The Victor Returns to Geyong County
Yuan Shu, the Posunbi Zhonglangjiang, had achieved a resounding victory against the barbarian tribes in the battles around Geyong County. He had crushed so many of them that there were practically none left worth fighting. With no more enemies to hunt, he had no choice but to turn his army around and head back.
In truth, subjugating these nomadic tribes was never an easy task. In the current era, the Han Dynasty’s internal power struggles were so fierce that no one had the bandwidth to meddle in northern affairs. Yet even in the past, the great Liu Bang—who had triumphed over the tyrannical Chu Bawang—had suffered humiliating defeat at the hands of the Xiongnu. Only later, during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, did the legendary prodigy Huo Qubing and the overshadowed but equally brilliant Wei Qing finally shatter the Xiongnu confederation. After that, the northern nomads fractured into endless division and chaos, their power greatly diminished.
Nevertheless, the mounted tribes of the north had never truly bowed their heads. They remained a persistent thorn in the Han’s side, constantly raiding the borderlands. Yet Yuan Shu had taken those troublesome barbarians and literally ground the majority of them into dust with nothing but overwhelming martial might.
Of course, his achievements were unlikely to be ranked alongside the legendary feats of the famous generals of old. While he had slaughtered a great many tribes, the northern nomads no longer possessed the terrifying power they once held in previous eras. Besides, the Han court itself was in complete disarray. The emperor was obsessed with playing merchant, openly selling government offices at fixed prices. The Ten Attendants ran wild at his side, while the rival faction opposing them consisted of the emperor’s own in-laws. Not a single one of them was normal.
But none of that really mattered to Yuan Shu. Even if people undervalued his accomplishments, there was no way the evaluation of such a promising young talent—who had led an army and annihilated hordes of barbarians at his age—would actually decrease. Moreover, the prestigious name of the Four Generations of Three Dukes Yuan family stood firmly behind him. Even if others downplayed his deeds, he could still obtain everything he desired.
Besides, Yuan Shu himself had never intended to overinflate his reputation. He had no desire to serve in the capital of Luoyang; he wanted to take up a provincial post. There was no reason to make a bigger fuss than necessary.
The emperor and the Ten Attendants won’t last long anyway… but there’s no point in provoking them while they’re still in power.
He wasn’t one of those Qingliu faction idealists shouting about eliminating the Ten Attendants and restoring imperial authority. He had no reason to act like that. In any case, those troublesome political matters could wait until later.
Right now, Yuan Shu was in an exceptionally good mood. Hunting down barbarians in the north without any annoying interference had been genuinely enjoyable, and the thunderous cheers of countless civilians welcoming his return had been even more satisfying.
After taking his time on the march, Yuan Shu finally arrived at Geyong County—the very place that had been assigned to him as County Magistrate when he received the title of Posunbi Zhonglangjiang.
“Hah, I finally have an official post, yet I’ve never even visited the place until now. It feels completely unfamiliar.”
In reality, the position of County Magistrate of Geyong had not been given to Yuan Shu so he could diligently manage local administration. It was more of a support role—intended to give him a stable base from which to conduct his campaigns against the northern tribes, ensuring smooth logistics and proper command of his troops. Since Geyong County was also the administrative seat of the Shanggu Commandery’s Grand Administrator, the arrangement ensured there wouldn’t be too large an administrative vacuum. If anything was lacking, he could simply request support through the Grand Administrator.
Of course, as the legitimate heir of the Yuan family, Yuan Shu had ignored all that. He had charged straight into the northern territories without even stopping by Geyong County, sourcing supplies locally and solving everything on the fly. In the end, the position had become completely meaningless for him.
Even I didn’t expect things to turn out quite like this while I was rampaging around…
What was supposed to be a simple campaign had gone far better than expected and ended much earlier than planned. Now he had a long stretch of time left in his term with nothing to do but actually act as a County Magistrate.
Well, it wasn’t as if he planned to throw himself wholeheartedly into administrative work.
Yuan Shu wasn’t incapable of handling paperwork, but having lived so long as a warrior and a hero, he had grown thoroughly unaccustomed to it. As a result, he usually dumped most of the work on capable subordinates. He suspected this time would be no different.
After all, even back when he was Zhangshou Xiaowei, he had handed off most administrative duties to Gao Shun and Ji Ling whenever he wasn’t on campaign. This time, he intended to give Jia Xu the post of Geyong County Assistant Magistrate and let her handle everything.
That decision, however, had come heavily influenced by Jia Xu’s own suggestion.
“If you appear too perfect, it will only invite jealousy. Since my lord intends to serve as a provincial official rather than remain in the central government… it may actually be better to show that you are not overly focused on the duties of County Magistrate. That would help dispel any suspicions from the Ten Attendants.”
After all, the County Magistrate position had only been a side gig meant to support his role as Posunbi Zhonglangjiang. The Grand Administrator was already handling most of the real work. There was little chance of any real problems even if Yuan Shu slacked off.
At the same time, if Jia Xu herself neatly filled the resulting administrative vacuum and demonstrated that she possessed not only a silver tongue but also exceptional administrative ability, it would be the perfect opportunity to raise her own value.
Under my lord, proving my worth by filling administrative gaps may earn me higher evaluation than devising clever strategies on the battlefield… I suppose I must demonstrate my value in multiple areas.
After personally witnessing the insane martial prowess and battlefield dominance of Yuan Shu and his generals during the northern expedition, Jia Xu couldn’t help but feel that showing off her own talents more would be the safer path. Honestly, after watching four lunatics charge straight into tens of thousands of cavalry and literally grind them into the dirt, who would focus on coming up with clever schemes?
If she simply handled the basics well, she could probably crush most ordinary forces anyway. If she tried to show off on the battlefield and left a bad impression, it would only create obstacles to her career. Even if she succeeded, those human weapons who dominated the battlefield would naturally receive higher praise. It would be a waste of effort.
In modern terms, rather than diving headfirst into a red ocean and burning herself out, she had chosen to jump into a still-untapped blue ocean and establish her position early. It was a move that gave herself an opportunity while also scratching her lord’s itch. Truly befitting the master of political survival, Jia Xu.
“You’re right. There’s still a long time left in my term anyway. Instead of focusing too much on this land, it would be better to wander around the northern territories during that time!”
“Since you have achieved great merit, yet the northern tribes have suffered heavy losses and scattered in all directions, if you claim that you are patrolling the north as Posunbi Zhonglangjiang to prevent any unforeseen damage, no one will dare raise objections.”
Jia Xu’s words were perfect. By deliberately showing a slight lack of focus on his duties as County Magistrate, he could be mildly criticized and pushed away from the center of power. Yet if anyone tried to attack him too aggressively over it, he could counterattack using this very justification.
Having a smart subordinate really does make things much easier.
Yuan Shu grinned, patted Jia Xu’s shoulder a few times in praise, then began preparing to settle in. Of course, he wasn’t about to abandon Geyong County and run off immediately.
The Grand Administrator had already invited him to a victory celebration banquet. It seemed he would be staying in Geyong County for the next few days to rest and recover from the campaign. Since there would be no battles, he told his subordinates to eat and drink to their hearts’ content.
“Master Wenhe, you should go rest as well. You must be quite tired after all this time.”
“Not at all. Despite how I look, I am from Liang Province. I am quite confident in my horsemanship and endurance on long journeys.”
“Still, we’ll be busy attending banquets and enjoying ourselves for a while. Go wash up and get some proper rest. You need stamina to enjoy playing around! Hahaha!”
“Understood, my lord.”
After sending Jia Xu off with a hearty laugh, Yuan Shu entered the room prepared for him, stripped off his outer robes, and licked his lips.
“Tsk, now that I’m back, it feels a bit empty. I wonder if anything interesting will happen?”
To think he felt this way even after slaughtering so many barbarians. As expected of the older brother to that trio of madmen, he clearly wasn’t normal either.
Of course, if the original Yuan Shu hadn’t gone on such a rampage, who knows what might have happened instead…
“Haha, the Han is still so strong. What rebellion? Let’s just live normally, collect our salaries, retire comfortably, and enjoy life, Brother!”
“Hehehe… Of course, of course. Why would I risk getting my head chopped off by that madman Yuan Gonglu? Hehehe… Truly, peaceful days are the best…”
The original Zhang Shun and Zhang Ju, who had planned to rebel in You Province by joining hands with the Wuhuan chieftain Qiu Liju, had long since given up after watching Yuan Shu roll out the red carpet of death for the barbarian tribes. They were now living perfectly ordinary lives. So there was no trouble to be had there.
And there was one more person whose fate had been altered by Yuan Shu’s butterfly effect…
“…I clearly started my career as a civil official, so why do I keep wanting to ride out on horseback and swing a spear…?”
Gongsun Zan—the man who should have become known as the White Horse General and earned great fame as the original barbarian blender—had, after Yuan Shu annihilated the northern tribes, simply settled into a quiet life as an ordinary civil official.
But regardless of all that, the current Yuan Shu was simply…
“Fill it up more! How can anyone get drunk on this little?! Wahahaha—!!”
…enjoying the victory banquet to his heart’s content.