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While Fei Qian was busy rescuing people in Xiangyang, in another place, some had just returned from killing, and others were about to go kill more.
At the foot of Nanyang City, Sun Jian's camp.
A group of soldiers approached from a distance. The lookout on the watchtower spotted the flags of the leading officer and shouted down, "It's Colonel Zu returning! Prepare to open the gates!"
As they drew closer, they could see a burly man riding at the front. He had a broad face, a thick beard, and wielded two swords. This was Zu Mao, also known as Zu Darong.
The camp guards quickly opened the gates, allowing Zu Mao and his troops to enter.
Zu Mao dismounted, handed his twin swords to his personal guards, and pointed to the heads hanging from his horse's neck. "Count these heads carefully and report back!" he ordered.
Then, he strode into the central command tent.
Sun Jian was sitting behind a desk, using a small knife to trim his fingernails. When he saw Zu Mao enter, he stabbed the knife into the desk with a 'thunk' and asked, "Darong, how did the battle go?"
"Ha!" Zu Mao removed his headband and wiped the sweat from his brow, looking quite pleased with himself. "They were no match for us! I thought Liu Biao had sent some formidable force, but they were just a bunch of cowards. With one swing of my blade… hahaha… and a single charge, we crushed them…"
A voice chimed in from the side, "So, Darong, how many heads did you collect this time?"
"Uh… that's still being tallied. I'll report it shortly…" Zu Mao's voice trailed off, and he cursed inwardly. 'Han Dang, you jerk! Just because I stole your wine last time, you're holding a grudge? Why bring that up now? So what if I can't count? When it comes to cutting off heads, it doesn't matter if you can count or not. A blade is a blade…'
Sun Jian chuckled and motioned for Zu Mao to sit down. He turned to Han Dang and said, "Yigong, stop teasing Darong. You know he's not good with numbers." Then, to Zu Mao, he added, "But Darong, you should really learn a bit. It's not that hard."
Zu Mao shook his head like a rattle drum. "Counting makes me dizzy. Please, spare me."
"Oh," Sun Jian sighed, feeling a headache coming on as he looked at his stubborn fellow townsman. "If you don't learn to count, you'll never become a general. Do you want to be a colonel forever?"
"Becoming a general? That's still far off, isn't it?" Zu Mao tried to deflect. "When you, Prefect, get promoted to general, then I'll learn. No rush, right?"
"Hahaha…" Another older general couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, Darong, with that promise, come to me tomorrow and start learning how to count!"
"Gongfu, what do you mean? Why tomorrow?" Zu Mao was confused. "I said I'd wait until… Oh, wait, does that mean…"
Cheng Pu, sitting to Zu Mao's left, couldn't hold back either and clapped his hands, laughing. "Yes, that's exactly what Gongfu means. You'd better start learning how to count… hahaha…"
Zu Mao's face lit up with joy. He stood and clasped his hands in congratulations to Sun Jian. "Congratulations, Prefect! Oh, no, I mean, congratulations, General!" But then his expression fell. "…Ah, so I really have to learn how to count now…"
This elicited another round of laughter from everyone present.
"Haha, well then, Darong, you'd better study hard with Gongfu…" Sun Jian gestured for Zu Mao to sit down, then paused and added, "But this matter… I'm still considering it…"
Han Dang spoke up, "General, what's there to consider? It's just the Prefect of Nanyang. Kill him, and that's that!"
Huang Gai stroked his beard and nodded. "I agree with Yigong. Although the Prefect of Nanyang has no grudge against us, he's offended Yuan Shu. On one side, we have the Yuan family, and on the other, just a minor prefect…"
Cheng Pu added, "Yes, General, this is an opportunity we can't miss!"
"In that case…" Sun Jian pondered for a moment, then called for a messenger. "Prepare two oxen and twenty barrels of wine. Later, accompany me into the city. Also, find a few soldiers who are good at speaking and have them spread the word that these are gifts from me to Prefect Zhang!"
"Yes, sir!" The messenger saluted and left.
Zu Mao was puzzled. "What's the meaning of this? Didn't we say we were going to kill him? Why are we sending him oxen and wine?"
Sun Jian smiled. "Don't worry about it. You wouldn't understand even if I explained. Just rest early. Tomorrow, everything will become clear…"
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Sun Jian visited the Prefect of Nanyang, Zhang Zi, exchanged a few meaningless pleasantries, left the oxen and wine, and departed.
Prefect Zhang Zi frowned. What was Sun Jian's intention in sending these gifts?
Sun Jian had been camped outside Nanyang for two or three days now, claiming that he had received orders from the imperial envoy, Grand Master Wen Yi, to suppress bandits in Luyang. Yet, instead of moving on, he had set up camp and demanded supplies from Zhang Zi.
Zhang Zi felt that Sun Jian was just a neighboring prefect. Even if he had orders to cross prefectures to suppress bandits, what did that have to do with him? Why should he provide supplies?
Thus, Zhang Zi outright refused Sun Jian's unreasonable demand and ignored him.
Unexpectedly, Sun Jian simply stayed camped outside the city!
What surprised Zhang Zi even more was that instead of becoming enraged, Sun Jian had now personally delivered oxen and wine. This left Zhang Zi in a difficult position.
If Sun Jian had directly attacked, Zhang Zi would have naturally resisted and accused him of unauthorized military action. But now, Sun Jian had sent gifts according to protocol, which meant that, as a scholar-official, Zhang Zi was obligated to return the courtesy…
Sigh, I'll have to make the trip. After all, I can't let people say I'm an ill-mannered person…
So, the next day, Prefect Zhang Zi brought gifts to return the courtesy and visited Sun Jian.
Sun Jian prepared a banquet in his camp to entertain Zhang Zi, with Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, Han Dang, and Zu Mao in attendance.
As the wine flowed and the atmosphere grew lively, Sun Jian's secretary suddenly entered the tent and reported, "We have moved to Nanyang, but the roads are in disrepair, and military supplies are lacking. I request permission to investigate the secretary responsible for this matter."
"What?!" Sun Jian slammed the table and stood up, furious. "Such incompetence! Guards, arrest the secretary of Nanyang!"
Soldiers waiting outside the tent immediately responded and left to carry out the order.
'How dare you, Sun Jian! Acting as if I don't exist? Arresting my secretary right in front of me?!' Zhang Zi's face turned pale, then red, as he felt a storm brewing in his heart. He knew things were going badly and decided to escape Sun Jian's camp as quickly as possible to avoid further danger.
But before he could leave, Zu Mao grabbed him and insisted he finish his cup of wine.
Reluctantly, Zhang Zi drank, but as soon as Zu Mao stepped aside, Han Dang took his place…
Before long, Sun Jian's secretary returned and announced, "The secretary of Nanyang has confessed. The prefect has delayed the righteous army, allowing the bandits to remain unpunished. I request that he be arrested and dealt with according to military law!"
Sun Jian's cold gaze fell on Zhang Zi. Without even bothering to exchange pleasantries, he motioned for the soldiers to take Zhang Zi away.
Zhang Zi struggled and shouted in anger, "Sun Jian, you traitor! I have no enmity with you, past or present! Over a mere matter of supplies, you would harm me?"
Sun Jian remained silent, simply waving his hand to have the soldiers drag Zhang Zi away.
That very day, Prefect Zhang Zi of Nanyang was executed by Sun Jian, the Prefect of Changsha, on charges of "hindering military operations."
Not long after, Yuan Shu petitioned the court to appoint Sun Jian as General Who Breaks the Barbarians and acting Governor of Yuzhou, marking the official entry of the Yuan family into the era of regional warlords…