kingnovel Chapter 2125 Please enlighten me, Mr. Su!
Chapter 2125 Please enlighten me, Mr. Su!
As Chu Xuan listened to the generals' spirited words, the solemn expression on his face eased slightly, but he did not completely relax.
He nodded slightly, signaling everyone to be quiet, and then turned his gaze to Su Tingmei, who had not uttered a word from beginning to end, only gently waving her feather fan.
Mr. Su,
Chu Xuan's voice carried a tone of seeking advice: "The generals are in good spirits and their determination to defend the city is very strong. This is a blessing for our army."
"However, Gongsun Yi was not a reckless man like Huyan Ying. He was skilled in military tactics and extremely adept at deception."
"What are your thoughts on this, sir? Besides holding our ground, should we make any other preparations to guard against their tricks?"
In an instant, everyone's attention was focused on the strategist in black and white robes.
They knew that Mr. Su's vision was often farther and more insightful than that of them, pure military generals.
While enthusiastic self-confidence is good, listening to the calm analysis of wise people always makes one feel more at ease.
Su Tingmei lightly stopped fanning herself, a faint smile playing on her lips, as if she had already made her decision.
Amidst the confident clamor of the crowd, Su Tingmei's pure white crane feather fan swayed gently with a constant and elegant rhythm, as if the fervent atmosphere in the hall had nothing to do with him.
He only slowly stopped fanning himself when Chu Xuan called on him.
He placed the feather fan across his lap, raised his clear yet deep eyes, and calmly swept his gaze over the faces that were slightly flushed with excitement or confidence.
He did not answer Chu Xuan's question immediately. Instead, he spoke softly, his voice not loud, but with a strange penetrating power that instantly suppressed the remaining noise in the hall: "The generals' determination to defend the city is as firm as iron, which is admirable."
“Relying on fortified cities and using infantry to control cavalry is indeed the best strategy to resist the Scorpion Clan, and the past few months have proven the effectiveness of this method.”
His tone abruptly shifted, like an undercurrent suddenly surging beneath a calm lake: "However, there is something I do not understand, and I would like to ask you generals—"
He slightly raised his feather fan, pointing it out of the hall as if to the menacing army of 100,000 scorpion warriors outside the city:
"What if Gongsun Yi assesses the situation and realizes that a direct attack on Youzhou would be futile and might even result in heavy losses, and therefore chooses not to attack at all?"
Upon hearing this, all the generals in the hall were stunned, somewhat puzzled.
Not attack? Wouldn't it be better if they didn't attack? They couldn't be happier!
Su Tingmei's lips curled into a slightly cold smile as she continued to ask, each word as clear as an ice bead falling onto a jade plate:
"If he leads his 100,000 cavalry to retreat voluntarily for dozens or even hundreds of miles, breaking off contact with our Youzhou garrison."
"Then, the Scorpion Clan army turned around, ignoring our sturdy decoration, and headed straight south, passing through the relatively weak defenses, aiming directly at the flank or rear of His Majesty's northern expeditionary army?"
"or……"
His voice was slower, yet more forceful: "He dispatched elite light cavalry, divided into several groups, no longer attempting to breach the city, but instead specifically to harass and cut off Your Majesty's supply lines from the country to the northern expedition front?"
"Until then……"
Su Tingmei's gaze slowly swept over the faces of each general who froze instantly: "Our towering city walls, our ample provisions, our tight defenses, and the determination of all of you generals to defend the city to the death."
"What significance does it have for Gongsun Yi's army, whose intentions lie not in Youzhou but a thousand miles away? It has become nothing more than a huge and lonely decoration."
"Om-!"
It was as if a silent thunderclap exploded in everyone's mind!
The expressions of all the generals, including Chu Xuan, changed drastically in an instant!
All their previous discussions, all their confidence, and all their tactical arrangements were based on one premise—the Scorpion Clan army's target was Youzhou City, and they wanted to conquer it.
They racked their brains, thinking only of ways to make the enemy suffer heavy losses under the city walls.
However, Su Tingmei's casual words were like the sharpest dagger, precisely piercing through their blind spots in thinking!
Yes! Why should the enemy necessarily act according to their expectations?
Why should we insist on crashing into this iron wall?
Gongsun Yi was not a reckless brute like Huyan Ying; he was a strategist!
A wise general's primary choice is always to find the opponent's weaknesses and achieve the greatest results with the least cost!
Your Majesty's northern expeditionary army is marching south, and a long supply line is being established, inevitably leaving gaps on the flanks.
Could Gongsun Yi not see these things?
His 100,000 cavalrymen are as swift as the wind. If they really wanted to leave, how could the infantry-based garrison in Youzhou City possibly catch up with them or stop them?
Once those 100,000 cavalrymen leave the battlefield of Youzhou, whether they march south to attack Chu Ning's main force or wreak havoc on the rear supply lines, it will be a catastrophic blow to the ongoing Northern Expedition!
Even if these soldiers, trapped in Youzhou City, possessed extraordinary abilities, they could only look on in vain and lament their helplessness!
"This this……"
The old, bearded general, Deputy Commander Liu, was speechless. His previous heroic spirit seemed to have been instantly drained away, and his face turned red and white in turns.
"Mr. Su is absolutely right! I was only focused on defending the city and hadn't thought of that!"
"If that's the case, wouldn't we become a useless army?"
The other generals also realized what was happening, and cold sweat instantly soaked their inner shirts.
They only thought about "holding the line," but never considered that the enemy might "not hold the line with you." This sense of passivity and powerlessness at the strategic level is more unsettling than the breaching of the city walls!
For a moment, the hall fell silent. The previous liveliness and confidence vanished, replaced by a heavy silence and bewilderment.
Everyone was stunned, speechless with astonishment at the seemingly simple possibility that could overturn the entire northern front and even affect the overall situation of the national war.
Chu Xuan's expression also became extremely solemn. He let out a long breath and looked at Su Tingmei with a heavy gaze:
"What Mr. Su said is precisely the greatest worry that has been weighing on my mind these past few days!"
"Defending the city is easy, but controlling the enemy cavalry's movements is difficult! Passively waiting is tantamount to handing over the initiative to others."
"Sir... do you have a good solution to this predicament?"
All eyes were once again focused on Su Tingmei, filled with eagerness and anticipation.
Facing the gazes of the crowd, Su Tingmei slowly stood up, his black and white robes making his figure appear even more upright.
He picked up the feather fan again, but did not shake it. Instead, he gently tapped his palm with the fan ribs and clearly and firmly stated his strategy: "Your Highness, generals."
"It is no longer advisable to prevent the 100,000 Scorpion Clan cavalry from advancing south at their own pace and threatening His Majesty's flank and rear, or to keep them tied up near Youzhou and put them in a stalemate with our army, passively defending and waiting for things to change."
"The only way is—"
He paused, then said, word by word, "Take the initiative!"
"Use offense as defense, constantly harass and restrain them, and even look for opportunities to strike them, so that they cannot easily escape and will have to continue to focus their main energy on our Youzhou garrison!"