Han Ji

Chapter 175 Jia Long Comes to See Us

"Stop him!"

The personal guards stepped forward, fifty men in heavy armor. Guan Yu arrived on horseback; with a flash of his blade, the helmet and head of the foremost man were sliced ​​off in half. The horse crashed into the crowd, and with a sweep of his Green Dragon Crescent Blade, three more men were killed.

The personal guard was routed.

Zhao Zhi turned his horse and galloped away. The whip cracked sharply, the white horse neighed, and it galloped westward.

"Zhao Zhi has escaped!" someone shouted.

Zhao Zhi's army was in complete chaos. Some knelt down to surrender, some ran towards the riverbank, and some dropped their weapons and fled into the streets and alleys.

Guan Yu did not pursue Zhao Zhi. He reined in his horse and surveyed the battlefield.

The sounds of fighting gradually subsided. A group of surrendered soldiers knelt, their weapons scattered across the ground. Blood seeped into the soil, turning it a dark red stain.

"Take inventory." He dismounted, leaned on his sword, and took a breath.

Zhang Wu ran over, his face covered in blood and sweat: "General, we beheaded eight hundred and captured twelve thousand. Our casualties... are over two hundred."

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"Where is Zhao Zhi?"

"They fled west, taking fewer than three hundred men with them."

Guan Yu nodded. He looked westward, where the dust on the official road had not yet settled.

"Have Li Hui lead a hundred men and pursue them for twenty li. If they can't catch up, come back."

"yes!"

Jian Yong came down from the city wall, his steps hurried: "Yun Chang, I just received a report that my elder brother's main force has passed Jian Ge and is three days' journey from here."

"Three days." Guan Yu wiped his face; the blood on his hands had dried and was sticky. "Wait until our elder brother joins us."

He turned around and looked at Jiangzhou City.

The Liu-character flag still fluttered atop the city wall. The city gates were wide open, and corpses were being carried away from the street. A few civilians peered out, their eyes filled with fear and curiosity.

"Zhang Wu."

"exist."

"Take the prisoners to the open space north of the city and interrogate them separately. Those who were forced to join the rebels will be given three days' rations and released. Those who wish to stay will be incorporated into the auxiliary troops."

"That Zhao Zhi's officer..."

"All officers and above shall be executed." Guan Yu paused, "Ordinary soldiers shall be spared."

"Yes."

Guan Yu walked back into the city. As he passed an alleyway, he saw an old woman squatting in a corner, trembling and clutching a bundle. He stopped, took a dry biscuit from his robes, and tossed it to her.

The old woman caught it and stared at him blankly.

"Go home," he said. "The war is over."

The old woman got up, bowed, and ran away unsteadily.

Jian Yong caught up and whispered, "Yun Chang, with Zhao Zhi's defeat, there are no more organized rebel forces in Ba Commandery. But the powerful clans are still observing..."

"Let's wait for our elder brother," Guan Yu said. "You're more capable than I am at pacification."

He walked to the front of the treasury, where captured weapons and armor were piled up like a small mountain. Several soldiers were counting them, and Li Hui was keeping accounts.

"Li Hui," Guan Yu called out.

"General." Li Hui looked up, his eyes dark.

"Go and rest for two hours," Guan Yu said. "I have things to do tonight."

Li Hui shook his head: "This humble official is not tired."

"Go," Guan Yu said, his tone becoming more serious. "There's still a battle to fight, so don't exhaust yourself."

Li Hui paused for a moment, then cupped his hands in greeting: "Yes."

He put down the account book and walked towards the barracks next door, his steps unsteady.

Guan Yu entered the treasury, which was cool and shady inside. He found a mat to sit on and removed his armor. The armor plates were covered in blood, congealed into black clumps. He tried to wipe them clean with a cloth, but couldn't get them off.

Jian Yong sat opposite him, remaining silent for a long time.

"Yun Chang," he began, "what do you think Prime Minister Ma is doing right now?"

Guan Yu stopped.

"Wait to die," he said.

Jian Yong did not respond.

A bugle call sounded outside the window, a signal to retreat. In the distance, the Yangtze River roared, mingling with the wind, like a sigh.

Jia Long arrived in Jiangzhou on March 23.

One day earlier than Liu Bei's main force.

He arrived with only three people: an old servant driving the carriage, and two guards on horseback. The carriage was an ordinary blue-covered cart, and the horses were Sichuan horses, short but steady. The guards were all dressed in coarse cloth, with knives at their waists, and their eyes were alert.

The carriage stopped a mile outside the north gate of Jiangzhou. Jia Long got out and straightened his clothes. He was in his thirties, with a square face, thick eyebrows, and a short beard. He wore a dark blue robe of ordinary fabric, but it was starched and crisp. A jade pendant hung from his belt; the jade was warm and lustrous, and it was carved with a dragon pattern.

The gatekeeper stopped them: "Who goes there?"

"Jia Long of Jianwei requests an audience with Prefect Liu." Jia Long bowed, his voice calm.

The soldiers exchanged glances. They recognized the name Jia Long; he was the head of a powerful clan in Jianwei, with over a thousand private soldiers and estates stretching for thirty miles. When Zhao Zhi attacked Jiangzhou, he sent someone to invite him, but Jia Long ignored him. After Ma Xiang became emperor and appointed him General Zhennan, Jia Long directly drove the messenger away.

"The magistrate hasn't arrived yet," the soldier said. "General Guan is currently guarding the city."

"Then let's see General Guan," Jia Long said.

The sergeant went to report. A moment later, Zhang Wu came out and looked Jia Long up and down: "You're Jia Long?"

"Exactly."

Did you bring any weapons?

"I brought it." Jia Long took out a short dagger from his pocket and handed it to Zhang Wu. "This is for self-defense. General, you may keep it for now."

Zhang Wu took it and weighed it in his hand: "Just the four of you?"

"Just four."

"Wait here." Zhang Wu turned and went into the city.

Jia Long stood outside the city, looking at the Jiangzhou city wall. Fresh bloodstains clung to the wall, not yet washed away. Craftsmen were repairing the crenellations, their clanging echoing far and wide. Few people were entering or leaving the city gate; most were soldiers, carrying timber and transporting wounded soldiers. The order was good; no one was making a fuss or running around.

The old servant whispered, "Master, are you really going to surrender to Liu Bei?"

"Let's see," Jia Long said.

"But what about Zhao Zhi..."

"Zhao Zhi is dead," Jia Long interrupted. "I killed him."

The old servant shut his mouth and lowered his head.

Fifteen minutes later, Zhang Wu returned: "General Guan, please."

Jia Long followed them into the city. The streets were quieter than outside the city; shops were closed, and shadows moved behind residents' windows. Soldiers patrolled the streets in groups of five, their steps precise and orderly. Passing an alleyway, Jia Long saw several people receiving porridge, queuing silently, taking their share, and leaving.

Upon arriving at the government office, Guan Yu was already waiting at the entrance.

He had changed out of his green robe and polished his bronze armor, but his face showed signs of fatigue. His phoenix eyes looked at Jia Long, but his expression remained unchanged.

"Lord Jia," Guan Yu said, bowing.

"General Guan," Jia Long returned the greeting, "I've long admired you."

"Speak inside."

Upon entering the main hall, the guests and hosts took their seats. A guard served tea, coarse tea with a cloudy broth. Jia Long picked it up, took a sip, and showed no displeasure.

"What brings you here, Lord Jia?" Guan Yu asked bluntly.

Jia Long put down his teacup. "I have come here to present a great gift to Liu Zhonglang."

"A gift?"

Jia Long gestured to the old servant. The old servant brought over a wooden box, about a foot long, opened it, and inside, lined with lime, was a human head—Zhao Zhi's head.

The human head was pale and bluish-white, its eyes closed, and the cut on its neck was clean. The lime had absorbed the blood, but it still smelled of blood.

Guan Yu glanced at it, unmoved: "Was it Jia Gong who killed him?"

"We intercepted him last night on Xiling Road," Jia Long said. "He was leading two hundred remaining soldiers and tried to escape back to Chengdu. I invited him into my camp under the pretext of rewarding the troops, and then beheaded him during the banquet."

Why kill him?

"There are three reasons," Jia Long said, holding up three fingers. "First, Zhao Zhi forcibly requisitioned grain and supplies in Ba County, and his troops looted three of my Jia family manors. Second, he wanted to coerce my private army to attack Jiangzhou, but I refused, and he threatened to slaughter my entire family. Third..."

He paused for a moment: "I have long admired Lord Liu."

Guan Yu stared at him for three breaths.

"General Guan, there is one more thing."

Jia Long pulled a scroll of silk from his sleeve and handed it over: "According to the confession of Zhao Zhi's defeated soldiers, Prime Minister Ma has gathered 20,000 troops in Chengdu, but the food and provisions are only enough for half a month. The generals in the army are divided into two factions: Wang Rao advocates war and wants to go out of the city to fight the magistrate, while the other faction advocates defense and wants to hold the city and wait for reinforcements."

"Where will the aid come from?"