Chapter 536 The plan succeeded [Subscription Request]

People in the city of Fulusha were in panic.

The palace was dead silent after nightfall.

Almost all of the remaining Kushan troops and resources from all sides were gathered in Vrushalayim and the nearby Acropolis.

Martial law was imposed throughout the city, including the royal palace, and free movement was strictly prohibited.

The disaster of national destruction, the danger of losing one's life and the huge pressure made Bo Tiao emotionally unstable.

The venting of his anger and panic has led to the execution of several court eunuchs.

It's quiet at night.

Bo Diao sat alone in the main hall of the palace, staring blankly at the full moon outside the window. There was only one thought in his mind: When will the Wei army launch an offensive? Tonight, tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow? How long can we hold out?

The contact between Wei and Kushan has only lasted for five or six years.

Before the war with Wei, the Kushan Empire dominated the surrounding countries and its national strength was growing.

He has more than 200,000 strong soldiers.

When Bodiao ascended the throne, he once thought about carrying on the will of his ancestors and making the Kushan Empire a more powerful overlord.

In those days, the Great Yuezhi migrated from Hexi and have been paying attention to the changes in China ever since.

A few years ago, they knew that China was in turmoil and the people were living in misery.

So when the Xianbei came to them and invited them to join forces to attack the Wei Dynasty, in Bodiao's eyes, the Wei Dynasty was just a country that had just cleaned up its mess and its national strength was still weak, so he did not take the Wei Dynasty seriously at all.

The first battle with Wei was unfavorable.

But Bo Diao still didn't care.

He just became a little more formal and thought that the offensive against India could be temporarily suspended and troops could be withdrawn to deal with the problem.

It was not until the Xianbei were defeated and the Wusun were broken that the Wei army, led by Huang Zhong, took the initiative to attack.

From then on, the situation of the Kushan Empire deteriorated sharply.

The fall of Wusun into the hands of Cao Wei put the Kushans in a situation where they were threatened from both sides.

Its long eastern border, which is not conducive to defense, has also become a prominent weakness.

The Wei people seized the plateau and their advantage expanded rapidly.

In a blink of an eye, after several wars, the Kushan Empire was gradually weakened by the Wei Dynasty, until its capital was on the verge of being destroyed.

If a country fails to win wars, its national strength will decline within a few years, and the Kushan Empire is a clear example.

At this time, Bo Diao let out a long sigh, looking very sad.

Under his rule, the Kushan Empire had declined to the point of extinction.

He is not convinced!

Bo Diao raised his head and drank the wine in the silver cup. His face looked miserable, filled with fear, resentment and other mixed emotions.

At this moment, there was a sound of light but hurried footsteps outside the door:

"Your Majesty, there is urgent news."

Bo Diao raised his head slowly: "What other urgent news can there be? Did the Wei people launch an attack on the city overnight?"

"The general is back!" the eunuch said in a low voice.

Bo Diao was suddenly startled, General!
The Kushans had four great generals and six great legions, but only one person held the title of Great General.

This person is Ponsai, the only divine general of Kushan.

On the eastern battlefield, after that battle, many news about Ponce spread, saying that he broke through the enemy line, fought bloody battles, and finally escaped.

There are also reports that Pangsai was beheaded on the battlefield by Cao Wei's general and had died long ago.

Bodiao sent out several teams to contact Ponsei, but the messages they sent back were inconsistent.

Some people said that they had no contact and speculated that General Pang Da had died on the battlefield.

But another person who contacted them said that he had successfully contacted Pangsai, and confirmed that Pangsai was leading his troops westward while being pursued by Cao's army.

When Bo Diao heard that Ponsei came to ask for a meeting, it was like he had grabbed a life-saving straw.

Ponsai had been invincible in the past and had a great reputation. Even though he lost the battle against Dawei, Bodiao still had high hopes for Ponsai in the current situation, hoping that he could turn the tide.

"Hurry up and call in the general!"

Bo Diao wanted to go and greet him in person, so after the eunuch received the order, he came to the palace gate and waited anxiously.

Not long after, Ponce's majestic figure walked in quickly from outside, led by a eunuch.

Ponsé was in disguise, wearing a large hood that concealed his face.

When he came in front of Bo Diao, he took off his hood, revealing a short beard, dark brown eyes, and a cold and wise face.

Pang Sai knelt on the ground, pushing the golden mountain and overturning the jade pillar, and said:

"I am incompetent. I was defeated on the battlefield, causing the Kushan Empire to be defeated. I have caused Your Majesty to be frightened. Please punish me!"

Bo Diao noticed that there was a scar on Ponsei's forehead, his armor was broken, and blood was oozing from his waist and ribs. He immediately realized that some of the information he had collected before was correct.

Pangsai must have been fleeing from the pursuit of the Wei army these days, and narrowly escaped death.

He stepped forward and helped Ponsei up himself:

"General, please get up quickly. I have misjudged the strength of the Wei people. If we had responded with all our strength earlier, this would not have happened."

"When the general was transferred to lead the troops, our army had already been defeated in several battles and had lost all morale. The defeat was not the general's fault."

Ponsel was helped up, his face full of shame, his lips stammering, unable to express himself.

"The general came in and said."

The two entered the palace hand in hand.

Bo Diao asked again: "Why have we been unable to contact the general for all these days, and why did he only return today?"

Ponce: "I was watching the battle at that time and knew that we were defeated on the battlefield and that nothing could be done."

"I led the troops to break through the siege, but we have been closely pursued by the Wei army for several days. I want to retreat to the mountainous area on the west side, so I have been heading west."

"We fought many battles with the Wei army on the way. I sent my men to contact Your Majesty and explain the reasons. Didn't Your Majesty receive my message?"

Bo Diao said with hatred: "It must be that the Wei army blocked the news exchange around my Fulousha, which made it impossible for the king to contact the general, so that rumors spread everywhere."

"How is the general's injury?"

"That's fine with me."

Pang Sai: "The Wei army pursued us all the way, which was a pity for my soldiers and horses. They suffered heavy casualties."

Bo Diao asked, "The Wei army is at the gates of the city and may attack at any time. How do you think we should deal with it now, General?"

Ponce said: "I have been thinking about the current situation for several days and have two strategies for your majesty to choose from." "General, please tell me quickly."

"First, I will assist Your Majesty and defend Vrusha until the Parthians send out their troops."

"If the Wei Dynasty defeats the Kushan Empire, Parthia will face the dilemma of having the Wei Dynasty to the east and Rome to the west.

This was something they absolutely did not want to see, and this was their last chance to seize, and the Parthians would not fail to see that.

They will surely send a large force to support us.”

"Our mission is to hold the city. Our success or failure depends on whether the Parthians come to our aid first or we are conquered first."

Ponsai said in a deep voice:
"If Your Majesty decides to defend the city, I will serve you till death and defend Flusha for you."

"If your majesty wants to defend Fulousa, you must rely on the people of the city. You must first inform the people and list the atrocities committed by the Wei people. When the city is broken, no one will be left alive. This way, the whole city will unite and fight to the death to resist the tyranny of Wei."

"With hundreds of thousands of people in the city united and soldiers willing to die for their country, I am confident that I can hold out until the Wei army retreats."

Bo Diao nodded, and the panic subsided. What Ponsai said made sense:
"I am relieved that the general is back. What is your plan?"

"Your Majesty, please leave the city as soon as possible!"

Ponsai said seriously, "I came back for this matter."

“Although the strategy of defending the city is somewhat feasible, it is too passive.

The Wei people are good at fighting. If the city is breached, your Majesty's safety will be in danger. The entire Great Yue clan will be buried here."

"So my second strategy is to take advantage of the fact that the Wei army has just arrived in Fulousha and has not yet completed the blockade of the surrounding areas. Your Majesty should quickly leave the city and head west."

"When I was breaking out to the west, I considered that if Your Majesty went west, it could be used as a retreat route."

"I have made some arrangements along the way to the west. Your Majesty, there is a great hope that you can escape. All you need to do is enter the mountains on the west side and defend yourself. You can fight or hide."

"If Your Majesty were here, our Great Yue clan would not be considered destroyed."

"The Wei army will eventually retreat after their expedition. By then, the Great Yuezhi may have a chance to revive. Your Majesty can be the leader of the revival and continue the fate of the Kushan nation."

These words made Bo Diao very excited.

If he is in his fifties or sixties and his ambitions have faded, he may choose the first defensive strategy.

But Bo Diao took over the throne at the age of 20 and is only 35 years old this year.

He still has time and ambition.

What Ponsai said gave him a glimmer of hope.

More importantly, the first strategy, defending Flusa, was too passive.

The success or failure of the country depends entirely on whether Parthia will come to its aid.

What if Parthia did not send reinforcements, or failed to defeat Cao Wei, or arrived too late?
These are all questions.

In addition, even if Parthia came to help and won, after the Wei army retreated, how would the Parthian army respond?

It is almost impossible to make them withdraw from the Kushan territory again.

The heart of Wei was in Shenzhou, which had thousands of cities and was best at attacking and defending cities. Fulousha had no natural defenses to rely on, so it was likely that it would not be able to hold out for long before being breached.

Bo Diao doesn't hold out much hope for this.

Previously, he wanted to defend Frusha to the death but there was no way out. Now he had some hope and his mind changed. The second strategy was obviously more feasible.

Hide in the continuous mountains on the west side and wait for the opportunity to rise again.

Then the current difficulties are only temporary. Bo Diao weighed the pros and cons and said:
"I will go west, wait for my chance, and rise again the next day."

Pang Sai said generously: "Okay, Your Majesty, go and prepare quickly, the sooner the better. Otherwise, the Wei people will clear out the people around you and seal off the surrounding area, and there will be no chance of escape."

Bo Diao nodded.

The Wei army had just arrived and had not yet completed the siege of Flusa. This was the last chance to break out.

Bo Diao was decisive: "At the latest by tomorrow night, I will be ready. I will only take the necessary things and retreat westward first."

Ponce: "Then let's set it for tomorrow night. Your Majesty will leave the city secretly and head west quickly.

The team should not be too large, but it is necessary to protect His Majesty's safety, so it is best to let Pujes lead the elite troops."

Bo Diao asked, "Puges? Will the general not withdraw with me?"

Ponce: "If I leave, who will defend Flousa and delay the main force of the Wei army to buy time for Your Majesty?"

"I will stay behind to defend the city and contain the Wei army, so that Your Majesty can successfully enter the western mountainous area and escape safely."

"How about letting Pujes stay and letting the general go with me?" Bo Diao asked anxiously.

Ponce shook his head: "Puges was defeated by the Wei army several times on the southern front, and he has developed a fear of the Wei army.

Let him go west with Your Majesty. With the hope of survival, he will fight to the death to protect Your Majesty. Together with the support I have arranged along the way, Your Majesty can be kept safe."

“But if we leave him to defend the city, he will surely die.

How can he hold on if he is afraid? The Wei army will break into the city soon, delaying your majesty's important business."

"I have thought about it again and again, and it is safer for me to stay."

"In this case... the general will be putting himself in danger!" said Bo Diao.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. If Your Majesty can reach the mountains as soon as possible and send me a message, I will also fight to the death to break through the siege and join Your Majesty."

Ponce said: "If I am unlucky, but can save your Majesty from danger, I will die with no regrets."

Bo Diao couldn't help shedding tears and said sadly:
“In times of crisis like this, one’s true character is revealed.

The general is loyal and brave, and this king will never forget it!" After saying this, he bowed deeply to Ponce.

Ponsai also burst into tears and fell to the ground to return the greeting to Bo Diao.

So, the two of them prepared quickly.

Bo Diao gathered all the people who were to be evacuated and informed them of the decision to prepare to break the siege.

Ponce was in charge of staying behind and managing all the affairs of Frusha, and that night he took over all the control of the city's defense and the command of the troops.

The sun and the moon rise and set.

Late at night the next day, the western gate of Fulusha was quietly opened, and a team marched out of the city westward.

On the east side, facing the direction of Cao’s camp, the city gate opened silently.

The strange thing is that the Wei army had been waiting in secret, as if they knew in advance that someone would open the city gate, so they rushed into the city easily.

On a hill a little further away, Cao Cao and others were there.

Zhuge Liang, Guo Jia smiled and said: "Your Majesty, I have fulfilled your mission and the plan has worked. We can capture Fulousha without bloodshed."

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(End of this chapter)