After Fang Yun sat down, he closed his eyes to rest his mind and said nothing.
The other officers grew even more furious at his behavior. He had hardly come to discuss military affairs-he had come to put on airs.
The Deer Gate Marquis acted as though Fang Yun were not there. His expression darkened as he said, "Let the council begin!"
The power of second-realm literary guts spread outward from the Deer Gate Marquis in every direction, finally enveloping the command tent.
The Deer Gate Marquis's gaze shifted slightly, and he glanced at Fang Yun from the corner of his eye. He had sensed that "Zhang Longxiang's" literary guts surpassed those of every Hanlin Academician present, yet he could not discern their exact level.
"Where is the vanguard commander?" The Deer Gate Marquis swept an imposing gaze over those below him.
"Here, Marshal!" A Metropolitan Graduate general rose and bowed.
"Not a single scout you dispatched detected the barbarian ambush beforehand, resulting in losses to our army. Guards, take him outside and give him twenty heavy strokes!" the Deer Gate Marquis said.
A Hanlin Academician general hurriedly stood and saluted the Deer Gate Marquis with cupped hands. "Marshal, if ordinary barbarians had ambushed us, the vanguard's failure to scout properly would warrant not only a severe punishment, but at least forty heavy strokes. However... this ambush was led personally by a Barbarian King. The strongest of those scouts was merely a Licentiate. The disparity in strength was too great; this was not the vanguard's fault. In my humble opinion, we should record those twenty strokes for now. If the vanguard errs again, it will not be too late to administer them then."
"This is precisely when we need every capable man. Please show mercy, Marshal."
Several officers joined in