The Romance of the Three Kingdoms: Lu Bu is good at being filial

Chapter 9

＜ The Spring of Luoyang (3) ＞

Leading the Bingzhou army, we moved towards Luoyang, starting from the garden.

Clop, clop.

As we walked along the fairly wide mountain path, I carried a halberd on my shoulder and held the reins.

Walking.

In fact, it was the horse that was moving, but since the horse was not running and just walking slowly forward, it wouldn’t be strange to say I was walking.

‘Even though I have become a soldier, marching every time is a bit much.’

I know that walking is good for health, but this body is full of vitality and doesn’t need to be trained through marching.

Indeed, a heavenly physique.

With such a body, it’s not that I don’t walk because I’m lazy, but to preserve my strength.

And if there’s another reason…

“Whoa, whoa.”

I briefly pull the reins.

The horse stopped, and I looked back.

“General. Is there something wrong?”

One of the captains approaches.

“Captain Song Sam.”

“Yes, General.”

He is the third son of the Jin Yang-seong Song family and one of the captains.

Unfortunately for him, he is not related to Song Heon.

“There is no problem at all.”

Song Sam points behind him.

All the other captains and soldiers have stopped in their tracks, lined up in rows and columns, but their eyes are looking this way with expressions that say, ‘Is something wrong?’

“I was just checking their physical condition. Telling them to walk a bit slower while enjoying the mountain air.”

“You don’t need to worry about us, General. The Byungju army won’t falter from such a march.”

“I’m not always such a considerate person, you know.”

“There you go again. Aren’t you someone who makes consideration a habit? You can increase the speed a bit more.”

“Alright. I just have some thoughts to ponder, so you adjust the soldiers’ pace.”

“Understood!”

The captains return to their positions.

With the clattering sound of armor, the captains run around checking the soldiers’ condition.

‘I wish we had more horses.’

Since no one is riding a horse, there was a slight feeling of guilt.

‘Should I have just asked for the cavalry’s standard?’

Out of the 7,000 Byungju soldiers, 1,500 are cavalry.

All of them are elite cavalry who can run through the mountains like tigers, as long as the path isn’t too narrow.

Horses are expensive strategic resources.

Not just any horse, but warhorses that don’t get scared by enemy arrows and charge forward are even harder to raise.

That’s why it’s difficult to train cavalry, and among the generals, whoever becomes the cavalry commander is determined by salary rank.

Who is the current cavalry commander of the Byungju army?

Jeong Won.

He entrusted me with training the soldiers, establishing and managing the unit, but he kept the cavalry unit that the three of us, including Song Hu-wi, trained together under his command.

He pressed his helmet down to hide his gray hair and advanced at the forefront with the support of other captains.

Seeing that, I felt a bit sorry for him.

‘The old man is desperately trying to get into the court somehow.’

What if I had led these soldiers?

Ah.

Then we wouldn’t have come down here at all.

“General, what are you thinking about so deeply by yourself again?”

“Why are we heading to the capital? It was a foolish thought.”

My lieutenant, Hu-seong, who is responsible for leading a thousand infantry, rode his horse towards me.

“More importantly, what about your unit? Why are you here?”

“Of course, I came because I thought the general might be lonely. It’s fine. My subordinates are capable on their own.”

“They won’t make any mistakes, will they?”

“The general might make mistakes.”

“Me?”

“Yes. Mostly… rudeness?”

“…….”

Am I, who was born in the land of courtesy in the East, being called rude?

“That’s just an attitude towards those who don’t deserve courtesy.”

“But isn’t it possible to have prejudices based on someone’s appearance? Was it… physiognomy?”

“Physiognomy is-“

Science.

“It has never been wrong.”

“Yes. I know that you have quite a talent for judging people by their faces. But just because someone is in the court, it doesn’t mean that if they have a greedy and evil-looking face, they are a high-ranking official or something.”

“So?”

“Let’s talk on the way. About the court. Let’s discuss in advance so that we don’t make any big mistakes when we get to Luoyang.”

“Talk?”

“Yes, about the court. Let’s figure out who we are going to bow to, leading these seven thousand soldiers.”

“It must be He Jin.”

I can assert that.

“That proud old monster bowing to the eunuchs? Nonsense.”

“But the one who came last time, Zhang Yang, went under the eunuch Jian Shuo.”

“Who knows. He might be trying to play both sides, or he might have intended to betray the eunuchs from the beginning.”

Even in the age of capitalism, there are industrial spies. How could there be no spies in the central politics of this era?

“It is done. Zhang Liao will inform you where the garden intends to align itself, and once you arrive, there will be those who cling to you. When you go to Luoyang, find someone who can write well in your stead.”

“But how can a country bumpkin like me from Bingzhou find someone in Luoyang?”

“I have prepared some stipends for you on the way.”

I took a pouch from my bosom and handed it to Housheng.

“Keep it. With that, go to the tavern, hold a banquet, and listen to what people say. They will tell you.”

“Tell me what?”

“Someone who can work for us.”

* * *

“Lord Shunyu. I have been looking for someone like you for a long time.”

“……..”

Despite Yuan Shao’s hospitality, Shunyu rarely relaxed.

“What are you so wary of? Because I am one of the Eight School Lieutenants? Although the leader is the eunuch Jian Shi, I am-“

“You are not the strategist of Grand General He Jin.”

“I wouldn’t call myself a trickster, but rather a loyalist who advises on what is just for this country.”

“So you want to draw me into your camp?”

“I have heard of it from long ago.”

Yuan Shao pointed to a Go board set up on one side of the banquet hall.

“I have heard that Master Gongda, in addition to his scholarly pursuits, has long had a great interest in the military.”

“…….”

“On the Go board-“

“Let’s cut to the chase.”

Interrupting Yuan Shao’s words, Shunyu emptied his cup in one gulp.

“Are you trying to use me as a strategist to eliminate the eunuch faction?”

“……Hahaha.”

Yuan Shao laughed lowly and withdrew his hand pointing to the Go board.

“You are more spirited than I thought. Good. Please, won’t you join us with that spirit?”

Instead, he clasped his hands together and bowed slightly.

“Now is the only chance to expel the eunuchs who have blinded the emperor and disrupted the court.”

“…….”

“Now that the new emperor has ascended the throne and the power of the eunuchs has weakened. Now that General He Jin has secured some military authority. And now that people like me and Cao Mengde among the subordinates of the Eight Guards of the Western Garden also share General He Jin’s intentions!”

“…….”

“This is an opportunity to drive out the muddy currents of the court and make this country clear and blue. The foundation will come from your wisdom.”

“……You want me to devise a strategy.”

Sun Yu filled his cup again.

“Why insist on me?”

“Well-“

“Is it to gather more people to wield swords against the eunuchs, or to extend a hand in advance in case I become your enemy?”

“…….”

“If you answer truthfully, I will also answer sincerely. Let me ask.”

Sun Yu filled his cup to the brim and asked.

“Heishan bandits. Was it your doing?”

“……Hehe.”

Yuan Shao also filled his cup to the brim.

“What are you talking about?”

“I heard that you often visit General He Jin’s residence. You seem to move secretly, but General He Jin is not that meticulous.”

“…….”

“Of course, I think you also know that. The problem is not that you visited General He Jin, but the content of the conversation you had there.”

“My conversation with General He Jin was just-“

“Fabrication.”

Sun Yu drank his cup in one go and filled it again.

“Let me ask one last time. I’ll be direct. Disguising soldiers as Heishan bandits to cause a disturbance, overturning public opinion on the eunuchs’ appeasement policy, and summoning local warlords to Luoyang under General He Jin’s command to eliminate the Heishan bandits. This, is this your strategy?”

“…….”

“Everyone knows General He Jin’s background. I’m not looking down on his humble origins, but this kind of method is not something General He Jin could easily come up with.”

“Humble origins.”

Yuan Shao twisted his lips as he raised his cup.

“…It seems I cannot join forces with you, Mr. Gongda.”

“How can I join forces with those who sacrifice innocent commoners to seize power?”

“So, are you going to report me?”

“…….”

Sunyu tightly gripped the empty glass.

“Can you do it?”

“…….”

“If it is the right thing to do, why don’t you report it?”

“Because there is no evidence.”

Sunyu’s eyes trembled.

“Even if what I have grasped aligns with the truth, without evidence, you will ultimately turn it into a delusion in your mind.”

“Yes, that’s right. Of course, I didn’t disguise the soldiers as bandits.”

“…….”

“Sir, pursuing righteousness is certainly a noble thing, but how can the world be corrected by only doing the right thing? If you seek purity, let me ask you one thing in return.”

Yuan Shao’s smile disappeared.

“Someone has to get their hands dirty, and someone has to clean up the filth. Isn’t that right?”

“That is….”

“Even if some filth gets on you, as long as you clean it up in the end, isn’t that enough?”

“But the filth will still be on your body, won’t it?”

“Not on the body, but on the clothes.”

Yuan Shao smiled again and raised his glass.

“Filth can be washed away. As long as others see you in a clean state, that’s enough.”

“…….”

“Will you become an enemy?”

“I cannot join you….”

Did he drink it without realizing it?

“I will not use my head for the eunuchs who reek of rotten stench.”

Sunyu looked at the empty glass and answered weakly.

“How empty.”

* * *

“Captain, the pouch is empty.”

“…….”

“Very empty. There’s nothing but dust.”

Huseong pointed inside the empty pouch, opening it wide.

“Do you regret it?”

“No. I do not regret it.”

The plan to buy drinks for others at the inn in Luoyang and look for talent ended with the depletion of funds.

“General.”

Zhang Liao came to the tent.

“A man claiming to be the representative of the boatmen from Yawang County has come to see you.”

“To see the garden?”

“No, to see you, General.”

When Zhang Liao lifted the tent flap, a shabby old man approached and prostrated himself before me.

“The undefeated warrior of Bingzhou-“

“Just call me General.”

“To see the General, I- Oh dear.”

I immediately approached the old man, helped him up, and brought a chair to place behind him.

“Sit down.”

“Yes, yes? But….”

“My father always told me to respect the elderly. Although we do not share blood, if your son were here, he would have done the same.”

“Ah…. As expected of the undefeated General of Bingzhou.”

The old man bowed his head deeply.

“I am the representative of the Boatmen’s Union of Yawang County. I have come to thank you for the funds you provided us this time.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Part of the activity funds from Luoyang.

“It must have been insufficient.”

“Oh no, what are you saying? How could we not be grateful for such support when we couldn’t even collect the fare?”

Those funds went to the boatmen who helped our 7,000 Bingzhou soldiers cross the Yellow River.

Swimming across the Yellow River?

Nonsense.

‘We must cross by boat.’

There is no such thing as the Yellow River Bridge.

I have never seen the Yangtze River, but they say it is as wide as the sea, and it is no exaggeration.

So, boats were absolutely necessary.

Jeongwon requested support for troop transport from the Saye Commandant, and the Saye Commandant ordered the magistrate of Yawang County, who was in charge of the place where we would cross the river, to do his best to assist.

And so, the magistrate of Yawang County mobilized boats from all over.

Unpaid mobilization. Requisition.

It was only natural, as it was carried out according to military orders, but the small port of Yawang County did not have enough boats to safely transport the 7,000 soldiers.

So the magistrate of Yawang County mobilized more.

From the civilians.

As the troops had to cross the Yellow River quickly, even fishing boats that could barely carry dozens of people were all mobilized to transport the soldiers.

Without pay.

“Originally, the magistrate should have taken care of it….”

“He will take care of it. Aren’t they mobilized according to military law?”

“……General.”

The representative smiled bitterly.

“This is not Bingzhou.”

It is Saye Province.

But it is not hard to catch the meaning behind it.

“If you need anything, please let us know. At least we will do our best for the general. Then….”

“Thank you. Munwon. Escort him.”

“Yes, General.”

When I helped the old man up, Jangryo took the old man outside.

“Hoosung.”

“Yes, General.”

“Is it strange to pay compensation for requisitioning resources from civilians for military purposes?”

“Usually, almost never.”

Hoosung replied, putting the empty pouch into his bosom.

“The ‘reward for labor’ that the general speaks of is also unreasonable. Wherever you go, it is only natural for the people to be mobilized for the state’s affairs.”

“Natural, you say.”

“There would be minimal compensation. Even if it’s just a pittance. But isn’t this an emergency situation? If it were just crossing the river, it would be one thing, but since it’s an army supporting the capital, it’s only natural to move without pay.”

“If I were in that position, I would be very upset.”

“That old man would be upset too. But what can we do? That’s the way of the world. This is not Bingzhou.”

Bingzhou is the frontier.

“The people of Byeongju also thought it strange at first, the general’s such consideration. They wondered if this money was perhaps usury.”

“Good grief.”

“So, more and more people are trying to take advantage of the general. I know the general is a snob, but if he only acts like a good person externally, he will be seen as a good-natured fool in their eyes.”

“Good grief.”

So, things that are a little different from the world’s logic that Huseong speaks of are also spreading.

“Enough. If acting that way makes me feel at ease, that’s all that matters.”

“We call such a person a good-natured person….”

“General Ye!”

In the middle of the conversation with Huseong, Jangryo came running urgently.

Look at his expression.

Seeing Jangryo’s thick eyebrows raised-

“Is it an attack?”

“It’s the Heuksan bandits! We discovered a large group of bandits in the direction of Aneup-hyeon, to the west! Their number is… about 5,000!”

Battle begins.

“But why is your face so red?”

“General Jeongwon has finished preparing for the crossing, so proceed without delay…!”

“…….?”

What?

“General, for now-“

“Hey, hey!! Munwon!! Stop the general─!!”

Forward, walking.

With a feeling as if something snapped in my head.

“…When you go to the court-“

Laughter is heard from the barracks.

The soldiers standing on either side tense up as soon as they see me.

A faint smell of alcohol wafts from inside.

“Here, general.”

“Move aside.”

“That is-“

“I won’t say it twice.”

The soldiers guarding the front of the barracks stepped aside at my words, and I entered.

“What is this commotion-“

“Lu Bu?! Wh-why all of a sudden…?!”

Jing Yuan and the captains were drinking.

Along with dishes that seemed to be made from freshwater fish caught near the Yellow River.

“Deploy.”

I grabbed the neck of the bottle upside down.

It was already half-empty, so it wasn’t difficult to hold.

“Orders.”

“General Lu!! How dare you-“

Smack!!

When I swung the bottle at the head of the bearded captain, he rolled his eyes and collapsed to the floor.

“Hmph.”

What was his name again?

Was it Mok or Bok, anyway.

“On the way, there are bandits, so the Grand General He Jin orders you to suppress them and deploy accordingly.”

Under the wooden neck of the bottle, liquor was dripping down from the sharply broken bottom.

“…….”

Jing Yuan, holding a cup, stared at me and then turned his gaze to the broken bottle in my hand.

“…Deploy.”

He answered in a trembling voice and quietly put down his cup.

“At your command.”

＜ End of Spring in Luoyang (3) ＞