Chapter 18
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Translator: volt
Chapter Title: Filial Son
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Morning.
"Kuuh, this hits the spot."
Ding Yuan felt a surge of vitality from the refreshing hangover soup he'd gulped down first thing in the morning.
In Bing Province, he couldn't even dream of high-grade rice like this, but the Yuan family's guest reception—grilling meat starting at dawn—left him wistful all the same.
"I want to come back tomorrow too..."
Even as a slave boy, he'd heard "do it in the governor's house," but maybe that's because luxuries like this were possible.
"Hehe, enjoying yourself?"
"Try some of this too."
"Hehe, well now."
Truth be told, the best part might have been the two women from last night feeding him.
"Everything alright? It's been ages since I cut loose like that, and I got a bit rough without realizing."
What made Ding Yuan feel truly alive—especially so—was these two women's contribution.
"They say Bing Province men are wild, and now I know exactly what that feral charm is. It was wonderful."
"Euhehehe!!"
Ding Yuan couldn't hold back his laughter at the woman's coquettish charm.
Yes.
This was exactly why he'd come to Luoyang—to savor moments like these.
Bing Province offered no such pleasures.
Even if he sought indulgence, Bing Province Army eyes were everywhere, and word inevitably reached his wife's ears.
"Tut..."
Thinking of his family back in Bing Province left a sour taste.
At least Bing Province had its merits over the capital—like better-tasting water or cleaner water for washing—
"Khmm."
On second thought, even that was a recent development.
Lü Bu had gone mad about water, digging wells and building waterways...
"Speaking of which, I heard Bing Province men have hair smooth as fine silk."
"Yes. You too, my lord..."
"Enough."
Ding Yuan rose with a sharp thwack.
"Time to get up."
"Ah, y-yes..."
He caught a flicker of disappointment and irritation on the women's faces but paid it no mind.
These women were courtesans the Yuan family had sent to pry Bing Province secrets from him anyway.
Spies meant to whisper sweet nothings at night, disarm his guard, and extract information.
"When will you come again, my lord?"
"If the Yuan family summons me, I'll rush over anytime. Haha. Will you sing by my side then too?"
Put another way...
"Of course, Lord Jinguo."
"We girls hope you'll unleash Bing Province's wildness here... Hohoho!"
If he doled out the information slowly instead of spilling it all, he could keep meeting them and enjoy this bliss.
"Hahaha. Yes, for that day—"
Kwaaang!!
The door burst open roughly as a group of men stormed into the room.
"Who are you! This isn't some safe haven..."
"Governor Ding."
Ding Yuan stared at the nobleman who had flung open the door—
"Y-Yuan Shao Gong."
His heart plummeted at the arrival of Yuan Shao, the true master of this estate.
"L-Lord."
The women clasped their hands and bowed deeply.
Ding Yuan's innards boiled as the coquettish women instantly straightened up at Yuan Shao's appearance.
"What is this about the Bing Province Army withdrawing?"
But his rage evaporated in an instant at Yuan Shao's words.
"...What are you talking about?"
It was too absurd.
"Withdraw? Me? Why? ...No, did they?"
Maybe the report he'd just heard was wrong.
Or Yuan Shao was testing him.
"The Bing Province Army's soldier tally is with me. How could they withdraw without His Majesty's decree—"
"A report came in: about 5,000 Bing Province troops stationed at Mengjin are moving toward the Yellow River."
Yuan Shao fidgeted with one hand, tucking his trembling fist into his sleeve as he continued.
"Unless you, Governor, ordered the withdrawal, who could move the Bing Province Army on their own authority?"
"That's what I want to know. Moving the Bing Province Army privately—"
Wait.
Privately?
"..."
"You seem to have some idea. Did you perhaps issue orders to the Bing Province Army without telling us?"
"Th-that's..."
No way.
It couldn't be.
It mustn't be.
In the worst case—
"No way did General Lü move the troops without reporting to you? With a full 5,000 men?"
"!!"
Ding Yuan's spine chilled at Yuan Shao's words.
Not just the content, but the fact that Yuan Shao had said it.
"Wh-what nonsense!"
Ding Yuan bellowed.
"I told you! Lü Bu is the general I recommended and raised! I brought him up like my own son—how could he move the army without a single word to me?!"
Forgetting this was the Yuan estate's guest quarters, he spat his words at Yuan Shao like arrows.
"How dare you slander without proof—"
"Is this slander?"
Ding Yuan's rising ire sank for an entirely different reason at Yuan Shao's clipped tone.
"I thought I was asking politely, but it seems you believe I'm slandering you."
"N-no, that's not—"
"Governor Ding Yuan claims to treat General Lü like a son, yet that general moves troops privately without so much as a hint to his 'father'!"
Yuan Shao covered his mouth with his sleeve and turned his head.
"I don't know if this should be handled as familial discord and filial impiety... or by military law."
If it were a father-son matter, the father could simply discipline his son.
"Surely the man who ascended to Jinguo doesn't lack control over his subordinates? I, Yuan Bencho, believe you're no such man."
But if it fell under military law, this was blatant overreach.
"Show the severity of military law."
"...I'll go at once."
Ding Yuan stormed out, face flushed crimson.
"...Tch."
Yuan Shao clicked his tongue—an uncharacteristic sound—and shook his head.
"Done."
"Eh, lord..."
Once Ding Yuan had left, the courtesans hurriedly dressed and approached Yuan Shao, bowing.
"W-we..."
"Enough. Even I didn't anticipate this."
Yuan Shao covered his face with one hand.
"Do sweet boys turn into that when they age...? Haa."
"..."
The servants paled at Yuan Shao's lament, but none dared speak until he continued.
"Clean the quarters. And you."
Yuan Shao pointed at the bedding for the women.
"Bathe immediately, then load all that bedding and furniture onto a cart."
"Y-yes? P-perhaps..."
"I don't believe in superstitions."
Yuan Shao eyed the bedding like so much filth.
"But this time, I'm tempted to."
"Nice weather. Perfect day for some sun-drying."
The morning sun was especially clear today.
"Zhang Liao. Should we haul out all the bedding and let it air for the day?"
"You mean have our 700 men air out bedding for 7,000, General?"
Zhang Liao jumped at my words.
"We should at least dry ours in the sun. Keeping it in tents gets too stuffy to bear."
"Phew. I thought you meant every soldier's share too."
Zhang Liao patted his chest and glanced at the camp.
The camp stood empty.
Originally 7,000 strong here, but Governor Ding Yuan had taken all 1,000 cavalry into Luoyang.
Of the remaining 6,000 infantry, 5,300 had followed Hou Cheng up to Mengjin Port.
Leaving just 700 in total.
"Zhang Liao. We've got to clean this up anyway. Better air out the dampness ahead of time."
"..."
These 700's job was to clean up and downsize the camp that had housed 7,000.
Their traces, gear, even the tents themselves.
"Who else will do it if not us? Right? Better tidy early."
"If new troops arrive, wouldn't it be better to house them here?"
"Even then, who'd be thrilled with secondhand bedding and tents? Clean ones boost morale—this is a soldier's spirit issue."
I patted Zhang Liao's shoulder and pointed ahead.
"Look at him. Already dismantling tents with the men."
The Cavalry Commander was silently organizing tents with his 700 subordinates.
His pace was so swift that re-erecting them would take less than half a day to restore.
"He's the Cavalry Commander... no, not anymore."
"True enough."
Cavalry Commander leads cavalry.
Now he was commanding 700 light infantry—a bit sorry about that.
"Cavalry, huh..."
"Regretting sending so many?"
"No, nothing like that."
Horses left in our camp now: about twenty head.
Half for essential messengers and scouts.
Half for me, Zhang Liao, the Cavalry Commander, and the seven centurions we'd picked as reps from the 700.
No real cavalry formation anymore.
"Sorry to put you in this spot."
"Why the sudden apology?"
"This plain seems pretty suitable for drills, doesn't it?"
Bing Province had plains, sure—but nothing like this.
"Only after training cavalry across a wide plain like this could you truly call yourself Cavalry Commander."
"...You're not thinking of putting me in charge of cavalry, are you?"
Zhang Liao lowered his voice, eyes flicking toward the ex-Cavalry Commander—now Infantry Commander.
"Even with seniority and all?"
"Got some ambition, eh?"
"Well, yes."
Zhang Liao scratched his beard but held his ground.
The beard he'd grown to look older had thickened nicely, but next to the Infantry Commander, he still lacked a general's full gravitas.
...Though that one overdid it on the dignity front.
"Not like me and Song-Houwei, just a year or two apart—you're seven years behind the Infantry Commander..."
"Seven years."
"Seven years isn't casual-brother territory."
In society, age gaps like that weren't huge—but between early-twenties Zhang Liao and late-twenties Infantry Commander, it was.
"What can you do? To him, you're the junior. To surpass that and stand as a proper chiliarch—a true general—you'll need merit to match—"
"Lü Bu——!!"
"Heart-skipping stuff."
The shout drowned out the hoofbeats, so I waved the soldiers on.
"Keep at it. Zhang Liao, follow me."
"Understood."
I hefted my Fangtian Halberd and strode forward.
Not mounted, but fully armored, I walked to greet the 'guest' at our camp.
"Governor."
"What have you done!!"
Ding Yuan dismounted, huffing and puffing.
Not in armor or official robes, but civilian garb—too disheveled for any excuse about the ride.
"Where are all the soldiers?!"
"They crossed the Yellow River. To Bing Province."
"Wh-what?!"
Ding Yuan went ashen.
The Bing Province troops who'd trailed him—the same 1,000 who'd entered Luoyang before—stiffened too.
"Who ordered them to Bing Province?!"
"I did."
"Why!"
"Because Bing Province is under attack right now."
I calmly laid out the justification.
"Urgent dispatch came—no time to inform properly. Sent a man, but looks like our messages crossed."
Bing Province invasion—true or not?
"Things were too chaotic. My apologies."
How to verify in this era, where even the fastest news rode hard-driven horses via human courier?
"I wanted to rush to Bing Province myself, but sent Hou Cheng ahead first."
"You—!"
Hm?
Zzaaak!
"……!!"
Zhang Liao moved to step forward from behind.
Ding Yuan swung his arm wide—
"Kuaak……!"
He clutched his wrist in agony, nearly crumpling.
A brutal red handprint bloomed darkly on his wrist.
"Sorry about that. Reflex."
His swing toward me met my own reflexive swipe—like I'd clapped his wrist.
Not me slapping back an attempt to strike my cheek.
Not me grabbing the old man's wrist to twist, overdoing it till it ended in a simple smack.
I respect my elders—my soul's roots lie in the Land of Eastern Courtesy.
"No way you meant to slap this Lü Fengxian's cheek."
I clapped my hands lightly.
"If it was just a hand-clap, you should've warned me."
"Th-this……!"
Gripping his inflamed wrist, bloodshot veins bulged in Ding Yuan's eyes.
His hand trembled below—no strength left in it.
"Governor."
I stepped toward Ding Yuan.
"I misspoke. Didn't specify who was invading Bing Province."
"Th-this…!"
"Bing Province is under bandit attack right now."
Even one bandit on a rampage counts as invasion.
"We were suppressing Bing Province bandits when ordered to clear ones near the capital. Luckily, the capital unrest is settled—no more need for troops—"
"You know one side, blind to the other——!!"
Ding Yuan roared.
"Why don't you know the 7,000 must stay here?!"
"..."
I know.
"Xiliang forces still linger west! Court has Eight Attendants' remnants!"
I know full well.
"He Jin's shattered remnants watch, merging and splitting! This force is...!"
That's why I sent them.
"Governor. What's wrong?"
"You, you don't mean...!"
I took a step forward; Ding Yuan retreated two.
"Acting like you're worried about another bloodbath."
"……!"
"Worried another huge incident at court? Who plotting treason this time? Thousands of troops near capital, spears and swords aimed at Luoyang?"
"……!!"
Ding Yuan wasn't clueless.
"Perhaps."
And I wasn't clueless about this sort of thing either.
"You're not plotting treason yourself, are you?"
"You!!"
Ding Yuan jabbed a finger at me, veins bulging in his neck.
"If not, all's well."
Blatant line-crossing—but an ignorant commoner who knows one side asks purely.
"I naturally trust Governor Ding Yuan. But every visitor here warns 'be cautious,' so it weighs on my mind."
"Where'd you hear such flimsy gossip?!"
Ah.
As expected.
"You...!"
"Don't think I've erred enough to deserve a slap just for hearing 'you.'"
I planted my Fangtian Halberd in the ground.
"Soldiers lying on mats for days, while you seem to have drunk wine and slept in women's arms—quite the lucky star."
"……!!"
"Didn't I say Bing Province is under attack?"
I took another step toward Ding Yuan.
"What order should Bing Province's Governor give?"
"You...!"
"Who do we soldiers pledge loyalty to?"
"You...!"
"Heaven itself, naturally?"
Someone cut in.
"Now, now. Let's not..."
A man in civil official robes appeared on horseback.
Behind him, a burly fellow in fox-fur leather snorted like a bodyguard.
"Hogeya. No weapons. We're guests here."
"Ho!"
The one called Hogeya barked back like a battle cry and lowered the halberd from his back.
"Haha. No need to bare fangs. We're all ministers of Han, aren't we?"
Deny it, and you're a traitor.
"General Lü, forgive my late introduction. I serve under General Dong Zhuo."
The man bowed his head.
"Li Yu is my name."
As he bowed lightly, I caught a glimpse of his neck slightly exposed.
"I'd like a private word with the general..."
"You...! Who do you think you are to...!"
"Well."
Li Yu drew an item from his sleeve.
"The man bearing a decree from the Empress Dowager's palace."
"Em-Empress Dowager...?"
"Lord Ding Yuan."
Li Yu rubbed the decree's cord with a smile.
"Will you step aside?"
"The Empress Dowager—"
"The Empress Dowager ordered it conveyed to General Lü alone."
Li Yu's smile hardened as he pointed toward the capital.
"Curious? Ask her yourself. Now then, General Lü."
Li Yu held up the decree and gestured inside the camp.
"To relay Her Majesty's command—shall we head to your tent?"
"This way."
I extended a hand toward Li Yu and pointed to my tent.
"I obey the imperial command."
Through his tousled white hair, Ding Yuan's scalp flushed crimson with surging blood.
Author's Note
Filial Son