Nanyan City, Prefecture Mufu, Council Hall.
On the Eight Immortals table wrapped in brown oil paint, a thick and luxurious incense burner stood quietly, and wisps of mist as thin as clouds slowly dispersed from the gaps in the lid, exuding a calming fragrance.
However, in such an environment, some people behaved very awkwardly and uneasily, as if they were undergoing tremendous suffering in their hearts.
An old man wearing a white robe, a jade pendant hanging from his waist, and meticulously combed hair was pacing back and forth in the hall. He had no patience to sit down and wait.
At this moment, next to the Eight Immortals Table in the living room, an extremely clear light suddenly appeared, shining in all directions, criss-crossing in the mid-air, and quickly outlined a slightly upright figure.
The figure initially solidified, then took a step back and sat on a nearby chair.
As soon as he saw this line of people wrapped in clear light, the anxious look on the white-robed old man's face immediately disappeared, as if he had a backbone.
He quickly stepped forward, leaned closer, and whispered a message in a low voice and hastily:
"Sir, I have just received the news."
At this time, he suddenly paused, opened his mouth again and again, and then managed to say what he wanted to say:
"Lieyun City is lost."
As a high-ranking official in the State Shepherd's Mansion, the white-robed old man never thought that one day he would tell his state leader and lord such news.
Tell him: The county under your command has been occupied by an army from another state.
This is undoubtedly a humiliation, both to him and to Zhou Mu himself.
Therefore, it was difficult to say it.
After hearing the news, the clear figure sitting in the main seat remained calm. He only remained silent for half a breath before slowly saying:
"I just learned this news."
As the actual controller of a state, he naturally has more sources of information and faster than the old man in white robe.
Hearing this, the old man nodded and lowered his head:
"It's because my subordinates are incompetent."
As a subordinate, he had to take the responsibility for the defeat of Lieyun City.
"It doesn't have to be like this." Seeing this, Zhou Mu's somewhat thick voice came out:
“We have already made judgments on this matter before.
"The Ninglu Army's offensive is too urgent. We cannot send so many manpower and material resources for rescue at the moment. The outcome of this battle in Lieyun City is doomed."
Having said this, he paused and continued:
“Because of this situation, the previously formulated plan:
“With the help of the fortified city, a large amount of Ning Lu’s army was consumed, and it was done well.
"So, don't blame yourself.
"The responsibility is not yours."
The old man closed his eyes and nodded slightly.
After a while, he said another piece of news:
"Zhou Mu, Chen Tiande, died in battle."
When Zhou Mu heard this, his movements suddenly stiffened, but he didn't react much. He just said "hmm" and waited for the next step.
The old man twisted his wrist and said in a deep voice:
"According to the news from below, Chen Tiande had a chance to escape, but he didn't want to leave.
"Moreover, the soldiers over there were also willing to follow. After Lieyun City was destroyed, the remaining tens of thousands of soldiers under his command began to forcibly attack the Ninglu Army camp.
“The final result is: the operation failed.
"Chen Tiande himself died in the battle, and most of his soldiers inquired about the city."
This time, Zhou Mu finally reacted, and the clear light surrounding him suddenly dimmed, exuding an extremely suppressed and terrifying aura.
After a long while, he slowly spoke and said:
"Chen Tiande, what a pity.
"It's a pity that there are nearly 10,000 soldiers."
After saying this, he looked at the old man and ordered:
"The Chen family must be fully compensated for this matter."
The old man said "hmm" and said he would do so.
After talking about this, the two began to get down to business.
The old man in white robe asked:
"Zhou Mu, what should we do next?"
In fact, after Lieyun City was destroyed, Nanyan City lost its guarding gate to the west in a sense.
Although there are many prefecture-level and county-level cities between the two, these cities are not of sufficient size and too weak to stop Ning Lu's army, and can only barely act as a hindrance.
"What do you think, please tell me?" Zhou Mu asked without answering.
The old man already had a plan in mind and did not hesitate:
"Zhou Mu, my subordinates believe that Ning Lu's army has broken through Lieyun City at this time, and its military power is at its peak, and its morale will rise to the extreme. If the leading general has a brain, he will definitely take advantage of this opportunity to continue the attack with all his troops, directly Come over here and engage in a decisive battle with us. We hope to decide in a decisive battle instead of staying where you are."
Zhou Mu sat quietly without disturbing him.
The old man in white robe continued:
"So, I think we should mobilize troops from across the state and rely on the terrain to fight them as they wish."
The old man's voice became louder:
"In a decisive battle, in this case, the advantage lies with me."
Zhou Mu thought for a while and then nodded:
"Can."
The old man took the opportunity and said:
"We should also take the opportunity to recruit experts from various sects and families as assistants. On the one hand, we want them to contribute, and on the other hand, this can be regarded as some kind of defense."
There are many warriors from many sects and families. The old man in white robe hopes to use these people to play some good role in this war, instead of becoming the straw that overwhelms the balancing force at the critical moment.
In fact, and in a certain sense, Nanyan City also needs the contribution of these sects and aristocratic families at this moment.
Because, compared to Ning Lu's army, Nan Yanzhou had lost a lot of strength after the Yehuai Rebellion and the Battle of Lieyun City, and needed to be replenished.
Zhou Mu naturally had no objection to this and also replied:
"Can."
Then, he pondered for a moment and ordered:
"Pass my order! Let the chief officials of the surrounding cities of Lieyun and Nanyan move their people, resources, and property to the east to clear the country."
Strong walls and clear fields?
The old man turned his eyes slightly and immediately understood what Zhou Mu meant. This was not the true intention of clearing the country by fortifying the wall, but by moving all the residents of the city between the two cities so that these people could avoid disaster.
However, he was a little reluctant, because the existence of these cities could more or less block the pace of Ning Lu's army and buy them a little more time for their arrangements.
What the old man meant was to increase the winning rate at the expense of these cities.
So, he asked back: "Really do this?"
Zhou Mu stood up slowly, shook his head and said indifferently:
"Although these cities exist and have some effect, they are not big after all. Instead of doing this, it is better to give all people a chance to live and let them praise my name."
The old man took a deep breath and had no objection:
"All right."
After discussing this matter, Zhou Mu urged:
"Send a message to Chen Tai and ask him to put down the chaos in Yehuai as soon as possible and come back for assistance!"
The old man pursed his lips: "Yeah."
"Okay, I'll leave the rest to you."
The clear light around Zhou Mu suddenly shined brightly, layer upon layer, illuminating the room with a bright light, as if he was about to leave, with a tendency to leave:
"I have to stretch my arms and legs."
"Where are you going?" the old man asked quickly. The outline of the matter has only been discussed, and many details have not yet been decided.
At this time, Zhou Mu's voice finally lost its previous calmness and took on a hint of fireworks, allowing the old man to hear some anger contained in it.
He said: "Some things require reciprocity. The most sinful master has occupied two of my counties in a row. Naturally, I have to give him some small gifts."
After saying this, he completely disappeared.
…
ps: Please give me a monthly ticket! !
