Although He Yunxiao was fooling around with Meng Qingqian, he kept listening to the conversation in the study, not daring to miss a single detail.
While they were fooling around, He Yunxiao suddenly froze.
Meng Qingqian frowned and asked, "What's wrong?"
...
Looking at Han Wenxin's impassioned speech, Jiang Wenhu finally sighed and said, "Old Han, you did this to fulfill your gratitude, but didn't it indirectly lead to the futile resistance of hundreds of thousands of Qi soldiers, resulting in their deaths?"
Even at this point, Han Wenxin remained remarkably calm. "Qi is now united as one, so what is the point of resisting? Everyone knows that Yan is weaker than Qi, so what makes you so confident of victory?"
Jiang Wenhu said helplessly, "Old Han, let me tell you the truth. This time, the Yan army did not bring any large siege weapons, whether they came from the east or the west. Do you know that our cavalry has been lurking not far in front of the infantry, just waiting for you to launch a surprise attack on the infantry."
"So what?"
"The fact that they did not bring siege weapons means that the Yan army had no intention of attacking Yinjing City at all."
Han Wenxin's eyes narrowed. He knew that all the previous arrangements were based on the assumption that the Yan army would attack Yinjing City. If the Yan army did not attack Yinjing City, then most of the previous defensive preparations would be useless.
"Our Emperor spent five years training a team of falconers. These men can see through the eyes of eagles and gain their vision. Old Han, warfare is based on deception. Now that the Qi army's movements are all under our Yan army's watchful eye, do you still have a chance of winning this battle?"
Han Wenxin remained silent.
Jiang Wenhu continued, “The walls of Yinjing City are solid and thick. Our Yan army is strong in cavalry, which is disadvantageous for attacking the city. From the beginning, our emperor did not intend to attack the city. Instead, he ordered our Yan army to surround Yinjing without attacking. Relying on the fast-moving cavalry and the eagle eyes in the sky, we will constantly move through the plains and hills near Yinjing and eliminate the troops that come to reinforce Yinjing one by one.”
Jiang Wenhu said earnestly, "Old Han, if you don't understand military affairs, you can ask your Qi army generals. In the plains and hills near Yinjing, what is the actual situation of cavalry versus infantry? Especially considering that the number of troops reinforcing Yinjing is inconsistent. The vast majority of the Qi reinforcements are fewer in number than our Yan cavalry, right?"
"Cavalry has an advantage over infantry; it's common for three thousand cavalry to break through a ten-thousand-infantry square. Not to mention when there are more cavalry than infantry. Old Han, we've known each other for years. You know what kind of person I, Jiang Wenhu, am. If it were a real battle between two armies, I would definitely be at the forefront. But right now, it's a one-sided affair... Sigh, think about it."
...
Jiang Wenhu's words truly shook He Yunxiao to his core.
Damn it, could this Emperor Yan also be a time traveler?
This is ridiculous! They've used all of our army's traditional skills: "mobile warfare," "eliminating enemy forces," and "encircling and attacking reinforcements"? And you still say you're not a time traveler?
Covert spies, eagle eyes, and even red scouts—this operational strategy is clearly modern information warfare!
After hearing He Yunxiao's account of the situation, Meng Qingqian frowned deeply.
If the situation is indeed as Jiang Wenhu described, then it must be quite troublesome.
Whether it was Prime Minister Han or Meng Qingqian herself, their plan was to rely on the strong walls of Yinjing City and use the powerful national strength of Qi to drag Yan down.
But now, Yan is doing the opposite. Instead of attacking the city, it besieges it without attacking, using its cavalry advantage to continuously wear down Qi's reinforcements. As their forces weaken, Qi's military strength will inevitably fall behind Yan's. Only then will Yan order an attack, and the victory will be achieved naturally.
Meng Qingqian frowned, staring at the white wall of the Prime Minister's study, as if she could see Han Wenxin inside through the white wall.
The best strategy is to attack the enemy's plans; the next best is to disrupt their alliances; the next best is to attack their army; and the worst is to besiege their cities.
Given that, theoretically, Yan is highly likely to win and Qi will lose, the Yan emperor, through his psychological warfare tactics, could even capture the capital of Yin without losing a single soldier.
...
Han Wenxin fell silent.
He wasn't stupid, nor was he completely ignorant about military affairs. Precisely because of this, he understood the possibility that Jiang Wenhu was talking about.
If what he said is true, then the state of Qi is indeed in grave danger.
Jiang Wenhu earnestly advised:
"Old Han, the world is divided into nine provinces, and the Yan state has only three provinces, while the Qi state has only six. Since your ideal is to govern the world, why abandon the nine provinces and insist on governing only those six?"
"Throughout history, there have been few truly wise rulers. Princess Xiaoyue was one, but she is already dead. The dead cannot be brought back to life. Does Xiaoyue's brother, the current Emperor of Qi, possess the qualities of a wise ruler? On the other hand, our Emperor has swift and decisive methods, the ambition to unify the world, and the magnanimity to respect the virtuous and capable. He is truly a great ruler of his generation. The only one in a century to unify the world."
"Old Han, whether the world can be unified, whether the people can live in peace and prosperity, and whether the soldiers of Qi and Yan can retire from their military posts and return to farming, all depend on your decision."
Even at this point, Han Wenxin still showed obvious hesitation.
Upon seeing this, Jiang Wenhu unleashed the killing move that the Yan Emperor had given him.
Jiang Wenhu solemnly took out a square lump wrapped in brocade from his bosom, placed it on the table, and made a heavy thud.
Under Han Wenxin's shocked gaze, Jiang Wenhu slowly untied the brocade cloth, revealing the square-shaped object—the Great Yan Jade Seal!
"This!" Han Wenxin was so shocked that he couldn't speak.
Jiang Wenhu pushed the jade seal in front of Han Wenxin and said, "Old Han, I know you have some doubts about the promises made to the Emperor and me. It's alright, it's only natural. This jade seal, I don't need to say more, do I? The legitimacy of the Yan Kingdom for nine hundred years, from unifying the nine provinces to its current state of being confined to the three northern provinces, is right here."
Jiang Wenhu coughed lightly and solemnly said, "Imperial decree: Wenxin, if after I obtain Qi I am unable to maintain peace and prosperity for the people, you shall shatter this object, sever the fate of my Great Yan, destroy the legitimacy of my rule, and incite the people to attack me. I will break my promise to Wenxin, and I will die without regret."
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