PDLP Chapter 155 Zhou Kai's Response
Chapter 155 Zhou Kai's Response
Zhou Kai's eyes fell solemnly on the camp in front of him that had been burned into ruins by the raging fire. The scorched earth and black smoke intertwined into a desolate picture. He couldn't help but feel a sense of fear in his heart, as if the heat waves in the sea of fire were still burning his skin.
"Fortunately, I reacted in time, otherwise..." He murmured to himself, with a hint of relief and regret in his voice, "otherwise, I would have become a wisp of smoke in this sea of fire."
"General Zhou!" An adjutant's voice broke Zhou Kai's meditation. Seeing Zhou Kai standing still, he couldn't help but feel anxious. "Now that all the food and supplies have been reduced to ashes, what should we do?"
Zhou Kai retracted his gaze and looked around, only to see the generals with worried faces, their eyes revealing contempt for the young general. They looked down on this general who rose to power due to his father's achievements, but at this moment they had to rely on him to make decisions.
Zhou Kai took a deep breath, calmed down his inner fluctuations, and said in a deep voice: "Quickly send someone to the prefectural city to ask the governor for help!"
"This..." Lieutenant General Li looked embarrassed. He knew that the situation was precarious at the moment. "But what should we do? Our food and grass are exhausted, and more than half of our troops have been lost. If we capture Songshan County..." He shook his head and did not finish his words.
Zhou Kai's heart sank. He also understood the dilemma. Attacking Songshan County was already difficult, and now it was even more difficult. But as a general, he had to take responsibility and make a decision. He turned to Lieutenant General Li, with a glimmer of expectation in his eyes: "Lieutenant General Li, how do you think we should capture Songshan County?"
Lieutenant General Li hesitated for a moment, and finally shook his head: "Let's wait until the reinforcements arrive."
Zhou Kai couldn't help but feel a little disappointed when he heard this. He looked at the deputy general who had followed him for many years, and a complicated look flashed in his eyes. He knew Deputy General Li's worries and helplessness, but at this moment he needed a partner who could fight side by side with him.
"Alright!" Zhou Kai retracted his gaze and said in a deep voice, "The most important thing right now is to solve the problem of food and grass. Lieutenant General Li, quickly send people to the surrounding villages to try to collect food and grass." He paused and added, "Remember, food and grass are the most important now, no matter what means you use!"
Lieutenant General Li nodded his head when he heard this. He knew that Zhou Kai was in a very heavy mood at the moment, so he didn't dare to say anything more. He quickly gathered people and prepared to execute Zhou Kai's order.
Zhou Kai watched Lieutenant General Li and his men leave, but his heart was filled with turmoil. He knew that the battle to attack Songshan County had reached a stalemate, but he could not give up. He had to do everything he could to secure a glimmer of hope for his soldiers.
He turned to look at the soldiers and said in a deep voice: "Let's set up camp here now! Remember, no matter what difficulties you encounter, you must persevere!"
The soldiers heard the words and left one after another. They knew that the situation was very critical at the moment! But these people still didn't believe that these mud legs could defeat them.
Zhou Kai stood on the ruins, looking at the figures going away, thinking in his heart how to defeat the rebels. Otherwise, he would not only fail to achieve merit but also be punished!
Of course, the situation on his side could not escape the eyes and ears of Yuan Quan's people who were sent out to get information. You should know that they had prepared all this long ago. They sent people to the surrounding positions that could be well detected.
"The commander of the provincial army has indeed sent a few cavalrymen to the provincial capital to ask for help!" Tang Hai, who was responsible for collecting intelligence at this time, said with a smile.
"Now that all their food supplies have been burned, they will definitely ask for support from the city! Moreover, many civilians who were responsible for transporting food supplies ran away last night! Many of them are originally from the city, and they will definitely get the news!" Yuan Quan nodded. All this was within their calculations.
"Everything is normal! But what you didn't expect is that this general actually sent a lot of people to the surrounding towns and villages to collect food! It seems that Da Kun's luck has really run out. You know, in the entire Northwest County, which family that can still keep food at home is not an official family or has deep connections! This is why we have not touched those families after we conquered these counties! Instead, those families will take the initiative to hand over part of the food!" Tang Hai said with a smile at this time.
"You mean those people will offend these people if they go to rob food! Is it possible to force these people to rebel?" Yuan Quan's eyes lit up at this time. They have never touched those powerful families who have their own bodyguards. Those people usually have some officials behind them. If they touch them, it is likely to affect the interests of those people in the court. This will not be conducive to their desire to overturn the case for Yuan Quan's father in the future!
"In that case, we won't stop them! I want to see what these officers and soldiers can do! Send more people to keep an eye on them and if possible, seize all their food!" Yuan Quan said with a smile at this time.
"Young Marshal! I'm afraid that's not a good idea! You know, these soldiers have no intention of fighting with us! If we let them know that we have robbed all their food and will not give them a way to live! I'm afraid that because they have no way to retreat, it will arouse their fighting spirit! We can control the amount of their food! Make sure they don't have enough to eat, but they won't starve to death! In this way, we will continuously attack those who send them food and rescue! Try to consume as many troops as possible from the Northwest Prefecture!" Tang Hai spoke at this time.
"Great! If Mr. Tang could be the Minister of War in the court, he would be more than qualified!" Yuan Quan couldn't help but said happily when he heard it.
The night was as dark as ink. Zhou Kai stood at the edge of the ruins, his eyes as sharp as torches, staring at the outline of Songshan County in the distance. His heart was full of worries, but he was also determined to win. He knew that the situation at the moment was extremely unfavorable to him, but he also knew that he had no way out now and had to win this battle. Otherwise, all the glory, wealth and official positions that his family had previously had would be lost.
"General, are we really going to rob those wealthy families of their food?" A personal soldier asked in a low voice, his eyes full of worry. This personal soldier was originally a member of their family, so he was quite concerned about these issues.
Zhou Kai took a deep breath and said in a deep voice: "We have no way out now. We have to do this to survive and for the soldiers who trust us. But remember, we are borrowing food, not stealing it. As long as we win this battle, it will be useless even if those people complain! And then I can report their support for our rebellion!"
The soldier nodded, with a gleam of determination in his eyes. He knew that Zhou Kai was no longer the general who rose to power by relying on his father's achievements, but a general who could truly lead their family out of trouble!