While Zhou Cang was racing back to the main camp to request reinforcements from Guo Jia, Guo Jia and Chen Chi were casually enjoying their breakfast, consisting of spring water and wild vegetables.
"I wonder how the situation is going now," Guo Jia murmured, smacking his lips as if trying to extract a hint of wine from the spring water. However, it was clear that this was nothing more than wishful thinking.
"It shouldn't be a big problem. Even if General Zhang can't defeat Lu Bu, the gap shouldn't be too large. After all, both are at the level of internal energy manifestation," Chen Chi speculated, not overly concerned since he knew Guo Jia wasn't one to stand on ceremony.
"Let's hope so," Guo Jia said with a frown, a hint of unease creeping into his mind.
"Does the strategist not have confidence in General Guan and the others?" Chen Chi asked as he took a sip of the spring water, only to grimace and find it difficult to swallow.
"If it's just about commanding troops, General Guan may not be Lu Bu's equal, but he wouldn't suffer a crushing defeat. However, I've been feeling uneasy lately. Thinking back, perhaps it was reckless of me not to accompany General Guan to the battlefield," Guo Jia hesitated, expressing his concerns. For some time now, he had been plagued by a sense of foreboding, with his right eyelid twitching—a bad omen, indeed.
"Strategist Guo, you shouldn't worry. Even if you went, it wouldn't change much. You're not adept at leading troops, and your health isn't the best. Staying in the rear to devise strategies is the right course. On the battlefield, General Guan might even need to protect you," Chen Chi reassured him.
"That may be true, but I can't shake this feeling of unease," Guo Jia replied, his brows furrowed. "From what we know, Lu Bu is not weaker than our forces, and Chen Gong is no pushover. Our biggest advantage lies in having a competent commander, two formidable generals, and two elite units."
"Strategist Guo is overthinking. We still have two other advantages. Our numbers are slightly greater than Lu Bu's, and your strategies are as brilliant as a heavenly steed soaring across the skies," Chen Chi offered a bit of flattery, though it wasn't without basis.
After all, from his perspective, their advantages were significant. Whether it was Guan Yu's saber soldiers or Xu Chu's Tiger Guards, both were top-tier elites. Additionally, Guan Yu's army talent was one of the best in the world, capable of influencing nearly ten thousand soldiers. With such a powerful commander, losing seemed unlikely.
"That's true. General Guan's army talent can affect up to ten thousand soldiers and suppress the enemy's combat effectiveness. Compared to most generals who can only influence five hundred to a thousand men, the difference is enormous," Guo Jia nodded, trying to reassure himself.
While others might not know the full extent of Guan Yu's army talent, Guo Jia, having served as his strategist for so long, understood it well. He knew why Guan Yu's army talent could cover so many soldiers and why it was so powerful.
Normally, army talents could only affect five hundred to a thousand men. That's why when Zhou Yu used his talent to cover all of Sun Ce's troops, even Chen Xi had been stunned. The more soldiers an army talent covered, the greater the overall boost in combat effectiveness. Zhou Yu's talent, for example, boosted morale, which in turn increased combat power by about thirty percent.
There's a huge difference between boosting five hundred soldiers by thirty percent and boosting fifty thousand. This disparity highlighted just how terrifying Zhou Yu's skill was during his moments of musical inspiration.
Guan Yu's army talent, in reality, only covered five hundred men—his five hundred saber soldiers. However, Guan Yu's talent had a hidden condition: as Guan Yu fought and won duels and battles, his aura would grow stronger, extending his talent to more soldiers under his command.
When Guan Yu fought Gao Lan in Ji Province and remained undefeated, his momentum continued to build, eventually allowing him to expand his army talent to cover nearly ten thousand soldiers. While the core remained his five hundred saber soldiers, the rest of his troops were also influenced by his powerful aura, exhibiting effects similar to an army talent.
In other words, the combat effectiveness of Guan Yu's troops would increase as he won more battles. If Guan Yu achieved a miraculous victory, his troops' combat effectiveness would soar in response to his growing confidence and reputation.
However, all of this hinged on one crucial factor: Guan Yu's confidence. If Guan Yu ever doubted himself, even his core saber soldiers might struggle to perform, let alone the rest of his forces. Conversely, if Guan Yu was supremely confident or even overconfident, his army could reach a level where they could sweep aside all opposition, achieving the so-called "god-like" state.
But there was a problem that only those close to Guan Yu, like Guo Jia, understood—deep down, Guan Yu harbored insecurities. His aloof demeanor and silence in social situations were born out of a lack of confidence in his ability to communicate.
Although this insecurity had gradually diminished as Guan Yu's power grew and he took on more responsibilities, he still carried a lingering sense of inadequacy tied to his humble origins. This was why he showed kindness to his soldiers but looked down on scholars—some things are hard to let go of.
Because Guo Jia understood these nuances, he knew that Guan Yu's abilities, including his army talent, were all rooted in his personal strength. If Guan Yu ever doubted his own martial prowess, everything he had built could crumble, and his progress would stall.
Guo Jia's greatest fear now was that if Guan Yu were to be defeated by Lu Bu, he might start doubting himself. If that happened, Guo Jia might even be driven to despair.
As Guo Jia pondered this, he realized he had been subtly guiding Guan Yu toward balancing martial prowess with strategic thinking. This was to prevent a future collapse if Guan Yu were ever defeated. Although Guo Jia believed Guan Yu was already a formidable force, he always prepared for the worst-case scenario.
"Chen Chi, have the troops prepare. My unease is growing stronger and more distinct," Guo Jia said, suddenly raising his head while holding his teacup. Since he anticipated the possibility of things going south, he saw no harm in being prepared in advance.
"Have the troops prepare?" Chen Chi chuckled wryly. "Our main generals and their deputies have all gone to battle. The highest-ranking officer left here is Deputy Sima Fu Lan, and his main task is to protect us. As for leading the troops… well, I don't mean to belittle anyone, but none of these officers can even command two thousand men without causing chaos, let alone an entire army."
Guo Jia froze, his face turning pale. He suddenly realized that if Guan Yu encountered trouble, the entire Taishan army would be doomed. Guo Jia might possess great strategic talent, but that didn't mean he could command an army. He was purely a civil official, and none of the officers left behind had the ability to command even a thousand troops effectively!