Chapter 752
Gongsun Kang is going all out, mobilizing an army of 2!
Gongsun Yuan's words were full of heartache. Although he had previously expressed his intention to study hard and become more mature, his thoughts at this moment still carried a touch of the naivety of a spoiled brat, and he was full of his own selfish interests.
Seeing Gongsun Yuan's expression, Li Xu shook his head helplessly and patiently explained:
"Your Highness is overthinking it. If we can successfully take Fangcheng, the wealth accumulated by the merchants in the city alone will be more than one hundred million coins, far exceeding the value of your tavern."
"At that time, we only need to arrest and execute all the merchants who are allied with the Han army as traitors, and all the wealth in the city will belong to Your Majesty."
"When the king rewards you, are you still afraid of losing everything? You might even become a hundred or a thousand times richer than you are now."
Upon hearing the words "the entire city's wealth," Gongsun Kang and Gongsun Yuan instantly perked up, their worried expressions instantly replaced by greed.
They all knew that Fangcheng had always been wealthy, with merchants flocking to the city and accumulating immeasurable wealth. If they could seize this wealth for themselves, it would be comparable to filling the national treasury and enough to make up for any losses.
Gongsun Kang was so preoccupied with the loss of troops and the risk of defeat that he had never considered this aspect. At this moment, most of his hesitation and entanglement vanished.
His eyes lit up, and he immediately turned to look at Li Xu, asking in a deep voice:
"Li Xu, if we follow your plan and concentrate our forces to launch a strong attack on Fangcheng, what are our chances of winning?"
Upon hearing this, Li Xu immediately lowered his head in thought. After a moment, he raised his head and replied:
"Your Majesty, if we can gather an army of 200,000 and launch a full-scale attack, I estimate that we should have a 70% chance of taking Fangcheng."
"Two hundred thousand troops?"
Upon hearing this number, both Gongsun Kang and Gongsun Yuan looked shocked and instinctively exclaimed in unison.
Two hundred thousand troops is no small number. It is no easy task to gather so many troops in Liaodong.
Gongsun Kang snapped out of his daze, his eyes filled with confusion, and hurriedly asked:
"Li Xu, where will the 200,000 troops you mentioned come from? Although Liaodong currently has the military strength, it is difficult to gather that many troops all at once!"
Li Xu stepped forward, walked to the table, pointed to the map on the wall, and slowly said:
"Your Majesty, these 200,000 troops were drawn from the cities near Fangcheng."
Gongsun Kang sat in the main seat, while Gongsun Yuan stood beside him, both gazing intently at the map spread out on the table.
Fangcheng is a strategic location, and Gongsun Kang had long been prepared for the surrounding cities, stationing a large number of elite troops in each one.
Upon closer examination, the combined garrison of these five cities numbered over a hundred thousand, enough to form a solid defensive line.
The two listened intently to Li Xu's plan while bending down to examine the troop deployments and terrain marked on the map, not daring to slack off in the slightest.
The Liao Kingdom's military deployments were always arranged entirely by Li Xu. Although Gongsun Kang held great power, he was not very clear about the specific details of military affairs.
Upon hearing Li Xu's complete plan to seize Fangcheng, a hint of emotion flashed in Gongsun Kang's eyes, clearly moved by the feasibility of the strategy.
But this emotional reaction didn't last long. Gongsun Kang frowned slightly and slowly spoke:
"If we forcibly attack Fangcheng, the flames of war will inevitably spread into the city, causing irreversible damage. It would be too regrettable if the city were to be damaged."
After he finished speaking, Li Xu stood to the side, his face calm, and did not respond immediately, as if he had already expected him to have this concern, and just waited quietly for him to continue.
At this moment, Gongsun Yuan, who was standing to the side, lowered his head and pondered for a moment before speaking:
“Father, in my opinion, we should devise a plan to lure the Han army out of the city and then fight them outside the city.”
After Gongsun Yuan finished speaking, the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up, secretly pleased with himself for coming up with a brilliant plan, unaware that he had already overlooked the key point.
He never imagined that the open area outside the city would be the perfect place for the Han army's heavily armored cavalry to prove their worth.
If a decisive battle were to take place outside the city, the Liao army would have to pay a heavy price to defeat this iron cavalry, with casualties far exceeding those in a siege.
In contrast, while a direct assault on the city would be difficult, it would allow them to avoid the advantage of the Han army's iron cavalry.
Once the city walls are captured and the Han army is trapped inside, the once invincible heavy cavalry will have no room to maneuver, and their combat effectiveness will be greatly reduced. The Liao army's losses will actually be much smaller.
Before Gongsun Kang could speak, Li Xu preemptively retorted:
“Your Highness, the Han army has a heavily armored cavalry force with extraordinary combat power. If we fight outside the city, our army will suffer heavy losses. This plan is not advisable.”
Upon hearing Li Xu's words, Gongsun Yuan's smugness vanished instantly. He finally realized that his plan had been too hasty and that he had overlooked the most critical hidden danger. He could only lower his head in shame and remain silent.
Seeing this, Gongsun Kang no longer hesitated and said to Li Xu decisively:
“Li Xu, do as you say. Even if it means destroying the commercial foundation of Fangcheng and paying a heavy price, we must take Fangcheng back.”
At this moment, he had a solemn expression and exuded an aura of unquestionable kingship.
Hearing this, Li Xu finally felt relieved and breathed a sigh of relief. He then stepped forward and began to explain the details of his plan one by one.
Although Gongsun Yuan nodded in agreement on the surface, appearing to fully support him, he was still unable to calm down inside.
He was preoccupied with figuring out how to quickly recoup his investment in Da Liao Fang. The people he had sent to investigate the situation in Fangcheng had yet to send back any news, which made him increasingly uneasy.
"Damn it! What's going on in Fangcheng? That good-for-nothing Chen San sent him to gather information, and there hasn't been a single word since. What is he doing?!"
Gongsun Yuan suppressed his anger and grumbled inwardly.
Li Xu explained the details of the plan in detail, and Gongsun Kang listened very attentively, nodding from time to time, showing his strong approval of the plan.
Half an hour later, the group finally decided on the siege plan:
Abandon all defensive forces in the five cities surrounding Fangcheng, concentrate all troops, and launch a full-scale siege of Fangcheng.
At the same time, Yu Xuan, the garrison commander of Xiangping City, was dispatched to personally lead troops to oversee the siege.
With the plan decided, Gongsun Kang spoke in a deep voice:
"Guards, summon the Grand General to Xuanjin!"
Upon hearing this, the soldiers waiting outside the hall immediately bowed, accepted the order, and turned to go to the military camp to relay the message.
A quarter of an hour later, Yu Xuan, clad in silver armor, entered Gongsun Kang's bedchamber and bowed respectfully.
"This humble servant, Yu Xuan, pays his respects to His Majesty's Crown Prince, Prime Minister Li! May I ask what His Majesty has summoned me for?"
He sounded somewhat puzzled, wondering what the urgent summons was for.
Gongsun Kang remained seated and silent, only raising his hand to signal Li Xu to explain the situation.
Li Xu stepped forward and slowly explained the siege strategy that everyone had just devised to Xuan Dao, clearly outlining each deployment.
After Li Xu finished speaking, Gongsun Kang slowly opened his mouth, his gaze falling on Yu Xuan, and said solemnly:
"General Yu, this siege is of great importance. I wonder if you are willing to lead the troops into battle and live up to my trust?"
Upon hearing this, Yu Xuan slowly stood up and fell into deep thought.
After a moment of silence, Yu Xuan frowned, cupped his hands, and asked Gongsun Kang:
"Your Majesty, isn't this move too risky?"
Having led troops in battle for many years, he knew the risks of abandoning city defenses and concentrating forces for a fierce attack, so he couldn't help but offer his honest advice.
Seeing this, Li Xu stepped forward and asked in return:
"General Yu, is there anything you're worried about? Please speak frankly." Yu Xuan took a deep breath and slowly voiced his concerns:
"We must abandon the defenses of several surrounding cities and concentrate all our forces to launch a fierce attack on Fangcheng. Even if we are lucky enough to win in the end, the losses of our Liao army and supplies will be heavy, making it a Pyrrhic victory, which will be extremely detrimental to the consolidation of our foundation."
"Your Majesty, Prime Minister Li, is this truly the case?"
Listening to Yu Xuan's heartfelt words, Li Xu sighed softly, his gaze becoming serious as he asked in return:
"General Yu, why don't you think about this? If we remain inactive and do not launch an attack, allowing the Han army to advance steadily, won't they eventually capture these cities one by one?"
"By then, the Liao Kingdom will still lose these cities and will be forced into a passive and defensive position, waiting to be defeated. The losses will be even greater than if they had taken the initiative to attack."
Li Xu's words were like a wake-up call, instantly plunging Yu Xuan into deep thought.
He stood there, his brows furrowed, weighing the pros and cons of taking the initiative versus passive defense, unable to make a decision.
Half a cup of tea's time had quietly passed when Yu Xuan finally slowly raised his head and said in a deep voice:
"This subordinate understands."
"Since things have come to this, there is no other way but to send out troops immediately and fight the Han army to the death!"
Upon hearing this, Li Xu's tense expression finally relaxed, a satisfied smile appeared on his face, and he nodded slightly, saying "good" three times.
As the laughter subsided, Gongsun Kang's expression instantly turned serious, his gaze fixed intently on Yu Xuan.
"Your subordinate is here!"
Yu Xuan straightened up and knelt on one knee.
"I hereby appoint you as the commander-in-chief of the army. Immediately lead 200,000 troops southward, raze Fangcheng to the ground, annihilate the Han traitors, and recover the lost territory!"
Gongsun Kang spoke solemnly and immediately issued the order to Yu Xuan to go on the expedition.
"Your humble servant obeys! I will dedicate myself wholeheartedly to the cause, even unto death, and will certainly not fail Your Majesty's high expectations!"
Yu Xuan loudly accepted the order, and without further delay, he got up, turned around, and headed straight for the military camp, just to quickly gather troops and prepare for the expedition.
After Yu Xuan left, Gongsun Kang turned to Li Xu and instructed him:
"Li Xu, you shall immediately send men to each city to convey my orders, gather all available military forces, prepare for battle, and fully cooperate with the general's siege. There shall be no delay whatsoever."
"Here!"
Li Xu bowed and accepted the order, then immediately turned and left to arrange manpower and convey the order to assemble troops.
From this moment on, the entire Liao Kingdom entered a state of full-scale war preparedness, with everyone on edge and seeing threats everywhere.
This massive mobilization of 200,000 troops is a matter of life and death for the Liao Kingdom, directly determining its future trajectory, and cannot afford the slightest mistake.
Gongsun Kang stood in the hall, looking out the window, feeling both tension about the war and anticipation of recapturing Fangcheng and defeating the Han army.
Compared to Gongsun Kang's nervousness and anticipation, Gongsun Yuan was even more anxious, like an ant on a hot pan, unable to sit still.
Chen San has been missing ever since, and has not sent back any news about Fangcheng. This leaves him completely unaware of the situation inside Fangcheng, especially the safety of Daliao Ward, which makes him even more uneasy.
After Li Xu and the others had all left, only Gongsun Yuan remained in the hall. He could no longer contain his agitation, slammed his hand on the table, and shouted:
"Quickly summon Chen Xun to see me!"
A moment later, Chen Xun strode into the hall.
Chen Xun was Gongsun Yuan's most trusted servant, loyal and efficient. He was also the person in charge of contacting Gongsun Rong. He was highly valued by Gongsun Yuan.
"Any news about Chen San yet?"
Gongsun Yuan sat in the main seat, his face gloomy and his tone full of impatience.
Chen Xun bowed respectfully, his tone hesitant:
"Your Highness, since Chen San went to Fangcheng, there has been no news of him. We have sent people to inquire, but to no avail."
Upon hearing Chen Xun's words, Gongsun Yuan's heart sank. He thought to himself that something was wrong and that Chen San was probably in trouble.
After a moment's hesitation, he gritted his teeth and gave the order to Chen Xun:
"It seems I have no choice but to send you to Fangcheng in person. You must find out the current situation in Da Liao Fang and the whereabouts of Chen San. Remember to be cautious. If you find anything unusual in Da Liao Fang, do not linger in battle. Retreat immediately. No matter what, bring the news back safely."
Chen Xun knew that the situation was urgent and there was no one else who could handle the task, so he immediately bowed and accepted the order:
"Rest assured, Your Highness, I will certainly not fail in my mission!"
Watching Chen Xun's departing figure, Gongsun Yuan frowned deeply.
The next day, the mobilization order conveyed by Li Xu arrived in various cities of the Liao Kingdom. The soldiers guarding the cities were all shocked when they heard the news.
The soldiers were even more puzzled, especially about the five cities adjacent to Fangcheng.
Li Xu's order was very clear:
All the garrison troops of these five cities assembled, abandoned their city defenses, and marched towards Fangcheng to cooperate with General Yu Xuan in capturing Fangcheng.
All the garrison troops were dispatched to the front lines. Such a large-scale troop movement was bound to cause quite a stir, and if not handled carefully, it could alarm the people in the city.
The soldiers were preparing for battle in full swing, moving supplies, organizing weapons, and assembling their ranks.
The observant civilians quickly noticed the unusual behavior of the garrison. Watching the soldiers busily preparing for battle, they were filled with doubt and discussed among themselves, but no one knew why the garrison was so actively preparing for war.
In a short time, various rumors quietly began to circulate within these five cities.
The rumors in the city intensified, causing widespread panic among the people, and the usually bustling streets became deserted.
Many people are worried, fearing that the war will spread to them. They have quietly packed their bags and are looking for places to take refuge. Some even packed their things overnight, preparing to flee to remote villages, hoping to avoid the impending war.
The generals defending the city felt a deep sense of loss and helplessness as they watched the city's inhabitants flee in panic.
They were born and raised here, and they knew the hardships of the people. They also understood the helplessness of abandoning the city and leading troops into battle.
But military orders are absolute, and the emperor's command is hard to disobey. Even though they were extremely reluctant, they could only strictly follow Li Xu's orders, assemble their troops, and prepare for the expedition.
As they prepared to depart, each general silently hoped that this expedition would successfully capture Fangcheng and that they would return safely to reunite with their families. (End of Chapter)