491: Chapter 491 I Don't Understand

"First of all, the number of mercenaries must absolutely not exceed the strength of our own troops."

Zhao Fusu's expression was grave. His gaze swept slowly across everyone present, and he said word by word, "Even if these mercenaries do not obey our orders in the future, or even attempt to rebel, with our strength, we will be able to easily suppress them!"

Zhao Fusu's words made Fan Zeng and Xiang Liang nod slowly.

They knew clearly in their hearts that if the number of mercenaries exceeded their own, it would undoubtedly be nurturing a future threat.

These mercenaries could very likely usurp the master's role. Not only would they fail to become the sharp blade in their hands to defeat the enemy, but they would instead become a hindrance to their progress, and could even pose a fatal threat.

"Not only that..."

Zhao Fusu paused slightly and continued, "The Centurions and commanders of a thousand of the mercenaries will all be subject to a rotation system. In other words, they cannot command a single army for a long period. Furthermore, their garrisons must also be rotated; they cannot be allowed to stay in one place for too long."

Before Zhao Fusu had finished speaking, everyone present—whether it was Xiang Liang, Fan Zeng, or others who understood a little about military affairs—instantly furrowed their brows, their faces filled with worry.

As Zhao Fusu's staunch supporters, Tian Feng, Zhao Xuan, and Han Zhao were also tense, their eyes filled with confusion as they gazed at Zhao Fusu with strange looks. It was clear that they did not approve of this decision by Zhao Fusu.

Zhao Xuan was the first to stand up. With a sincere and anxious expression, he said, "Consul General, I truly do not understand. If a general cannot command a single army for a long period, it will inevitably lead to a situation where the soldiers do not know the general, and the general does not know the soldiers. As a result, they cannot form a cohesive whole and will inevitably become scattered sand on the battlefield. How can we speak of combat effectiveness then?"

Xiang Liang nodded slightly, his gaze falling on Zhao Xuan. He pondered inwardly that this Zhao Xuan indeed had some military acumen, as he had pointed out the key issue that he himself was worried about.

Historically, the reason Xiang Yu was invincible in battle, aside from his own great martial prowess and the group of fierce generals surrounding him, was more importantly inseparable from the tacit cooperation of the eight thousand Jiangdong Youths.

Most of those Jiangdong Youths were related to Xiang Yu; tracing back six generations, they might all have been one family.

They knew each other's roots and were full of trust for one another.

On the battlefield, they were each like tigers descending from the mountains, roaring as they charged forward, scrambling to protect their comrades behind them.

It was precisely this bond of life and death and tacit understanding that allowed them to erupt with astonishing combat effectiveness.

However, after Xiang Yu was defeated, those eight thousand Jiangdong Youths all sacrificed their lives heroically.

Xiang Yu had no face to return to Jiangdong, so he slit his own throat by the Wujiang River.

It is understandable that he had no face to return to Jiangdong.

It is like taking the most promising and elite group from your family to seek your fortune, only to fail. Not only did you fail to protect them, but you also let them die in a foreign land, and in the end, you are the only one left to return, disgraced and dejected.

In such a situation, how could one not feel self-reproach when facing the elders of the family?

It was precisely because the bravest group of people in Jiangdong had all died in battle that the spirit of Jiangdong was greatly diminished. After nurturing it for four or five hundred years, by the Three Kingdoms period, they finally produced a "Little Conqueror," Sun Jian, but he died young. From then on, the spirit of Jiangdong was completely gone, and they became a Jerry.

Of course, these are matters for later.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the conference room grew increasingly heavy, and more and more people spoke up, saying, "I also do not understand!"

"I also do not understand!"

The eyes of everyone present were filled with confusion and bewilderment, and they were all waiting for Zhao Fusu to provide a reasonable explanation.