In the third year of Bright Light, tenth month.
Cao Zheng of Qing Province, Yuan Chu of Ji Province, Zhao Jie of Xu Province, Shi Jin of Yang Province... thirteen forces answered the imperial court's call and formed a coalition army. Their total strength exceeded four hundred thousand, though they claimed a million, marching to punish Yellow Heaven.
For a time, the Divine Land was shaken.
The Yellow Heaven Army had once numbered one hundred and fifty thousand, claiming three hundred thousand. They had lost fifty thousand in the Southern Wasteland, leaving one hundred thousand, claiming two hundred thousand. After abandoning five counties, they retreated to Ancient Hill Pass and held it fast.
The Yellow Heaven Army's territory had originally consisted of only two passes and fifteen counties. Now that they had withdrawn to Ancient Hill Pass, they had effectively surrendered a full third of their lands in one stroke.
And that was not all. Once the coalition was formed, the Yellow Heaven Army's hearts were thrown into turmoil. Some generals even proposed abandoning Qing Province altogether, retreating to Wu City in the Southern Wasteland, burning the plank roads, taking the Southern Wasteland first, and only then seeking the realm.
Without question, though the Yellow Heaven Army had now declined and was no longer what it once was, it was not devoid of capable people.
Yet Zhao Cheng rejected the proposal, saying, "Retreating before battle—how can one then scheme for a nation?!"
In an age of cold weapons, numbers in war were indeed important, but they were by no means absolute. Otherwise, whenever war broke out, both sides would only need to compare headcounts; whichever had fewer men could simply surrender.
But such a thing was plainly impossible.
Many people meant strength, true—but with greater numbers came, setting all else