Chapter 660 Autonomy
Then, Lu Songli summoned Xue Xu, Guo Chong and others, and they discussed the deployment of troops and the subsequent escort of food and grass. They also had to guard against Dali's counterattack and the possibility that Dali's navy might intercept Pingzhou's food and grass at sea.
Orders were issued from the governor's office and spread in all directions.
After the matter was discussed, Qin Heng said that he wanted to go to Qingzhou in person.
Qin Heng knew very well that Sixth Brother's matter was a matter of great importance, and someone had to step in and not let it go. Since Sixth Brother's wife was not convenient to go this time, he would go instead.
Lu Songli agreed.
The military situation was turbulent, and Qin Heng immediately prepared to set off.
After Qin Heng left, Xue Xu and Guo Chong looked at each other, and like everyone else, they left the conference room and went about their business.
As soon as Qin Heng left, Lu Desheng felt extremely sympathetic towards his cheap son-in-law, "Poor guy."
"Let's handle this matter like this." Lu Songli didn't say much.
Expanding the victory wasn't a bad thing, but the problem was that Qin Sheng had set a bad example. He was thinking he could conquer more territory, but he was a little too impatient.
Pingzhou and Qingzhou are not adjacent to each other. To attack Qingzhou, a fulcrum is needed, and Leling County is now this fulcrum.
Taking over Leling County is equivalent to Pingzhou driving a nail into the territory of Dali, Qingzhou and Jizhou. Once this fulcrum is taken, it cannot be lost.
The attack on Qingzhou's Leling County was a blitzkrieg, and the number of troops deployed and the amount of food and fodder were not large enough to support them in defending Leling County while also attacking Bohai County. At least that was their consideration when formulating the battle plan.
The Jintai army is isolated and outside, which is already worrying.
Now the longer the front line is, the weaker the defense is.
If we encounter a strong counterattack from Dali at this time, the consequences will be unimaginable.
She could understand Qin Sheng's desire to seize the opportunity to expand his victory as a general. However, his move had indeed caught them off guard. In her opinion, even if they were to take action, it would be best to wait until the follow-up troops from Pingzhou arrived.
The current situation is that they underestimated the strength of the Jintai army and overestimated the military strength of Dali.
However, after this time, when Qin Sheng leads the Jintai Army to war in the future, she and Qin Heng will consider giving him more military autonomy.
But not this time, such behavior must not be encouraged.
Songzhou, headquarters of the Sun family army
After receiving the order, Sun Ming immediately summoned his youngest son, Sun Congyi, and said, "Qingzhou needs support. Lead your men and leave as quickly as possible. Food and fodder will be delivered shortly."
"yes!"
At this time, Xie Zhan, who had retreated to Changshan, also received news that Hejian and Bohai were attacked.
His face changed. The two armies in Pingzhou did not act in the steady and cautious manner of Lu Songli.
Xie Zhan quickly calmed down and, together with other generals, analyzed the current situation in Hejian and Bohai counties based on the existing information.
He decisively ordered Dong Guowei, "Quick, send heavy troops to Bohai County for support!"
Generals such as Dong Guowei and Wei Kuang all supported this decision. Everyone agreed that Bohai County and Leling County would be easier to recapture than Zhuozhou, Hejian and other places that had already been connected with Pingzhou and had Pingzhou as their rear base. At the very least, they had to prevent the Pingzhou army from opening up the important coastal roads and connecting the gains.
Chang'an
As soon as the news of Pingzhou's attack on Dali reached Chang'an, the bad news came that Zhuozhou and Qingzhou's Leling County had changed hands.
And this is not over yet. The two armies of Pingzhou are attacking Bohai County and Hejian.
Bohai County and Hejian are in danger!
"He has wolfish ambitions, he really has wolfish ambitions!" Song Mo was so angry that he was shaking all over.
He could afford to lose Zhuozhou, no problem! However, losing four counties in a row was equivalent to losing an entire state, and he couldn't accept it!
The ministers under him also shared the same hatred for the enemy.
"Saying that Dali officials and businessmen are oppressing Pingzhou merchants is just an excuse!"
"Yes, who doesn't know that this is just an excuse for Pingzhou to send troops to attack Dali?"
"Pingzhou has wicked ambitions. This battle must have been planned for a long time!"
The officials headed by the aristocratic families looked at each other and realized that the opportunity had come!
"Your Majesty, isn't General Xie in Zhuozhou? How could he allow Zhuozhou to be taken so easily by Pingzhou?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, Xie Zhan has neglected his duties and should be punished!"
Song Mo was furious, "Where's Xie Zhan? Write an edict and tell him to get back here!"
"Also, send a decree to Dong Guowei, asking him to support Bohai and Hejian. Send a large force to the border and make sure to recapture the lost city!"
Bohai County
After taking Gaocheng County, the Jintai army began to rest and regroup on their own accord, and did not continue to attack the remaining five counties in Bohai.
After Qin Heng arrived, he first scolded Qin Sheng, reprimanding him for attacking Bohai County on his own initiative without asking for permission from his superiors...
Before Qin Sheng could say anything, the people below felt a little dissatisfied when they saw their Sixth Master being scolded.
"General Qin Heng, we didn't lose. We even took over Bohai County." Why are you still scolding us?
Qin Heng looked at them sternly, "You think you're great just because you won, right?"
Zhu Dazhuang, Lu Dayou, Chen Jinlong and others did not speak.
He knew these people were dissatisfied without them saying anything.
"When your third brother heard you were going to attack Bohai County, he started messing around too, leading his troops to attack Hejian without authorization!"
"So, do you know how much of an impact this incident of yours has had on the rear?"
Qin Sheng: ...So, his third brother’s problem is also his fault?
Qin Heng gave him a look and asked, "Who else should I blame if not you?"
"Now this general is going to punish you. Do you accept it?"
Zhu Dazhuang, Chen Jinlong and others immediately lost their composure when they heard this.
"General Qin Heng, this is none of Sixth Master's business."
"Yes, it was my subordinates who instigated him." Zhu Dazhuang said quickly.
Qin Sheng shouted at them, "Shut up!"
Qin Heng was watching from the side. After they all quieted down, he asked, "Are you done?"
He pointed at Qin Sheng and said, "He was the one who nodded and made the decision, so I will only hold him accountable."
"If everyone follows his example, and each one acts independently during a war and disobeys orders, wouldn't that cause chaos?"
Zhu Dazhuang, Chen Jinlong and others looked at each other and then lowered their heads.
"It's the governor's intention to punish you."
Qin Sheng was speechless. He lowered his head and said, "General Qin Heng, I was wrong."
Qin Sheng doesn't care about rewards or punishments, as long as he can conquer the territory.
Qin Heng announced the punishment, punishing only Qin Sheng and no one else.
This time, Qin Sheng took all the punishment on his own.
"...Luckily you won the battle, so this time our merits and demerits are offset. Otherwise, I would have ordered severe punishment for General Qin Sheng."
After saying that, Qin Heng went to visit the wounded soldiers, leaving the space to Qin Sheng and his subordinates.
As soon as he left, Zhu Dazhuang and others surrounded Qin Sheng.
Qin Heng looked back one last time, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly.
The purpose of Qin Heng's trip was to help Governor Lu Songli establish his authority.
It's not easy for a woman to be in power. Xiaoliu has indeed overstepped her bounds this time. If she's not punished, how can she convince the public? There can't be two voices within a single faction.
The second is to help Qin Sheng win over the morale of the army. There are many arrogant and brave generals in the Jintai army, but each of them is also a troublemaker, and only Xiaoliu can subdue them.
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