A family of loyal martyrs, starting with nine wives to continue the family line.

Just then, the tent flap was lifted.

A young man wearing a gray-blue robe walked in.

He carried no weapon, only a folding fan hanging from his waist. He had a thin face and a faint smile on his lips.

The guards immediately drew their swords and stopped him.

"Who is it?"

The young man didn't even look at Daofeng; he simply bowed to Han Dashan.

"My name is Liu Suan, also known as Tianlong Jushi. I have heard that King Han intends to retreat, so I have come to offer him a way out."

Han Dashan narrowed his eyes.

"I do not know you."

"The King of Han does not know me, but I know the King of Han."

Liu Suan closed his folding fan and pointed to the military report on the table:

"The Black Mountain Army, numbering 100,000, marched out of Chenqiao. Their vanguard fought fiercely for 29 days at the foot of Golden City, but failed to breach the city. If the entire army were to retreat at this point, the world would only say that King Han was defeated."

Han Dashan's expression turned even uglier.

It may sound harsh, but it's the truth.

What he feared most was not the loss of tens of thousands of men, but the decline in his reputation among the Ten Kings after this battle.

Han Dashan was originally one of the most powerful rebel kings. The Black Mountain Army was known for its fierceness and bravery, and the other factions had to be subservient to him.

But now, instead of capturing Golden City, they have suffered heavy losses.

Although Qin Lie, Ma Chengyi, and the others didn't say it, they were probably already laughing in their hearts.

"What way do you have to survive?" Han Dashan asked.

Liu Suan slowly said, "Withdraw the troops."

The wine bowl in Han Dashan's hand stopped in mid-air.

Old Zhou suddenly looked up; the short knife was already half an inch out.

The rebel king's envoys in the tent also looked over.

"What did you say?" Han Dashan stared at the man in blue who had suddenly appeared.

Liu Suan was not old, around thirty years old. He wore an old Taoist hat and had no weapons at his waist, only a folding fan.

The fan is painted with a coiled dragon, but the dragon's head has no eyes, only two ink dots.

He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Han Dashan.

"I said, the Eight Princes' Alliance should withdraw."

"Who the hell are you?"

Han Dashan slammed the wine bowl heavily on the table, splashing wine everywhere.

"How dare you suggest withdrawing troops in my tent? You're asking for trouble!"

Liu Suan didn't back down; instead, he smiled.

"My name is Liu Suan, and my Taoist name is Tianlong Jushi."

Someone inside the tent frowned.

They had never heard of this name before.

Old Zhou stared at him for a few moments, then suddenly said in a cold voice:

"Tianlong Jushi? You're Fang Fuyao's mortal enemy, a descendant of the Liu family of Tianji Mountain?"

"Prince Zhou has a good eye."

Liu Suan closed his folding fan and nodded to him.

"Fang Fuyao studied the arithmetic arts of the Bai Fang lineage, while I studied the reverse divination arts of the Tianlong Hermit lineage. She helped Wei Zhao set up the imperial examinations and manage the court, while I helped the princes find a way to survive. Although we have never met, we have heard of each other's names before."

Old Zhou's fingers pressed on the handle of the knife.

Fang Fuyao.

The woman in white who was following Wei Zhao recently set up the imperial examinations in the capital and abolished old titles, forcing the sons of noble families to flock to the military camps.

It turns out she had such a mortal enemy.

Han Dashan, however, became interested.

He's been getting really annoyed these past few days because of the question of whether or not to withdraw troops.

If they don't retreat, Golden City is like an unbreakable iron plate. If they continue fighting, the Eight Princes' allied forces will run out of supplies first.

If we retreat, and Wei Zhao attacks from Guiping, the retreat routes of the Eighth Prince will be completely destroyed.

They have been besieging it for twenty-nine days.

The Black Mountain Army suffered 60,000 casualties, the Red Blade Army lost even more, and the Bailu, Haidong, and Baiyue armies were also worn down by the South Gate Sift.

The most troublesome thing is that the people in the city are still united.

The refugees were still moving arrows, repairing walls, and carrying wounded soldiers.

In the past, when they attacked a city, the people would only flee.

The people in the Golden City now regard the city walls as their own lives, how can we attack them?

Han Dashan became increasingly angry.

"You say we should withdraw? Then tell me, what will happen after we withdraw?"

He stared at Liu Suan: "Don't talk to me about storing up strength. Even a three-year-old understands that. If we retreat, will Wei Zhao pursue us? Won't the other kings laugh at us?"

Liu Suan walked to the military map and picked up a wooden slip representing the Black Mountain Army.

"Therefore, the withdrawal of troops cannot be called a withdrawal of troops."

Han Dashan narrowed his eyes.

Liu moved the wooden stick back an inch.

"This is called a strategic shift."

Old Zhou sneered: "Just by changing the name, will there be fewer corpses?"

"There will be plenty of corpses."

Liu Suan glanced at him: "But who caused the death? We can change the name."

There was a moment of silence in the tent.

Han Dashan's eyes slowly brightened.

Liu Suan placed the wooden stick outside the Golden City and tapped it lightly with his fingertips.

"This siege was initiated by Prince Zhou."

Old Zhou's expression changed.

"fart!"

"Did you personally say that we should bypass Guiping and go straight for Golden City?"

"So what if it is?"

That's it.

Liu Suan spoke calmly: "Initially, King Han advocated rescuing Huainan, but King Zhou said that Wei Zhao was far away in Guiping, and the forces in Huangjin City were weak. After the city fell, the capital would fall into chaos. The other kings were persuaded by you to send troops south. Now, Huangjin City has not fallen, and 100,000 have been lost in the 29th day. Wei Zhao's million-strong new army is still not moving in Guiping. This responsibility does not lie with King Han, nor with the other kings."

Old Zhou drew his sword and slammed it on the table.

"You're trying to pin the blame on me?"

"It's not a deduction."

Liu Suan looked at him.

"It's true."

Old Zhou laughed in his extreme anger.

"I conquered the Golden City, and the credit goes to you? Now that we can't take it, all the credit is mine?"

"If we take it down, it will naturally be thanks to Prince Zhou."

Liu Suan nodded: "But failing to capture it was a miscalculation. Whoever came up with the idea of ​​leading the Eight Princes' Alliance to storm an impregnable city should be held responsible."

The veins on Zhou Laodao's hand, which was gripping the knife, bulged.

Han Dashan didn't look at Zhou Laodao, but stared at Liu Suan.

"continue."

Upon hearing those two words, Old Zhou's face darkened even more.

Liu Suan already had a plan in mind.

Han Dashan was tempted.

This Black Mountain King was not a loyal and righteous man; he had many soldiers under his command and a great appetite for power.

Now that the Eight Princes' coalition has besieged the city and is unable to take it, he is the one who is suffering the most.

Because the other kings were able to withdraw their troops back to their own territories, only Han Dashan's Bianzhou was closest to the Golden City, and therefore the easiest place for Wei Zhao to easily crush him.

He needs an explanation.

They need to turn this defeat into a stepping stone for their rise.

Liu Suan continued, "When King Han steps forward at this moment and takes the initiative to persuade the other kings to withdraw their troops, it is not a sign of defeat, but rather that King Han is considering the overall situation."

"King Zhou was too hasty and reckless, misjudging the military situation, which caused the princes to suffer heavy losses. King Han disregarded personal gains and losses, was willing to bear the infamy, and persuaded the allied forces to retreat, thus preserving the last strength of the rebel kings."

Han Dashan's fat twitched.

That sounds nice.

It sounds so pleasant.

He clearly wanted to retreat, but he didn't dare to speak first. Because whoever suggested retreat first would be the defeated general.

But if someone pushes Zhou Laodao out and then labels him with the title of "putting the overall situation first," then it's a different story.

He was not a defeated general; on the contrary, he became the most clear-headed of the eight princes.

Han Dashan asked Liu Suan, "What happens after the troops are withdrawn?"

Liu Suan smiled.

"Upon returning to their respective territories, the first thing they did was not to count the corpses, but to issue a proclamation to the world."

"What is the message?"

"If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold."

Liu Suan pointed to the royal flags on the map with his folding fan.

"Wei Zhao is not killing Du Heng today because Du Heng is still by the Huai River. Tomorrow he will conquer Huainan, and the day after he will march on Liangzhou, Hedong, and Jingxiang. Among the eight kings, none are a match for Wei Zhao. To fight him alone will only lead to death."

Han Dashan stroked his chin, his mind racing with calculations.

That's definitely true.

Wei Zhao's million-strong new army has been assembled, and news has also come that the Military Equipment Bureau can equip a million people in a month.

The most terrifying thing was the battle for the Golden City.

The new army, without Wei Zhao personally overseeing it or a large number of elite troops, managed to hold out for a month under Huo Qingluan's command.

As long as you give them armor, guns, and land deeds, these people will become more and more daring to fight.

If this drags on any longer, the gap between the rebel kings will only widen.

It must be agreed upon.

How can we combine them?

Who should be the leader of this alliance?

Han Dashan tapped his finger on the table.

Liu Suan watched his movements and knew that the time was right.

"If the kings only form a verbal alliance, they will still flee for their lives when Wei Zhao attacks. They must swear a blood oath, establish a covenant, refrain from attacking each other, fight together against enemies, and share provisions."

"Who will host?" Han Dashan asked.

"Naturally, it is the King of Han."

Several messengers inside the tent looked up at the same time.

Liu unfolded the folding fan and slowly fanned himself.

"This withdrawal was at the urging of the King of Han. The King of Han was not obsessed with the gains and losses of the city of Golden City, but saw the great power of Wei Zhao and preserved the strength of the kings. After returning to his territory, the King of Han issued another proclamation, summoning the kings to a meeting in Bianzhou."

"By then, King Han will not be the one forced to retreat."

Liu Suan stared at Han Dashan.

"He was the only one among the eight kings who could see the general trend of the world clearly."

Han Dashan's breathing became heavier.

Reputation.

What he lacks is fame.

Despite having a large army, the Black Mountain army was consistently regarded as crude and uncouth by other rebel kings.

Zhou Laodao is more ruthless than him, Qin Lie is more steady than him, Du Heng has the Huai River, and Xu Zhongmou knows how to feign benevolence.

In the past, no one was willing to submit to anyone else.

But if Han Dashan can push Zhou Laodao out this time and have him lead the alliance, he can use Wei Zhao's knife to humiliate Zhou Laodao and take the position of leader of the Eight Kings Alliance by stepping on this defeat.

wonderful.

That's brilliant.