Three Kingdoms: A Million Soldiers Grown from the Fields

Chapter 120 Lu Bu's Visit (Please read 4k words)

As he watched the car disappear into the distance, the smile on Zhang Xian's face gradually faded.

Xi Zhong leaned closer and whispered, "My lord, the eunuch faction's power is probably beyond anyone's control in the court."

Zhang Xian stood with his hands behind his back, his robe trailing on the ground.

"It's not that no one can suppress them. The Yuan and Yang families are very powerful. The Ten Attendants are just people His Majesty has put forward to counterbalance the powerful families. Who knows, His Majesty might put forward other people. At that time, the power of the Ten Attendants might be taken back a lot."

"Is that so?"

Xi Zhong frowned in thought.

"Stop thinking about it, Zhicai. What happens in Luoyang is Luoyang's business. Let's focus on the present first."

"promise,"

The Ten Attendants' carriage departed, taking with it the last gold coin from Zhang Xian's private treasury.

唉、

The Ten Attendants were truly capable of getting things done, but they were also truly greedy when it came to asking for money.

Taoyuan's annual profits are now completely wiped out. If he doesn't resume trade soon, his finances will likely collapse.

Fortunately, Luqi Winery has also begun preparations for brewing.

Temperatures have begun to rise, and the conditions for fermentation are becoming available.

Hundreds of thousands of kilograms of sorghum are waiting to be put into the fermentation vat.

The county government's banquet hall was removed, cleaned up, and then turned into an office space.

At noon, Han Ji returned to the county government office, and Zhang Xian then summoned Huang Zhong and others to gather there.

"Lord!"

"My lord,"

"Lord."

Han Ji, Huang Zhong, Zhao Yun, Xi Zhong, Gu Yu.

All five looked at Zhang Xian, who was at the head of the table.

The bronze goose-fish lamps inside the hall flickered with flames, illuminating the gilded bronze seal in his hand—the official seal of the General Who Envoys the Xiongnu. The scales on the tortoise-shaped knob reflected the firelight.

The latter waved his hand: "Sit down, all of you. There's nothing else I've done by gathering you here; it's to exercise the power of establishing your own government."

He put down the bronze seal, picked up paper and pen, and spoke softly, yet it made the five people in the hall straighten their backs and feel a surge of excitement.

"Han Ji,"

"Your Excellency is here."

Han Ji stepped forward and bowed.

Zhang Xian dipped his brush in ink, and the brushstrokes moved across the paper.

"Han Ji, Han Gongzhi, was appointed as the Chief Secretary of the Protectorate of the Xiongnu, with a salary of 600 shi (a unit of grain), in charge of all government affairs in the office, and concurrently supervising the military farms, crafts, and finances."

He paused for a moment, then added: "He was given the title of Agricultural Commandant and appointed twenty subordinate officials."

Han Ji took a deep breath, stepped forward three times, and accepted the paper stamped with his identity seal and official title seal with both hands: "Ji is determined to serve to the death!"

Zhang Xian smiled and nodded, then looked at Xi Zhong, and dipped his brush in ink again.

"Xi Zhong,"

"exist."

Xi Zhong stepped forward and bowed.

"Xi Zhong, Xi Zhicai, Commandant of the Protectorate of the Xiongnu, with a salary of 600 shi (a unit of grain), responsible for clerkship, strategy, and diplomacy."

Xi Zhong raised an eyebrow. Sima was a military officer, but he was also given the authority of a chief clerk. The lord wanted to secure his position as military advisor.

With this in mind, he cupped his hands again, stepped forward, and accepted the paper, saying, "I am truly grateful!"

"Huang Zhong".

"The general is here!"

Huang Zhong stepped forward, clasped his hands in a salute, and spoke with great vigor.

Zhang Xian took out a newly cast bronze seal with a tiger's head from under the table.

"Huang Zhong, also known as Huang Hansheng, was appointed as the Commandant of the Liaodong Camp, with a rank of 600 shi (a unit of grain), and commanded the Liaodong Camp, leading 1,000 veteran soldiers and training 4,000 new recruits!"

Huang Zhong knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "This humble general obeys the order!"

He stood up, stepped forward, and took the paper and the tiger-head bronze seal.

Zhang Xian shifted his gaze again, looking at the youngest general in white robes on the field, a smile appearing on his lips.

"Zhao Yun,"

"The general is here!"

Zhao Yun also stepped forward, clasped his hands in a salute, his face showing some restraint, but also great determination.

Zhang Xian spread out a new sheet of paper and took out a bronze seal with a horse head from under the table.

"Zhao Yun is appointed Protector of the Xiongnu, with a salary of 600 shi (a unit of grain), and is to lead 300 old cavalrymen and train 1,000 new cavalrymen to patrol the border and protect the merchants!"

"We will not fail our lord's trust!"

The young general, with a serious expression, knelt down, bowed again, and accepted the bronze seal and paper.

"Work hard," Zhang Xian said softly.

Zhao Yun nodded solemnly.

Only one person remained to be summoned, but he had not yet been given an official position.

Zhang Xian looked up and said, "Shi Lin, huh?"

"County Magistrate"

Gu Yu hesitated, his eyes lowered, his heart churning. He knew that among those present, he was the least trusted.

Zhang Xian chuckled: "Hehe, Shi Lin has been diligent and conscientious in his duties, but I wonder if Shi Lin is willing to work with me?"

Gu Yu immediately knelt down, kowtowing and prostrating himself on the table: "The entire Gu family is willing to die for our lord!"

"Haha, good! I'll believe you when you say that, Shi Lin."

"Grain Rain"

"The subordinate is here!"

Gu Yu looked up, but did not get up. She remained kneeling, her hands supporting her on the ground.

Zhang Xian's brushstrokes licked the ink.

"Gu Yu, Gu Shilin, was appointed as the Attendant Gentleman of the Protectorate of the Xiongnu, with a salary of 400 shi (a unit of grain), in charge of supervision and criminal justice."

"Shi Lin, I hope your family will set a good example and not disappoint me."

Gu Yu kowtowed and cried out, "If anyone in the Gu family commits a crime, I am willing to be implicated!"

"You flatter me, but I am very pleased that Shi Lin has this intention. It is cold in winter, Shi Lin, you should get up quickly."

Zhang Xian chuckled and stamped the paper with his identity seal and official seal.

Gu Yu stood up with a slight tremor. With a salary of 400 shi, he was now a proper official. From this day forward, the Gu family would have a promising future in government service!

He bestowed official titles upon his subordinates one by one, and now they all have official positions and identities officially granted by the imperial court. Of course, they had such titles before, but those were under the jurisdiction of the Censorate.

Now, however, the Protectorate of the Xiongnu under Zhang Xian is nominally responsible only to Zhang Xian, and no one else has the responsibility to convict or arrest them.

A rank of 600 shi, equivalent to 600 shi

These are two forms of salary.

Among them, the official salary was 600 shi (a unit of grain measure) in actual pay.

A salary of 600 shi (a unit of grain measure) is half a rank lower than a regular rank, and the salary is also half a rank lower, roughly equivalent to the relationship between a section chief and a deputy section chief.

Besides these two official ranks, there is a special additional title called "Zhong". However, this title is generally reserved for officials with a salary of 2,000 shi (a unit of grain), which is half a rank higher than the official rank. Most of these officials are sent out to supervise other regions.

This is the right to establish one's own residence.

Having the power to establish his own government, Zhang Xian essentially created a makeshift mini-court. His officials were only responsible to him, but their salaries were still paid by the court, allocated by the Grand Minister of Agriculture to the Protectorate of the Xiongnu, and then distributed by the Protectorate.

An official with a salary of 600 shi (a unit of grain) receives an annual salary of 7200 qian (a unit of currency) and 72 hu (a unit of grain) of millet.

Money is a small amount; the important thing is millet. 72 hu is 72 shi, which is quite a lot, especially during this year of disaster when grain prices fluctuate wildly, sometimes 280 qian and sometimes 400 qian.

But no matter how grain prices fluctuate, the grain that the imperial court has to pay must be grain.

Of course, His Majesty is also a clever fellow, and he will occasionally find excuses to deduct a portion of his annual salary.

After the official titles were conferred, the main hall was filled with cheers. Huang Zhong, Han Ji, and others congratulated each other, and Zhang Xian also got up and chatted with them.

"My lord! Someone outside requests an audience!" A yamen runner entered to report.

The magistrate was naturally referring to Zhang Xian.

"who?"

Zhang Xian asked curiously, "Those who were supposed to bring gifts have already done so these past few days, who else would come over at this time?"
"Reporting to Your Excellency, the man who came identified himself as Lü Bu and said he was here to deliver a congratulatory gift to Your Excellency."

"Lu Bu?"

Zhang Xian was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "Then please come in."

"promise!"

The yamen runners left, and the cheers inside the hall temporarily subsided.

Huang Zhong grinned and said, "My lord, this Lü Bu is the valiant cavalryman who fought me back then. He's quite skilled."

Zhao Yun smiled and said to Huang Zhong, "As you know, my lord, he was defeated by your halberd in one move at the Yin Pavilion last time."

"Hahaha, this guy is very arrogant. He still came to see us after being beaten by the lord. He probably has other ideas in mind."

Huang Zhong is a straightforward and outspoken person.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xian laughed and said, "If I'm not mistaken, Ding Yuan probably used some excuse to take away his military power."

"No wonder."

The group kept their eyes on the door, and soon they were brought in by the constables.

The leader was a burly and robust man, followed by three others.

A man with a calm expression and resolute eyes, broad shoulders and a thick back, though not tall, was as sturdy as an iron tower.

One of them had a cunning look in his eyes, like a jackal or a fox.

One man was fierce and wild, with bulging wolf eyes and long, narrow arms.

The four walked to the main hall and were taken aback to see six people standing inside looking at them.

Zhang Xian spoke first, chuckling, "What brings you here, Fengxian?"

He has me in his heart.

This was Lü Bu's first reaction, then he was startled and quickly cupped his hands in greeting.

"Upon hearing of Zhang Zhonglang's promotion, I have come here to offer my congratulations."

As he spoke, he bowed again: "Lu Bu of Jiuyuan, Lu Fengxian, pays his respects to the General of the Central Army."

"Gao Shun pays his respects to the General!"

"Wei Xu pays his respects to the General!"

"Song Xian greets the General!"

Zhang Xian's eyes flashed; so it was these three.

His eyes swept over Gao Shun, staring at him for a couple of moments. As for the other two, he only glanced at them briefly.

"Fengxian, you're so kind. Come, sit down. Attendants, bring some wine!"

Zhang Xian invited him, his tone warm, unlike the coldness he had shown at the Yin Pavilion.

He really has me in his heart!
Feeling a little proud, Lü Bu sat down to the side.

Huang Zhong and the others also took their seats.

Zhang Xian explained.

"Fengxian should know this man, Huang Zhong, Huang Hansheng, the current Commandant of the Liaodong Region. I heard that you two have fought before?" he asked deliberately.

Lu Bu bowed with some shame: "I did not know you were under the command of the General in the past, and I offended you in many ways. Han Sheng, the Colonel, is extremely skilled in martial arts, which I cannot compare to. I suffered a crushing defeat back then."

“Hey, Fengxian, why do you say that? I acknowledge your martial arts skills. You are the second person at this age to fight me for twenty rounds.”

Huang Zhong smiled and gave his approval.

Lu Bu wore a shameful expression, but in his heart he envied Huang Zhong's position as Commandant of the Liaodong.

Zhang Xian then introduced: "You also know this one, Zhao Yun. He is not yet of age and is currently the Protector of the Xiongnu. The two of you fought to a draw that day. Now that Fengxian is here, he should stay in Luchi for a while so that he can have more exchanges with us."

Lu Bu cupped his hands in apology, but felt even more resentful: "Brother Zhao Yun is a young and talented man. At your age, I am no match for him."

"polite."

Zhao Yun returned the greeting.

Then Zhang Xian introduced Han Ji, Xi Zhong, and Gu Yu to him.

Lü Bu greeted them one by one.

After exchanging greetings, Zhang Xian noticed that he was somewhat taciturn, so he spoke up again: "Fengxian, why don't you introduce these gentlemen?"

"Oh, I was being rude," Lu Bu forced a laugh and began to introduce himself.

"These three are a personal guard of a certain person, Gao Shun and Gao Boping."

Gao Shun cupped his hands in greeting.

"Wei Xu, Wei Chengye."

Wei Xu stood up and clasped his hands in greeting.

“Song Xian originally belonged to the Xianbei tribe and did not have a courtesy name.”

Song Xian cupped his hands in greeting, but his mind was still more on the wine.

"Three heroes indeed! Come, let's drink!"

Zhang Xian smiled slightly and raised his wine cup, and everyone else in the room followed suit and drank together.

With a slight dampness on his lips from the wine, Zhang Xian put down his wine cup and said with a smile, "How many gifts did Fengxian bring this time? Don't empty up Lord Ding's coffers."

Lü Bu laughed and replied, "Two hundred fine horses, all strong steeds from Bingzhou, are more than capable of charging into battle!"

"A fine hand," Zhang Xian said, lightly tapping his wine cup. Two hundred warhorses were quite valuable. Although they were in Bingzhou, where the number of horses was relatively large, if they were sent to Changshan, the value of these horses would not be less than two or three million. He had spent about that much when he bought horses in Taoyuan.

"I've heard that when Fengxian was in Wuyuan, he once led fifty horsemen to defeat a thousand Xianbei horsemen?"

Lu Bu's face showed a hint of pride: "What you said, General, is indeed true. In Bingzhou, we Han people make up half, and the other half are Hu people and Xianbei. That day, when I led my army back to my hometown, I saw the Hu cavalry looting and was furious, so I led my army to charge and kill them. I didn't expect that these Hu cavalry were just greedy people. After killing them, they all fled in disarray."

"Fengxian, you are quite capable. No wonder Lord Ding values ​​you so highly."

Lu Bu's expression froze, and he awkwardly raised his wine cup to cover his face.

"Hmph! That old man Ding Yuan is just afraid of my general. Some time ago, while the general was recuperating from his injuries, he stripped him of his military power and then, under the guise of reforming his mind, made the general go off to read every day!"

Song Xian, standing to the side, said with dissatisfaction.

Gao Shun frowned and whispered a reminder: "Keep your mouth shut while drinking."

He didn't touch the drinks on his own table, but pushed them all towards Song Xian.

Turning his head, Huang Zhong and Han Ji exchanged a glance and smiled to themselves.

Xi Zhong listened more, but gradually formed a mental image of Ding Yuan's personality and way of doing things.

At the head of the table, Zhang Xian's expression changed: "Is this really true?"

Lu Bu put down his wine cup, somewhat dejected: "My adoptive father was only doing it for my own good. He said that if I don't have knowledge, even if I can fight, I can only lead battles outside for the rest of my life and can't live a life of comfort."

"Oh," Zhang Xian pursed his lips. "Lord Ding also pities you and has high hopes for you."

"What high hopes? To put it bluntly, he's just afraid that General Ding Yuan's army will turn against him. That old man Ding Yuan is two-faced. He even approached me privately before, asking me to serve him. Tch, I, Song Xian, only respect those who can beat me. What ability does Ding Yuan have!"

The wine from Taoyuan is intoxicating, and Song Xian, with his heavy drinking habits, is now somewhat tipsy.

"Song Xian!"

Gao Shun's tone became even more stern.

But once he got drunk, Song Xian didn't give anyone face and kept yelling, "Gao Shun! You dare say that old man Ding Yuan didn't come looking for you?!"

"Wei Xu, he didn't contact you?!"

Wei Xu's eyes darted around, and he said sheepishly, "I did look for it."

"Inherit the business!"

Gao Shun was exhausted. What were these two people talking about? How was his general supposed to behave?
Huang Zhong glanced at Zhang Xian, who nodded slightly, then slammed his hand on the table: "Alas! Drinking alone is so boring! Fengxian, I saw your archery skills were quite good last time, how about we have another match?"

"How could I refuse Brother Hansheng's invitation?"

"Alright! Someone, bring me my bow!"

Zhao Shi shouted from outside, "Yes, sir!"

Then he hurriedly ran to the training ground.

Every now and then, he would return carrying a longbow. The four-stone longbow had a robust bow arm, and its recurved structure provided it with formidable bow strength.

　It's the beginning of the month, could you please vote for me, fellow readers? Thank you!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)