Chương 16: Fighting, Training Troops, Suppressing Bandits

Late November, 183 AD, the sixth year of the Guanghe era.

There are still more than two months until the Yellow Turban Rebellion, which historically overthrew the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Early that morning, in Zhuojun City, Liu Ce sat with his legs crossed in the governor's mansion, cracking melon seeds and deep in thought.

According to historical accounts, Zhang Jiao's followers of the Way of Peace are now spreading across the country like a virus.

The preachers, with yellow turbans tied around their heads, walked through the streets and alleys, privately chanting the powerful slogan, "The Blue Heaven is dead, the Yellow Heaven shall rise; in the year of Jiazi, great fortune will come to the world," which circulated in the countryside and cities.

Historically, the Yellow Turban Rebellion was able to wreak havoc on the Eastern Han Dynasty because of religious infiltration and popular incitement. He certainly didn't want his territory to become Zhang Jiao's "branch office."

He thought about it and realized that if he didn't take action soon, by next spring there would probably be more people wearing yellow turbans than hats in the whole city, and that would be a real mess.

Liu Ce immediately issued an order: strictly investigate those in the city who wear yellow turbans on their heads, use talismanic water, preach, or openly spread the saying "The Blue Heaven is dead, the Yellow Heaven shall rise."

Prefectural Magistrate Zhao, holding the order, hesitated before reminding the governor, "Prefect, the Way of Peace has many followers. Won't such a harsh approach incite a popular uprising?"

Liu Ce waved his hand, his tone leaving no room for doubt: "In extraordinary times, severe measures must be taken."

"Anyone who gathers crowds to preach or incite others will be arrested! Those with minor offenses will be expelled from the city."

"I want to ensure that not a single 'Jiazi' slogan can be heard in Zhuojun City."

After Lao Zhao left.

Liu Ce sneered inwardly: When they come back next year with hoes to smash up the prefect's mansion, you'll regret that I'm being too lenient now!

The effect was immediate. Within half a month, dozens of fanatical believers were crammed into the Zhuojun prison, one or two of them shouting "The Yellow Heaven shall rise!"

Once, while patrolling the streets, Dian Wei stumbled upon a vegetable vendor who was secretly preaching while weighing cabbages. He carried the vendor and the cabbages back to the yamen.

Liu Ce personally interrogated the vegetable vendor, who stubbornly insisted on speaking.

"Your Excellency, Zhang Tianshi can summon wind and rain!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Ce burst out laughing.

"Why don't you ask him to send some rain here right now? The vegetable seedlings in the fields are almost dying from drought!"

……

The atmosphere in the city was slightly tense, but as ordinary people saw that life continued as usual and public security had even improved, their unease gradually subsided.

Two months have passed.

For the past two months, the most prominent position on the bulletin board in Zhuojun City has been marked with the prohibition personally issued by Liu Ce.

"Anyone found wearing a yellow turban on their head or spreading the Way of Peace will be expelled from the country, or imprisoned and forced into labor!"

Patrol teams patrol the streets of Zhuojun every day, specifically targeting those wearing yellow headscarves.

Of course, things can't stay this peaceful forever.

Several Taoist priests were secretly casting spells, but they were caught red-handed by Dian Wei and his men. Liu Ce, cracking melon seeds, squatted down and said to one of them.

"Go back and tell Zhang Jiao, damn it, stop sending people! It's happened so many times already, isn't it annoying? Zhuojun doesn't tolerate personality cults!"

Dian Wei simply picked up the man and threw him out of the city: "If I see you engaging in superstition again, I'll break your legs!"

……

the other side.

"Great... Great Teacher, things have failed again in Zhuojun!"

The messenger disciple, panting and pale, reported the news.

"The newly arrived Senior Brother Wang was arrested as soon as he entered the city, and the Prefect of Zhuojun, Liu Ce, even... sent me to deliver a message to you."

Zhang Jiao was resting with his eyes closed when he heard this. He slammed his nine-section staff down without even lifting his eyelids.

"explain!"

He said…

"Tell Zhang Jiao to stop sending these yellow-turbaned bastards to chant scriptures. Isn't it annoying? This Zhuojun doesn't serve this kind of thing!"

After the disciple finished speaking, he almost buried his head in the ground.

Zhang Jiao suddenly opened his eyes, his long eyebrows furrowing into a knot.

"Your mother, it's that Liu Ce again! In the past two months, the disciples we sent to Zhuojun, whether openly preaching or secretly infiltrating, have either been expelled or forced to build city walls. Is Liu Ce deliberately targeting our Taiping Dao?"

He stood up and took a few steps.

With the uprising imminent and eight prefectures responding, it was truly bizarre that they repeatedly encountered setbacks in Zhuojun, a strategically important northern location.

He walked to the map, looked at the densely marked prefectures and counties, and finally pressed his finger heavily on the "Zhuo County" location before reluctantly moving it away.

"That's enough!"

Zhang Jiao turned and gave instructions to the chieftains under his command.

"Let's put Zhuojun aside for now. Order all sides to temporarily suspend sending personnel to Zhuojun."

"The most urgent task is to consolidate the forces already mobilized in Qing, Xu, You, Ji and other prefectures to ensure that the major events of the Jiazi year go smoothly."

"We must not let the loss of one city disrupt our overall strategy!"

The chieftains exchanged glances, then finally replied in unison, "Yes, Great Teacher!"

After the leaders left, Zhang Jiao angrily cursed, "You motherfucker, you'll be the first one I deal with after the uprising starts!"

……

Liu Ce lived like a high-speed machine for the past two months.

I spent the morning at the prefect's residence, and under the guidance of Li Shimin, government affairs such as household registration, taxation, and criminal justice were approved at lightning speed.

Once, Prefect Zhao brought over bamboo slips that were half a person's height. Liu Ce couldn't help but roll his eyes, and soon after he finished, he complained about it.

"Old Zhao, I do everything myself, what do I need you for?"

……

The drill ground was even more lively in the afternoon.

Liu Ce first pulled Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Dian Wei, Qin Qiong, and Cheng Yaojin into a round of "sparring," euphemistically calling it "maintaining muscle memory."

Later, Liu Ce had a few of them train, and the drill ground was always filled with dust.

During this time, Guan Yu led his troops to practice sword formations, and as a result, this lord demanded that his soldiers must carve cross patterns when chopping wooden stakes.

Zhang Fei was in charge of training the spearmen, and his loud voice could scare the new recruits into dropping their spears: "Put some force into it! You're stabbing the enemy, not cotton!"

When Zhao Yun was teaching the cavalry archery, he first demonstrated a backhand thrust, which amazed the new recruits, who shouted, "General Zhao is awesome!"

(Because Liu Ce often talks about bull coins, so...) After that, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and their group of fierce warriors were not idle either.

Liu Ce tossed them a stack of maps showing the locations of bandit strongholds.

"Take the new recruits to see some blood! Remember, those who surrender will be tied up and brought back to repair the city walls, those who resist stubbornly..."

Zhang Fei interrupted, "I know! Beat them into mincemeat and feed them to the dogs!"

Liu Ce sent them to take turns leading troops to wipe out the mountain bandits and outlaws around Zhuozhou County.

These bandits and outlaws oppressed the people on a daily basis, and some of them were early members of the Taiping Dao (Taiping Dao) outpost.

Zhao Yun was meticulous in his military tactics, had a keen mind, and was skilled at flanking maneuvers, often annihilating the enemy army at minimal cost.

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were fierce fighters who often charged ahead of the enemy.

After several bandit suppression campaigns, not only were the troops strengthened and a lot of supplies seized, but the unstable rear factors that might occur in future battles against the Yellow Turban Army were also eliminated.

Liu Ce smugly complained, "This isn't bandit suppression, it's practically giving away experience points!"

An incident occurred during those two months.

Zhang Fei sought out Liu Ce that day, and after hesitating for a long time, he finally explained his purpose.

"Brother, I sold my restaurant, slaughterhouse, and hundreds of acres of farmland for a total of 3000 million coins!"

Liu Ce was startled: "Yide, are you serious?"

Zhang Fei grinned widely.

"Brother, I see. Training troops, maintaining them, manufacturing weapons—all of these cost money. My meager possessions are just sitting there doing nothing; I might as well exchange them for money and provisions to help you out!"

Liu Ce was deeply moved. This guy was a bit straightforward, but his loyalty and decisiveness were truly admirable.

"Third brother! Consider this money a loan. I'll pay you back tenfold when I achieve success in the future!"

He patted Zhang Fei on the shoulder heavily.

"If you say that again, Brother, you're looking down on me, Old Zhang!" Zhang Fei retorted with a glare.

……

After two months, the bandit problem in Zhuojun was basically eliminated, and the efficiency of government affairs doubled.