novelSusiti Chapter 39: Imitating the Northern Army, Selecting and Recruiting Strong and Brave Warriors
Chapter 39: Imitating the Northern Army, Selecting and Recruiting Strong and Brave Warriors
Given Zhang Fei's impetuous nature, he was bound to be impatient upon realizing that he might have missed a truly big fish.
His eyes were bloodshot, and he immediately spurred his horse, grabbed his spear, and mustered three hundred Wuhuan cavalrymen to pursue them northward along the Zhang River.
Even Liu Bei couldn't persuade him; he could only watch as he disappeared into the vast expanse of routed soldiers.
Liu Bei simply let him go, while he ordered Guan Yu, Zhao Yun, and others to take advantage of this time to gather the surrendered soldiers and take stock of the battle results.
In this battle, he decisively defeated the Yellow Turbans, capturing tens of thousands of prisoners and countless others who drowned in the river.
More importantly, it contains a large number of elite Yellow Turban warriors and countless military supplies and equipment left behind, which need to be inventoried over time.
It wasn't until the afternoon of the following day that Zhang Fei led his cavalry back. He was covered in dust, and even his horse, Wuzhui, was so exhausted that it was foaming at the mouth.
As soon as he entered the camp gate, he dismounted and slammed his beloved eighteen-foot spear into the ground. Then he sat down heavily on the hitching post next to the gate, head down, and remained silent for a long time.
When Liu Bei heard the news, he rushed over and, seeing his appearance, knew the outcome.
Zhang Fei raised his head, his leopard eyes bloodshot, his face full of frustration, and said, "Brother! I chased him along the Zhang River for dozens of miles, all the way to the walls of Guangzong City, but I couldn't find any trace of that Great Teacher of Virtue. In the end, that fellow still managed to escape."
Liu Bei intended to offer words of comfort, but upon hearing them, he was utterly stunned.
He grabbed Zhang Fei's arm and hurriedly asked, "Third brother, what you just said... is it true? Zhang Jiao escaped and is not in Guangzong?"
Zhang Fei, puzzled, looked up and said, "It is true. I led several hundred cavalry to the city, but the city gate was tightly closed, there were few banners on the city wall, and the guards were scattered. It did not look like there was a large army stationed there."
"When the defeated troops below the city saw my iron cavalry besieging the city, they all scattered in a panic. I circled the city once, but I did not find any trace of the Great Teacher."
He grew increasingly puzzled as he spoke, his leopard-like eyes widening as he retorted, "Didn't you, elder brother, assert that the Yellow Turbans would definitely go to Guangzong? Then why didn't the Great Teacher of Virtue go?"
Liu Bei released his arm, took two steps back, and sat directly on the hitching post.
Did Zhang Jiao not go to Guangzong?
Moreover, Guangzong City was poorly defended, and the bandits numbered less than 10,000.
Wouldn't that mean the Han army could take the city in one fell swoop?
Guangzong—that's Guangzong!
Historically, Zhang Jiao fled to this city and led more than 100,000 people to occupy it.
Lu Zhi was implicated in the long siege of this city, but failed to capture it. He was then framed by the eunuchs and imprisoned in a prison cart and sent back to Luoyang.
Huangfu Song led tens of thousands of elite northern troops in a bitter battle for several months. Only after Zhang Jiao died and the morale of the Yellow Turban army was low did he manage to capture the city.
A fortified city that held off two generals and tens of thousands of royal troops—his third brother just said that a few hundred iron cavalry surrounded the city, and the bandits fled at the mere sight of them.
Doesn't this mean that his mentor Lu Zhi's arduous path in suppressing the rebellion could very well be completely reversed?
Thinking of this, Liu Bei cupped Zhang Fei's round face, which was covered in dust and bloodstains, in his hands and rubbed it hard, wishing he could kiss it a few times.
"Third brother! You are truly my lucky charm!"
Having said that, he abruptly stood up and strode towards the central command tent: "Order the entire army—to set off immediately, at double speed, and rush from Hoshino to Hirozong!"
"Send another messenger to inform Commander Lu that our army has captured Zhang Liang and is about to break through the bandit's lair. Please come and join us immediately!"
Zhang Feibao's eyes widened as he realized what was happening. He jumped up and followed Liu Bei, excitedly asking, "Brother, have I performed a great service this time? How will the imperial court reward me?"
Liu Bei smiled and nodded, his admiration undisguised, and said, "Third Brother, in this battle, you personally captured the enemy leader and also probed the enemy's strengths and weaknesses. Your achievements are enough to make you the greatest in the entire army."
"But how to record military achievements is a matter of great importance."
"Let's not even talk about the merit of probing the enemy's strength and weakness, but the merit of capturing the enemy general is obvious! I personally captured Zhang Liang, what's so special about that?" Zhang Feibao's eyes widened as he followed closely beside Liu Bei, looking completely puzzled.
Liu Bei laughed and said, "If the commander were stubborn and wanted to claim all the credit, a victory report would have been written. Thanks to Your Majesty's divine might, I, as the commander-in-chief at Quliang, personally donned armor and led the three armies to a great victory over Zhang Jiao. The rebel army was routed. I then sent a detachment to ambush them at the Zhang River, where they were utterly defeated, with over ten thousand heads taken and the false general Zhang Liang captured alive. The rebel leader Zhang Jiao barely escaped with his life. I have already led my troops to besiege the rebel stronghold of Guangzong, and it will surely be captured in a few days."
"As for the detour of a hundred miles, the ambush by a lone army, and the bloody battle halfway across the river, these are all just mentioned in passing by the general's strategic planning and the dispatch of a detachment to provide support. Not even a word is mentioned about which unit that detachment was or what the general's name was."
"Even if my third brother's great achievement is worth mentioning, it can only be summed up in one sentence: the knight Zhang Yide captured Zhang Liang."
Zhang Fei's anger surged, his eyes widened, and he was about to explode when Liu Bei laughed and said, "But Third Brother, you can rest assured. The commander-in-chief is my mentor, and he would never act in such a way. Yide's merit is the greatest, and it will soon reach the Emperor's ears."
Zhang Fei then suppressed his anger and asked urgently, "How will General Lu make his move?"
Liu Bei did not reply, but laughed and said, "Making you read more books seems like I'm trying to harm you."
"If you study history, why would you need to ask me this?"
After speaking, he went directly into the camp and began to deploy the army for a swift march.
Zhang Fei was impatient and had no time to read history books. He turned around and went to find Jian Yong, grabbing his sleeve: "Xianhe! You're well-read, tell me—how do you think General Lu will write about my military achievements?"
Jian Yong was so shaken that he almost dropped his feather fan, and waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "Yide, let go! Let go! Rong Yong thinks—"
He waved his feather fan, paused for a moment, and then replied unhurriedly, "In my opinion, Lu Zhonglang is a great Confucian scholar of our time, resolute and principled, and his achievements are certainly not undeserved. His report of victory will likely be written like this—"
He cleared his throat, mimicking the tone of a memorial to the throne, and recited with a swaying head: "Your Majesty, I commanded the army to suppress the rebels, and dispatched my military advisor Liu Bei with elite troops to outflank the enemy and ambush them at the Zhang River. Liu Bei personally braved arrows and stones, leading the charge, and decisively defeated Zhang Jiao's routed army. His cavalryman Zhang Yide killed several rebel generals in battle and captured General Zhang Liang. The rebel army was thus terrified and could no longer organize itself. Thanks to Your Majesty's divine might and the soldiers' valiant efforts, we were able to conquer Guangzong."
Jian Yong closed his feather fan, gently patted Zhang Fei's shoulder, and laughed, "In this way, the credit for strategic planning goes to Lu Zhonglang, the merit of charging into battle goes to our lord, and the bravery of slaying generals and capturing flags goes to Yide. Everyone gets what they deserve—how about it? Are you satisfied?"
Zhang Fei was overjoyed and grinned, saying repeatedly, "Satisfied! Satisfied! Now that Xianhe has said that, I feel at ease!"
This is the difference between having connections in the court and being a direct subordinate of the main general.
Otherwise, even if they did something earth-shattering, it would only be recorded as a few words in history books, such as at Mawei Post Station, where the knight Zhang Xiaojing shot Guo Zhong down from his horse.
As Lu Zhi's disciple, Liu Bei's relationship with him was that of a close confidant, making him a true confidant.
If Lu Zhi were ambitious, he wouldn't even need to achieve much merit; he would proactively share credit with his disciples to cultivate his own faction and support.
Therefore, upon hearing of Liu Bei's great victory and the encirclement of Guangzong, Lu Zhi personally led 20,000 elite troops to the scene on the third day.
As the gate opened, Lu Zhi strode in. Upon seeing Liu Bei, he grasped his hand and laughed loudly, "Xuande! This battle was a great victory, and it is all your doing. I have already sent a messenger to Luoyang to announce your outstanding contribution!"
The deputy general standing beside Lu Zhi, Zong Yuan, the Protector of the Wuhuan, was filled with jealousy and resentment, and held Liu Bei, a commoner, in utter contempt.
Upon hearing this, he immediately retorted angrily, "We personally braved arrows and stones, scaled the city walls and faced perilous dangers to defeat Zhang Jiao. This disciple of Lu Zhonglang, who only managed to capture Zhang Liang by chance, deserves the title of the greatest contributor?"
Zhang Fei deeply respected his elder brother and would never tolerate anyone uttering a single word against him.
Upon hearing this, he flew into a rage, transforming into a fiercely protective brother. He drew his sword and roared, "Back then, we bravely risked our lives, volunteering to lead the charge into enemy territory against overwhelming odds. Where were you then? Now that we have won a great victory, you come here to cause trouble again. What kind of logic is this?"
Liu Bei raised his hand to stop Zhang Fei's furious outburst, then bowed deeply to Lu Zhi, saying, "My esteemed teacher is wise. In the battle of Zhangshui, the greatest credit undoubtedly belongs to you, my esteemed teacher. How could I dare to overstep my bounds?"
He straightened up, met Lu Zhi's slightly scrutinizing gaze, and calmly said, "My esteemed master commanded the troops at Quliang, personally leading the three armies to crush Zhang Jiao's main force. The enemy was terrified and fled north in panic. If it weren't for my esteemed master's strategic planning, which exhausted the enemy and made them run for their lives, there would have been no opportunity to prepare an ambush at the Zhang River."
"This battle was a great victory. We defeated tens of thousands of enemy troops at the Zhang River, killed or captured more than 60,000, and countless others drowned in the river. The bandit leader Zhang Jiao barely escaped with his life. All of this was thanks to my master's strategic planning. I merely relied on my master's prestige to take advantage of the situation and gather the defeated troops."
"My esteemed teacher was jointly recommended by the four ministries and led the expedition with the imperial insignia, bearing the hopes of the entire nation. Today, with this decisive victory, he has lived up to the heavy trust placed in him by the court and the expectations of the four ministries—this is the true meaning of righteousness."
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhi stroked his beard in admiration, becoming even more satisfied with his disciple!
Upon hearing the words "jointly recommended by the four prefectures," all the generals present became slightly solemn and dared not raise any further objections.
The so-called Four Offices refer to Grand Commandant Deng Sheng, Minister of Works Yuan Wei, Minister of Public Works Zhang Ji, and General-in-Chief He Jin!
The four prefectures jointly discussed and nominated one person as general, which was the highest recognition from the imperial court—the elite troops of the North and South armies, the cavalry of the Three Rivers region, and the soldiers of the prefectures throughout the land were all entrusted to one person.
It would have been impossible to receive this honor without the combined support of the government and the public, and without both the reputation and the merit.
This is both an honor and a heavy burden. If we win, all four government offices will share in the glory; if we lose, all four government offices will bear the responsibility together.
Liu Bei's words, attributing the greatest credit to his mentor, were precisely to vindicate his mentor.
His decisive victory over Zhang Jiao in one battle, defeating over 100,000 enemy soldiers and capturing or killing over 60,000, is sufficient proof that he lived up to the trust placed in him by the court and the expectations of the people!
Lu Zhi, of course, returned the favor, stepping forward to help Liu Bei up, and then said with great emotion, "Xuande is truly a loyal and kind man. Since Xuande has such a heart, I, as his teacher, should live in harmony with him and share the credit with all the generals and soldiers!"
"The small city of Guangzong will be handed over to the generals to take. Xuande has already made great contributions, so he will take charge of logistics first and rest for a while."
Be like the light!
Hearing those four words again today, Liu Bei found them incredibly pleasing to the ear.
Indeed, people don't hate their commanders for favoring their own faction; they only hate that they aren't part of the faction themselves.
The arduous task of conquering cities and capturing strongholds was left to others, while he was put in charge of logistics. This was truly a great favor.
After all, in this battle, they captured thousands of carts, oxen, horses, donkeys, and mules, and returned with mountains of supplies and troops.
With countless surrendered soldiers, brave warriors, fine horses, and heavy armor, he was entrusted with the task of reorganizing them. Wasn't that his mentor's way of compensating him for his contributions?
Liu Bei immediately bowed and thanked his teacher, saying, "I am deeply grateful for your trust and guidance. I will certainly live up to your expectations and handle the matter properly."
Lu Zhi reached out to help him up, but his smile vanished. Looking at his prized disciple, he slowly said, "Xuande, don't think this is an easy task. Sixty thousand surrendered soldiers are no small matter."
"Daily food and fodder consumption is countless, and supplies cannot be maintained. Hidden within the ranks are numerous die-hards and those with ulterior motives. If mishandled, at best, there will be widespread starvation and countless deaths; at worst, mutiny and rebellion will ensue. What do you intend to do?"
Liu Bei's expression turned solemn, and he replied with a straight posture, "I have been pondering what my esteemed teacher is concerned about for a long time now."
Lu Zhi looked up at him: "What did you gain?"
Liu Bei said with emotion, "The Book of Documents says, 'Kill the ringleader, and let those who are coerced into following go unpunished.' This is the teaching of the sages. The ringleader must be punished, but those who are coerced into following should be spared and not all killed."
"In the past, Bai Qi buried 400,000 Zhao soldiers alive at Changping. Although he defeated Zhao in one battle, he regretted it on his deathbed, saying: 'I deceived them and buried them all alive. This is enough to warrant my death.' So he committed suicide at Duyou."
"Li Guang served as the governor of Longxi. He lured and killed eight hundred surrendered Qiang people. He never received a title in his lifetime and lamented, 'No calamity is greater than killing those who have surrendered.' These are all lessons from the past. The ancients did not deceive us."
At this point, Liu Bei stood up, his tone becoming increasingly solemn: "Therefore, I believe that if we kill surrendered soldiers after defeating the enemy, Heaven will abhor it. The Han Dynasty ruled the world with the virtue of fire, inheriting the mandate of Yao, and valuing benevolence and virtue. If we kill surrendered soldiers now, it will harm the harmony of Heaven and damage the fortune of the nation, which is not a blessing for the country."
Seeing that Lu Zhi was still hesitant, Liu Bei continued, "The great traitor Zhang Jiao is still alive. If we were to massacre all 60,000 surrendered soldiers today, the news would spread, and the garrison in Guangzong would be filled with fear. Who would be willing to open the city gates and surrender? In the cities of Quyang and Yingtao, they would face certain death whether they surrendered or fought, and would fight to the death to defend them. At that time, even though our royal army is numerous, it will be unable to advance an inch. I hope my esteemed teacher will consider this carefully."
After listening, Lu Zhi looked at his disciple with admiration, feeling a surge of emotions.
Back when he was teaching in Zhuojun, Liu Bei was just a young man who didn't enjoy reading much. Now, he can quote the Book of Documents to discuss martial virtue, citing Bai Qi and Li Guang as examples, analyzing them in detail and pointing straight to the point.
This is no longer merely the talent of a general—but the magnanimity to govern a region and oversee the overall situation.
If we wait until the moth bandits are pacified, perhaps we can appoint him as a regional governor or prime minister, placing him among the regional officials!
"Good!" Lu Zhi was even more satisfied, stroking his beard and smiling, "Since Xuande already has a strategy in mind, you shall handle this matter entirely. I will take full responsibility for you, so there is no need to worry."
Liu Bei immediately bowed and thanked him. After Lu Zhi went to supervise the attack on the city, he decisively led his troops to supervise the mountain of military supplies and the surrendered soldiers scattered all over the mountains and fields!
Among the 60,000 surrendered soldiers, the one he valued most was the Yellow Turban Warriors, who had once fought fiercely against the Jing Sai Iron Cavalry and inflicted heavy losses on the Han army.
That was a fierce and elite force selected from hundreds of thousands, even millions, of Yellow Turbans. If it weren't for repeated defeats and exhaustion, the Jingse Iron Cavalry might not have been able to break through them.
He stood on a high platform, looking down at the dark mass of surrendered soldiers below, and had already made up his mind.
After all, reading history makes one wise, and there are clear examples of this in historical records.
When Xie Xuan was stationed in Guangling during the Eastern Jin Dynasty, he recruited brave and strong men from among the refugees. He obtained fierce warriors such as Liu Laozhi, He Qian, Zhuge Kan, Gao Heng, Liu Gui, Tian Luo, and Sun Wuzhong, who were known as the "Northern Army".
In the Battle of Fei River, eight thousand elite troops from the Northern Army decisively defeated more than two hundred thousand Qin soldiers, shaking the entire world.
During the Wei and Jin dynasties, there were also refugees from Bingzhou who, in order to survive, gathered together to form an army, calling themselves "Beggars of Life." These people fought to survive, were fearless of death, and roamed the Central Plains for decades.
Ran Min was a descendant of Ran Zhan, a general of the Qihuo Army. He also defeated the Jie Hu in Hebei and became famous throughout the world.
The Northern Army and the Beggar Army were almost identical in number, consisting of displaced people.
Their essence is exactly the same: select brave and strong men, provide them with generous support, bind them with kindness, and encourage them with righteousness, so that they know for whom they fight and why they die.
These 60,000 surrendered soldiers before us are the perfect candidates for the Northern Army and the Beggars' Sect.
They were originally starving people gathered by the Way of Peace through the belief in talismanic water. Now that Zhang Jiao has been defeated and fled, the dream of the Yellow Heaven has been shattered, and people are filled with fear and do not know where to go.
If someone were to give them food, a way to survive, and a chance to start anew, these people would no longer be Yellow Turban rebels, but Liu Bei's most valiant and skilled private army, a group of brave and fierce soldiers!
Once Liu Bei established the rules, their implementation proceeded smoothly.
After all, Liu Bei now has a wealth of talented people under his command, both in terms of civil and military affairs.
Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Cheng Pu, Qian Zhao, and others were all excellent generals, and recruiting strong and brave men was a piece of cake for them.
Sure enough, the good news came the day after the selection began.
Among the surrendered soldiers was a brave warrior named Zhou Cang, who was selected for his fierceness! He was originally a strongman under General Zhang Liang, who was over eight feet tall, with a face as black as charcoal, and had unparalleled strength. He could carry a hundred-pound suit of armor and travel a hundred miles a day.
On the day of the selection, a captured warhorse in the camp was startled, and dozens of stablemen could not get close. Zhou Cang strode forward and pulled the galloping horse back.
Then, he grabbed one horse with each arm and forcefully pinned the two wild horses to the ground, their hooves kicking but unable to move an inch.
When Guan Yu came to inspect the area, Zhou Cang prostrated himself and pleaded, "General Guan's divine might has long impressed me. I wish to hold the whip and stirrups and lead the horse for you."
Guan Yu admired his bravery and took him in as a subordinate.