My hotel is full of emperors throughout history.

Inside the central command tent, the charcoal fire was half-extinguished, the remaining heat mingling with the heavy breathing of the people.

Li Jing had just returned from the wounded soldiers' camp and sat upright in the main seat. On the table in front of him were a simple sketch of the Tuyuhun terrain and the latest report from the scouts on a parchment scroll.

Generals Hou Junji, Xue Wanche, Li Daliang, Gao Zengsheng, and others stood on the left and right, their brows furrowed, and the atmosphere in the tent was as still as iron.

Li Jing's gaze swept over the generals.

"The victory at Chiling has terrified the Tuyuhun. However, while our army's offensive is formidable, our casualties are substantial. You have all heard of the state of the wounded soldiers' camp. Whether we should strike directly at Fushi and finish the job in one fell swoop, or proceed cautiously and gradually, is a matter of life and death for thousands of soldiers and the overall success of the western expedition. Today, we must decide on a strategy."

Li Daliang spoke first.

"Grand Commander, in my humble opinion, we should proceed with caution. Murong Fuyun has just suffered a defeat and will surely retreat to Fusi City, relying on the city for defense and employing the terrain of Qinghai for mobile warfare. If our army advances hastily, our supply lines will become longer, and if the wounded and sick increase, the vanguard's morale will be dampened, which could lead to unforeseen circumstances. It would be better to temporarily halt our advance, choose a strategic location near Chiling to set up camp, allowing the wounded to recover while we clear out the surrounding area. Once our rear is secure, then..."

"Wait? Wait until how long?"

Hou Junji couldn't help but interrupt, his eyes flashing with a fierce light, yet also with a hint of irritation.

"General Li, opportunities are fleeting! That old traitor Murong is in a panic right now, we should press on and relentlessly attack! If we wait until he recovers, gathers his defeated troops, and fortifies the city walls before we attack, how many brothers' lives will we lose? Wounded soldiers? How can war be fought without death! Our men have eaten the elixir and drunk the elixir, is that fighting spirit just for show? Are we just going to sit here and wait for fear of getting hurt behind us?"

Xue Wanche pondered for a moment before speaking.

"General Hou's words may be rough, but they make sense. However... our vanguard brothers are also made of flesh and blood; they charge the fiercest, and they are also the most severely wounded. If we continue the charge, more and more brothers will fall behind..."

"The morale-boosting effect of that celestial mask is indeed remarkable, but its effect will likely gradually weaken later on, and then..."

Gao Zengsheng pondered for a moment.

"Perhaps... we could divide our forces. A small elite force could advance swiftly and lightly, applying continuous pressure to keep them constantly on edge; while the main force could steadily eliminate the remaining threats and consolidate our rear. However, this elite force carries a high risk of casualties..."

Li Jing listened quietly to the generals' debate, his finger unconsciously tracing patterns on the sketch of Fusi City.

How could he not be conflicted?

Especially when he thought of the miserable state of everyone in the wounded camp just now, he became even more agitated.

After a long silence, Li Jing sighed and carefully took out a cardboard box.

Once opened, dozens of slender white sticks made of rolled-up thin paper were neatly arranged inside.

One end has a light yellow filter that emits a faint, dry, spicy herbal scent.

Then he lit the paper roll.

"Cough...cough cough!"

A scorching and irritating gust of air suddenly rushed into his throat and lungs, causing him to cough a few times and furrow his brows.

This taste... is really strange and pungent!

However, after coughing, the smoke circulated in the chest and lungs before being slowly exhaled.

A slight dizziness first swept over my head, followed by an indescribable clarity.

It was as if the pungent aroma had forcibly opened a crack in my blocked thoughts, and the lingering anxiety and heaviness seemed to have been carried away by the wisps of smoke.

A slight tingling sensation spread through the cerebral cortex, yet it also made the core thoughts more focused and calm.

He closed his eyes and took another deep breath, this time prepared and getting used to the burning sensation.

Smoke was inhaled and exhaled. The unique smell of tobacco filled the tent, somewhat pungent, but it also made the stale air move.

Seeing that Li Jing had lit one, Hou Junji simply took one out himself, lit it, and leisurely smoked it.

The generals couldn't help but swallow hard when they saw his appearance.

But thinking of Hou Junji's personality, he sighed again and turned his gaze to Li Jing.

Just as Li Jing was about to look at the map and rethink his battle strategy, he suddenly noticed several unusually intense gazes.

Looking up, one could see that although generals such as Xue Wanche, Li Daliang, and Gao Zengsheng were still sitting upright, their eyes no longer held any semblance of the seriousness one would expect when discussing matters of state.

Li Daliang made no attempt to hide his curiosity and eagerness, craning his neck and flaring his nostrils as if he wanted to inhale more of the spicy smoke.

Xue Wanche's face was filled with a mixture of surprise and envy as he stared at the dark red flame, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

Even the most composed Gao Zengsheng had an irrepressible glint of curiosity in his eyes.

Seeing this, Li Jing looked at Hou Junji.

When Hou Junji was spotted by the commander, he immediately sat up straight like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. His eyes darted to the leather tarpaulin on the top of the tent, while his right hand instinctively covered the armor on his chest.

Li Jing's lips twitched almost imperceptibly.

This guy...

He looked at the other generals, their eyes practically brimming with anticipation.

Xue Wanche, in particular, looked like a fierce dog eyeing a bone.

Li Jing sighed silently in his heart.

Yes, that's because he's the head coach.

It's really... not right for someone to enjoy the benefits all by themselves while their generals can only watch helplessly.

only……

He weighed the box in his hand.

The gift from His Majesty is extremely rare, and even he himself is reluctant to use more than a few.

Hou Junji clearly had it, but he hid it very well!

Liqun! Liqun!

His Majesty bestowed this upon you so that you may benefit the group!

It's not for you to enjoy all by yourself.

Li Jing glared at Hou Junji, who, feeling the gaze, turned his face away even further and pretended to examine a non-existent stain on the tent wall.

"Ugh."

Li Jing finally sighed softly and opened the cigarette case.

Seeing the neatly arranged but limited number of white cigarettes inside, I felt another pang of heartache.

He was not a stingy person after all, especially towards these comrades who had shared life and death with him.

He first took out one and handed it to Li Daliang, who was closest to him.

Li Daliang was clearly stunned for a moment, then accepted it with both hands as if he had received a precious reward. His face was slightly flushed with surprise and he carefully examined the rare item, but he didn't know what to do.

Li Jing had no choice but to take out his own lighter again, gesturing for him to hold it in his mouth like he did, and then lit it for him with a "snap".

Li Daliang tried to inhale, but was immediately choked and coughed repeatedly, his face turning red.

But soon, he also experienced that strange feeling of being initially choked but then cleared up, and his mind became clear. His eyes showed surprise, and he carefully tried another bite.

The brighter the eyes are.

Next was Xue Wanche. This burly man couldn't wait any longer. He took the cigarette and eagerly put it in his mouth, almost putting the filter upside down.

Li Jing lit it for him, and Xue Wanche took a big gulp, only to choke and tear up. He coughed violently, yet still mumbled incoherently.

"Awesome! Things from the Celestial Realm... are just awesome!"

After recovering, he squinted and tried to blow smoke rings like Li Jing, though they were poorly shaped, he felt quite imposing.

When Gao Zengsheng took the cigarette, his hand trembled slightly. He lit it and took small puffs, savoring the unfamiliar yet invigorating taste. His tightly furrowed brows seemed to relax a little.

Soon, the tent was filled with smoke.

Li Jing felt the tension in his heart ease slightly.

He flicked the ash from his cigarette, his thoughts seemingly becoming clearer and sharper in the smoke.

Pros and cons, risks and opportunities... all come together in my mind once again.

He looked at the map, and an idea gradually formed in his mind.

suddenly,

"Report—!!!"