Mythical Three Kingdoms

As Zang Ba’s main force set out, the Jie Clan, which had already fallen into a siege, suffered a heavy blow under the pincer attack of Zang Ba and Zhu Ling’s forces.

Seeing the opportunity, Wang Chen and Wenn Hong also led a group of private soldiers from aristocratic families into the fray, seizing the advantage and scattering over ten thousand Jie Clan warriors.

With the Jie Clan collapsing, Zang Ba and Wei Yan took the chance to launch an assault. However, they gave up the pursuit after less than ten miles, understanding their true objective.

By the time Zang Ba and Wei Yan returned, Wang Chen and the others had already begun gathering brushwood and dry grass with the private soldiers, preparing to burn all the corpses. It was then that Zang Ba saw the aristocratic leader who had been surrounded earlier.

”Are you the leader of this group?” Zang Ba looked at the fair-skinned young man in front of him, who appeared even younger than Wei Yan, with slight surprise. Although he was used to seeing high-ranking officials at a frighteningly young age when at Mount Tai, it was rare to encounter such a situation outside.

”Guo Huai of the Guo Family from Taiyuan, courtesy name Boji, greets General Zang.” Guo Huai, appearing somewhat disheveled, saluted Zang Ba. This was the most embarrassed he had ever been, and it was his first time facing danger on the battlefield, feeling how close to death one could be.

”You’re a real man.” Zang Ba nodded and said, ”However, if you want to become a fine general, the most important thing to do isn’t to charge into battle and boost morale, but to ensure that soldiers strictly follow orders.”

Guo Huai smiled bitterly. A month ago, he was still a Filial and Incorrupt officer and had never been on the battlefield. If he hadn’t heard of the Northern Huns invading, driven by youthful passion, he wouldn’t have rallied his family’s private soldiers and headed north to fight the Hu People.

He had previously encountered several groups of Hu People and wiped them out with his intelligence, feeling he had a talent for leadership. He planned to follow Ban Chao’s path of abandoning the pen for the sword. However, just as he conceived this idea, he ran into a force of over ten thousand Jie Clan warriors. If it weren’t for Zang Ba’s rescue, retreat would have been his only option.

”Were you scared?” Wei Yan suddenly mocked.

”You’re the one who was scared,” Guo Huai retorted with a dark expression. ”I’m just thinking about how to do better. What do you know?”

”Heh, leading two thousand Han Army soldiers and getting beaten by over ten thousand Jie Clan soldiers like that, and the chief general still dares to talk like this,” Wei Yan was typically sharp-tongued.

Guo Huai’s face was ominously dark, but he didn’t argue further. Just from seeing Wei Yan swiftly defeat the Jie Clan, Guo Huai understood there was no point in continuing to argue.

Wei Yan chuckled and walked away. Only then did Zang Ba speak, ”Don’t take Wen Chang’s words to heart. He’s just sharp-tongued, but otherwise reliable.”

”I can see that,” Guo Huai nodded, ”May I follow the army? After all, I’ve been an officer for a while, and can help handle some miscellaneous tasks.”

Zang Ba nodded. Unlike Wei Yan, he was nearly an old general and clearly saw through Guo Huai’s performance. The young man was obviously inexperienced, relying purely on natural talent. In other words, this Guo Huai, who claimed to have just resigned from an official post, had exceptional aptitude.

In fact, Zang Ba’s assessment wasn’t far from reality. Guo Huai was indeed relying on his talent. Previously, the Guo Family had been grooming him not as a general or a Provincial Governor, but as a civil servant to inherit the family legacy.

With a great-grandfather as an Imperial Household Grandee, a grandfather as Minister of Finance, and a father as Yanmen Prefect, the Guo Family naturally hadn’t planned for Guo Huai to become a military general. If the Northern Huns hadn’t moved south, it would have taken Guo Huai ten years and a meeting with Cao Pi to pivot to a military path.

However, after the Northern Huns invaded, numerous young aristocrats, fired by passion, made rash decisions and led their private soldiers north. This wave of youthful fervor swept through many aristocratic families, and Guo Huai was no exception.

To be precise, Guo Huai, swept up in youthful fervor, discarded the official post his father arranged for him and took his family’s private soldiers north. After fending off a wave of Northern Huns, upon calming down, Guo Huai realized that his easy access to his clan’s soldiers likely had his father’s tacit approval.

Moreover, thinking on a broader scale, it seemed that all the young aristocrats leading private soldiers north belonged to great clans. Why weren’t the experienced, competent middle-aged men leading them?

In truth, wasn’t it about satisfying the young men’s fervor while giving them a taste of harsh reality, setting an example for the world, and letting them understand that they must bear the consequences of their own choices?

The old foxes of the aristocratic families saw the situation clearly. The Han-Hun conflict was politically correct and served as a battle for the aristocracy’s legitimacy. Aristocratic families couldn’t avoid this war, abiding by the laws inscribed on the Xuanyuan Human Cauldron and the original words in the reverse age elder’s book, stating that power comes from societal recognition.

It’s societal recognition, not the people’s recognition.

The laws inscribed on the Xuanyuan Human Cauldron are acknowledged by all aristocratic families. Though they’re restrictions, these inscribed lines are crucial in winning the people’s endorsement, being acknowledged by the people and the revered divine artifact passed down through generations.

As part of the power exchange, aristocratic families must shoulder their responsibilities, which was an understood reality when Chen Xi took the lead for aristocratic families. At the Ye City alliance, there weren’t many words exchanged, but the fair treaty Chen Xi established communicated the message to all aristocratic families.

Even the worst rules are better than no rules at all. Moreover, Chen Xi’s requirements were lenient. Since they joined the alliance and recognized the rules, they couldn’t condone such disgraceful acts in terms of dignity or morality.

Didn’t aristocratic families know the dangers of the Han-Hun war? They knew, yet they chose to send out troops. Their upbringing dictated the young’s reverence for their ancestors and their youthful passion.

”Reviving the King’s Way, honoring the king and expelling barbarians, the enmity of ten generations can still be avenged!” Throughout the Spring and Autumn and Warring States, between Qin and Han, the ideas flowing in this era, to some extent, being called terrifying is not disrespectful but rather a compliment.

Perhaps as they age, perspectives will gradually shift. Of course, some may turn into complete fanatics like Yuan Shu, but in their youth, no one can escape the nearly ingrained cultural influences.

It’s better to guide than to block. The elders of aristocratic families understand the situation: letting the youth fight for their fervor is beneficial.

Who hasn’t experienced reckless youth, driven by passion for beliefs, ideals, knowledge, and inherited spirit from ancestors? If one has chosen a path forward, they must at least carry the qualifications to bear all of it.