Three Kingdoms: A Million Soldiers Grown from the Fields

Chapter 114 Completing the Skill (Please read 4k words)

Jinyang.

The fire was extinguished an hour or two after it started the night before.

However, Jinyang City was still somewhat dilapidated at this time.

The ruins contrasted with the charred embers.

Sheriff's Mansion.

Wang Ze, who was then the magistrate of Jinyang and the prefect of Taiyuan, never stopped moving forward.

He would sometimes stomp his feet with his hands behind his back, and sometimes look outwards.

A short while later, a fully armored general strode in.

Wang Ze anxiously reached out and asked.

"How is it? Any news about that group of barbarian cavalry?"

Lai Jiang stamped his foot and bowed, saying, "Following the traces, I searched to the Fen River. The last direction that group of Hu cavalry went was Xihe County."

"Alas, these are troubled times! How did the barbarians manage to invade our borders!"

Wang Ze looked worried. Currently, most of the clan's forces were in Luoyang working for his elder brother Wang Rou, and there were not many left in Bingzhou.

"Do not worry, Your Excellency. I believe that these barbarian cavalrymen only came south because they could not endure the winter. Now that they have returned with a harvest, they will not come again for a while."

"Well, I hope so."

Wang Ze sighed.

"By the way, Uncle, do you think our county should remain on high alert?"

"In my humble opinion, a temporary state of alert is the only way to deter those barbarian cavalry from entering again."

“That makes sense.” Wang Ze nodded.

But in his mind, he recalled the scene a few days ago when Registrar Lü Si came to visit him.

'Zhang Zixu is also a difficult person to deal with. Ding Jianyang hasn't sent any letters yet, only news that Zhang Zixu has returned safely.'

In that case.

He had a sudden thought: "Draft an official document and send it to Zhang Zixu, the magistrate of Luqi County, ordering him to gather the county troops to search for and arrest the scourge of the Hu cavalry. These Hu cavalrymen have committed heinous crimes and must confess within twenty days!"

"only."

The local officials bowed and began writing official documents.

He finished writing it in no time and handed it to Wang Ze: "Lord of the County."

"Hmm." Wang Ze took it, glanced at it a few times, nodded, and then stamped it with the prefect's seal.

"Send word immediately by courier!"

"promise!"
-
I took a hot shower and felt so comfortable.

The cotton wool covering their heads and bodies was washed away by the water.

Sitting on the chair, Zhang Xian leaned back with his head tilted back.

Three maids helped wipe the water stains with cloths.

He's resting with his eyes closed.

Footsteps hurried in from outside the door.

"Report!"

Zhang Xian opened his eyes, stood up straight, and strode away: "What is it!"

"The magistrate of Jinyang hereby orders Zhang Zixu, the Duke of Lüsi County, to apprehend the barbarian cavalry who are causing trouble within twenty days!"

"This is against the rules!"

Zhang Xian stared at the clerk who had come to deliver the report: "Where is the courier?!"

"Still at the county government office."

"Follow me!"

"only!"

With his hair disheveled, Zhang Xian casually tore off a strip of cloth and gathered his messy hair behind his head as he passed the covered bridge.

Fortunately, the county government office was only one street away.

Just as Zhang Xian and his companion arrived, the courier with the double feathers on his head was about to leave.

"The courier will arrive shortly!"

The courier, who was about to mount his horse, stopped and turned around to look back.

"Your Mightiness."

"Zhang Zixu, the one who is being investigated!"

"So it was the county magistrate in person."

"I don't know why the magistrate called me here."

Zhang Xian stepped closer and questioned, "Is this order truly issued by Jinyang?!"

The courier smiled wryly: "Lord County Magistrate, it is naturally an order from Jinyang. Otherwise, would a lowly courier dare to falsely convey such an order?"

"You'll be there later."

Zhang Xian glanced at him, then turned to the clerk: "Bring me pen, ink, and silk!"

"promise,"

The minor official hurriedly ran into the county government office, and then hurriedly ran back...

He half-squatted down, raised his hands above his head, and laid out a piece of silk and ink on a square wooden board.

Zhang Xian quickly wrote something, stamped it with his identity seal, blew on the ink, and put it into a wooden box.

"Deliver this to the Duke on my behalf!"

He looked indifferent, but he didn't forget to slip in a hundred or so five-zhu coins.

The courier sighed and reached out to take it, saying, "It's really putting Magistrate Zhang in a difficult position."

Zhang Xian shook his hand and turned away.

The sound of horses' hooves sounded behind him, and only then did a slight smile appear on his lips.

He turned to the junior official beside him and asked, "Was I in a fit of rage just now?"

The clerk hesitated for a moment before replying, "Extremely furious."

"That's good."

Zhang Xian snorted and headed towards the main hall of the county government office.

Dressed in white, with slightly damp hair tied back, Zhang Xian entered the main hall only to find Xi Zhong and Gu Yu already sitting and looking at each other.

"Lord County Magistrate, you've finally arrived."

"My lord,"

"Too deceiving!"

Zhang Xian's facial expressions changed with remarkable fluidity. He was quite smug before entering, but the moment he stepped across the threshold of the main hall, he was already burning with rage.

Xi Zhong was taken aback, then glanced at Gu Yu and understood a few things.

He cupped his hands and said, "My lord, please don't be angry. Perhaps the prefect is just desperate and hastily ordering you to capture the Hu cavalry."

“Before I left the prefectural government last time, Prefect Wang said he would return the favor. It’s only been three days. How could he let Lüqi County take on such a task?”

Gu Yu also looked bitter and resentful, and he even thought that his visit a few days ago was quite good.

"I have only been in office for two months, and with few soldiers and generals under my command, how can I possibly shoulder this responsibility!"

"I have already sent a messenger with a letter from a certain person to the Duke, but I am afraid that he cannot agree to this matter!"

Zhang Xian shouted loudly and plopped back down in the main seat.

Xi Zhong smacked his lips: "But the prefect's decree has already been issued, and there seems to be very little room for maneuver. What should we do?"

Zhang Xian sighed as well: "Yes, what are we going to do?"

As they spoke, both pairs of eyes involuntarily turned to Gu Yu.

!! ?
Why are you looking at me?!
Gu Yu's heart pounded wildly.

He tentatively cupped his hands and asked, "Does Your Excellency have any plans?"

"Shi Lin Na"

trembling

Gu Yu shivered.

What's going on here?

He chuckled a few times: "Just give me any orders from the county magistrate, and I won't dare to slack off."

"I am truly fortunate to have received Shi Lin's help! What a stroke of luck!"

“Yes, yes, only Shi Lin can handle this,” Xi Zhong chimed in from the side.

No, what is it?! Just tell me!

Gu Yu's heart was pounding. This was too strange, family. Why did it feel like this imperial edict from Jinyang was aimed at her?

"Shi Lin Na"

"Lord! Give your orders! Give your orders!"

Unbearable!

"Alright! Since Shi Lin says so, then I will speak."

Zhang Xian was overjoyed: "Shi Lin also knows that when I took office in Lüchi, I eliminated the traitors of the two countries. Although it was eliminating traitors, it also made the powerful families of Taiyuan somewhat afraid. So this time, when the prefect issued the order, my Lüchi had few soldiers and generals and no sufficient food and fodder. How could I possibly complete the prefect's order?"

"Therefore, I would like to ask Shi Lin to do my bidding and speak with the powerful figures in Taiyuan to persuade them to lend a helping hand."

"I see."

Gu Yu breathed a sigh of relief, but the words of the persuader were no longer a problem.

He cupped his hands in greeting: "The prefect's order is indeed unwise. I will then put in a good word for the county magistrate!"

"Thank you for your hard work, Lin'er!" Zhang Xian stood up and excitedly patted Gu Yu's arm.

The latter bowed slightly: "At that time, Lin went to make preparations."

"Hard,"

Zhang Xian smiled and waved at Gu Yu's departing figure. Once the figure had completely disappeared, he sat back down with a serious expression.

"here we go."

"Yes, I was thinking that perhaps it would be my lord's turn to appear after the county troops suffered a defeat."

Xi Zhong leaned lazily on the table, his fingers lightly twirling a strand of hair.

"Wang Ze is indeed vengeful. His order for me to capture the Hu cavalry in twenty days is merely a pretext; he intends to use it as a reason to dismiss me from my post." "Since when has the affairs of a prefecture required the jurisdiction of a county magistrate?! Utterly absurd!"

Zhang Xian narrowed his eyes slightly.

Xi Zhong nodded, but a smile played on his lips: "It's good though, we can take this opportunity to have a gossip session with Wang Ze."

"If you want Lüchi to send troops, then grant him military power. My lord currently holds the position of county magistrate; why not also request the military rank of colonel?"

"Too small!" Zhang Xian sneered.

"A mere captain? I wouldn't even look at that. If I'm going to have one, I'll have the big one!"

"oh--!"

"What does the lord intend?"

"Isn't the goal to wipe out the Hu cavalry? Then let's appoint him as the 'General of the Xiongnu'!"

“Wang Ze can’t offer a military officer position with a salary of two thousand shi (a unit of grain),” Xi Zhong gasped.

"Who said they asked him for it?"

Zhang Xian slowly rose and looked towards Luoyang: "If he seeks the help of the Ten Attendants, then surely I will also seek them out?!"
-
The next day.

County government.

Wang Ze slapped the silk cloth down and said in a deep voice, "This Zhang Zixu is indeed troublesome!"

Upon hearing this, the chief clerk beside him asked, "Lord, what about Zhang Zixu?"

"He said that without military power, how could he send troops? I'm afraid the county of Qi cannot agree to this!"

"This excuse makes sense; if the Duke presses too hard, it will only backfire."

"Ha, he's just asking for military power. If he wants it, I'll give it to him. I'd like to see if he really has the courage to command ten thousand troops!"

Wang Ze also sneered. After all, he was just a doctor who had risen from humble beginnings. He might believe that Zhang Xian had unique skills in healing the sick and saving lives.

But this is Bingzhou! Not just anyone can handle this!

"It is proposed that the magistrate of Luqi County be appointed as the military commander of Taiyuan Prefecture, with a force of over two thousand soldiers."

"Isn't two thousand too many, Your Excellency?"

A captain leading two thousand troops is a full complement of troops, and now the captain of Jinyang only leads two thousand troops.

“It’s alright. If we give him that number, does he really have that many people? Recruiting commoners won’t be enough to complete the twenty-day deadline.”

"I have already given you military command. If you still fail to meet the deadline, then don't blame me for dealing with you according to military law!"

A cold glint flashed in Wang Ze's eyes.

"Report——!"

"It's terrible, Prefect! Half an hour ago, Hu cavalry reappeared outside the city and plundered the Tang family. Less than one-tenth of the Tang family's members are still alive!"

"Report——!"

"Prefect! Urgent report from the beacon tower: Commandant Tang led his troops into battle, but was killed in less than three rounds! More than half of the thousand Jinyang soldiers have been killed or wounded!"

"what!"

Wang Zeteng stood up abruptly.

"Where are the other captains?!"

"They have assembled and set out, but the Hu cavalry has vanished without a trace!"

"Damn it! Men, send him to Lu Qi, and order Lu Qi to mobilize troops immediately!"

"promise!"
-
"Our lord has already sent his men to Luoyang, and this trip has cost a fortune."

Xi Zhong placed his white piece with a thud.

"Money can be earned back, but opportunities are hard to come by once they're gone."

"Wang Ze will definitely publicize his intention to remove me from office, and I intend to use the Wang family's connections to get what I want!"

Zhang Xian placed his black piece with a thud.

"My lord is indeed quick-witted. With seventeen vertical and seventeen horizontal lines on the chessboard, the game is intricate and complex. Sometimes, the opponent can also make a brilliant move."

Xi Zhong made another move, blocking the black pieces' escape route. He picked up a dozen or so black pieces and chuckled, "I almost let my lord turn the tables on me."

"Haha, you actually figured it out, what a pity."

“Hansheng traveled day and night last night, and now it seems he has already achieved some success,” Zhang Xian placed his piece.

"They're about even, and they might be close to turning back by now." Xi Zhong stared intently at the chessboard, speculating on Zhang Xian's intentions in his next few moves.

"Then the courier should be here soon."

With a thud, the black piece landed at the spot where Xi Zhong had previously captured it.

"My lord, aren't you walking right into a trap?!"

Xi Zhong frowned. With this move, Black's entire game was lost.

"Report! Urgent message from Jinyang courier!"

"Enter!"

Zhang Xian stood up and looked at Xi Zhong: "A chessboard with seventeen lines is too small. Change it to a nineteen-line chessboard!"

"."

Xi Zhong remained silent.

I thought my lord had some amazing skill, but it turns out he was just cheating!

Zhang Xian chuckled, amused by Xi Zhongzhi's face instantly falling. "You've been watching too many TV dramas. Where do you get so many brilliant skills? In a battle between two armies, it's all about hard power!"
If I can't beat you at chess, surely I can beat you in a fight?
A messenger with two feathers tucked into his hair arrived quickly.

He knelt down and presented a wooden box: "The magistrate of Jinyang hereby orders Zhang Xian and Zhang Zixu, the Duke of Lüchi County, to lead two thousand soldiers as military officers! He also orders Zhang Xian and Zhang Zixu to immediately set out to capture the Hu cavalry!"

"Zhang Xian, the magistrate of Lüqi County, obeys the order!"

Zhang Xian took the wooden box handed to him by the clerk, opened it, and inside was a military officer's seal and a ribbon.

He nodded and looked at the clerk: "Treat the courier brothers well."

Then he looked at Xi Zhong and said, "Zhi Cai, go to the training ground!"

"promise!"

The two left the county government office and headed straight for the drill ground.

"gather!"

Short whistles sounded one after another.

More than 900 county soldiers quickly assembled.

On the command platform, Zhang Xian stood in front of the tin loudspeaker.

"The prefect issued an urgent order: the barbarian cavalry in Taiyuan is rampant. I am hereby appointed as a colonel to muster two thousand soldiers to rush to the aid of Jinyang."

"Zhao Yun!"

"exist!"

"Gather four hundred cavalrymen, prepare their armor and horses, and they shall accompany me on this expedition!"

"promise!"

"Xi Zhong!"

"exist!"

"Lead five hundred soldiers to garrison Luqi!"

"As ordered!"

Upon receiving the order, Zhang Xian completed the troop mobilization in just a quarter of an hour.

Four hundred cavalry and infantrymen marched out in a mighty procession, their numbers numbering two thousand, without any attempt to conceal their presence.

Wherever he went, he made a great deal of publicizing the appointment of the prefect.

The local magnates and powerful families along the way all provided supplies.

Halfway there, another four hundred cavalrymen joined the army, and Huang Zhong and his men returned.

Eight hundred cavalrymen marched in a mighty procession toward Jinyang.

"My lord, I've gathered information. There's a tribe in the Xihe region that regularly trades with the Qiang people, and a thousand cavalry will be coming soon."

"Then they deserve their bad luck."

"The last traces you left behind still lead to the West River, didn't they?"

"Yes! All the clues point to Xihe."

"That's good. Send out scouts along the way to inform the counties and prefectures that Wang Ze, the magistrate of Taiyuan, has ordered a campaign against the rebellious."

"My lord, does the prefect have such great power?" Zhao Yun asked, puzzled.

"The prefect doesn't have one, but the Wang family does!"

"understood!"

Huang Zhong bowed and immediately dispatched scouts.

Eight hundred soldiers, numbering two thousand, passed through Jinyang.

On the walls of Jinyang, Wang Ze squinted at the departing cavalry, a sense of unease creeping into his heart.
This person truly possesses the courage to face an army of ten thousand.
"Uncle Ze, what do you think of this army?"

"Arrival in an orderly fashion, a strong army indeed!"

"."

Wang Ze flicked his sleeves and headed towards the prefectural government office.

"We need to get my brother to do some maneuvering and find a pretext to impeach Zhang Xian in court."

the other side.

A caravan was also speeding towards Luoyang.

Among the carriages and horses were sugar-coated gold cakes and fine wine, along with numerous Xianbei skulls, including one that Ding Jianyang had refused to accept as a pawnbroker's head.

Money and merit are both attainable.

This made it clear that he was determined to take the position of General of the Xiongnu!
Although the head was killed a few days ago in Yanmen County, the sugar-coated gold cake was brought from Taoyuan, and the battle merit was only obtained a few days later.

But if you just cobble things together like this, can you really call this an achievement?

Three days later.

The setting sun was like blood, and the surface of the Fen River shimmered with a golden light. Zhang Xian reined in his horse on the high slope, and behind him, eight hundred iron cavalrymen stood silently like a forest. Wisps of white vapor seeped from the gaps in their armor, which were the hot breath of the warhorses condensing when it met the cold air.

"My lord, the camp of the Xihe Hu tribe is fifty li ahead," Huang Zhong said, pointing his iron spear.

"Set up camp and rest!"

"promise!"

　If you still have votes left at the end of the month, please vote for the children; it's too hard for them.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)