Mythical Qin: I, Gao Yao, will never be a eunuch!

Chapter 1054 The Battle Against the Qiang Tribe: Victory is the Only Option!

"This plan... is unwise!" Wu She objected almost before Li Zhao had finished speaking. He shook his head, his face showing disapproval. "Lord Li's plan, while seemingly clever, will actually have endless consequences. First, the Qiang people are fickle and their credibility is questionable. Today they may be lured by me to attack Chu, but tomorrow they may be bewitched by Chu and turn against me. Second, and more importantly,"

Wu She hesitated slightly at this point, glancing instinctively at the throne before lowering his voice to continue, "Now that His Majesty... His Majesty has not returned, the court's overall foreign policy strategy remains unclear. Especially regarding the attitude towards neighboring forces like the Qiang, whether to suppress or appease, to win them over or to control them, ultimately requires His Majesty's judgment. If we were to reach such a secret agreement with the Qiang at this time, or even provide them with weapons, the nature of this action would be difficult to define. What if it affected His Majesty's overall plans after his return, or gave them a handle to use against us... In short, this plan of using one wolf to devour another is too risky, and I dare not agree with it."

Although Wu She didn't explicitly state his concerns, everyone present understood the underlying worries behind his unspoken words. With His Majesty Gao Yao absent from Xianyang, any action that might be seen as provoking border conflicts or colluding with foreign vassals could trigger unnecessary political risks in the future. Especially at this sensitive time, with the succession struggle simmering beneath the surface, any decision required even greater caution.

With the two opinions deadlocked, everyone's gaze turned to Zhang Liang, who had remained silent until now. This strategist, known for his ingenious plans and ability to find solutions in seemingly impossible situations, was now staring intently at the sand table, his eyes deep, as if he could see into the distant future through the model of mountains and rivers.

Feeling the gazes of everyone, Zhang Liang finally slowly raised his head. His face showed no ease, but rather a heavy resolve. He cleared his throat, his voice not loud, but instantly drawing everyone's attention: "In that case, I think that in this battle, we should not only fight, but also win."

"what?"

"win?"

Xiao He, Li Zhao, and Wu She all showed expressions of surprise almost simultaneously. Logically, since the goal was to lure the Chu army into a trap, wouldn't it have been a more reasonable strategy to feign weakness, or even deliberately suffer a defeat in the Longxi direction, to make the Chu army believe they had an opportunity? Zhang Liang's words completely surprised them.

"Zhang Liang, what do you mean by this?" Xiao He leaned forward, his eyes filled with inquiry. "If our army wins decisively in Longxi, demonstrating strong defensive and counter-offensive capabilities, how could the Chu army easily launch a surprise attack? Wouldn't they be even more cautious and hold back?"

Zhang Liang shook his head slightly, a faint, all-knowing smile playing on his lips: "Grand Chancellor, do you think that even if we followed common sense and deliberately suffered a defeat in Longxi, or even feigned a rout, the Chu army would truly believe us and launch a full-scale attack without hesitation?" He answered his own question before Xiao He could reply, "No. The Chu army has just been defeated by the King; their awe of the King remains, and they are well aware of our true strength. They also know the strength of the Qiang tribe. Wouldn't a deliberately contrived and illogical 'defeat' arouse suspicion in Xiang Yu and his strategist Fan Zeng, making them suspect it's a trap set by our army?"

He stood up, walked to the sand table, and traced the vast area from Longxi to the heart of the Qiang region with his finger: "So, in my opinion, if we really want to fool the Chu army and make them think that the time has come, there is only one way, and that is to win! And to win thoroughly, to win loudly, to win so that everyone feels that the attention and even the main force of our Great Qin are firmly drawn to the western front!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the shocked faces of the crowd, before throwing out a startling name: "Furthermore, we need to borrow someone to make this 'great victory' and the ensuing 'adventure' seem reasonable."

"Borrow someone? Who?" Xiao He asked subconsciously, a vague guess rising in his mind, yet he found it hard to believe.

Zhang Liang took a deep breath and said clearly and slowly, "Second Young Master, Gao Zhe!"

"what!"

"Second son?"

"This... Zhang Liang, do you know what you're saying?!"

As expected, these words shocked everyone present! Li Zhao and Wu She were almost speechless, and even the usually composed Xiao He's pupils contracted sharply. At this sensitive moment, with the succession still undecided and the palace having just experienced a failed turmoil initiated by Yu Shu, proposing to involve the Second Prince Gao Zhe in such an important military operation carried far too complex and sensitive political implications and potential risks! This was tantamount to throwing another boulder into the already turbulent political landscape.

Looking at everyone's reactions, Zhang Liang sighed helplessly, his face showing a hint of resignation and solemnity. He was well aware of how troublesome it would be to propose using Gao Zhe at this juncture, and how much speculation and controversy it would cause. But in his strategic calculations, this was the most crucial step in gaining the trust of the Chu army and achieving his strategic goals.

“Zhang Liang, you… continue!” Xiao He, being the chief minister, quickly forced himself to calm down after the initial shock. He knew Zhang Liang was no ordinary person; there must be a deeper meaning behind his proposal. He needed to hear the entire plan before judging its feasibility. He waved his hand, signaling Li Zhao and Wu She to remain calm, “Explain your plan completely.”

With Xiao He's approval, Zhang Liang nodded and began to elaborate on his bold and ingenious plan: "Grand Secretary, colleagues, please listen to my explanation. As I just said, our army must win, and win decisively. This not only means holding Longxi, but also inflicting heavy losses on the Qiang people in the counterattack, and even going so far as to pursue them deep into Qiang territory, aiming to eliminate the threat on the western front in one fell swoop!"

He looked intently at the crowd: "Why do we have to do this? Because only by showing this attitude of 'going all out' and 'being eager for glory' can we convince the Chu army that the main force of our Qin army, at least the main focus on the western front, has been firmly pinned down in Longxi and even further into the Qiang territory. As a result, the defenses around Xianyang, and even the northern front, will appear to be 'vulnerable' to them."

“However,” Zhang Liang changed the subject, “the Chu army isn’t stupid. Why would they believe that our army would choose such an aggressive, even somewhat risky, strategy at this time? To devote so many troops to attacking a Qiang tribe that can’t really threaten the foundation of the empire, thus neglecting the powerful enemy in the north? This needs a reason, a reason that is strong enough and convincing enough to convince the Chu army command!”

His finger slammed down on the symbol of Xianyang: "And the reason is something that everyone in the court knows, yet keeps quiet about—the Second Prince Gao Zhe advocates war! Moreover, he desperately needs a military achievement that is dazzling enough to boost his prestige!"