Taiheiki

Chapter 86 Recruitment
"Are there really that many people from Yuzhang?"

"It's certainly possible!" Zhao Yannian said, "I heard that due to unpaid wages and delayed garrison duties, a group of Yuzhang garrison soldiers in Yiyang, southern Jing, rebelled and defected to the leader of the Wuling Barbarians. I'm sure some of these captives are related to them!"

"Well, if that's the case, that would be great!" Wei Cong nodded. Regardless of which dynasty, the punishment for deserters and rebels was extremely severe. Even if it wasn't execution, they would be tortured to death by hard labor. So as long as they followed Wei Cong, there would be no need to worry about them defecting to the government. "Wen Sheng, then I'll leave this matter to you. You don't need too many people. Sixty or seventy people will be enough. They need to be capable and brave warriors!"

"My subordinate understands!"

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Fear is more terrifying than death, Qian Wen told himself, but this could not dispel the fear. Fear became a part of him, just like the stench of wounds and cracked hands and feet.

Ever since he killed the captain and raised the banner of rebellion, Qian Benwen had believed that nothing in the world could frighten him. But the battle at Baqiu completely overturned his assumptions. He had never seen an army so well-armored. Almost every soldier wore armor, and their bows and crossbows were powerful, raining arrows like free cash. Their spears, lances, and swords were all finely forged iron, and they even had cavalry. No wonder his side, despite having nearly a three-to-one numerical advantage, still found the battle so difficult, feeling completely overwhelmed.

However, the side with more men was more likely to win. Just as victory seemed imminent, the defenders of the mountain city suddenly emerged from behind and dealt a fatal blow. The rest of the story goes without saying. Their army was completely routed, which wasn't a big deal. This wasn't their first defeat; they could simply flee. The southern side was densely forested, and the defeated army could simply retreat into the mountains and forests, leaving the government troops powerless even if they won. But this time, it was different. Behind them wasn't a forest, but a swamp.

Qian Wen could not remember clearly what happened next. He only remembered that he was like a wild beast, trying frantically to find a way out, and was finally knocked unconscious. When he woke up again, he was tied up with dozens of ragged men and driven into a depression with spears and knife backs. There was a temporary fence around the depression, and they were the livestock inside.

The captives were forbidden to talk. Those who could not control their tongues were whipped five times and then tied to a nearby stake for public display. On the first day, they were only given water, no food. This was within Qian Wen's expectations. Starving the captives was a common tactic used by victors. After all, a full person will have wild thoughts, while hunger can clear the mind and make people recognize their current situation.

However, at noon the next day, Qian Wen heard the sound of wheels rolling. He looked up and saw several donkey carts parked at the gate of the fence. Large wooden barrels were placed on the carts. The aroma of porridge in the air made the people inside the fence excited.

"Open the door!" Wen Sheng hopped off the donkey cart and gestured. He walked past the fence, his gaze sweeping over the disheveled men below. Every one he saw lowered their heads, not daring to meet his gaze. Very good! He could see weakness, fear, begging, flattery, and, of course, hatred in those eyes, but it was rare. This was a good start!
"You all deserve to die!" Wen Sheng paused for a moment. "As a soldier, the most important thing is loyalty. You were loyal to your captain, but you betrayed him and killed him! Needless to say, what you did afterwards was a heinous crime. That's why God punished you through the hands of the rebellious captain. Although you outnumbered many, you were still defeated, and hundreds of you died. For those who survived, what awaits you is flogging, hard labor, and execution!"

None of the captives dared to protest. Fear and humiliation weighed on them like heavy stones, immobilizing them. Wen Sheng paused briefly before continuing, "But you're lucky. The Rebellion Suppression Captain needs help, so he's giving you a chance to wash away your sins with your own blood and sweat. If any of you are willing, please stand up."

At first, most people didn't understand what Wensheng meant. Only a few people stood up and raised their hands. Wensheng repeated it again, and more people stood up quickly. In fact, there were not many people who understood Wensheng's words now, but people have a herd mentality. Besides, what situation could be worse than the current one?
Wen Sheng gestured, and two soldiers entered the fence and began their selection. Seeing a healthy, uninjured captive, they untied the ropes and signaled them to leave. Once outside, they were given two bowls of hot porridge, then taken to the stream to wash clean and receive new clothes. Qian Wen felt better, slumped to the ground, and heard his companions whispering.

"What will that rebel captain do to us next?"

"Didn't you hear what that guy said just now? He needs manpower, and he probably wants to incorporate us into the army, right?"

"You wish!" someone sneered. "We're lucky to be doing menial work. Two days ago, we were enemy soldiers. Even if the rebellion-suppressing captain is very bold, he wouldn't dare to immediately recruit us into his army!"

"It's good to be a handyman! At least we saved our lives!" Someone sighed, "We were supposed to die this time!"

"Yeah! I had porridge to drink, a bath, and clothes given back! Compared to the people in the fence, I'm really lucky!"

"Let's just escape overnight!" someone suggested.

"Where can you escape to? There's murder everywhere here. Where can you escape to? If you're caught, you'll definitely die. Even if you escape, the rest of the people will definitely be implicated."

"That's right! We were able to survive this time thanks to Zhonghuang Taiyi's blessing. We can't mess around again!"

"Then stay and do hard labor? That will be a dead end sooner or later!" The person who advocated escape retorted unconvincedly. Seeing Qian Wen, he shouted excitedly: "Boss Qian, you are here too, come on, tell me whether we should escape now or not?"

Qian Wen didn't answer immediately. He pondered for a moment and asked, "You said escape, have you ever thought about where to escape to?"

"Of course we're going back to Yuzhang!" The person who spoke was the guy who had just shouted that he wanted to escape. He looked to be only in his early twenties, with a short beard on his chin, a bulbous nose, and squinting eyes. If it weren't for the scar on his right cheek, his face would have looked a little funny.

"Back to Yuzhang?" Qian Wen smiled. "This is Baqiu. The only way back to Yuzhang is by water. To go by water, you need a boat. Where can I get a boat?"

"Let's rob! With dozens of us brave men, are we really afraid that we won't be able to rob the boat?"

"Rob?" Qian Wen sneered. "We've been in Baqiu for quite some time now. How many boats have you seen? I haven't seen a single boat, so where are you going to rob? Okay, even if you manage to rob a blind boat, who among us is familiar with the waterway from Baqiu to Yuzhang? Who can steer and row? And if we encounter a government patrol boat along the way, how should we deal with it? Have you thought about that?"

Faced with Qian Wen's rapid-fire series of questions, the squinting man opened his mouth, speechless. After a moment, he replied, "Then why don't we go back to Yuzhang? Let's flee back to the Wuling barbarians. They'll definitely want us!"

"Escape back?" Qian Wen sneered. "It took us five days to get here, and it's not the first day for any of us to join the army. What do you think the people in those villages will do to us on the way back?"

"This will definitely not work. We don't have any weapons and will definitely be skinned alive by those villages!" someone whispered.

Southern Jing was originally a land of mixed Han and barbarian forces. Major battles lasted three to five years, with smaller ones occurring year after year. Whether loyal to the imperial court or the various barbarians and local tyrants, military discipline was unsatisfactory. They left devastated wherever they went, forcing the remaining villages to fortify themselves. A defeated army like theirs would surely be severely punished by the local villages. Even though the journey was only five days, without weapons to defend themselves, they would likely never complete it.

"It's not that we can't escape, but now is definitely not the right time!" Qian Wen said, "That so-called anti-rebellion captain is quite capable, otherwise he wouldn't have beaten us so badly. Let's all be patient for a while and wait and see what happens!"

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Jiangling, the headquarters of the General of Chariots and Cavalry.

"This guy really knows how to pick the right time!" Ying Feng rubbed his hands beside the brazier. He realized that Wei Cong's assessment of Jiangling's winter was spot-on—cold and damp. While not as knee-deep in snow as in Henan and Guanzhong, the bone-chilling chill felt quite different. He looked up and saw the servant, a bit terrified, no doubt expecting a reprimand for waking him in the middle of the night. "Please ask him to go to the study. I'll be right there!"

Ying Feng glanced at the sky outside. It must have been midnight. Most people would be deep asleep at this hour, but he was different. He would work until the wee hours of the morning, reading secret letters from all over the land under the flickering lamplight, answering each one and reviewing military ledgers until his eyes ached and his vision blurred. He loved this. Watching a grand project take shape under his own impetus filled his heart with joy.

Ying Feng wiped his face with the water in the copper basin behind the screen and walked towards the study. When he walked in, he saw Luo Hong standing by the window, looking at the night sky outside. Ying Feng could see anxiety and tension on his face.

"Seeing you in Jiangling, it seems the siege of Baqiu has been lifted!" Ying Feng said with a smile. "Yes! Captain Wei has won two battles and lifted the siege of Baqiu!" Luo Hong turned and bowed to Ying Feng. "I heard that if I want to see the master, I must get your permission first. Is that true?"

"That's not the case!" Ying Feng said with a smile, "It's just that Feng Cheqi has too much on his hands. If he wants to see everyone who wants to see him, he wouldn't have enough bodies even if he had ten. So I'm responsible for pre-screening those who want to see me!"

Luo Hong's eyes flickered, but he finally decided to talk about the most important things first. He pulled a letter from his sleeve and handed it to Ying Feng: "This is what Captain Wei asked me to pass on to the master!"

"Oh? A report of victory?" Ying Feng took it without even looking at it. "You must have witnessed the battle yourself, right? He's a really smart man. He sent you back so he doesn't have to worry about his military achievements being embezzled!"

"No—" Luo Hong gave a bitter smile: "Captain Wei didn't ask me to come back because of this."

"Oh? Why is that?" Ying Feng laughed. "What did he say to you?"

"He killed Wang Gui, the county lieutenant of Baqiu!" Luo Hong replied, "He told me to report the whole incident to my master!"

"What?" Ying Feng was shocked. "You mean he defeated the bandits, lifted the siege of Baqiu, and then killed the Baqiu County Magistrate?"

"Hmm!" Luo Hong gave a wry laugh and recounted the entire story from beginning to end. Ying Feng listened with a strange look on his face. He knew Luo Hong would never lie to Feng Gun, and telling him the truth was the same as telling Feng Gun. And judging by the incident itself, Wei Cong's murderous outburst was a stark contrast to his usual impression of a scheming man. It was a complex character, possessing both a scheming and calculating side and a chivalrous and aggressive side. In that sense, he had misjudged him.

"Doctor, Doctor!" Luo Hong whispered, seeing Ying Feng was silent for a while. Ying Feng let out a long breath and regained his usual composure: "Did Wei Cong say what to do next?"

"He asked if I could redeem myself from my crime by offering meritorious service, thus offsetting my sins. I said the court's laws were strict, and I was afraid it wouldn't be possible. However, I said the emperor was ill, and if I delayed for a while, the new emperor would naturally grant amnesty. He should be able to atone for his sin by spending some money!"

"Then how did he answer?" Ying Feng asked.

"He didn't say anything at the time. I guess there are some things he won't tell me. After all, I'm not his confidant!"

"Hmm!" Ying Feng then remembered that he still had Wei Cong's letter in his hand. He opened it and read it, then said with a wry smile, "What a decisive man! He really doesn't leave any room for others, nor for himself!"

"what happened?"

"Wei Cong had already resigned from his post as the Rebellion Suppression Captain in his letter. He left his seal and ribbon with Zhao Yannian, the Camp Commander, and resigned!"

Luo Hong looked at Ying Feng in a daze, and it took him a long time to come back to his senses. What Ying Feng had just said was simply a fantasy to him. Generally speaking, the promotion path for military officers in the Eastern Han and Three Kingdoms period was from Duwei - Miscellaneous Colonel - General - Pian Jiang - Miscellaneous General - Four Expeditionary and Four Garrison Commanders - General of Chariots and Cavalry, General of the Light Cavalry, and General. Basically, General of Chariots and Cavalry, General of the Light Cavalry, and General were high-ranking officials on par with the Three Dukes, either important officials or renowned generals of the court, or extremely favored eunuchs or relatives of the emperor. The Four Expeditionary and Four Garrison Commanders were all generals commanding a specific area, supervising the operations of several generals. General of the Central Army, Pian Jiang, and General of the Miscellaneous Commanders generally commanded an army. Colonel - Miscellaneous Colonel generally commanded a battalion or a separate unit.

Wei Cong, the captain of the rebellion suppression team, might seem humble, but he had already embarked on the "glorious path" of Eastern Han warriors. If he hadn't killed Wang Gui, his military exploits would have earned him a promotion to General of the Central Guards, essentially giving him a salary of 2,000 dan per state after the battle. More importantly, Wei Cong wasn't alone; he came into the team with his own money. The thousand elite soldiers under his command, fully equipped with armor and weapons, were all recruited with his own money. This meant that even after the battle was over and his military commission was dismissed, this military force would remain with him. The court could dispatch him to prefectures and counties struggling with long-standing chaos, which were plentiful at the time, to address local issues. His advancement would have been much faster. But strangely, Wei Cong abandoned this "bright future."

"Captain Wei, why is this happening? Things clearly haven't reached that point yet—" Luo Hong whispered.

"I don't know either!" Ying Feng shook his head. "Perhaps there's some hidden secret we don't know about, or perhaps he feels he can't escape the crime, so he doesn't want to take the risk and would rather flee!" Ying Feng thought for a moment, then suddenly asked, "By the way, his letter said he'd handed the seal of the Rebellion Suppression Captain to the Military Commander Zhao Yannian. What do you think of him?"

"Doctor, I've only met Sima Zhao once, but he must be a veteran. He has a high reputation in the army and the soldiers trust him very much."

"What about him towards Wei Cong? Is he particularly loyal?"

"I don't know about that!" Luo Hong shook his head: "But Captain Wei is willing to hand over the seal to him, so he must trust Sima Zhao very much!"

"Yes, I understand!" Ying Feng nodded: "You have worked hard on the journey, please go back and rest first!"

"Thank you, doctor!"

After Luo Hong left, Ying Feng took out Wei Cong's letter and read it again. The elegant and fluent handwriting on the silk cloth made Ying Feng subconsciously stretch out his fingers to copy it, and he couldn't help but let out a low sound of admiration.

"Wonderful, truly wonderful! Even Du Du and Cai Yong were no better than this! It's truly strange. Why do I feel that when Wei Cong wrote this letter, he wasn't forced to resign, but rather had been freed from his shackles?"

Ying Feng stopped copying and shook his head. He couldn't imagine that a person who lost his future because of killing someone in a moment of impulse could write such clear and vivid words. Unless Wei Cong's cultivation had reached the state of "not being stuck in things, not being trapped in the mind, and not being confused by people", how could such a person kill someone in anger?

"Wei Mengde, Wei Mengde, how many faces do you have?" Ying Feng sighed. He had a premonition in his heart that this man would never disappear like this.

The first volume is finished.

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Before we knew it, the first volume of Taipingji had ended, and Wei Cong had completed the trilogy from exile to entering the system to rebel against the system.

Some say that all time travelers are born rebels, and this is actually true. No matter how successful Wei Cong was at the time, deep down he was critical of everything at the time, but he was unable to do so and had to give in.

So it was only a matter of time before Wei Cong broke free from the shackles of the empire and reclaimed his rebel roots, and that day had finally arrived. Perhaps one day in the future, he would once again don the crimson robes and the military cap. Believe me, this was just another act of deception. Deep down, he was still the rebel he always was, and one day, he would smash everything to pieces and rebuild his kingdom from that foundation.

So please read the second volume of this book - Being far away from the world.

(End of this chapter)