"Reporting to Your Majesty."
Zhuge Liang smiled faintly and said, "I believe we should send troops to punish the rebels, rather than rest and recuperate."
At these words, everyone turned to look at him.
Sima Yi looked astonished.
Liu Xie raised an eyebrow and asked, "Kongming, do you mean you agree with Sima Yi's proposal to send troops against Jing Province?"
"No."
Zhuge Liang shook his head, then said, "Attendant Yang is indeed correct. Attacking Jing Province is not feasible at present."
"But besides the Cao Thief, there is another grave threat at our heart that needs to be dealt with."
Liu Xie immediately understood what he meant and said with some surprise, "You mean... Ma Chao?"
Only two men could currently be called grave threats at their heart.
One was Cao Cao, and the other was Ma Chao.
Zhuge Liang nodded. "Precisely. Your Majesty intends to move the capital to Luoyang next year, but Ma Mengqi occupies Chang'an, posing an enormous threat to Luoyang."
"Now that Duke Xuande has recovered Yi Province, Your Majesty might join forces with him to attack Ma Chao and reclaim Chang'an."
Hearing this, Fa Zheng could not help saying, "Minister Zhuge, winter will be here soon. Winter is unfavorable for marching and fighting. How can we send troops?"
He had wanted to ask this ever since Sima Yi proposed attacking Cao Cao earlier. Wars usually had to stop when winter came.
Yet Sima Yi and Zhuge Liang had both proposed military action. Were they not treating warfare like child's play?
Everyone exchanged smiles.
Jia Xu explained to him, "There is something you do not know, Xiaozhi. His Majesty invented a new loom called the Jian'an Machine, and used it to weave large quantities of warm woolen clothing."
"Once the soldiers put on these clothes,