Chapter 160: First Volume, Chapter 160: Military Strategy Begins

First Volume, Chapter 160: Military Strategy Begins

With all Candidate Vice-Generals fully rested, the Military Strategy Pass officially commenced.

The former battlefield where the two armies faced off had now been cleared entirely, laid with cushions, and arranged with eighteen shushu desks, each equipped with the Four Treasures of the Study.

Eighteen Candidate Vice-Generals took their seats, each accompanied by one strategist.

These strategists were also young men with no battlefield experience.

They could be noble youths from Jingzhong who were friends with the Candidate Vice-Generals, or household retainers.

Whether in the Imperial Court or on the battlefield, decision-making has never been the sole domain of one man.

A general of exceptional bravery but lacking in strategy could still be entrusted with command—but only if someone stood beside him to compensate for his weaknesses.

All other strategists stood, but Qin Feng, with brazen audacity, demanded a cushion and sat cross-legged beside Xu Mo.

Because he had eaten too much that day, his stomach swelled uncomfortably; he propped his hands on the ground, belly bulging, sitting in a slovenly posture.

Sensing the scornful glares from all around, Xu Mo felt deeply humiliated, his face burning with shame—but he remained utterly confident in this Military Strategy Pass.

After all, Qin Feng's divine-level tactical application during the previous Po Zhen Guan had already proven his mastery of military strategy.

The Military Strategy Pass would be judged by two questions, one from the Sage, one from Qin Tianhu.

Watching Qin Feng's slouching, thug-like posture, Qin Tianhu's face flushed with embarrassment; he silently cursed the brat—everything about him was fine, except this thug-like demeanor, which he clung to with terrifying devotion, utterly disgraceful.

Qin Tianhu cleared his throat and spoke in a deep voice: "All Candidate Vice-Generals, listen carefully to the question. There are no restrictions on your method of response or line of thought—only the optimal solution will prevail."

"Listen closely."

"One hundred thousand enemy troops launch a fierce assault on a lone city, defended by only eight thousand soldiers with no reinforcements. How do you respond?"

Instantly, a murmur of whispered discussion spread through the hall.

To avoid being overheard by rivals, each Candidate Vice-General whispered privately with their strategist; within the span of one cup of tea time, some had already begun writing their responses.

When a Candidate Vice-General raised his hand, an Imperial Eunuch rushed over, took the strategy paper, and presented it to the Sage. Only if the Sage approved would it be handed to Qin Tianhu to read aloud.

The first to submit a strategy was the son of the Piaoqi Grand General.

The Liang Emperor glanced at the paper and nodded in praise: "Excellent. No surprise—the son of a Grand General."

Li Zhan promptly passed the paper to Qin Tianhu, who read aloud: "Every inch of Liang territory must be defended. I shall lead my eight thousand soldiers in deathless combat, spilling every last drop of blood. Even if the lone city falls, we shall uphold the glory of Liang, so the Barbarian Tribes know: those who dare invade Liang shall pay dearly."

The hall erupted in applause.

Yet every discerning eye knew: what utter nonsense? This was nothing but a generic pre-battle oath—every commander says the same thing before stepping onto the battlefield.

But since it was stirring morale, and given the Piaoqi Grand General's status, everyone could only pretend to be impressed, clapping with false sincerity.

Qin Feng sneered, thinking: What garbage.

All he knows is flattery—dare not utter a single practical word.

The next few Candidate Vice-Generals offered nearly identical responses: blood-soaked sands, death before retreat, better to shatter like jade than survive as pottery—only flowery phrases, nothing else.

Not a single word addressed how to actually resolve the siege.

One person saying this was tolerable; when all of them did, it became monotonous.

By the end, the Liang Emperor merely glanced, tossed the papers to Li Zhan without comment, and refused to even bother evaluating them.

Soon, only four Candidate Vice-Generals remained.

They were Xu Mo, Ning Hu, Chen Ge, and Lin Rong.

Seeing the other three scribbling furiously, Xu Mo, who had written nothing, panicked; he shot urgent glances at Qin Feng, sprawled out beside him: "Brother Qin, hurry up! If you delay any longer, everyone else will finish—do you want the Sage waiting for us? Do you even have a plan?"

Qin Feng, utterly unconcerned, only wished the Qingyi Ceremony would end so he could return home and exercise to digest his food; otherwise, with nothing coming out, he'd turn into a Fatty in a few days.

The attention of the court officials and generals now turned entirely to Qin Feng, and murmurs spread rapidly.

"Strange—during the Po Zhen Guan, Qin Feng's tactical application was flawless. Why is he silent now in the Military Strategy Pass?"

"Hah! Could it be he was caught off guard by this question?"

"Of course! The Po Zhen Guan had fixed terrain and limited personnel—Qin Feng could prepare thoroughly in advance. But this Military Strategy Pass question is spontaneous!"

"Disappointing! I actually thought Qin Feng was a military genius. Turns out his victory in the first round was all due to pre-planning. When faced with an impromptu question, he's clueless. Do enemies on the battlefield give Qin Feng time to prepare? Ridiculous!"

Hearing the chorus of gossip around him, Qin Tianhu grew uneasy—what the hell was this brat up to?

At that moment, Li Xu's cold mockery rang out: "Lord Qin, did you not inform your son of the question in advance?"

Li Xu refused to believe Qin Feng had devised the tactics in the first trial himself—he was certain Qin Tianhu had coached him. How could a wastrel who'd never set foot on a battlefield possibly conceive strategies even seasoned Old Generals couldn't master?

If Qin Feng failed this Military Strategy Pass, Li Xu could petition the Sage to accuse him of cheating in the first round—then, once and for all, revoke Xu Mo's eligibility, severing Qin Family's ties to the northern Di campaign.

Meanwhile, Chen Ge, the Ministry of Justice's nominee, had already finished his response.

The Liang Emperor, numb from repetition, simply waved his hand: let Qin Tianhu read it aloud—no need to sully his eyes with it.

"As the saying goes: the highest strategy is to outwit the enemy, the middle is to disrupt their resources, the lowest is to assault the city. Though we have only eight thousand soldiers, holding the city grants us strength even against one hundred thousand foes. With proper preparation, we become a spike driven into the frontier, trapping the enemy between advance and retreat. If they dare storm the walls, pour fire oil, hurl stones and timber—repel them. The gates hold, the city stands."

As Qin Tianhu finished reading, the court officials and generals nodded in approval.

The Liang Emperor's eyes brightened for the first time; he smiled again: "This response, though rooted in standard military doctrine, is impressive—given you've never been on a battlefield and lack combat experience. To conceive this proves diligent study. This strategy is acceptable."

At these words, Chen Ge's head nearly lifted off his shoulders, his face beaming with pride.

Just then, an discordant voice broke the silence.

"Oh, so the enemy are all fools, letting you freely transport weapons and grain into the lone city? Then why even fight? Just line up and let you chop them down?"

Qin Feng leaned lazily against his desk, scratched his buttocks, and muttered indifferently, sneering at this so-called Military Strategy.

Chen Ge's face flushed crimson then pale; he roared: "Qin Feng, how dare you question the Sage?!"