Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 221 Xun You's Strategies of Using Bait to Win Hearts and Minds
The 28th day of the intercalary seventh month of the seventh year of Guanghe.
This year is an unusual year; according to the Grand Astrologer, each month has half a day less than usual.

How to determine the leap month? It is said that Deng Ping, Luo Xia Hong and others during the reign of Emperor Xiaowu formulated a "Taichu Calendar", which was the first to systematically adopt the method of leap month without any "central qi" (such as the spring equinox, autumn equinox, etc.). If a lunar month does not contain any "central qi" (such as the spring equinox, autumn equinox, etc.), it is determined to be a leap month.

But why was this half-day missing? Few people could understand these profound teachings, not even scholars and literati. Most of the soldiers in the camp just listened for the spectacle and simply followed the calendar issued by the court.

Fortunately, this year has a leap month of July, which is already early autumn. There is no "autumn tiger" this year, so even though the autumn sun is high in the sky, it is not hot, but rather rather cool.

The wind, having shed its dryness, swirled the silvery tassels of needlegrass, sweeping past the large, crimson Han army flags with their dark ink borders fluttering above the rammed earth walls of the Han army.

Four hundred paces away, the Qiang and Hu rebels' felt tents were crouched on the gentle slope, their faded yak tail banners and the newly dyed banners of the Han camp facing each other across the withered yellow grass.

"Commander Sun is fierce and valiant!"

"Supervisor Cao is valiant!"

"Captain Sun, put in more effort! Supervisor Cao's arm strength is not as good as yours!"

"Cao Zuojian tripped him, causing Commandant Sun to lose his balance!"

Amid cheers, two strong men were locked in a fierce fight, both shirtless and wearing only a pair of shorts (Note 1).

Sun Jian's bronze back muscles were as tough as iron, and his shoulder blades rose and fell like waves with his breathing. Beads of sweat rolled down his back onto the rammed earth ground, stirring up fine dust.

Suddenly, Sun Jian grabbed Cao Ren's elbow with his left arm. Cao Ren's eyes twitched slightly, his back teeth clenched tightly, and the veins on the back of his feet throbbed. His legs were like the roots of an old tree, his toes gripping the ground, and his heels plowing two shallow furrows in the ground.

As their arms intertwined, the muscles pressed together with a dull thud, and their skin shimmered with a crystalline sheen under the autumn sun.

Sun Jian had the advantage in arm strength, but Cao Ren's lower body skills were solid. The two were deadlocked for a long time and neither could determine a winner.

Ultimately, it's just a game of wrestling to pass the time. There's no need to go all out on your comrades, and it's impossible to waste all your energy on the game. Just stop when you've got enough.

The two released each other's arms almost simultaneously, their tense bodies relaxing as they looked at each other and laughed. They patted each other on the shoulder, and the sounds of their wrestling gradually subsided.

At noon, smoke rose from the cooking camp.

The prepared cattle and sheep were carried up by the army cooks, set up on racks and lit on fire. Even without any seasoning, they still emitted a mouthwatering aroma.

The supplies sent to the army by the imperial court included essential items such as salt, as well as a considerable amount of spices.

These spices are mainly a powder made from dogwood mixed with fennel seeds and other plants that can be used for seasoning. When sprinkled on the sizzling, glistening roasted meat, a spicy aroma fills the entire camp.

The plucked lamb dripped oil onto the iron fork, and the fennel seeds licked by the flames crackled and popped. The cook beside the grill skillfully shaved off the crispy lamb tail fat and casually tossed it to the soldiers on duty for the day.

The soldiers on patrol bowed in thanks and, ignoring the scalding heat, eagerly put the food into their mouths.

One by one, beef and mutton legs were cut off and placed on the food table in front of the officers and soldiers. Sun Jian and Cao Ren raised a cup of fruit wine, drank it down in one gulp, and then each turned the cup upside down to show how refreshing it was. They then looked at each other and smiled, wrapped the thigh meat in a clean linen cloth and began to eat it.

Today, each person is granted a special privilege of drinking a cup of wine. Unlike the other warriors, Chief Clerk Liang Yan, Registrar Xun Yu, and Military Advisor Xun You are sitting upright in their seats, looking relaxed, and sipping their fruit wine in small sips.

It wasn't a high-proof liquor, so there was no worry about getting drunk after just one glass. The small sips were simply to savor and relish the aroma of the liquor they hadn't tasted in a long time. As for the chunks of thigh meat, even though their mouths were already watering, they maintained the demeanor and elegance of scholars, each taking out a small knife to cut the meat and then using bamboo chopsticks to eat the small pieces.

It's a pity that such a beautiful day and night, if not during wartime, would be perfect for a grand feast, composing poems, playing games like pitch-pot, and truly a great joy in life.

Besides the cattle and sheep roasting over the fire, there were several huge pots in the center of the camp, simmering a rich broth made from beef and sheep bones, the aroma of which drifted across the riverbed on the hot wind.

The Qiang and Hu sentries squatted under the faded wolf-head banner, gnawing on strips of dried horse meat. Their nostrils twitched slightly, and their eyes were fixed on the direction of the Han army camp, swallowing hard.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he chewed the dried horse meat strips, which became increasingly astringent with each bite, while the pungent aroma of caramelized spices mixed with fennel seeds wafted straight into his nose.

Some people couldn't resist craning their necks and flaring their nostrils to catch the aroma, until they were kicked by the centurion and pulled back.

They had not eaten meat for a long time, and the elders of the tribe said that if they won this battle, they would be able to eat all kinds of delicacies. Therefore, even though they had been eating grain-based meals without any meat lately, they could still endure it.

Today, the adults distributed a lot of horse meat strips made from the meat of horses that died in battle or from disease, which should have been a joyous occasion.

Some people like to eat it dry, while others prefer it stewed until soft. In short, being able to eat meat is already a kindness from the adults, but they can't resist the barbecue and soup being served across the street!

Moreover, it contains countless expensive spices. Didn't you see that even adults who should be tired of eating beef and mutton were a little tempted?

Just as the Qiang and Hu people were envious, a scholar wearing a double-beamed official hat and a civil official's robe rode on horseback, holding a staff, and led a hundred soldiers driving carts slowly toward the Qiang and Hu camp.

These hundred soldiers were driving ordinary carts, on which were placed roasted beef and mutton that had been roasted to a fragrant and delicious state, as well as about ten pots of beef and mutton soup.

Holding his staff, Zhang Yi slowly rode his horse to the camp gate and shouted loudly, "I am Zhang Yi, the Grand Herald of the Han Dynasty, here on the orders of the Left General to negotiate peace with you gentlemen!"

The Qiang and Hu commander on duty dared not be careless, but seeing Zhang Yi dressed in fine clothes, even though he did not know the details of the peace talks, he immediately sent someone to inform the officials who could make decisions. At the same time, he asked Zhang Yi under the watchtower, "What is loaded on the cart?"

This question was somewhat of a rhetorical one; he had certainly smelled the enticing aroma, and his mouth almost watered.

Zhang Yi was not annoyed. Faced with the Qiang and Hu commander's question, which he knew the answer to, he narrowed his eyes slightly, a meaningful smile appeared on his lips, and he calmly replied, "The cart is full of meat and wine. It was General Zuo who heard that you lacked meat and out of respect for you warriors, he ordered me to send it to you specially!"

As he uttered these insincere words, Zhang Yi couldn't help but recall the dull-witted Military Advisor Xun.

Knowing full well that these rebels lacked meat and that even rice was barely enough to fill their stomachs, the emperor still sent meat to their camp to demonstrate the Han army's strength and logistical capabilities, thus undermining the rebels' will to fight.

Moreover, once they received this meat, would the Qiang and Hu officials share it with the ordinary rebel soldiers or not?
Xun You specifically instructed that the meat sent must be roasted beef and mutton, not live beef and mutton, giving these Qiang and Hu officials no chance to make excuses or delay.

Eat it now, or wait for it to spoil and stink.

Xun You called it "bait warfare," which is a tactic of "luring the enemy with profit."

These baits are usually things like cattle, horses, valuables, and supplies. They are scattered along the retreat route under the pretense of defeat, and then attacked when the enemy soldiers are busy picking up the valuables!
However, Xun You's "bait war" this time was not just aimed at killing a few rebels.
-
Note 1: In ancient times, only farmers and slaves wore the "dubi kun" for convenience and coolness while working. Later, other types of "kun" were developed, such as shorts with legs, like basketball shorts, which are short and loose.

As for the appearance of the calf-nose tunic, it is roughly the same as the loincloth worn by the Japanese, which they also learned from us. To this day, the loincloth worn by sumo wrestlers is still called "tun" in Japanese.

(End of this chapter)