These words were so powerful that the echoes of these two sentences echoed throughout the hall. However, no one questioned or laughed at Liu Yu's arrogance or self-confidence. Even the children of the aristocratic families shed tears of happiness. , yes, at this time, the savior suddenly fell from the sky and said such encouraging words, no one would question the authenticity of this sentence.
Meng Chang stepped forward quickly, took Liu Yu's hand, and said with a choked voice: "Jinu, you are back, just come back, just come back, where is the army, and when will we counterattack?!"
Liu Yu calmly shook his head: "There are only a dozen of us who have traveled day and night to come back. As for the army, it is the same as the memorial I replied before. Due to the epidemic, it is still far away in Qingzhou and Huaibei. It is impossible to come back within a month." Participated in the war.”
A trace of disappointment flashed in Meng Chang's eyes, and his hand unconsciously let go. Xie Hun on the side also came to his senses, his eyes widened: "Is only Liu Cheqi and you guys coming back? Even the soldiers and horses from Jiangbei Didn't you bring it back?"
Liu Yu nodded: "We are in big trouble now. Not only are the demon thieves about to kill us, but also the Qiang thieves from the Later Qin Dynasty have stationed a hundred thousand troops in the Changshe area to attack the rebel thieves Sima Guofan and Sima Chu. Forerunner, there is a possibility of entering Yuzhou, Yanzhou, and Jiangbei, so the defenders in Jiangbei cannot move now. I have sent Tan Shao to guard Guangling, and he has collected all the ferries. Depending on the situation, he may have to resist the demon thieves. Navy, protect the land north of the Yangtze River from being attacked by monsters and thieves."
Xu Xianzhi sighed: "In this way, our military strength is still far from enough. Originally, we were counting on your army to be able to rescue you in time, but now it seems that we may not be able to count on it. The demon thieves are advancing very fast. We should increase our troops to Liyang and buy as much time as possible."
Wang Zhongde said loudly: "The last general is willing to lead his troops to the aid of Liyang and help General Meng defend the city. Commander, please give me the order."
Liu Yu waved his hand and said: "I have said just now that I do not agree with the plan to reinforce Liyang, because it will be harmful to our defense of Jiankang and not beneficial."
Meng Chang frowned: "How do you say this?"
Liu Yu said calmly: "Although Liyang is an important land and water crossing, Liyang City is built on flat land more than ten miles offshore. It cannot play the role of Jiangling, which is built on the riverside and guards the waterway. The demon thieves are now They must advance both by water and land, using fleets to carry troops and horses, and sending elite troops to both sides of the river. Without a strong navy or a water fort across the river like Jiangling, they cannot stop their land and water attack. "
Xu Xianzhi said thoughtfully: "You mean, the demon thieves can divide their army to surround Liyang, while the main force continues to advance along the river?"
Liu Yu nodded: "Yes, unless Meng Huaiyu directly leads the main force out of the city, camps on the river bank, and then joins our Jiankang and Guangling naval forces to set up defenses along the river. But this requires sufficient troops, and it also needs to arrange strong water lines in advance. Only by building strongholds can one city and one stronghold be defended separately. In the current situation, we have no time to arrange it this way, because the monster thieves can kill them at any time. It is absolutely too late for us to set up strongholds, and there are no powerful naval forces who can fight against the monsters. The thieves are facing a head-on confrontation, so Liyang will not be able to intercept them, but will instead waste our precious time and troops."
Xie Hun asked: "Then Liu Cheqi means that it is best to abandon Liyang and withdraw Meng Huaiyu's tribe?"
Liu Yu said seriously: "Before I returned to Jiankang, I had already issued this order at the Beifu Army Camp in Jingkou, asking Meng Huaiyu's troops to take the remaining boats of the Yuzhou Army and return to Jiankang quickly. If the officials and people in the city want to evacuate, the fleet from Guangling City will be sent to pick them up. This trip is a one-way fleet and will not return to Liyang. People who cannot evacuate are advised to leave as soon as possible. Evacuate by land to Guangling, Shouchun and other places, or escape to villages in the mountains. From Xunyang to Jiankang, we must strengthen the walls and clear the country. We must not allow the demon thieves to obtain supplies through robbery, and all the grain, grass and weapons in Liyang City cannot be taken away. , burned them all, leaving not a grain of rice."
Xi Sengshi shook his head sadly and kept saying: "This, this is such a pity, that is General Liu Yi's reserves for many years. It took several years of taxes in the Yuzhou area to save it with great difficulty. Is your family’s fortune just burned down like this? I wonder if you should leave with as few people as possible and as much food, grass and weapons as possible?”
Liu Yu said in a deep voice: "I believe that talent is the first priority. These weapons and food were prepared by General Liu Yi for the Northern Expedition to the Central Plains, to kill the demon thieves and defeat the Huru. Now he himself has been defeated. These big plans, There is no way to talk about it. Staying where you are will only endanger the enemy. What we are short of now is manpower, not food and ordnance. There are enough reserves in Jiankang City and Jingkou arsenal to support our newly recruited troops. As for Liyang When they evacuated the soldiers and civilians, I asked each of them to put on armor and weapons as much as possible and take them back to Jiankang with them. If they couldn't take them away, they would have to destroy them."
Xie Hun sighed: "Can't we give up temporarily, or bury it and transport it elsewhere? Even if it falls into the hands of the demon thief, as long as we defeat the demon thief, these things can be returned to our hands."
Liu Yu shook his head and said: "This time the monster thieves are fighting for their lives with no regard for their heads. They left Jingzhou behind and ignored their own food supplies. They didn't even want their hometown in Guangzhou and took the whole army with them. Together with the newly attached rebels from all walks of life, they marched all the way to Jiankang. They looked huge, but the most deadly thing was the food and grass. With more than 200,000 troops, the daily consumption of food and grass reserves was huge."
"Now they are relying on the military rations they have accumulated before and the food and grass captured from Liu Yi's army. But as long as we hold Jiankang and prevent them from plundering our warehouses, the monster thieves' food and grass will not last more than two months. If we cannot capture Jiankang in two months, we will inevitably have to withdraw our troops!"
"Therefore, we must strengthen the walls and clear the country. We must give up the places that cannot be defended without hesitation. We must retain our defenders everywhere and concentrate them in Jiankang to make up for the lack of our military strength. Only by guarding Jiankang can we usher in a turning point. !”
Wang Zhongde suddenly realized: "Commander, now I understand everything. You are still smarter. However, if you abandon an important town like Liyang without a fight, will it cause the morale of the military and the people to fluctuate?"
Liu Yu said seriously: "This depends on our propaganda. First, I will parade in the streets in person to appease the people and let the people in the city know that I, Liu Yu, are back. Secondly, Meng Huaiyu's troops will return to Jiantian." Kang, I will hold a military parade in the city so that everyone can see that there are soldiers and horses from other places coming to serve the king, and there will be a steady stream of troops from all walks of life to help. The people will be happy when they see the reinforcements, so why do they care? Has the place they come from fallen?"
(End of chapter)
