In the early morning of July 30, the front-line command of the Expeditionary Force made a decision and retreated to Liaodong for rest.

This decision was based on the latest situation on the Eastern Expedition battlefield. The latest situation on the Eastern Expedition battlefield was that the Expedition Army was defeated by Sashui, with more than half of its troops lost. It had lost its power to fight again. It was no longer able to stick to Yalu River, nor could it occupy and consolidate all the territory south of Yalu River.

The "two-step" strategy proposed by the military was based on the expeditionary force's attack this year at Yalu Water, or the expeditionary force could safely withdraw Yalu Water after a long-range attack on Pyongyang. Later, the decree issued by the Holy Lord and the Central Committee on the 25th of this month, although it required the expeditionary force to implement the "two-step" strategy, it was not known that the expeditionary force had been defeated by Sashui on the 24th and had lost the basis for implementing the "two-step" strategy, so this decree was actually unenforceable before it was issued.

This is the debate between the commander-in-chief, which lies in the "two-step" strategy, whether there is still a possibility of implementation under the current situation of the Eastern Expedition.

Some military commanders led by Yu Zhongwen not only directly "vetoed" the "two-step" strategy, but also directly rejected the possibility of continuing the Eastern Expedition.

The Eastern Expedition could no longer be continued, the reason is very simple. The crushing defeat of Pyongyang and Sashui led to the destruction of 200,000 soldiers. This was not only the most painful failure since the reunification of Middle-earth, but also a heavy blow to the Twelve Guards.

How many people are there in the Twelve Guards? Among them, two capitals have more than 100,000 garrisons, and there are also more than 100,000 garrisons in important towns and passes in China. There are about 200,000 garrisons in the 190 counties in Central China, except for the border counties, and about 100,000 naval troops. The rest are all border town garrisons, with a number of about 500,000 people, of which the Northwest Army has the largest army, about 200,000, and the northern border army includes Daibei, Youyan, western Liaoning and Liaodong, but there are less than 200,000 troops, while the southwest Army has the lowest number of troops, about 100,000.

During this Eastern Expedition, the troops allocated mainly came from the Eastern Capital Garrison Army, the Northern Frontier Town Garrison Army, the garrison forces of dozens of counties in Shandong, and some Jiangzuo Guards, as well as the Navy Division, the total number was about 400,000. In other words, all the soldiers who could be recruited to the battlefield of the Eastern Expedition were transferred. It can be said that the Twelve Guards had put all their efforts into it.

When the Eastern Expedition was set off, the 12 armies of each line were divided into two groups, each 12 armies gathered at the Liaoshui River, but only about 100,000 troops besieged Liaoshui City. The reason why only more than 100,000 people crossed the Liaoshui River was related to the earliest strategy of the Eastern Expedition of the Central Army. This time, when fighting Goguryeo, using a cattle knife to kill chickens to show the monkey, was actually showing off the power of the Middle Earth to the Earth to the goal of deterring the Northern Territory. Therefore, it is natural that diplomatic means are the main force, war means as supplemented, and the minimum cost is the exchange for maximum benefits. In this way, it is enough to use 100,000 people to cross the Liaoshui River to force Goguryeo to surrender, while the remaining armies play a show-off and deterrent role. If more than 400,000 troops crossed the Liaoshui River to fight, the consumption of manpower, material resources and financial resources will be too great, and it is purely a waste.

Originally, as long as the Goguryeo surrendered, gave up his dream of dominating the Far East, and became a vassal of Central China, the Eastern Expedition would end. However, since the Holy Lord ascended the throne, whether it was to manage the Western Regions or to the Western Expedition of Tuyuhun, they eventually evolved into expanding territory. The monarchs of the deceased countries such as Yiwututunshi, Gaochang King Qu Boya, and the Western Turkic Khan all became "captives" of the Middle Earth Emperor. With such a bloody lesson, how could the Goguryeo King Gao Yuan dare to repeat the same mistakes? He would never surrender until he was desperate and desperate. Just like Murong Fuyun, the Busabak Khan of Tuyuhun, he refused to surrender and fled into the Daxue Mountains with his remaining troops, waiting for the opportunity to restore the country.

While refusing to surrender, Gao Yuan also deceived the Holy Lord again and again under the guise of surrender, playing with the Holy Lord in his palms. This was something the Holy Lord had not expected. As a result, in desperation, he had to change his strategy. So the army left west of the Liaoshui River all advanced eastward and began to leap forward for thousands of miles to attack Pyongyang with more than 300,000 troops. In other words, since June 11, more than 400,000 troops in China and Earth entered Goguryeo to fight, and the consumption of manpower, material and financial resources immediately reached an unprecedented scale.

Now, we will not talk about whether material and financial resources will continue to support war, but only about human resources.

There were more than 200,000 troops left on the battlefield of the Eastern Expedition, of which the Imperial Guards had already protected the Holy Lord and the Central Army to return to Dongdu, and the Navy also lost its combat effectiveness and would definitely return to Donglai. The 130,000 expedition soldiers who had just returned from Pyongyang were exhausted both physically and mentally. With such a low-morning army, the army was weak and distant, the result was imagined. As for the tens of thousands of troops surrounding Liaodong City, they had been fighting for nearly five consecutive months, exhausted and needed rest.

In this case, it is not impossible to force the Expeditionary Force Command to implement the "two-step" strategy. It is not impossible to stick to Yalu River at any cost and overcome difficulties at any cost. But after paying tens of thousands of people, can this task be completed?

If this task cannot be completed, and tens of thousands of soldiers were killed on the battlefield of the Eastern Expedition, and the expeditionary army was defeated, it will bring an extremely serious problem. What should I do if the garrisons in the northern border are? What should I do if the garrisons in dozens of counties in Shandong?

Now the relationship between the north and the south is tense, and the northern enemy in the desert is eyeing the Central Earth. Once the garrison forces in the northern border are seriously weakened due to the Eastern Expedition, not only will the security of the Northern Frontier lose its security, but the risk of the Civil War breaking out. Similarly, the domestic situation is not good now, especially in Shandong, where rebellions in the north and south of the Great Henan are repeatedly caused. Although there are natural disasters and man-made disasters, more importantly, almost all Shandong garrison troops have been transferred to the battlefield of the Eastern Expedition. Local governments and Yingyang Mansions are unable to suppress the rebellion and suppress the thieves. If the Eastern Expedition is defeated, there are very few troops returning to Shandong. Then it can be imagined that the chaotic situation in the north and south of the Great Henan will become more and more serious, and the scale of the rebellion will become larger and larger.

Of course, the Expeditionary Force may also be lucky enough to complete this important task, but after paying such a heavy price, what should I do about the Eastern Expedition next year?

The number of soldiers in the Central Turkish Prefecture is limited. It takes more than 200,000 to be replenished in one battle. It takes more than 100,000 to be replenished. It takes a generation to grow. Therefore, the total strength of the Twelve Guards will inevitably be short of force in the deployment of troops. The Guards will basically be unable to dispatch more troops to the battlefield of the East Expedition. In this way, although the remaining 100,000 troops on the battlefield of the East Expedition can consolidate the occupied areas, it will be too difficult to capture Pyongyang. At the same time, don’t forget where to replenish the troops in the northern border, especially the town garrisons on Youyan and the western Liaoning line? Do you still need the garrisons in Shandong? Do you only care about the eastern border, regardless of the security of the northern border and the stability of the Shandong region? Isn’t this a matter of ignoring the head and the tail, and losing one or the other?

Some commanders such as Yu Zhongwen simply analyzed from a military perspective that focuses on military strength and concluded that even the Eastern Expedition cannot continue now, so how can they implement the "two-step" strategy?

However, some commanders such as Yu Wenshu, Shangshu Right Prime Minister Liu Shilong, Right Guard General Wei Wensheng, etc. insisted on implementing the "two-step" strategy and firmly followed the decision of the Holy Lord and the Central Committee to continue the Eastern Expedition.

Wei Wensheng's right-hand general was temporarily appointed. Before that, he was the Minister of Justice and one of the central important officials. The reason why the Holy Lord temporarily removed his Minister of Justice and allowed him to participate in the long-range attack on Pyongyang as the military commander, on the one hand, to ensure that the Expeditionary Force can comply with the orders of the Saint Lord and the Central Command and ensure full control of the decisions of the Command. However, the power of Yuwen Shu and Liu Shilong's joint efforts was still a little weak, so Wei Wen, the important official of the central commander, was defeated.

Sheng was released, but on the other hand, if Wei Wensheng was allowed to enter the decision-making level of the commander-in-chief as the Minister of Justice and the General of the Right Guard, it would be difficult to arrange. With Yu Wenshu and Liu Shilong, Yu Zhongwen was completely outlawed and was purely a decoration. Yu Zhongwen must not be Yu, and other commanders also had opinions, so the Holy Lord "adapted" and asked Wei Wensheng to continue as the commander of the military and joined forces with Yu Wenshu and Liu Shilong to suppress Yu Zhongwen.

The arrangement of the Holy Lord still played a role, especially in Yuwen Shu and Liu Shilong suffered heavy losses and his authority was greatly reduced. After Wei Wensheng made great contributions to seizing Yalu River at a critical moment, Wei Wensheng's voice in the commanders of the various military increased greatly. However, Wei Wensheng was not from the army after all, and his reputation in the military was very limited. Wei Wensheng had long served as a local chief and was responsible for local military and political affairs. Although he also had the experience of leading troops, his achievements were too great compared with famous Chinese generals such as Yu Zhongwen, Li Jing, and Zhao Xiaocai. The reason why he was able to enter the center was that his political achievements were outstanding and his official voice was very good, and on the other hand, it was because he supported reforms and resolutely implemented the central government's reform policies when he was an official. This was the most critical thing.

Therefore, although Wei Wensheng has a great say in the military and military terms, he cannot compete with Yu Zhongwen. Even though he has a special status, he will still return to the central officer to be restored after the Eastern Expedition. However, at this critical moment, he has to succumb to Yu Zhongwen.

Yu Zhongwen said harsh words, and he took action first and then reported to him. He first withdrew the army back to Liaodong, and then reported to the Holy Lord. All the consequences and responsibilities arising from this are borne by me alone.

As soon as these words came out, all the commanders, whether they supported Yu Zhongwen or opposed him, closed their mouths.

Yu Zhongwen gave up. Anyway, he was originally the "scapegoat" arranged by the Holy Lord and the Central Committee. Sashui was defeated and the Eastern Expedition failed. All the military culprits of the Eastern Expedition were borne by him, the supreme commander of the Expeditionary Force. In this case, what is the difference between taking one guilt and taking more guilt? And which of all the sins is comparable to the crime of losing the Eastern Expedition? Since the greatest guilt has been taken down, it doesn't matter if the other smaller ones have to bear more guilt.

Yu Zhongwen's goal is very simple now. He does his best to bring back the 130,000 surviving soldiers safely. Even if he dies and loses his head, he can still masturbate. Otherwise, he will not be able to rest in peace and will have no face to meet the "Girls of Jiangdong".

On the morning of July 30, the expeditionary forces began to cross the river and evacuate one by one.

Gao Yuan and Yizhi Wende did not take advantage of the situation to launch an attack, but instead made every effort to plan how to recover the territory south of Yalu River and how to drive Middle-earth out of the border.

In their opinion, after the Middle-Europeans failed to attack Pyongyang, they must change their strategies. The most realistic strategy is to stick to the front line of Yalu Water, occupy and consolidate the area west of Yalu Water, and then rest for a winter, and wait for the spring of the next year to attack Pyongyang again. Therefore, war means cannot save Goguryeo, and diplomatic means must be used to win the space and time of survival, and the most realistic strategy is to trade land for peace.

However, beyond the expectations of the Goguryeo people, the Middle-earth people took great strides after crossing the Yalu Water, and seemed to have no intention of sticking to the Yalu Water line and occupying the area west of the Yalu Water.
Chapter completed!