Chapter 456 - Chapter 456: Chapter 463: Shallow Thoughts (2/2)
Vice General Zhang had his own calculations, and understanding the situation, he knew what was going on.
After some time, some soldiers came to assist Zhao Fan, and the few of them returned to their tent. Zhao Fan rested for a while, had his wounds treated by the Military Doctor, and then called in a general to discuss matters. They reviewed the casualties, and seeing that only half of the 30,000 Army initially brought with them remained, despite already having a guess and an estimate, he couldn’t help but feel disheartened.
“General, our losses are severe this time, with brothers either dead or wounded. It’s truly tragic. Morale is extremely low; it might not be suitable to initiate a battle for some time,” one general said with a sorrowful tone. The bond within the military camp was strong; the dead and injured were brothers who had shared daily life together, and it was profoundly affecting. Initially, the general had set a Military Order before Prime Minister Wang: seize Yiyang and capture the traitor within half a year. The reason behind those words was that he didn’t want Zhao Fan to recklessly sacrifice the lives of his men to fulfill his task, not realizing that Han Yu was someone not to be trifled with, which resulted in a heavy price paid by the general.
“Indeed, General, we’ve suffered a crushing defeat in this battle, with nearly half of our brothers either dead or injured. We should take time to recuperate; none of us can withstand more,” everyone felt the same.
Zhao Fan could hear the implicit message in his subordinates’ words. True soldiers, unless they were spoiled heirs seeking military credentials or were cold-blooded, care deeply for their officers and soldiers. Comradeship—the bond born from mutual reliance and shared fate in the military—is something outsiders cannot truly comprehend or feel.
“Rest assured, I won’t make any hasty moves before finding a better method to deal with the enemy forces! For now, that’s all I have in mind; you all are dismissed. Get the aftermath sorted out, and Vice General Zhang, stay behind,” Zhao Fan said gravely, keeping Zhang Meng there.
Zhao Fan trusted Zhang Meng deeply; Zhang Meng was shrewd and often acted as his Military Advisor. Before they launched an attack on Yiyang, Zhang Meng had advised him not to act rashly and had warned about Han Yu’s strength. It was he, Zhao Fan, who had not heeded Zhang Meng’s advice, which led to their devastatingly crushing defeat and loss of many brothers’ lives. He was deeply grieved by this.
But no matter how grieved he was, they had to move on. There was a deadline set by the Imperial Court that he couldn’t indefinitely delay just because the enemy was too formidable. If the court held him responsible later on, he couldn’t afford to take the blame.
His subordinates didn’t see his predicament the way he did; they weren’t aware of his difficulties. At the time, he had made a Military Order without an option for regret. Now, with everyone’s morale so low, he couldn’t be too drastic or say too much, lest he provoke even deeper conflicts. If a mutiny erupted, it would be disastrous. All he could do at this point was to keep Zhang Meng and discuss the situation.
“Zhang Meng, you are the person I trust the most. It was my mistake to not listen to you and act stubbornly, leading to this devastating defeat. Seeing our brothers dead or wounded, I’m very heartbroken. But what’s done is done, and regret won’t help. In front of the Prime Minister at the court, I’ve made my Military Order, and it cannot be changed. If I fail to do what I promised by the deadline, I fear…” Zhao Fan exposed his feelings openly in front of Zhang Meng, full of concern.
Zhang Meng was unlike the other generals; although he felt regret and sadness over the losses of the soldiers, he wasn’t mired in the pervasive despondency of the others. Seeing Zhao Fan so dejected, he spoke out.