Hatred?
Fear?
Which is greater?
Zhuge Jun's words gave Liu Ye much to ponder. In the end, he nodded his head, "Makes sense. Perhaps… this is the effect His Majesty desires. Beneath the cannons, who knows how many Shu soldiers will fall? But who is to blame? Ants trying to shake a tree, a mantis trying to stop a chariot. They must be made to feel pain before they will cease."
"His Majesty's meaning is that when dealing with enemies, rather than engage in constant back-and-forth and continuous bloodshed, it is better to deliver a single blow. This blow must be delivered with such force that it causes them unbearable pain, making them thoroughly aware of your might. From then on, they will dare not defy your will, nor dare to harbor ambitions of resistance… Such a unified realm is all the more precious, and all the more peaceful. The saying 'to kill is to save' may be somewhat twisted logic, but it holds a kernel of truth."
Liu Ye's words earned repeated nods from Zhuge Jun.
"To kill is to save!" Zhuge Jun exclaimed, "What a profound saying, 'to kill is to save'!"
Speaking of which…
Liu Ye patted his shoulder, "Alright, the Shu army has retreated to Jianmen Pass. The rest has nothing to do with our cannon battalion. Come, let's go back and get some rest."
Liu Ye turned around…
Zhuge Jun, however, still gazed at the mountain range reduced to ashes, his eyes then shifting to Jianmen Pass below. "Your Majesty, how shall we breach Jianmen Pass?"
…
…
Jianmen Pass, atop the city wall.
"What? Postpone?"
Zhang Fei's leopard-like eyes widened to their fullest. He roared, "Over ten thousand of my brothers died on Dingjun Mountain! For these past three days, when I close my eyes at night, all I hear is the sound of explosions, the spitting fire… it's my brothers leaving me one by one. I was just waiting to avenge these brothers, to avenge my second brother, and now? We must postpone… until when?"
"Yide…" Seeing Zhang Fei's agitation, Fa Zheng quickly advised, "It's not that we won't fight, but currently, the Wei army's cannon battalion is positioned on Dingjun Mountain. If our army dares to leave Jianmen Pass, we will inevitably be bombarded by those cannons once more… Who knows how many more will die?"
"Damn it all!"
With a thud, Zhang Fei slammed his fists onto the city wall, "What? If we can't charge out and fight, are we safe by staying put from this artillery fire?"
Zhang Fei glared at Fa Zheng, clearly harboring great doubt over Fa Zheng's decision. "Jianmen Pass, no matter how high, cannot be higher than Dingjun Mountain. If the cannons can bombard Dingjun Mountain, they can just as easily bombard Jianmen Pass. In my opinion… we should quickly charge towards the enemy and engage them in close combat. Even if the enemy has cannons then, would they dare to fire upon their own men?"
Zhang Fei thumped his chest, "I will lead the charge in this battle. I will certainly sever the head of the enemy general Xiahou Yuan, and capture the enemy's cannons… Then, who knows who will be bombarding whom?"
This…
Fa Zheng frowned.
Although Zhang Fei's words were crude, they were not entirely without merit.
At least… Dingjun Mountain could not withstand the enemy's cannons, and Jianmen Pass would not be able to either. But why didn't the Wei army pursue their victory and continue bombarding Jianmen?
Fa Zheng didn't know, and Fa Zheng couldn't understand. If it were him, he would have pressed his advantage.
But at least…
He could judge that charging out now was certain defeat!
Not for any other reason, but because the morale of the army now… had completely collapsed.
"We cannot go out!"
"Why not?"
"No reason!" Fa Zheng's tone was firm.
"Hmph!" Zhang Fei snorted, "Earlier on the mountain, I said we should charge down directly, and you spoke of Cao Gui's theories, 'one surge forward, then two collapses, then three decays'… But what was the result? The Wei army hadn't even emerged, and our mountain top was lost, our soldiers gone… Now, if I listen to you again, what then? Wait for the enemy to set up their cannons and bombard Jianmen… turning Jianmen Pass into ruins as well?"
"Yide…"
"Fa Xiaozhi! If I am to die, I will die on the battlefield… I will never be a coward." Zhang Fei glared at Fa Zheng, "Don't forget, I am the commander here, and you are merely a strategist!"
These words struck deep…
Fa Zheng's brow furrowed. With Zhang Fei having said it to this extent, he simply flicked his long sleeves, "Fight however you wish! If you, Zhang Yide, dare to leave the pass, I, Fa Zheng, will not be here to collect your corpse!"
"Hahahaha…" Zhang Fei laughed heartily, "Collect my corpse? You won't get any of the credit for beheading the enemy general Xiahou Yuan and capturing the enemy's cannons!"
"Pah, who cares!"
For a moment… Fa Zheng and Zhang Fei were at loggerheads.
This was human nature…
When things were going smoothly, Fa Zheng's "clear distinction between favors and grievances, and vengeance for even minor slights" and Zhang Fei's "recklessness, fortitude, and courage" could complement each other perfectly. But… when facing adversity, mutual recriminations were inevitable. Such occurrences were common throughout history.
Beside them, Zhang Fei's deputy generals, Zhang Da and Fan Qiang, frowned…
In their hearts, they actually supported Fa Zheng…
… Whether Yanmen Pass could withstand artillery, perhaps they didn't know. But… charging out of Yanmen Pass, aiming for close combat, Zhang Yide's idea… how did it sound like a fairy tale?
…
…
Jianmen Pass, the main military tent.
"Bring wine!"
Zhang Fei's roar could be heard from a distance.
A trusted attendant soldier entered the tent and clasped his hands, "General Zhang, you have already had two jars, you cannot drink any more…"
"Fa Xiaozhi, that cowardly fellow, stops me, and you dare to stop me?" Zhang Fei glared at the soldier with his leopard-like eyes.
"I beg of you, this 'Maotai' wine from Great Wei is strong, you cannot drink too much!"
With a clatter… Zhang Fei overturned the table, "I cannot defeat Cao Yu, am I even inferior to his wine? Bring me wine… bring me the strongest wine there is!"
"General…"
"Are you trying to get your head smashed in? Go fetch wine quickly!"
"As you command…" This trusted attendant soldier sighed and turned to leave the tent.
Just then…
Zhang Fei's deputy generals, Zhang Da and Fan Qiang, entered the tent.
Clearly, the two had something to say, but seeing Zhang Fei's drunken state, they didn't know whether to speak or not…
"It's Zhang Da and Fan Qiang…" Zhang Fei raised his eyes, his eyes wide, "Have you prepared for tonight's surprise attack on the Wei army?"
This…
Zhang Da and Fan Qiang exchanged glances, then Zhang Da stepped forward, "Reporting, General. The soldiers fear the Wei army's cannons… and dare not attack… Your subordinate… Your subordinate cannot muster even ten thousand troops!"
"What?" Zhang Fei threw his head back… This greatly frightened Zhang Da and Fan Qiang.
"General, please forgive me. The deadline… was too tight, and the soldiers' state of mind is still… still… within a single day, it is truly difficult to gather enough troops!"
"What?" Zhang Fei leaned forward, "The enemy's cannons are about to bombard our Jianmen Pass, and I wish to charge out and engage the enemy in close combat right now, to seize all those cannons. Yet you two tell me no one dares to attack? In my view, it is you two who fear the enemy like rats, and you are misinterpreting my military orders…"
"General…"
With a clatter, Zhang Da and Fan Qiang knelt, "You, General, can… can go out of the tent and see for yourself. The soldiers… the soldiers' morale has collapsed, the morale of the entire army has… has broken! Your subordinate truly… truly cannot gather the troops!"
"Nonsense!"
Zhang Fei slammed his fist onto a short-legged stool, causing the entire stool to creak and groan, "Guards! Guards!"
"Here!"
"Drag Zhang Da and Fan Qiang out, and each of you shall be flogged two hundred lashes at the gate of the camp… Let this be the fate of anyone who harbors fear of the enemy!"
"Yes!"
A group of guards moved to drag Zhang Da and Fan Qiang away…
"General… General…" The two felt utter bitterness in their hearts… pleading desperately with their mouths, but… but Zhang Fei paid them no mind. Zhang Fei wanted a surprise attack, close combat, hand-to-hand fighting!
Just then…
The wine arrived. Zhang Fei picked up the wine.
Following the crackling of the whips, through the tent flap, he could see Zhang Da and Fan Qiang being hoisted at the camp gate. Their clothes were torn to shreds by the leather whips, bloodstains seeped out… until their skin was ripped and torn, and their bodies were nearing unconsciousness.
A minor officer reported, "General… if you beat them more, I fear…"
"Continue beating!" Zhang Fei roared, then drained the wine in his bowl, "Issue an order to the entire army: at the third watch tomorrow morning, we will launch a surprise attack on the enemy's cannon battalion. Anyone who dares to slack off, I, Zhang Yide, will recognize him, but my Zhangba She spear will not! Go… hurry!"
This…
The minor officer paused, then gritted his teeth and left.
As evening fell…
The setting sun cast its rays on the mottled camp gate. Fa Zheng silently walked through the city gate. Seeing a large crowd of armored soldiers gathered at the gate, and hearing the noisy clamor, he couldn't help but turn to look.
He saw that Generals Zhang Da and Fan Qiang were still suspended at the camp gate as a warning. It seemed they had been hanging for three hours before a captain took them down. The two fell to the ground like puddles of mud, their bodies covered in blood…
The soldiers whispered amongst themselves in fear and trepidation.
"I heard that Generals Zhang Da and Fan Qiang were unwilling to lead troops in a surprise attack, which is why our General treated them with such humiliation…"
"The Wei army's cannons are positioned on Dingjun Mountain, and now to lead troops in a surprise attack? Isn't that sending us to our deaths?"
"But, but our General, he doesn't care about all that. Alas… to go out is death, and to not go out is also death… Alas… our fate is bitter!"
Just then, a voice quietly asked, "I am not going out of the pass to die. Are we just going to wait to be whipped by General Zhang?"
No one dared to answer this question…
At that moment, a minor officer climbed onto the training ground and read from a high vantage point, "General Zhang's order – Tomorrow at dawn, the third watch… the entire army will launch a surprise attack on the Wei army's Dingjun Mountain. Those who disobey will be killed without mercy!"
Fa Zheng listened silently… He recalled Zhang Fei's angry reprimand to him that morning…
He couldn't help but murmur, "Well said, 'those who disobey will be killed without mercy'! Hmph…"
Fa Zheng's eyes turned cold. He glanced at the main military tent. Seeing that minor officers were still sending wine into it, jar after jar, he whispered in an even quieter voice, "I fear that tonight… Jianmen Pass will revolt!"
He had intended to stop all this…
But his vengeful nature prevented him from helping Zhang Fei!
Fa Zheng had always prioritized grievances!
"Heh heh…" Fa Zheng gave a faint smile, "First the second brother, then the third brother… heh heh, heh heh… The cannons did not breach Jianmen Pass, but they have ignited the temper of this 'third brother'. In the end, Cao Yu has won!"
At this moment…
Suddenly, he saw a clerk rushing over.
"Strategist… the Prime Minister sent me with an urgent dispatch, saying… saying absolutely not… do not…"
"Do not go out of the pass, right?" Fa Zheng asked.
"Precisely!"
The clerk quickly nodded.
However, Fa Zheng grabbed the urgent dispatch handed to him by the clerk and threw it into the fire. He turned around and staggered forward, shouting repeatedly, "Too late, too late!"
…
…
Zhang Da and Fan Qiang, who had been curled up in their blankets, their bodies aching from the flogging.
Suddenly, a light flashed in their eyes.
Because a Wei spy, disguised as a Shu army minor officer, was standing before them.
And this "Wei army spy" was none other than Yang Xiu.
Ever since that day…
Yang Xiu had met with his mentor Lu Yu once and received the heavy responsibility of bringing back "Zhang Yide's" head. He had then secretly infiltrated Jianmen Pass… waiting for an opportunity.
He had thought… this opportunity would take some time to arrive.
But who would have thought, the opportunity… had already appeared.
"Are you truly… truly Yang Xiu, Yang Dezhu? The final disciple of the Emperor of Great Wei?"
Zhang Da and Fan Qiang still had some disbelief.
"As genuine as it gets!" Yang Xiu assumed an arrogant demeanor, "Of course, you can also choose not to believe. Then in the end… will you be whipped to death by your General Zhang? Or those tens of thousands of Shu soldiers forced to charge out of Jianmen… and be blown to smithereens, heh heh. Now… do you have a choice?"
Yang Xiu's head was always held high, as if everyone owed him money.
And it was precisely this expression, this tone of Yang Xiu…
Zhang Da and Fan Qiang hesitated no longer, disregarding their pain. With a clatter, they knelt down, "Young Master Yang… to tell you the truth, we have both been looking forward, praying for Cheng Zhongde to appear before us… When we heard that Cheng Zhongde was in Jingzhou, our hearts broke… Who would have thought that Young Master Yang would come… Young Master Yang ah, you are our savior! Please pity us and give us a chance to live!"
Yang Xiu displayed the composure and confidence of an envoy of a great nation…
He casually sat on a short-legged stool, his legs crossed… but said nothing.
This demeanor…
Zhang Da and Fan Qiang immediately understood, "We understand, we understand… We know that to join Great Wei, we must… we must submit a pledge of allegiance. We, though untalented, are willing… willing…"
By the end, Fan Qiang's voice faltered…
Clearly, he had thought of something terrifying.
A pledge of allegiance… taking Zhang Fei's head?
This… the mere thought was frightening!
"Gulp…" Fan Qiang swallowed a mouthful of saliva, "Young Master Yang, it is not that we are unwilling to submit this pledge, nor is it that we cannot get close to him. It is simply… it is simply that Zhang Fei, that fellow…"
"Afraid, are you?" Yang Xiu seemed to have anticipated their words… He smiled, "There was once a saying in Great Wei that the Supreme Emperor Cao Cao would kill people in his dreams. At first, some people were disobedient. Then, a small soldier saw that the Supreme Emperor had not pulled up his blanket, and went to pull it up for him. Who would have thought that the Supreme Emperor would draw his sword and directly cut off his head… From then on, a saying of the Supreme Emperor circulated in the Wei army: 'I enjoy killing in my dreams,' ha ha…"
Yang Xiu's words seemed to have a hidden meaning.
"As for this Zhang Fei, Zhang Yide, it is only natural to think that when he falls asleep, he must snore like thunder. In such a state, let alone getting close, even hearing his snoring from afar would make one tremble. However… my mentor has already thought of a solution for you."
Saying this, Yang Xiu took out a sandalwood box from his embrace.
"What is this?"
Zhang Da and Fan Qiang asked in unison.
Yang Xiu smiled, "This thing, it can take that dog's life, Zhang Yide, from ten paces away!"
Uh…
"Ten paces?"
"That's right!" Yang Xiu appeared very confident. He handed the box to the two, "You and Zhang Yide's heads are only separated by these ten paces!"
…
…