webnovelfull Chapter 444 Tong Xuan
Chapter 444 Tong Xuan
Two pieces of news came out of nowhere.
One shocked the Yan army, and the other shocked the Qi court.
The news that shocked the Yan army was that the mysterious Qi army commander Tong Xuan finally showed up.
He had actually been secretly recruiting and training local troops in the southern border of Qi State.
This news really shocked Shen Changgong and Ma Ling.
The Yan army, which had just marched for a day, received this news while resting at night.
Zhang Han frowned and said loudly,
"What the hell? That cowardly Tong Xuan is now the commander-in-chief of the Southern Territory Army? This is a joke! How could he run away again after we conquer the south?"
Jiang Shun touched his chin and said,
"Is Qi State completely out of people? How can such a person be the head coach again and again? This is a joke."
However, Yu Huatian shook his head and said softly,
"I don't think it's that simple. Although the Emperor of Qi is a bit cowardly, he is not a fool. He would never appoint someone with no ability as the head coach.
I think this Tong Xuan might be a really capable person.
He first gathered the local troops in the north, then dispersed them among the cities, and ordered that these eleven cities must be defended to the death, and they could not retreat even if the battle lasted until the last soldier.
The purpose is to buy time.
So, who was he buying time for?
Naturally, it was to buy time for the gathering and training of the local army in the southern border.
This man is a ruthless person. He treated these four or five hundred thousand local troops from the northern border as pawns and cannon fodder just to delay our time.
Didn’t we get intelligence before that the local troops in the southern border had gathered, but didn’t go north to provide support?
If nothing unexpected happens, these local troops should all be in training.
Tong Xuan knew that the so-called local army was nothing more than peasants who took up arms. They had no idea how to fight, how to kill, or how to follow orders to deploy troops.
So I used this time to train those people."
Having said that, Yu Huatian's eyes became serious.
"My Lords, three things could happen next."
"Oh? Master Yu, tell me in detail."
Shen Changgong said with interest.
Yuhuatian said,
"Your Majesty, according to the premise of our reasoning, in a normal war situation, these eleven cities can at least hold out against us for two months, or as long as half a year.
Taking into account that we have artillery, Tong Xuan will have two months to train those soldiers, at least to make them proficient in battle formations, and then come to support Linzi.
But he probably didn't expect that we didn't delay for a few days, but chose the tactic of dividing our troops, and in the blink of an eye, we flattened the land of these two counties.
Now it seems that the two princes' tactic of dividing their forces was truly brilliant. It greatly reduced the waste of time and gave the Qi people no chance to breathe."
Shen Changgong said with a frown,
"Stop flattering me. This isn't your style. Get to the point."
Yu Huatian smiled shyly and said,
"Now, Qi is facing an awkward situation.
The first possibility is that if we transfer the Southern Border Army here, it may be too late because we are closer to Linzi than the Southern Border Army.
But the Emperor of Qi might naively think that they can resist us, and then let Tong Xuan lead the Southern Border Army to support Linzi.
But this possibility is not great, and he is not so stupid as to stay here and wait for death.
The second possibility is that Qi moved its capital.
We have advanced into Qi with unstoppable force, and Qi may have been frightened out of its wits. The Emperor of Qi is very likely to move the capital, lead the court and the 300,000-strong army south to join forces with the army in the south, and continue to fight a defensive battle with us with superior forces. While dragging down our army, he may also ask for help from Wei, Qin, Chu and other countries.
This possibility is the greatest.
The third possibility is that Tong Xuan may have received the summons, but he refused to return with his troops, leaving the Emperor of Qi with no choice but to move the capital to form an alliance with him. Tong Xuan then killed the Emperor of Qi, ascended the throne through a coup, and engaged our army in a decisive battle. After repelling our army, he would become the new Emperor of Qi.
Yu Huatian's words made everyone in the tent quiet down.
Feeling very explosive.
Especially Zhang Han and Jiang Shun, who spoke first, lowered their heads in shame.
When they still thought that the Qi court was stupid and Tong Xuan was a coward, Yu Huatian had already thought so deeply.
After thinking for a while, Shen Changgong said,
"General Yu's words do make sense. If Qi were to move its capital, it wouldn't be a good thing for us.
It would be better to send someone to keep a close eye on them. If the Emperor of Qi really wants to run away, we can send cavalry to intercept him. However, if he runs away in a hurry, we may not be able to stop him.
Forget it, let’s ignore them for now.
No matter where he runs to, we will chase him. If he runs to Wei State for political asylum, we can also put pressure on Wei State to force Wei State to hand over the King of Qi.
If you don't hand it over, we'll have a reason to attack Wei."
When everyone heard this, they all frowned.
Now Qi State has not been destroyed, Liang State has not been lost, and the war is only halfway through, but Prince Shen has already started thinking about attacking Wei State.
What a war madman!
After discussing it a bit more, everyone dispersed.
In fact, it doesn't matter. They will just keep fighting. Even if the Emperor of Qi runs away, it will only cause some trouble. The local army in the southern border will not be able to take the city by a single order.
Unlike the relaxed Yan army, the Qi court in Linzi was in an uproar.
The news that shocked the State of Qi was that the Yan army had already captured two cities and was about to arrive at the gates.
The Emperor of Qi discussed the matter with all the civil and military officials in the court for a whole day, but they still couldn't come up with any ideas.
It was already dark, but the hall was brightly lit.
Everyone is waiting for a result.
Even the empress, who never cared much about state affairs, came and sat on the small stool next to the Emperor of Qi.
Finally, outside the hall, a guard came running in quickly and shouted,
"Your Majesty, the news sent back by Tong Shuai from the south is Tong Shuai's news!"
"Read quickly!"
The Emperor of Qi was overjoyed and shouted loudly.
The guard opened the letter and read:
"Your Majesty, I have received your Majesty's imperial edict. The situation of our Great Qi is dire and cannot be underestimated. It is as precarious as an egg hanging on a pile of eggs. If we are not careful, we will be overthrown.
However, the Yan invaders were too strong to be defeated, and the Qi army was strong and brave and was still undergoing training.
If I lead troops to support you, the journey is too long and I am afraid I won’t be able to arrive in time.
Your Majesty, please leave a small number of troops to guard Linzi, and lead the court and the main force south to Xuzhou.
The two armies joined forces to fight against the Yan invaders.
We can also send envoys to Wei and Qin to form alliances, persuade them with emotion and persuade them with reason. This is a time when both the lips and the teeth are cold.
Only when the Yan invaders were defeated could they recover the lost territory and return to the capital Linzi.
"Your Majesty, I implore you to take good care of your health and not act impulsively. I hope Your Majesty will endure this humiliation for a few days. I wish to restore peace to the nation and to restore the sun and moon to brightness."