Three Kingdoms: A Million Soldiers Grown from the Fields

Chapter 122 If Kou can go, so can I! (Please read 4k more)

"call--,"

After all, he was a border general who had fought against the Xiongnu and Xianbei for many years, and Lü Bu quickly calmed down the excitement in his heart.

He let out a long breath and got into position.

One hand grips the middle and rear of the iron spear, while the other hand loosely grips the middle and front of the spear.

The jujube wood shaft was wrapped with non-slip leather. He leaned forward and squatted into a horse stance, looking ready for battle.

The fear in his eyes completely disappeared, replaced by a surge of fighting spirit. He kept a close eye on Zhang Xian's every move. This time, he was determined not to be defeated in the first exchange!
That's right, his goal has been to avoid being defeated in the first move.

A hint of admiration flashed in Zhang Xian's eyes. Lu Bu was still Lu Bu after all. You could say he was two-faced, or that he was greedy and disregarded righteousness, but no one would ever say that Lu Bu was a coward.

"Among men, Lü Bu; among horses, Red Hare"—this is a reputation earned through sheer merit, whether in fictional accounts or historical fact.

"call--!"

He let out a long breath, twirled his halberd, and held the halberd head forward.

"Fengxian, you'd better be ready!"

With one hand gripping the halberd behind him, he crouched slightly, loosened the hem of his short coat with the other, and then took a big step, his whole body shooting straight at Lü Bu, who was holding a spear and ready for battle, like an arrow released from a bow!
Zhang Xian's charge created a whistling sound, leaving a white mark on the ground.

Lu Bu's pupils contracted sharply, and his hand holding the spear reacted quickly, deflecting the spear at an angle and plunging it into the ground, while he took a half-step back.

boom--!
The Overlord Halberd slammed into the front of the spear shaft, and the jujube wood groaned under the weight. He leaned back slightly, kicked the middle of the jujube wood spear shaft with one foot, and used the powerful force of his leg to lift the Overlord Halberd a little higher. Then he drew the spear, and the iron spear drew a semi-circle, turning from in front of his body to the right side behind him, and then in a flash, it turned and slashed down.

Lu Bu gripped the spear's end with one hand, and the entire spear slashed down from behind like a bolt of lightning.

"You've learned your lesson!"

Zhang Xian chuckled, raised his halberd with both hands to parry, and the spear and halberd clashed fiercely again before bouncing apart.

Taking advantage of the situation, Lü Bu retreated, widening his distance once more. This time, he was frighteningly cautious.

Having created some distance in the blink of an eye, Lü Bu immediately launched a preemptive attack.

The spear tip, like a venomous snake, pierced Zhang Xian's wrist, elbow, and shoulder—all the weak points of Zhang Xian's armor that he had memorized day and night during their battles.

The thrusting speed is extremely fast, and the blade is pulled back immediately after the thrust, never giving the halberd blade a chance to collide with the tip of the spear.

The Overlord Halberd has a unique technique for entangling long weapons. Once the crescent-shaped tip of the halberd is entangled with the shaft, the scene from the initial duel between the two will inevitably repeat itself.

"Good marksmanship." Zhang Xian raised an eyebrow, his hands moving calmly and steadily, blocking Lü Bu's thrusts one after another.

After a brief struggle, sparks flew from the tips of their spears and the Overlord Halberd.

However, Zhang Xian already had a way to deal with Lü Bu's point-and-stab technique. The reason he entangled with Lü Bu for a while was only to rebuild Lü Bu's confidence.

As another thrust came, his speed suddenly increased. He flicked his halberd head, blocking the rear of the spear tip, and then thrust upwards at an angle, deflecting Lü Bu's spear.

The two weapons formed an archway, pushing aside Lü Bu's spear. Zhang Xian immediately abandoned his weapon and suddenly moved a few inches closer to Lü Bu.

A bright smile appeared on his face. He used wrestling techniques again, grabbing Lu Bu's collar with one hand and Lu Bu's right hand holding the spear with the other.

He raised his knee, but stopped right in front of Lü Bu's belly.

"Fengxian?"

The meaning is quite clear: this is a reminder to Lü Bu that he has lost.

"Someone lost."

Lu Bu was aware of this, and the force around his body dissipated.

Zhang Xian chuckled, loosened his grip on the collar and his right hand, and put his feet down.

"However, Fengxian has made remarkable progress in his thirteen-round battle with someone this time."

As he spoke, he walked to the Overlord Halberd, and with a flick of his foot, he picked it up from the ground.

"It was all thanks to Zhang Zhonglang's leniency that I felt ashamed."

Lu Bu clasped his hands in a fist salute and bowed deeply, his body covered in sweat.

“Ah, Fengxian’s martial arts skills are already extraordinary. I can tell that Fengxian must have been practicing diligently every day recently, otherwise I would not have been able to fight with Fengxian for so long.”

He chuckled as he spoke, and Huang Zhong and Zhao Yun rubbed their chests and shook their wrists.

"Brother Yun."

"Huh?" Zhao Yun looked up in surprise.

"Your marksmanship is too dogmatic; you'll suffer if you get the chance."

"I will remember this."

"Fengxian".

"Zhonglang,"

"Your skills are far too disorganized compared to Brother Yun's. This must be a habit you developed from years of fighting against the Xianbei and Xiongnu. Every move you make is aimed at ending the battle as quickly as possible."

"Your style is actually suitable for learning halberd techniques from me."

"Zhonglang?" Lu Bu was slightly excited.

Zhang Xian smiled and asked, "Would you like to learn?"

"Yes! Yes!" Lu Bu said "yes" twice in a row, but soon his face darkened as if he had thought of something.

Zhang Xian noticed and asked, "What? Is it?"

Lü Bu sighed, "My adoptive father has treated me well, and I do not want to disappoint him."

Zhang Xian stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder, his eyes filled with even greater satisfaction.

Lu Bu at this time was indeed still salvageable; he was not suppressed for a long period, and his intentions were relatively pure and kind.

"It's alright. If you want to stay under Commander Ding's command, then you can stay under him. Come to me when you have free time, and I'll teach you. If you're not happy staying under Commander Ding's command, you can also come to me. As a Lieutenant General, I can ask Commander Ding for your services. I think he, as your father, will also think about your future."

"Thank you, Zhonglang."

Lu Bu was deeply moved. He was so grateful to have met Zhang Xian, a superior who was so approachable and kind. He couldn't find any words to say in response.

The four walked towards the main hall. Zhang Xian patted Lü Bu on the shoulder again and said to Huang Zhong.

"Hansheng".

"Hey, my lord, do I also have a problem?" Huang Zhong scratched his head. The other two had already spoken, so now it wasn't his turn to be mentioned.

"No, no, no, there's nothing wrong with you. You're all fine. Your combat techniques, timing, and experience are all excellent. I called you so you could give Brother Yun some pointers when you have time."

"Don't worry, my lord. A-Yun learns everything quickly. He'll get rid of his little problem after a few more battles."

"That's one way," Zhang Xian nodded. "Alright."

"Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong, listen to my command!"

The two men were startled, stamped their feet, clasped their hands in greeting,

"The general is here!"

"You are to recruit new soldiers within one month, complete their training within three months, and within five months, I will sweep away the barbarians of Bingzhou!"

"The general will get the order!"

Both of them responded solemnly.

Seeing this, Lü Bu asked in a low voice, "Does the General want to reclaim Bingzhou?" Zhang Xian smiled and nodded, and the group stepped into the main hall.

"Bingzhou is Han territory, and indeed half of it is currently occupied by the Hu people, the Xianbei. Since I have assumed the position of General of the Xiongnu, I must resolve border issues for the court, so as not to fail His Majesty's grace."

"Zhonglang is truly a loyal and virtuous man of the Han Dynasty. I am but a humble servant, but if Zhonglang commands me, I am willing to serve as his vanguard!"

"Haha, good. I will definitely inform Fengxian when the time comes. Fengxian has been running rampant among the nomadic peoples of the grasslands for a long time. I will naturally humbly learn from you."

Back in the main hall, the group sat down and drank heartily.

Several people were drinking, while Han Ji spread out the papers in front of him and began to calculate something.

After three rounds of wine, Han Ji finally put down his pen. The grain and fodder dispatch book, with the ink still wet, had already covered half of the table. This newly appointed chief clerk had actually compiled the data based on Zhang Xian's words about sweeping away the Hu people of Bingzhou.

"My lord,"

He bowed and took the seat of honor.

Zhang Xian put down his wine cup. He had just seen him writing and drawing there. He nodded and asked, "Is Gongzhi calculating the provisions?"

Han Ji nodded and held up three fingers: "If our lord wants to mobilize troops, he still needs to solve three problems: supply lines, armor, and provisions."

My lord said that we should send troops within five months. At that time, crops will be growing and cannot be converted into food. Therefore, we must collect enough food in May to send troops.

The county granary currently holds 8,000 shi of grain, enough to feed 7,000 soldiers and horses for a month.

Zhang Xian nodded slightly and asked again, "What if we take two thousand cavalrymen as an example?"

Han Ji picked up his pen again to calculate, then paused after a moment and bowed: "If they are all cavalry, each person will need two horses, and eight thousand shi of grain will only last for fifty days!"

"More than that." Han Ji had barely finished speaking when Lü Bu interjected, "The Chief Clerk must have calculated based on the war in the Central Plains. On the grasslands, eight thousand shi of grain would be enough to support two thousand cavalry for a very, very long time."

"In fact, carrying only enough provisions for the first ten days is enough to keep fighting on the grasslands."

"what for?"

Han Ji humbly sought advice.

Lu Bu cupped his hands in greeting: "The grasslands of Bingzhou are lush with water and grass, so there is no need to worry about fodder for the warhorses. We only need to supplement them with fine feed. As for food for people, it is abundant on the grasslands. Once we conquer a tribe, we will have no shortage of meat."

"The Bingzhou grasslands are not a vast desert, so searching for traces of the Hu cavalry is not difficult. Traveling along areas with numerous waterways will inevitably lead to the discovery of Hu tribes."

"I see," Han Ji said, suddenly realizing.

Xi Zhong smelled the aroma of the wine and nodded: "Using war to sustain war is never wrong. Lü Xiaoqi, may I ask what about the desert?"

Lu Bu cupped his hands again: "Once we leave the border region and enter the desert, the difficulty of searching for the Hu cavalry increases several times over. In my experience, the Hu cavalry are not difficult to defeat; the difficulty lies in finding them in the desert."

"If Zhonglang intends to conquer the desert, he must establish strongholds there to procure supplies and sustain long-term operations; otherwise, he will surely return empty-handed."

"I see." Xi Zhong also understood somewhat: "It seems that these Hu cavalry and Xianbei entering Bingzhou have actually put a shackle on them."

Several scholars from the Central Plains gained a more thorough understanding of the affairs of the border regions.

"Then why has no one bothered to do anything about it all these years?" he asked bluntly.

Lu Bu paused, lowered his hand, and sighed, "I don't know either."

Wei Xu spoke up from behind: "How can the powerful be willing to give up the profits of the trade? A fine horse from Bingzhou can only be exchanged for two or three thousand coins from the Hu people, but it will be worth more than ten thousand coins when it is sent to the Central Plains. Leather, gems, and rare medicinal materials are also highly sought-after treasures in the Central Plains. All of these are money."

To put it bluntly, it all comes down to profit. Although the Hu people and Xianbei occupied half of Bingzhou, this brought with it a large number of trading opportunities.

The Hu and Xianbei people were also human beings with trade needs. Although they raided every year, they would sell back most of the things they couldn't eat, as well as a large amount of furs, gems, and other items.

Over time, the powerful clans of Bingzhou reached a tacit agreement with the Xianbei people: you rob the lower classes, and then sell your accumulated by-products to us; it's a mutually beneficial cooperation.

The room quieted down slightly.

At the head of the table, Zhang Xian snorted coldly!
"Hmph! The powerful clans hide behind the thick city walls, while countless ordinary people become the targets of the barbarians' rampage. What a clever plan they have!"

"But I'm going to tell these people that Bingzhou belongs to my Han Dynasty! Those barbarians! Go back to where you came from! You won't go back?"

"Either become a Han citizen, learn Chinese characters, speak Chinese, wear Han clothing, and understand Han etiquette, or become a decorated warrior under someone's halberd!"

"I want them to know that the words of the former Emperor Wu still hold true!"

"If the enemy can go, so can I!"

With a slap of his hand, the table shattered.

"Lord, calm down!"

"Please calm down, General!"

Everyone in the hall rose and bowed to offer their admonitions.

Xi Zhongyan said, "If we want to manage the Hu people in Bingzhou, the supply route can go through Xihe County. If our lord goes to war with all his cavalry, then the five thousand soldiers of the Du Liao Commandant can be stationed in the suburbs of Jinyang City to maintain the safety of the Xihe supply route, and can also coerce the powerful clans of Jinyang to provide provisions."

"Excellent plan! Please remember it!"

"promise!"

Lu Bu bowed and said, "My lord, I am unworthy, but I am willing to provide you with the location of the Hu tribes in Bingzhou!"

"Fengxian's kindness is truly gratifying!"

"My lord, give me three months, and I will surely train two thousand elite cavalry!"

Zhao Yun also expressed his opinion.

Zhang Xian then waved his hand in satisfaction: "Alright, everyone sit down. I know that you are all pillars of the Han Dynasty. With your help, how can Bingzhou not prosper and be peaceful?"

"My lord is unworthy of such praise."

"I am ashamed to admit my mistake."

After drinking the only sip of wine at the table, Zhang Xian also stood up.

"It's getting late, and I'm tired after such a long battle. You may all drink your wine; I'll rest now."

"Respectfully seeing off our lord."

"Respectfully seeing off the Imperial Physician."

Zhang Xian moved to the back of the house and returned to his own residence.

Having captured the General of the Central Army who was sent to deal with the Xiongnu, he now has the right to send troops independently.

Bingzhou was not like the Central Plains. If it was to be developed into a stable rear area, the Hu people and other ethnic groups would be an inescapable obstacle.

With the Yellow Turban Rebellion imminent, the Central Plains were destined for chaos, and eight of the thirteen provinces of the Han Dynasty were engulfed in war.

Fortunately, the impact on Bingzhou was minimal, or even negligible.

He now has a sufficient official position and has no intention of getting involved in the Yellow Turban Rebellion, whether it's using the Yellow Turbans to gain military merit or anything else.

Governing Bingzhou well is more important than anything else. Jizhou is located in the core area of ​​the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and there will definitely be a large number of refugees there.

We also need to make preparations early and be ready to receive refugees from Jizhou.

Bingzhou was a sparsely populated province, with a population that was even smaller than that of some counties in the Central Plains. The Yellow Turban Rebellion presented an opportunity to absorb population.

Before that, we must ensure the safety of those foreigners!
Ideally, it should be completely quiet, without making the slightest sound!
Zhang Xian pushed open the back door of the mansion and walked in. The copper bells on the eaves rang out with a clear, melodious sound as the cold wind blew up when the door was opened.

The old trees in the courtyard cast dappled shadows, much like the jagged borders between the Han and non-Han peoples on the land of Bingzhou!

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(End of this chapter)