Chapter 31
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: A Month's Time
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After the death of Earth Captain General Zhang Bao and the burning of the granary, the Yellow Turbans abandoned any thought of continuing the fight at Gyerok and began their retreat.
Lu Zhi didn't miss the opportunity. He ordered all cavalry forces, including me and Zong Yuan, to give chase.
"Don't let a single one escape! Uproot these rebels once and for all!"
"Kahaha! Wait up, you rat bastards! Your brother Wei Sok's gonna strip you all bare!"
But their resistance was fierce.
"Hold them off! The enemy numbers are few!"
"These are orders from People's Captain General! Don't let them advance a single step!"
"People's Captain General is with us! Where do you think you're running?!"
People's Captain General Zhang Liang desperately commanded the rear guard, sacrificing some of his men to open an escape route.
His military talent was enough to leave even Lu Zhi tongue-tied.
"Hah... How can a mere rebel possess such command ability..."
In the end, the Yellow Turbans' main force managed to retreat to their rear stronghold at Guangzong City, though at tremendous cost.
"Surround them! Don't let a single rat slip through!"
"Yes, General!"
At Lu Zhi's command, our army completely encircled Guangzong City.
"Gaaah!"
"Fall back! Retreat!"
"Where do you think you're crawling out to?!"
The rats holed up in Guangzong City made several desperate attempts to break the siege, but our ironclad defenses repelled them every time, inflicting massive casualties.
And so, both sides settled into a tedious siege, with the city walls between us.
But time was on our side.
As the siege dragged on and our soldiers grew weary, reports of victories began arriving from other fronts.
"Heard the news? Down south, Generals Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun are smashing the rebels!"
"They say the northern rebels around You Province have all been wiped out too."
Morale soared to the heavens with the stream of good news. It wasn't just the rank and file, either.
"General! Now's the time to crush these rebels for good! Order a full assault!"
The colonels, their spirits at a peak, urged Lu Zhi, but he flatly refused.
"Even surrounded, they still outnumber us. Attacking a city with inferior numbers is the worst of the worst strategies. They have a large force, so if we just keep them pinned, they'll tire themselves out and have no choice but to open the gates."
"But General! Right now, we could take them in one—"
"Are you defying my orders? They're starving to death inside there. I have no intention of wasting lives needlessly. Strengthen the siege lines."
"...Yes, General."
The colonels couldn't sway Lu Zhi's stubborn resolve. Some grumbled inwardly, but they had no choice but to obey.
As the stalemate dragged on, an imperial envoy arrived from the capital.
The envoy from the court was an eunuch named Zuo Feng.
Upon arriving at camp, Zuo Feng strode into Lu Zhi's tent and arrogantly claimed the seat of honor. I, as Cavalry Commander, was also present.
Zuo Feng wore no armor, just flashy silk robes adorned with jade rings on every finger—a sight utterly out of place amid the grit of the battlefield.
He scanned the tent with open disdain.
"Tch, this hardly befits the Northern Trunglang General's quarters. Nothing but dust and bloodstink—how do you expect to subdue the rebels like this?"
"This is a battlefield, not some courtier's banquet hall. What did you expect?"
"Battlefield? Looks to me like you're just napping on a dirt pile. Word is, the rebels have been holed up in that city for over a month now. Why haven't you ordered a full assault instead of just burning through our precious supplies?"
Lu Zhi replied to Zuo Feng's sneer without a hint of agitation.
"Storming a city is the height of folly. The enemy is surrounded and starving—they'll either open the gates themselves or tear each other apart from the inside. Victory is assured if we just wait."
"His Majesty wants victory now! He doesn't approve of you idling away like this!"
Zuo Feng vented his rage openly, then suddenly let out a heavy sigh and switched to a saccharine tone.
"Sigh... How could I not understand your noble intentions, General? The whole realm knows how you cherish your men."
As Zuo Feng's demeanor softened abruptly, Lu Zhi merely stared at him in silence.
"But General, things in the capital are different from this battlefield. Generals Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun send victory dispatches daily. His Majesty wonders why the Northern Trunglang General has had no news since taking Zhang Bao's head... He's quite puzzled."
Zuo Feng feigned concern for Lu Zhi.
"For your achievements to reach His Majesty's ears intact—and favorably... well, wouldn't it help to have someone pulling strings in the middle? You catch my drift?"
At those words, Lu Zhi's face, until then impassive, hardened with fury.
He saw right through Zuo Feng's filthy scheme and rose without hesitation.
"My merits are forged in the blood and sweat of my fallen soldiers. I have no intention of sullying them. I have nothing to offer the envoy—please leave."
Zuo Feng's smile vanished at the bribe's rejection. He stood and whispered in Lu Zhi's ear.
"—You'll regret this, General. His Majesty... is deeply worried about your inaction. If you keep refusing to attack, there's no guarantee vicious rumors won't spread in the capital that you're colluding with the rebels."
"......!"
A heavy silence filled the tent after Zuo Feng departed.
I didn't head straight back to my camp after Zuo Feng left the tent.
My feet naturally carried me toward the particularly lavish tent that had just been assigned to him.
"Commander, why—"
Zhang Liao, following behind, looked puzzled, but I waved him off.
The eunuch guards at Zuo Feng's tent started to block me but quickly stepped aside upon recognizing my rank.
Inside, Zuo Feng was still grumbling, his anger unabated.
"Tch tch... How the hell did a rigid old fool like that become Northern Trunglang General?"
I approached Zuo Feng and bowed politely.
"Cavalry Commander Lu Bu, at your service. Greetings, Envoy. How fares Lord Zhang Yang, the Chief Attendant?"
At the mention of Zhang Yang, Zuo Feng's eyes narrowed. Wary, but less hostile than before.
"Hmph, Cavalry Commander Lu Bu. At least you know how to talk. Of course, Lord Chief Attendant is in good health."
"Envoy, our general is so unyieldingly honest that he lacked the flexibility to show proper courtesy. Allow me to apologize on his behalf."
Appeased by my flattery, Zuo Feng gestured for me to sit. I did so and cut to the chase.
"The Northern Trunglang General has lived his life in utter integrity, with no greed for wealth and nothing accumulated. He wasn't trying to be rude—he simply has nothing to offer. It was no slight against you. And soon, Guangzong will fall. The spoils from that—"
"Spoils? Ha! That old coot won't breach it even come next spring—he'll just stare at those walls!"
Zuo Feng scoffed. This was my cue. I pulled a weathered wooden tally from my bosom and quietly placed it on the table before him.
Zuo Feng, initially indifferent, went wide-eyed at the prominent Yuan clan insignia carved into it.
"Th-this is...!"
"I happen to have ties to the Yuan family. If you present this tally upon returning to the capital, the Yuans will treat you like nobility."
'Heh, who knew tossing me this tally would come in handy outside the capital? Yuan Shu might gripe later, but I can make it up to him then.'
Before this bribe more precious than gold or jewels—the Yuan connection—Zuo Feng's eyes gleamed with greed.
"Please, just grant us one month. If Guangzong hasn't fallen by then, by all means report the general's failings to the capital. I'll accept it gladly."
Zuo Feng glanced between the tally and my face, weighing his options visibly.
"...Hmm. Lord Chief Attendant praised you to the skies. Now I see why."
He pocketed the Yuan tally.
"One month. Exactly one. After that, even I can't hold back. Understood?"
"My deepest thanks for your magnanimity, Envoy."
I bowed deeply and exited into the chill night air.
'One month. I'll take Guangzong within that time, no matter what.'
"General, I've spoken with the envoy."
".........I see. What does that filthy creature want?"
Lu Zhi's voice mixed contempt and resignation.
"One month. I've bought us one month's time. If Guangzong doesn't fall by then, the envoy will submit a memorial accusing you of treason."
"Hm..."
A flicker of surprise crossed Lu Zhi's face for the first time at my report.
He clearly hadn't expected me to wring even a month from that sly eunuch.
But the surprise faded, and his expression darkened again.
"One month... Doubt they'll come out of Guangzong in that time."
"General, we can wait no longer. A siege alone won't take the city in a month."
I approached the central table and picked up a few pebbles.
"We need to lure the rats out of their hole ourselves."
"...Go on."
I placed one pebble in the center and surrounded it with the others.
"A grand 'feigned retreat.' If the main army pulls back as if abandoning the siege, those inside will definitely charge out."
Lu Zhi frowned at my bold scheme.
"People's Captain General Zhang Liang has real talent. If we suddenly retreat from this advantageous position, won't he suspect a trap? He'll just bar the gates and hunker down."
"He'll suspect, sure. But General, you've overlooked one thing. They're starving."
"...Hm."
"Even trained soldiers lose their reason when hunger sets in. And are those inside an army? They're just a peasant rabble. The moment they see us retreating, no matter how Zhang Liang tries to hold them, they won't listen."
Lu Zhi's doubts weren't fully dispelled.
"But if Zhang Liang maintains control, the plan fails."
"There's another reason. Heavenly Captain General Zhang Jiao hasn't shown his face once since entering Guangzong."
I recalled he'd supposedly died of illness. He was probably wasting away inside by now.
"With their supreme commander absent, discipline must be crumbling. Starvation atop that, and now the enemy retreating in plain sight? No one could hold back. Not even Zhang Liang."
Unable to refute my detailed explanation, Lu Zhi fell silent for a long moment before letting out a deep sigh.
"......You're right. And even if we feign retreat, the losses won't be great. It'll just take a bit more to re-encircle them. No real harm done."
Lu Zhi finally nodded, his decision made.