Chapter 255 Traitors in Chaotic Times (Chapter 31) How to Become a Super Strategist...
In the Battle of Xindu in Qi, the Dali army achieved a resounding victory with minimal losses. The battle resulted in the capture of over 10,000 elite Liang soldiers and over 50,000 civilians from the city. Thus, the vast territory of Qi was incorporated into the Dali Dynasty in a single day.
“General, the household registration of the people in the nearby cities has been preliminarily completed, and the captured Liang soldiers have been settled in the camp outside the city as you instructed.” Bao Zhuozhi stepped forward quickly with a stack of documents and said respectfully.
Song Ce nodded, took the document and carefully flipped through a few pages, then said, "Pay close attention to these captured elite soldiers, and do not mistreat them. If any of them have a clean record and are willing to surrender to our Dali, then incorporate them into the reserve camp! We will decide on their allocation after further investigation."
"Understood, Your Majesty." Bao Zhuozhi replied, adding, "Furthermore, many people are afraid to go out because of the war. I have already sent soldiers to visit them and reassure them that the war has ended and they can live in peace from now on."
"Well done." Song Ce's voice was as warm as jade. "Furthermore, have An Yong personally lead five thousand light cavalry to patrol the cities surrounding Qi and see if there are any remnants of the Liang King's forces in those places. If anyone takes the opportunity to commit evil, the army can deal with them on the spot!"
"Yes, General!"
More than ten days passed in a flash, and the Prince of Liang and his son Liang Ziqi were escorted by a large army to the capital of Dali. Given Wei Shaosu's decisive and ruthless nature, leaving no room for future trouble, the father and son would certainly be executed on the spot without delay!
Sure enough, a month later, an imperial decree arrived from the capital: the Prince of Liang and his son had committed heinous crimes and had oppressed the people; they had been executed in the marketplace as a warning to others.
When news of the father and son's deaths reached Qi, the people of the new capital city came out of their homes to cheer and celebrate. Some even bowed and kowtowed repeatedly at the gate of the government office where Song Ce and his companions were temporarily staying, and no amount of stopping them could stop them.
At the same time, Xiang Wende, a former general of the Dali era, urgently summoned his strategist and solemnly passed the secret letter taken from the leg of the carrier pigeon to those around him for them to read in turn.
"The 100,000-strong army of Northern Yan, along with the King of Liang who had occupied Qi for many years, actually... were defeated just like that?"
The advisors and retainers in the room looked at each other, none of them daring to respond. Now, Song Ce had first led his troops to a great victory over the 100,000-strong army of Northern Yan, and then, without stopping, turned around and took over the Qi territory. Such a momentum that anyone who saw it felt uneasy.
"Lishi, tell me, what exactly is Song Ce trying to do? First he defeated Northern Yan, then he took Qi. He fought several battles in just two months. Can't he take a break?" Xiang Wende's voice was filled with suppressed anger. After all, it had been a long time since he had lost his composure like this since he raised his banner and declared himself king.
Li Lishi, who was called out, pondered for a long time before slowly speaking: "General, in my opinion, Song Ce is quite ambitious! I believe that he had already planned all of this when the Northern Yan gathered an army of 100,000 to attack Pingzhou!"
"Oh? What do you mean?" Xiang Wende asked.
"General, if you were in my shoes, would you dare to resolutely decide to send troops to Qi when you have just repelled the Northern Yan army and your troops have suffered losses?"
Xiang Wende was taken aback and remained silent.
Li Lishi sighed and said with a sense of melancholy, "As everyone here knows, after a fierce battle, the first priority for any force is to recuperate, hold back, and observe the situation before launching another attack. After all, if they rush in rashly for personal gain, it could easily cause discontent among their soldiers and give other forces an opportunity to take advantage! After all, no one knows how many orioles are lurking in the shadows while the mantis is stalking the cicada!"
At this point, Li Lishi looked at Xiang Wende, who was gripping the armrest of his chair tightly in the main seat, and said solemnly, "This is what makes Song Ce so formidable."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a younger aide couldn't help but interject, "Mr. Li, I don't understand, isn't Song Ce afraid? Is he really so confident that he can take over the new capital of Qi in one fell swoop?"
Li Lishi gave a bitter smile. "When Northern Yan suffered its recent defeat, this man blocked the news, so none of the major powers knew the outcome of the Battle of Pingzhou. Moreover, we had just fought a great battle with the Prince of Liang, but our soldiers hadn't recovered yet and were unlikely to be able to fight again in the short term. The other scattered forces in the south were also watching from the sidelines, none of them wanting to be the first to step forward. Song Ce seized this opportunity, and with the morale high after defeating Northern Yan's 100,000-strong army, he led his army straight to Qi! This move was risky, but also extremely brilliant!"
"When he conquered Northern Yan, he deliberately detained the Northern Yan king's younger brother, Lu Erruolie, and several of his generals, preventing Northern Yan from acting rashly in the short term. When he took Qi, he treated the people and surrendered soldiers with benevolence, stabilizing the situation in Qi in just over a month. Now he holds two important locations, Qin and Qi, with strong troops, ample supplies, and his forces have been expanded by incorporating surrendered soldiers... This man is truly intelligent to the point of being almost supernatural!"
Xiang Wende leaned heavily back in his chair, his face growing increasingly grim. He had raised his banner and declared himself king, intending to take advantage of the chaos and claim a share of the spoils, but he hadn't expected Song Ce to appear out of nowhere!
In just a few short years, the Dali Dynasty has transformed from a poor and weak, shrinking place into a powerful nation that now controls the Qin and Qi regions and commands respect from all sides!
"Li Shi, in your opinion, which force will Song Ce target next?"
Xiang Wende's voice was hoarse. His biggest worry was that his small territory in the south would become Song Ce's next target.
Li Lishi shook his head. "It's hard to say. This man is bold in his military tactics and doesn't follow conventional rules. What we can do now is to immediately reorganize our troops, strengthen the city's defenses, and at the same time... send someone to contact the surrounding forces to see if we can join forces to resist him. If we continue to fight separately, we'll probably be swallowed up by Song Ce sooner or later!"
Xiang Wende remained silent for a moment. It was easy to join forces, but all the forces in the south had their own ulterior motives. Who would be willing to sincerely form an alliance with someone and be subservient to them?
Thinking of this, he looked up at his advisors and guests, "Do any of you have a good plan?"
The room fell silent, so quiet that the crackling of the candlelight could be heard.
After a while, a middle-aged staff member with a goatee leisurely stood up. His surname was Zhou, and his given name was Renrong. He was usually very good at understanding people's hearts.
"General, those forces in the south have always been defensive and never offensive. They're all shrewd and calculating, and they've long harbored resentment towards each other. They're too busy guarding against each other to easily put aside their old grudges and join forces against the enemy. In my opinion, this is as difficult as climbing to the sky!"
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.
"Renrong, are you saying that I'm just going to stand by and watch Dali grow stronger day by day, and wait for Song Ce to lead his troops to devour us?"
“No, General, although things are difficult right now, it’s not without solutions,” Zhou Renrong said.
Upon hearing this, Xiang Wende's eyes lit up, and he excitedly asked, "Oh? Renrong, do you have a good plan?"
"General, our current forces number less than 50,000, half of whom are stragglers recruited last year, and they have no fighting power whatsoever. In my humble opinion, it would be better to submit to Song Ce and take advantage of the situation to incorporate into the Dali territory! In this way, all of you here can not only save your lives, but also continue to serve the people of our southern lands. Why not do it?"
"What...what did you say?!" Xiang Wende was struck dumb, staggering back a step in disbelief.
Zhou Renrong's words were like a thunderclap, exploding in the hall!
"Surrender? Zhou Renrong, do you know what you're saying?" One of the middle-aged advisors slammed his fist on the table, his face flushed red. "Back then, General, you insisted on raising the banner so that the people of the South could live a better life and no longer suffer the wrath of that corrupt court. Although we are not as powerful as Song Ce, we still have our own territory and troops. Why should we spinelessly surrender to him?"
"And have you forgotten how the general rescued you back then? It was the dead of winter, with heavy snow, and the general took off his cloak and clothes to keep warm and gave them all to you, a southern slave who was about to freeze to death! Now that you see that Song Ce is powerful, you're thinking of currying favor and submitting? You truly deserve to die! You deserve to die!"
Zhou Renrong shook his head, still calmly bowing slightly, and said, "General and gentlemen, please calm down and listen to my words. My intention just now was not to advise you to be spineless and submit, but to assess the situation. In the current situation, Song Ce, as the main general of Dali, controls the Qin and Qi regions, has abundant supplies, and enjoys the support of the people. Our forces in the south, though seemingly each occupying a territory, are actually a disorganized mess. If we really wait for Song Ce to free up his hands, given his methods, it's only a matter of time before he takes over the south. By then, even if you want to submit, General, I'm afraid there will be no better opportunity!"
At this point, Zhou Renrong calmly looked at everyone and continued, "Furthermore, although Song Ce is decisive and ruthless in his military tactics, he is not a tyrannical person. Look at the people of Heyang, Pingzhou, and the various prefectures of Qi, as well as the defeated Northern Yan and Liang soldiers. Aren't they all properly resettled? I believe that even if we surrender, we can still protect the people of this region! How is this different from the general's original intention when he raised the banner?"
Xiang Wende opened his mouth, then slumped back into his chair, speechless.
At this moment, the advisors and guests in the hall also broke their silence. Some agreed with Zhou Renrong's proposal, feeling that surrendering was not a bad way out; others firmly opposed it, believing that a man's will should not be humiliated and how could he seek to survive in a cowardly manner.
Looking at the chaotic crowd and then at the silent Xiang Wende, Li Lishi said in a deep voice, "General, what Mr. Zhou said is not without reason. However, the matter of surrender is of great importance and should not be decided hastily. In my opinion, it would be better to send someone to Qi to investigate and see what Song Ce's attitude is towards our southern lands! If, if he is truly tolerant, then we can discuss it further later!"
Xiang Wende raised his head, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes, "Then, according to you, who would be suitable to send?"
"General, I am willing to go!"
Zhou Renrong stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Although I have no dealings with Song Ce, I am somewhat familiar with his style. I am confident that I can figure out his character and bring back useful information for the general!"
Xiang Wende pondered for a long time before finally nodding in agreement, "Alright, then go! If... things become impossible, don't force yourself, understand?"
"Yes, I understand!"
The next morning, Zhou Renrong changed into an ordinary coarse cloth shirt, and without any attendants, set off alone for the new capital of Qi, carrying only a simple bundle. He deliberately avoided the official roads, choosing instead secluded paths. Firstly, he feared encountering scattered troops of the Liang King, and secondly, he wanted to take the opportunity to see if the lives of the people under Song Ce's rule were truly as peaceful and prosperous as the spies had described.
After traveling for three or four days, stopping and starting, Zhou Renrong finally found a small village south of Tu Hui Mountain. The village was small, with about twenty households. He walked to the courtyard closest to the village entrance and knocked on the half-open gate. "Is anyone home?"
A short while later, a young man in his early twenties came out of the side room.
"Hey? Sir, who are you looking for?"
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Author's Note: [Shrugs]
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