Chapter 3411 Disobeying orders
Su Dingfang pondered for a long time and said to the captain: "Go back and report to the British Duke, and say that I already know about it."
The captain said: "The British public order, after the general delivers the order, he should return to Huating Town with the navy, and then return to Chang'an to resume his duties."
Su Dingfang was speechless.
Was this someone sent to monitor him?
"In this case, you go down and have a rest. I will convene the generals to discuss the withdrawal of troops. We will notify you when the discussion is completed."
"Here."
The captain turned around and went out. The soldiers took him to find a warship to rest.
Su Dingfang sent people to summon Xi Junmai and other generals to the flagship, and informed them that the army had withdrawn and the siege of Pingrang City had been resolved. This immediately caused a commotion among the naval generals.
"How can we withdraw our troops?"
"We were about to break into the city, but the whole army retreated. Wouldn't it be a failure?"
"This battle lasted for more than half a year, not to mention the countless losses of food and baggage. Did the soldiers who died in the battle die in vain?"
"Our navy is tired and cold on this sea, and we dare not delay the army's baggage for a moment. Isn't it in vain?"
The generals and generals were noisy, not understanding, but even more dissatisfied.
Although the navy has never participated in the war as the main force and has not suffered any battle losses, it has always been responsible for the logistics and supplies of hundreds of thousands of troops. This task is extremely cumbersome and arduous. Especially since the beginning of winter, there has been heavy snowfall in Liaodong, making it difficult to pass by land. The navy had to brave the huge wind and waves to station near the mouth of the Xishui River in order to transport the baggage to the army in time.
When the coastline was frozen, it was difficult for warships to dock, and they even had to use gunpowder to break the ice, and then try to move the ships as close to the shore as possible. All kinds of baggage ordnance could only be transported to the army bit by bit by people and horses. Among them, the difficulty is insignificant.
However, even though they were unable to participate in the war as the main force and had to transport a huge amount of baggage, the navy did not complain at all. The soldiers and generals were focused on capturing Pingrang City as soon as possible, overthrowing Goguryeo, and completing the grand cause of unifying Liaodong.
As a result, an order without warning has made everyone's efforts and sacrifices for more than half a year in vain...
"Dang Dang Dang!"
Su Dingfang picked up the teacup, knocked it on the table, and yelled: "Quiet! What's the point of making such noise? We are the Royal Navy, not the pawns of the caravan!"
The cabin suddenly became quiet.
Xi Jun said: "Captain, the commander-in-chief has given orders, so of course we have to obey them. However, at this point in the war, with victory just one step away, such a hasty retreat is really inappropriate. And there is not even a decent reason. What the hell is this? Son? The general is dissatisfied.”
Su Dingfang was silent.
Xi Junmai was familiar with Su Dingfang's character. This man, who was always decisive in killing, was rarely so hesitant. He was surprised and asked tentatively: "Captain, is there anything difficult to decide?"
Su Dingfang then said slowly: "It stands to reason that the British Duke is the deputy commander of this Eastern Expedition. All the armies are subordinates and are under his control. They should act according to his orders. But our navy is different..."
The topic is sensitive and the consequences will be serious, so please stop immediately.
Xi Junmai blinked, and when he saw Su Dingfang looking at him, he immediately understood and said hurriedly: "We are the Royal Navy, His Majesty's private army, not part of the imperial court. We only listen to your Majesty and the Marshal, the British Lord Although he has a high position, how can he control us? If we obey his military orders in everything, that would be a big mistake!”
This is a bit unreasonable. The Navy is indeed not under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of War and cannot be considered a court establishment. However, in the grand plan of the Eastern Expedition, the entire army is integrated. How can the navy be independent of the commander-in-chief and act on its own?
But when he said this, the other generals also came to their senses and agreed: "What General Xi said is true. If the army had attacked the city before, we would have just obeyed the British Lord's orders. Now that the army has retreated , means that the Eastern Expedition is over, and our navy should return to its previous state. Since there is no imperial decree from His Majesty, it does not matter whether we listen to the British military orders or not."
Everyone was making noises and looking at Su Dingfang eagerly.
This was the Eastern Campaign, and the annihilation of Goguryeo was an unparalleled feat that will be remembered throughout the ages! The navy had been marginalized before and had never been able to participate in the war as the main force. It could only transport supplies and fight as auxiliary forces. Everyone was simmering with anger and wished they could go into battle to kill the enemy and make contributions!
Now that the army has retreated, Pingrang City is already at the end of its strength, and there is only one last chance to break through the city. If you give up this opportunity in vain, will you regret it for the rest of your life?
Of course, since the British Duke Li Ji had led his troops to retreat and the order had been issued to the navy, it would be a grave sin to disobey the order.
I just don’t know whether Su Dingfang has the courage to disobey Li Ji’s orders, and later be able to get away with it by saying that "the navy is not affiliated with the imperial court and does not need to follow military orders." This depends on Yue Guo Gong Fang Jun's firm support, and also depends on His Majesty's wishes.
Su Dingfang allowed the generals to chatter and ponder for a long time, then raised his hand to stop everyone's discussion, and said slowly: "I am not afraid of the British military orders, but hundreds of thousands of troops besieged Pingrang City, and ultimately failed. We have to retreat, our navy only has tens of thousands of troops. , can I break into the city in one go and accomplish such a feat that will last forever? I am not afraid of the crime of disobedience. What I am afraid of is that you are so eager to conquer Pingrang City that you will end up with a broken head. Flowing, falling into the sand! ”
When everyone heard this, they were overjoyed. Xi Junmai said excitedly: "Before, we did not dare to boast that we would be able to capture Pingrang City. But now Pingrang City is at the end of its strength, and the troops in the city have suffered heavy losses. I am afraid that ten Without two or three, they went out of the city to pursue the army. The defense inside the city became increasingly empty. The army retreated, and the siege of Pingrang City was solved. The Yuan bandits were ambitious. There will be trouble between Bo and the Goguryeo royal family. Either the treasure king takes over the defense of Pingrang City, or the Yuan bandits directly usurp the throne! No matter which case, Pingrang City will no longer be united as it was when the army besieged the city. As long as we march quickly. , storming Pingrang City with lightning speed, it is very likely to be decided in one battle.”
Su Dingfang nodded slowly.
He has full confidence in the combat power of the navy. What he is hesitating about right now is not whether he can capture Pingrang City. There is no guarantee of victory in a battle. As long as there is more than a half chance of winning, he can go all out and fight hard. What he is hesitating about is disobeying military orders. consequences.
Is your guess correct?
If things are indeed as he imagined, disobeying Li Ji's order this time will not be a big deal, and it can even add a bit of strength to His Royal Highness. After all, even if Li Ji dominates the sky and has all the power, he can't control the navy. .
But if my guess is wrong and His Majesty is completely fine, it must be because His Majesty is trying to hide the truth and is plotting a big plan, and I must ruin His Majesty's good deeds...
However, if His Majesty was really fine, how could the army retreat at the last moment, causing the Eastern Expedition to fall short?
In his opinion, the reason for withdrawing the troops was because Li Ji was worried that the bad news would cause the morale of the army to collapse, morale to be eroded, and the combat effectiveness of the army to plummet. In the face of the Goguryeo army that was determined to hold on to the death, it would easily lead to a major rout, so he had no choice but to Don't bear the pain of giving up a good situation and strive for stability.
Because once the army is defeated, the chain reaction will cause the situation in Chang'an to collapse instantly. The consequences are much more serious than the failure of the Eastern Expedition...
After pondering for a while, Su Dingfang waved his hand and said: "Please step aside, let me think carefully before making a decision. Xi Jun is here to stay."
"Here!"
All the generals stood up and left. When their backs were turned, they all winked at Mr. Xi. Everyone knows that Xi Junmai has great trust from Su Dingfang and often adopts his opinions. They all hope that Xi Junmai can persuade Su Dingfang to stay and attack Pingrang City and make achievements.
Being in the navy, for a long time, the feeling of "being part of the establishment" has been lost from the top and bottom. There is no need to ask for instructions when doing things. Anyway, as long as you report it to Fang Jun, it will be approved, and as long as Fang Jun approves, His Majesty never refuted it, which made everyone less interested in the British Duke and other prime ministers and ministers. Anyway, we are not within the Tang army system, so you can't control me!
Everyone felt that disobeying Li Ji's orders was nothing to worry about. In the past few years, the Navy had been accustomed to doing its own thing. How had it ever reported to the court or asked for instructions?
Seeing the unparalleled feats of conquering Pingrang City and overthrowing Goguryeo right before their eyes, everyone has become red-eyed...
When everyone filed out, Su Dingfang asked Xi Jun: "Hundreds of thousands of troops have been besieging Pingrang City for several months without defeat. If our navy disobeys military orders and attacks Pingrang City now, what are the chances of winning? What kind of good strategy is there to destroy the city?" (End of Chapter)