Chapter 138: The Hongmen Banquet (5)
The question Xia Wenyu is facing right now is: should he advance or retreat? If he advances, his chances of success are slim, but if he retreats... to put it bluntly, he can just live in disgrace for a while. No matter which choice he makes, it will be very difficult for Xia Wenyu. It is too late to turn back now, but what can he do to avoid this disaster?
The generals in front of them were already panicking, but there was nothing they could do about it. After all, the enemy they were facing was too powerful, so powerful that they could hardly withstand a single blow.
After taking a long breath and exhaling, Xia Wenyu looked at Cheng Donghai and said, "General Cheng, please stay. Everyone else please leave first."
When everyone heard this, they were stunned at first, and then left in obedience.
When only Cheng Donghai and Xia Wenyu were left in the room.
"What do you think of King Zhao?" Xia Wenyu asked.
I already knew that he had something to say about staying here, but Cheng Donghai didn't expect Xia Wenyu to be so direct. He was a little surprised, but he still replied: "I don't have an opinion, but if we become an enemy of him, my Xia army will definitely lose."
Since Xia Wenyu asked directly, Cheng Donghai answered even more directly, without any taboos at all; although he was a little unhappy, Xia Wenyu still agreed with Cheng Donghai's answer. Xia Country is not short of talents, but few can be as wise and foresighted as Cheng Donghai.
"So in your opinion, should we advance or retreat now?" Xia Wenyu asked again.
"Whether we advance or retreat, we will inevitably have to pay a heavy price. If we advance, we will die, and if we retreat, we will have to live in disgrace for a while. No matter whether we advance or retreat, we have no way to avoid it. Even if we want to go all out, we have no chance of winning against the Zhou Kingdom." Cheng Donghai's words were very direct.
It was very surprising that Cheng Donghai's answers twice were the same as his own. Xia Wenyu had also thought of everything he said. So, was he really just going to sit and wait for death?
"Your Highness!" Just as Xia Wenyu was in deep thought, Cheng Donghai suddenly spoke.
Hearing the voice, Xia Wenyu looked at Cheng Donghai and signaled with his eyes for him to continue.
Cheng Donghai then said: "Why don't we consider joining the King of Zhao? The alliance with the Zhou State has been completely broken. We must conclude a new alliance and a new ally, and the Zhao State is the best choice."
Xia Wenyu was shocked, not for any other reason, but because what Cheng Donghai said was exactly what he thought. This was also the first sentence he said when he left Cheng Donghai.
Perhaps noticing Xia Wenyu's surprise, or perhaps not, Cheng Donghai continued: "Although the situation has developed to the current situation, at first glance, if it is not the King of Zhao, I am afraid that no one would dare to conclude , but the King of Zhao is different. Although I have never seen him, I can tell from my intuition that the King of Zhao is definitely a true king, so the possibility is by no means zero."
Xia Wenyu was shocked again. He admired Cheng Donghai's analysis very much. Looking back, Cheng Donghai was the first person to oppose sending troops to attack the Zhou Kingdom. He had never participated in the war since the expedition. Did it mean that he had already expected this situation to happen?
Otherwise, Cheng Donghai only considered the benefits and losses. It would be harmful rather than beneficial to be the enemy of Zhou State. Even if Xia Ningshuang was used as the reason, it was not certain. Cheng Donghai always believed that although there were doubts about Xia Ningshuang's death, it should have nothing to do with Zhou State, because there was no reason at all. Even if there was, it might just be caused by the fierce struggle for favor in the harem. Cheng Donghai did not say that he understood Xia Ningshuang 100%, but he knew her temper to some extent, and it was possible that she was jealous. Therefore, Cheng Donghai was not moved by her death. Furthermore, Zhou State had already apologized to Xia State and provided certain compensation. Considering the pros and cons, Cheng Donghai did not agree to go to war . Of course, if Xia Ningshuang's death was really caused by Zhou State, Cheng Donghai would never turn a blind eye... But now, it is useless to think about these things. What he should consider is how to solve the current problem.
Cheng Donghai knew the helplessness of the current situation caused by obedience and the inability to dissuade. After all, everyone has different ideas. As a general of the Xia Kingdom, Chen Donghai could not sit idly by and watch the destruction of his country. He would try his best to change it and would not give up as long as there was hope. Of course, Cheng Donghai's attitude of remaining calm in the face of life and death was admirable. He was different from most people who would panic when encountering such things, because he knew that the more panicked they were, the less likely they would be to think of a solution. Only by staying calm could they find a ray of hope.
"Is it too late?" Xia Wenyu asked calmly. Xia Wenyu had completely awakened to the situation of life and death, and finally realized his mistake. But is it too late to make up for it now ? He has put his own life and death aside, but what about others?
"Even if it's too late, we should still try our best, right? Not to mention the 600,000 troops who are accompanying the army to the battle, there are also the millions of people in my Xia country. For them, even if it is impossible, we must make the impossible possible. As long as there is a glimmer of hope, we should not give up." Cheng Donghai said very calmly.
Xia Wenyu stared at Cheng Donghai. For the first time, he discovered that the man in front of him was so calm, so calm that it was even a little frightening. Most people would lose their composure when faced with such a thing, but Cheng Donghai, on the contrary, became even calmer and more composed. He seemed to be someone who would never give up hope of grabbing a life-saving straw even if he was alone in a quagmire.
