“My lord!”
Clenching his fists, Cao Ren gritted his teeth and said,
“The rumors spreading through the county aren’t only about Zilian and Zihe. They say that Wen Qian’s, Yuansi’s, and even Lord Gongtai’s heads are also in prison, locked in the same cell as Lord Wenruo.”
“The stories are remarkably detailed.”
“I doubt they’re false. And these rumors must have been deliberately spread by the Yellow Turbans!”
“Gongtai…”
Hearing Cao Ren mention Chen Gong, a fresh stab of pain pierced Cao Cao’s heart.
“Zixiao, spread a message as well.”
Pulling himself together, Cao Cao said, “Announce that I, Cao Mengde, am willing to exchange five thousand shi of grain for the remains of my fallen generals.”
“Elder Brother, are we really going to make the exchange?”
Unable to suppress his anger, Cao Ren lowered his voice and said through clenched teeth, “This is clearly a Yellow Turban scheme! Zilian was killed by them, and now we’re supposed to send them grain as well?”
“Zixiao…” Cao Cao replied, “You still don’t understand. Whether the exchange actually happens is not important.”
“What matters is my attitude, Cao Mengde’s attitude.”
“Do you understand now?”
Cao Ren immediately realized the implication and respectfully replied, “I understand now, my lord.”
“Go.”
Cao Cao waved his hand weakly.
“And spread another message: if the Yellow Turbans are willing to release Wenruo, I, Cao Mengde, will offer five thousand shi of grain.”
“This general understands.”
After accepting the order, Cao Ren did not leave immediately.
Instead, he asked with some confusion:
“My lord, I have heard that the Yellow Turbans plundered all of Yan Province and spared neither the great clans nor the noble families. They say considerable bloodshed was caused throughout the province.”
“Are they truly that desperate for grain?”
“Plundering the great clans?”
A mocking expression appeared on Cao Cao’s face.
“I once thought that Zhang Yuheng would become a formidable warlord.”
“But now it seems he is nothing more than a reckless brute.”
“By acting this way, he has isolated himself from the entire realm and will inevitably become unacceptable to the world.”
“As for grain—they are certainly short of it.”
“There are millions of mouths to feed, and the spring planting season is approaching.”
“How could they not be lacking grain?”
“Unless Zhang Yuheng intends to abandon Yan Province and imitate those Heishan bandits, hiding in the mountains and ruling the wilderness.”
“And yet Zhang Yuheng has Cheng Yu assisting him.”
“Clearly, he has no intention of sinking to such a state.”
“No matter how he persuaded Cheng Yu—whether through threats or temptation—his position in Yan Province, a land exposed on all sides, can never be secure for long.”
“Once spring arrives next year, he will ultimately become no different from the Heishan bandits, surviving only by plundering the common people.”
“Why should you trouble yourself over him, Zixiao?”
In Cao Cao’s eyes, even though he had been defeated by the Yellow Turbans, he still did not believe they could firmly establish themselves in Yan Province.
After all, Yan Province was located in the heart of the Central Plains and bordered enemies on every side.
The imperial court at present might no longer be capable of controlling the regional warlords.
Yet the Han Dynasty had ruled for four hundred years.
Even though it was setting like the sun in the west, its lingering prestige remained.
No one would tolerate a Yellow Turban regime occupying such a fertile region in the Central Plains.
“My lord truly sees the bigger picture. I am impressed.”
Only then did Cao Ren understand.
All along, he had subconsciously regarded Yan Province as belonging to their own side.
If they relied solely on Cao Cao’s forces, defeating the Yellow Turbans would indeed be difficult.
But if the various warlords launched a joint campaign, there would be no problem at all.
Back then, Dong Zhuo had commanded three hundred thousand troops, possessed battle-hardened Xiliang cavalry, and held strong defensive passes.
Yet he had still been defeated by the coalition of warlords.
Compared to Dong Zhuo, the Yellow Turbans of Yan Province were hardly in the same league.
……………..
Time passed steadily.
After nearly two days of travel,
Yu Du and Bai Rao finally met Zhang Jing in Wuyan City.
Wuyan City
Inside a workshop, Zhang Jing was directing craftsmen as they processed a shipment of rock salt that had recently been brought back.
“Commander Zhang,” Yu Du asked, “Now that you have pacified Yan Province, why have you abandoned the southwestern four commanderies?”
The question genuinely puzzled him.
Of Yan Province’s eight commanderies, the southwestern four were larger in territory and possessed far more fertile farmland than the northeastern four.
Yet Zhang Jing had chose the smaller northeastern half instead.
“If the Heishan Army is interested,” Zhang Jing said jokingly, “I could even give the southwestern four commanderies to General Zhang.”
“Commander, you jest.” Yu Du smiled awkwardly.
“People say that the Heishan Army roams freely throughout the eight hundred li of the Taihang Mountains.”
“But you know as well as I do that this is merely an exaggeration.”
“Even General Zhang Yan can only truly operate in northeastern Ji Province and the Yan-Yun region.”
“As for entering the Central Plains, it is easier said than done.”
“Haha!” Zhang Jing laughed.
“I was only joking, General Yu. Don’t take it to heart.”
“In truth, abandoning the southwestern four commanderies serves two purposes.”
“First, it allows for more effective governance of Yan Province.”
“Second, it makes defending against Han armies much easier.”
“Yan Province is a battleground exposed on all sides.”
“If I occupied all of Yan Province, even with five hundred thousand troops, my forces would still be stretched too thin.”
“Once a single front is breached, not only would men and equipment be lost, but enormous amounts of time would also be wasted rushing reinforcements to the threatened area.”
“By contrast, abandoning those four commanderies offers significant advantages.”
“South of the Yellow River in Dong Commandery, any attack from Ji Province can be struck while crossing the river.”
“If Qing Province attacks, I have the natural defenses of Liangfu.”
“If Xu Province attacks, I have the strategic pass of Kangfu.”
“As for the remaining Han armies, they can only approach from the west.”
“With merely three heavily fortified cities and sixty thousand troops, I can keep one hundred thousand Han soldiers outside the walls and passes.”
At this point, Zhang Jing looked at the thoughtful Yu Du and continued:
“Besides, the northeastern four commanderies are hardly lacking in land. They are sufficient to support five million people.”
“With only two years of recovery and development, I will be able to train one hundred thousand elite soldiers.”
“Then I can launch campaigns eastward into Qing and Xu Provinces.”
“With the momentum of Mount Tai crushing an egg, and with the aid of advanced siege weapons, both provinces can be taken in a single campaign.”
“Once the people of three provinces are under my rule and properly settled, within five years, I can lead my armies southward.”
“The foundation of a kingly and imperial enterprise will naturally be established, and none of the warlords under Heaven will be able to stop me.”
“General Yu, do you think abandoning the southwestern four commanderies of Yan Province was worth it?”
Zhang Jing held Yu Du in particularly high regard.
From what he knew, Yu Du was not only a brave and capable warrior, but also maintained strict discipline among his troops.
Most remarkable of all, his army’s slogan was:
“Oppose corrupt officials, rob the rich to aid the poor, and protect the farmers.”
The man was practically a righteous hero.
In another era, he would have been celebrated as one.
“Worth it! Absolutely worth it!”
Before Yu Du could respond, Bai Rao’s eyes lit up.
“Commander, your vision reaches far beyond the horizon. Your foresight and strategic planning are truly awe-inspiring.”
“If Commander does not despise me…”
At this point, Bai Rao’s gaze grew fervent.
Dropping to one knee, he cupped his fists respectfully and declared:
“This commoner, Bai Rao, is willing to acknowledge Commander as my lord.”
“I shall brave boiling water and tread through fire without hesitation!”
“Commander, your ambition and bearing are indeed beyond that of ordinary men.”
Yu Du also snapped out of his thoughts.
Following Bai Rao’s example, he knelt on one knee and saluted.
“If Commander does not disdain me, this commoner is willing to serve as even a mere foot soldier beneath your banner.”
“I shall devote myself entirely to your service.”
“Please, both of you, rise.”
Seeing this, Zhang Jing hurriedly helped them to their feet.
His eyes were filled with sincerity as he said:
“We are all brothers here.”
“We all come from lives of hardship.”
“If I am fortunate enough to accomplish a great undertaking one day, I will never betray the loyalty you have shown by following me.”
The two men felt their hearts surge with excitement and emotion.
They clasped their fists respectfully and shouted:
“We pay our respects to our lord!”
“Good! Good! Excellent!” Zhang Jing laughed heartily.
“Please set your minds at ease.”
“As for Leader Zhang Yan, I will personally send someone to explain the situation.”
“I certainly will not place either of you in a difficult position.”
— The end of the Chapter–
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