Bu Zhi could not wrap his head around it no matter how hard he tried.
'Fuck. How the hell had Zhang Fei ended up here?'
The plan had been flawless..
When news arrived from Lingling that Lai Gong had stormed off in a huff, Marquis Sun had almost immediately settled on a strategy: control Cangwu, strike at Nanhai, intimidate Shi Xie into submission.
Bu Zhi had spent years carefully cultivating his reputation before finally earning a recommendation as a maocai from Marquis Sun. He understood perfectly that this was his moment to prove his worth and climb the political ladder.
Appointed Inspector, granted troops, with Wu Ju set up as the perfect target, everything had proceeded smoothly.
Everything except for the sudden, uninvited appearance of Zhang Fei.
Among the great clans of Jiangdong, Liu Bei came up often in conversation.
But even more often, people talked about his terrifying generals. Guan Yu, who had beheaded Yan Liang and ridden off like it was nothing. Zhang Fei, whose roar at Changban Bridge had supposedly held back an entire army. And Zhao Yun, whose name was just as scary.
'Cruel, cruel fate!'
Bu Zhi sighed inwardly and did not dare move rashly. He could only watch as Zhang Fei strode past him with casual ease, lifted that pitch-black long spear, and rested it upon his shoulder like it weighed nothing.
"Did not expect to see me here, did you?"
Zhang Fei waved a massive hand in front of Bu Zhi's face, nearly knocking him over with the wind alone.
"So you are the one plotting against the Administrator of Cangwu?"
"No, no, not at all! You wound me, most handsome General Zhang! I am Bu Zhi, appointed Inspector of Jiaozhou by Marquis Sun, and I came here to..."
Before he could finish, Zhang Fei cut him off with a wave of his hand.
"Bah! What a slick-tongued dog!"
"You? The Inspector of Jiaozhou?"
Bu Zhi nodded so fast his hat nearly flew off.
Zhang Fei let out a short laugh.
"This dog has some nerve. I like it!"
Zhang Fei barked, looking genuinely offended on behalf of the entire Han Dynasty.
"My lord's old ally, Lai Gong, was personally appointed Inspector of Jiaozhou by His Majesty. A loyal and upright man! And Marquis Sun is also a loyal subject of the Han. Why would he overstep his bounds to appoint a dog like you? Do you ignore the Emperor's will?!"
"And today you raise troops to murder Administrator Wu, ruining the bond between my lord and Marquis Sun!"
"I ought to take your head to Dantu and demand an explanation from Marquis Sun!"
"Wait! Wait! General Zhang, please, have mercy! We are civilized men! Let us talk about this! No hitting!"
Bu Zhi cried out, his soul nearly leaving his body through his mouth.
"I came today to assist Administrator Wu against the southern barbarian threat! Truly! I swear it!"
"Oh?"
Zhang Fei smiled faintly, then casually rested the spear across Bu Zhi's shoulder.
"So I have wronged you, have I? In that case, come with me and face the enemy. Prove your loyalty with your sword. If you die, you die a hero. If you live, well, we will cross that bridge when we get there."
The Jiangdong troops had originally been ordered to ambush Wu Ju.
Yet the moment the fighting began, they were smashed apart by a sudden force of barely a thousand men, fierce as starved wolves and tigers.
Their commander had even been seized inside the hall before anyone could draw their weapon properly.
Just as they were about to surrender, they saw that same terrifying commander walk out side by side with Inspector Bu, grinning like a pair of long-lost relatives. Apparently, the two armies were now allies. Surprise.
Thus, utterly bewildered, the Jiangdong soldiers found themselves marching to a new battlefield.
One soldier tried to ask what was going on, only to have his mouth covered by a sharper-witted companion.
"That is Zhang Fei of Dangyang Bridge. You know who that is, right?"
"So what if I do not? He is just one man."
"Oh boy. This guy. I have no words."
Not long after, he found out exactly why everyone knew that name.
Zhang Fei left five hundred men to hold formation and personally led another five hundred straight into a force of two to three thousand barbarian warriors.
The long spear meant for horseback combat spun in his hands like a tiny embroidery needle. Wherever its blade touched, heads flew and limbs were severed. Those struck by the shaft were smashed to the ground, twitching, more dead than alive.
The barbarian warriors had only come to plunder some rice and maybe a few chickens. Who could have expected to run into a human-shaped typhoon?
There was no talk of morale. The clash turned into a one-sided slaughter.
The sharp-witted soldier watched the carnage and whispered to his terrified companion, "From now on, I think we should call ourselves the Han Army, right? It seems much safer for our continued existence."
Zhang Fei drove his spear through a barbarian chieftain and pinned him to the ground. With his other hand, he seized another man, twisted his waist, and slammed him down so hard the earth shook.
He did not even bother to look at the mess.
Spitting to the side, he laughed loudly as the remaining barbarians fled for their lives.
"Refreshing!"
Bu Zhi had long since extinguished any stray thoughts of resistance.
He stepped forward respectfully, his smile looking more like a grimace of pain.
"Oh, most handsome and mighty General Zhang! Your might is truly heaven-shaking! I am but a humble servant in your presence!"
"Since the danger here is resolved, I shall return to Jiangdong to explain this misunderstanding..."
"We are practically family now, Brother Bu," Zhang Fei countered, clapping him so hard on the back he nearly choked. "Why not visit Lady Sun in Gong'an first, do you not agree? Afterward, my brother will provide a boat to send you to Dantu personally. How about it?"
'Visit Lady Sun? My ass. It sounds like house arrest with extra steps and polite conversation '.
But Bu Zhi did not dare say that out loud.
He could only bury his bitterness deep in his heart and nod obediently.
After settling matters, Zhang Fei sat with Wu Ju for a private word.
Wu Ju sighed heavily. "I will soon personally visit Lai Gong to make amends. My conflict with him was but a personal grudge. Though I forced him out, I never resorted to arms. His departure in anger is my fault entirely."
"I never imagined Marquis Sun would scheme like this, nearly ruining Lord Liu's plans."
"Do not blame yourself, Ziqing, but be careful from now on," Zhang Fei warned, his tone growing surprisingly serious.
"Marquis Sun has eyed Jiaozhou for a long time. You must stand united with Inspector Lai and watch for Marquis Sun trying to squeeze you between himself and Shi Xie. Play both sides against the middle. That is his favorite trick."
Wu Ju felt the weight of responsibility settle upon him.
After more discussion, he smiled faintly.
"General Zhang remains as meticulous as ever. I had heard you were all brute strength and no subtlety. Clearly the rumors were spread by people who never had to fight you."
"Hah!" Zhang Fei shook his head, grinning. "Get to work, Ziqing. I must return to Jiangling soon. The Cao dog will be sniffing around again before long, and I want to be there to greet him with my spear."
After Wu Ju departed, a shifty-eyed soldier approached and began fanning Zhang Fei while helping him remove his armor.
"General, those Wu troops... should we strip their armor and seize their weapons? They might cause trouble later."
Zhang Fei nodded.
"Indeed. You joined my ranks last year, did you not? Name is Fan Jiang, right? Go handle it. And be thorough."
Fan Jiang beamed with joy and ran off, calling out:
"Zhang Da! Zhang Da! Where are you? The General has orders, come help me! We are going to be rich!"
Zhang Fei smiled to himself, already doing some quick mental arithmetic.
'If that useless Mi Fang's fake letters could fetch three hundred gold, then a living, breathing Inspector of Jiaozhou has to be worth at least five hundred. Maybe even six. What a bargain.'
On the walls of Jiangling, Guan Yu stood beside Huang Zhong, watching the stream of people crossing from Gong'an.
Joy was hard to conceal on his usually stern face.
"Kongming truly made the people come willingly. Two flatbreads and a dream of land. Who could resist?"
Huang Zhong, more familiar with the hardships of the common folk, nodded slowly.
"Jiangling was once a major stronghold. But after Cao Cao's ravages and Cao Ren's occupation, two or three parts of the people died, two or three were conscripted, and two or three fled. What remains is scarcely a tenth of what once was."
"There is much abandoned farmland and many empty houses. Those who come become people of Jiangling at once. How could the refugees not be tempted?"
"All they seek is food, clothing, and a roof to sleep under. Simple things."
Guan Yu was moved. He bowed solemnly toward the direction of the command office.
Back in the command office, Zhuge Liang spoke while reviewing documents from the four commanderies, his brush never pausing.
"We do not need to fear an attack during the reconstruction."
"With the rotation of defenses and the rumors we have been spreading, Cao Cao will suspect deception. Even if word reaches him of our movements, he will not believe them. The man sees tricks everywhere."
"Come the autumn equinox in the eighth month, given Yue Jin's aggressive nature, he will surely attack. He cannot resist a perceived weakness."
"We should summon Yunchang, Zilong, Yide, and Hansheng, and strike together. Crush him properly."
"As it should be,." Liu Bei smiled, unable to hide his delight.
His foundation was finally taking shape. Even his steps felt lighter as he walked around the office.
Zhuge Liang glanced up at him.
"Since my lord has leisure, you might as well go help with the harvest. The people love seeing their lord among them, sleeves rolled up, getting his hands dirty. Good for morale."
Liu Bei actually nodded, picked up a straw hat from the table, and prepared to leave.
Before stepping out, he paused.
"Kongming, you went to the fields yesterday. How is the yield this year?"
"Three shi and one dou per mu. Once composting improves and Madam Huang's new irrigation methods spread, yields should rise further."
"Three shi one?!"
Liu Bei's voice rose sharply.
This was rice, not millet. A yield of two shi eight was already considered excellent. Three shi one was practically unheard of.
Zhuge Liang remained calm, dipping his brush in ink.
"The later generations shown in the Lightscreen achieve no less than ten shi per mu. An increase of three dou is hardly worth mentioning."
"Kongming, to the people, this is a visible miracle!"
Liu Bei laughed heartily, already halfway out the door.
"And to think, we once worried about whether we could feed our army. Now we might actually have enough to sell! Perhaps I should take up farming full-time!"