What does this mean? He is saying that he is not as capable as the other general. And the phrase "beheaded on horseback" makes people feel uncomfortable. It sounds unlucky. And the words seem to show respect for Han Yu. What's going on? !

"Hmm!" Lieutenant General Zhang frowned when he heard what the young general said. Losing the battle was already depressing enough, and this guy didn't know how to speak. He didn't want to hurt people's feelings, but he couldn't say it too clearly, so he just gave a hint with a look.

Unfortunately, the young general did not understand Deputy General Zhang's good intentions. Seeing that Zhao Fan and Zhang Meng were silent, he continued, "General, why don't we withdraw our troops? Liu Xiu has a general like General Han under his command. Our chances of winning are too small. Instead of wasting our efforts, we might as well return to the court earlier..."

Although the young general did not hold a high position in the army, he had a good family background, so he became a young general at a young age. Otherwise, he was just a soldier when he entered the barracks for the first time and had no experience. He came to Yiyang because he thought it would be easy to capture a small place like Yiyang and he came here to gain experience. He did not expect to suffer repeated defeats. However, the young general did not think it mattered. With the help of his family, he could still live smoothly.

It was precisely because of this that the young general did not have any hostility towards the local generals. Instead, he felt a certain admiration for Han Yu's bravery and his masterful use of troops. It showed on his face without him even trying to hide it. After all, he was a rookie and his mind was too naive.

"That's enough, shut up! If I didn't know that you were from the Duke of Wei's mansion and your identity would not be a problem, I would have suspected that you were a spy sent by Liu Xiu. Otherwise, why would you flatter the enemy's general so much and even say such treasonous words to incite people."

Even though he was spoiled by his family and didn't know his place, he was not a fool after all. Seeing Zhao Fan's severe outburst, he realized that he was being inappropriate. Now was not the time when the late emperor was still alive. Prime Minister Wang was controlling the young emperor and steering the government. Their Duke Wei's Mansion also had to live under Prime Minister Wang's control. He couldn't bring trouble to his family because of himself.

"General, please forgive me. I just spoke nonsense at the time."

"Forget it, I will spare you this time and never do it again!" Although Zhao Fan was very displeased with the young general, he did not care about it in the end. After all, he was not as capable as the opponent's general Han Yu, and this young general was not an ordinary person. His background forced him to take him into consideration. Although Prime Minister Wang is in power now, the power of the Duke of Wei's Mansion is still considerable. The officialdom has always adhered to the principle of making more friends and offending fewer people. He suffered another defeat this time, and he might be blamed by Prime Minister Wang. Who knows what the situation will be like then.

"Thank you, General, for not blaming me." The young general was not worried that Zhao Fan would blame him, but he had to save face before he could apologize. He felt a little disapproving in his heart. What he said was the truth, but the truth is usually not very popular.

Deputy General Zhang was a man with a plan in mind. After seeing this scene, he naturally knew the reason.

After walking for a while, his subordinates' troops came to pick up Zhao Fan, and they returned to their own tent. Zhao Fan rested and adjusted himself, and asked the military doctor to treat his injuries. Then he let a group of generals come in to discuss matters. After counting the casualties, he saw that only half of the 30,000 troops were left. Although he had already guessed and estimated in his mind, he still couldn't help but frown.

"General, we have suffered heavy casualties this time. Many of our brothers have died or been injured. It is really tragic. Everyone is in a very low mood. I am afraid it is not appropriate to start a war in the near future."

A general said with a sorrowful tone, the relationship in the military camp was good, and the dead and wounded were brothers who ate and drank together on a daily basis. How could he not be deeply moved? It was just that the general had signed a military order in front of Prime Minister Wang at the beginning, to capture Yiyang and the rebels in half a year, so he said that later. He didn't want Zhao Fan to sacrifice his brothers' lives in vain because of his eagerness to complete the task. Han Yu was not someone to be trifled with, and the general paid a heavy price for it.

"Yes, General, we lost this battle miserably, with nearly half of our brothers killed or injured. We should rest and recuperate for a while, otherwise no one can stand it." Everyone felt the same way.

Zhao Fan could hear the hidden meaning in his subordinates' words. A true soldier, as long as he was not a playboy who relied on his family background to gain military merit or a cruel and cold-blooded person, would value his generals and soldiers very much. The bond between brothers-in-arms, the bond of life and death in the army and the bond of mutual dependence were not something that other people could understand or feel.

"Don't worry, I won't act rashly before I come up with a better way to deal with the enemy! Okay, that's all I can think of for now. You all go down and take care of the aftermath. Lieutenant General Zhang stays here." Zhao Fan said in a deep voice, leaving Zhang Meng behind.

Zhao Fan still trusted Zhang Meng very much, and Zhang Meng was good at making plans, and often served as his military advisor. When he was about to raise troops to attack Yiyang, Zhang Meng had advised him not to act rashly and told him about Han Yu's power. It was he who did not listen to Zhang Meng's advice, so he fell into Han Yu's trap and was defeated so badly, sacrificing the lives of many brothers. He was very sad.

But no matter how sad he was, he had to continue with what he had to do. The court had given him a deadline, and he couldn't delay things indefinitely just because the other party was too powerful. If the court blamed him at that time, he wouldn't be able to afford the punishment.

The stances of his subordinates were different from his. They had no idea of ​​his dilemma at the moment. He had issued a military order at that time and there was no way to regret it. But now everyone's mood was too low. He could not do anything excessive or say anything excessive, so as not to arouse deeper conflicts. It would be bad if there was a mutiny. At this time, he could only leave Zhang Meng to discuss the matter.

"Zhang Meng, you are the person I trust the most. This time I did not listen to you and acted on my own, which led to this tragic defeat. It was my fault. Seeing my brothers killed or injured, I was very sad, but now that the mistake has been made, there is no point in regretting it. As for the court, I have already signed a military order in front of the prime minister, which cannot be changed. If I cannot do what I promised by the deadline, I am afraid..." In front of Zhang Meng, Zhao Fan did not hide his emotions and was worried.

Zhang Meng was not like the other generals. Although he felt sorry and sad for the casualties of his soldiers, he did not indulge in the depressed mood of the others. Seeing Zhao Fan so depressed, he just said