As the guards left, Marcus Aurelius winked at Zhang Bao and Li Boming, signaling them to take their tea sets and hide behind the tent.

Soon, the commanders and officers of the remaining legions followed the officers into the main tent.

"Your Majesty, our army should launch an attack now!" A nobleman belonging to the Senate shouted as soon as he entered the tent. "Reports indicate that the Parthian army at Xilin Pass numbers only 30,000. We can easily take them down in one fell swoop, and then our army can advance unimpeded!"

“Very well!” Marcus Aurelius stroked his chin, looking at the other party with a smile. “In that case, the matter of attacking Xilin Pass will be left to your legion!”

“Uh… well… Your Majesty, my army only has ten thousand men…” The officer looked at Marcus Aurelius with a hesitant expression.

“That’s easy. Anyone else who advocates an immediate attack on the city can come along!” Marcus Aurelius glanced at the crowd with a smile. “Of course, if you manage to break through the city in one fell swoop, I will give you the greatest credit, and all the spoils will be distributed first!”

"this……"

Upon hearing this, the people inside the tent exchanged glances and all nodded in agreement.

Soon, ten other noble commanders belonging to the Senate stepped forward, "Your Majesty, we are willing to go!!"

Marcus Aurelius waved his hand: "Very well, then you may go and prepare. We can attack the city at any time!"

"yes!"

The eleven noble commanders agreed and turned to walk outside.

The fourteen people who remained in the tent were officers from various provinces.

Unlike the noble commanders, these officers had some experience in warfare and knew that siege warfare could not be won simply by having a numerical advantage.

In particular, Xilin Pass, which Parthia considers the foremost pass, is difficult to capture even with an army of 400,000 if attacked rashly without sufficient preparation.

Marcus Aurelius glanced at the fourteen men and asked, "What brings you here?"

“Your Majesty, Xilin Pass is difficult to capture in a short time. Our army is on a long expedition and our logistical supplies cannot be sustained for long. Therefore, I think it would be better for our army to detour and attack other passes?” suggested an officer from the Arab province.

“Our army can move, and the Parthian army isn’t made of wood either; they’ll be the same wherever they go!” Marcus Aurelius shook his head, rejecting the other’s suggestion.

"Your Majesty, according to reports, the Parthian border troops now number only 200,000. There are so many passes along the border; they cannot defend them all!"

The officer said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, I believe that we can leave some troops behind to make a show of a fierce attack in order to confuse and tie down the majority of the Parthian garrison, and then our army can quietly detour to other passes!"

“That’s a good idea!” Marcus Aurelius nodded, stroking his chin, then asked, “Who should be left behind to keep them in check?”

Upon hearing this, the officer turned and exchanged glances with his companions, then said, "Your Majesty, since those legions under the Senate are so eager to make a name for themselves, why not keep them here? Whether they win or lose, they can buy some time for our army!"

Upon hearing this, Marcus Aurelius immediately smiled.

It was clear that these officers from various provinces were also at odds with the Senate and were preparing to use it as bait.

Marcus Aurelius then laughed and said, "That's a good idea, but let's wait and see how their siege goes. It's best to wait for the Parthian reinforcements to arrive before making any decisions!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

The officers inside the tent agreed and then withdrew.

After everyone had left, Zhang Bao and Li Boming also came out from behind the tent.

Marcus Aurelius took out a map of the border terrain and asked Li Boming, "Sir, where do you think our army should attack from?"

Li Boming smiled and said, "Right here at Xilin Pass!"

"Right here?"

Marcus Aurelius paused slightly, looking at Li Boming with a puzzled expression. "Sir, wasn't our initial plan to use Xilin Pass to weaken the Senate's legions?"

You must understand, Xilin Pass is no easy place to take. Even if I sent my fifteen gladiator legions, they would have to pay an extremely heavy price to take it…”

"Your Majesty, the legions under the Senate are bait, but aren't the legions of the other provinces also bait?"

Li Boming smiled slightly and then continued, "You can wait until the Parthian army takes the first bait, and then use the second bait to lure the Parthian army to other places. At that time, Xilin Pass will be an empty city, and it will be easy to take it."

Upon hearing this, Marcus Aurelius's eyes lit up. "In this way, we can not only weaken the Senate and the provinces, but also demonstrate the strength of our gladiator legion. It's a win-win situation..."

"Sir, you are truly a man of great talent. Please accept my bow!"

In his excitement, Marcus Aurelius also bowed sincerely to Li Boming.

Li Boming quickly stepped forward to return the greeting: "Your Majesty is too kind. This plan is good, but it still needs careful planning and arrangement!"

“Sir, please give your orders!” Marcus Aurelius said decisively.

"Your Majesty, the first step of this plan is to deceive the Parthian army so that they can act in accordance with our plan."

To deceive the Parthian army, the first step is to instill a sense of crisis in them.

"Then...where does this sense of crisis come from?" Marcus Aurelius asked in bewilderment.

"Attack Xilin Pass at all costs!" Li Boming smirked. "As for the cost, let the legions under the Senate bear it!"

Marcus Aurelius frowned: "Sir, your plan is sound, but how do you get those guys to willingly bear the price?"

"Your Majesty only needs to retreat in order to advance, and then have the legions of each province put pressure on them..."

As he spoke, Li Boming leaned close to Marcus Aurelius's ear and explained the specifics of the operation to him.

"Yes, sir, that's right, let's do it that way!"

Upon hearing Li Boming's plan, Marcus Aurelius's face lit up with joy, and he immediately nodded in agreement.

Standing to the side, Zhang Bao saw Marcus Aurelius being manipulated by Li Boming and couldn't help but sneer inwardly.

In the long run, weakening the military strength of the Senate and the provinces today also weakens the military strength of Rome as a whole.

After all, hundreds of thousands of skilled warriors constitute a vital defense force for any country.

Therefore, even if Marcus Aurelius were to eventually become the sole ruler of Rome, the military strength of Rome under his control would be significantly diminished.

Of course, the most important thing is that after all this, the Senate and the provinces will definitely stand against Marcus Aurelius. Even if nothing happens in the short term, there will always be a day when they break off relations.

Although Li Boming's plan was entirely based on Marcus Aurelius's interests, it could very well lead Rome to its doom.