Chương 23: A Great Victory

The outcome was predictable: heavily armored cavalry faced off against the Yellow Turban army, which consisted mostly of infantry and was largely disorganized.

Wherever the Xuanjia Army passed, men and horses fell, and Yellow Turban soldiers collapsed in droves like harvested wheat.

Many people were knocked away and trampled before they could even resist, while many more simply dropped their weapons and fled in panic.

The army of 100, 000, without command and crushed by overwhelming force, crumbled instantly, truly becoming a pile of loose sand that could not be defeated.

The battle ended faster than anyone expected.

Before the sun had even risen directly overhead, the battlefield was already filled with surrendered Yellow Turban soldiers kneeling and begging for mercy, and tattered yellow flags scattered everywhere.

As Liu Ce inspected the battlefield, looking at the soldiers cleaning up and the dejected prisoners, he smiled at Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun beside him.

"How about that? I told you 'the greatest truths are the simplest,' right? Remember this principle from now on: if you can overwhelm someone with sheer strength, don't waste your time with fancy tricks."

"But be careful, don't always do what I do. You have to know when to stop, otherwise you won't even know how you died, and I'll have to collect your corpses!"

Looking at their lord, and recalling the devastating scene just now, everyone's admiration for him deepened even further.

The battle was over, and the sun was high in the sky, making the bloody smell of the battlefield even more intense.

Liu Ce urged them to clean up the battlefield and find a good place to bury the bodies.

soon.

Liu Ce stood at the gate of the prefect's mansion, watching as groups of dejected Yellow Turban prisoners were escorted into the city.

Not long after, he had just returned to the hall and sat down, not even having a sip of hot tea, when Old Wang rushed in, almost tripping over the threshold in his excitement. Behind him were Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and six other officials, as well as Old Zhao and others.

"Prefect... Prefect! This is a momentous event! An incredibly good thing!"

Liu Ce picked up his teacup, about to take a sip, without even lifting his eyelids: "Speak like a human being, stop yelling."

Old Wang quickly stood up straight, cleared his throat, and began his report.

"The count is complete! Not a single soldier from our... our county has been killed in action! There were only a few dozen with minor injuries, just bumps and bruises from the charge or grazed by stray arrows. They'll be lively and energetic again in a few days!"

Old Wang took a breath and continued to report the results of the battle, but his voice was a little lower.

"On the Yellow Turban Army side... about five thousand people were killed, mostly due to trampling and infighting during the charge of the Xuanjia Iron Cavalry."

"The number of the wounded wasn't counted precisely, but it's estimated to be several thousand. Some escaped, but the crucial point is... those who surrendered and were imprisoned number over 80, 000!"

He swallowed hard.

"They're a huge crowd, filling up all the open spaces in the west of the city. Eating, drinking, and relieving themselves are all major problems."

Liu Ce placed the teacup on the table and said jokingly.

"Oh, only five thousand died? It seems Uncle Bao was too lenient. Next time, we should let Yide lead the charge and guarantee the number will double."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Fei, who was standing below, grinned from ear to ear, while Dian Wei grumbled unhappily.

"Why not! My double halberds are just as good!"

Liu Ce ignored the two of them, turned to look at Prefect Zhao, and smiled like a fox.

"Old Zhao, these 90, 000 mouths are 90, 000 mouths to eat, and also 90, 000 hands. I'm leaving the matter of settling them in to you."

Old Zhao's face turned green, and his hands trembled as if he had a stroke.

"Prefect... there are just too many people! We're afraid we won't have enough food!"

"What's the rush?" Liu Ce sipped his tea leisurely.

"Immediately send people to select from the surrendered soldiers those who are too old, too young, or seriously injured and difficult to treat. Settle them in a separate area and give them basic porridge to prevent them from starving to death."

"Find a few literate and eloquent people from the city to explain our policies to them. Tell them that as long as they work hard and stop causing trouble, past mistakes will be forgiven and they will be able to farm the land in the future."

He looked at Guan Yu, Zhao Yun, and Qin Qiong.

"Yun Chang, Zilong, Shubao, you guys have better eyesight. Go and pick people from the surrendered soldiers. Choose those strong, healthy, and honest-looking young men."

"Tell them that if they follow us, they'll be well-fed and clothed, and their pay will be paid in full. It's a hundred times better than starving with the Yellow Turbans!"

"The selected men were scattered and assigned to various battalions, where they were led by experienced men and strictly supervised and trained."

"The remaining tens of thousands of surrendered soldiers shouldn't be kept idle. Organize them to repair city walls, dig irrigation ditches, and reclaim wasteland outside the city!"

"Tell them that if they work, they will have food to eat, and if they do well, they will have priority in getting land in the future! This is called labor reform, turning consumption into output."

After receiving these orders, Old Zhao's expression improved somewhat. Although there was a lot of work to do, at least his mind was clearer, and he quickly accepted the orders and went to carry them out.

Guan Yu, Zhao Yun, and Qin Qiong were also eager to "snatch" people to expand their own troops.

Zhang Fei, Cheng Yaojin, and Dian Wei watched with longing, wishing they could do the job of selecting people, at least to get a taste of it.

After Lao Zhao and the others left.

Liu Ce kept Guan Yu, Zhao Yun, Qin Qiong, Cheng Yaojin, Zhang Fei, and Dian Wei behind.

With only his own people left in the hall, Liu Ce spoke even more directly.

He walked to the map, pointed to several counties around Zhuojun that had been occupied by the Yellow Turban Army, and chuckled.

"We wiped out the main force of the Yellow Turbans in Youzhou, but they still occupy the surrounding counties!"

"Those local officials have either fled or died, and the city must be overflowing with gold and silver treasures that the Yellow Turban rebels looted from landlords, wealthy families, and powerful clans!"

Then Liu Ce waved his hand.

"Yun Chang, Zilong, Shubao, and Zhijie, each of you will lead one hundred Xuanjia Iron Cavalry and one thousand infantrymen, and under the pretext of 'recovering lost territory and pacifying the people,' go out for a patrol!"

"Remember, you need to put on a good show, but there's only one core task."

He leaned closer and whispered.

"Secretly and quietly transport back all the money and wealth confiscated by the Yellow Turban Army, especially from the aristocratic families!"

"Be quick and clean! This is called 'taking from the bandits and using it for the people'... uh, mainly for our military pay!"

Qin Qiong, who had been silent all along, couldn't help but ask.

"My lord, if those powerful families are still alive, what should we do if they demand their inheritance?"

Liu Ce had a look on his face that said, "You're too honest, kid."

"Shubao, are you stupid? When the Yellow Turban Army passed through, who can say for sure how many complete account books there were?"

"Whatever we 'find' is what we get! This is called 'unidentified supplies captured on the battlefield,' understand?"

Cheng Yaojin slapped his thigh with delight: "Brilliant! My lord, you're absolutely brilliant! I, Cheng Yaojin, love doing this job!"

Zhang Fei and Dian Wei, who had been listening in, got impatient and grabbed Liu Ce's sleeves from both sides.

"Brother! My lord! What about us? We can't be left out of such a good thing!"

"You two? Too impetuous. Stay and help me defend the city! What if some enemy remnants come to attack? What, you're not happy?" Liu Ce deliberately put on a stern face.

The two fierce generals shook their heads vigorously.

"I'd love to! I absolutely have to!" But inwardly he groaned: Defending the city is nothing compared to raiding other people's homes!