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Zhang Liao led his troops westward all the way to Gucheng, yet found no trace of the Yellow Turban bandits who had reportedly attacked the convoy. This left him deeply frustrated.
This was his first independent command since joining Dong Zhuo's faction. Though the force under him wasn't large—only two hundred Bingzhou cavalry, eight hundred regular infantry from the former Luoyang Northern Army, and five hundred auxiliary troops—it held great significance for him.
A general without command authority was worthless…
But with command authority, even a mediocre officer could rise like a phoenix…
When Lü Bu first defected to Dong Zhuo, the Bingzhou troops had been divided into three parts: one under Lü Bu, another under Zhang Liao, and the last under Gao Shun. Later, Gao Shun was the first to be reassigned to train infantry, and most of his soldiers were redistributed. Then, Zhang Liao was transferred to train cavalry, forcing him to hand over a portion of his troops to Niu Fu…
A few days earlier, Lü Bu had been recalled to guard the central palace, and all Bingzhou troops outside his personal retinue were transferred to Xu Rong…
The number of Bingzhou soldiers who had joined Dong Zhuo wasn't large to begin with, and now they were scattered piecemeal across different commands.
If Zhang Liao had belonged to the Xiliang faction, he might have simply turned back after failing to find any Yellow Turban traces, reporting the lack of results and calling it a day. After all, generals from the Xiliang faction always retained command privileges—even minor captains held real authority over troops…
But Zhang Liao was different. If he returned empty-handed now, not only would he earn no merit, but his command authority would likely be revoked. He would be reduced to a hollow title like "Cavalry Commandant," at most assisting with training troops—an unbearable thought for him.
Thus, Zhang Liao refused to give up. He was determined to uncover the truth behind the Yellow Turban incident. Following the trail of reports about the bandits, he pressed westward until he reached the source—Gucheng.
Yet upon arriving in Gucheng, everything appeared eerily calm. There were no signs of Yellow Turban activity, not even a single hair of evidence…
Had the reports been false?
If so, why fabricate them?
What benefit could such a lie bring? Or was it meant to conceal something else?
×××××××××××××××
"County Captain Yang, something is amiss…" The magistrate of Gucheng spoke in a panicked voice. "Cavalry Commandant Zhang has stationed his troops outside the city. If he discovers… Ah! What are we to do?"
County Captain Yang smirked faintly, looking down on this magistrate who spent his days hiding in the county office, indifferent to governance. If not for his own lack of scholarly education, how could such a coward have become magistrate?
Still, he needed the magistrate's authority for now, so he forced patience into his tone. "Your Honor, our documents are flawless. What could a mere military officer possibly uncover? Relax. Besides, I personally visited Cavalry Commandant Zhang's camp yesterday, and he raised no suspicions."
"Oh… That's good, very good." The magistrate exhaled in relief but remained uneasy. "Then… when will Cavalry Commandant Zhang leave?"
County Captain Yang nearly snapped, How should I know? Though he reassured the magistrate, he too felt a growing unease. He simply couldn't show it—if he displayed even a hint of nervousness, the magistrate's panic would multiply tenfold.
So he maintained an air of confidence. "Once he finds nothing, he'll leave on his own. If necessary, we can offer more livestock, wine, and provisions to speed his departure—"
Before he could finish, a frantic bailiff rushed in, nearly in tears, and reported directly to County Captain Yang: "Sir, it's terrible! The cavalry commandant outside the city has sent men to arrest Yang Erhei and Zhang Quantai… We couldn't stop them… They've already been taken away!"
"What?!" County Captain Yang's heart lurched. Yang Erhei and Zhang Quantai were the two constables who had accompanied him to the scene of Fei Qian's ambush. If they revealed something they shouldn't…
Yang Erhei was manageable—he was a member of the Yang clan, County Captain Yang's own nephew. But Zhang Quantai was merely a local of Gucheng. Though obedient, he wasn't bound by blood ties!
The magistrate was already paralyzed with fear. To him, this meant Zhang Liao had uncovered clues and was closing in. Next to fall would be himself…
Slumping weakly, the magistrate suddenly found a burst of energy. He sprang up, pointing at County Captain Yang and shouting, "You've doomed me! Now the blade hangs over our heads, and where is the Yang family's protection? Where?!"
"Silence!" County Captain Yang roared, no longer caring for propriety.
The magistrate seemed to have exhausted all his strength in that outburst. Stunned by the yell, he collapsed back onto his mat, his gaze vacant and unfocused…
County Captain Yang paced the hall, hands clasped behind his back. After two laps, he halted, teeth clenched. "Our only chance is to strike first! If that cavalry commandant uncovers the truth and marches into the city, we're all dead!"
He stood fuming, but when no response came from the magistrate, he whirled around. Seeing the man slumped lifelessly, he stormed over, grabbed his collar, and shook him. "We must act now! It's our only hope! Do you understand?!"
"Act… how?" The magistrate's eyes flickered with a glimmer of awareness, but he remained confused.
"Write a letter inviting the cavalry commandant to a banquet this afternoon. Then…" County Captain Yang made a sharp, slashing motion.
"Y-you mean… kill him?" The magistrate gulped, stammering.
"Exactly! Once he's dead, we take his seal and use it to order his troops to remain in camp. We'll placate them with extra rations while urgently notifying the family head to send reinforcements. Only then can we survive!"
"R-right! But… what pretext should we use for the invitation?" The magistrate's mind was still sluggish, but he clung to this lifeline.
"Use the name of the Hongnong Yang clan! Our own ranks are too low to guarantee his attendance, but under the Yang name, he will come. We'll station archers on both sides of the gate. The moment he enters, we shut the gates and unleash a volley of arrows. Heh heh heh…"
"Good, I'll write it at once…"
*****
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