Lai shook his head.Chou Yu wrote:Yang Yu was taken aback. The usual response to his bragging was a roll of the eyes or perhaps a frown! However...This man had taken it and had praised him in turn. Uncertain, he replied, "We- well of course it was exemplary work! Nothing but the best from me!" Yang Yu said, strangely defensive as if the man's acknowledgment of his lofty words was more of a challenge than any response that he had gotten before.
He looked at the notes that stood in front of him and could not hide an being impressed by what he saw. If nothing else, the man was an excellent scribe. Though incomplete, Yu could already see the merit that was held in the words written in the notes. Looking up at the Prefect he said grudgingly, "Your work... It's not bad... Not at all." Yang Yu said, then he waved his hand as if dismissing something and said, "Pshaw! My previous battles were not challenging at all. I barely had to exert my learning to soundly beat my enemies. The future however... I know treading forward I'll find much worthier foes. That is when my true skill will shine, that is when I will have to employ all of my wit, cunning, and learning and of course, come out on top." Yang Yu grinned.
Searching Fei Lai's expression he commented, "You on the other hand... Just recently you fought a challenging battle, one against Li Jiacheng's forces. Your victory was quite spectacular I heard... Your command exceptional as you send your tirade on to the enemy ranks..." If there was one thing that Yu respected it was ability... And if what he heard was correct, the man in front of him had plenty of it.
"You are too modest, the best battles are the ones were your losses are kept at a minimum. You say weak foes, I say you were too strong for them. Though I was not present, I have studied what little reports I was able to acquire, as I do of every battle in the land."
Lai did bow at the praise however.
"The Wu rebel is indeed resourceful and his command of his men impressive. In the end, we were able to exploit an obvious flaw in his battle strategy and could of achieved similar results with less men. I describe his error in chapter 12... wait, I saw it before, ah yes over here."
Passing over the few pages, Lai continued.
"Had I the luxury, I would beg to be able to study under you in your next battle. Unfortunately, my time and loyalties have taken away any freedom I may have. I often struggle between my love and passion for the battlefield and my thirst and yearning to learn and study."
Taking another portion of his work, Lai shoved it forth, passion evident in his rushed movements. It was exhilarating to have someone that could actually follow his thoughts, let alone debate on various delicacies of their positions.
"I try to establish here... here and over here, a formula or some way to indicate when a Commander in charge of supporting the main army can directly involve himself in tactics. You see, men like you and I are able to follow the flow of battle and determine when to strike, when to fall back, when to support. But I wish to be able to impart that knowledge to others, to find a way so that they can be ready for such experiences. There is a danger for a Commander to execute his own ploys in certain circumstances, as you know. Anyone can say you should send in your own unit to confuse your opponent when your morale is high and your men fresh. The art comes into play when you have lost the first two clashes but still need to win the day, can you determine if sending in your own men is worth the risk or do you let your sub units try and take the field while you defend?"
While he spoke, Lai called for some wine. He hoped he could keep his guest, which in fact was really his host's attention.