Chapter 406: Military Strategy in the Camp: A Forgotten Move from Twenty-Five Years Ago

Option 6: The army of Yuan Chong City holds its position; the army of Yan City retreats to Xu Zhou and Bo Zhou, fortifies defenses, and organizes agriculture.

Option 7: Swap to make Yan City's army hold its position.

Of these two options, only the city assignments differ.

From the final hint, Option 6 will lead to adverse outcomes and heavy casualties.

Option 7's hint suggests it will affect the overall balance of the realm, but gives no indication whether it is good or bad.

Considering all these options together.

Only Option 7's hint contains no mention of adverse outcomes or heavy casualties.

It seems the Northern Wind has long been waiting for this northern advance by Yan.

Yu Ke scratched his head.

This simulation has reached its late stage, where battles involve hundreds of thousands of troops and determine "unification of the realm."

He suspected this ten-year simulation might end Lu Chen's life.

This choice cannot afford the slightest error.

Now, hesitating is pointless—based on the hints, only one option is viable.

Yu Ke made no further hesitation: Option 7. The army of Yan City holds its position; the army of Yuan Chong City retreats to Xu Zhou and Bo Zhou, fortifies defenses, reclaims wasteland, and organizes agriculture. (Hint: May influence the fate of the realm.)

With your choice, the simulation continues.

【You fixed your gaze on Xie Ling and said solemnly: "Take note. I issue the following orders."】

【As soon as the words left your mouth, the tent grew heavy with tension and anticipation.】

【Xie Ling's expression sharpened; he focused intently. The accompanying wine-forbidding scribe also held his breath, ink brush already touching paper.】

【Your voice remained steady: "Order Huo Hai to hold his twenty-thousand-strong force in place, and under no circumstances initiate action. Of these, ten thousand troops must be secretly deployed around Yan City to construct strong fortifications against unforeseen threats; the other ten thousand shall enforce a scorched-earth policy beyond the perimeter, preparing for contingencies."】

【You paused, scanning the assembly: "Remember: do not attack Yan City. Even if its gates stand wide open, not a single soldier shall move."】

【Though puzzled, none dared delay—they immediately began recording your orders.】

【Feng Haiping nodded inwardly. Not attacking Yan City was indeed wise.】

【Yan City's terrain is treacherous, easy to defend, hard to take—and even if captured, it would offer no advantage to the Northern Wind's northward advance.】

【To reach Huanglong Mansion, you must first pass through Yuan Chong City.】

【Yet Yan City cannot be ignored. It is a hidden dagger, ready to strike from behind.】

【Therefore, while assaulting Yuan Chong, we must constantly guard against Yan City, lest we be encircled front and rear.】

【By stationing twenty thousand elite troops in Yan City to contain its eight thousand Qianyuan elite soldiers, Xie Ling has made a wise move.】

【Xie Ling nodded slightly in agreement. He and his military wine-forbidding advisors, having repeatedly simulated this scenario on the sand table, had long concluded that bypassing Yan City was the optimal choice—perfectly aligning with the true essence of military strategy: "The highest form of warfare is to outwit the enemy."】

【Yet the core problem—how to capture Yuan Chong City—remains unsolved.】

【The Northern Wind had long planned this. For years, they forged Yuan Chong City into an impregnable fortress.】

【Zhou Tiancheng, famed across the land as a defender, bore a fearsome reputation. In those days, when the Lu family army swept northward, city after city fell—yet Zhou Tiancheng's city held out for five grueling months.】

【At first, grain stores sustained them; when grain ran out, they ate tree bark, leaves, even paper; when horses were slaughtered, cannibalism broke out.】

【It was Zhou Tiancheng himself who started it—he killed a concubine from his household, lit a fire, and boiled her flesh.】

【The city then organized systematic cannibalism.】

【They established "Vegetable People Shops" to serve white meat, beginning with the elderly, weak, sick, and dying, then moving to wounded soldiers—this lone city held out for five months.】

【When Lu Chen learned of this, he was horrified by its inhumanity. He ordered an immediate withdrawal, detoured around the city, and ignored it even after its fall.】

【Now, the current defender, Zhou Tiancheng, is deeply favored by Tuoba Shuyi, who this spring ordered Crown Prince Tuoba Hongyan to wed Zhou Tiancheng's sole surviving daughter, making her Crown Princess.】

【Today, the entire Northern Wind is united. Though the people cut their own rations, they tirelessly supply grain and supplies to Yuan Chong City.】

【Even Tuoba Shuyi, over seventy, personally climbed the city walls to comfort Northern Wind soldiers.】

【As long as the Yan North Army cannot cross the barrier of Yuan Chong, all else is meaningless.】

【All eyes turned to you, awaiting your strategy.】

【You continued: "Our twenty-thousand-strong force, after today's rest, will leave six battalions to patrol outside Yuan Chong City; the rest will withdraw entirely to Bo Zhou and Xu Zhou."】

【Qi Ran frowned, his mind filled with doubt.】

【Why retreat to two provinces? Are we abandoning the northward advance? But if so, why order Xie Ling to hold Yan City?】

【Why retreat to these two provinces?】

【The only path north lies through Yuan Chong City—everyone exchanged glances.】

【Before they could ponder further, you issued the next order: "After withdrawing to the two provinces, Feng Haiping, lead forty thousand troops to construct fortifications and clear roads. Xie Ling, organize agriculture."】

【You paused, then added: "Also, summon Zhang Zhong to Yunzhou—he will oversee this."】

【Zhang Zhong, a peasant from Yan territory, rose through the ranks due to his exceptional agricultural skills.】

【He invented the "Tuntian System," introduced rice transplanting, implemented wheat crop rotation, and improved farming tools—dramatically increasing grain yields.】

【This man was the first person you personally appointed as a marquis for his farming excellence, back when you were still on Mount Zhongnan.】

【Though Feng Haiping did not understand the reasoning, past experience told him that every order the Emperor gave ultimately proved correct.】

【He immediately responded: "Feng Haiping, at your command!"】

【Xie Ling followed without delay: "Xie Ling, at your command!"】

【Yet after accepting the order, Xie Ling began to ponder slowly.】

【The Northern Wind abandoned the fertile two provinces and retreated to Yue Zhou, leaving behind only ruin.】

【Roads, houses, crops—all lay shattered and desolate.】

【The two provinces' terrain is flat, offering no natural defenses, and contains no major cities to serve as barriers.】

【The vast, fertile fields beyond the walls, though rich, are unsuitable for fortification—this is precisely why the Northern Wind chose to abandon them outright and retreat to Yue Zhou.】

【Now, if we retreat to these provinces and organize farming, we may save costs—but we face the same problem.】

【Especially during planting—if the Northern Wind launches a surprise raid, what then? Without defenses, losses would be catastrophic.】

【Over the years, the Yan North Army has trained rigorously, raising its recruitment standards steadily.】

【Xie Ling was confident—his troops rivaled any elite force in the realm, and with the Yan Prince present, they could defeat even overwhelming odds.】

【After all, on the battlefield, victory depends not merely on soldiers' bravery or logistical supply, but on whether the commander understands "heaven's timing and earth's advantage," plans wisely, and commands with skill.】

【This campaign by Qianyuan is led by Prince Wu Long, former envoy of the Qianyuan delegation and the army's foremost pillar—proof of Qianyuan's grave concern over this war between Northern Wind and Yan.】

【Though facing nearly triple the enemy's numbers, Wu Long dared launch a night raid—his courage was extraordinary.】

【Huo Hai had foreseen this and laid a perfect trap, catching Wu Long off guard.】

【Even so, Wu Long maintained strict discipline and withdrew calmly, preserving his general's dignity.】

【Huo Hai and Wu Long have clashed repeatedly; relying on Yan City's terrain, they have matched each other evenly, neither daring to act rashly—only small-scale probes to test each other's strength.】

【Yuan Chong City has never once sallied forth.】

【You assigned Huo Hai to Yan City, not the aggressive Feng Haiping, because Huo Hai excels in defense, is cautious in tactics, and specializes in defeating larger forces with fewer troops.】

【It is easy to win by overwhelming strength; few generals know when to advance or retreat, when to take or abandon.】

【Huo Hai has spent his life on the battlefield, often overwhelming enemies with sheer numbers. Though never producing dazzling feats, he has rarely lost—and his defense of cities rivals Zhou Tiancheng's.】

【Truly, the best warriors leave no famed exploits; the best strategists make no brilliant moves.】

【Leaving Yan City's enemy to Huo Hai, you feel at ease.】

【Those in the tent began to ponder the deeper meaning behind your orders.】

【Especially the wine-forbidding officers—some wore thoughtful expressions, while others still failed to grasp the reason.】

【At this moment, a young wine-forbidding officer in black stood up, bowing respectfully:】

【"Your Majesty, what is the deeper purpose of this arrangement?"】

【"If our entire force withdraws, leaving only three thousand troops to guard, would that not be unwise?"】

【Those holding the position of wine-forbidding officer were all top graduates of the Martial Academy, selected only after proving themselves in campaigns and offering successful strategies.】

【His presence here proved his exceptional talent.】

【At his words, Feng Haiping, Xie Ling, and others frowned, casting heavy glances.】

【Especially Jia Fu and Yu Xu—both provincial Military Governors and Grand Generals, high-ranking and powerful—their eyes were icy.】

【They were among the dozen most powerful men in the army, forged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood—each gesture carried the weight of authority; common soldiers dared not even breathe loudly before them.】

【Many veteran generals glared angrily at the young officer.】

【No one in the army had ever dared question the "Young Protector's" decisions.】

【Since returning from Mount Zhongnan, especially after Ye Mu's death, the "Young Protector's" demeanor had softened, often appearing gentle.】

【In the past, with the "Young Marshal" in command, the twenty-six generals under him trembled in fear—even their glances dared not wander.】

【The young wine-forbidding officer believed himself courageous, yet under the weight of so many stern gazes, he grew uneasy.】

【He scanned the tent and saw several generals wearing "fierce demon" expressions—men famed in the army, capable of drawing their swords and executing on the spot.】

【A chill of fear crept into the young officer's heart; beads of sweat formed on his brow.】

【You saw this, smiled faintly, and gestured: "This is not my autocracy. Speak freely."】

【At this, everyone withdrew their stares.】

【The young officer bowed deeply: "Student Kong Shao, Fifth Rank of the Martial Academy, pays homage to Your Majesty."】

【He referred to himself not as a wine-forbidding officer, but as a Martial Academy student, because the Yan Prince is also the Academy's Chancellor, and all students must bow before his portrait as their master.】

【To study at the "Yan Martial Academy" is to become student and disciple of the master!】

【"Warfare is the nation's greatest matter, a matter of life and death, survival or ruin—unquestionably worthy of deep consideration. That is why I dare speak."】

【You nodded slightly; the atmosphere in the tent eased.】

【Kong Shao wiped the sweat from his brow and continued:】

【"If we divide our forces like this, won't we give the North Wind an opening? If our troops are busy farming, and the North Wind launches a southern invasion, what then?"】

【"Moreover, farming will inevitably scatter our troops. Xuzhou and Bozhou are flat terrain; Yuan Chong City needs only send a light cavalry unit to strike and retreat at will, picking us off one by one."】

【"Even if we begin farming now, harvest won't come until autumn. This war must not drag on—it must be swift, decisive, like thunder before one can cover one's ears."】

【"Today, the world is in chaos. Qianyuan has allied with northern forces. Though Han Chu has joined us, we still cannot match the Empress's might. If turmoil erupts in the south, our Yan State must not be shackled by the North Wind."】

【Upon hearing this, all were deeply troubled, knowing full well that the North Wind sought a prolonged war.】

【We will not grant them their wish!】

【Daqing's Empress Dowager, Zhou Jinyu, has sent envoys with letters to the Yan Prince's mansion, preparing to dispatch troops to aid Great Yan.】

【Daqing's young emperor is only thirteen; next year he will reach adulthood. Under his mother's instruction, he calls Lu Chen his adoptive father.】

【Currently, Yan and Daqing are allies, yet Daqing is the weakest of all nations.】

【The conflict between Hexi and Jiangbei has drawn in Daqing's two former princes.】

【The world has descended into a free-for-all; foreign trade has completely halted. Many citizens across nations are now unemployed, idle at home.】

【Yan's lands have long prepared in advance, gradually reducing foreign trade and focusing instead on meeting domestic needs.】

【You nodded upon hearing this.】

【"Indeed, this is true!"】

【"But human hearts change."】

【You rose from your seat.】

【You stepped slowly out of the command tent. It was noon; outside, the military camps echoed with laughter and song, and even the guards at the gate were drunk.】

【Where is the discipline in this army!】

【All of this was deliberately arranged by you.】

【It was both a test and a stratagem.】

【You even deliberately split your army, stationing them on opposite banks of Zhi River—a grave violation of military doctrine. Should the enemy strike now, they would find it impossible to deploy forces against the Zhi River's natural barrier, and crossing it would guarantee utter defeat.】

【The commanders of Yuan Chong City are all well-versed in military strategy—how could they fail to see this flaw?】

【Yet they still chose to remain within their walls.】

【The generals behind you gradually emerged from the tent. Feng Haiping gazed at the scene and laughed: "It seems the North Wind fears His Majesty so deeply that even this golden opportunity dares not provoke an attack!"】

【"When His Majesty deliberately let Zhou Tiancheng escape, he said: if this man becomes the future commander of the North Wind, he will bring catastrophic ruin upon them."】

【"That idle move by the Young Protector long ago has now become the decisive move in this battle."】

【Upon hearing this, the young Kong Shao was startled.】

【That northern expedition occurred twenty-five years ago.】

【How is this possible?】

【Deliberately releasing Zhou Tiancheng to shape today's situation.】

【Could the 'Young Protector' have foreseen this day back then?】

This month, after the plan concludes, Lu Chen will see if he can start reading to become a Sage by month's end—it seems he must hurry!





(End of Chapter)