Tiger Guards

Chapter 302 The Oath of Xinping
Five days later, Zhao Ji advanced step by step to Chen County.

King Chen went out to greet him thirty li away, after all, Zhao Ji was a court attendant, and the troops he commanded were nominally the emperor's army.

When the royal army enters the State of Chen, even if the King of Chen is called the Grand General, he must still come out to greet them.

Ever since Zhao Ji's entire army crossed the Sui River, King Chen has been closely monitoring Zhao Ji's actions.

Two days ago, the Prime Minister Luo Jun was dispatched to lead 10,000 troops to welcome Zhao Ji, and camps were set up along the way to facilitate Zhao Ji's march and encampment.

Since entering the territory of Chen, Zhao Ji's troops have marched in an orderly manner and have not harmed the people in the slightest.

They would not bypass King Chen to issue any orders for the collection of supplies to the various counties.

Furthermore, they refused the offers of military support from prominent families and powerful clans in the state of Chen, and refused to have any contact with the people of Chen.

Even the more than 5,000 female relatives handed over from Lü Bu were organized into a separate battalion by Zhao Ji. During the daily marches and rest periods, these female relatives would sew military uniforms, shoes, and socks from the army's cloth for the soldiers to change into.

Therefore, ten days after the Battle of Bianshui, the three units under Zhao Ji's command—Zhang He, Han Meng, and Gou Huan—all changed into brand-new uniforms.

The uniforms of Zhao's troops differed from those of the traditional Han army in two ways: firstly, the sleeveless gaiters were replaced with trousers; secondly, the loyal knights and Zhao Ji's mounted slaves all wore purple robes.

If they were organized into the Tiger Step Army, they would be divided into squads using five-colored shawls and headscarves.

After Zhao Ji entered the State of Chen, he also enjoyed the local customs and culture.

In order to maintain military discipline, no fewer than a hundred officers and soldiers have been executed during this period.

"Truly a royal army!"

King Chen stood on his war chariot, gazing at the thousand-plus cavalry that had come first. His eyes were fixed on Zhao Ji's war chariot.

Zhao Ji and Luo Jun rode in the same car and chatted along the way. Luo Jun also developed a great liking for Zhao Ji.

Only King Chen and Luo Jun knew the dire situation of the State of Chen. They desperately needed a strong ally, but this ally could not be too close to the State of Chen.

The State of Chen can focus on production and accumulating wealth and provisions, which can be used to reward allied forces should they be attacked in the future.

To put it bluntly, the State of Chen can serve as Zhao Ji's main base for supplying money, grain, and logistics in the Central Plains.

Whoever attacks Chen, Chen can simply hold its ground. As long as it can hold out until Zhao Ji arrives, it can launch a counterattack.

Whether or not it can be done, we must create such a situation for outsiders.

In that case, Lü Bu and Yuan Shu would not dare to plot against the State of Chen.

King Chen had no strong generals under his command, but the soldiers of Chen were generally determined to defend their territory.

The alliance with Zhao Ji would be mutually beneficial, as they would complement each other's strengths.

Like Sun Ce, King Chen and Luo Jun held great prejudices against Lü Bu's rule and did not believe that Lü Bu could do a good job.

Who can trust someone who sleeps with the wives of his generals so easily to be in charge of state affairs?
For the people and soldiers of Chen, the most important thing was not the survival of the Han Dynasty, but the survival of the Chen Kingdom.

King Chen was their god. In this world, the officials and people of Chen lived a good life. They generally did not want to have anything to do with the outside world and only wanted to get through this chaotic world peacefully and usher in the next peace.

Therefore, it wasn't just the scholars around Chen who opposed the king's expansion; the scholars within Chen also disliked it.

As long as they survive and hold out until peace is restored, they have already won. There is really no need for them to risk their lives, fight, or conquer the world.

If the Han dynasty can be restored, then it can be restored; if it cannot be restored, then the state of Chen should submit and surrender. It is likely that the other side will not mistreat the King of Chen and the people of Chen.

The special state of Chen has its own special circumstances.

However, the situation outside Chen is unstable. This year, even after exhausting the granaries of Liang and Pei, they were still unable to provide relief to the disaster victims and had to rely on Chen for assistance.

The grain supply in Chen is not inexhaustible, and when winter comes, the supply will have to be reduced.

The State of Chen also needs to store enough grain to prepare for possible natural disasters and wars next year.

If production cannot be restored in the Liangpei region next year, the disaster victims will inevitably flock to the State of Chen, putting even greater pressure on the State of Chen.

When disaster victims flock in, you either have to settle them or drive them away with swords; there is no third way.

The disaster victims would not simply submit to slaughter; forcibly driving them away would only lead to the destruction of the Chen state, making it a losing proposition.

Fortunately, Cao Cao was driven out of Yuzhou and western Yanzhou, and there are signs that things will improve in the future.

As long as the surrounding counties and kingdoms restore production and order, and allow the disaster victims and displaced people to settle down, the Chen Kingdom will have weathered its greatest crisis.

Therefore, under immense pressure regarding food supplies, the State of Chen also paid close attention to Sun Ce.

With 50,000 to 60,000 men under Sun Ce, if they run out of food, they can head west and take along the refugees from Liang and Pei. In no time, Sun Ce's forces could swell to over 100,000, becoming the largest army of refugees after the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Qing and Xu.

Ordinary refugee armies can be resisted, but Sun Ce has no shortage of elite troops and generals. He sweeps in with refugees, how can Chen State stop him?
Clearly, Chen Guo did not have the ability to deal with Sun Ce alone.

We can't rely on Lü Bu either; he's a very pragmatic man and might use someone else to do his dirty work.

On one hand, they sent troops to aid in the battle and consume Chen's grain, and on the other hand, they allowed Sun Ce to destroy Chen, in order to weaken Chen.

As for how many officials and civilians of Chen would die during this process, that was not something Lü Bu would care about.

Yuan Shu and Cao Cao had long wanted to attack the Chen Kingdom, so they naturally stood by and watched Sun Ce sabotage and destroy it. It wasn't that King Chen or Luo Jun particularly liked Zhao Ji, but rather that only Zhao Ji had the motivation to deal with Sun Ce.

If Sun Ce were to become a displaced army, the Chen Kingdom would suffer, and Xu Province would also be in trouble.

In fact, Sun Ce had lofty ambitions and never thought of leading refugees to attack the State of Chen.

However, the rulers and ministers of Chen must be mindful of this and take early action to prevent the danger from escalating to an uncontrollable level.

After all, there is a real possibility that Sun Ce could join forces with the disaster victims of Qiao and Pei to rebel.

Lü Bu and Chen Gong split into two, and their armies expanded rapidly, all thanks to the famine victims of Liangpei.

In other words, the food supply from Chen Wang was limited, and the number of disaster victims and new soldiers they recruited was also limited.

If food supplies are not restricted, these two guys could drain all the able-bodied men and women from the disaster-stricken areas of Liangpei!
The Liangpei famine victims are right there; unless they suddenly starve to death all at once, they will be the source of unrest.

Lü Bu and Chen Gong could recruit young men into their ranks, and Sun Ce also had the potential to coerce them into rebellion. Cao Cao and Yuan Shu also had the possibility of absorbing them.

Furthermore, if any hero among these disaster victims were to rise up and rally the people, they could instantly cut down trees to make weapons and become new Yellow Turban Army or Green Forest Army soldiers.

To avoid further losses, Chen Guo had no choice but to provide relief to these disaster victims.

Only after understanding these accounts did the ruler and his ministers of Chen show great compassion.

Prime Minister Luo Jun has been by Zhao Ji's side these past few days and has explained everything that needed to be explained.

Zhao Ji naturally hoped that the State of Chen could continue to exist, as it was a better ally than Lü Bu.

Both sides were interested in each other, and along the way, Luo Jun tried every means to replenish Zhao Ji's military supplies and equipment; Zhao Ji, relying on the ample supplies, strictly enforced military discipline.

Not only was Luo Jun relieved, but the officials and people of all the counties in Chen Kingdom were also much more at ease after hearing the news.

For the officials and people of Chen, the outside world was too crazy.

There were also foolish counties, such as Wuping County in the eastern part of Chen State, which betrayed the King of Chen and welcomed Yuan Si, the prime minister appointed by Yuan Shu.

As a result, when Cao Cao quelled the Yellow Turban rebels in Ruying this winter, he led his army to attack Yuan Si.

When Yuan Si and the officials and people of Wuping could not see Yuan Shu's reinforcements, they immediately abandoned Yuan Si, who had no choice but to surrender to Cao Cao.

Even if Cao Cao withdrew his troops, it still caused great damage to Wuping.

In such a chaotic world, Zhao Ji was a skilled and courageous general, and more human than Lü Bu and Cao Cao, which immediately won him the favor of the people of Chen.

As for Sun Ce, from the moment he declared himself independent during the war, he could not possibly gain the trust of any faction.

Allowing Sun Ce to grow stronger is tantamount to planting a time bomb for oneself.

Thus, surrounded by more than 10,000 soldiers of the Chen Kingdom, Zhao Ji rode in a chariot to meet with the King of Chen at the outskirts of Xinping City, thirty miles from the capital.

The two got out of the carriage, and King Chen took Zhao Ji's hand and walked towards the high platform with a three-tiered curtain made of colorful cloth. On both sides of the road, the soldiers of Chen were dressed in bright armor and their flags were like a forest, shouting "Long live the King!" to celebrate.

King Chen led Zhao Ji to the high platform, surveyed the various armies below and the officials and people of Chen watching from afar, and asked with a smile, "Your Excellency, what is the state of Chen like?"

"A paradise in chaotic times, Your Majesty is truly a wise king of our time."

Zhao Ji sincerely exclaimed, "The men and women of this land are fortunate to be born under Your Majesty's rule. I urge Your Majesty to bring many guards with you on a daily basis. If Your Majesty is well, then the Kingdom of Chen will be at peace."

Upon hearing this, King Chen simply smiled, as he was well aware of the severe blows that Xuzhou and Hedong had suffered.

He then said, "I wish to form an alliance with the Zhao family. What does the Marquis of Zhao think?"

"If Your Majesty is determined, how could I dare to refuse?"

Zhao Ji turned to the side and extended his arm to indicate that Prince Chen should stand in the center. Prince Chen hesitated slightly, then stepped forward and stood in the center of the platform.

When he ascended the platform, Zhao Ji was a court attendant to the Han emperor and should have stood in the center of the platform.

Now Zhao Ji has retreated to the side, placing himself below King Chen, and is now known as Marquis Zhao.

Zhao Ji stood to the side, unfastened his sword, and presented it with both hands: "Now, on this new platform, I form an alliance with Your Majesty, and I wish to use this sword as my witness."

King Chen immediately took off his own sword, exchanged it with Zhao Ji, and said, "If I break this oath, I will die by this sword."

Seeing the two exchange swords, Prime Minister Luo Jun was relieved.

Zhao Ji refused to abandon Liu Bei, and during the decisive battle, he provided Lü Bu with knights and horses. After entering Chen, he did not commit any offenses against Liu Bei. Such an ally is very reliable.

The news of the oath made between King Chen and Zhao Ji on the wooden platform outside Xinping County quickly spread to the surrounding areas.

The oath stipulated that they would watch over and care for each other. Zhao Ji's elder brother, Zhao Yuan, was sent as a hostage to the State of Chen, and the King of Chen appointed him as the Left General of Chen.

Chen Wang Changsun followed Zhao Ji back to Bingzhou and studied under Zhao Yan.

The exchange of hostages between the two sides is essentially an alliance of equal rank, except that one is a king and the other a marquis.

(End of this chapter)