The generals stared in bewilderment. Were they really going to discuss military affairs in surroundings like these?
The music being too loud to hear over and the dancers wearing too little to keep their minds focused were secondary concerns. What if someone overheard them and military intelligence leaked? What would they do then?
Lu Xiong's eyes shifted as understanding dawned. They were meant to leak "military intelligence," mixing truth with falsehood until the Zhou Army could no longer distinguish between them. They might even steer the enemy in entirely the wrong direction!
Without standing on ceremony, he pulled out the military map pinned beneath the fruit, wiped away the sticky juice of indeterminate origin smeared across it, and strained his voice over the music:
"Your Majesty, in this old minister's view, our army should head north after breaking camp at Tong Pass and next take up quarters at Jiameng Pass. With Jiameng Pass as our supply point, we should first ascertain the true strength of the Zhou Army stationed at Stone Pavilion. If they are a genuine force, we should join the Four Generals of the Mo Family in marching out to crush them. If they are a decoy, we should have the Four Generals of the Mo Family bring the troops from Jiameng Pass south with our main army, advancing steadily and using our superior numbers to surround Nangong Shi..."
As he spoke, Lu Xiong jabbed hard at Mount Qi on the map. "But our objective is not to attack Nangong Shi. While surrounding him, we should observe the position of the Zhou Army's main force under Ji Fa and Jiang Ziya. If their main force takes the initiative to rescue him, we can seize the opportunity to lay an ambush, intercepting them halfway and engaging them there. If