Insufficient balance

  I'm speechless, just reciting a poem and they react so strongly, these ancient people are too sensitive, each one seems to have met me for the first time today, as if discovering a new continent. Isn't it just a poem? It's more effective than my speeches that waste so many words, each one is like they've taken stimulants, their passion and enthusiasm are a hundred times greater.

  I've already held a meeting on the spot, which sounds good when called "group strategy" but in fact means I temporarily don't have any good ideas for this big battle, so let those who get excited from listening to poetry take charge. (Although reciting poetry has led to unexpected consequences, at least now it seems that no one will suspect my abilities), also known as the "brainstorming method", where each person writes down their opinions and strategies silently, then discusses them with each other, and finally I'll synthesize a moderate view to get something good. Although this is a modern approach, using it occasionally has a pretty good effect, of course after going through so many battles most people have adapted quickly to the current situation and are familiar with my way of doing things. A new guy who just arrived suggested why not face the enemy head-on, which almost turned into a criticism meeting. Then came the task assignments.

  For the past two days, I have been using Sun Bin's method of reducing cooking stoves. With each meal, I have been decreasing the number of soldiers doing the cooking, creating the illusion that our troops are dwindling and fleeing in fear. By showing weakness, we can lure the enemy into attacking us. If they are not overly cautious, they will likely hesitate and give us more time to prepare.

  I saw the dark tide of people surging in from afar, and my heart sank. This rebel army is not simple at all, using the simplest means to create the most troublesome situation for us - a human sea tactic with massacres of refugees as vanguards. And yet, the entire Tiger Guard battalion I left behind didn't even send out a signal fire, clearly already on the verge of defeat. An entire battalion of 800 soldiers who had just been replenished... What's going on with that Pei Jin? He can't be useless, how come not one person escaped? But I have no time to worry about this now, and promptly ordered all troops to abandon their current tasks and rush into formation ahead of schedule.

  But then the situation I least wanted to see but was powerless to prevent appeared below. The refugees, regardless of everything, ran wildly everywhere, knocking down and trampling those completed and uncompleted abatis and pitfalls, causing heavy casualties while also destroying our work in an instant. Meanwhile, the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled among the refugee crowd were slow-moving and got entangled with each other, pushing and shoving, and were soon submerged under the trampling of the surging crowd behind them. They were squeezed at the valley entrance, wailing and crying out in anguish, a scene too horrific to behold.

  My heart suddenly sank, neglecting the human factor, this scene had a great impact on our army's morale. Our army had many recruits from the refugees, and before the enemy even appeared, they gave us a warning shot. I immediately added an order: "Quickly pass down the command to all departments, all troops are not allowed to move rashly, those who disobey will be beheaded on the spot. If any officer dares to disobey, their deputy will kill them and take their place." The flag-bearing soldiers scattered and ran wildly in all directions. Half a moment later, my heart felt slightly more at ease, as changes had appeared among the hidden troops. Amidst the refugees' cries for help, people continuously ran out of the forest and mountain slope, shouting something as they charged towards the refugees. As they approached, they were suddenly shot down by arrows flying from behind, falling heavily to the ground, stretching their hands towards the refugees in agony before gradually becoming still. Then others came out to try and drag them back, but just as I was about to scold them for their foolishness, another wave of arrows flew out, shooting down the people at the front. This made everyone else quickly retreat.

  However, refugees have already noticed the presence here, shouting something and starting to run over, trying to seek help. Another wave of arrow stones flew out, mercilessly piercing the chest of the front row, killing a bunch of people, and driving them back with despair and wailing.

  As I watched this scene, although my heart was unbearable on one hand, on the other hand, I let out a sigh of relief and turned around to say "Who shot this? I want to give him credit", for the first time being able to resolutely execute my orders. The second and third times were still able to make swift decisions, but it was extremely rare. A guy who is good at understanding the commander's intentions and grasping the overall situation is absolutely a personal talent.

  Then suddenly the tent fell silent. Everyone's eyes were somewhat unusual. The attitude towards me, in the tent, the generals reflected also clear distinction, with those young and new officers Wen Wu, Yu Hong, Fan Zuo and others' doubt, incomprehension or surprise expressions formed a sharp contrast, that was, on the faces of those veteran generals who had been through many battles for years, such as Wen Shao's expressionless obedience, Wei Tuo's slightly thoughtful to introspective, and Hao's undisguised respect.

  I also saw Xiao Bai, who participated in the military council under the name of temporary supervisor, with a look of unease and wanting to speak but hesitating on his face. I suddenly felt it was necessary to give them another lesson.

  Xiaobai, why are you here? At first, I dragged him here to experience military life because he had never experienced wind and rain, so how could he see the rainbow.

  Every time he went to war, his face would turn pale, and he would clench his teeth and persevere without turning his head. It was a feat that left me in awe. (To think that at first, when leading the troops to escape, we often encountered enemy forces, and after fierce battles, there were those who were unlucky enough to be killed right in front of me, their heads severed, with blood and brains spilling out. I was on the verge of fainting from shock and nausea. My reaction was one of utter bewilderment, my body frozen in a state of shock for a long time. Fortunately, my subordinates took it as a sign of calmness and confidence, and I had to force myself to suppress the urge to vomit, covering my mouth and pretending to be composed as I directed them to clean up the scene. If they lost faith in me and ran away, who would protect me in this chaotic situation? In the end, I used the excuse of paying respects to find a secluded spot, where I threw up until the sky grew dark, feeling utterly miserable.) Later on, his father, the old prince, simply gave him the title of "military escort".

  "Isn't it puzzling that I not only turned a blind eye to the refugees' suffering but also prevented others from helping them? If you think I'm being cruel, it's just human nature. My words left them stunned, and they chimed in with "Your subordinate dares not", "I trust Your Excellency has his reasons", "This humble one is too shallow to dare guess". I cut them off: "Right and wrong are already clear, you don't need to defend me for them; they can be said to have been sacrificed by me because I have a more important responsibility."

  I think some things are better said clearly, otherwise if someone has any lingering shadows in their heart later on, it won't be good.

  Then I explained two questions, "Why kill those soldiers? Because these people should die. The starting point of saving the people is good, but to privately leave the formation and ignore military orders is a capital offense. Exposing our army's location and putting the entire army in danger is even more guilty."

  "It's true that the refugees are pitiful, but what about the safety of His Majesty and others? The fate of the country is at stake. If something goes wrong, how many more people will die or be injured, how many families will be torn apart? Compared to this, which one is heavier or lighter, you gentlemen can weigh it for yourselves."

  "Or do you think that after our army is defeated, the rebels will spare these civilians? If we win, there may still be a chance to save some people, but if our army suffers a mishap, who can escape the same fate of being hunted down and killed? Therefore, the officer in charge of the shooting camp made a very decisive decision, and after the war is over, I will greatly reward him."

  They fell silent, and with a solemn air, they bowed deeply in respect towards me.

  Then I said to Xiaobai, "I am a soldier and the master of an army. My duty and position require me to prioritize my soldiers and the responsibilities I bear on their behalf. But you are different, you will be a leader who bears the weight of the world and achieves great things. It is a good thing that you can always keep the people in your heart. So let me take this bad reputation for being reckless with the people's lives." He listened and bowed deeply to me. I secretly sighed in relief, thinking that I had managed to get away with it again.

  Then everyone saw the big man sigh, raise his hand, and turn around to do what they should be doing, pretending to be ignorant, not hearing the painful cry in their ears. "Stinky brat, how many times have I told you that you are not under my command? Why so much courtesy? If you feel uneasy, just pay some spiritual compensation fee and military information consultation fee, and I'll take this last piece of jade button from you..."

  This brief interlude before the war did not affect my expectations for this battle. The opponent seems to be different from the previous one.

  After the crowd dispersed, like a patient wolf, it quietly followed us for two days. Finally, the enemy army appeared, pulling out an endless long dragon, with an overwhelming atmosphere that shocked me and made me grateful for my own judgment.

  If we were to line up on the open ground to welcome the battle, it would be easy to be disrupted by the crazy tide of people. Even if we could stop the refugees in time, we would give the other side the opportunity to mix with the refugees and take advantage of the situation to launch a surprise attack.

  From the high ground, it was observed that the enemy had clearly seen the fate of the previous pursuers and was being extremely cautious. Although they came with a strong momentum and an intimidating presence, they maintained a very stable formation, even willing to sacrifice speed for the sake of advancing in a pincer movement, dividing into two routes to search for high points on both sides. Any one side that encountered the enemy could use the central army to counter-encircle them. It can be said that their advances and retreats were flexible and effortless. However, it was also clear that the enemy had underestimated us, and their caution had inadvertently given me some time and space to make arrangements.

  Moreover, when I chose the battlefield, I also took into account that before entering the valley, there is a small and open valley with mountains on both sides, from hills to high mountains, with lush soil, rocks, grass and trees. This piece of land is the most open and also a good place for ambushes. At this location, the two infantry units dispatched by the enemy to cover the mountain slopes on both sides contracted due to the large gap between them and the central army. After passing through a narrow turn, the view suddenly opens up, and at the same time, it will cause a brief mental relaxation due to instinct.

  As soon as they entered the ambush circle, the enemy's caution was not a good thing for our army. I decided to set off a fire. Before they had a chance to send out an advance party to probe, the necessary drama unfolded. The panicked Youlin Army guards surrounded this group of conspicuous yellow-robed people, and the imperial carriage rushed out of the forest, quickly merging into the surging crowd, advancing in a chaotic and stumbling manner, making it seem like a frantic escape, which was even more eye-catching.

  Of course, if someone observes carefully, they will find that this yellow sedan chair is really too shabby. The broken thing seems to be something pieced together from seven or eight fragments. The edges of the yellow umbrella cover are also uneven and seem to have been torn apart by a sawtooth shape. The fluttering ribbons on top are like someone's waistband. The clothes on those people's bodies are also in disarray, with the yellow middle garment and inner collar all worn outside.

  As a means of luring the enemy, acting must be done thoroughly. The emperor's sedan chair has long been lost, and those ceremonial attire have to be re-made. Although I don't dare to take the emperor's clothes, nor do I dare to covet that prince's mind, aren't there a group of ready-made younger brothers? They are all some duke or king, and some wear yellow robes. After being intimidated and bribed, they will hand them over. (In the Tang Dynasty, clothing colors were strictly hierarchical, with yellow reserved for the imperial family, red and purple for nobles, and white for commoners, who wore it because it was cheap and easy to dye. That's why they were called "white ding".) As for eunuchs' clothes, it's even simpler, just coaxing the little girl out, and both Marquis High and Li Ji will obediently hand them over with both hands.