Chapter 55
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Picking Up a Scholar
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The morning of our departure from Jing Province finally arrived.
I headed straight to Lady Chae's house first thing.
Lady Chae was fussing over the fit of my armor.
"Please... take good care of yourself. I hear Yang Province is a brutal land."
"My dear, didn't I tell you? The world's greatest warrior promises there'll be no tears shed. The moment I secure my position, I'll send for you right away, so just hold on a little longer."
At that moment, Chae Jeonghui—who'd been eavesdropping outside the door—burst in.
"Brother-in-law! You absolutely can't go cheating on my sister while you're gone! I'll be keeping my eyes on you!"
"Jeonghui! How can you say such brazen things?"
"Sister! But look, brother-in-law's way more handsome up close than he seems. I hear the women in Yang Province are wild ones—what if one falls head over heels for him?"
In the midst of the cheerful chaos, with Lady Chae blushing as she scolded her sister, I bid a brief farewell to the Chae sisters.
At Luoyang's western gate.
My army bound for Yang Province stood in formation.
Grand Commandant Lu Zhi had come to see me off at the city gates, accompanied by the Liu-Guan-Zhang brothers.
"Yang Province is treacherous ground. As you know, it's already risen in rebellion, so force alone won't suffice to govern it. Stay ever vigilant and never neglect to gather men who can be your arms and legs."
"My thanks, Grand Commandant."
I bowed deeply in gratitude for Lu Zhi's advice. Then, finally, I turned to Liu Bei.
"Xuan De, are you really not coming with me?"
Liu Bei refused my wistful plea with polite but firm resolve.
"Your offer is truly a gracious one, Excellency. But I still have unfinished business here in the Central Plains, and I wish to lend my strength to this realm. That said, I'll never forget our time together in Yang Province, subduing the rebels."
Guan Yu and Zhang Fei bowed silently in respect to me as well.
'Sigh... If those three came with me, there'd be nothing to fear in all the realm...'
Temptation surged, but I couldn't very well drag along men who'd said no.
"Xuan De, then next time we meet, I hope to see you risen to a proper office."
"Thank you for your kind words. We too pray for your martial fortune, Excellency."
"Hahaha! Martial fortune? Others might think I'm marching off to war."
Liu Bei simply offered a soft, gentle smile without another word.
Now all the farewells were done.
I turned away without looking back. Mounting Red Hare, I gazed at the hundreds of men following me.
Zhang Liao, Gao Shun, Wei Sok, Cheng Lian, Wei Yue, Ma Teng—they were the ones who'd trusted only me and set out on this long road.
I raised my spear toward the western horizon where the sun set.
"March out!"
Now we had to cover thousands more li to the new land I'd rule.
Jia Xu was on the road back to his hometown of Wuwai after abandoning his official post.
He'd cited illness as his excuse, but in truth, he was fleeing the bloody storm he foresaw sweeping Jing Province soon.
The road from Jing Province to Chang'an posed no issues. Court soldiers kept the highways under tight watch.
But beyond Chang'an, the paths grew treacherous, with barbarians lurking everywhere.
In the end, for safety's sake, Jia Xu had no choice but to pay a merchant caravan to travel under their protection.
Even with such precautions, the worst still befell them.
"B-Barbarians!"
"It's the Di tribe! The Di bastards!"
Hundreds of Di tribe cavalry appeared, encircling the caravan.
"Eek! P-Please spare—"
"Useless trash. Die!"
The Di showed no mercy.
They beheaded the old, the sick, and anyone who looked worthless right on the spot.
At last, the blade drew near the gaunt scholar Jia Xu.
"Come out, you rat!"
"Hmph, looks like this one's no good either."
One Di soldier dragged Jia Xu out like a sack of goods, deeming him worthless and drawing his sword.
The other merchants squeezed their eyes shut in terror. But Jia Xu didn't so much as flinch.
Instead, he stared the man down and spoke in a perfectly calm, arrogant tone.
"I am the maternal grandson of Duan Gui. If you kill me, don't bury me with the rabble—do it separately. My clan will surely pay a king's ransom to claim my body."
At the name 'Duan Gui,' not only the rider with sword drawn but all the jeering Di around them went pale as ghosts.
The terror of Emperor Huan's reign—the man who'd mercilessly slaughtered the Qiang and other western barbarians.
Even in death, that name haunted the barbarians of this land like a nightmare. The Di chieftain, hearing Jia Xu was Duan Gui's grandson, came running in a panic and prostrated himself before him.
"G-Grandson of Lord Duan! We've committed grave offense! Please forgive us!"
"How could such rudeness ever be atoned for?"
At Jia Xu's words, the chieftain proved his sincerity by slicing off the head of the subordinate who'd just threatened Jia Xu, right there on the spot.
Then he offered the gushing head to Jia Xu.
"Please! Accept this and believe in our sincerity."
"...Hmph."
Blood splattered his robes, a severed head rolled at his feet—yet Jia Xu's expression never changed.
The chieftain marveled at the sight.
"Truly... even a grandson carries Lord Duan's blood in his veins!"
It was right then, as the chieftain gazed up in admiration—
—Thwack!
A dull thud, and the chieftain's head exploded.
Brains and bone shards flew everywhere, plastering Jia Xu's face.
Even the peerless Jia Xu couldn't help his legs trembling as one impossibility followed another.
"Wh-What in the world...?"
"The chieftain!?"
Before the Di warriors could even look toward the arrow's origin in shock, a thunderous roar shook the earth from afar.
"Kill them all!!"
"Waaah!!"
Cavalry of the Han—not like these barbarians at all.
"Kill them all!"
At my shout, what could hardly be called a battle—a one-sided slaughter—began.
The chieftain's head had burst from my arrow first, plunging the Di into chaos. They were no match for our cavalry.
"Gah—!"
"You bastards! Die!"
Zhang Liao and Gao Shun charged at the vanguard, and the Di warriors offered scant resistance before becoming fodder for the eagles soaring over the plains.
In the midst of that hellscape, I spotted the one man standing utterly still.
Covered head to toe in the chieftain's blood and brains, yet he hadn't blinked.
'What the hell is that guy?'
No ordinary sort. He looked like he'd never held a sword in his life.
I spurred my horse toward the bizarre fellow.
"Eek!"
"Th-Thank you for saving us!"
As I approached, the surviving merchants prostrated themselves in fear before me.
But the man simply bowed calmly, his bloodied face regarding me quietly.
"Who are you? Why were you with those barbarians?"
"I am Jia Xu, courtesy name Wenhe. I resigned my post due to illness and was heading home. And those... were mere bandits I encountered on the road."
'Jia Xu...?'
Like with Ma Teng, a name that tugged at some memory.
'More than that— a man's head just exploded right in front of him, and he's this calm?'
Jia Xu read the suspicion in my eyes but continued undaunted.
"If it's no imposition, might I ask the name of my benefactor?"
"Yang Province Commandery Administrator Lu Bu, courtesy Fengxian."
At my name, Jia Xu's eyes widened ever so slightly before returning to normal.
A calculating glint.
'Hmph, what the hell's going on in that head of his?'
Even at a glance, I could tell he was no ordinary man.
As I pondered what to do with him—
Panting hard from galloping up, Scout Captain Jeon Pung appeared with Wei Sok as escort.
"M-My lord! The vanguard suddenly got rowdy—what in the... Eh? You... aren't you Wenhe!?"
Jeon Pung spotted Jia Xu and cried out in surprise.
"Ah, n-no... Lord Yuanhao. I never dreamed I'd see you in a place like this."
'So these two know each other.'
I watched as they exchanged proper bows. Jeon Pung shared a brief word with Jia Xu, then came to whisper in my ear.
"My lord, no time for long explanations here. For now—he says he's heading to his home in Wuwai. Same destination as ours, so why not bring him along?"
I nodded at Jeon Pung's suggestion and glanced at Jia Xu.
He forced a smile, but his eyes screamed 'Let me bow out.'
But that look didn't last.
"Urgh..."
Wei Sok, mopping up the area, spotted a still-breathing Di soldier and skewered his head with a spear.
—Crunch!
"Damn, kill these bastards and they just keep crawling back. They growing in the fields or something?"
Wei Sok's merciless act, my men's casual indifference to the gore...
And the chieftain's brain shards still clinging to his robes—Jia Xu's face drained even whiter.
Seizing the moment, Jeon Pung grinned and slung an arm over Jia Xu's shoulder.
"Hahaha, Wenhe! Long time no see, old friend—why try so hard to slip away? Same road ahead, so travel safe under our Commandery Administrator's protection."
"Heh heh, how could I refuse such kind care?"
Jia Xu gave a resigned smile and nodded weakly.
After cleaning up the Di, we pressed on toward Wuwai.
Riding along, I stole a glance at Jia Xu trailing at the rear of the column, keeping as much distance as he could manage while barely keeping up. His face was still ashen.
I turned to Jeon Pung riding beside me.
"So, Strategist Jeon. Been wondering since earlier—why tell me to look after that scholar? I get you know him, but was dragging him along really necessary?"
Jeon Pung still looked peaky, but he'd grown accustomed to horseback since our 'blitz' days—at least enough to hold steady.
"My lord, that man... is nothing like he appears."
Jeon Pung's eyes grew distant, as if recalling the past.
"It was back when I served as Imperial Censor, investigating officials' corruption. I was keeping watch on those recommended as Filial and Incorrupt who became Gentlemen of the Palace. One of them was this very Jia Wenhe."
His words piqued my curiosity. A Gentleman of the Palace practically guaranteed high office if you showed any talent at court.
"Most who become Gentlemen via Filial recommendation use the post as a stepping stone—bribing the powerful to climb higher, or falling to their temptations with money, women... But this one? He was the only one who neither offered nor accepted a thing."
"Ho... a paragon of incorruptibility, eh?"
Jeon Pung shook his head at my words.
"No, it wasn't mere uprightness. It was so peculiar I looked into him personally. And the more I dug, the more astonishing he became. Profound insight, yet he never showed off. Brilliant stratagems, but he cleverly hid his gifts."
At Jeon Pung's account, I glanced again at Jia Xu struggling far behind on his horse.
He'd struck me as sharp enough at first sight, extraordinary even. But not that extraordinary.
Jeon Pung followed my gaze and advised with utter conviction.
"If my lord wishes to pacify Yang Province swiftly, you must recruit that man. I have confidence leading troops under your command to crush foes—but no confidence in making enemies bow their heads and accept governance willingly."
"Hmph. I see."
The more Jeon Pung spoke, the clearer it became: I couldn't let this scholar Jia Xu slip away.