plumnovel Chapter 54 Homework
Chapter 54 Homework
The classroom fell silent.
All eyes turned to Liu Shan on the podium.
The famous battle of "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao" is a lesson that those who lead troops into battle must learn.
They never considered looking at the war from another perspective.
Therefore, war is never just a military matter; there are always extremely complex political disputes behind it.
"Sun Bin used an unsolvable open scheme to lure Pang Juan into the trap despite knowing the danger. Pang Juan, in turn, gained the trust of the King of Wei by suffering heavy losses in his army. Otherwise, why would Pang Juan have been able to continue serving as a general and commanding the entire army after his defeat?"
"Now, do you still laugh at Pang Juan for being careless, underestimating his enemy, arrogant, and ignorant?"
This was yet another shock to the students' minds.
Imagine if they were Pang Juan in that situation; they might not have been able to react in such a critical moment.
Perhaps after withdrawing his troops to reinforce the capital, he would be inexplicably stripped of his military power by the King of Wei, fade out of the center of power, and never achieve anything again in his life.
This is terrifying.
Looking at these young generals with clear eyes, Liu Shan knew that his words had shocked their values like never before, and that they might even think that people's hearts could be so dirty.
But that's the reality.
If you ever serve as an official in the court, you must know the treacherous nature of officialdom and human hearts.
Seeing that he had given them enough pointers, Liu Shan knew he needed to instill some positive energy in these young people.
"In fact, Pang Juan didn't need to do this. As a general, lacking a strategic vision before launching a war is a major taboo in military strategy. Although he narrowly escaped the Battle of Guiling, he continued to serve as the Supreme General of Wei. However, in the subsequent Battle of Maling, he was ultimately killed by a hail of arrows from the Qi army."
"When you become generals in the future, you should learn from Sun Bin, not Pang Juan. The best strategy is to outwit your opponents, not to rely on brute force. Whether it was the siege of Wei to rescue Zhao or the Battle of Maling, Sun Bin always sent troops to rescue Wei only after the Wei state had fought a fierce battle with its opponent and both sides had greatly reduced their strength."
"This is a classic case of the snipe and the clam fighting, and the fisherman benefits. Now that the world is divided into three powers, you must understand the art of checks and balances, and weigh the pros and cons. This is the mark of a leader."
Everyone in the school was completely convinced and rose to their feet to bow in respect.
"The students have learned a lot."
Liu Shan continued, "Since we've discussed military strategy today, I'll pose a small question for you all to ponder."
Upon hearing that there was homework, everyone perked up their ears.
"The topic is to use today's battle as an example and write a military strategy article similar to this battle to test your ability to apply what you've learned to other situations."
"I will review it personally."
After someone shouted "As you command!", the students instantly erupted in cheers.
The emperor personally reviewed it.
This is an immense blessing; it would be strange not to devote all my energy to writing it.
After assigning the homework, Liu Shan left the school.
Just as he reached the door, Liu Shan suddenly stopped, turned around, and pointed at Zhao Tong behind him.
"You also write one for me, and submit it to my study tomorrow. If you do a perfunctory job, you'll be sent to clean my stables for a month."
Most of the students in the advanced class were civil and military officials with real power, and the course schedule was relatively dispersed.
Some people have to handle official business or be on duty during the day, so they postpone their class time to the evening.
Zhao Tong was one of them.
These days, I have to work during the day, attend classes at night, and do homework late at night. Just thinking about it gives me a headache.
But this was a task assigned by the emperor, and no matter how difficult it was, it had to be done.
Cleaning the stables is a small matter; the Zhao family's reputation is much greater.
After finishing his duty, Zhao Tong hurriedly returned home, changed into casual clothes, quickly ate a few bites of food, and then rushed to the Imperial Academy to study.
The Imperial Academy at night presents a completely different scene.
The shimmering moonlight on the water, the croaking of frogs in the pond, the chirping of insects in the grass, and even the fireflies—all these elements, illuminated by the bright lights of the school, create a tranquil atmosphere.
Besides studying, Zhao Tong has another important task tonight: to complete the homework Liu Shan assigned him during the day.
In the advanced class, there are many battle-hardened generals, and you can benefit greatly from asking any of them for advice.
His target was very clear: Zhuge Qiao, who was about the same age as him.
Zhuge Qiao was originally the second son of Zhuge Jin, but was later adopted by Zhuge Liang. His elder brother was Zhuge Ke, the current envoy of Eastern Wu.
Zhuge Liang treated him as his own son, fearing he would become mediocre, and disciplined him very strictly. Now he is appointed as the Imperial Son-in-Law Commandant.
"Bosong!"
Upon arriving at the school, Zhao Tong immediately spotted Zhuge Qiao, who was engrossed in reading.
The two were among the few young people to enter the advanced class, hence their closer relationship.
"Ziheng, you've arrived. I heard you came to the Imperial Academy to give a lecture with His Majesty today."
Zhao Tongyi plopped down beside him, saying irritably, "Don't even mention it! His Majesty was supposed to be giving a lecture, but I'm the one who got dragged into this. Sigh!"
Zhuge Qiao blinked her exceptionally bright eyes and asked curiously, "Why is that?"
So Zhao Tong briefly recounted what had happened during the day.
"Ziheng, Ziheng, you are taking your good fortune for granted. His Majesty is promoting you; you must seize this opportunity."
Zhao Tong was well aware of Liu Shan's good intentions, but the question was simply too difficult for him.
Zhuge Qiao's eyes darted around, and he smiled, "You came to see me about this, right?"
Seeing that he was confident, Zhao Tong pleaded, "Good brother, please help me, I will be eternally grateful."
Zhuge Qiao replied, "This is a question His Majesty gave you, meant for you to figure out on your own. What would it mean if you entrusted it to someone else?"
"You know I'm slow-witted, and His Majesty is pressing me hard, so I've come to ask you for some guidance."
"Then how do you know I definitely will?"
"You and Zhuge Ke were already famous at a young age in Eastern Wu, and now you are being taught by the Prime Minister. Your knowledge surpasses mine by many times. How could you possibly not understand?"
Zhuge Qiao paid no attention to Zhao Tong's flattery.
"It's a pity that my father only taught me the art of governing a country, but never the art of military strategy. I'm afraid he can't help me now."
Zhao Tong opened his mouth in surprise, then said somewhat angrily, "Zhuge Qiao, if you're not going to teach me, then don't. Why deceive me?"
Seeing how quickly the other party had turned on him, Zhuge Qiao, puzzled, asked, "Why would I deceive you?"
"Okay, then tell me, what class are you in right now?"
"A martial arts training program!"
"You've already attended a martial arts training school, and you still say you don't know military strategy or tactics?"
"This..." Zhuge Qiao was speechless for a moment before saying, "What I mean is, my father never taught me military strategy, but I can learn it on my own."
"So that means you understand military strategy and tactics?" Zhao Tong pressed on.
"Um...I guess so!" Zhuge Qiao couldn't persuade him otherwise and responded in a low voice.
"That settles it then. Are you going to teach me or not? If you're not going to, just say no. Why make excuses?" Zhao Tong complained.
Seeing his arrogant and rude manner, Zhuge Qiao was both angry and amused.
"Zhao Tong, you are a general of the Imperial Guard, and not long ago you even led troops to persuade Zhu Bao of Zangke County to surrender. How can you be so shameless? Fine, I will give you some pointers, but how much you can understand depends entirely on your aptitude."