The Prince Wants to Assassinate Me Every Day

Chapter 1394: Chapter 804: Qianyun the Nemesis, Discussing Military Strategy_4

The root cause of the war in Hebei was actually Daxuan Kingdom’s proactive deployment of troops, and of course, the Tatars’ restless movements. To integrate the territory more completely, they had to retake the Hebei region. In summary, Xiao Luming had never encountered war.

Yet he provided the most unique insight at the first opportunity.

"Does the Emperor mean that we will directly send troops to attack the Tatar main base south of Hebei?" Xie Ruotong asked.

"What does the Great General think?" Xiao Luming countered.

Xie Ruotong agreed.

But the opinions of the Think Tank and other generals were also needed.

The Think Tank quickly said, "I believe what the Emperor said is very sensible. Rather than attacking the militarily strong Oasis, it’s better to strike the root by directly pressing down on the Tatars’ stronghold, occupying their territory so they have no chance to recover! This way, the Tatars are losing more for less!"

"But there’s a problem now." Xie Ruotong considered, "If we are to attack the Tatar’s main base, we have to cross the desert. I just mentioned that our army has no experience marching in the desert, and it would be challenging to reach south of Hebei successfully and maintain combat capability."

"There’s another issue." Xie Qianyun interjected, "Even if Wu Huahao and I take the cavalry to the Tatar’s main base, once a fight breaks out, the main forces from the Oasis might return to support. If they return to support, we would be caught in a pincer attack. However, I still agree with the Emperor’s view to strike the root, first take the south of Hebei, then control the Oasis area. Before marching, we must thoroughly consider all uncertain factors."

Xiao Luming glanced at Xie Qianyun.

Usually seeing her acting carefree, she did not seem like someone who is meticulous.

Yet, unexpectedly on the battlefield, she could think calmly and wisely and was not rash.

"Desert marching must be overcome. After all, a desert lies ahead of us. If we don’t overcome it, no matter how we fight, we would be on the defensive and unable to pursue, allowing the Tatars to succeed again and again. Over time, it would naturally affect the morale of the army," Xiao Luming stated directly.

Xie Ruotong remained silent, knowing that what the Emperor said was reasonable.

But truly making soldiers adapt to the desert is not a matter that can be achieved overnight.

"I understand the Great General’s concerns, but war is not fought in a single day or a single battle. War is basically a protracted battle. It’s never too late to begin training the army’s abilities. The only thing late is feeling challenged without overcoming it. I think starting today, the Great General should rapidly train the army’s combat ability in the desert. Until we succeed, we will not send out troops to fight," Xiao Luming decisively stated. "As for the Tatars’ invasion, we just need to prepare a capable army for defense. As long as the Tatars cannot invade successfully, we have enough time to train our army!"

"Yes." Xie Ruotong accepted the order.

The Tatar invasion had previously made her somewhat eager for quick success.

She wanted to strike back at the Tatars quickly, thoroughly driving them back and preventing future incursions into Daxuan.

Listening to the Emperor now gave her peace of mind.

War should not be driven by emotions.

The longstanding strong military had ensured that small campaigns in Daxuan Kingdom resulted in great victories, making her somewhat anxious when facing a single defeat.

"As for the Empress’s earlier mention, I will think about how to avoid reinforcement from the Oasis’s military. The immediate task is to train our army’s combat capability in the desert, especially those 5,000 cavalry mentioned by the Great General. Being the vanguard, they are comprised of the elite soldiers. Their combat ability will directly influence the entire army’s combat performance and cannot afford any losses."

"Yes, I will intensify the training." Xie Ruotong accepted the order and reported, "Your Majesty, the 5,000 cavalry were previously under the Empress’s command. Now, should this cavalry remain under the Empress’s leadership, or should Wu Huahao take over?"

"I wish to lead them myself, with Wu Huahao as my Deputy General. We will work side by side as before." Xie Qianyun quickly accepted the assignment.

"The troops will be led by Wu Huahao." Xiao Luming directly rejected Xie Qianyun’s request.

Xie Qianyun’s expression changed immediately.

Xie Ruotong could naturally see her daughter’s thoughts.

Having wanted to lead troops and fight from a young age, how could she watch others take the fight?

"The Empress will ultimately return to the Imperial Palace; leading troops into battle should be entrusted to Wu Huahao," Xiao Luming explained his reasoning.

"That may be in the future. But now that I’m at the border, I am here to fight. Besides, Wu Huahao has never led troops in a campaign himself. This battle is particularly challenging, and I am uneasy about letting Wu Huahao go alone." Xie Qianyun insisted firmly.

"There’s a first time for everything. If not this time, then next time. Ultimately, the time will come for Wu Huahao to lead troops into battle on his own..."

"Your Majesty..."

"I will at most allow the Empress to act as a Deputy General and assist Wu Huahao in deploying troops." Xiao Luming stated each word with determination.

Xie Qianyun was momentarily taken aback.

The others were also momentarily stunned.

Wu Huahao was also somewhat flattered.

Having the Empress assist him in battle...

The thought even made him a little excited.

He was usually summoned and commanded by the Empress; he also wanted to experience commanding the Empress around.

"The Emperor’s comprehensive considerations are supported by this subject," Xie Ruotong promptly said.

It was truly a sincere agreement.

The Emperor was right, Qianyun would eventually return to be the Empress, and Wu Huahao needed to be trained.

Having Qianyun act as support this time ensures the army’s combat power while simultaneously allowing both to fulfill their roles—truly a win-win situation.

No wonder Song Yanqing had always praised the young emperor to her, proving his wisdom and extraordinary capabilities.

In retrospect, being the son of that old fox Xiao Jinxing, he certainly wouldn’t fall far from the tree!