Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors
Chapter 419 - 247: The Battle of Tong’an City

Chapter 419: Chapter 247: The Battle of Tong’an City

Upon hearing Prince Yun’s words, a glimmer of hope appeared to flash by in Liu Fa’s eyes. Yet Grand Commandant Tong’s expression darkened, clearly displeased.

At that moment, Grand Commandant Tong’s authority was sky-high. In the northwest, his word was law.

Even the emperor’s edicts could be ignored, let alone the thoughts of any other ordinary generals?

After the battle, it was he who had forced Liu Fa to rashly advance into Tong’an City and use it as a base to attack the Shuofang region, but he shamelessly lied through his teeth, shifting the entire blame onto Liu Fa.

Other generals, in fact, knew some of the truth to varying degrees, but under Grand Commandant Tong’s imposing power, not a single one dared to petition the emperor to impeach him.

Such was the testament to Grand Commandant Tong’s current position.

Logically speaking, Grand Commandant Tong should have been the undisputed commander, whether it was to deliberately scheme against Liu Fa or to rush to take credit for the venture, regardless of Liu Fa’s misfortune—the outcome should have been set in stone.

But Prince Yun’s words introduced an element of suspense to the situation.

Grand Commandant Tong said coldly, "Prince Yun, what do you mean by this? The military situation is dire, and any delay could be critical. If His Majesty assigns blame, who among us here can bear such responsibility?"

Fan Cun had long found this eunuch unbearable, and now that Liu Fa’s fate was sealed, he was naturally unyielding.

"Then I ask you, Grand Commandant Tong, if due to reckless greed for merit the entire army is lost, when His Majesty assigns blame, can you bear it?"

Prince Yun’s firm stance caught all the generals present off guard.

Fan Cun’s meaning was clear: you think you can use the emperor to pressure me? Who do you think you are?

Although the current Emperor Qihui was a notorious incompetent ruler, he was, after all, Prince Yun’s own father—and a father who favored this son above all others.

If Liu Fa truly were defeated, the other generals certainly wouldn’t dare say anything and the matter would all be covered up by Grand Commandant Tong.

But would you, Grand Commandant Tong, dare to silence Prince Yun?

You use the emperor to pressure me—are you trying to make this a contest of whose father is more powerful?

Grand Commandant Tong’s eyes narrowed slightly, clearly weighing the pros and cons.

At this time, Prince Yun’s status was indeed high, but it was Grand Commandant Tong who was the real commander whose word could not be challenged. If he pushed forward with full force, completely ignoring everyone and executing his plans, he could.

But therein lies the problem: could Liu Fa’s battle go wrong?

Truth be told, Grand Commandant Tong was well aware of the high risk involved in this battle.

The reason he pressured Liu Fa was that, for Grand Commandant Tong, it was a venture with no capital at risk. If the rush to advance resulted in victory, then it was Grand Commandant Tong’s command that was meritorious; if it failed, just shifting the blame to Liu Fa would resolve everything.

Moreover, Liu Fa had a renowned reputation in the northwest, praised as "the leading general of the times" and recognized as a "Divine General" by Jin Wang Cha Ge, the top commander of Xixia, who saw him as his natural enemy.

However, Liu Fa, only adept at fighting and lacking emotional intelligence, had an unsmooth career path, leading to his being stepped on by Grand Commandant Tong.

In summary, Liu Fa posed a threat to Grand Commandant Tong’s position in the northwest.

Forcing him to take a risky position in Tong’an City and attack the Shuofang region might not be without the intention of using someone else’s hand to commit murder.

But now with Prince Yun openly expressing his stance, if Liu Fa really did fail, covering it up would become difficult for Grand Commandant Tong.

Grand Commandant Tong weighed his options and suddenly realized a very annoying fact.

That is, while Prince Yun might not actively do anything in the army, given his lack of a solid foundation, if Prince Yun wanted to foil his plans, it would be quite simple.

No matter what Grand Commandant Tong did, as long as Prince Yun continued to firmly oppose him, in the end, it would definitely be Grand Commandant Tong who suffered the loss.

If they lost the battle, Grand Commandant Tong would be criticized for not listening to advice and causing national humiliation, especially highlighting Prince Yun’s brilliance and natural talent;

Even if they won, even if Grand Commandant Tong went back and filed charges, at most Prince Yun would get a scolding.

After all, who can argue against the favorite son of the current emperor...

Grand Commandant Tong was well aware of the situation, knowing that no matter how much power a eunuch had, in the end, he couldn’t outmatch such an ultimate second-generation royal.

So the standoff continued.

Grand Commandant Tong stiffened his neck and said, "Then according to Prince Yun, how should this battle be fought?"

Fan Cun chuckled, "Why don’t you personally lead the troops to Tong’an City, attack the Shuofang region? General Liu Fa and I will cover for you from behind."

Grand Commandant Tong’s face turned black in an instant.

You came to stir up trouble, right? That’s settled!

Though Grand Commandant Tong wasn’t much of a warrior, he wasn’t stupid, especially in knowing which battles could be fought and which couldn’t. When he faced an unwinnable situation, he ran faster than anyone.

So how could he possibly go to a dangerous place like Tong’an City himself?

Fan Cun sighed softly: "Grand Commandant Tong, as a commander, you should lead by example, inspiring your subordinates by doing what you expect of them!

"You yourself dare not go to Tong’an City, yet you send Liu Fa with insinuations. Can you explain to me where in this lies the art of war?

"Or is it ’sending your men to their doom in dangerous situations’ kind of Tong’s military tactics?"

If before his tone had been somewhat reserved, by now he was openly mocking.

No longer addressing him as Grand Commandant but by his name, and using "Tong’s military tactics" as a taunt, hinting that his approach to warfare was child’s play.

Grand Commandant Tong completely lost his composure.