Chapter 350: Chapter 350: General’s Talent
Ye Yunfeng asked tentatively, "So, Sister, do you already have a plan to deal with this?"
Ye Chutang shook her head. "No."
Ye Yunfeng grew anxious. "Then—"
"However, I know someone who does."
Ye Yunfeng froze, then quickly asked, "Who is it? As long as they’re willing to come forward and prove your innocence, we’ll get them here no matter what!"
A faint smile touched Ye Chutang’s lips. "Don’t worry. She’ll come on her own."
Ye Yunfeng was filled with curiosity, fidgeting impatiently. But since his sister wouldn’t say, he could only give up and wait obediently.
"Well... I hope it’s soon, then!"
Ye Chutang didn’t seem to be taking the matter to heart. She changed the subject back to him and Feng Zhang.
"You went to ask Lord Master what happened. What did he say?"
Ye Yunfeng was suddenly embarrassed. He blinked, feigning a casual tone. "He was an open book, of course—"
Ye Chutang gave him a knowing smirk and looked him up and down. "You’re lucky you didn’t leave with broken arms or legs, and you’re telling me he was an ’open book’?"
Ye Yunfeng: "..."
’I knew I couldn’t hide anything from my sister!’
He scratched his head and finally admitted, "Lord Master didn’t get a chance to beat me, it’s true."
It was all thanks to Qiao Zimo arriving so quickly that he escaped that fate.
"But..." Ye Yunfeng’s expression fell with disappointment. "He didn’t reveal anything. No matter how I asked or tried to provoke him, he refused to say a single word about what happened back then."
If he could, he still hoped Feng Zhang would explain the full story of the battle at Tongtian Pass to him.
’The conclusions I’ve drawn on my own are, in the end, just speculation.’
Ye Chutang leaned back in her chair, unsurprised by this outcome. "It’s a confidential matter. Of course he wouldn’t discuss it with a hot-headed kid like you. If he weren’t so fond of you, you probably would have been carried out of the Imperial College today."
Feng Zhang may have been retired from the front lines for several years, but how many who have fought on the battlefield are truly soft-hearted?
’But it’s a good thing A Feng isn’t afraid of death. It makes him the perfect person to lead the charge.’
If Ye Yunfeng knew what his sister was thinking right now, he’d probably want to cry. But at this moment, he was still completely absorbed in his conversation with Feng Zhang.
After a moment of contemplation, Ye Yunfeng lowered his voice and said, "Sister, I suspect General Huo’s fate back then was the result of sabotage."
Ye Chutang looked up. "Oh?"
"Lord Master didn’t say anything, but because of that, he essentially gave me the answer." Ye Yunfeng’s expression turned serious. "When I asked him if he had delayed sending reinforcements, he became furious."
’What a clever kid,’ Ye Chutang thought. ’I expected him to ask, but I didn’t expect him to be so sharp about it.’
’Isn’t that the same as asking Feng Zhang to admit he was at fault?’
’Missing a critical military window is a serious crime!’
But she didn’t let it show on her face. "Are you saying you think he and Huo Yucheng had planned to fight the enemy together, but because Feng Zhang was late, it led to the disastrous defeat at Tongtian Pass?"
"Yes." Ye Yunfeng didn’t shy away from it, nodding frankly. "The enemy force was only thirty thousand strong—not even half the size of the troops General Huo commanded. If it weren’t for the treacherous terrain of Tongtian Pass, they never would have won so easily! If the Dean had arrived in time with his twenty thousand reinforcements to outflank them, they could have turned defeat into victory!"
Ye Chutang listened quietly, then suddenly asked, "So you think that a force of one hundred thousand against thirty thousand would have greatly increased the odds of winning?"
"Not necessarily." Ye Yunfeng shook his head. "On the battlefield, it’s common for a smaller force to defeat a larger one; numbers aren’t the only deciding factor. Besides, the terrain at Tongtian Pass is complex. The enemy was more familiar with it than our soldiers, so naturally, they could use that to their advantage and secure a clever victory."
He held up his hand to gesture. "Tongtian Pass is like a narrow-mouthed gourd. If they had detected the ambush in time, it would have been fine. But once they were deep inside, the army couldn’t turn back. They were trapped and beaten inside the gourd."
In a situation like that, escaping with your life would be a dream.
A hint of a smile and admiration appeared in Ye Chutang’s eyes.
"Continue."
Encouraged by her approval, Ye Yunfeng’s confidence grew.
"I’ve looked at the maps. The only cover nearby is Little Gu Mountain. As long as the Dean led his troops around Little Gu Mountain and advanced on Tongtian Pass from two directions, he could have avoided the enemy’s notice and caught them by surprise. That’s why his twenty thousand men were the key to victory!"
He laid it all out in an impassioned rush, completely engrossed. When he finished, he realized the room had fallen silent. Ye Chutang was resting her chin on her hand, watching him quietly, her dark eyes veiled in a thin, faint mist.
For once, Ye Yunfeng felt a little embarrassed. "Sister, why are you looking at me like that?"
Ye Chutang smiled. "It’s nothing. I was just remembering how our older brother used to talk on and on just like this whenever he brought up military matters, as if he had an endless supply of things to say."
Ye Yunfeng was taken aback.
When they were little, he really did love following their brother around everywhere. Their brother was a daredevil; sometimes even their father couldn’t control him.
His sister had little interest in such things, but their brother would insist on dragging her along too. He’d watch her helplessly clutching a hand-warmer, keeping lookout for them and calling out in her soft voice, "Brother, are you two done playing? Shouldn’t we head back? Father and Mother are going to come looking for us—"
Ye Chutang reined in her emotions, pushing the resurfacing memories back down. She spoke with a sense of gratification.
"Everything you just said was correct. Even better than I expected."
Ye Yunfeng’s eyes lit up. "Really?"
"Of course it’s real."
Ye Chutang’s expression was serious. "Many people who have never been on a battlefield think that winning a war is just a matter of having more men. But it’s far from that simple. The more soldiers you lead, the more complex it becomes, and the harder the battle is to fight. The fact that you understand this, and that you also know to observe the terrain and devise a plan... that’s truly impressive."
Some people, through a baptism of fire, gradually grasp the rules of the battlefield and use their vast experience to become ever-victorious generals.
But others seem to be born with an extra pair of eyes, able to look down on everything from a higher vantage point, anticipate the shifting tides of battle, and seize the initiative with the swiftest, most agile reactions to claim victory.
People like that are born commanders!
She had told Ye Yunfeng to conduct a sand table simulation, but from start to finish, that was the only order she gave. She said nothing more.
’He figured it out on his own. He’s even more brilliant than I thought!’
Ye Yunfeng was stunned and flattered. It was rare to receive such high praise from his sister.
But when he thought of the battle at Tongtian Pass, his brows furrowed again.
"But that’s the problem. The Dean had no reason to deliberately delay sending his troops!"
He sighed, dejected.
"If only, at that time—"
Ye Chutang suddenly cut him off. "So, you think that was the only solution?"
Ye Yunfeng paused. "...I guess so. What other way could there have been?"
Ye Chutang was quiet for a long time before she slowly shook her head.
"There was another path."
