Clerk? Is That Alright?
As Jojo called out to me and shook my shoulder repeatedly, I snapped back to my senses. Having woken up with my head planted on the desk, it seemed I'd passed out briefly while handling paperwork.
"Is that another stack of work that just came in?"
I asked, eyeing the bamboo slips Jojo was holding. He nodded stiffly, looking apologetic. I rubbed my temples as I stared at the documents that showed no sign of decreasing.
This won't do.
The workload handled by the clerk's office had decreased over time. In absolute numbers, it had dropped by about ten to twenty percent. But the problem was that my efficiency had steadily declined due to the relentless overwork. My scattered mind kept interfering with my focus, leaving my quitting time the same as before.
"Please deliver this letter to the Military Strategist."
That was why I sent letters to Xun Yu whenever I had a moment. And half of them were inquiries about whether he knew of any talented individuals.
Is asking about talent every other day too much?
I was nagging him relentlessly, but I had to think ahead to next year when Jojo would become the Governor of Yanzhou. For my comfortable official life... no, for the smooth reconstruction of Yanzhou, we needed to recruit people in advance.
The winter before entering the 3rd year of Choping (192 AD) was unusually harsh. One of the reports estimated that deaths from exposure this winter would be about half again as many as last year.
"We should move the soldiers stationed at Dongu into Buyang Castle."
I proposed relocating the troops during the Inspectorate meeting. Dongu was a garrison located eighty li north of Buyang Castle. It sat between Dongmuyang and Buyang Castle, making it a useful strategic point where we'd established a base. But if deaths from cold were piling up that badly, we needed to pull the army out first. Garrisons in the open plains would be colder than inside city walls. We couldn't afford to lose troops before the enemy even showed up.
"Very well, then, Somyeong."
"Inspector, we're in the middle of official business."
"Come on now. Alright, Clerk. Is that better?"
Jojo called me by my courtesy name regardless of the setting. I understood he was trying to lend me authority by using it—people looked down on me for being so young and inexperienced. Still, he could at least maintain some decorum during official proceedings.
"But the reports say the Black Mountain Bandits are showing unusual activity."
"I have a plan, so follow my lead."
The City Gate Captain objected, but Jojo dismissed it, claiming he had a strategy. Bandits were unpredictable by nature, so the Captain wasn't wrong. But invading in this weather would be incredibly difficult. Without perfect supplies, the march alone would cause casualties. Had the Black Mountain Bandits, a bandit group, prepared well for winter? I doubted it.
"Next, Lieutenant Gongsun Yue, cousin of the White Horse General, has fallen in battle."
"That's sure to enrage the White Horse General."
The next report was that Gongsun Yue, Gongsun Zan's cousin, had died. He'd been killed during a retreat after attacking Yangcheng alongside Yuan Shu in Yuzhou's Yingchuan Commandery. With Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shao already locked in a war of nerves in the north of the river, this could lead straight to the Battle of Jieqiao.
Interfering in the battle now... no. If I act too soon, who knows how the realm might twist.
I stopped myself from scheming to ensure Yuan Shao's defeat at Jieqiao. I needed to sabotage things when Yuan Shao gained the upper hand against Gongsun Zan. Stirring trouble while Yuan Shao was still at a disadvantage might let Gongsun Zan win. That would endanger the Yuan Shao-Jojo alliance. It wasn't time yet—I had to wait.
"Yuzhou's Yingchuan isn't all that far, so stay vigilant in case the sparks fly our way."
"Understood."
The Inspectorate meeting continued. Among the news was that Sun Jian had died. He'd been ambushed while attacking Yangyang Castle, Liu Biao's stronghold. Of course, there was no reason to mourn his death. It was cause for joy that Sun Jian's demise would weaken Yuan Shu.
"Next item on the agenda? Why's that one so thick?"
"It's the Gunuong Policy submitted by the magistrate of Dong'a County."
It had been three months since I'd handed the task to Joji, and the draft had finally arrived.
"Just read it for now."
I gave up on explaining the details. The content was too vast to summarize anyway.
"Hmm, if we appoint a Right Director, it would look like this."
"This device has such an odd shape."
"Using manure like this would definitely..."
Those who read through the bundled Gunuong Policy sections let out their own exclamations of admiration. It matched the reactions I'd seen when I skimmed it before bringing it to the meeting. Even I was impressed by its quality.
"Impressive. It's a waste to leave him as just a magistrate."
"Inspector, promoting the Dong'a magistrate to Gunuong Captain and putting him in charge of the Gunuong Policy seems wise. We should also appoint a man named Han Ho as the new Dong'a magistrate. By testing elements too difficult for the entire commandery in Dong'a first, we can quickly identify and fix issues."
I seized the moment of Jojo's admiration to propose the promotion. It was the deal I'd made when assigning the work to Joji.
"Han Ho—the one listed as having helped with the Gunuong Policy?"
"Yes. It's a shame to leave talent like his in a minor clerical post."
Jojo pondered briefly before approving my suggestion. Anyone could see the Gunuong Policy encompassed the entire administration. They'd calculated that dedicating a captain to it would prevent operational paralysis.
"Start by preparing refugee settlement support and tool rentals. Build shelters for the refugees to escape the cold, give them porridge, and order tools suited for the surrounding wastelands in advance. I'll approve the maximum budget."
"I'll relay that exactly."
The refugees braving the cold winter winds to come here would number only a handful. Still, preparing and executing ahead of time would ensure smooth operations come spring.
"I'm Guo Jia, courtesy name Fengxiao."
"Sun Yu here. Courtesy name Gongda. I'm close with the Military Strategist."
Around the New Year of the 3rd year of Choping (192 AD), the talents recommended by Xun Yu arrived. None fell short, so Jojo appointed them all to positions.
"Thanks to Wenyae, I'm getting to spit out food and grab hair left and right."
Jojo happily complained about being busy meeting talents. Among them, Guo Jia and Sun Yu shone brightest. Guo Jia, who had been lingering nearby in Yuzhou, arrived on the winter solstice to meet Jojo. Sun Yu, from Jingzhou, took until after New Year's due to the distance. Before they met Jojo, I welcomed them with fine tea leaves and snacks.
"Got any liquor, by chance? I fancy myself a drinker."
Guo Jia had me rubbing my forehead from the first meeting by asking for booze, but anyway. After chatting briefly with each, I sent them straight to Jojo. Their brilliance was evident even in short talks, so no need for me to hog them. Jojo spent half a day with each, then joyfully assigned them posts. Guo Jia refused a major role and got the advisory Military Sacrificial Wine position. Sun Yu received the Military Strategist post that Xun Yu had first held.
"Counselor Sun. You've risen higher than me, so now I must use honorifics."
"You started with honorifics from our first meeting because you foresaw this?"
"Not foresaw—I made it happen."
Xun Yu had been massively promoted to Counselor for his administrative prowess and talent recommendations. It was a dramatic leap from mid-level military to the top civilian post in the Inspectorate, thanks to my fierce support and Jojo's push.
"Is that so? It was only possible with the Clerk and Assistant General's help. Thank you."
I welcomed it because work processing sped up—not because it lessened... And second-in-command civilian Jin Gung also congratulated the promotion, saying the Strategist seat had been a waste for him anyway.
"The Gunuong Captain will soon visit to discuss improvements to the Gunuong Policy."
"I heard the Clerk gave the captain the initial draft first."
"No idea what you're talking about. I've done no such thing."
Xun Yu tried pulling me, the original drafter, into the Gunuong Policy discussions. I played dumb to dodge the extra work.
"This is the Counselor's first order. The Inspector will approve, so no escaping."
"I've held out for four months while doubling as your duties. Give me a break."
"No one dies from reading a few more documents."
But the higher-ranked Counselor pinned me down, so the Clerk had no choice but to get dragged in. I'd delayed hoping to foist it on Xun Yu, but I should've just done it early.
The sky, which had swiftly scattered eyes of snow to herald winter, melted the piles even faster with its blazing sunlight. Word of warm spring's approach rode north on the swallows. The black hordes of bandits chased the mild weather southward. It was the third month of spring in the 3rd year of Choping (192 AD).
"The Black Mountain Bandits heading south seem aimed at Dongmuyang. They might change course suddenly, but the odds are less than ten percent."
Jin Gung reported based on scout intel. Their straight-line advance made it ninety-nine out of a hundred, not just eight out of ten.
"Shame the Jizhou Inspector has no spare capacity."
"It's only been two months since the standoff at Jieqiao ended in a truce. Of course he's tapped out."
Yuan Shao had fought the Battle of Jieqiao exactly three months prior. He'd claimed a marginal victory as in the original history, but the prolonged standoff had drained supplies. With checks still ongoing post-battle, every soldier counted for him.
Moving Guo Duo now... no.
I halted my plan to erase the light I'd placed on Guo Duo and request aid. Manipulating Yuan Shao via Guo Duo would be tough anyway, so better to save it than waste it pointlessly.
"How about taking the soldiers from Dongu garrison—some fortify there, others hit the Black Mountain Bandits' rear as they siege?"
I proposed hammer-and-anvil tactics to wipe out the Black Mountain group. They'd ignored Dongu and headed straight for Dongmuyang, so abandoning its defense posed no issue.
"How many are the Black Mountain Bandits?"
"Estimated at 40,000. Their leader is Wu Du—a typical Black Mountain chieftain."
More enemies than last year's battle at Buyang Castle. But our numbers had grown even more, giving us solid odds. We could muster 15,000 proper troops: 2,000 in Buyang Castle and Dongmu County, 10,000 at Dongu, and 1,000 scattered across East Army territory.
Jojo scanned the room, then pointed at me.
"Can Dongmu County's troops alone hold if the Black Mountain Bandits attack?"
"If we can decapitate their leader like beheading a general, and get reinforcements, yes."
I phrased it as a turnaround question. How do you find and kill the leader amid 40,000? Even equal numbers might not suffice. 1-to-20 odds needed Xiang Yu-level feats to survive.
"Then it's feasible. Somyeong, take 1,000 with Zixiao and hold Dongmu County against the Black Mountain Bandits. I'll add 1,000 from Buyang Castle and strike Wu Du's main base."
Jojo laid out a plan opposing mine. I asked if troops would remain at Dongu, where we could at least get support.
"Then the other generals and advisors stay at Dongu?"
"What are you saying? We'll all go hit the base together."
Jojo said he'd take all remaining forces to assault the base. No extra support for Dongmu County.