Yang Chen led approximately 500 soldiers, choosing not to retreat to the southern or western regions, but instead gathering in a specific location within his own territory along with some troops from the Yang family. Upon assessing the situation, he noted that there were over 2,000 soldiers, along with several dozens civilians. For these soldiers, in the past, Yang Chen had been a high-ranking Young Marshal, known for his strict training and unforgiving discipline. However, he had earned a positive reputation among both officers and soldiers by establishing a clear system of rewards and punishments. He also showed great care for the disabled soldiers and the families of fallen soldiers and officers, ensuring their welfare without hesitation. Now, amidst the ongoing conflict, he shared the same hardships as his soldiers, eating the same rations, camping in the open, climbing mountains, and crawling through difficult terrain. His refusal to display any airs of superiority further solidified the greater respect and loyalty of his troops, uniting them in their resistance against the invading Wasoku forces.
Taking advantage of the remote mountainous terrain and the fact that the Wasoku forces had not yet fully arrived, Yang Chen decided to take the opportunity to strike a blow against the enemy. The nail that sticks up mostly gets hammered down. With his force of 2,000 soldiers, he decisively defeated 5,000 of the Wasoku's vanguard. Realizing the limitations of his forces, Yang Chen and his troops avoided further engagement and quickly retreated south to minimize casualties among his own soldiers. This small victory quickly spread out, boosting the fighting spirit of the local people. Even though Yang Chen and his soldiers were retreating, they not only absorbed scattered troops but they also recruited over a hundred new soldiers, expanding their army to nearly 3,000. As the battle unfolded, Yang Chen began reflecting on why the eastern army had been so easily defeated:
Firstly, the years of peace had led him to neglect the expansion of his army. Although he had never eased up on training for soldiers and officers, and even he took use of the military exercise to help them adapt to the battlefield environment, there had been no recruitment or expansion of new troops. This was due to his concern about provoking jealousy among the other three warlords, who might perceive an expansion of Yang Chen's forces as a threat. Although the current force was sufficient for handling the internal conflicts among warlords, it proved inadequate in the face of a nation's invasion.
Second he prioritized the army over the navy, resulting in the neglect of naval development. Although he did possess his own navy, the warships, with lower tonnage, were outdated and there was a notable shortage of the skilled naval officers in his navy. Despite initiating recruitment efforts for naval soldiers and seeking assistance from the Liao family to train his naval forces before the Wasoku started their assault on the Midlands, these efforts were rushed. As a result, he found himself expending significant energy on naval battles with less-than-optimal resources.
Thirdly, he had relied too heavily on Chen Yufeng, underestimating the internal conflicts within the Chen family, especially Chen Shubing's strong influence within the Chen family's army, which had even led to the marginalization of his elder brother, Chen Shuyu, from the Chen family's central leadership. Initially, Yang Tianhu had believed that Chen Yutian was protecting his eldest son. However, this assumption proved to be incorrect. Yang Chen had failed to uncover this critical information and, even now, he remained uncertain about what exactly had transpired with Chen Yufeng.
Fourthly, the slow pace of weapons modernization had left many of his soldiers without access to the latest rifles, while the Wasoku troops was equipped with far superior weaponry. This discrepancy in armament placed his troops at a significant disadvantage on the battlefield.
Lastly, his own arrogance had been a harmful role. Bearing the title of Young Marshal daily, he carried himself with pride, swaggering among his peers as one of the four warlords. However, a national war couldn't be won by the strength of one person alone. He, Yang Chen, wasn't infallible. For example, he was no match for Liao Yuanpeng in naval battles, rendering him ineffective in maritime warfare. During the naval battle against the Wasoku navy, he found himself helpless, unable to contribute or even step aboard the warships.
Yang Chen spoke to himself:
"Yang Chen, Yang Chen, you truly have been a big fool, arrogant and conceited, thinking too highly of yourself. Now, look at what you've done. You've plunged the entire eastern region into a state of devastation. This is your fault, an unforgivable mistake. Yes, since you've made this mistake, it is your responsibility to make amends. Your duty now, no, your responsibility is to rectify this mistake not just for the eastern region but for the entire nation. Yes, Yang Chen, you have to shoulder the burden of restoring the morale of the entire nation and driving out the foreign invaders. You must succeed in every battle, being more careful and thorough, from now on. Well, you're not excel in naval combat but now that the battlefield has shifted to the land, which your advantage comes into play. This is no room for you to make even the slightest mistake. You must devise smarter and more effective strategies to turn the tide of this defeated situation around. But what will you do for the next?"
Lying on the grassy hill, Yang Chen gazed up at the stars, lost in thought. Around him, his soldiers rested. Yang Zaihua lay nearby, wrapped in a blanket, sleeping soundly. Slowly, a smile spread across his lips. Subconsciously, his hand moved to touch the carved piece hanging around his neck. A fond expression crossed his face as he pulled out the walnut carving that had always hung there. It was the first walnut carving Zhou Di had made. Since the day Zhou Di had given it to him, Yang Chen had always worn it close to his neck. As he looked at the carving, he couldn't help but kiss it gently and softly whispered to himself:
"Dizi, how are you now? Are you safe? You have no idea how much I miss having you by my side, holding you, kissing you. Right now, I desperately need your comfort and encouragement. Turly, I want to scold myself harshly for my arrogance and short-sightedness, which have not only harmed you but have also brought devastation to our eastern region, causing countless people to have lost their homes and lives. I'm ashamed to bear the title of Young Marshal. It's an unforgivable sin. But rest assured, I, Yang Chen, am not someone who easily stays down. Wherever I fall down, I will stand up again. I will ensure the Wasoku people pay for the blood debt they owe to the Midlands. Dizi, you know I might have become a lonely man now. The last time I contacted my family. I still had no news of my wife and son. Even now I don't know where they are or whether they are even alive. To tell you the truth, I'm scared that something might have happened to them. They may no longer be in this world. If that's the case, then you'll be the only one left in my life. So you must stay well. Please! You must wait for me to come back. You are my only support, my only hope."
Lost in a whirlwind of self-blame and missing mixed in his mind, he held the carving tightly, eventually drifting into a restless sleep. Upon awakening the next morning, he immediately issued his orders to Yang Zaihua:
"Zaihua, spread my commands to everyone. First, ensure that all soldiers and civilians in areas threatened by the Wasoku army immediately retreat towards the south and west. Everything, from people to supplies, especially the food, must be withdrawn. Not a single grain should be left for the enemy. Take all that can be salvaged, and burn them what can't be taken if necessary. Second, disperse our troops but maintain efficient lines of communication. We must be prepared to scatter and retreat when the Wasoku forces attack. However, when the opportunity arises, we must also remain prepared to regroup quickly. We must preserve our strength and strike the enemy hard with full force." As Yang Zaihua departed to carry out the orders, Yang Chen muttered to himself, "I will make the Wasoku people taste the same fate as Napoleon suffered in Russia."
As Yang Chen's troops retreated, he continuously dispatched scouts to monitor the movements of the advancing Wasoku forces. Before long, he discovered that the Wasoku army was facing significant challenges. Due to the extended front lines and their deep penetration into the Midlands territory, it had stretched their resources thin. Although the territory of the Chen family had served as the supply base for the Wasoku, the Wasoku forces were struggling with troop shortage and logistical supplies.
Following Yang Chen's orders, the people began to evacuate and strip their surroundings as they retreated towards the south and the west. As a result, the Wasoku troops encountered deserted regions wherever they advanced, which made it difficult for them to effectively combat the constant harassment from Yang Chen's troop. They were forced to consolidate in a few major cities, leaving the rest of the region open for Yang Chen's troops to operate more freely.
Over the next six months, Yang Chen and his troops engaged in guerrilla warfare against the Wasoku forces, successfully halting the Wasoku further advance southward. This strategy prevented the Wasoku from invading the territory of Liao Feng via the land route, enabling Liao Yuanpeng to focus on resisting the Wasoku troops that had landed by sea. Additionally, due to the extensive propaganda efforts by the Yang and Liao families, along with several small but significant victories, the people of the Midlands began to regain hope. Consequently, many young people across the nation joined the armies of these two families. Even some people from the western territory of the Feng family joined the Yang family's army. This increased the strength by a considerable margin not only for two families but also for Yang Chen's. Although until now Yang Tianhu had not yet made contact with his son, Yang Chen, he felt a deep sense that his son might still be alive, bravely fighting against the Wasoku invaders.
Zhou Di, of course, was unaware of Yang Chen's affairs. In the past he had lacked significant knowledge of the current events and politics. However, after meeting Yang Chen, he began paying closer attention to the news about Yang Chen. Now at Guan Yunkai's urging, he had even purchased a radio and listened to various programs controlled by Wasoku government every day.
Of course their progress in the restoration work was very slow. It took them six months to complete five antiques, including three items for An Yuanxi. But secretly they had managed to repair two antiques that Guan Yunkai had hidden. This task was challenging, requiring them to spend several nights painstakingly piecing together fragments. Once completion, Zhou Di placed the finished antiques in the secret room to dry and Guan Yunkai had never inquired about their whereabouts. An Yuanxi expressed high appreciation for the three restored antiques, which led to a surprise visit to Zhou Di's small shop. This caught everyone in the shop off guard.
In the midst of the rush, Zhou Di noticed a teapot on the shelf, precisely the one that Guan Yunkai had hidden. If An Yuanxi saw it, they all would be in grave danger. In a panic, Zhou Di could only toss the newly repaired teapot into the trash bin. But before he could conceal it properly, he had to step outside to greet An Yuanxi and his entourage. Leading them into the workshop, Zhou Di saw Yang Zichun wiping Zhou Aichen's buttocks with a piece of cloth. Upon seeing Zhou Di, Yang Zichun turned to Zhou Di and said:
"Pa, Chen'er peed."
Zhou Di pointed at Zhou Aichen and apologized to An Yuanxi:
"I'm sorry, Sir. Please allow me to....."
An Yuanxi responded with a simple "Hmm". Zhou Di hurried over and saw a wet diaper thrown into the trash bin, perfectly covering the teapot. He breathed a sigh of relief, took the cloth from Yang Zichun's hand, continued wiping Zhou Aichen's buttocks, and then threw the cloth into the trash bin. He pulled out a fresh cloth diaper from a small pouch, tidied up Zhou Aichen and then said to Yang Zichun:
"There are the guests here so you should go to Uncle Guan's room with your younger brother. You can also take a break and rest your eyes. You have been studying all morning."
"Yes, pa."
Yang Zichun bowed to An Yuanxi before carrying Zhou Aichen laboriously and leaving. An Yuanxi watched them leaving the room and then asked:
"Are these two children your sons?"
"Yes."
"But you've been married for less than two years. How is it that you already have such a son with older age?"
"That boy is from my clan. His father was my brotherhood friend. Unfortunately his parents passed away. My wife adopted him as her own son so he calls me father now and he has become my apprentice."
"Where is your wife?"
"She passed away during childbirth so I have to take care of my child on my own."
Both Guan Yunkai and Hu Zhenghan glanced at Zhou Di, aware of how his wife had passed. An Yuanxi suddenly pointed at Hu Zhenghan and asked:
"What is this person doing here?"
"He is my employee at my shop, mainly working on jade carving."
An Yuanxi abruptly turned to Hu Zhenghan and asked:
"You can carve the jade. Can you carve the ball?"
Hu Zhenghan trembled and replied:
"Yes."
"Wait." Zhou Di interrupted quickly, glanced at Hu Zhenghan before turning to An Yuanxi, "Excuse me, sir, what kind of ball are you referring to?"
"The kind of ivory ball sculpture what the people in Midlands have been talking about."
Zhou Di immediately turned to Hu Zhenghan:
"Zhenghan, can you carve that kind of the ball sculpture?"
"No, no...no, normal, just normal carving... is okay, no... no special designs."
An Yuanxi looked at Guan Yunkai and Zhou Di and asked:
"Which one of you can carve it?"
No one spoke. Suddenly An Yuanxi landed a hard punch on Guan Yunkai, causing him to fall to the ground. His gold-rimmed glasses shattered as they hit the floor. He not only had blood all over his mouth but also spat out a tooth. Meanwhile, Zhou Di found himself staring down the barrel of a pistol, causing him to tremble with fear. In that tense moment, Zhou Di recalled Yang Chen's calm demeanor in the face of many guns pointed at him. So he forced himself to steady his nerves and asked:
"Sir, what does this mean?"
An Yuanxi sneered and said:
"I was told that someone from the Guan family can carve this kind of ball, and there is also a young man surnamed Zhou in Yucheng who can do it as well. This Zhou, who is said to be a descendant of the Guan family, must be you, right?"
Zhou Di's eyes remained fixed on the gun barrel as he replied:
"Yes, my master was from the Guan family. Did that person tell you how difficult it is to carve this kind of the ball? Let me explain to you. The material used is ivory, which is extremely hard to obtain. Yes, I learned a little from my master but I have never practiced it a lot. I only possess the basic skill, which is why I didn't dare to answer your question earlier."
An Yuanxi stared intently at Zhou Di for a moment before holstering his gun and said:
"You're correct. That is what I was told. How many layers can you carve?"
"I can manage fewer than ten layers and even then, the result would be relatively rough and of little value. Besides, I have not attempted to carve one in seven or eight years."
An Yuanxi's expression darkened with disappointment and then turned to Guan Yunkai, asking:
"What about you?"
"I am even less skilled than he is. My father practiced this craft for a while but eventually gave it up. I also learned a little intermittently, but never pursued it seriously. To be honest, our family isn't known for specializing in this type of carving. The most talented craftsmen in this field are from the Weng family in the south."
An Yuanxi was thoroughly disappointed but he pressed on:
"However, I've heard that a 25-layers ball sculpture had been completed. Do you know who keeps it now?"
Zhou Di replied:
"It's in Yang Chen's possession."
This was true but Zhou Di knew more than he let on. In fact, there were two ball sculptures hidden in the secret room of the villa, one with 26-layers carved by Zhou Di and the other with 25-layers by his master. Zhou Di had visited the burned villa numerous times under the guise of searching for items, and found that no one had touched it. Not only that, but the place had also been abandoned and grown a patch of weeds, forgotten by all, which pleased him greatly.