nycdaug Chapter 466 Defeat
Chapter 466 Defeat
Su Mu was equally unsatisfied. The storytelling was truly masterful and immersive. However, once he left the world of the book, he didn't clamor for more, as most people did. The crowd merely teased him. Facing the cheers, the storyteller left the stage, teacup in hand and fan in hand, smiling. Some dispersed, while others waited for the next performance, but it was nowhere near as exciting as this one, so Su Mu followed the crowd out.
Before leaving, he asked Dr. Tea to pack a plate of pastries. The teahouse's pastry chef was a master, especially the seasonal sweet osmanthus pastry. The lightly pastry crust had the aroma of toasted nuts, the outer layer was crispy and crumbly, and the filling inside was both fragrant with sweet osmanthus and delicate with chestnuts. With a sip of tea, Su Mu could easily finish the entire plate by herself. Dr. Tea, having read Su Mu's expression and known her preferences, had prepared them long ago.
After paying, Su Mu slowly left the teahouse and went to the surrounding market to take a look. Even at this time of day, there were still many people, and the hawking sounds continued from morning to night.
Most of these teahouse stories are happy endings, with the protagonists often escaping danger. However, reality is not always like this, and is quite the opposite of what is described in the book. The war on the front seems to have entered a quagmire, and the more you want it to end quickly, the more it goes against you.
A week had passed since the intelligence was lost. New intelligence and provisions had already been delivered to the front lines. Everything was in place, and everything should have been smooth sailing. However, when the war resumed, everyone was surprised. The army, plagued by a lack of intelligence, was caught off guard by a surprise attack from a small enemy force. The capture of a city wasn't the end of the matter; the key was how to hold it.
However, lacking intelligence and food, they couldn't abandon the city they had captured at such a great cost, so they had no choice but to grit their teeth and persevere. The enemy was much more flexible, launching occasional surprise attacks and launching large-scale attacks when the soldiers were tired. Originally, the battlefield shouldn't have developed like this, but now it had to.
Although they successfully repelled the enemy several times—a lean camel is still bigger than a horse—this wasn't a solution. The offensive and defensive dynamics were quietly shifting. The shift in initiative and the rising sunk costs made the army even more determined to capture the city. However, the enemy wasn't foolish either.
This directly led to the soldiers, who were short of food and exhausted by the continuous raids. Initially, they could open the granary to have a good meal to boost morale, but later, due to the defense, the people in the city were already panicking, and coupled with the lack of food and clothing, friction arose. The people were out of food and rioted, and the soldiers were out of food and looted, which eventually led to chaos and internal and external troubles.
General Li's hair turned white with worry, but there was nothing he could do. The main problem was the lack of food. He wasn't a god, and even if he were a master of military strategy, he couldn't conjure up food and fodder. Besides, he wasn't a master of military strategy. This indirectly or directly led to a collapse in morale. Then, at this moment, a new secret report arrived from above: Defend.
But how could they defend the position? There was no way. Repeated harassment from the enemy had become ingrained in them. Despite orders from above to remain vigilant, the soldiers were already suffering, even after food was delivered. Finally, under a single enemy attack, the troops were completely defeated.
The favorable situation on the front lines was shattered by a single incident, leading not only to the loss of the situation but also the loss of the city itself. The consequences of this defeat were profound, with only three or four out of ten soldiers escaping to defend the mountain pass surviving, leaving only half of the tens of thousands of troops alive.
However, the defeat on the front only angered the emperor. The prince, who plays a major role in the story, has become evasive in reality, with no conspiracy theories. He simply wanted to gain some merit, but it backfired, and now he's desperate to minimize his presence.
No one in the upper or lower ranks had time to pay attention to him now, yet he knew he would face a reckoning later. He was still praying for a decisive victory; a greater victory would make his reckoning less severe. Things didn't always go as planned, and the defeat was as severe as a mountain. Upon receiving this message, the prince's health also collapsed.
Fortunately, a large army was stationed at Shoushan Pass, making it impenetrable to the enemy's tactics. The emperor, who had originally intended to end the war with victory, now found himself in a difficult position. The generals petitioned the emperor to continue the battle, pledging a bloody battle and a bloody payback. The emperor, however, was reluctant to see the war end so hastily.
Moreover, he could already imagine how the history books would record the war ending in a crushing defeat. The civil service, on the other hand, was more calm and rational. They believed that defeat was enough, and it was a good opportunity to end this vexing war. The national treasury could no longer support this ever-expanding war. For the sake of national development, decisive action was necessary. Failure was common in military affairs and nothing to be ashamed of. To ignore practical considerations for the sake of a breath of fresh air was the behavior of a tyrant.
The civil officials subtly warned the emperor: if they continued fighting and suffered further losses, that would be humiliating. Losing once would be an accident, but losing twice or three times would be a sign of incompetence—both the generals and the emperor. Of course, these were just rhetoric; they didn't believe they would lose; they were simply looking for excuses. And the emperor clearly listened; otherwise, he wouldn't have considered ending the war.
Despite all the talk and persuasion, most people clearly understood that this war wasn't going to end anytime soon. Why? Because they were the losing side, and the decision to fight wasn't theirs. The previous major operations were merely attempts to expand their gains, intimidate the enemy, and force them to accept a ceasefire.
These were the things that the court was worried about. Even though the people of Qishan County were very close to the front lines, their lives were not in danger. Unless Shoushan Pass fell, the people of Qishan County would not flee. But the possibility of Shoushan Pass falling was simply unrealistic.
There were many people discussing the situation. Su Mu, carrying a bag of pastries, wandered around casually, hearing news everywhere she went. Some came from the guards at the mountain pass, some were hearsay, and some were brought back by those transporting food and fodder. The message was consistent: the war had been lost.
While there's no danger to their lives, it seems the war will continue. If there's one thing that's crucial for them, it's conscription. These days, despite the lack of frequent natural disasters, many, aside from a few ambitious individuals, are reluctant to go to the front lines. The sword has no mercy; it separates life from death.
However, no matter how unwilling they were, there was no other way. If the situation on the front lines became tense, this would be mandatory. Furthermore, the first batch of troops would be drawn from the surrounding populous counties.