Zhang Xin was overjoyed when he received the military treatise from Huangfu Song.
He first sent gifts to the residence of the Marquis of Duxiang to express his gratitude, then went to the Guanglu Temple to request leave. After that, he shut his doors to visitors and devoted himself entirely to studying at home. In truth, whether he showed up to his duties or not made little difference—he was essentially idle anyway.
"Come, come—Zilong, Wenyuan, Boping, Ameng… all of you, take a look."
Great generals are not born; they are cultivated.Well—except for Huo Qubing.
Zhang Xin kept nothing to himself. He distributed the military texts among his generals, encouraging them to study and discuss together. The men were deeply moved, some even brought to tears.
As for Zhang Xin, he immersed himself in the texts day and night.
He understood his own limitations clearly. His current tactical ability came partly from knowledge of later generations and partly from battlefield experience. Commanding a few thousand men posed no issue—but leading tens of thousands in a full-scale engagement was another matter entirely.
War was not a game where one could simply click a mouse and let a system assign troops. The larger the army, the more complex the coordination—deployment, logistics, unit cooperation—all became exponentially harder.
The Huangfu family had been a military household for generations. These treatises contained not only rigid doctrines but also accumulated experience: marching formations, encampment methods, logistics, troop distribution, and battlefield tactics.
Though experience could only truly be gained in battle, with an era of heroes soon approaching, Huangfu Song's writings would save Zhang Xin countless costly mistakes.
As he remained secluded in study, news of the gift spread throughout Luoyang.
A general who had fought the Yellow Turbans had willingly handed over his family's military knowledge to a former Yellow Turban commander—for the sake of the realm. Such magnanimity was rare.
Huangfu Song's reputation soared.
Not long after, Liu Hong issued an edict restoring Huangfu Song to the position of Left General of the Palace Guard. Huangfu Li, upon hearing the news, felt even greater admiration for his uncle.
Time passed quietly, and the rumors in Luoyang gradually faded.
Zhu Jun, after arriving in Hanoi, led his forces to defeat Chu Yan and drive him back into the Taihang Mountains. Meanwhile, after Grand Commandant Cui Lie was dismissed, Cao Song spent a staggering 100 million coins to purchase the same position for himself—purely for prestige.
In December, the Xiutuge tribe rebelled. As a branch of the Southern Xiongnu, their uprising threw the entire confederation into internal chaos.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xin obtained a map of Bingzhou from He Jin and began studying it closely.
He remembered that soon after the Southern Xiongnu turmoil, the White Wave Yellow Turban Rebellion would erupt.
Despite Zhu Jun's victory, Liu Hong did not recall him. The court still trusted Huangfu Song more—and besides, Zhang Xin knew the emperor would not entrust him with major military authority just yet.
Not because of distrust—but because he was too young.
Still, it seemed increasingly likely that he would be assigned to lead a campaign into Bingzhou the following year.
"Bingzhou… not bad at all."
His eyes swept across the map.
Though mountainous and economically underdeveloped, Bingzhou was strategically complex—home to Han Chinese, Xiongnu, Xianbei, and other groups.
But more importantly—
It had coal.
Coal burned hotter than charcoal. Higher temperatures meant better-forged weapons.
And better weapons meant superiority on the battlefield.
While coal was already used in iron smelting during the Han Dynasty, ventilation remained a problem, so charcoal was still preferred. If Zhang Xin could solve that issue, his army's equipment would surpass all rivals.
If he could unite Youzhou and Bingzhou, rally the Xianbei and Wuhuan, and strike south into Ji Province, it might even be possible to crush Yuan Shao before his power fully formed.
By then, Zhang Xin would control Hebei while the Central Plains remained in chaos.
How would Cao Cao respond to that?
Of course, all of this depended on one thing—
Pacifying Bingzhou.
At the thought, Zhang Xin rubbed his hands together in anticipation.
Yet when he remembered that Liu Hong likely had little more than a year left to live, he couldn't help but sigh.
His brother-in-law had treated him well.
The New Year approached.
Liu Hong arranged for Zhang Ping to return from the palace, allowing Zhang Xin's family to reunite. Taking advantage of the rare peace, Zhang Xin strolled through the bustling streets of Luoyang with his loved ones.
Liu Hua carried their son; Zhang Xin held their daughter. Aunt Wang supported Wang Jiao, who was two months pregnant. Han Shu, also pregnant but in weaker health, remained at home resting.
At this rate, Zhang Xin felt he might soon become nothing more than a child-producing machine.
He wasn't even fully grown yet—and already had four children on the way.
On New Year's Day of Zhongping's fifth year, Zhang Xin rose before dawn, donned his official robes, and headed to the palace.
Today was no ordinary day.
The grand court assembly—essentially a formal New Year's audience—was held at Yuntai Hall. Officials presented tribute gifts based on rank, and the emperor distributed rewards.
As a marquis, Zhang Xin offered fine jade. As a Yilang, he also presented wild geese—and received gifts in return.
After a long sequence of elaborate rituals, the feast began.
Then came the ancestral rites.
With no ancestral shrine in Luoyang—and unable to honor Zhang Bao—Zhang Xin instead created memorial tablets for his parents from his previous life.
"Father, Mother… though you were still alive when I left, let me pay my respects first."
"Your son is doing well—high rank, great power, three beautiful wives… and four grandchildren. You need not worry."
Afterward came the customary New Year visits.
Zhang Xin received greetings from his generals, handing out red envelopes, then personally visited Cai Yong and He Jin to pay his respects.
On the fifth day of the first lunar month, an auspicious date, Cai Yong presided over Zhang Xin's coming-of-age ceremony.
From that moment on, Zhang Xin was officially recognized as an adult of the Great Han.
Yet as Zhongping Year Five unfolded, the Han Dynasty's fortunes seemed to decline further.
Before long, the Xiutuge raided Xihe Commandery, killing the governor Xing Ji. Liu Hong ordered the Bingzhou governor Zhang Yi to suppress the threat.
At first, it seemed like a minor disturbance.
But then—
In February, Guo Da, Yang Feng, and Han Xian—remnants of the Yellow Turbans—rose in rebellion in Baibo Valley with over 100,000 troops, ravaging Hedong and Taiyuan.
Hedong lay dangerously close to Luoyang.
This time, Liu Hong could not remain calm.
An urgent summons was sent.
Zhang Xin was called to court.