Lian Yu also chimed in leisurely, "The two generals are right. That road is not only crucial for Northern Wei, but also a vital point for us to fight for. Moreover... we can't use firearms in Guihua City, but perhaps we can use them to secure that road?"
Although the exact locations of the rapid-fire oil mines were not yet known, everyone present was intelligent. They all knew that rapid-fire oil, if it didn't cause trouble, would be contained within its own territory. To risk using firearms for that slim possibility, even if Guihua City were taken, the citizens would never accept a court that treated their lives so lightly. Everyone tacitly agreed to abandon firearms for the battle of Guihua City.
Though it was regrettable to have their soldiers fight the Northern Wei cavalry with mere flesh and blood, it was a necessary sacrifice for the greater good. Even with such clear reasoning, they couldn't help but mourn the soldiers who would fall on the battlefield of Guihua City. Lian Yu's words undeniably brought a ray of light to their somber mood.
Shen Da slapped his thigh in realization. "Exactly! Guihua City has rapid-fire oil mines, so no firearms. But what about outside Guihua City? If we use firearms to seize that road and prevent the Turks from reinforcing Northern Wei, then the officials in Guihua City will be at our mercy, won't they?"
Lian Yu and Shen Da's words were met with a chorus of agreement, but Si Fengwu, seated at the head, remained silent.
A tapping sound, like a woodpecker on a tree, echoed from the doorway. Everyone looked up to see Lu Qingwan peeking her head through the crack in the door. "Um, I was just passing by carrying some things, didn't mean to interrupt. But, Generals, since firearms can't be used in Guihua City, but can be used on that secret passage to the Turks, why don't we change our strategy and lure the Northern Wei Emperor and Wanyan Lie out of the city with their armies, and then use artillery coverage? Or, is my understanding too limited, and this battle only counts as won if we annihilate the Northern Wei Emperor and his lackeys within Guihua City?"
After Lu Qingwan finished speaking, the generals in the camp remained silent for a long time. Lu Qingwan blinked nervously. "I was just saying, if I'm wrong, please ignore it!" With that, she stooped and scurried out, pushing the insulated container at a rapid pace.
Li Su chuckled, shaking his head. "If the Princess Consort wanted to hear the generals discuss military matters, why didn't she just go? The generals of the Xuanjia Army respect you so much, they wouldn't stop you from listening, would they?"
Once out of the generals' sight, Lu Qingwan lost her nervous demeanor. "Hmph, what do you know?" Lu Qingwan smiled cryptically, and if she weren't pushing a cart, she might have even stroked her chin. "I'm always right in front of them. No matter how successful my actions are, they'll just become accustomed to it. If I'm not in front of them, but can still fill in their gaps, that's when my importance will be truly shown. This is what they call 'distant fragrance and close stench,' the inherent flaws of humanity, there's no help for it!" Lu Qingwan shook her head and pushed the insulated container into the cookhouse.
The aroma of food had already spread, and Lu Qingwan let out a satisfied sigh, quickly getting to work. Li Su helped her, curiously questioning, "What if they don't show any gaps for you to fill? Wouldn't that make everyone think you're neither here nor there?"
Lu Qingwan, stirring a pot with a long-handled ladle specially made for the military camp, was so angered she almost turned around and hit Li Su's head with the ladle. "Can you speak properly?"
Li Yang chimed in gleefully from the side, "Exactly! She's a perfectly good girl, how did she end up with such a foul mouth? The Princess Consort personally discovered and filled the gaps, the facts are right in front of you, why can't you shut up?"
Li Su, with his quick temper, flared up! He didn't dare do anything to Lu Qingwan, but he wasn't afraid to confront the simple-minded Li Yang. He grabbed a coal shovel and swung it at Li Yang's backside, and screams immediately erupted from the cookhouse.
Meanwhile, in the main tent, as a group of people exchanged bewildered glances, Lian Yu kicked Si Fengwu's chair. "You did that on purpose, didn't you? You knew this problem all along, deliberately said nothing, and just sat there watching me make a fool of myself?" He kicked with such force that Si Fengwu's chair wobbled. Fortunately, Li Jin quickly steadied it.
Si Fengwu smiled proudly and triumphantly. "Why blame me when you're the one who's foolish? I just wanted to see when your brains would catch up if I remained silent."
Lian Yu scoffed and pointed at Si Fengwu, instigating the generals seated around the table. "I say, everyone, he's clearly mocking us! The Princess Consort woke us up, and he's just riding on her coattails, what right does he have to mock us? I'm rebelling, who's with me?"
Si Fengwu didn't stop him, just watched them with a smile, as if to say, "Who dares defy me?" His calm and disdainful gaze successfully made the generals lower their heads in shame.
Shen Da was the first to buckle. "This humble general has been in the army since birth, spending more time on the battlefield than the Princess Consort has been alive. To be so stuck on such a simple issue is truly shameful." The other generals also lowered their heads, admitting their mistakes.
Si Fengwu didn't reprimand them excessively, but looked at Lian Yu playfully. "Doesn't the strategist have anything to say?"
Lian Yu's elegant, handsome face fell. "Alright, I admit it. I was too clever for my own good and misled you all. If I hadn't initially focused everyone's attention on the fact that firearms couldn't be used in Guihua City but could be used on the secret passage to the Turks, with the generals' experience, they wouldn't have failed to think of simple tactics like luring the snake out of its hole." He then stood up and solemnly bowed to everyone. "My apologies, everyone. The battle is imminent, I'll owe you this. When we celebrate our victory, I will certainly drink three cups as punishment to apologize."
Although everyone had collectively drawn a blank, and it wasn't entirely anyone's fault, Lian Yu was the one who had misled them first. Since he admitted his mistake, the matter was settled. The others waved their hands. "Strategist, you take it too seriously. No one is infallible, and besides, we're discussing strategy now, it hasn't delayed the war, why be so solemn?"
... Amidst polite exchanges, everyone confirmed their new strategy and tactics. Lu Qingwan finally emerged from the cookhouse. "Come, Generals, piping hot steamed buns, and mushroom old duck soup. Eat up, and we'll win a great victory!"