Chapter 40
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Interrogation
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I received General Lu Zhi's orders and led five thousand cavalry toward Jicheng.
We fitted gags into the horses' mouths and slipped quietly into rebel territory without making a sound.
Instead of charging recklessly, we scattered scouts in all directions to monitor rebel movements as we advanced.
"General Lu Zhi better put on a good show with that smoke screen."
Soon enough, scouts began returning one after another, kicking up clouds of dust.
"Report! General Lu Zhi's main force is marching en masse toward Jincheng. As expected, the main enemy tribal forces from You Province are pursuing our main body westward!"
"Report! Troops that appear to be our allies are advancing southward from the north! Their numbers are unclear, but they're engaging the rebels as they move south!"
As I pieced together the reports and formulated a strategy in my mind, I turned to Liu Bei, who had been listening quietly at my side.
"Xuan De, what do you make of it?"
Liu Bei closed his eyes for a moment, deep in thought, then spoke with careful deliberation.
"The army coming down from the north... it's probably the remnants still holding out in You Province. But that's strange. The north should already be in rebel hands by now. How could..."
Liu Bei trailed off with a puzzled expression, then continued in a voice filled with conviction.
"Regardless, this is a golden opportunity for us. The rebels' main force has swung west, and our northern allies are drawing the eyes of the remaining foes. The siege on Jicheng must have loosened by now. If we strike swiftly through the gap, victory is within reach."
"Ho, I never knew you had a knack for strategy too."
Liu Bei waved it off humbly.
"It's hardly strategy—just a few lessons from my mentor."
At that, Jian He, who had been standing behind us, chimed in.
"Come on, Xuan De! You came up with a plan to crush fifty thousand with just five hundred men, and you call that 'a few lessons'? The rest of us might as well bury our faces in our plates and die. Right?"
"Xian He! What nonsense is this in front of the Colonel? Forgive him, my lord—he's an old friend with a loose tongue. Please overlook it."
I chuckled as if it were amusing and patted Jian He's back with my palm.
"Hahaha! That's the spirit—a bit of guts like that. Reminds me of Wei Sok."
"Gah! O-ow! That hurts!"
As Jian He yelped with tears welling up, Wei Sok nodded vigorously from nearby.
"Our big bro's got real strength, huh? Xian He, I can take it 'cause I'm sturdy, but you'd be a goner."
"Eek!"
Jian He bolted away in terror at Wei Sok's words.
Watching those rowdy fools made me laugh despite myself. But I quickly wiped the smile away and scanned my assembled officers in silence.
"Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhang Liao... Could anyone even stop us if we just charged straight in?"
With Gao Shun holding the rear, and Wei Sok, Cheng Lian, and Wei Yue rampaging from the flanks... Strategy wouldn't even matter in a fight like that.
The scouts' reports confirmed no further threats. Without hesitation, I bellowed to the entire force.
"No more scouts! Full speed ahead to Jicheng—advance!"
Opportunities must be seized when they arise.
Song Jian, who styled himself the King Who Pacifies the Han, lounged back lazily, gazing at Jicheng's walls as he sipped from his cup.
Inside the city, You Province Governor Zuo Ci was like a rat trapped in a cage. In a few days, he'd either starve and crawl out or open the gates from exhaustion.
One of his aides sidled up, fawning obsequiously.
"Your Majesty, the rats inside are keeping quiet. A few more days of siege, and they'll come crawling out on their own."
"Hmph! That fool Bei Gong Baiyu must be chasing Lu Zhi's tail by now. The true glory will be mine, Song Jian, King Who Pacifies the Han! Once I take that filthy Han dog's head and seize Jicheng, who would dare not follow me?"
"Your Highness speaks wisely."
"Long live the King Who Pacifies the Han!!"
Song Jian's subordinates snickered and chimed in agreement.
Throughout the camp, soldiers gambled or napped with their armor undone—discipline was nowhere to be found in the slothful atmosphere.
"Heh, splendid! At last, we can drive those accursed Han scum from You Province soil."
Song Jian drained his cup in satisfaction—when suddenly, far to the east, from a direction no one had imagined, a massive dust pillar erupted, racing toward them at breakneck speed.
A watchman stammered in terror.
"Y-Your Highness...! Dust pillar from the east...!! It's too fast!"
"What's the panic? Must be the scraps of imperial troops coming down from the north! Form ranks! Do You Province men cower before Han dogs? The enemy will flee at the first clash!"
But before Song Jian's bluster ended, three horses burst from the dust cloud's vanguard, far ahead of the rest.
The lead horse was blood-red, its rider clad in crimson armor.
Flanking him were a bearded warrior with a ruddy, jujube-red face and a hulking black giant with a tigerish glare.
"Shoot! Arrows—loose!"
Hundreds of arrows flew at Song Jian's frantic shout, but the three didn't slacken their pace.
They accelerated, batting arrows aside with their weapons as they charged the camp.
The crimson armor struck the shield wall first.
—Krunch!
The soldiers couldn't even scream. Shields, shield-bearers, and those behind—all impaled on a single spear thrust.
But that was just the beginning.
From the right, the bearded man's massive Green Dragon Crescent Blade arced in a half-moon slash. Heads flew, and five or six crumpled lifelessly.
The black giant on the left roared as he plunged in.
His serpentine blade flung soldiers aside; he grabbed a charging foe and hurled him skyward.
"Gaaahhh!"
"Hiiiik!?"
Cavalry lunged to spear the giant, but veins bulging on his arms, he yanked a rider down and smashed his face with a fist.
"Block them! Hold those bastards back!"
"No way! They're not human!"
"Run! They're monsters!!"
As the three monsters tore through and carved a path, five thousand cavalry poured in like a raging wave.
Song Jian's ranks shattered; headless without leaders amid the chaos, his men were trampled mercilessly under hooves.
The crimson warrior ignored scattering small fry, eyes fixed on the center—Song Jian's banner.
He spurred straight for him.
"B-block him!"
"Protect His Highness!"
"You curs, where do you think you're going? Guard the prince!"
Song Jian's elite guards threw themselves in the way desperately, but they were autumn leaves before his spear.
One sweep, and three or four heads rolled; everything in his path shattered.
—Whinny!
At last, the crimson warrior reined up before the trembling Song Jian, looking down from horseback.
"You the commander?"
"Eek... D-don't come closer! Spare me! I-I'm the King Who Pacifies the Han!"
Song Jian babbled in terror.
"Spare me, and... I-I'll make you Grand General! Name your price—anything!"
The crimson warrior stared silently. Seeing his eyes flash, Song Jian begged to the end.
"S-spare—!"
Before the plea finished, the spear shaft whipped like lightning.
—Thud!
A dull sound, and Song Jian's vision went black.
Jicheng's gates swung wide, and we entered the city.
You Province soldiers watched us with awe and fear mingled—no one dared block our path.
Far behind, the bound Song Jian was dragged along.
"Ha, leading a few thousand rabble and calling himself king... Madman."
Then Wei Sok sidled up beside me, cracking wise.
"Hey, bro! You caught the king, huh? As expected—truly impressive!"
Not stopping there, he snickered and added,
"Heard he offered to make you Grand General if you spared him. Why'd you pass? Grand General Lü Bu! Sounds badass, right?!"
"This guy's mouth never shuts."
I silently smashed a fist into Wei Sok's head.
"Grahk!"
Wei Sok lost balance atop his horse and tumbled off rolling.
Liu Bei, watching, stifled a laugh. I caught it and asked,
"What's so funny?"
"Haha, just getting a sense of your rapport with Adjutant Wei. It's like me and my brothers."
Zhang Fei bristled at that.
"Eldest Brother... We're not that flippant..."
"Yi De. Don't you turn into a dog every time you drink?"
Zhang Fei shot Guan Yu a aggrieved look.
"A dog? That's too harsh! Right, Brother Yun Chang?"
As eyes turned to him, Guan Yu stroked his long beard solemnly.
"Brother, Yi De doesn't turn into a dog when he drinks—he's a dog all the time."
"Uwaaaah! Damn it! I put up with it 'cause I'm the little brother!"
"Hahahaha!"
The antics drew a belly laugh from me too. But as we neared the government offices, our mirth faded.
"Time for laughs is over."
I schooled my face to ice and stared coldly at the entrance.
"Alright then. Shall we go see the esteemed new Governor?"
The main hall of the government offices was deathly quiet.
Zuo Ci's men parted without resistance as I and my subordinates entered.
Zuo Ci, seated in the place of honor, feigned composure with a dignified tone.
"You're the Colonel Lü Bu who repelled the besieging rebels? Commendable deed, but what insolence—to lead troops into the city without permission from me, the Governor!"
"This fool still doesn't get it."
I strode straight to the dais without a word. Overwhelmed by my presence, Zuo Ci flinched involuntarily.
"By order of Left General Lu Zhi, I come to question You Province Governor Zuo Ci."
"What!? You whelp! A mere Colonel dares interrogate me!?"
I ignored his outburst and listed the charges.
"First, where are the twenty million cash imperial funds? Second, why did you send capable opposing generals to their deaths and order Jincheng's garrison into open battle? Third, how do you answer for losing half of You Province to the enemy through your incompetence and greed?"
Zuo Ci shot to his feet, face purple.
"Who are you to judge me? I'm the Emperor's appointed Governor of You Province! For you to question me is overreach—treason!"
"Treason? You embezzled army funds, starved the troops, and drove allies to slaughter—you're the traitor!"
Zuo Ci faltered briefly, then brazened up again.
"Th-that was strategic judgment! How could a common warrior fathom a Governor's deep intent? I bear the Emperor's mandate! Only His Majesty can judge me!"
"His Majesty? You think you're fit to invoke his name? If he knew you'd squandered half of You Province, do you think he'd shield you?"
"Sh-shut up! I am You Province Governor! Threatening me without witnesses or a viceroy? A piddling Colonel can't touch me!"
I sneered at his final spasm.
"Governor? Don't make me laugh."
I turned, addressing all the officers and soldiers assembled.
"Your own troops, this city's people—none recognize you as Governor. You're nothing but a traitorous worm gnawing at the state!"
I cut off further talk and nodded to Zhang Liao and Gao Shun behind me.
"By the Left General's command: Arrest You Province Governor Zuo Ci—no, criminal Zuo Ci!"
As they advanced, Zuo Ci thrashed like a madman.
"Let go! What are you doing? Seize these traitors! Do you know who I am? Have you lost your minds!?"
Zuo Ci snatched his sword from his belt.
—Shing!
The blade flashed out, stopping dead at his throat.
"Even if I killed you here, no one would bat an eye. Want to die?"
At my words, his aides and the hall guards alike looked away or stared at the floor in unison.
Zuo Ci trembled, glaring with his last scraps of pride, grinding his teeth.
"You dare! When I get out, you'll regret this!"
Wei Sok snorted from behind.
"Never seen one of those 'you'll regret this' types actually come back."
Zuo Ci flushed crimson. He could only glare, speechless.
"Does this idiot's brain not turn at all?"
Even if emperors sold offices for cash, that held only when no 'damage' occurred.
This fool had lost half of You Province and still acted this way—once carted off to the capital, he'd likely never show his face again.