89 Exhausted

I'd stood and watched as Bǎo's unit had left. The two ladies had left a month ago and now, with them all gone, the place felt bare, empty.
I looked at the men remaining. Each had the same expression: dead eyed, character-less zombies.
"Attendant!" I called out, as I watched these listless, lifeless men move about. They had stopped protecting themselves. If one was shot, they looked, momentarily, then walked past. There was no reactions any more. 
This had to stop.
"Sir," as always, as if by magic, one appeared.
"I need to get a message to Colonel Chen as a matter of urgency. Do we have any runners available?"
"I'll go and check, Sir." With that he vanished. Hopefully, there's someone willing to do the run. It's been a bit difficult getting messages through recently; too many archers on the high slopes again.
"Sir, we have one remaining. He's just back from the town and says it's safer to travel at night, if that's okay by you Sir?"
"Yes, yes. Send him in will you, so I can brief him and give him the message."
With that, I turned to my table and wrote a long but succinct letter to my brother.
We needed to be relieved of duty, period! New troops were required, we were all too tired and starting to make mistakes.Maybe it was time for the Zhang troops to take over? Would they, or would the problems start up again? Did they care? I had my suspicions about the local troops and wondered at the real reasons we were requested? Requested? I don’t understand, I really don’t understand.
Now, my biggest concern was to my own men. Mistakes will get people killed and we'd lost too many already. 
How long had it been? Ten months? A year? I'd lost track. We'll be back in winter soon. Looking round, these men won't last a winter, not in their condition.
I turned back to the message and added a post script.
'Please, brother, if you want these men to perish, leave them here, but I would suggest replacing them is a more humane action to take. They have given everything for the cause. It's time to give them some cheer.  Hao Yang'

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