Three Kingdoms: A Million Soldiers Grown from the Fields

Chapter 202 The Role of Reputation

Only sobbing could be heard inside the room.

Zhang Xian looked at Zhang Jiao, who was lifeless on his sickbed, and sighed again.

Whether he acted out of selfishness, ambition, or genuine sincerity during his lifetime.

Everything he did has vanished into thin air today.

The Yellow Turbans ultimately dealt a heavy blow to the corrupt Han Dynasty.

Even if it failed to destroy it, it sowed the seeds of a potential threat that could eventually destroy it.

Zhang Xian silently stood up and bowed slightly.

'May you rest in peace.'

The night was silent.

Zhang Ning's wailing gradually turned into suppressed sobs, her shoulders trembling slightly in the dim light.

She lay on her father's still warm but now cold body, as if trying to melt all her grief and helplessness into this last bit of attachment.

Zhang Xian stood silently to one side.

Zhang Jiao's entrustment involved the lives of hundreds of thousands of people struggling on the brink of death.

After a long while, Zhang Ning suddenly raised her head. Her face was still wet with tears, but in her red and swollen eyes, the fragility of a young girl had been replaced by determination.

She wiped away her tears with the back of her hand, her action carrying a hint of ruthlessness.

She turned to Zhang Xian, her voice hoarse but clear.

“My father trusts you and has entrusted me and the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in this city to you.”

Zhang Xian, Zhang Zixu! You must remember my words today! The Yellow Turbans in the city are all Father's most loyal followers. With me here, they will be your most steadfast supporters!

"But if you are no different from those powerful and wealthy people, all of you are scum who suck people's marrow!"

Her gaze, sharp as a quenched knife, was fixed on Zhang Xian's face: "Even if I, Zhang Ning, were to become a vengeful ghost, I would make sure that Bingzhou would never have peace!"

This is not a threat.

Zhang Xian met her gaze without flinching, his voice steady as iron: "I always keep my word."

"I will fulfill my promise to Brother Gongqi, even if it means going through fire and water. I will do my utmost to protect the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in Guangzong City and guide them to safety."

“Ning’er, now that you have received your father’s command, you should reassure people and complete this final handover.”

The words "Ning'er" made Zhang Ning's tense body tremble slightly.

This title stripped her of the heavy identity of being the daughter of a great teacher, making her seem like the little girl who was once again enjoying her father's company.

The fierceness in her eyes softened slightly. She bit her lip, nodded forcefully, and lowered her voice: "What should I do?"

"How many of the city's leaders are completely under your command?" Zhang Xian's gaze sharpened.

Zhang Ning pondered: "This morning, my father convened a meeting with the chieftains. After the meeting, my father told me that we only need to pay attention to Han Qiong and his gang in the city. They are not followers, but surrendered generals."

"How many people?" Zhang Xian asked in surprise.

Zhang Ning replied, "Their numbered about two thousand, all of them were commoners and surrendered Han generals. Father scattered them and incorporated them into several chieftains. Later, Han Qiong made several merits and was also promoted to chieftain by Father."

“The other Yellow Turbans of Guangzong are Father’s most loyal followers. Even if they face mountains of knives and seas of fire, they will go without hesitation as long as Father gives the order.”

Zhang Xian nodded slightly, and after thinking for a moment, quickly spoke.

"At the first quarter of the morning, summon all the chieftains to the gate tower! Proclaim the final decree of the Great Teacher of Virtue. This matter concerns the life and death of the entire city! You must personally go and oversee the situation, stabilize the situation, and order the chieftains to restrain their troops. No one may act without orders, and no internal strife may arise again! In particular, be wary of those people you mentioned, to prevent them from surrendering the city to claim credit!"

A knowing glint flashed in Zhang Ning's eyes; her father's dying arrangements were not unfounded.

She immediately stood up: "I'm going right now! White Deer!" she whispered towards the door.

Zhang Bailu, the Yellow Turban warrior who led the way and was also the leader of the tribe, appeared silently in the shadows at the doorway like a ghost, bowing and waiting for orders.

"By order of the Great Master! Command all camp leaders to meet at the west gate tower at the first quarter of the hour of Mao (5:30 AM) for a meeting! This matter concerns the survival of the entire city, and there must be no mistakes! Also, pay close attention to those restless fellows like Han Qiong!"

"promise!"

A glint flashed in Zhang Bailu's eyes. He accepted the order and left, his figure quickly disappearing into the night.

"Is he trustworthy?" Zhang Xian asked casually after the man disappeared.

Zhang Ning replied, "Bai Lu is my father's disciple and adopted son. He has been by my father's side since childhood and grew up with me. If he cannot be trusted, I do not know who to trust."

Zhang Xian nodded slightly, walked to the bedside, looked at Zhang Jiao's remains, and sighed, "Brother Gongqi should be laid to rest as soon as possible, but at this critical moment of life and death, I fear something unexpected may happen."

"Ning'er, we must temporarily and secretly place Brother Gongqi's body in a safe place. We will proceed with the burial once the situation has stabilized."

Looking at her father's face, which held a hint of relief, Zhang Ning's eyes blurred with tears again, but she forced herself to nod.

"I know what's important."

They carefully wrapped Zhang Jiao's body in a clean white cloth that had been prepared beforehand.

After dealing with all of this, Zhang Ning felt as if all her strength had been drained, and she could barely stand by leaning against the cold wall.

She looked at Zhang Xian with a complicated expression: "What's next? You came here alone, are you going to stay until dawn?"
Outside the city, Dong Zhuo was watching with predatory eyes. If he knew his father was gone and chaos was brewing in the city, would he let this opportunity slip by?

Zhang Xian walked to the window, pushed it open a crack, and looked at the faint white of dawn on the eastern horizon.

The cold wind, carrying snowflakes, rushed in. He took a deep breath, and the icy air cleared his mind.

"It's almost dawn."

Instead of answering Zhang Ning's question directly, he asked, "How much grain is left in the city? How many days can it last?"

Zhang Ning's face darkened: "We're on the verge of running out of food. Right now... we can barely survive by peeling tree bark and digging up grass roots. The warhorses and nags captured in the camp... have already been slaughtered."

Zhang Xian's heart sank; the situation was worse than he had anticipated.

He paused for a moment, then reached behind his back and pulled out a cloth bag, handing it to Zhang Ning: "This is Bingzhou military rations, made from fine grains, oil, salt, and sugar. One piece can keep a strong man full and energetic for half a day."

"There aren't many, about seventy or eighty here. Select some loyal men and give each of them half a piece of muddy water to eat. This will restore enough strength. These men will be your personal guards to maintain order at the West Gate Tower!"

"The transfer of power is the most dangerous thing. You must be careful in everything you do. I will be leaving soon. We should make some preparations to deal with the rebel army. Fortunately, there are still Han Qiong and others in the city. You should gather their people together in advance. I think they will not refuse."

"Tomorrow, the meeting place should be near the city gate. Arrange for your men to guard the city gate and keep watch. If there is chaos in the city, open the city gate and I will be there!"

Zhang Ning took the heavy little bag that smelled faintly of oil and grain, and nodded emphatically: "Okay!"

Zhang Xian slipped away, leaving the same way he had come. He had already memorized the winding, labyrinthine ruins after just one visit.

They returned to the Han army camp under cover of night.

In the separate barracks of the Mountain Battalion, Zhang Xian gathered one hundred Mountain Battalion soldiers and twelve personal guards, instructing them to carry armor packs and rations and leave in batches under the cover of night.

As for why it was twelve personal guards, it's because one of them was sent to Jingxing Road when he received Zhang Jiao's secret invitation.

In addition to his 112 heavily armored soldiers, Liu Bei's 800 troops had also moved into the camp.

So the departure of more than a hundred people did not make the barracks seem empty.

Before leaving the camp, he gave Liu Bei an order, which was both a test and a probe.

"Xuande, gather your troops at the end of Mao hour (5-7 AM) and await orders at the west gate of Guangzong. Do you dare?"

He looked at Liu Bei, whose eyes were noticeably narrowed.

"Lieutenant General, is this a military order?"

"Yes!" Sweat beaded on Liu Bei's forehead. After a moment, he took a deep breath: "I obey your command!"

"Good! Xuande has great courage!"

Zhang Xian smiled, tossed him a transfer order, and then disappeared into the barracks.

Watching Zhang Xian's departing figure, Liu Bei remained silent for a long time.

Taking advantage of the night to mobilize troops and leave the camp, and then issuing a military order without any clear beginning or end, this was Zhang Zhonglang's test.
As a commoner, this is the closest he has ever been to the officialdom of the Han Dynasty. Should he seize this opportunity?
He gasped for breath several times before finally waking up his second and third brothers.

After hearing Zhang Xian's military orders, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei didn't have many thoughts and both said they would obey Liu Bei completely.

After much deliberation, the latter gritted his teeth and finally summoned his troops.
-
At dawn, west of Guangzong City.

The leaden sky hung low, oppressive and suffocating.

The atmosphere was somber in front of the West Gate Tower.

Dozens of Yellow Turban leaders gathered here, some wearing tattered armor, others wrapped in worn-out fur coats, their faces etched with the marks of war and deep weariness.

Their eyes met, filled with doubt and a barely perceptible hint of bewildered expectation.

The crowd was subtly divided into two factions. The young commanders, led by Zhang Bailu, surrounded Zhang Ning, whose face was pale, with determined eyes.

Another group gathered on the other side, their eyes darting around, occasionally whispering amongst themselves, exuding an air of unease.

"Where is the Great Teacher?" Han Qiong couldn't hold back any longer and took the lead in questioning him, his voice filled with doubt.

"At such a critical moment of life and death, why do we only see young women?" He glanced at Zhang Ning, his gaze carrying a hint of probing.

Zhang Ning's heart tightened, but remembering her father's entrustment and Zhang Xian's instructions, she straightened her thin back: "My father passed away last night!"

boom!
The words were like a bolt from the blue, exploding instantly on the city wall!

Although we had a premonition, when the news was confirmed, a huge wave of grief still swept over everyone!

"Great Master!"

"General Tiangong!"

A chorus of cries of grief erupted instantly, and many soldiers and commanders knelt down on the spot, beating their chests and stamping their feet, wailing and weeping.

Zhang Ning forced back her tears, her body trembling slightly.

Loyal commanders like Zhang Bailu also had bloodshot eyes, filled with grief and indignation.

On one side, a look of astonishment flashed across Han Qiong and the others' faces, but then a surge of wild joy swept deep into their eyes! With Zhang Jiao dead, the greatest constraint had vanished!

"The Great Teacher has passed away, so what should we do? The Han army camp outside the city is still there, but the Earth God and the Human God General are not in Guangzong. The young lady is here, and there are also all the chieftains and brothers. Guangzong cannot be without a leader for even a day. If we are without a leader, it will only be a matter of time before Guangzong is in danger!"

Han Qiong started to incite unrest. As long as chaos broke out in the city, the Han generals and soldiers would have a significant say in the city. At that time, surrendering to Dong Zhonglang would be a great achievement, and he might even be promoted several ranks!
Desire began to blind him.

The crowd began to stir. Han Qiong's words made sense, and everyone turned to look at Zhang Ning.

The latter also looked coldly at Han Qiong, and then took out a roll of silk from his bosom.

"Followers of Huangtian! Father... the Great Teacher... he is gone! But before he left, he found a way for us to survive! General Zhang of Bingzhou was the one whose life Father gave for us!"

Her gaze swept over the hesitant, fearful, and indignant faces, and tears slowly streamed down her face: "Put down your weapons! For survival! For the chance to see tomorrow's sun! For our children, so they won't starve to death like livestock in this dead city! Father... he's watching over us from heaven! He wants us to live like real human beings!"

The words caused an uproar throughout the city.

Even Han Qiong was stunned and stood there dumbfounded.

surrender?

How can it be?

Just like that, you surrender?
What about his achievements?!

"What nonsense!"

Han Qiong shrieked like a cat whose tail had been stepped on: "How can Bingzhou, this bitterly cold land, support hundreds of thousands of people? You must be afraid! You want to lure us out of the city to save your own lives! Brothers, don't be fooled! Even if we have to surrender the city, surrendering it to General Dong is the only way to survive!"

"Han Qiong! Do you think we don't know your wolfish ambitions? The Great Teacher's body is barely cold, and you already want to incite internal strife? Do you want to put hundreds of thousands of my Yellow Turban brothers and sisters to death?!"

Her voice rose sharply, pointing towards the outside of the city: "Open your dog eyes and look! Who is Dong Zhuo outside the city? He's a butcher! A jackal! In the battle of Xiaquyang, he slaughtered countless Yellow Turban women and children! Surrender to him? That's courting death! That's sending the heads of all the brothers and sisters in the city to his butcher's knife!"

Her words struck the hearts of the Yellow Turban soldiers who had been slightly stirred up like a hammer, and the consistent brutality of Dong Zhuo's army instantly came to mind.

She spoke again, her voice firm, as she faced countless gazes filled with grief, despair, doubt, and pleading.

"The path to survival that the Great Teacher has found for us is in Bingzhou!"

“Zhang Zhonglang has sworn an oath! Anyone who lays down their weapons and submits to him will have their past transgressions forgiven! Those who wish to return home will be given travel expenses and rations and sent back to their original places of residence! Those who wish to stay can enter Bingzhou, be granted land and distributed to them, and be registered as ordinary citizens! They can reclaim wasteland, engage in labor and commerce, and earn a clean living with their own hands! During the siege, some of you should have received letters from home in Bingzhou.”

Zhang Ning glanced at the sky and subtly gestured to Zhang Bailu, continuing her speech: "This year alone, Bingzhou has taken in hundreds of thousands of people from Jizhou. Among these refugees may be your relatives and families, living openly and honestly in Bingzhou! Don't you want that too?!"

"Have the people of Jizhou forgotten the name of Zhang Zixu, the virtuous physician of Changshan?!"

"Is this Mr. Zixu?"

"Zhang Zhonglang of Bingzhou is Mr. Zixu?!"

"Then that's it! No wonder the Great Teacher waited for Zhang Zhonglang to arrive before ordering us to surrender."

"If it's Mr. Zixu, then there's no mistake!"

"Mr. Zixu is such a good man! My brothers were spared from the smallpox epidemic in Youzhou because of the free smallpox vaccinations provided by the Taoyuan medical practice."

"That's a really kind person!"

"I will listen to the Great Teacher!"

"Yes! We'll listen to our Great Teacher! He wouldn't lie to us! Mr. Zixu wouldn't lie to us either!"

"Correct!"

"."

The word spread like wildfire among the city's residents, and Zhang Jiao and Zhang Xian's reputations instantly brought the situation under control!
　Omniscient Card Perspective

　　Transmigrating to another world, Earth, into the body of a card master apprentice, and forced to sign the ultimate working-class contract, just when she thought she was going to be a slave for life, Ashi discovered that the mythology of this world was severely interrupted.

　　Cards are the gateway for bringing those magnificent and diverse imaginations to life.

　　The card makers of this world create cards based on their own fantasies, and only a very few can glimpse a corner of the historical truth.

　　And Yashi, who possessed the treasure trove of myths and civilizations from around the world, created a unique Age of Gods deck just for him.

　　[Country Girl] + [Cross Banner] + [Burning Pastoral] = [Joan of Arc, Maiden of Orleans]

　　【Star-Shepherd Dove】+【Venus Dimmes Suddenly】+【Star-Thorn Rose】=【Ishtar, Mistress of the Sky】

　　[Shadow of the King of Britain] + [Sword of the Stars] + [Island of Enduring Ideals] = [Arthur, King of Ideal Victory]

　　[World Tree Root Borer] + [Black Dragon's Scorn] + [Corrupted Moss] = [Nighogd, the Evil Dragon of This World]

　　[Eternal King] [Odin, the King of Gods] [Spear of Longinus] [Rongomminiad]

　　
　　They are either the legendary "protagonists" who overturn fate, or fate itself.

　　When the great beings of mythology become reality, it is the only way to save this world invaded by monsters.

　　It is contained in Ashi's Age of Gods deck.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)