The Marquis Mansion's Elite Class-Chapter 355

If it were before, He Zheng's tactic of shifting concepts in the style of Zong Jincheng might have fooled someone. But now, after over a year of debate practice, the five children were no longer beginners who could easily be led astray.

Zong Wenxiu responded methodically: "What we're discussing now is whether the Great General acted impulsively, which is different from the concept of 'past and future' you mentioned. Of course, we believe Great Chu will eventually defeat You Country, but we can't predict exactly when, in which battle, or under whose leadership. Blindly trusting every general who hasn't yet proven themselves would be a reckless gamble—one that risks the lives of those five thousand cavalrymen. With stakes this high, would you bet on an untested general? I’ll go first—I wouldn’t."

He Zheng: "..." He wouldn’t either.

But that was Uncle Zong we were talking about.

And Uncle Zong had already returned victorious. He Zheng swallowed hard, racking his brains for a counterargument. Though he wasn’t on the same team as his eldest brother this time, he was on the affirmative side—how could he lose? But his eldest brother, the strongest of them all, hadn’t even spoken yet, and He Zheng was already sweating nervously.

Wei Xinglu spoke without hesitation: "You wouldn’t, but Luo Jingfeng would. That guy dares to do anything. ‘A general in the field is not bound by orders from the sovereign’—Luo Jingfeng could appoint a general to lead the troops as long as he believed in Uncle Zong. Whether we believe or not doesn’t matter."

Caught off guard, Zong Wenxiu: "..."

Wei Xinglu had a point.

Luo Jingfeng was eccentric, his actions unpredictable.

"Pfft." Xu Wan couldn’t help but chuckle, glancing at Zong Zhao, who paused mid-sip of tea, raising an eyebrow.

Baili Xi fanned himself lightly, watching the children debate back and forth—each one clear in logic and expression, a far cry from their former unruly selves. The transformative power of learning was vividly displayed in them.

Wei Xinglu continued: "History is full of cases where the outnumbered won through unconventional tactics. Luo Jingfeng may have many generals under him, but if they were truly capable, they wouldn’t have struggled against You Country for so long. I think Luo Jingfeng chose to trust Uncle Zong because he wanted a new breakthrough on the battlefield."

Zong Jincheng, who had been silent until now, suddenly looked up, following Wei Xinglu’s train of thought about Luo Jingfeng’s reasoning. No matter how domineering his unreasonable, scheming uncle was in the capital, on the battlefield, he was still a Great General fighting for his country’s victory.

Wei Xinglu concluded: "Besides, Uncle Zong leading five thousand cavalry against You Country’s thirty thousand doesn’t necessarily mean a head-on clash. If it was a surprise attack, catching them off guard, Luo Jingfeng could then encircle them, trapping the enemy in a pincer movement and crushing them completely."

Zong ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‍Jincheng blinked, clearing his throat to speak, making He Zheng so nervous he unconsciously started pinching someone. Wei Xinglu winced, gritting his teeth.

"Bro, let go, let go..." Wei Xinglu slapped at him, and He Zheng quickly released his grip.

The little devil spoke: "First, factually, the Battle of Changqi didn’t involve a pincer tactic—there was no reinforcement from Luo Jingfeng. A new general leading five thousand troops, even in a surprise attack, couldn’t defeat You Country. Their soldiers are naturally stronger in combat, and overcoming such odds with just one general is nearly impossible. Moreover, I checked—the weather during Changqi was normal, and the terrain offered no advantage to our forces. As for Luo Jingfeng seeking a breakthrough, while he’s eccentric, he climbed the ranks from the barracks to become the Great General of Pacifying the West. He’s no impulsive fool and wouldn’t blindly trust an untested general. So I believe: the odds were against us in that battle. Father acted on impulse."

He Zheng, watching his eldest brother twist the facts, grew anxious: "But how could it be impulsive? Uncle Zong won Changqi—it was that victory that led to him taking three cities from You Country and becoming the renowned General of the Western Garrison, equal in rank to Luo Jingfeng. I think we just can’t figure out how Uncle Zong pulled it off, but that doesn’t mean he won by luck or recklessness. Otherwise, how could he keep winning afterward? If You Country had realized it was just luck, wouldn’t they have retaliated fiercely?"

Shen Yibai, seeing their side gaining momentum, lifted his chin smugly: "Maybe You Country was simply intimidated after Changqi? Think of Han Xin, Bai Qi, Huo Qubing—their names alone struck fear into enemies. Even if Uncle Zong won Changqi, I agree with Jincheng—it was impulsive. With no advantage in weather or terrain, betting on such a lopsided victory was too risky."

Zong Wenxiu nodded too: "I also find it hard to believe."

The opposition trio stood firm, unwavering.

This infuriated Wei Xinglu and He Zheng. They were the affirmative side, armed with the fact of a decisive victory, yet they were losing to these contrarian arguments. It defied all reason.

As tensions threatened to boil over, Zong Zhao glanced at Xu Wan, silently asking: Should I step in and explain now?

Xu Wan smiled and shook her head.

Then she stood and said, "Alright, you’ve debated enough. Now, shift from debate to discussion. Start brainstorming—if the five of you were leading those five thousand troops, how would you defeat You Country’s thirty thousand?"

Instantly reconciled, the five looked baffled.

He Zheng was the first to raise his hand, timidly asking, "Auntie… are you serious? Making us figure out how to win against those odds? Great Chu hasn’t produced another like Uncle Zong in a century, and we’re just kids. How could we come up with anything close to his strategy?"

"Yeah… isn’t this beyond us?" Wei Xinglu scratched his head, admitting, "If we could solve this, wouldn’t we all be Great Generals in the making?"

Zong Wenxiu stayed silent, but his troubled expression said it all—this was too difficult.

Xu Wan encouraged them with a smile: "Three cobblers with their wits combined surpass Zhuge Liang. And you’re five—five child prodigies from the imperial exams, five future high-ranking officials working together. Surely that’s no ordinary team of kids?"