Establishing Authority in the Army, Beginning the Scheme

"Military Advisor, does our army truly intend to seize Xiang County?"

Facing Qin Tian's proposal, Liu Bei was the first who could not sit still. Thinking he had misheard, he hurriedly said:

"You must know that our army's strength is still insufficient; if we attempt to take Xiang County, I fear it will not end well!"

Upon hearing this, Qin Tian smiled and said:

"Come to think of it, I have yet to ask: how many troops does our army currently possess?"

At this question, everyone present felt their hearts sink.

Good grief, you are the Military Advisor, yet you do not even know how many troops are in the army, and you still dare to propose seizing a city?

How unreliable can this Military Advisor be!

Only Xu Shu, who was on very close terms with Qin Tian and knew that he never spoke empty words, hurriedly stood up and said:

"Reporting to the Military Advisor, our army currently has a total of over eleven thousand troops!"

"Among them, there are over five thousand veteran soldiers, while the rest are all newly recruited."

Hearing this, Qin Tian made a brief estimation before nodding:

"The troops are still insufficient, but that is no great obstacle!"

"However, to guard against the unexpected, our army should recruit a few thousand more."

Hearing this, Xu Shu cupped his hands and said:

"Recruiting soldiers is certainly fine, but I fear our army lacks the funds and provisions!"

Qin Tian listened, then looked at the others again and asked:

"May I ask how much money and grain we currently have?"

"And how long can it sustain the army?"

This question immediately caused everyone to shake their heads once more.

Not knowing the troop count, and now not knowing the state of the provisions—how is this man serving as Military Advisor?

But since Qin Tian had the full backing of Liu Bei, the others could not simply ignore him. Mi Zhu stood up and said:

"Reporting to the Military Advisor, our army currently has no more than seventy or eighty thousand shi of grain, and less than three thousand gold."

"Although we can maintain ourselves for now, Xiaopei is, after all, only a single county; it cannot support over ten thousand troops!"

"If we expand the army further, I fear we will not last until next spring!"

It must be mentioned here that a portion of Liu Bei's funds and grain had been gifted by Cao Cao previously, while another portion was subsidized by his brother-in-law, Mi Zhu.

Although the Mi family was immensely wealthy, Mi Zhu could not possibly stake his entire fortune on this.

Therefore, these funds and provisions were essentially Liu Bei's entire stockpile; once they were exhausted, they would truly be gone.

Relying on the single county of Xiaopei, it was impossible to sustain the army.

This was also the reason why Liu Bei was so gloomy all day long.

There was no other reason: his pockets were empty!

He had to find a new path before his funds and provisions ran out.

Otherwise, once they were gone, he would have no choice but to beg for grain from Cao Cao or Lu Bu.

At this moment, hearing Mi Zhu complain, Liu Bei gave a self-deprecating smile:

"Funds and provisions are insufficient; what can be done?"

Seeing this, Qin Tian raised his hand and smiled:

"My Lord, rest assured, this is also nothing to worry about!"

"Our army's provisions only need to last for half a year!"

"Calculating based on seventy thousand shi, we can recruit another four thousand troops to reach a total of fifteen thousand."

Seeing his confident demeanor, Liu Bei felt a glimmer of confidence in his own heart.

Since Qin Tian was so confident that he could reverse the situation within half a year, what was there for him to worry about?

After thinking for a moment, Liu Bei looked at Xu Shu and said:

"Since the Military Advisor has proposed this, we shall follow his words to recruit troops. You must intensify the training; do not be lax!"

"As for the matter of funds and grain, Zizhong, you must put in more effort to ensure we secure the amount the Military Advisor requires as soon as possible!"

Seeing that Liu Bei had spoken personally, Xu Shu had no objections, and Mi Zhu shook his head inwardly before cupping his hands in agreement.

But no sooner had the two sat down than someone else rose and said:

"This general has a question; I wonder if the Military Advisor can answer it?"

The crowd looked over to see that it was Guan Yu who had risen to ask.

Qin Tian was not at all surprised to see Guan Yu stand up:

"Since General Guan has a question, pray, ask away!"

Guan Yu heard this, stroked his long beard, held his head high, and said in a deep voice:

"I have long known of your remarkable talent, sir; otherwise, my brother would never have entrusted you with such a heavy responsibility. However, empty talk accomplishes nothing. May I ask how you intend to capture Xiang County?"

"You must understand, sir, that our army does not possess the vast resources of Cao Cao or Yuan Shu. Though these funds and provisions are meager, they are the very foundation of our survival."

"If we cannot take Xiang County within half a year, and our supplies run dry by then, what are we to do?"

As soon as he spoke, everyone nodded in agreement.

To them, this military advisor was an expert who had appeared out of nowhere.

Setting aside their lack of familiarity with him, if his plans failed, he could simply pack his bags and leave.

But they had entrusted their lives and livelihoods to Liu Bei; if things weren't settled in half a year, the advisor might walk away, but they would be left to face the wreckage.

Without money or grain, would they be forced to disband on the spot?

Thus, seeing the situation, they all nodded to second his concerns.

Observing their reactions, Qin Tian could not help but nod and smile:

"General Guan's words are truly those of a prudent and steady man!"

"However, why would it take half a year to capture a mere Xiang County?"

"In three months at most, our army will have full control of Pei Commandery!"

"Once Xiang County is taken, we shall have our own troops and supplies to replenish our stores, so there is no need to worry!"

"As for the method of taking Xiang County, the time is not yet ripe, so I cannot speak of it!"

"I wonder, General Guan, can you accept this answer?"

Hearing Qin Tian's words, Guan Yu narrowed his phoenix eyes and raised an eyebrow.

Although Qin Tian spoke with great confidence and provided a deadline, he still had not revealed his strategy, which naturally could not fool him.

However, knowing Qin Tian's status and assuming he would not speak empty words, he fell silent for a moment.

Yet Zhang Fei, still dissatisfied with Qin Tian due to being reprimanded by him earlier, chuckled:

"The advisor's words are laughable. If the timing is not right and you cannot speak of it, then why hold a military council today? If all future councils are like this, what use are they!"

Seeing Zhang Fei stir up trouble, Liu Bei frowned and said:

"Yide!"

But before he could reprimand him further, Qin Tian stopped him:

"My Lord, wait!"

Saying this, he smiled at Zhang Fei:

"General Zhang's words are not without reason!"

"However, the purpose of a military council, aside from allowing everyone to express their views, is also to convey orders!"

"Today, you all allowed me to preside over this council."

"Now, for one thing, it has allowed me to understand the state of our funds, grain, and troops; for another, it has allowed you all to understand how our army will proceed next!"

"Knowing that we intend to take Xiang County, you will surely organize the troops, prepare for battle, drill daily, and ready the supplies and horses. How can you say such a council is useless!"

Faced with Qin Tian's eloquent defense, Zhang Fei was momentarily speechless:

"The advisor's tongue is sharp; I am no match for you."

"But I, old Zhang, do not like those who rely on clever talk!"

"I will ask only one thing: if you cannot take Xiang County within three months, what then?"

Qin Tian saw this and smiled calmly:

"I am willing to sign a military pledge!"

"If I cannot take Xiang County within three months, I am willing to accept my punishment, resign from my position as advisor, and leave myself to the My Lord's disposal!"

"Advisor, how can you do this?"

Before the words had even faded, Liu Bei's expression changed.

But Qin Tian raised a hand to signal Liu Bei not to panic, looking only at Zhang Fei:

"I wonder, General Zhang, do you have any objections to this?"

Zhang Fei saw this and stared fixedly at Qin Tian:

"Are you serious, advisor? You know there are no jokes in the army!"

Seeing that Qin Tian dared to sign a military pledge, he secretly admired his courage.

But if he truly failed to deliver, he would not blame old Zhang for showing no mercy.

Facing Zhang Fei's direct gaze, Qin Tian remained as light as a breeze:

"As the advisor, I naturally understand this principle!"

"However, let us be clear from the start: since I am the advisor, for these three months, you generals must obey my commands without the slightest slack!"

Having said this, he shifted his tone, his voice dropping low:

"Should any dare to disobey military orders, do not blame the military law for being heartless!"

As these words rang out, the authority he had cultivated from years of commanding troops was laid bare, and all who heard him felt a shiver run through their hearts!

They secretly thought that this strategist possessed quite the imposing air!

Had he not spent years in a position of power, he could never have exuded such presence!

Hearing this, Zhang Fei had nothing more to say.

Seeing this, Guan Yu also realized that Qin Tian governed his troops with extreme strictness, and immediately stated his position:

"We shall naturally obey and act accordingly!"

With that, he returned to his seat.

As Guan Yu sat down, Liu Bei, fearing further conflict, simply waved his hand and said:

"Since that is the case, everyone may withdraw for now. At the hour of the Rooster tonight, I shall host a banquet at the county office to welcome the strategist. I hope you will all arrive on time!"

Hearing this, the group reacted in various ways, one after another cupping their hands and taking their leave.

Only Xu Shu took the opportunity to remain behind.

Once the others had departed, Liu Bei sighed to Qin Tian:

"Strategist, why the rush? Even if we were to take Xiang County, we could have planned it slowly. Why was it necessary to issue such a military pledge!"

In his heart, even if Qin Tian failed to fulfill his promise, he would still be unwilling to let him leave.

But now, with the military pledge signed, once the time was up, Qin Tian would have to step down!

When that time truly came, what was he to do?

As Liu Bei spoke, Xu Shu also sighed:

"Zixuan, you were indeed a bit too hasty today. Since you came under an alias, everyone is unaware of your reputation, so it is only natural they harbor some dissatisfaction."

"Even if their words were a bit harsh, it was to be expected. Why did you have to take such offense, Zixuan?"

Listening to the two of them, Qin Tian bared his teeth in a smile:

"Do you both truly believe that what I said just now was an impulsive remark?"

The two were stunned, and Liu Bei hurriedly asked:

"Zixuan, could it be you had another intention?"

"Precisely! Today's actions were merely a pretext to establish authority!"

Qin Tian smiled at the two of them:

"It is precisely because I arrived under an alias and suddenly occupied a high position that everyone, unaware of my name, would naturally be unwilling to follow my orders."

"Therefore, I used today's meeting to establish my prestige!"

"Although I have now signed a military pledge, the generals understand my intent and will not dare to feign compliance while acting in opposition!"

"So that is how it is!"

Seeing that Qin Tian had other objectives, Xu Shu could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Truth be told, after today's display, in a certain sense, Qin Tian had indeed established a sense of awe in the hearts of the others.

Compared to slowly earning everyone's recognition through deeds, this method was certainly immediate!

Liu Bei, listening from the side, asked curiously:

"Then what of the strategist's words regarding the capture of Xiang County?"

"That is naturally serious as well!"

Qin Tian nodded to Liu Bei:

"Currently, our army holds only one county, which makes it difficult to achieve great things. We must first take Pei Commandery before we can plan for other territories!"

Seeing this, Liu Bei frowned and said:

"But even if we recruit soldiers and purchase horses, our numbers cannot compare to the forces of Mei Gan in Xiang County. How are we to take it?"

Seeing Liu Bei's lack of confidence, Qin Tian laughed:

"My Lord, have you forgotten the matter of pulling chestnuts from the fire that we discussed at home earlier?"

"If our army's strength is insufficient, there are others who will help us!"

Liu Bei's eyes lit up as he suddenly recalled the grand strategy Qin Tian had previously set.

Xu Shu, taking it a step further, narrowed his eyes and smiled:

"Zixuan, are you thinking of borrowing the strength of Lu Bu?"

"Who else could it be?"

Qin Tian smiled complacently:

"This time, Lu Bu will inevitably fall out with Yuan Shu. If our army is to take Pei Commandery, we must make use of Lu Bu's strength!"

Xu Shu laughed as soon as he heard this:

"No wonder Zixuan insisted on a three-month deadline; if we can truly borrow the strength of Lu Bu, I fear we won't even need three months!"

Liu Bei listened to the two strategists from the side, feeling as though he were lost in the clouds, and could only offer a bitter smile:

"Since Zixuan already has a plan, I shall ask no more!"

"Zixuan, just tell me, what should I be doing now?"

"Simple, just two things!"

Qin Tian held up two fingers and said:

"First, My Lord must immediately send a letter to Lu Bu, inviting him to join us in attacking Yuan Shu and assisting our army in seizing Xiang County!"

Liu Bei was stunned upon hearing this and asked in confusion:

"What is the meaning of this, Strategist? Do you truly believe that after we send the letter, Lu Bu will dispatch troops to assist us?"

"Naturally not!"

Qin Tian shook his head and said:

"The key is not there; it lies in letting Lu Bu know our stance!"

Xu Shu smiled upon hearing this and remarked:

"If our army wishes to snatch the chestnut, we must naturally inform the wildcat."

Though Liu Bei did not fully grasp the logic, he still nodded and said:

"This can be done!"

"And what is this second matter?"

"This second matter requires you to step forward personally, My Lord!"

Qin Tian looked at Liu Bei with a grave expression and said:

"Our army must stockpile a massive amount of grain! The more, the better!"