Yan Qingqing had a peaceful few days afterward, but things were not peaceful on the border.
Since the beginning of spring, the soldiers of Beiliang have been somewhat restless, and they have been harassing the border of Da Yan from time to time.
But they didn't linger; they just probed the area and then ran away.
By the time the soldiers of the Great Yan lined up to attack, they had already vanished without a trace.
Marshal Huang and General Ling were both very troubled by this.
So they decided to hold a military meeting to see if there were any good solutions.
Normally, a seventh-rank captain like Li Xiangjian wouldn't be qualified to participate, but Marshal Huang intended to cultivate Li Xiangjian.
He specifically instructed General Ling to bring Li Xiangjian along as well.
Soon a group of mid- to high-ranking generals gathered in Marshal Huang's tent.
Marshal Huang, sitting in the main seat, began to speak: "Gentlemen, you are all generals who have guarded the northern border of Great Yan for many years and know the people of Beiliang best."
Although the Northern Liang people often sent troops to harass us in previous years, it was not as frequent as this year.
What are your thoughts on this?
After Marshal Huang finished speaking, the generals in the tent began to discuss it.
One of the generals, a dark-faced man with a thick beard, spoke up: "What else can we say? It's just that spring has come and those bastards have come back to life."
They're thinking of stealing some things from us, but they're afraid they can't beat us, so they're sending someone to test the waters first.
The black-faced general's words were met with agreement from many other generals.
In any case, the people of Beiliang would send people to harass them every spring.
Upon hearing this, Marshal Huang asked again, "Then how should we deal with this?"
The dark-faced general laughed and said, "Since we know they're doing this on purpose, and they're not really going to attack, I'd say we don't need to bother with them."
"We just need to conserve our energy and prepare for a big victory. We'll beat them so badly they'll hide at their grandma's house and never dare to leave again."
Marshal Huang frowned upon hearing this. War is no child's play; there is no room for the slightest mistake.
Finally, Marshal Huang turned his gaze to Li Xiangjian, who had remained silent, and asked, "Wu De Captain, why are you silent? What are your thoughts? Let everyone hear them."
Upon hearing this, everyone turned their attention to Li Xiangjian.
Li Xiangjian began by saying, "All of you generals are veterans in the military, and you are all more experienced than I am."
Before Li Xiangjian could finish speaking, General Ling cursed, "Stop talking nonsense! The Marshal told you to speak, so speak!"
Upon hearing General Ling's vulgar words, Marshal Huang quickly coughed and reminded him, "General Ling, his mother is Lady Mingzhao, who was just promoted to the rank of First-Rank Imperial Lady this year."
They're a rank higher than you.
If Lady Mingzhao hears what you've said, do you think you'll get away with it?
General Ling: ...
He didn't mean that; he really didn't mean to insult Lady Mingzhao.
How come the meaning changed after Marshal Huang's explanation? In the army, everyone is a roughneck, who doesn't curse?
But what Marshal Huang said is right. It seems that we can't just scold his mother casually anymore. We have to ask her what rank she is before we can scold her.
General Ling glanced at Li Xiangjian with some frustration and said, "You brat, stop using such flowery language. Just say what you're thinking!"
Li Xiangjian was speechless. He hadn't said anything, but he could have at least said something modest.
Now he's even getting scolded, and even his mother is getting dragged into it. Thinking of this, Li Xiangjian cursed under his breath, not even knowing who he was cursing.
So he spoke up and said, "My thoughts are different from those of you generals."
Although the people of Beiliang often harassed us in previous years, it was not as frequent as this year.
Therefore, I believe that something is definitely amiss when things seem unusual.
But whatever their motives, if they dare to come, we must let them know that our Great Yan land is not their Northern Liang people's backyard, nor is it a place they can come and go as they please.
Li Xiangjian's words resonated with Marshal Huang, who also felt that things shouldn't be so stifled, which is why he asked General Ling to gather the generals in the army.
Marshal Huang slammed his fist on the table and said, "Well said! In recent years, our Great Yan has been passively attacked, and we have lost all our backbone. We must correct this. Continue! How should we respond?"
Li Xiangjian continued, "The first step is to set up an ambush, so that they will never return."
We'll set up our first ambush within their Northern Liang territory. It's springtime now, and the vegetation is lush, so we can quietly set up the traps at night.
The second line of defense is set up in the Daliang Mountains. Although that place isn't used much, we can find a way to lure them there and kill one to make a profit.
The third line of defense is set up near our military camp. We can't let others attack our doorstep without us giving them anything in return.
However, I would feel ashamed if the Northern Liang people attacked our camp gates.
After teaching them a harsh lesson in the second step, it's time for us to switch from defense to offense.
We now have plenty of food and supplies, and after a whole winter of raising livestock, it's time to stretch our muscles and bones.
"The Emperor can't just support us for nothing."
Everyone present was a soldier, and Li Xiangjian's words stirred their blood.
Taking the initiative and being passively attacked are two different concepts. They also wanted to strike hard enough to make the Northern Liang people never dare to invade the Great Yan again.
The dark-faced general was the first to agree: "Wu De Xiaowei is right, let's fuck him!"
We've been humiliated for so many years, it's time to fight back. This humble general requests to lead the charge!
How could Marshal Huang not understand his subordinates? This old black man is impulsive and has no sense of strategy. He's perfectly capable of fighting the enemy head-on, but he's probably not good at setting traps or strategizing.
So Marshal Huang thought for a moment and said, "Leave the task of setting up checkpoints and traps to Wude Captain. If the enemy attacks and falls into the trap, you will pursue them. Remember not to let any Beiliang people escape."
Upon hearing this, the two quickly accepted the order.
The people of Beiliang are not having an easy time either. They don't know what's wrong with their superiors, ordering them to keep harassing the Great Yan army without actually engaging in battle. Instead, they harass them and then run away.
This is completely unlike the way things are done in Northern Liang.
Not to mention that the Great Yan Dynasty's army was exhausted after several rounds, the soldiers themselves were also having a hard time. They were often woken up in the middle of the night to carry out missions.
In the camp of the high-ranking generals of Northern Yan, a group of generals were also discussing this matter. Their soldiers were full of complaints, so they naturally had to report it to their superiors.
But the middle-aged man sitting at the head of the table remained unmoved.
The man had eagle eyes, a grooved nose, and a full beard; he possessed both the ruggedness of a military general and the sinister ruthlessness of a scholar.
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