Chapter 41
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: Clear Field Tactics
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A few days had passed since we took Jicheng.
The city was still in disarray, but at least no one was starving. Thanks to the massive grain stores that Zuo Chang had hoarded, we didn't have to worry about supplies just yet.
I sat in the grand hall of the government office, listening to reports on the situation around us.
"There are no rebel remnants left anywhere within a hundred li of Jicheng!"
"Public order in the city is stabilizing. The people are following you and the officers obediently, Commander."
The reports coming in weren't bad. But I couldn't be satisfied with this much.
We hadn't even started a proper battle with the main rebel force yet. I was deep in thought about our next move when a scout came rushing in from outside, panting heavily.
"Commander! An army's approaching from the north—they're right on our doorstep! It's that same force we reported heading south before!"
Hmm, so they've finally arrived.
Those were the guys the scouts had spotted a few days back.
They'd fought their way south through the rebels and somehow broken through all the way here.
I stood up from my seat.
"Wei Sok, Zhang Liao. Come with me. I need to see for myself what kind of force this is."
"Yes, brother!"
"Understood, Commander."
We led a detachment out the gates, and in the distance, we could see the approaching army.
Their numbers weren't huge, but their formation was impeccable.
The soldiers' armor and banners were uniform, and there wasn't a hint of disorder in their ranks.
Leading them was a warrior who looked like he had zero flexibility in him.
The moment they spotted us, they halted, and the middle-aged warrior at the front shouted out.
"Are you the punitive force sent by the court?"
"I'll ask the questions first. Who the hell are you?"
Even to my blunt words, the middle-aged warrior replied in a steady, unwavering voice.
"I am Gai Xun, Chief Clerk of Hanyang."
Chief Clerk of Hanyang? Never heard of it. Well, at least they're friendlies.
I let out a small sigh of relief as I answered.
"Hmm. I'm Lu Bu, Cavalry Commander under Left General Lu Zhi."
"Lu Bu... Lu Bu... You're that Lu Bu who took the heads of Zhang Bo and Zhang Liang and studied under Master Bai Gai?"
"If there's no other bastard in this world by that name, then yeah, that's me."
"Haha! Who'd have thought I'd get to meet the man from the rumors in person!"
Gai Xun's stiff face broke into a hearty laugh at my response. He dismounted and bowed deeply with genuine respect.
"If your army came up from the south, you must be the ones who lifted the siege on Jicheng. Thank you for saving the Governor."
Oh, he knows how to bow properly. This guy's not so bad.
Gai Xun lifted his head and asked earnestly.
"So, is the Governor safe? We need him alive to rally Yang Province's forces again."
"Hmm, the Governor. I had that traitorous pig arrested and sent him off to the capital."
Gai Xun's face twisted at my words. The smile he'd worn moments ago vanished completely.
"...What... On what authority did you arrest the Governor?"
"On the orders of Left General Lu Zhi. For embezzling military funds and sending soldiers to their deaths like dogs. Isn't that crime enough?"
I spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, but Gai Xun exploded like he was about to grab me by the collar.
"Have you truly lost your mind!?"
No, what the hell was this guy's problem all of a sudden?
"To punish a provincial Governor requires an imperial edict from His Majesty himself—or at the very least, a general bearing the axes of execution! You have neither edict nor axes! And yet you dared to bind the Governor and ship him off to the capital? Do you think that's something a mere Cavalry Commander can do? Isn't this a blatant disregard for the laws of the state!"
...Wow.
Cold sweat trickled down as his endless nagging poured out.
The hardest people to deal with in this world weren't corrupt officials or even those self-righteous puritans pretending to be clean.
It was these rigid types who clung to absolute principles.
This bastard's just as crazy as the rest.
Gai Xun pressed on, veins bulging in his neck.
"You must bring the Governor back from his escort to the capital immediately! Judging his crimes is the court's duty—not yours or mine!"
...Damn, I've really stepped in it this time.
There was some back-and-forth, but in the end, Gai Xun's force awkwardly merged with ours, and we set off toward Jincheng.
Gai Xun's soldiers numbered a little over a thousand. But they were well-trained and had real combat experience from smashing through rebel lines repeatedly.
The problem wasn't the soldiers, though.
"Commander, let me say it again: your actions were overreach. A Governor bears the heavy responsibility of an entire province—he's practically the Emperor's proxy. How could you act so rashly—"
It was the nonstop nagging from Gai Xun, riding right beside me with our horses abreast.
The journey from Jicheng to Jincheng would take a full week. After days of this, my head was throbbing.
Ugh, can't just sew that mouth shut.
As I inwardly clicked my tongue, Liu Bei—oblivious to my mood—chuckled and chimed in.
"Haha, Lord Gai speaks truly. You're a rare upright man in these times. The Commander would do well to heed your wise counsel."
And then Zhang Fei nodded along like an idiot.
"Yeah, that's what a true scholar's righteousness looks like! Big brother's right!"
...What the hell are these guys trying to pull on me?
I couldn't tell if Liu Bei was innocently stupid, or if he was deliberately grinding my gears.
And with that dark brute Zhang Fei piling on, it was enough to drive anyone mad.
Couldn't they see I was one step away from my head exploding because of this stubborn scholar?
I finally snapped at Gai Xun.
"The law? That glorious law—what was it doing while that greedy pig embezzled funds and fed soldiers to the slaughter? While loyal men like you bled on the front lines, that law was back at the office stuffing the traitor's belly. And now you want to uphold it? Don't make me laugh."
Even to my provocation, Gai Xun didn't back down.
"That doesn't put you above the law! Your actions will only breed more chaos! If you can drag down a Governor today, some other general could drag you down tomorrow! When order collapses, the state falls!"
I reined in my horse and stared him down head-on.
All eyes in the marching column turned to us at my sudden halt.
I declared boldly.
"Fine, Lord Gai. If my actions were overreach and a violation of state law, I'll take full responsibility. If the court wants my head for it, I'll hand it over gladly. But not until we've swept every last rebel from Yang Province. So until then, can you shut that mouth?"
Gai Xun was momentarily speechless at my boldness.
As a stickler for principle, he had no grounds to press someone willing to bear all consequences.
He glared at me for a long while before finally muttering, still not fully appeased.
"...See that you do."
With that, Gai Xun actually shut up. An awkward silence hung over the column afterward.
A few more days of marching brought us right up to Jincheng.
Everyone figured we'd link up with General Lu Zhi's main force and kick off the real fighting soon.
That's when a scout came galloping back from the front like a madman, his face full of shock and confusion.
"F-Flags! On Jincheng's walls... our army's flags are flying!"
Every commander's face, including mine, hardened. Wei Sok shouted first.
"What? Our flags? What the hell does that mean?! Did General Lu Zhi already take the city!?"
Zhang Liao, beside him, shook his head in disbelief.
"...That's impossible. Our main force is only 28,000 strong. The rebels number over 100,000. Even for General Lu Zhi, capturing the city this fast is next to impossible."
I didn't quite believe it either, but thinking back to Dian Wei's warnings, I had a rough idea what was going on.
In the midst of the confusion, we entered Jincheng. The gates swung open, and soldiers welcomed us in.
The city was eerily quiet.
There were clear signs of battle—smashed sections of the gate, arrows embedded in the walls. But for a city defended by 100,000, the damage was far too light.
Above all, the streets that should have been packed with civilians were nearly empty.
Wei Sok glanced around, grumbling.
"Hey, did we really win? Why's it so damn empty? Not even a rat in sight."
Even Gai Xun and Liu Bei could only furrow their brows in silence at the weird atmosphere.
...Something's off.
This felt like they'd deliberately cleared the city out.
We arrived at the government office being used as temporary HQ, where General Lu Zhi greeted us personally.
Lu Zhi looked exhausted, but he sighed in relief at the sight of us.
"Now that you've arrived safely, I can finally breathe."
The other captains were all gathered in the hall.
They cheered "Great victory!" at our arrival, but Lu Zhi's eyes held a shadow.
With everyone assembled, Lu Zhi gave an official briefing on the battle.
"The rebels crumbled under our momentum and fled north without a proper fight, abandoning Jincheng. This victory belongs to all you officers!"
"No, it's all thanks to your command, General!"
"Those rebel scum were nothing! Hahaha!"
The other captains praised Lu Zhi's leadership and called for a toast. I just quietly watched him amid the noise.
"Hmm. I need to discuss the Governor matter with the Cavalry Commander. Everyone else, dismissed for now."
"Yes, General!"
Once the rowdy officers were gone, only Lu Zhi and I remained in the hall.
"General, this whole thing stinks."
Lu Zhi glanced at me, then feigned calm as he asked.
"What's so strange about it, Commander? We won."
"100,000 troops abandoning a fortress like this after just a few days? This is a trap, plain and simple."
Lu Zhi let out a long sigh at my firm words.
"You're right. We didn't win... We're dancing in the palm of their hands."
He stood and revealed the shocking truth.
"Before retreating, they emptied every granary in Jincheng. They looted or burned anything they couldn't carry—not a single grain left."
My mind went cold at that.
We were trapped in an empty city with no food. To get supplies, we'd have to keep a long, treacherous supply line open from Chang'an—a week-plus journey.
Now it all clicked.
They'd deliberately handed over Jincheng to lure our main force deep into their territory.
Now they'd use their mobile cavalry to harass our extended supply lines relentlessly.
Isolated in the city, we'd either starve or retreat to Sambu while we still had strength.
"And they played a trick on top of it. We got a secret letter from Han Su, who's joined the rebels."
"A secret letter?"
"It said, 'This one remains a servant of Han, and will soon create an opportunity to respond to your army from within.' Who knows if it's sincere or just another ploy to lower our guard."
We had two choices: trust Han Su and press on, or retreat to secure our safety.
But I already knew the answer halfway.
The Emperor won't tolerate us dragging our feet.
Considering what I'd seen of the Emperor myself and Dian Wei's hints about enemy intentions, there was only one path.
These bastards think they can fold their arms and sneeze us out.