We'll have you impersonate the Crown Prince and create a prosperous era for the Great Qian Dyna

When the news reached Zhou Rui, he was actually somewhat dissatisfied.

He desperately needed the crown prince to make him look good.

To defeat a strong opponent with a weaker force, with two or three hundred against one thousand six hundred, if the prince wins, his reputation will be completely ruined.

The problem is that Xue Fan actually broke up his forces into smaller groups and avoided fighting to the end.

It's no wonder Zhou Rui was unhappy that the battle he had been so eagerly anticipating hadn't taken place.

"Xue Fan from the Ministry of Rites? He's stalling for time."

Zheng Rong's expression turned somewhat serious.

"He's waiting—waiting for Shi Cheng and Hou Feng to finish their fight, waiting for Sun Tong to betray him!"

"Once they create chaos for the Crown Prince, that will be the time for Xue Fan to launch a counterattack!"

Zhou Rui couldn't help but feel worried after hearing this.

"Xue Fan has a full 1,600 men, what is there to fear from the Crown Prince's 300?"

"Duke, could your guess be inaccurate?"

Zheng Rong shook his head, his expression growing increasingly grim.

"Your Majesty is unaware that if having more people gives us an advantage, then there is no need for us to train troops."

"Xue Fan must have realized that the soldiers under the Crown Prince's command were extraordinary. He knew one thing well: although he had 1,600 men, once they encountered the Crown Prince's army, they would be nothing more than 1,600 dogs!"

Zhou Rui was speechless.

How is that possible?

With 1,600 against 300, there's no way they can lose!

Zheng Rong sighed.

"Your Majesty, let me give you an example and you will understand."

"For example, Xue Fan's 1,600 men have a morale of at most 10%, while the Crown Prince's 300 men have a morale of 100%!"

"This means that as long as these 300 people kill 160 people, then these 1,600 people will no longer have the will to fight and will only flee in panic."

"This is why we repeatedly emphasize the spirit of the army on the battlefield."

"An army with a strong military spirit is already quite remarkable if it can maintain 80% morale."

"Simply put, this army, unless 80% of its soldiers die, will definitely be able to hold out until the end. That's the power of morale and military spirit!"

Zheng Rong explained the principle, while some of the military officers around him recounted historical anecdotes.

"Your Majesty has read history and must know about the story of sealing the wolf's lair."

"At that time, Huo Qubing led 800 cavalrymen and killed or captured more than 2,000 Xiongnu. How did he do it?"

"That's because of the difference in morale!"

"Huo Qubing's eight hundred cavalrymen could fight to the very end, even if only one of them remained, they would fight to the death. But the Xiongnu at that time, once they lost a few hundred men, they would become afraid and flee, only to be picked off one by one!"

"Xue Fan avoided battle because he knew his soldiers were like the Xiongnu, while the Crown Prince's troops were like Huo Qubing's eight hundred cavalry!"

"Xue Fan knew he couldn't win, so he could only run. And they couldn't escape together; they had to split up to make Lin Tong leave empty-handed!"

Zhou Rui gasped.

He only thought that the soldiers under the Crown Prince were in good spirits, and never imagined that there were such intricacies in military training.

But the military officers present, including Zheng Rong, would not deceive him.

He was a little curious.

"Duke, what do you think the morale of the soldiers under the Crown Prince's command is?"

Zheng Rong thought for a moment and then gave his answer.

"About 60%."

"To have achieved this much in just one month is already quite remarkable."

"As for the Northern Frontier faction, Shi Cheng's morale is slightly higher, probably around 40%, while the others... are not worth mentioning."

Zhou Rui was somewhat surprised, and even more astonished.

Everyone says the crown prince is a good-for-nothing, but now it sounds like a gifted talent has been sent down from heaven.

Shi Cheng's training of troops was commendable, but why was he still so much inferior to the Crown Prince?

Zhou Rui couldn't quite understand it.

"Is the Crown Prince really that good at training troops?"

"Could it be that I have delayed the Crown Prince's development?"

"If he had been given the opportunity to hone his skills earlier, wouldn't his reputation have improved much sooner?"

Zheng Rong smiled and shook her head.

"I am not aware of the Crown Prince's private affairs, but I do know how the Crown Prince trained his soldiers."

"He used a new method of training soldiers, which is completely different from our traditional method of training soldiers by having generals."

Upon hearing this, all the military officers' eyes lit up.

Is this new type of military training really that effective?

Zheng Rong didn't continue speaking; he smiled and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Zhou Rui.

"Once the grand competition concludes, this old minister will compile the Crown Prince's military training methods and present them to His Majesty. At that time, the efficiency of military training throughout the Great Qian Dynasty will be greatly improved!"

Zhou Rui smiled and nodded, feeling a strange sense of melancholy in his heart.

This prince has finally shown some merit.

Regardless of who inherits the throne in the future, the crown prince will at least have the ability to protect himself, so he won't have to worry about him all the time.

Zhou Rui waved his hand.

"Continue the investigation; I want to know what other exciting things are happening in this hunting ground!"

The guards dared not linger and went back into the hunting grounds to gather information.

at the same time.

Lin Tong led his army to their destination, and Xiao Shi's reconnaissance battalion quickly provided the answer.

"Xue Fan avoided battle, splitting his forces into three smaller groups and returning to three different camps."

Lin Tong was taken aback at first, then frowned.

"This Xue Fan is quite capable; he's avoiding battle and trying to buy time."

"If possible, let's turn around and attack Sun Tong immediately!"

Yes.

If Xue Fan can't handle it, then let's deal with Sun Tong first.

If this person isn't dealt with, he'll keep following us around under the guise of an alliance, and we'll have to constantly guard against his betrayal. Lin Tong has no intention of doing that.

Xiao Shi hesitated for a moment, then asked a question.

Will His Highness the Crown Prince agree?

Lin Tong remained silent for a long time before finally speaking.

"Whether he agrees or not, let's get rid of Sun Tong without His Highness's knowledge first!"

"Find a way to lure Sun Tong to this camp in His Highness's name. I'll then lead my troops to attack Sun Tong's camp. If we succeed in capturing the flag, things will be much easier for us."

Xiao Shi readily agreed.

Although it was a grand competition, in his eyes, this was a battlefield!

He had promised the Crown Prince that he would win the championship for him!

That's all.

Another plan has emerged.

Xiao Shi sent one of the brothers from the reconnaissance battalion to inform Sun Tong and discuss how to deal with Shi Cheng and Hou Feng.

Sun Tong did not immediately believe the news.

"The Crown Prince is not knowledgeable in military affairs, so this was definitely not his idea. I'm afraid it was Lin Tong who made the decision."

"But he's currently attacking Xue Fan of the Ministry of Rites, how could he possibly spare the time to send someone to summon me to discuss matters?"

"This news is too strange. If I'm not mistaken, I'm afraid Lin Tong and the Crown Prince are going to make a move against me!"

Everyone underestimated Sun Tong!

Sun Tong's ability to break through the encirclement in the northern frontier and enter the capital to serve as an official is commendable.

He was not as good at training troops as Shi Cheng, nor as cunning as Hou Feng. His military strategy was moderate and mediocre, seemingly without any merits, but also without any weaknesses!

He was already uneasy, because he was the weakest of the various factions.

The news coming from the Crown Prince was strange, and Sun Tong saw through Lin Tong's thoughts at a glance and immediately issued an order.

"This time, we'll turn the tables and secretly carry military flags, preparing to launch a surprise attack on the Crown Prince!"