Chapter 854: with translation of chapter title

No need to mention reputation; my lord already said it.

Yang Tiejiang, before Xu Zengyi could speak, brought this up first, shutting Xu Zengyi's mouth.

"I knew your big mouth was unreliable!" Xu Zengyi muttered.

Yang Tiejiang instantly flared: "Don't attack me; my mouth is only big when I'm eating."

"Anyway, I think the lord is right—pride lies on the blade. If we lose this battle, what good is reputation? If our army loses, even if the lord had done well before, it'll all go up in smoke, and those bastards in the court will surely dump all the blame on him."

"That's not bad." Xu Zengyi didn't continue arguing with Yang Tiejiang, rubbing his temples in headache: "Although the reasoning is sound, we can't treat this as black and white; thinking that way would be wrong. The best approach is to win the battle, not only preserve the lord's prestige but elevate it further."

Yang Tiejiang rolled his eyes, his spirit instantly wilting: "No wonder you've ended up looking like a ghost."

"Given the current situation, achieving that is outright impossible. The Court Army holes up in Yan Zhou and won't come out; if we don't take the initiative, what else can we do? Staying garrisoned here worries supplies, but if we withdraw, what if the Court Army marches south after we retreat?"

"Our army could indeed shift the battlefield to Nan Jun, but the people there have just settled into peace; another war would surely devastate their vitality."

Chen Wuji raised his hand to stop their argument: "No need to waste more thought on this; there's no other choice, I've already considered this thoroughly."

"Right now, the only thing to consider is sending troops, and how to deal with the Uyghurs and Yang Yu. If our army marches out, Yang Yu will surely choose to wait and see."

"Although Yang Yu's reputation is fearsome, his room for maneuver in this matter is many times greater than Chen Wuji's."

"Even if the Court Army wins, he still has the option of seeking imperial pardon."

Chen Wuji clearly knows he doesn't have that option.

He has only one chance.

"Whether this battle ends up as the Battle of Changping or the Battle of Julu directly affects his life."

"If it's the Changping outcome, even though he now occupies a corner of Nanjiang, he gains the standing to contend directly with the Court; but if it's the Julu outcome, he's doomed—the fate of Qin is his fate."

"With such consequences, Chen Wuji truly cannot afford to worry about reputation."

"If victorious, there will surely be great scholars to argue the classics for us."

Xu Zengyi raised his head, staring straight at Chen Wuji: "My lord, have you really decided?"

"There's no other road to choose!" Chen Wuji said solemnly.

"Four hundred thousand versus three hundred thousand—this is a truly decisive battle for everyone's future and lives; stop worrying about such trivialities as reputation."

"I suspect you've all been swayed by Yang Yu's words; even if the Court Army is truly weak and incompetent, we cannot look down on them. Saying such things after a win is easy, but before the battle, how can we assume they're inferior to us or bound to lose?"

"Sir, it seems we've already fallen behind. Before the armies even clash, we've suffered a major setback—do you really think this mighty 400,000-strong Court Army is inept and inexperienced?"

Xu Zengyi's face suddenly changed; he vexedly rubbed his face a few times: "I finally know what's been bothering me these past days—it's this… this!"

"Damn it, how could I make a mistake over such a trivial matter? Damn it! Ah, damn it!"

Xu Zengyi suddenly broke down, his face turning purple from anger.

"What… what's happening?"

Yang Tiejiang looked bewildered, still a bit startled by Xu Zengyi's sudden outburst.

"I underestimated the enemy! I actually took Yang Yu's words to heart and based my plans on them—how stupid is that?" Xu Zengyi shouted, spraying spit all over Yang Tiejiang's face like rain.

Yang Tiejiang stared blankly, wiped his face: "It's not too late; don't just collapse. Are you even a strategist if you crack so easily?"

"Who says a strategist can't break down?" Xu Zengyi shouted, "I based my plans on Yang Yu's judgment of the Court, staying up several nights plotting the upcoming battle—how could I not break down?"

Chen Wuji raised his hand: "Sir, calm down; Lao Yang is right, it's not too late."

"Nobody in the world can calculate everything; you're already abnormal enough—don't over-demand yourself on these trivialities. If you could calculate everything without mistake, I'd be the one to worry."

Xu Zengyi stared, then after a while helplessly laughed: "My lord knows how to persuade people; this… I truly have no way to refute it, but I really am damned—even such a common mistake I could make."

"Alright, stop dwelling on this; it's time to consider how to fight this battle!" Chen Wuji said with a smile.

Xu Zengyi is a proud person; if you can't find something to suppress him to persuade him, he'll dwell on this for a long time.

Although he's past the age of no confusion, his obstinacy in fixating on trivialities is even more exaggerated than a paranoid's.

Xu Zengyi sat down again: "Since the lord has decided to send troops, just send them out; the Uyghurs need no further thought—dispatch a Bīngmǎ to contain them. As for Yang Jinglve, he'll guard our rear."

"The lord's guess is likely correct; Yang Jinglve may indeed wait and see, but I estimate his waiting won't be idle—he'll guard our rear and, as before, send a Bīngmǎ under the lord's command to provide a bit of cover."

Chen Wuji raised an eyebrow: "Is it really that simple?"

"If we send troops directly, it really is that simple." Xu Zengyi's expression regained its confident shine, speaking with absolute certainty.

Yang Tiejiang rose, poured a cup of tea, took a satisfying sip, and asked doubtfully: "But why are you so certain that just one force can contain the Uyghurs? The Uyghurs aren't like the Qiang People; they truly have strong troops and sturdy horses, and they're not scattered like frogs."

"Once the Uyghurs mobilize, it's the full strength of their nation; they certainly have some design. Before they agree to send troops, the Court must have already promised them benefits—nothing more than land, money, and grain."

"I know, but are we really weak?" Xu Zengyi nodded.

"With the lord and Yang Jinglve's 300,000-strong army stationed here, when the lord launches a major assault on Yan Zhou, losing the Court's ally, the Uyghurs, they will not lightly send troops south."

"The Uyghurs are indeed shrewd; they want benefits, but they will absolutely not become the Court's vanguard or spearhead."