Chapter 30: Just Try Welching on Your Debt

Cao Cao looked at the two thousand soldiers standing in perfect formation before him, his smile so wide he could barely close his mouth. Although they were merely two thousand infantrymen, they were exceptionally elite. Not only was every man clad in black iron armor, but each was also equipped with at least two weapons. Whether they carried spears or shields and swords, they all bore a sharp short blade at their waist. The armor and weaponry of these two thousand soldiers alone were worth tens of millions in currency! There was no other reason for this than the simple fact that armor was expensive.

Beyond their gear, every one of these soldiers stood over seven feet tall; they were robust, high-spirited, and strictly disciplined. It was easy to recruit soldiers, but training them to such a degree was no simple task. If Cao Cao had possessed such an army when he pursued Dong Zhuo, he would not have been easily defeated even in the event of an ambush. According to his estimation, it would take him at least a year and over twenty million in currency to cultivate two thousand men to this level. Yet now, he had merely signed a loan contract, and these soldiers were his. Though he only had them for a year, Cao Cao was confident that he could reap unimaginable rewards with this elite force within that time.

Most importantly, there was Dian Wei. Dian Wei was the supreme commander of this force, and every soldier followed his orders unconditionally. In Cao Cao’s eyes, a fierce warrior like Dian Wei was truly worth more than any amount of gold. Forget fifty million; even for one hundred million, Cao Cao would not have blinked an eye if it meant securing Dian Wei.

Cao Cao was overjoyed. He approached Dian Wei and patted his shoulder firmly. "Captain Dian, from today on, I am your lord. If we work together, we shall surely achieve great things!"

Dian Wei glanced at Cao Cao and corrected him, "General Cao, do not speak such words. I, Dian Wei, recognize only Magistrate Lu as my lord."

Cao Cao’s expression stiffened, but he quickly composed himself. He reasoned that since Dian Wei had only just come to his side, he did not yet understand him well enough, which was why he still viewed Lu Chuan as a worthy master. But he believed that after some time, Dian Wei would surely discover his virtues and willingly abandon Lu Chuan to embrace his cause. Not only Dian Wei, but he would also bring these two thousand soldiers entirely under his command. Two thousand elite, armored soldiers could easily rout ten thousand men in a head-on battle! This was the foundation of his comeback.

***

Cao Cao did not quibble with Dian Wei, feeling that his gains were already substantial enough. Standing on the city wall, Lu Chuan watched Cao Cao and his party depart, the corners of his mouth curling upward. The loan had been issued; now, in a year’s time, he would see how Cao Cao planned to repay the debt. As for Cao Cao’s secret intentions, did Lu Chuan not know them? However, Lu Chuan had faith in Dian Wei.

Dian Wei had been with Lu Chuan for quite some time, and Lu Chuan had treated him well. Dian Wei had long since pledged his loyalty to Lu Chuan, a devotion that would not waver for the rest of his life—unless, of course, Lu Chuan were to die. In history, to protect Cao Cao, Dian Wei had held off the siege of Hu Che'er and countless soldiers single-handedly, despite having no armor or weapons, to the point that even after he died from exhaustion, the surrounding enemy soldiers dared not approach. If Dian Wei’s loyalty had been anything less, he would have simply fled. Thus, Lu Chuan was certain that Dian Wei would never betray him. Furthermore, after recruiting him, the first thing Lu Chuan had done was find a wife for Dian Wei. With the ties of family, betrayal became even more impossible.

The two thousand soldiers led by Dian Wei had also been carefully selected by Lu Chuan. Not only were they physically superior and disciplined, but they all had families. To put it bluntly, the wives and children of these two thousand soldiers were all in Lu County; they might die in battle abroad, but they would never betray Lu Chuan. Moreover, Lu Chuan treated them genuinely well; their pay was never delayed and far exceeded the standards of other counties. They were fed a balanced diet every day and ate meat every other day—otherwise, they would not be so robust. One could eat meat by following Lu Chuan, but that was not guaranteed with Cao Cao. Lu Chuan did not believe that Cao Cao, at this stage, had much surplus grain. Being able to keep his men fed would be an achievement in itself. Under such conditions, why would these soldiers betray Lu Chuan just to suffer under Cao Cao?

Lu Jin appeared quietly at Lu Chuan’s side. "My Lord, I have already planted enough spies among the soldiers led by Captain Dian. From now on, every move Cao Cao makes will no longer be a secret."

Lu Chuan smiled even more broadly. "Well done! But besides Cao Cao, you must also keep an eye on the movements of other warlords, such as Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Gongsun Zan, and Liu Bei. Only by grasping their actions can one truly control the shifting trends of the world."

"Yes! This subordinate understands!"

Lu Jin nodded and stood silently to the side, while Lu Chuan fell into deep thought on the ramparts.

***

After the eighteen warlords’ campaign against Dong Zhuo, the world would enter a brief period of peaceful development. Everyone would be racing to accumulate strength, hoping to have the power to resist when others finally bared their fangs. Lu Chuan was no exception. He had voluntarily lent the two thousand elite soldiers led by Dian Wei to Cao Cao with the intent of monitoring Cao Cao’s movements in advance. Without Dian Wei and these two thousand men, the defense of Lu County would inevitably be compromised. To quickly compensate for this weakness and ensure Lu County had the strength to protect itself in the coming chaos, it was necessary to reorganize and build a new army.

"Xiao Jin, have Lu Huo come to see me."

"Yes!"

Lu Jin retreated silently, and shortly after, Lu Huo, dressed in military attire, arrived at Lu Chuan’s side.

"This subordinate greets you, my Lord!"

Lu Huo was a military talent Lu Chuan had invested great effort into cultivating. Having learned much from Lu Chuan, his military thinking was far ahead of this era.

"Lu Huo, how many rounds did you last against Dian Wei last time?"

"Seventy rounds!"

"Did you give it your all?"

"Lord Dian Wei did not use his full strength, but this subordinate gave everything I had." A trace of helplessness colored Lu Huo’s tone; Dian Wei’s ferocity was not something an ordinary person could match.

Lu Chuan reassured him, "It is fine. I never intended to raise you into a fierce warrior; I want you to be a commander capable of leading a great army and standing on your own! Being able to exchange seventy rounds with Dian Wei is already quite impressive."

"Thank you, my Lord!"

"There is no need for such formalities between us. I have a mission for you."

"Please speak, my Lord!"

"Recruit! Train!" Lu Chuan’s tone deepened. "I give you half a year to build an army of ten thousand. The quality of these soldiers must not be inferior to those taken by Dian Wei. Can you do it?"

Lu Huo knelt on one knee. "Rest assured, my Lord! This subordinate will never let you down!"

Lu Chuan nodded. He was suddenly looking forward to the expression on Cao Cao’s face when he saw that Lu Chuan had once again produced ten thousand elite, armored soldiers equipped with all manner of weaponry. When that day came, would Cao Cao still dare to default on his debt?