Chapter 267 - Deliberations and Strategy

Li Jinquan grew anxious. He still held onto the arrangements and instructions left by Qi Zongbi before his departure. Seeing Qi Yanzhu dismantle their carefully planned situation, Li Jinquan felt as though the opportunity to climb higher was slowly slipping away like a fading dream.

"This is madness!" Li Jinquan slammed the table repeatedly. "Jianxing Pass is Jianxing Pass. This is Liangzhou Prefecture! How can you treat them the same?"

Qi Yanzhu let out a cold laugh, leaning on the table with both hands.

"General Li, that’s a strange thing to say. Are you implying that I, Qi Yanzhu, had authority at Jianxing Pass but have no authority here in Liangzhou Prefecture?" As he spoke, Qi Yanzhu pulled a military command token from his robe and slammed it onto the table with a resounding thud. In a frosty tone, he uttered, "What do you think this is for?"

These words struck at the heart of the matter. The previously chaotic council hall instantly fell silent. Nobody dared to respond as they went as still as a cicada in the winter. Who would dare claim the military command token was useless? That would be tantamount to defying an imperial decree, a crime punishable by immediate execution.

Li Jinquan’s expression changed several times in quick succession. Everyone in the council hall stared at him intently, waiting to see how he would respond.

Li Jinquan found himself caught in an impossible dilemma. Even if he were a fool, he now realized he had walked straight into Qi Yanzhu’s trap. Clearly, Strategist Qi had planned all along to make an example of someone today to establish his authority. Li hadn’t expected to be so foolish, unwittingly volunteering to be the scapegoat. Qi Yanzhu had difficulty deciding who to use as an example of his authority, but he had delivered himself on a silver platter.

"Strategist Qi, you must be joking," Li Jinquan said, lowering his head and cupping his hands in concession. "His Majesty personally appointed you to come to Liangzhou Prefecture in this crisis, so naturally, Liangzhou is under your command."

He softened his stance, but after speaking, he raised his head and looked at Qi Yanzhu resolutely. "That said, I still believe this plan is flawed. Liangzhou Prefecture’s defenses have held firm despite significant casualties.

"Despite their strength, the Northern Qiang have been unable to breach the walls. Moreover, we can afford to wait, but their forces cannot. If their siege continues to fail, their retreat is only a matter of time. So why take this risk?"

After these words, many in the council hall responded quietly. While no one openly expressed their agreement, it was evident that many nodded subtly in support.

"Do you think I'm unaware of that?" Qi Yanzhu chuckled softly. "I can see that General Li is concerned about the war. However... what makes you so certain that Northern Qiang cannot sustain this siege?"

"Isn’t it obvious?" Li Jinquan frowned deeply. "The Northern Qiang are separated from here by a thousand miles of desert. Their supply trains are naturally a huge problem. Even outside Liangzhou Prefecture, it’s basically a desert, with almost nothing to hunt. How could they possibly sustain this?"

"General Li, it seems you’ve forgotten something," Qi Yanzhu said, shaking his head and looking at Li Jinquan with a trace of disappointment.

Li Jinquan’s expression grew puzzled. Meanwhile, some of the commanders seated below had already caught on, their faces changing dramatically.

"W-what?" Li Jinquan stammered, the veins on his temples throbbing even more visibly.

Qi Yanzhu tapped the table lightly with his knuckles, sighed, and said, "Behind the Northern Qiang forces, there isn’t just desert—there’s also Yanchi Pass..."

Li Jinquan’s face turned ashen, and he stumbled, nearly losing his balance. He muttered, "Yanchi Pass... I—I actually forgot... there was also Yanchi Pass. Wait! Could it be?"

Qi Yanzhu nodded. "That’s right. It’s exactly as you think. This war must have someone highly skilled in strategy advising the Northern Qiang. Even up to this point, it’s all part of their plan.

"They anticipated a prolonged siege at Liangzhou Prefecture long ago, so they preemptively captured Yanchi Pass, our dynasty’s frontier stronghold, to use as a logistical hub. The supplies and provisions stored at Yanchi Pass are enough to last them until next year."

The council hall collectively gasped, and the shocking revelation spurred a flurry of whispered discussions.

"What a meticulous plan..."

"Who could have such a calculating mind?"

"This doesn’t seem like Yelü Zhige’s style..."

"Beyond him, I can’t think of anyone else capable of this."

"It’s true—I’ve never heard of Northern Qiang having such a strategist..."

Li Jinquan seemed to have suddenly thought of something, as if he had grasped a lifeline. He abruptly raised his head and exclaimed, "No—that’s impossible! They can’t afford to wait!"

Qi Yanzhu was already growing weary of Li Jinquan’s relentless objections. He furrowed his brows but still asked patiently, "What else is on your mind, General Li? Speak it all at once."

Li Jinquan swallowed hard and said, "They wouldn’t dare to delay. Prime Minister Qi has gone west, and as long as he defeats the Northern Qiang forces there, we can form a pincer movement. The enemy outside our city will find themselves surrounded and will inevitably be defeated. That’s why they absolutely won’t delay until that happens!"

"This line of reasoning..." Qi Yanzhu frowned even more deeply. "It’s overly optimistic. I know External Minister Qi has gone to Ningye, and I trust his abilities. However... aren’t you placing too much faith in him, General Li?

"While Qi Zongbi is a skilled strategist, we now know that the brains behind the Northern Qiang invasion is no simple opponent. How can we guarantee that Qi Zongbi will definitely win? Even if he doesn’t lose but ends up in a stalemate, that would still be unfavorable to us here.

"Moreover... something puzzles me. I’ve only mentioned deploying the cavalry, yet General Li, who commands the infantry, seems even more anxious than General Song. Why is that?"

Li Jinquan’s lips moved slightly, but no words came out. Indeed, on what basis could he guarantee victory in the west? Could he possibly say that Qi Zongbi had promised him a high-ranking position, which is why he believed in the departed minister?

Qi Yanzhu cleared his throat and continued, "This is precisely why we need to take the initiative. My thoughts align with Minister Qi’s in this regard. If we can defeat the enemy here early, we’ll free up resources to support the western front.

"Even if Qi Zongbi fails to turn the tide there, a pincer movement can still be formed, potentially allowing us to utterly crush the Northern Qiang forces in the west. My proposal for the cavalry to go on the offensive is well thought out. Our advantage over the Northern Qiang is that we have a city to defend and retreat to. We must leverage that.

"I don’t expect the cavalry to achieve a decisive victory—just a swift charge before retreating back inside the walls. Let our enemies glare at the walls helplessly. Repeating this strategy a few times will instill caution in the Northern Qiang. Can they continue attacking as boldly as they do now?

"Once their morale is shaken, our burden defending the city will be significantly reduced. Liangzhou is inherently a fortress city, easy to defend and hard to attack. By following this plan, our advantage in casualties will gradually become apparent. At that point, the outcome of the war will be decided."

Having said this, Qi Yanzhu stood up and surveyed the council hall, addressing the gathered generals, "So, do any of you still have objections?"

The officers below exchanged glances before someone finally spoke up.

"Strategist Qi is truly farsighted. This is an excellent plan."

As soon as this person spoke, another general who had remained silent also nodded in agreement, saying, "This is an excellent plan. Let’s proceed as proposed."

Li Jinquan looked at the officers below. Many of them glanced back at him, but after a brief exchange of eye contact, they quickly averted their gazes. Li Jinquan knew that these people had all been instructed by Qi Zongbi before his departure. However, with Qi Yanzhu now pressing forward so aggressively, it seemed unlikely they could proceed as planned.