Han Ji

The river was murky, and the night was as dark as ink.

On the north bank of the Mengjin ferry, torches stretched out in a long line. The five schools of the Northern Army stood in formation, their armor reflecting the torchlight, a gleaming expanse of cold iron.

Lu Zhi stood on a makeshift platform, with Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Qian Zhao, Jian Yong, and Zhang Wu behind him. Below the platform was an army of 30,000: the Three Rivers Cavalry, the Youzhou Cavalry, and the infantry of the Five Northern Schools.

"We'll cross the river tonight." Lu Zhi's voice wasn't loud, but it carried on the wind, each word ringing out. "On the other side is Hanoi County, with tens of thousands of Yellow Turban rebels. This journey isn't to quell the rebellion, it's to rescue people."

He paused, then looked at Liu Bei.

Liu Bei stepped forward and unfurled the proclamation. The firelight illuminated half of his face; he was young, but his eyes were as deep as a still pool.

"The Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out, and wherever they went, they slaughtered civilians, destroyed temples, and dug up graves." His voice was clear. "We were ordered to suppress the rebellion, not for fame or fortune, but only for—"

He drew his sword and pointed it at the opposite bank:

"Let the people see next year's spring planting again. Kill the traitors!!"

A moment of silence fell over the audience.

Suddenly someone shouted, "Kill the traitors!"

Then came the roar of tens of thousands of people: "Kill the traitors! Kill the traitors!"

The sound waves crashed against the river's surface, startling the night birds.

Lu Zhi raised his hand, and the commotion subsided.

"Crossing the river."

There were no drums, no horns. The first group of boats quietly departed from the shore, led by Qian Zhao's scout team. The small boats glided silently towards the opposite bank in the night, like leaves.

Liu Bei stood on the shore watching.

Zhang Fei leaned closer and whispered, "Brother, when are we going to go?"

"Wait for the signal from the child meridian."

Guan Yu stood beside Liu Bei, his hand on his sword, his phoenix eyes fixed on the darkness on the opposite bank. Jian Yong rubbed his hands together, his breath steaming in the air. Zhang Wu checked the bowstrings, testing them one by one.

Half an hour later, three rockets were launched from the opposite bank.

"The bridgehead has been captured." Liu Bei turned around and ordered, "Send the order: the main force crosses the river."

The large ships began to move. One after another, they carried men, horses, and equipment, making the river water gurgle and roar.

When Liu Bei boarded the ship, Lu Zhi was waiting for him at the bow.

"Once you cross the river, you will be a cavalry captain and military commander." Lu Zhi looked at the opposite bank. "The vanguard of these eight thousand men is entrusted to you."

"student..."

"Don't refuse." Lu Zhi waved his hand. "I've seen Guan Yu and Zhang Fei; both are warriors capable of taking on ten thousand men. You have them, and Jian Yong is also recruiting Zhang Wu; that's enough."

The boat is in the middle of the stream, and the current is swift.

Liu Bei grabbed the gunwale and looked back.

The south bank receded into the distance, the lights of Luoyang shrinking into a blurry mass. The north bank drew closer, its dark earth concealing unknown flames of bloodshed.

Zhang Fei suddenly said, "Brother, look at the moon."

Liu Bei looked up.

A crack appeared in the clouds, and moonlight shone down, illuminating the river surface and shattering it into countless silvery scales.

Guan Yu murmured, "Brother, Zijing has led his squad up there." He addressed him as "Brother" naturally. In the past few days in the army, Guan Yu had first followed Zhang Fei in changing his form of address, and Jian Yong and Qian Zhao had also followed suit. Only Zhang Wu, adhering to strict military rules, still addressed him respectfully as "Sima."

"Zijing is reliable." Zhang Fei grinned.

"Yes," Liu Bei said, looking at the moonlight, "reliable."

Ship docked.

Qian Zhao stepped forward, his armor stained with blood: "Brother, we cleared out thirty-seven soldiers guarding the ferry crossing; not one escaped."

"it is good."

Liu Bei disembarked, his feet sinking into the soil of Hebei. It was damp, cold, and hard.

He turned and looked at the soldiers who were coming ashore one after another. Their young faces were tense in the torchlight.

"Zhang Wu."

"exist!"

"Lead men to set up camp and dig trenches. Before dawn, I want to see a camp that can hold out for three days."

"Yes, sir!"

"Jian Yong".

"What are your orders, elder brother?"

"Inventory the provisions and equipment, and distribute them to each team in seven-day rations."

"clear."

"Qian Zhao, continue to investigate northwards. I need to know the movements of the Yellow Turbans within twenty miles."

"Yes."

"Yun Chang, Yi De".

The two stepped forward.

"Reorganize the troops and rest for two hours." Liu Bei looked at them. "After dawn, I want the vanguard to be ready to set off at any time."

Guan Yu clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Yes, sir."

Zhang Fei rubbed his hands together: "I've been waiting for this!"

After making the arrangements, Liu Bei entered the newly erected central command tent. Lu Zhi was already inside, deep in thought as he studied the map.

"teacher."

"Sit down." Lu Zhi pointed to the map. "The main force of the Yellow Turbans in Hanoi Commandery is in the Wen County and Huai City area, numbering about 30,000. However, most of them are displaced people who have been coerced; the number of those who can actually fight is no more than 5,000."

"The students plan to march straight to Wen County." Liu Bei pointed to a spot on the map. "If we take down this force, Huai City will fall without a fight."

Lu Zhi looked at him: "Reason?"

"The Yellow Turban leader in Wen County is named Chen Bai. He was originally a chivalrous knight-errant in the county, brave but lacking in strategy. The chieftain of Huaicheng, Zhao Hong, is cautious and suspicious. If we attack Chen Bai first, Zhao Hong will certainly not dare to come to his aid. He will feel that the government army is too powerful and that he is not even capable of defending the city."

"and then?"

"Then spread the word that the imperial army of 100,000 had crossed the river, and that only the ringleaders would be executed, while those who were coerced into joining the rebellion would be spared." Liu Bei said, "Zhao Hong already had many civilians under his command who had been forced to join the rebels, so the morale of his army will surely be in turmoil."

Lu Zhi laughed: "Who did you learn that from?"

"Miss Xun mentioned in her letter that winning hearts and minds is the best strategy." Liu Bei paused, "This student thinks she is right."

"Then let's do it your way." Lu Zhi sat down. "But we need to be quick. Zhang Jiao is in Julu and won't sit idly by and watch Hanoi fall. Once he sends reinforcements south, it will be difficult to win."

"The student understands."

The sounds of tamping earth and felling trees came from outside the tent; soldiers were building camp through the night. The light of torches shone through the tent cloth, flickering.

Liu Bei stepped out of the tent.

Guan Yu was inspecting the camp defenses, his Green Dragon Crescent Blade held horizontally across his shoulder. He walked slowly, but each step was steady. Zhang Fei was cursing, having kicked someone for slacking off while digging the trenches. Jian Yong squatted beside the grain cart, keeping accounts, his fingers red with cold. Qian Zhao had already set off again with scouts, the sound of horses' hooves disappearing into the northern night.

Zhang Wu walked over and handed him a dry biscuit: "Sima, have some."

Liu Bei took it, bit into it, and found it so hard it hurt his teeth.

"Zhang Wu."

"exist."

"From now on, when there are no outsiders, you should call him 'Big Brother' too," Liu Bei said, looking at the busy soldiers in the distance. "If this battle breaks out, I don't know how many people will die. We few must make it back alive."

Zhang Wu paused for a moment, then grinned: "Hey, big brother!"

The sound was a bit loud, and Zhang Fei heard it, turning around and yelling, "Old Zhang! You've finally figured it out!"

Guan Yu also looked over, and the corners of his mouth curved up almost imperceptibly.

After Liu Bei finished eating the pancake, he patted the crumbs off his hands.

"Everyone, take a good rest," he said. "A tough battle is coming as soon as it gets light."

As dawn broke, the vanguard set off.

Liu Bei led 1,000 cavalry in the vanguard: 300 elite cavalry from Youzhou and 700 knights from the Three Rivers region. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei each led 500. Jian Yong and Qian Zhao followed the central army, while Zhang Wu escorted the supplies at the rear.

At Chenshi (7-9 AM), a scout reported: "Ten miles ahead, in the outskirts of Wen County, the Yellow Turbans are kidnapping villagers."

How many people?

"About five hundred, less than a hundred of whom were on horseback, the rest were foot soldiers, carrying farm tools and wooden sticks."

Liu Bei raised his hand, and the entire army slowed down.

Climb up a small slope, and the view below will be fully visible.

In the fields, hundreds of Yellow Turban rebels surrounded a small village. The villagers were driven to the threshing ground and forced to kneel in a row. A man in leather armor, riding a black horse, was shouting, the words of which were indistinct, but his gestures were fierce.

Several bodies were already lying at the village entrance; judging from their clothing, they were villagers.