Chapter 1192: Why We Fight

Li You glanced at Li Jue's nephew, then turned to the soldiers below and said, "It’s a good thing you feel the weight of responsibility. In the coming year, we’ll be relying on you for the battles ahead. Should any of you retreat when faced with defeat..."

"Don’t even think about defeat! If such a thing happens, I’ll take off the head of the coward myself, then hand my own head to the strategist!" Hu Feng shouted.

"Very well," Li You said coldly, his gaze fixed on Hu Feng. "As soldiers, your duty is to kill the enemy, to use your strength to crush all who stand in your way. Every enemy before you is an opportunity for merit and loot!"

"Roar!" The entire camp of soldiers let out a thunderous shout.

"You are the sharpest blades in the world! You deserve the highest wages, and the right to claim the spoils of war. These are your due. In exchange, you must fight for your country and homeland!" Li You's icy voice echoed throughout the camp.

In the past, when he was still Li Ru, they didn’t fight for the country. Back then, it was for a man, for Dong Zhuo. "Fight for me! Fight for Dong Zhuo!" was the creed of the Xiliang soldiers at the time.

Regardless of whether that belief was right or wrong, it was a belief that bound the Xiliang soldiers together. Dong Zhuo, despite running out of money, never withheld wages from his soldiers.

Because of this, the Xiliang soldiers fiercely supported Dong Zhuo. Their loyalty and strength of belief far exceeded the armies of other warlords. They knew who they were fighting for. This unity of purpose, alongside their brutal training, gave rise to the legendary Flying Bear Army of Dong Zhuo, a force with a nearly unbreakable spirit.

After Dong Zhuo's fall, the Xiliang soldiers lost their unified purpose. But now, Li You was once again instilling in them a common purpose.

"As an exchange, you must offer your lives to fight for your homeland and country!" Li You repeated firmly.

After seeing the world map, many thoughts had crossed Li You's mind. He began gathering information and studying ancient records about countries like Anxi (Parthia), Daqin (Rome), and Che Shi (a region near present-day Xinjiang). These nations, whether strong or weak, posed a potential threat.

Coming from the harsh lands of Xiliang, Li You deeply understood the importance of both physical strength and willpower. China had countless strong men, and it was easy to select hundreds of thousands of fit soldiers. However, physical strength without matching willpower was useless.

Back when the Eight Camps of the Western Garden were established, the soldiers chosen were among the finest—tall, strong men. Yet despite years of training, they were easily defeated by the Xiliang cavalry.

The issue wasn’t one of physical strength but one of fighting spirit. Without the will to fight, no matter how physically imposing, a man could be crushed like dough.

As the backbone of a person, their spirit and willpower are paramount. Once these are broken, what remains is just a heap of flesh. Living only to wait for death is a pathetic existence.

For Li You, a truly elite army needed more than strong bodies. It needed an unwavering will to fight!

Understanding why they fight challenges not only the individual soldier but also the purpose and resilience of the entire army. It determines how much loss the army can endure.

"Do you really think they can understand all this?" Chen Xi whispered behind Li You.

Li You ignored him and continued addressing the soldiers. "This is what I want to tell you. Those willing to fight for the country, stay where you are." All the soldiers remained unmoving, as if they had all accepted Li You’s proposition.

If he had asked those willing to fight to step forward, there might have been hesitation and confusion. But his method left no room for doubt.

"Good!" Li You said, surveying the soldiers. "As elites defending your homeland, you are not fighting for any one person. You fight for the nation. This means more training. Hu Feng, Li Meng, Wang Fang, Hu Zhen, Duan Wei, step forward!"

"Here!" the five of them roared in unison. The strength of the Xiliang soldiers today was due in no small part to Li You’s previous training.

"From today onward, the entire army will engage in combat drills and battalion-level simulations!" Li You commanded.

Without hesitation, Hu Feng and the others began organizing their men into five divisions, donning armor and grabbing weapons before charging out of the camp, running in formation around the camp’s perimeter.

"What’s going on?" Chen Xi asked, watching as the Xiliang soldiers rushed out. "And by the way, are you sure they understood what you said?"

"They’ll start with a thirty-mile run in full armor, roughly the distance at which scouts would encounter enemy forces. After the run, archers will practice shooting with dull arrows, while infantry engages in hand-to-hand combat with blunt spears. That’s how we used to do it," Li You explained.

"When only a few remain standing, they’ll switch to live combat with real weapons," Li You added nonchalantly, before Chen Xi could praise him for showing some humanity.

"As for whether they understood me," Li You said with a cold expression, "that doesn’t matter. They don’t need to understand everything. They only need to know that we aren’t cheating them. And if they feel indebted to us, even better."

"Isn’t that a bit harsh?" Chen Xi scratched his nose.

"What’s harsh about it?" Li You sneered. "Every man has his own internal scale. If you give them just a bit more than they expect, they’ll have every reason to fight to the death for you. A little kindness goes a long way. Letting them fight out of their own will is far better than forcing them to fight for material gain."

"Are you saying I’ve been too generous?" Chen Xi frowned.

"Not at all. It’s just that the way you’ve given it is wrong," Li You corrected. "You’ve shown them generosity, but you’ve made it seem too easy. If something comes too easily, people won’t value it. That’s why I’ve been holding off on distributing the household registration reforms and military benefits."

"You’re saying that we shouldn’t treat everyone equally, even if we have the resources to do so? That we should make the soldiers and people show their worth before granting them those benefits?" Chen Xi rubbed his temples.

"Exactly. Hierarchy and rewards drive people to improve. That realization struck me when I saw the Xiliang soldiers again. From now on, we’ll need to implement everything step by step," Li You said solemnly.

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