Mythical Version of Three Kingdom

Chen Xi and the others began to ponder deeply, and even the military officers, who were encountering this concept for the first time, furrowed their brows.

“Generally speaking, the stronger a general’s command ability, the greater their control over their soldiers. Under equal conditions, the fighting power they can unleash is stronger, and the soldiers’ acceptance of the general’s will is higher. The flow of Yun Qi is also faster,” Zhao Yun shared what his master had taught him.

It may seem like a simple statement, but if Zhao Yun hadn’t shared it, half of the people here might never have figured it out on their own. This shows just how terrifying some monopolized knowledge can be.

“So, the general is the backbone of the army,” Chen Xi said thoughtfully, “but this also ties into how many troops a general can command, right?”

“Yes, a general’s own strength and command ability greatly affect the performance of their soldiers. The general’s will influences the soldiers’ combat capabilities. If two generals are equally matched in strength and command, the deciding factor would be their will,” Zhao Yun continued to explain, leaving the others somewhat stunned. It was clear how valuable having a good teacher was.

Chen Xi rubbed his temples. From what Zhao Yun had described, it seemed like the battles between generals weren’t much different from before, but something felt off.

“Zilong, explain more clearly. The concept of will shouldn’t be so vague. Since you’ve brought it up, you might as well share the most important details. I don’t think your master forbade you from passing it on,” Chen Xi said after thinking for a while, noticing that a large piece of the puzzle seemed to be missing.

“The will of a general is crucial. Disregarding other factors, a general’s will alone can change many things. Even without Yun Qi, and even if the formation is scattered, as long as the general instills a strong, unyielding will in the soldiers, and they share a unified will, the unit can remain formidable—even without weapons...” Zhao Yun trailed off, but everyone understood his meaning.

“So, when a general’s image becomes deeply ingrained in the soldiers, the special abilities of a unit actually reflect the general’s will?” Chen Xi pondered this, recalling many historical examples of elite troops that triumphed against the odds—troops that remained resilient and strong even in the toughest situations.

The thought filled Chen Xi with a sense of awe.“Yes, it’s the general’s will, but it’s not just that—it’s also the military spirit. While the general is crucial, they’re not the absolute factor. If a previous general leaves a strong imprint on a unit, the next general might even be influenced by it,” Zhao Yun added, though he seemed unsure. Even his master hadn’t fully explained this aspect.

“What if a unit already has a complete military spirit? A spirit so intact that even if the previous general dies, the military spirit remains, and the unit is still as strong as before. How does the next general handle that?” Chen Xi asked curiously.

“That’s impossible. If the general dies, the military spirit is essentially gone. The soldiers won’t be able to maintain the same iron will for long,” Zhao Yun replied, thinking Chen Xi was just speculating. He answered without much thought.

As Zhao Yun gave this response, Chen Xi immediately saw the distinction between elite units like the Xian Deng Dead Soldiers, the Da Ji Shi, and the Xian Zhen Ying.

For example, after Ju Yi’s death, the Xian Deng Dead Soldiers and Da Ji Shi fell under Chunyu Qiong’s command. By the time of the Battle of Guandu, it hadn’t been long, yet they had lost their once-peerless spirit. In contrast, after Gao Shun’s death, the Xian Zhen Ying remained under Zhang Liao as his personal guards, and ten years later, they were still formidable, smashing through enemies at Xiaoyao Ford like before.

This highlighted the difference between elite units: some retained their indomitable spirit even after losing their general, while others quickly declined.

Recalling Ju Yi leading the Xian Deng Dead Soldiers, Chen Xi could almost feel the chilling aura in the intelligence reports. The fact that the Xian Zhen Ying was even stronger than that must mean they were on another level. No wonder the Xian Zhen Ying, even with only a few hundred soldiers, could beat down the troops led by Guan Yu and Zhang Fei as if they were children. Such a powerful unit was clearly one of the finest in history.

“Lord Xuande, when we march on Xuzhou, please take Chen Shuzhi along. Also, if the opportunity arises, recruit more Danyang soldiers,” Chen Xi stood up and suggested to Liu Bei. Special units needed to be built, and among those present, only Chen Dao had historically trained the White Feather Soldiers using Danyang troops as a foundation.

“Very well,” Liu Bei agreed, even though he didn’t fully understand why Chen Dao was needed. Since Chen Xi requested it, there had to be a good reason. “Shuzhi, you’ll delay taking over the Taishan garrison and serve as Zijian’s deputy for now. We’ll make further arrangements after the Xuzhou campaign.”

“Yes!” Chen Dao replied, thrilled. Every capable general wanted to prove themselves on the battlefield, and Chen Dao was no exception. Although he had remained low-key since arriving, not wanting to make a bad impression, Chen Xi had unexpectedly spoken up for him.

“Zhongtai, you and Meng Kang will take over the Taishan garrison for now. Continue the daily drills without interruption,” Liu Bei instructed, glancing at the others. His gaze lingered on Wei Yan, who stood behind Guan Yu, but he ultimately decided not to give him a new assignment. It was clear that Guan Yu had taken a deep liking to Wei Yan, treating him like a son and wanting to keep him close.

“Yes, my lord,” Sun Guan, who had been managing the garrison in western Qingzhou and recruiting refugees, responded calmly. He knew his limits; he was competent at maintaining order, but participating in high-level battles could easily lead to failure.

“Xuanguo, you’ll take over Zhongtai’s duties, and the Licheng front will be handled by Yunchang,” Liu Bei ordered Zang Ba.

“Yes,” Zang Ba replied, rising to accept his orders.

“The rest of you, be ready for action at any time!” Liu Bei concluded, noticing that Zhang Fei seemed eager to speak but holding back.

“Yes, my lord!” Taishi Ci, Hua Xiong, and the others saluted in unison, knowing they would know the results within ten days.