flstandardbreds Chapter 125 You mean... suing for peace?
Chapter 125 You mean... suing for peace?
He raised his arm and shouted with confidence: "Commander, I propose that we stop being on the defensive and start attacking!"
Although the enemy is strong, if we can launch a surprise attack at night, we can greatly weaken the enemy's morale.
"If we win this battle, the enemy will be terrified and dare not act rashly."
As soon as Xu Zhen finished speaking, he drew nods of approval from some of the generals.
They believed that Hersha City had been holding out for a long time, and the soldiers were exhausted and fearful from passive defense. A victory would be a good way to boost morale.
However, Gu Jinyan was filled with worry after hearing this.
She was well aware of the enemy's size and strength; they not only had a large number of soldiers but also a large quantity of sophisticated weapons. If she were to launch a rash attack, the risk would be extremely high.
Lin Zixuan shook his head without showing any emotion.
He glanced at Xu Zhen and slowly said, "General Xu is right, but we cannot ignore the fact that the enemy's forces are several times larger than ours."
Moreover, they are well-equipped, and going out of the city to fight them might not guarantee victory.
If our army suffers heavy losses and has no troops left to defend the city, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Xu Zhen was displeased upon hearing the rebuttal and sneered, "Deputy General Lin, aren't you being too cautious? On the battlefield, when can you be absolutely certain of success?"
I believe our soldiers are brave and fearless, and an attack is unlikely to be lost. Moreover, if we only defend, and the enemy besieges the city until their supplies are exhausted, Hesha City will fall sooner or later.”
The atmosphere in the meeting room became tense due to the disagreement between the two.
As Gu Jinyan listened, his heart grew heavier.
It's clear that Xu Zhen wasn't completely ignorant of the battle situation, but rather lost his composure due to his eagerness to make a name for himself. As for the other generals who supported him, they were mostly blindly following the crowd rather than giving it careful consideration.
As the debate between the two factions intensified, several senior generals sitting to the side frowned. One of them, He Qingshan, was a veteran general from Hesha City.
Having participated in numerous defensive battles, he had a deep understanding of the cruelty of war. Seeing the young generals arguing fiercely, He Qingshan slowly stood up.
He said earnestly, "Gentlemen, it's understandable that young people are full of vigor and want to settle things in one battle, but we can't ignore the bigger picture."
The situation is still unclear. The enemy has ample supplies and abundant troops, so launching a rash attack may not be the best strategy.
I propose that we continue to hold our position and await reinforcements to minimize unnecessary casualties.
He Qingshan's suggestion received support from some older generals.
They believed that the city of Hersha was well-fortified, and that it would not be easy for the enemy to conquer it unless they launched a rash attack.
While this strategy may lead to a prolonged standoff, it at least ensures the safety of soldiers.
Upon hearing the words "hold firm and await reinforcements," Gu Jinyan couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.
Although Hesha City has strong city walls, its food reserves are insufficient. A prolonged defense will inevitably deplete its resources, and delaying the inevitable is tantamount to drinking poison to quench thirst.
Lin Zixuan seemed to be deep in thought as well. He asked Gu Jinyan in a low voice, "What do you think of Vice General He Qingshan's proposal?"
Gu Jinyan shook his head slightly and replied in a low voice, "If the food and supplies are plentiful, holding the line is the best strategy."
But with food supplies so scarce, if this continues, we fear our troops will suffer no losses, but their morale will plummet.
Lin Zixuan nodded, his expression grave, indicating that he also realized the seriousness of the problem.
Just as everyone was arguing, a general sitting at the end of the table slowly spoke up.
His name was Wu Qi, a general who had lived in Hesha City for a long time and still enjoyed a certain prestige among the army in the city.
He cleared his throat, his tone softening but with a hint of probing: "Gentlemen, since we're still discussing this here, why don't we... why don't we try sending someone to negotiate with the enemy?"
If we can delay the enemy, we might buy ourselves some valuable time.
Wu Qi's suggestion drew the attention of the generals present, some of whom even showed surprise.
Lin Zixuan looked coldly at Wu Qi and said in a deep voice, "General Wu, are you saying... you want peace?"
The moment the words "seek peace" were uttered, a chill seemed to descend upon the entire conference room.
Wu Qi felt somewhat embarrassed by Lin Zixuan's sharp gaze, but still tried to remain calm and explained, "Deputy General Lin, the situation in Hesha City is tense, and the enemy forces are strong."
If a settlement can be reached through negotiations, perhaps a pointless bloodbath can be avoided. After all, the lives of soldiers are precious.
Lin Zixuan snorted coldly, his tone full of disdain: "Deputy General Wu, as the garrison commander of Hesha City, you actually proposed to bow down and beg for peace with the enemy."
Do you know that if the enemy fails to capture the city, they may retreat; but if we show weakness first, they will only take advantage of us!
At that time, not only will the soldiers' lives be in danger, but the fate of the city's inhabitants will also be in grave peril!
Wu Qi was rendered speechless by Lin Zixuan's words, his face turning slightly pale, but he still refused to back down: "Vice General Lin is right, but sometimes, taking a step back is not necessarily a bad way to preserve oneself."
You are young and impetuous, unaware of the cruelty of the battlefield. If, in the end, the city falls... who will bear the consequences?
These words brought the atmosphere in the meeting room to a freezing point. Several young generals glared angrily at Wu Qi, clearly unable to tolerate his "peace-seeking" remarks.
At this moment, Gu Jinyan felt both angry and anxious. Wu Qi's suggestion seemed rational, but it was actually a cowardly escape.
Once such a strategy is adopted, not only will the morale of the army waver, but the morale within the city will also completely collapse.
Gu Jinyan looked at Lin Zixuan and saw that he looked solemn and was clearly disappointed with the current differences.
However, faced with all sorts of opinions, she also knew that she needed to remain calm and cautious.
As everyone waited in silence, Gu Jinyan cleared his throat, stood up, and said, "Generals, this battle is related to the survival of Hesha City."
I have a few words to say, but I'm not sure if I should.
Her words drew everyone's attention, and all the generals' eyes were focused on one spot.
Xu Zhen was one of the younger and more radical members of Hesha City. He always advocated taking the initiative to quickly break the enemy's siege.
At this moment, he raised his eyebrows slightly, seemingly waiting for Gu Jinyan to propose some effective action plans.
On the other side, Vice General He Qingshan stood with his arms crossed, calmly watching Gu Jinyan, clearly in favor of continuing the strategy of holding the line.
General Wu Qi remained silent, his expression somewhat serious. He favored a peace-seeking strategy, believing that the current stalemate and continued confrontation would undoubtedly plunge Hesha City into an even greater predicament.
Gu Jinyan calmly stated his thoughts: "Although Hesha City has strong city walls, its resources are limited. A prolonged stalemate will inevitably lead to the depletion of resources."
Holding firm might buy time, but it won't solve the fundamental problem. As for launching an attack, it requires careful planning, not rash action.
Her words were calm and collected, pointing out the current state of affairs in Hersha City.
These words made all the generals weigh their own positions in their hearts.
He Qingshan spoke first, his tone somewhat conservative: "What Chief Gu said makes sense."
The enemy is powerful. If we launch an attack easily, it will likely deplete our limited manpower and resources, making it difficult to hold our ground even if we want to.
We should prioritize defense, using the city's fortifications to blunt the enemy's advance.
He Qingshan's speech received nods of approval from some of the generals.
However, this conservative strategy clearly failed to satisfy Xu Zhen.
He frowned and said with a disdainful tone, "Simply holding the line will only embolden the enemy!"
They will keep probing us. If we don't take the initiative, the enemy might establish a long-term camp outside the city and completely surround us.
We should proactively seek a breakthrough, disrupting the enemy's plans with a surprise attack and turning defense into offense!
His words were filled with urgency and fighting spirit, and his eyes revealed an impulse to be dissatisfied with the status quo.
His radical stance clearly made General Wu Qi uneasy.
Wu Qi was silent for a moment before slowly saying, "It is indeed brave of the soldiers to defend the city to the death, but wouldn't it be better to end the war peacefully by avoiding bloodshed?"
I think it would be worthwhile to send envoys to probe the possibility of peace talks with the enemy. If they agree to our terms, it might be a way out.”
Wu Qi's speech caused the generals present to whisper among themselves.
For him, a peaceful resolution to the war was the best way to avoid losses, but this proposal was immediately refuted by Xu Zhen.
He sneered, "Seek peace? Our city of Hesha has never knelt down to seek peace since ancient times. Now, before the enemy has even reached the city walls, you're already asking for a 'way out'?"
Wouldn't this boost the enemy's morale and weaken our city's resolve?
Wu Qi, not to be outdone, retorted: "General Xu, do not act rashly. If we can reach a peace agreement, wouldn't that save the lives of our soldiers?"
If the enemy's advance is fierce, we may find that their surrender will be beyond our control.
Xu Zhen glared at him, clearly disdainful of Wu Qi's idea.
The two disagreed fiercely, and the atmosphere became tense.
Seeing this, Gu Jinyan calmly continued to speak, her tone firm and powerful: "Generals, whether you choose to defend, attack, or negotiate peace, you should consider the overall situation, not your personal likes or dislikes."
If we show weakness before the enemy launches an attack, we may not only fail to reach a reconciliation, but also make the enemy regard our city as a weak place.
Once a city loses morale and resolve, it will ultimately be unable to avoid battle.
Her calm analysis gradually calmed the generals down, and Xu Zhen also suppressed his anger.
Gu Jinyan clearly pointed out that the current situation requires both cautious response and firm resolve.
Lin Zixuan interjected at the opportune moment, speaking gently yet guidingly: "Everyone's viewpoint has its merits."
Holding firm can buy time, while launching an attack can demoralize the enemy. As for negotiating peace, it is indeed one of the worst options for preserving one's life.
Could we first send out scouts to ascertain the enemy's true intentions, in order to further determine our course of action?
Lin Zixuan's speech was as prudent as ever, easing the differences between the parties and gaining everyone's approval.
He Qingshan nodded first and said, "I think Vice General Lin's suggestion is appropriate. We should send people to scout the enemy's situation. If the enemy is well prepared, we should not attack rashly."
Although Xu Zhen was still somewhat unwilling, he agreed with Lin Zixuan's suggestion and said in a low voice, "I will consider how to deal with it after we find out the enemy's situation."
Wu Qi glanced at Xu Zhen, his tone slightly conciliatory: "If we find out that the enemy has no intention of reconciliation, then we will concentrate our forces on defense."
Gu Jinyan breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that all parties had finally reached an agreement.
At this moment, Zhao Lingfeng looked around at everyone and said in a deep voice, "I understand what you generals have to say. The situation in Hesha City cannot afford to be distracted or suffer internal strife."
We followed Deputy General Lin's plan, postponed the attack, and sent out scouts to probe the enemy's situation.
As for peace talks, it's not too late to discuss them once the situation becomes clearer.