The Great Idle Person of the Zhenguan Era.

Summary

Li Su devises a plan to break through Songzhou's defense while on the march, but hesitates to share it due to uncertainty about the consequences. Wang Zhuang asks if he has a plan, and Li Su decides to take action, patted his buttocks, and leaves to find the Deputy Commander-in-Chief. He takes two steps back, hands Wang Zhuang a piece of venison, and promises to have the army cook prepare meat soup for him that night. Inside the commander's tent, Niu Jin Da scolds his generals for their failed plans, and when Li Su requests an audience, he is met with hostility. However, Li Su reveals that he has a plan to take down Songzhou, and Niu Jin Da, intrigued, asks him to explain. Li Su requests various materials, including sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter, and Niu Jin Da, despite initial skepticism, agrees to gather them. Niu Jin Da calls off the siege for two days, and Li Su is moved by the general's integrity. After Li Su leaves, Niu Jin Da issues a military order to gather the requested materials and visits his troops to explain the situation. The Tang army is struggling to breach Songzhou's defenses, and Niu Jin Da decides to try Li Su's plan, hoping it will bring a breakthrough in the war. Li Su's plan remains a mystery, but it seems to have piqued Niu Jin Da's interest, and the outcome of the war hangs in the balance. Will Li Su's plan succeed, or will it prove to be a wild goose chase?

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