Upon receiving the military orders from Qin Liangyu, Zeng Ying did not immediately withdraw his troops. Instead, he closed his eyes and pondered for a quarter of an hour.
He thought to himself: "I, the esteemed Young Master Zeng Ying, how can I retreat without a fight? If word of this gets out, what will the Imperial Court think of me? What will the people of Shu think? What will my own soldiers think? Do I have no reputation to uphold?"
Those who had joined him had come specifically to fight Zhang Xianzhong. If he were to retreat without engaging, morale would inevitably suffer, and the very stability of his army would be at stake.
Chapter 266