Probably after hearing the cries of the people, God couldn't bear to continue to bake the earth. After the high temperature lasted for more than half a month, a heavy rain came as scheduled, washing away the heat in Luoyang City happily, and also brought heavy rain to the people of Xijing. A rare sense of coolness and pleasure.
The rain was pouring down, hitting the bricks and tiles, and dripping on the ground. The doors and windows were open. The wind and rain outside became more severe, but the indoor atmosphere became more stagnant.
Emperor Liu sat in the Privy Council Military Room with a silent expression. Perhaps because he was in such a hurry, his robes, crown belt, and boots were all wet, and there was obvious rain and dew on his hair. Yan Tuo held a silk handkerchief and thought I wanted to wipe it with Emperor Liu, but he pushed me away.
Shi Shouxin, Cao Bin and other Privy Council officials stood aside with serious expressions, not daring to say anything casually. After touching his bun, Emperor Liu stood up, stood under the military map, and stared at the densely marked Liaodong area in trance.
Looking at this posture, it was obvious that something was wrong on the battlefield ahead. Before long, there was a slight rush of movement outside the hall. Prime Minister Zhao Pu, Song Qi, Li Ye, Prime Minister Shen Yilun and Minister of War Pan Mei arrived one after another. After finishing the court rituals outside, I went inside.
"Sit down! Everyone is here, let's talk!" He stretched out his hand to stop the salutes. Emperor Liu's face had returned to calmness, and he signaled Shi Shouxin to report the situation.
Emperor Liu gave up his seat, but in this atmosphere, he himself was standing, and everyone else was also calm, feeling that they were standing around. Shi Shouxin saluted, took a deep breath, and just opened his mouth, a strong wind blew. Come on, the window lattice that was propped up fell down in a dream, and everyone present was shocked.
After looking at Emperor Liu and seeing that his face was expressionless, Shi Shouxin said in a deep voice: "I just received an urgent battle report. Our army suffered a slight setback at the foot of Yaozhou City..."
"If you suffer a slight setback, you will lose if you lose. There is nothing hard to say. Are you still afraid of embarrassment?" Emperor Liu turned his head directly and stared at Shi Shouxin with an aggressive look: "You, Shi Shouxin, have also learned to speak in such situations. What's ahead? In case of defeat, do I need you to save my respect and avoid talking about it?"
"Yes!" Shi Shouxin showed a little embarrassment on his face, and his expression became more solemn, and said: "Formerly, after increasing the troops across the sea to Liaodong, Liaodong deployed An Shouzhong and led the army to attack Chen, Yao, and Chenzhou for five days They went down and then advanced to Yaozhou. The Liao army was heavily guarded. Although the army adhered to the will of the imperial court and resolutely attacked and opened up the route to attack Liaoyang, it was ultimately unable to conquer the city due to lack of strength.
By May 19th, Anshou Zhongjun had been frustrated by Yanyuan City for more than half a month. Repeated attacks were difficult, morale was damaged, and the weather was hot, and there were many soldiers who were not accustomed to the climate. Su, Fu, Ningzhou due to the Liao army The destruction during the retreat to the north made people's hearts very unstable and involved a lot of energy.
On the morning of the 20th, the Liao army suddenly changed from its huddled-up defense. With tens of thousands of people, they suddenly rushed out and launched a sudden attack. Although our army did not lose its guard, it had been defeated for a long time in the fortified city and the soldiers were exhausted. Anshou Zhong, Although Shi Yande and other generals organized the soldiers to fight hard, they were ultimately outnumbered and defeated by the Liao army, and the camp fell.
They retreated all the way, fighting and moving. Fortunately, with the cover of the Donghai Navy, they were able to retreat to the city of Chenzhou and defend the city to reverse the defeat. Although the Liao army had the intention of taking advantage of the victory to attack the city, our army relied on the city to repel it. ..."
Hearing Shi Shouxin's description, he couldn't help but feel happy, but his smile was a little embarrassing. He looked at Shi Shouxin and said, "You have summed up the defeat of Yaozhou well. Are you trying to excuse An Shouzhong and the others?"
Under Emperor Liu's gaze, Shi Shouxin seemed a little embarrassed, smiled bitterly, and replied: "What I said is based on the actual situation on the front line. Later, after interrogating the prisoners of the Liao army, I learned that the Liao army planned this counterattack.
Having been prepared for a long time, Yelv Xiezhen, the king of the southern courtyard, personally led the troops and almost came out of Liaoyang. The failure to predict the enemy ahead led to this defeat, and the Privy Council is also responsible..."
Although he said this, Emperor Liu always felt that Shi Shouxin was a little hindered by Xiangyang's wife Shen Qi's face.
"Now is not the time to share responsibilities!" Emperor Liu waved his hand and said in a deep voice: "Continue to talk about the situation on the Eastern Front. How much was the loss in the Battle of Yaozhou?"
After hearing this, Shi Shouxin continued: "Based on the statistics after the war, An Shouzhong finally took more than 30,000 soldiers and horses to Chenzhou. Excluding the losses from the previous siege, more than 17,000 soldiers were lost in the battle of Yaozhou.
, food, grass, and ordnance have basically been lost, but there should be a lot of escaped soldiers who can be taken in. There are still a lot of supplies in Chenzhou City, which can be used for defense and with the help of the navy.
To the point of total defeat..."
Glancing at Emperor Liu carefully, Shi Shouxin added: "Right now, the An Shouzhong Army has stabilized its position. The Liao Army suffered considerable losses in the battle. They were also injured in the melee, and they have now withdrawn to Yaozhou!"
After listening to his narration, the atmosphere in the hall became more and more solemn, and everyone's expressions were serious, including Song Qi, who did not support the Northern Expedition in attitude, and there was a little worry between his eyebrows.
As Shi Shouxin said, despite the setbacks and considerable losses, we have stabilized our position and have not suffered irreparable losses. However, we cannot just look at the surface of the problem. After this defeat, the Eastern Front was basically useless, and the food and equipment
The heavy loss of baggage is certainly distressing, but the morale of the army has been severely damaged. This is the key. Jinzhou on the western front is still in a stalemate. If this defeat affects the offensive and defensive situation of the entire east road, that will be a big problem.
The important ministers present were all rapidly assessing the consequences and impact of this defeat in their minds, but they remained silent for a while, and their eyes could not help but fly to Emperor Liu.
Emperor Liu's expression slowly softened. Seeing the solemn atmosphere, he chuckled: "What are you doing so seriously? Isn't it just a defeat and the loss of some troops and supplies? In a war, you want to fight a hundred battles.
How can it be easy to win? After such a defeat, it is good to have a long memory. Obviously, the Liao army is not as easy to deal with as we imagined. With this setback, it is better to dispel the arrogance of the frontline soldiers!"
Emperor Liu said such words, and everyone else breathed a sigh of relief. They were really afraid that Emperor Liu would be furious because of the battle. Emperor Liu who was so angry was very scary...
"Yelü Xiezhen lives up to his reputation. He is indeed a dangerous enemy. We thought he was helpless and helpless, but in the end he risked everything and gave our army a sudden blow!" Emperor Liu couldn't help but sigh.
Pan Mei then said: "The troops on both the east and west fronts are advancing in tandem to clamp down on Liaodong, choke it, and suffocate it. A defeat in Yaozhou will be like breaking a pincer, and it will also give the Liao army in Liaodong more breathing space!"
"Your Majesty, the Martial Arts Envoy would like to see you!"
"Xuan!"
Soon, Li Chongju arrived. There was still water on his forehead. I don't know if it was sweat or rain. His face was not good-looking. He lowered his head and reported: "Your Majesty, according to the investigation, the Liao army started from
They went to Beijing and mobilized a force of troops to march eastward to support Liaodong, numbering no less than 30,000..."
"Okay! Now that you have received the defeat report, you will understand the situation!" Emperor Liu said calmly.
Without even raising his head, Li Chongju could feel the penetrating meaning in Emperor Liu's eyes. Li Chongju's heart trembled, and he immediately knelt down to apologize: "I didn't do my job well, please..."
"Okay!" Emperor Liu waved his hand: "It's rare that you are so active in taking responsibility!"
He looked at Shi Shouxin and others: "In your opinion, after the defeat of Yaozhou, where will the war in Liaodong go?"
Several people were silent for a while, all thinking about it. After waiting for a while, Emperor Liu called Cao Bin by name: "Cao Bin, tell me!"
Cao Bin still looked cautious in his words and deeds, but when he was called by name, he responded calmly: "Your Majesty, in my opinion, although the defeat of Yaozhou caused a lot of losses, it had a limited impact on the overall situation.
The state is still in hand, and the navy still firmly controls Liaohai.
The only thing to worry about is that after this defeat on the Eastern Front, if you want to revive your morale and restore your offensive capabilities, you will need a period of adjustment and replenishing your troops, horses, food and equipment!
In addition, Jinzhou will inevitably be affected, and we need to remind the camp to prepare for it!"
"What's the adjustment plan here at the Privy Council?" Emperor Liu looked at Shi Shouxin.
Shi Shouxin replied: "The first thing now is to continue to send more troops to Liaodong and supplement supplies, so as to quickly restore strength and boost morale before advancing.
However, we can no longer rush forward impetuously. The rainy season in Liaodong is approaching, so we should take precautions. In addition, the navy should play a greater role and look for opportunities to enter the Liao River. If it can break through the Liao army's blockade, it will invest a certain amount of troops in its hinterland.
, should also be able to break the deadlock..."
"Why didn't you do this before?" Emperor Liu asked, but he quickly made a decision and ordered: "The Privy Council should adjust it in time, and replenish the money and food for the soldiers, horses, armor and weapons for the civilians as needed!"
Emperor Liu's words were directed at everyone present. His eyes were so powerful that even Song Qi had no room for objection. She just had a grimace on her face. I don't know how many troops and people will be mobilized this time. This move will require another move.
It increased the burden on the court and the people.
When he arrived, Zhao Pu reported: "Your Majesty, there is a loss on the Eastern Front. How will the general be arranged? Will he be sent to another post?"
Yes, it is a defeat after all, and someone must take responsibility. Otherwise, it will be difficult to convince the people and the army. Emperor Liu thought about it and said directly: "Let Gao Huaide cross the sea to Chenzhou to preside over the war on the Eastern Front! An Shouzhong, Shi Yande,
Dai Zui stayed in office and before serving in the army, he gave An Shouzhong a message: know your shame and then be brave! I watched it in Xijing, and the soldiers who died under Yaozhou City also watched it in the sky!"
In this regard, the civil and military personnel present did not have any objections, but they all knew that if An Shouzhong and Shi Yande did not make any achievements in the future, their future would be worrying.
Since Emperor Liu gave them the opportunity to redeem themselves and make meritorious deeds, he also cut off their escape route. If there were any mistakes, the old and new accounts would be settled together.