Keyboard Immortal - Chapter 2942

Chapter 1455: Fortune Turns Around

Princess Nihuang smiled mysteriously, “I’ll tell you later.”

Seeing her cunning look, Zu’an was furious, and another fierce exchange ensued.

…

When Zu’an left the tent, it was already broad daylight. Yan Zheng, who had been waiting at the door all night, was covered in dew. He was speechless; what were General Digong and this guy talking about, and why had they been talking all night?

But whatever they had talked about, it was finally over, and he hurriedly requested an audience.

However, a voice came from inside the tent: “I’m a little tired. We can talk about it later.”

Princess Nihuang could roughly guess that Yan Zheng had come to speak ill of “Liu Bei.” In the past, he might have succeeded in sowing discord.

But now, “Liu Bei” was her beloved, whom she longed for day and night. Why would she give him that chance?

Not reprimanding him in person was already a favor, considering his past hard work.

Besides, after a night of toil, her bones were practically falling apart; she was in no condition to receive a guest.

Yan Zheng, unaware of all this, waited all night only to be refused an audience. A flash of resentment crossed his eyes, and he left in a huff.

…

In the following days, the Yellow Turban army marched towards Zhongshan County. Zu An did not leave but remained with the army, privately analyzing the current state of affairs with Princess Nihuang.

“What? The Yellow Turban army will soon be wiped out?” Princess Nihuang was extremely shocked to hear the original fate of the Yellow Turban army.

“Yes, although the Yellow Turban army is powerful, the court’s strength and prestige are still there. It’s just that we weren’t prepared in the early stages, which allowed the Yellow Turban army to occupy so many prefectures.” Zu An sighed. Now that he knew the Yellow Turban army’s second-in-command was one of his own, he naturally felt some regret about the Yellow Turban army’s fate.

“This is not the history you know. Is there really no way to change it?” Princess Nihuang was somewhat unconvinced. The Yellow Turban army was now strong and well-equipped; she couldn’t believe it would collapse within a year.

Zu’an explained, “Many historical events are predetermined, and attempting to forcibly change them will inevitably backfire. The imperial court’s main forces haven’t even been deployed yet, and there are countless ambitious figures like Zhang Chun in the provinces. Right now, they’re merely using the Yellow Turbans to break the old rules, making it easier to realize their own ambitions.”

“Once they obtain the power they desire from the court, they will inevitably join forces with the court to suppress the Yellow Turbans. At that time, the Yellow Turbans will face a situation a hundred or a thousand times more difficult than it is now.”

Princess Nihuang frowned, “Are we just left with no choice but to wait for death?”

“Sometimes fate may be predetermined, but the path to the end is different. We can strive to modify it to better suit our own interests.” Zu’an had experienced similar situations before and was already quite adept at it. He explained his experience gained from previous dangerous adventures, “In this period of history, Cao Cao subdued a million Yellow Turban soldiers, which became a powerful force in his future struggle for supremacy. We can also emulate this, creating the illusion that the Yellow Turbans have been wiped out, and then find a way to make them reappear under a different guise…”

“Your plan is indeed excellent, but I cannot surrender to you with my men,” Princess Nihuang said with a troubled expression. “I am now considered a bandit leader by the court, and the court will never pardon me. Surrendering to you would only harm you.”

“Besides, although this army is under my command, they are not puppets; each has their own thoughts. They obey my orders only because I am the Earthly General of the Way of Peace. If I make them surrender to you, my legitimacy will cease to exist, and naturally they will not obey my orders.”

“There is another problem. My Yellow Turbans alone, including their families, number in the hundreds of thousands, even millions. The daily food consumption of these people is astronomical. We can currently replenish our supplies by plundering various government offices and cities, but if they submit to your command, we certainly cannot do this anymore. We simply cannot feed these people.”

“The first problem is actually easy to solve, but the latter two do require careful consideration.” Especially the food issue. Zu’an can not even feed 20,000 to 30,000 surrendered Yellow Turban soldiers, let alone a million Yellow Turbans.

“Very well, let’s start from Zhongshan County and see if I can defy fate!” Princess Nihuang’s fighting spirit soared. Asura was never afraid, never admitted defeat—except last night…

The army marched all the way to Zhongshan County. Zhang Chun had already received the news and led his troops out to meet them.

The defending side would not retreat into the city unless absolutely necessary, after all, they still had the responsibility of defending their territory.

How could they allow the enemy to plunder the many civilian residences, farmlands, and properties of the large families in the city?

In this battle, Zu An truly witnessed how armies in this world fought. Although he had experienced many battles before, they were mostly ambushes using stratagems, not the kind of head-on confrontations where both sides deployed their troops.

His identity made it inconvenient to show himself, so he stayed by Princess Nihuang’s side disguised as a personal guard, carefully observing the battle between the two sides.

The overall offensive and defensive power of an army is related to a major factor:

firstly, the number of soldiers; the more soldiers, the stronger the fighting power.

Secondly, the commander’s ability is crucial. With a large army, command becomes a major issue. If the commander lacks skill, it’s difficult to leverage numerical superiority, potentially leading to the army’s collapse. Meanwhile, excellent commanders can not only maximize the advantage of numbers but also provide various buffs to the army.

Thirdly, the army’s elite status matters. An army hastily assembled by peasants is vastly different from a seasoned veteran. Furthermore, the more elite the army, the more diverse its talents, each capable of turning the tide of battle.

Additionally, the commander’s personal martial prowess significantly impacts combat effectiveness, and this effect is more pronounced with smaller armies.

For example, a martial arts expert like Lü Bu facing a strategically superior commander like Sima Yi, each leading tens of thousands of troops, would likely see Sima Yi easily defeat Lü Bu.

However, if each led only three thousand soldiers, Lü Bu would likely teach Sima Yi a lesson.

Zuan noticed that when Princess Nihuang commanded her army, she didn’t send her 100,000 troops in a single charge. Instead, she had her generals lead units of soldiers in rotation to charge the enemy lines

. These soldiers, led by their generals, formed a unified whole, charging towards the enemy like giant mechs.

Each clash consumed a large number of soldiers’ lives; it was a matter of which side was stronger and which would succumb first.

Princess Nihuang explained that morale was crucial in actual combat, and an army’s fighting power decreased as morale dropped.

Each attack consumed morale to unleash combat skills, increasing the power of the attack.

Coupled with the significant loss of lives in each clash, morale inevitably declined rapidly.

Therefore, Princess Nihuang would send other units to fill in before each unit’s morale reached a dangerous threshold.

It must be said that Zhang Chun, having managed Zhongshan County for many years, was indeed powerful. Although his soldiers were far fewer in number than the Yellow Turban Army, they were far more elite, and he also had the assistance of foreign cavalry.

After several rounds of fighting, neither side was at a disadvantage.

Princess Nihuang snorted coldly, finally unable to restrain herself from taking action. With a casual wave of her hand, the previously clear sky transformed into billowing black clouds, followed by countless bolts of lightning striking Zhang Chun’s army.

Zhang Chun’s army was thrown into chaos. Princess Nihuang, leading the Yellow Turban Army, pressed their advantage, inflicting a crushing defeat.

Zhang Chun was forced to lead his remaining troops into Lu Nu City. Thanks to the city’s fortified defenses built over many years, the Yellow Turban Army quickly surrounded the entire city.

Throughout the entire ordeal, Zu An was constantly worried about Murong Qinghe’s safety, having previously spotted her and the Wuhuan cavalry in Zhang Chun’s army.

Fortunately, she was very clever, never engaging the Yellow Turban Army directly with her Wuhuan cavalry. Coupled with her lightning-fast command skills, her army moved with incredible speed across the battlefield, never giving the Yellow Turbans a chance to encircle them. After the battle, her army suffered remarkably few losses.

Inside Lu Nu City, Zhang Chun was also in a state of great distress, hurriedly discussing with his generals what to do.

“Why not seek help from outside?” someone suggested.

“With all the surrounding areas in ruins, who can help us?” Zhang Chun frowned.

“Why not ask Liu Bei of Ji County for help?” Murong Qinghe suddenly spoke up.