Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3686 The Jade Tablets Abandon Pawns, Cold Words Decide; A Cold Blade Startles the Commander, a Lone Flag Grows Cold

Jingzhou.

Wangshi Fortress, located in the western suburbs of Xiangyang.

Summer rain always carries a dull, oppressive feeling, lacking clarity.

It has neither the moisture of spring nor the crispness of autumn; it is like thick blood, soaking into the towering brick and stone walls of the fortified village.

Within the high walls of the fortified village, in the exquisite garden of the Wang family, emerald bamboos sway in the rain, and pavilions and towers are half-hidden in the rain and mist.

This is the foundation of the Langya Wang clan in Jingzhou. Although it is not as grand as their ancestral home in Xuzhou, it still exudes the elegance and restraint of a prominent aristocratic family.

Inside the pavilion, Wang Hong, dressed in loose robes and with his fingertips lightly tapping the stone table, was having a leisurely conversation with several of his clansmen and renowned scholars from the city.

The wine was warming on the table, and several plates of delicate pastries remained untouched.

After a brief discussion of scriptures and miscellaneous points, the topic inevitably returned to the increasingly urgent war surrounding Xiangyang.

"This Cao Zixiao is indeed a renowned general," an older cousin commented, taking a sip of wine with a detached air. He pointed a finger at Cao Ren as if to tap him on the forehead. "To be trapped in an isolated city and still manage to advance north and south, defeating several units of the Flying Cavalry, is truly impressive... If the Flying Cavalry units hadn't been quite elite, he probably would have found a weakness and crushed them in one fell swoop..."

"Hmph, nothing more than a cornered beast fighting to the death." Wang Hong slightly raised his chin. A few strands of hair on his forehead were dampened by the rain and mist outside the pavilion, making his face appear even more like jade. However, his eyes revealed a detached indifference. "The General of the Cavalry is as numerous as clouds. Although Fei Ziyuan has not personally arrived, his army's advance is such that no mere city can hold out for long. Cao Mengde, both north and south of the Yellow River need to be defended. I'm afraid... Ah, Xiangyang, its fall will probably only be within a month..."

Wang Hong held no official position, yet when referring to the General of the Cavalry and the current Chancellor, he still addressed them by their given names. Furthermore, when addressing Fei Qian (Cao Cao) by his name, he would slightly raise his nose, as if to say, "What's wrong with a name? Isn't it just for calling someone? What's wrong with that?"
Wang Hong paused, his voice clear and resolute, carrying an undeniable certainty: "In this perilous situation, what is of utmost importance to us aristocratic families? It is the continuation of our bloodline, the preservation of our family's honor! Those estates, tenants, and even the retainers we depend on outside the city are merely external possessions, 'pawns' that can be discarded at any time; they should be abandoned when necessary."

This is a common theory among the proud sons of aristocratic families.

Sacrificing pawns is always unavoidable.

"Nanmian" means absolutely and unavoidably.

This in itself is an absolutist error.

In reality, many predicaments and sacrifices are not entirely unavoidable. They are often the result of specific decisions, unfair allocation of resources, lack of information, short-sighted behavior, or deliberate choices that prioritize the interests of certain groups while sacrificing others. Therefore, attributing the "sacrifice of pawns" to the so-called "inevitability" of politics or war is clearly just an excuse to shirk responsibility and rationalize injustice.

But this excuse works very well.

"Brother Wang, your insight is brilliant!" A young scholar beside him immediately clapped his hands in agreement. "The Book of Changes says, 'The dragon that soars too high will regret it.' The best course of action is to relinquish what must be relinquished. A few servants and men, if they die, they die; they can be recruited with money after the war, in no more than ten days. To jeopardize the foundation of the clan for the sake of preserving these insignificant possessions would be utterly foolish."

The term "pawn" is not an inanimate object, but a living, breathing person. The very term "sacrifice a pawn" is filled with a cold, objectifying cruelty. Those who are sacrificed are living, breathing people with families, emotions, dignity, and dreams.

To casually say "give up what should be given up" reflects the extreme indifference of aristocratic sons towards the value of the lives of ordinary people.

"Exactly!" another chimed in. "Our ancestors, in the past, sacrificed pawns to save the king, thus preserving the pure lineage of the Langya Wang clan. How similar the current situation is! If there is unrest among the refugees outside the city, or if Cao Cao's army or remnants of the Cai clan attack, we should order our commander Chen Zhong to lead his troops in a desperate defense of the manor. This will both delay the enemy's advance and demonstrate the loyalty and righteousness of our Wang clan. We only need to keep the fortified village tightly shut, relying on its high walls and deep moat, and wait for the dust to settle."

Everyone seemed to agree with the idea of ​​"sacrificing a pawn" and thought it was a matter of course.

This kind of cold-blooded choice, whether made by an individual or a group, is disguised as a natural law. Under the helpless fig leaf of "choosing the lesser of two evils," the responsibility of decision-makers is cleverly absolved, as if the sacrifice is "fate" rather than "choice."

After all, the aristocratic youths who say such things often stand on a safe high ground, enjoying the protection or benefits provided by the times, yet they point fingers at those who bear the consequences. They cannot feel the pain and despair of the "pawns," and their words are full of ignorance, arrogance, and a cruel sense of superiority.

Wang Hong chuckled lightly, with a touch of scholarly naiveté, "Exactly... The cavalry is about to breach the city. When they do, our Wang family will welcome them with food and drink. Wouldn't that show us to be more pragmatic?"

A chorus of restrained agreement rose from inside the pavilion.

Wang Hong's lips curled slightly, seemingly pleased that his comments about being "sensible" and "decisive" had resonated with him. His gaze swept across the rain outside the pavilion, looking towards the distant manor wall, where guards stood watch, their figures blurred and small in the rain.

In his eyes, those servants and private soldiers were nothing more than moving barriers, no different in essence from the pavilions, towers, bamboo groves, and rockeries; they were all appendages of the Wang family's prestige.

No need to mention, explain, emphasize, or repeat.

A pawn can be sacrificed for the greater good at any time, and should be sacrificed.

However, Wang Hong and his colleagues never considered that if they assumed sacrifice was "inevitable" and "pawn sacrifice" was unavoidable, they would lose the motivation to reflect and improve. Naturally, they wouldn't question, reflect upon, or repeatedly ask themselves, "Why were these people sacrificed?"

Is there a better solution?

Are there any flaws in the institutional framework?

"..."

At this moment, in a simple barracks outside the side gate of the fortress, the atmosphere was as heavy as if it were filled with lead.

Chen Zhong, clad in worn leather armor, silently polished a ring-pommel sword. The blade reflected his rough cheeks and tightly pursed lips.

Inside the barracks, dozens of soldiers sat or stood, most of them sons of veterans who had served the Wang family since their fathers or even grandfathers. Their faces showed fear of the impending battle, but even more so a habitual numbness and obedience to Chen Zhong's orders.

Wang Fu, the steward of the fortified village, trotted in, umbrella in hand. Rain splashed onto the hem of his robe, like blood staining his feet from the ground. Avoiding the gazes of the crowd, he went straight to Chen Zhong, handing him a bamboo talisman. His voice was low, tinged with barely perceptible embarrassment: "Brother Zhong… the master's intention… is to entrust several important estates outside the city, especially the two closest to the main road, to you. You must… you must hold them, to buy time for the master. Inside the fort… the fort will remain closed, observing the situation, and will also try to… to seek aid from the imperial court."

Wang Fu's words were vague, but the meaning was crystal clear.

They held their ground, delayed, and bought time for the inhabitants of the fortified village to hold out for reinforcements or for the situation to change.

As for when reinforcements will arrive, or even if they will arrive at all?

Nobody mentioned it.

The tightly closed gates of the fortress are the clearest answer.

They were completely abandoned; they were the "sacrificial pawns."

The barracks were deathly silent, with only the patter of rain hitting the roof.

All eyes were on Chen Zhong.

Chen Zhong took the bamboo talisman, the icy touch spreading from his palm to his heart.

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over familiar faces: childhood friends, wrinkled faces of his father's former subordinates, and young men with barely concealed panic in their eyes.

He seemed to see again his father, covered in blood, standing in front of Wang Hong's ancestors, finally collapsing...

Now, it's his turn.

"Understood." Chen Zhong's voice was hoarse and low, like a dull knife scraping against wood.

He didn't question or get angry; he just clenched the bamboo talisman tightly in his hand until his knuckles turned white.

"Brothers," he looked around at the crowd, raising his voice slightly, "the Master has ordered us to guard the estate!"

There were no grand pronouncements, only the sound of heavy breathing in response.

The soldiers silently picked up their weapons, checked their bowstrings, and donned simple rattan or leather armor.

They are pawns, their "fate" seemingly destined to be placed on the chessboard and then mercilessly eaten.

In war, sacrificing pawns is inevitable, isn't it?
The next few days were like hell.

Because Wang Hong's information was severely outdated.

He only knew that Cao Ren was advancing north and south, tearing apart the Flying Cavalry's defensive line. He was unaware that a major problem had arisen in the Songshan defense line, forcing Cao Cao to lead his troops south to plug the gaps.

With Cao Cao's arrival, the situation reversed.

Sima Yi of Songshan was forced to retreat, Liao Hua and Li Dian retreated, and even Wancheng was besieged by Cao Cao's army.

However, Cao Cao's army marched south, and the soldiers also needed to eat. Moreover, given their hasty advance, they couldn't possibly carry large quantities of provisions and supplies. Therefore...

For Cao Cao's army, the statement "sacrificing pawns is always unavoidable" seems to be true.

Chen Zhong led three hundred men, including his retainers and servants, and relied on the simple earthen walls and fences of the manor to fight off wave after wave of armed attacks.

Initially, it consisted of scattered Cao army soldiers and looters taking advantage of the chaos. Later, perhaps the manor's tenacious resistance attracted someone's attention, or perhaps after Cai's betrayal, Cao Ren became increasingly distrustful of the local gentry in Jingzhou and attempted to eliminate their supporters, so he sent a smaller, more elite Cao army unit.

Arrows rained down like locusts, slamming the simple gate of the fortified village with a loud bang.

Chen Zhong stood firm at the forefront like a rock, each swing of his ring-pommel sword bringing forth a shower of blood.

His brothers fell one by one, their bodies piling up in the mud.

Their sacrifice inflicted casualties on the attackers far exceeding their own numbers, and miraculously, they temporarily preserved the core areas of several manors, buying precious time for the fortified village. Temporarily…

However, the promised "reinforcements" have yet to arrive.

During a lull in the attack, Chen Zhong leaned against the dilapidated earthen wall, panting. A broken arrow was stuck in his left shoulder, and blood soaked half of his sleeve.

The pain and blood loss made his vision blur.

He subconsciously looked into the distance, as if trying to see through the smoke of battle to the towering, silent fortress that resembled a giant beast.

He seemed to see figures on the watchtower of the fortress wall, and seemed to hear a few indistinct, rhythmic laughs and conversations...

"His loyalty and righteousness are commendable..."

"Martyrs who sacrificed their lives..."

"Sacrifice a pawn to save the king..."

The Way of Heaven and Earth…

An indescribable chill instantly shot from Chen Zhong's feet to the top of his head, even overpowering the excruciating pain from his wounds.

In his pain and despair, Chen Zhong couldn't tell whether he was directly hearing and seeing things now, or whether it was an impression left in his mind from his previous experiences as a bystander.

He stared intently at the tall buildings of the fortified village, as if seeing for the first time the true faces of the masters to whom he had served for generations.

The warm blood of their brothers still flowed in the soil beneath their feet, their desperate roars still echoed in their ears, while the pampered nobles inside the fortress, in the safety of their stronghold, used the moment of respite that the brothers had paid with their lives as spice for philosophical discussions, casually talking about "loyalty" and "sacrifice," expounding on "always" and "inevitably," as if commenting on a drama that had nothing to do with them!

What kind of "Langya Pure Stream" is this!
What high-class elegance!
At that moment, the string of loyalty that had bound Chen Zhong's family together for two generations snapped completely. The last glimmer of light in his eyes, belonging to the leader of his tribe, went out, leaving only a cold, despairing hatred, like that of a lone wolf in the wilderness.

He turned his head and glanced at the dozen or so brothers who remained beside him, all wounded and with eyes filled with grief and despair.

Not far away, Wang's private soldiers and retainers were fighting and sacrificing themselves.

A thought, like a venomous snake, burrowed into his mind and grew wildly.

"Brother Zhong?"

A young retainer, seeing Chen Zhong's suddenly ferocious gaze, called out in a low voice with some unease.

Chen Zhong did not answer.

He abruptly pulled the broken arrow from his shoulder, grabbed a handful of dirt, and used it to plug the wound.

The blood was still flowing, but the flow had slowed down somewhat.

The intense pain only sharpened Chen Zhong's senses. He pointed to the seemingly impregnable fortified village in the distance, his voice carrying a chilling aura, as if from the depths of hell: "Brothers, do you see? The blood we shed is nothing more than a few sarcastic remarks in their eyes! We're not just guarding the manor, we're protecting their lives! Yet they, behind closed doors, treat us like meat to be fed to wolves! Discarded pawns!"

He paused, each word dripping with icy coldness, "Today, I'm not going to be the 'sacrificial pawn'! Don't they like to talk about 'sacrificing pawns being inevitable'? Fine! Today, I'll show them who the real 'sacrificial pawn' is!"

He pointed to an inconspicuous corner on the west side of the fortified village, where there was a cliff that looked steep but was actually dilapidated and had a loose internal structure due to years of disrepair. Below it was a nearly abandoned irrigation ditch covered by vines, which led directly to a secluded kitchen courtyard inside the fortified village.

This secret passage was built to protect the master's family's secret escape route, and only the most core leaders of the tribes knew about it.

"Follow me!"

Chen Zhong roared and abandoned the fight. Leading his remaining troops, now consumed by hatred, he feigned exhaustion and defeat. Instead of retreating deeper into the manor, he retreated towards a part of Cao Cao's army that was attacking and fighting with bloodlust. He fought and retreated, but his direction was cleverly deviated from the main battlefield, moving towards that hidden weak point in the cliff.

The pursuing Cao army soldiers were overjoyed to see that these stubborn soldiers who had resisted for many days had finally collapsed, and they roared and chased after them relentlessly.

Chen Zhong knew the terrain like the back of his hand and deliberately led the pursuers to the foot of that cliff.

*Pfft...*

The seemingly solid stone wall collapsed instantly, as if releasing a silent fart, after its key support was removed.

As a large amount of soil and gravel rolled down and dust billowed, a large section of the cliff collapsed, revealing a dark gap and a ditch extending downwards!
The pursuing Cao army leader was initially stunned, then shouted with wild joy, "Heaven is helping us! There's a way in! Charge in! The gold, silver, treasures, grain, and women of Wangjiawu Fortress are all ours!"

Cao Jun surged frantically toward the breach, failing to notice Chen Zhong and his men fleeing to the side under the cover of smoke and dust.

Of course, even if they saw it, Cao Cao's soldiers would obviously choose to rush into the fortified village, and no one would pay attention to those few "abandoned soldiers" who fled the battlefield.

Cao's soldiers, like sharks smelling blood, didn't bother to think about why there was a sudden opening, and rushed into the fortified village through the gap, howling as they did so!
Wang Hongyuan and several clansmen, dressed casually and maintaining a composed demeanor, sat by the window of a high-rise building, listening to the distant shouts of battle, pretending it was just the wind and rain hitting the window. While warming their wine, they were also admiring a newly acquired rare book by a great sage from the Spring and Autumn period.

The faint sounds of battle coming from outside seemed slightly different from those of the previous days, causing Wang Hong to frown slightly, but he quickly ignored them and continued his leisurely conversation, giving instructions, looking superior, nodding his head, and extremely smug.

Suddenly, a series of extremely abrupt and shrill screams and the sound of weapons clashing erupted from the west side of the fortress, near the kitchen!
The sound was so close, so clear, that it instantly shattered the false tranquility within the fortified village!

"What happened?!"

The wine glass in Wang Hong's hand fell to the ground with a crash and shattered. He stood up abruptly, his face drained of color.

"Oh no! Oh no! A thief...a thief has broken through the wall from the west!"

A servant scrambled into the library, his face filled with terror, and he spoke incoherently.

"What? ! 』

The people in the library were instantly thrown into chaos.

The scholars who had just been talking at length about "the inevitability of sacrificing pawns" and "preserving one's family reputation" now only showed the most primal fear and disbelief on their faces.

Shouldn't this be the most fortified stronghold, where the most loyal soldiers are sacrificed?
How come the fortified village was breached before all the pawns were killed?

Chaos spread like a plague throughout the fortress in an instant.

The elegant garden has been turned into a battlefield.

The library where we used to chat has been turned into a large tombstone.

Those aristocratic sons, usually dressed in high hats and flowing robes, discussing philosophical matters, were now as vulnerable as lambs to the slaughter before the rabid, bloodthirsty soldiers. They tried to draw their swords, but their hands trembled so much they couldn't even pull them out; they tried to organize their servants to resist, only to find that even the usually docile servants were now running around like headless flies.

What are "Heaven's Way" and "inevitability"? They appear utterly pale and laughable in the face of the cold blade and the frenzied slaughter.

Wang Hong was pulled along by several loyal old servants, trying to escape into the depths of the inner courtyard.

His magnificent robes were torn, his hair was disheveled, and his face was covered in mud and bloodstains. He had lost all trace of his former "refined and talented" demeanor, and was filled only with extreme fear and bewilderment.

He still doesn't know what went wrong, nor does he understand what he did wrong.

*Pfft!*

A muddy short spear, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, pierced the back of an old servant standing beside Wang Hong.

Hot blood splattered all over his face and made his legs go weak with fear.

"Ahhh..."

Wang Hong screamed in agony. He seemed to want to tell the Cao army charging in front of him that he was a noble "commander" and that he was not someone these lowly "soldiers" could touch. He wanted to use a long speech about loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and righteousness to stop the swords and spears from falling on him, but in the end, he could only let out a howl like a wild beast.

The phrase "sacrificing pawns is always inevitable" is the epitaph of those who shirk responsibility, the fig leaf of the ruthless, and the fatal illusion of those in power.

True wisdom and strength lie in valuing every individual, in exhausting wisdom and effort to avoid unnecessary sacrifices, and in understanding that sacrifice is never the starting point of glory, but often the beginning of systemic collapse.

When the pawn is ruthlessly abandoned, the foundation of the king is already crumbling.

Those who casually declare "sacrificing pawns is inevitable" from a safe position should perhaps consider whether they are truly outside the chessboard. Or, in a larger game, are they merely another piece considered a "pawn" by a higher level?

Unfortunately, Wang Hong doesn't understand these things.

In his final moments, he saw the狰狞 faces of Cao's soldiers and flames soaring into the sky—his prized library had been set ablaze. The Langya Wang clan's accumulated wealth, reputation, and fortune in Jingzhou, along with countless souls who had once spoken so eloquently and treated human life as worthless, all met their end in flames and carnage.

Chen Zhong, leading his last dozen or so brothers who had escaped death, plunged headlong into the Yunmeng Marsh.

The towering shouts and flames behind them temporarily cooled the resentment and anger in their hearts, leaving only the exhaustion of surviving a catastrophe and a deep-seated sorrow. They had been shields, pawns, but in the end, they became the fuse that ignited the flames of destruction.

The land is vast and the road ahead is unknown, but at least for now, they are no longer anyone's "sacrificial pawns"...