allonlinenovel Chapter 124 We Must Not Be Soft-Hearted
Chapter 124 We Must Not Be Soft-Hearted
Lin Zixuan sighed, "We can't expose him immediately, lest it cause internal strife. Now is the time when we need manpower, so we must stabilize morale."
Gu Jinyan nodded. She understood that Li Xiaowei's dereliction of duty could not be dealt with lightly at the moment, but that did not mean that such behavior could be tolerated.
She meticulously recorded the course of the battle and Lieutenant Li's performance in her notes, deciding to present this evidence to the commander-in-chief if necessary in the future.
To truly defend this city, troop strength and tactics alone are far from enough; unwavering faith and fearless courage are also required.
In the days that followed, Gu Jinyan began to observe the actions of the various generals more closely. Together with Lin Zixuan, she not only made careful tactical preparations but also prepared psychologically for internal turmoil.
This war was not only a contest with the enemy, but also a test of human nature.
Lieutenant Li's retreat in the face of battle became a thorn in her side.
If something like this happened again, Lin Zixuan probably wouldn't be there to save the day.
"The battlefield is not only outside the city, but also in the hearts of each and every one of us." These were the words Gu Jinyan said to himself that night.
Supplies have always been a top priority in the defense and preparation of Hesha City. When the war is intense, sufficient supplies determine the morale and fighting capacity of the soldiers in the city.
Wang, the military officer in charge of grain and fodder allocation, was taciturn but performed his duties quite well on a daily basis.
Therefore, although he was occasionally lazy, Lin Zixuan and the other generals did not interfere too much.
However, as the war intensified and the city's need for food supplies became increasingly urgent, Lin Zixuan gradually discovered the hidden crisis.
That morning, Gu Jinyan, as usual, inspected the warehouse to check whether the supplies were sufficient.
She noticed that soldiers returning from the front lines in recent days reported that the amount of rations was decreasing, and sometimes they couldn't even guarantee a full meal.
She felt uneasy, so she went to the granary in charge to check the situation.
"Has General Wang made any arrangements to bring new grain supplies into the city recently?"
Gu Jinyan asked casually, but his eyes were fixed on the other person's expression.
The other party hesitated slightly, stammered a few words, and then vaguely said, "It is arranged, but due to transportation issues, it may be delivered later."
"But please rest assured, Madam, there is still enough grain in the granary, so there won't be any problems for the time being."
Gu Jinyan's intuition told her that there was something wrong with what she said.
She then went to find Lin Zixuan and expressed her concerns: "Recently, there have been problems with the distribution of rations, and the soldiers' food rations are insufficient. I am worried that the situation in the granary is more serious than it appears."
Upon hearing this, Lin Zixuan frowned, feeling alarmed: "If that's really the case, then it's a big problem."
If supplies are insufficient, a prolonged defense is simply unsustainable. I will have someone investigate.
The next day, Lin Zixuan sent someone to find Wang Canjiang to inquire about the recent allocation of grain and fodder.
General Wang seemed a little impatient and stammered, "The supply of provisions has been ongoing, but the enemy has been very active lately."
There are some transportation difficulties, please be patient for a few more days, the problem will be resolved soon.
"What is the current state of the grain reserves?" the soldier pressed.
"There's still quite a bit left, enough to last for a while," General Wang said vaguely, but his eyes were somewhat unfocused.
The soldiers relayed these words to Lin Zixuan, but Lin Zixuan still felt uneasy.
He understood Wang Canjiang's character; although he wasn't particularly diligent, he wouldn't be so perfunctory as to shirk his responsibilities at crucial moments.
To prevent any potential problems, Lin Zixuan decided to personally visit the grain warehouse to check on the situation.
When Lin Zixuan arrived at the warehouse with Gu Jinyan and a group of soldiers, Wang Canjiang was unusually vigilant.
Seeing Lin Zixuan and the others arrive, he seemed a little flustered and quickly smiled:
"Why did Vice General Lin come in person? There's no problem with the supplies, just a slight delay in transportation. There's no need to worry too much."
However, Lin Zixuan's expression was cold and his tone left no room for negotiation: "I want to see for myself."
Wang, the adjutant, froze instantly, his lips trembling slightly, but he still managed to remain calm:
"Since the lieutenant wants to see, please follow me."
He led a few people into the warehouse, repeatedly emphasizing that the warehouse had "ample reserves" along the way. However, when the warehouse was opened, he secretly tampered with it, trying to place the few remaining bags of grain in a conspicuous position.
After Lin Zixuan and Gu Jinyan walked into the depths of the warehouse and pushed aside several bags of piled-up miscellaneous items.
The sight before them instantly changed their expressions—a thick layer of dust covered the empty corner, clearly indicating that no new provisions had been brought in for a long time.
"Commander Wang, is this what you mean by 'ample reserves'?"
Gu Jinyan spoke coldly, his voice filled with barely suppressed anger.
Wang Canjiang was speechless for a moment; his throat moved, but he couldn't utter a word.
Lin Zixuan's face turned ashen, and he said sternly, "Why wasn't the situation regarding the grain supplies reported in a timely manner?"
Don't you know this is the lifeline of our combat readiness?
Seeing that he could no longer hide the truth, Lieutenant General Wang could only stammer and explain:
"Deputy General Lin, it's not that I don't want to allocate supplies, it's just..."
However, there have indeed been some problems with transportation lately, plus... there are some special reasons..."
"What special reason?" Lin Zixuan stared at him, his gaze sharp as a knife.
Wang Canjiang seemed to feel the immense pressure from Lin Zixuan; cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and his voice gradually weakened.
"Recently... several generals have felt that..."
If the city's food reserves are low, it might force the commander to adopt a conservative strategy and stop making rash advances.
In this way, their troops will no longer risk leaving the city to fight…
Hearing this, Lin Zixuan and Gu Jinyan finally understood the truth of the matter.
Wang, the military advisor, not only neglected the management of provisions, but also secretly colluded with several generals, attempting to delay the allocation of provisions in order to induce the city's high command to adopt a conservative attitude.
In this way, these generals could avoid risking their lives by going into battle.
"You're playing with fire, Lieutenant General Wang!"
Lin Zixuan's voice was like a thunderclap; he had never been so angry before. "Do you know that what you are doing is gambling with the lives of all the people and soldiers in the city!"
Lieutenant Wang's face was deathly pale, and his body trembled uncontrollably: "I... I was only trying to protect the soldiers..."
"If we lose the battle, the losses will be even greater..."
"If you truly care about the soldiers, you shouldn't be hiding things at this time!" Gu Jinyan's voice was cold and sharp.
"The enemy is eyeing us covetously, yet you are eroding everyone's trust. How can we possibly defend ourselves against foreign invaders if things continue like this!"
That evening, Lin Zixuan reported the matter to General Zhao Lingfeng.
Upon learning of the situation regarding the grain supplies, Zhao Lingfeng was furious and immediately summoned all his generals for a meeting.
Wang Can was brought into the main hall and questioned in front of everyone.
"General Wang, do you know that the allocation of provisions is related to the lives of the soldiers on the front lines!" Zhao Lingfeng's voice boomed like thunder.
His gaze was sharp as an eagle's. "Now you're concealing the true extent of the grain supplies, trying to delay their allocation, and secretly colluding with other generals. Is this what you call thinking about the soldiers?"
Wang Canjiang lowered his head, cold sweat dripping from his forehead onto the ground. He tried to defend himself, but could not find any reasonable explanation.
Several generals nearby were also summoned to the hall. Although they had not directly participated in General Wang's plan, they had privately tacitly approved of his delays. Seeing that things had come to a head, they couldn't help but feel uneasy.
Ultimately, Wang Canjiang was severely reprimanded and ordered to immediately replenish supplies and resume normal operations.
His position was also demoted, and the commander ordered Lin Zixuan and Gu Jinyan to take direct charge of the allocation of provisions in order to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
On the surface, the incident involving Lieutenant General Wang was temporarily resolved under the commander's strict punishment, but Gu Jinyan felt a chill in his heart.
Such behavior is by no means an isolated phenomenon.
Some people in the military are afraid of going into battle and taking risks, so they try to avoid conflict by various means.
What's even more frightening is that this behavior may not just be a petty trick by Wang Canjiang, but rather a deeper level of negative attitude.
“This must never happen again,” Gu Jinyan said firmly in a private conversation with Lin Zixuan. “We cannot allow personal selfishness to destroy the entire city of Hesha.”
Lin Zixuan nodded, his eyes revealing the same determination: "We must monitor these key departments more closely to ensure that there are no more problems with important resources such as food and fodder."
If similar signs appear, we must not be lenient.
Since then, Gu Jinyan and Lin Zixuan have intensified their management of war supplies such as grain and fodder.
They not only conduct rigorous inventory checks, but also conduct surprise inspections from time to time to ensure that there are no signs of human manipulation in every step of the allocation process.
Although this increased their workload considerably, they knew that the effort was worthwhile.
In the stillness of the night, Gu Jinyan would occasionally think of that empty corner of the warehouse, and a nameless unease would well up in his heart.
She hoped that every day in the future, every guard in Hersha City would be safe and sound, and would not be threatened by any internal conspiracies.
As the enemy forces drew ever closer, the atmosphere in Hesha City grew increasingly tense.
The city's leadership decided to hold a crucial pre-battle meeting to formulate the next defensive strategy.
This meeting is not only related to the safety of Hersha City, but also to the fate of every general defending the city.
Gu Jinyan, as the logistics officer in charge, was invited to attend the meeting. She knew that at this moment, her responsibility was no longer just to ensure the supply of food and materials.
Furthermore, this meeting should strive to secure the most favorable defense plan for the soldiers' lives.
At the start of the meeting, Zhao Lingfeng sat high in the hall and looked around at the generals present.
He then said in a deep voice, "Now that the enemy is at the gates of the city, you all have your own plans. Why don't you tell us one by one, and we can discuss them together and decide on the strategy for this battle."
As soon as he finished speaking, a young general stood up impatiently. His name was Xu Zhen, a newly promoted general in Hesha City. He was a forthright but somewhat radical person.