Chen Xi, when riled up, wasn't just fooling around. The previous assault on Faan County was one thing, as a seventy-thousand-strong army surrounded a minor city defended by an obscure junior officer. Taking it down in one fell swoop effectively sealed off Lub County, whether they could retake it was another matter altogether.
After dividing his forces, Chen Xi's troops were greatly reduced, with only Hua Xiong's seven thousand Private Troop, Yu Jin's four thousand veterans, his own five thousand soldiers, and the four thousand men led by Xuu Yi and Wu Dun—a sum total of merely twenty thousand men. Fortunately, all were seasoned veterans; otherwise, he would have had little confidence in taking Runan across the states with such a scant force.