Chapter 1110

"Old Lv, you can't look down on these small people; they also have their uses!"

Chen Wuji handed the wine in his hand to Lv Ji, "That dog Shé Zhàng Wēng, I genuinely admire him now; I've already used every trick I know, yet he always slips through my fingers. This time, I don't plan to make a big fuss—I'll just test the power of these small people."

When Shé Zhàng Wēng was mentioned, Chen Wuji felt a thousand emotions.

This old fox is simply his lifelong enemy!

They have clashed countless times since Yunan County; Shé Zhàng Wēng has never been able to do anything to Chen Wuji, but he has made Chen Wuji sick enough.

So this time, Chen Wuji plans to ignore him.

He assigned this task to Wèi Chéngzhōu, whom Lv Ji sees as a small person, and then had the Spy Camp keep watch.

Chen Wuji really didn't want to waste too much energy on this old fox—it was too draining and easily made him irritable and hot-tempered.

Lv Ji didn't say more, drained the wine in the jug, raised it high with both hands, "Thank you, my lord, for the wine. Deputy General will continue drinking with them."

"Go."

As Lv Ji turned around, Zhao Chen suddenly led a young man over.

"My lord, I've found the most beautiful answer!" Zhao Chen, having drunk, had a thick tongue and spoke excitedly, completely losing his usual composure.

Chen Wuji simply sat down on the wooden steps.

"What answer? You say it yourself!" He pointed at the young man beside Zhao Chen.

That young man's alcohol tolerance was clearly much better than Zhao Chen's—face not flushed, breath not labored, looking as if he hadn't drunk at all.

"I report to the Marquis, Deputy Officer Jìn Shàngjié, from Yunan County in Shangfang Commandery." Jìn Shàngjié bowed, then said, "Assistant Officer Zhao asked me: Marquis wishes to take Jiannan Commandery and Shangfang Commandery—what is the best method? I answer: distant alliance, close attack, gradual inducement."

"Explain it slowly—your words, I may not necessarily understand!"

"Marquis has shamed Deputy Officer." Jìn Shàngjié bowed again, humble and respectful.

"In Deputy Officer's view, Jiannan and Shangfang—the two commanderies—are now in the Marquis's palm; the key lies only in early or late. If the Marquis is impatient, he can use distant alliance, close attack: promise benefits to remote areas to induce surrender, then attack the nearest counties, preferably with thunderous tactics—those who stubbornly resist, do not accept surrender, behead them all!"

"As for gradual inducement, it means understanding the preferences of all the feudal lords in Jiannan and Shangfang, catering to their likes, to subdue them."

"Simply put, Deputy Officer's method is coercion and inducement—Jiannan and Shangfang are now divided into over ten small powers; to them, the Marquis is as great as heaven."

"With the words 'power' and 'benefit,' over eighty percent of the separatist forces can be subdued."

Chen Wuji gestured for the Personal Guard to bring over the wine barrel.

He poured a jug of wine, held it in his hand but did not drink.

Jìn Shàngjié's suggestion sounded somewhat plausible, but still fell far short of Zhao Chen's most beautiful answer.

His thinking was still shallow and one-sided.

Moreover, it was very familiar—wasn't this exactly what Jia Yujing was doing?

At that moment, Jìn Shàngjié suddenly said again, "The Marquis may now be more focused on the Uyghurs, guarding against them closely, while unwilling to move troops against Jiannan and Shangfang, desiring only to subdue them with isolated troops and envoys. But Deputy Officer dares to advise the Marquis: the Marquis need only dispatch a force of iron cavalry, and the situation in Jiannan and Shangfang will collapse instantly!"

"Collapse instantly?"

"Deputy Officer is willing to issue a military order!" Jìn Shàngjié suddenly became impassioned, chest thrust forward, speaking decisively and without hesitation, full of confidence.

Chen Wuji did not rush to refute him, only asking, "You said one force of iron cavalry—how many troops? Cavalry or infantry? Heavy armor or light cavalry? Speak clearly."

"Cavalry, light cavalry will do—I know the Marquis wants to focus his main energy on the Uyghurs; I only need three thousand cavalry to suffice!" Jìn Shàngjié said.

Three thousand light cavalry...

Chen Wuji lightly tapped the wine jug in his hand, "I can agree to three thousand cavalry, but before that, I need to ask you one thing."

"Marquis, please command."

"Jiannan Commandery and Shangfang Commandery now have over twenty separatist powers, big and small—what do you think of their dispositions? That is, these people—can your power and benefit be applied to them?" Chen Wuji asked slowly.

Jìn Shàngjié was stunned by this question, "Dispositions..."

He had indeed not considered this; after serious thought for a while, he spoke solemnly: "Among these over twenty powers, at least half have undecided dispositions. Power and benefit suit them well, but there's a problem: those who surrender will become hidden dangers."

Chen Wuji nodded slightly.

Zhao Chen seemed to have seen wrong.

Where exactly did he see that this young man was saying the most beautiful answer?

He hadn't even clarified what kind of people these separatist forces were, yet dared to talk about instant collapse?

It can only be said that the young man's confidence in wanting to establish merit was overly eager.

"So, you guess why my envoys basically don't promise benefits to these separatist forces, but first use intimidation to force them?" Chen Wuji asked, "Although it seems like the same thing, the final effect is completely different."

"What I want is permanent submission, not using good things to bribe them into joining."

Jìn Shàngjié bowed with a face full of shame, "Deputy Officer... overlooked human nature."

"Not bad, actually—say, after obtaining three thousand elite cavalry, what do you plan to do?" Chen Wuji asked again.

He still trusted Zhao Chen's judgment, suspected Jìn Shàngjié hadn't spoken clearly, and prepared to give him another chance.

"Hunting!"

Jìn Shàngjié said this quickly, without thinking, blurted out.

"Is that it?" Chen Wuji asked.

"Marquis, the words 'hunting' alone are enough!"

Chen Wuji was somewhat disappointed, nodded slightly, then asked again, "Hunting is indeed a good idea, but how will you solve the grain and fodder problem?"

"With the help of our army's envoys, from the counties first opened by the envoys, go outward to hunt."

Chen Wuji was utterly speechless, silently looking toward Zhao Chen.

Zhao Chen's expression was also somewhat uncomfortable; he lightly coughed, stopped Jìn Shàngjié, "That, today is not suitable to discuss these matters—you've drunk too much, sober up, talk again tomorrow."

"Assistant Officer Zhao, I, I haven't drunk much, I'm very sober!" Jìn Shàngjié shouted.

Zhao Chen forcefully pushed Jìn Shàngjié away, "Go on, go on, I say you've drunk too much."

Chen Wuji smiled—this should be Zhao Chen's most spectacular overturning yet.

Jìn Shàngjié's suggestion, at first hearing, indeed sounded quite reasonable.

Listening to it all, he basically just spouted a bunch of nonsense.

What he said was exactly what Jia Yujing and the others are doing right now.

The only difference is that Jia Yujing didn't ask him for troops, while Jìn Shàngjié did.

This is the only change and progress he has made in this scheme.