Chapter 1729 – Reducing Troops
The strategists dissected the reasoning, and the adrenaline-fueled militants finally calmed down a little.
Upon reflection, the strategists had a point; it was just—
The logic made sense, but letting such fine opportunities for merit slip through their fingers made them feel heartbroken, utterly devastated! It was like being a dashing beauty or a handsome hunk, all naked and waiting in bed, and then not going for it… What an embarrassment! As men, how could they admit to being outdone at such a time?
It wasn’t just the old general who felt stifled; Yang Tao, Li Yun, and others were itching for action too.
Though they weren’t exactly doves nor radical warmongers, they weren’t exactly peace-loving Nobel laureates either.
If there’s a fight, let’s fight; if not, let’s rest.
Being a military general was a high-stakes, high-risk job that only bore fruit every three years and then feasted on that success for the next three years.
The battle was right in front of them, and yet they couldn’t engage; for these energetic old fellows, it was infuriating, a stifling experience that was bound to be harmful over time! Especially for Li Yun, Yang Tao, and Xie Ze, all in their prime, they needed achievements to build future capital for the little ones at home. What could be more valuable for a military general than military merits?
Jiang Pengji observed the stark expressions and attitudes of the civil and military officials and felt a bit complicated.
Were her subordinates really this war-hungry?
The idle folks couldn’t help but chime in—
【Stowaway Non-Money】： Wanting war or not, don’t you have a little AC count in your heart?
The quality of a lord determines the quality of their subordinates—birds of a feather flock together, and that saying wasn’t just for fun.
Jiang Pengji, in essence, was a hawkish warlord. Under her influence, whether strategist or soldier, their external attitude leaned toward violence; if words wouldn’t suffice, then fists would have to do! Even some previously laid-back old generals were “infected” by her.
The meeting’s conclusion was basically set—there would definitely be fighting, but for now, the focus would be on rest and training.
To appease the restless generals, Jiang Pengji spoke many flattering words, sweet-talking them into submission. Meanwhile, the idle folks couldn’t resist mocking in the live stream—she was a pyramid scheme leader wasted on battling for supremacy; what a disgrace not to brainwash people!
According to their judgment, there wouldn’t be many battles next year, and all work efforts would focus on revitalizing Nan Sheng, while also keeping an eye on the situation in Zhong Zhao and guarding against movements from Xichang and Beiyuan. Seeing as many were already assembled, Jiang Pengji continued the meeting to discuss next year’s overall work. Wei Ci and a few others had plenty to do, busy from start to finish, while Xie Ze and the other generals were hardly idle, in fact, their tasks were likely even heftier.
Earlier, Yan Lin had mentioned that Jiang Pengji commanded an army of a million, with five hundred thousand elite troops and five hundred thousand miscellaneous ones, sounding incredibly impressive.
In reality, that number wasn’t accurate; “million troops” was just Yan Lin casually exaggerating.
Boasting and exaggeration had long been the unspoken rules of this field; no one bothered to call him out on it.
If she really had that many soldiers, what would Jiang Pengji have to worry about? She could just march in and sweep through Zhong Zhao, while also demolishing Xichang and Beiyuan, those pesky little devils.
In a rough tally, Jiang Pengji indeed had a million troops, but they weren’t all “elite.”
Including the forces stationed at Zhanjiang Pass and East Qing, Jiang Pengji had over five hundred thousand troops, with about twenty-five to thirty thousand being deployable. It didn’t seem like many, but each was a capable fighter, well-trained through frequent live drills, maintaining high combat readiness.
Since she took in An Huan’s prisoners, the proportion of elite soldiers greatly declined.
Her military force had intensified rapidly by one to two times, but mostly comprised low-quality soldiers or even “water troops” looking to fish in murky waters. These guys were only good for charging at the enemy and waving flags; when the fighting started, they’d be the first to flee. Jiang Pengji truly looked down on them.
If the original troops were akin to a bodybuilder, then adding these prisoners had resulted in the loss of firm muscles, replaced instead by unnecessary flab, rendering them less agile. Jiang Pengji planned to take this year of rest to further streamline her military!
Streamlining the military basically meant encroaching on the authority of the generals, reducing their command over the troops.
Regarding Jiang Pengji’s suggestion, the seniors were a bit surprised but offered no real opposition; however, the newcomers who surrendered over the last year were less than supportive.
Their objections, of course, would not explicitly cite, “My lord, this action reduces our troops.”
Generals are not simpletons; those competent in leading troops are just as crafty as strategists.
If not for Jiang Pengji’s emphasis on division of labor, the generals would likely wield even greater power than they do now. Traditionally, leadership would center around the commander, with strategists providing support. Unfortunately, their unique lord limited both the generals’ military authority and the strategists’ influence, leading to a mutual check and balance. Perhaps… it’s one of those peculiar traits; one simply gets used to it.
The generals opposing the troop reduction presented surprisingly compelling arguments.
After a year of rest, they could launch an attack on Zhong Zhao, likely facing coveting eyes from both Xichang and Beiyuan.
They could barely recruit young and able-bodied men; how could they downsize their troops at this time?
They shouldn’t cut down forces; they needed to keep recruiting!!!
Could Jiang Pengji really not see through their little schemes?
Let’s not forget, Jiang Pengji was a true “general” at heart.
While she might not grasp the strategists’ little games, she could definitely sense the pulse of her generals.
“Strategy over brute force; quality over quantity,” Jiang Pengji said with a smile, “You all are seasoned veterans on the battlefield; surely you understand this logic? Why did An Huan suffer such a crushing defeat? The reasons are manifold, and I’m sure you’ve all studied it carefully. An Huan believed that merely having a large force would guarantee invincibility, unaware that it, in turn, created fatal pitfalls for himself. These soldiers, of varying combat effectiveness, were they worth the resources expended on them? A bunch of useless wastes devoured supplies without contributing significantly. Good thing An Huan met his end early; otherwise, he’d be left regretting for years…”
As a lord, Jiang Pengji indeed respected her subordinates, but one couldn’t help but acknowledge this lord’s biting tongue!
【Tang Li Jian Xue】: “Quality over quantity”—I get that. But why did the streamer have to add “strategy over brute force”?
【Genius Guo Fengxiao】: Bet you a spicy stick, he’s mocking his own generals, suggesting they use the downtime to hit the books.
【My General Ah】: Haha, if I were one of the generals, I’d have smashed my cup and revolted against the streamer already!
Aside from the verbal sparring, mocking one’s own subordinates was a bit too much.
