Chapter 1198: Fierce Warriors

Being able to defeat 30,000 Taishan veterans implies that the Xiliang Cavalry could maintain an exchange ratio of around one to five against the Taishan veterans. Such a ratio would be necessary to swiftly rout the Taishan forces, even though that ratio is quite astonishing.

Given that Li You wasn’t the type to exaggerate, Man Chong trusted this exchange ratio, but he still found it incredible.

"Are you certain that the Xiliang Cavalry could achieve an exchange ratio greater than one to five against Taishan veterans?" Liu Ye asked, astonished. That ratio was already very high, especially since Taishan veterans were not some common rabble but experienced soldiers who had seen many battles and knew how to fight.

"That seems impossible. The Taishan soldiers shouldn't be crushed so easily," Chen Xi frowned, considering the exchange ratio to be quite extraordinary.

The Xiliang Cavalry was indeed strong, but from Chen Xi’s perspective, even if the Taishan veterans fought to the death, the best exchange ratio would be one to three. If soldiers fear nothing, even without formation, it would be very difficult to defeat them.

After all, even if you had 30,000 pigs charging at 6,000 Xiliang Cavalry without any fear of death, it would still be challenging for the cavalry to slaughter them all.

This brought to mind Zhang Jiao. Back when they fought Zhang Jiao, the Han army suffered losses despite their numbers, not just because the Yellow Turbans were many but also due to Zhang Jiao’s use of secret techniques that made the Yellow Turbans fearless in battle. A force that doesn’t fear death is impossible to fight head-on unless you use strategies or outsmart them.

Taishan’s regular veterans had, by now, reached the level of excellent Danyang soldiers. In terms of combat power, Taishan’s soldiers ranked among the top infantry in the world.

"Zichuan, what Wenru means is that those 4,000 troublesome Xiliang soldiers you mentioned will be sent to Li Zhiran. These soldiers are from the personal corps of the commanders," Jia Xu said as he glanced sideways at Chen Xi. "Most of them have been with Li Jue and his cohorts since the early days."

"Oh, so that’s how it is." Chen Xi nodded. If it were those soldiers, then he could believe they would achieve such an impressive exchange ratio. The fierce look in their eyes alone spoke volumes.

If there were truly any full-time professional soldiers in this era, then the Xiliang Cavalry’s personal guards would surely be classified as such. Their entire lives revolved around killing.

Chen Xi lightly tapped his knuckles on the table. "Wenru, it seems that those soldiers only lack a unifying reason to fight, a will to bind their hearts together."

"That’s probably it. But I’m not sure. A military soul is a kind of miracle in itself. If they had one, achieving a one-to-ten exchange ratio wouldn’t be difficult. But back then, they had a singular will, which they lack now," Li You responded with a bitter smile.

It wasn’t that Li You didn’t want a powerful army with a military soul; he simply couldn’t make it happen. Although these professional Xiliang soldiers had the physical and mental qualities needed to form such a force, the spark needed to ignite a military soul was missing.

Back then, Li You only had to say, "Fight for Dong Zhuo!" and the soldiers would roar with fervor, their cries becoming a united force. That was the birth of the military soul: swift like a flying arrow, fierce like a charging bear.

But this time, when Li You tried to imbue them with the will to "fight for the country," there was no similar effect. It wasn’t that these soldiers didn’t accept the idea of fighting for their country; it was that they couldn’t resonate with the belief strongly enough to form a military soul.

Li You didn’t understand why this was, but he had given it a try. The soldiers' quality and will were up to par, yet without the military soul, they could never claim to be the strongest.

"I see..." Chen Xi fell silent for a moment before admitting with resignation, "I thought perhaps you could unite them with the belief in defending the country and form a military soul, but I suppose I was too optimistic."

"It’s nothing to worry about," Li You shook his head. "That sort of thing is a miracle, after all, and we can’t expect miracles to happen all the time. Besides, sending those soldiers to Zhiran is the best decision. You’ll rest easier knowing they aren’t causing trouble within the Han Empire."

Chen Xi nodded slightly. "But as Bening mentioned earlier, while 6,000 cavalry may be strong, that doesn’t mean they’re invincible. Apart from brute strength, there’s also intelligence to consider. If Daqin realizes that confronting the cavalry head-on is too difficult, what if they resort to other tactics?"

Man Chong subtly nodded toward Chen Xi, signaling that this was precisely his point.

"You're right. Li Jue and his men aren’t exactly strategists; they’re cavalry commanders at best," Jia Xu answered on behalf of Li You.

"We've already gathered intelligence on Anxi. It’s mostly vast plains, so strategies involving water or fire aren’t practical there. Any other strategies will depend on one’s own strength," Jia Xu said calmly.

"I have no more questions," Man Chong said after a moment of consideration.

"Now for my question: We can lend the troops, but I want to know why Li Jue is going to such lengths," Liu Ye said as he straightened up after closing his eyes briefly.

"One reason is for fame, and the other is for profit. Fame doesn’t need much explanation. As for profit, there is no place for him in the Central Plains, but in the world beyond, there is a place he can call his own," Jia Xu explained, his calm demeanor unable to hide the wisdom in his eyes.

"I see. Well, that’s good enough for me," Liu Ye, who hailed from the imperial clan, had long held a grudge against Li Jue for desecrating the imperial tombs. It wasn’t just discontent; they were practically mortal enemies. However, he tolerated Li You because of his extraordinary intellect, which was crucial to the revival of the Han Empire.

"What kind of place is Anxi, and what about Daqin?" Fa Zheng, who had never ventured beyond the empire's borders, asked curiously. He was eager to learn what those distant lands were like, even though he knew that no one present was likely to have seen them firsthand.

"I don’t know, but it’s a land that nurtured an empire. It should have fertile soil, much like the Central Plains," Jia Xu said after a moment of silence.

"One day, I will stand on that land myself," Fa Zheng declared with a laugh. The world was so vast, and only such a great expanse was worthy of being conquered. If the world were confined to just the Central Plains, how lonely it would be.

"Before that, we should focus on resolving this matter first. Besides, Wenru shared some strange reports from the northern intelligence network with me," Guo Jia said with a mischievous grin as he turned his head.

"The north is acting up? Is the Eastern Xianbei looking for trouble?" Chen Xi asked, puzzled.

"Not quite. We’ve just received reports that the grasslands have been in chaos recently, with large tribes swallowing up smaller ones," Guo Jia explained simply.

"That’s quite normal. Whenever the tribes fail to gather enough food by raiding the south after a snowstorm, the large tribes will plunder the smaller ones to survive. The nomads have always survived this way," Li You said dismissively. He had seen such occurrences far too often and didn’t consider it a major issue.

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