Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3716 Samsung in Punishment
In Hanoi's Van district, a city that has just recovered from the ravages of war and the scorched-earth policy, there is a sense of bewilderment.

Who am I, where am I, and what am I going to do?
Not only the original soldiers and civilians of Wen County, but also the cavalry who became the administrators were somewhat affected.

Jiang Jiong and Zhu Ling were prepared to deal with Cao Jun's desperate struggle, but then they heard Cao Jun let out a roar and then lay down.

=(﹁“﹁)…_(:з》∠)_…=(←.←)…

I'm finding it a little difficult to adjust.

This is different from what we agreed on!

It's like the company says they borrowed it from the brand owner, then the person explains they borrowed it from their mother, the father comes out claiming it was a counterfeit, and finally the official explanation is that it was glass given to them by a friend...

Any novelist who dares to write like that will be torn to shreds by keyboard warriors.

Believe it or not, that's how it is.

After a brief adjustment, Zhu Ling and Jiang Jiong also received Fei Qian's instructions to begin mobilizing personnel to migrate towards Shangdang.

For Zhu Ling and Jiang Jiong, this was undoubtedly a relief, as they had no choice but to deal with so many surrendered soldiers and laborers.

The mobilization order, like a boulder thrown into a stagnant pool, immediately stirred up ripples among the apathetic crowd in Wen County, Hanoi.

……

……

Old Wang squatted at the foot of the dilapidated earthen wall, his rough fingers twirling a withered blade of grass.

His leather armor was tattered and covered with several dark brown bloodstains that hadn't been washed off...

He was a seasoned veteran who had spent many years in turbulent times, and whose edges had long been worn down.

"Old Shuantou, have you heard? We're going to Shangdang to work." A younger, surrendered soldier from Cao Cao's army approached, his face showing bewilderment, a mixture of hope and worry. "They say it's road construction, canal building, harvesting crops... They provide food and lodging, and even give us tallies to offset labor costs, which can be exchanged for money or goods!"

Old Wang didn't even lift his eyelids. "Food and lodging provided? Hmph, didn't Prime Minister Cao say the same thing back then? Shangdang... the mountains are high and the roads are long, who knows how many will die on the way? Abacus rods? If I gave them to you, would they be food or clothing?"

He had experienced too many "conscriptions" and no longer believed in any promises.

But he knew even better that, as a surrendered soldier, he had no choice at all.

"Then... then you're not going?" the young surrendered soldier asked, puzzled.

Old Wang scoffed, "Go! Why not? It's better than waiting here to die."

He threw away the withered grass, dusted himself off, and stood up, his eyes vacant.

His only thought was to live one day at a time.

Being able to have a full meal would be the best.

Just avoid eating rat meat.

As for who he works for?

unimportant.

……

……

The Zhang family's ancestral home was quite well-known in Wen County, but now only a charred ruin remains.

Young Zhang Cong, dressed in a faded old scholar's robe, stood before the ruins, his face ashen.

This is where he grew up, and now he and his family have turned to dust.

He came from a collateral branch of the Zhang family of Hanoi. Although not illustrious, he was proud of his status, well-read, and dreamed of being recommended for officialdom through the recommendation system.

Cheng Yu's scorched-earth policy destroyed the Zhang family's remaining land, and now the General of the Cavalry's conscription order actually wants him, a "scholar," to work alongside peasants and surrendered soldiers as a laborer?!
"Outrageous! This is a disgrace to civilization! A disgrace to scholarship!"

Zhang Cong cursed under his breath, his fingers trembling slightly with anger.

He felt a piercing humiliation, as if the order had stripped him of his scholar's robe.

Several other impoverished young men in similar circumstances gathered around, their faces also filled with resentment.

"Brother Ziyu, are we... really going to apply?" one of them asked, his voice trembling.

"Shouldn't we? Are we supposed to disobey orders?" Zhang Cong gritted his teeth, a hint of resentment flashing in his eyes. "That traitor Cao Cao destroyed our families, yet Zhu and Jiang are just sitting idly by? This order from the General of the Cavalry… if we don't obey, when will we be able to rebuild our family fortune?!"

Zhang Cong took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "Go! Not only must we enlist, we must fight for it! Fight for even the smallest position, like a 'camp officer' or 'clerk'! Even if it's just managing rosters and keeping accounts! It's better than carrying stones and digging dirt! We scholars, even if we fall into the mire, must strive to rise! This land of Shangdang might be a place where we can temporarily reside and seek an opportunity to rise again!"

The few impoverished young men around him remained silent, and then continued to remain silent.

They looked at the dilapidated and ruined mansion of the Zhang family with Zhang Cong, thinking about the conscription notices posted on the city walls and in the city.

They were powerless to fight Cao Cao before, and they are equally powerless to fight Fei Qian now.

However, they still cling to things habitually, like parasitic vines.

Even in the early stages, they were very small and insignificant.

……

……

In the shantytown west of the city, Granny Li clutched her son Niu Er's rough hand tightly, tears streaming down her wrinkled face. "My son...you can't go...the mountains are high and the roads are far, you're all I have left...if...if you don't come back..."

Her family's few acres of meager land were reduced to ashes in Cheng Yu's scorched earth, and the old man died in the Wen County riots.

Now, Niu Er is her only support and hope for survival.

Niu Er lowered his head, looking at his mother's withered hands, his throat tightening.

How could he not be afraid?
He had heard of the treacherousness of the Taihang Mountains, and was even more afraid of the fierce and menacing soldiers on the road.

But the notice said that meals would be provided, and that the work could be used to offset forced labor, and that if you did well, you could even get land in return!

Real land is not rented land, but land that truly belongs to an individual!
This gave Niu Er a glimmer of hope.

The family had run out of food long ago, and a few days ago he and his mother survived by digging for wild vegetables and gnawing on tree bark.

These past few days, we've been getting by with the soup kitchens run by the Flying Cavalry, but if we don't go, the Flying Cavalry's aid will be cut off, and the mother and daughter will starve to death in these ruins.

"Mother..." Niu Er's voice was hoarse, trembling with sobs, "If we don't go... we'll both starve to death... If we go... they'll provide food... and even a token, saying it'll offset the labor service, and maybe we can get some land later... I'm strong, I'm not afraid of work! They said if I go, they'll give me a settlement allowance... saying there's some kind of charity scheme... Mother, you can get into that scheme, someone will support you, someone will take care of you..."

He offered clumsy words of comfort, his eyes filled with a longing for food and a fear of the uncertain future.

From a certain perspective, he is "unfilial" because he is very likely to abandon his mother and find his own way.

However, throughout the millennia of Chinese history, this tragedy of human nature has been repeated time and time again.

live.

He left his weeping mother and humbly walked toward the registration point, each step treading on the edge of survival.

Struggling to survive.

Even if it's bloody and fleshy.

……

……

Jiang Jiong stood on the makeshift reviewing stand, looking at the dense crowd below with their varied expressions.

Numb veterans, resentful scholars, terrified farmers, and displaced people with their families in tow...

The air was thick with the stench of sweat, despair, and a hint of unease about the new life.

He felt an immense weight on his shoulders.

Zhu Ling, along with Liu Shi and the others, had already gone to inventory the county's grain reserves and arrange supply points along the way. Therefore, the trivial pressure of maintaining order, organizing the team, and distributing rations fell entirely on Jiang Jiong's shoulders.

It is said that Jia Qu, the prefect of Shangdang, will be coming in a few days. He is probably still on his way, but things cannot be delayed because of this. What needs to be done should be done.

"Listen up, all of you!" Jiang Jiong took a deep breath, mustered his strength, and roared, silencing the commotion below, "By order of the General of the Cavalry, you are hereby conscripted into the 'Hanoi Camp'! Your journey to Shangdang is not for war, but for road construction and canal repair, to aid the farmers' autumn harvest! You will be well-fed along the way, and your earnings will be calculated according to your work! The earnings will offset your labor and taxes, and will serve as your foundation for a stable future!"

He saw some people's eyes light up, while others remained indifferent, and still others curled their lip in disdain.

But Jiang Jiong ignored all that and continued to roar: "But there are a few things you need to remember! Write them down in your very bones! First, obey orders! Once you're in camp, don't move without permission! Second, no private fights! Anyone who dares to cause trouble will be dealt with ruthlessly according to military law! Third, protect the provisions! Food is everyone's lifeline! Anyone who dares to steal or rob will be killed without mercy!"

Jiang Jiong scanned some of the surrendered Cao army soldiers with sharp eyes.

"I know you're afraid! Afraid of the long road, afraid of hardship, afraid of death!" Jiang Jiong's voice softened slightly, yet became even more penetrating. "But let me tell you! Staying in Wen County, guarding this scorched earth, only leads to death! Follow me, the road may be difficult, but there will be enough to eat, a way to survive! General Rende has given you a chance! Those who want to live, those who want to earn a way out for their families, then pull yourselves together! The way to survival lies ahead! Do you all understand?!"

His words were like a cold hammer striking the icy surface of despair, like a faint spark thrown into dry tinder. A moment of deathly silence fell over the audience, followed by a suppressed chorus of responses, some choked with sobs, others numb: "Understood..."

"I'll listen to the general..."

Let's go...

Jiang Jiong waved his hand, signaling the team to set off.

This team, forcibly mixed together by despair, fear, scheming, and a sliver of hope, began to wriggle, regroup, and move forward.

Jiang Jiong felt anything but at ease.

He knew that these five thousand men were like five thousand powder kegs, ready to explode at any moment. Escorting them across the treacherous Taihang Pass to Huguan would be a task that would test his nerves even more than fighting a war.

This is only the first batch; there will be a second batch.

But he knew even more clearly that this was Wen County, and the only chance for these people to survive.

Thus began a difficult journey concerning survival and order.

……

……

Just as the surrendered soldiers and civilians of Wen County were migrating towards Shangdang in Huguan, there was a great commotion on the banks of the Han River.

The Han River flows quietly under the starlight of a summer night, its ripples reflecting the bonfires soaring into the sky from the continuous camps along its banks.

Cao Cao's central camp was brightly lit and filled with deafening noise tonight.

The air was filled with the intense aroma of roasting beef and mutton, the rich scent of fine wine, and a near-frenzied, burning excitement of victory.

Did Cao Cao's army win?
In a sense, we won.

They repelled Sima Yi's outreach from Mount Song, recaptured the pass and Feihu Fort, and secured the important transit points of Wancheng and Xinye. They then forced Liao Hua, Li Dian, and Zhuge Liang to retreat, almost turning the tide of the war in northern Jingzhou and reconnecting Xiangyang to Cao Cao's territory.

but……

There are no buts.

Cao Cao's army at present dislikes the word "but".

The huge command tent was temporarily converted into a banquet hall.

Inside the tent, huge tallow candles illuminated everything as bright as day.

Cao Cao sat high in the main seat, dressed in ordinary clothes, with a familiar, inscrutable smile on his face, but deep in his slender eyes, there were some emotions that were difficult for others to fathom.

What was read aloud in front of everyone were a series of "good news"!
With Zhuyang recaptured and Yin County taken over, the remnants of Liao Hua and Li Dian's troops fled into the mountains and wilderness. Wancheng and Xinye were now under their control, and the pressure on Xiangyang in northern Jingzhou was greatly reduced!
Xu Huang, the only one still in Jiangling, is now facing the advance of the Jiangdong army!
The southern threat that had plagued Cao Cao's army for so long seemed to have been wiped out by Cao Cao himself!
"Your Excellency's strategic planning and decisive victories are unparalleled! We, your humble servants, deeply admire Your Excellency!"

A military commander, his face flushed, raised a golden goblet, his voice trembling with excitement.

His battle robes were still covered in dust, but his face was filled with the ecstatic joy of surviving a calamity.

"Respectfully, Prime Minister!"

Dozens of officers and staff members inside and outside the tent stood up in unison, their voices so loud they almost lifted the tent roof off.

Golden goblets clinked, and the clear, cool liquor spilled out, reflecting on every face filled with excitement, awe, flattery, or relief.

Xun Yu sat upright to Cao Cao's left, still dressed in a simple dark robe, a polite smile on his face, as he raised his cup and sipped lightly. The hidden worries in his heart about the transportation of grain, the spread of typhoid fever, and the instability at the grassroots level were deeply suppressed in the face of the clamor in the tent and the Prime Minister's obvious pleasure.

This is not the right time.

"In this battle, our great revenge has been achieved! The spirits of our fallen soldiers can atone for their sacrifice!" Cao Cao's voice, though not loud, clearly drowned out the clamor, carrying a deliberately crafted, comforting weight and power. "This great victory is thanks to the valiant efforts of all our soldiers. The situation in Jingbei is now secure! This is a blessing for the nation! Let us drink to victory!"

"A toast to victory! A blessing for the nation!"

"May the Prime Minister be victorious!"

"May the Great Han Dynasty prevail!"

The cheers erupted once again.

A continuous stream of delicious dishes was served.

The whole roasted lamb was golden brown and crispy, glistening with oil.

The large cauldron was bubbling with thick meat broth, its aroma filling the air.

The exquisite lacquered tray was piled high with fresh fruit from Xinzheng and dried meat from Yingchuan.

The musicians, dressed in light gauze and sent from Jingzhou and Xiangyang, played decadent music in a corner.

The dancers, dressed in bright colors, twirled and danced in the center of the luxurious carpet, their long sleeves billowing.

The military academy officers removed their heavy armor, put on brocade robes, and indulged in unrestrained behavior.

They talked loudly about their "glorious" achievements in Jingbei these days...

"Hahaha, that Liao Hua runs faster than a rabbit! By the time our army's flag is planted atop Zhuyang City, that scoundrel will probably have scrambled into a ravine!"

"That kid Wang Ping, though he suffered a bit of a loss, managed to force Liao Hua to flee in a sorry state, which is a merit! The Prime Minister has taken note!"

"That bandit Gan Ning has fallen into the water again! His meager possessions have been burned to ashes! Let's see how long he can remain arrogant!"

"So what if that brat Zhuge Liang set fire to Yin County? He still obediently retreated to Wuguan Pass, didn't he? What a coward!"

Military officers and officers addressed the generals of the Flying Cavalry Army by their names in a seemingly casual manner, as if doing so would elevate their own status.

Throughout history, both in ancient and modern times, there has never been such a thing as a "nationwide" resistance.

Because no one is "the whole people", and no one can represent "the whole people".

Even among soldiers on the front lines, when faced with immense and uncontrollable disasters and pressures, whether it be the crisis of national subjugation or the horrors of war, the instinctive reaction of some is to escape reality and seek immediate sensory gratification in order to numb their own pain.

The key is, we can't say it yet!

Any mention of it will inevitably lead to various automatic or forced lids.

To cover it up and embellish it.

This is a psychological phenomenon that transcends time and culture.

Pleasure becomes a way to combat fear and despair, even if it is a rather negative one.

Under extreme pressure, human nature instinctively seeks escape and solace.

Just like these Cao army military officers and generals.

They may not be unaware that their victories are temporary, and that they are far from being able to indulge in drinking and dancing, but they are still willing to enjoy the moments of pleasure.

As the leader of these military academy generals, Cao Cao was probably well aware that the celebration at this moment was as inappropriate as Xun Yu thought, but Cao Cao was helpless to do anything about it.

Cao Cao had to boost morale and rebuild confidence in fighting the Flying Cavalry.

Whether it's "boosting morale" or "shaping character," Cao Cao is unlikely to stoop down and approach the most impoverished common people and ordinary soldiers of his army...

Because Cao Cao saw himself as the Chancellor of the Han Dynasty.

Therefore, everyone around him was a Han Dynasty official.

Officials are naturally not considered "common people," just as Cao Cao's military officers and generals cannot be considered ordinary soldiers.

The teacher once said, "No official is without corruption; it's just a matter of degree."

Because the instructors knew that as long as someone positioned themselves as an official, they would inevitably become corrupt and distance themselves from the people.

Cao Cao knew this too, but he was powerless to change it...

Amidst the clinking of glasses and the exchange of toasts, achievements were exaggerated, while failures were downplayed and glossed over.

Every toast, every boast of victory, is like smearing a thick layer of gold dust on a wound, covering up the reality that is still bleeding underneath.

A hazy, intoxicating sense of satisfaction filled the air.

It's as if capturing a few empty cities and repelling a powerful enemy is enough to make one a legendary feat worthy of being recorded in history. As for the price?
In this magnificent command tent, filled with the aroma of wine and meat, no one mentioned the cries of wounded soldiers, the bones of laborers, or the depletion of provisions; they all seemed as distant as another world.

A drunken soldier staggered outside his tent for some fresh air. Overwhelmed by the effects of the alcohol, he couldn't help but vomit into the Han River.

He couldn't bear to part with the food and wine in his stomach, so he spat out a couple of mouthfuls but then held it back. He wiped his mouth, panting, and couldn't help but look up at that deliberately forgotten corner on the edge of the camp, shrouded in deep darkness, where suppressed groans seemed to faintly emanate.

He frowned, muttered "bad luck," and was then drawn back to the noise and "glory" by the calls of his colleagues and the aroma of wine inside the tent. Swaying, he plunged back into the clamor and "glory."