Ge Long smiled and gestured for him not to be nervous. Pointing at the sand table, he said, "Enough formalities. You led the reinforcements for fifteen days, several days faster than expected. Didn't you run into any Star Luo scouts on the way?"
"Reporting to Marshal, we encountered them several times, but handled them properly." Chen Chu nodded, his gaze falling on the sand table. The Heaven Dou army camp had been built beside Guard City. To the left lay the treacherous mountain paths of the Pamir Plateau, while to the right stretched endless barren mountains. The Star Luo camp stood on the far side of the plains, its encampments sprawling across highly advantageous terrain.
Ge Long's expression shifted. "Oh? How did you handle them? Most Star Luo scouts are led by well-trained agility-type Soul Masters. If I remember correctly, more than half of the Imperial Guard you brought are recruits, aren't they?"
"Recruits can fight too." Chen Chu tapped the mountain path on the sand table with his fingertip. "My soldiers maintain strict discipline and patrol without pause day or night. Our scouts also conduct early reconnaissance during the day. Basically, no one can get close to the supply camp."
The generals in the tent were all taken aback. The Imperial Guard had always been the ceremonial guard of the imperial capital; no one had ever thought much of these soldiers. Yet Chen Chu had used such recruits to keep out Star Luo's scouts? That did not seem right.
Ge Long slapped the table and burst into laughter. "Good! Well said! I hate those cowards who keep saying recruits can't fight, poor troops lose battles, and so on! Whether soldiers can fight depends on how their commander leads them! You're an interesting lad. It seems Your Majesty really sent me a surprise."
When Ge Long's laughter faded, he tapped the position of the Star Luo camp on the sand table, his tone turning grave. "All right, down to business. Star Luo has hundreds of thousands of troops pressing against our border. Their camp is beneath the plateau, with the desolate mountains to the left and a primeval forest to the right. They have more than a dozen Soul Cannons deployed, and at least three Soul Douluo holding the field. Guard City may be strong, but it cannot withstand their assault forever. Tell me, how should we fight this battle?"
As soon as the intelligence was laid out, the tent fell silent. Several veteran generals furrowed their brows, while some of the younger commanders could not help speaking up. "Marshal! Star Luo has come from far away and must be exhausted in body and spirit. Before their camp is secure, we should strike first and destroy their Soul Cannon positions and supplies!"
"Right! The Imperial Guard has just arrived. We can use the spirit of the recruits and let them charge!"
Voices of agreement rose one after another, but Chen Chu remained silent. His fingertip traced a line between the mountain path and Guard City on the sand table, his gaze fixed on the barren mountains and the supply routes beyond them.
Ge Long swept his gaze over the room before finally looking back at Chen Chu. "General Chen, why aren't you saying anything? Do you think they're wrong?"
Chen Chu raised his head and looked at them. His voice remained steady. "I think taking the initiative to attack would play right into Star Luo's hands."
The tent instantly fell quiet. The commander who had proposed attacking darkened his face. "Chen Chu! What do you mean by that? Are we supposed to cower inside Guard City and take a beating?"
"Cower?" Chen Chu rose and picked up a wooden pointer, indicating the sand table. "The Star Luo camp is backed against the plateau, and their artillery positions are on the high ground. Easy to defend, hard to attack. Their Soul Cannons have extremely long range. Before we even get five li out of Guard City, we'll be shelled.
"What they want is for us to charge out on our own, so they can slowly wear down our forces with the Soul Cannons they dragged here."
He paused, then shifted the pointer toward the barren mountains. "The mountains on the right may not be dangerous, but they are filled with rocky ravines. Star Luo scouts do not dare venture too deeply inside. If we go around them, we reach their supply lines. We can send small squads to hold the ravines and cut off their supplies.
"The mountain path on the left is steep and treacherous. Star Luo can only transport provisions by going around it. That makes transportation extremely costly, and the amount they can carry is limited. As long as we send teams of Soul Masters to harass them constantly, their provisions will not last a year."
"We hold Guard City and send squads of a hundred men each day to harass their supply lines. We won't fight hard battles. We burn their grain and retreat.
"Star Luo is fighting away from home, and their soldiers will struggle to adapt to the climate and altitude here. Many will fall ill. Once their supplies are cut off and their morale collapses, we march out from Guard City and crush their camp in one push!"
The tent was utterly silent. Several veteran generals' eyes lit up, and Ge Long abruptly rose to his feet. He strode to the sand table and clapped Chen Chu heavily on the shoulder. "Good! Exactly right! Young people do have ideas, but you still underestimate Star Luo!"
"Gentlemen, General Chen's plan is excellent. We can basically place ourselves in an unbeatable position. For Heaven Dou, not losing is winning."
"But I must remind everyone that we must be prepared for a prolonged war. Star Luo has many high-level combatants. The future battlefield may not be decided by soldiers clashing, but by duels between top-tier Soul Masters. Therefore, they will not consume as many supplies as we imagine."
At this point, Ge Long paused again and looked toward Chen Chu. "Your idea just now was good, but you failed to account for many factors. Intercepting them once or twice is fine, but if we do it too often, they will surely send high-level Soul Masters to lead the escorts. At that point, this will no longer be a good method."
Rather than panicking, Chen Chu nodded slightly. "Marshal is right. I did overlook the restraint imposed by top-tier Soul Masters."
The commanders in the tent immediately relaxed. So there had been flaws in Chen Chu's proposal after all. The Marshal had seen through it clearly.
The commander who had proposed attacking even curled his lip, waiting to see how Chen Chu would explain himself.
But Ge Long merely raised his brows and motioned for him to continue.
Chen Chu picked up the wooden pointer and placed its tip on the blind spot between the Star Luo camp and the primeval forest. "It is inevitable that Star Luo will send high-level Soul Masters to protect their supplies. But they only have so many top-tier Soul Masters. If they guard the supplies, they cannot guard the artillery positions or the main camp."
He paused and drew three lines with the pointer. "We proceed in three steps.
"First, we must leave the city every day for drills and put on the appearance of preparing to attack. Whether we truly attack or not depends on the situation. That way, the enemy will have no choice but to station high-level Soul Masters with their central army."
"Second, if our plan to attack their supplies succeeds, their transport convoys will definitely have to send high-level Soul Masters to escort and reinforce them. At that time, the pressure on our front will be reduced."
"Third, there is this vast primeval forest beside their camp. Its terrain is extremely complicated, and powerful soul beasts live within it. It is the perfect place for us to wage Guerrilla Warfare. That way, we control the enemy's tempo, so long as our frontline and supply lines can hold."
Chen Chu finished laying out his plan. In truth, it was merely a continuation of certain great tactics from his previous life: when the enemy advanced, they retreated; when the enemy encamped, they harassed; when the enemy tired, they attacked; when the enemy retreated, they pursued. This tactic had never failed.
After hearing him out, Ge Long heavily rapped the primeval forest on the sand table, his eyes shining frighteningly bright. "What a fine phrase—keeping the tempo in our hands! These three steps will have Star Luo's top-tier Soul Masters running in circles!"
The commanders in the tent finally understood. The young commander who had curled his lip moments ago now wore an extremely ugly expression. Chen Chu had not overlooked anything—he had long since prepared a backup plan! The veteran generals nodded in praise as well. This strategy was far more ruthless than simply sending soldiers to clash head-on. It gripped Star Luo's weakness tightly.
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