As everyone settled into their seats, Mo Han smiled and began, "I'm curious to hear everyone's thoughts on the recent attack by these mysterious black-clad figures. Please, speak your minds freely."

Hearing Mo Han’s words, a young general seated just below Nangong Haitang was the first to speak up. "I believe this incident is highly likely connected to either the Ao Yue Empire or the Shui Lan Empire. Even if they didn't act directly, they cannot be absolved of responsibility."

"Oh? And why do you hold that view, General? Do you have any evidence to support it?"

Mo Han fixed the officer with a steady, smiling gaze.

When questioned by Mo Han, the young general knew this was a test. He quickly composed himself and replied without haste, "Our forces in the west at Feiji City are engaged in fierce, bloody fighting. Previously, due to the influence of the smaller nations situated between our two empires, the Shui Lan Empire couldn't deploy massive direct forces to attack Mig City. However, sending too few troops wouldn't be enough to conquer it either. This is why the majority of the Shui Lan Empire's army is passing through the Ao Yue Empire to join the war at Feiji City."

The young general paused mid-sentence, noticing Mo Han watching him with keen interest.

This encouraged him to shed his remaining restraint. He continued, "But if chaos were to erupt within Mig City—as in this recent incident—and if the actions of these black-clad assassins had succeeded, I fear most of Mig City's commanding officers would have been brutally slain. In that scenario, Mig City would be reduced to a force with soldiers but no leadership, rendering it incapable of flexibly commanding the surrounding military camps."

"If that were truly the case, and I were a general of the Shui Lan Empire, they would only need to dispatch two thousand agile light cavalry, supported by the black-clad assassins already inside the city. With a coordinated attack from both within and without, they could very well conquer Mig City."

"Furthermore, our empire's northern border, historically protected by the smaller nations bordering the Shui Lan Empire, has always been the safest frontier for the entire Tian Long Empire. Consequently, there are no major military strongholds there. Once Mig City falls, the path straight to Tian Long City is largely flat terrain, with few strong fortifications to defend. Coupled with the mobility of light cavalry, the situation in the north would become extremely precarious."

"Moreover, the Shui Lan Empire is most renowned for its cavalry wing, the Swift Wind Knights. Their **Swift Wind Horses are arguably the most troublesome breed in terms of speed across all empires; no other empire's cavalry can match the swiftness of the Swift Wind Horse. These light cavalry units would inflict severe devastation upon our northern territories. By then, the empire's main armies would be bogged down by the two great empires in the west, completely unable to redeploy for defense. The Silver Fox Legion, by nature, is not specialized in cavalry, so they would be incapable of tracking these nimble light cavalry, left only to passively absorb the damage from the rear."

The young general grew increasingly calm as he spoke.

However, the expressions of the generals in the hall grew steadily more somber. They inwardly felt fortunate that this conspiracy had failed, as the situation for the Tian Long Empire would have been far more dire.

Mo Han, upon hearing this analysis, showed no surprise whatsoever. Nangong Haitang also seemed to have anticipated this outcome, mirroring Mo Han’s lack of astonishment.

At this point, Mo Han smiled and said, "Since the General has analyzed the situation so thoroughly, assuming Mig City were indeed breached by these light cavalry, does the General have any viable suggestions to prevent such a scenario from unfolding?"

Hearing Mo Han’s question, the young general hesitated, then shook his head with a hint of shame. "I beg Your Royal Highness's forgiveness. Given the current circumstances, I have no effective means to counter these troublesome cavalry of the Swift Wind Knights. While our own Wild Dragon Legion's Wild Dragon Cavalry and the Qilin Legion's Fire Cloud Cavalry are only slightly slower than the Swift Wind Knights, they are still comparable. Crucially, we hold the numerical advantage. If each of the two cavalry regiments could deploy a contingent to surround the enemy from front and rear, even the fiercest light cavalry of the Swift Wind Knights would be unable to escape annihilation."

"However, both legions' cavalry are currently pinned down in the western Feiji City by the enemy and absolutely cannot be pulled out to engage these Swift Wind Knights. The Silver Fox Legion and the Blood Wolf Legion excel primarily in infantry, making them utterly incapable of encircling cavalry. Although we possess some cavalry units, they are simply insufficient to completely suppress and eliminate the Swift Wind Knights. Therefore, this subordinate truly cannot conceive of a good method to corner these riders."

Hearing the answer, Mo Han smiled and asked, "What is your name, and what position do you currently hold in the Silver Fox Legion?"

At Mo Han’s inquiry, the young general immediately executed a crisp military salute and replied respectfully, "Reporting to Your Royal Highness, my name is Nangong Yi. I currently serve as the Deputy Commander of the Second Corps of the Silver Fox Legion."

Hearing Nangong Yi’s response, Mo Han expressed a slight curiosity. "You share the Nangong surname. What is your relationship to the Nangong Patriarch?"

Nangong Haitang, standing nearby, quickly interjected, "Reporting to Your Royal Highness, he is the son of my elder brother. Please forgive the familiarity."

Mo Han waved his hand dismissively with a smile. "Patriarch Nangong, you are too modest. General Nangong Yi’s insights are remarkably keen. For someone of his age to possess such understanding shows that you, Patriarch Nangong, have provided excellent guidance. He merely lacks a bit of experience, which, with further tempering, will certainly mold him into a pillar of the empire—a fortune for the Tian Long Empire."

Nangong Yi had long heard of Mo Han’s reputation. Seeing that Mo Han was barely older than himself, hearing himself dismissed as lacking experience struck a chord of pride. He felt Mo Han was merely being polite and decided he wanted to test Mo Han’s actual capability. Recalling Mo Han's earlier question, he surmised that Mo Han must already have an answer regarding how to handle the terrifyingly fast Swift Wind Cavalry.

With this thought, Nangong Yi gathered his courage and spoke, "Your Royal Highness, I have long heard of your great name. Since you posed the question earlier, I presume you already have a strategy for dealing with the Swift Wind Cavalry. If Your Royal Highness were facing these knights, how would you respond? I humbly request Your Royal Highness to share your wisdom."

Upon hearing Nangong Yi's words, the generals in the hall all shifted their gazes to Mo Han. Meanwhile, Nangong Tian’s expression drastically changed. Nangong Yi is acting recklessly! He is not usually this obtuse; why would he ask such a question at this juncture? If Mo Han cannot answer, it will place him in an impossible position, causing him to lose face before the Silver Fox Legion's officers. Ultimately, this could lead to offending Mo Han unnecessarily, and the Nangong family will be the ones to suffer.

Thinking this, Nangong Haitang shot a look of reproach at Nangong Yi. Nangong Yi, having spoken, immediately regretted his impulsiveness. He hadn't considered the consequences of Mo Han being unable to answer. Seeing Nangong Haitang’s glare, he felt even more vexed, silently cursing his own rashness.

Mo Han, after hearing Nangong Yi’s challenge, paused for a moment, appearing to ponder deeply. Nangong Haitang observed this hesitation and became even more convinced that Mo Han was unable to answer. Since Mo Han couldn't decline gracefully, he was hesitating. Nangong Haitang grew anxious; if Mo Han truly lost face now, the Nangong family would inevitably incur his displeasure. Although Nangong Haitang believed Mo Han’s character might prevent deep resentment, Mo Han was currently the master of Nangong Ti, effectively allied with the Nangong family. If Mo Han were embarrassed, it would reflect poorly on the Nangong family as well. His mind raced, searching for a way to extricate Mo Han from this awkward situation.

Suddenly, Nangong Haitang spoke up to Mo Han, "It seems Your Royal Highness is not in the best condition. You must be weary from the journey and dealing with those black-clad assassins alone just now. Perhaps Your Royal Highness should rest briefly. We can discuss the meeting later. What does Your Royal Highness think?"

Mo Han instantly understood that Nangong Haitang was trying to create an excuse to save face for him, assuming Mo Han couldn't answer Nangong Yi. However, Nangong Haitang failed to grasp Mo Han's actual line of thought, leading to his misunderstanding.

With this realization, Mo Han smiled and replied, "Patriarch Nangong, I appreciate your kindness, but it is unnecessary. My hesitation just now was because I recalled a relevant detail, which caused me to pause."

Hearing this, Nangong Haitang looked slightly puzzled. "What detail did Your Royal Highness recall? Could you share it so I might offer my perspective?"

Mo Han nodded. "Given the current situation of the Tian Long Empire, the inspection of all personnel entering the empire at every border city is extremely strict. When I entered Mig City previously, I observed the city guards conducting thorough checks. Patriarch Nangong, surely you know that there were over a hundred of these black-clad assassins. Their presence should have been quite conspicuous."

"For them to enter Mig City all at once without arousing the suspicion of the city defense forces or the populace would not be easy; it would likely be impossible. Therefore, I surmise these assassins were hidden outside the city beforehand and only entered today for the operation. Moreover, judging by their movements, they seemed perfectly aware of the patrol schedules and rotation times of Mig City’s army, which is why they caught us completely off guard. Logically, the city defense forces in Mig City should not have been entirely unaware of any impending threat. This leaves only one possibility..."

Hearing Mo Han’s subtle cue, Nangong Haitang’s face changed dramatically. He turned to a general beside him and asked coldly, "Kait, who was responsible for Mig City’s defenses today?"

The general named Kait immediately responded, "Today, General Luo Yun of the First Legion should have been in charge of the city’s defense, General."

Upon hearing Kait's answer, Nangong Haitang swiftly swept his gaze over all the generals in the hall before speaking coldly, "Where is Luo Yun? Why is he not present?"

A general seated below promptly stood up and respectfully reported, "Reporting to the General, General Luo Yun mentioned feeling unwell before the preceding meeting and has already returned home."

Hearing his subordinate’s reply, Nangong Haitang’s face contorted. He turned back to Kait and commanded, "Kait, take a squad of men immediately and arrest Luo Yun at his residence. If he resists, kill him without question."

Kait immediately nodded and departed. The generals in the hall quieted down at Nangong Haitang’s fury, daring not to provoke him further. If this incident truly implicated Luo Yun—if he had allowed the black-clad assassins entry—it would be a profound disgrace to the entire Silver Fox Legion. And Nangong Haitang, as the supreme commander of the Silver Fox Legion, would suffer the greatest loss of face.

The Nangong family was already ranked last among the Four Great Families. The revelation that a legion commander had colluded with the enemy was an unprecedented event in the history of the Tian Long Empire’s military. If Mo Han had not arrived in time, this conspiracy would likely have succeeded.