Zhou Wen's army, equivalent to Chen Sheng's vanguard and banner, was the only one of Chen Sheng's dispatched forces to drive deep into the heartland of the Qin State. But just as Liu Zhen had said, it was precisely for this reason that Zhou Wen's army became isolated. Once the Qin court reacted and counterattacked with its main force, Zhou Wen's troops would face the fate of being devoured in an instant.

At the beginning, under the fierce offensive of the righteous army, the Qin forces retreated repeatedly. Xianyang seemed to have gone mute, completely unable to come up with any coping strategies. Everyone thought they had overestimated the Qin army; without Qin Shi Huang, the army of the Qin Dynasty was like a beast without claws and fangs.

Not only Qin Shi Huang, but the old generation of generals who had once dominated the era had passed away. In the process of the imperial succession, Qin Er Shi had also killed many famous officials and valiant generals. The current Qin army seemed to have no one of note left.

But that was only a seeming.

Just on the eve of Zhou Wen's impending capture of Xianyang, the Qin army finally reacted, and the reaction was so fierce that in a flash, a high-spirited army like Zhou Wen's was beaten without any ability to fight back. And the Qin army had merely organized a group of convicts and slaves for the counterattack.

Due to the lack of reinforcements, Zhou Wen had to lead his army to withdraw from Xidi, even retreating past Hangu Pass, all the way back to Mianchi. During this period, he continuously sent messengers to various places, including to Liu Yuan. Chen Sheng, Wu Guang, and others all received his plea for help.

The arriving messenger was disheveled, his tone and expression urgent. It was clear the military situation was critical. If Mianchi did not receive reinforcements soon, Zhou Wen's army would likely be completely annihilated.

Liu Yuan was still hesitating.

Anyone in his position would find it impossible to give the order decisively.

If he sent troops to rescue them, but Chen Sheng and Wu Guang did not, then the portion of troops Liu Yuan sent out would probably perish along with Zhou Wen. This would also greatly weaken the defensive forces of Yingchuan Commandery.

But if he did not send troops, first, they were all nominally righteous armies fighting against Qin together, so not offering aid was indefensible. Moreover, the greatest role of Zhou Wen's army now was to draw the attention of the Qin forces for everyone else. Once Zhou Wen was destroyed, Yingchuan Commandery might be next.

At this very moment, Prince Bao of Wei, who was lingering in Yangdi, couldn't resist adding to the chaos.

He had originally been sent by his elder brother to borrow troops from Yangdi under the pretext of forming an alliance. Having failed to borrow the troops, he was too embarrassed to leave and had been dawdling in Yangdi. Liu Yuan hadn't driven him away, still serving him with good food and wine daily. When Wei Bao heard about Zhou Wen's plea for help, he hurried over to ask Liu Yuan to send troops to rescue Zhou Wen.

He said, "Governer Liu, the righteous men of the world have risen up against Qin. We are all connected, responding to each other. We prosper together and fall together; there is no 'you' or 'me.' Now that General Zhou is in trouble, I ask the Governer to lend me four thousand troops. I am willing to go personally to rescue General Zhou!"

Wei Bao did not ask Liu Yuan to go himself or send someone else, but expressed his own willingness to go. Such courage was commendable, but four thousand was not a small number. When Liu Yuan arrived in Yingchuan Commandery, he had brought eight thousand troops with him. After months of preparing for war, he had only just managed to increase that number to ten thousand. Now Wei Bao wanted to borrow four thousand at once, which was tantamount to cutting off Liu Yuan's flesh.

Liu Yuan's mouth twitched. "Young Master need not be so anxious. I heard that General Zhou has also sent for help from Xingyang. Xingyang has strong troops and horses. The reinforcements have probably already set off for Mianchi by now."

He did not refuse outright, but Wei Bao had already heard the intended refusal in his words.

Wei Bao was extremely disappointed, and his words became somewhat agitated: "Governer, you hold the land of Yingchuan. Do you only think of carving out a kingdom for yourself and living out your days in peace? Seeing the Qin army begin its counterattack, if the Governer does not make a decision soon and send troops to intercept, then once the Qin army kills General Zhou and marches east in force, not only Yingchuan, but I fear you won't even have a place to take shelter!"

Liu Yuan's face also darkened slightly. "Young Master's words are too heavy. I have my own judgment and need not trouble the Young Master. Men, escort the Young Master back to rest!"

"No need to trouble the Governer!" Wei Bao sneered, angrily flicking his sleeve. "I had thought the Governer was a hero, but now it seems you are nothing but a coward!"

He left this sentence hanging and turned to leave.

After he left, Liu Yuan asked the person seated below him: "Mister Song, what do you think?"

Song Xie frowned. "Pardon my bluntness, although I am not well-versed in military affairs, from the current situation, I fear Zhou Wen is more likely to lose than win."

Liu Yuan asked, "How so?"

Song Xie pointed out bluntly, "Although Chen County and Xingyang also have troops, I fear they are just like the Governer, full of worries and unwilling to offer aid. At that time, if only the Governer's reinforcements arrive, it will be like a cup of water on a burning cart—utterly useless!"

Yes, that was the key point. Even if you were willing to help, others had to help as well. If you were the only one to go, while others watched the fire from the other side of the river, Liu Yuan's four thousand troops would be a one-way trip, never to return. But time was pressing. Could he really send someone to Chen Sheng and Wu Guang to ask: Are you going to rescue Zhou Wen or not? If you're not going, then I'm not going either!

"Furthermore," Song Xie said slowly, "if Wei Bao gets the troops and turns around to take them to the lands of Wei, the Governer's reach will be too short, and you will be utterly powerless against him. If the County Commandant leads the troops, it will seem as if the Governer does not trust Wei Bao. Such a difficult matter either way is simply not worth doing!"

"Third Brother, what are your thoughts?" Liu Yuan pondered for a moment, then looked towards Xu Zhongfang.

Among Liu Yuan's three confidants, who were nominally subordinates but in reality advisors—Song Xie, An Zheng, and Xu Zhongfang—Song Xie's strengths leaned more towards political calculation and administrative planning. An Zheng was also trending in Song Xie's direction. Neither of them was skilled in military affairs. In contrast, Xu Zhongfang was gradually beginning to show insight and aptitude in military matters, but he was only just starting. It was still far too early to say he could become a military-type general.

However, Liu Yuan was still willing to ask for their opinions. After all, he himself was crossing the river by feeling the stones—they were all much of a muchness, none better than the other.

Xu Zhongfang did not beat around the bush and said frankly, "Mister Song, please do not be offended, but I do not quite agree with your view!"

Song Xie smiled. "It's fine to express our own opinions. County Commandant, no need to be reserved."

Liu Yuan said, "Third Brother, tell me your thoughts."

Xu Zhongfang said, "If Zhou Wen cannot withstand the Qin army's offensive, then we must send aid all the more. Otherwise, once Zhou Wen is defeated and the Qin army continues its advance east, Yingchuan will be in peril! This is the first point."

"Second, Eldest Brother is now the Governer of Yingchuan Commandery, in command of the troops of an entire commandery. Your orders are followed, and your prestige grows daily. But on the other hand, if we sit by and watch Zhou Wen fight a lone battle without concern, I fear it will damage Eldest Brother's reputation. The world will say that though we call ourselves a righteous army, we are in fact but a tray of scattered sand. In the future, if Yingchuan Commandery also needs aid from others, others can use Eldest Brother's actions today as a reason to refuse. At that time, Yingchuan will be isolated and helpless, repeating Zhou Wen's mistake."

"Third, I have interacted with Wei Bao for several days. I observe that this man is brave and martial; he should not be a man without faith. Eldest Brother need not worry that he will take the men and turn around to head for the lands of Wei."

"Therefore, regarding the matter of Zhou Wen, I believe Eldest Brother should rescue him!"

Although Xu Zhongfang was on the path of a military general, his words were well-reasoned, with every sentence considering Liu Yuan's interests. No matter how hesitant Liu Yuan was, he could not help but slowly nod.

This was a very difficult decision to make. What Liu Yuan had to send out was not just four thousand troops, but what amounted to nearly half his foundation.

To be honest, from the day he stationed himself in Yangdi, although he nominally followed the command and dispatch from Chen Commandery, in his heart, Liu Yuan already regarded this army as his private force. This could be seen from his previous thought of establishing himself as a king. As his strength grew, his ambition also expanded bit by bit. This was normal. In a chaotic world, who wasn't like this? Liu Yuan was already considered cautious. A slightly more audacious person would have probably already proclaimed himself the King of Yingchuan.

"You may all leave. Let me think about this properly," Liu Yuan said.

The three men withdrew as ordered and went about their respective duties.

Liu Yuan sat alone in the main hall, rubbing his temples.

This is... such a headache!

When Liu Zhen came over from elsewhere, this was the scene she saw.

Her father had his head in his hands, pressed against the desk, his hair bun all messed up. His legs were casually crossed, with no sense of decorum whatsoever—of course, as a nouveau riche Governer, his lack of aristocratic bearing had long been a subject of criticism.

Liu Zhen stepped one foot inside. As his daughter, she had Liu Yuan's permission to freely enter and exit the main hall, which was a special privilege in itself. However, she was in a very bad mood at the moment, so she couldn't be bothered to feign politeness and first ask "Father, are you busy?" or "Am I disturbing you?" and just walked straight in.

Liu Yuan thought some tactless person had barged in. He looked up, about to scold them, only to see his daughter's gloomy face.

His eldest daughter rarely showed her emotions so openly. Liu Yuan was a little surprised and forgot his own melancholy. He asked, "What's wrong?"

Liu Zhen said, "Father, do you remember that I previously mentioned wanting Ah Ci to come and help you with miscellaneous affairs?"

Liu Yuan nodded. "Of course, I remember."

Liu Zhen said, "He sent a letter today."

Liu Yuan was silent for a moment. "Did he refuse your kind offer?"

Liu Zhen forced a smile and said sullenly, "Father is brilliant."

In truth, she wasn't that upset in her heart. When she had first proposed this to Ji Ci, she had already anticipated that the Ji Family would likely object. It was just that when this prediction became a reality, she still felt a little dejected.

Of course, Ji Ci's letter did not explicitly refuse. It only said that his father and grandfather thought he was still young and his learning was insufficient to assist the Governer. It would be best for him to study for a few more years before coming out, so as not to delay the Governer's important matters. And from Ji Ci's tone, it was clear that he himself very much wanted to come, but was forced to yield due to the opposition of his elders.

Who is more important, your wife or your parents? This was truly a timeless and political topic of debate. Especially when the wife wasn't yet a wife, but just a girlfriend (or boyfriend), the answer seemed to be obvious.

What's more, this was not a moment that required a life-or-death decision, but simply about whether or not to come to Yangdi. Ji Ci must have tried to make his case, but he failed. With his personality, it was naturally impossible for him to do something like go on a hunger strike or run away from home. That would be making a mountain out of a molehill.