Chapter 362

Wang Yang used his chopsticks to trace lines on the table, pushing the plates, dishes, cups, and bowls into the southeast, northwest, and center, scattered like a city, and said calmly:

"Let us first speak of the vital points of the west.

There are two vital points in the west; the first is Jianping.

Jianping lies north of the Wu Gorge, backed by craggy peaks and facing the Dajiang to the south. If the Shu forces upstream wish to descend into Jingzhou, they must pass through here; it is a place that holds the spine and throttles the throat.

Thus, the Wu general Wu Yan said to the Shu and Jin troops, 'If Jianping is not taken, I dare not cross the river,' because it can cut off the Shu army's retreat.

This is like the eye of a go board; gain it and you are connected, lose it and you are stagnant.

Along the banks of the Yangtze, the vital points like this go-eye can be counted on ten fingers.

Such as the importance of guarding Xiakou, where the spearhead of the Han River's eastern advance is blocked halfway;

Controlling the throat of Guabu, where the masses descending from the Chu River are trapped on the islets;

Holding the crags of Caishi, where the troops invading from Liyang cannot fly across; (During the Southern Liang, when Hou Jing rebelled, Yang Kan proposed guarding Caishi, but unfortunately the court did not use it. Later, due to temporary adjustments and hasty changes in defense, the gap arose from this, and Hou Jing was able to cross.)

Locking the pass of Jianping, the expeditionary forces descending from Shu cannot follow the current! (Sichuan is west of Jingzhou, situated in the upper reaches of the Yangtze, so Sichuan attacking Jingzhou is descending with the current, gaining the advantage of the naval forces, also called 'descending east.' To understand river defense, one must first understand the water currents of the Yangtze, and following or opposing the current is the most basic aspect of water currents.)

Moreover, the terrain is dangerous and the position majestic, easy to defend and hard to attack. If one has a talented general, repairs the solidity of the city walls, and completes the equipment for war and defense, then a few thousand soldiers can resist tens of thousands!

Therefore, although Wang Jun was a famous general who led a great army to conquer Wu, he could not forcibly break through Jianping when he arrived, only surround it. By the time Wu perished, the city still stood; this is the reliability of the terrain.

I would guard it with four thousand men—"

At this moment, a cold sneer suddenly came from the table:

"Your Excellency's grand theory, while worth seeing, finally reveals the perspective of a scholar in the last sentence.

According to your words, since Jianping is a lifeline and possesses natural defenses, then even stationing ten thousand men would be too few! Why would you only send a mere four thousand to guard it?

I suspect that you must have the intention of dividing your forces to guard the downstream.

But have you not heard that if the levee breaks upstream, everything downstream drowns?

If the upstream is not secure, the enemy will advance while victorious and fight downstream again; then we will merely divide our strength to be defeated one by one by the enemy. What benefit is there in that?

It would be better to combine the forces of the upper and lower reaches and gather them all at Jianping. Borrowing the majesty of the terrain to stand against the enemy, making them unable to peer into the gorge.

This is the superior strategy of concentrating sharpness and strengthening power to defend the enemy outside the gate!"

After the man finished speaking, everyone focused their thoughts, except for Li Jingxuan, who frowned.

Wang Yang looked at the man:

"Who are you? What are your duties?"

The man bowed:

"I am Chen Qiming of Wuling. Trusted and promoted by the Prince, I am in charge of official documents. I have long read old official documents and saw the petition from the Jianping garrison commander during the Wu era requesting reinforcements, saying that increasing troops would secure the defense, which is the same as my view."

Wang Yang shook his head and said:

"You only know the first part, not the second.

Although Jianping is a vital point, it has three drawbacks, making it unsuitable for stationing a large army.

First, the mountains are narrow and the land is cramped, not allowing for the deployment of military force.

It is advantageous for us to defend, but not to attack.

And if the enemy and we are mismatched and the enemy arrives in great numbers, then the auxiliary fortifications will be abandoned, and only the main city will be held.

The circumference of the city is no more than two li (this is the old city of Wu and Shu, which later generations continued to use; it was only moved during the Zhao Song era). With troops gathered like ants, the longer it is defended, the more scarce the grain and fodder will become.

The key to defending a city lies in elite troops and sufficient supplies, not in the disparity of numbers.

Second, the mountainous land is thin and barren, and military supplies must be transported from outside.

If a large army is stationed there, it is difficult to use when needed, the consumption is huge, and the transport of supplies is arduous.

It is also located in the depths of the mountains, facing the bend of the Dajiang. In terms of form, it is solid, but in terms of position, it is isolated.

Hanging alone at the mouth of the gorge, far from the interior, not only is the labor of transport great, but reinforcements are also difficult to sustain.

This is what Lu Kang meant by 'one cannot rely on reinforcements from other departments to save one from being hung upside down.'

Third, since external reinforcements are far away, the interior is easily divided.

All the dangers of the river passes divide the land and water routes, which are inherently limited by strength and weakness.

If we are strong, we can restrain the troops to block the gorge, making it impossible for enemy boats to descend east, just like the story (past event) of Liu Daoxin blocking Shen Youzhi;

If the enemy is strong, they will divide the water routes, trap the city on land, and advance their naval forces. By then, even if we can save the city, we cannot stop the enemy from driving straight in. If the downstream is not prepared, where will Jingzhou be?

Four thousand men holding the city, first to guard the situation, making the enemy dare not look lightly.

Second, to block the enemy's spearhead, using the few to drag the many, slowing their army and dividing their power.

Third, to serve as the vanguard for the downstream to fight for the initiative.

This is the form of building a fence above and securing the foundation below.

This is why what you call the superior strategy, I consider the inferior one!"

The entire hall looked at Wang Yang, all silent, with strange expressions in their eyes.

Chen Qiming's face turned pale, and he stubbornly argued:

"But the Jianping garrison commander—"

Wang Yang directly interrupted Chen Qiming:

"As a general, guarding one place and planning for one place is his duty. What is strange about begging for reinforcements and grain?

A general worries about a corner, a commander considers the whole situation.

What I just discussed is the commander's strategy for the whole situation, not something a single general would know.

And my discussion is the method that occupies the most advantageous position when the situation is unclear and the enemy's movements are unknown. However, the land has constant dangers, but defense has no constant form. Using troops is like water, adapting the flow to the terrain.

Once the war begins, one must act according to the situation. If it is for the sake of victory, what is there to regret even if we abandon the vital point of Jianping?"

The hall remained silent.

Chen Qiming was silent for a long time, then squeezed out a sentence:

"Even if the enemy arrives in great numbers, it is not necessarily necessary to abandon the auxiliary fortifications; one can protect them in a chain, mutually acting as horns—"

Wang Yang smiled:

"Your talent for documents is not enough to discuss military affairs."

Chen Qiming was struck as if by lightning!!!

Wang Yang pointed his chopsticks at the second dish on the west side of the table and said:

"I said before that there are two vital points in the west, one is Jianping. Now I will speak of the second."

"Wait a moment."

Li Jingxuan cut off Wang Yang's words, stared fixedly into Wang Yang's eyes, and asked quickly:

"Jianping is close and dense, which one is the vital point?"

Wang Yang answered:

"Naturally, Wucheng."

Li Jingxuan's expression tightened, then he narrowed his eyes, his tone oppressive:

"If I send troops and do not take Wucheng, but take Yicheng! What will you do?"

Wang Yang said calmly:

"If you take Yicheng, I will hold Xinling. If Xinling is not lost, then the retreat to Zigui will not be cut off, and the forces can respond to each other. This is what Document Officer Chen calls 'protecting in a chain'."

Chen Qiming could no longer understand the questions between Wang Yang and Li Jingxuan. He only heard Wang Yang quote his original words, call him Document Officer Chen again, and then thought of that heart-piercing sentence, "Your talent for documents is not enough to discuss military affairs," and could not help but feel greatly ashamed!

Li Jingxuan was expressionless, silent, and after a moment said:

"Continue."

His voice was low, no longer sharp, and could not be compared to the state he was in when he first asked.

Wang Yang picked up his wine cup, took a small sip, and said to the attendant:

"Bring some snacks and a fruit platter. No wine, just clear tea. Do you have... Wenshan Imperial Tea here? If you do, bring a pot, boiled clearly, don't add anything else."

The attendant looked at the Prince of Badong, seeing him lost in thought, and dared not disturb him. Just as he was at a loss, Kong Kong Zhangyu said:

"Why haven't you gone yet!"

The attendant immediately obeyed and went to pass the message. Before he had even walked out of the hall door, he was called back by the Prince of Badong:

"Hey you! Bring me a portion of those snacks and fruits too! I don't want tea, bring me wine, I want Yicheng Spring!"

After speaking, his gaze swept over the frozen faces in the hall, and he asked:

"Would you all like to drink together?"

The staff were silent for a moment.

The Prince of Badong did not wait long, waving his hand:

"Forget it! I'll drink by myself! Wang Yang, continue!"

Wang Yang looked at the Prince of Badong:

"Does Your Highness owe me a cup of wine?"

The Prince of Badong was stunned:

"When the hell did I—"

Then he remembered something, frowned, glared at Wang Yang, seemingly unwilling, seemingly wanting to get angry. After his expression cycled through, it turned into indifference:

"Fine, a toast is a toast, consider it extending your life for a little while! As for whether you can live after a little while, that depends on your own ability. Let's be clear, if you lose, you must die, I won't protect you."

The more the Prince of Badong spoke, the more oppressive his aura became, using life and death to press down on Wang Yang. It was unclear if he was avenging the toast or using this opportunity to break Wang Yang's bones.

Wang Yang's expression was relaxed, and he laughed heartily:

"Even if it is just a moment, it is still the opportunity of heaven and earth, let alone a little while? Thunder does not accumulate for long days, and wind and clouds always rise for a moment. I am just trying to test my fate with this little while!"

Hearing this, everyone's expressions changed!

If they had heard these words before, they would have thought Wang Yang was arrogant and blowing hot air, but now no one dared to think so. Instead, they felt that before life and death, discussing military affairs and laughing about the wind and clouds, Wang Yang faintly revealed a heroic spirit that made people tremble and not dare to insult him lightly.

The Prince of Badong did not speak again, but for once, he withdrew his playful and casual expression, raising his cup to toast Wang Yang from afar.

Wang Yang raised his cup in response. The Prince of Badong's mind stirred, and he suddenly shouted:

"Wait!"

Everyone was stunned.

The Prince of Badong braced himself and leaned forward to look, not knowing if he saw anything, but he feigned anger and slapped the table, shouting:

"What a slippery fellow! You dare to toast me with half a cup?! Someone! Fill it up for him!"

Wang Yang's expression stiffened slightly, and he casually covered his wine cup:

"I still have quite a bit here—"

"Who are you trying to fool! Hurry up and add wine for him!"

"This is grape wine—"

"Change the cup! Pour Yicheng Spring! Fill it up quickly!"

The Prince of Badong was relentless, using the opportunity of the toast to force Wang Yang to drink a full cup of the spicy liquor, finally feeling satisfied in his heart.

Watching Wang Yang drink until his brows furrowed and his face glowed, he smiled evilly:

"I see you are hanging by a thread, and I really can't bear it. How about I toast you a few more times to extend your life by a few more 'little whiles'!"

Wang Yang coughed twice, waved his hand, and smiled:

"A person's misfortune or fortune is not in a lifetime, but often in a single thought. If fate is meant to turn, this cup is already too much; if fate is not meant to turn, what is the use of a thousand cups?"

The Prince of Badong was slightly stunned, savoring these words of Wang Yang, as if he felt something in the dark.

Seeing the Prince of Badong lost in thought, Kong Kong Zhangyu reminded him:

"Your Highness, it is time for Young Master Wang to speak of the second vital point in western Jingzhou—"

The Prince of Badong dispelled his distracting thoughts, his face showing a playful and uninhibited expression again, and he laughed and scolded:

"It's good to have talent, you can come up with a reason whether you're drinking or not. Stop talking nonsense, get to the point! My Li Jingxuan is still waiting to break you! Right, Li Jingxuan?"

The Prince of Badong looked at Li Jingxuan expectantly.

Li Jingxuan felt immense pressure.

That Wang Yang had some military talent was certain, but just how great this talent was remained unknown. Li Jingxuan considered himself to have been helped by an extraordinary person, allowing him to study geography and military strategy diligently, research military secrets, and immerse himself in the Prince of Badong's staff for several years. He was well-versed in military affairs, and his inner strategies were enough to plan in the tent and decide victory a thousand miles away! It could be said that in terms of military strategy, no colleague caught his eye. Today was the first time he felt a sense of bottomless depth from the person opposite him.

And this problem of Jingzhou's defense, which he seemed to have posed casually, was actually his most specialized area, especially since he used his status as a staff member to access maps, files, and military reports. But Wang Yang, a young scholar, pointed out military secrets as if they were right before his eyes! He spoke of the military situation and the general trend as if he were sitting on a high house pouring water! This, is this right?

Could it be that this is the result of innate divine strategy combined with the foundation of the Langya Wang clan?

Fine, fine, fine, so this is the noble young master favored by fate!

But it doesn't matter, my Li Jingxuan's fate is not that bad! I have been a talent since childhood, and I have had strange encounters, helped by an extraordinary person! Plus, I am twenty years older than you, I don't believe I will really lose to you!

Then let's fight!

Let me try, are you truly a bottomless abyss, or a shallow lake that looks deep but can be measured with a pole!

Li Jingxuan's fighting spirit was reignited, and he bowed to the Prince of Badong, his voice passionate:

"I will do my best! I will not fail Your Highness's expectations!"