Chapter 189: Throw Them into the Death Ground, and They Shall Live!

"Of the seven hundred soldiers in the city, more than half are men from Nan Commandery!"

Man had never spoken so many words since joining Heifu's company, but now he roared furiously: "That brat Xu Yang claimed we all intend to rebel and surrender to Chu! Centurion Heifu earlier persuaded the Commandant to let the soldiers write letters home — he has done us a kindness. Though I am not close to the Centurion, I hold him in deep respect. Now the Centurion has personally ventured into danger, yet that brat Xu Yang urged us to abandon Centurion Heifu, to abandon the soldiers and flee alone — his death is more than deserved!"

With Man and the already-freed Zhai Chong, Tu Si, and the others explaining, Heifu finally understood what had just happened, and could not help breaking out in a cold sweat.

Although he had been on guard against Xu Yang beforehand, Heifu had never expected the man to be so crazed as to commit such a foolish act.

After all, he was only a minor centurion with a narrow vision; Xu Yang's plan was riddled with holes — it was like a man dying of thirst drinking poison to quench it. But if he had truly stirred up some chaos, the whole city would have been thrown into disorder. At that point, forget breaking out — the Chu army would likely have seized the chance to enter the city, and Heifu's feigned surrender might well have become a real one.

Fortunately, while Heifu was absent from the city, his subordinates had steadied the situation and quelled a major disturbance before it could take shape.

Heifu looked at his subordinates — Dongmen Bao, Ji Ying, Xiao Tao, as well as Li Xian, Gong Ao, and a few others. Most were old hands who had followed him for two years since Huyang Village; even Gong Ao had unknowingly been under Heifu's command for nearly a year.

Under Heifu's teaching by word and example, they had all grown considerably. Take Li Xian, for instance — Heifu had previously thought him overly cautious in handling affairs, but this time, Heifu had glimpsed a streak of madness in Li Xian under pressure. He had not only shown exceptional intelligence, but had also seemed to have eaten a leopard's gall, daring to do something as brazen as forging a military order. Perhaps, having been at Heifu's side so long, he had picked up a few of his methods.

Of course, when the military judge came over, everyone kept their mouths tightly shut about the matter.

Gong Ao also made Heifu see him in a new light. This young fellow could not only talk big, but at the critical moment he also possessed a fierce courage and toughness all his own — he was just too reckless and straightforward with his life.

Heifu asked Dongmen Bao about the course of events, patted Xiao Tao, teased Ji Ying a little, praised Li Xian, and then checked on Gong Ao's injuries.

"You think you're Zhuan Zhu and Xu Yang is King Liao of Wu? You overestimate him far too much, and you cheapen yourself!"

Heifu scolded Gong Ao, then turned and bowed to everyone with clasped hands, saying: "Heifu has done one thing wrong."

Everyone looked at him.

"The reason I went out of the city personally to feign surrender was that I thought you gentlemen would hardly be equal to the task. But now I realize that your abilities far exceed what Heifu imagined. You are all men of fierce courage, timber of the catalpa tree, fit to be made into great boats and high beams!"

These words, framed as an apology but in truth high praise, left everyone feeling deeply gratified as they listened. Their faces showed a touch of pride, and their mouths hurriedly protested they dared not accept such praise. Gong Ao muttered that the debt of gratitude he owed Heifu was now half repaid.

Heifu shook his head helplessly, then said to the military judge, who had been supervising the troops on the city wall and had arrived belatedly: "Regarding the matter of Xu Yang, once Commandant Li awakens, I hope the military judge can bear witness for us."

Xu Yang was, after all, an old subordinate of Li You. When Li You woke and found him suddenly dead, he would surely feel something amiss.

The military judge nodded and said: "Xu Yang intended to rebel and flee. This matter has been confirmed by the testimony of the soldiers and three centurions. Such a military traitor's death is more than deserved — Centurion, have no worry."

"May I ask the military judge, how should Xu Yang's remaining twenty-odd subordinates be dealt with?"

The military judge said through gritted teeth: "Those who joined Xu Yang in rebellion shall also be executed!"

Heifu nodded: "Take them to the marketplace. Furthermore, I hope the three centurions can also assemble their men at the marketplace — I have words to say to all the soldiers!"

Tongyang's village market was located in the southwest corner of the city. Because the Chu inhabitants had all been driven out back when Li Xin captured the place, it seemed especially desolate. Only today, over six hundred men suddenly stood there. Apart from a few dozen soldiers under Heifu's command left on the eastern wall to monitor the Chu army's movements, all the other Qin soldiers were gathered here.

As for his own men, after leading them for the better part of a year, Heifu could command them as easily as the brain commands the arm. After the Xu Yang incident, he was even more confident in letting a few of them take charge on their own.

What he needed to inspire were the allied troops — the six hundred Qin soldiers who had just experienced a mutiny and were somewhat shaken and fearful.

These Qin soldiers, led by Zhai Chong, Tu Si, and Man, were assembled here. They had already been told of the plan to feign surrender and break out, and knew they would soon have to leave the city and fight to the death. Many faces were tense, and some showed cowardice — after all, they had just suffered a major defeat a few days ago; it would be strange if their morale were soaring now.

"Gentlemen!"

Heifu stood on a stall in the marketplace that had probably sold dog meat; the ground beneath his feet was still somewhat greasy.

Ordinarily, he only looked after his own troops and rarely stood before so many to speak, let alone deliver a speech. Fortunately, the films and shows of his past life had not been watched in vain — he knew how to properly guide soldiers and unite their hearts and minds as one!

"Most of you are short-weapon troops under Commandant Li, or soldiers of Nan Commandery. You should have heard of me."

Heifu pointed at himself and said: "I am that 'Blanket Centurion' Heifu!"

"Ha ha ha."

At these words, the soldiers who had been somewhat tense and uneasy burst out laughing. This was Heifu's earliest nickname, and it had made the rounds in the camp quite a bit back then. For a moment, those who knew it broke into knowing grins, while those who didn't began asking the men beside them.

After the men had laughed for a while, Heifu also smiled and said: "Of course, I am also 'Home-Letter Centurion' Heifu."

The soldiers who had just been laughing heartily turned solemn, especially those of Nan Commandery origin, who cast grateful looks toward Heifu.

They had been away from home for over a year and had always wished to contact their families but could not. It was Heifu who had persuaded the Commandant to allow the whole army to send letters home. By now, their families should have all received those letters, right? Some soldiers even felt a twinge of regret — had they known this great defeat was coming, had they known they would face near-certain death, they would have written more words in those letters home...

Reluctance, unwillingness — these emotions pressed on everyone's hearts, feeling extraordinarily heavy.

Heifu continued: "Commandant Li is gravely wounded and near death, unable to lead the troops. Entrusted by the Commandant, I have been appointed Acting Five-Hundred-Man Commander, given the tiger tally, and ordered to lead you all. He instructed me to bring you out of danger, back to Qin, back home!"

At the words "back home," the seven hundred soldiers, whose homesickness had been stirred by that home letter two months ago, raised their heads in unison and looked toward Heifu!

At this moment, talking at length about the state, the King, honor, or rank was utterly useless. The one thing that could bind this group of defeated soldiers into a single rope was this alone — the hope of returning home alive! This was the deepest obsession in every Qin soldier's heart!

"But the Chu men outside the city will not let us go home!"

Having united everyone's hearts and minds, Heifu's tone turned grief-stricken and indignant.

"I will not hide it from you gentlemen — the reason I was not in the city just now was that I went to the Chu camp under the Commandant's orders to feign surrender and scout the enemy's true situation. Do you know what I saw?"

What did he see? Those soldiers who secretly harbored thoughts of surrender were very concerned.

"I saw hundreds of Qin soldiers, treated like convict laborers and slaves, fitted with wooden cangues, tied with ropes, packed together like dogs and swine. The Chu men were boasting smugly that they would take these Qin captives back — send them to the damp seashore, to the low-lying sweltering lands south of the river, to the bottomless mine pits of the Chu nobles!"

"Whether you are a Second-Rank Worthy in Qin, a First-Rank Worthy, a common soldier, a minor clerk, a farmer, or an artisan — once captured by the Chu army, you can only become salt slaves, field slaves, mine slaves! Never to return home for all your lives! And your parents, wives, and children will also suffer collective punishment under the law!"

"If it comes to that, better to die!"

Many men also growled these words low from their throats.

"Better to die!"

Heifu had arranged beforehand for the soldiers to be warned not to shout loudly, lest the Chu men outside the city detect them.

Because he knew that this speech of his would make them roar like mountain thunder countless times!

"As things stand now, there are only two ways to go home."

Heifu sneered: "One is to become a deserter. Just now, there was a centurion who feared the enemy like a tiger. He actually planned to abduct the Commandant, abandon you common soldiers to die, so as to buy himself time to flee with a handful of trusted followers."

Heifu finished and waved his hand, ordering the military judge to bring forward those twenty subordinates of Xu Yang, making them kneel on the filthy ground of the village market, before all the soldiers.

"These men also wanted to go home — there is nothing wrong with that. But they were wrong in attempting to flee the field in secret, which military law forbids. And they were wrong in wanting to use the lives of you several hundred men to clear their path. Who among us was not born of a father and raised by a mother? By what right should you live while we must die?"

Heifu loudly asked the military judge: "May I ask the law officer, what crime is this?"

The military judge said with a dark face: "The law for fleeing the field in secret — punishment is beheading and exposure of the corpse in the marketplace!"

Heifu then looked at the several hundred men before him. Having heard that someone had wanted to use their lives as stepping stones to escape, their resentment was mixed with fury, and they squeezed that word out from between clenched teeth.

"Kill!"

Without the slightest hesitation, the moment Heifu's hand swept down, over twenty heads were chopped off by Dongmen Bao and the others, rolling all over the village market, and the soldiers in front even kicked one viciously as if venting their rage.

Let you run!

"Any who again wish to abandon the army and flee shall likewise die!"

With this, the path of escape was completely blocked. Heifu did not need to say it; the several hundred soldiers below understood as well — only one choice remained to them.

"Fight!"

"Fight to the death!"

Amid the blood that covered the ground, the soldiers rose one after another, their eyes blazing.

"Indeed — fight and survive; refuse to fight and perish!"

Heifu was very satisfied. It was just as the art of war said: when our army has crossed the border and encamped on enemy soil, and the enemy arrives in great force, surrounding us on all sides, and we wish to break out but every direction is blocked — this is death ground.

The place they now occupied was precisely death ground.

On death ground, despair spreads everywhere, magnifying the things within human nature countless times over.

Take Xu Yang — his stupidity and ugliness were magnified tenfold, driving him to an adventure that seemed utterly preposterous to ordinary people, when in truth it was merely a panic-stricken flight driven by fear.

Take Heifu's men — the wisdom and courage ordinarily hidden beneath their mediocrity were also magnified tenfold, shining with a brilliance that astonished Heifu greatly.

People whose merits and flaws are invisible in daily life will reveal their true nature without concealment on death ground.

What Heifu had to do was precisely to use the despair of death ground to magnify these soldiers' desire to live, their longing to return home, tenfold, a hundredfold, until it finally overcame their fear of death!

This is what the art of war calls: cast them onto doomed ground and they will survive; plunge them into death ground and they will live. Only when the multitude is trapped in peril can victory be wrested from defeat!

Therefore, he was going to do something even more insane.

"Li Xian!"

Heifu gave the order: "How much grain remains within the settlement?"

Li Xian cupped his hands and replied: "Several hundred shi remain, enough to eat for a month."

"Keep three days' rations. Burn all the rest!"

"Aye!" Li Xian's eyes blazed as he received the order and left.

Slaughter the oxen and smash the carts to feast our soldiers — let everyone be a well-fed ghost!

Burn all the grain, fill in the wells and smash the stoves, cut off our hair and discard our caps, sever every thought of life — if we are to throw away our very heads, what use are caps and sashes?

Let the soldiers despair! Let them sever every path of retreat! Only when above and below share one heart, unite their breath into a single force, spill their bowels and splash their blood, and throw themselves forward unto death, can defeat be turned to victory and calamity transformed to blessing!

And let the Chu people see the billowing black smoke rising within the town!

"Ji Ying."

Heifu gave another order: "Gather up these heads. Take a few men and deliver the heads to the Chu army camp. Say that there were people inside the town who resisted and tried to set fires, but they have been put down by Five-Hundred-Leader Cheng Wuyou, and that those unwilling to surrender have also had their heads chopped off by Five-Hundred-Leader Cheng, and are hereby presented in advance! Say that we will shortly cast aside our armor and weapons and come out of the town to surrender!"

"Aye!"

Ji Ying likewise received the order and left. Heifu had entrusted him with an important mission beforehand, solemnly telling him that the outcome of this battle rested entirely upon him. Ji Ying, having been given such a heavy responsibility, was rather stirred — though he lacked the enemy-slaying skills of Dongmen Bao and Gong Ao, and lacked Li Xian's cunning, petty tasks like thieving and sneaking were exactly what he excelled at!

Heifu turned around and faced the soldiers before him, the soldiers for whom he had severed every path of retreat.

"Gentlemen, as of this moment, I am just like you — I no longer have any path of retreat."

He had done everything that needed to be done. Now, truly, the commander had no further schemes and the soldiers had the will to die. Apart from fighting with everything they had, there was no other way.

"As I said just now, at this point, we are no longer fighting for merit and noble rank, for fields, houses, coin, or silk."

Heifu shouted to everyone: "We fight for one thing alone — to go home! To return to our villages!"

"What is sent back together with the letters home should not be a death notice, but living, breathing people. Let mothers see their sons, let wives and concubines see their husbands, let children see their fathers — they are all on the shores of the Jiang and Han rivers, in every county, every village, every tiny hamlet of Southern Commandery, craning their necks in hope! Hoping that we can return with the first snow!"

"Go home…"

It was not only the soldiers whose eyes grew hot with tears — even the three Hundred-Leaders, Di Chong, Man, and Tu Si, clenched their fists, deeply stirred. Though they had been instructed not to roar, at this moment, everyone simply wanted to follow Heifu and shout out the longing in their hearts!

"I know you want to roar at the top of your lungs."

Heifu's voice was already hoarse, yet he still shouted: "Hold that roar inside your hearts! A moment from now, when the war drums thunder and we charge the enemy lines together — then shout it out! As loud as you want!"

"Let the Chu people hear it! Let the Chu people see it — how terrifying the Qin army is when it casts aside its armor, bares its chest, and rushes at the foe!"

(End of chapter)