Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 1: The Yellow Turban Rebellion, Chapter 18: Defeating the Yellow Turbans, Coming in Mourning Attire

Belonging to the book:


Can a Strategist Not Ascend the Throne?

Chapter 18: Defeating the Yellow Turbans, Coming in Mourning Attire

Bo Cai, since becoming a Yellow Turban Commander, had never seen such a shocking turn of events!

The Han army, which had been holed up in Changshe City, suddenly mustered the courage to come out and fight, taking advantage of the night and the firelight, completely changing their previous passive defensive style.

Fortunately, he was not entirely unprepared.

After all, this place was close to the heart of the Han Dynasty. As long as the Han army had a breath left, they would never give an inch in the defense of Changshe.

He had earlier speculated that they might try to exploit the lax discipline of the Yellow Turbans, incite a camp riot, and seize this opportunity.

With a grim face, he ordered the messengers to immediately gather the troops, while he cautiously climbed onto a watchtower.

From the high vantage point, he could see the fire in Changshe City and cursed under his breath before turning his gaze back to the camp.

Despite the many distractions, he could clearly see that the number of people raiding the camp tonight was not large. It was just that each side had a brave general, and they had caught him off guard, leading to this outcome.

A tiger general…

Bo Cai smirked, revealing a cold smile.

Although a tiger general is fierce and useful in this situation, they are still human and will eventually tire!

Realizing that these two men far surpassed him in combat prowess, Bo Cai decisively adopted a strategy of surrounding them with numbers.

As the central commander of the Yellow Turbans, he didn’t need to engage in combat personally. He just needed to ensure that the two men were surrounded by hundreds of soldiers, and that was enough.

Indeed, his prediction was correct.

Among the Han army raiding the camp, only two people posed a significant threat to him.

One was Fu Xie, the Military Advisor of Huangfu Song’s army.

He was the first to light the fire and spearhead the attack, successfully triggering a wave of retreat towards Liang Zhongning’s camp among Bo Cai’s troops.

After confirming that the spies arranged by Qiao Yan had led people away and spread the panic, he immediately turned his horse and headed towards Zhu Jun’s side according to Huangfu Song’s plan, hoping to join forces before the Yanzhou Yellow Turbans and the city’s reinforcements arrived, to counter the Yellow Turban wave commanded by Bo Cai.

This journey through heavy encirclement did not show any panic on Fu Xie’s face.

Bo Cai had caught a glimpse earlier, and now, after descending the watchtower and hearing the results of those who went to fight, he knew that Fu Xie was no ordinary opponent.

The other person was not Zhu Jun.

Zhu Jun was indeed a brave man.

If not, he wouldn’t have been able to integrate thousands of family soldiers and repel the Liang Long rebellion while serving as the Governor of Jiaozhou. But now, there was another tiger in his army.

A general known as the Tiger of Jiangdong.

“Wentai!”

Fu Xie spotted Sun Jian in the crowd.

The surrounding Yellow Turban soldiers were gradually recovering from their initial panic, and with their numbers, they were no longer afraid of the fire in the sky. More and more people were surrounding them, intending to annihilate the Han army here.

This undoubtedly made Sun Jian, who could easily break through the formation, stand out even more.

Sun Jian had been serving under Zhu Jun for a month, but the young men he brought were still a drop in the bucket compared to the Yellow Turban army. With his position as Assistant Military Advisor, he didn’t have much autonomy.

Thus, tonight’s battle, though starting with a sneak attack, gave him a sense of exhilaration.

Just kill!

This was his chance!

The future Little Conqueror Sun Ce inherited Sun Jian’s bravery, though at this time, Sun Ce, along with his mother, was left in Jiujiang Shouchun by Sun Jian, and was only nine years old. What Fu Xie saw was the father’s commanding presence.

Fu Xie swept away the spears and blades attacking Sun Jian and leaped into the crowd, joining him.

Afraid that Sun Jian, in the heat of battle, might not hear him, and worried that mentioning Zhu Jun’s official position might cause trouble, Fu Xie didn’t care if the address was appropriate and loudly asked, “Where is Gongwei?”

Where is Zhu Jun, Zhu Gongwei?

Sun Jian, though fierce in battle, was not completely lost in the heat of the moment.

Moreover, these Yellow Turbans, for some reason, could not be measured by his previous experience. Even after killing many, they showed no fear or retreat, which undoubtedly cooled Sun Jian’s fervor.

Hearing Fu Xie’s question, he immediately pointed his spear in one direction.

Through the crowd, Fu Xie saw Zhu Jun.

His horse had been injured by someone and was now difficult to ride, becoming a burden.

But this Right General decisively chose to dismount and fight, forming a formation with those who had come out, and for the moment, there was no danger.

Fu Xie thought that with Zhu Jun and Sun Jian’s combat strength, plus his own arrival, breaking through the encirclement shouldn’t be too difficult, and he relaxed a bit.

However, taking advantage of Sun Jian’s attacks to relieve the pressure, he looked around and saw the key Yellow Turban officials led by Bo Cai.

They were clearly not happy to see them causing such chaos and then calmly escaping.

As the other side raised their hands to give orders, the Yellow Turban soldiers, armored and marching through the firelight, attacked, showing a wild ferocity.

Fu Xie, with his excellent eyesight, happened to see Bo Cai’s unmistakable murderous gaze towards him and Sun Jian.

This didn’t make him panic, but it made him instinctively grip his spear tighter.

The signal he realized, with Sun Jian’s talent in battle, was not unnoticed.

Just as Fu Xie shouted “Go” to Sun Jian, Sun Jian had already swept his spear, clearing a path, and followed Fu Xie closely towards Zhu Jun.

Bo Cai’s order was just a step too late, and his archers hit either empty ground or their own men.

“Commander, we can’t shoot arrows!” his deputy quickly dissuaded. “Even with the firelight, the night vision is limited. If it were a clash between armies, at least the hits would be on the enemy, but now the enemy is few, and accidental injuries are inevitable.”

What followed, even if not said, Bo Cai could guess.

If it were a disciplined army, some accidental injuries would be acceptable to achieve the goal, but this was a team that had just lost a siege battle.

Casualties among their own would inevitably shake morale.

Bo Cai gritted his teeth and ordered the archers to step back.

It was in this back-and-forth formation change that Fu Xie and Sun Jian reached Zhu Jun’s side.

As Zhu Jun’s Assistant Military Advisor, Sun Jian immediately offered his horse to his superior, but Zhu Jun refused, “Wentai, your horsemanship is excellent, and you have the strength to break the enemy. Don’t worry about the master-subordinate distinction now, focus on the big picture.”

Bo Cai could see their position, and Zhu Jun could also discern Bo Cai’s position from the enemy’s formation.

He narrowed his eyes, confirming that he had not mistaken the person, and asked, “Wentai, can you take the enemy’s head in the chaos of battle?”

Zhu Jun felt that he couldn’t rely entirely on Qiao Yan. After relying on her intelligence to choose the point of attack, he acknowledged her keen observation skills.

But the Yellow Turbans’ disobedience was probably not just a flaw on Bo Cai’s side.

Whether the child could achieve what she said in her letter, Zhu Jun was not entirely sure.

Unfortunately, what he got from Sun Wentai was not a positive answer.

“I’m afraid not,” Sun Jian replied.

Given the difference in numbers and the lack of opportunity for a duel, Sun Jian was still somewhat rational and wouldn’t say something like “I will die for the General and bring Bo Cai’s head.”

Zhu Jun couldn’t help but feel a bit regretful.

However, before he could put away his thoughts of a decapitation operation and the accompanying regret, a sudden change occurred on the battlefield.

A figure, completely covered in armor and unrecognizable, suddenly appeared, carrying someone and rushing straight towards Bo Cai.

This didn’t seem like one of Bo Cai’s men.

As he approached, the soldiers around Bo Cai showed a guarded stance towards this unexpected visitor.

But before he could get within melee range, and as for ranged attacks…

Not to mention that Bo Cai had just swapped the archers and the rear troops because shooting arrows was ineffective, even if he hadn’t made this swap, the penetration power of his soldiers’ arrows would hardly pose a threat to this strange figure.

At most, they could turn the person he was carrying into a porcupine.

Due to the diminishing fire, Bo Cai didn’t immediately realize that the person being carried was none other than Liang Zhongning. He also didn’t know that this wasn’t the first time Liang Zhongning had been carried as a tool.

The last time this happened was during the attack on the Tian Family Fortress.

But back then, it was a butcher under his command disguised as a fake Dian Wei who carried him, while now it was the real Dian Wei, which could be considered some progress.

However, if Liang Zhongning had any consciousness left, he probably wouldn’t want such progress.

It was too humiliating…

Dian Wei, on the other hand, performed quite bravely.

With his strength, wearing heavy armor and running such a distance while carrying someone, he showed no signs of fatigue or breathlessness.

Thinking of what Qiao Yan had said to him before putting on the armor, that she had high hopes for him, he temporarily forgot that he was actually a temporary worker and dutifully carried Liang Zhongning all the way, following the sounds to this place, and at the last moment before colliding with Bo Cai and his men, suddenly changed direction and ran deeper into the camp.

“…?” Bo Cai was baffled by Dian Wei’s actions.

This was not a direction to escape the camp!

But he soon couldn’t afford to think about where this person came from.

The moment Dian Wei disappeared, he suddenly heard a sound that shouldn’t have been there at this time, approaching his direction.

As the sound became clear amidst the footsteps, Bo Cai recognized it as the word “Eliminate the bandits.”

Eliminate the bandits?

Bo Cai was stunned.

Who were the bandits?

Naturally, he was the bandit!

From the moment Dian Wei appeared, Sun Jian was stopped by Zhu Jun and only took a defensive stance, as did Fu Xie.

After reducing the impact of their attacks, this group of people seemed like a pebble in a flood in front of the fully armed Yellow Turban army.

In the eyes of the Yanzhou Yellow Turbans chasing Dian Wei, the armor of these people was hard to recognize in the night and was thus ignored.

On the contrary, what stood out and was easily visible was Bo Cai, surrounded by spears and blades in the middle.

Under the flickering campfire, Bo Cai’s confident expression happened to catch their eyes.

They wouldn’t know that this expression was directed at the raiding Han army, not deliberately shown to them.

They only knew that it was his people who tried to sneak attack at night but failed due to Qiao Yan’s early precautions, and in their desperation, they had kidnapped Liang Zhongning, who could feed them!

Thus, these people didn’t give Bo Cai a chance to ask or explain, and in the heat of “enemies meeting,” they rushed straight at him.

Even though Zhu Jun had learned of Qiao Yan’s plan in advance, when he actually saw the scene before him, he couldn’t help but feel that it was too absurd.

Since the Yellow Turban uprising reached the central government, the battle reports that made Liu Hong determined to lift the Prohibition of Factionalists and win the support of scholars in this critical moment could be imagined.

The Yellow Turbans fought with local county officials, the Yellow Turbans fought with fortress strongmen, and after Luoyang sent troops, it was the Yellow Turbans against the Han regular army.

And now…

Zhu Jun felt that he was probably one of the first to witness the Yellow Turbans fighting each other.

If Bo Cai had the upper hand earlier by surrounding them, now that advantage was almost gone.

The origins of the Yanzhou Yellow Turbans and the Yuzhou Yellow Turbans were not much different, resulting in similar physical and combat qualities.

But the former had grown under Qiao Yan’s arming in Yanzhou, collecting food and weapons, and due to simple marching orders and formation arrangements, appeared more orderly, or rather, more competitive in battle.

Moreover, the Yanzhou Yellow Turbans had a clear goal, and their strategist was coordinating from the rear, while the Yuzhou Yellow Turbans didn’t realize at first that this was not assistance coming to help them capture and kill the Han army, but their enemy!

This was the difference!

Bo Cai’s mind was filled with the thought—are these people crazy?

But his words were drowned out by the approaching footsteps and the “Eliminate the bandits” slogan.

Now it was indeed a clash between two armies, and theoretically, bows and arrows could be useful.

But changing formations was not as simple as moving up and down, especially when one side was coming with great momentum, and even one person with the intention to retreat would greatly reduce the efficiency of the process.

At the same time, Sun Jian and Fu Xie exchanged glances, both seeing the calculation in each other’s eyes.

To directly bypass the heavy protection and kill Bo Cai on the spot would require默契配合 and backup, but failing that didn’t mean they couldn’t take a different approach.

For example, they could go around to the rear and deal with these archers!

As these two tiger generals set off with Zhu Jun’s approval, the sound of hooves made them instinctively look in the direction of the sound, where they saw a child and a middle-aged scholar riding a horse, looking towards their direction and giving a distant gesture.

Clearly, that was Qiao Yan and Cheng Li, whom she mentioned in her letter.

At this moment, though they couldn’t see her face clearly, they inexplicably felt that they could see a pair of clear and sharp eyes, as the mastermind behind the scenes, appreciating the final outcome of this battle.

“Having a child like this…”

Fu Gan, now in Changshe City, having just sent off Huangfu Song and Cao Cao leading the charge, and Sun Ce, now in Shouchun with his mother praying for his father’s safe return, didn’t know that their fathers suddenly had this thought at the same time.

But this sentiment was fleeting.

With the Yanzhou Yellow Turbans attacking, they were inevitably less focused on intercepting them.

This made their plan to break through the encirclement and go around the rear proceed smoothly.

The rear harassment by these two and the sudden attack by the Yanzhou Yellow Turbans were undoubtedly the last straw that broke Bo Cai’s panic.

Originally, no matter how chaotic the camp was, the manpower he could deploy was still there, and he could at least know the enemy’s intentions and have some confidence. But now?

He didn’t know where the “Eliminate the bandits” slogan of the suddenly attacking Yanzhou Yellow Turbans came from!

He didn’t know why these people coincidentally chose the same time as the Han army’s raid!

When the first row of axemen was fiercely cut down by the enemy, Bo Cai hastily retreated, breaking out in a cold sweat.

Thus, realizing the situation was bad, he left behind those covering his retreat and ran.

If he hadn’t run, at least within the Yuzhou Yellow Turbans, he was the undisputed commander, the true leader chosen by the Great Virtuous Teacher, and anyone around him would protect his safety.

But now he retreated, and in such a seemingly fleeing manner.

In what already seemed like an internal Yellow Turban conflict, this looked very much like a sign of his own side’s guilt.

The Yanzhou Yellow Turbans and the Yuzhou Yellow Turbans present simultaneously faced a dilemma.

With the commander not on the scene, should they still fight each other?

The Yanzhou team instinctively looked towards their strategist, hoping to get some guidance from this “mastermind” who had never made a mistake, only to find that both he and Cheng Li had disappeared at some point.

And the next moment, the surrounding firelight intensified, and amidst the dust and horse neighs, they heard a continuous roar, shouting “Lay down your weapons and you won’t be killed.”

Seeing the attire of the leader, both sides, already weakened by the internal conflict, realized a terrifying fact.

The story of the snipe and the clam fighting while the fisherman profits was not just a tale, but something happening right before their eyes.

The person leading had appeared before them during the Battle of Changshe.

He was none other than the supreme commander of the Han side in the Battle of Changshe, Huangfu Song!

They might not know the saying “A noble son does not sit under a leaking roof,” but some common sense was not hard to deduce. Those figures only heard of in legends usually stayed in the rear, and would never risk themselves like this unless—

Unless the current environment posed no danger to him.

In addition to the confidence he displayed, these Yellow Turbans heard another earth-shattering shout, “The bandit leader has been captured, the rest surrender quickly.”

“If these…”








Among the crowd, those with a strategic mind would notice that the third party arriving now has less than half their numbers.

Qiao Yan and Cheng Li, though out of sight of the Yanzhou Yellow Turbans, remained close enough to observe the battlefield.

The surrounding firelight and galloping horses, if not misunderstood or feared, revealed only a few dozen horses in a repeating cycle.

Unfortunately, the leaderless Yellow Turbans only heard the thunderous noise and incessant drumming, saw Huangfu Song approaching with his spirited Han army, and the strange armored monster reappearing, now carrying a rebel leader in each hand, standing beside Huangfu Song, perfectly embodying the phrase “the bandit leader has been captured.”

Any sign was a signal of impending doom for them.

They revered the Great Virtuous Teacher as their savior but never considered how the Way of Great Peace would help them in dire straits.

Certainly, no thunderbolt would strike Huangfu Song dead.

In this mindset, the first person instinctively dropped their weapon.

Then the second, the third…

“The Yellow Turban Army still has a long way to go to turn numbers into combat power,” Qiao Yan sighed.

As she spoke, she spotted the leader among the cavalry through the dust.

Mounted, his stature was hard to discern, but his appearance and approximate height matched her impression of someone.

Mentioning the Yellow Turban Army’s numbers not equating to combat power inevitably led to him.

Cao Cao.

The hundreds of thousands of Qingzhou troops he gained after quelling the Yanzhou rebellion were a prime example.

Farmers fighting professional soldiers was unrealistic, and their discipline couldn’t compare to regular troops.

In the Battle of Puyang, Qingzhou troops failed to intercept Lü Bu, resulting in Cao Cao burning his hand; in the Battle of Wancheng, they not only failed to turn the tide but also looted their own, a joke.

Yet, these Yellow Turbans were valuable human resources, especially in the late Han.

So, Qiao Yan couldn’t let Huangfu Song kill them all.

Watching the chaotic camp settle, she straightened her clothes and approached Huangfu Song.

The surrounding firelight was now orderly, with torches every ten steps, clearing the camp’s chaos.

Under the torchlight, Liang Zhongning and Bo Cai’s Yellow Turban soldiers realized their surrender might not have been wise.

The third-party Han army wasn’t as numerous as they thought!

But there was no turning back now.

Their weapons were quickly confiscated, most archers killed by Sun Jian and Fu Xie, the rest wounded, and their food supplies taken by the Han army.

The Han army from Changshe was indeed few, meaning there might be gaps to escape, but with food supplies secured, they were effectively chained.

Qiao Yan met Huangfu Song by the food storage tent.

Arriving, she saw Huangfu Song intrigued by Dian Wei, who could run in heavy armor through the Yellow Turban camp.

What impressed Huangfu Song most was Dian Wei capturing both Liang Zhongning and Bo Cai.

Dian Wei, though clever in arranging his fellow villagers’ retreat, seemed clueless about promotion when questioned by Huangfu Song.

Qiao Yan’s arrival diverted Huangfu Song’s attention.

Seeing her, Dian Wei gave a “saved” look.

Huangfu Song was more interested in Qiao Yan.

Cheng Li’s earlier state upon seeing Qiao Yan was similar to Huangfu Song’s now.

But Qiao Yan had achieved far more than just uniting the Yanzhou Yellow Turbans.

If before she showed her ability to insightfully manipulate, now—

The letter sent to Changshe showed her youthful righteousness and strategic brilliance, rare for someone so young.

She was too young!

While Huangfu Song admired Dian Wei, he had Fu Xie, a brave and strategic protector, so he wasn’t in dire need.

But Qiao Yan was different.

She was a strategist capable of turning the tide…

After Qiao Yan saluted, he wasn’t surprised to hear her ask, “What are your plans for these people?”

Bo Cai and Liang Zhongning, now awake, were confused and resentful.

They couldn’t understand why their conflict benefited the Han army.

For Liang Zhongning, the biggest blow was his trusted strategist seemingly siding with the Han army, orchestrating the Yellow Turban’s defeat.

If not gagged, he’d demand to know why she betrayed him.

Hearing Qiao Yan’s question, he heard Huangfu Song reply, “Zhu Jun suggested killing them, as they rebel for gain and surrender when it’s lost, undermining national law.”

The message was clear: kill!

Zhu Jun argued that if the Yellow Turbans could rebel for gain and surrender when it’s lost, what would stop them from rebelling again?

So, the best way was to kill them all, warning others against rebellion.

Liang Zhongning understood the implication, his anger turning to despair.

He felt this emotion was wrong, as he followed the General of Heaven for justice.

Death should be accepted, but before he could reconcile, he heard Qiao Yan say, “I think they shouldn’t be killed.”

“…?” Liang Zhongning looked at Qiao Yan’s calm face, seeing no plea for mercy.

She coldly assessed the situation, “Normally, I wouldn’t oppose Zhu Jun’s view, but now, who are you warning?”

“Those not yet quelled,” Huangfu Song replied, meaning Zhang Jiao in Ji Province and Zhang Mancheng in Nanyang.

Qiao Yan asked, “Wouldn’t that also inform them of the battle here?”

Huangfu Song was startled.

Qiao Yan’s reminder was crucial.

Did he want this news spread?

He wanted to discuss further, but Qiao Yan, citing fatigue and disheveled appearance, declined, suggesting meeting tomorrow.

“Young people care too much about image,” Huangfu Song commented.

Zhu Jun glanced at him, understanding the underlying fondness.

Qiao Yan’s daring infiltration and coordination impressed him.

If not for her being from the Qiao family, he’d consider recruiting her.

Especially since they won!

A major victory, quelling the largest Yellow Turban force in Yuzhou and Yanzhou, even the powerful Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun were pleased.

Though these Taishi Path followers couldn’t be killed, recruiting them was easier than conquering province by province.

This freed them to support other fronts.

On March Gengzi, Nanyang Yellow Turbans killed Prefect Chu Gong, with leader Zhang Mancheng and deputy Zhao Hong stationed in Wancheng with tens of thousands.

Wancheng’s location threatened Luoyang if they advanced via Yishui.

Though Luoyang’s defenses were strong, the Yellow Turbans’ influence was undeniable.

Zhang Jiao’s disciple Ma Yuanyi had previously infiltrated Luoyang, so internal betrayal during an attack on Yique Pass was possible.

Though Qin Jie was promoted to Nanyang Prefect to counter Zhang Mancheng, reinforcing the capital was urgent.

Meanwhile, Lu Zhi’s steady advance in the north, while methodical, wasn’t good news for Emperor Liu Hong, eager to quell the rebellion.

Huangfu Song, understanding the stakes, discussed dividing troops with Zhu Jun.

Pointing at the map, Huangfu Song noted their position in Yingchuan wasn’t far from Wancheng.

After quelling Yingchuan, advancing there was natural.

But Huangfu Song planned to save time, not committing all forces.

Suppressing news of their victory in Yanzhou and Yuzhou, as Qiao Yan suggested, was crucial.

Delaying the news reaching Zhang Mancheng and Zhang Jiao allowed for a swift strike—

A direct assault!

He agreed with Qiao Yan’s suggestion to spare the Yellow Turbans, recruiting them instead of killing, to prevent future rebellions.

“Zhu Jun, your military advisor Sun Jian recruited many from the Huai-Si region, skilled in water, right?”

Huangfu Song scanned the rivers between Changshe and Nanyang.

Zhu Jun confirmed, adding, “Sun Jian, having served in Yandu, Xuyi, and Xiapi, is brave and resourceful, crucial in last night’s raid.”

Huangfu Song, impressed by Sun Jian’s performance, decided, “Then, Zhu Jun, don’t delay. March to Nanyang tomorrow with Sun Jian, join Qin Jie, and capture Zhang Mancheng. Ensure no rebel leader escapes in the southern waterways.”

Allowing them to regroup would be disastrous.

With Sun Jian’s water-skilled troops, a swift southern assault was feasible.

Huangfu Song’s target was clear.

Yanzhou was secure; they could advance directly to Ji Province, joining the northern front.

Thinking this, a smile broke his usually stern expression.

Time was crucial for any general, and Huangfu Song, seizing the initiative, was pleased.

Just then, a guard announced Qiao Yan’s arrival.

“Let her in!”

Huangfu Song, immersed in the joy of dual-front operations, didn’t notice the guard’s odd tone.

Only when the door opened, revealing a white-clad figure, did he realize the guard’s tone was… shocked?

Zhu Jun, seeing the figure, jumped up in surprise.

“You…”

He saw not a young boy concerned with appearance, but a girl in mourning white.

Her attire didn’t diminish her commanding presence from last night’s battle.

The white mourning clothes only made her look paler, slightly憔悴.

But the sudden revelation, challenging their belief in her as Qiao Xuan’s grandson, was shocking.

Not just the gender reveal!

Her attire hinted at deeper implications.

Finding mourning clothes in the city wasn’t hard, given last year’s drought and cold, and recent deaths from the Yellow Turban siege.

So, securing the attire, she didn’t hesitate to appear before Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun as a mourning woman.

Before this move, the system asked why, as it seemed slightly disrespectful.

Qiao Yan explained that norms weren’t strictly hierarchical.

She aimed to build her reputation, ensuring her role in quelling the Yellow Turbans was fully recognized.

As Qiao Yan, the Qiao family woman!

With achievements secured, why not amplify her fame, ensuring her place among the rising stars of the Yellow Turban rebellion?

Under the astonished gazes of the imperial generals, Qiao Yan bowed, “Qiao Yan, daughter of the late Rencheng Chancellor, pays respects to the generals.”

Revealing her identity, she added, “I come in mourning white, as the bandits’ capture should be reported to the capital, informing the emperor and officials, but—”

“My parents fell victim to the Yellow Turban rebellion. As their child, I must strive to eradicate the bandits, even at the cost of my life. Now, fortunate to succeed, I seek no fame, only to request permission to execute Bo Cai and take his head to Yanzhou, to honor my parents’ spirits!”

With that, she bowed deeply again.