It was just daybreak and the temperature was still very low in the chilly spring weather, but Guo Shao in the tent was sweating profusely.
He suddenly woke up and sat up abruptly. He felt his chest thumping. He vaguely remembered that in his dream, he became a rich man and let his sister live a good life; but it seemed that he committed a murder for profit and was always worried about covering up the crime. Then, in order to prevent the matter from being exposed, he seemed to have done something bad again.
That's probably what happened. Most of the things in the dream have become blurry.
A manly voice sounded from His Majesty.
Guo Shao looked in the direction of the sound and saw an ancient man with a bun on his head and a round-necked ancient costume. He gradually came to his senses. Soon he remembered where he was and what he was doing. He was in a tent in the front-line military camp in Youzhou.
In the dim light, there was a brazier beside the bed. The almost burnt charcoal inside emitted a dark red light, like cracked magma.
He came to his senses and realized that he had never done anything bad in his past life. Now that he was the emperor, killing people was nothing. He started a war and countless people died. Killing people was not a big deal at this time. What was serious was defeat in the war and losing his authority.
Guo Shao said in a deep voice: The military camp was very humid and I didn’t sleep well in the second half of the night.
The servant hurriedly said: I will find some felt to pad the ground tomorrow morning.
That's all. Guo Shao said. He immediately got up, put on his clothes, and lifted the thick curtain hanging at the door. There was a bonfire burning at the door. A group of soldiers in armor and sharp weapons immediately stood up and faced Guo Shao with fists clasped.
The sky was just beginning to turn white, and the sky and earth were shrouded in a gray mist.
Unlike during the day, there was not much noise around. Suddenly, a "coo-coo-coo" sound came, and Guo Shao looked up and saw two birds flying north.
Guo Shao stared at the black shadow in the sky for a long time without saying a word. It was not a wild bird but a pigeon. Guo Shao could still distinguish the call of a pigeon. And it was most likely a carrier pigeon conveying military intelligence.
He subconsciously wondered what Xiao Siwen, who was trapped in the cage-like Youzhou City, had conveyed via carrier pigeons.
Only the Liao army could use pigeons here, and the Zhou army could not use homing pigeons on the front line. This was because the principle of pigeons delivering messages was that they would fly back home. For example, the two homing pigeons in the sky were originally raised somewhere in the north, and were caged and sent to Youzhou City in advance; after being released, they automatically flew back to their original place in the north.
Guo Shao didn't know what happened in Wenyu River. He looked to the northeast and seemed to hear a muffled thunder in the sky, but when he listened carefully, he thought it was an illusion.
Guo Shao observed the light in the east, took a deep breath, collected his thoughts, and quickly returned to the tent. The servants were busy helping him dress and armor and tidy up his appearance.
At this time Lu Chengyong also rushed over, and Guo Shao said calmly: Go and tell the civil servants of the front camp military office that if there is any news of war, report it immediately.
Lu Chengyong clasped his fists and said: Yes.
On that day, various military intelligence reports came in, indicating that the right-wing army and the Liao army reinforcements had entered a state of war. Guo Shao was always concerned about the front, but he did not issue an imperial decree. He just waited.
The next day, the third day after Luo Yanhuan's troops were dispatched, the military officials hurried into the central army tent, and another military intelligence report came in; Wang Pu was also in the tent at this time.
Guo Shaoxian looked at the military newspaper, his face changed slightly, and he handed the paper to Lu Chengyong next to him, asking Lu Chengyong to inform the civil and military officials present. He took out another picture and spread it on the wooden table.
Wang Pu was also surprised when the Liao army crossed the Wenyu River from the south.
The generals were in an uproar and were discussing what Li Du Dianjian and Luo Fudu were doing with so many cavalrymen on both sides. Why did they let the Liao army pass by our cavalry? What did they want to do
Guo Shao pointed to the location on the map and said: "We must find a way to find out right now. How many Liao troops have crossed the river from here? How many Liao troops are Li Chuyun and Luo Yanhuan facing?"
Wang Pu immediately turned around and spoke a few words to a civil servant in a deep voice, then bowed and said to Guo Shao: Your Majesty, all the troops outside Youzhou City should immediately stop attacking the city and deploy defenses immediately.
Guo Shao then said: Deploy infantry phalanxes in various artillery camps and baggage camps, and prepare to line up to guard against harassment.
Here.
Guo Shao deliberately took a breath: The battlefield situation cannot go exactly as we planned, and this cannot be blamed entirely on Li Chuyun's troops. The Wenyu River stretches for hundreds of miles in this section, and Li Chuyun and tens of thousands of others cannot be dispersed. They were not originally there for river defense; as long as the Liao army is determined to break through the Wenyu River, it will not be difficult, but the Liao army that crosses will be isolated and at great risk. Don't panic, everyone.
In just a short while, the nearby artillery sounds had become smaller, and the artillery camp had responded according to the intention of the central army. This gave Guo Shao a feeling that everything was still under control.
He gradually calmed down. The movements of the Liao army did surprise Guo Shao, but the Liao army's solitary advance into the deep was not a smart move. It was just a high-risk gamble. There was no way to tell what decisive role the Liao army could play under such a high risk.
Wang Pu said solemnly: "I think the risk of siege fortifications is not great because the Liao army does not have enough time to destroy the siege layout. If the Liao army's main force in the north deceptively advances alone, Li Chuyun and Luo Yanhuan will be free to pursue from the rear; if the Liao army is just a detachment, the troops are not enough to threaten the more than 100,000 Great Zhou troops in Youzhou, and they may be surrounded."
Guo Shao agreed with Wang Pu without hesitation. At least this would stabilize the morale of the central army.
Wang Pu said: On the contrary, your Majesty's headquarters needs strict protection. The Great Zhou army has more than 100,000 elite soldiers on all sides of Youzhou City, but they are relatively dispersed in order to besiege the city. Most of the troops left in Youzhou City are infantry, and they are slow to mobilize, which is not conducive to seizing the opportunity to attack quickly, so they must be deployed in advance.
Guo Shaodao: The central army includes nearly 20,000 cavalry infantrymen of the Huben Army led by Yang Biao.
Wang Pu said: We don't know how many Liao soldiers have crossed the river, let alone their purpose. This old minister speculates that the Liao army's sudden attack is not aimed at the large siege works in Youzhou City, but the emperor's headquarters of my Great Zhou. Only here is it worth the Liao army's risk.
Guo Shao nodded and paced a few steps: Yang Biao's troops have mobility and can be used as a reserve. Transfer the infantry of the Tiger and Dragon Armies to the central army camp to take over the defense on all sides, and transfer Yang Biao's troops to the side to wait for deployment.
No one raised any questions, and Guo Shao's ideas were immediately conveyed to the military office tents at the front camps on both sides to arrange for the troop movement.
At this time, Guo Shao was a little angry: Let's stabilize our position first, and when we know the specific strength of the Liao army, we will counterattack and encircle them.