From a son-in-law to a favorite of the empress

Chapter 1102

A group of people stood outside the closed door.

The room was extremely quiet.

Shi Yi and Ji Shan looked at each other and shook their heads and sighed.

"For two days, he has locked himself in the room without eating or drinking. What on earth is General Wang trying to do?"

Ji Shan was a little anxious and frowned, saying, "My face is so rotten, but I am not so depressed. He should cheer up."

Shi Yi sighed, "This has never happened before. I know his temperament. He is a person who cares about the overall situation and is very tough. Logically, he would not be so angry."

As soon as the voice fell, a voice suddenly came from the room: "Come in!"

Ji Shan and Shi Yi quickly opened the door and walked in, and saw Wang Xiong sitting on a chair, staring at the map.

Next to him was a pile of waste paper and ink spilled on the ground.

Ji Shan couldn't help but ask: "General Wang, what are you studying?"

Wang Xiong turned around and looked at the two of them, his face calm, and said softly: "Look at the map, study the route, study the distribution of settlements, study how far Gumanyev's food and grass are enough to support him to go, and which roads to take."

"I also thought about a lot of things, and thought about how the general was fighting in front of him. Although there was no method, there were many ideas worth learning from."

"So, I figured it out."

Ji Shan couldn't help but stare and said: "What do you mean you figured it out? Do you have a way to defend Jianzhou? Great! The other side will arrive in four days."

Wang Xiong said: "No, I plan to... withdraw half of the troops."

When these words came out, Shi Yi and Ji Shan were stunned, and the room suddenly became quiet.

"It's already difficult for 100,000 people to defend the city against an attack by more than 200,000 people. You want to withdraw half of them. Are you crazy?"

Ji Shan immediately shook his head and said, "I don't agree!"

Wang Xiong was not in a hurry, but said slowly, "General Ji, why should we defend Jianzhou and fight with the enemy?"

Ji Shan said, "Of course we have to defend! Jianzhou has a large amount of military rations! It is the core foundation of the Jurchens! It is an important town in Liaodong!"

"If we don't defend it, will we let Gumanyev and others come to supply it?"

Wang Xiong said, "Military rations? Ha! Four days are not enough for us to destroy all the military rations?"

"Give Jianzhou to them, what can they get?"

"The essence of this battle is to fight for time and food. As long as someone defends the city and can delay the opponent's time, As long as we destroy the food, we can make the other side gain nothing..."

"Marshal Jie once said that we cannot be bound by territory and number of people in a war, but must grasp the essence."

"As long as we grasp the essence, we will not lose the war."

"If the other side gains nothing, we will win, understand?"

Ji Shan was so excited that he stood up and slammed the table, saying loudly: "I don't understand! Really! At the moment of war! At a critical moment! If we withdraw half of the troops, what will happen to the remaining half?"

Wang Xiong was silent for a long time before he said solemnly: "What will happen if our people stay?"

"Relying on the walls of Jianzhou City, we can hold on for a few days, but the final result is that the 100,000 troops were wiped out, and the Tsarist Empire suffered even greater losses."

"But the few remaining of them Ten thousand people, and we can fight to Shenzhou, and even take Shenzhou."

Ji Shan said immediately: "Great! In this way, they will all be gone, and they will all die when the marshal comes back."

"War, we won!"

Wang Xiong shook his head and said: "Not enough! Not enough! General Ji! The marshal doesn't want this result!"

"Jianzhou City was massacred once, and Shenzhou City was also massacred once, but the people didn't die."

"If we fight like this, the Leiden Army will be gone, the Huguang Army will be gone, and the 40,000 coalition forces of Jizhou, Shanhaiguan and Tianjin will also be gone, and Shenzhou and Jianzhou will be massacred again."

"At the same time, the other side has completed the supply, even if there are only 20,000 people left, they can continue to fight in the direction of Shanhaiguan. Can the defenders there stop them?"

"I know you I must think that no matter where 20,000 people fight, they can't accomplish anything, but do we really need to pay such a high price? "

He looked at Ji Shan and said solemnly: "Jie Shuai fights in an unconventional way, and he emphasizes change and complexity. Why?"

"In addition to the disparity in strength, there is another reason, that is, I don't want so many people to die!"

"The Leiden Army, Huguang Army, and the Northeast Army, a total of 160,000 people, all died. Shenzhou and Jianzhou will be slaughtered again. Even if the army of the Tsarist Empire is eliminated, it is not the result that Jie Shuai wants. Do you understand?"

"Time, we are fighting for time. We are not going to fight them desperately, we are going to starve them to death!"

"This is the essence!"

Ji Shan lowered his head and sighed softly.

He wanted everyone to survive, but... the situation is like this, there is no choice.

Wang Xiong continued: "Leaving 50,000 people, plus 20,000 Tsarist prisoners, even if the opponent is a mad dog, we can at least hold out for two or three days. "

"When the city is broken, they will also get nothing. It will take another ten days to rush to Shenzhou."

"Before that, they have spent about seven or eight days."

"They can't hold out for too long. They may not be able to take Shenzhou."

"We don't need to sacrifice so many people!"

Wang Xiong laughed and whispered: "Withdraw 50,000 people and let them take the remaining people in Jianzhou and the food and grass needed on the road to Shenzhou. Although the speed is a bit slow, they will not be caught up by Gumanyev."

"They can also defend the city and clear the fields along the way, leaving no resources for the other side. Why not do it?"

"The pressure on the other side is different in the decisive battle now and in Shenzhou."

"General Ji... I think I have made it very clear."

Ji Shan was silent for a long time before finally nodding.

His eyes were a little red, and he whispered: "But who stays and who withdraws? This is a difficult choice. ”

Wang Xiong said: "There are always choices in one's life. Let me be the sinner."

"Anyway, I have decided to live and die with Jianzhou and die with my brothers."

Ji Shan hurriedly said: "How can this be, you..."

He did not say anything more, because he saw the determination in Wang Xiong's eyes.

Wang Xiong said softly: "There are still 40,000 Leiden troops, 30,000 will be left, and 20,000 Huguang troops will be left, a total of 50,000 people."

He said bitterly: "General Ji, the remaining 10,000 Leiden troops are handed over to you. They are all my fellow villagers in Shandong. I hope you can treat them well."

Ji Shan shook his head slowly and said in a deep voice: "They are all for the country. Are Shandong people taller than Huguang people?"

"Let's be equal. The Leiden army will withdraw 30,000 and we will withdraw 20,000."

Speaking of this, he, who was in his 40s, choked up and said with red eyes: "I will also live and die with my brothers. "

Shi Yi shouted: "You all want to die, what about the remaining brothers? General Wang, you..."

Wang Xiong interrupted directly: "Shi Yi! Do you think I still have the face to go back to Shandong?"

"The remaining brothers will be handed over to you to lead."

"I am the highest military commander, I am responsible for my decision, and you also need to follow military orders."

"Sacrifice 50,000 people, withdraw 50,000 people, and give Gumanyev an empty city of Jianzhou."

"Defend the city and defend Shenzhou to the death. By then... Gumanyev's army will be rotten, and it may not be able to be defeated."

Speaking of this, he slowly laughed and whispered: "I have followed the general for four years. I hope he will be satisfied with my answer."

"To get his praise, to save so many lives, to win this war, to change the fate of Dajin..."

"I have no regrets. "