Soyoung’s Apocalypse Tycoon -1
“...having achieved such great merit, I bestow upon her the title of Bisi-rang and five hundred dan of grain.”
The distribution of official positions and the division of spoils came to an end.
There was no formal ceremony in a grand hall, no solemn prostration before the Emperor.
My entry into government service was secretive and abrupt.
Liu Bei had come to me in secret, solemnly reciting my new title and stipend, and I had formally bowed toward Xu Chang, where the Emperor resided.
And that was that.
I heard the big rewards went to the generals who had risked their lives—two thousand dan or a thousand dan each.
It felt like a fair distribution.
Those who do the hard work should get the big rewards, right?
With the war spoils settled, everyone had advanced together, now that we’d secured all of Jingzhou intact.
Liu Bei decided to abandon the ruins of Xinyang.
Its people had evacuated safely, and he wanted to keep the front line against Cao Cao stretched thin. That was Liu Bei’s intent.
So he set up his command center in Yangyang, the territory Zhuge Liang had secured.
I was exhausted and wanted to rest.
Anything related to military or civil affairs could wait until after a break.
Uncle Kongmyeong didn’t give me a moment’s respite, of course—he was too busy pushing forward.
“Do you have any idea how monumental this is?”
Having noticed my fatigue, his earlier anger had vanished entirely. Uncle Kongmyeong was back to his usual know-it-all self.
“No clue.”
“Then let me ask again. You’ve received an official position as a woman. Do you grasp what that means?”
Lately, Uncle Kongmyeong had been forcing answers out of me more often.
Of course I knew it was a big deal. A woman getting an official post? Unheard of.
The problem was that Bisi-rang wasn’t a position for women.
I’d heard rumors it was a stepping stone for sons of noble families to pave their golden paths.
Formally, it was the keeper of the Han library, but it involved directly advising the Emperor... or so Uncle Kongmyeong had said.
Remembering that, I replied.
“I get it. It means unprecedented times where a woman could participate in state affairs, right?”
“This is no ordinary matter. With the Emperor confined and unable to express his will, Lord Liu Bei granted this position provisionally. Despite massive backlash, he insisted on doing so. Do you understand the significance?”
It means I’m gonna get worked to the bone. Squeezed dry.
But if that’s the case, it’s exactly what I wanted.
“I’m tired. Can we call it a day?”
I didn’t voice my thoughts. Burnout was creeping in—my head was a mess.
From small matters like Soyang to the grand scale of the realm.
I turned my head to signal my intent.
Zhuge Liang looked at me and gently stroked my hair.
“I’ve been thoughtless, asking too much of you. I’ll tell you the joyful news later—rest and recover for now.”
“I will.”
We returned in triumph.
We’d taken countless lives and were hailed as heroes.
If we hadn’t killed, we’d have been killed.
Because we did the killing, you all survived.
In that simple equation of interests, we reveled in the heroic joy of victory.
I rode right beside Liu Bei, with Uncle Kongmyeong.
The people of Yangyang swarmed the parade route.
As the mood ripened, Liu Bei suddenly reined in his horse and halted.
Dismounting, he gazed intently at each face in the crowd and proclaimed his intent.
“Hear me! I am Liu Bei, Left General of the Han, Prince of Yide, Governor of Yi Province, and Imperial Uncle of the royal house.”
Liu Bei’s speech hit hard from the start.
The titles he claimed carried heavy weight.
I saw it as a clear bid to invoke the Han’s brand prestige.
The murmurs in the crowd hushed, all eyes on Liu Bei.
“My elder brother, Lord Liu Biao, has grown frail, so as guardian of his eldest son Liu Qi, I shall uphold his will and bring greater prosperity to Jingzhou.”
Liu Bei added in a resounding tone.
“To restore the Han dynasty and bring peace to the realm, I shall remain in Jingzhou. I will assist Liu Qi and ensure Jingzhou’s governance brings tranquility, so you need worry no more.”
With that final period, he wrapped up his speech.
“This I promise you: even if the world abandons you, I never will.”
A massive cheer erupted.
With the Xinyang refugees as living witnesses, it was no exaggeration to say Liu Bei was practically canonized.
Amid the cheers, Liu Bei remounted and rode on.
Three days after the joyous triumph ended, I was summoned.
“You’ve come, Bisi-rang.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Liu Bei’s side hustle of “assisting Liu Qi while bringing peace to Jingzhou” had begun.
“I shall entrust the administration of Soyang to you as well, Bisi-rang.”
Soyang had now become Liu Bei’s frontline against Cao Cao.
Its northern grand duke was nominally Chen Soyoung, and since no personnel changes had happened yet, I could infer Shu’s talent shortage was severe.
This Chen Soyoung was a girl on the cusp of ten, her dark circles thick from recent stress.
She had no manners to speak of, but no one criticized her—her promised achievements were tangible and undeniable.
Of course, there was backstory to how she’d made those promises.
Though it was Liu Bei’s side hustle, she’d brought it on herself.
During an internal affairs meeting, Bisi-rang Chen Soyoung had chimed in with her opinion.
“A strong state makes a strong army, right? So can I cash in on Mi-chuk’s name value? With Jingzhou’s politics stabilizing, it’s time to bring it up.”
That remark sealed it.
She’d asked not Mi-chuk but the top decision-maker, Liu Bei—less awkward for her than Mi-chuk.
With Xu Shu’s backup, the outline of “why Chen Soyoung got the side hustle” emerged.
“Enrich the country, strengthen the military, defend the land, and care for the people. Follow that, and the state finds peace? I beg to differ, my lord—this must not be ignored. We must focus on essentials now, so I agree with the Bisi-rang.”
“Very well. I trust you both. What then should we do?”
“Leave the Bisi-rang in Soyang and fortify defenses thoroughly. If Cao Cao learns a nine-year-old girl faced down Cao Ren and Xiahou Dun’s armies, he’ll suspect our intentions and hesitate to move.”
“As you advise.”
Unable to stomach their tag-team, Chen Soyoung issued a statement.
“I disagree, my lord. Are you talking about me?”
Xu Shu rebuked her.
“Hey! You brat! Mind your tongue!”
“Lord Liu Bei strictly ordered casual speech in private. Calm your veins.”
Xu Shu meekly settled down.
“Hah... They said she plays Zhuge Liang like a fiddle—not your average kid. If the lord commands it, then speak freely with me in private too.”
“Then take back what you said earlier?”
“What was that?”
“About sticking me in Soyang and all that.”
“No.”
And so Chen Soyoung had doomed herself to hardship.
The refugee horde fleeing Xinyang was massive, and one of them was a guy named Yun Ga.
“They say if you go to Soyang, taxes are waived for five years, and state work pays a wage.”
Yun Ga, who’d chosen exile with Liu Bei, was scraping by.
His farm ruined by war, feeding his wife and four kids demanded endless toil—then he heard about Soyang.
“Is that for real?”
“Totally. Ruled by some smart little girl, from what I hear.”
“...A little girl?”
Yun Ga was skeptical. Smart aside, a child? And the state paying for work? Waiving taxes? Sounded like conscription bait.
“Not drafting soldiers for battle?”
“Nah! They’re building new waterways or something. Public works?”
It’d be grueling labor. But for his family...
“That rumor true?”
“You don’t trust people enough. I saw it myself!”
Yun Ga half-believed him, gathered his family, and headed to Soyang.
Along the way, weird rumors piled up.
“Heard about the Emperor? Teamed up with White Wave bandits, and their base is Soyang. Land of imperial grace, they say.”
“Just live in Soyang, get an official post. Second-class citizen? Gotta do it for five years tax-free.”
“No starving there. Houses going up, crowds pouring in—definitely a land of opportunity.”
All good news.
Could this be real?
You don’t believe till you see it.
Yun Ga was even willing to enlist if it fed his family.
Good rumors always tied to drafts, so he stayed wary.
But with bellies empty, he’d take anything.
Reaching Soyang, Yun Ga joined the long queue and finally stepped into its outskirts.
The path to the government office was chaos ahead.
As he admired the view from afar, a soldier blocked the road.
“Where from?”
“Xinyang refugee, via Yangyang. Heard I could fill my belly here...”
“How many?”
“Five including me.”
“Skills? How’d you survive?”
“Farming. Why ask?”
The soldier dipped a finger in ink and marked a bamboo slip.
Yun Ga peeked: squares, triangles, circles. Soldier marked a square.
“Lose this, you’re out of Soyang. Guard it well. Must get official approval at the office.”
Yun Ga clutched the bamboo slip like treasure, tucking it safely and cradling it with both hands.
The soldier chuckled at his caution.
“We’re doing public works and reclamation in Soyang—cleared land goes to citizens, per the county magistrate. Interested? Head to the office. Next!”
Bewildered but cleared, he passed the guarded hill into the center.
Buildings rose everywhere, faces smiling oddly.
Overhearing chatter, Yun Ga listened.
“Gotta work harder than you to claim more land.”
“How’ll you beat me? I’ve got the know-how. Out of affection, I’ll spot you a mu or so.”
“Ugh, fine—if you give one, I’ll give one too. Deal.”
Talk was all about land.
Why? Land only nobles owned—why this obsession?
“I’m first-class citizen Cheong Gyeong-u. You?”
Wandering with family, a sword-bearing man approached.
“Mercy, milord! We’ve nothing to rob!”
Yun Ga’s reaction was instinctive. Fine sword? Definitely a bandit.
Cheong Gyeong-u kindly reassured the frightened man.
“Why harm you? You look lost—I approached to advise. New to Soyang? Get your status registered.”
“New status?”
“Why loiter? No registry, no life in Soyang.”