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Zheng Jian watched as Fei Qian rode into the distance, the smile on his face gradually freezing into a cold expression. He muttered under his breath, "Grand Tutor Cai, I gave him a chance to live, yet he insists on seeking death! Ah, well… let him not blame me for what comes next…"
After a moment of contemplation, Zheng Jian called out in a clear voice, "Summon Captain Li!" He then beckoned a servant, gave a few quick orders, and the servant hurried off to carry them out.
Before long, Captain Li arrived. He entered the hall, bowed respectfully to Zheng Jian, and stood with his hands at his sides, awaiting instructions.
The news of Guo Pu's defeat had dealt a heavy blow to the Xiliang soldiers remaining in Hangu Pass. Men like Captain Li, who had once swaggered about under Guo Pu's influence, now found themselves forced to tread carefully, tails between their legs.
Zheng Jian studied Captain Li in silence, savoring the sight of this man—who had once treated him with barely concealed disdain—now standing meekly before him. The silence stretched on, a luxury for Zheng Jian, but torture for Captain Li. Before long, beads of sweat had formed at the man's temples.
Finally, Zheng Jian spoke slowly, enunciating each word as if to ensure the illiterate Captain Li understood him perfectly:
"Captain Li, did Commandant Guo truly receive orders from General Guo?"
"Th-this…" A drop of sweat rolled down Captain Li's forehead and splashed onto the floor. He hesitated before replying, "My lord, I… I am not entirely certain of the details…"
"Oh?" Zheng Jian's tone was noncommittal. He flicked at his sleeve as if brushing away an insect. "Captain Li, let me ask you this—when Commandant Guo requisitioned three hundred of your men, did he use a tiger tally, an imperial scepter, an official dispatch… or something else?"
Captain Li commanded five hundred cavalrymen, three hundred of whom had left with Commandant Guo, leaving only two hundred in the city. Though Zheng Jian's voice was soft, his words struck like thunder, causing Captain Li to sway slightly on his feet. Sweat now streamed freely down his face.
Too nervous to even wipe it away, Captain Li stammered, "It… it was the tiger tally…"
In the Han Dynasty, the most formal method of troop mobilization was the tiger tally.
However, the tiger tally system was inflexible. In emergencies—such as bandit raids or local uprisings—if a governor or inspector had to wait for the imperial court to send a tiger tally before deploying troops, it would often be too late to act. By then, the damage would already be done.
Thus, in later years, provincial governors and high-ranking ministers were permitted to use their scepters to mobilize troops for military operations, provided they reported to the court afterward. If the action was deemed necessary and yielded positive results, they would usually avoid punishment. But if it led to defeat, they would still be held accountable.
Yet since governors and ministers possessed only one scepter each, mobilizing multiple units simultaneously posed a challenge. This led to the use of official dispatches—written orders bearing an official seal—to authorize troop movements. Even Sun Jian, when leaving Changsha, had falsely claimed to have received such a dispatch from Zhang Wen…
"The tiger tally?" Zheng Jian repeated, chuckling darkly. "Whose tiger tally was it? General Guo's? Or… Commandant Guo's?"
Captain Li swallowed hard, his voice hoarse as he answered, "It… it was Commandant Guo's…"
"I see…" Zheng Jian nodded slowly, then fell silent, his gaze boring into Captain Li. After a long pause, he suddenly slammed his palm on the table and roared, "Captain Li! Do you take me for a fool?! Without General Guo's tiger tally, scepter, or even an official dispatch, how dare you claim to have acted on his orders?!"
Captain Li trembled, hastily defending himself: "My lord, please understand! Commandant Guo assured us the orders came from General Guo! As his subordinate, how could I question a military command?"
Zheng Jian struck the table again. "Nonsense! You command imperial troops, yet you handed them over without authorization! First, you violate military law, and now you dare lie to my face? Guards! Seize him at once!"
A dozen soldiers rushed in from outside the hall, surrounding Captain Li, who cried out in protest but dared not resist. In moments, he was bound tightly.
Seeing Captain Li securely restrained, Zheng Jian relaxed slightly. "We shall determine the truth of your claims once Commandant Guo is found. For now, take him to the dungeons."
With no further defense to offer, Captain Li hung his head and allowed himself to be led away.
Alone in the hall, Zheng Jian toyed with the official seal taken from Captain Li. He summoned Captain Chen, handed him the seal, and murmured a few more instructions.
Captain Chen accepted the orders and departed swiftly…
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××××××××××××××
Fei Qian had no desire to turn back—not because he trusted Zheng Jian, but because he trusted Hangu Pass. Throughout the Han Dynasty, the fortress had rarely fallen to enemy assault, save for instances of surrender.
Thus, waiting for the road to clear was preferable to futilely retracing his steps.
Otherwise, he might return to Luoyang only to learn that the Yellow Turban rebels in Xin'an had already been crushed and the route reopened—an embarrassing scenario indeed.
Yet Zheng Jian's attitude had struck him as odd. When Fei Qian mentioned staying in Hangu Pass to wait, the man's smile had seemed… unnatural. Complex. Difficult to describe, but unsettling.
To be safe, Fei Qian summoned Huang Cheng and ordered him to arrange shifts for their soldiers, ensuring they remained vigilant against any unforeseen threat.
Huang Cheng obeyed, but Fei Qian's unease persisted. Pacing the courier station restlessly, he decided to step outside for air.
But just as he reached the gates, chaos erupted from the western part of the city. Civilians scattered like panicked insects—
Fei Qian stopped one fleeing man and received shocking news:
The Yellow Turbans had appeared west of the city.
They were now at the gates.
This—
This couldn't be!
Of all possibilities, this was the one Fei Qian had never anticipated.
Had the Yellow Turbans grown so bold as to attack a fortress like Hangu Pass?
It was unthinkable!
Moreover, Hangu Pass was no granary. Though it held some grain shipments en route from Luoyang, the cost of assaulting it would far outweigh any gains.
And even if they took the pass—what then? Would they march east to attack Luoyang itself?
If not for these reasons, why would the Yellow Turbans besiege Hangu Pass?