"Abandon Linwen County, we will only defend Yi Prefecture City!"
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154. The choice between war and strategy is difficult to determine; the best or worst course of action depends on personal preference.
"Abandon Linwen County, we will only defend Yi Prefecture City."
Guo Jiwang's words sounded very cold.
Wu Shuangren pursed her lips and looked at Xu Jing.
Xu Jing said, "Linwen County is indeed indefensible. With our current strength, the chances of winning a direct field battle with the Mount Liang army are too low. Our only chance of victory is to hold Yi Prefecture City, fight a war of attrition, and then look for an opportunity to launch a preemptive strike later."
Seeing that Wu Shuangren remained silent, Guo Jiwang guessed his thoughts and said, "I know what you're thinking. You did promise those people that you wouldn't abandon them. Now that the Mount Liang army is attacking, abandoning Linwen County directly would damage morale."
Wu Shuangren nodded.
Guo Ji continued, "That's why I didn't say we should completely ignore Linwen County. From the time we received the news, it will take the Mount Liang army about three days to travel from Rong Province to Linwen County. Send men on horseback to Linwen County now, traveling through the night, and they should arrive first thing tomorrow morning. Have the people in the county town and surrounding villages pack their belongings immediately and retreat towards the prefecture city. We can also send people to pick them up, speeding things up. They should be able to reach the prefecture city within the next two days."
"We can prepare tents, food, and some daily necessities for these people who have arrived in the city, and accommodate them within the city."
"As for those who cannot reach the capital in time, they can hide in the surrounding mountains and forests. You can send a cavalry battalion to deliver some necessary supplies to them."
After listening, Wu Shuangren remained silent for a long time.
Guo Jiwang at him and emphasized, "War is about making choices! You have to choose between those people in Linwen County and the many more people in Yi Prefecture City, and the people of Linwen County also have to make choices."
"This is the best outcome we could have achieved. Without prior warning, the people of Linwen County would have been slaughtered once the Mount Liang army arrived. We've at least bought them a few days, giving them the option to escape."
"Moreover, if the city weren't under your control now, even if those people escaped, they might not have been able to enter the city or be properly resettled. Those who fled into the mountains would have had even less chance of receiving additional supplies."
"You've done your best. Even the head of the local militia and the local militia in Linwen County can't say you didn't care about Linwen County, and no one else will say anything either."
Wu Shuangren knew that Guo Jiwang was right; he had actually thought about the solution for Linwen County long ago.
Because it was impossible to determine in advance when the Mount Liang army would arrive, or whether they would first fight the Shannan Army in Ya Province before turning back to attack Yi Province, or whether they would choose to divide their forces.
Therefore, Wu Shuangren was unable to relocate all the people of Linwen County ahead of schedule.
If they moved too early, the Mount Liang army would have to wait several months to arrive, and the losses suffered by so many civilians in the city would be considerable.
Moreover, if the enemy doesn't come, the people may not be willing to stay in the city indefinitely, and many may secretly run back.
This back-and-forth not only wasted resources and time, but also affected morale.
It won't be so easy to relocate these people a second time in the future.
Therefore, Wu Shuangren can only wait for definite news before making a decision.
Rong Province is now teeming with Mount Liang members, and the spies sent out by various factions dare not venture too deep. By the time they see Mount Liang Mount Liang army, it will already be close to leaving Rong Province. In addition, news takes time to travel, so gaining three days in advance to prepare is already the limit.
As for the idea of fighting the Mount Liang army near Linwen County, Wu Shuangren had also considered it!
At that time, the Yi Province Militia had just been established. How many men could they eventually gather? How well could they be trained? How many people from Mount Liang would come?
Everything is uncertain.
If the training is more effective than expected, and if Mount Liang doesn't send as many men as they thought, Wu Shuangren felt that they might be able to fight the Mount Liang army!
However, it seems that both Guo Jiwang and Xu Jing believe that with the current strength of the Yi Province Militia, they are unable to confront the attacking Mount Liang army head-on in the wild.
Of the 6,000 men who came from Mount Liang, half were local militia from Rong Province, and of the remaining half, only about 1,000 or 2,000 could be considered elite.
Of the more than 15,000 men who came this time, nearly 10,000 were the elite troops of Mount Liang!
Moreover, when Wu Shuangren ambushed Mount Liang's 6,000 troops, all of their First Rate- tier fighters were inside Yi Prefecture City. But this time, their top fighters will undoubtedly be with the main army.
So back then, Wu Shuangren was able to lead a few hundred men to fight against six thousand, but this time the situation is completely different!
Wu Shuangren nodded, and said with some difficulty:
"Alright, then let the people of Linwen County evacuate. I'll have someone prepare!"
He knew that by doing this, he would not be able to relocate all the people of Linwen County in time; there would definitely be some who were unwilling to leave or who were unable to leave in time.
But war is about making choices.
You can't save everyone.
Next, the three of them went about their own business.
Xu Jing went to prepare for the next steps in defending the city, while Guo Jiwang prepared for the resettlement of the people from Linwen County after they entered the city.
Wu Shuangren then ordered supplies to be prepared and sent to Linwen County by the cavalry brigade that day.
After the order was given, during the preparation of supplies, Wu Shuangren had someone call Yan Bin over and told him about their decision.
"I will make sure the people of Linwen County are properly resettled after they enter the prefectural city. As for those who have taken refuge in the mountains, I will have people deliver the necessary supplies to them and ensure their safety. I need you to take men and return to Linwen County with the cavalry contingent to relocate as many people as possible as quickly as possible."
Wu Shuangren said to Yan Bin.
After listening, Yan Bin's face turned bitter. "Commander, I know you've done very well and haven't Linwen County. But every night, the mountains and forests surrounding Linwen County are filled with miasma. Even healthy young people who stay in there for just one night will fall ill for several days afterward. Those who need to hide in the mountains are mostly elderly people with mobility issues or poor health. If they go to hide in the mountains for more than ten days, it's no different from taking their lives..."
Wu Shuangren looked astonished. "Why wasn't this mentioned sooner?"
Yan Bin shook his head, even more helplessly. "What good would it do to tell them? None of us know when the Mount Liang army will arrive. We can't just move these people away in advance, can we?"
Actually, he thought the same as Wu Shuangren before, and he also held a sliver of hope that the Yi Province Militia might be able to directly engage the Mount Liang Mount Liang in Linwen County and drive them back!
However, after hearing Wu Shuangren's final decision regarding the Yi Province Militia, Yan Bin's last glimmer of hope was completely shattered.
"How many elderly people do you estimate there will be who have difficulty walking and are physically weak?"
Wu Shuangren asked.
Yan Bin thought for a moment, "There are at least three or four thousand people."
Linwen County is a large county with a population of nearly 30,000, including 6,000 to 7,000 elderly people over the age of 50.
In this era, most ordinary people suffer from malnutrition, with an average lifespan of around 65 years. People over 50 years old are generally not in good health.
It's over 80 li (about 40 kilometers) from Linwen County to Yi Prefecture City, and it would take two days, which is impossible for many elderly people to make.
Even if Wu Shuangren wanted to send a cavalry unit to transport these people on horseback, not to mention that some of them were physically weak and couldn't withstand the jolting on horseback, they might die before they even arrived...
Even if he could, Wu Shuangren only had a little over three hundred horses at his disposal, which was simply not enough.
"Militia Commander Wu, these elderly people can't leave, and their families are likely to stay as well. That adds up to nearly ten thousand lives! Militia Commander Wu, is there really no other way?"
Yan Bin really wanted to kneel down before Wu Shuangren, but he was afraid that forcing her like that would anger her.
He could only bend over and look at Wu Shuangren with a pleading expression.
"..."
Wu Shuangren fell into deep thought.
Guo Jiwang's words echoed in my mind again—
War is about making choices!
Is there any new development?
Guo Jiwang, who had been called back, looked at Wu Shuangren with a puzzled expression and a sense of unease in his heart.
Xu Jing was also called back.
Wu Shuangren looked at the two of them and recounted what Yan Bin had just said about the miasma in the mountains and forests.
Guo Jiwang frowned as he listened, and Xu Jing's expression was also not very good.
"Those who can't leave, let them surrender when the Mount Liang army arrives."
After a moment of silence, Guo Jiwang spoke.
Xu Jing turned to look at him, his brows furrowed. "Surrender directly? Mount Liang is about to attack Yi Prefecture City, and these people will likely be captured and driven to attack the city!"
"If the people of Linwen County are driven to attack the city, the Yi Province Militia inside the city will have to kill them. Even if the others can bring themselves to do it, those who came from the Linwen County Militia won't. In that case, we'll start fighting amongst ourselves!"
Siege warfare requires sacrificing lives.
For example, the moat outside the city needed to be filled with earth during an attack, requiring people to brave the rain of arrows from the city walls.
And those filling in the soil are all cannon fodder!
Even worse, Mount Liang might repeatedly drive these civilians to attack the city, using them to deplete the city's arrows and other supplies, while also undermining the morale of the city's troops!
Just as Xu Jing said, this will cause internal strife within the Yi Province Militia first.
Upon Guo Jiwang's eyes flashed with annoyance. He looked at Xu Jing with a cold smile and said, "Does County Commandant Xu really intend to let those who stayed behind commit suicide?"
"You!"
"Alright."
Wu Shuangren interrupted their argument.
"I've thought about it. Those elderly people with mobility issues can ride on carts or be carried or helped by others. Even if it's slower, they can still get there in three or four days. They can set off first, and the Mount Liang army will arrive later; even if we send people to chase after them, it will take some time."
Wu Shuangren said, "What we need to do is just buy them about one more day."
Guo Jiwang revealed an expression of certainty, somewhat helpless. "Have you thought this through? Are you really willing to sacrifice even more lives to save these few thousand?"
Xu Jing looked at Wu Shuangren. Emotionally, he also wanted to save the people of Linwen County.
But his rationality as a general told him that Guo Jiwang's choice was the most correct one.
War never offers the best of both worlds; trade-offs must be made.
Wu Shuangren looked at the two of them, her expression serious. "I've thought it through, I want to save these people!"
"..."
Guo Jiwang sighed, shook his head, and showed disappointment.
Wu Shuangren continued, "Saving these people isn't an impulsive act. If we don't save them, as County Commandant Xu just said, these remaining civilians are very likely to be driven by the Mount Liang army to attack the city. At that time, the morale and fighting spirit of the Yi Province Militia will inevitably waver!"
"If we can rescue them, it will greatly boost morale and allow the local militia leaders throughout Yi Province to see for themselves that the Yi Province Militia will truly protect their homeland and their families. This is not just empty talk; everyone's cohesion will become even stronger!"
Guo Jiwang looked at Wu Shuangren and emphasized, "If we were isolated and without reinforcements, I would agree to your decision. But the Shannan Army has already entered Ya Province. Since Mount Liang has chosen to divide its forces to attack Yi Province, the Shannan Army will definitely do the same! We only need to defend the city for a few days to wait for reinforcements. This is the safest and best strategy!"
Wu Shuangren paused for a moment, then said to Guo Jiwang:
"I said I established the Yi Province Militia to protect my homeland Yi Province people. Now the enemy has attacked, and the people of Yi Province need to be rescued, yet I have the ability to do so."
"Of course I could have many reasons to say that I've done enough. But sir, everyone has their own standards!"
"When the Mount Liang uprising started, they shouted slogans louder than I did, all under the banner of 'acting on behalf of Heaven.' But what did they actually do? Of course, they could say they did enough, that they had their own difficulties... But if I did the same, how would I be any different from those people on Mount Liang?"
"I'm sorry, sir."
"This time... I'll still choose the inferior option!"
155. The situation is uncertain, with the enemy at the gates.
1:45 PM (Wei Shi San Ke)
Wu Shuangren sent men to summon all the battalion commanders, deputy battalion commanders, and brigade commanders of the Yi Province Militia to his residence.
Once everyone had arrived, the dozens of people sat and stood in the courtyard, but it didn't feel crowded.
Wu Shuangren stood under the eaves, not wearing armor, only dressed in black.
His gaze swept over everyone present, and he spoke:
"More than 15,000 men from Mount Liang have already left Rong Province and are heading towards Yi Province!"
A commotion broke out in the courtyard.
Although many people were mentally prepared for this, they still felt a bit panicked when they heard the number '15,000'.
Wu Shuangren continued, "If they come to Yi Province, they will definitely pass through Linwen. Linwen County has no natural defenses around it, and its city walls are low and cannot withstand a large army, so they must withdraw..."
He informed everyone of the specific situation in Linwen County.
The people present reacted with varying expressions after hearing this.
"Someone told me that war is about making choices. They gave many reasons, and every single one of them told me that holding the city and not leaving was the right thing to do."