The clash between Confucianism and Legalism was exactly what Ying Zheng hoped to see.
He did not want either side to become too powerful, so he saw the struggle between Confucianism and Legalism but turned a blind eye to it.
Li Si and Chunyu Yue were both important officials in the court, but they had different political views, which Ying Zheng did not care about.
It took a full seven years to complete the Great Wall, which was built in 215 BC.
In the same year, Ying Zheng dispatched Meng Tian with an army of 300,000 to attack the Xiongnu in the north!
Lu Li also received the news that Ying Zheng had personally written a letter requesting Lu Li to come out of seclusion and help Meng Tian sweep away the Plow Court!
"Brother Lu, are you going?" Lu Fusheng asked.
Lu Li looked at the letter and immediately said, "Of course I'll go."
The threat from the Xiongnu lasted for hundreds of years until the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, when Wei Qing and Huo Qubing finally defeated them.
When Qin Shi Huang was building the Great Wall, he asked Lu Li whether what he was doing was right or wrong.
But Lu Li only replied to Ying Zheng with eight words.
"His sins are for the present, but his merits will last for generations!"
It was these eight words that made Ying Zheng completely determined to build the Great Wall.
Now that the Great Wall was completed, the first thing Ying Zheng did was to attack the Xiongnu in the north.
Meng Tian had been stationed in the north, so sending him on the expedition was the most appropriate thing to do.
When Meng Tian saw Lu Li arrive, he was overjoyed!
Meng Tian was no longer the naive young man he once was; he was already in his thirties, almost forty.
His years of military service also tempered his character.
"Sir! You've really come."
Meng Tian was somewhat surprised. Lu Li hadn't looked any different all these years, just like before.
"General Meng, it's been many years since we last met, and you've become even more composed."
Meng Tian scratched his head sheepishly; he admired Lu Li immensely!
When his father Meng Wu made great contributions in attacking the State of Chu, it was all thanks to Lu Li's advice and strategies.
"With your help, sir! The Xiongnu can be defeated!"
"Sir, I am planning to attack the northern part of the Hetao region from Shangjun. What do you think?"
Looking at the sand table, Lu Li couldn't help but nod. Meng Tian truly had the talent to command troops.
The solution he came up with was already the optimal one.
"What happens after we enter the Hetao region?" Lu Li continued to ask.
Meng Tian was immediately taken aback. After entering the Ordos region, he naturally drove all the Xiongnu out.
"Naturally, the Xiongnu were driven out."
Lu Li smiled and said, "The Xiongnu are nomadic, so we can only defend, not attack."
"By occupying the Hetao region, they have undoubtedly given up their greatest advantage!"
"How can we let them leave?"
Meng Tian's eyes widened immediately. Did Lu Li intend to wipe out all the Xiongnu in the Hetao region?
"Sir, there are 100,000 Xiongnu soldiers in the Hetao region!"
One hundred thousand Xiongnu soldiers may not sound like much, but most of them were cavalry!
The Xiongnu were skilled in battle and proficient in archery and horsemanship. To withstand 100,000 Xiongnu soldiers, one would need at least five times more men.
Meng Tian only had 300,000 Meng family troops at his disposal. It would be good enough if he could drive 100,000 Xiongnu out of the Ordos Loop. How could he possibly conquer them?
"General Meng, as I just said, the Xiongnu soldiers are best at guerrilla warfare. Defending a city? Do you think they are good at it?"
The biggest advantage of the Xiongnu was their ability to hit and run, because they couldn't be captured or their strongholds located.
Wasting huge amounts of money and grain! This is the root cause of the Xiongnu problem.
But now there are 100,000 Xiongnu soldiers stationed in the Hetao region, which means they have completely given up their greatest advantage.
The Qin army was most adept at conquering cities and seizing strongholds!
"Sir, you are right! Then how can we eat them?"
Lu Li's lips curled up slightly, and then he said, "It's very simple. General Meng only needs to give me 50,000 troops. I will go out of Xiaoguan from Beidi County and enter the southern part of the Hetao region. We will attack from two directions, so that they will be unable to defend themselves!"
"In this way, these 100,000 Xiongnu soldiers can be annihilated!"
Only 50,000? Meng Tian was stunned once again.
"Sir, you only need 50,000 troops?"
Lu Li nodded confidently and said, "Fifty thousand is enough. The Xiongnu will definitely flee north, so General Meng, you must not let them escape!"
Meng Tian's side is the main battlefield. Once the Xiongnu realize they can't hold the city, they will definitely flee to their northern homeland. At that time, Meng Tian's side will face a tough battle.
"Sir...you are truly skilled and daring."
Meng Tian was at a loss for words. How dare they attack the southern part of the Hetao region with only 50,000 troops?
Even if Meng Tian were given another 50,000 troops, he wouldn't dare to act like this.
However, out of respect and trust for Lu Li, he agreed without hesitation.
Mr. Lu said 50,000, then it's only 50,000!
“Very well, I will give you my most elite 50,000 Meng family troops to follow you.”
This time, Lu Li didn't refuse and agreed immediately.
"The Black Ice Guard will keep relaying messages to us, and General Meng can act accordingly!"
After all, opportunities on the battlefield are fleeting, and even if the Black Ice Platform is fast, there will still be delays in transmitting messages.
However, as long as the general direction is correct, there will almost never be any problems.
"Alright, when will you depart, sir?" Meng Tian asked.
"tonight!"
"tonight?"
"As the saying goes, speed is of the essence in war, we must catch the Xiongnu off guard."
"This time, I only need three days to reach Beidi County. After a day of rest, I will leave Xiaoguan to attack the southern part of the Hetao region. Three days later, General Meng will be able to attack the northern part of the Hetao region!"
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