LIGHTNOVELSTORY chapter 80
＜ Passing Hanggok, Crossing Dongguan, Towards Chang’an (1) ＞
Late at night, Hanggok Pass.
Originally, Dong Zhuo was supposed to pass through here and leave some soldiers behind, but currently, other soldiers have occupied Hanggok Pass.
“Ugh, it’s cold.”
“I told you to dress properly.”
Two soldiers with fierce faces stood on the city wall, their teeth chattering.
They were on guard, but the direction they were facing was not towards Chang’an.
“Damn it, the captain. He’s definitely an idiot. There’s a staircase towards Luoyang; what does he expect us to do guarding this way?”
“When has the captain ever thought things through properly?”
Their captain was Lee Gak and Gwak Sa, who had gone towards Chang’an.
The two soldiers grumbled while looking towards the Luoyang direction.
“Are we supposed to guard this place right now? Ha, seriously.”
“It’s not about guarding. If something happens, we’re supposed to dash down and run to Chang’an.”
“The staircase?”
“The city gate is slightly open, right? We can’t see from up high, so this is just right.”
For the soldiers of Lee Gak and Gwak Sa, the top of the city wall was a kind of watchtower.
Although the descending staircase faced the Luoyang direction—towards the enemy—the front of Hanggok Pass was quite a wide plain.
“Yawn. When the next shift comes, I need to talk to them. It would be better to build a makeshift outpost here.”
“How about making a straw pile towards Chang’an and jumping down?”
“That sounds better. Even if it hurts a bit when you fall, you can just close the city gate and hammer a few nails from this side.”
If something were to approach, I was ready to dash down the stairs immediately, exit through the main gate, and prepare to lock it from the other side.
To prevent those from Luoyang from crossing the gate.
“Or should we make a ladder right now?”
“Don’t. If we take our time climbing down one by one, we’ll be too late and all die. More importantly, what will you do if the captains succeed?”
“The captains succeed? Is the legend of Emperor Yigao and Emperor Guo starting? Hehe.”
The two soldiers chuckled and placed their hands on the swords at their waists.
“The captains will eat well, but they’ll still leave us the crumbs, right?”
“If the captains eat all of Luoyang, they’ll probably get indigestion.”
“So, do we have to eat the leftovers then?”
“When has it ever been different? Wealth, people, hehe.”
The soldiers laughed slyly.
“I, for one, plan to take three of those precious daughters from Luoyang as wives after we plunder it.”
“You crazy fool. Who would let you have them as wives?”
“If I hold a sword to their parents’ necks, they’ll follow me saying, ‘Young lady, I will obey.’ Hehehe.”
Amidst the exchange of words that were hard to bear.
“Huh?”
“What?”
“No. Didn’t something just move a moment ago?”
The soldiers pointed with tense faces at something rustling in the darkness.
“Is that an animal?”
“Doesn’t seem like an animal… No, is it an animal?”
Something was moving in the darkness.
That which was moving close to the ground seemed as if a bush had been stirred by the wind and then stopped.
“Hey. You go check it out.”
“What? No way. The captain told us not to come down recklessly from the wall. He even said we should relieve ourselves up here….”
“Ugh, damn it. Fine, fine. I’ll go down… but it seems to be getting closer?”
The two soldiers turned their heads around.
“Hey, wake up. I think there’s something over there.”
“Yawn. What is it…?”
The soldiers who had been leaning against the battlement and sleeping began to rub their eyes and wake up one by one.
Wriggle, wriggle.
Something was continuously undulating in the darkness, drawing closer to the Hanggok Pass.
“Yawn… What is that, a bug?”
“What kind of bug is that big?”
It felt as if a cockroach was scuttling across the ground, but it was far too large to be a cockroach.
“Heh heh. Isn’t it something like that? The spirit of the dead Dongtak is wandering around.”
“What nonsense are you talking about? If he’s dead, that’s the end of it! Why are you spouting ghost stories?”
“Who knows? Maybe he’s wandering the land of Luoyang to seek revenge for the betrayal that led to his death.”
“Our commanders are the ones who betrayed and killed Dongtak, you know?”
As the voices grew louder, the soldiers began to wake up one by one.
“Hey, what’s going on?”
“No, Captain. Something is approaching over there!”
“What’s approaching? Yawn.”
The captain glanced in the direction the soldier pointed and soon picked up the bow that was set beside him.
“Uh, Captain?”
“Ah, I don’t know. Whether it’s a bug, a beast, or a person, it’ll die if hit by an arrow.”
“What if it’s a ghost?”
“If it’s a ghost… I don’t know, damn it. What kind of ghost crawls up the walls?”
The captain of the soldiers guarding Hanggok Pass stopped yawning and drew the bowstring.
“If that’s the ghost of Dongtak, it’ll make a squealing sound like a pig being slaughtered.”
Pang—
An arrow sliced through the night.
The arrow reached the shadow in the darkness.
Kaang—
“Did you see? Pig… huh?”
“!!”
It wasn’t the sound of a pig being slaughtered, but rather something clanging against armor.
Creak!
The shadow in the darkness suddenly sprang up.
A ghost, painted entirely black from head to toe, revealed itself, flapping something wildly.
“I’m, I’m not…!”
A ghost—no, a man—dressed in black.
Dust lightly clung to the front of his clothes, and an arrow dangled precariously between the plates of his armor on his shoulder.
“Draw, draw your bows! The enemy—”
Tatata!
Before the squad leader could finish his shout to respond, something leaped up from below the battlements.
“!!”
Two men dressed in clothes similar to the color of the gate.
They quickly ran up the stairs and onto the battlements, swinging their fists at the nearest soldier.
“What the—!”
Puh-ack.
The soldier, hastily trying to draw his sword, was struck squarely in the face, and the two men swiftly seized his weapon and swung it with speed.
“Ugh!”
The soldiers guarding the battlements fell in an instant.
The squad leader urgently swung the torch he was holding at the unidentified assailants.
“What, what are you doing!”
“If you ask what we are doing—”
“It is only right for a person to answer.”
Those who had come up the stairs from both sides and swiftly disarmed and swung their swords were certainly not ordinary soldiers.
Armed.
At the very least, they were men of rank capable of commanding around a thousand troops.
“I am Song.”
“I am Wi.”
The two armed men quickly slaughtered the soldiers and simultaneously aimed their swords at the last remaining squad leader.
“We reveal our names to people.”
“But there is no need to reveal names to beasts.”
“Wait, just a moment…! I am here under the orders of the general…!”
“Are you not a subordinate of the traitor who murdered the Grand Chancellor and plundered his wealth?”
“While I was stationed at Hamgokgwan, watching over Luoyang, you say I am not a traitor?”
“Th-that is…!”
The squad leader quickly drew his sword and swung it forward.
“Die, Song!”
It was a rather swift swing, but the soldier who called himself Song easily dodged the blade and slipped to the side of the squad leader.
“You coward—”
Puh-uck.
Before long, a figure appeared behind the squad leader and kicked at him.
“Ugh!”
The squad leader felt as if his abdomen had burst and fell down below the city wall.
The world flipped over countless times, and the squad leader tumbled down the stairs, crashing to the ground.
Thud.
A shadow approached the gate, and the one who was thought to be the ghost of Dongtak pulled out an arrow lodged in his shoulder.
An arrow shot by the squad leader.
There was not even a trace of blood on its tip.
“I am called Hoo.”
“Hoo—”
Puh-uck.
The squad leader thought as he watched the hand gripping the arrow fall directly onto his own neck.
If only the subordinates had been watching properly?
No.
“What, how…?”
“How did you get this close to the gate without being noticed?”
Hoo broke the arrow and lifted his foot.
“Well.”
Puh-uck.
Even the moon hanging in the sky was obscured by clouds at this late hour.
“Hey. Songheon, Wisok. How many were up there?”
“Including the one who fell, fifty.”
Fifty soldiers of I-gak and Gwaksai, who were waiting at the Hanggok Gate, had died.
“It took longer than expected.”
“It’s because you came late. You should have just stuck to the city wall and moved.”
“Isn’t it thanks to me drawing attention to the ground that we succeeded?”
Only three of us, in an instant.
“Hmm. It seems like it was harder when we trained with the general at Jin Yangseong.”
“…Since the general was trying to spot us as if we were infiltrating a bandit’s stronghold, it can’t be harder than Jin Yangseong.”
“That’s enough. It seems these guys are small in number, but they are taking turns guarding the gate as a unit.”
Huhseong approached the city gate.
“The latch is over here, so until the general arrives, let’s firmly lock the city gate and keep watch here.”
* * *
Morning.
-The three of Song Huwi, taking advantage of the darkness, infiltrated in night clothes and cut down the enemy’s reconnaissance unit guarding Hamgok Pass.
As soon as I heard the report from the messenger who came from the west, I immediately entered the imperial palace.
“No, General Bi. What brings you to the imperial palace at this hour…?”
Since Dong Zhuo’s death, the imperial palace had become chaotic, but at this moment, it was eerily quiet.
“The enemy had occupied Hamgok Pass, but we have reclaimed it.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
The emperor asked in a stunned voice.
The other ministers exchanged glances, but I took a step closer to the emperor and bowed my head.
“A cavalry unit that crossed the Yellow River from Bingzhou has secretly moved to Hamgok Pass.”
“Did they… not stop by Luoyang directly?”
“Yes.”
I bent my waist even lower towards the emperor.
“Although Hamgok Pass is the gateway to Luoyang, it is a dangerous place if the enemy blocks the stairs and defends. We had to move our troops secretly before the enemy noticed. I apologize for not informing you in advance.”
A report after taking action.
It is a common practice in Bingzhou, but not in Luoyang.
If it had been when there was a court, someone would have shouted, ‘Hey, General! How can you move soldiers recklessly without a report!’
Only silence settled in the court.
The sound of ministers swallowing their saliva could be heard.
Clap, clap, clap.
“Indeed.”
The emperor clapped his hands and rose from his seat.
“Impressive. As expected, it is the General Bi’s army. Have you not already resolved the first step of the issue that the court has been worried about?”
Fortunately, the Emperor stepped in to defend me first.
It may vary from person to person, but while one could be angry after such a blunder, the Emperor instead praised me, granting legitimacy to my actions.
“Hmm….”
Wang Yun seems to have something he wants to say, letting out a low murmur.
Perhaps he wanted to question, ‘How could you not inform us of such an important operation beforehand?’
‘If so, I will take Chosun with me right away.’
As I embraced Chosun, Wang Yun began to see me as a political partner and a sort of son-in-law.
I do not think of it that way, nor does Chosun particularly regard me as a father.
And frankly, what does it matter?
I have independent operational authority as General Bi.
Although it happened in Luoyang—
“I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty’s forgiveness.”
“Grateful? Forgiveness? Nonsense.”
If the Emperor says it’s fine, who would dare say anything to me?
“The general knows the affairs of the army better than I do, so your choice is my choice. However….”
The Emperor lowers his head with a serious expression.
Soon, Wang Yun raises his head and steps forward as if to say something, but—
“Not long after the battle in the east, now you have sent General Bi on an expedition to the west.”
At the Emperor’s words, Wang Yun immediately steps back.
“Your Majesty.”
“This is a failure of my virtue. The Grand Tutor of a nation is brutally murdered, and yet I can do nothing….”
“No, Your Majesty.”
This is not the Emperor’s fault.
“It is not the fault of anyone here in Luoyang. Who could have imagined that a subordinate would kill the Grand Tutor and seize his wealth to rebel against the state?”
It is beyond common sense and has crossed the line.
“I, Lü Bu, will become Your Majesty’s spear and subdue them. I will thoroughly eradicate those who dared to kill the state’s official and seize its wealth, setting an example for the traitors.”
“I am sorry.”
The Emperor apologizes.
“There are no soldiers here in Luoyang to assist you.”
“Your Majesty, how can you say such a thing?”
“The Emperor, who does not even have the minimum soldiers to defend Luoyang, let alone the soldiers needed to suppress the rebels—”
“No, Your Majesty.”
The Emperor’s words were incorrect.
“The army of the military governor is, after all, Your Majesty’s army. How can you say such a thing?”
“……!”
I clasped my hands in front of the Emperor and knelt on one knee, as other generals typically did.
“I am General Yeobongseon, Your Majesty. Please grant me your command.”
“…General Ye.”
The Emperor stepped forward.
“All I can do is give orders and wish for good fortune.”
“That is enough.”
“I hope you return safely. Also….”
The Emperor pulled the silk from the table beside him and grasped a small axe adorned with gold, handing it to me directly.
“I will do my utmost to ensure that nothing happens in Luoyang or the military governor’s territory until you return.”
It was merely a decorative axe.
“I humbly accept the command.”
Its weight was heavier than I expected.
“General Yeobongseon.”
The Emperor placed the military order on my hands.
“Set out.”
* * *
A little while later.
I left the palace and returned briefly to Wangyun’s residence.
“It is a battle axe.”
Gahu exclaimed upon seeing the military order I brought.
“I can’t use this to cut someone, can I?”
“…If necessary, it could kill someone, but it is not meant for shedding blood.”
As I handed the military order to Gahu, he waved his hands and smiled softly.
“It only holds value when it is not stained with blood. Just by holding it without swinging, one can wield the Emperor’s majesty.”
“Are you going to take care of it?”
“…That’s truly a serious matter.”
Gahu shook his head sternly.
“The military authority, known as Buwol, symbolizes military power. It is not something to be entrusted to just a mere impersonator without formal authorization.”
“Then does that mean I have to keep holding onto it?”
“You must take care of it yourself, even if it’s bothersome. It’s not like you would entrust it to your wife, right?”
Gahu pointed his eyes at Chosun, who was standing behind me.
“For someone who will be staying in Luoyang.”
“Yikes…!”
Did they discuss something while I was away at the imperial palace?
“What’s wrong?”
“Th-that…”
Chosun looked at Gahu with a face full of fear, completely tense.
Like a rabbit in front of a fox.
“You’re really scared. Did you do something bad?”
“It’s not something bad. After talking, I found that the lady is quite intelligent and has an exceptional eye for reading the situation, so I, Gahu, wanted to borrow that wisdom for a moment… Ahem.”
Gahu cleared his throat and gathered his words.
“I just had a long conversation with the lady for about two shijin. Hahaha.”
“Um….”
Two shijin.
In terms of time, that’s about four hours.
I stared intently at Chosun, or more precisely, at her head.
Shaking her head.
Chosun shook her head.
This meant that Gahu hadn’t said anything particularly strange.
‘It’s dangerous to say odd things to smart people.’
Just as my master had been, Gahu might also catch on to something unusual.
People are bound to make mistakes at any time.
Perhaps he has already sensed something.
Of course, if it’s Gahu—
“Rest assured. Whatever secret pact exists between the two of you, I will wholeheartedly assist the general.”
“Ahem.”
Flap.
Gahu unfolds a black feather fan.
It is true that he is someone who pretends not to know, even while being aware.
“Teacher, what is that?”
“Oh, are you referring to this? It is a gift my disciple gave me when I went to the battlefield.”
“…A black feather fan?”
Gahu’s black fan was whispered about softly by Choseon.
“Oh. Indeed. It has a nice resonance.”
“…You mentioned that your disciple is the second son of Sima, Gahu-sensei.”
“Yes. His name is Sima Yi. If he grows up like this, he might become an even more excellent strategist than I am.”
“…Yes. …That’s not it.”
“Hahaha. It seems that hearing the name Sima Yi brings something to mind for you? Judging by your reaction, it seems I should nurture him further. His future appears to be brighter than I expected.”
As Gahu laughed while covering his mouth with the black fan, Choseon flinched and followed behind me.
“It’s alright. You’re just worried that you might have revealed too much of the heavenly secrets. Hahaha.”
“Heavenly secrets?”
This guy.
“I understand now why the general embraced his wife. It seems she can truly read the heavenly energies; sitting here in Luoyang, she has grasped the situation in Yangzhou better than I, who am from Yangzhou.”
“What?”
“Thanks to that, Gahu has been greatly aided in formulating the strategy for this punitive expedition.”
Flap, flap.
“Iga and Gwaksa. And perhaps also Ma Teng and Han Su, who might join them. These are the lords who can be considered the key figures in this Yangzhou punitive expedition.”
Gahu drew a cross with his hand.
“I will separate them all.”
“How do you intend to teach them?”
“I will need to ask the lady about this once.”
Gahu sparkled his eyes and asked Choseon.
“About Ma Teng and Han Su. Although they are said to have formed a bond like brothers, are they close enough to risk their lives for each other? Would one die if the other were to die?”
“That.”
“That’s alright, my lady.”
I pulled on Chosun’s shoulder, and she lightly nodded and opened her mouth.
“That much… it won’t be so. The two stars of Yangju are moving in the same direction for now, but eventually, they will flow in different directions. …According to astronomy.”
“Yes, that alone is sufficient reference. Hehehe.”
Gahu nodded vigorously while fluttering the black banner.
“I’ll go and try the first stratagem, and if it doesn’t work, we can use another plan. Hmm, as the first stratagem….”
The Yangju Suppression War.
Core strategy.
“I will use discord.”
It’s sowing discord.
“General. Do you think this is cowardly?”
“No.”
If you ask whether it’s cowardly.
“Originally, a stratagem is a petty and cowardly act when the enemy does it, but when we do it, it’s strategy and tactics.”
Not at all.
I may not know politics, but I understand political maneuvering better than others.
“Let’s go, teacher. To Chang’an.”