Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 239 Combining Literature and Martial Arts

On September 5th, a north-south encirclement was formed; of course, encirclement doesn't mean simply deploying a perimeter and then peacefully defending oneself. Encirclement implies being able to control the enemy general with all ten fingers.

But pinching it doesn't mean it's over; you have to crush it with force.

If the Chen army merely surrounds the enemy now without quickly striking, it's possible that Zhao Shanhe's elite troops will establish contact with the surrounding areas. Consequently, Hao's army could then coordinate its various units in the battle (though he lacks this capability). In that case, the Chen army at Wanmaji would be surrounded.

In the great battle that Xuan Chong heard about in his previous life, the "blossoming from the center" strategy eventually turned into "deep penetration into enemy territory," meaning that although the battle plan was in place, there was no ability to execute it.

Now, Xuan Chong has also shown off his "campaign command" skills.

As a bamboo order was issued, the northern front dispatched battalion-level detachments of 500 men to launch a multi-front engagement against the surrounded Zhao Shanhe troops.

From the map, it appears that the Northern Red Regiment, where Xuan Chong is stationed, is launching a barrage of "sword beams" like a "Ten Thousand Swords" attack, radiating towards Zhao Shanhe's group in the "blue area" on the map, severing Hao Jun's tentacles for outward exploration.

…The perspective shifts to the sword beam on the east side…

At 3 p.m. on the 5th, Hao Jun's team of 300 people attempted to trace villages and hamlets along the river in search of resources such as food and firewood.

Suddenly, fireworks lit up the sky. The Hao army officer at the head of the horse knew that this was not his signal for the fireworks, and immediately shouted: "Enemy attack!"

The Hao army, which had gone out to find supplies, hastily formed a battle line with their helmets and hats in disarray. Their officer dispatched a group of archers to intercept the Zhen army.

However, this cavalry regiment of the Zhen army had been re-equipped and was now a pure musket unit; their muskets had a shorter range but a faster rate of fire, and they carried sabers at their sides, clearly indicating that they would engage in close combat after using up their muskets.

As the cavalry charged, the two sides looked at each other's faces from their undulating horseback.

Hao's thirty archers fired three volleys in rapid succession, hitting ten men in the Zhen army, but it had little effect, as their armor effectively protected them from arrow penetration.

The Chen army cavalry did not pause at all and continued to charge forward. After the Hao army knights were stunned for a moment, they were within ten paces in an instant. Then there was a crisp sound, followed by smoke bursting from the horses' backs.

In the tactical planning of the Chen army, the range of cavalry with lances was a disadvantage; in order to gain the upper hand, they had to carry bows and arrows and fire only after reaching a certain distance.

The Zhen army's revolver muskets fired rapidly, rows of bullets gleaming with a bronze sheen sweeping across the Hao army's archer cavalry like a storm. Hao cavalrymen fell from their horses one after another, and then the Zhen army switched to another revolver and swept the bullets towards the crossbowmen who were still busy pressing the strings.

Under a hail of bullets, Hao's army scattered and began to rout. Then, the Chen army raised their sabers and pursued relentlessly! — This was a new cavalry tactic following the wall charge. The next cavalry tactic would be to charge with light machine guns.

The troops that Hao Jun was sent out to find supplies were actually mobilized soldiers who were paid a month's salary but were actually under the banner of "regular army". They were smug at first, but little did they know that three days later they would be transferred 50 kilometers away to this place to suffer the tactical and technical attacks of Xuan Chong.

When these Hao soldiers fled back towards Zhao Shanhe's main army in disarray, the cavalry commander of the Chen army did not pursue them. Instead, he gathered up the wounded, destroyed the weapons on the ground, and then left.

These officers, graduates of the officer training school, understood Xuan Chong's current operational intentions. Pursuing him now was pointless; Zhao Shanhe's troops were currently facing a problem: their supplies had run out. Returning would only deplete their supplies further, and if this wasn't resolved, a mutiny was imminent.

In the recent assault, the exchange ratio was 1 to 15, with the Chen army having the upper hand; however, if they encounter the elite Hao army troops roaming around during the pursuit, it will not be worthwhile.

This is just one small scene among many clashes of "swords".

……

On September 6th, defeatism permeated Hao Jun's camp; after the rear of the 9-strong army was cut off, all the detachments that had gone to scout out information returned in disgrace.

Faced with the chaotic state of the various troops, Zhao Shanhe issued orders, instructing the vanguard to set up camp thirty miles away, the main camp to slow down its march, and the other camps to move closer to him.

Clearly, Zhao Shanhe hadn't failed to learn his lesson and continue acting like a reckless brute. He's now concentrating all his forces because he fears the Zhen army will divide and devour them.

Zhao Shanhe thought that by sticking together, he would not be eaten, but little did he know that this would actually reduce the risk for the Zhen army; by sticking together, the speed of the entire army slowed down, giving Xuan Chong enough room to maneuver.

Xuan Chong: "Yan Laoxi boasted that he was very good at studying his opponents, so he distributed small manuals; he believed that the other side, 'Xiang Qian,' had never had a case of defeating five divisions. So he concentrated his army corps, not knowing that Xiang Qian would eat his fill."

Seeing that they had banded together, Xuan Chong began to move his troops to key points around them, hoping to take on a big one at once!
The pace of the army suddenly accelerated.

Meanwhile, in the main camp, Zhao Shanhe awaited the regrouping of his troops. He remained focused on his original plan: to defeat the "Zhen Army" blocking the northern flank from the south.

In Zhao Shanhe's view, the other Zhen armies were all very strong, and he would not gain any advantage in fighting them. The only one he could defeat was Wen Siting's army, which had a large number of villagers with it.

Zhao Shanhe was firm in his judgment: as long as he could defeat a part of the Chen army, recapture the North Xiejing, and connect with Zhao Cheng in Jizhou, he would be able to advance or retreat at will.

Note: Zhao Cheng once commented on Zhao Shanhe, believing that his military tactics were rigid and lacked adaptability. This is a prime example. Even as Xuan Chongdu began his "whale-like" tactics, Zhao Shanhe still thought that defeating Wen Siting would be enough.

As Zhao Shanhe's personal guards relayed the orders, the army surged forward like a torrent.

Almost that same evening, Xuan Chong also received news that Zhao Shanhe was avoiding battle and preparing to launch a southward attack on Wen Siting's forces. Therefore, he left 2,000 troops in Wanmaji, and then ordered Sun Ao to lead two regiments, totaling 8,000 troops, to advance southward.

Xuan Chong issued an order to Wen Siting: "Do not hold the North Slope, the enemy's target is you now; move west to Ludu to defend."

…Lucky General…

In the south, upon receiving the news, Wen Siting immediately stood up, looked at the intelligence report, and slowly said, "Ludu." He hurriedly got up from the couch and went to find his shoes to put on.

Wu Leng, who was sitting upright to the side, said: "Why not Fanqiao? The terracotta warriors and jade lions that Haojun carried could pass through there."

Wen Siting pondered for a moment, then opened the map and said, "The commander's intention is to preserve our lives; he wants us to protect ourselves first. He fears we might be overwhelmed by a forced attack, so he wants us to hold Ludu. If the Hao army chooses Fanqiao—"

Wen Siting traced a circle on the map with his finger, indicating that the distance was sixty li more than expected; he then pointed to the location where Sun Ao's army was heading south to the north, indicating that they could just run into each other.

Wu Leng frowned: "In that case, we won't have any merits."

Wen Siting grinned: "Little brother, don't worry, Zhao Shanhe will definitely choose us. But you should keep a low profile and don't show yourself too early."

Wu Leng: "Brother, you'd better take good care of me."

Wen Siting: "Of course, I'll definitely let you eat meat."

That evening, Wen Siting changed all the uniforms of his troops into the clothes of the local indigenous people, only wrapping different colored strips of cloth around their arms to indicate their branch of service.

As expected, following the large-scale operation of the Wen Siting troops, Zhao Shanhe from the north accelerated his approach towards Wen Siting.

Zhao Shanhe was desperate and wanted to fight Wen Siting.

In this battle, although the other tribes of the Chen Kingdom demonstrated a higher level of professionalism, Wen Siting's "clothing-changing scheme" ultimately became widely known in history and gave rise to the story of "a commoner challenging a battle." After all, this was a "brilliant plan" that everyone could understand.

…The entire army was composed of elite troops…

On the strategic map, a huge blue army symbol surged toward Ludu like a flood.

On the 8th, the mighty Hao army crossed the river. However, the Hao army's crossing force consisted mainly of infantry. It wasn't that they didn't want to send the jade lions and terracotta figurines, but the pontoon bridge hastily built from planks salvaged from local houses was dilapidated. When chariots tried to cross it, their wheels crushed several planks, causing them to overturn into the river; these massive soldiers were best left alone.

A few soldiers had just crossed the swaying pontoon bridge, their feet still feeling the swaying, and some were still vomiting.

The Hao army that marched south this time consisted mostly of northern soldiers. If Xuan Chong were in charge, he would have gathered the conscripted troops from the nearby water towns, equipped them with armor, and formed the first wave of troops to cross the river, establish a foothold, and cover the entry of the following troops.

Narrator: Xuan Chong and Zhao Cheng were close friends. Zhao Cheng learned Xuan Chong's officer corps structure, while Xuan Chong also learned a little about Zhao Cheng's vanguard selection techniques. Every army must have a suicide squad.

After Hao Jun had crossed the river with a full 8,000 men, Wen Siting, who had seen enough from two miles away on the opposite bank, ordered the troops that were meant to lure the enemy to return.

Wen Siting held the starting pistol, while his reliable brothers on the line of battle held command flags and awaited his orders.

With a loud "snap," all six thousand soldiers stood up. Although they were dressed in plain clothes, a chilling aura suddenly arose.

The infantrymen, clad in breastplates, gripped long spears and wore helmets that only revealed their eyes, advancing to the rhythm of the accompanying suona horns.

Before the battle, Wen Siting appeared ruthless, riding a winged tiger and shouting to his armored soldiers: "In this battle, if any battalion has more than ten men fleeing, the battalion commander will have a one-inch mark tattooed on his face! If more than fifty men flee, the squad leader will have a two-inch mark tattooed on his face! If a hundred men flee, all battle merits will be wiped out! If a battalion commander flees with his subordinates, he will be executed!"

Of course, the above punishments applied to the battalion commander. Regarding the punishment for rout, Wen Siting had granted the battalion commander the authority to kill "up to twenty" soldiers on the front lines during this battle. (Previously, he had mingled with the common folk, and military law had been somewhat treated lightly; now, he was being directly and severely punished to correct this.)

Wen Siting knew that this great battle required strict adherence to military law. So he made it clear to his old comrades: anyone who dared to turn back in this battle and delay everyone's chance to achieve merit would have no brotherhood to speak of.

In the suicide squads in the ranks, his two underlings, Zhang Hai and Guan Shan, each led a suicide squad. Before the battle, Wen Si would use a coin toss to decide who would go up and who would stay behind to supervise the battle!

...The surprise lies ahead, the wonder lies behind...

When Zhao Shanhe saw the previously scattered peasant army on the opposite bank suddenly become as orderly as a mountain, he suddenly understood something! — This was not the "easily defeated" ragtag army composed of those local ruffians, but a regular army.

As Zhao Shanhe panicked, he then heard the booming sound of cannons from the north bank.

He wanted to return to the formation, but then he discovered a beautiful splash of color in the very center of the river!

"Xuan Chong" is riding a large peacock on the river.

The two sides were separated by thousands of feet. "Xuan Chong" waved from afar, then circled on the river. Behind him, in the mist of the river, a group of dragon-horse troops appeared; followed by twenty multi-storied ships sailing down the river. —These were paper replicas made by Wu Leng.

Just as Wen Siting decided to launch a blocking battle, Xuan Chong also learned that Hao Jun was heading towards Ludu, so he activated all contingency plans, not only accelerating the southward speed of the army, but also dispatching the upstream fleet.

When the artillery fire pounded the shore, causing chaos and collapse in Hao's army, Wen Siting's formation was just within firing range, and the soldiers raised their muskets to fire.

This prompted Zhao Shanhe to sigh, "What a coincidence! Our general (Zhao Cheng) is also capable of such a precise grasp of the battle situation."

Next came the musket volleys that reaped the kill, followed by Wu Leng's assault team of winged tigers and griffins, along with a group of wooden oxen and flowing horses, who entered from the side, flanking the enemy and causing chaos in the front lines.

The artillery also breached a gap, and the tank troops that had just rushed out of the position and turned around also turned around and rushed into the gap again.

Now, even Hao Jun's side had to admit, with tears in their eyes, that "the transition was perfect."

On the north bank of the river, Zhao Shanhe stared blankly at the opposite bank. As the army that had crossed the river was repeatedly ravaged and battered by chariots, cannons, and infantry, and within just a few incense sticks' time, the entire army collapsed, his face changed, and an ominous premonition rose in his heart.

As a general, he had fought for many years; the enemy troops he was facing were coordinated and their movements were as smooth as a musical score. This level of command was completely different from the local militia that had been routed earlier.

On the Zhen army's position, apart from the vibrations of muskets firing, there were only the flashing flags like a diode array, and all volleys were under the control of the central army.

The most noticeable effect was that even the sorcerers who crossed the river using "Retreat Arrows" had no effect; the moment Retreat Arrows hit a unit, the relevant flags turned from red to blue, and the entire unit immediately ceased firing. The Pegasus behind then swept over the unit, scattering runes, and after several dozen breaths, dispelled the "Retreat Arrows" spell before resuming fire.

This is the level of training of the true elite firearms troops of the Zhen Army, not the previous appearance of mere village soldiers who had changed their clothes.

The pseudo-Zhen Army, composed of local heroes, that Hao Jun had previously encountered, absolutely lacked such discipline in firing. Those heroes and江湖人士 (jianghu figures) simply couldn't accept the banner of diversity. Zhao Shanhe looked at Si Tiancheng beside him and asked why their spells weren't working. Si Tiancheng, his body charred black, explained miserably that the enemy had a powerful suppressor, rendering all spells ineffective.

…The real peacock has arrived…

The battle ended in the afternoon, with Hao's army suffering a setback at Ludu. Xuan Chongfei glanced at the battlefield and expressed his appreciation for Wen Siting and Wu Leng's battlefield deployment.

The Hao army on the north bank could only watch helplessly as their troops who had crossed the river were killed or wounded, unable to do anything.

On the north bank of the river, an unspecified number of Chen troops were firing cannons from a distance. Meanwhile, a large amount of dust was being raised behind the Hao army's rear, suggesting an even larger ambush.

In desperation, Zhao Shanhe led eight thousand men to withstand Wen Siting's musket array on the shore, launching a full three-hour assault. Two thousand men were killed or wounded.

Three hours later, a unit responsible for logistics within the Chen army positioned ships carrying infantry guns across the river to bombard the Hao army.

After Wen Siting dealt with the Hao army halfway across the river, he cooperated with Wu Leng's air cavalry and used their dual mobility advantage to destroy several ferry crossings on the north bank.

As for Hao Jun, he also had artillery, so why didn't he use long-range firepower to counterattack?

The Chen army's heavy artillery could fire close to the riverbank, and the Hao army also wanted to retaliate with its own artillery, but the Chen army's gunboats were in the river, so the Hao army's artillery could not be deployed close to the riverbank.

The artillery that Hao Jun had set up on the hillside was suddenly overturned by Wu Leng from the air.

As for Hao Jun's artillery, it could not fire at the warships first; because they were moving targets on the river, Hao Jun could only watch helplessly as the shore was bombed.

After Zhao Shanhe's vanguard was defeated, he suddenly realized that his entire army was trapped and dying on the riverbank.

The difference between a novice and a veteran strategist lies in their approach: when a novice is arrogant, a veteran is calculating; when a novice is confused, a veteran is still calculating…

By the afternoon of the next day, Zhao Shanhe discovered that the pursuing Chen army had arrived and had built five strongholds forty meters wide overnight. These strongholds were defensive fortifications consisting of a 1.5-meter-high earthen wall and a half-meter-deep ditch.

Feeling their retreat was cut off, Hao Jun launched a desperate counterattack. Under the relentless firepower of the crossbowmen, Hao Jun charged forward.

On the earthen ramparts, the trenches, half a meter deep, were filled with arrows, while muskets fired continuously from the gaps in the ramparts. A large number of corpses piled up in front of the position.

Just as the trenches were filled with the corpses of countless soldiers and a positional battle was about to break out, warships appeared on the river and the roar of cannons could be heard from the opposite bank. Then Zhao Shanhe received a report that more troops from the west were coming.

...theoretical knowledge meets expert advice...

In the ensuing battle, Xuan Chong, a veteran, gave Zhao Shanhe, who was hailed as a "brand-new military talent" by many scholars, a comprehensive education.

Hao Jun was firmly pinned down at Ludu, and Xuan Chong ordered Sun Ao, who had rushed over, to lead the troops upstream to cross the river.

The General Staff has already coordinated the shipping arrangements on the upstream river.

The remaining 20,000 Hao soldiers discovered this, but their command structure had failed. Hao soldiers on the edge of their camp spotted Sun Aol leading a crossing of the river upstream. Only a small number of Hao soldiers attempted a counterattack, but the onslaught of chariots and heavy fire from the south bank rendered this idea merely a thought.

Sun Aoling led five groups to cross the river at three locations, but Hao Jun failed to capture a single enemy during a "half-crossing attack".

From the 9th to the 12th, Xuan Chong unleashed one command strategy after another; while Zhao Shanhe, like a computer, did not issue a single effective order, still hesitating between "fighting" and "retreating".

At this moment, the key towns surrounding the area have all been captured by the Zhen army, and the encirclement has been tightened.

By the morning of the 12th, Hao Jun had lost three thousand of his good brothers brought from Yuhua Prefecture; these were all Zhao Cheng's direct subordinates, and the number of civilian laborers was countless. They scattered in front of the position and were then gathered back together.

More importantly, the army's food supplies had been completely exhausted, and what was being cooked in Hao Jun's pot was inexplicably horse meat.

Looking at the grim situation from his tent, Zhao Shanhe turned the compass with a troubled expression.

Finally, Zhao Shanhe ordered the entire army to pack their belongings and prepare to withdraw.

…transparent…

Meanwhile, Xuan Chong received the latest reconnaissance report from his scouts regarding Hao Jun's camp. Xuan Chong concluded: He's planning to leave!

Then someone asked, "Sir, is the enemy trying to escape? How did you know?"

Xuan Chong pointed to the enemy camp on the opposite bank of the river and asked, "What are the lights like on the other side?"

He then replied, "The enemy camp is brightly lit. They must be afraid of being attacked at night."

Xuan Chong: "To raid the camp at night, we set up lights at the camp entrance and hid troops in the shadows elsewhere. At this time, the enemy camp is full of lights. Guess what they are doing, having suffered a defeat during the day, exhausted and disgruntled, and with resentment among the soldiers? Washing their hands, hmm, drinking to forget their worries?"

Military common sense: When morale is low, a curfew is imposed in the army. Only when there is a clear order given to the entire army, keeping them busy and temporarily unable to attend to other matters, will lamps be lit at night.

Zhao Shanhe had no idea that Xuan Chong could see perfectly clearly whether he wanted to fight or retreat.

…a cat playing with a mouse…

That night, Zhao Shanhe's entire army prepared to leave quietly; but each time he was about to leave the camp, he noticed lights shining across the river upstream and downstream. So, like a frightened bird, he retreated back to the main camp, wary of being raided.

Xuan Chong deliberately arranged for people to take boats at night and set off lights on the river.

Zhao Shanhe worked all night but failed to cross the river. Instead, he exhausted his precious energy. Three riots broke out in the camp that night. Although they were suppressed, more than a thousand people fled, causing unrest in the camp. Everyone was thinking, "If we can't win, we might as well leave as soon as possible."

On the morning of the second day, Zhao Shanhe set up a banquet in the camp and invited the generals of each camp to his tent.

The generals of these various aristocratic families whispered amongst themselves after entering the camp.

After Zhao Shanhe appeared, he said, "Gentlemen, our army is currently in a predicament, and we should unite against the common enemy."

However, many generals in the camp remained silent. They looked at the blood oath vessel that Zhao Shanhe had placed there, and the oath that was clearly significant, their expressions varying.

The blood oath ceremony was a ritual within the Great Yao Army. Xuan Chong's assessment of this ceremony was: "It is extremely mysterious. You may not believe it, but you must never try it recklessly."

Throughout history, many feudal lords who broke the blood oath may have gained temporary advantages, but they were ultimately abandoned by fate.

Xuan Chong recalled the blood oath of the eighteen warlords during the Three Kingdoms period, who swore an oath to oppose Dong Zhuo. Many warlords who rose to power under the guise of opposing Dong Zhuo were quickly wiped out; even Yuan Shao, the leader of the alliance, and Yuan Shu, a major member of the coalition, suddenly collapsed, making one marvel at the workings of fate. Only Cao Cao and Sun Quan, who truly contributed, later established a foundation for their own power.

Ultimately, Xuan Chong interpreted it this way using materialism: a petty person's betrayal has little impact on themselves. However, if a great person who is about to achieve great things and his organization betray their promises, then their cause will reach a crucial moment in its development.

Their past record of breaking the alliance will be dug up by people of the present day, becoming a poison that prevents the team from uniting.

Therefore, when his great undertaking reached its most crucial step, the relevant people were unwilling to help, which ultimately led to his failure by one step.

Therefore, although Xuan Chong did not believe that blood oaths were effective, he would absolutely not step into this minefield out of the principle of "establishing trust".

They would never resort to wordplay or sophistry when it comes to oaths. Even if they really needed to deal with petty people, they would simply assign their "low-quality" subordinates to do it, and they would never speak out of turn themselves.

However, Zhao Shanhe is now dancing on a minefield. In his self-righteous oath, he only mentions "all generals should bravely take the lead," omitting "I should lead the charge." This makes Xuan Chong sneer: A scion of a noble family, huh? Nothing special.

The generals of Haojun's various camps are all from powerful families. They're not fools; they're shrewd and calculating. They've always been the ones engaging in this kind of verbal sparring with their own humble villagers who kneel and beg for favors. Now that someone's offering them this lucrative reward, who would accept it?

These scions of noble families were quite wary of the mystical practice of "covenants."

Ultimately, however, these camps were forced to drink the blood wine.

Inside the tent, the swordsmen and axemen gleamed with cold steel.

After Zhao Shanhe finished his oath-taking ceremony, he immediately began eliminating dissidents. Some battalions had previously feigned illness and hadn't come to swear the blood oath, instead sending their deputy battalions or family members as substitutes. They planned to send decoys to ascertain the situation before making their final statements.

But such petty tricks were useless at this moment. Zhao Shanhe was holding this meeting to secure support for his various battalions, not to offer perfunctory responses. Although the oath-taking was a scheme Zhao Shanhe used to gain an advantage later, the oath was now in effect, and he held enough moral ground to use as leverage against those he opposed.

As the guards entered the various camps, they led away those camps that had not participated in the "blood oath" in full view of everyone.

Some of these battalion officers wanted to resist, but with multiple battalions nearby ready to defend them, their soldiers obediently laid down their weapons and completed the handover of their troops.

Zhao Shanhe was like a gambler. When things went wrong, he went home, smashed the kang (a heated brick bed), took out his savings, and prepared to gamble heavily.

The blue, evil moon is shining brightly. In the Heluo region, various rural militias under Zhenhao's command are scrambling for food under the guise of "thinking about the big picture." Meanwhile, in the south, Zhao Shanhe is using an "oath" as bait to make everyone else take the fall for him.

For Blue Evil Moon, the most readily available "benefit" is to ignore promises that others deem "immutable" and be the clever one who "looks down on all those who follow the rules."

…abandon faith, establish faith…

On the 13th, the encirclement and annihilation began. On the encirclement position, Xuan Chong deployed mobile artillery to bombard Hao Jun's position, forcing Hao Jun to come and attack his own position.

Furthermore, Xuan Chong dispatched a team to the south to try and see if they could besiege Jizhou and intercept its reinforcements.

Meanwhile, in the countryside, Xuan Chong rushed to the southern part of Chenzhou and met with the righteous army that had been incited by Wen Siting.

These heroes were sworn brothers with Wen Siting, but upon seeing Xuan Chong, they felt a sense of fear. This was because, unlike Wen Siting's frivolous nature, Xuan Chong possessed an inexplicable air of gravitas.

They soon witnessed the reason for the "heavy" arrangement; Xuan Chong, following the list, arranged marriages for the young and strong leaders under his command with women. He then distributed money to these young men.

Xuan Chong: "Put down your knives, and I will give each of you a field and a house. If you want to pick up knives, there are two paths: First, those who pass the test will join the army, and their treatment will be the same as that of Wen Siting's troops. Second, those who want to pick up knives and make their own way in the world will be given a share of the spoils."

The group looked at each other, indicating their willingness to follow Gong's arrangements.

Wen Siting's frivolity stemmed from the fact that many heroes, when interacting with him, knew that the "promise of shared wealth" was merely a polite formality. They joined his ranks simply for a meal.

The reason why Xuan Chong is now so important is that he has truly fulfilled Wen Siting's promise.

Zhenhao had no idea about Zhen Kingdom's strategy. Zhen Kingdom wasn't unwilling to take advantage of its victory and sweep across the world; rather, it was focusing on grain production and launching a revolution from west to east.

In the three eastern states, a large number of independent farmers who were not affiliated with large corporations went bankrupt; even villages in the mountain valleys were subjected to a wave of forced requisitioning by these local militias that flew the banners of regular armies. The local militias began to requisition grain from each other, and as they crossed borders, they began to fight bandits against each other.

Old promises fail, and new promises are born.

Xuan Chong knew that the promises he had made would one day be overdrawn by some clever but wicked people; but heroes would emerge in every generation, and there would always be heroes who "establish great promises to accomplish great things." He himself had merely filled in the correct answer in this lesson.

(End of this chapter)