Chapter 484
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Chapter 484: Meeting in the Hall of Political Affairs
From White Horse City to Mirror City, the journey was distant, coupled with severe weather and the obstruction of wind and snow along the way.
By the time the urgent report, traveling day and night, reached Mirror City, 12 days had already passed.
After reading the battle report that had traveled thousands of miles, Luo Ji’s recent joy from a substantial gain vanished instantly.
“Bang!”
His palm slammed heavily onto his desk, the dull sound echoing through the Hall of Political Affairs, catching the attention of the guards and Lu Yang.
Seeing Luo Ji’s grim face, even a fool would know that something major had happened.
After a moment’s thought, Lu Yang took a deep breath, and bracing himself, spoke.
“Your Majesty, what has happened?”
“See for yourself.”
Luo Ji directly slapped the urgent report onto He Liang.
He Liang quickly walked to Lu Yang’s desk, handing over the report.
Upon reading it, Lu Yang’s expression also changed. For a moment, he didn’t know what to say.
The content of this urgent report involved not only political affairs but also military matters!
If the two sides couldn’t reach a consensus, no resolution could be decided.
“He Liang, summon Guo Jia and Zhou Yi to the hall for a meeting!”
The outer audience hall was the outer chamber, while the Hall of Political Affairs behind it was the inner chamber.
In the current Hall of Political Affairs, seats had long been placed on both the left and right sides below Luo Ji’s main seat.
The left side was for civil officials, and the right side was for military officials.
After Guo Jia and Zhou Yi arrived, they naturally took their seats on the right.
Among the civil official seats on the left, currently, only Lu Yang, as the assistant official, was qualified to enter the inner chamber.
He Liang was instructed to hand the urgent report to Guo Jia and Zhou Yi for review.
After reading it, both their faces visibly darkened.
“Guo Jia, Zhou Yi, what are your thoughts?”
Facing Luo Ji’s question, the two exchanged glances, and Guo Jia took the lead in speaking.
“Reporting to Your Majesty, according to the matters mentioned in this urgent report, Your Majesty’s concern is likely about those large tribes that should have remained peacefully deep in the grasslands.”
“Having migrated to the outer regions, compelled by survival, they have united and set their sights on our Myriad World Civilization’s grain transport teams.”
“According to General Burigude’s estimation, if several large tribes were to unite, along with some smaller tribes dependent on them, they could probably gather at least 5,000 or more cavalrymen.”
When this number was mentioned, everyone’s eyelids visibly twitched.
Cavalrymen were not common goods. Under Luo Ji’s years of meticulous management, their Myriad World Civilization’s three grassland cities had only just managed to gather 3,000 cavalrymen.
Bai Ze and Burigude, two centurions, each commanded 1,500 cavalrymen.
Adding Luo Cheng’s 500 cavalrymen from Mirror City, and small scattered groups of cavalrymen from other cities, the total was just over 4,000 cavalrymen.
Yet, those large tribes that lived deep in the grasslands for years, Burigude claimed that if they united, they would have at least 5,000 or more cavalrymen.
And that was “at least!”
In terms of the number of cavalry units, he was instantly overwhelmed.
Given this situation, it would be a miracle if Luo Ji was in a good mood.
This meant that if the enemy united, even if he dispatched all the cavalrymen within his Myriad World Civilization to escort the grain, he might not be able to ensure its safety.
Luo Ji didn’t even want to think about the casualties!
As for mobilizing infantry, in this icy, snowy weather, let alone the temperature, just considering the snow, the accumulated snow on the ground was deep enough to bury a person’s legs.
Cavalrymen, with their warhorses’ long legs, could still break through the snow to transport grain.
But the infantry’s two legs had not just low efficiency; they had none at all.
“The grain to be sent to the three grassland cities must be transported, but precisely in this climate where infantry cannot be mobilized, the enemy’s cavalry numbers still surpass ours…”
At this point, Guo Jia already felt a clear headache.
After organizing his thoughts, he quietly raised two fingers.
“Your humble servant can currently think of only two methods, but neither can be considered excellent strategies.”
“Speak quickly.”
Receiving Luo Ji’s permission, Guo Jia slowly began.
“The first method is to change the grain transport route and simultaneously divide the troops for transport.”
“A large grain transport team creates too much commotion, and it’s impossible for it to go unnoticed. Under this premise, reduce the number of personnel to 200 or 300 cavalrymen per team and change the grain transport route.”
“Although this greatly affects grain transport efficiency, this method can at least make the grain transport team’s movements more concealed and relatively safer.”
“At the same time, even if a grain transport team has bad luck and is discovered by the grasslanders, the losses wouldn’t be too severe.”
Having finished stating the first method, Guo Jia paused to catch his breath, took a sip of hot tea, and also confirmed Luo Ji’s reaction.
At this moment, Luo Ji, sitting on the main seat, was deep in thought, clearly pondering the method Guo Jia had just mentioned.
“The decrease in efficiency will lead to many people in the three grassland cities starving to death due to insufficient food.”
“Moreover, a team of 200 or 300 cavalrymen, if they encounter the grasslanders from those large tribes, would likely have no chance of victory, and even risk being encircled and annihilated.”
Luo Ji saw the flaws in this method very clearly.
As Guo Jia had initially said, this was indeed not an excellent strategy, merely a possibility.
Rubbing his temples forcefully, Luo Ji was reluctant to make that decision for now, because transporting in batches was equivalent to dispersing their strength, with the risk of being defeated one by one.
“What is the second method?”
“The second method is even less of an excellent strategy.”
Before stating the method, Guo Jia decisively delivered a preemptive warning, then continued.
“Your humble servant’s second method is to temporarily abandon the three grassland cities and transfer all the people and resources within them to the Central Plains.”
As soon as this method was proposed, everyone in the Hall of Political Affairs was startled.
Even Lu Yang, who had been sitting there silently, couldn’t sit still anymore.
Previously, Guo Jia and Luo Ji had been discussing military matters, which he wasn’t familiar with, so he naturally wouldn’t interject casually.
But this matter of abandoning three grassland cities and transferring all the people and resources within them to the Central Plains was a political affair.
And it was political affairs with an enormous, terrifying workload! He couldn’t pretend not to have heard this.
“Your Majesty, your humble servant believes this plan is improper!”
Lu Yang immediately stood up.
“The total population of the three grassland cities combined is nearly 200,000 people! Transferring all of them… Is that something that can be done just by saying so?”
“Moreover, with heavy snow blocking the roads now, how would we appease the people who would die from severe cold, disease, and hunger along the way during the transfer process?”
“What if they are attacked by horse bandits halfway through, resulting in massive casualties?”
“Undoubtedly, during this process, the people will accumulate a great deal of dissatisfaction.”
“Even if the transfer is successful, how would these nearly 200,000 people be resettled?”
“And how would the enormous losses from abandoning three cities be calculated?”
“Have you, Lord Guo, considered these questions?!”
