Chapter 9
The Grassland War (3)
The smell of blood still lingered throughout the gorge.
Among broken wagons and tangled corpses,
only the hot wind swept through.
“Do not pursue those who flee.”
Jeong Gyeom’s command came down firmly.
There was no one who did not understand the significance of this battlefield.
There was nothing to gain by pursuing them any farther.
Stopping here was what would complete this battle.
But the fighting was not yet completely over.
Deep within the gorge,
hundreds of cavalrymen were barely making their way out across the blood-soaked grassland.
At their center was Wubura.
His side was deeply torn open, and he could barely remain upright on his horse.
He drew ragged breaths.
Blood trickled down from the corner of his mouth.
“Chanyu, you must withdraw!”
An aide shouted with a grief-stricken expression.
Wubura did not answer.
He merely looked back.
Turak—
His army was collapsing and falling within it.
Along with them, Wubura’s ambition to destroy the Wuhuan was collapsing as well.
I failed to make them pay in blood because of a single bandit.
Grief spread across his face.
“…Do not think this is the end. I will repay this debt without fail.”
That day, Wubura carved the name Jeong Gyeom into his bones for the first time.
The battlefield was being cleared.
Jeon Ju returned and reported with a faint smile at the corner of his mouth.
“There are quite a few troops who escaped.”
Jeong Gyeom nodded.
“They should have.”
His tone was calm.
“Did the Chanyu escape safely?”
“Of course. Our scouts observed him from hiding. He was wounded, but he appears to have escaped safely.”
Then he added as though confirming it with certainty,
“They say he rode across the grasslands at full speed, so his life should not be in danger.”
Jeong Gyeom exhaled briefly.
“With this, the balance of the grasslands should be maintained, at least for now.”
Jeon Ju nodded.
“The Wuhuan will not forget our lord’s kindness.”
Jeong Gyeom nodded with an enigmatic smile.
“Hmm… Will they, I wonder?”
A few days later, at the Wuhuan camp.
Quliju was sitting up, leaning heavily against his bedding.
There was no color in his face, and his breathing was short and labored.
A man was quietly seated before him.
It was Tadun.
“From this moment on—
you are the Great Chieftain of the Wuhuan.”
The words were forced from him with difficulty.
His injuries were already too severe for him to command either the battlefield or his tribe any longer, and the tribal council had also accepted the decision.
Tadun bowed deeply.
“I will obey your command.”
That afternoon,
Tadun led several dozen cavalrymen to seek out Jeong Gyeom.
Behind him, a young man quietly followed with an anxious expression.
His eyes were dull, and there was not a trace of vitality in him.
Tadun roughly slapped the young man on the back and said,
“This bastard is Nuban.”
He glanced at Jeong Gyeom and continued,
“I brought him here because I was hoping my younger brother could take him in hand for a few years.”
Jeong Gyeom’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Nuban?”
His head tilted involuntarily.
“You mean the very man who stepped into Xiongnu territory and returned—the root cause of this war—”
His gaze turned cold.
“—the bastard who is said to be one of the greatest scoundrels under Heaven?”
No sooner had he finished speaking—
“Ghk… Guhk…”
A rough, strange sound escaped from Nuban’s throat.
Tadun burst out laughing.
“Ha-ha-ha! That’s right. This is the very bastard everyone is talking about.”
Then he struck Nuban’s back hard once again.
Jeong Gyeom’s eyes flashed.
He answered immediately.
“Good.”
His gaze locked onto Nuban.
“I’ll straighten out that rotten mind of his properly and send him back.”
Nuban’s face was a sight to behold. Perhaps this was what someone looked like when every trace of color drained from their face.
From that day onward, Nuban became an ordinary squad leader under Zhao Yun.
Alongside the personal guards who had originally served under him, he was put through the wringer again and again.
Jeong Gyeom even summoned Zhao Yun from time to time to check whether Nuban was being worked hard enough—
so for the time being,
Nuban’s ordeal was destined to continue.
A memorial reporting that the Grassland War had come to an end arrived at the provincial office.
Liu Yu sat for a long while, reading and rereading the memorial Jeong Gyeom had sent.
Then he tilted his head and murmured,
“He drove Wubura back… and plans to open the trade route next month, is that what this says?”
Wei You, who had been standing by his side, bowed his head.
“The Northern Route Commandant’s ability is extraordinary indeed. And…”
A brief silence followed.
Wei You hesitated, unable to continue.
Liu Yu quietly raised his gaze.
“It seems you have more to say.”
Wei You glanced left and right.
Eventually, he spoke in a much lower voice.
“I cannot say this is certain… but there is something that troubles me.”
“Tell me.”
“The remnants of the Yellow Turbans and the displaced refugees who have been wandering after suffering losses at the hands of Zhang Chun! The ones who incited them to invade Youbeiping…”
Wei You’s words briefly stopped.
“…I suspect that it may also have been a scheme devised by Jung-jeong.”
The atmosphere subtly sank.
Liu Yu’s eyebrows twitched ever so slightly.
“Do you have evidence?”
Wei You cupped his hands and began listing several pieces of evidence.
“According to what this subordinate has learned…”
The evidence Wei You presented was as follows.
First, despite the grasslands being in such turmoil, Jeon Ju, Jeong Gyeom’s strategist, had entered Ji and remained there for several days for no apparent reason.
Second, during his stay, one of the commanders accompanying him had been spending a considerable amount of money.
Third, a substantial amount of money had also been circulating in the markets during that period, yet no matter how many spies were deployed, they could not determine where the money had been used.
Fourth, only a few days later, large numbers of Yellow Turban remnants and refugees began moving toward Youbeiping.
And finally, Gongsun Zan returned from the grasslands.
A brief silence followed.
“And at the end of all this—Jung-jeong defeated Wubura and submitted a memorial reporting that he would open trade on the grasslands.”
Wei You lowered his head deeply.
“That is why this subordinate suspects Jung-jeong.”
Liu Yu’s eyes deepened.
“It is indeed a reasonable suspicion.”
His tone remained calm.
“To think Jung-jeong possesses such profound schemes is truly remarkable. However—”
Liu Yu’s gaze fell back onto the memorial.
“Sending Gongsun Baigyu back to Beiping and bringing order to the chaotic grasslands is entirely in accordance with my own intentions.”
It was true.
Even Wei You could not deny it.
Had Liu Yu himself not sent a messenger ordering Gongsun Zan to return to Youbeiping?
Wei You bowed his head deeply.
A subtle expression crossed Liu Yu’s lips.
“Jeong Gyeom… It is almost as though he saw straight through my own intentions.”
There was unmistakable satisfaction in his voice.
“Summon Jung-jeong to the provincial office.”
Wei You immediately bowed.
“I shall obey.”
“I intend to commend him for stabilizing the grasslands and keep him close so that I can observe what lies within him.”
Wei You bowed his head.
“I will carry out your command.”
Liu Yu unfolded the memorial once more.
His expression remained calm,
but within his eyes was already the certainty that he had found a valuable talent.
Evening descended upon the courtyard of the Yeongji County Office.
A modest drinking table had been prepared.
Those serving Jeong Gyeom, Tadun—the new master of the grasslands—and even Nuban, who was diligently being worked to the bone under Zhao Yun’s command, all sat together.
The lingering aftereffects of the war had not yet faded, but the atmosphere among them was considerably more relaxed.
Tadun was the first to speak.
“At long last, we can finally open trade.”
He raised his cup as he spoke, but his words carried the weight of all the hardships they had endured.
“Chief Clerk Jeon, how are the salt supplies?”
Jeon Ju smiled broadly as he answered.
“Salt is the most important commodity in this trade. How could I have neglected it? We have more than enough supplies, so you need not worry.”
His words carried the ease of someone who had prepared everything thoroughly.
A smile spread across Tadun’s lips.
“Good. Very good.”
He raised his cup and emptied it in one gulp.
Then he abruptly stood up, looked around the gathering once, and bowed deeply toward Jeong Gyeom.
“Through this affair, I have received an enormous favor from my younger brother and all the commanders gathered here. I will carve this debt into my heart and never forget it.”
His voice was heavy and resolute.
“If the Wuhuan’s assistance is ever needed, tell me at any time. I will personally step forward, no matter what the matter may be. I swear this in the name of the Great Chieftain.”
Jeong Gyeom bowed in return on behalf of everyone present.
“When a brother is in trouble, how could I turn my back on him? Moreover, Governor Gongsun of Beiping is the great general of Youzhou. I can only apologize for failing to prevent this in advance.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than Tadun’s expression hardened.
“Gongsun Zan…”
Flames burned in his eyes.
“Soon, I will tear that bastard apart and kill him. I will have my revenge.”
Jeong Gyeom continued in a gentle voice.
“Brother Tadun, put aside your anger. The time is not right yet.”
Tadun’s gaze locked onto Jeong Gyeom.
He showed no sign of backing down easily.
“Revenge is not something to be rushed. We must bide our time and plan carefully. If we move now, we will only give him an excuse.”
His words were gentle, but their meaning was clear.
After all, Gongsun Zan’s momentum remained fierce, while the Wuhuan’s position had already weakened.
Jeong Gyeom said no more—
but hidden within his words, wait for the right moment, was an implicit promise that when that moment eventually came, they would move together.
How could Tadun fail to understand the meaning?
Silence lingered for a moment.
Tadun’s gaze slowly settled.
Then he snorted and raised his cup.
“Good. My younger brother is right.”
The tension eased.
Gongsun Ji smiled and joined the conversation.
“Since we’re speaking of this, the Great Chieftain has given us a thousand warhorses. Thanks to that, our cavalry operations have become much easier.”
Wang Mun, who commanded the Seokmun Cavalry, rose from his seat and bowed toward Tadun.
“They have been a great help in reorganizing our cavalry. I, Wang Mun, sincerely thank you for this.”
Tadun waved his hand dismissively.
“That is nothing compared to what I received this time. If you need anything, tell me at any time.”
The atmosphere became even more relaxed.
Jeon Ju set down his cup and spoke.
“I have already reported this to our lord, but I will also report here the results of our engagement with the Xiongnu.”
Everyone’s attention turned toward him.
“We captured a considerable amount of ironware, including warhorses, and also secured ample provisions. By our lord’s order, some of these supplies will be distributed among the Wuhuan.”
Tadun nodded in satisfaction.
At that moment, Jeong Gyeom’s gaze turned toward Zhao Yun.
“You deserve great credit for this.”
It was only a short sentence.
Yet when those words fell, Zhao Yun felt a swell of pride in his chest at being recognized.
“You praise me too highly.”
He immediately lowered his head, but the tips of his fingers were trembling slightly.
Jeong Gyeom raised his cup.
“While accompanying Chief Clerk Jeon to the provincial office, you also accomplished great deeds. Indeed, Zilong is a renowned general who possesses both martial prowess and strategic wisdom.”
Zhao Yun’s heart pounded violently.
“Devote yourself wholeheartedly to the people and the nation.”
Jeong Gyeom’s words were gentle, but their meaning was unmistakable.
It was neither an order nor a demand.
Yet they settled upon Zhao Yun more heavily than any command could have.
Zhao Yun’s lips pressed tightly together.
I will devote my very life to this.
The vow he did not speak aloud was carved deep into his heart.
Zhao Yun raised his cup and answered,
“I humbly accept my lord’s command.”
The cups clinked together, and a clear sound spread through the courtyard.
They did not need to make a great commotion.
Everyone gathered there knew.
From this day onward—
though each of their paths might differ, they were all headed toward the same destination.
Jeong Gyeom silently watched them.
His expression remained calm,
but his eyes quietly shone.
People were gathering.
Their wills were coming together.
And upon those shared ambitions, a new life was unfolding, and a great aspiration was taking shape.
Though our beginnings may be humble, one day we will rise to greatness.
