Xie Guang's scalp tingled on the spot. His eyes widened in shock. The Grand Marshal was serious!
Seeing that Xie Guang only realized what was happening belatedly, a mocking smile appeared on her lips. This time, she chose a wood-chopping knife to use as a throwing knife. Kitchen knives are big and unpredictable; even if they hit a safe spot, there was no guarantee she wouldn't get pricked by the butt of the blade.
What if it's that place...? Wouldn't he be doomed to have no descendants?! Even if the Grand Marshal used to beat him, it wouldn't harm his manhood, but the current Grand Marshal actually...!
She grabbed the wood-chopping knife with one hand and pointed it at herself, even closing her eyes as if she were dozing off.
Xie Guang felt a chill in his pants and crotch. He was terrified and finally said in a timid voice, "This humble general...this humble general knows he was wrong."
"It was my overstepping to discuss the battle against the Yellow Bandits. As a general, one should prioritize the Grand Marshal's wishes. I... I would never dare to question you. Please, Grand Marshal, calm your anger!"
Xie Lanzhi put down her wood-chopping knife and casually lowered her foot. Xie Xia, seeing the opportunity, quickly scrambled to the side. Now that the matter was settled...
She commanded, "If he can admit his mistakes and correct them, I will naturally give him a chance. Men, take him down."
He then thought to himself that Xie Ying's physique was indeed very strong; at 1.7 meters tall, he was stronger than the average man.
In her past life, she wasn't strong enough to stand five meters tall and shoot at a seven-colored spinning target.
With my current strength, I could easily shoot eight meters.
This time, Xie Lanzhi asked Xie Guang, "Do you have any further objections?"
After Xie Guang stepped down from the target platform, his legs trembled slightly. The thought that the Grand Marshal had become milder after his illness was completely dispelled by his kneeling. He even resigned himself to his fate and said, "No... I dare not. This humble general will obey all the Grand Marshal's orders!"
At this moment, Xie Guang finally realized that to him, the Grand Marshal had simply changed from a cold-faced tiger to a smiling one. She was no different from before!
Chapter 13 She Begins the Campaign Against the Barbarians
"What's the panic? You're so flustered. You don't look like a general at all." Xie Lanzhi's words were like a knife piercing Xie Guang's chest.
The position of Grand General was the thing he wanted to keep most in his life.
Xie Guang knelt before her, his whole demeanor lifeless, devoid of his previous imposing presence.
To be honest, she didn't think highly of this person; he was reckless and impulsive, and might be ambushed one day without even realizing it.
Yet this very person's status was second only to Xie Ying's.
She could sense that Xie Ying did not value talent in his appointments, and that Xie Ying seemed to have left no way out for the Xie family at all.
The Xie family is currently only enjoying the benefits of Xie Ying's conquests. Once Xie Ying is gone, this group of Xie family members is destined to be defeated one by one.
Xie Lanzhi did not linger any longer, but said to the generals, "I will give you one more night to go back and think about the strategy for attacking Tianjing!"
"I need to see a good solution by tomorrow!"
"Yes, sir!" the generals replied. "We will do our utmost to share the burden for the Grand Marshal!"
The following day, Xie Lanzhi's memorial table was covered with memorials, all of which were strategies and plans submitted by her soldiers.
There were a total of seventy-two proposals, more than she had expected. By the time she had read them all, two hours had passed.
The younger officers below were getting restless. Those who remained seated kept glancing in her direction.
Xie Lanzhi looked at the sky outside the door. It was almost noon, time for lunch. She relented and said, "I've read through all the memorials. They are indeed much better than yesterday's."
"Grand Marshal, whose tactics will you adopt?" Xie Ji asked.
She glanced at Xie Ji, already somewhat aware of the situation, because among the seventy-two memorials, his was the most outstanding; he suggested a strategy to sow discord between the Yellow Turban rebels and the forces in Tianjing.
This method would first incite infighting within the Yellow Bandits' ranks, thereby weakening the enemy. In contrast, Xie Guang proposed a counter-espionage plan, aiming to create internal conflict within the Yellow Bandits and thus benefit the Southern Region.
It also comes with a detailed booklet.
Whether it's sowing discord or creating division, it's indeed the best approach at the moment. Huang Ze's camp numbers 150,000, but can he truly win over the entire population of Tianjing like Xie Ying did?
No, Huang Ze rashly provoked a war with the Southern Region. In the eyes of the world, he was only acting out of a momentary personal grudge.
In chaotic times, even his pretexts for war are utterly absurd. If one repeatedly tramples on the forbearance of others, one will lose their support; losing their support inevitably leads to losing power.
Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it.
Such a simple reason, she put aside the two folded documents she had chosen.
She did not answer Xie Ji, but instead said, "The staff who submitted these two memorials deserve a reward."
Upon hearing this, Xie Ji's eyes lit up, and the staff in the office nodded secretly, feeling a sense of hope.
Xie Ji quickly asked, "Which strategy does the Grand Marshal prefer?"
Xie Lanzhi said, "There are many ways to attack the Yellow bandits, but I only selected two of the most suitable memorials from the seventy-two. However, to my regret, neither of them suits my taste."
These words immediately made Xie Ji's face stiffen. He suddenly couldn't figure out what the Grand Marshal was thinking about.
The staff began to wonder if they had overlooked something.
Unexpectedly, Xie Lanzhi suddenly said to the people in the staff seat: "I don't want to compare your level with the world, but anyone with a little self-awareness should know their own limits."
"Since none of you can think of a better way, then I, the commander, will have to take matters into my own hands!" With that, she rolled up her sleeves, picked up a pen in a flurry, and quickly circled the words she had chosen on the memorial, one after another.
Until the pen is placed on the pen holder.
She called on Xie Ji and asked him to read aloud all the words she had circled.
Xie Ji carefully picked up the words circled by the Grand Marshal. He found that most of them were circled on his own and Xie Guang's staff's memorials, but there were a few words on all the other memorials as well, so it could be said that they were all given equal attention.
He pondered for a moment, "To conquer a city, one must first conquer its heart. The Yellow rebels took Jin, and all those in Jin dreamed of returning."
"The Five Jin were adjacent to the Six Jin, the Six Jin were close to the Seven Jin, and the Seven Jin enjoyed a period of prosperity. The Three Jin surrounded the capital."
The first part outlines the tactics, then it explains that the Yellow Bandits and the various Jin states share the same ambitions, and the "ai" refers to the distance; the territories of the five, six, and seven Jin states surround Tianjing. In other words, they surround the Yellow Bandits.
After Xie Ji finished reading, he suddenly looked at Xie Lanzhi with a complicated expression, as if he understood what she meant.
He first stated, "Grand Marshal, do you mean to surround the enemy for now without attacking?"
She said, "If you don't attack, you won't be able to attack."
When Xie Lanzhi looked up again, her expression was resolute and unwavering. Xie Ji saw this, paused for a moment, and then realized what was happening.
Unlike Xie Guang, Xie Ji glanced discreetly at his staff, who nodded in agreement.
Xie Ji immediately replied, "This humble general is willing to serve the Grand Marshal! This humble general believes this is the best possible strategy!"
Before the others could understand what was happening, they discovered that the Right General had already begun volunteering. Many people stood up.
"Grand Marshal, do we have a chance to make an appearance?"
"This humble general has been inactive for two years. I hope the Grand Marshal will give me a chance!"
"Me too!"
"Grand Marshal, even if it's not the main battlefield, please let me serve you."
Faced with such enthusiasm, and General Xie Xia's hesitant and uneasy expression.
Xie Lanzhi refused all of their requests.
She raised her hand and pointed at Xie Xia: "General Zuo, in this battle of Tianjing, you will lead the army to punish the Yellow rebels on my behalf!"
After he finished speaking, the room fell into a deathly silence.
Xie Ji's face immediately turned ugly. The other generals were stunned for a moment, and then looked at General Xie Xia in shock.
Even Xie Xia looked on in disbelief.
No way? Choose him? He's just an indecisive guy who only knows how to follow his second brother [Xie Guang] around and pick up the credit.
Will he really be of any use?!
Xie Xia was thrilled to be entrusted with such a great responsibility, but then he saw the reality clearly. He stepped forward and said dejectedly, "Thank you for your appreciation, Grand Marshal. This humble general's strength is meager and I fear I may disappoint you."
Xie Lanzhi said in an unyielding tone, "If I say you're suitable, then you're suitable. Go and prepare! Lead 100,000 men to borrow passage through Qi Jin."
"Do you doubt my judgment?"
Xie Xia quickly shook his head. He dared not doubt the Grand Marshal in the slightest. The Grand Marshal had transformed the Southern Region into a powerful force feared by all the northern tribes in just five years. Every member of the Xie family had benefited from her influence and begun to enjoy the wealth and glory they had earned amidst the chaos of the times.
He accepted Xie Lanzhi's appointment: "That's not what I meant. I accept the order!"
Xie Lanzhi nodded in satisfaction and said to Xie Ji, "You will lead 50,000 cavalry to Wu Jin."
Upon hearing that he was also included, Xie Ji immediately knelt down and said excitedly, "Thank you, Grand Marshal."
"Don't be too happy yet, remember to bring your staff." She continued, "I have another task for you."
Xie Ji suppressed his excitement and asked, "What mission?"
She gestured for him to bring out his staff, and Xie Ji immediately had the staff serving him come out.
This aide was not tall, even short in the crowd, but he had a cunning air about him, and beneath his slightly fearful eyes was a secret delight at being discovered.
Xie Lanzhi looked at him: "What's your name?"
“Your humble servant is Wu Qiu, son of the Fifth Grand Master of the Palace,” Wu Qiu said.
She was somewhat interested in this person, but not very interested. It was just that she hadn't found a better strategist yet. She personally confirmed, "From now on, you are officially the Grand Strategist of the Cavalry Battalion and may attend any of my alliance meetings."
These words were spoken.
Wu Qiu was overjoyed: "Thank you for your appreciation, Grand Marshal!"
Xie Lanzhi then began searching again, since Liu Jin needed someone to assist him in completing his plan.
The others also looked at her expectantly, but unfortunately, she didn't know the names of the people in the memorials. However, she suddenly remembered that there was a memorial in the memorials that mentioned Lord Sibo.
The other party was clearly trying to get her attention, so she picked up the letter again and glanced at it. The name on it read: Xie Shangguang, Captain of the First Battalion of the Bow Battalion.
Xie Lanzhi: ......
She hesitated for a moment; sending a child to the battlefield seemed a bit inappropriate.
However, she didn't hesitate for long, feeling that this boy was teachable. She said, "Xie Shangguang, step forward!"
Xie Shangguang immediately squeezed out of the last row and stood up.
He asked excitedly, "Is the Grand Marshal going to send me to the battlefield?"
Her lips twitched a few times: "Since you've brought up Master Si, I'll have you go find Master Si with my orders, and then we'll head to Liu Jin together."
"Ah! I'm not sending the kid to fight!" Xie Shangguang shouted back, but Xie Ji covered his mouth.
Xie Ji whispered in his ear, "Don't be so smug. If you can serve the Grand Marshal, you won't have to worry about not being able to go to the battlefield in the future."