Chapter 56: Zhang Yong's Decision

  A great general, without a space to display his skills, is no different from ordinary people and cannot create miracles. Zhuge Wuhou was formidable, but Sima Yi just defended and did not come out, comparing bodies, comparing ages, finally letting Zhuge Liang die in regret.

  Zhang Yong, although known as a famous general, encountered the Ming army's defensive tactics of relying on danger and refusing to attack, which made him unable to make a move. Despite his clever strategies and bravery, he was at a loss for what to do. The detour might be a clever plan, but it could also lead to another disastrous defeat. With hope and risk coexisting, Zhang Yong was in this state of anxious waiting, and he still had to launch a futile attack to numb and distract the Ming army on the gray slope.

  Until the other route of Qing army failed and returned, and lost nearly half, Zhang Yong was still forcing himself to believe that Wang Jinbao's route would be successful, or could also retreat safely. Even if some soldiers were lost, as long as his generals were safe, he would feel relieved.

  But the news just didn't come, and that kind of anxiety made it hard to sit or lie down. As the commander, Zhang Yong still had to show a calm and composed demeanor. It wasn't until four days passed that Zhang Yong finally got relief, replacing his anxiety and worry with pain and anger.

  "Commander——" The captain of the personal guard stepped into the tent, looking displeased. He called out only to stop abruptly, as if he had rushed in hastily but suddenly forgot what he wanted to say.

  Zhang Yong felt a sense of foreboding rising in his heart, and his face turned gloomy. He forced himself to remain calm and asked, "What's the hurry? What is it that you want to report? Speak quickly."

  The captain of the guard swallowed hard, not daring to look straight into Zhang Yong's eyes, and said in a low voice: "In front of the enemy army, a high pole was erected, on which is... is General Wang's head."

  The account was silent, Zhang Yong's eyes suddenly went dull, as if he had been stunned by the sudden bad news and lost his ability to react. All hope was shattered, the loss of 2,000 soldiers was not worth mentioning, but the most capable general would be beheaded and displayed in public, this blow was extremely heavy.

  "Commander——" The captain of the bodyguards also couldn't hold back his sorrow, wiped away tears and paused for a moment before continuing: "The enemy returned one of our captured soldiers with a verbal message from the fake imperial family's regent. Do you——"

  Zhang Yong's eyes rolled around, and he slowly regained his composure. As a famous general, although this blow was heavy, it still couldn't knock him down. He let out a long sigh, hesitated for a moment, and waved his hand. "Bring him in."

  The captain of the guard hesitated for a moment, turned around and left. Although he wanted to settle this captured soldier immediately to avoid disturbing the military morale, now was not the time to provoke Zhang Yong.

  A moment later, the captured Qing soldiers were brought into the camp, and the head of the Imperial Guard was still accompanied by two subordinates, coldly pressing their knives to monitor them, waiting for Zhang Yong's order to drag this guy out and behead him.

  "What message does the fake Zong Shi have?" Zhang Yong's face was stern, with a hint of mockery: "You think you can persuade this commander to surrender just because you've won a small victory by luck?"

  The captured Qing soldiers knelt on the ground, not daring to lift their heads or too ashamed to do so. They stammered: "The false imperial family wants to ask the commander, they have several hundred of our wounded soldiers in their hands. Do you intend to return them? If so, please send someone to the front line to pick them up."

  Zhang Yong furrowed his brow, waiting for the temporary messenger to finish speaking. But after a good while, this Qing soldier surprisingly had nothing more to say, which made him quite curious.

  "That's all?"

  The captured Qing soldier was stunned for a moment, slightly raised his head and then immediately lowered it, answering: "Yes, that's all."

  Zhang Yong narrowed his eyes slightly, looking puzzled. After a moment of contemplation, he slowed down his tone and asked: "Don't be afraid, tell me in detail how you encountered the enemy and how you failed."

  Failure is a failure, but why fail and how to learn from it, this is what Zhang Yong is eager to know. Moreover, some intelligence about the Ming army's strengths and weaknesses can also be obtained from the mouth of this captured Qing soldier, an opportunity he naturally does not want to miss.

  After the Qing soldier finished telling the whole story with some trepidation, Zhang Yong asked a few more questions and then fell into deep thought. It wasn't until after a long while that he seemed to come back to himself, waved his hand, and ordered his personal guards to take this guy away and keep a close eye on him, and to summon the various generals in the army to come to the tent for a discussion.

  Before long, several generals came into the tent and listened as Zhang Yong briefly told them what had happened. They then began to ponder individually.

  "Commander, the fake Zong Shi is staying behind to guard. This is meant to confuse our army's mind." A scout first spoke up and said: "He's sending back the wounded soldiers, does he have a good heart? He must have some sinister plot, we can't be unguarded."

  "This plan is extremely vicious." Another general concluded, "If our army takes back the wounded soldiers, it will increase the burden and make our soldiers fearful, a double whammy."

  "Is it just a case of killing two birds with one stone?" Someone else came up with an idea and said, "If we ignore our own soldiers, the enemy can loudly proclaim that we view our soldiers as worthless, injuring them without rescue, causing our soldiers to harbor resentment."

  Zhang Yong fell silent, he also agreed with the views of the other generals. These wounded soldiers were a burden to bring back, but not bringing them back would lose the hearts of the people. It was indeed a difficult situation. This kind of thing, he had never encountered before, and naturally, he lacked a way to deal with it.

  "Your Excellency, I think it's better to take back the wounded soldiers, which will show your love and care for them." An old and steady general was the last to speak, after thinking for a long time, he finally expressed his opinion. "Most of our troops are from Gansu, they have followed Your Excellency through thousands of miles of battles, abandoning them would be heart-wrenching. Although it's a burden, it will also make some soldiers fearful, but since there is no perfect solution, we might as well choose the lesser of two evils. Moreover, we can also ask the fake imperial family to return General Wang's body."

  If we can bring back Wang Jinbao's body and give him a proper burial, that would be good. Zhang Yong's heart was moved by the general's words, thinking that what he said was quite feasible. He had already thought about it, although they could kill the captured Qing soldier who delivered the message to silence him, the Ming army could still line up their wounded soldiers at the front of the formation and loudly proclaim the news, and it would be impossible to prevent the news from leaking out.

  "When the wounded have doctors to cure them, and the dead have a place to bury their bones, soldiers will no longer worry about what's behind them, and they can fight to the death." Zhang Yong finally made up his mind, saying in a low voice: "Injuries and deaths are common occurrences in the military. Our army is a battle-hardened one, how could we let our morale collapse because of this? I have made up my mind, send someone to contact the enemy, bring back our wounded officers, and let General Wang rest in peace."

  The wounded soldiers could not get medical treatment and were left to die in agony beside their comrades; the dead soldiers could not be buried, and their bodies were exposed in the wilderness. This has been the most damaging behavior to military morale since ancient times. Even feudal armies tried to avoid such things from happening. Zhang Yong's decision was not unexpected, as he viewed his soldiers as nothing more than weeds in his heart, but on the surface, he still had to put up a show. Moreover, if the wounded soldiers could recover, they would become seasoned veterans with rich combat experience.