Three Kingdoms: A Million Soldiers Grown from the Fields

Chapter 200 Dong Zhuo
A suffocating atmosphere of despair permeated Guangzong City.

The air was filled with an indescribable mixture of smells: the stench of rotting wounds, the body odor of a hungry crowd, the bitterness of cheap herbs, and the smoky smell of burning scraps for warmth...

Most of the houses on both sides of the street had their doors and windows wide open, like the empty eye sockets of a skull.

Occasionally, a sallow-faced, emaciated woman or elderly person with a numb gaze would huddle in a corner, holding a child who was barely breathing and didn't even have the strength to cry.

In the city center, the mansion that originally belonged to a local powerful family has now become the final resting place of the great teacher Zhang Jiao.

The hall was dimly lit and filled with a strong medicinal smell.

The once powerful and influential Great Teacher, who commanded millions of Yellow Turban rebels, now lay emaciated and slumped on a low couch covered with old fur.

He was wrapped in a heavy fur coat, and his face was so thin that his cheekbones were high and his eyes were sunken.

His eyes held a bottomless weariness and a barely perceptible sense of gloom.

A violent coughing fit erupted, each cough seeming as if it were coughing up all the insides of the body.

A young girl with a fairly healthy complexion familiarly fed him a bowl of herbal soup.

"Cough...cough cough...Han camp, what's the news today?"

His voice was hoarse and dry, like a broken bellows.

“Reporting to the Great and Wise Teacher.” A young chieftain, whose armor was slightly damaged, knelt on one knee before the bed.

"Dong Zhuo's camp gates are tightly closed, showing no intention of sending troops... But... But this morning, a force of about a hundred riders came from the west, carrying banners with the character 'Zhang' on them, and went straight into Dong Zhuo's camp! Scouts report that this group of cavalry is well-armored and has an extremely imposing presence; they are definitely not Dong Zhuo's soldiers!"

"Zhang?" A strange light flashed in Zhang Jiao's cloudy eyes, but it was quickly covered by even deeper weariness.

"Bingzhou... Zhang Xian? He... he finally came..."

He murmured to himself, his withered fingers unconsciously gripping the wrist of the girl beside him, his knuckles turning white from the force.

"White Deer".

“A good teacher.” The young commander raised his head.

"Summon all the chieftains and commanders in the city to come forward."

"promise."

Zhang Bailu got up and left.

The room was silent.

After a long while, Zhang Jiao's sigh, the result of a thousand thoughts, rang out again: "Ning'er, go and get ready. Your father is entrusting you to someone else."

"Father."

Zhang Ning, with tears in her eyes, knelt before the bed, clutching Zhang Jiao's arm tightly.

“Father, I won’t leave. Ning’er wants to stay with you.”

"Don't be willful. You are now carrying the weight of more than just yourself. The Yellow Turban Rebellion has reached its limit, and so has your father. If it weren't for Zixu's help in recuperating, I probably would have passed away months earlier."

“There are no good people in the Han Dynasty, remember that, Ning’er, there is not a single good person in the Han Dynasty!” He gripped Zhang Ning’s hand tightly.

“Even if it is Zixu, after so much time, I do not know if he has already colluded with the powerful and wealthy of the Han Dynasty. Ning’er, the lives of hundreds of thousands of Yellow Turban rebels will probably fall on your shoulders alone.”

"Father!" Zhang Ning could no longer suppress her sobs, and she buried her face in Zhang Jiao's arm and wept loudly.

Zhang Jiao stroked her hair tenderly, without saying another word.

Inside Dong Zhuo's camp, the atmosphere in the central command tent was as oppressive as the deep sea before a storm.

The charcoal crackled and popped as it burned.

At the head of the table, a burly man with a full beard, as imposing as a brown bear, paced back and forth anxiously.

It was the newly appointed General of the Household, Dong Zhuo, also known as Dong Zhongying.

His face was ashen, and his eyes were bloodshot. He would occasionally glance at the core generals of the Xiliang army standing solemnly in the tent—Li Jue, Guo Si, Niu Fu, and others.

In the corner sat a middle-aged man dressed as a scholar, who was his son-in-law and strategist, Li Ru, and his brows were furrowed.

"Trash! A bunch of trash!"

Dong Zhuo suddenly stopped, slamming his large, fan-like hand down hard on the hardwood table in front of him with a loud "bang," which made the command quiver on the table jump.

"Mere bandits! A bunch of starving peasants! How could they! How could they... cause me to lose so many men! Zhang Bao, you treacherous dog! I will tear him to pieces!"

He roared, his spittle almost hitting Li Jue, who was standing below him, in the face.

Li Jue and the others remained silent, heads bowed, not daring to utter a word.

In the ambush at Xiaquyang, the Yellow Turban army surged in from all directions like mad dogs, completely disregarding casualties. They used their lives to break down the Xiliang cavalry's charging formation, scattering Dong Zhuo's proud elite troops and causing heavy casualties.

That madness still haunts them to this day.

Just then, the tent flap was suddenly flung open, letting in a gust of cold wind and the noise from outside.

"Report! General!" A personal guard knelt on one knee, his voice carrying a barely perceptible urgency.

"Prefect Zhang of Bingzhou has arrived at the camp gate!"

Dong Zhuo's roar came to an abrupt halt.

He suddenly turned his head, his eyes flashing with a fierce light, staring intently at the direction of the tent entrance, his facial muscles twitching uncontrollably a few times.

"Hmph! They came quickly!" Dong Zhuo spat out a few words through gritted teeth, his voice filled with deep apprehension.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his almost bursting anger, and looked around the tent. His voice was so cold it could drip water: "Everyone, perk up! Don't let those people from Bingzhou laugh at the men of Xiliang! Come! Follow me to 'welcome' this Lord Zhang!"

He deliberately emphasized the word "welcome," and the generals in the tent all understood the dissatisfaction and resentment in it.

When Dong Zhuo led Li Jue, Guo Si, and other fierce generals from Xiliang out of the central command tent like a pack of wolves, they happened to see Zhang Xian and his party walking through the camp.

Although they numbered only a hundred riders, their fierce and iron-blooded spirit was like a sharp blade drawn from its sheath, forming a stark contrast to the decadence that permeated the camp.

Zhang Xian, clad in black armor and a red cloak, walked at the forefront with steady steps.

The cold, stern lines etched between his brows by the wind and snow remained undiminished.

Thirteen guards stood in his right and left wings, protecting him.

Dong Zhuo strode forward, a ridiculously exaggerated smile instantly spreading across his face, his booming voice making everyone's eardrums buzz.

"Hahaha! Lord Zhang! I've long admired your name, it's legendary! You've traveled a long way, you must be tired!"

He spread his arms, as if to give a bear hug, his massive body pressing down like a wall, carrying a strong smell of sweat and blood, trying to overwhelm the opponent with his imposing presence.

Zhang Xian did not stop walking; he stopped at just the right moment when he was still three steps away from Dong Zhuo.

He nodded slightly as a greeting, his movements unhurried and his voice calm and even: "Dong Zhonglang, I have long admired you. The court is concerned about the situation in Guangzong and has specially dispatched Xian here to assist you in suppressing the bandits."

Dong Zhuo's smile froze for a moment, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and then he burst into laughter, his voice shaking the roof tiles.

"Hahaha, it's all my fault for not handling things properly! That's why Lord Zhang has to travel so far. But now that Lord Zhang is helping us, how can we not destroy this horned demon! Come, come, let's talk inside the tent! Please!"

He stepped aside to make way, his movements rough and forceful.

Inside the central command tent, charcoal fires roared.

Dong Zhuo occupied the main seat, while Zhang Xian was led to the left-hand chief seat.

Li Jue, Guo Si, and other Xiliang generals stood behind Dong Zhuo with their hands on their swords, sizing up the fourteen men opposite them with hostile eyes.

However, Zhang Xian did not sit down. He stood and looked at Dong Zhuo, who was sitting in the main seat, without saying a word, his face expressionless.

Behind him, the thirteen guards each rested their hands on the hilts of their swords, exchanging glances with the Xiliang generals.

"Lord Zhang," Dong Zhuo said, picking up his wine cup with a forced smile.

"You are a guest from afar. Logically speaking, the battle of Guangzong should not have troubled you. However, that sorcerer Zhang Jiao is full of tricks. In the battle of Xiaquyang, his dog brother Zhang Bao took advantage of the situation and set up an ambush, causing me to lose some of my men. That's why... cough cough, I was temporarily hindered."

"A few young men?" Zhang Xian suddenly chuckled softly, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears.

He moved his hand closer to the charcoal brazier, looking at Dong Zhuo with a half-smile: "As far as I know, since General Dong took over from General Lu, he has fought more than ten battles, large and small, and the number of soldiers lost is probably no less than ten thousand. In the battle of Xiaquyang, he was completely routed, and even the vanguard general Hua Xiong almost died in battle. Now, under the walls of Guangzong, morale is low, the camp is full of wounded soldiers, and the cries of pain are incessant day and night."

General Dong is truly... quite magnanimous about such 'minor' losses."

These words instantly froze Dong Zhuo.

"Insolence!" Li Jue, standing behind Dong Zhuo, suddenly changed color, gripped the hilt of his sword, and shouted angrily.

"Choke!"

Zhang Xian's personal guards drew their swords almost simultaneously without the slightest hesitation! Thirteen fierce and unparalleled killing intents instantly locked onto Li Jue! The air inside the tent suddenly tensed, and the temperature seemed to plummet!
"Step back!" Dong Zhuo slammed his hand on the table and roared at Li Jue, his face so dark it could drip water.

He stared intently at Zhang Xian, his eyes flashing with a fierce light: "Lord Zhang, is this how guests behave in Bingzhou?"

"The way of being a guest?"

"Dong Zhonglang, you should know that I am here to take over the military affairs of the Northern Army." He stepped forward and placed his hands on the table in front of Dong Zhuo, looking him directly in the eye: "A defeated general should act like a defeated general. You are so arrogant in front of me. Do you expect me to grovel before you?"

His voice was calm, revealing the naked weakness that Dong Zhuo had carefully concealed.

The tent was deathly silent, save for the crackling of the burning charcoal.

The generals of Xiliang looked extremely grim, but none of them could refute them.

Dong Zhuo's chest heaved violently, and his heavy breathing was clearly audible, as he was obviously trying his best to suppress his overwhelming anger and killing intent.

"Hmph!" Dong Zhuo snorted heavily, grabbed the wine cup, and drank it all in one gulp, the wine flowing down his bushy beard: "What do you think?"

Zhang Xian grabbed the wine pot and poured half a cup of wine into Dong Zhuo's empty wine vessel: "Hand over the Northern Army's military tally, withdraw from the main tent, and await further orders from the sidelines!"

"If you are unwilling"

He grabbed the bronze wine vessel with one hand and tightened his grip.

The wine bottle creaked and twisted into a ball.

"I wouldn't mind letting Dong Zhonglang know what it truly means to come with ill intentions!"

He released his grip, and the twisted bronze wine vessel fell onto the table. Dong Zhuo looked at Zhang Xian with surprise and suspicion.

"you!"

Before Dong Zhuo could speak, Li Ru stepped forward and pressed down on Dong Zhuo's shoulder.

"We are aware of what Zhang Zhonglang said. Our lord is just still grieving for those brave men who were ambushed and lost their lives. Please forgive him for his oversight."

After saying that, he turned his head and whispered in Dong Zhuo's ear, "My lord, it's best to end this matter here. The newcomers are truly ill-intentioned!" His gaze had already swept over the few men under Zhang Xian who were guarding the tent entrance.

One of them even took out a military whistle.

Dong Zhuo's breathing became a little heavier, and he tugged at his collar armor in frustration, but his trust and reliance on Li Ru still made him choose to back down.

He stood up fiercely, threw half of a military tally from his waist onto the table.

"Zhang Zhonglang, we'll meet again someday!"

"go!"

He shouted angrily, and Li Jue, Guo Si, and the others followed him outside.

Li Ru bowed to him before leaving the main tent.

Zhang Xian picked up the military tally, which was about the thickness of a finger and the length of a finger, from the table and sneered.

"Heh, this Fatty Dong is actually quite patient."

Upon hearing this, a guard stepped forward and whispered, "My lord, should I...?" He then made a throat-slitting gesture with his hand.

Zhang Xian chuckled and slapped him on the head: "We only have a little over a hundred people, while they have several thousand Xiliang soldiers. What, do you plan to fight them all by yourself?"

The guard actually started calculating. He gestured for a while and replied seriously, "My lord, I checked when we came in. In the current condition of those Xiliang soldiers, I should be able to take on seventy of them!"

"I can do eighty!"

"I, my lord! I can kill ninety of them!"

"."

Suddenly, a buying frenzy broke out inside the large tent.

Zhang Xian shook his head and waved his hand, "Alright, Ashan, go and call the Northern Army captain here!"

"Adong, go and wait with the brothers in the Mountain Battalion."

"Everyone else, stay put!"

"promise!"

These rough, muscle-bound men really don't care about life and death.

The main tent was completely renovated. Zhang Xian took his seat in the main position and casually picked up a few battle reports to read.

A short while later, several footsteps were heard outside the tent.

The curtain was pulled open, and several generals who had come in full armor bowed respectfully.

"Station the cavalry!"

"Riding forward!"

"infantry!"

"Changshui!"

"Sound of gunfire!"

"The five colonels pay their respects to General Zhang!"

The five men shouted in unison. They were quite familiar with Zhang Xian. Back when Lu Zhonglang was in Jizhou, he won a series of victories and locked the battlefield in the general area of ​​Guangzong.

Unfortunately, after achieving further victories, the imperial court failed to provide sufficient supplies, leading to a series of setbacks in subsequent battles. If it weren't for the assistance provided by Zhang Zhonglang of Bingzhou, the battlefield in Jizhou would likely have been unable to sustain itself.

Later, Lu Zhonglang was framed by the eunuch faction, dismissed from his post, and escorted back to Luoyang. Dong Zhuo came to replace him. At this time, the grain and fodder were plentiful, but the battle was a disastrous defeat.

The battle of Xiaquyang resulted in heavy losses, and morale in the army had plummeted to an all-time low.

Zhang Xian made no further formalities and passed the military tally around to the men one by one.

"I have come here on the General's secret orders to take over military affairs in Ji Province. Does anyone have any objections?!"

After checking the military tally, the men shouted in unison again, "We obey the General's orders! We obey Zhang Zhonglang's orders!"

The military tally was returned to Zhang Xian's hands. He nodded and said, "Each unit should keep its troops in check and prevent any unrest. Provide them with sufficient provisions and food for three days to allow them to rest and recuperate!"

"My troops should send over 10,000 catties of meat tomorrow. With the army having just suffered a defeat, it is of utmost importance to replenish morale!"

The group exchanged glances, all feeling surprised. Instead of making a splash upon taking office, the new official was personally paying for meat, which was quite unusual.

They quickly clasped their hands in greeting and replied, "As Zhang Zhonglang commands!"

Just as they were about to take their leave, they heard a word from the person at the head of the table.

"I heard that Dong Zhuo was rescued when he was defeated at Xiaquyang? Do you know who rescued him?"

One of the captains spoke up: "I heard that they were just a few commoners leading local militia, but Dong Zhonglang didn't pay them any attention."

Zhang Xian's eyes flashed; there really is one, isn't there?

He nodded: "However, I have heard that one of them is Lu Zhonglang's student. Go and invite him over; I want to meet them!"

"Yes, sir!" the captains replied, bowing.

　The story of Dong Zhuo being rescued by Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei is a fictional account and is not recorded in historical fact.

　　This book uses both fictional and historical facts, as mentioned in the synopsis, but I'll mention it again here.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)