Chapter 728: First Volume, Chapter 728: Subjugated!

First Volume, Chapter 728: Subjugated!

"Brother Qin! I'm telling you straight: the order to take Xiongying Ridge within a month will never be issued!"

"If we storm Xiongying Ridge regardless of casualties, even if we gain His Majesty's favor, we'll lose the hearts of the Northern Border."

"I cannot watch you make such a foolish mistake."

Seeing Li Zhang's resolute gaze, with no room for compromise, Xu Mo and Ning Hu wisely fell silent.

They were military officers, bound to obey orders; the deeper strategic implications were not their concern.

Facing Li Zhang's rebuttal, Qin Feng did not hesitate to strike back.

"Don't you understand that delay invites disaster?"

"Now, while the Di Kingdom is internally weak and its forces have yet to regroup, with Xiongying Ridge isolated and unsupported, is the perfect moment to attack."

"Once the Di recover their breath, they need not even reinforce Xiongying Ridge directly—just move either the Xiongying Brigade or the Snow Wolf Brigade to patrol the perimeter and launch ambushes, and that alone will disrupt our siege deployment."

"Then we'll be the ones trapped in the middle, forced onto the defensive."

"Xiongying Ridge is the Di Kingdom's last foothold on the Front Line. If we don't remove it swiftly, they can use it as a foundation to return at any moment."

"Time waits for no one!"

Li Zhang understood the significance of Xiongying Ridge, but the casualties of siege warfare were unacceptable to him.

"Qin Feng! How many of our soldiers' lives are you willing to sacrifice to take Xiongying Ridge?"

"The garrison inside Xiongying Ridge numbers at least eight thousand, all Hundred-Battle Veterans."

"A high-intensity assault on Xiongying Ridge requires at least five times the enemy's strength—that's forty thousand men."

"How many troops do we even have in Beixi County? Send them all up, burn them all out, and your position in Shedynasty will be finished!"

Although Li Zhang's emotions were wildly intense and his words razor-sharp,

every word carried nothing but concern for Qin Feng.

Qin Feng deeply appreciated it, but on the battlefield, only one man could make the final call.

Qin Feng sharply tugged the reins, fixed his gaze on Li Zhang, and demanded coldly: "Where the hell did you put your fatigue tactic?"

At these words, Li Zhang fell silent.

After all, it had been Li Zhang himself who proposed stationing troops near Xiongying Ridge and sending Imperial Spies to constantly ambush strongholds and wear down the enemy.

But reality had diverged wildly from his plan.

Xiongying Ridge was impregnable, with no cover nearby; infiltrating to sabotage was impossible—before even reaching the City Wall, scouts would spot them.

No matter how much they harassed, Xiongying Ridge suffered no losses; instead, Li Zhang was the first to break.

"This failure is indeed my command error. Even if court-martialed, I have no complaints."

Seeing Li Zhang's expression filled with regret, Qin Feng did not press further, only sighed.

"Prince, the reality of the battlefield differs from the theories in your mind—everything must adapt to local conditions."

"There are many ways to fatigue the enemy—it all boils down to breaking their morale."

"But now, the opportunity is lost; discussing fatigue tactics is meaningless. Right now, we must concentrate all strength to break through Xiongying Ridge's defenses."

"And who told you that assaulting a City requires only throwing lives into the grinder?"

At this, Li Zhang looked up, his eyes filled with confusion.

In his life, every siege warfare had been brutal, especially against a fortress like Xiongying Ridge—impregnable and with rock-solid morale.

Any scheme or trick was powerless.

Could Qin Feng possibly have a plan to breach Xiongying Ridge in a short time?

Li Zhang humbly asked: "Brother Qin, please enlighten me."

Qin Feng's eyes flashed with cold ruthlessness: "On the battlefield, there is no such thing as benevolence, righteousness, or propriety."

"There are only two words: victory and defeat!"

"Any method that defeats the enemy is valid—no tactic is too ruthless, too low, too vile—if it wins, it's a good strategy!"

"Prince, I grant you one Jade-like Good Advice today—if you understand it, you'll never fail again."

"Lose humanity, you lose much. Lose beastliness, you lose everything!"

Li Zhang stood frozen, muttering inwardly: "Lose beastliness, lose everything?"

Before Li Zhang could ponder it further, Qin Feng gave the order.

"Ning Hu."

Ning Hu immediately rode forward: "Brother Qin, what's your command?"

Qin Feng said coldly: "Take men to Biancheng. During the National War, both sides left countless corpses there."

"Aren't our Shedynasty soldiers and Di soldiers buried separately?"

"Dig up all the Di soldiers' corpses and bring them to the foot of Xiongying Ridge—I'll have my use for them."

Hearing Qin Feng wanted to dig up corpses, Ning Hu paused in shock.

But recalling Qin Feng's words—"Lose beastliness, lose everything"—Ning Hu's gaze hardened instantly.

Yes—if we don't defeat the enemy, our families and friends behind us will be slaughtered.

Against the enemy, there must be no mercy.

Ning Hu immediately bowed deeply: "At once!"

After Ning Hu departed, Qin Feng summoned Xu Mo: "Prepare timber, and send it all to Xiongying Ridge as well."

"Also, withdraw five hundred craftsmen from Tianji Camp and send them to the Front Line."

Xu Mo, ever obedient, asked no questions—only accepted the order and left.

Li Zhang stared blankly at Qin Feng—digging up corpses, desecrating graves—such acts were unthinkable for Li Zhang, a royal heir raised on poetry and books.

Isn't this a violation of human ethics?

But...

Looking at Qin Feng's resolute gaze, Li Zhang hesitated again.

Which is more important: the ethereal rites and music, or the tangible benefits of defeating enemies and protecting the people?

He recalled his comrade Li Lang, who had suffered Military Death on the battlefield.

He recalled again the countless soldiers who had shed blood and life since the founding of Shedynasty.

Li Zhang turned the question he had just posed to Qin Feng back upon himself.

"To defend so-called rites and moral boundaries, how many casualties can I truly bear?"

"Maintaining humanity may earn only a good reputation, yet one's fate still lies in the enemy's hands."

"Only by preserving savagery can one instill fear in the enemy, and thereby protect all one holds dear behind one's back."

Li Zhang finally understood the meaning of these words; the confusion in his eyes vanished completely.

At this moment, the refined etiquette he had accepted throughout the first half of his life gradually gave way to something more concrete.

Li Zhang took a deep breath, as if reborn, bowed to Qin Feng with both fists, and said with utmost reverence: "One talk from you surpasses ten years of reading."