Chapter 3430: Steady as a Mountain
Everyone knows that there is intrigue in the officialdom, and when interests are at stake, it is common for good brothers to stab each other in the back. In fact, is this not the case in the military?
Wherever there are interests, there will probably be intrigues and duplicity.
The navy's achievements in capturing Pingrang City and overthrowing Goguryeo were so great that anyone who saw them would be jealous and wanted to pounce on them and take a bite to share some of the benefits. There is nothing right or wrong in pursuing profit, but once you have this thought in your mind, you will inevitably make a lot of calculations when making decisions.
Xi Junmai was very worried that Xue Wanche and Ashina Simo, who came to come for reinforcements, had their own little thoughts and watched the navy fight fiercely with the Goguryeo army. After they were exhausted and suffered heavy losses, they took action to turn the tide.
From the standpoint of Xue Wanche and Ashina Simo, this approach is really not surprising. The navy's "conquering the country" this time is too great. If it goes smoothly and attacks the Goguryeo army's rear formation, and attacks the navy internally and externally, After winning, the most dazzling one is still the Navy. However, if you sit back and watch the Navy get into trouble or even suffer heavy losses, and then take action later, it will be a turnaround.
It not only reaps the sentiment of "rescuing friendly forces", but also consolidates the victory of "the achievement of annihilation of the country" and completely crushes the resurgence of Goguryeo. Why not do it?
However, since then, the Navy is bound to suffer immeasurable losses...
……
Su Dingfang said calmly: "People's hearts are separated from each other. Who can guess what others are thinking? There is no need to think about it. The moment we launched the siege, we had already anticipated the current predicament. If Xue Wanche and Ashina Simo can attack the city in time, It would be best to support them, even if they are across the river Watching the fire, we want to seize the merits, can we still be afraid of the Goguryeo troops under the city? Since the creation of Duke Yue, the navy has never been defeated across the seven seas. Today, even if the entire army is dead, we must try our best to protect it. The dragon flag does not fall, defeat the powerful enemy!”
A strong army must not only have sophisticated military equipment and strong soldier quality, but more importantly, it must have a spirit of looking down on the world and never admitting defeat.
No army can always maintain an absolute advantage on the battlefield. The commander's command errors, sudden changes in the weather, and even unlucky luck may cause the entire army to fall into an extremely passive situation. An army that is good at fighting against the wind is not considered a strong army. An army that can never give up when faced with a disadvantage and turn defeat into victory is truly a strong army in the world.
Moreover, this experience of "defying the odds and winning" will give the generals and soldiers unlimited confidence, so that even if they encounter worse battle conditions in the future, they will have high morale and be unafraid of death.
An army is like a sword. It needs constant tempering and sharpening before it can cut iron like mud and become invincible.
Xi Junmai perked up and bowed in admiration: "What the governor said is true. I will finally learn from you!"
The previous sense of oppression caused by the enemy's strong attack, as well as the resentment at the delay in the arrival of Xue Wanche and Ashina Simo's armies, disappeared in an instant, and were replaced by endless self-confidence, and Aspiration that fills your chest.
At the critical moment, you can’t rely on anyone but yourself!
Since the formation of the navy, it has wreaked havoc across the oceans and swept across the countries without relying on any friendly forces. Today, its reputation as a powerful force in the seven seas is achieved by relying on its own strong ships and cannons.
Su Dingfang said: "Give me the order and hold on to the city. As long as we repel the enemy, all the wealth captured this time will be distributed!"
"Here!"
Xi Junmai responded excitedly, turned around and strode away.
"There must be a brave man under a heavy reward." This is an eternal principle. For ordinary soldiers, military achievements are a bit far away from them. Not only do they have to kill the enemy with their own hands, but they also have to be clearly remembered. Who has the time to do that in a war?
Therefore, the reward of money is the most direct benefit to the soldiers.
The navy was built on the basis of the recruitment system. The soldiers originally exchanged their lives for money. At this time, the order was passed down and the rewards were increased, which really greatly stimulated the morale of the soldiers.
This time, Pingrang City was first captured and all the merchants in the city were captured, and then the Goguryeo Royal Palace and Daemoliji Mansion were captured. All kinds of gold and silver treasures, such as mountains and seas, were transported to the castle parked at the mouth of the Xishui River as soon as possible. On the ship, all the soldiers can be seen.
That is the wealth of a country!
Although there are nearly 50,000 soldiers in the navy, it is still an objective amount to distribute such overwhelming wealth to everyone!
We all work as soldiers to get paid, lick blood with the blade of a knife, and often die in foreign lands and have their bones buried in the sea. Isn't it just to make more money and let our parents, wives and children live a better life at home?
Even if we don’t mention the achievements and honors of those who opened up new territories, the reward of real money and silver alone is enough for everyone to risk their lives and fight to the end!
Even if a soldier dies in battle, it doesn't matter. There is a pension in the Navy that is different from the imperial regulations. Once a soldier dies in battle, the pension and the battle capture will be sent home one by one, and the Sima of the army will be responsible for it personally. If If there is even a penny difference, we will pursue it to the end and show no mercy!
Therefore, among the navy, there is no need to worry about being captured and compensated by Tan Mo due to death in battle.
If he is seriously injured but does not die, that would be even better. He will retire immediately after returning, and either return to his hometown with a generous pension, or directly move his family to Lishan and get dozens of acres of land with only a small amount of tax. From then on, he became a banker of Lishan Farm.
Not many soldiers these days are afraid of death. What they fear is that they will die in vain. What they fear is that after their death, their parents, wives, and children will have no one to take care of them and they will become slaves. As long as the soldiers have no worries and let them know that even if they die in battle, they will receive generous rewards, then they can be brave and not afraid of death!
On the top of the city, the morale of the Tang army burst out after being inspired, and they continued to fight back the enemies who climbed to the top of the city. Some soldiers were accidentally killed by the enemy and fell into the city. For a time, the battle became more and more fierce. The soldiers on both sides were red-eyed, arrows were like locusts, and flesh and blood were flying everywhere.
Although the battle was fierce, the city was as stable as a mountain, and the Goguryeo army had no hope of victory.
Eulji Jizu's cavalry stood more than a hundred feet away from the city wall, looking through the wind and snow at the extremely tragic battle situation above the city, and sighed slightly.
Although preparations have been made, it can be said that you can advance and attack, retreat and defend, but who is willing to surrender and become a surrender instead of conquering Pingrang City and successfully restoring the country?
Even though I don’t have much sense of belonging to Goguryeo, it’s hard to resist the temptation of becoming a hero of the restoration of the country...
But now it seems that this path is no longer possible.
His own strength was twice that of the Tang Army's navy, and the Tang Army had to divide its forces to defend the entire city wall. He could then choose a place to attack by force. His tactics were more flexible and he could better take advantage of his military strength. However, until now, the soldiers under his command could only climb to the top of the city, and were killed before they could stand firm.
The resilience of the Tang Army far exceeded his expectations. If he continued to fight without regard to casualties, he might be able to drag the Tang Army to death, but he would have to skin him even if he didn't die.
What's more, there are two Tang armies watching behind him. I don't know when they will suddenly dispatch and give me a fatal blow?
As soon as this idea came into my mind, I saw military scouts rushing towards me. When they got close, they reported loudly: "Commander Qi, the Tang Army's Xue Wanche and Ashina Simo tribes have already moved forward one after another. Our army's rear formation is approaching, and the distance is only fifty miles!"
The generals on the left and right raised their heads and looked at Eulji Jizu. For the cavalry, even under such weather and road conditions, a hundred miles can be reached in an instant and does not take much effort.
A choice must be made now. If we take one step slower, it is very likely that the entire army will be wiped out...
Eulji Jizu sighed, looked at the generals on the left and right, and said solemnly: "I am deeply respected by Da Moliji, and I once made an oath that I would die to repay the favor. But now Damoliji committed suicide and died, and Pingrang City fell. , Goguryeo If our country is destroyed and our family is destroyed, it is irreparable. We cannot ignore our wives, children, and children and cut off their livelihood..."
He raised his head and glanced at the wind and snow covering the sky, and said slowly: "I have decided to abandon my weapons and surrender, and join the Tang Dynasty from today on. You can make your own decision, whether to fight to the end, surrender with me, or remove your armor. Go away, I will not interfere. Let’s just have fun and I will give you the chance to choose your destiny.”
In the wind and snow, the generals on the left and right looked at each other in shock when they heard this.
They are already the last armed forces of Goguryeo. Once they surrender to the Tang army, Goguryeo will be completely destroyed and there will be no chance of restoration.
However, even if they fight to the end, will they be able to successfully restore the country?
Unable to capture Pingrang City in time, they were already in a desperate situation based on the strategic situation. The Tang army in the city was tenacious and brave, and the elite Tang army were chasing after them. Once the two armies joined forces inside and outside, their side would only be defeated.
Seeing the complete fall of Goguryeo, they felt uncomfortable; but if they knew they would die but still charged forward, it would be of little value...
After weighing the balance, more than a dozen generals knelt down on one knee and said loudly: "We are willing to follow the general and live and die together!" (End of Chapter)