Xie Yuan couldn't hear Dugu Yong's thoughts, but even if she had, she wouldn't let Dugu Yong and the other court officials stir up trouble!
The pacing of the court should be controlled by her, the Empress Regent!
"Excellent, Attendant Zheng has a good memory indeed; he remembers the old files from five years ago perfectly!"
Before Dugu Yong could speak, Xie Yuan preemptively said, "Five years ago, the late emperor mobilized an army of 200,000, which took a year and consumed a total of 420,000 shi of grain."
"This time, the sage led an army of only 130,000, but he brought 300,000 shi of grain with him."
"With the sage's wisdom and martial prowess, and the aid of divine artifacts, I believe that this imperial expedition will surely be victorious as soon as possible."
Therefore, the 300,000 shi of grain needed for Helian Jue's expedition is sufficient.
The Minister of Revenue used this as an excuse to reserve excessive amounts of grain, but refused to use it for disaster relief, which is clearly unreasonable.
These court officials were just trying to emotionally manipulate Xie Yuan—
When your husband goes to war, everyone else is thinking about preparing plenty of provisions for him. But you, in order to win people's hearts and gain a good reputation as a virtuous empress, don't even care about the life and death of your husband and hundreds of thousands of soldiers!
And now, Xie Yuan has passed the problem on to the court officials—
I believe in my husband, and I am convinced that he is brave and skilled in battle, surpassing even his predecessors. I am certain that he will defeat the Turks faster and more thoroughly than the late emperor.
You always use the story of the sage going to war as a pretext. Do you look down on the sage?
The three ministers, Wang, Cui, and Zheng, remained expressionless, but their hands, resting on their knees, tightened slightly.
What a fine Empress Xie!
With the simple statement "I believe," she threw the trap they had set back at her.
In addition, there are magical artifacts!
How could they forget about those small porcelain bottles that could explode?
The most elite and lethal force of the Turks was their cavalry.
They moved like the wind and were as swift as lightning, weaving and raiding with incredible speed. The soldiers of the Great Zhou often suffered losses when they faced their cavalry.
That small porcelain bottle seemed to be a magical artifact specifically designed to counter the Turkic cavalry.
When the Turkic prince besieged the capital, these courtiers stood on the city gate tower and witnessed the power of the small porcelain bottle firsthand.
A tiny object thrown out explodes with a deafening roar, its impact reaching several meters in radius.
The small porcelain bottle might not have been that destructive; it couldn't have actually killed those cavalrymen and warhorses.
However, the sudden sound of the explosion would frighten the warhorses.
Horses are, after all, animals. No matter how well they are trained, they will be startled by such a thunderous sound.
Once the warhorses are startled, they will run away without thinking.
At that time, our own people will destroy our own team.
Rout, trampling... even the most elite cavalry cannot withstand such torment.
Helian Jue seemed to have many such small porcelain bottles in his hands.
They brought box after box with them on this expedition.
Although not all the courtiers were well-versed in military affairs, in all common sense, possessing a highly effective and magical weapon would definitely end the battle as quickly as possible!
Perhaps this time, Helian Jue will be able to wipe out the Turks quickly and thoroughly!
Ten months?
Perhaps they will return victorious in six months.
Logistics supplies such as food, fodder, and weapons can also be saved to the greatest extent possible.
Previously, the Minister of Revenue had been making a mountain out of a molehill by constantly talking about using the army's supplies as rafts!
Silence fell over the court once again.
It was Cui Hong again; he's a cunning old fox after all.
Seeing that his henchmen had all fallen silent, he coughed lightly and spoke again, "Your Majesty, this old minister also firmly believes that His Majesty will return in triumph soon!"
"However, while the intention is good, we must also consider practical issues."
"The situation at the front is complex and the battlefield is constantly changing. We are in the rear, and none of us can guarantee what might happen at the front."
"Furthermore, I have heard that after several years of recuperation, the Turks have not only recovered their strength but have also annexed several surrounding small tribes."
"The Ministry of War should have a battle report. The Turks now have more people and more territory than they did five years ago."
Cui Hong's words were quite reasonable and insightful.
When the court officials heard him speak, they seemed to realize what was happening and began to echo his sentiments.
Xie Yuan glanced at everyone, but was not easily persuaded by Cui Hong's words.
Her gaze finally fell on Dugu Yong. "Minister Dugu, you are a veteran general who has fought on the battlefield many times. You must be very knowledgeable about warfare."
Dugu Yong raised his head, his face full of pride, but he still pretended to be humble and said, "Your Majesty is too kind! I am just a crude and uncouth warrior, and I dare not accept such high praise from you."
"Minister Dugu is too modest. The Dugu family has a long history of military achievements, and the children of the family are well-versed in military strategy from the time they begin their education."
Xie Yuanzhuang seemed to continue praising Dugu Yong and his family.
Dugu Yong became increasingly smug.
The Dugu clan were originally noble families of the Xianbei people, and were once one of the Eight Pillars of State.
Dugu Yong's grandfather, father, and brothers were all great generals.
He himself was a general of chariots and cavalry with a distinguished military record.
The children of the Dugu family were all well-versed in military strategy and practiced martial arts from a young age.
Their Dugu family was one of the top military families in the Great Zhou Dynasty.
"I have also read military books, but there is one thing that puzzles me,"
After laying the groundwork, Xie Yuan immediately changed the subject, "Since the battlefield is ever-changing, could the military books of those ancient sages record all the changes?"
Dugu Yong didn't react for a moment; his mouth spoke faster than his brain, "How is that possible?"
"Our ancestors summarized certain experiences from numerous battles, and then compiled these experiences into 'military strategies'—"
As he was talking, Dugu Yong suddenly stopped talking.
Just now, Minister Cui said that the battlefield is ever-changing and people simply cannot predict it.
As a result, Dugu Yong shamelessly claimed that he had "some experience".
In other words, there are still patterns to be found on the battlefield, and there is still experience to be learned.
In fact, the imperial court would make preparations based on previous experience before sending troops.
Issues such as provisions, troop deployment routes, and troop deployment were all predicted based on those patterns.
When Minister Cui said something about "unpredictability," he was actually taking advantage of the fact that Empress Xie was a woman and might not understand matters of state.
But they know it!
They also used this as an opportunity to launch a counterattack.
The most pitiful one was Dugu Yong, as if he were being put on a hot seat—
He agreed with Minister Cui's statement, but then let slip that he had let something slip.
If we disagree, does that mean we should side with Empress Xie?
After much hesitation and deliberation, Dugu Yong decided to lie through his teeth, saying, "Of course, we can't follow the military manuals exactly, otherwise it would be just 'armchair theorizing'."
"In military campaigns, the worst thing you can do is to follow the script blindly; you have to look at the actual situation on the battlefield, both on your own and the enemy's side!"
Xie Yuanlue said disappointedly, "Minister Dugu, you're no good!"
Dugu Yong: ...What do you mean I'm not good enough? That's too ambiguous.
"It's alright! If you can't, my lady-in-waiting will do!"
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