An Yong smiled and said, "Marshal, if we hold Daliang City and lure the Wei army into a trap, we can surely cripple them, and Daliang City will remain firmly in our hands."
Zhu An also said with a face full of confidence, "Yes, Marshal, with our strength, this should be no problem."
Chu Chen nodded, not immediately refuting their views.
"I know what you're thinking, you want to catch the Wei army off guard and believe you can win with certainty. But have you considered that the Wei army might anticipate this move and play a trick on us?"
Hearing this, Li Mengdie was the first to react, "Marshal, you mean the Wei army might bypass our trap, or pretend to fall for it, and actually circle around behind us to surround us instead?"
Chu Chen nodded and said with a smile, "It's very possible. The enemy won't let us dictate terms so easily. The outcome will only get worse, so everyone must think carefully about what to do next."
An Yong's face immediately darkened, "Can we really not stay in Daliang? We fought so hard to take this place."
Zhu An's eyes flickered, and he suddenly couldn't help but say, "My lord, can we change our approach? For example, we could defend Daliang while simultaneously attacking Handan."
"At that time, the Wei and Zhao armies will surely not be able to attend to both fronts. Dealing with them will be easy for us."
Li Mengdie couldn't help but nod, thinking it was a good idea, "Well said. If we can really do that, it would definitely be a great plan. I support it."
Chu Chen couldn't help but give Li Mengdie a sideways glance, "Your appetites are truly large. Haven't you considered that defending Daliang City also requires deploying a certain number of troops? We might end up not succeeding on either front."
Hearing this, the few of them fell silent.
They had indeed thought too perfectly before. Now, it seemed their idea had many flaws and was clearly not perfect.
Li Mengdie hesitated for a moment and said, "If that's the case, I am willing to defend Daliang City. With twenty thousand troops, I can make Daliang City as solid as iron."
Chu Chen thought for a moment and resolutely refused, "No, twenty thousand troops is too many. This will greatly affect the success of our campaign against Zhao."
"The Zhao army is not easily defeated, especially now that we have occupied Daliang. They will surely try every possible way to stop us."
Li Mengdie gave Chu Chen a glare. She felt that Chu Chen was afraid of her controlling too many troops, and that occupying Daliang City might lead to rebellion.
Thinking of this, Li Mengdie immediately said, "How about this? I'll take twenty thousand troops to move flexibly between Daliang and Handan for support. You can send ten thousand to defend Daliang."
"If Daliang City is in distress, I will come to its aid. If your attack on Zhao is unsuccessful, I will come to support your attack on Handan. How about it?"
Chu Chen heard this and couldn't help but shake his head with a wry smile, "I think this is a bit ridiculous. I originally had two forces, but with your plan, it directly becomes three. How can we play this game?"
Li Mengdie looked away, ignoring Chu Chen, which made Chu Chen feel even more awkward.
"You all, go back first. I have something to discuss with this general."
Hearing this, everyone respectfully bid farewell and left. Before leaving, they all looked at Li Mengdie. They only knew that Li Mengdie was a surprise appointment by Chu Chen, but they had no idea who she was, to the point that even Chu Chen seemed helpless against her.
After everyone left, Li Mengdie closed the hall door and walked to Chu Chen's side, snorting coldly, "You said that just now. Do you think I don't know what you mean? Are you suspecting me again?"
Chu Chen shook his head and stood up, "Of course I'm not suspecting you. Am I wrong? The Wei army is coming soon, and dividing our forces is dangerous."
"Besides, our previous plan did not include capturing Daliang City. I originally intended to quickly attack Handan City, creating a false impression for the Wei army that we were not attacking Daliang City and not really putting much effort into attacking Handan City."
"This way, our time and success rate in attacking Handan City would be greater."
"But now that you have captured Daliang City, I'm at a loss. The strategy we formulated before is basically useless now."
Li Mengdie scoffed, "According to you, it's all my fault?"
Chu Chen shook his head, "That's not what I mean. I just want to say that I'm not saying this because I'm wary of you, but because of the actual situation."
"On the battlefield, the situation changes every second. We cannot just go with the flow. If there are changes, we must adapt our strategy accordingly."
Li Mengdie's expression gradually became serious, and she nodded, "Then tell me, what do you plan to do now?"
"Since Daliang City has already been taken, we can't just abandon it, can we? Otherwise, wouldn't the efforts of the soldiers be in vain?"
Chu Chen nodded, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Perhaps your suggestion was good. A portion of the troops will defend Daliang City, and another portion will be stationed outside for mobile support."
"Daliang City can then be easily defended. As for Handan City, the pressure will be greater, but if we are fast enough and attack with greater force, we might be able to capture Handan City before the Wei army can reinforce it."
Hearing this, Li Mengdie's eyes lit up, "Then how many troops do you plan to assign to Daliang City?"
"Also, who do you plan to send to garrison Daliang City?"
Chu Chen thought for a moment and said, "At most fifteen thousand troops will defend Daliang City, and ten thousand will be outside for support."
"As for the commander of Daliang City, it must be Zhu An, of course."
Hearing this, Li Mengdie's expression changed slightly, clearly showing some displeasure.
"You still don't trust me to garrison Daliang City, do you?"
"In the end, you're still afraid of me. You think I'll rebel again at the slightest opportunity. So, even though you're using me now, you're still worried about me."
"If that's the case, you might as well not use me."
Li Mengdie said indignantly.
Chu Chen quickly shook his head, "Don't misunderstand. There's a deeper meaning to my arrangement."
"Do you remember your heroic performance when you attacked Daliang City not long ago?"
Li Mengdie's mood improved slightly when Chu Chen praised her, but her face still showed some displeasure.
"Of course I remember what just happened, but what does it matter? No matter how great the merit, there will be no reward."
"Even if I do my best now, it's all in vain, isn't it?"