As Shen Jing's words fell, everyone's gaze converged on him.
Pei Ji looked at Shen Jing with disbelief, as if grasping at a life-saving straw: "You have a way to breach Yuping Pass's city walls?"
Prince Ji himself is stationed at Yuping Pass!
As long as the city walls of Yuping Pass can be breached, the front-line army can definitely capture Yuping Pass. Once Yuping Pass falls, the rebel army's momentum will be gone!
"Yes!"
Shen Jing nodded lightly, "I can't guarantee it, but I can try!"
After all, he doesn't understand the situation at Yuping Pass right now, so he can't speak too confidently.
Anyway, he should have a very good chance!
Yao Jian narrowed his eyes, and said in a deep voice: "This is in front of the Emperor. Don't deceive him!"
Shen Jing subtly raised his eyes, "Since this junior has spoken, he naturally has a certain degree of confidence!"
"Oh, really?"
Yao Jian asked again: "What is your plan?"
Shen Jing shook his head lightly, "This is a bit complicated! Before it succeeds, this junior cannot say."
He can do the work.
But the technology must remain in his own hands!
He doesn't understand politics much, but he understands the saying 'when the rabbit is dead, the hounds are cooked; when the birds are gone, the bow is put away'!
Before he has enough power to protect himself, he will never hand over that vital thing to the imperial court!
"Is it 'hard to say' or 'cannot say'?"
Yao Jian stared at Shen Jing, "I will remind you, Chancellor, the city walls of Yuping Pass are about three and a half zhang high, five zhang wide at the bottom, and three zhang wide at the top. They cannot be breached just by saying so!"
Even with large trebuchets, such walls would take many days of continuous bombardment to break.
Moreover, the front-line army doesn't have large trebuchets.
It would also take a lot of time to procure materials locally and construct large trebuchets.
"Why don't you do it?"
Shen Jing looked at Yao Jian impatiently, "If you can do it, go ahead. If not, don't babble!"
"Presumptuous!"
Yao Jian was furious, "I am merely reminding you, how dare you..."
"Neither the Emperor nor the Crown Prince said I was presumptuous, so who are you to say so?" Shen Jing retorted unhappily, without mercy.
Stung by Shen Jing's retort, Yao Jian was furious but could not respond, only glaring at Shen Jing with cold eyes.
He had originally thought Shen Jing was bold enough, but he had underestimated Shen Jing's audacity.
In front of the Emperor, how dare he speak to him like that?
Shen Jing immediately glared back.
Damn it!
Who says I can't glare back!
My eyes are even bigger than yours!
"Enough!"
Ye Shen spoke at the opportune moment to stop the two, then asked Shen Jing: "How confident are you?"
Shen Jing thought for a moment, and answered somewhat conservatively: "To breach it entirely is definitely unrealistic, but to create an opening two or three zhang long should have about sixty percent confidence!"
"That's enough!"
Pei Ji suddenly became excited, "Never mind three zhang, two zhang is enough! As long as there's such an opening, the front-line army can definitely quell the rebellion within half a month!"
On this point, Pei Ji was very confident.
Although the army sent to suppress the rebellion was not as elite as the border army in the north, it was still stronger than the troops Prince Ji had.
If Shen Jing opened a breach and they still couldn't take Yuping Pass, it would mean the front-line army was full of good-for-nothings!
Two zhang!
Shen Jing lowered his eyes in thought.
If they blew up the city gate, gunpowder would definitely be exposed.
If they dug a tunnel to blow up the city wall, they might be able to conceal it.
The biggest uncertain factor was the soil quality beneath Yuping Pass.
If it was all damn rocks underneath, that would be difficult!
Hmm, let's see how it goes!
Shen Jing thought for a moment, then immediately said to Emperor Zhou: "I ask the Emperor to permit this junior to go to the Qu Prefecture front line. This junior needs to survey the terrain on site before he can determine whether the city wall can be breached!"
Emperor Zhou raised his eyes and stared at Shen Jing: "Is that true?"
"Yes!"
Shen Jing nodded heavily, "Additionally, this junior requests an imperial decree from the Emperor: the front-line army must obey this junior's orders and act according to this junior's requirements!"
"What a joke!"
Yao Jian sneered: "You know nothing of military affairs, nor strategy. How can you be entrusted with command of the front-line army? Do you take this as child's play?"
How important is military power?
Everyone wants military power?
For both public and private reasons, he could not let this young upstart, Shen Jing, gain military power!
"When did I say I wanted military power?"
Shen Jing looked at Yao Jian unhappily, "I merely need the front-line army to cooperate with this junior's plan to breach the city!"
He, of course, knew that Emperor Zhou would most likely not issue a decree for the front-line army to obey him.
He had his own plan in mind.
"What's the difference?"
Yao Jian snorted coldly, and said sternly: "You won't even say how you plan to breach the city walls of Yuping Pass, yet you expect the front-line army to do as you say?"
"If you mess things up and ultimately fail to breach the city walls, will tens of thousands of front-line soldiers waste their precious time with you?"
"If you delay the imperial court's important matters, can you bear the responsibility?"
"If you are truly confident, then make a military pledge in front of the Emperor!"
Pledge your mother!
This old dog, he wishes I'd get myself killed, doesn't he?
If it weren't for him not wanting to see Great Zhou fall into war, he wouldn't want to get involved in this mess!
And he wants me to make a military pledge?
Dream on!
"I just said I can only try; I don't have absolute confidence! I dare not make a military pledge!"
Shen Jing was not provoked by Yao Jian, "Chancellor Yao is so eloquent, why not go to Yuping Pass and persuade the rebels to surrender, thus achieving an unparalleled feat for the imperial court and easing the Emperor's worries!"
"You..."
Yao Jian's face changed, and he glared at Shen Jing again.
What a sharp-tongued little beast, he really underestimated him!
He never expected that, as the head of all officials, he would repeatedly be outmaneuvered by this young upstart, Shen Jing, today.
"Alright! Look at the current situation, both of you say less!"
Emperor Zhou stopped Yao Jian and Shen Jing, then asked Shen Jing: "How long will you need to breach the city walls?"
Shen Jing pondered for a moment, then replied: "Including travel time to Qu Prefecture, if fast, about seven days; if slow, about ten days."
As Shen Jing's words fell, Pei Ji's eyes immediately lit up.
This time, it even includes travel time?
One must know that Qu Prefecture is nearly eight hundred li from the capital.
At a normal cavalry marching speed, it would take about four days to travel from the capital to Qu Prefecture!
"Is that true?"
Pei Ji looked at Shen Jing with burning eyes.
If he could achieve this, Prince Ji's rebellion could definitely be quelled before the end of the month!
"It's true!"
Shen Jing nodded heavily, then said to Emperor Zhou: "If it is inconvenient for the Emperor to issue a decree for the front-line army to obey this junior, Duke Qi can accompany him! It would also allow Duke Qi to understand the specific situation at the Qu Prefecture front line!"
He, of course, still wanted military power.
After all, military power and his own influence were the greatest capital for self-preservation!
But Emperor Zhou certainly wouldn't give him military power just based on a conversation they had yesterday, without seeing anything.
If he couldn't get military power for now, he would first build good relations with those who held it.
"This is a good idea!"
Pei Ji nodded, "This old man also had the same intention!"
Yao Jian narrowed his eyes, pondered for a moment, then advised Emperor Zhou: "Emperor, I believe this is inappropriate! The current situation of the imperial court is critical, and Duke Qi, as Minister of War, should not leave the capital! If Shen Jing truly has confidence, why not let the Marquis of Pingnan..."
"How can that be?"
Lu Sui immediately objected, "As far as I know, Shen Jing just had a conflict with the Marquis of Pingnan's son. What is Chancellor Yao's intention in recommending the Marquis of Pingnan to accompany Shen Jing to Qu Prefecture at this time?"
"Chancellor Lu, do not speak nonsense!"
Yao Jian looked at Lu Sui with cold eyes, "This old man recommends the Marquis of Pingnan for the sake of the imperial court, with absolutely no selfish motives!"
This mad dog, Lu Sui!
He seizes every opportunity to bite him!
Emperor Zhou was not in the mood to listen to them attacking each other here, and stood up displeased, "Shen Jing, come with me to the Imperial Garden for a walk!"