Nine dragons fight for the throne, I don't want to sit on this throne

Inside the tent, more and more generals echoed the sentiment loudly, creating an almost unanimous outcry.

The proposal to attack Jicheng was simple, direct, and aligned with their grassland logic of "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth," and it seemed to be a way to break the current frustrating stalemate once and for all.

The tent was filled with a fervent thirst for battle and an impulse for revenge.

Gongsun Yi listened quietly to the generals' impassioned requests to fight, his face remaining expressionless.

His slender eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze shifting back and forth between Jicheng and Youzhou on the map, his fingers unconsciously twirling his short beard.

Attack Jicheng?

That's one idea.

But is it really that simple?

Chu Xuan and Su Tingmei went to great lengths to harass him, all to provoke him into attacking a seemingly "weaker" target.

Inside the tent, the crowd was in an uproar, with calls to attack Jicheng growing louder and louder. The generals' faces were filled with anger aroused by the harassment and a desire for a "straight to the heart of the enemy" revenge.

However, Gongsun Yi, as the commander-in-chief, was not completely swept up in the fervent atmosphere.

He knew all too well that anger was a warrior's courage, but it could also be a commander's trap.

He slowly raised his hand, and the commotion inside the tent gradually subsided, but the fighting spirit in the eyes of the generals still burned.

Gongsun Yi's gaze did not immediately fall on the bald man who had volunteered the most.

Instead, he turned to another person sitting slightly behind the generals' seats, who remained silent and had a gloomy expression—Huyan Ying, the leader of the Scorpion Clan and Blood Eagle Clan.

Huyan Ying betrayed Li Jing and withdrew his troops without authorization at Zhennan Pass, causing the collapse of the Tang army's flank.

Although he preserved the Scorpion Clan's strength, his actions undoubtedly damaged the allied forces' trust and diminished his prestige within the clan.

At this moment, he was in a rather awkward position under Gongsun Yi's command, and it seemed that he had to redeem himself through meritorious service.

He had personally experienced direct combat with the Chu army and had a certain understanding of their fighting style.

"Chief Huyan!"

Gongsun Yi's voice was calm, revealing no emotion: "You have fought against the Chu army on the southern front, and you should know their tactics and habits better than any of you in the tent."

"In your opinion, is the strategy proposed by General Bald Hair—to abandon the engagement with the Youzhou garrison and instead launch a surprise attack on its capital, Jicheng—feasible?"

"Did the Chu army anticipate this change in our forces?"

All eyes immediately focused on Huyan Ying.

The former leader of the coalition forces looked even more grim.

Gongsun Yi's question to him in public was not only intended as a consultation, but also contained elements of a challenge and test.

Huyan Ying took a deep breath, suppressing the complex emotions in his heart. He knew this was his chance to regain his position.

He raised his head, a cold smile tinged with resentment and calculation on his face, his voice hoarse yet clear:

"When the General asked, I spoke frankly. The Chu army... especially Chu Xuan and his strategist, are indeed cunning in their tactics, unlike Li Jing who emphasizes grand formations."

He paused, as if recalling the frustration at Zhennanguan: "Since they are now adopting such harassment tactics, it shows that their main force has no intention of fighting our army in the field."

"Their minds are entirely focused on how to use the city's strategic location and a small elite force to constantly create trouble for our army, delaying our time and depleting our army's energy and morale, in order to cooperate with their southern emperor's so-called bullshit northern expedition!"

His analysis was spot on and aligned with Su Tingmei's strategic intentions.

Huyan Ying changed the subject, his tone becoming firm: "That's precisely why I believe that General Bald Head's plan has great potential!"

"The Chu army's attention is now focused on the defense of Youzhou and the response of our various battalions."

"What they racked their brains about was how to send out more 'wolf cubs' to bite us, how to set up ambushes to prevent us from chasing and killing them, and how to use the terrain to play hide-and-seek with us!"

"They never expected, nor would they believe, that our army would suddenly abandon the direct confrontation with Youzhou City."

"They never imagined that we would dare to use their own methods against them, employing their most effective tactics of surprise attacks and speed to strike at their weak points!"

The more he spoke, the more feasible the plan seemed to him, and a fierce glint flashed in his eyes: "Ji City! That's the capital of Youzhou, the place where money, grain, and supplies are gathered, the residence of officials and their families, and the face of Youzhou!"

"Although its city walls are quite sturdy, the garrison is mostly composed of local soldiers and yamen runners, whose combat strength is far inferior to that of the Youzhou border troops, and they lack experience in fighting against truly elite cavalry armies."

"Moreover, it is located about 150 li southeast of Youzhou City, and the terrain is relatively flat, which is conducive to the movement of our cavalry!"

Huyan Ying suddenly stood up, walked to the rough map hanging in the tent, and pointed heavily at the location of Ji City with his finger:

"General! The advantage of our cavalry lies in speed and impact!"

"If we break camp quietly tonight, with men gagged and horses hoofed, we can advance swiftly and lightly, avoiding the main roads where the Chu army might have spies, and instead take secluded routes."

"With the speed of my steeds on the grasslands, I can arrive at the gates of Jicheng in a single night without anyone noticing!"

"At dawn, when the defenders are most relaxed, we will launch a sudden and fierce attack!"

A cruel smile appeared on his face: "Jicheng was caught off guard and hastily prepared for battle. How can it withstand the wrath of my tens of thousands of iron cavalry?"

"Even if we cannot break through the city immediately, as long as we surround Ji City and launch a fierce attack, we can create a huge momentum and pressure."

"When the news reaches Youzhou, how can Chu Xuan sit idly by and watch the capital fall and the officials and common people of the city suffer?"

"If he sends troops to rescue, Youzhou will be left vulnerable, and our army may be able to turn around and strike."

"If he doesn't come, Ji City will surely fall. I will slaughter the city and plunder its wealth, which will be enough to intimidate the northern border and make Chu Xuan bear the infamy of refusing to help those in distress. The morale of the army will surely be thrown into chaos!"

"At that time, will he still dare to send those annoying 'wolf cubs' to harass us? He'll probably be overwhelmed and unable to take care of himself!"

Huyan Ying's analysis combined his assessment that the Chu army was focused on harassment with full utilization of the mobility advantage of his own cavalry.

They accurately identified Jicheng as a key location where political significance outweighed pure military significance and defenses were relatively weak.

The core of their plan is to "strike unexpectedly and catch the enemy off guard."

With a bold, deep strike, the current stalemate of passively responding to harassment will be completely broken, the war will be drawn into the enemy's interior, and Chu Xuan will be forced to make a difficult choice.

The generals inside the tent listened to Huyan Ying's words, their eyes shining even brighter.

This plan is not only highly retaliatory, but it also sounds like it has a high degree of surprise and a high probability of success.

Even the bald man who initially made the suggestion couldn't help but cast a slightly approving glance at Huyan Ying.

Gongsun Yi listened quietly, his fingers tapping lightly on the table as he fell into a brief moment of contemplation.

Hu Yanying's analysis did indeed provide a new perspective and pointed out the possible blind spots in the thinking of the Chu army.

Attacking Jicheng carries risks, but the rewards are also enormous.

If successful, it would not only avenge the previous humiliation but also severely damage the morale of Youzhou and even the entire northern border of Chu.

This greatly alleviated or even neutralized the Chu army's harassment of their own forces, creating excellent conditions for possible subsequent actions.