"Report! Taicheng is in a hurry. General Ji led his troops to encounter a fleet raid at sea. More than half of the 10,000 troops were lost!"
"Report! Haicheng is in a hurry. The Sangyi army invaded and slaughtered hundreds of households. General Wu led his troops to fight and died in Dongsha Beach!"
"Report! Yanzhou is urgent!"
…
Overwhelming emergency military reports spread to the capital, causing people to panic, the government and the public to be uneasy.
In the early court, everyone's face was ugly, looking up, Yu Fu's whole body was almost buried in the military newspaper.
She stood up slowly, her figure seemed a little unstable, Gu Shubai's gaze fell on her all the time, saw her bit her lip, and forced herself to stand calmly in front of the court.
She has always sat on the dragon chair behind the imperial case to speak, but standing in this position today, the coercion is even greater.
She finally spoke, her voice was as calm as usual, "Do you know how artillery was invented and improved, and finally used as a weapon in the military?"
Everyone thought that when she opened her mouth, she would definitely talk about the failure of many parties in this naval battle, but she didn't expect her to mention the origin of the artillery.
All the ministers were surprised, Gu Wenqing came out and said: "Your Majesty, I know. I am in charge of the artillery workshop in the military department. I know that this artillery was first used in the army of the Great Zhou Dynasty. It was officially used in the army for the first time. During the battle of Xirongdi."
"good."
The corners of Yu Fu's lips are slightly raised, her red lips are bright today, I don't know if it is to cover up something, or to show something.
"Not only cannons, but also crossbows, and soft armor. All the advanced weapons in the army have been improved and used in difficult battles. The so-called indestructible, if there is no external pressure, how can we progress? If If we don’t make progress, what’s the difference between us and a frog in a well.”
She raised her hand and waved her sleeves, "Now that the Sangyi Kingdom is attacking my coastal city of Beili, it is just an opportunity for us to break through and then stand up. I have always felt that the atmosphere in the court has been bad recently, and the successive victories have made you gradually breed. Are you proud and complacent, thinking that you are invincible in the world? Proud soldiers are bound to lose, and I hope that this defeat can teach you a lesson, so that you don’t become arrogant and forget to be humble and enterprising.”
Many courtiers bowed their heads at what she said.
When the envoys of the Sangyi Kingdom came to the capital, they showed the pride of such a big country to the fullest, but now they are beaten by others and have no power to parry. It is really embarrassing and embarrassing.
Tian Yunpo glanced at Gu Shubai, then secretly looked at the courtiers, with a little smile on his face.
Yu Fu's speech was really high-spirited.
She didn't talk about the defeat in front of her, but talked about the ethos of the court. This kind of vision based on the overall situation diverted the attention of the courtiers, and freed everyone from the panic of losing the battle.
Set up your mind first and discuss the matter later, which gave the ministers a hint that the defeat in front of them was just a test given to them by God, and it would pass in the end.
After a moment of silence, Yu Fu slowly walked back to the case and sat down again.
"The giant fleet of the Sangyi Kingdom is stronger than I originally expected, but it is not absolutely invincible. Fortunately, we have taken precautions in advance. Although we are defeated now, at least they dare not continue to attack the inland cities for the time being. For the current plan, everyone Does Aiqing have a plan to solve the crisis?"
The minister of the Ministry of Industry hurriedly came out and said: "I think that the advantage of the Sangyi army is only in the sailing ship. If we can build such a tall and strong ship, why not beat it? It's just that the craftsmen of the Ministry of Industry's shipbuilding all died. , the minister is really..."
This statement is reasonable, but it's a pity that a clever woman can't cook without rice.
Slowly speaking, those skilled craftsmen have been killed by the Sangyi envoys and his party. Even if they are still there, the Sangyi envoys deliberately keep them, and they have not learned the technology of the Sangyi giant ships at all, so they cannot construct the same fleet.
Yu Fu said: "I understand this point, but even if we can learn their technology, giant ships cannot be built in a short time. Far water can't quench the thirst of the near, and the most urgent task at the moment is to protect the cities along the coast as soon as possible, so that the people will not be able to build them." be slaughtered again."
The Minister of the Ministry of War said: "Your Majesty, the Sanyi people actually have artillery. I think the artillery of the Ministry of War should be transported to the coastal cities. If you choose the right angle and position, even if the artillery can't sink their giant ships, it can at least stop them. attack."
Yu Fu looked at the side of the general, no one expressed approval or objection, he could only treat a dead horse as a living horse doctor, "All right, let's do it immediately."
"Your Majesty, the generals in each city have suffered serious losses, and the troops are being mobilized to make up for them. Should the general who leads the troops be sent more?"
As soon as this remark came out, Ouyang Qi, who had been unable to restrain himself for a long time, immediately went out to the ranks, and when he was about to surrender, Yu Fu waved his hand, "According to the previous selection of generals who are familiar with naval warfare by the Ministry of War, we will continue to send more people, so there is no need to ask me again. .”
She was asking about the chief general, but she was still talking about the mid-level generals, and there wasn't a single general with a brilliant record that could take care of the overall situation.
Ouyang Qi was puzzled, but saw Gu Shubai come forward and said: "Your Majesty said just now that a giant ship cannot be built in a short while. This statement gave me some inspiration. Since it can't be built in a while, then there is no need to compete with others." Our weaknesses. It is the best policy to use my strengths to attack the other's weaknesses."
This is a bit ridiculous.
Naval battles are something that Beili people are not good at but Sanyi people are good at. Isn't this long and short obvious? Where do they have any strengths to attack each other.
Gu Jiuge was the first to understand Gu Shubai's meaning after all, "Our strength is land warfare! As long as we set up an ambush on the shore in advance, and then send an advance army to lure them ashore, we can ambush them on the shore. Once When it comes to fighting on the shore, our soldiers are tall and brave, so they are naturally stronger than them!"
The words made some sense, and the expressions of all the ministers relaxed.
Gu Shubai nodded and smiled, "Yes. Once we can lure the troops of a single ship to the shore, and set up an ambush to kill them, we can find a way to occupy their ships. In this way, the situation at sea will always be better than it is now."
This idea suddenly inspired Yufu.
She smiled and said, "Speaking of our strengths, I still think of one."
"Your Majesty, what are you talking about?"
"poison."
…
After coming down to court, Yu Fuyuan had to go to Zangshu Pavilion as usual, but halfway back to Changsheng Hall.
With her current state of mind, even if she went to the Zangshu Pavilion, she would not be able to read the books.
The more critical the situation, the more calm you must be.
She desperately told herself this sentence, but she couldn't stop her pale face in the mirror, so she had no choice but to cover it up with makeup.
In the Hall of Eternal Life, Gu Shubai was rarely present.
"Didn't you go to Liming and the others to study naval warfare today?"
"Didn't you go to the Library Pavilion today?"
The husband and wife knew each other, Gu Shubai patted the seat beside him, Yu Fu went to sit down and leaned on him.
Gu Shubai put his hand on her back to prevent her from being unsteady.
"Are you tired?"
When the servants in the palace heard this, they couldn't help but quickly raised their eyelids to look, thinking that His Majesty came back from the palace, how could he be tired
Yu Fu understood, what he was talking about was tiredness.
She closed her eyes slightly and said: "Just now in the court hall, I was obviously shocked and tried to calm down. I am the same, and you are the same."
Gu Shubai comforted in a soft voice, "I stand at the forefront of the courtiers, even if they can't hold me, they can't see my expression, but you are different."
Standing in that spot of attention, she is young and frail, but she is the backbone of all the courtiers.
She can't be unable to hold on for a moment, otherwise Beili's court will be in chaos, and people's hearts will fall apart in an instant like a tower whose foundation has been removed.
Others may not be able to see it, but Gu Shubai is very familiar with her, and he clearly saw her body swaying several times in the morning, afraid that she would not be able to hold on and show her flaws.
In the end, she held on after all.
Yu Fu raised his eyes and looked at him, "Thousands of soldiers were bombed so that they couldn't even find their bodies. Some sank to the bottom of the sea, some were bloody and bloody, and some were only charred bones. There are also ordinary people, why are they innocent? Being massacred by the enemy, hundreds of households...thousands of lives! How can I not be shocked, how can I not be angry?"
Gu Shubai could see that even with these heartfelt words, her emotions were still restrained.
She has become accustomed to being a king, keeping her moods quiet and not letting her emotions affect the stability of the court.
He patted her on the back slowly, "The iron rule that Beili has followed in the past is not to hurt innocent civilians. I understand your anger. But you have to believe that the unjust teacher will not be blessed by God, even if the current No matter how difficult the situation is, there will be a day of victory.”
Yu Fu shook his head, "When I was in the court in the early morning, I didn't know what I was talking about. In fact, I didn't have a clue at all, and the few methods I imagined might not be successful, but I know I can't just say nothing. It doesn’t matter if you say something, but you must first appease the current situation.”
"What you said is very good, everything is very good! Even if the sage monarchs of the past generations came to court, we can't do better. After all, we lack understanding of the Sanyi people, and we must suffer some losses at the beginning. When we are familiar with each other's battles After you have identified your strategies and weaknesses, you must be able to find a way to deal with it.”
Gu Shubai tried his best to comfort her.
Yu Fu knew that these words were just to comfort her, but after listening to them, she was quite satisfied, and her mood eased a lot.
At this time, someone can discuss with her and help her stabilize her emotions. She is already very grateful. This person can't be an ordinary courtier, she doesn't want her courtiers to see her panic-stricken.
Only Gu Shubai.
"Fortunately, you are still here."
Gu Shubai smiled, "Is that why you refused to send the general there?"
Yu Fu immediately got up from him, "That's right, am I so ignorant? What's more, it was General Ouyang who wanted to take the initiative to invite you this morning, but you didn't."
Gu Shubai said: "Why should I take the initiative to invite Ying? Knowing that you will not send generals, General Ouyang will not get a response if he wants to invite Ying."
When he said this, Yu Fu was surprised, "How did you know?"
Gu Shubai suppressed his smile, and his eyes sank, "None of the generals in the court, whether it is General Ouyang or me, or even the second brother, is proficient in naval warfare. Although our reputation is higher than those generals you sent, But if you really want to talk about who is more suitable to lead the army, your choice is right."
Yu Fu said: "I'm not doubting your ability, but I want to use your great talent on the edge, and you must not use it blindly. As you said, we will definitely not be able to reap the benefits of the battle at the beginning, and we have to wait for a while. Only then can we figure out their route. Instead of sending a general to go out now, it is useless, it is better to sit in Beijing and take command, and wait for the opportunity."
Timing... when will it come
…
"I've been in Beili for so long, and it's the first time I feel that the atmosphere at home is so bad."
On the long street, Su Yunyan dragged Gu Yi to wander the street. Gu Yi was carrying a lot of things in his hand, but she herself was eating a candied haws with relish.
Gu Yi was so tired that his legs were stretched, he hurried up a few steps and said: "Knowing that everyone in the family is worried about this war, you still have the heart to drag me around? Are you a caring person?"
"What did you say?"
With half a candied haws in his mouth, Su Yunyan quickly turned his head and stared at him, Gu Yi was taken aback, "I'm short-hearted, I'm short-hearted."
That's about the same.
She continued to eat candied haws, and glanced at the shops on both sides of the long street, "What else can you do if you don't come out to shop? You are jumping up and down at home, which makes father even more worried! So I brought you out so that you won't bother father at home." and brothers."
Gu Yi was a little guilty when she said this, and said: "Aren't I worried about the safety of the coastal line? Who knows what kind of naval battles will be encountered when we come to Beili. If I had known such a thing earlier, I would have died I studied hard in the sea. Alas, this feeling of being unable to do anything while knowing that the war is critical is utterly useless."
Su Yunyan paused, put down the candied haws, and turned around to comfort him, "You feel useless, guess how anxious the elder brother and the second brother should be? Hey, I don't know anything about war. You said that the land battle and the sea battle are really different. is it a lot?"
"Much worse!"
Speaking of what Gu Yi is good at, he is like pouring beans into a bamboo tube, "I don't know much, but what I know is a big difference. For example, to command a ship in a war at sea, this You have to take into account the wind direction, the height of the waves, and the communication between the various fleets. Another point, I can’t do it alone.”
Su Yunyan asked curiously, "Which point?"
Gu Yi pouted angrily, "I'm afraid of the sea."
"Ah? Don't you know how to swim? Why are you still afraid of the sea?"
"Can the sea and water be the same?"
Gu Yidao: "It used to be difficult to find water in the sea. You will know that the sea and water are different. The men of our Gu family are all proficient in water, but ordinary rivers and lakes are not as deep as the sea and have such high waves? You call me It’s fine to go and stand on the boat, let me fight on the boat, I’m afraid I’m not as good as an ordinary soldier who understands the nature of the sea.”
Su Yunyan tossed the candied haws, "It's over now, so this time, Bei Li will be killed by the Sangyi Kingdom..."
"Bah, bah, don't talk nonsense! Brother and Yufu will definitely have a solution, don't worry."
"That's right, when is it our turn to worry about things at home?"
Su Yunyan laughed, "Except for Yufu, we are the youngest in the family. It's not up to us to figure out what to do if something happens, so I will take care of you and let you talk less and less trouble father and brother Guys, this is my greatest contribution!"
Gu Yi looked like he wanted to talk back but didn't dare, "What about me? You look at me, what am I doing?"
"Just shut up and mention your things!"
Su Yunyan looked at the jewelry shop not far away, "Let's go and pick out some jewelry for the second sister-in-law. After she gave birth to Yuan Zhang, she devoted herself to taking care of the child and didn't have time to dress herself up. The second brother has been worrying about the court affairs recently. , I can’t take care of my second sister-in-law even if I think about it. Let’s go and pick out some jewelry for her to make her happy and the atmosphere at home better. What do you think?”
"Should I choose jewelry for my second sister-in-law or for yourself?"
Gu Yi had seen through her tricks a long time ago, and handed the things in his hand to the servant behind him angrily, "Go, go, see if there is any exquisite one and choose one for Yufu. Although there is no shortage of these things in the palace, But I always think about how to tell her that we have been silently supporting her behind her back."
Su Yunyan pouted, a little jealous, "Then why don't you go directly to the palace to see her?"
"Aren't you afraid of disturbing her? State affairs are important, and she must be devastated now. How can she have time to see idlers like us?"
makes sense.
Su Yunyan was leaning in front of the cabinet to look at the exquisite jewelry brought out by the shopkeeper, when she suddenly heard a gallop of horseshoes on the street, it seemed that a new military report had been sent to the palace.
The two subconsciously looked out, only to see a shadow riding a horse flying past, and the posture was very urgent.
The two looked at each other, vaguely aware that something was wrong.
Turning around and seeing the shopkeeper, he also looked out, and sighed again when he couldn't see, "Oh, I don't know how many people died this time, this evil Sanyi barbarian..."