The Wolves Raise Their Heads (1)
Suddenly reaching out to Preceptor Captain Yuan Shao left Lee Seong-hwi utterly perplexed. Why now, of all times, when the emergency decree from the Grand General's office had everyone stretched thin, as if they needed ten bodies to keep up? And yet, despite his doubts about her motives amid such chaos, he couldn't bring himself to rebuff those clear, jade-like eyes sparkling before him. He decided to accept her approach.
"I heard you fended off more than thirty assassins and safely protected the King of Bohai. What remarkable valor and prowess—strength truly befitting a hero."
"Yes, thank you...."
Lee Seong-hwi nodded awkwardly as Yuan Shao lavishly praised his martial feats. He already knew her intentions. She was surely trying to recruit him into her grand ambitions. Like Cao Cao, Yuan Shao was a woman with a keen eye for talent, regardless of birth or status. She hungered to gather as many able minds under her banner as possible.
"Before you get to the point, Preceptor Captain... may I speak first?"
"Of course."
Yuan Shao accepted with ready grace, her demeanor as relaxed as if she already knew what he would say.
"I serve under Vanguard Captain Cao Cao."
"Indeed, I know that well."
Even as Lee Seong-hwi indirectly warned her off—abandon any thoughts of recruitment now—Yuan Shao's elegant smile never wavered. If anything, it deepened, as if his display of loyalty pleased her all the more.
"I've come merely to share a brief conversation with you, nothing more. I have no intention of burdening you."
Yuan Shao was different from Cao Cao, that much was clear. She burned with fierce greed to claim every last talented soul, but her methods diverged sharply. Where Cao Cao wielded raw ambition and boldness to ensnare her targets, Yuan Shao seduced with poise and refinement, drawing hearts into her orbit. That was why, even after Lee Seong-hwi's blunt preemptive refusal, she maintained her noble composure, unhurried and graceful.
"Had you not stepped in then, we never could have captured Jian Shi amid the flames. The Grand General's plan to make an example of him with the chariot execution—to deter a hundred with one—would have fallen apart, leaving us with only a half-measure suppression."
It was thanks to him that the rebellion had been crushed utterly, and that she herself had risen to Preceptor Captain. Yuan Shao conveyed her gratitude accordingly.
"Thank you. I owe you a great debt, and I never forget such favors. One day, I will repay you in full."
"Please, think nothing of it."
"No, I insist. I am kin to the illustrious Yuan clan of Runan, heirs to half the prestige of the Four Great Families and Three Excellencies. A favor received must be returned."
Yuan Shao was no foolish woman who lunged greedily at her prizes and lost them in the scramble. She possessed the cunning of a schemer and the majesty of a sovereign. Thus, she did not rush. She shunned hasty ploys or crude tactics. She was no blind heir of the Yuan clan, blinded by greed and vanity to let greater gains slip away.
No matter how sturdy the eaves' cornerstone, it will wear through under the steady drip of rainwater from the eaves. I won't seize you rashly. Little by little... I'll come to know you.
Force would never conquer such a steadfast foe. Her rival was Cao Cao, and the man she coveted was a warrior utterly devoted to her. So Yuan Shao planned to claim his heart bit by bit, molding him into a loyal soul who saw only her. This was the foundation, the first button to fasten in securing him. With eternal patience and the pretext of repaying a debt, she approached, ever probing the heart of this man named Lee Seong-hwi.
"Once things quiet down... let's share a cup of tea sometime."
With those words, Yuan Shao flashed a sly, fox-like smile and turned away, as if her business were concluded.
The sandstorm sweeping south from beyond the northern deserts into Didao of Longxi Commandery in Liang Province raged fiercer than ever today. It was nearly impossible to keep one's eyes open. From soldiers to warhorses, the Xiliang army encamped in tents across the dunes endured these brutal gales time and again.
When had they last beheld golden fields of ripened grain? Liang Province offered nothing but barren deserts and desolate plateaus—a land of death and starvation unfit for human life, and that was no exaggeration.
"My lord, the Northern Qiang Brigade and Mounted Qiang Brigade have assembled at your summons."
A giant over eight chi tall extended his massive, muscle-bound arms in salute. The middle-aged man seated above nodded.
"Even amid this sandstorm, the might of the Northern Qiang and Mounted Qiang shines bold and grand! Entrusting them as the vanguard of this Dong Zhongying's great cause would leave nothing wanting!"
Formed from Qiang tribes clustered in Guanghan Commandery, Wudu Commandery, and beyond, the Northern Qiang and Mounted Qiang Brigades consisted of hulking warriors, each worth a hundred men—peerless champions. Veterans of a hundred battles, survivors of countless brushes with death. Among the famed brave of the Xiliang army, these units stood at the pinnacle, and they were the personal guard most trusted by Inspector of Bing Province, Dong Zhuo.
His gaze upon them brimmed with awe and faith for good reason.
"Proud brothers of Xiliang!"
Dong Zhuo sprang to his feet from the seat of honor, thrusting his jeweled sword high and bellowing. The Xiliang warriors lifted their heads, staring fixedly at their lord—the king of Xiliang in all but name—standing ramrod straight.
"You and I have roamed the harsh, parched wastes half our lives astride swift Han blood steeds, shaking the prestige of warriors while fulfilling our duty to the Han imperial house and court. We've repelled countless invasions and quelled every internal revolt, upholding our faith and loyalty!"
They had driven back barbarian hordes crossing borders through sandstorms and shattered the Yellow Turban mobs swarming to the western frontiers, honoring their obligations to the throne and court. Yet with each battle, precious comrades fell. Their bodies had to be buried in that unforgiving soil.
He knew it well: to die in battle was the highest glory and honor for any warrior. But at some point, doubt had crept in. Would the imperial house and court truly recognize the feats and fame we'd piled up fending off foes on the frontier?
The filthy court and throne once sicced Huangfu Song on me to strip away every shred of my command. We bled and fought with valor, yet all we got in return was suspicion and envy—no honor, no glory!
Despite burying countless comrades and spilling rivers of blood on the battlefield, the court gave nothing. Instead, it sought to seize more, imposing duty and obligation on Xiliang's brave warriors while offering naught in return.
And so the Xiliang army had resolved: We'll claim directly the fruits of the blood we've shed in battle. Your gold, silver, and treasures—we'll wrench them away with our bloodied spears and swords!
"But what has that corrupt house and filthy court ever done for us? We've lost parents, sent brothers to the grave, gazed upon children starving in poverty—what have they ever bestowed upon us?!"
The King of Xiliang roared like a fierce tiger, stirring the pent-up rage and fury of his Xiliang kin. Hatred for the central court—that was their banner for rising in arms, the root of their loyalty to him. Long scorned and slighted by the throne, to the people of Xiliang, Dong Zhuo was their great sovereign, the leader who would fulfill their deepest yearnings.
"At last, our chance has come!"
Dong Zhuo unfurled a document. It was a secret missive from Grand General He Jin.
To the Valiant Dong Zhongying,
Assemble thousands of cavalry and stand ready. Upon my signal, rise at once and march on Luoyang.
— Grand General He Jin
In Jinyang County of Taiyuan Commandery in Bing Province, Inspector of Bing Province and Martial Fierce Colonel Zheng Yuan was renowned as the swift and valiant hero of Bing Province. His exceptional martial arts and command of troops had earned him fame, and repelling the near million-strong Black Mountain and White Wave Bandits across the northern reaches had brought his warrior's renown even to Luoyang.
"At last, a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity descends upon this Zheng Jianliang."
At last, the chance—the justification—had come to him. Having received the secret dispatch from Grand General He Jin's envoy, Bing Province's inspector gazed in ecstatic glee. After a lifetime spent subduing savage barbarians and ferocious bandits on the frontier, a pretext to advance on the center had finally been granted.
"Bing Province Colonel, ready the cavalry at once. We must be fully prepared to ride for the capital at any moment."
"Yes, sir!"
Zhang Yang saluted and nodded at Zheng Yuan's command. Under his command were elite riders forged in battles against the Xiongnu and Wuhuan—warriors each worth a hundred. If Northern Ping's Colonel Gongsun Zan commanded Wuhuan and White Horse Cavalry, Zheng Yuan boasted Bing Province Cavalry, famed for their sharpness in valor and prowess.
"Our aim is to aid the Grand General in purging traitors, bringing peace to the realm! And we shall advance to the central court at his side!"
He had resigned himself to dying namelessly against barbarians on some forgotten frontier. Now, a golden opportunity had arrived. Zheng Yuan summoned all his generals and began preparing the army to march on the capital.
"......"
A black-haired woman in white armor quietly lifted her head to watch Zheng Yuan launch into a sharp-tongued oration before his assembled generals. Where had the famed valiant hero of Bing Province gone? Before her stood only a doddering old man chasing vanity and greed.
Was it the passage of time that had bred such avarice? Or had this rare chance awakened long-buried desires? She couldn't fathom why Bing Province's hero had become a lapdog of power—and she had no desire to.
"Wen Yuan."
At Zheng Yuan's call, the black-haired woman in white armor saluted and replied.
"Yes, Inspector."
Knowing full well what was coming, she kept her expression blank, awaiting his next words in silence.
"Where is Fengxian?"
At Zheng Yuan's irritated query, Zhang Liao—the black-haired woman in white armor—turned her head slightly to gaze at the empty seat. Deep inside, she sighed heavily as she thought of the female warrior who had defied the inspector's strict summons. How on earth to excuse this without repercussions...? Zhang Liao lamented, feeling for all the world like a mother perpetually vexed by her troublesome daughter, wondering how to soothe the crotchety old man's wrath unscathed.