lcionline Chapter 1416 Only by surviving can we talk about anything else.
Chapter 1416 Only by surviving can we talk about anything else.
"Comrade Wenyong..."
Looking at the stiff-faced Chief of the General Staff Le Van Dung, Nguyen Phu Trong's voice softened, but the sense of exhaustion was even stronger.
This current number two figure in the Northern faction rose through the ranks of the military, and his thinking still has significant limitations.
It's still the same military logic, often ignoring overall political considerations.
This trait of the other party is fine in peacetime, but as the second-in-command of the faction, having such a major flaw makes Nguyen Phu Trong feel more at ease.
However, in the context of such turbulent times in the end times, this inability to stand alone inevitably made Nguyen Phu Trong feel powerless, like he was fighting alone and couldn't hold the line.
Especially now, facing increasing pressure from the Southern faction, Nguyen Phu Trong is under even greater stress.
"I understand your concerns, and I agree with your logic. But you must understand that my current position is no longer simply that of a military commander. We can't consider things solely from a military perspective!"
Nguyen Phu Trong tried to make his voice sound as calm as possible.
"Military matters are important, but they are only one aspect of the overall game. The outcome of a game depends on the whole situation. For the sake of the whole, everything that is not necessary can be sacrificed."
After saying this, seeing the somewhat bewildered look in Chief of the General Staff Le Van Dung's eyes, Nguyen Phu Trong decided to be even more blunt.
No matter how disappointed he was, at this critical juncture, Nguyen Phu Trong would not allow any misunderstandings to fester within the organization.
He leaned forward slightly, placing his hands clasped on the table. In his tired eyes, there was now only a cold clarity.
"Comrade Wenyong, I have a question for you."
"Tell me, what am I most afraid of right now? Is it Zhou Bang attacking? Is it the annihilation of the 2nd Division?"
Upon hearing this, Le Van Dung remained silent, knowing that Nguyen Phu Trong wanted him to provide the answer.
“Neither.” Nguyen Phu Trong shook his head, answering his own question.
"What we fear most now is the Southern faction! Can you imagine a Yue Kingdom without us?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Wenyong's brows furrowed even more, but he gradually understood what the General Secretary was trying to say.
Is it still a power struggle, or a factional infighting...?
But he still didn't understand what this had to do with the matter. No matter how fiercely the brothers in the family quarreled, shouldn't they join hands when a foreign enemy invaded?
He doesn't understand!
“Think about it,” Nguyen Phu Trong’s voice was low and slow, as if guiding a student:
"Given the change of military power in Hanoi, what is it that allows us to sit here and discuss the overall national situation?"
"Isn't it the Northern army that makes the Southern faction hesitant to completely break off relations?"
"Therefore, the northern army is the core of our interests and our foundation. Only by protecting them can we talk about the future of the entire Yue Kingdom!"
"Therefore, at this moment, regardless of whether the news of Zhou Bang's invasion is true or false, we must treat it as false!"
"Because once it's confirmed to be true, even a fool would know that the 2nd Division alone can't hold them off. What will happen then?"
"Our entire northern force must take the lead. The southern faction will definitely use this opportunity to pressure us into mobilizing heavy troops to defend the area, using the righteous cause of the nation as leverage!"
"According to the intelligence reports, even if we manage to hold out against such a large and elite Zhou army, how many of our northern troops will be left? And if we manage to hold out, will the Yue Kingdom still be our Yue Kingdom?"
At this point, Chief of the General Staff Le Van Dung finally understood the considerations of his General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.
The northern border is currently a black box. If we investigate it seriously, it could result in heavy losses for our own faction. If we pretend to be ignorant, at most we will lose one 2nd Division, and one less loyal 2nd Division.
But he still had a question: if the 2nd Division were wiped out, could the remaining northern troops really remain unscathed? Wouldn't the southern faction then pressure the northern troops to resist?
At this moment, General Secretary of the Vietnamese Communist Party Nguyen Phu Trong seemed to sense Chief of the General Staff Le Van Dung's doubts and explained directly:
"Based on the size and configuration of Zhou Bang's troops in the intelligence of the 2nd Division, and the current situation faced by the 2nd Division, if the intelligence is true, the annihilation of the 2nd Division will be absolutely swift and decisive."
"Faced with such a powerful force capable of destroying a nation, and with such terrifying combat strength, the Southern faction will definitely feel unprecedented fear, and at that time, our opportunity will arrive!"
"At that time, I will directly define this as a critical moment for the survival of the Yue Kingdom at the meeting, and demand that the Southern faction mobilize troops to the north to cooperate in resisting!"
"Our northern troops, under the pretext of establishing a defensive perimeter around the capital and awaiting reinforcements from the southern troops, are rapidly retreating to Hanoi and occupying the city!"
"Such a proposal would be accepted by anyone in the South who isn't stupid. After all, they don't want Zhou Bang's troops to advance unimpeded and capture them, right?"
"And once our troops have entered Hanoi first, our chance to regain power will come!"
At this point, Nguyen Phu Trong, who had been exhausted, gradually became excited, as if he had finally seen hope of breaking the deadlock and turning the tide.
If Zhou Bang really goes south this time, it will undoubtedly be a golden opportunity for the northern faction to regain power!
Seeing Nguyen Phu Trong's excited state, Chief of the General Staff Le Van Dung felt extremely conflicted.
On the one hand, they are amazed by their General Secretary's superb political skills, his ability to seize any opportunity, and even turn disaster into advantage.
On the other hand, there is a sense of regret that even at this critical juncture for the nation, these top political figures are still only thinking about their own interests.
Of course, he wasn't dissatisfied with the General Secretary in front of him, because he knew that if the General Secretary didn't consider these things, the people from the South would definitely.
So he was just helpless, helpless about this country, helpless about human nature... Everyone must make survival the first priority, because only by surviving can one have the right to talk about anything else.
As the General Secretary said, he cannot imagine what the future of Yue would have to do with him if he died in a political struggle.
But he still had an instinctive worry about Nguyen Phu Trong's plan.
"General Secretary... what if... I mean, what if... even after we regain power, we still can't withstand Zhou Bang's attack? After all... intelligence..."
Hearing Chief of the General Staff Le Van Dung's concerns, Nguyen Phu Trong waved his hand to interrupt. This time, he didn't launch into a long explanation, but simply uttered a profound statement:
"No one can live forever. When all else fails, we just need to make sure we're the last one to die."