Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 228 Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin

When Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin first arrived in Wu County, they were warmly received by Xu Gong and treated with great courtesy. At that time, Xu Gong was at the height of his power, and Jiang Qin, being an upright man, was so moved that he almost decided to join Xu Gong's cause.

But Jiang Qin failed to persuade Zhou Tai.

Under Zhou Mi's influence, Zhou Tai was more inclined to side with Yan Yi.

With the conclusion of the battles of Wucheng and Guzhang, Yan Yi's reputation grew daily, and his sharp military force exerted a fatal attraction on Zhou Tai, ultimately prompting Zhou Tai to make a final decision.

Jiang Qin originally intended to persuade Zhou Tai to join Xu Gong, but under Zhou Tai's persuasion, he began to waver.

Although Xu Gong treated him with utmost respect, he was more skilled in literature than martial arts, which was hardly appealing to a warrior who aspired to fight on the battlefield.

When the results of the Battle of Yongping reached Wu County, Jiang Qin finally stopped hesitating and decided to join Yan Yi along with Zhou Tai.

At that time, Yan Yi and Xu Gong were vying for control of Jurong. Fearing that Zhou Mi would fall into Xu Gong's hands, Yan Yi ordered her to leave Wu County overnight and return to Qiantang.

Before leaving, Zhou Mi, following Yan Yi's instructions, arranged for Zhou and Jiang to feign allegiance to Xu Gong, so that they could act as internal collaborators when Yan Yi attacked Wu County in the future.

Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin, having joined Yan Yi's ranks, obeyed his orders without hesitation and went to serve Xu Gong.

After Xu Gong's defeat to Yan Yi in the battle for Jurong, he became increasingly disillusioned with his generals and began to recruit brave and valiant men at any cost. Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin were exceptionally brave and skilled in military strategy, making them his ideal candidates. When the two finally came to join him, he assumed that his generous treatment had moved them and was overjoyed, immediately appointing them as his left and right commanders.

In other factions, the Left and Right Sima usually only commanded three detachments of six hundred men, belonging to the lower-middle level of the military. However, in Xu Gong's army, the power of these two military positions was not to be underestimated, as they could command one thousand two hundred to three thousand men.

It was the dead of winter, and bandits were rampant, causing havoc in all the counties of Wu Commandery. Xu Gong wanted to test the abilities of Zhou and Jiang, so he ordered them to each lead 1,200 troops to suppress the bandits within the commandery.

Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin divided their forces into two routes, one to capture Lou County and the other to capture Huating. In less than half a month, they had completely wiped out the bandits in both places. The speed at which they suppressed the bandits was unparalleled among Xu Gong's generals.

Upon receiving the news of the victory, Xu Gong was first astonished, and then overwhelmed with joy.

Heaven has mercy, after all the waiting comes the light. Xu Boqian had been looking forward to it day and night, and finally, two capable generals who could stand alone were brought in.

"Immediately replenish the troops, armor, and provisions of Zhou and Jiang's forces, and order them to join forces to quell the Youquan banditry!"

Xu Gong paced back and forth in the backyard of the official temple, reading the military report in his hand several times, still reluctant to put it down. Then, full of vigor, he gave an order, commanding Zhou and Jiang to go to Youquan, where the bandit problem was most serious, to suppress the bandits.

Youquan is a large county with a population exceeding ten thousand households, and has historically been one of the areas most severely affected by bandits. Especially this year, under Yan Yi's rule, the cities have driven away bandits as easily as driving away dogs. Bandits from the southwest of Wujun could no longer stay in places like Wucheng, so they flocked to Youquan, further exacerbating the bandit situation there.

From the fist, Sangting.

As the sun set, its afterglow cast a crimson glow on the eaves and walls of the pavilion, blending with the mottled bloodstains on the ground and walls, making it impossible to distinguish between the glow of the sunset and the bloodstains; all that could be seen was a shocking expanse of red.

Shi Fen, the village head, covered in blood, held a shield in his left hand and a knife in his right. He led two village soldiers and more than ten villagers to block the gate of the village and fight the bandits who rushed towards the main gate.

More than a hundred bandits, dressed in tattered clothes, some in thin autumn shirts, others wrapped in worn-out cotton robes, and armed with crude weapons such as ring knives, spears, and hoes, surrounded the pavilion completely. They looked like a pack of starving wolves, their eyes bloodshot and their expressions ferocious.

Although Shi Fen and his men had the advantage of terrain and were superior to the bandits in both strength and weaponry, their numbers were far too disparate, and they gradually began to falter. Even if they wanted to surrender, in the face of the bloodthirsty bandits, surrendering would only lead to their hasty demise. Their only option was to hold on desperately, hoping that reinforcements would arrive.

Soon after, the bandits found several wooden ladders, placed them on the four walls, and climbed into the courtyard.

Shi Fen and his men fought back desperately for half an hour, but finally succumbed to the overwhelming tide of bandits.

A burly bandit swung his knife and beheaded Shi Fen. Grinning maliciously, he grabbed Shi Fen's hair and held his bloodied head high above his head, roaring, "Brothers, loot and kill them all! After we're done, burn it all down!"

The bandits roared excitedly and rushed into the houses, scrambling to loot rice and valuables, leaving the scene in complete disarray.

Suddenly, a series of rapid hoofbeats and hurried footsteps came from the official road outside the pavilion, interspersed with the crisp sounds of leather armor clashing with weapons.

The bandit leader's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly put down the rice bag in his hand, shouted loudly for the bandits to line up outside the house, and led a few henchmen to rush towards the pavilion gate.

Just as he rushed out of the pavilion, an iron spear whistled through the air and pierced his chest in an instant. Immediately afterward, several shrill screams rang out, and several henchmen fell to the ground one after another.

Zhou Tai, mounted on his horse, his gaze cold and sharp, thrust his spear and killed a bandit who was still breathing. Then he shouted, "Surround the outpost! Those who surrender will not be killed!"

Behind him, a tidal wave of soldiers surged forward. First, a squad split off, drew their bows and aimed at the gates of the pavilions, then formed ranks and charged in through each gate to annihilate the bandits.

Zhou Tai's words, "Those who surrender will not be killed," did not play a significant role in this chaotic battle.

For many years, an irreconcilable feud had been brewing between the government troops and the bandits, with very few survivors. The government troops needed the bandits' heads to collect rewards, while the bandits needed to trample over the corpses of the government troops to burn, kill, and plunder. In this brutal confrontation, only one side could survive.

Soon, the bandits inside the pavilion were wiped out, and their bodies were dragged to the open field and burned.

The bodies of Shi Fen and others were sent to the county town to await identification by their relatives.

After the battlefield was cleared, Zhou Tai ordered his troops to garrison the pavilion and distributed all the spoils to reward the soldiers.

How much spoils could be gained from slaughtering a bunch of starving bandits? Most of the so-called spoils were secretly provided by Yan Yi to buy off Zhou Tai's troops.

The following afternoon, Jiang Qin led his troops to Sangting and joined Zhou Tai.

The two dismissed their attendants and sat facing each other in the main hall of the backyard. They first exchanged their experiences in leading troops before getting down to business.

"Youping, the Youquan bandits are rampant. How do you plan to eliminate them?"

A biting wind swept through the house from outside, while inside there was only a small brazier. Jiang Qin, however, wore only a plain cotton robe with the sleeves rolled up high, revealing his muscular build.

He is twenty-six years old, eight feet tall, with a robust build, broad shoulders and a majestic presence.

Jiang Qin's experience was similar to that of Xu Zhao from Yuhang; both had been smugglers of salt and river pirates. He valued his word more than gold and jade, and when he robbed, he targeted the powerful and wealthy, rarely disturbing the common people. Sometimes, he would even distribute the stolen grain to the orphans and widows, making him stand out among the other river pirates.

"To quell the banditry, there are only two options: driving them away or suppressing them. In terms of driving them away, the bandits can be driven to the surrounding areas such as Wucheng, Yuncheng, Wuxian, and Louxian, and the banditry will resolve itself."

Zhou Tai's attire was similar to Jiang Qin's, except he wore a leather armor over his thicker trousers, and his fierce and valiant air surpassed Jiang Qin's. He was eight feet tall, with a waist ten spans wide, standing like an iron tower and moving like a bear. His face was like a red date, with high cheekbones, and his eyes were piercing like torches, exuding a natural air of authority. A short beard under his chin, as hard as steel needles, added to his fierce appearance.

At Jiang Qin's enthusiastic invitation, Zhou Tai had also acted as a river pirate for a few days, but returned to his hometown after a few days of perfunctory service. He was a free-spirited and unrestrained man, fond of associating with chivalrous heroes, often gathering local heroes to help the needy and settle scores, living a rather carefree life. "Stop beating around the bush, just tell me how to defeat the bandits," Jiang Qin said, rolling his eyes.

Wucheng and Yuncheng were Yan Yi's territories, so the two of them naturally couldn't drive the bandits there. Wu County and Lou County were major cities under Xu Gong's rule, and clearly not options for the two who were eager to gain Xu Gong's trust.

Zhou Tai picked up an iron cup next to the brazier, took a few swigs of wine, and wiped the wine stains off his beard: "There are two methods to suppress them. One is to defeat the main bandit groups and quickly quell the banditry, leaving the remaining bandits to be dealt with by the county sergeants. The second method is to divide the bandit group into four areas: east, west, south, and north, block the main roads, and clear them out in sequence. This way, the banditry can be completely eradicated, but it will take a long time."

After thinking for a while, Jiang Qin said, "Then let's use the first method. This way we can show our abilities and gain Xu Gong's trust as soon as possible."

Zhou Tai nodded and sighed, "Many people became bandits because they couldn't survive. I heard that under the young lord's rule, the approach is to both suppress and appease, eliminating only a few major bandit groups and turning the rest of the scattered bandits into civilians. Only by combining kindness and severity can the region be pacified. However, judging from Xu Gong's troops, they seem to want to exterminate all the bandits. If this continues, the bandit force will only become more ferocious year by year."

Jiang Qin chuckled: "Isn't this even better? Judging from the current situation, the banditry in Wu County will probably escalate until February or March of next year, enough to give Xu Gong a major headache."

Zhou Tai said in a deep voice, "After you and I quelled the rebellion of the Youquan bandits, our merits were enough to gain Xu Gong's trust. We should avoid suppressing bandits in the future. Let these bandits cause more trouble for Xu Gong, so that it will be easier for the young lord to attack Wu County next year."

Jiang Qin nodded in agreement.

After the two men reached an agreement, they combined their troops into one unit, ordered nine hundred old and weak soldiers to guard various strongholds, and took only one thousand five hundred elite troops to suppress bandits in all directions.

Ten days later, the bandit forces were gradually quelled. Although some scattered bandits remained, they no longer posed a threat.

Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin led their troops back to Wu County to report back to Xu Gong.

Xu Gong was overjoyed and grew even more fond of the two men. That very day, he held a banquet in his residence to celebrate their achievements and promoted them to the rank of Separate Division Commander.

Compared to the Left and Right Sima, the Separate Division Sima had greater authority and a more obvious characteristic of leading a separate division, and was only one step away from becoming a Colonel.

Xu Gong's move was intended to establish Zhou and Jiang as role models in the army, both to spur on the other units and to buy their talents.

It must be said that this tactic was quite effective. With Zhou and Jiang setting such a precedent, many warriors who had been lured by Xu Gong no longer hesitated and chose to join his ranks.

Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin decided to withdraw their troops, citing health reasons, and refused to lead the army into battle.

By this time, many generals in Xu Gong's army had developed resentment towards the two men. Xu Gong assumed that they were only restraining themselves because of this. Not only did he not blame them for feigning illness, he appreciated their tactful approach even more.

This unexpected turn of events left Zhou and Jiang both amused and exasperated.

Just as Zhou and Jiang were thriving under Xu Gong's command, Yan Yi led three thousand elite troops to Yuhang.

This trip to Yuhang is to formally pay my respects to Sheng Xian and perform the ceremony of becoming his disciple.

Sheng Xian was learned and talented, with a magnanimous and elegant demeanor. He was on good terms with famous scholars such as Kong Rong. Although he had resigned from his official post, his students and former subordinates were all over Jiangdong, and he enjoyed a high reputation among the gentry of Jiangdong.

Previously, when the pro-Yan and pro-Xu factions were engaged in a war of words, Sheng Xian stood up to firmly support Yan Yi, winning him many allies.

Yan Yi's grand trip to Yuhang to seek apprenticeship served two purposes: firstly, to garner support from some of the Jiangdong gentry in preparation for the upcoming campaigns to pacify Jiangdong; and secondly, to invite Sheng Xian to serve in the government, thus addressing the shortage of capable administrators in his jurisdiction.

As the saying goes, "Pulling up a radish brings out the mud along with it," meaning that although there are many scholars in the world, they actually belong to only a few circles. It is a common phenomenon for scholars to form connections with each other, and as long as one gains the support of a few key figures, one can attract many other scholars to serve him.

In addition, Yan Yi's trip to Yuhang was also intended to talk to Xu Zhao and bring him under his command.

Yuhang is located between the Hangzhou-Jiaxing-Huzhou Plain and the hilly and mountainous areas of western Zhejiang, a typical terrain transitioning from mountains and hills to plains. Because the northwest is the foothills of the Tianmu Mountains, there were many bandits, who have not yet been eradicated.

After Yan Yi led his troops into the territory of Yuhang, he slowed down his march and sent out scouts to investigate the situation of the bandits in the surrounding area.

Although he did not take these bandits seriously, after more than half a year of fighting, the idea that "weapons are instruments of misfortune and war is a dangerous affair" had been ingrained in his bones and was a completely subconscious behavior.

That afternoon, the army set up camp on a plain adjacent to the East Tiaoxi River.

It was the dead of winter, and the Dongtiao River was as thin as a thread, meandering across the plains. The reeds along the riverbank were all withered, rustling and trembling in the wind. In the distance, the fields stretched out flat as a whetstone, offering an unobstructed view.

The bandits within Yuhang seemed to fear Yan Yi's imposing presence, fleeing far away without a trace. Only a few farmers occasionally passed by the camp, glancing at it with curiosity or awe.

Yin Li, being experienced, immediately noticed the anomaly and went to the commander's tent to report to Yan Yi.

"Young Master, farmers in the distance are spying on the camp. There seem to be many spies among them. For safety's sake, should we transfer another two thousand troops from Qiantang?"

Yan Yi readily accepted the advice and agreed.

Yin Li stepped out of the command tent and ordered his men to drive away all the farmers in the vicinity. At the same time, he dispatched more spies to be scattered throughout the nearby villages and pavilions.

tuk tuk
As dusk fell, a ragged farmer knocked on the tightly closed door of a manor fifteen miles from Yan Jun's camp.

crunch.

The gate opened, and a burly head peeked out from behind it. The man's gaze swept over the farmer, he nodded slightly, and let him into the village. Then, he glanced around warily a few times before quickly closing the gate.

The farmer seemed very familiar with this manor with its red roofs and green tiles. He walked through the halls and courtyards and headed straight for the main hall in the backyard.

The hall was brightly lit by candlelight, illuminating the shadows of two people sitting opposite each other, drinking.

Seated in the main seat at the east end was a pale-faced scholar of about thirty years old. He wore trousers underneath a fox fur coat, his back was straight, his body was robust, and his eyes had a restrained glint, showing none of the weakness often associated with scholars.

Opposite the scholar was a burly man with a thick beard, his face full of fierceness, wearing an expensive but wrinkled brocade cotton robe, with two short knives hanging at his waist.

The farmer walked quietly into the hall, sat down beside the two men, picked up a wine cup from the lacquered table, drank the wine in one gulp, smacked his lips, and said, "We've found out. There are about three thousand people. Shuguting, twenty miles to the west, is their only route. That's the perfect place to make our move."

The burly man looked at the scholar with eager eyes and leaned forward: "Lord Ling, a great opportunity is right in front of you, do not hesitate. As long as Yan Yi is eliminated, the Prefect and the Commander will take Yuhang for you and offer it to you with both hands."

Ling Cao lowered his eyes in deep thought, the flickering candlelight in the tent casting an indistinct glow on his face. After a long while, under the watchful eyes of the two beside him, he slowly nodded and said, "In that case, let's begin!"

(End of this chapter)