At twenty three years of age, Zhang Ni had never felt happiness like this before.
He had been born into poverty. Because of his open minded nature and bold, heroic temperament, he had earned a small reputation among the locals. Two years earlier, he had accepted the post of Merit Officer with a mixture of shame and gratitude. At that time, the world was already in chaos. The Han dynasty had declined to such an extent that it could no longer conceal its weakness. Outside Bashu, Cao's ambitions were naked and unrestrained. Inside Bashu, Liu Zhang neither listened nor acted, shutting his eyes and ears to the world.
Zhang Ni had once believed that if he could simply fulfill the duties of a Merit Officer, protecting the peace of his hometown and ensuring the safety of one corner of land, that would already be a blessing from Heaven.
He had never imagined that in no more than a single year, Liu Huangshu would forcefully replace Liu Zhang, and Yizhou would step onto a path completely different from before.
What astonished him even more was that this member of the imperial clan had somehow heard his name. Not only did Liu Huangshu promote him to his side without any restraint, he also instructed him personally in the art of commanding troops, holding nothing back.
After the envoys from Jiaozhou arrived, Wu Yi even suppressed the objections of the Registrar Sima and temporarily promoted Zhang Ni to the position of Acting Separate Commander.
Holding the post of Separate Commander, leading elite troops out of Yizhou through the Jinsheng Route, borrowing passage through Jiaozhou to reinforce Jingnan. This was the order Wu Yi placed in Zhang Ni's hands.
The number of troops was small, but every one of them was an elite soldier who had experienced nearly a full year of suppressing the Nanzhong unrest. Zhang Ni wanted nothing more.
Now, as he charged at the very front of the battlefield, the gratitude in Zhang Ni's heart toward Liu Huangshu only deepened.
The former post of Merit Officer could protect a single region and keep one area at peace. How could it compare to earning merit on the battlefield, where blood boiled hot and the heart burned bright?
In the rear, Wu Ju climbed a small hill and saw everything with perfect clarity.
The General Zhang who had once looked refined and scholarly now appeared on the battlefield like a razor sharp arrow, plunging straight into the enemy formation. All who blocked his path died. The Jiangdong battle line was torn open by his advance.
The Yizhou soldiers followed closely behind Zhang Ni, expanding that opening again and again until it finally formed a sweeping collapse.
"Quickly prepare food and wine to reward the troops," Wu Ju ordered, not even turning his head.
At his side, the guard Qu Jing reminded him, "General, the outcome has not yet been decided. It may be better to have the men prepare for reinforcement."
Wu Ju shook his head lightly. "General Zhang has already won."
The battlefield soon proved Wu Ju correct.
The gap torn open by Zhang Ni grew larger and larger, until it could no longer be sealed. The Yizhou soldiers advanced in orderly fashion, coordinating with deep mutual understanding. They repelled Jiangdong's counterattacks with striking ease.
After yet another desperate countercharge was beaten back, Zhang Ni saw someone let out a strange cry, throw away the weapon in his hand, and turn around to flee.
Although the military disciplinarian reacted swiftly and cut him down with a single stroke, the disturbance did not subside. Instead, it spread.
In the span of only a few breaths, the rout swept across the entire battlefield. Soldiers whose hearts had lost all hope turned around in confusion and fled, choosing directions at random as they ran.
Zhang Ni laughed heartily and waved his hand. "Beat the drums. Pursue for ten li."
Jingnan was mountainous terrain. Routed soldiers could easily hide themselves. Moreover, if these defeated troops wished to return to Jiangdong, they would have no choice but to rely on the boats in the rear.
A pursuit of ten li was enough to seize those warships. Once the routed soldiers were cut off from returning north, this Jiangdong force could be considered completely swallowed.
After a short while, when Wu Ju saw Zhang Ni again, the ferocious general who had led the charge as the first to ascend and dare death had already returned to his former appearance, elegant in bearing and refined in temperament.
Wu Ju could not help but sigh inwardly. One truly could not judge a man by appearances.
His respect only grew. After warmly inviting Zhang Ni to sit, Wu Ju cautiously offered his own thoughts on the situation.
"General, you have achieved a great victory. Jiangdong will not learn of it for some time. It may be better to seize this opportunity to rest and prepare for Jiangdong's reinforcements."
Zhang Ni lifted the cup, took a sniff, detected the scent of wine, and set it back down. He gestured for a cup of tea instead.
Hearing Wu Ju's words, Zhang Ni paused with the tea held just before his lips.
Maintaining the posture of drinking as he pondered for a moment, Zhang Ni asked, "Does Governor Wu have men skilled at handling boats?"
"Yes," Wu Ju answered.
Wu Ju then listened intently as Zhang Ni gave his instructions. By the end, a trace of worry appeared on his face. "This plan is feasible, but if carried out this way, the general will be greatly taxed."
Zhang Ni placed the untouched tea back onto the table and clasped his hands. "Saving lives is like extinguishing a fire. Since this is the case, I will trouble Governor Wu."
"I will first go prepare the troops and await the governor's departure."
With that, Zhang Ni nodded to Wu Ju in acknowledgment and exited the tent. Judging from the loud calls outside, he was already informing the Yizhou soldiers of the next plan.
Wu Ju looked at the young general's carefree retreating figure, then at the untouched food, wine, and tea. He let out a light sigh, then steeled his resolve.
Who had not once dreamed of becoming a famed general in their youth? Do it.
Half an hour later, the Yizhou army had been reorganized. Under Zhang Ni's command, they boarded the warships captured from Jiangdong. Each soldier changed into Jiangdong uniforms inside the cabins, then lay down on the spot. After adjusting into familiar postures, they soon fell asleep one by one.
The ships were handled by Wu Ju's own elite soldiers. Having personally witnessed the Yizhou army's combat strength, these Cangwu troops, who usually fought mountain tribes back and forth, were thoroughly convinced. They obediently set aside their ring pommel sabers and focused on rowing and handling the oars, even unconsciously lightening their movements so the Yizhou soldiers in the cabins could sleep well.
The fleet moved downstream along the deepwater river. In less than half an hour, it sped past Yingpu County.
The Jiangdong army that had been stalemated with Wu Ju for more than ten days operated out of Yingpu. Every time they crossed the river, they would return to Yingpu to take supplies. The garrison was extremely familiar with the warship designs. At first, they felt puzzled. Supplies had been taken just yesterday. Why were they back again today?
However, seeing the size of the fleet and the fact that it did not stop at Yingpu at all but rushed straight downstream, even the dullest guard sensed that something was wrong.
"Could the front have been defeated?"
"Impossible. Two days ago, we chatted with comrades fetching supplies. They said the front held the advantage."
"The Cangwu garrison is lax. How could they win such a great victory, and without any news being sent back?"
"The most urgent matter is to send word to Quanling. We must not be exploited by the enemy."
The Yingpu guards argued endlessly, each like a headless fly, unable to make a decision.
In truth, everyone knew that Quanling lay downstream along this deepwater river. If they wanted to send a message, they would have to rely on this river.
But if they sent a small boat now, it would immediately collide with the fleet's rear and fall straight into enemy hands.
Thus, although they had already sensed that something was wrong, there was truly nothing they could do.
More than a hundred li past Yingpu lay Quanling, the seat of Lingling Commandery. At this point, the deepwater river merged into the Xiang River, which then surged northward and eventually flowed into Yunmeng Marsh. It was of critical importance to Jingnan.
As the sun sank toward the west, the sleeping Zhang Ni was awakened by Wu Ju.
This plain looking general, whose body bore not the slightest trace of nobility, rose and stepped out of the cabin. Quanling was already in sight.
Zhang Ni turned back and smiled. "Should I do it, or will the governor bind himself?"
Wu Ju's expression was calm. "Act as the general sees fit."
Seeing Wu Ju's resolute bearing, Zhang Ni felt a stir of emotion. He clasped his hands and smiled. "In that case, I will not hold back."
Only moments later, Wu Ju learned that General Zhang truly did not hold back at all.
Bound tightly with coarse hemp rope like a wrapped rice dumpling, Wu Ju also found that Zhang Ni studied his face for a moment, then struck him twice, once on the cheek and once on the brow.
By the time they reached the walls of Quanling, Wu Ju's face was already swollen.
The fleet was highly conspicuous. Although it looked like Jiangdong's, Quanling closed its gates out of caution.
Zhang Ni disguised himself as a soldier and, together with another sharp eyed subordinate who spoke with a Jiangdong accent, shoved the bound Wu Ju forward beneath the city walls.
Before the subordinate could deliver the lines he had memorized thoroughly, Zhang Ni heard a brazen voice ring out from the wall.
"I am Xing Daorong, Grand General of Lingling under Marquis Sun. You are… Governor Wu? Has Cangwu fallen?"
The voice changed tone halfway through, filled with shock.
Zhang Ni's heart jolted. Someone here actually recognized Wu Ju.
However, the subordinate reacted instantly. "Correct. General Sun shattered the enemy at Yingpu and even captured their leader alive."
"Why are you still not opening the gates? The ships are full of spoils. We must unload the grain quickly and return to load the rest."
The walls fell silent, and faint sounds of argument could be heard.
Soon, a basket was lowered. With no alternative, Zhang Ni and the subordinate escorted Wu Ju into it. Hidden in the cabins, the Yizhou soldiers held their breath, unconsciously tightening their grip on their weapons.
The basket was hauled up by the guards. The subordinate immediately presented the seal.
The seal was unquestionably genuine. It had been taken from General Sun's corpse. The only trouble had been cleaning the bloodstains, which had taken considerable effort.
After verifying the seal, the Quanling commander frowned. "Why do you look unfamiliar to me?"
Zhang Ni tensed, ready to pounce at any moment.
At this critical juncture, a loud voice spoke casually. "What's strange about that? Governor Wu's training ability is second only to mine. Even if General Sun won, it must have been a costly victory. The officer you know well might already be dead."
This had to be Xing Daorong. Zhang Ni focused his gaze. The man was slightly plump, with a round face and small bean like eyes fixed on Wu Ju.
"In that case," the commander said at last, still uneasy but unwilling to dwell on it, "the main army cannot enter the city. Send a hundred men to move the spoils."
Zhang Ni quietly let out a breath. This was enough.
He was about to give thanks and wait for the gates to open when he saw Xing Daorong naturally move behind the commander and then, with a clean and decisive stroke, slash the commander's neck.
The sudden turn of events stunned everyone.
Xing Daorong immediately cut down another Wu soldier beside him and shouted, "Brothers, move. Kill the Wu dogs and restore Lingling."
The walls erupted into chaos.
Zhang Ni acted without hesitation. He cut the ropes binding Wu Ju and drew his ring pommel saber, joining the fray.
He had already seen that the Grand General of Lingling was struggling under the attacks of several Wu soldiers and was on the verge of death.
Zhang Ni's entry was like a whirlwind. He swept across the wall mercilessly, cutting down the weakened Wu soldiers.
Xing Daorong gasped twice, steadied his heartbeat, and cursed angrily, "This general almost took three heads, and they were stolen from me."
Nighttime morale among the defenders was already weaker than during the day. Now that the commander was dead and the Jingzhou soldiers who had previously surrendered suddenly turned their blades, the Wu soldiers fell into complete chaos.
Taking advantage of the turmoil, Zhang Ni led Wu Ju and the subordinates down from the wall. Together with the defecting Jingzhou soldiers, they cut down the gate guards and reopened Quanling's gates.
The elite Yizhou troops hidden in the cabins advanced in orderly formation. They entered Quanling city by squads to support their general.
With the arrival of these elite soldiers, Quanling was swiftly pacified.
What left Zhang Ni both amused and exasperated was that afterward, when he asked Xing Daorong how he had seen through the ruse, the so called Grand General of Lingling looked utterly shocked.
"So that was a ruse?"
"If not, why else would you feign surrender to gain Jiangdong's trust?"
"I feigned surrender?"
Zhang Ni was left speechless.
Only after further questioning did he learn that Xing Daorong had not thought so deeply at all. He had simply wanted to save Wu Ju.
"Lord Xuande governs Jingnan with care. Over the past few years, taxes dropped a great deal. Life became better for us farmers and defenders."
Xing Daorong spoke of this matter with complete matter of factness. "After the Wu troops occupied Lingling, the first thing they did was raise taxes. Who would not miss Lord Xuande?"
"As for Wu Ju, we all know he is Lord Xuande's old friend. Lord Xuande has shown Lingling great kindness. I naturally had to repay it and ensure Wu Ju did not fall into Jiangdong's hands."
Hearing this, Zhang Ni could only sigh at the workings of fate.
Had Wu Ju truly been captured alive and brought here by the Wu army, Xing Daorong's uprising would likely have ended with both of them being hacked to death.
As for this so called Grand General, who had no formal title granted by Lord Xuande and seemed not to truly understand warfare, Zhang Ni could not judge how much was real and how much was hollow. Yet regardless, the man had provided great help.
Zhang Ni therefore clasped his hands solemnly. "When I meet Lord Xuande, I will certainly report this merit."
Xing Daorong left with a beaming face.
Though it was deep night, Zhang Ni rested on the ship for only a little over an hour before his vigor seemed fully restored. He pulled Wu Ju aside and spoke.
"The situation does not wait for us. After dawn, I must continue north according to the plan. Quanling's safety will rest in your hands."
The night's events had already been stimulating enough. Wu Ju returned the salute with solemnity. "The military situation is urgent, but when the general returns in triumph and passes through Cangwu, please be sure to stop and rest, so that I may fulfill my duties as host."
Wu Ju was not worried about Quanling. According to the intelligence Zhang Ni had provided, the young lord of Jiaozhou was already leading another army from the Yulin direction to attack Lingling in support.
With General Zhang achieving consecutive victories, the Jiangdong forces in Lingling had weakened to an unprecedented degree. Holding the city would not be a problem.
After brief courtesies, at first light the next morning, the Yizhou troops set off once more under Zhang Ni's command.
They continued downstream for another hundred li. Upon reaching Yongchang, the force abandoned the boats and took the land route, thrusting directly north to Zhaoling.
They carried out another surprise attack and wiped out the Jiangdong troops stationed there. More than three thousand elite soldiers squeezed aboard the warships captured at Zhaoling.
Beside Zhaoling flowed the Zi River. Following this river downstream, Zhang Yi set his sights on Yiyang.
North of Yiyang lay the very heart of Jingnan.
Hanshou.