PFC Chapter 208 Captured by the Enemy
Chapter 208 Captured by the Enemy
Umiya Tama turned and walked out of the tent, shouting to the guarding soldiers: "Call all the generals and go to the main tent immediately to discuss military affairs." His voice was firm and powerful, full of majesty.
Soon, the generals arrived. Yu Gongyu looked at them seriously and said, "Yuancheng County has been lost and the people are displaced. We must come up with a plan as soon as possible to reverse the situation."
He scanned the faces of each general, observing their reactions. The generals lowered their heads in deep thought, and the atmosphere was tense and solemn.
Yu Gongyu spoke again: "Strengthening the defense of Jingfeng County is an urgent task, but we cannot passively defend. We must take the initiative and find the enemy's weaknesses." His eyes revealed firm determination and courage.
One general said, "General Yu, the soldiers have been traveling for many days and are exhausted. If we fight now, I'm afraid our morale will be insufficient and our fighting power will be greatly reduced."
Yu Gongyu frowned slightly, thinking solemnly. He walked slowly, his hands behind his back, and said after a moment of silence: "This is not without reason, but the enemy is pressing forward step by step. If we don't respond, it will only make the situation more critical."
He stopped and looked at the generals with a firm gaze, "Pass the order down, let the soldiers take a short rest and strengthen the defense of the camp.
Send out spies and keep a close eye on the enemy's movements. We must come up with a plan to defeat the enemy in the shortest possible time."
Yu Gongyu, who had no combat experience, showed a resolute look in front of the generals. That was to stabilize the morale of the army. In fact, he was nervous and hoped that Ren Jingzhi would follow soon. It seemed that Ren Jingzhi's arrival could bring a ray of hope to this chaotic situation.
"Report!" A hasty shout broke the solemn atmosphere in the tent. The scout rushed in, his face full of anxiety.
"General Yu, I just received news that General Li, who was stationed at the border, was captured by the enemy while leading the people to flee. The enemy asked General Yu to go and negotiate."
Upon hearing this, Yu Gongyu's face turned pale instantly and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, as if he was hit by this sudden news.
He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. His eyes quickly swept over the generals, and saw the same shock and worry.
He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. His eyes quickly swept over the generals, and saw the same shock and worry.
Yu Gongyu's heart was like a rolling sea wave, turbulent and chaotic. He knew that he was shouldering a heavy responsibility, and the fate of hundreds of thousands of troops was on his shoulders.
He weighed various possibilities in his mind. If he took the risk to negotiate and was detained by the enemy, the consequences would be disastrous.
There is a great possibility that the enemy will cede the city to the imperial court with him as a hostage. At that time, the prince will certainly volunteer to take over the 100,000-strong army. The prince's ambition is obvious to everyone. If he rebels, both his father and mother will be in danger.
But if we don't negotiate with the enemy, we will be criticized and accused of being cowardly and ignoring the lives of soldiers and civilians.
At this moment, he felt that no matter what he did, he would be taking huge risks, as if he had entered a dead end and could not find a way out.
Fine beads of sweat gradually oozed out of his forehead, and he clenched his fists tightly, then slowly loosened them. The anxiety and pressure in his heart made him almost breathless.
He was silent for a long time, and finally said to the generals: “Generals, General Li has been captured, and the enemy has made such a request. The situation is becoming more serious.
But we can't go there rashly. We should strengthen the camp's defense first and send out spies to keep a close eye on the enemy's every move. I'll discuss this with you when I come up with a plan."
After saying this, he weakly sat back in his chair, staring ahead with empty eyes, and fell into deep thought.
At this time, Ren Jing and his entourage were extremely exhausted after a long journey day and night. The soldiers all looked haggard, with eyes full of fatigue and sleepiness.
Ren Jingzhi looked at the extremely exhausted soldiers and knew that if they kept going, their speed would be very slow. So he said, "Let's take a break in this open space."
When everyone heard this, they dismounted and sat down. Soon, sleepiness came over them like a tide, and the soldiers fell asleep on the spot.
Everyone had just rested for an hour and Ren Jingzhi was immersed in the brief tranquility when he was suddenly awakened by Lin Bei's anxious voice.
"Master! Master! Something bad has happened... Yuancheng County has been lost. General Li, who was stationed at the border, was captured by the enemy while leading the people to flee. The enemy asked the Sixth Prince to go and negotiate."
Ren Jingzhi lost all his sleepiness when he heard this, and a trace of shock flashed in his eyes. He sat up suddenly, his brows knitted, his face solemn. "It has come to this..." He murmured in a low voice, his heart full of worry about the situation.
After a moment, he quickly regained his composure, turned to look at Lin Bei, and asked anxiously: "How many hours does it take to get to Jingfeng County from where we are?" Lin Bei lowered his head slightly and quickly replied: "My lord, it will take three hours, and we may not arrive until the 11:00 p.m. tomorrow."
Ren Jingzhi knew that time was running out and there was no room for delay. He immediately raised his voice and shouted, "All soldiers, get up quickly!"
The soldiers who were still sleeping were startled when they heard the urgent call, as if they were forcibly pulled back to reality from a distant dream.
Then, they reacted with amazing speed and jumped up from the ground. Some of them were sleepy, with confusion in their eyes, but their hands were not messy at all, and they were skillfully organizing their equipment.
Ren Jingzhi glanced at everyone and said firmly: "Yuancheng County has been lost, General Li has been captured, and the enemy has made unreasonable demands. We must rush to Jingfeng County as soon as possible to discuss countermeasures. Now, set off immediately and continue on the road!"
The soldiers responded in unison and quickly took action. Ren Jingzhi jumped on his horse and led everyone to gallop away in the night. The sound of horse hooves was like the rapid beat of drums, breaking the silence of the night.
They had only one belief in their hearts, which was to rush to Jingfeng County as soon as possible, save the people and reverse the situation.
Jingfeng County. Yu Gongyu stared at the hourglass on the table, watching the sand slowly slip away, and he became more and more uneasy.
Every grain of sand in the hourglass seemed to be hitting his heart, making his anxiety worse. He knew that the day would soon dawn, and he had to make a decision within this limited time.
This decision concerned the fate of countless people, so he dared not be careless or slack. Every second that passed made him feel extremely heavy, as if a mountain was pressing on his heart, making it difficult for him to breathe.
At this moment, Chen Yi hurried in and reported: "General Yu, there are about a hundred people outside the city gate, claiming to want to see you."