I'm a villain in the movies and TV series "All Heavens".

Chapter 37 Xue Gang Debate
Mo Fei also found the Mongol cavalry a major headache.

It should be known that the Yuan Mongol cavalry were a terrifying force that struck fear into the hearts of people all over the world.

The Mongol cavalry, divided into light and heavy cavalry in a 3:7 ratio, along with Korean archers and Han swordsmen recruited from the occupied territories, made the Mongol army a very well-rounded force.

If Wu's army were to fight the Yuan Mongols in the open field, he would have virtually no chance of victory.

The Southern Song Dynasty lacked horses, and even on small battlefields, it lacked the strength to pursue the Mongol army after defeating them.

The Southern Song Dynasty was able to persist until now because its mountainous and water-rich terrain limited the advantage of the Mongol cavalry.

If we want to win, is it possible that the only way is to use unconventional tactics and trickery to have a chance of victory?

"Your Majesty! I have an idea."

Xue Gang, who had just been appointed Grand General of Wuwei and Marquis of Zhiyuan, strode out of the ranks of military officials, bowed, and said:
"Oh! General Xue, what strategy do you have to defeat the enemy? Tell me."

Mo Fei had always valued Xue Gang, a subordinate who was both intelligent and brave, and was also very curious about what good methods he could use to defeat the enemy.

……

Seeing that Mo Fei had asked a question, Xue Gang organized his thoughts and spoke loudly:

"Compared to the Yuan and Mongol armies, in terms of current apparent military strength, although our army has a numerical advantage in some areas, its quality is far inferior."

Xue Gang made a bombshell statement as soon as he opened his mouth.

This caused quite a stir in the imperial court.

Some veteran officials from the previous dynasty in the court were about to reprimand him, but when they saw that Mo Fei showed no reaction and even had a smile on his face, they immediately lost the courage to speak.

"General Xue, please continue!"

Mo Fei's certainty greatly boosted Xue Gang's confidence, and he continued:

"If we engage the Yuan army in a direct confrontation, we will surely be defeated!"

"But within the territory of our Wu Kingdom, there are many mountains and rivers, which greatly limits the advantage of cavalry. Although Xiangyang is backed by the Luo River, it is mostly flat land, which is not actually suitable for our army to fight against the Yuan Mongols."

"My suggestion is to abandon Xiangyang and retreat to the vicinity of the Yangtze River, relying on the natural barrier of the Yangtze to fight a home-field battle."

Xue Gang's suggestion caused an uproar among the court officials.

They began to angrily criticize Xue Gang's plan as unreliable.

If Xue Gang hadn't been Mo Fei's trusted advisor and hadn't just been granted a high-ranking position, he wouldn't have been able to achieve such a position.

I'm afraid that by now, some people will already be saying that he is a traitor who colluded with the enemy.

Even Cheng Lei asked loudly at this moment:

"Old Xue, what are you saying? We haven't even gone to rescue Xiangyang yet, and you're already planning to abandon it?"

Only two people in the imperial court were deep in thought.

One is Mo Fei, who traveled from the future and knows that Xue Gang's plan, without his participation, might be the most likely way to win the war.

The other one is Lu Xiufu. As the former prime minister of the Southern Song Dynasty, he undoubtedly knows the situation of the Southern Song Dynasty best.

Xiangyang is now completely devastated. Even if Mo Fei keeps sending reinforcements, he will eventually be locked in a war of attrition with the Yuan Mongols.

Without its natural defenses, Xiangyang was no match for the Yuan Mongols, who had recruited vassal soldiers from several defeated states.

Only by relying on the natural barrier of the Yangtze River to defend Jingzhou could they possibly find an opportunity to severely damage the main force of the Yuan and Mongol forces.

Therefore, Xue Gang's strategy is the only method among the current conventional strategies of the Wu Kingdom that has a chance of success.

However, the Wu Kingdom, inherited from the Southern Song Dynasty, was already deeply entrenched in problems and could only afford to wait a few more years. Barring unforeseen circumstances, any military genius in this era had essentially lost the ability to turn the tide.

But! Could it be that he himself is the biggest surprise?

Because at this time, a powerful tool that could turn the tide of the war had emerged in the Central Plains.

"gunpowder!"

Of course, it wasn't the gunpowder we have now. Although gunpowder had been used in many places during the Song Dynasty, its destructive power was still quite limited.

The most advanced of these was the trebuchet used by the Yuan Mongols.

But who knows, maybe he's cheating?

"Have you ever heard of C4?"

After listening to Xue Gang's words, Mo Fei already had a general idea in mind and lost interest in watching the turmoil unfolding in the hall.

That's all for today!

Having come up with an idea, Mo Fei ordered the imperial eunuch to announce the end of the court session.

Looking at the Wu Kingdom officials leaving the Hall of Supreme Harmony, he couldn't help but shake his head inwardly.

Although those who remained were selected by the authorities, they were all former officials of the previous dynasty who were well-regarded and had some ability.

But having spent so long in the previous dynasty's system, these people had developed their own tempers.

They might spray spit in your face at any moment.

The problem is that he can't kill them all. If he does, who will help him handle the affairs of the Wu Kingdom with his own soldiers?

"Should we send Cheng Lei?"

Mo Fei imagined Cheng Lei governing the country and felt a chill run down his spine.

"Let's forget about it. If we let him go, the Wu Kingdom will probably be doomed soon."

Xue Gang and Lu Xiufu were leaving the court with Wu Guowen and Wu Wu, but as soon as they left the Taihe Hall, they were caught up by two eunuchs.

Is the imperial decree to summon them?

Although the two did not know what Mo Fei wanted to say to them, they quickly and obediently followed the eunuch to the back garden of the palace.

Although the emperors of the Song Dynasty governed the country in a terrible state, their level of enjoyment and vision were among the best of all emperors throughout history.

Could it be that in this garden, all sorts of exotic flowers and rare plants are vying for attention, with antiques, strange rocks, small bridges and flowing water, beautiful singers playing music, and enchanting dancers gracefully performing?

Such a blissful and tender haven.

No wonder it could make emperors throughout history so engrossed in it that they neglected state affairs and the people's livelihood.

When Xue Gang and Lu Xiufu arrived at the back garden.

Upon seeing this scene, Xue Gang frowned slightly.

Lu Xiufu immediately tried to persuade Mo Fei not to become addicted to it.

Mo Fei, of course, also noticed their displeasure and quickly spoke first to appease them:

"Prime Minister Lu, there's no need for that. I can distinguish between what's important and what's not."

Thank you to the following individuals for their votes: Who is my wife?, Dark Moon Ice Netherworld, Mr. Yang Jiong, Seven Star Marshal (Brothers 12 votes, what level is it?), Desperate Saburo, and JV8. I will definitely write better works to repay everyone.

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(End of this chapter)