching his subordinates leave angrily, Hu Lin clenched his fists and closed his eyes, for a moment, suppressing the sadness, anger and resentment in his heart.
The imperial decree ordered them to "die" defend Bianzhou, which was the order of the emperor, and the subjects should obey! After a moment, Hu Lin also stood up and immediately asked someone to put on armor and a sword for him.
When he was about to lead his men out of the governor's mansion, he suddenly heard a little girl crying behind him.
"Dad, where is Dad going?"
Hu Lin stopped immediately. This was his youngest daughter and the one he loved the most. No matter how busy he was every day, he would always go and hug her.
But at this moment he didn't even dare to look back.
He was afraid that if he turned back, his anger would dissipate and he would no longer have the courage to leave, thus becoming a deserter who disobeyed the order.
"Don't be afraid, Seventh Sister. Dad will be back soon..."
Hu Lin's eldest daughter ran over, hugged her crying sister, and comforted her softly.
However, when she looked at her father's back, her eyes were filled with tears of fear, and she bit her lips tightly not to let them fall.
Hu Lin suppressed the tears in his eyes, resolutely stepped over the threshold, mounted his horse and left.
…
"You won't send troops?"
Chang Suining frowned slightly, and the image of Li Xian as a teenager flashed through her eyes. She tried to form an impression of Li Xian from her memories, but there was too little.
Although they were cousins, they didn't have much contact before.
But what she was sure of was that this person was definitely not someone like Li Yi.
At this critical juncture, the Queen will not hand over the safety of Luoyang to useless people.
Since he is not a coward and useless person, his refusal to send troops to aid Bianzhou at this time must mean he has ulterior motives.
"Yes, regarding the matter of Bianzhou, it is said that this person is using the excuse of waiting for the arrival of the Grand Commander, or waiting for instructions from the Saint..." When Yuan Xiang mentioned the word Grand Commander, his eyes were filled with worry.
At this point, they could conclude that the Grand Commander had encountered an accident on his way to Luoyang.
As for what the specific accident was, it is still uncertain at the moment, but when Yuan Xiang thought of the worst outcome, he felt breathless and filled with unprecedented panic and anxiety.
If the Grand Commander was safe, he would have sent a message to him...
"We are on the march. Since he is the commander-in-chief, he has the right to make decisions. If he asks the saint for instructions on everything, what else can he do?" Chang Suining's tone turned cold: "He wants to take advantage of the situation and use the blood of Bianzhou to win a sure chance of victory."
The other side may not necessarily watch Bianzhou fall, but with this attitude, even if they take action, they will wait until Bianzhou is flooded with blood, there is no more fighting, and both Bianzhou and Xu’s army are defeated, and then they will come forward to "turn the tide."
"This man is really vicious." Yuan Xiang asked Chang Suining, "Do you want me to send a message to the brothers in Luoyang City and ask them to send troops? I remember that Madam Chang has the bronze talisman of the Grand Commander-in-Chief here--"
"No need. If you disobey the commander's orders, people will use it to make a fuss about you later."
Chang Suining said: "Besides, how can we let this person take advantage and take credit for nothing."
When she first heard that Xuan Ce's army was coming to Luoyang, she thought it was unnecessary, but after all, Xuan Ce's army was her own children, so she didn't mind giving them half of the credit.
But now it seems that Li Xian is not so lucky.
Does Bianzhou really need a mere Li Xian to protect it?
If she and Xiao Min were not here today, it might be necessary.
But at this moment, she neither needs nor allows a vicious villain to take away the credit that belongs to her and her people.
She will protect Bianzhou well.
In Chang Suining's opinion, she was not wronged by the voices of accusation outside.
Xu Zhengye was indeed provoked to come here by her, so she has the responsibility to protect Bianzhou and Luoyang. If anyone is killed or injured in Bianzhou, it will be her fault and guilt. There is no need for others to blame her, she will apologize herself.
But since she dared to lure the jackal here, she was sure to kill it and would not give it the chance to hurt anyone.
Therefore, she will definitely guard this place well.
This time, she will make sure Xu Zhengye never returns.
As for Li Xian, who only wanted to be a fisherman——
"Since he likes to wait so much, let him wait."
Chang Suining walked down from the ship and hurried to meet Xiao Min, saying to Yuan Xiang, "Also, send more people to find out the whereabouts of Commander Cui as soon as possible."
Now, she has gone from being a little worried about Cui Jing to being very worried about Cui Jing.
No one wants to see anything happen to their friends, especially important friends.
Putting aside the word "close friend", Cui Jing is also a very rare military general. There is only one in this world every hundred years. At this time when the country is in turmoil, Dasheng must not lose Cui Jing again.
She also didn't want to lose Cui Jing, either as a friend or otherwise.
Now, she didn't need him to do anything for her, she just wanted him to come to see her safely.
…
Today is also a 5,000-word chapter. I have finished updating it. I sincerely ask for monthly tickets. I want to try 3,000. Please help me! I also recommend Tan Zi's immortal cultivation novel with a female protagonist ~ "My Fairy is Often Sick". There is a through train below!
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