“General, you flatter me.”
Dian Wei looked somewhat embarrassed by the praise.
Scratching his head, he said to Zhang Jing, “Originally, when I saw that the army was living on porridge, I thought you were like those corrupt court officials who don’t care about their soldiers.”
“Now it seems I wrongly judged you, General.”
“Oh? Is that so?” Zhang Jing glanced at Liao Hua.
Seeing him nod slightly, he smiled and shook his head.
“Warrior Dian, the truth is that for common folk like us, being able to have a bowl of hot porridge is already quite fortunate.”
“When I was young, if the harvest at home fell even a little short, our two meals a day would become one. And even then, it would only be porridge—not enough to fill our stomachs. As long as we didn’t starve to death, that was considered good enough.”
“Back then, I used to think that if we could eat two meals a day, even if it was only porridge, and simply fill our bellies, that would be the greatest blessing in the world.”
“Now, our army eats two meals a day.”
As he spoke, Zhang Jing took another large sip of hot porridge, his face full of satisfaction.
“And we can eat our fill. That’s already better than the circumstances of most families in the realm.”
“The General speaks wisely.”
After thinking it over, Dian Wei found no fault in Zhang Jing’s words.
There were indeed very few common people in the world who could truly eat their fill.
Seeing the sincerity and naturalness in Zhang Jing’s words and actions, he completely believed him.
“Warrior Dian.”
Seeing that the moment was right, Zhang Jing said, “I know that you possess extraordinary martial skill. Would you be willing to join the Qihuo Army? I would appoint you as a Central Army Sima.”
“If you’re dissatisfied with the food in the army, then there is little I can do. However, I respect your character. Should you choose not to stay, I am willing to send you on your way and will not stop you.”
Dian Wei’s eyes reddened at those words.
Dropping to one knee, he cupped his fists respectfully.
“I am deeply honored by the General’s esteem. I, Dian Wei, am willing to acknowledge you as my lord and serve you with all my strength, like a loyal hound or horse.”
“Hahaha! Warrior, please rise!”
Zhang Jing hurried forward and helped him to his feet.
With complete sincerity on his face, he said,
“Gaining Chenliu is no cause for celebration. What truly delights me is gaining Warrior Dian!”
“Congratulations, my lord!”
Liao Hua, standing nearby with a smile in his eyes, offered his congratulations.
“Thank you, my lord!”
Dian Wei was equally delighted as he respectfully saluted Zhang Jing.
“The two of you arrived in haste.”
Zhang Jing continued, “I imagine you haven’t yet eaten your fill. I’ll have food brought at once.”
“Thank you, my lord!”
Both Dian Wei and Liao Hua were deeply moved.
“Someone! Bring two more portions of food!”
Zhang Jing waved toward the doorway and called out.
A short while later, the three men sat separately at their mats.
Before each of them stood a large bowl of steaming porridge.
“This porridge is quite good.”
Now thoroughly convinced, Dian Wei took a sip and said with surprise, “The weather is freezing these days. A bowl of hot porridge really helps keep out the cold.”
He never would have imagined that after switching his allegiance to the Qihuo Army, his rank would rise while his treatment seemed no better than before—at least not in terms of food.
Yet his heart was filled with satisfaction.
It was a strange feeling.
But one that he gladly embraced.
“Old Dian is right.” Liao Hua added, “Back when the old Canal Commander was still around, the army consumed an enormous amount of provisions. Sometimes even the soldiers themselves went hungry, let alone the families that followed them.”
“I’m not speaking ill of the old commander, my lord. I hope you won’t take offense.”
“No offense at all.” Zhang Jing smiled and waved his hand.
“What you say is true. Troops from every direction gathered together, and while they appeared formidable, in reality they were little more than a loose collection of men.”
“Though my father was a benevolent man in life, he also had his shortcomings.”
“Now that I have established the Qihuo Army, it is fundamentally a gathering of common people who could no longer survive on their own. How can we divide ourselves into high and low, noble and humble?”
“Those who hold power should all the more empathize with the people and with the brothers serving under them.”
“As the saying goes: The problem is not scarcity, but inequality; not poverty, but instability.”
Looking at the two men, he continued, “We ourselves come from poor commoner families.”
“If we cannot maintain stability within our own ranks, then sooner or later we will degenerate into mere bandits, and the people will remain forever trapped in darkness.”
“Therefore, when you become commanders in the future, you must also care for the brothers under your command.”
“Only then can everyone unite as one in times of war. Only then, when you face danger, will there be brothers willing to risk their lives for you. And only then can we be victorious in every battle.”
“We will remember your teachings, my lord!”
Dian Wei and Liao Hua both felt enlightened by Zhang Jing’s words.
Rising to their feet, they respectfully cupped their fists toward him.
………………
The next day, in Ji’yin Commandery.
At Chengshi County, two thousand local militiamen stood atop the city walls with weapons in hand, staring at the Qihuo Army outside the city as though facing a great enemy.
Li Qian, accompanied by the county magistrate Li Zheng and others, arrived at the city tower.
“Father!”
Li Zheng, about eighteen years old, looked toward the trebuchets outside the city and asked,
“Are those the stone-throwing machines used by the Yellow Turbans?”
“Indeed.” Li Qian nodded grimly.
“Our lord was forced to retreat into Hebei, and the Yellow Turbans swept across Yan Province largely because of the advantage provided by those machines. I fear Chengshi may not be able to preserve itself either.”
Back when he had separated from Cao Cao, he had ambushed Sima Ju before withdrawing through the mountain roads, intending to return to his base, regroup, and then proceed to Dong Commandery.
Unexpectedly, by the time he returned to Chengshi, Cao Cao had already retreated into Hebei.
He had also learned that the Yellow Turbans were targeting the great aristocratic clans throughout Yan Province.
As a result, he had no choice but to remain behind.
“Elder Brother.” A middle-aged man beside Li Qian spoke up.
“A few days ago, I received news that Governor Wu Zi of Ji’yin resisted the Yellow Turbans. After his city fell, his entire clan to the third degree was exterminated.”
Li Qian fell silent.
He had learned of Wu Zi’s fate.
But what frightened him even more were the methods the Yellow Turbans employed against the great clans.
If he surrendered to them, the foundations accumulated by the Li clan over generations would vanish overnight.
“Jinxian.”
The middle-aged man saw that his elder brother remained silent and turned toward a man dressed in a blue robe, a treasured sword hanging at his waist.
“If battle breaks out later, can you lead the guards and behead the enemy commander?”
“I can.” The blue-robed man answered calmly.
“Though the Yellow Turbans outside the city are numerous, if I, Li Jinxian, decide to take an enemy commander’s head, that bandit commander will not survive.”
“If Uncle Jinxian takes the field,” Li Zheng said, “then the Li clan of Juye will essentially be fighting the Yellow Turbans outside the city to mutual destruction.”
“Then we fight.” Li Qian took a deep breath and gritted his teeth.
“Jinxian can use the chaos to escort the younger members of the clan away. If the Li family’s estate cannot be preserved, then we cannot simply leave it for the Yellow Turban bandits to seize.”
“Father!”
“Elder Brother!”
Everyone’s expressions changed.
Only now did they truly realize that the mighty Li clan had reached a moment of life and death.
“Do you require me to kill the enemy commander?”
Li Jin asked without much emotion.
Nor did he seem particularly deferential toward Li Qian, the clan head.
“No.” Li Qian shook his head.
“Save your strength and ensure that all the younger generation escape safely. If the situation remains uncertain in the future, do not enter anyone’s service lightly.”
“Elder Brother!”
Seeing that Li Qian sounded as though he were arranging his final affairs, the middle-aged man could no longer hold back.
“Since you’ve already decided to abandon the Li clan’s holdings in Juye, why insist on causing even more casualties?”
“You followed Cao Cao back then.”
“Of the five thousand men who went with you, all have been scattered or lost. As a result, white mourning cloth hangs from nearly every household in our estate. Is that still not enough?”
“And now, within the Li estate, every able-bodied man capable of fighting has been sent to the city walls.”
“Yet you still intend to use their lives to pay for your own reputation?”
“These young men have given their lives for the Li clan.”
“They fought to win achievements and glory for you.”
“Yet you treat them as though they were worthless grass.”
“Even a farm dog raised for three years would not be discarded so heartlessly!”
— The end of the Chapter–
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