Chapter 121: The Elite Troops of Jingzhou

"Commander Zhao is quite right." Seeing that the generals had fallen silent, Zhang Chi took a sip of spring water and continued, unhurried, "Although we have achieved a minor victory over the Hu, their main force remains. Do you gentlemen have any brilliant strategies for how we should defend against them?"

Moments ago, these men had been scrambling to claim credit, but now, faced with Zhang Chi’s question, they all clamped their mouths shut.

"You are all seasoned veterans of many campaigns," Zhang Chi pressed. "If you have any methods for defense, please, enlighten me."

The majority of the generals present were from the various commanderies of Yizhou. General Fang had effectively become their backbone; with no one else speaking, they all turned their eyes toward him.

Feeling the weight of their gazes, General Fang could no longer pretend to be oblivious. Sensing an opportunity to solidify his prestige among the Yizhou commanders, he pondered for a moment before saying, "Governor, the Hu forces are vast and their commanders numerous; their cavalry is swift and their crossbows powerful. It is truly unwise to meet them head-on. Furthermore, our mission was to lift the siege of Pingwu. Now that Pingwu is out of danger, our task is complete. In my humble opinion, we should withdraw to Chengdu. The Hu are too strong; it is better to avoid their momentum for now."

As soon as General Fang finished speaking, the other Yizhou commanders echoed his sentiment in unison: "General Fang speaks the truth. It is best to avoid their momentum."

*With generals like these in Shu, how could we not be defeated? The loss of the six commanderies was truly no injustice,* Zhang Chi thought to himself. *Cowardice is cowardice—why cloak it in the phrase 'avoiding momentum'? The phrasing is elegant, but at the end of the day, it is nothing but craven fear.* Zhang Chi felt a burning urge to leap up and slap General Fang across the face just to vent his frustration.

Yet, despite his inner thoughts, a smile remained on Zhang Chi’s face. "However, although the siege of Pingwu is temporarily lifted, the main Hu army remains. If we retreat to Chengdu now, and the Hu return to attack Pingwu, will it not face the same inevitable fate of falling?"

"Uh..." Zhang Chi’s question left General Fang stumped. Unable to provide an answer, he turned to General Sun Rubai and said, "General Sun, it is not that I mean to criticize you, but now that we have repelled the Hu, you should be reinforcing your city defenses and actively preparing for war. We can save you once or twice, but you cannot rely on others every time. As the saying goes, it is better to rely on oneself than on others."

General Fang spoke these words with a tone of righteous indignation, as if he were truly concerned for Pingwu, and he did not blush in the slightest.

The man speaking felt no shame, yet Zhang Chi, listening, felt a deep sense of humiliation on his behalf. Since when did resisting foreign invaders become the sole responsibility of a single city or a single general? Yet, these men truly believed it.

It was like two people encountering a tiger; naturally, the one who runs faster survives. But the situation here was that a hundred people were facing one tiger in a dead end with nowhere to run. The best course of action would be to work together to defeat the beast. Yet, these men were busy scheming against one another, watching their compatriots die, praying that the tiger would be satisfied with someone else's flesh and leave them alone.

Once the other ninety-nine had been devoured, who would be left to help you when the tiger finally turned its gaze toward you?

Zhang Chi shook his head helplessly, took another sip of spring water, and sighed softly. "You are all commanders of troops; surely you have read some books."

The generals, puzzled by this remark, stopped their movements and looked at Zhang Chi, waiting for him to continue.

"History records that when Kong Rong was sentenced to death during the Three Kingdoms period, Cao Cao sent men to execute him. His young son, despite his age, said, 'Under an overturned nest, how can any eggs remain intact?'" Zhang Chi continued. "The Hu have now marched their armies into Shu. This land is your nest, and you are the eggs within it. Even a small child understands that if the nest is overturned, the eggs will break. Do you not know this? If the skin does not exist, to what can the hair attach itself?"

Having said this, Zhang Chi ignored whether the generals understood his meaning and left the table, heading straight for the ramparts of Pingwu.

The sun was setting, and the distant mountains and rivers were bathed in a deep, crimson glow. Zhang Chi could not help but lament, *What a magnificent land!*

An Ren, as Zhang Chi's personal bodyguard, followed him closely and stood behind him on the wall. She wanted to say something but ultimately remained silent.

Her expression did not escape Zhang Chi. He gave a bitter smile and said, "I finally understand why you wanted to assassinate the officials of Shu. If there weren't such a formidable enemy right before us, I fear I would not be able to resist the same impulse."

"I admire what you do. To accomplish great things, one must weigh every option," An Ren said, her tone surprisingly courteous.

Since Zhang Chi had met her, she had always been cold; he wondered what had caused this change.

While Zhang Chi was still puzzled, San Tong, Dao Xuan, and the others arrived on the ramparts. Dao Xuan, young and hot-headed, spoke as soon as he saw Zhang Chi: "I cannot stand that General Fang. If not for the sake of the bigger picture, I would truly like to drag him out and give him a sound beating."

The word "beating" was one Dao Xuan had learned from Zhang Chi; these novel terms were often adopted by San Tong and Dao Xuan whenever Zhang Chi used them.

The words Zhang Chi had spoken earlier were meant for the regional commanders, but unfortunately, they had fallen on deaf ears. The generals were still feasting inside. Only Sun Rubai had grasped the situation; it was clear to him that while the young scholar-like gentleman held the title of Governor, the military power was not entirely in his hands.

Sun Rubai was a clever man. Hearing the conversation of Dao Xuan and the others, the gravity of the situation became clear. Not wishing to put Zhang Chi in a difficult position, he said sincerely, "The politics of Shu are complex and have been for a long time. Even if you, Governor, have the heart to resist the Hu, you lack the power to do so. It would be better to return to Chengdu."

"And what of you, General Sun?" Qin Bo asked from the side.

"Pingwu is the last barrier on the plains of Shu. If it falls, the Hu army will be able to drive deep into the heart of the province, leaving no defensible ground. Moreover, as the defender of Pingwu, I must live or die with this city."

Seeing that Sun Rubai was a man of honor, Qin Bo’s admiration was evident. He clapped a hand on Sun Rubai’s shoulder, yet found himself at a loss for words.

The Hu army numbered three hundred thousand. Their own situation was far from optimistic—not only were their numbers few, but their hearts were not united. How could they defeat the wolf-like forces of the Hu? Even as a seasoned general, Qin Bo had no plan.

Ding Yizhi watched Zhang Chi staring into the distance and asked with a smile, "Does my brother have a strategy to defeat the Hu?"

"By now, the troops from Jingzhou should have already set out," Zhang Chi murmured.

"Jingzhou troops?" Everyone was stunned. Faced with the Hu, even the generals of Shu refused to fight; where would these Jingzhou reinforcements come from?

Zhang Chi then explained, "Before I left Chengdu, I held a secret meeting with the Prince of Chengdu and instructed the Inspector of Yizhou to send envoys to Jingzhou to request aid. By now, the Jingzhou army should be nearing their arrival."

The formidable troops of Jingzhou, alongside the Beifu Army, had guarded the Yangtze River from west to east, ensuring the Hu had never been able to cross the river. Their reputation was well-deserved.

"So, you had a plan all along," Qin Bo praised. "But I wonder if the Jingzhou army is willing to come and fight."

Zhang Chi replied, "When the lips are gone, the teeth are cold. Huan Xuan has entrenched himself in Jingzhou for many years and has great ambitions; he surely understands this principle. If Shu falls into the hands of the Hu, it bodes ill for Huan Xuan in Jingzhou. I expect he is not as short-sighted as the generals at that table."