The White Horse General of Hulao Pass
The White Horse General of Hulao Pass
"Is that so? General Yuan Shu has broken through Sishui Pass."
"Yes, indeed, Your Majesty. Word is they will reach Hulao Pass before long, and it seems we may expect good news soon enough."
A deep smile graced Empress Dowager He's lips at the report.
Though she had no knowledge of warfare, even she knew that Sishui Pass was a formidable gate protecting the capital.
For it to be breached so easily, in a matter of mere days—
only reinforced her belief that the man she had set her eyes on was, in every way, exceptional.
And now.
The bespectacled woman delivering this report to Empress Dowager He spoke with a voice full of deference.
Chen Gong.
Regarding her, Empress Dowager He continued in an even brighter tone.
"Truly well done. To think that supposedly impregnable Sishui Pass would fall so swiftly. Does this not mean Hulao Pass is now within arm's reach?"
"It is, Your Majesty. However, it is too early to rest easy. Having suffered a great defeat at Sishui Pass, Ding Yuan will surely personally take the field next. The war in earnest can be said to begin now."
"Is... is that so...? Hmm. Yet it is still General Yuan Shu we speak of. I am certain he will bring tidings of victory before long."
"I, too... hope for the same, Your Majesty. To continue, here is the report on the internal state of Chenliu City. At present, the forces garrisoned here, combined with the troops who have transported provisions, number approximately thirty thousand, and..."
Various supplementary reports followed the news from the front.
Once those were concluded, Chen Gong once more composed herself with decorum and spoke politely.
"If there is further word, I shall inform you immediately, Your Majesty."
"Very well. You have done well."
Chen Gong departed, maintaining her formality to the very end.
Though a deep smile lingered on the Empress Dowager's face as she watched her retreating figure,
in this moment, the object of her smile was not Chen Gong standing before her, but a man far away.
'Please, endure just a little longer... For only with your victory can I also move things forward naturally...'
*
After her audience with the Empress Dowager, Chen Gong headed straight for the command post.
No sooner had she sat down than she began checking the letters and ledgers before her and issuing fresh orders.
"Send out the provisions brought from Yan Province immediately."
"Understood, my lady."
"On that side, dispatch a message directly to Ji Province. We require a resupply of arrows; inform them to produce and send an additional fifty thousand shafts at once."
"It shall be done."
Her hands and voice worked busily, without a moment's pause even for a sip of water.
Today again, as she dealt with one pressing task after another, large beads of sweat had begun to gather on her brow.
At present, Chen Gong was charged with guarding Chenliu City—the coalition's main camp—while simultaneously handling civil administration duties related to provisions and other military supplies.
The city's defense itself was fortunately handled entirely by Yuan Shu's sister Yuan Shao's close aides, the renowned generals Yan Liang and Wen Chou, so Chen Gong's part was merely to assist them.
Yet Chen Gong's primary duty—and the part that still made her head pound—was ultimately civil administration,
or, to be precise, everything pertaining to the supply lines.
No matter how powerful an army, it could only fight if properly fed and its weapons resupplied on time, so for Chen Gong, this was effectively a weighty responsibility to maintain the coalition's very lifeline.
And she was now pouring all her strength into executing this critical duty flawlessly, without the slightest margin of error.
Truth be told, when Yuan Shu first entrusted her with this mission, she could not help but feel a deep sense of tension within.
It was not merely because of the mission's gravity.
Though she had sworn loyalty to him, only a few short months had passed since she became Yuan Shu's person.
During that time, she had demonstrated her competence in minor affairs, but honestly, she had never been entrusted with anything of real significance.
What might Yuan Shu's intention have been, in giving someone like her such a large and vital task?
For the astute Chen Gong, grasping the deeper meaning was not difficult.
'A test... No doubt. How much capability do I truly possess as a person... And to what extent can he trust me with a mission.'
As for capability, gauging how smoothly she handled a task of this magnitude was straightforward. There was no need to overthink it.
She needed only to exert her utmost effort according to her ability and accomplish it. That was all.
Though the workload itself was heavy, Chen Gong herself knew perfectly well it was not beyond her capacity to manage.
The issue was what came next.
The matter of so-called 'trust.'
Throughout history and across the world, nothing was more vast or more foul than corruption in military procurement.
With goods for tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of men passing through, a single hand dipped into the till could secure enough wealth to live on for a lifetime.
Even with the ledger right before Chen Gong's eyes, if she were to alter but a single figure, she could siphon off a staggering sum unlike any she had ever possessed.
Yet.
At this moment, Chen Gong had transcended such temptation and was wholly immersed in her work.
As a scholar, part of her wished to repay the trust Yuan Shu had placed in her,
but even beyond that, she had no reason to covet the mere 'pocket change' before her eyes.
Only small-minded men are swayed by small gains before them and lose sight of what is large.
A great person must naturally look beyond, and know the patience required to seize what lies far in the distance.
'Once I pass this test, my lord will surely employ me with even greater weight in the future. And then I... will obtain the chance to achieve a great endeavor through him.'
As a low-ranking official of the Han Dynasty, Chen Gong had faced the miserable reality of this nation countless times.
The people were reduced to beggary,
bandit gangs ran rampant everywhere,
and amidst it all, corrupt powerful families and officials scrambled only to look after their own interests.
This was partly due to the corruption of the officials, but Chen Gong knew that, more fundamentally, it stemmed from systemic flaws inherent in the dynasty's 'institutions.'
To correct what was wrong and set it right.
By doing so, to place smiles and hope upon the faces of all the common people.
That was the goal and the dream held by the woman named Chen Gong,
as a scholar and an official of this land.
And so, the figure Chen Gong had chosen as the lodestar for this great endeavor, as her true lord—
Yuan Shu.
The one to whom she would pledge her loyalty,
the master who would realize her dream.
And a man who, in her physiognomy-reading eyes, bore a certain 'possibility.'
As she brought his face to mind,
a faint smile crossed Chen Gong's weary features, and fresh determination settled in once more.
'Failure is impossible. For the sake of the great endeavor, I will absolutely... live up to his expectations!'
*
The coalition army advanced swiftly after breaking through Sishui Pass.
Riding the momentum of victory, with morale soaring higher still, they reached the very front of Hulao Pass in a flash.
"We've finally arrived."
"Everyone, take heart! Once we clear that place, Luoyang lies ahead. The moment to punish the traitor is right before our eyes!"
"Her Majesty has decreed that the first to enter Luoyang shall be granted a great reward and high office! Those who wish to change their fortunes, do your utmost!"
The lords encouraged their soldiers, their expressions full of anticipation.
Having concluded the battle at Sishui Pass—long deemed impregnable—without great difficulty, they expected the fight at Hulao Pass would likewise prove easy enough.
Yet...
Regrettably, their expectations did not last long.
"In... Inspector! Is that—?"
"Gulp..."
"N... No, surely they wouldn't come out this quickly..."
The banners that came into their view.
At once, the composure the lords had shown vanished in an instant.
Fluttering in the center was the banner of the General-in-Chief Ding Yuan.
The mere appearance of the guardian deity of Bing Province—the famed commander who had made the border tribes tremble in fear—was enough to begin shaking the coalition's morale.
And on either side of Ding Yuan's banner were...
"Lü Bu... and even Gongsun Zan..."
Though they had expected it to some degree, the mere sight of those names in formation was enough to convince them this would not be easy.
A deep shadow began to fall across the faces of the coalition.
At that moment.
"Come at me, you weak and disorganized rabble! Here stands the White Horse General, Gongsun Zan!"
A powerfully built man mounted on a pure white horse charged forth, sword drawn.
A famed commander of You Province, renowned as a terror to the northern barbarians.
Gongsun Zan.
Taking the vanguard of Ding Yuan's army, he came out before the lines with fierce bravado and began his provocations.
"Foolish traitors, propping up some low-born butcher's brat and calling him Emperor! I, the White Horse General, shall personally chastise your benighted ignorance!"
"How dare that bastard..."
"General, I, Fang Yue, shall go and claim that filthy traitor's head."
"I, Wu Anguo, will take that Gongsun wretch's head within three bouts and return."
"I, Mu Shun, have long coveted that Gongsun villain's white horse. I will kill him and bring back the steed."
At Gongsun Zan's taunt, the officers stepped forth boldly.
Though the White Horse General's reputation was indeed famous, true skill is only known once the lid is opened.
Thus, the officers who normally yearned for renown took turns challenging Gongsun Zan...
"Whoaaaaa—!"
"Yada-baaaaaa!"
"Ah... no! Urgh-eeeeeeeee—!"
And with a colorful assortment of screams, their heads went flying clean off.
"Uwahaha! Is this all you amount to? Come, try me again! This White Horse General shall personally slice your heads off for you!"
—"Hee-he-heeengg!"
Amid the corpses of the slain officers, Gongsun Zan burst into overbearing laughter.
Listening to the sharp, whinnying cry of his white horse, the coalition camp fell so quiet one could hear a mouse stir.
*
An emergency war council was convened.
The lords who had been in high spirits until arriving here just yesterday now wore undisguised fear on their faces.
With three of the officers dispatched before battle having become corpses, even the morale so carefully raised was staggering.
In such a situation,
I calmly gauged the moment to interject while quietly listening to the lords talk among themselves.
"Bao Xin, won't you step forth? With your martial skill, it seems you might stand a chance."
"N... No, not I. Governor Wang Kuang is known for his greater valor, so..."
"Hmm... Me, you say? Hmm... Though I thank you for the flattery, my condition is a bit poor today, so..."
"Our Xiahou Dun has gone to the rear to handle the provisions, so..."
"Hah... If only my Yan Liang and Wen Chou were here, curs like Gongsun Zan would be—"
With Gongsun Zan having just made the officers' heads fly, and Lü Bu planted firmly behind him, none of the lords dared to step forward first and were busy reading each other's expressions.
Though they each possessed their own sense of loyalty, charging in recklessly here meant losing their heads before loyalty or anything else could matter. So they too had no choice but to tremble with unease and lie low.
In the midst of this, a few glanced furtively toward Liu Bei,
but Liu Bei quietly averted her eyes.
She seemed somewhat reluctant to directly clash with a senior with whom she had personal ties—Gongsun Zan, who was something of a hometown acquaintance.
So, while silence and a subtle battle of nerves lingered for a moment inside the council tent,
"Everyone, get ahold of yourselves. Why all this belated fuss? Whether it is the White Horse General or Lü Bu, you all surely expected we would fight them before we even came here, didn't you?"
"Hmm..."
"Well... That is... true, but..."
Dong Zhuo spoke in a cold voice.
At this, the lords merely mumbled, unable to reply properly.
There was plainly much they wanted to say—that Gongsun Zan was simply too strong, what would they do if Lü Bu came out after this—
but, suppressed by Dong Zhuo's presence, none could manage a straight rebuttal.
It was precisely then, as I was thinking I should step in to mediate and dispatch Ji Ling and my other subordinate generals—
"It cannot be helped... Since it has come to this, there is no choice but for me, Dong Zhuo, to go out personally."
'...!? Uh... Sis?'