God Three Group Chat: Three Kingdoms

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The conversation between Xu Shu and Sima Yi did not affect the army's retreat, nor did it change the army's somewhat low morale.

However, being elite troops, they did not fall into a completely passive state despite the obvious disparity in casualties between the two sides. It was just that the prolonged state of war eventually wore down the soldiers' fighting spirit.

Whether it was Xu Shu, Sima Yi, or Cao Chun, they all knew that after this retreat, it would be impossible for them to start fighting again in the short term.

Soldiers must be allowed to relax and recover before any further plans can be made.

If they choose to continue fighting, they can continue, but the instability and uncertainty are not favored by generals and commanders.

Moreover, Sima Yi needed to allow his entire army to rest and recuperate, and to rethink how to deal with Parthia.

If the current mode of warfare continues, then there is no point in him coming here.

In various predicaments and special circumstances, making the right choices and coping strategies to obtain the benefits and rewards he deserves is what he should do.

"With the Tigris River completely lost as a defensive line, there is only one natural barrier left." Xu Shu, riding across the river, looked back at the wide river and couldn't help but sigh.

The natural barrier was right in front of us, but we couldn't use it anymore; the Roman army was catching up!

“That aspect is no longer important. If we lose it, we lose it. What we need now, besides getting our army to retreat, is to also notify the Armenian army to retreat…” Sima Yi looked around and then considered the bigger picture, immediately remembering something he had forgotten.

Armenia and Mesopotamia form a strategic defensive position, and although they are geographically distant, they can provide military protection, safeguarding the core territory of Parthia.

Now that Mesopotamia has been lost, only Armenia remains to hold on, which is extremely risky.

If the Roman army in Mesopotamia were to advance north and merge with the original attacking forces, or if they were to launch a pincer attack, Armenia would not be able to hold out for long.

The armies stationed in Armenia, whether Parthian or Han, failed to gain an advantage during the war, which meant that once the Roman army in Mesopotamia joined the battle, the outcome would be clear.

Although Sima Yi was not entirely clear about the true strength of the Yuan family, he had at least witnessed the Battle of the Yellow River and had some guesses about their capabilities. Naturally, he knew that they could not possibly have the strength to stop the Roman Empire.

If they truly possessed such strength, they wouldn't have needed to travel to such a distant place.

Do you really think the environment in China is bad? Do you think the people in China can't understand? Do you think they're not used to the food in China?

Despite facing a series of unfavorable conditions, the fact that the Yuan family still chose to come to this place demonstrates, from another perspective, the strength and foundation they possess.

Therefore, when they could not defeat the Romans, it naturally meant that the Han army in Armenia could not defeat the Romans either.

It wasn't a lack of wisdom or intelligence, but a genuine gap in hard power—a gap that could erase far too many unfavorable conditions and factors. "Should we directly order the army to retreat?" Xu Shu countered.

Sima Yi paused for a moment after hearing this, then shook his head and said, "From our perspective, a direct retreat is the method with the fewest casualties, and it's also the most effective and has the highest success rate. But from Parthia's perspective, this is not feasible. 'Save the land but lose the people, lose both the land and the people; save the people but lose the land, save both the land and the people.' Even if you explain this concept to the Parthians, they won't accept it. This is, after all, Parthia's country..."

They don't care because it's not their own land, so they can execute such tactics, but the Parthians can't.

This is the homeland of Parthia, the birthplace of Parthia, and the place that the Parthians protect.

If we really want them to hold out like the Parthians, the only way is to raise the banner of the Han Empire in this place, spread the glory of the Han Empire, and recognize the rule of the Han Empire.

It's safe to say that this idea is unlikely to exist in the short term, but it might be possible in the future...

“Yes, let’s send the relevant battle report information to Armenia. The Yuan family isn’t stupid. Those sages are incredibly strong and know what to do in this situation.” Xu Shu directly named one of the Yuan family’s sages and then passed the matter on to him.

If the Yuan family still can't make the right choice and judgment even though they already know they've been defeated, then they can only blame their bad luck.

Having already experienced a setback, the Yuan family has made significant progress in recognizing people and demonstrating resilience, and they also show more trust in their subordinates compared to before.

The speed at which they grow after experiencing failure is truly astonishing.

Normally, the Yuan family would not be able to reach this level, but the current situation they are showing is enough to be called the demeanor of a wise ruler.

However, considering that the Yuan family was so outstanding, yet still failed in the Han Empire, it can only prove that the Han Empire was indeed destined for Liu Bei.

After the two discussed the matter, they sent familiar personnel to Armenia with intelligence information to deliver it to the Yuan family. They also had Parthian experts deliver the letter to the Parthians in the north.

Sima Yi's decision to adopt a two-pronged approach, in a sense, also revealed his caution and distrust.

"After this defeat, Parthia's situation will only be more difficult than we imagine. Only by holding onto Armenia can the situation be improved. Even if Armenia is destined to fall, many Parthians will probably still be willing to try. If only one side is chosen to send the message, it may be intercepted by the Parthians, forcing the Yuan family to participate in a high-intensity war." Sima Yi murmured his speculation.

Although this behavior is somewhat like betraying an ally, and a ally like them at that, in a real dangerous situation, there might be some Parthians who would dare to do so, and those Parthians who do so would probably be prepared to die in Armenia.

Driven by a patriotic belief, even if the means are somewhat despicable, they will do everything in their power.

From Parthia's perspective, such behavior could be condemned, but for the enforcers, it would be exactly what they wanted, as long as Parthia was protected.

However, Sima Yi, considering this possibility, could not accept such behavior or the potential outcome. (End of Chapter)