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More than seven hundred people perished by their own hands, and Duan Zan felt an overwhelming sense of guilt. He had intended to shoulder this responsibility himself, but unexpectedly, Hou Polu planned to shift the blame onto Xu Zhen for disobeying orders and leaving Shandan.
He stole a glance at Xu Zhen, only to find her unperturbed, her expression calm as if she were waiting for something or watching a farcical play unfold. There was no sign of panic on her face, and her composure was truly impressive, making Duan Zan grit his teeth in discomfort.
However, Zhang Shenzhi had already begun to angrily accuse Xu Zhen: "Colonel Murong Xiao and we have all been guarding the nation's borders, rushing day and night to support Zhangye. Xu Zhen, as Colonel Murong Xiao's subordinate, leads the elite troops yet is cowardly enough to remain in Shandan under the pretense of suppressing bandits while actually avoiding battle. This defeat is entirely her fault. I dare to report this and request punishment for her negligence that led to the loss of eight hundred comrades!"
As soon as Zhang Shenzhi spoke, the officers in the hall were filled with righteous indignation, their anger directed at Xu Zhen, whom they viewed as a cowardly villain who had betrayed her comrades.
Yet Xu Zhen remained unmoved, even smiling slightly as if she found the situation amusing.
Duan Zan listened to Zhang Shenzhi's insults directed at Xu Zhen and saw Hou Polu secretly reveling in it. Remembering the truth of the situation made his face flush with heat. Upon careful consideration, he realized that Xu Zhen's two hundred troops had suffered no significant casualties and had managed to hold Shandan. This achievement paled in comparison to his own disastrous defeat. He couldn't believe that Zhang Shenzhi had the audacity to insult her and attempt to cast blame on her.
Xu Zhen was not a sage; she had her own temper. Although Hou Polu was the son of Minister of War Hou Junji, he was merely a Captain in the military. Despite his rank, he should not have instructed Zhang Shenzhi to shirk responsibility or insult a superior officer. His actions had completely turned right into wrong; how could Xu Zhen tolerate this?
Gao Zhensheng, who had previously been amiable, now wore a cold smile and asked, " Xu Zhen, Colonel Murong Xiao, is this true?"
When they divided their forces earlier, Xu Zhen did not want to create further conflict in front of the new recruits for fear of demoralizing them. Now that those new recruits had perished due to Duan Zan's actions, the remaining soldiers were all her brothers. If Colonel Murong Xiao were to be unjustly accused by a Captain like this, how could she face her brothers or herself?
Taking a deep breath, Xu Zhen slowly raised her head and glanced at Duan Zan. He had intended to defend her honor and clarify the situation while taking responsibility for it himself. However, thinking of his nearly dying father at home and his declining family status—and seeing Hou Polu smirking—Colonel Murong Xiao ultimately bit his lip and lowered his head, unable to meet Xu Zhen's gaze.
Xu Zhen felt disappointed by his reaction. She instinctively fiddled with the iron ring on her finger before speaking slowly: "The division of forces was indeed true. At that time, Shandan was in crisis with thousands of Tang citizens facing imminent disaster. I could only lead my two hundred brothers to rescue them. As for those eight hundred new recruits, they were led by Colonel Murong Xiao and Captain Hou Zhang. I am not clear why only twenty or so returned in the end; justice lies in people's hearts. I do not wish to argue further on this matter; I hope General will see clearly."
Gao Zhensheng's expression remained unchanged as he lightly tapped the table with his fingers. After exchanging glances with Xu Zhen for a moment, he finally chuckled softly: " Commander Xu is indeed straightforward and admirable. Military situations change rapidly; adapting in times of crisis is only natural. However... delaying military action is indeed a grave offense according to military law. I would not dare shamelessly pursue accountability for my brother Chengfan (Li Daozong) on this matter..."
Upon hearing Gao Zhensheng's lighthearted tone, Xu Zhen felt a surge of suspicion about his intentions. Yet Zhang Jiunian understood the ways of power dynamics well and recognized that this old fox was about to employ both rewards and threats against them.
Sure enough, before Xu Zhen could respond, General Gao Zhensheng had already shifted the conversation, praising, "When I entered the city, the street folk spoke highly of Commander Xu's bravery. It seems his reputation has already taken root in people's hearts. If it weren't for Commander Xu splitting his forces to rescue Shandan, my troops would have nowhere to rest their feet now. Commander Xu managed to defeat thousands from the Murong Clan with just two hundred men, slaying countless enemies. His military strategy is indeed clever and effective, living up to the Sage's expectations..."
Xu Zhen understood that this old fox intended to flatter her and knew it wouldn't lead to anything good. She quickly replied humbly, "It is all thanks to the cooperation of the military and civilians in the county; I dare not take credit for it. Please do not belittle Xu..."
"Ah..." Gao Zhensheng waved his hand, stopping Xu Zhen from speaking further, and continued, " Commander Xu is too modest. Did I not have my own youthful vigor? In my younger days, I was reckless; now I can only lament. When one is young and strong, one should not hesitate to contribute their strength for the country and the people."
Xu Zhen lowered her head in humility, fearing she might fall into this old fox's trap and dared not respond further. However, Gao Zhensheng was not done with her yet. He declared loudly, "A young man like Commander Xu is rare among our Tang army. I am not talented enough to lead tens of thousands; I wish to go to Ganzhou to assist the Grand General in driving out the Barbarians. Why not let Commander Xu take the lead?"
"Indeed! This old bastard! Making me do something so dangerous!" Xu Zhenxin cursed inwardly but maintained a compliant demeanor on the surface, claiming there were many talents in the army and it was unnecessary for him to take on such a task. Yet Gao Zhensheng was unwilling to let him off.
" Commander Xu must not refuse; I would not want you to go to your death either. Otherwise, it would be as if you were tearing my old bones apart. How about this? I have many newly recruited Warriors here; I will assign eight hundred to you. You can command them as you wish along the way; perhaps by the time we reach Ganzhou, they will become a formidable force!"
The other generals in the hall initially felt displeased that Gao Zhensheng did not reprimand Xu Zhen but now realized his malicious intent and could not help but stifle their laughter. " Xu Zhen, did you not think that Duan Zhan and his companion were useless? Now I'm giving you eight hundred new soldiers to lead!"
Xu Zhenxin gritted his teeth in anger, wishing he could chop this old man into pieces and feed him to dogs. However, he quickly regained his composure. Although these eight hundred new soldiers would likely be inadequate, they would give Xu Zhen a chance to distance herself from this old man. As long as she did not get entangled with him, she could consider herself fortunate.
With this in mind, Xu Zhen could only feign helplessness and said gratefully, "Then I will just have to try my best..."
Gao Zhensheng was delighted upon hearing this and praised her repeatedly before instructing a Captain to take Xu Zhen and her group to the Recruit Camp. At that moment, Xu Zhen learned that this Captain was named Xue Dayi and was a relative of Xue Wanjun. Although he did not have a close relationship with the Xue family heroes, he was still quite formidable.
Seeing that Xue Dayi seemed somewhat unconvinced by her authority, Xu Zhen felt a surge of competitive spirit and added before leaving that she requested Gao Zhensheng assign Xue Dayi as her Captain to assist her. Gao Zhensheng was slightly taken aback but agreed.
As soon as Xu Zhen left, laughter erupted throughout the hall without concern for whether she could hear them. Some even laughed uncontrollably, saying that this time they had not only dealt with Xu Zhen but also sent away Xue Dayi, making it a joyous occasion for everyone.
However, Gao Zhensheng merely smiled without speaking. Although Xu Zhen had been promoted rapidly, she was still just a Deputy Commander leading five thousand troops; she wasn't worth him personally dealing with yet. But if this piece on the chessboard was manipulated correctly, it might stir up even greater waves!
At this moment, Xu Zhen was filled with frustration and confusion. Why would someone as insignificant as Colonel Murong Xiao attract the attention of a major figure like Gao Zhensheng?
She turned slightly and exchanged a glance with Zhang Jiunian. His penetrating gaze seemed to see through her bewilderment, and he shifted his focus to the south. Suddenly, Xu Zhen realized that the upcoming Battle of Tugu Hun might not be as simple as it appeared on the surface; she had already been treated as a pawn. If she couldn't break free, she might become the spark that ignited a larger conflict!
When the brothers saw their Lord emerge looking sullen, they quickly inquired about the situation. Zhang Jiunian succinctly explained, but mindful of Duan Zan and Hou Polu trailing behind, he kept it low-key. However, Zhou Cang immediately became furious; if not for Xu Zhen calming him down, he might have killed Duan Zan and Hou Polu right there in the street!
Xue Dayi noticed Zhou Cang and Gao He Shu's imposing figures and felt a surge of competitive spirit. Sensing Xue Dayi's provocative gaze, Zhou Cang's anger flared up. If they weren't heading to the Recruit Camp to pick someone up, a fight would likely have broken out.
Xu Zhen took note and quickly instructed Zhang Jiunian to contact Xie Anting and Yang Wen to secretly escort Li Mingda and others out of the city, waiting to join the army heading to Ganzhou. At least in Li Jing's territory, they would be safer than in Gao Zhensheng's domain, especially since Gao Zhensheng was closely allied with Hou Junji!
The two hundred brothers in her unit heard that their Lord was going to the main camp to pick someone up and feared that Xu Zhen might be bullied again. They insisted on accompanying her. The group marched proudly into the main camp where eight hundred new recruits were already assembled, awaiting Xu Zhen's inspection.
Xue Dayi was also taken aback by Gao Zhensheng's ruthlessness in assigning this battalion to Xu Zhen. As far as he knew, none of Colonel Murong Xiao's subordinates had managed to keep this battalion under control for more than a month after taking command.
This battalion was called Brave Warriors Camp, composed of newly recruited soldiers from Liangzhou. They were full of bandit spirit and included many rough individuals who often disregarded orders and caused disturbances. Despite their unruliness, they were skilled fighters known for being difficult to manage. For someone like Xu Zhen, taming Brave Warriors Camp and leading them to achieve great feats would be an enormous challenge.
Xu Zhen understood that Gao Zhensheng would not make things easy for her; seeing the state of Brave Warriors Camp did not surprise her much.
The soldiers of Brave Warriors Camp had only recently enlisted and had not heard of Xu Zhen's name as the new Colonel Murong Xiao. Seeing her delicate appearance, they did not take her seriously; some had even begun placing bets on how long she could last.
Xu Zhen was not one to back down; she knew that these people could not be conquered like the Salar People through faith because they only believed in their own strength. To subdue them, she would have to use force!
Her brothers were all seasoned fighters who had followed Xu Zhen through numerous fierce battles. Sensing the hostile atmosphere among Brave Warriors Camp, they recognized the danger posed by this group.
Xu Zhen was too lazy to waste time with pleasantries; while removing her armor, she addressed the members of Brave Warriors Camp: "Anyone who thinks they can fight, step forward—give me three hundred!"
Zhou Cang and the other brothers saw that the Lord wanted to find a punching bag, so they all stuck their weapons into the ground and began to remove their armor!
The people from Brave Warriors Camp were furious!
They had never thought much of Xu Zhen, but now they were shocked that she dared to look down on Brave Warriors Camp! A mere two hundred people had the audacity to challenge their three hundred Brothers?!!!
The members of Brave Warriors Camp felt deeply insulted, and with a loud uproar, three hundred of them stepped forward, rolling up their sleeves and glaring fiercely!
Xu Zhen tossed her clothes to Xue Dayi, curled her lip, and said to Zhou Cang, "Tell the brothers to teach these hotheads how to behave."
Zhou Cang chuckled twice and quickly relayed the message. The brothers became excited, but he slowly realized something and asked Xu Zhen, "Lord, what does 'hothead' mean?"
Xu Zhen: "..."
(Note 1: Xue Wanjun and Xue Wanche; Xue Wanjun was the third son of the famous general Xue Shixiong from the Sui Dynasty. He was the brother of Right Guardian General Xue Wanche. In the thirteenth year of Zhenguan, he served as Deputy General of the Marching Army at the crossing of the River Jiao and fought against Hou Junji at Gaochang. He was later granted the title Duke of Lu but was imprisoned two years later and died in despair. Xue Wanche was the brother-in-law of Emperor Taizong Li Shimin and held the title Duke of the Right Guard, eventually becoming Right Guardian General. He was granted the title Duke of Wuan but was killed by Changsun Wuji for participating in a plot to establish King Jing Li Yuanjing as emperor.)
(Note 2: 'Hothead' actually refers to a type of poisonous insect known as the Hundred Echo Thousand Foot Bug. Due to its body color and tendency to bite upon seeing people, it earned this colloquial name, which is used to describe someone who is irritable and unable to distinguish right from wrong.)
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