Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 199 Managing Danyang
boom!
A scroll of bamboo slips was thrown onto the table in front of Han You. The wine cup overturned with a thud, spilling the remaining wine, which instantly soaked into the scroll.

"The gift list is on the document; please take a look at it carefully, Mr. Han." Yan Yi looked at Han You with a mocking expression.

Han You picked up the bamboo slips with trembling hands. Wine dripped from the slips onto his palms, soaking his robes.

He seemed oblivious, slowly unfolding the bamboo slips, his trembling expression as if he were looking at the Book of Life and Death thrown down by the King of Hell.

After a long while, Han You, feeling utterly exhausted, closed the bamboo slips, his shoulders trembling slightly, and choked with sobs, tears streaming down his face: "Thank you, Young Master, for sparing my life."

Perhaps out of respect for Sheng Xian, or perhaps out of concern for the consequences, Yan Yi did not kill him, but only took his Yong'an City and his eight thousand troops.

Now that things have come to this, Han You has come to terms with reality. He is already extremely fortunate to have saved the lives of his entire family.

He vaguely guessed that it was precisely because of his identity as Sheng Xian's disciple that he had preserved his face and wealth.

Yan Yi not only granted him the official position of Shiyou Jijiu of Danyang County, but also gave him 300 catties of gold while allowing him to keep his private property.

The title of "Shiyou Jijiu" was an honorary title established by the prefect to attract local celebrities. It was not a formal official position and had no salary, but it held a high social status that ordinary prefectural officials could not attain.

Three hundred catties of gold, according to the current gold-copper exchange rate, is equivalent to twenty-seven million coins.

Han You dared not hope for more; he finally understood the principle that knowing when to stop prevents danger.

The candlelight flickered on his face, as if reflecting the loneliness in his heart.

His era has ended, but from now on, he no longer has to live in fear.

A sense of relief suddenly welled up in Han You's heart.
The following morning, Guzhang was blessed with good weather once again. The autumn sun rose from the eastern mountain valley, casting a golden glow on the mottled rammed earth city wall of the East Gate.

Overnight, a high platform rose outside the city.

The platform is seven zhang long and three zhang wide. Four cowhide war drums and twelve banners are placed along the edge of the platform. Soldiers holding halberds, wearing black armor and red tassels, are lined up around the base of the platform, looking majestic and imposing.

Yan Yi, dressed in a set of gleaming armor, stood straight in the center of the stage.

More than ten high-ranking military officers, including Fan Yan, Xu Sheng, Chen Gan, Zhou Xin, Zhou Ang, and Wen Yuan, stood on either side of him, looking solemnly at the stage with a hint of excitement.

One hundred paces in front of the platform was a temporary drill ground, with a military path drawn in chalk. Two hundred paces south of the path stood 16,000 fully armed soldiers awaiting inspection, while the west side of the path was filled with thousands of civilians who had been drawn there by the grand spectacle.

In order to quickly unite the entire army and cultivate a sense of belonging among the soldiers, Yan Yi meticulously arranged this military parade. After the parade, he would publicly award brocade ribbons and titles of "regiment" to the meritorious units, and separately reward the meritorious soldiers with military ranks and medals.

Merit plaques were equivalent to military medals in later armies, and were divided into five grades: gold, silver, bronze, iron, and wood. They were shaped like square plaques, round discs, or tiger tallies, with cloud and thunder patterns, taotie patterns, and other military designs engraved on the edges.

The front of the plaque is engraved with the recipient's name, achievement, and place of origin, while the back records the name of the battle, the date of the award, and an encouraging short sentence.

Don't underestimate these small plaques. According to the rules set by Yan Yi, these plaques are not only a symbol of honor and status, but also a guarantee of wealth.

If a soldier with a medal is ever short of money, he can simply go to the government office to collect a corresponding amount of gold by presenting his medal!

The news immediately sparked the eager anticipation of countless soldiers, and the gold medal became a sacred object in their hearts.

In order to fully utilize the combat power of his troops and soldiers, Yan Yi almost completely adopted the military system from his previous life, and even improved and surpassed it.

Military ranks, rewards, medals, honors, logistics, and brainwashing—this series of measures has led to rapid changes in the discipline, appearance, morale, and combat effectiveness of the entire army.

Of course, the money in the treasury was also being spent like water.

"Da Ming, how is the inventory of the captured military equipment and supplies going?" Yan Yi turned to look at Zhou Xin, his voice filled with eagerness.

Since conquering Guzhang, he has asked this question two or three times a day, making Zhou Xin feel extremely uncomfortable each time.

Zhou Xin's face was etched with exhaustion, and two dark circles floated under her eyes, but a smile played at the corners of her lips.

Compared to his despondency two months ago, he is now radiant with energy.

"The count is almost complete; there are 180,000 shi of rice alone. As for military equipment, I have ordered it to be stored in granaries in three grades: superior, medium, and inferior. A rough estimate suggests it can arm 4,000 field infantry and over 10,000 garrison troops."

Yan Yi couldn't hide his smile. Qiantang's money and weapons were almost exhausted, and this batch of spoils was a lifesaver.

On the day he captured Guzhang, he had a vague feeling that the amount of grain and weapons stockpiled in the city far exceeded his expectations.

Judging from the numbers compiled by Zhou Xin, the recipients of this massive amount of military supplies should not only be the armies of Wu, Yue, and Qiao, but also other troops such as Sun Ce who have not yet arrived.

Now that he has seized all of this military supplies, Yuan Shu will probably feel the pinch for a while.

"Young Master, since we have a surplus of military equipment, should we select more soldiers from Zhang Zhang and Wen Yuan's units to be incorporated into the field army?" Zhou Xin asked with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Yan Yi's brows furrowed in thought.

The 4,700 soldiers under Han You's command were of varying quality. He ordered his men to carefully screen them according to the recruitment standards for the field army, and in the end, only 1,900 men were selected to be incorporated into the field army.

The remaining 2,800 men were significantly less capable in combat and could only be dispersed and incorporated into local garrisons.

"No need, better to have less than to have something of poor quality." Yan Yi shook his head slightly, rejecting Zhou Xin's suggestion, and gently stroked the hilt of his sword with his fingers: "Qiantang still has a surplus of grain. I plan to sell some of these 180,000 shi of rice to fill the gaps in the funds of the local treasuries. What do you think is a suitable amount to sell?"

Zhou Xin thought for a while and said carefully, "I believe that leaving 50,000 shi of grain, plus the upcoming autumn harvest in various places, will be enough for the needs of the military and civilians for two years. If the young lord intends to continue to expand the army and territory within the year, more can be left."

Yan Yi nodded slightly. Since his surprise attack on Qian Gonglei, he had seized countless grains and fodder, more than half of which were still stored in granaries across the country and had not been used. Now that nearly 200,000 shi of rice and grain had been added, it was time to use some of the grain and fodder to exchange for money to subsidize the needs of local government affairs.

While militarism may solve a temporary crisis, it will inevitably lead to problems if this continues.

We can now take advantage of the seized supplies to make some adjustments.

However, Yan Yi was also aware that even if a batch of grain and fodder were sold, the proceeds would not be enough to support the local finances. The textile industry in Yuncheng and the porcelain kilns in Yong'an alone would require a large investment to develop and scale up as quickly as possible.

Unless he temporarily shelves these development plans, local governments will not be able to achieve a balance between revenue and expenditure.

But he knew it was impossible. In this era of great competition, if you don't advance, you fall behind. If you are one step behind, others will be two steps ahead of you!

Yan Yi clenched his fist, a series of thoughts flashing through his mind: 'Murderers and arsonists wear golden belts, rob them of their wealth. The blood-stained hat is the reddest.'

"In that case, leave 100,000 shi (a unit of dry measure)." A hint of determination flashed across his face, his tone resolute: "Sell 50% of the weapons that don't meet the field army's requirements! And all those captured warhorses, sell them all! Leave this to Tao's Trading Company; I owe them a favor, so the selling price can be 10% lower." He didn't even want Wu Jingjun's inferior horses; Wu Jingjun must have lost his mind to dare send such junk into battle—he really didn't know the meaning of death!
"Your subordinate will take care of it immediately!"

Zhou Xin nodded solemnly, instantly realizing that Yan Yi intended to continue expanding outwards.

"Wind! Wind! Strong wind!"

"iron heel!"

"Split the earth!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

In front of the reviewing stand, neat rows of armored soldiers began to slowly march along the parade route, their powerful slogans shaking the heavens and earth, interrupting the two men's conversation.

Yan Yi ended his conversation with Zhou Xin and turned his attention back to the piece of music in front of him.

Some of these units, due to their outstanding military achievements, had already acquired military flags and unit numbers.

For example, the Dragon Cavalry Battalion and the Tiger Cavalry Battalion.

As the thousands of iron cavalry of the Longxiang Battalion galloped past the reviewing stand, the resulting roar caused the arrows in the quivers beside the road to tremble slightly.

Zhang Zhang and Wen Yuan were dumbfounded, and a sense of pride gradually welled up in their hearts.

The people watching from afar were completely mesmerized.
The parade was more successful than Yan Yi had anticipated, and the momentum displayed by the entire army undoubtedly fueled his expansionist ambitions.

Yes, Yan Yi's goal now is no longer to struggle for survival in Sun Ce's shadow, but to conquer a vast territory!

Sun's retinue numbered only a little over ten thousand. Among Sun's civil and military officials, Zhu Zhi and Huang Gai were imprisoned, Lu Su, Zhang Hong, Zhang Zhao, Zhou Tai, Jiang Qin, Ling Cao and others had not yet emerged from seclusion, Wu Jing, Sun Ben and Xu Kun were his defeated opponents, and Xu Sheng and Quan Rou had been poached by him.

The only people gathered around Sun Ce now are Han Dang, Cheng Pu, and a few others. What is he afraid of?
As for Zhou Yu, Yan Yi paid him even less attention.

It wasn't that he looked down on Zhou Yu, but rather that he knew Zhou Yu at this point was incapable of following Sun Ce.

Because Zhou Yu was not an individual; he represented the Zhou family of Lujiang, a family that had held high office for two generations.

After the Battle of Shucheng, nearly half of the powerful clans in Shucheng were wiped out in the war, and the Zhou family was making every effort to seize the territories left behind by these clans. As the leading figure of the younger generation of the Zhou family, why would Zhou Yu leave Shucheng at this time?

More importantly, the Zhou family had a close relationship with Yuan Shu. Before Sun Ce had gained sufficient power, the Zhou family could only provide him with some financial, material, and troop support. It was impossible for the Zhou family to openly send core members of their clan to follow Sun Ce. Yuan Shu could not tolerate this either.

All these factors mean that only a handful of people, big and small, are currently gathered around Sun Ce. If it weren't for Yuan Shu standing behind Sun Ce, Yan Yi would definitely have shown the same ruthlessness he displayed when he killed Zhu Zhi, and would have killed him without regard for the cost.

At present, we can only curb Sun Ce's momentum first, and then plan our next move later.

On the day the military parade ended, Yan Yi immediately summoned his generals to the official temple for a meeting, where he revealed his next strategic intentions to the public and then began issuing military orders.

"Immediately order Xu Shou to mobilize two thousand troops from Yuncheng and Rencheng, led by Li Chou, to garrison Guzhang!"

"Fan Yan, Fan Yi, Wen Yuan, Zhang Zhang, He Gong, and Li Bian, you six will lead three thousand elite troops and two thousand Yong'an soldiers to take over Yong'an. After taking over, immediately capture the four counties of Linshui, Yuqian, Huai'an, and Anji!"

"Xu Sheng, Zhou Ang, Zhou Yu, Chen Gan, Zhao Cuo, Chen Xian, Zhang Gong, follow me to conquer Guangde!"

"Zhou Xin is stationed at Guzhang, overseeing the transport of military equipment and provisions for all routes!"

Once the military order was given, all the generals responded in unison, feeling greatly encouraged.

Only Zhang Zhang and Wen Yuan, who had just surrendered, were still reeling from the series of military orders. As they looked at each other, they both saw a hint of shock in each other's eyes.

Is Young Master planning to conquer Danyang? Doesn't he know that Yuan Shu's furious retaliation could come at any moment?
Compared to Han You, who was trapped in Yong'an, Yan Yi's swift and decisive fighting style made the two of them very uncomfortable.

With mixed feelings, the generals returned to their respective units to prepare for the expedition.

In an instant, the two prefectures of Dan and Wu, which had only been calm for a few days, became tense and anxious again.

The next morning, Yan Yi personally led 10,000 troops out of the west gate of Guzhang and marched towards Guangde, which was 80 miles away.

His purpose in this trip was to build a defensive line in Guangde to intercept the Yuan and Sun armies that might advance south at any time, thus buying precious time for Fan Yan's army to capture the counties southeast of Danyang.

The counties southeast of Danyang were originally occupied by some powerful bandits and local tyrants, but Wu Jing eliminated them one by one. Now that Wu Jing has been defeated, these cities are at their most vulnerable, making them easy to capture, which is actually a boon for him.

How could Yan Yi miss such a golden opportunity?
The following afternoon at 1 p.m., the army arrived in Guangde, rested briefly, and then began the siege.

Guangde is just a small city. Of the three thousand soldiers stationed there, half had been transferred to Wucheng. How could they possibly withstand the attack of more than ten thousand elite troops?
In less than a quarter of an hour, the city was captured.

Yan Yi led his troops into the city and began to systematically set up a defensive line within a radius of thirty li, using Guangde as a base.

This city, deep in the heart of Danyang, was the only one he could easily conquer.

As dusk settled and the evening glow cast a magnificent red hue over the city walls, Sun Ce's army, exhausted from their long journey, finally arrived at Yongping County, a hundred miles north of Guangde, forming a north-south standoff with Guangde.

The reason why Sun Ce has only arrived in Yongping now is simply because Shucheng is too far from Wucheng, a full 600 li away, with the Yangtze River in between.

Even Yongping is 400 li away from Shucheng.

Sun Ce led his army to Yongping in just eight days, which was an extremely fast pace.

But it was too late; the promising situation had already vanished.

The setting sun was like blood, and Sun Ce's face appeared particularly cold and stern in the afterglow, with an inescapable shadow between his brows.

He had realized that from the moment he led his troops away from Shucheng, the collapse of the situation on the front lines was inevitable.

The enemy had a grasp of his every move and deployed their strategies and tactics entirely based on his marching situation.

If you use your calculations to deal with the uncalculated, and your strategy to take advantage of the unstrategic, how can your situation not deteriorate?
This is a truly formidable opponent!

(End of this chapter)