"Those who contend for the realm must contend for its vital points.
As in chess, first seize the heart, and the edges and corners will fall into place. (This does not refer to geographical position.)
If we cling to a struggle in one corner and lose sight of the whole board, what use are minor gains?
Your Highness's accumulated prestige is now firmly established, and your troops are at their sharpest. This is precisely the time to ride that momentum east and settle the greater contest!
How could we abandon the root of that contest to fight over the twig of a single city?
Once the greater contest is settled, Wenyang will fall of its own accord, even without being taken!
If the greater contest is lost, what use would possessing Wenyang be?
Young Master Wang possesses astonishing gifts and grand vision, but surely this argument of yours puts the cart before the horse?"
Tao Rui did not discuss whether Wenyang would be difficult to take at all. He went straight for the heart of the matter!
Jiankang was the root, and Wenyang was the twig: that principle stood as immovable as Mount Tai! Even with ten thousand reasons, attacking Wenyang would still mean abandoning the root to chase the twig! One accusation of reversing root and branch pinned him down! However eloquent Wang Yang might be, could he overturn that?
In truth, Tao Rui had already intended to mend relations with Wang Yang. Although this was a great matter determining their future success or failure, and he could not possibly let it pass unchallenged, even a reasoned rebuttal could have been delivered calmly. There was no need for aggressive words like "putting the cart before the horse." But he considered Wang Yang's proposal so utterly inferior that, to his