Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3911 The Pine and Cypress Remain Unfaded in the Cold of Winter (Bonus Chapter)

Qiao County.

In the fields, the bare earth presents a somber color, a mixture of withered yellow and grayish brown.

A northerly wind, growing stronger with each gust, swept across the bare treetops, emitting a sharp and desolate howl, scattering dust everywhere, creating a vast, gray expanse that obscured the way in and out.

The Ding family's fortified village was perched on a hillside.

The fortress wall is built with rammed earth mixed with gravel. The surface has become mottled due to the erosion of time and wind and rain, but it is still thick and solid.

The wall was equipped with crenellations and watchtowers. During the day, soldiers patrolled the area, and at night, the torchlight flickered in the cold wind, indicating that the security was much tighter than usual.

The situation in the Great Han Dynasty is becoming increasingly tense...

Oh, just to add a caveat, he's a big, strong man from the Central Plains of Shandong...

Ding Chong sat in his study in the fortified village, feeling the cold wind outside the window coming in gusts. After listening for a while, he sat there blankly, feeling rather lost.

He had been sitting like that for quite some time.

Ever since he discovered that Zhou Jing's departure was rather suspicious, he often sits like this for half a day at a time...

It does live up to its name of "Three Solitary Seats".

Ding Chong frowned deeply, the wrinkles between his brows as deep as if carved by a knife.

He was not a particularly clever or intelligent person. Back in Youzhou, he had failed to stop the advance of the Flying Cavalry and had not made any contributions. If it weren't for the Ding family's reputation, his crimes would certainly be discussed.

Now, he was tasked with gathering manpower and troops in the rear, but Ding Chong discovered that it wasn't as simple as he had originally anticipated.

When Ding Youyang first received Cao Mengde's earnest secret letter, the sense of mission and family responsibility to "turn the tide" that welled up in his heart was now being gradually swallowed up by an increasingly heavy unease.

Anxiety and fear often stem from the sudden realization that one is very lonely...

As one of the most prominent and powerful clans in Qiao County, Pei State, the relationship between the Ding and Cao families was anything but ordinary.

Although Madam Ding divorced for some reason, the political tacit understanding and transfer of benefits accumulated between the two families over the years had become deeply entrenched and difficult to sever.

Ding Chong knew better than anyone that he and the entire Ding clan were already firmly bound to Cao Cao's chariot, their fates intertwined, one for all and the other for all.

If Cao Cao were to fall in this ultimate showdown with General Fei Qian, then families like the Ding family, which were deeply intertwined with the Cao family, would inevitably face unpredictable purges and reorganizations.

Even if they manage to preserve their clan lineage, the vast lands accumulated by the Ding family over generations, and the tenant farmers and retainers they have sheltered, will naturally suffer significant losses. More importantly, the Ding family's absolute privilege and superior status in the local area will also vanish!
Even worse...

This is a future that Ding Chong, and the entire Ding family, absolutely cannot accept.

Therefore, when Cao Cao's order to "gather troops to serve the king and jointly face the national crisis" was secretly transmitted to Qiao County at the fastest speed, Ding Chong acted almost without hesitation.

He opened the family treasury, took out the accumulated money, silk, and grain, and sent people to the countryside to recruit able-bodied men...

He used his family's influence to contact renowned heroes, knights-errant, and even small groups of bandits within Pei State and Qiao County...

He discussed the marching route, the procurement of provisions, and how to coordinate with other families that might respond, day and night with the clan elders and capable stewards...

He was so busy he barely had time to breathe, and he was exhausted, but he was filled with a tragic passion, hoping to fight to the death for Cao Cao, who was now trapped at Sishui Pass, and for the future of the Ding family, which was hanging by a thread.

but……

The busy work, however, did not yield the desired results.

At first, Ding Chong was unaware of this problem.

After all, Zhou Jing from the same county quickly responded to Ding Chong's call...

Zhou Jing was quite "famous" in the Qiaopei area.

His ancestors had once been wealthy, and Zhou Jing himself often claimed to be a descendant of famous generals such as Marquis Jiang, Zhou Bo, and Marquis Tiao, Zhou Yafu. He usually loved to talk big, always spouting phrases like "eliminating traitors for the country," "upholding righteousness," and "a scholar will die for one who understands him." Relying on his considerable wealth, he made friends with outlaws and swordsmen from all over the country. His men often gathered hundreds of people of all kinds and origins, making him a "heroic" leader who was respected by both the legitimate and criminal worlds in Peiqiao.

Ding Chong actually looked down on Zhou Jing, thinking that the guy was all talk and no action, and was probably more likely to cause trouble than to accomplish anything...

I especially think that the leak of the assassination attempt on Emperor Ling of Han was mostly due to Zhou Jing's boasting and letting the secret slip...

However, since there was no conclusive evidence that Zhou Jing was the one who leaked the information, and Emperor Ling of Han had also died, the matter was naturally dropped.

Now that they needed men, Zhou Jing was the first to respond, and Ding Chong also set his sights on the group of desperate men under Zhou Jing's command...

Yes, a person who dares to fight and take risks.

Therefore, Ding Chong felt that they could at least serve as vanguard suicide soldiers, which would also help to boost morale.

So Ding Chong humbled himself, prepared generous gifts, and went to visit Zhou Jing, inviting him to "jointly undertake a grand event and respond to the call to serve the king."

Zhou Jing's initial reaction was so "enthusiastic" it was almost exaggerated.

Upon hearing Ding Chong's purpose, Zhou Jing leaped from his seat like a lit firecracker, pounding his broad chest, spittle almost splashing onto Ding Chong's face, and roared in a booming voice: "Cao Cao is a hero rarely seen in this world! The Han Dynasty is unfortunate; treacherous officials plot to usurp the throne, coercing the Emperor. Cao Cao, loyal and steadfast, resists this rebellion. This is truly a time for all loyal ministers and righteous men to express their indignation! Brother Ding, your personal visit and entrustment of this important matter shows you think highly of me, Zhou Jing! Though I am unworthy, I know the meaning of loyalty and righteousness! Brother Ding, please rest assured, I will immediately issue orders to my men to gather righteous men and heroes to meet you on the banks of the Qiao River! At that time, we brothers will ride north together to face the national crisis, sweep away the evil forces, repay the country, and live a life without regret!"

This impassioned speech, coupled with Zhou Jing's excited expression, was quite infectious.

Although Ding Chong found it somewhat exaggerated, seeing Zhou Jing's "resolute and decisive" attitude, he couldn't help but feel a little comforted. He solemnly cupped his hands in thanks, saying, "Brother Zhou, your righteousness is truly admirable! In that case, I will return to camp first and await Brother Zhou's righteous army!"

Given Ding Chong's age, addressing Zhou Jing as "brother" was a gesture of respect for Zhou Jing's passionate and generous spirit.

Two days later, Zhou Jing really did arrive with his men!

Good heavens, there were 'a full' four or five hundred people...

Queues are obviously out of the question.
Moreover, the people involved are of various appearances and backgrounds.

There were men wearing worn-out leather armor, carrying only a few scattered arrows on their backs; others wielding ring-pommel swords, but without armor, merely bare-chested and backed yet trying to appear imposing; some were vagrants dressed in brocade robes that were filthy and adorned with rusty longswords; and of course, there were also some muscular fellows with disheveled beards and sinister eyes…

The group was noisy and undisciplined, like a large crowd heading to a market...

However, Ding Chong suppressed his dissatisfaction and personally went out of the camp to greet him.

That very evening, they slaughtered pigs and sheep at their own camp and prepared a rather lavish feast to entertain Zhou Jing and his subordinates.

After a few bowls of wine during the meal, Zhou Jing was in high spirits, his face flushed. He not only reiterated his loyalty but also began to boast about his past "glorious" experiences.

Zhou Jing deliberately raised his voice, tinged with a hint of smugness, and addressed Ding Chong and the others at the table: "To be honest, Brother Ding and all of you, in my life, the people I respect most are the true heroes of the world! Back when Emperor Ling was incompetent and eunuchs brought ruin to the country, I, along with the Prefect of Ji Province, the renowned scholar Xu of Nanyang… oh, and even Cao Cao and other heroes of our time, plotted a great undertaking to secure the nation! Although the plan was ultimately unsuccessful due to a leak, my unwavering loyalty to the country and its people shines as brightly as the sun and moon!"

Zhou Jing described the failed coup plot as if it were a legend, as if he was already a key figure at the time and could turn the tide with his own hands.

During the banquet, his leaders and retainers echoed and flattered him, making Zhou Jing even more smug, as if the Sishui Pass he was about to head to was just another stage for him to write his legend.

Ding Chong forced a smile, but he was increasingly convinced that Zhou Jing was responsible for the leak back then... If it were just bragging, Ding Chong would have tolerated it, but unfortunately, his good mood didn't last long.

A few days after the banquet, news about the war in Chenliu in the east began to spread to Qiao County in various contradictory and chaotic ways.

First, there were some vague rumors that Cao Zhen had defeated Wei Yan, the vanguard of the Flying Cavalry, in Chenliu and achieved great success!

The source of the information was unclear, but it immediately eased the atmosphere in the camp.

Upon hearing the news, Zhou Jing was even more smug. He straightened his back a bit more as he walked around the camp, and when talking to his subordinates, he adopted an attitude of "our army will surely win" and "Cao Cao will surely be blessed by heaven," as if he would also share in the credit in the future.

But subsequent news revealed that this false optimism was as fragile as a soap bubble in the sunlight, bursting at the slightest touch.

Soon, more precise and even more devastating news arrived...

There are descriptions of defeated soldiers fleeing back from the direction of Chenliu, as well as rumors brought by traveling merchants...

These unofficial reports ultimately pieced together a despairing truth!

General Zhao Yun personally led a large army south, joined forces with Wei Yan, and decisively defeated Cao Zhen and Cao Zhang!
General Cao Zhen was defeated and forced to retreat!

Young Master Cao Zhang is seriously injured, and his fate is unknown!
The Chenliu defense line is on the verge of collapse, and the gateway to the Central Plains is wide open!

With each piece of news like this, the smug glow on Zhou Jing's face faded, eventually turning deathly pale. He stopped his grand pronouncements and his attempts to boost morale in the camp. Instead, he immediately locked himself in his tent and frequently dispatched his most trusted retainers, carrying money, to different places to gather more detailed and accurate intelligence, sparing no expense. Each report brought back by his trusted men made his face grow darker, and the fear in his eyes deepen.

Zhou Jing began to have second thoughts, but he couldn't directly tell Ding Chong, "I'm not going," as that would completely ruin the reputation of a chivalrous hero he had painstakingly built up...

And so, a meticulously planned accident happened just in time.

Two days before they were about to break camp and set off, Zhou Jing, along with a few close retainers, claimed that he was going to "hunt" in the mountains outside the city, partly to stretch his muscles and partly to hunt some game to supplement the army's meals.

Ding Chong was busy taking inventory of the grain, fodder and equipment at the time, and although he felt something was strange, he didn't think much of it.

As evening fell, Zhou Jing and his group returned, but the scene was rather 'miserable'!
Zhou Jing lay on a hastily removed door panel, his face contorted in pain, being carried by several panting retainers. His right leg, from thigh to ankle, was wrapped tightly in thick burlap and stained with blood.

Upon seeing Ding Chong, who had rushed to the scene, Zhou Jing immediately struggled to prop himself up on the door panel and said weakly, "Brother Ding... Brother Ding! It's all my fault. While chasing a roe deer in the forest, my mount tripped over a tree root, and I... I fell off immediately. My right leg... I'm afraid it's broken! The pain is excruciating, and I can't move at all!"

As Zhou Jing spoke, he took a few deep breaths, his brows furrowing in a frown.

Ding Chong hurriedly stepped forward to check, but doubts arose in his heart.

When Ding Chong tried to reach out and touch the "injured leg," Zhou Jing immediately cried out in exaggerated pain as if pricked by needles, repeatedly stopping him: "Don't move! Don't move! Brother Ding, you can't touch it, you can't touch it! The slightest movement will cause excruciating pain! Alas! How cruel Heaven is to me, Zhou Jing! At this critical moment when the nation needs capable men, when Cao Cao eagerly awaits our aid, I... I have suffered this calamity, becoming a cripple! I have ruined the nation's affairs, failed Cao Cao's high expectations, and betrayed Brother Ding's trust! I... I hate it!"

Overcome with emotion, Zhou Jing squeezed out a few cloudy tears, which rolled down her cheeks, but she held onto Ding Chong's hand tightly, preventing him from examining the 'injured leg'...

Looking at Zhou Jing's exaggerated performance, Ding Chong understood somewhat.

The claim of falling from a horse and breaking a leg is clearly just a case of seeing the situation was bad and being afraid of dying!
A surge of anger, fueled by being fooled, welled up within Ding Chong, making his brows furrow and his eyes widen in fury. He was about to retaliate when Zhou Jing firmly grabbed his sleeve. "Brother Ding! Though I cannot go in person, my patriotic heart and the loyal men under my command, willing to die for me, all belong to you, to Lord Cao! I wish to entrust them all to your command! They are all brave and daring warriors, capable of lending you a helping hand and making up for even a fraction of my shortcomings!"

Ding Chong sneered inwardly, but seeing the uneasy expressions and shifty eyes of the retainers around Zhou Jing, he knew that even if he forcibly detained Zhou Jing, it would likely lead to failure. However, keeping those men would at least be a way of handing over military power...

That's enough, that's enough!
We shouldn't work with such fools!

So Ding Chong simply and indifferently arranged for a few of his family soldiers to "escort" Zhou Jing back to "care for his injuries."

Zhou Jing felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He lay on the door panel and repeatedly bowed to express his gratitude. He was then carried away and quickly disappeared outside the camp gate, disappearing much faster than when he came.

Ding Chong originally thought that even if Zhou Jing went back to "recover from his injuries," at least the people Zhou Jing brought could be kept and used. However, Ding Chong was wrong again.

The few hundred retainers and wandering knights who remained were mostly shrewd individuals. Seeing that Zhou Jing had feigned illness and fled, who would be willing to go to the front lines to die?

In just two or three days, these hundreds of people used all sorts of supernatural abilities to disperse, leaving only a few bewildered and clueless individuals behind...

Moreover, Zhou Jing's "injured" departure was just the beginning of a disastrous situation!
What happened next took a sharp turn for the worse!

Ding Chong's envoys sent to various counties surrounding Qiao County, and even to other prominent families in Pei State, mostly went with high hopes but returned disappointed, some even being turned away at the door.

The Ji family of Zhi County, who were fond of metaphysical discussions, remained completely silent, which Ding Chong thought was understandable. After all, the Ji family was a family of scholars and poets, so it was understandable that they didn't get involved in military affairs. But they didn't even voluntarily donate any food or supplies...

The Ji family's actions weren't too excessive, after all, it was a matter for scholars. However, the Huan family of Qiao Commandery, who were also closely related to the Cao family, neither sent anyone to assist them nor provided any supplies, as if they were completely unaware of what was happening outside. They didn't even reply to a single letter, which made Ding Chong's anger rise.

Even the imperial relatives of the Han Dynasty, the Liu family of Pei State, who should have been more anxious and concerned about the emperor's safety, all pretended to be deaf and dumb, and not a single person or horse came to join them.

The originally scheduled meeting and departure date has been postponed again and again...

Ding Chong finally couldn't sit still any longer!

He had to go and find out for himself!

Is this still a robust, burly man?

Do these people still have the imperial court in their hearts?

Are we really going to wait until the Flying Cavalry comes knocking on our door before we start crying out?!
Filled with grief and indignation, Ding Chong led dozens of his men and rode straight to one of the larger fortified villages in Qiao County, which was also the residence of the Huan family, whose attitude was the most ambiguous.

The Huan family's fortified village was older and more magnificent than the Ding family's, with higher walls, wider moats, and sturdier drawbridges.

The Huan clan, though seemingly not so prominent after the Tang Dynasty, was once a remarkable and prestigious surname during the Spring and Autumn Period!

The surname Huan is said to have originated from Huan Chang, a minister during the time of the Yellow Emperor, or from the descendants of Duke Huan of Song and Duke Huan of Qi during the Spring and Autumn Period...

However, it is impossible to verify exactly how many points there are.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Huan family was quite prominent. Huan Rong and his descendants Huan Yu and Huan Yan devoted themselves to the teaching of Confucian classics. When Huan Rong passed away at the age of over eighty, Emperor Xiaoming personally attended his funeral and bestowed upon him a tomb south of Shouyang Mountain. Even Huan Rong's grandson later served as Grand Commandant, demonstrating the immense favor he received.

Simply put, during the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Huan family's status was even higher than that of the Cao and Xiahou families!

After all, Cao Cao was from the Cao family...

Therefore, it is not surprising that the Huan family had such a large fortified village.

Upon hearing that Ding Chong had arrived with his men, the fortified village fell silent after the announcement was made.

After waiting for about fifteen minutes, just as Ding Chong and the others were nearly enraged, the drawbridge of the fortified village was slowly lowered.

Huan Fan, the current head of the Huan family and a former aide to Cao Cao, came out of the fortified village to greet them.

Ding Chong, his face ashen, followed Huan Fan to the main hall of the fortified village with several personal guards, where they sat down as host and guest.

Huan Fan, his long beard meticulously combed, dressed in a slightly worn dark scholar's robe and a turban, moved with composure, showing no sign of panic. Seeing Ding Chong's angry face, he pretended not to notice, saying, "Ding, you've come in haste; what brings you here?"

Ding Chong stared intently at Huan Fan, his eyes wide, and questioned him bluntly: "Huan Yuanze! Stop with the pretense! You know how Cao Cao treated your Huan family in the past! He recruited your sons, granted them official positions, and bestowed upon them land and houses—his favors were unparalleled! Now, the state is on the verge of collapse, the emperor is in imminent danger, and Cao Cao, to preserve the remnants of the Han dynasty, fought a bloody battle with his lone army at Sishui Pass! This is truly a time for loyal ministers and martyrs to sacrifice their lives! Your Huan family has thousands of able-bodied men, fortified fortresses, and abundant provisions, yet you keep your doors tightly shut, guarding yourselves with your troops, ignoring the emperor's orders! What is this if not ingratitude, disregard for the duties of a subject, and betrayal of the fundamental principles of loyalty between ruler and subject?! Your Huan family has a century-old tradition of scholarship and propriety, its reputation renowned in the countryside. Are you now going to ruin your family's honor, becoming those heartless traitors who refuse to help those in distress and seek only to escape with their lives?!"

In Ding Chong's vision, under his righteous and awe-inspiring rebuke, Huan Fan, if he had any conscience or sense of shame, would immediately realize his mistake, weep bitterly, and declare that the Huan family was wrong. He would then resolutely set things right and embark on a glorious path together with Ding Chong...