But Yuan Lang, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, immediately advised, "Reporting to the Empress Dowager, the national treasury is currently empty. If we engage in war on both fronts, I fear we will be stretched too thin."
Yuan Lang's words were not without basis. The state of the treasury was known to all the ministers, and fighting on two fronts would indeed be difficult.
Shang Ji, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, insisted, "The State of Chu is ambitious and desires to annex the State of Yue. Chu has always been a formidable enemy of our Great Wei. If Chu is allowed to grow powerful in the south, our Great Wei's southern border will surely be unsettled!"
Shang Ji's point was also valid. In fact, the Wei court had long ago decided to take military action in the south, intending to curb Chu's development and prevent its rise.
To this end, ministries such as the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War were doing their utmost to procure provisions and armaments for Wei's southern campaign.
However, this sudden formidable enemy had completely disrupted Wei's deployment.
For a time, a stalemate ensued in the Fengtian Hall.
Neither the south nor the west was a territory Wei could afford to abandon, yet the treasury simply could not support a war on two fronts. The elder statesmen in the court knitted their brows.
The military situation was urgent, and there was no room for delay. Decisions on where to deploy troops had to be made swiftly, lest further delays exacerbate the problems.
At this moment, Xia Yuanji, the Minister of Revenue, who had remained silent, slowly spoke, "Reporting to the Empress Dowager, this old minister believes that the deployment of troops is a matter of urgency. Our Great Wei is situated in a region of constant conflict and cannot avoid war. It is best to dispatch troops as soon as possible to quell the unrest."
"This old minister believes we cannot prop up the west only to see the south collapse. Both fronts are the foundation of our Great Wei and cannot be abandoned!"
Xia Yuanji's remarks surprised many of the ministers. They wondered why Minister Xia had changed his tune today and supported a two-front war.
Lin Fan pondered for a moment and said, "Perhaps the Ministry of War could first prepare the necessary supplies for the army. Wu Jinqin, the great general of the Shuofang Army, is valiant and skilled in battle. It would be best for him to lead a portion of the soldiers to reinforce the western frontier, lest the west be lost."
"As for the south..." Lin Fan was also somewhat conflicted. He continued, "We can temporarily dispatch a portion of the soldiers to ascertain the situation in the south before making further decisions."
Feng Qing Shu, after hearing this, raised no objections and stated, "Then let Wu Jinqin, the great general of the Shuofang Army, be appointed as General Pingxi and lead the Shuofang Army to reinforce the western frontier."
"Furthermore, the officials of the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Revenue, and the officials of the counties and prefectures along the route must ensure the full provision of the army's needs without delay."
There was no disagreement regarding the reinforcement of the western frontier, as even if it was considered a less valuable territory, it was still Wei's land, and the Wei court would certainly support the western army.
...
After the court session, Lin Fan was walking along the road when Wang Wen, the Minister of Personnel, hurried to catch up.
"Regent, please wait."
"Ah, Minister Wang." Lin Fan bowed to Wang Wen. "May I ask what business you have?"
Wang Wen spoke directly to Lin Fan, "The Regent has extensive experience on the battlefield. This old man wishes to ask the Regent for his assessment of the combat strength of the Romans who have invaded our western frontier."
Lin Fan thought for a moment and replied, "This king has not yet crossed swords with the Romans, but the western army's combat strength is not weak. The western army has suffered significant losses at the hands of the Romans, so their combat strength must be considerable."
"Then, in the Regent's opinion, can the Shuofang Army led by General Pingxi alone repel the Romans?" Wang Wen continued to ask.
Lin Fan glanced at Wang Wen and answered, "Matters of warfare have always been unpredictable, and there are many factors that influence the outcome of a battle. It is difficult to estimate the victor before the engagement."
"Then what does the Regent think if we do not aim to defeat the enemy but merely to secure the western frontier for the time being?" Wang Wen pressed further.
Lin Fan looked at Wang Wen's face and said, "Minister Wang, what is it that you wish to say? You might as well speak frankly."
Wang Wen hesitated for a moment and said, "This old man believes that the State of Chu is a major concern for our Great Wei, and the rescue of the State of Yue is a matter of urgency. If the situation on the western frontier can be stabilized, then perhaps..."
Wang Wen's meaning was clear: he did not want to abandon the possibility of military action in the south. Purely from a strategic standpoint, rescuing the State of Yue was naturally extremely important, but the western frontier could not be relinquished either.
Therefore, the court could only prioritize the western frontier. Wang Wen's intention was for the Shuofang Army not to rashly expand the conflict in the west but to delay the enemy as much as possible, thus buying time for the court to act in the south.
Lin Fan twisted his stiff neck and said, "The situation on the battlefield is constantly changing. Who can say for sure about some matters?"
"This king still needs to arrange military affairs with the Shuofang Army, so I will not linger."
With these words, Lin Fan turned and left directly.
For the court, if the Shuofang Army were to engage in a war of attrition with the Romans in the west, there would be no objection. Indeed, even the Left Prime Minister, upon hearing this, would strongly support Lin Fan's actions.
However, for Lin Fan, this was entirely unacceptable.
The Shuofang Army was the elite force of Wei. If it were to suffer heavy losses, it would not only be Wei that suffered, but Lin Fan himself!
Lin Fan would not allow his subordinates to make meaningless sacrifices. After all, the Shuofang Army's strength was not in defending cities. Why should the Shuofang Army stubbornly hold its ground, needlessly losing its soldiers and damaging its reputation, only to fulfill the desires of others?
Lin Fan inwardly cursed Wang Wen, calling him a wicked old man. If holding cities was the objective, would it fall to the Shuofang Army? Why not send the Imperial Guard? While the Imperial Guard might not be adept at open-field combat, they were certainly capable of defending cities.
Just now, in Fengtian Hall, this old man had remained silent, but now he was coming to him with such words.
If not for the crowd, Lin Fan would have spat in his face.
Not to mention a swift resolution, the strategy for the Shuofang Army upon arrival would depend on the battlefield decisions of its commander. It was not appropriate for people in the court to make assumptions and dictate their orders.
Lin Fan thought to himself, quickening his pace.
Wang Wen, still standing in place, watched Lin Fan's hurried departure and could not help but shake his head.
"Minister, why are you here?" Shang Ji, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, approached and asked Wang Wen.
"This old man was kindly advising the Regent, but unexpectedly, the Regent did not appreciate it," Wang Wen said. "If the Shuofang Army does not engage in large-scale battles with the enemy in the west but instead wears down the Romans through attrition, the Romans will surely be unable to bear it."
"Our Great Wei will then be able to free up its hands to wage war against Chu in the south. Unfortunately, he is too concerned with his own personal gains."
Shang Ji's mouth twitched slightly upon hearing Wang Wen's words. This Wang Wen truly spoke from a position of comfort and ease. To engage in such an attrition with the Romans, whether the Romans could withstand it was unknown, but Lin Fan would likely not be able to.
Asking someone else's strongest legion to fight a war of attrition, and then calling them too concerned with their own gains, was something only Wang Wen could say.
Shang Ji let out a dry laugh, unsure how to respond to Wang Wen. He offered a few perfunctory words and then left.