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Leading the Bing Province Army with Governor Ding Yuan at the forefront, we made our way toward Luoyang.
Clop, clop.
As the horse's hooves trod along the fairly wide mountain path, I shouldered my Fangtian Halberd and walked ahead, holding the reins.
Walking. In truth, it was the horse doing the moving, but since it wasn't galloping—just plodding slowly forward—calling it walking wasn't so strange.
"Even if I've become a soldier now, marching every single time feels a bit much."
I knew footsteps were good for your health, but this body of mine brimmed with such vitality that it hardly needed toughening up through marches. It was practically a heavenly warrior's physique.
That's why I wasn't walking—no, that's not it. It had nothing to do with laziness. I was just conserving my stamina. And there was one other reason...
"Whoa, whoa."
I tugged briefly on the reins. The horse halted, and I glanced back.
"General. Is something the matter?"
One of the lieutenant generals approached.
"Company Commander Song San."
"Yes, General."
The third son of the Song clan from Jinyang Fortress, he was one of the company commanders. He might regret it, but he wasn't related to Lieutenant General Song Xian.
"No problems at all."
Song San pointed behind him. The other lieutenant generals and soldiers had all come to a perfect halt in their ranks, but their eyes turned our way with expressions asking if something was wrong.
"I just wanted to check on everyone's stamina. Take it a bit slower, breathe in some of that mountain air, you know."
"You don't need to worry about us, General. The Bing Province Army won't falter on a march like this."
"I'm not always the type to coddle people like that."
"There you go again. Aren't you the man who's made consideration a habit? You could even pick up the pace."
"No need. I just have some thinking to do, so you all adjust the soldiers' speed."
"Understood!"
The lieutenant generals returned to their positions. Clanking roughly in their armor, they dashed about one by one, inspecting the soldiers' conditions.
"If only we had more horses..."
No one was riding, so I felt a twinge of guilt.
"Should I have just demanded the cavalry commander's troops?"
Out of the Bing Province Army's 7,000, the cavalry numbered 1,500. They were elite riders who could bound over these mountains like tigers, as long as the path wasn't too narrow.
Horses were expensive strategic assets. And these weren't just any horses—they were war steeds that charged forward without flinching at enemy arrows. Raising them was no easy task. That made breeding cavalry difficult, and among generals, the cavalry commander was ranked by stipend—salary—in order of precedence.
Who was the Bing Province Army's cavalry commander now? Ding Yuan. He'd handed me soldier training, unit formation, and management duties, but he'd kept the entire cavalry unit we'd raised together—me, Song Xian, and Hou Cheng—under his direct command.
He wore his helmet pulled low to hide his white hair and advanced at the front, supported by the other lieutenant generals. Seeing that had made me feel a little sorry for him.
"The old man's dead set on somehow getting into the court."
What if I'd been the one leading these soldiers? Ah. Then we probably wouldn't have come down here at all.
"General. What are you pondering so deeply all alone again?"
"Why we're heading to the capital. Just idle thoughts."
Hou Cheng, my lieutenant general in charge of commanding 1,000 infantry, rode up to me.
"More importantly, what about your unit? Why are you here?"
"Obviously because I worried you'd get lonely, General. It's fine. My company commanders can handle things."
"They won't mess up?"
"Only you can afford mistakes, General."
"Me?"
"Yes. Mostly... rudeness?"
"..."
A soul born in the Eastern Nation of Etiquette calling me lacking in manners?
"That's just the attitude I take with people who don't deserve courtesy."
"But judging by appearances could be prejudice, right? That... physiognomy thing?"
"Physiognomy—"
Is science.
"—has never been wrong for me."
"Yes, I know your talent for judging people by their faces is impressive, brother. But in the court, not every high official with an ugly mug or greedy look is actually bad, right?"
"So?"
"Let's chat on the way. About the court. So we don't make any big blunders in Luoyang, we can talk it over ahead of time."
"Talk?"
"About the court. Governor Ding Yuan's dragging 7,000 soldiers there to bow to whom? Let's figure that out."
"He Jin, probably."
I could say it with certainty.
"That prideful old monster of a lecher bowing to eunuchs? Ridiculous."
"But that guy who came before, Zhang Yang, went under Ten Attendants Jian Shuo."
"Who knows. Maybe he's hedging bets on both sides, or planning to betray the Ten Attendants from the start."
Even in capitalist times, there were industrial spies. Why wouldn't the central politics of this era have its spies?
"Enough. Zhang Liao will tell us who Ding Yuan's backing. Once we arrive, lackeys will swarm us. You go find someone literate in Luoyang who can handle ink well in your stead."
"Me, a bumpkin from Bing Province, how am I supposed to scout for people in Luoyang?"
"I set aside some stipend on the way."
I pulled a pouch from my bosom and handed it to Hou Cheng.
"Take it. Throw a feast at an inn, listen to the gossip, and folks will point you to talent."
"Talent for what?"
"Someone who can work for us."
"Lord Xun Yu. I've long sought someone like you."
"..."
Despite Yuan Shao's warm reception, Xun Yu showed no sign of relaxing.
"What are you so wary of? Because I'm one of the Western Garden Eight Commandants? True, Jian Shuo leads us, but I—"
"You're no strategist for Grand General He Jin."
"Not some bag of tricks—just call me a loyal vassal advising on what's righteous for this realm."
"So you want to pull me into your camp?"
"I've heard the tales from antiquity."
Yuan Shao gestured to the go board set up in one corner of the banquet hall.
"Master Gongda excels not just in scholarship but has long shown great interest in military affairs."
"..."
"On the go board—"
"Cut to the chase."
Interrupting Yuan Shao, Xun Yu downed his cup in one gulp.
"You're not trying to use me as a schemer to slaughter the eunuch clique right now?"
"...Huhu."
Yuan Shao chuckled lowly and withdrew his hand from the go board.
"You're more spirited than I expected. Good. Won't you lend that spirit to our cause?"
Instead, he clasped his hands before him and bowed his head lightly.
"The chance to oust the eunuchs who've blinded the Emperor and muddled the court comes but once."
"..."
"With a new Emperor enthroned and the eunuchs weakened. With Grand General He Jin securing some military authority. And with me and others like Cao Mengde among the Western Garden Commandants sharing He Jin's will!"
"..."
"This is our shot to sweep out the court's filth and make the realm pure and bright again. Its foundation will spring from your wisdom."
"...You want me to devise the plan."
Xun Yu refilled his own cup.
"Why ask me specifically?"
"Well—"
"Gathering as many as possible to swing swords at the eunuchs? Or reaching out early lest I become your foe?"
"..."
"Answer truthfully, and I'll respond in kind. Let me ask."
Xun Yu filled his cup to the brim and posed the question.
"The Black Mountain Bandits. Your doing?"
"...Hu."
Yuan Shao filled his own cup to the brim as well.
"What do you mean?"
"I've heard you frequent Grand General He Jin's quarters. You moved discreetly, but He Jin's no master schemer."
"..."
"You knew that much, I'm sure. The issue isn't your visits—it's what was said inside."
"My talks with He Jin were merely—"
"Self-aggrandizing."
Xun Yu drained his cup again, then refilled it himself.
"One last question. Bluntly. Dress soldiers as Black Mountain Bandits to stir unrest, flip public opinion against the Ten Attendants' overtures, summon provincial warlords under He Jin's banner to 'exterminate' the bandits and muster troops in Luoyang. That your scheme?"
"..."
"Everyone knows He Jin's lowly origins. No offense, but that's not something he'd dream up easily."
"Lowly origins."
Yuan Shao lifted his cup, twisting his lips.
"...Seems I can't work with Master Gongda after all."
"How could I join those sacrificing innocent commoners for power?"
"Planning to report me, then?"
"..."
Xun Yu gripped his empty cup tightly.
"Could you even if you wanted?"
"..."
"If it's right, why not report it?"
"No evidence."
The corner of Xun Yu's eye twitched.
"Even if this Xun's grasp aligns with truth, without proof, you'd dismiss it as my ravings."
"Yes. Quite so. Though of course, I never dressed soldiers as bandits."
"..."
"Master. Pursuing righteousness is noble, but can the world be set right by doing only what's upright? If you seek purity, let me counter with one question."
Yuan Shao's smile faded.
"Someone must bloody their hands. Someone must clear the filth. Isn't that so?"
"That's..."
"Even if some muck sticks, if the end result is a clean sweep, isn't that enough?"
"When your own body still bears the stains?"
"Not the body—the clothes."
Yuan Shao smiled again and raised his cup.
"Muck washes off. As long as others see you clean, that's all that matters."
"..."
"Will you be our enemy?"
"I cannot join you, but..."
Had he drunk without realizing?
"I won't lend this head to a rotten eunuch horde reeking of decay."
Xun Yu gazed at his now-empty cup and answered weakly.
"How hollow."
"General. The pouch is empty."
"..."
"Utterly hollow. Nothing but dust."
Hou Cheng spread the empty pouch wide open, pointing inside.
"Regretting it?"
"No. No regrets."
The plan to buy drinks for others at Luoyang inns and scout talent had ended with the funds running dry.
"General."
Zhang Liao arrived at the tent.
"A man claiming to be the representative of the Yaowang County ferrymen has come."
"For Governor Ding Yuan?"
"No. For you, General."
Zhang Liao pulled back the tent flap, and an old man in ragged clothes shuffled forward, prostrating himself before me.
"The Undefeated War God of Bing Province—"
"Just call me General."
"G-Greetings, Gener—oh my."
I strode right up to the old man, lifted him to his feet, and fetched a chair to place behind him.
"Sit."
"Y-Yes? But..."
"My father always taught me to respect my elders. Though we're not blood, if your son were here, I'd do the same."
"Ah... As expected of Bing Province's Undef—er, General."
The old man bowed his head deeply.
"I'm the representative of the Yaowang County ferrymen's guild. I've come to express our gratitude for the funds you provided us this time."
"No need."
A portion of our activity funds in Luoyang.
"It must not have been enough."
"Oh, what are you saying? We weren't even getting fares, so how could we not be thankful for this?"
Those funds had gone to the ferrymen mobilized to carry our 7,000 Bing Province troops across the Yellow River. Swim across the Yellow River? Ridiculous.
"We cross by boat, no question."
There was no Yellow River Bridge. I'd never seen the Yangtze, but tales of its sea-like vastness weren't exaggeration. Boats were essential.
Governor Ding Yuan had requested transport support from the Commander of the Guards of the Right, who ordered Yaowang County's magistrate—the responsible official—to provide every assistance for our river crossing. And so the magistrate of Yaowang County scrambled boats from everywhere. Free conscription. Requisition.
It was under military orders, so natural enough, but Yaowang's small ports lacked enough vessels to safely ferry 7,000 troops. So the magistrate requisitioned more. From the private sector. With the army needing to cross en masse swiftly, even fishing boats that could barely hold dozens were fully mobilized to shuttle soldiers. Without pay.
"Normally, the magistrate should cover it, but..."
"He will. They're conscripted under military law, aren't they?"
"...General."
The representative gave a wry smile.
"This isn't Bing Province."
It's the capital commandery. But I wasn't dense enough to miss the implication.
"Tell me if you need anything. We'll do our utmost for you, General. Then..."
"Thank you. Wen Yuan, see him out."
"Yes, General."
As I helped the old man to his feet, Zhang Liao led him outside.
"Hou Cheng."
"Yes, General."
"Is it strange to compensate civilians for resources requisitioned for military needs?"
"Usually, almost never."
Hou Cheng tucked the empty pouch into his bosom as he replied.
"The very idea of 'wages for labor' you mention is outlandish. Wherever you go, mobilizing the people for state affairs is just how it is."
"Just how it is."
"There might be token compensation. Pennies. But this is an emergency, isn't it? If it were just crossing on boats, maybe, but this is an army supporting the capital—unpaid service is par for the course."
"If I were in their shoes, my gut would be churning."
"That old man's churning too, no doubt. But what can you do? That's the way of the world. This isn't Bing Province."
Bing Province is the frontier.
"Even Bing Province folk thought your considerations odd at first. Wondering if the money was usury bait."
"Sheesh."
"That's why more people try to exploit you, General. I know you're no materialist, but to outsiders, those 'nice guy' acts just make you look like a gullible fool."
"Sheesh."
So that's how different ways spread in this world from what Hou Cheng called its 'principles.'
"Enough. If acting that way eases my conscience, that's what matters."
"We call that being a good man..."
"General Lü!"
Mid-conversation with Hou Cheng, Zhang Liao came running up in a panic. I read his expression. His thick brows were raised—
"Ambush?"
"Black Mountain Bandits! From the direction of Anyi County—west side! A massive bandit horde... around 5,000 strong!"
Combat initiated.
"Why's your face so flushed, then?"
"Governor Ding Yuan says the crossing prep's done, so don't delay—cross immediately...!"
"...?"
What?
"General, for now—"
"H-Hey!! Wen Yuan!! Stop the General—!!"
I strode forward. With the snap of something in my head.
"...once we reach the court—"
Laughter from the tent. The guards flanking it tensed the moment they saw me. Faint whiff of alcohol drifting from inside.
"G-General."
"Out of my way."
"But—"
"Not twice."
At my words, the soldiers guarding the tent stepped aside, and I entered.
"What's the commotion—"
"Lü Bu?! Wh-what the sudden...?! "
Ding Yuan and the lieutenant generals were drinking. Alongside dishes of freshwater fish caught from the Yellow River area.
"Mobilize."
I gripped the neck of a wine jar upside down. Already half-empty, it was easy to hold.
"Orders."
"General Lü!! What rudeness is—"
Crack—!!
I swung the jar at the bearded lieutenant general's head. He rolled his eyes back and crumpled to the floor.
"Hah."
What was his name again? Mu-something or Fu-something. Whatever.
"Bandits on the road ahead, so per Grand General He Jin's orders to exterminate them, I demand we mobilize."
Below the wooden jar's neck, wine dripped from the jagged bottom where it had shattered.
"..."
Ding Yuan, cup in hand, stared at me before shifting his gaze to the broken jar I held.
"...Mobilize."
He replied in a trembling voice, quietly setting down his cup.
"Understood."