To achieve immortality, I cultivate using Qi Luck

Chapter 835: 358 The Middle Way

Chapter 835: Chapter 358 The Middle Way

Watching as the last of Bai Yian’s strategies for defending against Chu was voiced, a subtle tide of agreement began to swell among the ministers within the hall. Shen Qiu could no longer sit still and stood up to speak.

“The strategy proposed by Wuan Marquis is indeed mature and well-considered for the state, a safe plan,” he began.

Shen Qiu first affirmed the practicality and correctness of Bai Yian’s last strategy, then shifted his tone and said, “However, consistently retreating and passively defending without counteraction can truly dampen our own morale while bolstering that of the Chu people.

If this were to spread, wouldn’t all under heaven think that Ning Country fears the Chu bandits?

Therefore, retreating heedlessly is untenable.

Although we must withdraw, we cannot do so without strategy—we must be tactical.”

Pausing there, Shen Qiu looked down at the ministers watching him, resting his gaze significantly on Bai Yian before continuing, “Wuan Marquis earlier proposed two strategies for dealing with Chu, which, in my view, both have their merits. However, they are a bit too one-sided and extreme.

It’s either a bet-all decisive battle or an all-out conservative retreat. Both approaches lack the doctrine of the mean.

But if we integrate the two strategies, taking the best of both and discarding the drawbacks, that would form a viable and excellent plan.

I believe that the first strategy of Wuan Marquis is actually quite good.

Our great Da Ning has profound strength. The forces we have mobilized on the battlefield have not yet been fully exerted, hence allowing the Chu bandits to rampage unchallenged.

If we can summon the troops from the rear, we might yet be able to contend with the Chu bandits.

In the main camp at Pengli, Yuzhang, our army still has a hundred thousand soldiers and two Martial Marquises. With such strength, we could well open up one or two new battle fronts.”

“I wish to split the troops in the camp into two forces, each led by another Martial Marquis, to separately attack Chu State’s two prefectures of Hengyang and Luyang.

These two prefectures, much like Changsha, claim to have a hundred thousand each, but most are civilian workers conscripted for the war effort. The main Chu forces left behind are in fact not that many; merely twenty thousand Forbidden Army or county soldiers.

Currently inside Chu State, the only Inborn Grandmasters they can mobilize are those accompanying the country’s Grand Chancellor Sun Siwen, who have all rushed to support Changsha, leaving no reserves.”

“At most, it has been heard that the Lu Bandits have recently taken a barbarian consort into the palace, who appears to be a spiritual woman from the Snow Plains Nomads and seems to be an Inborn Grandmaster.

But that is just one person.

Even if they deploy her, they can at most protect one prefecture. Among Hengyang and Luyang, there is still one that will lack an Inborn Grandmaster to secure it.

Therefore, if two Martial Marquises lead the troops to attack these two prefectures, with the might of the Marquises and the strength of Da Ning’s elite forces, storming the prefectures without a Grandmaster’s presence is a real possibility.

If one of the two routes succeeds, we could penetrate the heartland of Chu Country.

Thus, if one force breaks into Dongting, though the central and southern areas may not, it will force the Chu bandits to redistribute troops from the front line for relief at home.”

“At that time, with me personally leading the main forces at the Jiangxia front, the Lu Bandits must not dare to lead his troops in retreat.

Otherwise, if I seize the opportunity for a surprise attack, once Jiangxia City is lost, I could rally the troops and directly besiege their capital, Baling.

Hence, the army at Jiangxia, the Chu bandits dare not move.

If they wish to save the interior, they can only pull troops from either The North or Lingnan.”

“In that case, whether it’s troops from The North or Lingnan that return, it can alleviate the pressure on the battlefield for our United Army.

If The North’s troops come to the rescue, Martial Proclamation Marquis could take advantage of the situation to reclaim Anlu Prefecture, and I could dispatch some forces to secure the stability of Xiangyang Prefecture.

If Lingnan’s troops come to the aid, Southsea or Su Country might just be able to take the opportunity to recover lost territory.”

“At that time, rallying our forces, the Lingnan Region could again be set up as a stumbling block, tying down the energy of the Chu bandits and preventing them from fully focusing eastward to attack Ning Country.

Hence, if this strategy succeeds, we can’t do as Wuan Marquis initially suggested, a thunderous cleansing sweep annihilating the Chu bandits and recovering the land of Jiangnan in one stroke.

But it could turn the tide of our current dispiriting situation, stabilizing the war and continuing the attrition with Chu.

As long as we can hold on, dragging it out for a few years, until Zhou Country to the north has dealt with the invasions of Snow Plains Nomads and Wei people and can spare efforts to interfere with Southern Border affairs.”

“Alternatively, send envoys to the southwest to align with Dali and Nanzhao, the two Yi countries, inciting them to create disorder in the Chu bandits’ rear.

Whichever place experiences upheaval, it’s bound to cause a conflagration in Chu’s rear, straining them to cover both fronts, forcing them to divert a significant number of troops to cope.

As a result, Chu’s ability to maintain troops at the front line would be greatly reduced, and they could no longer sustain their current overwhelming offensive momentum, forced into a defensive posture.”

“Then, leveraging Da Ning’s formidable national strength, we might take the opportunity during the war, while Chu is occupied with the rear and cannot focus on the front line.

Through military aid, we could annex Southsea, Su, and Song one by one.

If we could take these three nations of Lingnan, Da Ning would gain four more prefectures, accounting for six to seven million additional people.

Adding up to the original territories of Da Ning, the expanse of our borders would reach nine prefectures, governing over 23 million common people, more than doubling that of Chu.”

“With such a foundation, even if we solely rely on attrition, we could wear down Chu over time.” Shen Qiu spoke with full confidence, sharing his revised first strategy for challenging Chu with the ministers.

There’s no denying that according to his plan, along with the envisioned future if successful, it was exceedingly tempting.

At the very least, on the surface, the likelihood of this strategy succeeding appeared to be quite high.

Moreover, compared to Bai Yian’s original high-risk strategy, Shen Qiu’s refined plan, which only mobilized the hundred thousand soldiers from Pengli originally intended for the battle, was far more reliable.