Han Ji

"How is he?"

"He's not dead, just knocked unconscious." Zhang Fei grinned. "As my brother instructed, we stripped off his outer garments, smeared the blood of the Yellow Turban corpses on him, and made it look like we were being robbed."

"Alright." Liu Bei put away the silk scroll. "Tonight, spread the news of the messenger's abduction. Remember, it must be discovered by the patrolling soldiers by chance."

"clear!"

That night, news spread throughout the camp that the messenger sent by the Left Yellow Gate to Luoyang had been robbed and killed by remnants of the Yellow Turban rebels outside the camp, and his body had just been recovered by the patrol team.

Upon hearing the news, Zuo Feng smashed his teacup on the spot.

He stormed into Lu Zhi's tent, his face ashen: "Lord Lu! The Yellow Turbans are only ten miles outside the camp! How did you fight this battle?!"

Lu Zhi was looking at the map, not even looking up: "Left Yellow Gate, war is no child's play. Although Guangzong is besieged, the defeated soldiers and bandits are scattered across the wilderness, making it impossible to defend against them."

"So my messenger died for nothing?!"

"We have already dispatched more patrols to search for and wipe out the remaining bandits." Lu Zhi then raised his eyes. "If the Left Eunuch is worried about safety, he can bring more guards."

Zuo Feng was so angry that he trembled all over, but he couldn't utter a single word.

He knew something was amiss, of course. What a coincidence that three messengers were robbed at the same time! But the wounds on the corpses were indeed knife wounds, and their clothes had been stripped off, as if they were the work of bandits.

Could it be... really the Yellow Turbans?

He returned to his tent with a gloomy face and summoned Li, the registrar.

What do you think?

Clerk Li lowered his head: "This humble official believes that perhaps Lord Lu noticed something and did it on purpose..."

"He dares?!" Zuo Feng slammed his fist on the table. "I am an angel! To intercept and kill an angel's messenger is tantamount to treason!"

"But if there is no evidence..." Clerk Li's voice was even softer.

Zuo Feng paced back and forth in the tent, panting heavily.

After a long pause, he stopped: "Write another one! This time, I'll send it personally!"

"If the courier has just been killed, sending another one..."

"Let's take another route, at night, not the official road," Zuo Feng gritted his teeth. "Go find Wang Bi and have him pick a few unfamiliar faces from the army to disguise as deserters and head south. Remember, split up and meet up again in Luoyang!"

"Yes."

After Li, the registrar, withdrew, he secretly reported to Liu Bei that very night.

After listening, Liu Bei only said two words: "Let them pass."

"Let them pass?" Clerk Li was stunned.

"Let them go," Liu Bei said, "but once they're outside Hebei, someone will meet them."

Clerk Li was puzzled, but dared not ask further.

Three days later, Zuo Feng's confidants, carrying a new booklet of incriminating evidence, disguised themselves as deserters and slipped out of the camp. The five men split into five groups and agreed to meet in Hanoi County.

Unbeknownst to them, they were intercepted by a band of bandits as soon as they crossed the Yellow River.

This band of bandits, dressed in black and masked, were ruthless, but they only stole letters and didn't kill anyone. All five of them were stripped naked, tied up, and left in the wilderness, where they were not discovered by local villagers until the next day.

When the news reached the army, Zuo Feng was having breakfast.

After hearing the report, he dropped his chopsticks on the ground.

"Kidnapped again...again?"

"Yes," the confidant said in a trembling voice. "All five of them said that the other party had a clear objective; they only took the letter and the command token, and did not take a single penny of valuables."

Zuo Feng's face turned from green to white, and then from white to red.

This is not a bandit.

This is a warning.

Someone told him: Your letter won't get out of Hebei.

He suddenly stood up, rushed out of the tent, and headed straight for Lu Zhi's main tent.

Lu Zhi was discussing matters with his generals when Zuo Feng burst in. He frowned slightly and asked, "What brings you in such a hurry, Eunuch Zuo?"

"Lu Zhi!" Zuo Feng completely abandoned all pretense of civility. "You allowed your troops to ambush and kill the angel's messenger; what is your punishment?!"

The generals inside the tent were in an uproar.

Liu Bei stood below, his eyes lowered, remaining expressionless.

Lu Zhi slowly rose to his feet: "Left Yellow Gate, you must have evidence to back up your claims. You accuse me of letting my troops raid and kill; where are the witnesses and physical evidence?"

"I sent two groups of messengers, both of whom were intercepted outside the camp. Isn't that proof?!"

"That was the work of remnants of the Yellow Turban Rebellion," Lu Zhi said calmly. "If the Left Eunuch doesn't believe me, he can personally lead troops to suppress them."

"You!" Zuo Feng pointed at Lu Zhi, his finger trembling.

"If there's nothing else," Lu Zhi sat down, "Left Eunuch, please return. I am busy with military affairs."

Zuo Feng stood still, his chest heaving violently.

He knew he had lost.

If the letter couldn't be delivered, he would be deaf and blind. Once Guangzong City fell and Lu Zhi had accomplished his great task, it would be too late for him to say anything.

Even... if Lu Zhi were ruthless enough, it wouldn't be impossible for him to die of illness in the army.

A chill rose from the soles of my feet.

"Good! Good!" Zuo Feng gritted his teeth and squeezed out two words, "Lord Lu, excellent methods."

He turned and staggered out of the tent.

That night, Zuo Feng fell ill.

It was said that he was so angry that he suddenly fainted. The military doctor examined him and said that he needed to rest and should not see any guests.

Lu Zhi issued an order: No one is allowed to disturb the Left Eunuch's recuperation; anyone who disobeys will be executed.

The tent was surrounded by personal guards, ostensibly for protection, but in reality, it was a form of house arrest.

When Liu Bei heard the news, he was inspecting the west wall.

Jian Yong leaned closer and whispered, "Brother, Zuo Feng's illness might keep him from returning home until the day's battle is over."

"Hmm." Liu Bei looked at Guangzong City. "Next, it's time to let Zhang Jiao get sick too."

"What does Big Brother mean?"

"The rumors should be dispelled," Liu Bei said. "Let's spread the word that Zhang Jiao is dead, there's infighting in the city, and Bian Xi has seized power."

Jian Yong's eyes lit up: "Psychological warfare?"

"Yes." Liu Bei turned around. "Pass down the word: starting tomorrow, all scouts, surrendered soldiers, and even the laborers coming and going must say that Zhang Jiao is dead. I want this news to spread throughout Guangzong within three days."

"clear!"

The autumn wind blew over the wall, its chill penetrating to the bone.

Liu Bei gripped the hilt of his sword and gazed at the lonely city.

almost.

It's almost over.

The rumors spread like wildfire in the autumn wind, burning across the area outside Guangzong City overnight.

The patrolling soldiers were chatting idly: "Have you heard? Zhang Jiao is dead."

"Really?"

"What the surrendered soldiers said, could it be false? They said Zhang Jiao fell ill half a month ago, coughing up blood, and died the night before last. Now Bian Xi is in charge of the city and is purging dissidents."

"No wonder there's been no movement in the city these past two days."

As the laborers transported grain, they spread the word: "With Zhang Jiao dead, the Yellow Turbans are finished. Our grain won't last much longer."

Even the wounded soldiers in the camp were saying, "Let's finish this quickly. Zhang Jiao is dead, what's the point of holding out?"

These words, carried by the wind, drifted across the moat and onto the city wall.

On the walls of Guangzong, the faces of the defending soldiers grew increasingly grim each day.

At first, some people denounced it, saying it was a trick by the government troops. But as more people said it, they began to panic. Indeed, they hadn't seen the Heavenly General patrolling the city for several days.

Even that big flag hasn't been replaced in a long time.

Liu Bei stood on the arrow tower on the west wall, observing the city walls with a telescope.

"The garrison rotation is slow," he said. "In the past, the shift changed at Chenshi (7-9 AM), but today it's dragged on until Sishi (9-11 AM). And when they change shifts, they gather together to talk, pointing and discussing things inside the city."

Guan Yu, standing to the side, said, "The rumors have taken effect."

"That's not enough." Liu Bei put down the mirror. "We need to convince them."

"How can I be sure?"

Liu Bei thought for a moment and said, "Select a few surrendered soldiers and release them."

"Put it back?"

"Yes," Liu Bei said. "Choose those whose families are in the city and tell them: go back and say that Zhang Jiao is dead, and persuade the garrison to open the city gates and surrender. If they are willing to do it, they will be richly rewarded after the deed is done."

"Brother," Zhang Fei frowned, "what if these people turn against us when they get back? Wouldn't that expose our secrets?"