Xialuju was not a large-scale military fortress, it was just a fort along the Zhuozhang River. With the influx of large groups of people, the fort suddenly became overcrowded.
Even if the fort is filled with people, it can only accommodate a few thousand disciples. Most of the other soldiers can only sleep outside the fort. Due to the hasty situation during the retreat, a large number of felt tents and supplies were destroyed.
Abandoned in the camp on the front line, the camp soldiers sleeping outdoors could only use the sky as their curtain and the earth as their seats. Fortunately, it was midsummer, so even if they were sleeping outdoors, they could still survive.
Compared with not having a place to sleep, the danger of running out of food and food is more serious. The food and grass supplied before the war was not much at all, and as the army withdrew, most of the food and grass that was not much was discarded. If Duan hadn't
Shao's men on the left packed up and transported some supplies back. The army was afraid that they would run out of food when they evacuated here.
Even so, the army is currently unable to supply sufficient food. Many soldiers can only gather firewood, fish and hunt around Xialiju, trying every means to obtain food, and this method is obviously not sustainable for a long time.
However, on the way to withdraw the troops, the emperor was so angry that he fainted. Although Duan Shao, the king of Pingyuan, soon rushed to take charge of the overall situation, Duan Shao could only confine his troops to Xialiju for the time being. As for more decisions, he could only
Wait until the emperor wakes up before asking for instructions.
Although the news of the emperor's coma did not spread to the entire army, basically the Forbidden Army officers and some important generals also knew about it. For fear of some unexpected changes, the entire Xialuju Fortress was now guarded by the Forbidden Army.
The soldiers came under strict protection, and even the generals were not allowed to come in and out at will. They could only wait anxiously outside the fortress.
It was in the early morning of the third day after the army withdrew here that Duan Shao, who was temporarily in charge of military affairs, was called into the fortress to meet the saint. After learning that the emperor finally woke up, Duan Shao was so excited that he left his desk and military affairs in a hurry and immediately
Then he ran into the fortress.
In front of the emperor's temporary residence in the fortress, dozens of monks were holding some kind of religious ceremony. Duan Shao was anxious to see the emperor and had no time to elaborate. He saw Zhao Daode, Liu Taozhi and others outside the hall at a glance.
He hurriedly stepped forward and asked in a low voice: "When will the Supreme Being wake up? Can the Holy Body be considered?"
"Your Majesty woke up in the middle of the night and summoned the generals to come in and ask about the matter. Because he was afraid of disturbing the king's affairs, he did not inform the king until early in the morning."
Zhao Daode quickly lowered his head and replied respectfully. He was previously detained in the army by He Baren, the king of Anding. After He Baren's division and brigade arrived at Xialuju, he was rescued by Duan Shao from the camp and regained his freedom. Therefore, he felt in his heart
I am also very grateful to Duan Shao.
"The King of Pingyuan is here? Invite him to come and see you."
The voice of Qi Lord Gao Yang, who was still weak, came from the inner hall, and after hearing this, Duan Shao hurriedly walked in with his head lowered.
There was no strong smell of soup in the room, but a very strong scent of sandalwood. Qi Lord Gao Yang was lying on his side on the couch. At both ends of the couch sat a solemn eminent monk, each chanting quickly and loudly.
.
"I see your Majesty, how is your Majesty doing now?"
Duan Shao took a moment to take stock of the situation in the room, then walked in, bowed and respectfully asked.
Gao Yang looked sideways at Duan Shao who was worshiping in front of the couch with some difficulty. A wry smile appeared on his pale face, and then he sighed in a weak tone: "I didn't expect to be able to meet the king in the world..."
"I am guilty of not being able to defeat a powerful enemy, so thieves are rampant and the Holy Body suffers!"
After Duan Shao heard this, he paused deeply and said in a deep tone.
After hearing this, Gao Yang shook his head and sighed: "We are defeated by Wang Wuyou this time. The king had given advice before the battle. It's a pity..."
At this point, his voice suddenly paused. If this defeat is really to be investigated in depth, then there is no doubt that Gao Yang will bear the main responsibility. He was too impatient and radical, always thinking of using the shortest possible time.
, defeated the opponent as quickly as possible, but the opponent took advantage of his mentality and counterattacked. As a result, instead of defeating the enemy, he returned defeated.
With Gao Yang's arrogance, it was difficult for him to admit his mistakes and failures in front of others. After a pause, he ignored the topic and turned to Duan Shaofa and asked: "What is the current military situation? Qiang thieves
Did you take the opportunity to continue the attack?"
"Today, more than 90,000 soldiers and horses have returned. After a short rest, they still have the strength to fight. If we recruit more carefully in the future, we hope to gather more troops. Although the Qiang thieves were lucky enough to be temporarily defeated,
But I didn’t dare to attack again.”
Duan Shao quickly made another report.
The Qi army invested nearly 160,000 troops in this battle, but due to the hasty defeat, a considerable part of the army was not even sent to the battlefield, and the army was defeated here.
Precisely because of this, the real casualties of the Qi army on the battlefield were not many compared to the overall strength of the army. The main casualties occurred in the frontal battlefield confrontation of the Chinese army where Gao Yang was personally in charge. The direct damage on the battlefield was
There were more than 10,000 soldiers. As for the soldiers who were lost due to other reasons, it is difficult to make detailed statistics.
Secondly, He Baren's men and horses were pursued by the enemy on the way back. Although the enemy's actual casualties were relatively limited, many frightened soldiers jumped into the river to escape or fled in other directions. In addition, they were captured by the enemy.
The troops who returned suffered losses of tens of thousands.
Several casualties and losses were accumulated. Although there were tens of thousands of soldiers, due to the large base of Qi's army, there were still nearly 100,000 troops gathered in Xialiju at present, and the strength was still very considerable.
When Gao Yang heard this, his mood became more complicated, and he sighed sadly: "After such a great victory, we should guard against arrogance and impetuosity, and use our troops cautiously. This Li Boshan is really a stubborn enemy."
He rarely expressed his admiration to people sincerely, but after this battle, although he was still a little unwilling in his heart, he had to admit that Li Boshan far surpassed his previous opponents and surpassed him.
After calming down for a while, Gao Yang looked at Duan Shao and said, "According to the king's opinion, the situation has reached this point. How should we deal with the situation and resist the bandits next?"
After Duan Shao heard this question, he was silent for a long time before speaking again: "Now that Jianzhou and Jinzhou have been lost one after another, Jinyang should be safe and sound, but the arrogance of the Qiang thieves in the battle to shake the morale of the army must also be investigated.
Today, the thieves are fierce and stubborn, and all parties in our country are under control. If we want to solve the trouble quickly, I am afraid it will be very difficult..."
After hearing this, Gao Yang's eyes suddenly became a little gloomy. As he retreated from the battlefield, he had to admit that there was little chance of reversing the disadvantageous situation with a quick victory. Wei Jun's performance in the border confrontation
The dominant position will probably continue to be maintained for some time.
"In the current confrontation with thieves, we can no longer covet the outcome of a battle. Even if Wusu is recovered, there are still Qinyuan, Pingyang and other fortresses on the way back. The only current plan is to take precautions first and build a strong wall here.
The territory, but the bandits are outside the territory, so I can rest for a while and accumulate my strength, and then I can fight back and regain the lost territory."
Duan Shao said in a heavy tone, although there are still nearly 100,000 troops gathered here, the morale of the army is completely different from before. If we continue to insist on the battle of the large army, and it is unfavorable to fight again,
I'm afraid it will be a real disaster for Northern Qi.
Therefore, the most important thing at the moment is no longer how to defeat the enemy and regain the lost territory, but to try to avoid a war, gain some breathing space, and wait until the situation slows down before trying to counterattack.
After Gao Yang heard Duan Shao's opinion, he frowned and was silent for a long time. After a while, he spoke again in a solemn voice: "Although I have the intention to kill the thief, but my current posture is like this... The military here will be all done to the king."
, please the king must work hard to maintain it, and don’t laugh at me for the sake of the country. My king and ministers are weak and incompetent, and it is difficult to control thieves and bandits.”
After Duan Shao heard this, he quickly nodded in agreement. He also saw that the emperor's current state made it difficult for him to control the army himself. It was a blessing to be able to discuss military affairs and state affairs without losing his mind. If it really happened like when he went to Heluo, the result was
Like the Yuwen black otter who died suddenly on the road, the situation must be even more dangerous.
Gao Yang summoned Duan Shao this time not just for the current military issues, but also for other reasons. But relatively speaking, this other reason made it even more difficult for her to talk about it.
However, considering that his physical condition was no longer optimistic, after weighing it up, he still sighed and said: "If we can defeat the invading Qiang thieves this time and promote our country's prestige, the whole country will be rejoicing.
Worry about the future. Now I regret that I have not won, but I am plagued by bad diseases, and I am afraid that my life will not be repaired. The prince is young and weak, and has not reached the prime of life. If misfortune strikes again, who should I pay? For the long-term plan of the family and the country, Wang Ke
Do you have a good idea to teach me?"
When Duan Shao heard the emperor's words, he suddenly felt a chill descending from his head. In this sweltering midsummer room, he felt chills all over his body. No matter how slow he was, he knew that this question was difficult to answer.
Although the emperor asked for advice, he could not really give blind advice based on the matter.
"Your Majesty is overly concerned. The reason why the Holy Body is in ill condition today is simply because the military campaign was not going well and it happened to be a hot and dry summer. It only needs a little care. When you return, your energy will be smooth and people will be able to do things smoothly. Everything can be done according to your capacity."
It’s up to you to decide what to do, and do nothing to ask the fool for advice.”
Duan Shao buried his head deeply between his arms and said in a deep voice.
Of course Gao Yang hoped that this would be the case, but this was not the answer he wanted to hear from Duan Shao, so after listening to Duan Shao's answer, a hint of gloom and disappointment flashed in his eyes.
He quickly concealed his disappointment and then said: "I heard that when King Anding's brigade returned, it was carelessly unprepared and was ambushed by the bandit army. As a result, countless soldiers were killed and scattered. I really ordered
People are angry and disappointed. I am fainting and ill and cannot see clearly. Please ask the king to resolve this matter for me, so as not to lose the hope of people above and below me!"
After Duan Shao heard this, he frowned in embarrassment, but he couldn't refuse, so he could only nod and accept the matter.