Weihaiwei and strengthen its defenses. The wealthy landowners who own vast tracts of farmland are the biggest beneficiaries. If you oust me and replace me with someone else, they may pay less in taxes...Chapter 1779: Hold, Defend to the Death!

Li Chen finished speaking and saw Wu Qingcang hesitating to speak. He said, "If you have something to say, just say it directly. Right now, there are only the two of us, and there's nothing to be concerned about."

"It was only then that Wu Qingcang spoke, "Your Highness, some within the army believe...that Your Highness will abandon Suiyang County, and even relinquish control of Yulin Prefecture."

Li Chen was taken aback.

"As things stand now, even if we lose Yulin Prefecture and the hundreds of thousands of people there, the Liao army will only gain a bit of breathing room. They still need to attack Wolong Mountain, and this breathing room is just enough for our army to turn Wolong Mountain into a hell from which the Liao army cannot escape."

"But speaking of it, if we were to hold onto Suiyang County to protect the people of Yulin Prefecture, our army would have to pay at least a price of more than 50,000 men, and we might not even be able to hold on. Furthermore, persisting in fighting at Suiyang County would inevitably affect the arrangements on Wolong Mountain. One move sets off a chain reaction..."

"This is the final step before success, Your Highness should think carefully before acting."

Li Chen listened to Wu Qingsang's words and chuckled, "This palace has thought about it carefully, that's why I made this decision."

"Speaking of which, Li Chen's tone was teasing as he asked: "After what happened at Yueya Pass before, where tens of thousands of civilians were deliberately left behind, has many people secretly disapproved of this palace's ruthlessness and coldness, thinking that this palace is too cruel"

Wu Qingcang remained silent.

But silence, is also an answer.

Li Chen sighed: "Wu Shuai, you are the commander-in-chief of the entire army, you should be able to understand this palace's feelings."

Wu Qingcang said in a deep voice: "I understand. If it weren't for Your Highness taking on everything, the current situation would be completely different. Perhaps we would still be holding onto Yueya Pass, but we would definitely have run out of supplies by now. If we hadn't abandoned Yueya Pass at the time, our fate today would be the same as that of the Liao army tomorrow—everyone trapped there waiting to die."

"Therefore, this tactical retreat is actually a tremendous strategic victory. We exchange the safety of one month's gate for hundreds of thousands of Liao troops. This deal is worth it no matter how you calculate it."

"Our army has broken free from the invisible shackles of Yueya Pass, extending our strategic depth to the entire Gansu-Shaanxi region. This is how we have achieved today's advantageous situation where our army can both advance and retreat. Your Highness, you are indispensable to this achievement."

Li Chen nodded and said, "Whether for the prince or for the general, it is impossible to always win smoothly. Some sacrifices are necessary, and the premise of making sacrifices is to adhere to the bottom line. Giving up Yueya Pass, my purpose is to capture the elite of the Liao army, but today in Suiyang County, it is not the same."

"Holding onto Suiyang is for the sake of the people of Qin."

Li Chen stood up and solemnly said to Wu Qingcang: "The court aims to consolidate the society and the army aims to defend the country. What is society, what is the country It is the people."

"A government, an army, if they are even willing to abandon their own people's lives and deaths, then such a government and army will be out of touch with the people, and it is only a matter of time before they are destroyed, because everything that a government and army has comes from these people we protect."

Upon hearing Li Chen's words, Wu Qingcang's eyes lit up. He immediately said solemnly: "Your servant, for the sake of the tens of thousands of people in Yulin Prefecture, thanks Your Highness for your grace."

>It's all as it should be.<

Li Chen waved his hand and said, "Protecting Suiyang County was a decision I made from the beginning, but the trouble is, deciding who to send."Chapter 572 You Have So Many Dogs