Chapter 22: The Commanders and Warriors

Inside the camp, everyone took their seats. Wang Zhi, serving as the commander, sat at the head of the table, with Xu Huang opposite him. Wei Gu was positioned just below Wang Zhi, followed by Pei Xiu; at Xu Huang’s end sat Jia Kui, with the seat beyond the table left empty. As for Zhao Ji, he had no choice but to wait outside the barracks.

The stationed generals and squad officers arrived one after another, all gathered here patiently listening to the conversation within the barracks. Before long, the discussion ended on a sour note.

Xu Huang stormed out, his temper flaring. Seeing Jia Kui quickening his pace to catch up and speak, Xu Huang waved his arm to stop him and fixed him with a cold stare. “Jia Sheng, no less than twenty shi of grain—today, without fail! Not even one shi less!”

Pei Xiu also stepped out, observing Wei Xing and Zhao Ji. Wanqiu Xing approached Pei Xiu quietly. “Seventh Brother?”

Pei Xiu said nothing, only watching Xu Huang and the others as they left. At that moment, Wang Zhi came out, glanced at Jia Kui a few times without a word, then swept his sleeve and departed.

Wei Gu followed closely behind, speaking to comfort Jia Kui. “Since you’ve provoked this man, it’s not solely Liang Dao’s fault. Just give him the twenty shi of grain.”

“Yes...” Jia Kui’s expression was helpless as he bowed slightly and took a few steps with Wei Gu.

Wei Gu stopped again. “If you’re sending grain to the northern bank, Liang Dao, you lead the Linfen Tiger Guards to purchase some sheep and wine.”

“Yes, understood.” Jia Kui didn’t question how much to buy. With market prices fluctuating and Wei Gu footing the bill personally, the money would definitely not pass through Jia Kui’s hands. It was simply a matter of spending as much as Wei Gu provided.

After watching Jia Kui leave, Wei Gu glanced at Pei Xiu, who quickly followed. As the two walked and exchanged low whispers, Wei Xing stood silently, watching. Suddenly, he turned to Wanqiu Xing. “A Xing, why is no one happy here?”

“I’m not happy either.” Wanqiu Xing spat at his feet, wiped it off, then went to check on Zhao Ji. “A Ji, are you waiting here or going with us to ask Seventh Brother?”

“I’ll wait here. There must be a conclusion.” Zhao Ji said, then moved to the wall, sitting at the corner and tilting his head back to squint in the sun.

Wei Xing came over, squatting down to sit on the ground, followed by Ximen Jian, Wang Cheng, and several other new and veteran stationed generals and squad officers—five generals and thirteen officers in total.

Most remained silent. So far, only rumors circulated in the camp about forming an alliance with Xu Huang to suppress the Jishan bandits.

The Jishan bandits were not powerful; the difficulty lay in their small numbers, making them hard to track down. The Tiger Guards had just formed and could challenge bands of two or three hundred, but the Jishan bandits numbered only a few dozen. Many still had confidence in handling them.

At the Wenxi camp, Zhao Ji held a lacquered wooden bowl and drank water. Nearby, Hu Ban reclined, idly twirling the ends of his hair with his index finger, occasionally stopping to pick the black greasy dirt from under his nails with a wooden pick.

Hu Ban was thoroughly enjoying himself, clearly feeling refreshed. “So, not only has Wang Zhi been deceived, but many in the camp as well. Even Wei Gu only knows part of the truth, seeing only the surface and not the whole picture?”

Pei Xiu, cradling his sword, gently wiped the blade with a fine cloth without looking up. “Plans must be kept secret. They will reveal themselves after nightfall. I hope that the county militias can form a unit for supervision and emergency response.”

Each county would be led by an official, accompanied by at least five county soldiers. If a battle broke out tonight, the militia could number nearly a hundred. Although their equipment was poor, they generally had combat experience.

Hu Ban immediately agreed but voiced concern. “Aren’t you afraid Wang Zhi will resent this?”

Pei Xiu merely smiled and turned to Zhao Ji. “A Ji, are you really going to do this?”

“There’s no choice. If we don’t act now, we’ll suffer the consequences of Xiongnu expansion later. Even if we try to avoid it, when the world is unified, we’ll be harshly treated.”

Zhao Ji poured more water into his bowl. “Han and Hu cannot coexist. After some years of peace, the unified world will surely send a great army to drive out the Xiongnu. We will be the first to face them and cannot escape. In this world, there is no retreat for men like us—unless we grovel and serve the Xiongnu.”

Zhao Ji held to his original view: there was no escaping Hedong. Destroying everything was the most likely outcome.

If they took the initiative to expand outward, there was still some hope. Winning would mean a great victory, total dominance. Even if they lost, he would die with honor.

Pei Xiu, hearing this, simply lifted his sword and scrutinized the diamond pattern on the blade, his tone faint. “A Ji, the first step will be very difficult.”

Xu Huang would not help them, but he had already fulfilled his side by providing grain, hinting that the Xiongnu were coming and even suggesting they would attack from upstream on the eastern bank of the Fen River.

Trying to cooperate with Xu Huang meant court orders were worthless; only by proving the Tiger Guards’ combat strength could Xu Huang be stirred to act on righteousness, determined to restore the Han dynasty and oppose traitors.

Pei Xiu’s “first step” meant defeating the incoming Xiongnu with minimal losses and gaining substantial spoils.

Zhao Ji sighed at Pei Xiu’s pessimism.

He wasn’t keen on living anyway; life was too miserable. To die bravely and swiftly in battle was better than a life of humiliation.

What truly troubled Zhao Ji was the group of “Wang Yuns” in the court.

Having lived through the chaos of Li Jue and Guo Si’s rebellion, and witnessing the faces of Zhang Ji and Yang Feng, he saw the twisted mentality of the remaining loyal ministers.

How twisted? Like a hysterical woman suffering from severe depression, paranoid and insecure.

They constantly demanded you to exhaust every means and energy to prove loyalty. The more you proved your loyalty and submission, the less they treated you as human.

They tested your loyalty by treating you inhumanely.

If you tore off the mask of loyalty, slapped them twice, and punched them in the stomach until their faces bled, these ministers would accuse you of wild ambition while still enduring insult with a sycophantic smile, bowing to cooperate.

Just like Yang Feng and the old White Wave generals now, trapped on a tiger’s back—who dares let the emperor slip from their control?

Without the emperor, their armies would lose cohesion rapidly.

The vanished Yang Ding and Zhang Ji, shot dead by the Nanyang garrison, exposed a terrifying truth.

These generals who supported or coerced the emperor would soon die once they lost him.

Such was the chaos of the era; no one below the emperor felt secure.

As for long-term plans? Zhao Ji hadn’t thought much about it—it was too distant.

If you wanted to cling to power, you should follow the familiar course of history... but did he have the standing to grasp Cao Cao’s leg?

Rather than gamble on Cao Cao’s conscience, he might as well turn around and fight Li Jue and Guo Si to the death.

Yet in this camp of over five hundred Tiger Guards, anyone with influence was calculating their own interests.

Should he take a hundred men and strike out on his own?

That was pure fantasy.

Only by embracing the court’s righteous cause could they rally men; following Cao Cao’s path would corner him.

As Zhao Ji pondered the future, Wei Gu’s attendant arrived at the gate, holding a bow case and a quiver. “Is Captain Zhao present?”

Pei Xiu rose to greet him. “A Ji is here. Has Brother Zhongjian made a decision?”

Zhao Ji also stood. The attendant handed over the bow case and quiver, then said to Pei Xiu, “Seventh Brother, rest assured, Brother Zhongjian is no coward.”

Pei Xiu passed the bow and quiver to Zhao Ji and replied, “Time is tight; I won’t trouble A Ji to come thank you personally. Once the situation clarifies, we shall express our gratitude face to face.”

“It’s a small matter.”

The man did not linger; after delivering the bows and arrows, he turned and left.

Zhao Ji tested the bow and examined the arrows. Seeing his interest, Pei Xiu said, “Save your strength—rest a little. The Tiger Guards will return this afternoon. When Jia Kui comes back, we’ll discuss tactics together.”

“Understood.”