Liu Mingzhi ignored Song Qing's trembling eyes and looked at the sand table again.
"When two armies confront each other, they have been able to win by surprise since ancient times. You also said that if I were to put myself in their shoes, how would I defend them if I were Wan Yan and they were the best.
If I were them, I would definitely arrange it like this, but I'm not."
Song Qing looked at Mr. Liu who shrugged slightly, lowered his head and thought for a moment.
"I have to say that your idea is very powerful. Once it succeeds, the damage it will cause to the Northern Expedition Army will be immeasurable, but what you think is too natural.
There are a million troops, but there are only 3,000 elite scouts. Three thousand elite scouts are constantly investigating the enemy's situation every day. How can they let the fire dragon chariot approach the military camp?
I'm afraid I'll be discovered by the scouts ten miles away, so report to Marshal Yun!
At that time, we only need to send a team of iron cavalry to intercept it. Once the cannon shells are discovered, the fire dragon chariot will not approach Dalong's military camp at all.
So the success rate of your idea is less than 30%.
It’s not that you don’t know the abilities of our scouts, you know their abilities better than anyone else.”
Liu Mingzhi did not answer Song Qing's words for the time being, but grabbed a handful of flags and planted them on the sand table.
When the last flag was inserted into the sand table, Liu Mingzhi glanced at Song Qing lightly.
"As you said, the chance of success is indeed slim, so let's mention it again.
As you just said, you only need to surround the Jin Kingdom's heavy troops in the city and wait for them to run out of food and grass, then they will be defeated without attacking, right?"
"Yes, although this strategy is slow, it can minimize the cost."
"Well, indeed, this strategy is the least costly strategy to attack the city. So what do the besieged Jin soldiers and horses need most?"
"Aren't you asking nonsense? Of course we need food and grass."
Liu Mingzhi took off the dry tobacco bag from his waist, lit it up and puffed out the smoke for a while, staring at Song Qing dimly.
"The heavy troops of the Jin Kingdom who were besieged in the city needed food and grass. The Jin soldiers and horses knew this, and General Dalong who was besieging the enemy troops outside the city also knew very well.
Then you say that at this time, a letter from the city asking for food and grass from the Emperor of Jin was unfortunately intercepted by Dalong's scouts and spies, and finally reached the hands of Dalong's coach Yunyang.
When Yunyang saw the content of the letter, there was a secret passage in the city that could lead to somewhere outside the city, and he could transport grain and grass to the city at night.
What would you do if you were Mr. Yun?"
"I......."
Song Qing walked around the room with his hands behind his back, holding a pipe like Mr. Liu and started puffing away.
After the tobacco in the pot burned out, Song Qing suddenly raised his head and looked at Mr. Liu: "I will pretend not to have intercepted this secret letter asking for food and grass, and let this letter reach the hands of the Emperor of Jin safely.
At that time, not only can you intercept this batch of grain and grass for your own use, but you can also take the opportunity to find the secret passage leading to the city, launch a night attack at the right time, and attack from both inside and outside when the enemy relaxes their vigilance. The cost of capturing the city is still very high.
Small."
"Indeed, it is indeed a good idea.
You said, what if this batch of grain and grass was transported in two parts, and the first shipment was real grain and grass, but the second batch of grain and grass was packed with a deadly weapon such as artillery shells?
After the first successful experience, people's instinct is to quickly move the food and grass to the rear baggage.
When the time comes, these artillery shells will not need to be driven by the Jin soldiers to drive the fire dragon chariot to Dalong's military camp. Dalong's soldiers will take these things into the military camp themselves.
At that time, if we do some tricks on the real food and grass, it is not impossible that we will have the opportunity to use the original food and grass of the dragon soldiers and horses in one pot.
Once the food and grass burns into a fire, your chances of putting it out are slim to none.
In this case, it is not certain who will surround whom when the time comes.
What about a million-strong army?
Once the morale of the army was weakened, the Jin soldiers and horses and the Turkic cavalry who had been ambushing dozens of miles away attacked from front to back and surrounded them from inside and outside. Even though there were millions of troops, they were just lambs to be slaughtered.
This is called removing fuel from the bottom of the cauldron and focusing on the heart.
In the past, when I led troops on expeditions, I emphasized to you Cheng Kai more than once that we should go up and attack with troops.
If the plan is used well, the gap between soldiers and horses may not be irreparable.
This is why I often said later that I, Liu Mingzhi, never win with force when using troops.
To put it bluntly, if the troops and horses of the Jin Kingdom and the Turkic cavalry are now in my hands, whether Marshal Yun can capture the twelve cities of the Jin Kingdom is a question.
There are many reasons that determine the outcome of a war, not just military strength.
Now do you understand why I want to gather my troops in Kanzhou and Jizhou?
The strategy of luring the enemy is not only to lure soldiers and horses into a single plot, but also to lure the enemy into a series of plots!"
Song Qing looked at Young Master Liu who was chatting and looking surprisingly calm, and felt that his hands and feet were a little cold.
If Wanyan Chizha really arranged things as Liu Mingzhi said, it is really possible for the millions of troops from the Northern Expedition to return without defeat.
Even if something goes wrong, the whole army may be wiped out.
The mighty and invincible army of one million people was said by the third brother to be so vulnerable.
Song Qing had no doubt that based on his understanding of his third brother, the strategy he just mentioned to defend against the enemy was probably just one of his ideas.
The word "strategy" ultimately refers to the control of people's hearts.
Every step of the plan that Third Brother mentioned just now accurately predicts how a person's human heart may react.
As if this person's actions should be based on his thoughts.
Seeing Young Master Liu lying quietly on the sand table, not showing the slightest excitement or pride because he had planned a big plan that could determine the ownership of the world, Song Qing swallowed twice involuntarily.
"No... I'm not an enemy of you. It's a great blessing in life. Otherwise, I might not even know how I died.
I'm curious how you know so much."
"Is there anything worth being curious about? I've seen it a lot. TV... Mr. Storyteller talks about celebrity biographies every day and my ears are almost numb.
People are not born with knowledge. Who can be free from confusion? Aren't there many things that I can't understand?"
Song Qing smiled bitterly and nodded: "It's easy for you to say, but how many people in the world can imagine how to associate these with this war.
After you told me, I finally understand why you ordered the soldiers to destroy a section of the wooden rails of the fire dragon chariot every time we captured a city in the Jin Kingdom last year.
You were probably afraid that Wanyan Chizha and the others would pull a trick on you, like a dragon chariot pulling cannonballs into the camp!"
Liu Mingzhi chuckled and shrugged: "God bless, the general of the Jin Kingdom did not think of this move."
Song Qing stood up and wandered in the room for a while, with a solemn expression on his face: "No, just in case, I must send a letter to Mr. Yun about today's conversation, so that he can be prepared in advance for Wanyan Chizha and the others to use this method.
.
Don't be afraid of 10,000, just be afraid of the worst. If you are in a hurry, you can think of any way."
Liu Mingzhi planted the flag in his hand somewhere on the grassland and patted the soil on his hand.
"I advise you not to pass on letters."
Song Qing paused as he walked towards the desk, looking at Liu Mingzhi who turned around with complicated eyes.
"Third brother, I know you are worried about the safety of your sister-in-law Wanyan and niece Yue'er, but among the millions of troops in the Northern Expedition, there are 300,000 cavalrymen who have been with you through life and death for many years. The rest of the troops are your disciples.
Therefore, officials are everywhere.
While you are worried about your siblings, mother and daughter, you also have to think about your brothers.
Those are hundreds of thousands of brothers in life and death."
Liu Mingzhi looked at Song Qing's heavy expression and shook his head silently.
"You have misunderstood me. I am not afraid that Marshal Yun will be on guard in advance and that the actions of the generals of the Jin Kingdom will destroy the Jin Kingdom and injure Wanyan and Yue'er.
I have already made arrangements for the safety of their mother and daughter.
Rather, I am worried that Wanyan Chiezha, Yeluha and the others did not originally have this idea, but because of some of the arrangements that Mr. Yun made after getting your letter, it gave Wanyan Chizha and the others inspiration.
At that time, you will not be relieving Mr. Yun from his difficulties, but adding trouble to Mr. Yun.
I’m afraid it will be self-defeating!”
"me......."
"Brother, I understand your worries, but I am who I am, and Wanyan Chizha will always be Wanyan Chizha. What I can think of may not be what he can think of.
However, if it is because of your letter, it may not only disrupt the military strategy formulated by Marshal Yun, but also lead to Wanyan's idea of chilling them.
You said, if this causes Bei Zheng to be rude, who should be blamed for this?"
"This...I..."
Liu Mingzhi picked up the pipe that Song Qing had put aside, loaded it with tobacco and handed it to Song Qing. He picked up the candlestick to light it for Song Qing.
"Don't worry, we are outsiders now, just sit back and watch the fight between dragons and tigers, and don't make trouble.
Otherwise, good intentions may not necessarily lead to good things, but bad things.”
Song Qing nodded with a complicated expression, lit the tobacco in front of the candle, and began to smoke with struggling eyes.