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墨書 Inktalez
Luzi had no intention of getting anyone drunk just to take credit later. He thought that drinking less would help alleviate his fatigue after a night of fighting. Seeing Bai Qi with tears and snot was both amusing and pitiful. He could only replace the water bag to help this person soothe his throat.
Bai Qi was not polite; he uncorked the bag, took a sniff, and then drank half of it. After expressing his gratitude, he handed the water bag back and called Luzi to discuss the last city in their operational mission at the Main Tent.
Does this person not need sleep? Luzi yawned and hurried to follow.
The intent of this operation was clear: to completely divide the territory of Korea. Strategically, capturing the last city would isolate Shangdang County, which was a large area with seventeen counties and reportedly rich in mineral resources that the country was currently lacking!
Inside the Main Tent, only Luzi and Bai Qi remained, both focused on the map, lost in their own thoughts without speaking. Due to the varying sizes of each Feudal State's territory and the vast areas involved, Luzi had categorized and subdivided the map for easier understanding by military commanders.
In other words, the map was no longer a complete representation of the Zhou Dynasty but rather a detailed map with classifications. It included mountains, rivers, and labels for various towns, which had not been present before.
Previously, maps were vague representations that only indicated major mountains and rivers without standard scales. They were quite simple and lacked precise proportions. Such maps seemed crude by today's standards but had taken generations of effort to create at that time. They were adequate for getting a general idea but could only serve as rough guidance for military actions.
Because of this, standardized military mapping began to take shape in the Qin State. A standard scale allowed generals to understand the distance between their current location and their next point, whether roads were flat or mountainous, and if rivers were crossable based on their widths. The significance of this information could only be appreciated by those who had used it firsthand. When you understand the terrain better than your opponent does, victory becomes more attainable.
Bai Qi held great admiration for standardized Military Maps, though he did not know who had created them. If he knew that the chief designer was standing right beside him, he would likely be left in awe. The difficulty of producing such detailed maps was immense.
Traveling through mountains and rivers while enduring harsh conditions was no small feat; they even ventured into remote areas rarely touched by humans. These individuals were true heroes deserving of respect—unsung heroes! With this detailed map, they could seize the initiative before the enemy did, rather than climbing what appeared to be a high ground only to find it barely able to accommodate a few people.
“Luzi! Although Zhao Xiang Wang hasn’t stated it explicitly, I believe he wouldn’t simply surround Shangdang. I must thank those who contributed to this map; it allows me to see everything clearly.”
Luzi merely smiled at this response; he had no interest in revealing where the map came from or who crafted it. Everyone was doing their best for the country, so there was no need to compare who was superior. He had read many military texts, but those were merely theoretical discussions. The ones with real authority were generals who had emerged from battlefields filled with corpses, and this person before him was one of them. Thus, he did not respond verbally but nodded to indicate that he had heard.
Bai Qi pointed to a location on the map. "If we do not withdraw our troops, if we can take Shangdang, then Korea will no longer exist. With the entire nation's army, we can destroy it before winter arrives this year! Next will be the Wei Kingdom! Hmm! It seems that in my lifetime, I will see the world belong to my Qin State!"
Luzi did not refute him because he had his own theoretical foundation. If purely relying on military means, this dream could indeed be realized. However, the strength of the six states still remained, and war is always constrained within the bounds of negotiation rather than outside it. Unification is entirely possible; it just requires a step-by-step approach to achieve it.
"General Bai! Many issues cannot be resolved solely through military means; sometimes they can be achieved through other methods. Killing is not the only way to solve problems!"
Bai Qi seemed to understand what Luzi was implying but merely smiled without speaking.
Luzi felt he should advise this general with a less-than-stellar reputation, so he said, "Sometimes a besieged city does not need to be attacked; they can be persuaded to surrender under certain conditions. This way, unnecessary casualties can be reduced, and the city can remain intact for our use. If we attack recklessly and leave it in ruins, even if we have troops inside, they will be of no use. I remember Chancellor Zhang once said that with each city we conquer, we gain another."
"Stop talking!" Bai Qi slammed the table. "Go outside and look at our soldiers; so many have died and been injured just to kill the enemy and earn merit! Without enemy heads, how will they support their families? You make it sound easy! That's because you've never experienced hardship! Why do they fight? It's so they can return home to see their wives and children with food to eat, clothes to wear, living better than other families' children! You! Me! Everyone outside! Who isn't afraid of death? Who doesn't want to live well and be reunited with their loved ones?"
The policy of Qin State was just as such, and it had been upheld by several generations of Sovereigns. Without accumulating military achievements, as Bai Qi just mentioned, one might end up with nothing. Supporting a family during festivals while eating coarse food or enjoying hot meat dishes? When a man faces a choice, he will resolutely choose to pick up his weapon and march into battle.
Seeing that Luzi had fallen silent, Bai Qi sighed heavily. "Luzi! Where has your former courage gone? How did you become like this? To be honest, it's only you! Our king is deliberately nurturing you, yet you are being swayed by inner demons and refuse to accept it. I believe that as long as you are willing, with experience over time, you will definitely become an excellent general in the near future. But once your heart is controlled by baseless ignorance! Alas!"
Luzi silently nodded; he did not know what had happened to him now. What about his former self? Why had he started to become sentimental? Wasn't it clear that unification could not be achieved without bloodshed? Yet why could he no longer bear to look at the wounds torn apart by war?
Bai Qi was right; soldiers could not claim merit without enemy heads. So who would support their families? Returning home to see smiling faces waiting for dinner might help those souls already eroded by despair find solace again! Just as he was pondering this, a thought suddenly emerged.
"General! How should we deal with the civilians in the city?"
Bai Qi smirked and said, "It's time to rest! After cleaning up the battlefield, we'll head straight for the next city!" With that, he left Luzi behind and walked out of the Main Tent.
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