Chapter 1181: First Volume, Chapter 1181: On Prolonged Warfare and Grain Reserves

First Volume, Chapter 1181: On Prolonged Warfare and Grain Reserves

The next morning, Qin Feng convened the first strategic coordination meeting at the garrison.

All officers of Gate General rank or higher were eligible to attend.

Moreover, for every one hundred soldiers, one representative had to be elected, and these representatives must possess genuine personal ability—no favoritism or connections allowed.

As a result, over three hundred people attended the coordination meeting, a bustling crowd.

The sole objective of this consultation was to consolidate logistics and discuss Prolonged Warfare.

Initially, only Deputy Generals and above spoke up enthusiastically, but as all their suggestions were rejected by Qin Feng, the atmosphere gradually grew tense.

Forced into it, a representative from the Infantry stood up, gritting his teeth.

"I'd like to ask—is this war going to be long-term or short-term?"

Qin Feng's eyes lit up; he nodded at the Infantry representative, giving his approval.

"Good. Finally, someone has noticed the critical issue of adapting to local conditions."

"There are many military texts and strategies, but under Heaven and Earth, no tactic can remain unchanged while responding to all changes."

"The right path is to formulate the most suitable combat method for the current environment, based on battlefield realities and strategic understanding."

"Fighting by clinging to military texts will always leave you one step behind."

The Infantry representative had been nervous, fearing a single misstep might bring severe punishment.

But after receiving Qin Feng's praise, he straightened up, his head nearly tilting to the sky.

He glanced around at the other representatives, clearly showing off.

"My humble opinion has surely amused Your Highness."

"If the war lasts only a short time, there will be no logistics problem."

"But long-term can be divided into medium-long and ultra-long."

"If the battle lasts one year, keeping the Supply Line open is enough; if it lasts longer than a year, other solutions must be found."

At first, Qin Feng had only allowed Infantry soldiers to send representatives out of a desire to gather broad input.

He hadn't expected to accidentally uncover a talent.

This man's words aligned perfectly with Qin Feng's thoughts; he immediately asked: "What is your name?"

The Infantry representative, who had just been beaming, instantly deflated, as if burdened by some unspoken secret.

Qin Feng did not press him; he turned directly to the officer standing beside him.

Soon, the Infantry representative's superior stepped forward.

"Your Highness, this man's name is Lin Dahai. He formerly served under the Former General of the Northern Border, and after a defeat, was reassigned to the Rear, eventually transferring into the Jingji Garrison."

Hearing this, Qin Feng nodded and turned his gaze again toward Lin Dahai, the Infantryman.

"It was just a defeat—what's there to hide?"

Lin Dahai's cheeks flushed red; after much hesitation, he finally spoke out: "I once served in the Third Battalion of the Former General's Left Vanguard."

"I fought against the Beidi Legendary Tooth General Zhong Ling. The entire Third Battalion was nearly annihilated; I was one of the few survivors."

Zhong Ling?

When Qin Feng had traveled a thousand li to Beixi County to save his mother, he had clashed with this very man.

He never expected that, after so long, Zhong Ling's name would be brought up again in this way.

Qin Feng motioned with his hand, signaling Lin Dahai not to blame himself.

"Victory and defeat are common in warfare; moreover, losing to Zhong Ling is nothing to be ashamed of."

"And now is precisely the time to use talent. Someone like you, if left as an Infantryman, would be a waste."

"I promote you to Fang General."

At these words, every officer and soldier present looked at him with envy.

Lin Dahai was utterly stunned—he had merely stood up and spoken a few words, and now he was promoted straight to Fang General?

Could such a thing exist?

Even if Qin Feng controlled all matters on the Front Line, casually appointing a Fang General seemed far too frivolous.

But remembering that the man before them was Qin Feng—not a foolish, impulsive ruler—their doubts vanished instantly.

"Thank you, Prince Qin!"

Lin Dahai fell to his knees with a thud, bowing repeatedly, his face flushed with excitement.

Since Qin Feng placed such trust in him, he would surely live up to this favor.

"When I was crushed by Zhong Ling in the Northern Border, it was because our logistics failed—we were surrounded and forced into a desperate breakout."

"During the breakout, we suffered continuous ambushes and pursuit, which led to total defeat."

"The cities of Nan Jing are as solid as fortresses, and we cannot harm innocent civilians—this will surely become a prolonged Consumption War."

"With the weather about to warm, I suggest we cultivate land locally, becoming self-sufficient."

At these words, the officers and soldiers immediately split into two factions.

The Elite Troops transferred from the Jingji Garrison were Professional Soldiers who did not engage in production, so they fell silent.

The reinforcements that arrived later were mostly conscripted from local regions.

Many of them were Tuntian Soldiers.

In matters of farming, they naturally held strong authority, so they quickly agreed.

"We've long heard Jiangnan's soil is fertile and rainfall abundant—so long as there's no flood or plague, hard work ensures no one starves."

"Since Gusu City is already surrounded, why not farm right here?"

"That's right—if logistics fail, we can grow our own grain and avoid starvation."

Even the Capital Elite and the officers present fell silent.

After all, farming on-site means preparing for prolonged warfare, and only Qin Feng can approve it.

What they didn't know was that Qin Feng had convened this emergency coordination meeting precisely to carry out land reclamation and grain cultivation, since self-sufficiency in food was one of the best ways to secure logistics.

Moreover, unless absolutely necessary, Qin Feng would never divert resources from the Northern Border to sustain the Nan Jing Battlefront.

Qin Feng immediately pulled out a map of Jiangnan, unfurled it publicly, and laid out his preliminary plan to all officers and soldiers.

"Gentlemen, look here: south of Gusu City lies the battlefront, while north of Gusu City is the territory under our control in Heaven."

"Long before our army marched south, all civilians within a hundred li north of Gusu City had fled the war, leaving vast tracts of land abandoned."

"With our troops guarding the front, the rear can farm in peace."

Qin Feng used a Brush to mark a large expanse of land on the map.

"Before coming here, I surveyed the route and found this area sparsely populated—perfect for opening new farmland and establishing Tuntian."

"If we plant all this land with Grain, it won't just supply the Front Line—any surplus can be returned to the people."

"Besides our own five thousand Tuntian Soldiers, we'll mobilize nearby civilians to take advantage of the coming Spring Plowing and turn this land into a Rear Grain Depot."

As soon as he spoke, the crowd erupted in enthusiastic agreement.

Especially the Tuntian Soldiers, who were most excited—after all, they were not Professional Soldiers, and every time they went to the Battlefield, people died.

Returning to the Rear to farm and till land was unquestionably the best choice.