Chapter 1728 – Taking It Slow
The old general said, “Opportunities are fleeting; if we let Zhong Zhao catch its breath, it will be hard to strike later.”
This old general was someone Jiang Pengji had recruited from Yang Tao’s former troops.
He was experienced in battle, yet his heart remained young, always eager for glory and dreaming of making achievements on the battlefield.
It wasn’t that he loved fighting; the old man just couldn’t bear to lose and always wanted to compete with the younger folks.
After becoming Jiang Pengji’s subordinate, he had claimed some victories against An Huan, but he was still dissatisfied.
He felt he was in his prime, able to draw a heavy bow with ease and shoot arrows accurately, hitting targets from a hundred steps away.
Now that there was a chance for battle, his spirit was filled with fighting intent.
Based on his past observations of his lord, he knew Jiang Pengji was undoubtedly a pro-war figure who wouldn’t miss this chance.
The old general’s words echoed the sentiments of many.
With the enemy on its last legs, of course, it was the right time to strike! No hesitation, just roll up the sleeves and dive in—no point in dawdling!
Their eagerness to act was more pronounced than even Jiang Pengji’s.
Indeed,
This probably explained why like-minded individuals flocked together.
With such a leader, even if surrounded by a bunch of Buddhist-type subordinates, they would still embody the essence of a fierce warrior.
Listening to the old general, reactions varied.
Some nodded eagerly, while Wei Ci and a few others wore unsure expressions.
True, it was an excellent opportunity to take Zhong Zhao, but—
Yan Lin looked at the old general and sighed quietly.
“Lord Liu, my opinion differs slightly from the old general’s.”
The old general’s face darkened upon hearing this.
These martial generals were responsible for fighting, but it was strategists like Yan Lin who offered plans and counsel.
The latter’s opinions determined whether the former had battles to engage in.
Suppressing his displeasure, the old general asked, “Does Military Adviser Yan believe now is not a good time to mobilize?”
Yan Lin smiled, first offering compliments to the old general, lauding his eagerness to achieve merit for Jiang Pengji, which showed his loyalty and bravery. The old general’s mood lightened at the praise, but Yan Lin then pivoted, saying, “…but I think the timing is not yet ripe. Lord Liu still has South Sheng to manage, and adding Zhong Zhao would just create additional burdens.”
The old general was displeased, “How can Zhong Zhao be considered a burden?”
Yan Lin explained, “The princes within Zhong Zhao are battling amongst themselves, leaving the land ravaged. If Lord Liu takes Zhong Zhao, won’t you need to govern it? While our army reports a force of a million, only about five hundred thousand are truly elite; the rest are inexperienced troops. This number is sufficient to protect Dongqing and South Sheng, but adding Zhong Zhao would only dilute our overall strength. Our army has fought nonstop for years and now requires time to recuperate and regain strength. If we forcibly mobilize, we risk spreading our forces too thin and granting the enemy an opportunity!”
The timing was indeed tempting, but Yan Lin did not support mobilization.
To give a simple analogy: Jiang Pengji had just feasted on a table full of South Sheng delicacies and was stuffed, but now a spread of even more delicious yet larger dishes was being brought out. Should she eat them or not?
If she chose to eat, she would be too stuffed to enjoy the flavors and face the discomfort of a bloated belly, all while menacing foes loomed nearby. If they attacked, how would she defend herself in that state?
Alternatively, if she held off, she could digest the previous meal, then savor the next feast, even if it was cold. That way, she’d regain strength and energy to deal with the watchful enemies.
The old generals, seduced by the opportunity, momentarily forgot about their poor digestion, but Yan Lin and the others did not overlook this.
Yan Lin explained carefully, while the old general remained slightly unconvinced.
“Missing this chance would make it hard to take Zhong Zhao later.”
Opportunities must be seized to hold value; how could such a great chance be wasted?
Fortunately, others shared Yan Lin’s sentiment.
Feng Zhen and a few others thought similarly, voicing support for Yan Lin’s proposal.
Now was not the time to mobilize.
It was crucial to rest and recuperate; expanding territory could wait.
Yang Si chimed in with a suggestion: to let Qi Guanrang continue stirring the pot within Zhong Zhao, making the internal situation more chaotic.
Of course, this meant keeping an eye on the movements of Beiyuan and Xichang. Both nations were in a similar state as Wei Ci recalled from his previous life, but due to the passage of time, they hadn’t yet reached the stage of being as fragile as thin paper.
If Beiyuan and Xichang eyed Zhong Zhao, they could still muster a decent fighting force.
The efforts of Qi Guanrang and others to stir up unrest in Zhong Zhao weren’t intended to outfit Beiyuan and Xichang with free armor.
The old general had a somewhat stubborn personality and couldn’t readily accept such reasoning.
Who could predict future events with certainty?
If they missed this opportunity, who knew what other issues might arise?
Everyone understood the old general’s concerns, but current conditions simply didn’t allow for mobilization.
Listening to the heated debate below, Jiang Pengji maintained an impassive expression, as if the topic had no bearing on her at all.
After about half an hour, as the clamor for war quieted down, she finally spoke up to break the standoff.
First, she acknowledged the merits of both sides’ viewpoints, then expressed her own thoughts.
Jiang Pengji also didn’t support mobilization.
Why?
Because sharpening the knife doesn’t delay the chopping of firewood.
All things considered, from preparing for battle against Nie Liang, turning back to deal with Yang Tao, to the conflict with An Huan, she had been engaged in warfare for almost three years without much of a break, even overcoming a grain shortage due to An Huan’s schemes through extraordinary means.
She wished to continue fighting, but her logistics couldn’t keep up. If she persisted stubbornly, she would need to temporarily set aside the governance of South Sheng.
Jiang Pengji knew all too well that there were still many dissenting voices in South Sheng. If she relaxed her grip on the region, those voices would quickly stir trouble. They might not cause her severe harm, but they could certainly become annoying like persistent flies, disturbing her peace of mind.
Indeed, Zhong Zhao was a piece of tasty meat, but if she acted now, she feared it would upset her stomach.
It seemed Qi Guanrang also intended to wait and see, but unfortunately, the pack of ravenous wolves beneath him were too restless.
Believing themselves to be the middle-aged man Qi Guanrang and the elder representative Sun Wen, both felt their age and couldn’t resist the relentless persuasion of the rabid wolves. They directly came to ask Jiang Pengji for her thoughts. Given their understanding of their leader, they expected she would likely favor a more conservative approach.
If she spoke up, those noisy wolves would quiet down for a while.
At the same time, they also conveyed the situation in Beiyuan to Jiang Pengji.
“Continuing like this, Beiyuan will surely dig its own grave. If we mobilize against Zhong Zhao, it will alert the Beiyuan gentry, causing them to momentarily put aside their internal conflicts and unite against us, which would be highly detrimental to our forces…” This group seemed despondent, their minds filled with dark thoughts, “It would be better to let them weaken each other, then strike when they are both exhausted, minimizing our own losses.”
