Chapter 11: Fairness

May 2nd, beneath Hangu Pass.

The Flying Bear elite cavalry were drawn up in a single line. The men sat motionless on their horses, their lances standing like a forest, shimmering with a cold, piercing light.

Behind them were sixteen wagons loaded with fifty thousand bushels of grain. There were also ten chests of gold, a hundred bolts of cloth, and over a hundred maidservants.

As the morning sun climbed, a lone horseman galloped from the east, charging toward the front of the formation like an arrow loosed from a bow, headlong into the crimson sun. The general held a halberd in one hand and tugged lightly on the reins. His steed, Jueying, reared up, letting out a thunderous neigh.

In an instant, half of the Flying Bear cavalry raised their lances and shouted in unison:
"Mighty!"
"Mighty!"
"Mighty!"

But the majority of the elite riders simply watched on, looking bewildered, or bowing their heads in thought.

Niu Fu scowled and barked, "What are you standing there like fools for!"

Only then did these men muster a half-hearted, listless shout of "Mighty" to appease him.

Of course, this was to be expected. In truth, the Flying Bear cavalrymen who had actually dealt with Chen Cong all belonged to the Right Battalion—the unit under Niu Fu’s direct command. These men had not only witnessed Chen Cong’s prowess firsthand but had forged deep bonds of friendship with him during their time together. They knew Chen Cong’s character and were privy to more secrets than the others, so their morale was naturally sky-high.

The remaining thousand riders had heard the fame of "Chen the Invincible" to varying degrees, but that was all. To them, Chen Cong was a completely unfamiliar commander. Because of a single transfer order from the Grand Tutor, they had inexplicably become Chen Cong’s personal troops. They had left behind everything they knew, their future was uncertain, and they might one day have to turn their blades against their own former comrades. Out of loyalty to Dong Zhuo, they were willing to take orders, but expecting them to pledge their hearts to Chen Cong upon a first meeting was impossible.

However, this did not stump Chen Cong. Although he lacked formal experience in commanding large armies, he was a firm believer that one becomes like those they associate with; having spent so much time around the "Traitor Cao," Chen Cong knew exactly how to manipulate human nature.

In the military, strength is worshipped. Given his own martial prowess, Chen Cong did not need to deliberately establish his authority. Now, he only needed to do one thing: be fair.

With this in mind, Chen Cong held his Flying Tiger halberd horizontally above his head and pressed it downward, momentarily silencing the commotion. He was not in a hurry, waiting quietly for a few moments until the three hundred riders he had left behind caught up.

He then spoke in a deep, resonant voice: "I am Chen Cong. Many of you have likely heard of me, but most of you probably do not know me well. I have no other virtues, but I am generous!"

He pointed his long halberd forward. "Do you see those ten chests of gold behind you? Follow my orders—ten gold pieces for every man, divide it up!"

The thousand Flying Bear cavalry of the Vanguard Battalion were still stunned, but the three hundred riders from the Cavalry Battalion and five hundred from the Right Battalion were already shrieking with joy as they rushed to claim their share. It wasn't their first day dealing with the general; since the "Invincible General" told them to split it, not doing so would be an insult to his face!

Once the gold ingots had been snatched up, Chen Cong turned his halberd toward the line of maidservants and laughed heartily: "One for each man, no taking more than your share—divide them!"

It was like a drop of water hitting boiling oil; the entire formation erupted. Three years of military service was no joke. Furthermore, no matter how brave the Flying Bear cavalry were, they were still just soldiers. Before crossing that threshold, the most beautiful women they could hope to encounter were the village girls back home. A step above that, they could save their pay for a few months to enjoy a few days of luxury at a pleasure house. But whether in Luoyang or Chang'an, the cities were far too extravagant. True indulgence had never belonged to small figures of their station.

The three hundred riders from the Cavalry Battalion were even worse off, with benefits far inferior to the Flying Bears. In normal times, could rough men like them ever dream of owning the delicate, fair-skinned maids of the great noble houses?

Unfortunately, whether it was the gold or the maids, there was not enough for eighteen hundred men. To the swift went the spoils; some laughed, and some cried. But without exception, as these eighteen hundred men looked at Chen Cong, their eyes now held a touch of fervor.

Was it fair? Of course! Fairness was never about an equal distribution, but about placing the opportunity equally in front of everyone. Chen Cong had given them the same chance; why did the Right Battalion and the Cavalry Battalion walk away with most of the spoils? Because they trusted Chen Cong, and because they were ready to execute their commander’s orders immediately.

So, what about next time? Each time the Vanguard Battalion hesitated, they would lose out on benefits. Five times? Ten times? By manipulating human nature to cultivate "good habits" and playing fair eight or ten times, was there any fear that this elite force wouldn't become as obedient as his own limbs?

Niu Fu approached on horseback, looking pained. "Zi Ning, those were gifts from your aunt and uncle. To just give them away like this..."

Chen Cong smiled indifferently. "The sentiment of my relatives is something I have already received, Uncle; why take it so seriously? I have another matter I need your help with."

"Speak."

Chen Cong pointed his halberd toward Hangu Pass. "I intend to march north to Jinyang, but I do not wish to pass through Shangdang and expose my movements too early. I would like to borrow a path through your territory—pass through Hangu, cut through the Hedong and Pingyang regions to cross Xihe Commandery, and then strike at Taiyuan Commandery to occupy Jinyang."

Niu Fu was taken aback. "Bingzhou is in chaos. Why would you want to step into that quagmire, Zi Ning?"

"Hahaha, to be honest with you, Uncle, the General who Conquers the West has recommended me as the Governor of Bingzhou. I am heading there to take up my post, and I will need your guidance in the future."

Niu Fu looked worried. "The White Wave bandits are powerful. You must be extremely careful."

The White Wave? Chen Cong scoffed. He didn't even need to know what level the White Wave bandits were at. Judging by the forced route that the "Poisonous Scholar" Jia Xu had mapped out for him, he knew exactly how incompetent the enemy must be. Xihe Commandery was the base of the White Wave bandits; Taiyuan Commandery was the region where they regularly wreaked havoc. And yet, Jia Xu had told him to march straight through the heart of it.

The question was, was Jia Xu becoming overconfident? The man was so cautious that even if an enemy died right in front of him, he would wait until the body was cold before tossing a stone at it from afar. Since this king of caution dared to let him take this route, it meant that to the Flying Bear elite cavalry, the White Wave bandits were no different from cold corpses.

But he couldn't say that out loud. After all, Niu Fu had once been defeated by the White Wave. If he called them trash, what did that make Niu Fu?

Chen Cong patted Niu Fu on the shoulder and said solemnly, "Rest assured, Uncle. Back then, Guo Tai didn't know his place and dared to cause you trouble. This time, I will surely capture him alive and hand him over to you to deal with as you see fit."

Niu Fu was overjoyed. "Good! Since you have such high ambitions, how could I not help you? Wait here, I will go up and have a word with the general guarding the pass."

"I am indebted to you, Uncle."

As Niu Fu turned away, Chen Cong beckoned Cheng Zhuo. At this moment, Cheng Zhuo was stuffing gold into his belt and holding a maidservant, grinning so broadly he didn't even recognize his own kin. Seeing Chen Cong call him, he immediately galloped over, flashing his teeth: "General!"

Chen Cong smiled. "Order the men to form up. Anyone not back in formation within thirty seconds will be executed!"

Cheng Zhuo’s heart skipped a beat. He cupped his hands heavily and said, "Understood!"

Having experienced the previous two times, no one dared to provoke Chen Cong at this juncture. In less than twenty seconds, the formation was complete. The veteran rascals of the Flying Bear knew one principle well: when the higher-ups promised a reward, they might or might not deliver, but if they ever promised a punishment, it would certainly be carried out to the letter.