Chapter 7132 The Choice Between the Front Lines and the Rear

Chapter 7132 The Choice Between the Front Lines and the Rear
Chen Xi didn't want to know what others thought about the next stage of the Ganges battle, nor did he care to know. But Chen Xi himself was very clear: if they could win, they would fight; if they couldn't win, they would retreat.

It will be the eleventh year of Yuanfeng in just one day. Chen Xi has already played his cards to the last 70-80. He is just one step away from verifying them. The Kushan navy has been completely suppressed by Jiang Dong and Gan Ning and Lu Xun. There is no longer any possibility of cutting off the Han Dynasty's supply lines from the Bay of Bengal.

Since that's the case, why struggle when victory is impossible? What good would it do to relinquish Prayaga? It would only be temporarily held by the Kushans. Once the true Han dynasty's main force arrives to conquer the country, not only Prayaga, but the entire Kushan Empire would be taken down.

Therefore, after receiving intelligence from the front lines, Chen Xi made the decision that it was necessary to abandon Prayaga if necessary. After all, compared to Huashi City and Varanasi, Prayaga was a city that the Han Dynasty had forcibly seized from the Kushans during the last war.

Furthermore, due to insufficient military strength and governance capabilities, the resistance forces in the area surrounding Prayaga have not yet been completely eliminated. To put it bluntly, this place is still considered half an enemy-occupied area. The Han Dynasty's personnel deployment capacity and management capabilities are limited, so in Prayaga, the Han Dynasty has essentially only captured one city.

This is why Chen Xi was initially reluctant to fight, but given Liu Ling's situation, it would be a disgrace for the Han Dynasty not to take action and fight the Kushans. So, the Han Dynasty reluctantly launched a large-scale war that time. Fortunately, they successfully resolved all the problems and captured Prayaga, a key Kushan stronghold. However, for Chen Xi, Prayaga was purely a useless asset.

The Han dynasty already had limited manpower on the Ganges front. With the addition of Prayaga as a stronghold, the difficulty of defense increased, and the management costs also increased. After all, the earlier strategy did not consider taking Prayaga at this stage.

However, anything can happen on the battlefield. After Prayaga was captured by Yu Jin, Chen Xi couldn't say anything about retreating. He could only grit his teeth and hold on for the time being. Until this time, Chen Xi finally realized that if things really didn't work out, he would have to give up on this place first.

"Give up Baloyagar?" Guo Jia frowned, while Xu Chu hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back. It should be noted that among Xu Chu's marquises, the two greatest achievements, apart from killing the Xiongnu in the northern frontier, were going to the Ganges and leading the elite shield guards to break through the Baloyagar defense line and capture Baloyagar under the command of Yu Jin. If Baloyagar were given up, Xu Chu's achievements would be somewhat incomplete.

“Well, if we can hold it, then we will. But if we can’t, there’s no point in holding it. We should retreat to Varanasi. We’ve been developing this area for a long time, and it has been cleared out several times. It’s not exactly impregnable, but it’s at least advantageous for our defense.” Chen Xi nodded and said, “So if all else fails, we should abandon Varanasi and retreat to Varanasi.”

Chen Xi's actions can be considered the best overall strategy. Incidentally, only someone of Chen Xi's level could think about problems in this way. To be honest, for others, losing territory in the Han Dynasty was a very big problem.

So normally, frontline officers would rather die in battle than lose territory, because losing territory easily means losing people and having nothing left, not to mention rewards, there is no compensation. So normally, frontline officers would never choose to save lives while losing territory.

“In that case, new problems will arise.” Guo Jia looked at Chen Xi with a complicated expression, hesitated several times, but finally stopped himself from speaking, because he was not sure what Chen Xi was thinking. Some things are not just a matter of strategy.

"Alright, I'll explain it myself." Liu Bei pressed down Guo Jia, who had hesitated several times before speaking, then sighed, indicating that he would explain to Chen Xi himself.

"Is there something I don't know about here?" Chen Xi raised an eyebrow slightly, asking with a hint of doubt. Logically speaking, if he spoke up directly, it would be equivalent to taking the blame upon himself, because such matters required military orders. If Prayaga were to truly perish, he, as the one who gave the order, would certainly bear the responsibility. This was why Chen Xi spoke up directly.

To put it bluntly, this level of trouble is something that ordinary people can't handle. Even if Yu Jin were to take a hit, it would be quite troublesome, but for Chen Xi, it's nothing.

"Well, the situation in Prayaga is actually quite complicated," Liu Bei sighed and said. "Zichuan, do you remember that rumor?"

"What rumors, prophecies?" Chen Xi's mind was a bit muddled, and he didn't understand what Liu Bei was talking about. Hearing this, Liu Bei was a little helpless. He exchanged a glance with Guo Jia. The three of them had come here today after receiving intelligence and were talking to Chen Xi about this thing because they had realized something.

"Yun Chang's Motu Luo, Yi De's Wucha Yanna, Zi Long's Boluoyejia, and Wen Ze's Qu Nu Cheng," Liu Bei said directly. Chen Xi was taken aback for a moment, then nodded.

Although the rumor was somewhat outrageous, Chen Xi basically accepted it because it resonated with people's hearts and was also largely based on reality. In other words, if the distribution of fiefdoms were to take place in the end, even if it wasn't exactly the way the rumor suggested, it would be pretty much the same. After all, there were only so many good places, and everyone knew who would get them and who wouldn't.

"Zilong's Prayerland." Chen Xi sighed, with a hint of helplessness. He had already understood Liu Bei's meaning. Some people on the front lines, especially some under Zhao Yun, did indeed regard this place as their own fiefdom.

After all, the so-called "General Zhao's Prayera" mentioned in the rumors should actually be the Prayera of Zhao Yun's group. In other words, the entire Zhao Yun group would be enfeoffed in the Prayera region. So now that Prayera has been captured, even if people from other factions tease Zhao Yun's faction and curse them, they will definitely keep this in mind.

Good heavens, mine!

After all, it's true that this place is their future fiefdom, so they must be careful. Thinking about it this way, Chen Xi did understand a lot.

"So even if we were to give up, it wouldn't be so easy. And the reasons are quite valid. Since ancient times, it has been an honor for generals and soldiers to die in battle, to die on the battlefield, to protect their homes and country. Moreover, even if they die, you won't shortchange them a single penny of their reward." Liu Bei said helplessly. This strategy is impossible to execute, especially at this stage.

"I understand roughly. Even if I issue this military order, those people won't carry it out, right?" Chen Xi said helplessly.

Chen Xi also thought of many things. The military orders issued from the rear are actually more of a reference for the front. Not to mention that in the Han Dynasty, generals in the field could not always obey military orders, even in modern warfare, the rear staff often says that the front should follow the military orders, but at the same time, they also want the front to give full play to their initiative, take into account the actual situation, and fight at the highest level.

To put it bluntly, all military commanders and all those in the rear with a brain understand one thing: they can control the grand strategy of how the war is fought on the front lines, but they cannot control the details. As long as the people on the front lines have their own ideas, no matter what the rear says, it's useless.

Even though Chen Xi's military order was strategically sound, it could still be refuted by the officers and soldiers of this era. The mere fact that they were responsible for defending their territory, willing to fight to the death, and willing to stain their land red with their blood was enough to shut Chen Xi up.

"I have a question." Chen Xi took a deep breath. Liu Bei's words made Chen Xi completely understand what was going on, so he looked at Liu Bei with a helpless smile and asked.

“You speak, Zichuan,” Liu Bei said, nodding.

"There are many problematic officers and soldiers under Zilong's command, right?" Chen Xi asked very seriously.

"Yes, after the so-called rumor of enfeoffment came out, the most turbulent situation actually occurred under Zilong's command. Because the Prayagia was indeed in the hands of the Han Dynasty, the mentality of Zilong's officers and soldiers changed significantly." Guo Jia gave a very accurate answer on behalf of Liu Bei.

"So, while Zilong's soldiers have a certain resistance to attacking, they are very determined to defend the territory, especially Prayerga?" Chen Xi said to Liu Bei and Guo Jia with a hint of helplessness.

How to put it? Chen Xi could completely understand it, because this kind of thing had happened countless times in history, and there were even various versions of it.

Taking the feudal lords of the State of Chu as an example, the current situation in Jiangdong as an example, the local militias of later generations as an example, and the knightly lords of Europe as an example, these all belong to the same situation. They are typical examples of situations where it is difficult for the orders of the state to be transmitted to these self-contained forces, but it is also difficult for other things to attack this state, because these disobedient guys are really willing to risk their lives.

There's a saying that if Emperor Chongzhen had started militia training earlier, the Ming Dynasty might have survived, but Li Zicheng and the Later Jin would have been out of luck. This is because if militia training had started earlier, the Ming Dynasty's stray dogs would have all grown into Tibetan mastiffs. Do you understand what kind of crazy operation it is to have Tibetan mastiffs everywhere?

However, this kind of thing has a huge backlash. Once the major powers merge with each other and the emperor loses his power, he will soon be directly killed by the powerful figures trained by the militia.

Therefore, when talking about the generals and officers of Zhao Yun's army in the Prayaga region, Chen Xi completely understood their thinking. After all, for these people, this was their future homeland, their fiefdom. So, whether others risked their lives or not was put aside, as was their loyalty. Whether they were loyal to the country and to Liu Bei to the point of being willing to sacrifice their lives was also put aside.

Just ask this one question: whether it's for profit or for the sake of future generations, are these people willing to lose their lives here? The answer is definitely yes!
This is General Zhao's Prayaga. How could we, the officers and soldiers under General Zhao's command, abandon this place? Let alone the mere Kushans, even if the elite of the Roman Empire came, they would fight here to the last moment, because all the interests and all the future are staked on this place.

"Okay, I understand." Chen Xi nodded to Liu Bei with a hint of helplessness. He had completely understood Liu Bei's meaning. Liu Bei seemed to have accepted reality and was even willing to give these people some dignity. At least, after such a crazy effort to defend the border for the country, no matter what their intentions were, dying on the battlefield was indeed a dignified exit.

"We all know in our hearts who among Zilong's men has problems and who doesn't. Besides, whether something was an accident or a moment of emotional impulse is irrelevant once it happens," Guo Jia said with a sigh. "But I still maintain that if they were willing to die on the battlefield, then it proves that they were still Han generals!"

"Alright, I will still issue the order to preserve our strength and avoid losing territory. After all, you all know the situation this time. The probability of us losing is extremely high. Since that's the case, we might as well preserve our strength. As for those under Zilong's command who want to fight to the death, then prepare everything for them. Let them fight first, and if they really can't win, then retreat." Chen Xi took a deep breath and slightly adjusted his strategy.

To reiterate, if you really can't win, you should retreat. But if it's said that Zhao Yun's entire army went berserk and suppressed the Kushan army's momentum with a completely fearless approach, then there's nothing to say. All the things Zhao Yun's army did in the past will be forgiven, and those who deserve rewards will be rewarded, and those who died in battle will be given compensation.

After all, all the acts of selling intelligence before the war, when faced with the fact that the person who sold the intelligence was fearless in the war and commanded the entire army to seize victory, are actually problems that can be solved with rhetoric. For example, the intelligence I provided was only for strategic concealment. As for why I gave real intelligence, fake intelligence cannot fool people, but incomplete real intelligence can lead the other side into a trap.

These are all perfectly reasonable reasons. They are the kind of things that the other side can openly say and put on the table without anyone criticizing them, because victory is beyond reproach.

Especially in foreign wars, and wars that determine the fate of a country, no matter what methods you use to win, as long as you win, there are plenty of reasons. All the mistakes you made can be attributed to tactical inducements, even if they were slightly out of line.

To put it bluntly, in the military, what constitutes going too far is a matter of personal judgment. For some, rigorous military training in the sweltering summer is considered going too far, but for some soldiers, it is just basic training. For some, risking their lives to lure the enemy without their knowledge is a justifiable reason for betrayal, but for others, it is a perfectly reasonable reality.

So what level is considered out of line?

So what level constitutes strategic fraud, and what level constitutes betrayal of intelligence?

None of these are certain, only victory has a standard, and only victory can explain everything.

If you win the war, all your actions of leaking intelligence before the war is considered strategic deception, like those of Jiang Ziya, Sun Tzu, and Wu Qi.

As long as you win the war, all your actions during the war preparation phase that do not treat soldiers like human beings are to push them to the limit to demonstrate their full fighting power. For example, Sun Tzu, Wu Qi, and Huo Qubing all made perfect sense.

As long as you win the war, all tactics that use the lives of soldiers as bait are perfectly reasonable operations to reduce losses, such as those of Bai Qi and Wei Qing.

There is only one way to judge the right and wrong of all actions in war: victory. Anyone who criticizes the victor can only say that you did not win enough. After all, there will always be someone who wins so well that you have nothing to say, and similarly, there will always be someone who wins so well that you have to shut up.

With a knife in hand and enough wins, you can just kill them all. To put it bluntly, it's all about whether your prestige can keep the peace.

So when Liu Bei mentioned Zhao Yun's group, Chen Xi completely understood Liu Bei and Guo Jia's thoughts. Clearly, they felt that they could fight a battle in Prayeraga. Since Zhao Yun's group was so confident, then let's fight and see. If we win, then everything before can be considered non-existent. If we lose? If we lose, everyone in Zhao Yun's group who held this idea will die.

They all died on the battlefield, so what is there to blame them for? They were all soldiers, and dying on the battlefield was the greatest sacrifice they could make for their country. Therefore, everything from the past can be disregarded.

After all, they sacrificed their lives for their country and died on the battlefield. Everything from the past can be swept away by the wind. Such behavior proves that everything you did before was not for your own greed, but because you were not thinking clearly and your methods were flawed, not because your values ​​were flawed.

Therefore, you are still our good comrade-in-arms, and we will still send you to the Jingling Hall to enjoy the incense offerings throughout the four seasons.

"Lord Xuande, is that what you mean too?" Chen Xi finally asked.

“Well, if we ask them to retreat, they definitely won’t be willing to give up. So let’s fight,” Liu Bei said calmly. “It’ll be a good opportunity for me to see just how determined they are to fight this battle.”

"Alright then, after all, it was their choice, so I have nothing to say." Chen Xi nodded silently upon hearing this. "I will suggest that they retreat when the strategic gap is too large, but whether or not to implement it depends on the commander at the front. I won't say anything else."

"You should do a good job of handling the rest. After all, if things really turn out much as you estimated, we might suffer huge losses," Liu Bei said with a touch of emotion.

“We might be able to win, right?” Guo Jia said with a smile. “If everyone is really prepared for that, even with a huge difference in troop strength and fluctuating morale, the Kushans won’t be able to defeat us. Organization is important, but it’s not the decisive factor.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Xi sighed twice and remained silent.

They've slipped away, they've slipped away!