Seeing how determined he was and how he had already made his decision, the others looked at one another and didn't say anything else.
Even Su Yuanbai and the others, the elders of the Song Nation's three great sects, did not dare to make such a decision on behalf of Luo Zhao. If something happened, they would not be able to bear the responsibility. Even Su Yuanbai and the others, the elders of the three great sects of the Song Nation, did not dare to make the decision for Luo Zhao.
In an army battle, the only person who could make such a strategic decision on the battlefield was Governor Luo Zhao, the commander-in-chief.
However, as Luo Zhao's most trusted advisor, Wen You had to think for Luo Zhao.
Wen You quietly glanced at the reactions of Su, Dong, and Chang. His eyes flickered, and he spoke at the right time, "Governor, I have something to say, but I don't know if I should say it?"
They immediately looked at him. Luo Zhao said, "Wen You, there are no outsiders here."
Su, Dong and Chang nodded their heads slightly, wondering what Wen You's opinion is.
Wen You said hesitantly, "I'm worried about the imperial court. Once Meng Shanming attacks the Great Song, and the Governor ignores him and allows him to attack, I'm afraid that someone in the imperial court will question the Governor's intentions."
Just as he finished speaking, a voice came from outside. Someone came in to deliver a letter from the Imperial Court.
Wen You first took a look at it, then handed it to Luo Zhao. "Governor, the imperial court has taken note of this matter."
Luo Zhao read the letter and said, "Reply truthfully."
Su, Dong, and Chang read the letter one after another. In the letter, the imperial court also noticed that Meng Shanming was going to attack the Song Kingdom. The imperial court was also worried. They mentioned that Meng Shanming was not an ordinary person and asked Luo Zhao how to deal with it.
Clearly, the shadow that Meng Shanming left on the Song Nation was still there. Now that Meng Shanming had come out of seclusion again, he might be targeting the Song Nation. This made some people feel uncertain.
Wen You quietly observed the reactions of the three Elders and said, "Viceroy, it's natural to reply truthfully, but I'm afraid you still have to give a good explanation. Otherwise, people's words are a fearful thing. I'm afraid some people in the court who are holding you back will not be too content with their lot. If there are too many rumors, I'm afraid that people won't be able to understand the Governor's painstaking efforts here. They might even think that the Governor is hiding his selfish motives. "
Luo Zhao understood his meaning, these words were for the three elders to hear.
There were some things that couldn't be helped. No matter which country's imperial court it was, there was no lack of people who would hold it back.
After a moment's deliberation, Luo Zhao said, "Of course I have to explain. I have to write a reply on my end. I wonder if the three Elders can also write a letter to explain, lest someone who doesn't know the truth thinks I'm just talking to myself."
He hoped that the three of them would explain to the three major sects at the same time and help him stabilize the situation.
Su, Dong, and Chang looked at each other and finally nodded. Su Yuanbai said, "Don't worry, Governor. We've all seen the Governor's painstaking efforts on the frontlines. You're absolutely selfless. We won't sit by and watch the Governor be wronged so easily. We'll help explain the stakes in the letter."
"Exactly." Dong Ying Lai and Chang Fei nodded in agreement.
Luo Zhao immediately cupped his hands in thanks.
…
Changzhou's army was vast and mighty, and they were divided into two groups. In the middle of the two groups was another army, which was the imperial court's army that had been forced to move forward by the Law Enforcement Warlord.
Outside the carriage, warhorses were galloping back and forth, and intelligence reports kept coming in. Someone reported the progress of the advance troops cutting down trees and making wooden rafts by the East Domain River.
A handsome white horse was also pulled beside the carriage. It was a gift from the Governor of Song, Luo Zhao, to Meng Shanming.
Changzhou's Provincial Governor Zhang Hu sighed with emotion when he learned that Luo Daan, who was by Meng Shanming's side, was Luo An's son. He had heard of Luo An's death, but only now did he know that Meng Shuai had brought Luo An's son to train by his side. His youngest son had followed Lan Ruoting as a disciple and became Luo Shaofu's grand-disciple.
Having such a thoughtful arrangement for a son was a good thing that many people could only dream of. It could be said that his future was boundless, and if he had a future, his achievements would probably far surpass Luo An's. Zhang Hu sighed with emotion. Luo An, who had died in battle to save Meng Shuai and the Prince, should be able to rest in peace.
He and Luo An were also acquaintances. Although Luo An's rank was not as high as his, he was King Ning's trusted personal guard. The two of them also called each other brothers and were very familiar with each other. Zhang Hu had no other choice but to sigh with emotion. However, he still gave Luo An a good warhorse.
Along the way, he took good care of Luo An.
Behind the carriage, Gongsun Bu led more than ten Five Liang Mountain disciples. Each of them carried a cage with a golden wing on it and covered with black cloth.
After receiving Niu Youdao's message, Gongsun Bu immediately led his men to meet up with Meng Shanming. Niu Youdao had to keep abreast of the situation here at all times.
Inside the carriage, Meng Shanming swayed with a map in front of him. Nowadays, the battle map was always by his side.
After reading all the news and intelligence reports, he often referred to the map and pondered.
Beside him was a book about the solar season. Occasionally, he would poke his head out of the window to look at the clouds in the sky.
After the army rested for a while, Meng Shanming was lifted off the carriage to get some fresh air.
Zhang Hu, who had received a letter nearby, walked over and handed it to Meng Shanming with both hands. "Marshal, there is another decree from the imperial court. They order us to turn back and pursue the Song army."
Meng Shanming waved his hand and did not take the letter, indicating that he did not want to read it. It seemed like there was nothing more to read.
Zhang Hu could only give up. However, he tried to ask, "Marshal, do you really want to attack the Song Kingdom?"
Meng Shanming asked, "Do you think I am fooling around?"
"No, I did not mean that." Zhang Hu scratched his head and chuckled. When facing Meng Shanming, he could not help but show the way he acted when he was still a soldier by Meng Shanming's side. This made the soldiers nearby laugh. "I just feel that the Song Kingdom's defensive line at the East River is impregnable. Our biggest problem is food. Without food, this war will not be easy!"
Slowly, Meng Shanming said, "I am not muddle-headed. I know what to do."
What else could Zhang Hu say when he said that?
Meng Shanming knew the logic behind this.
The ultimate meaning of a country's existence was to balance the supply and demand of the people. Once a war broke out, the balance would be broken immediately. The severity of the disruption would be far greater than other things. A large-scale war could almost stop the production of all industries. Without output, there would only be consumption. It was a terrifying thing. The shortage of one material could cause a chain reaction of shortages of other materials.
The logic was simple. For example, an ordinary family would only store food for ten days or half a month. This was because it could be bought in the market with money. No one would worry too much about it. However, if there was a war, even if every family had to store a month's worth of food, it would not need to store all of it. Just a small part of it would be enough to destroy the balance of the entire country's food supply.
This was why things that were commonly seen in the market suddenly disappeared after a war broke out.
This was also why, since ancient times, it was very easy for a country to suffer from famine once war broke out.
Suddenly, an alarm sounded from behind. Zhang Hu turned around immediately.
A few large birds were flying in the air. Immediately, some large birds flew up to check.
The Purple Gold Cave's Cave Master had come personally. Gong Lince had come all the way from Yan Jing. The disciples of the Purple Gold Cave immediately went up to greet him.
After asking some questions, Gong Lince came to Meng Shanming's side. He saw that Meng Shanming looked tired and his eyes were bloodshot. He said indifferently, "Commander Meng, we meet again. You look tired. Did you not rest well? "
Meng Shanming sighed. "Thank you, Sect Master Gong, for your concern. You didn't come here just to see me, did you?"
Gong Lince said, "You must know why I am here. The Song army is charging towards the capital, but you refused to follow orders. Not only did you not chase after the Song army, you even ordered the army to retreat. Everyone in the court is panicking. What is the logic behind this?"
Meng Shanming said, "I am just following orders. Sect Master Gong, you should ask Prince Yong."
Gong Lince said, "Who is in control of the war? Is there a need for us to beat around the bush?"
Meng Shanming said, "I have already told the disciples of the three major sects. Luo Zhao is trying to lead us by the nose. It is useless for us to chase after him. Did the disciples of the three major sects not tell us?"
Gong Lince said, "Isn't your explanation too simple? How can you convince everyone? I have already said what I need to say. Since I am here personally, shouldn't you tell me something that you shouldn't? "
Meng Shanming asked, "What does Sect Master Gong want to know?"
Gong Lince said, "Why did the army leave the capital to die? Why did they not fight with the Song army? Why did they retreat here?"
Meng Shanming said, "The movements of the army are obvious. I believe Sect Master Gong can tell that I want to gather the army to attack the Song Nation and break the siege on the capital. I hope to lure the Song army back and end the war quickly!"
"Hope?" Gong Lince said, "That is a good idea. What if the Song army refuses to turn back?"
Meng Shanming said, "Sect Master Gong, the army's rations can't even last for ten days. If the court can give me enough rations, I will definitely chase after the Song army and think of a way to eliminate them. However, how can I do that in the current situation? If I follow the Song army's wishes and chase after them, the Song army will only need to delay us for a few days. Then, the army will run out of rations, and we will lose without a fight. Under such circumstances, they are still issuing edicts. This old man would like to ask Sect Master Gong, what are the people in the court thinking? "
Gong Lince remained silent. He could more or less guess what the people in the court were thinking and why they were so afraid.
Meng Shanming sighed again. "I have no other choice, Sect Master Gong. Right now, I can only endanger the Song Nation and force the Song army to turn back and end the war quickly. I will say the same thing again. The rations can't last for long!"
Gong Lince said, "I will say the same thing again. What if the Song army refuses to turn back?"
Meng Shanming said, "This is not a bad thing. The Song army's main force is getting further and further away from me. It will be hard for them to return in a hurry. Without any worries, I can attack the Song Nation with peace of mind. It all depends on Luo Zhao's decision."
Gong Lince said, "According to what I know, the Song army's defensive line is very solid. Can we break it easily? What if we cannot break it after a long time? You said that we don't have enough rations. "
Meng Shanming's voice suddenly became louder. "We have to attack even if we can't break it. If we don't attack, will the army be able to survive? Sect Master Gong, you can go and take a look. The commoners at the back of the army are eating grass and tree bark. We can't even snatch food from them. The conditions in the Song Nation are better than Yan. We can only think of something if we attack the Song Nation. As the commander-in-chief, I can't just watch as my men starve to death. The army has to fight for a path of survival! "
Gong Lince said, "Watch as Yan Jing falls?"
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