Three Kingdoms: A Million Soldiers Grown from the Fields

Chapter 176 Prisoner Exchange
"Brother Lan".

"haven't seen you for a long time,"

Zhang Xian dismounted, hugged Xiahou Lan tightly, and patted his back forcefully.

"Brother Xian."

Xiahou Lan was also excited. He opened his mouth, wanting to say a lot, but didn't know how to say it.

"Haha, you've become shy now. How's this year going?"

Seeing that Xiahou Lan was hesitant to speak, he simply started the conversation himself.

"Okay, in Taoyuan, we spent our days training troops and organizing supplies to help refugees, which was quite fulfilling."

"Brother Xian, I heard from Huwa that you fought several battles, big and small, after you went to Bingzhou."

"Of course! Your brother Xian is incredibly powerful in Bingzhou now, the kind of person whose word is law!"

Zhang Xian feigned some smugness, quickly bringing their relationship back to what it was a year ago.

"You just wait. Once the road is open and the refugees are sent back to Bingzhou, you'll go and train in the army for a few years. There are still a few prefectures and counties in Bingzhou that are in the hands of the steppe people. We'll take them back sooner or later!"

"Alright, you've all been away from Peach Blossom Spring this past year, and the teacher has been focusing on my training alone. Now I'm incredibly strong!"

Xiahou Lan smiled, already looking forward to entering the Armored Army.

After chatting for a while, Zhang Xian went to visit Tong Yuan, who was also gathered there.

"Master, your disciple pays respects."

Under a makeshift shack, Zhang Xian knelt down and offered his greetings.

Compared to a year ago, Tong Yuan looked much older, but he was still full of energy; otherwise, he wouldn't have come to help Xiahou Lan maintain order.

"Good, I've heard about Xian'er's impressive performance. Well done."

Tong Yuan patted Zhang Xian's arm with a kind expression.

"His physique has also become stronger, it seems that his martial arts skills have not declined this year."

"Of course I wouldn't dare to fall behind; I can't tarnish my teacher's reputation."

Zhang Xian stood up from the ground, helped Tong Yuan sit down, reached into his robe, and pulled out a round, beige-colored pellet, about the size of a quail egg.

"Teacher, please eat this. The secret medicine I prepared will be good for your health."

"Eh."

Tong Yuan took it without any suspicion and swallowed it in one gulp. The bitter taste went straight to the top of his head, making him feel both sour and unpleasant.

After several improvements, he has converted his ginseng, millet, and polygonatum porridge into a dry form. A single pill the size of a quail egg has the same effect as the porridge.

The only downside is that it tastes even worse.

"Hiss, this thing." Tong Yuan's face scrunched up.

Having traveled all over the country for many years, he had eaten all sorts of disgusting things, but he had never encountered anything as disgusting as what he had eaten today. It felt like eating a lump of food that had fermented in a cesspool and then been repeatedly trampled by sweaty feet.

Although it tasted terrible, the warmth inside my body became more and more obvious, as if my decaying body was being revitalized.

"You've put your heart into it, but don't give it to your teacher next time, I can't handle it."

Tong Yuan had to gulp down several mouthfuls of water to suppress the nausea.

Zhang Xian grinned mischievously: "That won't do. If Teacher is so old and wants to see Lan Di and Yun Di get married and have children, this medicine can't be stopped every year."

"I'm not in a hurry for Ayun and Alan to get married, but what about you?"

The smile on Zhang Xian's face vanished.

He replied somewhat awkwardly, "I'm looking for a respectable family, but I haven't found a suitable one yet."

"Of the three unfilial acts, the greatest is having no descendants. You're not young anymore. In ordinary families, children your age can already be learning martial arts. You should hurry up and make the most of your time."

As he spoke, Tong Yuan glanced outside and whispered, "I think that Guo family girl is quite nice. You should spend more time with her."

Zhang Xian panicked: "Teacher! I consider him my father and brother!"

"It's alright, it's just a matter of strengthening family ties. If you don't like it, I still have some connections from all these years. When we get to Bingzhou, I will personally find someone for you."

"What about the Zhen family of Zhongshan? Their wealth is comparable to that of a nation. A marriage alliance with them would be beneficial to your career."

"The Yin family of Nanyang is also good. Although they have declined, they have a deep foundation. The Mi family of Xuzhou is also very wealthy. Their career path is difficult, so they are easy to control. I just don't know if the Mi family still has any unmarried women."

"teacher"

Zhang Xian was tired.

I seem to run into people pressuring me to get married no matter where I go.

"Alright, alright, we'll talk about it later. But the Yang family of Hongnong and the Cui family of Qinghe are fine too, I have connections with them. Alright, alright, I won't say anymore. I'll write to them when we get to Bingzhou."

Seeing that Zhang Xian was starting to get restless, Tong Yuan stroked his beard and stopped joking.

"Xian'er, go and do your work. Gathering tens of thousands of refugees is no laughing matter."

"Then please rest well, teacher. This disciple will take his leave."

Zhang Xian bowed to Tong Yuan and then left the shack.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

Looking into the distance, he sighed inwardly, "It is indeed time for her to get married; without an heir, the foundation of the dynasty will be unstable."

I stayed at the gathering place for two days.

After helping Xiahou Lan stabilize the morale, grain carts from Weize Pass also arrived.

Zhang Xian handed over the matter of the gathering place back to Xiahou Lan and Zhao Hu, and personally escorted the grain carts to Lu Zhi's camp in Jizhou.

Julu County, Northern Army Camp.

Inside the central command tent, the atmosphere was so heavy it was almost palpable.

Lu Zhi sat upright in the main seat, his brows furrowed as if carved by a knife.

Even this renowned coach, known for his resolute and refined demeanor, could not hide the weariness and indignation between his brows at this moment.

Several military reports were piled on the desk, all of them urgently requesting food supplies.

Several trusted officers sat below him, all with grim expressions.

"General! Guangzong City is high and deeply fortified. Zhang Jiao, the sorcerer, commands hundreds of thousands of troops and defends it tenaciously! Our army has launched several strong attacks and suffered heavy losses, but we have been unable to shake its foundation."

"And the army's grain reserves..." the military commander in charge of supervising the grain supplies said in a strained voice, "are only enough for three days!"

"Three days?!" A dark-faced captain slammed his fist on the table and stood up, his hair and beard bristling.

"Do you expect my tens of thousands of soldiers to attack the city on empty stomachs? Lord Lu! We can't wait any longer! If we can't capture the enemy camp in Guangzong before our supplies run out, our army will surely collapse!"

"Kill the prisoners, Lord Lu!"

He made a downward chopping gesture, his eyes gleaming with ferocity.

The tent fell into a deathly silence.

Killing prisoners of war, especially when food supplies are exhausted, is a tactic that military strategists have resorted to as a last resort since ancient times.

Lu Zhi closed his eyes and remained silent, his fingers unconsciously tapping the table, clearly struggling with an internal conflict.

"Report—!" A soldier's urgent report suddenly came from outside the tent.

"Reporting to the General! A man claiming to be Zhang Xian, the General of the Xiongnu and envoy from Bingzhou, has arrived at the camp with a small group of supply wagons requesting an audience!"

"Zhang Xian?" Lu Zhi suddenly opened his eyes, a glint of shrewdness flashing within them. "He's here? So quickly?" He immediately stood up: "Quickly, invite him in! No, I will personally greet him!"

The officers and soldiers inside the tent looked at each other in bewilderment. This Prefect Zhang of Bingzhou had come in person?

Below the camp, the gates were wide open.

Lu Zhi, dressed in military attire, personally came out to greet them.

When he saw the leader, his pupils contracted slightly.

Zhang Xian rode alone at the very front.

Despite being a single person, he exuded a powerful and imposing aura, like a vast army.

"Lord Lu, I've long admired you." Zhang Xian bowed, his voice clear and melodious.

"Zhang Zhonglang!" Lu Zhi strode forward, solemnly clasped his hands in return, and his tone carried a hint of barely perceptible excitement.

"Your timely assistance is a life-saving grace, deeply appreciated! Please come into the tent to speak!"

After the two sides exchanged greetings, Lu Zhi welcomed Zhang Xian into the central command tent, and the small group of grain carts were also led into the camp.

Inside the main tent, Lu Zhi dismissed his attendants.

"Zhang Zhonglang has come..." Lu Zhi got straight to the point, his eyes filled with strong anticipation.

“It is obvious that I have come to deliver grain,” Zhang Xian said calmly. “However, as Lord Lu knows, the road is difficult to travel. Therefore, this first batch of grain is only 10,000 shi. I will try to send more here later, and I estimate that I can gather another 50,000 shi of grain.”

"Fifty thousand shi?!" Lu Zhi suddenly stood up, his face finally showing a relieved and joyful expression, and bowed deeply to Zhang Xian.

"Zhang Zhonglang's great kindness is deeply appreciated by Lu Zhi on behalf of the three armies of the Northern Expedition! This kindness and virtue are beyond words..."

“Lord Lu, there’s no need for thanks.” Zhang Xian raised his hand in a gesture of support, interrupting him, and looked directly at Lu Zhi.

"I have already provided the grain, but I have come here with a request."

Lu Zhi's heart tightened, and he sat back in the main seat, his expression returning to solemnity: "Please speak, Zhang Zhonglang. As long as it is within my power, I will not refuse!"

"What I seek is the Yellow Turban prisoners in Lord Lu's hands."

Zhang Xian's voice was not loud, but every word was clear.

"Prisoners?" Lu Zhi's brows furrowed instantly.

"What use does Zhang Zhonglang have for these prisoners?" Lu Zhi asked in a deep voice.

"These men are all Zhang Jiao's henchmen, stubborn and unruly, fierce and difficult to control! Keeping them in the army will waste supplies and may even cause trouble!"
Could it be that Zhang Zhonglang intends to recruit him for his own use? Such a fickle person could become a serious threat!

Zhang Xian met Lu Zhi's scrutinizing gaze: "Lord Lu, do you know that eight or nine out of ten of these stubborn prisoners were ordinary farmers in the fields of Jizhou just a few months ago?"

Lu Zhi was about to say something more, but Zhang Xian raised his hand to stop him.

"Master Lu, there's no need to argue with me. As a great Confucian scholar, I believe you understand the meaning of the saying 'Oppressive government is more ferocious than a tiger, and officials forcing the people to rebel.'"

Lu Zhi's expression shifted. Zhang Xian's words were like a sharp sword, piercing the deepest contradiction in his heart that he was most unwilling to face.

He knew perfectly well that the Yellow Turbans were mostly forced into this situation. But with food supplies running out and morale low, killing prisoners to intimidate the rebels and conserve provisions became the only option...

“How could I not know what Zhang Zhonglang said?” Lu Zhi sighed, his voice filled with bitterness.

"However, the army's food supplies are running out, and the imperial supplies are slow to arrive! The tens of thousands of prisoners are consuming a huge amount of resources every day! If we release them, they may rejoin Zhang Jiao, causing endless trouble! If we feed them, the tens of thousands of soldiers will also go hungry! We are in a dilemma... it is truly difficult to have both!"

“So Xian has come.” Zhang Xian stood up, walked to the map of the Julu area hanging in the tent, and pointed his finger in the direction of the Taihang Mountains.

"Bingzhou and Taiyuan are in dire need of reconstruction! We need manpower everywhere, from opening up mountains and building roads to constructing cities and fortresses, and from cultivating land and reclaiming wasteland! We are willing to provide work relief and take in all the Yellow Turban prisoners under Lord Lu's command! They will be escorted by our Bingzhou army and taken through the Jingxing Pass into Bingzhou."

They toil in Bingzhou to earn a living, which is better than starving to death or being killed by Lu Gong!

Seeing Lu Zhi's shocked expression, he continued to offer his conditions: "This is the first one."

Secondly, an additional 60,000 shi of grain was allocated to Lu Gong's army to help stabilize morale and sustain them until subsequent resupply or when the city was breached!
Thirdly, it is clearly possible to dispatch a battalion of elite troops to assist Lord Lu in guarding the supply route at Jingxing Pass, ensuring that the Yellow Turbans can no longer harass us!

“This…” Lu Zhi was completely moved.

“Zhang Zhonglang is benevolent and righteous, and I am deeply grateful! However…” Lu Zhi still had doubts.

"These people are vicious and unruly; if they cause trouble again during the journey or after entering Bingzhou..."

Zhang Xian waved his hand: "Once we enter Bingzhou, they won't have a choice. I have ways to make them obey."

After careful consideration, Lu Zhi took a deep breath and said, "In that case, I thank Zhang Zhonglang for his help! Everything will be as Zhang Zhonglang says! All the Yellow Turban prisoners in the Julu camp will be handed over to Zhang Zhonglang for disposal!"

Lu Zhi knew that Zhang Xian was right. The Yellow Turban prisoners were only a burden to him and of no use. Zhang Xian's departure would actually reduce the pressure on him.

Zhang Xian also stood up and cupped his hands in thanks: "Then thank you very much, General Lu. However, I am short-handed this time, so I can only take about four thousand prisoners with me for now. Once the supplies arrive, I will hand them all over to you."

"Zhang Zhonglang needs to hurry. Ten thousand shi of grain won't last long, and we don't know when the imperial supplies will arrive. These eunuchs really deserve to be killed!"

The agreement was reached with astonishing efficiency.

Lu Zhi acted swiftly and decisively, immediately issuing military orders.

Inside the camp, apart from a few heinous ringleaders who were identified and dealt with separately, more than four thousand prisoners were quickly gathered together.

Zhang Xian personally led the team to take over.

When these emaciated, numb, and desperate prisoners were driven to a huge open space and told that they would be taken to Bingzhou to work in exchange for food instead of being buried alive,

For the first time, disbelief appeared on many people's blank faces, followed by suppressed sobs and the relief of surviving a disaster.

Zhang Xian stood outside the main tent, watching the prisoners being orderly organized into groups by the grain transport soldiers not far away.

He said to Lu Zhi beside him, "Lord Lu, I am not in a position to interfere in the battle of Julu, but I hope that when you break through the city, you can maintain military discipline and reduce the killing."

If the women and children in the city wish to migrate north, Bingzhou is also willing to accept them.

Lu Zhi nodded solemnly: "I will keep Zhang Zhonglang's wise words in mind! After the city is captured, I will strictly enforce military discipline!"

Zhang Xian nodded and said no more.

He looked southeast towards Guangzong, where thick smoke seemed to be faintly visible.

"My lord! Formation complete!"

The grain transport team, consisting of over a hundred guards from Taoyuan Manor, soldiers from the Fire Battalion, and several hundred able-bodied men from Weize Pass, was once again assembled.

The wagon was now empty except for the provisions for the return journey.

And thousands of emaciated drifters in the chaos of war.

Zhang Xian bowed to Lu Zhi and said, "Lord Lu, I will arrange the next batch of grain as soon as possible. If you have any spare troops, you can also arrange to escort prisoners to Jingxing Road and bring back the grain."

Lu Zhi returned the greeting with a bow: "I understand Zhang Zhonglang's meaning. I will arrange for men to escort the prisoners to Tumen Pass as soon as possible. Zhang Zhonglang's provisions can also be sent directly to Tumen Pass, and I will arrange for someone to receive them!"

"That would be best. Well then, farewell, Master Lu."

"Goodbye!"

The two exchanged a glance and then turned away.

Zhang Xian gave a short whistle, and Mo Ying arrived in an instant, leaping onto his horse and stepping out of the camp.

"Return!"

"All units must restrain the prisoners and prevent them from causing any disturbance!"

"promise!"

The group of four or five thousand people soon headed west again.

However, they returned to the well track within a few days.

(End of this chapter)