Han Ji

"Yun Chang, Yi De, organize and train the troops. These thousand men must be able to move through the mountains and fight in the forests. I want to see results in ten days."

"yes!"

"Zijing, take a few men and search the inside and outside of Nanzheng City: where are the granaries, where is the armory, and which street do Su Gu's confidants live on?"

Qian Zhao clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Understood."

The sound of patrolling soldiers could be heard outside the tent, and the clapper struck after midnight.

Meanwhile, in the back hall of the prefectural governor's mansion, Su Gu was still awake.

His smile vanished, replaced by a somber expression. Chen Lun, Zhao Lu, and Wang Mo stood with their hands at their sides below the hall.

"Three months," Su Gu sneered. "This Liu Bei certainly knows how to drag it out."

"Prefect, perhaps..." Zhao Lu made a cutting gesture.

"Foolish." Su Gu glared at him. "He's Lu Zhi's disciple, and he's only recently been appointed a commandant. It's normal that he's unwilling to relinquish power. You're going to kill him just because he's stalling for time? Are you a bandit?"

Chen Lun cautiously asked, "About the joint office..."

"Let him run wild for now." Su Gu picked up his teacup, blew on the foam, and said, "Those bandits around here will give him a hard time. Once he's lost his men, we'll strike. He'll have to return the military power sooner or later."

"The governor is wise."

The candlelight flickered, illuminating the four faces in the hall, each with their own thoughts.

Inside the central command tent of the military camp in the west of the city.

Liu Bei had already laid Xun Cai to sleep in his arms. She was breathing evenly in his embrace. Liu Bei kept his eyes open, listening to the sound of the wind in Hanzhong outside the tent.

The wind carries the scent of earth, the fragrance of rapeseed flowers, and the vibrant energy of the distant mountains.

He gently tightened his arms.

Three days after the banquet, Liu Bei's camp was beginning to take shape.

The earthen walls were raised three feet, and drainage ditches were dug. New hay was laid in the stables, and the horses were cared for separately. These were all old soldiers brought from Guangzong, with old leg injuries, but still able to carry loads. Zhang Fei, shirtless, led his men to tamp the ground in the training ground; with each strike, dust flew up.

"Push harder! Haven't you eaten?!" he roared, grabbing the wooden pestle himself and pounding the ground a dozen times until it was so hard you could hear it making a sound.

Guan Yu surveyed the terrain from the camp gate. This area west of Nanzheng City, backed by small hills and with a stream in front, was a good place to set up camp. However, it was too close to the city, only three li away. If Su Gu wanted to monitor the situation, he could see everything happening in the camp from the city wall.

"We need to set up sentry posts on the outer perimeter," Guan Yu said to Qian Zhao. "Establish one hidden sentry post on each of the two slopes, east and west. Cover them with thatched huts and have them on duty day and night in shifts."

"Understood." Qian Zhao selected ten people and they went to carry the timber.

Inside the central command tent, Liu Bei was speaking with Jian Yong.

"The Commandant's treasury still has 3.2 million coins, 100 bolts of silk, and 1,000 shi of millet left." Jian Yong counted on his counting rods. "Based on 1,000 people, the daily rations would be 20 shi. This doesn't even include salt, vegetables, and firewood."

"How long will it last?"

"Use it sparingly, three months should be enough."

Liu Bei remained silent. He took out a cloth bag from his robes, and inside were gold coins.

"Big brother... this..."

"Su Gu is trying to strangle us with money and grain." Liu Bei stood up. "Let him see if he can strangle us." In fact, the land deed for the fiefdom of five hundred households alone was enough for Liu Bei to support these thousand people. Su Gu had no idea that this son-in-law of the Xun family was so wealthy and powerful.

Just then, Zhang Wu returned.

He led twenty men, disguised as hunters, and wandered the mountains for three days. Now, he was covered in mud, but his eyes were shining.

"Brother, we've figured it out!" Zhang Wu gulped down a bowl of water, wiped his mouth, and said, "The largest group in Micang Mountain is led by Zhao Heihu, a former deserter from Ba County. They've gathered over five hundred men and occupy Eagle's Beak. That place is treacherous, with a plank road leading up to it, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack."

"How's their combat strength?"

"There are bows and arrows, leather armor, and a proper ring-pommel sword." Zhang Wu lowered his voice. "I asked the hunters down the mountain, and they said that Zhao Heihu often does business with people in the city, exchanging animal hides for salt and iron."

"A city dweller?" Liu Bei raised an eyebrow.

"Could it be the Snake Coil Gang?" Jian Yong leaned closer to look. "There's a salt smuggling gang in Hanzhong."

"Whatever it is," Liu Bei put away the wooden plaque, "we'll start with Zhao Heihu. If we win, we'll have money and supplies; if we lose, Su Gu will have even more reason to reclaim power."

Zhang Wu grinned: "We can't lose! Those bandits look intimidating, but they're actually quite disorganized."

"Alright." Liu Bei looked outside the tent. "Let's discuss a strategy when Yun Chang returns."

Guan Yu returned to camp in the afternoon. He led his men to survey the area within thirty li west of the city and drew a detailed map: where there were streams, forests, narrow roads, and places where ambushes could be set up.

"This place," Guan Yu pointed to a valley on the map, "is the only way to Micang Mountain. The valley is two miles long, with gentle slopes on both sides, suitable for ambushes."

"Does Zhao Heihu often go down the mountain?" Liu Bei asked.

"He goes down the mountain every ten days," Guan Yu said. "The hunter said he's going to the black market down the mountain to exchange for wine and cloth. Each time he takes fifty or sixty men, going down the mountain at dawn and returning at dusk."

Liu Bei stared at the map for a long time, then suddenly said, "Let's not fight in the valley."

Everyone was taken aback.

"If we're going to fight, we'll fight hard." Liu Bei poked the eagle's beak with his finger. "Fight him at his doorstep, scare him, and let the other bandits in the mountains see that this new captain is not to be trifled with."

Zhang Fei's eyes lit up: "Brother, are you going to attack the stronghold?"

"Attack," Liu Bei said. "I have a plan."

He drew everyone closer and whispered a plan to them.

That night, the troops were mustered in the camp.

Guan Yu led three hundred men, mostly armed with bows and crossbows, to lie in ambush on both sides of the path leading down from Eagle's Beak. Zhang Fei led two hundred elite troops to climb the cliff from the back of the mountain, where there was a nearly vertical path for herb gatherers that led to the rear of the camp. Liu Bei himself led five hundred men in a feigned attack from the front at dawn.

"Remember," Liu Bei said to Zhang Fei, "when you hear the sounds of fighting on the front lines, charge forward. Don't take prisoners, just take Zhao Heihu's head."

"Yes, sir!"

"Yun Chang, your mission is the most important." Liu Bei looked at Guan Yu, "If Zhao Heihu escapes, he will definitely take that small path. You must intercept him, no matter if he lives or dies."

Guan Yu nodded: "I understand."

They prepared the meal at midnight and set off at 1-3 AM.

Liu Bei put on the black armor, a gift from Lu Zhi; the knife marks on the breastplate gleamed darkly in the moonlight. Xun Cai tightened the belt for him, his hands trembling slightly.

"Don't be afraid." He held her hand.

"I'm not afraid." Xun Cai looked up, her eyes reflecting the campfire. "My husband, please be careful."

The troops quietly left the camp. Their horses' hooves were wrapped in cloth, and their weapons were bound with straw rope. Lights flickered on the walls of Nanzheng city; those were the night watchmen. But no one noticed this night-moving force.

After walking for an hour, we entered the mountain.

The mountain path grew narrower and the forest denser. Zhang Fei's group split at the fork in the road, winding their way around the back of the mountain. Liu Bei watched them disappear into the darkness and said to Jian Yong beside him, "Yide may be impatient, but he's skilled at climbing mountains."

Jian Yong smiled, then became serious, "Brother, what about Su Gu..."

"He knows we're going to war." Liu Bei looked ahead. "This morning I deliberately sent two soldiers from Zhuojun to the city to buy wine, loudly announcing that we were going to suppress bandits."

Why is that?

"Let him think we're being too eager for quick success." Liu Bei tugged at the reins. "If he's smart, he'll wait until we've suffered a crushing defeat before cleaning up the mess."

"What if he does something bad..."

"He won't," Liu Bei said. "He's a smart man."