Chapter 9: The Bingzhou List

Thump! Thump-thump!

Cheng Yu sat up from his daybed, threw a single-lined robe over his shoulders, and called out to the door: "A-Zhong, come in."

The manservant pushed the door open and bowed, saying: "Master, the General of Building Might requests your presence."

Cheng Yu looked at the sky outside, a flicker of suspicion crossing his eyes. He had no friendship with Chen Cong—in fact, there was a touch of resentment between them. What good could come of an invitation in the middle of the night?

"Did he say what it was about?"

"He did not."

Cheng Yu rubbed his forehead. "Very well. Prepare the horses."

At the same time, outside the Red Sleeve Pavilion, after a brief whisper, Chen Yi gripped his sword and headed upstairs. He pushed open the door to a private room on the second floor, pulled an old man out from between two fair-skinned beauties, and gave him a vigorous shake.

"Master Wenhe, the General requests your presence," he announced.

Jia Xu woke up in a daze. He rubbed his aching lower back and let out a long sigh. "Let us go, then."

Chen Yi remained unmoved, staring blankly at Jia Xu.

"Is there something else?" Jia Xu asked, puzzled.

Chen Yi shook his head, rattled the hemp rope in his hand, and said: "The General has ordered that you must be bound with rope upon leaving the brothel. Do not take offense."

Jia Xu’s mouth twitched, but he resignedly held out his hands to be bound.

...

In the dead of night, the mansion of the General of Building Might was brightly lit. By the time Jia Xu was led in, bound, four people were already seated in the hall.

Chen Cong took the end of the rope, dismissed Chen Yi with a wave, and cast his gaze over those present: Chen Qun, Cheng Yu, Cao Chun, and Jia Xu.

This was the fledgling team he had assembled to take up his new post. It looked like a respectable lineup. Cheng Yu had not originally been on his list, but when dealing with foreign tribes, one had to consider extreme scenarios. Chen Cong had specifically requested him from Cao Cao as a precaution. Besides, Cheng Yu was not just talented at requisitioning grain; he was genuinely capable of commanding troops in battle. Considering that Cao Cao would likely be busy reconquering the various commanderies of Yanzhou for some time, Chen Cong hadn't wanted to ask for a major commanding general, so he had simply pulled Cheng Yu along to fill the ranks.

"Good, everyone is here. Perhaps some of you have already heard: the General Who Conquers the West has recommended me as the Shepherd of Bingzhou..."

Jia Xu frowned and interrupted, "Wait, wait, General Chen. This old man is in poor health and can ill endure the hardships of travel. I humbly request to remain as a clerk under the General Who Conquers the West—you can keep me bound in rope all day if you like! At the very least, allow me to continue lingering in the brothels, indulging in my wayward habits!"

"Excellent!" Chen Cong nodded heavily. "Jia the Poisonous, I have said it before: since you are unwilling to share life and death with me... Zihe, send the gentleman on his way. Dry his head with lime; I wish to carry it with me day and night, to look upon the object and remember the man."

"Understood!"

Cao Chun, unaware of the nuances, stood up to grab Jia Xu.

Jia Xu shrieked in terror: "A joke! Master Zining, do not take offense, it was merely a jest! Bingzhou is fine—the people are good, the scenery is beautiful! I am willing to go!"

Chen Cong grinned, flashing his teeth. "Since it was a joke, don't say it again. I tend to take things quite literally."

Jia Xu shivered. "Understood..."

"For this trip to Bingzhou, Changwen shall serve as the Assistant Governor."

Chen Qun understood his role. He stood, bowed to the room, and said: "Your junior, Chen Qun, courtesy name Changwen, greets you all."

Chen Cong gestured for him to sit, then continued: "Cheng Zhongde shall serve as the Chief Clerk of the Governor's Office."

Cheng Yu’s heart skipped a beat. Back in Luoyang, he had only been a Gentleman-Attendant; rising to become a Chief Clerk of a province was a triple promotion. He glanced at Chen Cong, lost in thought, then rose, bowed, and sat down in silence.

Chen Cong continued: "Jia the Poisonous, you shall serve as the Administrator."

"Very well," Jia Xu replied listlessly. The Administrator was no minor post—it oversaw all official documents and internal affairs of the provincial government—but he could not bring himself to be happy.

Chen Cong ignored him and turned to Cao Chun: "Zihe shall lead as the Military Affairs Officer."

Cao Chun was filled with excitement. Having only recently joined, to be put in charge of provincial military affairs so quickly—how could he not be pleased? As for the actual number of troops, that was not for a martial man like him to worry about; there were superiors above him, so why fret?

With their duties assigned, they took their seats. The others did not look at Chen Cong in the main seat, but rather cast lingering glances at Jia Xu. They wondered what kind of skill this old man possessed that he had to be bound in ropes in front of the invincible Chen Cong. Could it be that beneath that frail exterior lay a peerless warrior?

Jia Xu, for his part, was indifferent to their stares, looking at Chen Cong with deep concern. Setting aside the troops stationed in Pei, Cao Cao had fewer than twenty thousand men in total. To plot for Bingzhou—a land of constant warfare, sparse population, and extreme danger—with such limited resources, he would be lucky to peel off five thousand men.

But... even with five thousand, to govern a province required calculation to the extreme.

"Um... may I ask, Governor, how many troops will we have for this northern expedition?"

Chen Cong smiled. "Three hundred, for now."

"?"

For the first time in his life, Jia Xu felt his brain was not enough. He stared at Chen Cong in disbelief and ventured, "A titular appointment?"

Chen Cong was still smiling. "This is a position of great power where one controls military, political, financial, and civil affairs. Do you think I would hold it in name only?"

Jia Xu rolled his eyes and slumped back in his seat. He was certain Chen Cong wouldn't actually kill him, so he decided to give up. "In that case, General, please cut off my head now so you may carry it and remember me."

Administrator? Administer a load of nonsense! Three hundred men to govern Bingzhou? They would die ten thousand times over before even reaching Jinyang. This was completely different from Liu Jingsheng entering Jingzhou with a single horse. Jingzhou was wealthy and peaceful; Liu Biao could use his virtuous reputation to win over the great clans and govern the province through a partnership.

Was Bingzhou the same? The Xiongnu had rebelled and killed the previous Governor, Zhang Yi, just two years ago. It had taken great effort for Ding Yuan to stabilize the situation, only for him to be summoned to Luoyang by He Jin and eventually killed by Lu Bu. And just last year, the hundred thousand White Wave bandits had colluded with the Southern Xiongnu Chanyu Yufuluo to attack Taiyuan and enter Hedong, soundly defeating the great Xiyu general Niu Fu!

Three hundred men? If he had to go, he might as well die now; at least it would save him the exhaustion of the journey.

"Jia the Poisonous, I hadn't finished speaking. Why are you in such a rush?"

Jia Xu’s eyes regained a glimmer of life. He sat up straight, staring intently at Chen Cong, wanting to reach out but held back by the ropes. He stiffened his neck and said: "It doesn't need to be much—five thousand! If you, Governor, can provide five thousand troops, I will work myself to the bone to devise a way to break this deadlock!"

Whether Chen Cong lived or died, Jia Xu didn't care, but he wanted to live himself—how could he not give his all?

Chen Cong waved his hand. "There are no five thousand, but there are fifteen hundred troops waiting for us to claim them."

Before Jia Xu could protest further, Chen Cong grinned and said: "Flying Bear!"

Those two words seemed to hold a special magic. Everyone in the hall widened their eyes, swallowing hard.

Fifteen hundred Flying Bears!

They might be sluggish in defending territory, but once they got moving, they could pin those beggar-soldiers ravaging Bingzhou to the ground and crush them! A thousand times over! Especially the Flying Bears led by Chen Cong.

The strongest general paired with the strongest cavalry!

If anyone was going to have a headache, it should be the Hu tribes and the White Wave bandits—it certainly shouldn't be them!