White Horse General (2)
"Ah! Xuande!! Long time no see!!"
A man clad in white armor came walking toward us, grinning broadly.
Damn, he's really handsome.
He was the kind of good-looking guy who could make even another man feel a twinge of defeat as a fellow male. Seriously, ridiculously handsome.
If Romance of the Three Kingdoms records everyone as handsome, this is the level they must mean. The game had modeled Gongsun Zan as an absolute stunner for historical accuracy.
He looked like a fantasy hero, the protagonist of the world itself.
He stood in stark contrast to the portly Liu Bei in every way.
I'm pretty well-modeled myself... but no dice. I'd once glimpsed my reflection in a puddle—my face was just the default male character model. I'd thought it wasn't bad, but next to Gongsun Zan, I was utterly ordinary.
Compared to the plump Liu Bei uncle, it was even more pronounced.
But knowing Gongsun Zan's image from history, I was aware he was all show, no substance.
"The hero who ended the Yellow Turban Rebellion! I'm thrilled you've come!" Gongsun Zan boomed with a hearty laugh.
"I'm delighted you've called for me, brother." Liu Bei smiled and cupped his fists in a bao quan.
"Mm." Gongsun Zan didn't return the gesture, instead jerking his chin to lead the group toward the inner tent.
This little detail revealed Gongsun Zan's subtle arrogance. He was treating Liu Bei like a subordinate.
He's got every reason to be cocky right now. As You Province's barbarian specialist and a warlord who'd risen meteorically, that haughtiness came from his track record.
But Liu Bei followed without a hint of displeasure.
The tent was already buzzing with generals in a tactical meeting.
The head seats were occupied by the Gongsun clansmen: Gongsun Zan himself, Gongsun whatnot, Gongsun Yan Junyi, and more.
Below them sat the non-relatives. Having played the game, I recognized their models.
Among the familiar faces, the named one was Tian Kai, the barbarian expert who'd dodged Liu Bei's targeting skill. He wasn't a big player in Romance, but historically, he was a hidden gem—a master general who'd repelled barbarians from Wei, bolstering national security alongside Man Chong as Wei's top defenders.
But even the unnamed generals weren't mere extras; they were all solid performers.
Gongsun Zan's talent pool is brutal. A roster specialized for battle, all with cavalry aptitudes allowing massive mounted operations. How the hell did Yuan Shao beat this monster?
Yet here emerged the flaw in Gongsun Zan's faction. The upper seats—and thus command—belonged to the Gongsun kin. The rest felt like underlings. Classic family-run business.
Big corporation scale, but run like a mom-and-pop shop... no wonder it tanked. I suddenly grasped why Gongsun Zan failed.
"You've heard about the Zhang Gang and Zhang Shun uprising, right, brother Xuande?" Gongsun Zan asked casually.
"Ah, yes." Liu Bei nodded.
"Those traitors claiming the throne have incited the Wuhuan to ravage You Province unilaterally, plunging the people into misery. If this continues, the flames will spread to Ji Province." Gongsun Zan sighed.
"Have your men join Tian Kai to eliminate the Wuhuan raiders near Ji territory and push the front east. Secure supply lines while you're at it. Once you've reclaimed enough ground, I'll lead the cavalry straight at their main force. Sound good?" Gongsun Zan tapped a leather map, outlining his foolproof strategy.
In short, our role was defense. Classic shit detail—heavy lifting, no glory.
"..." Zhang Fei and Guan Yu's faces soured instantly, but Liu Bei nodded with a warm smile.
"Understood. We'll do just that."
Liu Bei's polite response eased my own tension unconsciously.
Yeah. Charging the enemy main with just a thousand men would've been insane.
That's why ten-thousand-man generals are like this. They think small forces can do anything because they've succeeded before. Nah, a thousand was perfect for safe shit duty.
And best to keep my mouth shut here.
Gongsun Zan suffers a massive defeat right here. Ambushed by the Wuhuan general Qiuliju, his entire cavalry gets encircled. Starving, they slaughter their horses for meat, and when that's gone, they chew the leather off their shields. Gongsun Zan's humiliating rout.
Someone on a hot streak crumbles once, and they break. Gongsun Zan became a mess after.
Anyway, Tian Kai's forces joined ours.
Ji territory looked cursed, smashed to bits again. Yellow Turbans last time, Wuhuan this time.
"..." Bu Yong-hwa's expression hardened slightly.
"Worried about Nanpi?" I asked her softly.
"Ah... yeah." She looked startled. Even after running away, a father's love doesn't vanish. Nanpi was right below Ji—she feared it had burned.
"We'll swing by Nanpi when we can. Kneel and apologize to your father."
"Eek... but only after a proper Kim clan wedding." She was still stubborn.
"Hey now." I pinched her cheeks.
"Eeee..." Bu Yong-hwa went limp, her face softening into a pout.
Moving an army demands speed. Liu Bei wasted no time, marching out at once.
Our volunteer vanguard paired with Tian Kai.
Liu Bei army: 1,000. Tian Kai's: about 4,000 total. Perfect for holding an empty house.
Not hard to imagine snide remarks about "just a thousand?" Especially for unglamorous shit duty—if someone skimped manpower blatantly, tempers would flare. Worse across factions.
But here I learned Liu Bei's scary side.
He'd somehow charmed Tian Kai already.
"Lord Liu Xuande! I've always wanted to meet you!!!" Tian Kai's eyes sparkled, glued to Liu Bei.
"I've heard all about your heroic deeds in Ji and Nanpi." He nodded, grinning.
Yeah. Our debut in Ji and Nanpi had spread by word of mouth. Tian Kai, being local, caught wind.
"And in the Guangzong campaign, you personally distributed rations to save the people! You're the true hero of this age, without a doubt!" Tian Kai declared firmly.
"Haha, you're too kind." Liu Bei just smiled warmly.
"Heh. Our big bro's the best." Zhang Fei smirked, rubbing his nose.
"Hmph." Guan Yu, fully on Team Liu Bei, nodded too.
"These must be Lord Zhang Fei Yide and Lady Guan Yu Yun Chang!!!" Tian Kai, a bigger Liu Bei fanboy than expected, stared starry-eyed at them like memorizing idols.
"Mm. Far more heroic than the rumors. Lord Yide's build and Lady Yun Chang's beauty are extraordinary."
No. Tone down the sparkle. I wanted to rib him.
"A-And... this is Kim Gong, who took Zhang Jiao's head!!!" Tian Kai turned sparkling eyes on me. Argh, even brighter!
"Mm. The foreign hero who shone in the melee and slew Zhang Jiao...!" He eyed me with fascination.
Wait, that's the rumor?
"Heh. Our Kim's pretty amazing, right?" Guan Yu suddenly went full brag mode, gearing up to sing my praises. Stop. Embarrassing.
"Th-They say your battle cry alone scatters enemies in panic... could you let us hear it?" Then he demanded fan service!
Hey, manager! Boot this crazy fan!
Is my kiai really that weird?
The awkward chat flowed, but Tian Kai's Liu Bei affinity was obvious. Honestly, he was half ours already.
His heart's left Gongsun Zan. I sensed it.
Liu Bei, sensing or not, subtly showed favor, delighting Tian Kai. Master at handling fans. This guy's broth is top-tier.
After fortifying defenses in Ji, locals shared intel: rebel Wuhuan positions, etc.
Zhang Gang and Zhang Shun's overconfident horde treated Ji like home, camping nearby—just kilometers away. Pure arrogance.
"Then let's drive them out now!!!" Liu Bei declared boldly, mounting up and drawing his double-edged sword.
"Kuht... so cool..." Tian Kai murmured unconsciously, gazing skyward dreamily. Total reaction king.
Glancing over.
Tian Kai turned slightly to me.
"In battle, I finally get to hear Kim Gong's scream live...!" He eyed me with weird anticipation. Pressure...
Anyway, first Liu Bei army scrap in ages. I grinned at the EXP farm ahead. Gamers can't resist this.