“Ziyi!”
Seeing that the moment was ripe, Zhang Jing spoke solemnly:
“The world is in chaos, warlords are rising everywhere, and this is precisely the time for men like us to make our mark. A true man, born into this world, should wield a three-foot sword and establish achievements that will endure for ages.”
“If you are willing to help me— I have five thousand warhorses in Xiaqiu.”
“All of them can be entrusted to you to form an Iron Cavalry Battalion. This is the greatest sincerity I can offer.”
A martial general of exceptional skill had an enormous impact on an army’s morale.
This was not because of duels between generals.
Such notions were nonsense, and Romance of the Three Kingdoms was, after all, only a novel.
A fierce warrior was like the champion enforcer of a guild—charging at the front during a fight while remaining nearly impossible to stop.
Naturally, morale would soar.
Zhang Jing greatly admired such warriors.
If they served him, he cherished them; if they stood against him, he would use every means available to eliminate them.
As Zhang Jing finished speaking, Dian Wei and the other central army officers were utterly stunned.
Those were over five thousand warhorses.
At present, they were the most valuable assets of the Qihuo Army.
“Swish!” Taishi Ci looked deeply moved as he gazed at Zhang Jing.
Seeing the sincerity and gravity in the latter’s eyes, he immediately withdrew his gaze, dismounted, and dropped to one knee.
Clasping his fists, he declared in a ringing voice:
“Your subordinate, Taishi Ziyi, is deeply honored by my lord’s esteem. I am willing to devote my life to serving you!”
To say he was not touched would be a lie.
Those were five thousand warhorses.
Moreover, Zhang Jing’s words perfectly matched his own ideals.
A true man born in troubled times should carry a sword and accomplish deeds worthy of eternity.
The surrounding soldiers looked at Taishi Ci with envy.
At the same time, they were curious.
They wanted to know what abilities this grain transport officer possessed to earn such treatment.
“Ziyi, please rise at once!” Zhang Jing’s face lit up with joy.
He dismounted as well, personally helping Taishi Ci to his feet.
With heartfelt sincerity, he said:
“With Ziyi’s assistance, I, Zhang Yuheng, have gained the wings of a tiger!”
“I do not deserve such praise, my lord.” Taishi Ci replied:
“I have only just arrived and have yet to render even the slightest service. I ask that my lord withdraw this command for now. Once I have slain enemy generals and captured their banners, then—”
“Say no more, Ziyi.” Zhang Jing interrupted him.
“In the Qihuo Army, seniority has its place, but ability matters more. I trust my judgment, and I know I have not misjudged you.”
“How about this?”
“I will issue orders to all divisions. Ziyi may select two thousand elite soldiers for training. Luo Shi will serve as your deputy and choose another five hundred elite men. Together, they will form a force of two thousand five hundred iron cavalry.”
“By then, you can spar with your fellow officers. I believe they will have no further complaints. What do you think? Do you have confidence?”
“Nothing could please me more!” Taishi Ci respectfully clasped his fists and loudly declared:
“I thank my lord in advance!”
“Ziyi, how about the two of us having a match later?”
At that moment, Dian Wei shamelessly inserted himself into the conversation.
“Very well—”
“Dian Wei.” Before Taishi Ci could agree, Zhang Jing cut in.
“Ziyi has only just joined us. He must organize the cavalry and has many matters to attend to. Once he has become familiar with everything, the two of you may spar then.”
He was genuinely worried that Taishi Ci might arrive only to have his confidence shattered by Dian Wei.
That would be rather awkward.
“That works too!”
“I obey!”
Dian Wei and Taishi Ci both agreed.
The former simply did not care either way, while the latter genuinely believed he would be busy.
In reality, the cavalry could only practice infantry drills for the time being.
The warhorses would not be available until after the autumn harvest.
After everyone returned to Fenggao, Zhang Jing instructed Taishi Ci to write a letter so that his family could be brought there.
“My lord.” After finishing the letter, Taishi Ci said:
“Governor Kong governs well. There is little danger in Beihai.”
“That is not the issue.” Zhang Jing shook his head.
“The Qihuo Army ultimately traces its origins to the Yellow Turbans. The world still misunderstands us. If your mother remains in Beihai, she will inevitably become the target of rumors and slander. One must never underestimate the power of public gossip.”
“My lord speaks wisely.” Only then did Taishi Ci realize the problem.
He quickly replied: “It is my fault for failing to consider this. I nearly placed my mother in danger.”
While writing the letter, he had even briefly wondered whether Zhang Jing intended to keep his family as hostages.
Never had he imagined that his lord was actually thinking of his welfare.
After traveling with Zhang Jing and seeing the territories under Qihuo Army control, he had almost forgotten that the army originated from the Yellow Turbans.
The region was so peaceful that it bore no resemblance whatsoever to a bandit domain.
“Dian Wei.” Taking the letter, Zhang Jing instructed:
“Immediately dispatch a squad of brothers. Have them disguise themselves and enter Qing Province. Escort the old lady safely back to Wuyan. Also, deliver six shi of grain to Village Head Zhang Niu.”
“Your subordinate obeys!” Dian Wei respectfully accepted the order.
“My lord, are we really that short on provisions?”
After Dian Wei departed, Taishi Ci seemed to think of something and looked at Zhang Jing curiously.
“Short?” Zhang Jing nodded and said:
“Ever since the Qihuo Army established itself, grain supplies have been a taut string stretched to its limit. At any moment, we could run out of food, and once that happens, the consequences would spiral out of control.”
“After defeating Yuan Shu— The population under our rule has exceeded 3.6 million. Ziyi, why don’t you guess how much seed grain is needed for spring planting for so many people?”
“Five hundred thousand shi?” Taishi Ci pursed his lips and gave what he thought was a reasonable estimate.
“It’s 7.2 million shi!” Zhang Jing explained:
“Within Qihuo territory, whether soldier or civilian, young or old, everyone is allocated ten mu of fertile farmland. Ten mu requires two shi of seed grain for planting.”
“My lord…” Taishi Ci swallowed hard before hesitantly asking:
“Who cultivates the fields allocated to the elderly and infirm during spring planting?”
He was genuinely stunned.
Forget 7.2 million shi—this latest shipment of eighty thousand shi of grain was already the largest amount he had ever seen.
Even so, it had required more than ten thousand laborers to transport it into Yan Province.
As for over seven million shi, Taishi Ci simply could not comprehend such a quantity.
Zhang Jing replied:
“The fields belonging to the elderly and infirm are naturally cultivated through manpower organized by the village heads, who assist with both spring planting and autumn harvests.”
“After all, what is the purpose of being an official?”
“Isn’t it to serve the people?”
“If they can’t even manage that, then it only means that village head is unqualified. In that case, we simply replace him with someone who is.”
The longer Taishi Ci spent with Zhang Jing, the more his worldview was challenged.
Gradually, he came to believe more and more firmly in Zhang Jing’s words.
In truth, it was not just Taishi Ci.
Many people throughout the four commanderies felt the same way.
They had developed immense faith in both Zhang Jing’s actions and his ideals.
This was, in essence, a transformation of ideology.
Given enough time, that ideology would erupt outward, spreading throughout the various provinces and commanderies of the Han Empire and influencing ever more people.
“My lord!” At that moment, Sima Ju hurried in, excitement written across his face.
Clasping his fists respectfully, he reported:
“Xu He has sent word back. The grain negotiations in Xu Province have been concluded. Xu Province has agreed to lend us six hundred thousand shi of grain.”
“Excellent.” Zhang Jing nodded.
“Then have Xu He return. Also convey my gratitude to Zang Ba on my behalf.”
Obtaining grain from Xu Province would not have been possible without Zang Ba’s assistance.
Without his cooperation, persuading Tao Qian to compromise would have been far from easy.
“Yes, my lord!” Sima Ju respectfully accepted the order.
“I should also write a letter to Kong of Beihai.”
As if struck by a thought, Zhang Jing smiled and said:
“Leaving aside the eighty thousand shi of grain, simply helping Ziyi come to me is a favor in itself. If Beihai State faces trouble in the future, I, Zhang Yuheng, will do my utmost to assist.”
“Thank you, my lord!” Taishi Ci was deeply moved upon hearing this.
Although he had never formally pledged himself to Kong Rong, and Kong Rong had never granted him a proper official position, the latter had always treated him with respect and appreciation.
If his lord had no intention of making things difficult for Governor Kong, that was something Taishi Ci was more than happy to see.
— The end of the Chapter–
TL note : Join Patreon to support the translation and to read up to 50 chapters of the release :
https://www.patreon.com/DeCakraWnloverz
