It was the depth of winter, and the cold wind howled across the land.
Outside Dingtao City in Jiyin Commandery, Yan Province.
Zhang Jing and Xu He had combined their forces, fielding a total of sixty thousand troops.
Hundreds of trebuchets stood beside the moat.
All that remained was for Zhang Jing to give the order.
The quiet and solemn city of Dingtao would then be transformed into a battlefield engulfed in flames and chaos.
“Xu He.”
Gazing at the distant city walls, Zhang Jing said calmly, “Send someone to the gates and offer the Han administrator a greeting.”
“If he is willing to surrender, our army need not resort to bloodshed.”
“This subordinate obeys!”
Xu He smiled upon hearing the order and cupped his fists before going to make the arrangements.
A short while later.
A squad of soldiers carrying shields approached the city gate and stopped fifty paces away.
“Let the commander defending Dingtao come out and speak!”
A young officer poked his head out from behind his shield and shouted toward the city walls.
“I am Wu Zi, Administrator of Jiyin!”
A middle-aged man with a square face, dressed in the robes of a commandery administrator, stepped forward under the protection of the defenders and shouted sternly:
“You Yellow Turban rebels have already incurred the wrath of the people by invading our lands. If you do not withdraw now, you will surely face extermination at the hands of the Imperial Army!”
“So you’re Wu Zi, Administrator of Jiyin?” The young officer sneered.
“Stop trying to scare us. Your Inspector of Yan Province, Cao Cao, is already dead. Even Puyang has fallen to our army.”
“Our lord is merciful!”
“He sent me here to persuade you to surrender. If you submit, our army will not draw the sword. Otherwise, once we begin the assault, ten thousand stones will rain down upon the city, and Dingtao will be reduced to dust in moments!”
“Hmph!” Wu Zi snorted coldly.
“What does Cao Cao’s death have to do with me, the Administrator of Jiyin?”
“If you Yellow Turbans truly have the ability, then come and attack!”
“My head is right here. If you have the skill, come and take it!”
Whoosh!
As soon as he finished speaking, Wu Zi drew a powerful bow and released an arrow toward the young officer.
“Hmph! We’ll see about that!”
The young officer blocked the arrow with his shield, delivered his final threat, and withdrew with his men.
“Wu Zi…”
Zhang Jing had watched the entire exchange unfold without showing much emotion.
Persuading an enemy to surrender was like Guan Yu beating date trees—whether there were dates or not, you swung the pole a few times first.
And Zhang Jing knew who Wu Zi was.
The man belonged either to Yuan Shu’s faction or the aristocratic clans’ faction.
He had never thought highly of Cao Cao.
In Zhang Jing’s previous life, Wu Zi had defended Dingtao so stubbornly that even Cao Cao had failed to capture it.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As the war drums thundered, the trebuchets began their work.
In less than a quarter of an hour, the towers and battlements of Dingtao were riddled with damage, while the soldiers atop the walls were thrown into utter disarray.
……………
Half an hour later.
Zhang Jing ordered a full-scale assault.
Under the cover of the relentless stone bombardment, Dingtao—defended by little more than ten thousand men—fell to the Qihuo Army.
“Kill me if you wish!”
“I, this official, would rather die than surrender!”
Wu Zi, his hair disheveled and his face streaked with blood, was dragged before Zhang Jing by several soldiers.
“Excellent.”
Zhang Jing nodded approvingly and ordered:
“Send word to Xu He.”
“Wu Zi, Administrator of Jiyin, resisted our army to the death and caused severe casualties among our troops.”
“I command that his entire clan, along with the clans of his relatives within three degrees of kinship, be arrested.”
“Regardless of age or gender, all are to be publicly executed at the Western Market as a warning to others.”
“Yes, sir!”
A young officer respectfully acknowledged the command.
“Bandit!”
“You will die a miserable death!”
“You will die a miserable death!”
As Wu Zi was dragged away, his expression changed drastically.
His shrill curses echoed into Zhang Jing’s ears.
“Heh.”
Zhang Jing merely smiled and walked toward the Administrator’s Residence, muttering to himself:
“What does it matter if I die a miserable death?”
“In these chaotic times, among tens of millions of people, perhaps only one will meet a peaceful end.”
“Why should I fear such a fate?”
“Once one sets foot upon this road, there is no turning back.”
“And I have no desire to turn back.”
“If anyone stands in my way, then not merely the three clans of a commandery administrator— Even if it were the nine clans of a sage, I would still kill them.”
After coming to terms with all of this, Zhang Jing’s mind became completely clear, and even his footsteps felt noticeably lighter.
………….
Runan Commandery, Yu Province
Pingyu, Administrative Seat of Runan
Inside the grand hall of the Administrator’s Residence, civil and military officials stood in orderly rows.
The hall was silent, as though everyone were waiting for the arrival of someone important.
Before long, a middle-aged man strode into the hall.
He stood eight chi tall, dressed in luxurious robes, with fine jade ornaments hanging from his belt.
Handsome in appearance, with narrow eyes and an air of confidence, he moved with brisk steps.
“We pay our respects to our lord!”
The assembled officials immediately bowed and greeted him in unison.
“No need for formalities! Hahaha!”
The newcomer was clearly in an excellent mood.
The smile on his face never faded.
Rather than taking his seat, he picked up a cup of honeyed water from the table at the head of the hall and took a sip.
“Hahaha! You’ve all heard the news, haven’t you?”
Holding the cup in one hand, he paced before the officials with a grin.
“That Cao Cao of Yan Province was actually defeated by the Yellow Turbans! Not only did he lose troops and generals, but even Xun Yu—the man said to possess the talents of a kingmaker—has become a prisoner of the Yellow Turbans.”
“When I first received the news, I nearly laughed myself to death! Hahaha!”
After laughing heartily, Yuan Shu suddenly put on a look of self-reproach.
“I misjudged Cao Cao. This is truly my fault!”
“Cao Cao was defeated by the Yellow Turbans. How is that your fault, my lord?”
The general Ji Ling looked puzzled.
“Did you fail to see through Cao Cao’s true capabilities?”
“No!” Yuan Shu replied, his face glowing with delight.
“What I failed to anticipate was that Cao Cao would be so utterly foolish!”
“He thought that because a few people spoke well of him, he could simply become Inspector of Yan Province?”
“How many Yellow Turbans are there in Yan Province?”
“A million!”
“A full million of them!”
“Even if they were a million pigs, it would take Cao Cao ten years to slaughter them all!”
“Hahaha! My lord speaks wisely!”
As soon as Yuan Shu finished speaking, the atmosphere in the hall became much livelier.
“I’ve also heard,” one official added, “that Cao Cao even hoped to recruit and absorb those million Yellow Turbans. Now that he has been defeated by them, it truly proves Your Lordship correct—Cao Mengde is unbelievably foolish!”
“Haha! Cao Mengde’s actions will surely become a legendary joke for generations to come!”
“Indeed!”
“Quite so!”
The officials chimed in one after another.
“Wrong. In the end, I was still wrong!”
Yuan Shu suddenly spoke in a deep, reflective tone.
“I originally believed Cao Cao to be a hero of his age.”
“But I never imagined he would be so terrifying.”
“Terrifyingly stupid!”
“Had I known this earlier…”
“Back when the coalition of warlords was formed, I should have ordered my attendants to throw Cao Mengde out of the assembly!”
“Now that Cao Mengde has suffered such a crushing defeat at the hands of the Yellow Turbans, he has truly brought shame upon all the warlords.”
“And fortunately, I never cared for the position of coalition leader.”
“Otherwise, I would be too ashamed to face anyone today!”
The more Yuan Shu spoke, the more satisfied he felt.
“After all, Cao Mengde is nothing more than that bastard’s dog.”
“It truly reminds me of a saying.”
“My lord, what saying?” Ji Ling asked curiously.
Yuan Shu replied calmly:
“From afar it looks like a dog; up close, it’s Cao Mengde.”
“Wonderful!”
“Brilliant!”
“’From afar it looks like a dog; up close, it’s Cao Mengde!’ What a marvelous saying! My lord is truly gifted!”
“Indeed, truly ingenious!”
The hall erupted in praise.
“Enough. Let’s discuss proper business.”
Yuan Shu returned to the seat of honor, his expression gradually becoming serious again.
“Now that Cao Cao has been defeated by the Yellow Turbans, the situation benefits us in every possible way and harms us in none.”
“As far as the war in Yan Province is concerned, we need only strengthen our forces and observe.”
“So long as Yan Province does not fall into Cao Cao’s hands, there is no need for us to hurry.”
“Even if the Yellow Turbans seize the entirety of Yan Province, reclaiming it would be effortless for us.”
“However, we are still officials of the Imperial Court.”
At this point, Yuan Shu changed his tone.
“Moreover, Inspector Jin of Yan Province has already pledged his allegiance to me. It would not do to allow those Yellow Turbans to grow too rampant.”
“Therefore, I have decided:
After next year’s spring planting, we shall march into Yan Province and assist Inspector Jin in recovering the province’s civil and military authority.”
Jin Shang immediately stepped forward and bowed deeply.
“Jin Shang thanks my lord.”
“I am willing to brave fire and water for you without hesitation.”
“My lord is wise!”
The assembled civil and military officials voiced their approval.
None had any objections to Yuan Shu’s decision.
— The end of the Chapter–
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