"Your subject is willing to go."
The officials looked over and saw that it was Song Lian, the Vice Minister of War.
Song Lian looked to be only in his forties. His resolute face had bright, piercing eyes, and his thick beard twitched as he spoke. He appeared to be a rugged man.
However, Qin Chuan noticed that he was actually a very meticulous person. Just now, the hall was in chaos, but he did not take sides at all.
It is clear that he was neither a follower of the Left Chancellor nor a follower of the Right Chancellor, but an upright and solitary official.
The factional struggle between Mou and Li lasted for twenty years, yet this person was not corrupted, which shows that he was a man of firm will.
Seeing the Vice Minister of War step forward, Right Chancellor Li Zongmin groaned and said, "Vice Minister Song is merely a civil official; how can he lead troops into battle?"
General An Dingguo glanced at Song Lian and secretly shook his head.
Song Lian stepped forward, clenched his fist, and said, "Prime Minister, I finished reading the military treatise 'Qi Jiguang's Art of War' written by the Imperial Advisor yesterday. With this book, I am 90% confident that I can defeat the Japanese pirates. All I need is for the court to send me 3,000 elite soldiers and provide sufficient provisions, and I will surely win!"
The Empress looked at Qin Chuan with her phoenix eyes: "What does the Imperial Advisor think?"
Qin Chuan glanced at Song Lian, then turned to the Empress and said, "I think Minister Song is capable. As I said yesterday, three to five thousand soldiers are enough to deal with mere Japanese pirates."
Li Zongmin maintained his forced smile: "The Grand Preceptor makes it sound so easy. If it were that simple, the Japanese pirates would have been wiped out long ago..."
Qin Chuan looked at him and said, "It seems the Right Chancellor is unwilling to believe in my military strategies? How about we make a bet?"
To everyone's surprise, Li Zongmin hurriedly clasped his hands and said, "This humble official dares not. Whatever the Imperial Preceptor says is law. I will obey the Imperial Preceptor's orders in everything..."
Seeing his expression, Qin Chuan thought to himself, "This old fox really isn't willing to take any risks at all; he's too cunning."
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