Chapter 1021 Heavy InfantryChapter 671: Refutation
This crisscross of scars across the upper body is highly visually impactful.
Not to mention the civil servants, even among the generals, many looked at Su Ping with admiring eyes.
These are all military medals.
Supingbei looked at Shangguan Zhao and said, "From the time I led my army away from the capital to a few days ago when we returned, this campaign into Xianchao and Dongying lasted a total of 106 days."
During these 106 days, our army engaged in over a thousand battles against the Eastern Isles forces, with a total of three hundred and twenty-five engagements. On average, there were more than three battles per day, and thirty-four large-scale battles involving ten thousand or more troops took place. Of those thirty-four engagements, I personally participated in twenty-eight.
“After twenty-eight battles, I was wounded six times. Of my forty guards who went out, forty came back, but each face was different. The former ones died in battle and had to be replaced. Some of them even changed places several times.”
"I wouldn't say I am incredibly brave, but I have done my best."
“As for the battle at Fǔhǔ Plain, you're right, I was wounded there. I received an arrow wound in my chest, two cuts on my arms, one cut on my shoulder and several across my back, all inflicted by the enemy in that single engagement. The most severe wound was on my shoulder, it almost severed my whole arm. The arrow in my chest was just an inch away from my heart; had it been shifted even slightly, I wouldn't be standing here today.”
Su Pingbei's voice was calm and powerful, without any deliberate attempt to exaggerate emotion. Yet, the civil and military officials in the Taihe Palace seemed to hear the thunderous roars of thousands of soldiers charging into battle, the tattered banners flapping in the dim light, corpses and broken armor and weaponry strewn everywhere, painting a gruesome picture of rivers running red with blood.
That immersive experience left many pampered officials with grim expressions.
While Shangguan Zhao's face turned ashen.
Turning his face to Guan Zhao, Su Pingbei said calmly, "The battle on the Fuhushan Plain was indeed my mistake. It resulted in heavy casualties among my soldiers, which I have never denied."
But if you say I am reckless and ambitious, that I am pursuing personal gain and fame at the expense of the battlefield, then I disagree! My tens of thousands of soldiers disagree! These scars on my body disagree!
Su Pingbei's voice grew louder and louder, until in the end, he was almost shouting at the top of his lungs: "What they say about a general outside obeying orders but not having everything granted by the sovereign doesn't mean that the commander can ignore imperial authority. It means that battlefield situations change rapidly, and no general or commander can possibly wait for an order to be transmitted from the capital before taking action."
"The only one who can make quick judgments and respond to the situation on the spot is the commander in charge at the time!"
“As the commander, I believed that Fuhushan Plain was a suitable battlefield under the circumstances. It was vast and belonged to Xian朝's rare hilly region. The terrain favored our army. At that time, Dongying had retreated into a single line of defense. If we did not lure their main force out for encirclement, there was a high probability of falling into a protracted stalemate.”
Such a stalemate is something neither the Xian Dynasty nor we, the Qin, desire. We cannot afford to spend months or even years battling foreigners in distant lands.
"Overall situation assessment, I think we were capable of fighting at that time!"
Su Pingbei's shouts made Shangguan Zhao not only lose face, but also tremble in fear.
He could already feel that cold gaze from the platform, staring at him with indifference.e atmosphere of the banquet continued to escalate to new heights.After three rounds of wine and five courses of dishes, Prince Ning gently tapped his wine glass with his chopsticks.The crisp clinking...