The Night Before the Storm (3)
After conquering Xu Province and Yang Province, Liu Chong's army halted its campaign and devoted itself to internal administration. The goal was to reclaim the farmlands devastated by years of prolonged warfare and to rally the people's hearts around the new Emperor.
A year and six months passed.
Then, a seething war cloud swept over the south.
A war to prevent the emergence of a new Emperor had begun.
Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.
Soldiers clad in sturdy armor and wielding sharp weapons reached Shouchun City. Tens of thousands of troops passed through the city gates day and night for several days, signaling that a full-scale war for supremacy over the realm was imminent.
"What about luring the enemy deep into Yang Province? Dong Zhuo's army, organized around Xiliang cavalry, would be useless in sweltering heat and dense jungles."
"But if we do that, the fleet stationed at Red Cliffs will be isolated."
Two hundred thousand.
An army of at least two hundred thousand would invade the south.
Liu Chong's advisors were wholly absorbed in deliberating how to confront the coalition of Dong Zhuo's army and the cadet imperial clan members. Given the unprecedented scale of the approaching war, they appeared extremely on edge.
"The lords' forces are merely a threat. The actual combatants on the battlefield will be Dong Zhuo's army. Countless cavalry corps will certainly surge forward the moment the battle begins."
"I have had the troops practice only tactics and formations to counter cavalry until now. It was a preparation we made for a decisive battle against Dong Zhuo's army."
Anti-cavalry tactics and formations.
They had relentlessly trained in methods to counter cavalry.
Since raising its army, Liu Chong's southern forces had suffered from a chronic shortage of cavalry. It wasn't just the difficulty of acquiring quality stallions; they also lacked the grazing land to raise and train a large number of warhorses.
Bows.
Or crossbows.
To compensate, they had developed archers to the absolute limit.
They also reinforced their combat power by intensively training swordsmen and spearmen to protect the archers.
"Your Highness's forces have never known defeat! Even if we fight the enemy on vast plains, we have a sufficient chance of victory! I will take the vanguard!"
A beautiful woman with flowing red hair stepped forward and, with a gallant voice, volunteered for the vanguard. Unshakable confidence in her own martial prowess and valor was evident.
The Little Conqueror of Jiangdong.
She had proven her mettle as a Foe of Ten Thousand during the conquest of Danyang Prefecture and Kuaiji Prefecture. She was a fierce general of the age, more than qualified to be appointed as the vanguard commander. She would certainly display her ferocity even in this disadvantageous war, where they had to continuously confront countless cavalrymen.
"I have long heard of the military fame of the Little Conqueror who dominates Jiangdong. However, for the initial vanguard against this unprecedented traitor, please leave it to the Xu Province Army."
"Yunchang and I can't be pushed to the rear!"
A gallant warrior woman with alluring, lustrous black hair.
And a spirited girl with distinctive light purple hair.
They were General Who Conquers the West Guan Yu and General Who Conquers the North Zhang Fei.
A vanguard that must confront a grand army of two hundred thousand.
The sworn sisters of the Oath of the Peach Garden boldly and energetically volunteered for the role.
Sun Ce frowned at Liu Bei's sworn sisters. Though displeased by their blatant attempt to covet the merits that rightfully belonged to her and her Jiangdong brothers, she held her tongue, fearing she might be seen as someone stubbornly insisting on taking the credit for herself.
* * *
The outcome of this great war would likely be decided by the clash of the fleets. That was why so many hopes were pinned on Commander Zhou Yu, leading the fleet, and Deputy Commander Lu Su.
According to rumor, Handsome Zhou, famed for his delicate features as beautiful as a woman of kingdom-toppling beauty, was receiving uninhibited romantic advances from countless officers and soldiers regardless of their rank. As if to prove he was a peerless pretty boy, his popularity even surpassed that of Deputy Commander Lu Su's boundless appeal.
Is he really a man?
Maybe there's a reason he has to dress as a man.
His back...
I need to see his back...
I couldn't understand how he could maintain such delicate beauty even after the stormy turmoil of puberty. There must be a reason he can't reveal his true gender to the world.
'Is now really the time to be worrying about the sex of a pretty boy?! The Imperial Crown Prince and overall commander of an entire nation wasting time on pointless delusions. If my sister catches me, I'll be a lifelong joke.'
A do-or-die decisive battle was at hand.
Dong Zhuo's army and the coalition of cadet imperial clan members would invade Yang Province on a massive scale. As a result, the Yangtze River and the vast plains of the south would be engulfed in mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
Let's just wipe these delusions clean.
One day, I can just request a group bath with Zhou Yu to foster camaraderie.
"Ce'er, does Gongjin happen to have a woman he's seeing? If not, I was thinking of introducing him to someone."
"A woman...?"
In the end, I couldn't simply bury my abyss-deep curiosity. I called upon Sun Ce, Zhou Yu's childhood friend, and asked her indirectly. It was all to discover the true gender of the pretty boy.
"There's no way women wouldn't be captivated by such a delicate appearance. If he doesn't have one, maybe it's because he's a woman disguised as a man..."
"Yes, he does."
"What?"
"Gongjin is meeting with the daughters of the Lujiang Qiao Clan."
The Lujiang Qiao Clan.
Zhou Yu was from the Lujiang Zhou Clan, so they were from the same region.
As I later found out, it was the family of the Two Qiaos of Jiangdong, famed as the Greatest Beauty of Yang Province.
Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao.
He was meeting with the sisters known for their peerless beauty.
I'd only known him as a strait-laced young master, but it seemed he had a taste for a steamy sisters' combo. It was a move fitting for the pretty boy famous for being more beautiful than any woman.
"A man... So he really was a man. Amazing. The unfairness of nature is truly astonishing. How can someone born a man be prettier than a woman? He really lives up to his looks. Ambushing a pair of sisters, what a bold move."
"Huh? Is that what Your Highness meant by your question? No, they aren't lovers. The sisters of the Lujiang Qiao Clan are simply Gongjin's friends."
Friends?
They meet often, but they aren't lovers?
I was slipping deeper into the labyrinth. It seemed like the only way to resolve this mystery was to ask him directly.
"No, it's nothing..."
"...?"
There was no way I could ask.
I have my pride,
To ask Sun Ce, who was practically his lover, "Is that pretty boy who acts like your sworn brother really packing something down there?" would certainly plummet his affection. So I swallowed my curiosity while looking into his innocent golden eyes.
"You asked for the vanguard in today's meeting."
"Yes...! B-but the appointment of the vanguard commander is a matter for Your Highness to decide! I will follow only Your Highness's decision!"
A commendable answer.
I praised her while stroking Sun Ce's head.
She smiled bashfully, like a puppy that had come scampering over.
* * *
Liu Chong's army, upon announcing the new Emperor's ascension, also proclaimed the Edict to Seek Worthies. It was a radical move to select talented people based purely on their ability and qualifications, regardless of their origin or background.
Having swiftly conquered Xu Province and Yang Province, they had expanded their territory.
Now, Liu Chong's army needed capable people to govern and develop its sphere of influence.
Zhuge Xuan, appointed Governor of Luling Prefecture, was exactly the type of person who rose to prominence through the Edict to Seek Worthies. He was originally just a Confucian scholar from Langya Kingdom, but thanks to Heavenly Fortune, he was able to advance as a provincial official.
"I think it is about time I leave the local school. Heeding my uncle's words, I have decided to seek office in the new Imperial House and Imperial Court."
"A wise decision! Are knowledge and insight not originally meant to be wielded in the world of men?"
His niece, her beautiful, transparent glass-like silver hair flowing down, respectfully conveyed her intention. Her uncle, Zhuge Xuan, nodded with great delight.
The Edict to Seek Worthies.
It was an opportunity to climb the ladder of success in the new Imperial Court.
His niece, famous as a prodigy in Langya Kingdom, where numerous famous Pure Stream Faction scholars had secluded themselves, was a talent capable of distinguishing herself as a great chancellor. Yet she had simply spent her years running a local school teaching the district's children, staying far from the path of worldly success.
Now that his niece had expressed her wish to serve, Zhuge Xuan missed his older brother, who had passed away long ago, and felt proud of his niece's growth.
"Heh heh... Liang is far more suited to be a chancellor than I am. For now, I will simply keep that seat warm for Liang."
"Of course, Liang was also born with the qualities of a great chancellor... but I wish she would just fix that sensitive personality of hers a little."
In response to her uncle's worried sigh, Zhuge Jin gave a faint smile.
Even as her older sister, she thought Zhuge Liang had a 'unique personality'.
"Waaaah! Teacher Ziyou! Liang was teasing me again!"
"Hic...! Hic! She said I'm a dumb meathead who only knows how to make poop!"
The children of the district came crying and tattling about the biting remarks.
There was no doubt about it.
The brat with the sensitive personality must have caused trouble again.
If her older sister Zhuge Jin hadn't taught them their letters while running the school, her little sister Zhuge Liang likely wouldn't have exchanged a single word with children her age due to her characteristic self-righteous nature.