Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Excerpt from Chapter 977 for memorization

You're such a good actress, you should definitely join our Baoan Hall.

If he were to casually utter a couple of famous military maxims at this moment, wouldn't that be incredibly cool?

Yu Ji was incredibly clever. While she was directing the 60,000-strong army, she didn't forget to observe the reaction of the Little Green King beside her.

Seeing the shock and a strange envy in the eyes of this female king, it seemed that she did not have much resentment.

He took the initiative to speak, his voice clear and melodious, both to offer guidance on the battlefield and to avoid appearing overly accomplished, providing fair evaluation and explanation:
"To be fair, King Chen truly deserves to be called the first to rebel against Qin. His personal spirit is indeed extraordinary. He united the army with the thought that 'Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?' Even if his soldiers turned into ghosts, they would still be full of an indomitable spirit and the courage to live in the face of death. This spirit is the soul of his army. Ordinary armies would have been crushed long ago."

She then changed the subject and pointed out the key point:
"However, the biggest weakness of their army has remained unchanged for hundreds of years, which is their generals... who have made almost no progress as they have in life."

Xiaoqing nodded, "That's right, that's what I think too."

Yu Ji was also happy about this tacit understanding between heroes, and indeed this king was a man of insight.

Then they continued their conversation at length.

For example, among Chen Sheng's generals, Song Liusheng, who charged ahead, had a biography that simply stated "a native of Zhi County".

Deng Zongyi was merely a native of Ruyin County at the end of the Qin Dynasty. Even Wu Guang, who was revered as a false king, had only achieved one major accomplishment before rebelling against the Qin Dynasty: serving as a garrison commander when he was conscripted to defend Yuyang.

Besides that, there is nothing more to write about in my personal resume.

Born into humble circumstances, they relied on sheer courage and the impetus of the times. They may have had some quick wit, but they lacked a systematic inheritance and profound knowledge of true military strategy and the evolution of battle formations.

These words subtly reveal a cruel reality of the times.

The social circles Yu Ji belonged to during her lifetime, the generals she knew, and their names were often followed by a long list of illustrious family backgrounds and their positions at the time.

Even if Chu has only three households left, it will surely be Chu that destroys Qin. This is no empty saying.

The Chu nobility possessed a vast collection of military treatises and strategies passed down for hundreds of years. Their unwavering desire to restore their kingdom burned like an inextinguishable flame, with generations preparing to rebel against the Qin dynasty.

At this moment, the drumbeat changed slightly, and the three thousand demon cavalry commanding the Black Crocodile once again completed a beautiful flanking maneuver, breaking up another wave of demon army formations as easily as a hot knife through butter.

"You see, the method of manipulating the cavalry to launch a flanking attack at this moment is the essence of Xiang Yu's most proficient 'military strategy.' It emphasizes striking a single point with overwhelming force to break the overall situation. It is unparalleled in its sharpness, and ordinary formations can hardly withstand its power."

"And even under Liu Bang, the King of Han who ultimately triumphed, did he not lack strategists like Zhang Liang, commanders like Han Xin who were military geniuses descended to earth, and capable ministers like Cao Can and Zhou Bo who came from military families or had considerable influence?"

Knowledge and strategy were largely monopolized by nobles or those with a certain level of social standing at that time. This was the key reason why the nobles of the six former states were able to quickly rise from the ashes during the chaos at the end of the Qin Dynasty and ultimately help Liu Bang establish his rule over the entire country.

As a noblewoman, Yu Ji, after being resurrected, was able to analyze the past from a perspective outside of her own time.

Ordinary civilians are not incapable of fighting; many of them are brave and fierce, and some can even become valiant generals who charge into battle.

However, to become a high-ranking general who can strategize and command thousands of troops, or even a leader who can determine the course of the world, one is often limited by one's vision, knowledge inheritance, and strategic thinking, and thus has a limited upper limit.

At the beginning of their sweeping conquest of the world, they relied on their passion and indignation, their momentum was unstoppable, and they were naturally invincible.

The people had long suffered under Qin, and the response was overwhelming, so great that even Qin Er Shi (Hu Hai), who lived deep within the palace, was frightened by this sudden and widespread movement.

However, by the time the Qin Dynasty's massive war machine truly reacted, employing generals like Zhang Han and releasing convicts to form a large, organized army for a counterattack...

The drawbacks of lacking truly core military capabilities are thus fully exposed.

Strategic missteps, rigid tactics, and difficulty in coordinating among various units ultimately resulted in the Zhang Chu regime being routed by Zhang Han's army. Those who deserved to die died, and those who deserved to surrender surrendered. The once mighty Zhang Chu regime quickly collapsed.

Therefore, the fate of "leading the way for the king in the first uprising" was predetermined.

After listening to this insightful yet simple explanation, Xiaoqing nodded in agreement.

She was even more amazed: she never imagined that the fragments of memory left in the cycle of reincarnation based on endless resentment would actually be like a huge treasure trove, forcibly transforming a beauty who might have only existed in history books and legends into the skilled female military god she is today!
As soon as this thought arose, Xiaoqing's golden demonic eyes lit up.

Watching Yu Ji's focused and confident profile as she beat the drum, my mind immediately started racing.

Such talent is rare and hard to find.

My Baoan Hall is currently in need of manpower. If we can take over all the water systems of the Five Lakes in the future, we will have more than 100,000 naval troops under our command.

We are in dire need of a general who can oversee the overall situation and is skilled in warfare!

We must find a way to bring Yu Ji under our command, no matter what!

Hmm... When she finally conquers all the Five Lakes and becomes the Water Lord of the Five Lakes, she will be given the title of "General of the Five Lakes" and command all the aquatic troops!
That would be much more interesting than letting her spend all her time reminiscing about the Overlord!

Thinking of this, Xiaoqing's gaze towards Yu Ji had completely transformed from surprise and admiration to a "greedy" gleam of having discovered a priceless treasure and being determined to obtain it.

As for whether Yu Ji herself was willing... in her opinion, it wasn't a big problem.

We can first send someone surnamed Xu to try and persuade... no, to sincerely invite him!

Amidst the increasingly rousing war drums, the last vestige of resistance in Zhang Chu's 100,000-strong army was utterly crushed.

The army formation collapsed, and the ghost soldiers either scattered and fled, or were devoured by the demon army. Many more had their souls disintegrate, turning into wisps of black mist that sank back into the churning pool of blood, leaving behind countless unwilling howls.

Without the support of his army and surrounded, Chen Sheng, though brave, could not withstand the combined attack of the "Three Heroes and One Cloud" of Shu Mountain: Li Yingqi, Yu Yingnan, Yan Renying, and Qi Lingyun.

In the end, Chen Sheng's rusty sword was knocked away by Li Yingqi's exquisite double sword strike, and his ghostly body was firmly bound by the dragon-binding rope thrown by Qi Lingyun. He was defeated and captured.

Li Yingqi escorted this former rebel leader to King Xiaoqing.

At this moment, the eerie winds above the battlefield seemed to carry the scent of gunpowder and death, while the lingering echoes of the dying fox's cry still stubbornly reverberated in the air: "Great Chu will rise! Chen Sheng will be king!" Against the backdrop of the complete annihilation of the army and the capture of the commander, this voice sounded incredibly jarring and ironic.

Chen Sheng was brought before Xiao Qing, his face full of arrogance and resentment.

It was a woman?!
They were even more unwilling to accept it.

Struggling against the chains, he roared to the sky: "It is not my fault in battle! It is fate that has not been on my side! A brave man should either live or die to make a name for himself! How hateful! How hateful that we have just started our uprising today, yet neither in the human world nor in the underworld has my name, Chen Sheng, been heard! I am not reconciled!" His roar echoed in the empty blood pool of hell, filled with the desolation of a hero's end.

However, just as the fox demon's mournful cry of "Great Chu will rise, Chen Sheng will be king" abruptly ceased, a calm yet inexplicably powerful voice rang out from the shadows nearby:
"Throughout history, the calamities of chaos and destruction have not originated from the barbarians, but from the common people."

Xu Xuan slowly stepped out of the darkness, his gaze calmly fixed on the bound Chen Sheng.

White light emanated from the soul, falling layer upon layer upon the other's body.

Xiaoqing calmed down from her rage and then began to gloat.

Now that the guy surnamed Xu has spoken, he's definitely in for trouble.

There's a reason why Buddhism requires adherence to verbal precepts: disobeying them would be extremely harmful.

Xu Xuan, unaware of the little demon's inner turmoil, continued to speak to dispel Chen Sheng's resentment.

Once a person becomes a ghost, it becomes difficult to maintain their willpower, and they are easily swayed by emotions and obsessions. If they themselves cannot escape this, others will naturally be even more likely to succumb to it.

As a hero of his time, his insistence on returning to the mortal world might be partly due to the loss of human blessings and fortune after death, leading him to fall into fanaticism.

"Qin was powerful, conquering the six states and sweeping across the land. How mighty it was! But in the end, it was not the nobles and descendants of the six states who stirred up the world and overthrew its state, but you, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang, who were just 'commoners'."

Xu Xuan walked up to Chen Sheng, his tone still calm, yet every word struck Chen Sheng's heart like a hammer blow:

"So, how could the downfall of the Qin Dynasty be some vague and ethereal 'destiny'?"

His gaze was deep, as if he could see through the mists of history spanning hundreds of years:

"The downfall of Qin is the common wish of countless ordinary people like you, who were driven to desperation by its oppressive government! It is the will of the people, the overwhelming trend of history!"

Then, the tone shifted, directly addressing Chen Sheng's current obsession:
"And now, you keep saying you want to return to the mortal world and fight for supremacy again. I ask you, where does this 'destiny' you rely on come from? Can the 100,000 vengeful souls struggling in the blood pool of the underworld represent the 'human hearts' of the 'common people' in the mortal world?"

Xu Xuan's question was like a bucket of cold water poured over Chen Sheng's head, instantly extinguishing his resentment and anger.

He stood there, stunned, his mouth agape.
Thinking back to those soldiers in Dazexiang, driven to desperation like him, their eyes were the true source of strength.

But now... looking at the ghost soldiers around him, who were now only filled with resentment, and the endless pool of blood, he was speechless for a moment.

Xu Xuan pressed his advantage and continued to persuade him:

"Furthermore, regarding Zhang Chu... how many years has the real Chu state been extinct?"

"Even Xiang Yu, who inherited the Chu lineage and was strong enough to lift a tripod, has long since perished at the Wujiang River. Even Liu Bang, the victor of that time who established the Han dynasty for four hundred years, has long since turned into a handful of yellow earth."

"Times have changed, why do you still cling to this banner that has long since vanished in the wind?"

Taking a step closer, his gaze held a calm acceptance of history as he continued to persuade him: "King Chen, although you did not achieve imperial power in your lifetime, the name 'Chen Sheng' has been etched into history along with the flames of war at Dazexiang."

"Thousands of years after your death, your story is still told among people, and your cry of 'Are kings and nobles born with special privileges?' continues to inspire people of all generations."

"This is already a reputation that ordinary people can hardly achieve. Why insist on stirring up new storms and adding to the bloodshed?"

As he spoke, Xu Xuan raised his hand, and a flash of light appeared at his fingertips. The "Dragon-Binding Rope" that bound Chen Sheng's ghost body was released and turned into specks of light that dissipated.

He looked at Chen Sheng with earnest eyes and a sincere tone:

"Go and be reincarnated, King Chen."

"Human destiny is predetermined. If injustice and tyranny are to recur, new heroes will inherit your torch of resistance and raise the banner once more."

"The cycle of heaven and earth has no shortage of Chen Sheng; you deserve a more dignified ending."

Xu Xuan did indeed harbor a rare glimmer of goodwill towards Chen Sheng.

While the world may only know him as the earliest and most courageous among the anti-Qin heroes, in another dimension of historical evaluation known to Xu Xuan, the Chen Sheng and Wu Guang uprising was defined as "the first large-scale peasant uprising in Chinese history," and Chen Sheng himself was hailed as "the first person to stage a peasant uprising."

For this reason, his "The Story of Chen Sheng" was included in Chinese language textbooks, and the Dazexiang Uprising is a significant event in history textbooks.

In a sense, this can be seen as "characters from books coming to life".

Xu Xuan had met quite a few historical figures, and his "historical filter" on Chen Sheng wasn't too deep, but he still had an extra layer of affection from reciting excerpts from "The Biography of Chen Sheng" back then.

Considering that he has not yet caused any real harm to the mortal realm, it is hoped that this hero who once posed such a startling question can have a relatively dignified end.

After all, the phrase "Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?" that has resonated for two thousand years is itself a magnificent swan song.

Chen Sheng remained silent for a long time, his face contorted with an unpredictable expression, before finally letting out a long sigh.

There was a sense of relief in that sigh, as if some heavy burden had been lifted.

But more than anything, it evokes a sense of desolation, a feeling that the tide has turned and there is nothing that can be done.

The overwhelming resentment and malevolent aura surrounding him dissipated by most of it.

However, when he heard the word "reincarnation," a clear sense of resistance flashed in his eyes.

“Reincarnation…” he murmured softly, shaking his head.

Reincarnation means forgetting everything and starting anew, which is an unacceptable end for a soul that once stirred up the world.

Xu Xuan keenly noticed his resistance, and the gentleness on his face gradually faded, his eyes becoming somewhat subtle.

Don't think I'm some kind of good person; my limited kindness is almost gone.

There's a reason why I was forced to memorize the excerpt.

(End of this chapter)