Chapter 63: Changing Mindset
"Retreat to the mountain county." Chunzhi raised an eyebrow. "Do you know what that means?"
Su Zhenzhen also realized that retreating to Shanxian County now was tantamount to handing over the border prefecture to the barbarians, and this decision was made by Hensheng, which meant that he had voluntarily given up this land.
According to the ethical concepts of ancient royal families, this behavior was tantamount to handing over the ancestral legacy to others.
Su Zhenzhen didn't know if Hensheng knew the consequences of his actions, but she herself was very clear about them.
Hensheng's golden aura of merit was initially thought to be accumulated by his parents through countless acts of kindness and saving countless lives. However, some of Jiang Yichun's policies, while saving countless lives, also harmed countless others.
In this light, the golden light of merit on Hensheng's body is very likely the result of his own cultivation in previous lives. He was a benevolent and charitable person for several lifetimes, the kind who never even stepped on an ant.
Su Zhenzhen remembered that there was a book in the Underworld Partners' reading room that recorded that there was once a great philanthropist who had lived ten perfect lives and was just waiting for this life to end so that he could be listed as an immortal.
But in this life, this person is the prime minister. He betrayed the royal family for the sake of the people behind him. Such disloyalty ruined his good cultivation over ten lifetimes, and in the end, he still has to be reincarnated as a mortal.
Su Zhenzhen told Hensheng this story and advised him, "You are the only purest descendant of the Jiang Dynasty, and there has been no change of dynasty. If you hand over the border state, it is not only disloyal but also extremely unfilial. Disloyal and unfilial people will not be able to be reborn well after death."
Hensheng smiled calmly, “Miss Su, in the story you told, the prime minister was willing to give up his immediate chance at immortality for the sake of the people. As the only bloodline of the dynasty, all the people in the world are my subjects. For the sake of my subjects, I would accept even the infamy of being disloyal and unfilial.”
Su Zhenzhen was utterly shocked at this moment. To use a phrase from the 906th century, if Hensheng had such a broad mind and courage, he would succeed in anything he did.
Su Zhenzhen had no objections, but Chunzhi disagreed.
“Logically, I should listen to you, but war is not child's play; everyone is fighting for real. If we decide to retreat, have you thought about it? The moment we leave, the barbarians will enter the pass and chase after us. Then it will be like the tragedy of Xijun back then. Even if we can safely retreat to Shanxian, how can we defend it? Does Shanxian have food? Will the capital lend a helping hand? Will those cowardly generals in Huzhou blame us for abandoning the border prefecture? Then Shanxian will become the target of everyone’s criticism.”
Hensheng fell silent, while Su Zhenzhen was also thinking quickly.
Given the current situation, we can't win a fight, and we can't retreat easily either. So, should we fight or retreat?
The comments section in the mind was also engaged in heated debate.
[Is there any need to hesitate? Of course we'll retreat! 50,000 against 200,000, plus civilians used to make up the numbers—how can we fight this war?]
[We have no choice but to fight. If we retreat to Shanxian, we won't be able to hold it. The city walls there are already in a terrible state. Not to mention, the court is currently controlled by powerful families. If the protagonist's identity is accidentally revealed, it would be like handing them a free opportunity to attack.]
[Doesn't the female lead have atomic bombs? Throw a few at the barbarians and they'll all be blown up.]
These words served as a reminder to Su Zhenzhen. However, atomic bombs should not be used unless absolutely necessary. Firstly, the quantity is small, and who knows what dangers might arise in the future? Secondly, to put it bluntly, this dynasty has little to do with her, and excessive involvement could easily lead to karmic consequences.
A direct confrontation of 50,000 against 200,000 is bound to result in defeat, but we can outsmart them with strategy. There are so many cultural treasures from our ancestors in the 906th century; surely we can use one or two of them.
Hensheng made up his mind again, "Since there is no way to retreat, then we will fight to the death. As long as one person is alive, we must not let the barbarians go south. I am willing to take the lead and be the vanguard."
Throughout history, those who lead the vanguard are destined to either win or lose, as it is tantamount to betting their lives on the battlefield.
The Huo family army also declared, "We'll take the lead and show these barbarian Tartars what the Huo family army is all about!"
Chunzhi finally took a close look at Hensheng. The man was still as frail as when she first met him, but his aura was completely different.
Indeed, those of imperial lineage are not equal to ordinary people.
Chunzhi was preparing to arrange the battle plan.
Su Zhenzhen suddenly shouted, "I've got an idea! I've got an idea!"
How similar this situation is! How could I have forgotten it?
In the long historical scroll of the 906th century, there is a record of a princess who single-handedly resisted the Xiongnu and destroyed Zhongshan.
At that time, the Xiongnu army was strong and well-equipped, and the fighting power of the horses from the Central Plains was greatly weakened in the north where the yellow sand filled the sky.
This princess fought a crucial battle, directly crippling the main force of the Xiongnu.
Taking advantage of a southeast wind, she fired rockets at the Xiongnu from a high place. The weather was cold, and the Xiongnu's clothing was made of fur. The dry weather caused the rockets to catch fire, and the Xiongnu army was instantly engulfed in flames and collapsed without a fight.
Su Zhenzhen told the story and the battle strategy, which made everyone's eyes light up.
As a woman herself, Chunzhi couldn't help but exclaim, "This princess is truly a once-in-a-century beauty."
Hensheng was more concerned with practical matters. "Miss Su, can you predict when the southeast wind will blow? And how are we going to get all this kerosene out?"
This stumped Su Zhenzhen. She recalled how Zhuge Liang had performed elaborate sacrifices and prayers to pray for a southeast wind, but Zhuge Liang was truly skilled, and she wasn't a geography major.
"I can handle the kerosene. I'll ask the older folks; they have a lot of life experience. I wonder if they can judge the wind direction based on some small details in daily life."
Alcohol is very cheap in the system store. You might not have enough kerosene, but you can definitely have plenty of alcohol.
Chunzhi immediately went to find the elderly. Fortunately, although they were using ordinary people to make up the numbers, those who were older had all been made cooks and were not sent to the front lines.
The old man really knows how to predict the weather; if it rains continuously, a southeast wind is not far off.
Su Zhenzhen was stunned; she hadn't seen a single drop of rain since she transmigrated.
I wonder if artificial rainmaking can bring about southeasterly winds? I can certainly do that myself.
If that doesn't work, let's try blowing a southeasterly wind. See if there are any powerful electric fans in the system store.
The good news is there, but the bad news is that the fans are too small. To achieve the conditions for a fire attack, each person would probably have to hold one up and stand in front of the barbarians, but what difference would that be from suicide?
Hensheng's mind worked faster than Su Zhenzhen's. "Miss Su, can we go to the north of the barbarians? It's autumn now and the north wind blows almost every day."
Su Zhenzhen slapped her forehead, wondering why she hadn't thought of that. In the 906 century, Hensheng would be the kind of smart kid that all teachers liked.
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