Balisu didn't speak, but that didn't mean he agreed with Wanyan Wushu and Han Chang's new strategy... In his opinion, this strategy was too much wishful thinking, because whether this strategy would work, and in which direction it would work, all depended on the decision of the young Zhao Song emperor in Nanyang City.

How do you know they'll be scared away?

What if they don't run?

Moreover, the Jin army has suffered repeated setbacks recently, and a considerable part of its 35,000 main force has already been lost, and morale is severely damaged. If there is a negligence and things go wrong, and the Song emperor really escapes and runs to Xiangyang, what then?

Who's responsible?

Of course, having said that, the sudden death of Chizhan Hui made Wanyan Wushu completely uncontrollable in the army. In a military meeting of three people, plus the Fourth Prince, what could Balisu say?

For him, after Wanyan Wushu and Han Chang showed that they would rather tear their faces apart than fight to the end in Nanyang, the military meeting was meaningless. At this moment, the other party was willing to come up with a reasonable explanation, a strategy that still seemed feasible, and a plan with enough room for subsequent adjustments, which was already giving him face... What more could he want?

Just like that, with Balisu's silence, and with the arrival of December, and of course, ultimately because of the powerful artillery strength suddenly shown by Nanyang City, the twenty-day siege of Nanyang directly skipped the originally expected stage of flying cannon stones and entered a slightly relaxed stalemate stage.

The reason why it is said to be a siege rather than an encirclement is because after that artillery battle, the Jin army not only stopped the siege, but also made some contractions... The emptiness in the south of the city and the emptiness in the east of the city made the Song army unconsciously try some actions, and finally they were stunned to find that their connection with the outside world had been re-established.

This is certainly a good thing, because this is what the Nanyang City was most expecting – the Privy Council raised so many military advisors, which had a comprehensive and complex plan with various backup plans.

In this plan, there is a solution that is generally recognized by the civil official system, or simply the entire central government of the Song Dynasty, that is, when the Jin army suffers a serious setback under the city, and the city is about to collapse, Zhao Guan Jia might as well decisively move south, enter Xiangyang, and then let the Jin army completely lose their target... Maybe it can not only restore the dying Nanyang to life, but also completely lose the Jin army's desire to advance.

However, the problem is that this day came too quickly, so quickly that Nanyang City, and even Xiangyang City in the south, felt a little caught off guard.

It is completely understandable that the Jin army was defeated by the sharpness of the artillery in Nanyang City, because the artillery in Nanyang City was indeed so sharp that even the Song army themselves found it incredible, but correspondingly, no one dared to guarantee that the Jin army had not lost some combat power at the same time.

If Zhao Guan Jia goes to Xiangyang according to plan, who will be responsible if he is caught by the Jin army's cavalry on the way?

Therefore, in December, a war mode similar to a sit-down strike began inside and outside Nanyang City... It's not that there were no sporadic conflicts, Song army messengers were often intercepted by Jin army cavalry, and the Jin army would be sniped by the Song army on the city head from time to time if they were not careful... But compared to the first half of the month after the start of the war, it was insignificant.

"Can we take the opportunity to clean up the inner moat and repair the sheep-horse city?"

On this day in early December, the city was rarely renewed, and the exhausted people had rarely put on official uniforms to meet in the palace hall. After Chen Gui, the Minister of War who presided over the city defense, roughly reported on the city defense, Zhao Guan Jia, who was sitting above, suddenly asked a question.

"I think it's worth a try." Chen Gui was slightly stunned, and immediately responded. "Just to test and lure the Jin army, to see if they are really afraid... If they really sit back and watch us repair the inner moat and sheep-horse wall, then it will confirm that the Jin army is going to give up the siege."

"Lord Yan." Zhao Jiu nodded slightly, but did not take it seriously, just turned to look at Yan Xiaozhong, and casually instructed. "You need to allocate civilians to assist Minister Chen in this matter."

Yan Xiaozhong, the Acting Prefect of Nanyang, immediately responded.

After these words, for some reason, the hall was slightly quiet for a moment. After a while, someone spoke up in a timely manner: "Minister of Censor Hu Yin requests to speak."

"Speak." Zhao Guan Jia, who was obviously a little distracted, stared at Hu Yin and casually responded.

"I think that if the sheep-horse wall and inner moat are repaired, and the Jin people really dare not harass, it means that our army's artillery is indeed sharp, and the Jin people are indeed frightened. In that case, why not let the Privy Council make some plans earlier..." Hu Yin blurted out.

Hearing this, many civil and military officials in the surrounding hall breathed a sigh of relief for a moment, obviously feeling that the Minister of Censor Hu Mingzhong had said what everyone wanted to say.

"What plan?" Zhao Jiu still remained expressionless.

"Can we imitate the battle of Huaishang Xia Cai, break the enemy's camp, and make the Jin army have no foothold and flee in panic?" Minister Hu asked seriously.

"..."

"..."

"No." After a while, in the silence of the hall, Zhao Guan Jia also replied seriously.

"Rather than breaking the enemy's camp, the previous plan is more stable." As a rare old and mature person in the hall, and still considered the Prime Minister, Lü Haowen really had no choice but to bite the bullet and speak. "If the Jin army really sits back and watches the sheep-horse wall be repaired, then Nanyang is at least worry-free in the short term. Why doesn't Guan Jia take the opportunity to move south and go to Xiangyang?"

This is the established plan, and after Nanyang restored communication with the outside of the city, the first communication received was from Xiangyang. Xu Jingheng, Wang Boyan, and Liu Ji jointly sent letters to Nanyang City, asking Guan Jia to take the opportunity to go to Xiangyang.

In other words, even if only Lü Haowen speaks, this destination is supported by four important ministers at the level of Prime Minister, which cannot be ignored.

Moreover, going to Xiangyang really has certain reasons... First, the original plan is there, why make extra efforts; second, Xiangyang is different from Nanyang. Although Nanyang is a relatively large city, it is due to its economic development and large population. It cannot be called a strong city before Liu Ji and Chen Gui's transformation, while Xiangyang stands across the Han River, occupies a natural barrier and has been a strong city since ancient times.

Zhao Jiu didn't say anything... This is of course the case, a good Guan Jia should fully listen to opinions before making a decision.

However, unexpectedly, although four Prime Ministers strongly supported it, and it was the established plan, after Lü Haowen finished speaking, no one echoed him. Even Li Guang, the Supervising Censor of the Palace, and Li Ruopu, the Academician of the Hanlin Academy, who had previously privately expressed concern that Zhao Guan Jia would not go to Xiangyang, turned a deaf ear.

This made Prime Minister Lü a little flustered.

ps: Everyone go to sleep first... I'll code another chapter on Friday.

I saw a newly opened barbershop on the way home from work today, got a haircut, and felt like the most handsome guy on Zhichun Road all the way home. My cat didn't even recognize me when I got home.