Richest Man: Divine-Grade Reconstruct System Chapter 985 - 945: Weight

"Your Majesty, while Minister Wu’s points hold some truth, I believe there’s more to this situation than meets the eye.

From my knowledge of Yan Country, their cunning is well-known, and I suspect Zhao Country is deeply involved in this current affair.

This large-scale mobilization strongly suggests a collaborative effort between these two nations.

We saw in the prior engagement at Shanhaiguan that it serves as a critical passage, likely intended to permit a significant influx of Zhao’s forces.

However, my senses indicate that not all Zhao soldiers are solely focused on this direct route. It appears some elements of Zhao’s army have already infiltrated our Great Yan Country’s ranks.

This implies that among the forces assaulting our eleven cities, at least half are composed of Zhao’s soldiers.

The underlying strategy, I feel, is to employ these actions as a means of diversion."

These revelations left the assembled individuals in a state of bewilderment, struggling to grasp the full meaning, perhaps believing it didn't significantly differ from Minister Wu's earlier statements.

Why then the divergence in opinions?

For a moment, a collective gaze of inquiry was directed at Leng Yu, each person eager to discern his true intentions.

Yet, facing their questions and puzzled expressions, Leng Yu calmly continued his exposition:

"The rationale behind this division into two prongs, or more precisely, the reason Zhao is segmenting its forces, is to engineer a diversionary tactic.

Based on my intuition, all the cities currently under attack are, in fact, feigned objectives.

Their objective is not to conquer these ten cities, but rather to utilize them as a means to capture our attention.

Subsequently, seizing the opportune moment, they intend to allow a vast contingent of Zhao’s soldiers to pass through Shanhaiguan directly into our heartland, thereby capturing our Capital City in a swift and decisive maneuver."

A resounding collective gasp echoed through the hall.

Following Leng Yu’s pronouncement, the chamber devolved into utter pandemonium.

Each person was visibly stunned, their eyes darting between one another as hushed, continuous whispers filled the air.

This particular contingency had never crossed their minds; their prevailing belief was that among the ten targeted cities, some were decoys, with the true aim focused on a select few pivotal locations.

But the notion that potentially all the cities under assault might be mere distractions, with no genuine intention of capture, was unprecedented.

Their ultimate goal, it turned out, was the Capital City itself.

After all, those cities, while situated within the nation’s core territory,

were still considerably distant from the Capital City.

One could argue that even if they managed to secure those locations, they would only gain access to resources, yet remain far from reaching the Capital City.

This is because numerous other cities lie between those captured territories and the Capital City.

The idea of a direct, unimpeded advance to this point is nothing short of wishful thinking.

Even with formidable combat prowess, a relentless advance would inevitably lead to significant attrition across so many occupied cities.

This very reason is why none had considered the Capital City as the primary target. Minister Wu, in particular, after hearing these words, knit his brows and was the first to voice his dissent:

"General Leng, I believe you are engaging in fear-mongering.

While our Capital City may be closer to Zhao than other regions, a substantial number of cities still lie between them.

Furthermore, the bulk of our military garrison is concentrated here; how would they dare to launch a sudden assault on our Capital City?

Are they not concerned about embarking on a journey with no return?"

The garrison stationed near our Capital City numbers close to 200,000 strong.

With such a formidable force of 200,000 assembled here, who would dare to challenge us?

Let alone Yan or Zhao individually, even if they were to combine their might, a complete conquest of our Capital City would remain an arduous task, likely culminating in mutual annihilation."

Just as Minister Wu articulated, there are indeed approximately 200,000 troops deployed around the Capital City.

Should two major powers resolve with unwavering determination to marshal all their available forces for an assault, they might perhaps assemble between 200,000 to 300,000 troops, but they would be fighting far from their own territories.

Moreover, setting aside the crucial issue of logistical support, even an attacking force of 300,000 would not guarantee victory over 200,000 entrenched defenders during a siege.

Consequently, Minister Wu's reasoning led him to conclude that Leng Yu's analysis was, in his opinion, irrational.

After all, no sane military leader would contemplate attacking a city defended by 200,000 troops with a mere 300,000 soldiers.

Additionally, if their target were indeed our Capital City, our 200,000 defenders would not be isolated; reinforcements could easily be drawn from adjacent cities, quickly bolstering our numbers to 300,000.

Employing an encircling pincer movement, wouldn't they be swiftly defeated?

Our forces might even seize the initiative, launching a counter-invasion into their captured territories.

Upon Minister Wu concluding his rebuttal, a chorus of agreement resounded, the attendees firmly believing Minister Wu’s assessment to be correct, and showing no inclination to trust Leng Yu’s claims.

None among them assumed their adversary would be so foolish as to target the Capital City.

Meanwhile, Lin Yi, who had been observing the entire exchange, watched with a subtle smile playing on his lips as the proceedings unfolded. He observed each individual, his faint smile never wavering, making no move to refute either party's arguments.

He chose to wait until the discussion had reached its conclusion before turning his gaze to Leng Yu, a smile gracing his features as he began to speak:"Heh, it appears there are quite a few who hold a differing opinion. However, General Leng, would you be so kind as to elaborate on your perspective for everyone, illuminating your rationale?" It was clear from Lin Yi’s words that the assembled crowd perceived his confidence in Leng Yu’s viewpoint. Had he not held Leng Yu’s opinion in high regard, he would have simply brushed aside the ministers’ objections. Instead, by prompting Leng Yu for further explanation, it signaled that the collective voices of those present held less weight in Lin Yi’s estimation than Leng Yu’s singular insight. Some among the officials initially felt a sense of indignation, but upon beholding Leng Yu’s captivating beauty, they quietly resigned themselves to the situation. [To be continued...] PS: May our nation continue to prosper, and wishing everyone a joyous July 1st!