Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 1: The Yellow Turban Rebellion, The Clear Voice of a Young Phoenix Chapter 23: Lu Zhi’s Camp

What does it mean to be enfeoffed as a Township Marquis?

In the five-level marquis system of the Eastern Han Dynasty, since County Marquis could emulate the Western Han marquises in establishing commanderies, they were rarely enfeoffed under normal circumstances. Thus, the Township Marquis and the Township Marquis were essentially the pinnacle of such initial enfeoffments.

But now, Liu Hong actually said he would enfeoff a ten-year-old child as a Township Marquis.

Although the fiefs of marquises in the Eastern Han period did not depend on the actual population of the enfeoffed land, enfeoffing a Township Marquis could mean granting only five hundred to a thousand households, rather than the average three thousand.

However, it must be noted that Leping is not the name of a township but a county in Bingzhou.

Bingzhou has nine commanderies—Taiyuan, Shangdang, Xihe, Yunzhong, Dingxiang, Yanmen, Shuofang, Wuyuan, and Shangjun.

Leping County is located between Taiyuan and Shangdang, temporarily assigned to Shangdang.

Zhang Rang had previously heard the Emperor “casually” mention that given Leping’s location between Bingzhou and Jizhou, with several rivers running through it and fertile land, and the surrounding place names bearing auspicious signs such as Heshun, Pingding, and Shang’ai, it would be fitting to gather them and establish a new Leping Commandery.

With this impression, Zhang Rang absolutely did not believe that Liu Hong would enfeoff the child in Leping with only a hundred households. It was more likely that he intended to leave room for further enfeoffment.

Now it’s just a Township Marquis of Leping, but what about later?

A County Marquis of Leping? Or further responsibilities after the three-year mourning period?

From the name “Leping,” Zhang Rang saw too much information.

Emperor Liu Hong was not entirely a person of “loving life and hating death.” He had his own ideas in the power game. Whether feasible or not, even eunuchs like them, who were seen as highly favored by the Emperor, had to tread carefully today to avoid the fate of their predecessors who were executed and their families exterminated by Liu Hong.

So, what expectations did this child carry?

“Does Eunuch Zhang find it inappropriate?” Liu Hong’s tone, which had been as casual as discussing eating and drinking, suddenly turned cold.

Zhang Rang suddenly realized that he had been standing there, holding the seal, lost in thought for too long. He hurriedly replied, “This servant was just thinking that Your Majesty is truly a benevolent ruler.”

Seeing Liu Hong raise his eyebrows, signaling him to continue, he took a small breath of relief and replied, “Lord Qiao mentioned that he wished to serve the Han Dynasty in life and guard the frontier in death, but Your Majesty chose Leping for him. Leping is shielded by the commanderies of Taiyuan, Yanmen, and Yunzhong. Although it is in the border region of Bingzhou, it is unlikely to be affected by war, ensuring Lord Qiao’s peace. This is truly Your Majesty’s great grace.”

Seeing a hint of pride appear on Liu Hong’s face, Zhang Rang knew he had said the right thing.

He had reached his current position by being adept at揣测圣意 (reading the Emperor’s intentions).

But the next moment, he felt he had spoken too much.

Because he immediately heard Liu Hong say, “Well said. Since you understand my intentions best, you and Zuo Feng shall go to reward the troops and supervise the battle in Jizhou. Also, deliver the rewards I have for General Zuo and that Qiao family prodigy.”

The light in Yutang Hall faintly illuminated the smile on Liu Hong’s lips, but his words sent a chill down Zhang Rang’s spine: “Eunuch Zhang won’t disappoint me a second time, will you?”

Qiao Yan, Huangfu Song, and the others were unaware of the power struggles in the capital.

Marching through Julu Commandery in Jizhou, the birthplace of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, was not as easy as their previous detour through Qinghe. They had no extra energy to think about these matters.

They were模仿 (imitating) the Yellow Turbans, but when gathered together, they still didn’t quite look like Yellow Turbans.

Fortunately, the intense marching had left even these elite border soldiers feeling somewhat exhausted, showing signs of fatigue on their faces.

They had the more凶恶 (ferocious)-looking ones and the wandering knights stand at the front, which added some convincing disguise.

But that wasn’t enough.

The Yellow Turbans had set up three strongholds in Julu, with defensive lines still existing in central Julu, such as in Ningjin County and the military camp stationed in front of Daluze Lake.

Huangfu Song’s several thousand troops marching out was already a large-scale operation.

Without any explanation, it would be hard to convince the Yellow Turban generals stationed in these places.

Even without the authority of a Rebel Leader, they could still notify Zhang Jiao if they noticed anything unusual.

And Huangfu Song’s兵力 (military strength)注定 (destined) that he didn’t have the条件 (conditions) to攻下 (capture) each city and county one by one.

Thus, they absolutely could not afford to slack off at any point, or all their efforts would be in vain.

Fortunately, they now had the most suitable幌子 (pretext).

It was none other than Zhang Bao.

Although Huangfu Song had told Zhang Bao he would borrow his head, he had暂时 (temporarily) spared his life.

This wasn’t just to use him as a reason to enter the city but also as a障眼法 (distraction) on the road.

Although it was nearly May, the climate of what would later be called the Little Ice Age still brought heavy露水 (dew) and寒意 (chill) to Jizhou at night.

Zhang Bao was stripped down to his单衣 (undergarments) and hung outside by Huangfu Song. After two or three days of this, before they even reached Ningjin, Zhang Bao had already caught a cold. Combined with consuming conflicting food and water, even though he had previously boasted about the talisman water making him strong, he was now running a high fever and unconscious.

This was much more convincing than simply knocking him out.

The Yellow Turban guards in Ningjin didn’t recognize these disguised Han troops, but they did recognize Zhang Bao.

Back when Zhang Jiao founded the Way of Great Peace and spread the teachings, Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang had also gained the reputation of “Great Healers.”

Especially in Julu, when Zhang Jiao needed to maintain some mystery, it was Zhang Bao who preached. He was a living proof of identity.

Now, seeing Zhang Bao lying on a relatively精致 (exquisite) sedan bed, flushed and unconscious, they were immediately flustered.

How could they have the mood to仔细 (carefully) inspect?

Worrying about the General of the Earth’s health naturally far outweighed observing the identities of these escorts.

What Qiao Yan found particularly ironic was that the leader of the guards hurried back to the city and brought a portion of talisman water, which he claimed had been bestowed by Zhang Jiao years ago.

This person thought it could be a救命良药 (life-saving medicine) and naturally kept it close, but now that the General of the Earth was seriously ill, he couldn’t keep it私藏 (hidden) anymore and offered it.

But after feeding Zhang Bao this so-called medicine, the next day the小头目 (small leader) saw that Zhang Bao’s condition had worsened.

Qiao Yan said, “Healing must be对症下药 (tailored to the illness). The talisman water left by the Great Virtuous Teacher must have been blessed for the General’s previous illness, but now that the General of the Earth has邪毒入体 (evil toxins in his body), a different medicine is needed.”

Hearing Qiao Yan call him “General,” the small leader hurriedly waved his hand and said, “不敢当 (I dare not accept),” then examined Zhang Bao’s condition for a while before confirming that his well-intentioned contribution had indeed had no effect. He then dared not阻拦 (stop) them from taking Zhang Bao to Guangzong.

As for the slightly larger number of people—

What was the problem!

The General of the Earth was the second-in-command of their rebel organization. If anything happened to him, it would be a great loss. It was better to have群策群力 (collective efforts) along the way than to be caught off guard if something happened to the two or three hundred escorts.

What if the Han army heard the news and sent troops to劫走 (kidnap) the General of the Earth? That would be a致命 (fatal) matter.

“Miss Qiao’s words truly have the power to颠倒黑白 (turn black into white) and死生 (life and death),” Lu Yuan said with some感慨 (emotion) after leaving the sight of the Ningjin guards.

Qiao Yan glanced back at her, unsure whether this was praise or sarcasm.

This woman, who had regained her freedom in the battle of Xiaquyang,果然 (indeed) did not take her previous submission to the rebels to heart. Her言行 (words and actions) still had a疏朗阔达 (open and broad) demeanor. Now, disguised as a Yellow Turban and dressed as a soldier, she added a bit of英气 (heroic spirit).

But Qiao Yan still couldn’t understand why she didn’t choose to return to her family but instead followed her, who was at best half a “救命恩人 (savior).”

Fortunately, although she said she wanted to serve Qiao Yan like Xu Fu,牵马坠蹬 (holding the horse and helping her mount), she didn’t show any畏缩 (timidity) in her demeanor.

Having another female companion to talk to was truly a舒畅 (comfortable) thing for Qiao Yan.

She replied, “This can’t be considered善辩 (eloquence), just reasoning based on common sense. The idea of鬼神 (ghosts and gods)寄寓 (residing) in符咒 (talismans) to save people is absurd. Doctors still need to对症下药 (tailor medicine to the illness), but talismans can be used for a hundred things, which is somewhat可笑 (ridiculous).”

Cao Cao, riding alongside, laughed and said, “If that’s the case, why did you ask Madam Lu to tell you where the nearest Buddhist temple in Jizhou is and have Xu Fu lead people there? If they refuse to go to Guangzong, you even had them knocked out and brought here?”

Buddhism was far from its later prosperity. Due to language barriers during its initial spread, those who had little contact with Buddhism inevitably had some刻板印象 (stereotypes).

It wasn’t until the reign of Emperor Huan of Han that Prince An Shigao of Parthia abdicated in favor of his uncle, became a monk, and came to the Han Dynasty to spread the teachings and translate Buddhist scriptures, that there was some basis for communication and传播 (spread).

Additionally, Lokaksema from the Kushan Kingdom, who was proficient in Chinese, promoted the spread of Buddhism in the Han Dynasty.

But to Cao Cao, who had little contact with monks, Buddhism’s introduction to the Han Dynasty was merely due to Emperor Ming’s dream of a golden man flying in the palace courtyard, seeking worldly blessings—

Which was no different from the talisman water Qiao Yan despised for curing all illnesses.

But then he saw Qiao Yan smile and reply, “Uncle, you’re mistaken. Do you think I’m using some以毒攻毒 (fighting poison with poison) method?”

“Isn’t it?” Cao Cao asked curiously.

“Of course not, but the reason will have to remain a secret for a few more days,” Qiao Yan said with a mysterious smile. “If you paid attention to my previous actions, you would notice that I didn’t just invite Buddhist disciples.”

Qiao Yan didn’t explain to Cao Cao that Buddhist teachings weren’t just about seeking blessings, as it wasn’t something that could be explained in a few words.

Her goal wasn’t to pit Buddhist doctrines of transcending life and death against Zhang Jiao’s talisman water but had other ideas.

Hearing this, Cao Cao also thought about Qiao Yan’s previous actions.

After some consideration, he realized that since they left Changshe, she had indeed had some strange behaviors.

Once, while still in Yanzhou, before even reaching Liang State, she had discussed with Huangfu Song and selected a few elite soldiers to go to Qiao County in Pei State.

Qiao County in Pei State was Cao Cao’s hometown, but he couldn’t think of any reason Qiao Yan would go there to问候 (greet) his ancestors.

Then, when they reached Dong’e, she had Huangfu Song send people to Qingzhou.

Counting this, it was the third time she had sent people out without explaining the reason.

Now that she reminded him, Cao Cao couldn’t help but feel curious.

Seeing Cao Cao’s求知欲 (thirst for knowledge) expression, Qiao Yan just pointed ahead and said, “If you really want to know my intentions, you’d better help General Huangfu take Guangzong as soon as possible. Then you’ll find out.”

Her confident and composed demeanor suggested she wouldn’t reveal everything just because of their senior-junior relationship, which left Cao Cao somewhat郁闷 (frustrated).

But this junior wasn’t easy to fool, as seen when she invited him to visit the Xun family in Changshe. Cao Cao had a底 (bottom line) in his heart and wasn’t surprised.

In his view, Huangfu Song probably knew what she had sent people to do.

But Cao Cao thought that since Qiao Yan had repeatedly立功 (made contributions), her status in Huangfu Song’s heart had risen, making her much more讨喜 (likable) than him, the “forgetful” one who had neglected to mention her gender in the奏表 (memorial). So, Huangfu Song probably wouldn’t tell either.

Moreover, as the行军主帅 (commander) of this campaign, Huangfu Song had the duty of筹谋备战 (planning and preparing for battle). The closer they got to Guangzong and Quzhou, the more tense he became. It would indeed be inappropriate to disturb him with such questions.

At this time, the commander indeed found it hard to relax.

Xiaquyang had fallen, and although Zhang Jiao and Zhang Liang were still in Jizhou, the key battle was in Guangzong.

Whether they could seize this opportunity to strike decisively, achieve a decisive victory, and凭借 (rely on) the战功 (military achievements) of平定 (suppressing) the Yellow Turban Rebellion to封侯拜将 (be enfeoffed as a marquis and appointed as a general), leaving their names in history, all depended on this battle!

This undoubtedly gave him immense pressure.

When they reached Daluze Lake in southern Julu Commandery, he彻底失眠 (completely lost sleep).

He walked out of the military tent, faced with the扑面而来 (oncoming)潮气 (dampness) of the lake, and decided to walk towards the lakeside.

But he saw that besides him, there were others who hadn’t slept.

Under the moonlight by the lake, two figures stood by the shore.

But their “standing” was a bit strange.

Huangfu Song clearly saw that it was the horse stance used in military training.

Even from a distance, Huangfu Song guessed that the ones practicing their leg and core strength in the middle of the night were none other than Qiao Yan and Dian Wei.

He had come out on a whim and hadn’t made any noise, so he wasn’t noticed as he approached.

As he got closer, he confirmed that his judgment based on their silhouettes was correct.

He wasn’t too surprised to see Qiao Yan doing this.

On the way to Xiaquyang, he had heard from Cao Cao that Qiao Yan had a talent for horsemanship, which was why she could follow them alone on horseback. But now it seemed it wasn’t just talent.

Although stirrups helped prevent骑兵 (cavalry) from falling off their horses during combat, the contact between man and horse through the软垫马鞍 (padded saddle) still容易滑动 (easily slid), putting a lot of strain on the legs.

A couple of days ago, he had casually mentioned to Qiao Yan that since she wasn’t from a military background, she didn’t have to eat this rice. If she had the chance, she should锻炼 (train) her core strength to夹紧马腹 (grip the horse’s belly) better, to improve her riding skills.

After all, this wasn’t something that could be achieved through theory alone.

Thinking that she had the courage to孤注一掷 (go all in)深入敌营 (deep into enemy territory), she probably had a lot of不甘服输 (refusal to admit defeat) in her性格 (character), so it wasn’t surprising that she would偷偷加训 (secretly train more) because of his words.

But when he saw Qiao Yan pause her movements and锤了锤 (rub) her somewhat tired legs, he couldn’t help but say, “Horse stance training should be循序渐进 (gradual). If you overdo it today, tomorrow’s march will be inconvenient.”

Seeing her turn her head,额头 (forehead) glistening with薄汗 (light sweat), and showing some诧异 (surprise) at his appearance, different from her usual运筹帷幄 (strategic)早熟 (precocious) demeanor, Huangfu Song couldn’t help but smile slightly on his usually严肃 (serious) face.








“Tomorrow we still have to travel, so it’s better to go back and rest early.”


However, the next moment, Qiao Yan threw these words back at him, “…But according to that logic, General, you shouldn’t be here either.”


Huangfu Song hesitated for a moment before replying, “I’m different.”


This statement was quite hypocritical.


Qiao Yan could actually guess what Huangfu Song was thinking at this moment.


What generals fear most might not be the lack of opportunities to achieve great deeds, but rather failing at the final stage of a long-term, multi-front campaign after having achieved significant results earlier.


Whether the previous victories can still be considered victories depends on the extent of the failure and the judgment of the current Son of Heaven.


Both of these factors are filled with too many uncertainties.


Compared to commanders like Zhu Jun, who come from humble backgrounds, Huangfu Song undoubtedly has more to worry about, given the expectations and responsibilities of his noble family.


“General, you are mistaken,” Qiao Yan straightened up and looked at Huangfu Song, “You don’t have an extra pair of hands, legs, or eyes compared to others. The difference between us might be that you have experienced far more battles than I have. Even if we both use clever methods to seize the city gate, the situation of accumulated experience versus on-the-spot testing is quite different. But when it comes to staying up late…”


Qiao Yan smiled, “I might be a bit stronger.”


Huangfu Song couldn’t help but cough.


Whether her emphasis was on the first half or the second half, and whether it was self-praise or a way to reassure him, Huangfu Song could understand.


He wasn’t sure whether to laugh at her comparison of staying up late or to feel more confident about the upcoming city gate assault due to her mention of accumulated experience.


But before he could figure it out, Qiao Yan added, “But the General is right. To avoid falling off my horse tomorrow, I think I should go back and rest early.”


This child, who hadn’t forgotten to bring a bodyguard for her nighttime horse stance practice, didn’t plan to say much more. It seemed she felt his presence had disturbed her late-night training. She waved at him and gestured to Dian Wei before running off towards the military tent.


…She didn’t even give Huangfu Song a chance to say, “Mind your noble demeanor.”


But he swallowed his words.


In the previous battle at Changshe, if the Yellow Turbans had won, the noble demeanor of the Ruying families would have been severely damaged by the chaos of war.


Instead, Qiao Yan’s way of living showed a vibrant, visible vitality.


That’s not bad.


[Why did you think of comforting Huangfu Song?] the system asked as Qiao Yan entered her resting tent.


Huangfu Song might not know, but the system felt Qiao Yan had intentionally appeared there.


Although she did have a pressing need to strengthen her leg muscles, this kind of training could be done anywhere.


Last-minute cramming wouldn’t be of much use for the upcoming Guangzong battle.


Unless something outrageous happened, like the Yellow Turbans not only seeing through their plan to use Zhang Bao as a decoy to seize the city gate but also counterattacking so fiercely that she had to flee on horseback.


The system wasn’t wrong; she was there for Huangfu Song.


This action had only been going on for two days.


Fortunately, her judgment wasn’t wrong; waiting for the rabbit had indeed caught the rabbit.


“A commander’s mental state can be seen in the tone of his orders. Fooling the Yellow Turban defenders at Ningjin did reduce Huangfu Song’s stress, but his anxiety has been increasing daily. It’s not just me; Cao Cao must have noticed too. I wanted to try my luck.”


The system heard Qiao Yan continue, “Although Huangfu Song isn’t exactly a lord, since he’s the commander for this city assault, let’s consider him half a lord. It’s said that a good relationship between ruler and minister is key, and top strategists are good at understanding their lord’s thoughts and offering comfort at the right time. I wonder if my actions—”


“Can earn me some strategist points?”


[Although you’re very dedicated, it seems not.] The system coldly shattered Qiao Yan’s fantasy.


It also informed her that there was no achievement like [Comforting the Lord Once] for her to unlock.


“Alright, I can understand that. But as long as it helps the battle go smoothly, that’s enough.”


Qiao Yan wasn’t too disappointed about not getting double rewards. She had other reasons for wanting to get along with Huangfu Song besides strategist points.


She was quite easygoing, and after returning to the tent, she wiped her face and lay down on the camp bed.


The tents were closely packed, and she didn’t consider herself delicate, nor did she ask Huangfu Song to arrange a separate tent for her.


It was late at night, and the snoring around her was quite loud.


Qiao Yan rolled over and wrapped herself in the blanket.


In any case, since she was in this chaotic late Han period, she shouldn’t expect luxury.


It’s either survive or die—simple as that.


She had been squatting in a horse stance to wait for Huangfu Song, exhausting her improved physique stat of 50. Now, she could just fall asleep and wake up at dawn.


But the next day, when she saw Huangfu Song again, she noticed his mental state had relaxed a bit compared to the previous night. However, she was surprised to hear from him that he was sending her to Lu Zhi with a group of his personal guards.


“In a siege, swords and arrows fly everywhere, and accidents are easy to happen. Lu Gong’s place is safer,” Huangfu Song said, “Besides, if we trick the city gate open, we’ll be short on manpower without the Northern Army’s five divisions. I originally intended to send Cao Cao to coordinate with Lu Gong, as he has met him before. But last night, I thought it might be better to send you.”


Huangfu Song had weighed his options.


When they reached Guangzong, to make Zhang Jiao believe that the seriously ill Zhang Bao was being escorted by his followers, Cao Cao’s eloquence would suffice.


As for Qiao Yan, he privately hoped she could make a good impression on Lu Zhi, so that when rewards were distributed after the battle, another commander could speak for her.


This blatant favoritism made Qiao Yan pause for a moment.


But before she could speak, Cao Cao interjected, “That’s right. Originally, I was the most noticeable in the army due to my height, but now that position goes to you. It’s better for you to go to Lu Gong’s place, niece.”


“…”


Cao Cao seemed oblivious to Qiao Yan’s speechlessness and continued, “People who practice archery need to focus on the target. If something particularly noticeable passes by, they’ll instinctively draw their bows. General Huangfu’s concern is valid.”


Qiao Yan rubbed her forehead and replied, “Uncle, if it comes to that, I’ll definitely hide under Zhang Bao’s bed first. Now that I don’t have to enter the city, this shield is yours.”


Cao Cao laughed heartily, “Good spot, truly a good spot. I shouldn’t have underestimated your quick wit.”


This banter somewhat blurred Huangfu Song’s obvious favoritism.


Qiao Yan couldn’t help but admire Cao Cao’s magnanimity.


However, she then turned to Huangfu Song and said, “Yan thanks the General for your kindness. Since you’ve entrusted me with the task of contacting the Northern General, I will set off for Quzhou today. But before I go, I have two things to say.”


Huangfu Song nodded for her to continue.


Qiao Yan said, “First, Zhang Jiao leads his followers through religious methods. This isn’t clear in Yanzhou and Yuzhou, but in Jizhou, his birthplace, it might be different.”


The Yellow Turban soldiers under Zhang Jiao, rumored to have drowned in the river—whether they died in the chaos of battle or, as some rumors say, committed suicide for Zhang Jiao’s Way of Great Peace—is unclear in historical records.


But as the first person to rally 300,000 followers, Qiao Yan dared not take any chances with the final battle, despite the smooth execution of the plan so far.


Extremists in later historical records often did unexpected things. Suicide attacks were the hardest to guard against.


They might not even follow the ancient rule of retreating after 10% casualties.


Huangfu Song’s past experience might lead him to make wrong judgments.


She bowed to Huangfu Song, “Please, General, do not let your guard down against any of Zhang Jiao’s close aides, and do not celebrate prematurely.”


Qiao Yan spoke gravely, and though Huangfu Song felt he wouldn’t make such a mistake, he seriously agreed and asked Cao Cao to remind him, lest he really stumble at the last hurdle.


“As for the second thing, if you have the chance to capture Zhang Jiao alive, please spare his life. Because—”


“A dead Zhang Jiao would become a spiritual symbol for the surviving Yellow Turbans, but a living Zhang Jiao has the chance to step down from his pedestal.”


After Qiao Yan said this, Huangfu Song and she exchanged glances.


Cao Cao felt there was some unspoken communication between them, likely related to the people Qiao Yan had previously sent out.


But the two默契ly didn’t mention it, only seeing Huangfu Song reply, “I understand. If possible, I will try to capture him alive. You may go now.”


Qiao Yan didn’t hesitate and turned to leave the tent.


She had initially worried that her presence might cause a butterfly effect, so she wanted to follow Huangfu Song’s troops into Guangzong.


But Huangfu Song’s protection made sense.


Whether she was more likely to have an accident in the chaos or Huangfu Song and Lu Zhi’s joint operation was more dangerous wasn’t hard to figure out.


She called Lu Yuan, Cheng Li, and Dian Wei, along with the troops Huangfu Song assigned to her, and after agreeing on the攻城 date with Huangfu Song, they headed straight for Quzhou.


Given the difference from the usual Yellow Turban movements, she chose to travel by night and rest by day. On the third night, they arrived at Lu Zhi’s camp, avoiding Yellow Turban patrols.


And now, two days before the agreed time for Lu Zhi to send troops, it was just the right moment.


Lu Zhi…


Another legendary figure of the late Han.


Every general has their unique style when organizing defenses.


Qiao Yan arrived under the stars, and though the moonlight didn’t allow her to see Lu Zhi’s camp clearly, the outer defenses gave her a rough idea of his style.


Unlike Huangfu Song, who rose from the borderlands, Lu Zhi was stern and upright, fitting more into the category of a scholarly general, as seen in his deeply fortified camp.


Compared to the fiery aggression of the Yellow Turbans, it was almost hard to tell which side was the attacker.


But defense can also be a form of attack.


Lu Zhi clearly understood the impatience accumulated from the hastily launched Yellow Turban rebellion, and he knew that as long as this stubborn rock held its ground, the Yellow Turbans in Jizhou couldn’t advance westward.


And once the opportunity arose, he would strike back with thunderous force.


Qiao Yan circled the camp from a distance, getting a sense of Lu Zhi’s solid布置, then led her horse towards the main gate.


But before reaching the gate, she saw a line of torches approaching in the night, intercepting her.


She and Huangfu Song’s guards were dressed in Han army uniforms, so the approaching troops, though not seeing clearly in the dark, could tell they weren’t Yellow Turban bandits and simply shouted, “Halt!”


Perhaps due to Lu Zhi’s influence, Qiao Yan heard the sound of bows being drawn in the night but saw the cavalry had already spread out and stopped at a safe distance.


This was a safe position for both sides.


Qiao Yan held a small shield, ready to raise it, and pulled the reins to stop her group.


The next moment, she heard the voice from the other side, “Who goes there? State your name. Night patrol, apologies for any offense.”


She replied, “Under the Left General, Yanzhou’s Qiao Yan, here to deliver a message to Lu Gong. To avoid the Moth Bandits knowing of our arrival, we came at night. Please inform him.”


This statement made the other side pause.


Under the Left General?


Huangfu Song’s subordinate?


It was possible for Huangfu Song to send someone, but—


The Lu Zhi troops looked at each other, sure they hadn’t misheard—the voice from the other side was that of a very young child.


This didn’t match their idea of a subordinate.


But the other party firmly claimed to be under Huangfu Song, and it didn’t seem like a lie.


This was indeed an unexpected visitor.


“What do you think, Xuande?” they asked their leader.


In the torchlight, the leader’s face was illuminated, showing a young, amiable man with notably long ears, giving him a friendly appearance.


After a moment of thought, he replied, “If the Yellow Turbans were attacking, they wouldn’t choose a child as their leader. After all, Huangfu Song’s son, Huangfu Jianshou, is already of age and doesn’t look like this. My teacher also never mentioned any unusually young subordinates under the Left General. So it’s likely a genuine subordinate of General Huangfu. I’ll go meet them.”


The man called Xuande dismounted and approached Qiao Yan’s group.


As he came closer, the torchlight steadied, no longer swaying with the horse’s movement, allowing Qiao Yan to see his face clearly.


Her eyebrows twitched slightly.


The man, besides his distinctive ear lobes, had arms that reached his knees, and she naturally didn’t miss the name “Xuande” that others had called him.


This immediately brought to mind one person.


Liu Bei, the Emperor of Shu Han!


Sure enough, the next moment she saw him bow and, facing Dian Wei who had drawn his halberd, calmly say:


“Under the Northern General, Troop Commander Liu Bei, invites you to enter the camp gate and wait. We will inform the General immediately.”