TKTCJ 07

Chapter 7

The Grassland War (1)

“How could I, a man who draws a salary from my country, hear such a commotion and simply pass it by? Let us take the road at once.”

Jeon Ye immediately gave his answer and, without the slightest hesitation, followed the screams.

When they arrived, a truly astonishing sight unfolded before them.

A young man dressed in a faded hemp garment was, incredibly, facing more than a dozen bandits without retreating an inch, wielding a spear with astonishing skill. Jeon Ye examined him with a surprised expression. Around his waist was a worn leather belt, from which a small pouch and a short sword hung, swaying constantly and making faint noises.

At the young man’s feet, more than a dozen bandits were already sprawled on the ground, bleeding.

And each time his heavy spear cut through the air, another of the remaining bandits screamed and fell.

Everyone in the party, including Jeon Ye, stared wide-eyed.

Who could have expected to witness such an extraordinary scene deep in the mountains?

The escort captain cautiously approached and asked,

“May this subordinate step in and assist?”

Jeon Ye shook his head.

“Leave him be. From what I can see, the outcome will be decided shortly.”

Wang Mun spoke with an expression of admiration.

“I consider myself fairly strong with a spear, but I would not dare claim to be his equal. Even if the fierce warrior Fan Kuai were to return from the dead, I doubt he could match that young man.”

Just then.

The bandits, realizing that the tide had already turned against them, dropped their weapons.

“P-Please spare us!”

One after another, they fell to their knees. There was no longer any sign that they intended to resist.

The young man lowered his spear and quietly caught his breath.

Soon, his gaze slowly turned toward Jeon Ye.

After their eyes met for a moment, he raised his spear and gave a slight bow.

“I was dealing with those who were causing trouble on the road. I apologize if I startled you.”

A subtle light appeared in Jeon Ye’s eyes.

Even his bearing was anything but ordinary.

Pointing toward the bandits with his chin, he asked,

“What should be done with them?”

He was asking how they should be dealt with.

The young man answered without hesitation.

“My apologies, but how could a mere commoner such as myself dare to pass judgment on them? General, please take care of the matter.”

Jeon Ye nodded.

“Your words are correct.”

He then turned to Wang Mun and ordered,

“We will have them escorted to the nearest county seat. Bind them and gather them to one side.”

“Yes, sir.”

Wang Mun immediately acknowledged the order.

Leading several escorts, he bound the bandits and herded them to one side.

Watching this, Jeon Ye asked with a deeper look in his eyes,

“What is your name, warrior?”

The young man calmly replied,

“I am Zhao Yun, Zilong, of Changshan.”

Jeon Ye rode his horse forward and asked again,

“How did you come to this place?”

Zhao Yun withdrew his gaze and answered,

“I was searching for a stolen horse. While doing so, I heard that bandits were causing trouble in this area, and my steps brought me here.”

Jeon Ye looked at Zhao Yun for a moment before speaking in a gentle tone.

“I am Jeon Guk-yang, a clerk serving General Jeong Jung-jeong, the Northern Route Commandant. Judging by your attire, it seems you have yet to find somewhere to settle and have been wandering about. Am I correct?”

Jung-jeong (仲正) was Jeong Gyeom’s courtesy name.

When Liu Yu appointed him Northern Route Commandant, he personally bestowed the name upon him.

Zhao Yun silently looked over Jeon Ye and the mounted men following him.

He immediately recognized that Jeon Ye was no ordinary man, but he could not determine his identity.

However, the moment Jeon Ye revealed himself to be a clerk under the Northern Route Commandant, Zhao Yun naturally nodded.

It had already been a long time since Jeong Gyeom’s name had spread throughout Youzhou.

A commander who had suppressed the rebellion by killing Zhang Chun and Zhang Ju, and who had received an official post and troops from Governor Liu Yu to defend the Great Wall against foreign enemies.

If Jeon Ye was a subordinate of such a man—

His extraordinary bearing was entirely understandable.

Zhao Yun respectfully cupped his hands and answered Jeon Ye.

“You speak the truth, General.”

“General? That is far too generous. I am merely a clerk under the Northern Route Commandant.”

Jeon Ye looked at Zhao Yun for a moment before speaking.

“Warrior Zhao. Looking at you, I have no doubt that you are destined to become a peerless warrior whose name will resound throughout the world.”

It was a short statement, but it sounded almost like a declaration of fact.

“Come with me. I will recommend you to my lord and ensure that you are given a position where your talents can be put to great use.”

There was a strange tremor in Jeon Ye’s voice.

“If a man is born with martial prowess such as yours—shouldn’t he let the name Zhao Zilong resound throughout the world at least once?”

Zhao Yun could not answer immediately.

Instead, he raised his head and looked directly at Jeon Ye.

Jeon Guk-yang.

The sworn younger brother of Jeong Gyeom, the Northern Route Commandant, and a man who was gradually making a name for himself as one of Youzhou’s leading commanders.

That famous Jeon Ye—

was astonishingly standing right before Zhao Yun’s eyes.

I was planning to head to Beiping once I recovered my horse, and yet I ended up meeting Jeon Guk-yang here.

Gongsun Zan and Jeong Gyeom.

There was no need to think about it for long.

Compared to Gongsun Zan, whose name had already become famous throughout the realm, Jeong Gyeom’s reputation was still largely confined to Youzhou.

Even so, Zhao Yun could not immediately refuse Jeon Ye’s offer.

That was simply how things were.

First impressions mattered.

And while the same was true of Jeon Ye—

the reputation of those serving under Jeong Gyeom was only now beginning to spread.

Seeing them in person, their presence was extraordinary.

His subordinates clearly obeyed the chain of command, and their attitude toward Jeon Ye carried both military discipline and trust.

One could tell how elite these men were simply by watching them move a few steps.

If men who possessed such discipline and maintained such morale were being led this way, it would not be long before their names resounded throughout the realm.

Should he pursue the fame that existed now?

Or choose the glory that awaited in the future?

Zhao Yun’s eyes quietly settled.

The answer had already been decided.

“I will follow you.”

Zhao Yun’s joining was an enormous stroke of fortune for Jeong Gyeom.

The renowned general who would one day be counted among Shu’s Five Tiger Generals, a peerless warrior whom Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang would trust and rely upon.

A commander whose martial prowess would not decline even in old age, and whose name would become synonymous with loyalty.

When Jeon Ye brought Zhao Yun before him and said,

“I have brought you the greatest warrior under Heaven. You must make full use of him.”

Jeong Gyeom was secretly stunned.

Zhao Yun?

Jeong Gyeom immediately made Zhao Yun part of his personal guard, having him remain by his side alongside Jeon Ye.

Zhao Yun bowed deeply.

How could he not be moved by such generosity toward a man who had accomplished nothing?

As for Wang Mun, Jeong Gyeom placed him under Jeon Ye so that he could gain experience. Surprisingly, the man possessed considerable knowledge of military strategy and displayed enough ability to command an entire unit.

Jeong Gyeom could not have been more satisfied.

Jeon Ye had gone on a single excursion and returned with such talented men.

He even found himself thinking,

Should I send him out one more time?

Two months passed quickly.

Jeon Ju had scattered spies throughout the grasslands to monitor the movements of the Wuhuan while also relentlessly investigating what Nuban had done in Xiongnu territory.

And finally—

the truth came to light.

Jeong Gyeom’s expression slowly hardened.

“…That bastard has caused far more trouble than I expected.”

After finishing his report, Jeon Ju clenched his lips and spoke with an enraged expression.

“Wubura threatened Governor Gongsun and obtained permission to pass through his territory. They say he is now just about to cross the Wuhuan border.”

Gongsun Zan had given in to a threat and allowed them passage?

Hmm.

It was utterly absurd.

There must certainly have been some major backroom deal that had not yet come to light.

Both Jeong Gyeom and Jeon Ju wore grim expressions.

“First, send a memorial to the Governor. As for whether our army should intervene, we will decide after observing the situation.”

Jeon Ju spoke with a solemn expression.

“Shouldn’t we also inform the Wuhuan? According to our spies, it seems their tribal leader knows nothing about this.”

Jeong Gyeom nodded briefly.

“Of course.”

His gaze turned into the distance.

If he had known, he would never have been so excited about the trade that was only a few days away.

Their perfectly prepared meal had just been ruined by a pile of sand.

“I am scheduled to meet their tribal leader soon, so I will tell him personally. You send the memorial to the provincial office, and dispatch a messenger to Seokmun to inform Deputy General Gongsun of this matter as well. We must also reassure the merchants.”

“Understood.”

Jeon Ju accepted the order and left.

Jeong Gyeom let out a long sigh.

I thought things were going rather smoothly, but trouble has finally found us.

The Grassland War was brutal.

Wubura, leader of the Southern Xiongnu, and Quliju, leader of the Wuhuan, clashed day after day, leading their cavalry into battle.

At first, neither side could have imagined that the conflict would grow into such a massive war.

It was supposed to end as it had in the past—

after several clashes, one side would steal sheep or horses from the other and withdraw.

Even if a few powerless tribes disappeared in the process—

the conflict would ultimately end there.

But this time was different.

Blood called for blood.

Revenge bred revenge.

Before anyone realized it, the conflict had become a battle from which there was no turning back.

Then—

Gongsun Zan appeared on the grasslands, leading his White Horse cavalry.

He turned his horse and looked down upon the Wuhuan before shouting,

“As barbarians are disturbing the frontier, how could I stand idly by and watch?”

Raising his spear, he declared firmly,

“The Wuhuan are the source of this conflict—therefore, today I shall drive them from the grasslands and bring an end to this brutal war.”

Gongsun Zan’s declaration was no empty boast.

That day, Quliju lost more than half of his cavalry and barely managed to retreat despite suffering severe injuries himself.

If they clashed only a few more times like this—

the Wuhuan would be annihilated.

This was not good.

The grasslands had to remain the grasslands.

If the Wuhuan collapsed, the Xiongnu would grow far too powerful.

That meant the balance throughout the entire frontier would collapse.

There was no way Gongsun Zan did not know this.

And yet—

why was he supporting the Xiongnu and attempting to drive the Wuhuan from the grasslands?

There could only be one explanation.

Gongsun Zan must have made some sort of agreement with the Xiongnu.

After hearing the intelligence report, Jeong Gyeom spoke with a hardened expression.

“If we simply leave things as they are, the balance of the grasslands will eventually collapse. But if we help the Wuhuan, it will amount to opposing Governor Gongsun.”

He looked around at those on either side of him and continued,

“How… should we handle this matter?”

Silence fell for a moment.

Jeon Ye was the first to speak.

“If the Wuhuan collapse, the Xiongnu will become far too powerful. And if that happens, the Xiongnu’s blades will eventually turn toward us.”

He continued without the slightest hesitation.

“We cannot openly oppose Governor Gongsun, so we need a justification for stopping the fighting. At the very least, we must buy the Wuhuan enough time to endure. Besides, Brother Da is one of our own brothers. We cannot simply let him be destroyed.”

Jeon Ju carefully added,

“But if we act rashly, we may arouse Governor Gongsun’s suspicions. I believe our priority should be to submit a memorial to the Governor and establish a proper justification first.”

It was a cautious opinion.

The atmosphere inside the command tent grew heavy.

No one could easily speak.

This was not simply a battle.

One wrong step would mean turning their backs on Gongsun Zan.

Yet if they simply stood aside, the balance of the grasslands would collapse.

Jeong Gyeom silently tapped the table with his fingertips.

Then—

his hand suddenly stopped.

A thought flashed through his mind like lightning.

“I heard that remnants of the Yellow Turbans are ruthlessly plundering the counties near Qingzhou… Is that correct?”

The atmosphere in the tent subtly shifted.