Elsewhere, Zi Shou had already woken up.
He had awakened as the battle neared its end. The cries of battle had initially sent him into a panic, but seeing Shen Gongbao sitting quietly at the entrance to the command tent had put him at ease.
Just then, Lu Xiong's messenger arrived, and Ao Lie came too. Both were requesting permission to fight, hoping to seize this opportunity to retake Sishui Pass.
Zi Shou started to speak, stopped, then wanted to speak again. He hesitated for a long time. He had absolutely no idea why the Zhou Army had abandoned defending the pass to raid his camp, why that sudden raid had been repelled so flawlessly, or where this utterly inexplicable victory had come from.
Yet everyone said it was his doing: His Majesty was wise, his calculations divine.
Now the troops were fired up, and every soldier wanted to attack the pass. There was no stopping them. Lu Xiong had already marched on Sishui Pass; the messenger was merely there to notify him.
After thinking for a long time, Zi Shou sighed. "We have Our own difficulties. We declared war on every realm, spent a year preparing, and sent troops on the Western Expedition. What the military officers see is how many enemies they kill, whether a battle is won or lost. What the civil officials see is how much money and grain have been spent, how much land has been acquired that needs governing. As for those nobles and feudal lords, they watch Our every move and Our army's victories and defeats..."
Ao Lie said, "Your humble servant understands Your Majesty's difficulties. If our army cannot retake Sishui Pass and retreats elsewhere, once word spreads throughout the world, Your Majesty's prestige will suffer. The feudal lords will surely stop