kingnovel Chapter 2090 A Ruthless Choice!
Chapter 2090 A Ruthless Choice!
On the battlefield, Li Jing personally offered his advice!
He leaned forward slightly, his voice not loud, but every word was clear and resonated deeply:
"Why is the general here, causing unnecessary casualties on both sides? Let thousands, even tens of thousands of lives be lost in vain?"
"Even if the general were to succeed by chance, how much would it benefit the overall situation of the Chu army, or His Majesty the Chu Emperor's reputation for benevolence?"
Finally, he offered a seemingly considerate reason for Ma Dai: "If you let me pass, Generals Han Xing and Ma Chao, knowing the situation here, will certainly not blame you."
"It is not that the general did not try his best, but that the situation was beyond our control. A general should assess the situation and preserve our strength, rather than act rashly and make unnecessary sacrifices. Do you agree, general?"
Li Jing's words were both gentle and incisive, combining reason and emotion.
He first showed weakness, frankly admitted defeat, and reduced his hostility.
Then, they presented the objective facts of the disparity in strength to undermine the Chu army's fighting spirit.
Then, they persuade others by reasoning that "reducing unnecessary casualties" and "preserving the lives of soldiers," thus occupying the moral high ground.
Finally, they even "thoughtfully" considered Ma Dai's escape route and the possible reactions from his superiors.
Every word seemed to strike a chord in the hearts of Ma Dai and the soldiers behind him.
Ma Dai, mounted on his horse, had an ever-changing expression.
He stared intently at Li Jing's calm yet all-knowing face, his grip on the knife hilt tightening and loosening repeatedly.
Li Jing's words echoed in his mind like a demonic whisper.
"Five thousand against ten thousand, exhausted yet eager to return home!"
"It only increases casualties and leads to pointless sacrifices!"
"General Han and General Ma will not blame us!"
"Assess the situation and preserve your strength!"
These words gradually overlapped with the rational voice within him, constantly impacting his sense of honor as a military general and his sense of responsibility to complete his mission.
He could feel that the soldiers behind him were breathing rapidly or heavily as Li Jing spoke, and their originally high fighting spirit and courage to die were being quietly worn down by this calm and realistic analysis.
Should we heed this seemingly "wise" advice and avoid a bloody battle that could very well end in a crushing defeat?
We must remain steadfast in our mission, even if we know the hope is slim, we must fight to the death and live up to the trust placed in us.
Ma Dai's lips were pressed into a resolute straight line, and his eyes were filled with intense struggle.
He knew that Li Jing was waging a bloodless psychological war against him and the five thousand soldiers behind him.
He had to respond immediately.
Li Jing's persuasive words, which were both reasonable and considerate, and seemed to be for the benefit of both parties, flowed like a gentle stream.
Yet it carried a chilling, piercing power, constantly eroding the taut will of Ma Dai and his five thousand soldiers.
For a moment, an eerie silence fell over the battlefield, broken only by the howling wind across the wasteland and the occasional restless snorting of warhorses.
Ma Dai sat upright on his horse, his face as gloomy as the sky before a storm.
Every word Li Jing spoke struck him like a hammer blow, resonating with the voice within him called "reason."
Yes, with such a disparity in troop strength and exhausted soldiers, what are the chances of victory if we launch a forced attack?
Perhaps Li Jing is right; Generals Han Xing and Ma Chao, knowing the situation, truly wouldn't blame them...
This idea is like a poisonous weed; once it takes root, it spreads rapidly.
However, just as this gloom of hesitation was about to completely engulf him, an even stronger and more intense emotion erupted in his chest like a volcano!
That is the pride of soldiers, the dignity of generals, and the unwavering loyalty to the mission on their shoulders!
He suddenly raised his head, and his eyes, which had been somewhat dull due to the struggle, suddenly shot out a sharp, cold light, locking onto the seemingly calm and composed figure three hundred paces away.
"Hahaha……"
Ma Dai suddenly let out a short, sarcastic laugh, which broke the silence and dispelled the slight wavering in the Chu army formation.
He spurred his warhorse forward a few more steps, his voice suddenly rising in pitch, like the clash of metal, carrying undisguised contempt and fighting spirit, clearly responding to Li Jing:
"Marshal Li! What a high-sounding rhetoric! What a convenient excuse to increase casualties and preserve strength!"
He suddenly raised his long sword, the blade pointing directly at Li Jing: "You keep saying you've lost, are you truly convinced?"
"Then why not die alongside Generals Wang Zhongsi and Gao Xianzhi at Zhennan Pass, to uphold the name of loyalty and righteousness?"
Why abandon the remains of 250,000 comrades and flee here alone?
Ma Dai's voice boomed like thunder across the wilderness, each question like a whip, lashing hard at Li Jing's seemingly impeccable "openness".
"You said you only wanted to take these young men back to their homeland, where families would wait for them?"
Ma Dai's sneer deepened as his gaze swept over the tens of thousands of soldiers behind Li Jing:
"Then let me ask you, how many soldiers of my Great Chu fought bloody battles for three days at Zhennan Pass, only to be buried in foreign lands! And whose return are their parents, wives, and children waiting for?"
"Aren't their lives also lives? The lives of your soldiers under Li Jing's command are lives, but the lives of my sons of Great Chu are not lives?"
This series of rhetorical questions, righteous and stern, instantly shattered the hypocritical "humanitarian" facade in Li Jing's words!
The morale of the Chu army, which had been somewhat low, was suddenly reignited like dry tinder thrown into a spark!
Many soldiers' eyes reddened as they thought of their fallen comrades, and their blood boiled again!
Ma Dai gave Li Jing no chance to refute him; his voice grew increasingly impassioned, filled with an undeniable determination:
"As for your statement that General Han and General Ma won't blame us?"
Ma Dai's face revealed an almost tragic determination: "I have been ordered to this place, and my duty is to capture and kill you, the marshal of the Great Tang!"
"His Majesty and the court will decide on the merits and demerits. How dare you make wild guesses and disrupt the morale of our army?"
"Our soldiers of Great Chu only have heroic souls who die in battle, not cowards who cower in fear! We would never make such a despicable deal with the enemy chieftain!"
He abruptly turned his horse around, facing the eyes of his five thousand men, whose fighting spirit had been reignited, and raised his long sword high.
It drew a dazzling and resolute arc in the midday sun, and with all its might, it unleashed a thunderous roar, full of unstoppable momentum:
"All troops, listen to my orders!"
"Target: Enemy central command post, Commander Li Jing's flag!"
"Follow me—kill—!!!"
"kill!!!"
The pent-up fighting spirit, the ignited anger, and the determination to defend the honor of soldiers all erupted completely at this command!
Five thousand Chu cavalrymen, like a volcano that had been suppressed to the extreme, finally erupted and let out a deafening roar!
They no longer hesitated, no longer feared the overwhelming numerical superiority of the enemy; their eyes were fixed on the target ahead—Li Jing!
The thunderous roar of hooves echoed once more, starting slowly, then rapidly accelerating, and finally transforming into a torrent of steel that swept everything away!
Ma Dai took the lead, like the tip of an arrow, charging headlong into the seemingly unshakeable army of ten thousand men, towards the tattered yet still fluttering "Li" banner!
The battle, in the end, broke out in the most brutal and direct way on this nameless wilderness!
Li Jing's psychological warfare strategy failed completely in the face of Ma Dai's uncompromising and resolute counterattack.