Chapter 20: What is going on? Is this a bluff?

The day was bright and breezy. Though it was early spring, the biting chill had already begun to recede.

"Why won't any of you listen to me?" Zhao Shaojie chided a group of ailing soldiers. "No drinking raw water, no eating raw food, no sampling unknown fruits or vegetables, and one bath a day. Are you not afraid of the miasma?"

Although the fighting had not yet begun, they had already suffered several casualties. Fortunately, the issues were not severe; they had merely upset their stomachs by picking and eating wild berries. Zhao Shaojie was deeply dissatisfied with these soldiers who refused to follow his sanitary regulations.

Wei Yan, standing nearby, remarked, "Your regulations are so cumbersome—how many in the army could possibly follow them? Come now, it is time to depart."

Today was the day they would march into Yulin Commandery. After Zhao Shaojie finished his nagging, he set off with the main force. Along the way, the men enjoyed hot pot and sang songs until they reached the territory of Yulin.

The administrative seat of Yulin Commandery was Bushan County, a city situated by the water. To avoid being blocked in the river by the people of Yulin, Mi Fang and his commanders dispatched a vanguard of three thousand men to secure a beachhead. The officers tasked with this mission were none other than Shi Ren and Wei Yan. Originally, Zhao Shaojie had wanted to send Huang Zhong, but considering that Huang Zhong was not only the Lieutenant General second only to Mi Fang in the army but also a general borrowed from elsewhere, he did not insist.

Taking advantage of the night, Wei Yan traveled by boat to the wharf at Bushan County. He could not help but be stunned: "How is it that the enemy has made no preparations?"

"Advance! Move out!" Shi Ren was greatly surprised, but having no time to dwell on it, he hurriedly ordered his men to disembark and establish defensive works. By the time the next day dawned, boatload after boatload of soldiers had come ashore, and a camp had already been established outside of Bushan County.

Inside the county, Gu Zhao looked at his attendants with a pained expression. "I only just heard that Mi Fang, under Liu Xuande, had arrived in Jiaozhou. How is it that in the blink of an eye, he is at the gates of my Bushan County?"

His attendants wore looks of panic. Everyone knew that whoever Liu Bei sent would certainly seek to consolidate power over Jiaozhou, but they never expected the opposition to move so quickly. One of his subordinates gritted his teeth and said, "The Governor was appointed by the Imperial Court, and Liu Xuande was merely recommended by Liu Jingsheng. We should send someone to reprimand Mi Fang and force him to withdraw!"

Another countered, "Liu Xuande has campaigned across the land; when has he ever held the court in Xuchang in any regard? What use would that be?"

Gu Zhao sighed. "There are only three thousand troops in the city; how are we to defend against the enemy?" He paused, then added, "Sending someone to question Mi Fang is one thing, but we must also summon the troops from the various counties to reinforce Bushan."

"Understood!"

***

On the shore, Zhao Shaojie heard that Bushan County had made no attempt to defend the riverbanks and immediately realized the enemy had been caught off guard. Before Zhao Shaojie could even speak, Ma Su shouted impatiently, "Military speed is of the essence! Surround the city at once; there cannot be many troops left inside!"

Wei Yan added, "The enemy did not anticipate us being this swift. Now is the perfect opportunity to breach the city!"

Mi Fang’s grasp of military strategy was mediocre at best; he looked uneasily toward Xu Shu, who also saw no issues with the plan and nodded.

"Very well. Since everyone is in agreement, let us surround the city!" Mi Fang ordered.

The men organized their troops and marched out of the camp. With the exception of Yuan Lin, who remained on the water to protect their flanks, the forces under Shi Ren, Hao Pu, and Huang Zhong all launched the assault, leaving only Mi Fang’s deputy to guard the camp.

They had only traveled a short distance when a man riding a donkey cart approached from the front. Upon seeing the grand army, the cart stopped, and a scholar alighted.

"Is this General Mi Fang, under the command of the Governor of Yuzhou?" the scholar asked from the roadside.

Mi Fang immediately ordered his men to seize the scholar. "Who are you?" Mi Fang demanded.

The scholar bowed and said, "I am a subordinate of Governor Gu. I have come specifically to request that General Mi Fang withdraw his troops!"

Mi Fang was no scholar of the Confucian classics; hearing this, he burst into laughter, and those around him followed suit. The scholar’s face grew awkward, his expression masking deep resentment. Mi Fang looked at him with disdain and, too lazy to reply, was about to have him taken away so as not to delay the march.

Xu Shu shook his head from the side. "We have been ordered to take up posts in Jiaozhou. Since Yulin is part of Jiaozhou, how can there be any reason for the troops of the Governor not to enter?" His expression darkened. "Go back and tell Governor Gu: if he obeys the military orders of the Governor of Jiaozhou, I will ensure his safety. If he refuses, he is a rebel who has aligned himself with Cao Cao, and my army of over ten thousand will surely crush him!"

The scholar was terrified and dared not speak further. He agreed and turned to leave.

By the time the scholar returned to Bushan County, Mi Fang and the others had already reached the foot of the city walls. Inside, Gu Zhao asked anxiously, "What did Mi Fang say?"

The scholar relayed Xu Shu’s words. Gu Zhao’s face grew even more fearful. Jiaozhou had long been free of the fires of war, and as such, the local troops were extremely weak. Even his own position as Governor was not entirely legitimate. He was the son of the previous governor, Gu Yong. After his father passed away, the commandery had elected him to succeed him. With the world in chaos, no one paid any heed to a small place like Yulin. When they sent word of his election to Shi Xie, Shi Xie, who held a pacifist stance, approved of him and raised no objections. When Shi Xie sent tribute to the Imperial Court, he included a recommendation for Gu Zhao, effectively cementing his position as Governor of Yulin.

"Who dares to face the enemy?" Gu Zhao asked his attendants.

They all lowered their heads. The troops of Yulin Commandery had not trained in a long time, and with only three thousand men, they were no match for an army of ten thousand.

Gu Zhao’s expression was mournful. He sighed, "My position as Governor was inherited from my father. Now that a great army is before us, I do not mourn the loss of my title; I only fear the people will be ravaged by the flames of war... Very well, come with me out of the city to meet the envoy of the Governor of Jiaozhou."

***

Outside the city, Mi Fang was assigning tasks. "Shi Ren, you are to attack the North Gate. Hao Pu, the West Gate. General Huang, the East Gate. I, along with Wenchang and Youchang, will attack the South Gate..."

As he was speaking, the city gates suddenly swung open. A group of people emerged slowly. Zhao Shaojie was taken aback. "What is this? An empty city trap?"

Xu Shu laughed aloud from the side. "It is possible they have surrendered!"

Hearing this, Mi Fang was overjoyed. "If that is the case, then it is wonderful! To take a commandery without a fight—how delightful!"

The group stepped forward. An old man bowed and said, "Gu Zhao, Governor of Yulin, greets General Mi Fang of the Governor of Jiaozhou. May I ask, General, why you have marched here with such force?"

Mi Fang looked at him with contempt. *You are about to surrender, why bother talking nonsense?*

Xu Shu stepped forward and said, "Governor Gu should know that the rebel Cao is vicious and cruel; he has murdered princes and imperial consorts, and the Emperor is humiliated. We, as ministers loyal to the Han, are heartbroken. To save the Emperor, the Governor of Jiaozhou intends to unite the strength of the realm to punish the traitor. We hope that Governor Gu, mindful of the generations of Han bounty you have consumed, will join the Governor of Jiaozhou in suppressing the rebels."

Upon hearing this, Gu Zhao did not know how to respond. How Cao Cao treated Liu Xie was known to all under heaven. As a minister of the Han, knowing the Emperor was being treated in such a way, anyone with a shred of loyalty could not simply turn a blind eye.

"Please, everyone, enter the city," Gu Zhao said, his spirit crushed.

Zhao Shaojie’s face showed a look of disbelief. Since entering Jiaozhou, everything had felt as though it were being helped by heaven itself. Wu Ju and Lai Gong had caused no trouble, and now Gu Zhao was surrendering upon first meeting. This...