“How could an army that was hastily assembled just a few days earlier become a disciplined, ironclad force that followed orders without question in just one day?” Hu Wei asked, his face pale, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on Zhu Shouren and Xia Qiang as he pressed further.
“Why?” Zhu Shouren and Xia Qiang were momentarily stunned, then replied, “Because Er Zhu Rong emphasized military discipline. He was impartial and showed no favoritism, even going so far as to publicly execute his own nephew for trampling a field.”
“Rather than saying that, it’s more accurate to say…” Hu Wei paused here, glancing warily out the window.
“There’s no one here but the three of us. Stop beating around the bush and just say it,” Zhu Shouren urged impatiently.
“Exactly, Brother Hu, just say it straight. Why are you suddenly acting so timid?” Xia Qiang looked at Hu Wei in confusion, urging him to continue.
“More accurately, Er Zhu Rong used his nephew’s head to train an ironclad army that followed orders without question and adhered strictly to military discipline—all in a single day!” Hu Wei said through clenched teeth.
“What?”
Zhu Shouren and Xia Qiang were momentarily stunned, then nodded. “What you’re saying makes sense.”
“What do you mean, ‘makes sense’? The reality was far more brutal than what’s recorded in the books, far more brutal than you can imagine. Rather than saying Er Zhu Rong was impartial, it’s more accurate to say this was a trap he designed. Who was Er Zhu Rong? He was a combination of Cao Cao and Dong Zhuo. History evaluates him as ‘more accomplished than Cao Cao, more disastrous than Dong Zhuo.’ He was as ruthless as a butcher. When he led his army into the capital, he drowned Empress Dowager Hu and the young emperor, and slaughtered over two thousand Northern Wei nobles and officials. He was cold-blooded and merciless, killing without hesitation. What was one measly nephew to him?”
Hu Wei let out a cold laugh and shook his head.
“Are you saying Er Zhu Rong did it on purpose?” Zhu Shouren and Xia Qiang belatedly caught on.
“Absolutely on purpose. Think about it—the Rouran army was about to invade, the Six Garrisons’ rebels were on their way, and the situation at the Er Zhu River was as precarious as a pile of eggs. Why would Er Zhu Rong, instead of training his troops and preparing defenses, have the leisure to go out and inspect his territory? And why would he go to the fields?!” Hu Wei said with a sneer.
After hearing this, Zhu Shouren and Xia Qiang also felt something was off.
“Also, did you notice when you were reading the book? Er Zhu Rong took his nephew out to inspect the territory, and when they passed by a field, Er Zhu Rong’s horse spooked. Pay attention—it was Er Zhu Rong’s horse that spooked, not his nephew’s! Er Zhu Rong’s horse spooked and threw him off?! Don’t you find that ridiculous?” Hu Wei countered.
“Why is that ridiculous?” Zhu Shouren, still not catching on, asked in confusion.
“Er Zhu Rong was from the Qihu tribe, a nomadic people. He grew up on horseback, skilled in archery and horsemanship, and was unmatched in martial prowess. He wasn’t a strategist who planned battles from afar; he was a fierce warrior who led charges into the heart of enemy formations, cutting down generals and seizing flags. Chen Qingzhi, the man who made ‘thousands of troops and horses flee at the sight of his white robe,’ was incredibly formidable, yet even he was defeated by Er Zhu Rong’s direct assault. Er Zhu Rong’s horse spooked and threw him off? Ha! Do you really think that’s possible? A man as brave as Xiang Yu or Lü Bu, would he really be thrown off by a spooked horse? It didn’t happen earlier or later, but just as they were passing by a field?! And not only did the horse spook, but it also threw him off?! And after being thrown off, he just coldly watched his nephew chase the horse into the field without stopping him?! Don’t you find that suspicious?”
Hu Wei pointed at the passage in the book, shaking his head vigorously and laughing scornfully, listing several inconsistencies.
After hearing this, Zhu Shouren and Xia Qiang were also convinced by Hu Wei’s reasoning, finding the scene highly suspicious.
“This was a setup, a carefully designed trap by Er Zhu Rong! With the Rouran and rebel armies pressing down on him, Er Zhu Rong only had a ragtag group of hastily assembled soldiers. How could he turn the tide at such a critical moment? He needed a head—a head that could terrify his ragtag troops into submission, a head that would make them tremble and not dare to disobey his orders. And the only heads that could bear such weight were either his son or his nephew. A tiger may be vicious, but it doesn’t eat its own cubs. He couldn’t bear to sacrifice his son, so it had to be his nephew.”
“That’s why he took his nephew out to inspect the territory instead of his son. That’s why he had his nephew ride closely behind him. That’s why he went to inspect the fields. That’s why his horse spooked and threw him off. That’s why his nephew chased the horse into the field—and I believe he even deliberately ordered his nephew to chase the horse.”
“That’s why, as soon as his nephew caught the horse, he was tied up. That’s why Er Zhu Rong urgently gathered the entire army on the training ground and, in front of all the soldiers, impartially and righteously executed his nephew!”
“It was his nephew’s head that made the entire army tremble, ensuring that his orders were followed without question! In a single day, a ragtag group became a formidable force.”
“So, in essence, this story is about how Er Zhu Rong used his nephew’s head to train an ironclad army that followed orders without question, was invincible in battle, and conquered all in an extremely short time!”
Hu Wei grew more and more agitated as he spoke, his face growing paler, and by the end, his voice was trembling.
“This Er Zhu Rong was truly ruthless. To train his troops, he didn’t hesitate to sacrifice his nephew’s life. What a monster!” Zhu Shouren, deeply convinced, couldn’t help but shake his head and curse Er Zhu Rong as inhuman.
“That’s what makes a warlord. Otherwise, Brother Zhu, where do you think the phrase ‘the bones of ten thousand men lie beneath the achievements of one general’ comes from?! For the sake of his ambitions, what was one nephew’s life worth? Nothing!”
Xia Qiang sighed.
“Wait, haven’t you made any connections?” Hu Wei asked, his lips twitching as he looked at the two.
“What connections are we supposed to make?” Zhu Shouren and Xia Qiang asked blankly, not understanding Hu Wei’s question.
“Do you remember which page Commander Zhu was reading this morning?” Hu Wei prompted, frustrated.
“The story about Cao Cao attacking Yuan Shu, running out of food on the way, and using the grain officer’s head to quell the army’s discontent. Don’t you remember, Brother Hu?”
Xia Qiang answered without hesitation.
“Exactly, Brother Hu, it was Cao Cao’s story. Didn’t we discuss it and conclude that Commander Zhu was worried about the Japanese pirates besieging the camp and our army running out of food, which is why he had us draft a request for a month’s worth of provisions from Suzhou?”
Zhu Shouren followed up.
“Ha, I initially thought Commander Zhu was worried about food supplies, but after reading today’s story, I realize I was wrong.”
Hu Wei laughed coldly and shook his head.
“We were wrong?” Zhu Shouren and Xia Qiang were stunned. “Brother Hu, what do you mean by that?”
