If the enemy keeps advancing, you can ambush them.
But the enemy was well-prepared; their attack was not a straight line, but rather erratic, moving up and down, south and north, with no discernible pattern.
This makes things even more difficult.
Such a highly mobile army will be easily manipulated if its location cannot be accurately pinpointed.
Unfortunately, there were bad people among the people of Frostwest. Because Huo Qubing rarely killed innocent people indiscriminately, many people who were dissatisfied with the court took the initiative to cover and lead the way, which made the army at the front almost completely overwhelmed.
Many cities in the west are under immense pressure, constantly on edge, fearing they will become the next target. The west has been shaken to its core.
Encirclement is impossible, and stopping them is unstoppable; this is a major problem!
However, although it's a tough situation, Derby knows one thing: if he doesn't put on a good show, the outcome could be disastrous.
After pondering for a long time, he gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty, the only way to stop Huo Qubing is to fortify the defenses and concentrate our forces on the only road ahead."
At the same time, they built a large number of city walls and learned from the defensive methods of the Great Liang, preventing Huo Qubing from advancing unimpeded.
Only in this way can we stop the enemy; otherwise, facing their swift and decisive tactics, we will inevitably be defeated one by one!
In Western countries without walls, the problem of breaking through from a single point to the whole is extremely difficult to solve with this kind of blitzkrieg strategy.
The enemy doesn't engage in a decisive battle with you; they just wander around your territory, leaving you helpless.
The only way to completely solve this problem is to build city walls, place them in key positions, reduce the enemy's range of movement, and then concentrate forces in one point.
Upon hearing these two suggestions, Bill IV's expression instantly darkened. He said in a deep voice, "A scorched earth policy is not a big problem; at most, it will just require relocating some people."
But where will I get the money to build this city wall?
The first one is easier to deal with. Although it requires abandoning a large number of towns, as long as I transfer the people and wealth here first, Huo Qubing will only have made a wasted trip.
After all, no matter how strong or capable they are, they can't possibly carry the whole house away.
As long as I wipe out his 300,000-strong army, I can take it back in no time, so none of this is a problem.
However, building the city wall was a serious problem, as it required a lot of money and labor, and if one were to pay for it themselves, they would probably go bankrupt.
Cough cough!
When Derby saw that King IV had accepted his first suggestion, he was overjoyed, thinking that he had finally been of some use.
He glanced around and whispered, "Your Majesty, you don't need to pay for this. We can build the wall in Ake Prefecture, and someone will naturally cover the cost."
Holy crap!
Upon hearing this, Bill IV's eyes lit up; this was indeed a good idea.
As long as Aksu doesn't want his tribe's land to be robbed, he has to pay this money. He can get a city wall without spending a single penny!
No, I should sponsor at least tens of thousands myself, so that others won't have anything to say about it.
Thinking of this, his gaze toward Derby immediately became satisfied. This guy finally had some quick wit; no wonder his father made him an advisor.
He exclaimed excitedly, "Excellent! You have rendered a great service this time. I have pardoned your crimes, and from now on you will remain my advisor, Frostwest!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Derby was overjoyed; he had finally come back to life.
However, his excitement didn't last long; Ashina Tiandu turned his face green.
"Since you came up with this idea, you can inform the Minister of War. I will reward you with a mansion this time!" Bill IV said solemnly.
Forehead!
Derby swallowed hard. This was practically suicide; he was being made to talk about how to trick the Minister of War.
However, at this point, there is no turning back.
He forced a smile and said dryly, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will definitely complete the mission!"
Seeing how sensible he was, Ashina Tiandu. Since he was so understanding, let's continue using him and deal with him when he's no longer useful.
Now that Huo Qubing has a solution, the remaining problem is Xue Rengui.
This guy is actually less of a threat than Huo Qubing, after all, he fought his way up step by step with a steady and methodical approach, unlike Huo Qubing who flew around like a rocket.
As long as such a defense could withstand the attack head-on, there wouldn't be any major problems. He decided to send several of his trusted confidants to the north, and incidentally, seize control of the military in the north.
The remaining issue is the domestic rumors, which is a major problem.
If this is allowed to spread, not only will he completely lose his authority, but he will also be hated by the people and lose their support.
He looked at Derby and said in a deep voice, " Derby, with this 'the old order is dead, the new order must rise' situation, what do you think should be done?"
"Got it!"
Derby for a moment, then instantly came up with an idea. He said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, I've heard that the Emperor of Great Liang has a saying: 'Professionals should do professional things.'"
Since it involves spreading rumors, we naturally need to engage with people specializing in such matters. Manipulating words is Minister Ashley's forte!
Ashley!
Upon hearing this suggestion, Bill IV was initially taken aback, but then his eyes lit up; it was indeed a good option.
This guy is cunning and shrewd; he schemed against me before, and now it's my turn to make a contribution.
He said in a deep voice, "Very well, then issue an edict to Ashley, putting him in charge of dealing with the rumors. If he does a good job, I will certainly reward him handsomely!"
Ha ha!
This Derby guy actually came up with a solution so quickly; it seems I underestimated him.
Just as I was about to go back to rest, another messenger arrived.
[Report! The Great Liang has sent an envoy named Wang Xuance, who is constantly contacting the generals on the border. General Nishu hopes Your Majesty will intervene to stop him!]
[Report! Huo Qubing, the Great Han, has suddenly marched south and annihilated a city. Our army has suffered heavy casualties. The front lines request reinforcements!]
It's Huo Qubing again!
Ashina Tiandu, but he simply chose to ignore it and let Aksu deal with him.
At that moment, he was extremely annoyed.
Not only are there more and more enemies, but the information is also becoming more and more complicated. Now even spies from Great Liang have come, which is making him quite overwhelmed.
Since there's a hint of Great Liang, we can't afford to be complacent.
His face was extremely gloomy, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "You, Lin Yi, you really have the heart of a wolf, even extending your reach into my army!"
The fact that the people of Great Liang contacted their generals is definitely not a good thing; they probably want to turn these people against their cause.
This was something he absolutely could not allow, because it had shaken his very foundation.
Thinking of this, Ashina Tiandu could no longer sit still and ordered someone in the shadows, "Increase the surveillance on those generals. We absolutely cannot let them defect to Great Liang."
If there's even a hint of trouble, don't bother reporting to me, just have them executed on the spot!