Chapter 1164

First Volume, Chapter 1164: Playing by No Rules

Upon hearing these words, Sun Bo slowly closed his eyes, awaiting his judgment.

The officers and soldiers present all stared at Qin Feng, not a single one stepping forward to plead for Sun Bo.

It wasn't because they were heartless, indifferent to their Main General's fate.

But because they had been defeated—crushingly, shamefully, utterly humiliated.

Even if Qin Feng were to execute every Deputy General here, they would harbor not a single ounce of resentment.

Qin Feng's voice rang out again, sharper than before.

"Sun Bo failed in command, causing massive losses. He is demoted to Deputy General."

"Effective immediately, all privileges are revoked. He shall Da Yi."

"If he achieves tangible results, his former position as Vanguard Main General shall be restored; if not, he shall be handed over to the Ministry of War for severe punishment!"

Upon hearing Qin Feng's verdict, Sun Bo snapped his eyes open, disbelief flooding his gaze.

He never expected that Qin Feng, known for his ruthless decisiveness, would spare him so easily.

Not just Sun Bo—even the Vanguard Deputy Generals present were stunned, unable to believe their ears.

Qin Feng… didn't kill Sun Bo?

Zhao Yuxiong frowned deeply: "Brother Qin, Sun Bo is indeed a senior general and Old Minister of the court, but he committed grave offenses this time. If you let him off so lightly, it will be hard to win the troops' trust."

Zhao Yuxiong adhered strictly to protocol—there was nothing wrong with that.

But the Vanguard had already suffered massive losses, and morale had plummeted to rock bottom.

If the Main General were executed now, it would be another crushing blow to morale.

Qin Feng shook his head, his gaze resolute: "General Sun's military talent is beyond reproach; he merely suffered setbacks in an unfamiliar theater."

"Giving him another chance is entirely reasonable."

Since Qin Feng had spoken thus, Zhao Yuxiong said no more.

Sun Bo's expression was profoundly complex.

After all, during Li Yong's Forced Palace Coup, Sun Bo had been a core member of the Crown Prince's faction—he was, in essence, Qin Feng's mortal enemy.

For Qin Feng to spare him now, without exploiting this opportunity to eliminate him, was unimaginable to Sun Bo.

"Your Majesty, why not kill me?"

"Whether it's the defeat on the Front Line… or the incident with the Seventh Prince…"

Before Sun Bo could finish, Qin Feng waved his hand to cut him off: "There are no eternal enemies in this world—only eternal interests."

"When goals align, even enemies can become allies."

"You merely held differing political views—you are a political rival, not a Blood Feud enemy. Why should I exterminate you?"

"The matter of the Seventh Prince is closed. The past is past; no need to revisit it."

"All you need do is give your all, Da Yi."

Sun Bo's gaze had undergone a complete transformation.

Until now, he had merely respected Qin Feng's military talent, but held deep prejudice against Qin Feng as a man.

Now, Qin Feng had buried the hatchet—this moved Sun Bo deeply, and the last vestiges of his hostility vanished completely.

For Sun Bo, Qin Feng's greatest mercy was not sparing his life.

It was giving him the chance to rebuild, to erase his shame.

If he could Da Yi and restore his former honor, his entire Clan would not fall into ruin…

By the time Sun Bo recovered from his shock, Qin Feng had already walked toward the Shuaizhang.

Watching Qin Feng's back, every eye present burned with intensity; murmurs erupted everywhere.

"Who would've thought… the legendary Qin Wang is so merciful?"

"Hah, Qin Wang is merciful only to his own. If you become his enemy, you'll see how cruel he truly is!"

"Exactly!"

"With Qin Wang here, this war can still be won!"

"Right! Under Qin Wang's command, we will surely erase this shame!"

Inside the Shuaizhang, Qin Feng summoned all officers to reassess the battlefield situation.

"How many troops do we still have? I want exact numbers."

Long before Qin Feng arrived, Liu Ming had already meticulously counted the forces; he answered without hesitation.

"We can mobilize seven thousand troops immediately."

"Of these, the remnants of the Vanguard number only two thousand two hundred."

"Plus two thousand eight hundred light cavalry under Zhao Zhenhai."

"Add eight hundred Black Cavalry, five hundred personal guards brought by the Qin Wang, and the Jin Yi Wei and scouts operating on the perimeter."

"That's about all."

Qin Feng nodded, already calculating how to retaliate against Gusu City.

Though the overall strategy was a Logistics Battle—besiege but do not attack—

after repeated defeats, morale was a critical issue. If morale could not be restored, even peripheral Ambushes would collapse: the moment the Enemy Army approached, whether Cavalry or Vanguard, they would flee in panic.

On the Battlefield, nothing is more dangerous than fear before the fight begins.

"Seven thousand troops—this is no small force. When I once held a lone city against Di, I had barely a thousand men."

"Issue orders: tomorrow evening, launch an assault on Gusu City."

The entire Shuaizhang fell deathly silent; every face wore expressions of utter disbelief.

Zhao Zhenhai, also recalled, stared wide-eyed.

"Your Highness, still fighting?"

"Originally we had twenty thousand elite troops, strong men and sturdy horses, yet the Gusu City Garrison still drove us back."

"Now we have only seven thousand men, and fewer than three thousand infantry—how can we launch a military siege?"

"This… this is like Beidi War Tactics, isn't it?"

The officers present said nothing, but their thoughts mirrored Zhao Zhenhai's—they believed continuing the siege was tantamount to suicide.

Sun Bo, though banished to Deputy General, still held considerable influence within the army.

He quickly explained.

"Prince Qin, the tactical advantage of the Gusu City Garrison is no weaker than our elite troops."

"Especially their heavy armor infantry—though their height is generally not as towering or fierce as ours, the difference is minimal."

"Most crucially, their armor is complete and their numbers are staggering."

"After several engagements, we estimate there are at least six thousand heavy armor infantry inside Gusu City!"

Six thousand heavy armor infantry? That's nearly equal to Qin Feng's entire current force.

Facing such a formidable enemy, forcing an assault would be like having your head kicked by a donkey.

But Qin Feng had no intention of storming the City—he merely sought revenge and to restore morale.

Qin Feng lowered his hand, signaling everyone to stay calm.

"This battle requires no forced assault, no risky approach to the City—only luring the Enemy Army out."

"The Enemy Army has won consecutive victories; they must be arrogant. Even if Lin Wenwan is in command, they will surely send small detachments to probe us."

"If their main force exits, we retreat. If my prediction proves correct, we strike with One-Strike Victory and annihilate this small detachment."

"Boost our morale!"