"Of course it's credible!"
Man Chong looked at the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, the ship is sailing along the coast, it is safe and sound, there is no need to worry."
"In the tenth year of Jian'an, Emperor Wu sent Zhang Liao to attack Donglai County in Qingzhou and wipe out Liu Yi, a subordinate of Gongsun Du. Liu Yi came here by sea that year."
"Earlier, officials sent from Luoyang to Liaodong traveled by land to Donglai County and then crossed the sea to Liaodong. Whether it was military ships or civilian ships, the route was already very mature."
Cao Rui nodded and said, "That's right. Even Sun Quan could send people to Liaodong to meet Gongsun Yuan, so why can't Bohai be accessible? I am overthinking this."
……
On May 19th, before the army set out from Wuliu City, Gongsun Yuan in Xiangping City of Liaodong County learned the news of the Wei army's attack.
Besides being frightened, there was still fright.
For such a major event, Gongsun Yuan naturally had to call his subordinates to discuss the matter together. Before the discussion, Gongsun Yuan summoned Guo Xin, Liu Pu, Bei Yan, and Yang Zuo to the inner hall of the mansion to discuss the matter privately.
Seriously speaking, Gongsun Yuan held many official positions at that time, and his name could be preceded by the three titles of Governor of Liaodong, General of Chariots and Cavalry, and Marquis of Xiangping.
They are all heirlooms.
Moreover, it was a family heirloom that Gongsun Yuan took for himself without being certified by the imperial court.
The governor of Liaodong was a hereditary position held by his grandfather Gongsun Du, his father Gongsun Kang, and his uncle Gongsun Gong.
Marquis of Xiangping was the title bestowed upon him by Cao Cao after his father Gongsun Kang presented the heads of Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi to Cao Cao.
General of Chariots and Cavalry was the title given to his imprisoned uncle Gongsun Gong, and was also forcibly taken away by Gongsun Yuan.
Interestingly, his father Gongsun Kang was the General of the Left and Marquis of Xiangping, and his uncle Gongsun Gong was the General of Chariots and Cavalry and Marquis of Pingguo. Gongsun Yuan took the more prominent one from each of them, which makes people laugh.
What could an uncertified governor, general, or marquis be in front of an emperor? Naturally, he was terrified.
Gongsun Yuan sat in the hall with a stern face and his hands clasped behind his back. His hands hidden in his sleeves were trembling slightly, but from outsiders' perspective, he seemed to be calm and composed in the face of danger.
Guo Xin, the chief secretary of the General of Chariots and Cavalry, bowed and said, "My lord, we have reached a conclusion after many discussions. The Wei army has come a long way to attack us. We should hold the strategic location of Liaosui and use the weather and terrain to force the Wei army to retreat."
Gongsun Yuan did not move at all, but sighed and said, "Last year, the Emperor of Wei summoned me to the court to pay homage. When the letter of refusal was sent from Xiangping, I knew that this day would come sooner or later, but I didn't expect it to come so soon."
"The Emperor of Wei has come from afar, marching over 3,000 miles from Luoyang. Hasn't he heard that 'a spent crossbow cannot penetrate a thin silk cloth'? How can I be afraid of him?"
The military officer Liu Pu bowed and said, "My lord, what you said is very true. How can those people from Henan know the geography of Liaodong? Every summer when the Liao River overflows and every autumn and winter when it is freezing cold, the Wei army will definitely return empty-handed. As long as we can defend the Liao Tunnel for a few months, that will be all."
Gongsun Yuan nodded: "You two are both right, but who can guard the Liao Tunnel for me and resist the Wei army?"
Generals Bei Yan and Yang Zuo responded in unison.
Bei Yan was the first to speak: "My lord, I am grateful to you for selecting me from a humble background. I am willing to go to Liaosui to lead the troops to repay you for your kindness!"
Yang Zuo said something similar: "I am also willing to go to Liaosui! People from border counties like us have long been looked down upon by the world. Now that you have 10,000 cavalry and 40,000 infantry, we are enough to defeat the Wei army and seize Liaodong!"
"I think after this battle, my lord can be promoted to king!"
Gongsun Yuan waved his hands, coughed a few times, and said, "You two are my trusted generals. I still need your strength to control the army. How can I let you go out to lead the army?"
Bei Yan and Yang Zuo looked at each other, both showing confusion.
The Chief Clerk Guo Xin bowed and asked, "Since the Lord is unwilling to let Generals Bei and Yang go, the only person who can lead the troops in Liaodong is General Gongsun."
Gongsun Yuan sighed: "My uncle is nearly sixty years old. He defeated Goguryeo and conquered Baekje for our Gongsun clan. There is no one more suitable to lead the army than him."
"There are already 5,000 infantrymen in Liaosui City. I will order the 5,000 infantrymen in Beifeng, Pingguo, Anshi, and Xinchang to be transferred to Liaosui. And send more troops from Xiangping to him!"
After saying that, Gongsun Yuan stood up suddenly and said to Guo Xin and Liu Pu: "Yuankang, Bo Ming, you two come with me to my uncle's house and ask my uncle to lead the troops." Guo Xin and Liu Pu stood up and bowed in response.
The Gongsun clan was able to hold on to Liaodong for three generations, so the clan had some background. The "uncle" Gongsun Yan mentioned by Gongsun Yuan just now was already in his sixties. He was the general who had assisted Gongsun Du and Gongsun Kang in their repeated expeditions against Goguryeo, Baekje and other countries.
As a distant branch of the Gongsun clan in Liaodong, Gongsun Yan had little interest in the inheritance of the main family's patriarch.
Not only Gongsun Yan, but everyone in Liaodong also had similar views. Gongsun Yuan was the legitimate son of Gongsun Kang and the legitimate grandson of Gongsun Du, and he was not some wild man who had come out of some branch. It was their own business, so whoever they supported would not be the same.
Gongsun Yan was personally invited by Gongsun Yuan, and he bowed and spoke humbly. With the cultural aura of suffering in times of crisis and turning the tide, Gongsun Yan did not refuse at all.
It only took him half an hour to arrange household affairs, and then he happily led several retainers out of Xiangping City and headed towards Liaosui City, 150 miles away.
When Gongsun Yuan brought Guo Xin and Liu Pu back to the prefect's mansion, he summoned Generals Bei Yan and Yang Zuo over.
"My lord, does he have any arrangements? Do you want to order reinforcements to Liaosui?" Guo Xin asked as he followed Gongsun Yuan into the mansion.
It was common sense for Guo Xin to ask this question. After all, as the Chief Clerk of the General of Chariots and Cavalry, he had always been in charge of Liaodong's political and military affairs.
Gongsun Yuan quickly took off his outer robe, sat cross-legged on the mat, and his tone became obviously hurried: "Yuankang, if we send out troops tomorrow, how many soldiers can be used inside and outside Xiangping City?"
Guo Xin pondered for a moment, then answered seriously, "My lord, you have recruited another 20,000 soldiers since the second year of Taihe. Now the total strength of the four counties of Liaodong has reached 50,000. 10,000 cavalry and 40,000 infantry."
"There are 8,000 cavalry and 20,000 infantry stationed near Xiangping, all of whom are elite troops that have been formed long ago."
Gongsun Yuan asked again: "Where is the messenger who sent the message from Wuliu City to Xiangping? Is there anyone else who knows about this military situation?"
Guo Xin shook his head and said, "My Lord, how can such an important military information be leaked? I have taken care of the envoy in the residence. Apart from the four of us here and General Gongsun, no one else in Xiangping City knows about it."
Gongsun Yuan gritted his teeth, looked at the four men's faces, and squeezed out a few words from between his teeth: "Okay, order the troops to prepare and set out for the march tomorrow!"
Just now, Gongsun Yuan promised at Gongsun Yan's house that he would quickly organize his army to support Liaosui. Now, he must be sending his entire army to support?
The military officer Liu Pu frowned slightly and advised, "Is it not advisable to send out the entire army? What if the Wei army bypasses the Liao Tunnel or attacks from the north of Liaoze?"
"Xiangping is the largest city among the eighteen counties of Liaodong. It should not be unguarded no matter what. Besides, how can the lord, who is worth a lot of money, go to the front line in Liaosui in person?"
Gongsun Yuan asked in return: "Who said I was going to Liaosui?"
Where else can you go if not Liaosui?
Guo Xin asked tentatively: "I don't know what my lord means..."
Gongsun Yuan slammed his fist on the table and said in a stern voice: "When my father and grandfather led Liaodong, they all attacked Goguryeo to establish military prestige. I have been on the throne for two years, and Goguryeo has repeatedly shown rebellious intentions. It is time to attack their country to establish prestige!"
"Go east to Goguryeo and attack the Goguryeo capital, Maru Mountain Castle!"
Guo Xin was shocked. He stood up from his seat and asked directly, even forgetting to bow: "The Wei army is coming from the west. Why didn't the lord go to Liaosui to help General Gongsun resist the Wei army, but led his troops to the east?"
"Goguryeo should be conquered, but not at this time! Once the army leaves, I'm afraid that Liaosui and the governors of Liaodong will all scatter, and then the four counties of Liaodong will no longer belong to the Gongsun family!"
"Yes, lord, how can we go east?" Liu Pu stood up and continued to advise.
Generals Bei Yan and Yang Zuo also spoke up to discuss the matter at this time.
This arrangement is so abnormal, even a little anti-intellectual! Someone comes to attack your house, but you don't defend it, but take all your military forces to attack your neighbor to the east?
Gongsun Yuan stood up, put his hands on his hips and looked at the four people. He was not afraid at all. He shouted: "You want me to fight the Wei army in Liaosui? How should we fight? Who will fight? Can we really win?"
"Bei Yan, Yang Zuo, can you defeat Cao Rui?"
"Emperor Cao Rui of Wei has been on the throne for four years. Do you know how many people Sun Quan captured in Huainan? A full 50,000 people! Do you know about Shu? Hanzhong, which Cao Cao failed to capture, was captured by Cao Rui himself!"
"If he hadn't come to Liaodong in person, I would have had the courage to defend it. But since he has come here in person, the best thing I should do is to take my army and hide in Goguryeo in the east, and wait until winter comes and Wei's logistics are exhausted, and then retake Liaodong!" (End of this chapter)
