Chapter 628: The Grand Commissioner Directing Strategy From a Thousand Li

"I hold the post of Commissioner of Military Affairs, yet I have failed to repel the Han army, causing Your Majesty anxiety—this is my crime!" Wang Zhaoyuan said submissively to Meng Chang.

Though Wang Zhaoyuan was outwardly impressive, he was indeed shrewd by nature. Having risen to the rank of chancellor and general, holding high position and great power, he knew that all his glory and authority came from Meng Chang. Thus, before colleagues and subordinates he could be overbearing, but toward his sovereign, he had always been loyal and obedient.

"Your loyalty, I know well!" Meng Chang nodded slightly at his performance, saying: "It is only that the northern frontier sees no end of border troubles. The Han army presses upon us. Generals like Li Tinggui and Gao Yandui have held the Han army north of Weiwu City, but so long as the fighting does not cease for a single day, I cannot sleep soundly for a single night!"

"I have looked over the military reports—they all come from Fengzhou. Li Tinggui reports that the Han army has had no military movements for a full month now. They neither fight nor withdraw. What is the meaning of this?" Meng Chang looked at Wang Zhaoyuan and asked: "Tell me, is the Han army plotting some scheme?"

"Your Majesty need not worry overmuch! Our court's mountains and rivers are strong, our soldiers and generals respond appropriately, Weiwu City is as solid as gold and iron—the Han army simply cannot break through our defenses!" Seeing the Emperor's hidden worry, Wang Zhaoyuan immediately spoke up, his expression confident, not at all like mere words of comfort.

Meeting Meng Chang's gaze, Wang Zhaoyuan struck a somewhat studied pose and narrated calmly: "Last year and this spring, I twice traveled north to inspect and arrange border defenses. The strategic terrain of Fengzhou and the deployment of our city passes—I know them all by heart.

With the strength of our city fortresses, so long as troops, grain, and weapons are sufficient and the soldiers guard with dedication, even a million enemy troops could be held off. As for the Han army coming south now, they have no more than forty thousand men, and along the way they must detach troops to protect their supply lines. The Han forces actually attacking our passes are likely fewer than our own.

Moreover, before Weiwu City's pass, the wild terrain has many obstacles and is not expansive—hard to deploy troops in. With our city walls to rely upon, it is even harder for the Han army to exploit their advantages. That we have held for nearly three months while the Han army has gained not an inch already proves the solidity of our defenses.

If the Han army chooses to storm our city gates, they would only be seeking death. And the Han Emperor, having entrusted his great army to his commander Xiang Xun, surely knows this as well—he would not dare rashly attack and waste his soldiers' lives!

Otherwise, this campaign of the Han army against us—fighting long without achievement, squandering money, grain, and manpower—is already a failure. If they then lose troops as well, that would be a crime!"

Hearing Wang Zhaoyuan's analysis, Meng Chang's worries eased somewhat. He nodded unconsciously, looked at him, and asked: "If what you say is so, then the Han army at Fengzhou is caught in a dilemma—unable to advance or retreat?"

"Exactly! Your Majesty is perceptive—you have hit the nail on the head!" Wang Zhaoyuan smiled at the corners of his mouth and clasped his hands to Meng Chang: "Advance, and they are blocked by strong passes and numerous garrisons; retreat, and they cannot answer to the Han court. Thus they can only remain trapped in the mountains, unable to decide whether to go forward or back!"

"If only the Northern Han would withdraw their troops, that would be well!" Meng Chang could not help but sigh, speaking from the heart.

Judging from the experience of these years, fighting the Han army was not a good choice. Moreover, Meng Chang's mindset had shifted—now he only wished to sit in possession of Chuanshu, be a peaceful sovereign, and have no conflict with the Central Plains.

Able to read part of Meng Chang's psychology, hearing his words, Wang Zhaoyuan's eyes flickered slightly, but he gently shook his head, shattering Meng Chang's illusion, and said to him: "Your Majesty, I fear the Northern Han will not lightly agree to end the war.

The Northern Han Emperor Liu Chengyou is arrogant and self-important, greedy and violent—known to all under heaven. These years he has repeatedly moved troops to war and always returned victorious. With such martial glory, he would never accept a setback at our court, lest he become the laughingstock of the world! Therefore, the battle at Fengzhou must have a decisive outcome!"

"In the end, the Northern Han sovereign and ministers still look down on our Great Shu!" Wang Zhaoyuan said, and between his words and manner, a hint of mockery even appeared: "He personally campaigned against the Southern Tang and achieved complete success in half a year, which fed his arrogance. And our court twice marched north through Qinfeng to attack Guanzhong, both times defeated by his hand. Precisely because of this, the Han Emperor dares to be so presumptuous as to invade boldly!

Yet he does not know that the Han army could range freely across Huainan only because their infantry and cavalry were sharp, while Huainan is flat terrain, and its sovereign was benighted and its ministers obtuse—leading to the loss of their state. Our court is different—with the sheer danger of our terrain alone, the Han army cannot cross!"

Wang Zhaoyuan spoke at length, perfectly at ease. Seeing his high spirits, Meng Chang could not help but gain some confidence. He thought for a moment and said: "When I was young, I entered Shu with my late father, taking the Sanguan Road. The post road was rugged and hard to traverse—even travelers and merchants found it difficult, let alone a great army. As Li and Gao have reported, once winter comes and the weather turns cold, the Han army should have no reason not to withdraw!"

Wang Zhaoyuan stroked his beard and responded: "I think that before the heavy snow seals the mountains, the Han army certainly will not withdraw. In fact, the Han army may even be accelerating the stockpiling of grain and weapons in their camps in the Qinling Mountains before the passes close, to prepare for winter! According to frontline intelligence reports, there are already signs of this!"

"If that is so, then the Han army truly means to be relentless, to fight to the death!" Meng Chang's brows knit together.

Wang Zhaoyuan, however, smiled, brimming with confidence, and raised his head slightly: "I rather hope the Han army stubbornly refuses to withdraw—for that would give our court the opportunity to defeat them!"

Hearing Wang Zhaoyuan say this, Meng Chang immediately perked up, his eyes brightening as he stared at him: "From what you say, you have some plan in mind?"

At the question, Wang Zhaoyuan rose and took up a map marked with the standoff positions of the Shu and Han armies on the Fengzhou front. He gestured over it with one hand a few times and said to Meng Chang: "Your Majesty, over these years, at Liangquan and Weiwu City, we have stockpiled two hundred thousand dan of military grain. After the war began, we replenished it heavily—it is entirely sufficient for consumption. The Han army is different—tens of thousands of troops deep at Weiwu City, every bite of food, every mouthful of fodder, every arrow and spear must be transported from Guanzhong. Therefore, the Han army's lifeline lies in those winding mountain roads!"

Looking at Meng Chang, Wang Zhaoyuan could not quite hide his pride, saying: "The war has dragged on long, and these days I have been racking my brains for a strategy to break the deadlock. Now I have found one, and I was just about to seek Your Majesty's approval!"

"Speak quickly!" Meng Chang's interest grew stronger.

Putting on airs, Wang Zhaoyuan smiled: "My strategy is actually not difficult—we need only dispatch a top general with an elite force to strike the Han army's rear, cut off their supply lines, and sever their retreat! Then we need only hold both ends, and the tens of thousands of Han troops will surely be trapped and starved before Weiwu City, easily captured by our forces!"

Hearing his plan, Meng Chang was first pleased, then hesitated: "Though I know little of military affairs, I do understand the importance of supply lines and retreat routes. The Han army's generals are mostly seasoned veterans—how could they not notice?"

Seeing Meng Chang actually question his strategy, Wang Zhaoyuan felt a flicker of displeasure but dared not show it. His face still wore a smile as he patiently explained to Meng Chang: "In the early stage, the Han army certainly would have been vigilant. But now that so much time has passed, our court has consistently adopted a conservative strategy—holding our cities and towns. Even when we did sally forth, it was only to respond to their provocations and probe their strength, with no other moves. Thus the Han army must have grown lax.

And as for familiarity with the surrounding terrain and roads, our army far surpasses the Han army. We need only secretly dispatch troops, moving quietly, catching the Han army off guard—success is certain!"

"I have calculated that if we can successfully cut off the Han army, the enemy's morale will surely collapse, and our army will surely win a great victory!" Wang Zhaoyuan clasped his hands to Meng Chang: "Your Majesty need not doubt!"

Meng Chang was clearly swayed by Wang Zhaoyuan's words. Unable to contain himself, he rubbed his hands together and finally nodded in agreement: "In any case, we can order Li Tinggui to strike out and give it a try. Even if it fails, it will not harm the overall situation!"

Hearing Meng Chang say this, Wang Zhaoyuan felt even more at ease. He had been thinking—if the plan succeeded, the foremost credit would be his, for directing strategy from a thousand li away. If something went wrong, then it would be Li Tinggui and the others' failure to fight effectively, ruining his excellent strategy...

But with Meng Chang having stated this in advance, there was no downside for him, for the Emperor had spoken first.

"I hope this strategy succeeds and drives off the Han army in one stroke!" Rising, Meng Chang could not help but sigh softly once more: "If the Han army fails in their scheme against us this time, they will surely not dare come again lightly in the future. Then our court may enjoy peace..."

What Meng Chang wanted now was only peace—his demands were not high.

"Your Majesty!" Wang Zhaoyuan, however, harbored grand ambitions and said with soaring spirit: "If this strategy succeeds, it will not merely drive off the Han army! The Northern Han Emperor reformed the military system and took back the military power of the regional governors. The elite of Guanzhong and part of the imperial army are all at the Weiwu City front. If we can annihilate them in the Qinling Mountains, our army can take advantage to march out through Qinlong and sweep through the now-empty Guanzhong.

After that, with a brief reorganization, we can march east through Xiao Han and contend with the Northern Han for the Central Plains. At that time, the Southern Tang, which bears a grudge against the Northern Han, will surely send troops north across the river to retake Huainan. The Gao clan of Jingnan has always been greedy for petty gains—they too can be lured with profit.

These years, under the Han Emperor's governance, the Central Plains has grown stronger day by day. If we then entice the Tangut and the Khitan to send troops, with five states attacking the Han and dividing the Central Plains among them, how could the Northern Han resist?

Once success is achieved, the Tangut and the Khitan are foreign peoples who cannot long remain in the Central Plains, and the Southern Tang and Jingnan are even less worth mentioning—the world will belong to our court..."

A grand blueprint indeed, a great scheme of state—Wang Zhaoyuan had laid it all out clearly and methodically. Three years ago, when the Han Emperor campaigned south, Wang Zhaoyuan had used similar rhetoric to lure Meng Chang into sending troops north against Guanzhong.

But at this moment, Meng Chang's reaction was plainly rather lukewarm.