Seeing that everyone in the tent said it was not advisable to rush into battle, Liu Hong had no choice but to accept their opinions.
Soon, Huangfu Song issued a military order: the army should proceed slowly, resting for half an hour after every hour of marching.
The army's daily march was changed from the original plan of 70 li to 50 li.
They even gave it the fancy name of "reserving energy and building up strength".
The soldiers who received the order were somewhat bewildered. Many of them did not ask any questions, but they had no choice but to obey the military order and slow down their march.
Liu Hong, from the rear guard, was also leisurely riding on horseback, enjoying the scenery along the way.
On this day, when the army reached the Shenshi hour (3-5 PM), seeing the fatigue on the faces of the soldiers around him, Liu Hong immediately ordered the army to stop advancing and set up camp.
Inside the Imperial Guard camp, Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, and other trainees of the Imperial Guard were busy packing their bedding.
Wen Chou leaned closer to Cao Cao and whispered, "Hey, Mengde, everyone says speed is of the essence in war, but what do you think His Majesty is doing? Not only are you moving around so much, but you're also setting up camp so early?"
Cao Cao stopped what he was doing and laughed, "Your Majesty is doing this because you are considerate of our hardships on the march. Tell me, is it more comfortable to march for days on end, or to march and stop frequently?"
"I see. Our Emperor is truly kind; he cares so much for us..."
Upon hearing Cao Cao's words, Wen Chou nodded in deep agreement.
Unexpectedly, Liu Bei, who was making the bed nearby, couldn't help but burst out laughing when he heard Wen Chou say this.
Wen Chou immediately glared at Liu Bei, his face turning unfriendly: "What are you laughing at, you rascal?"
"I laugh at your naivety. You believed Mengde just said it casually?"
Liu Bei smiled and shook his head, his hands continuing their work.
"Um?"
Wen Chou was taken aback, then turned to look at Cao Cao beside him. He saw Cao Cao looking at him with a smile in his eyes, and Wen Chou immediately understood.
"You, Cao Mengde, are you trying to play tricks on me again?"
As they were speaking, Wen Chou stepped forward, grabbed Cao Cao and pulled him in front of him, wrapping his strong arms around Cao Cao's neck.
"Cough cough~ Stop!"
Caught off guard by Wen Chou's sudden attack, Cao Cao's face turned red from the choking, and he couldn't help but cough. He quickly raised his hands in surrender.
"Hmph~, tell me quickly, what exactly happened?"
Wen Chou snorted coldly, still glaring at Cao Cao relentlessly, and even reached out to tap Cao Cao on the forehead.
A sharp "thud" rang out, reaching everyone's ears. Seeing Wen Chou and Cao Cao clowning around, the others in the tent couldn't help but laugh.
Cao Cao, his face flushed, turned and glared at Wen Chou: "Ahem~, you...you brute, how can I say anything when you're holding me like this?"
Seeing this, Yuan Shao stepped forward and said with a laugh, "Alright, Wen Chou, it was Mengde's fault for playing tricks on you. You should release him quickly."
"Hmph, fine then."
When Yuan Shao came out to plead for Cao Cao, Wen Chou snorted and then released him.
Cao Cao, now freed, rubbed his neck, which was still sore from being strangled, and gave Wen Chou a disgruntled look.
After feeling a bit better, Cao Cao looked at Wen Chou and said, "Our Han army is going on this expedition to destroy Goguryeo, not to launch a surprise attack. If we march too fast and get separated from the rear supply train, how will our soldiers fight?"
Furthermore, the north is cold. Although our army has cotton-padded clothing, the entire force needs time to adapt. If we rashly enter that area, we risk contracting frostbite, which is not worthwhile.
Although Cao Cao explained it very clearly, Wen Chou still looked at Cao Cao with a puzzled expression.
"But His Majesty's personal expedition is already known throughout the land. Doesn't this give Goguryeo ample time to prepare?"
"Ha~, what's wrong with letting Goguryeo prepare for a year, it's nothing."
Cao Cao chuckled at Wen Chou's concerns, clearly not taking Goguryeo seriously.
"Moreover, I suspect that His Majesty and General Huangfu did this on purpose, just to give Goguryeo time to concentrate their army and fight a decisive battle with our army. In this way, our army can annihilate them in one battle."
Liu Bei added, "Mengde is right. After all, our army is fighting abroad. If we cannot defeat their entire army in one fell swoop, it would be bad if we were dragged into a quagmire."
"As the saying goes, play to your strengths and avoid your weaknesses. Compared with Goguryeo, our army has an overwhelming advantage on the main battlefield. It is best to make them fully prepared and confront our army head-on."
"good!"
Those inside the tent, having heard Cao Cao and Liu Bei's analysis, largely agreed and expressed their own opinions.
"Haha~, great, that's all very well said."
Just as everyone was talking, a hearty laugh reached their ears.
Everyone looked over and saw Liu Hong, dressed in military uniform, leading Dian Wei and Wang Yue into the room. The crowd quickly stepped forward to pay their respects.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!!"
"No need for formalities!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!!"
After the ceremony, Liu Hong glanced around at everyone and nodded with a look of satisfaction.
"I heard everything you said just now, and it was all very good."
"It is all thanks to Your Majesty's wise guidance."
Hearing Liu Hong's praise, everyone couldn't help but beam with joy.
"Alright, no need to flatter me. Come, come, sit down!"
Liu Hong smiled and then casually sat down on a bed. Seeing this, everyone else followed suit and sat down as well.
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