The Romance of the Three Kingdoms: Lu Bu is good at being filial

Chapter 45

＜ The Calm Before the Storm (2) ＞

Engineering Corps.

Most of them are ‘veterans.’

It is true that their combat ability is clearly lacking compared to the younger soldiers.

Some have once stepped onto the battlefield but have not seen blood easily.

They might have taken down about five bandits, but they themselves are heavily wounded.

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Others went out to fight on the plains only to be struck in the knee by an arrow, rendering them unable to run.

They could be considered a kind of ‘wounded veterans.’

The problem is that after these soldiers were injured, there were no particular measures taken.

Instead of calling the wounded and disabled soldiers back to the battlefield, the authorities forced them into retirement while providing a little rations.

They even expelled soldiers from the army simply because they were older, despite being capable of fighting.

I scraped together my salary to mobilize them for the water purification project or to assist in fortification efforts.

The strength can be provided by the younger, physically fit soldiers.

When that strength is combined with the experience and wisdom of the veterans, efficiency is maximized.

In the first one or two years, it was quite challenging, but now it has become a well-established system.

The younger soldiers have come to realize through experience that listening to the veterans makes their own lives easier.

The veterans, even with their ranks, did not treat the recruits carelessly.

There were indeed those who disrespected their seniors or treated the recruits poorly.

But in the current battalion, such individuals do not exist.

They were there, but they have all disappeared.

Thus, the engineering corps was organized as a sort of reserve in the battalion.

Though not a formal unit, they are those who can rush to my call at any time, wielding shovels and hammers instead of spears.

Now, the battlefield, at least the military camp near where our battalion resides, will transform like the various encampments of the battalion.

Equipped with purification facilities, they can wash themselves at least once a day, and instead of sitting anywhere to eat rice cakes, they can have meals provided by the cooks in the dining hall—

Above all, they can manage the area near the encampment so that it does not become a mess after just a few days.

Thus, I called upon the elite soldiers of the battalion—

“General, I have a few suggestions regarding the deployment of the battalion.”

“Are you suggesting something? I will listen, Teacher Sunyu.”

It is my role to call upon the elite troops of Byeongju, but the organization of the Byeongju army is not my responsibility.

“Everyone except for the 2,000 reserve troops to defend Jin Yangseong must head down to Luoyang.”

“Do you really think that makes sense?”

It was not I who countered Sunyu’s words.

“Listen here, Teacher Gahu.”

“Teacher Sunyu. Let’s speak frankly.”

It is Gahu.

“Isn’t it true that you want to take overall command of the Byeongju army this time?”

“I won’t deny it.”

Sunyu desires it.

To command the entire Byeongju army himself.

“But, Teacher Gahu. Did you not say that I lead the soldiers better than you?”

“It’s just a matter of a piece of paper.”

“The strategist should act like a strategist and assist the general in the political arena of Luoyang. I will be devising strategies to confront the enemy coalition.”

A battle of wits?

That is not it.

As we choose the ‘best’ from each perspective, our opinions clash.

“Heh heh heh, unfortunately, I am someone who cannot go to Luoyang.”

Gahu desires it.

To not enter Luoyang.

“General, before I came to you, I was still a person of Dong Zhuo.”

“Mm.”

“It’s not about repaying a favor to someone I served before. If you decide to strike Dong Zhuo, I am someone who can devise a plan to annihilate them all.”

“Then why do you not want to enter Luoyang?”

“Well, if I enter Luoyang as your man, I could be assassinated by Dong Zhuo.”

Gahu has now completely become a person of Byeongju.

“To Dong Zhuo, I am a traitor, someone who knows all their weaknesses, and someone who might have said something to the general.”

“Indeed. I understand.”

“If it were up to me, I would want to jump in as well. But I prefer to stay a little withdrawn from the front lines for now. Luoyang… there are just too many eyes on me.”

If Sunyu is someone who wishes to proudly reveal his face before others and showcase his military strategies.

Then Gahu, true to his title as a strategist, is someone who must remain in the shadows to fully unleash his abilities.

“Still, the situation is a bit serious to just let Teacher Gahu sit idly.”

“I won’t be idle. I intend to go as a commander of Hanei.”

“Hanei?”

“Though it doesn’t quite suit my disposition, it’s not something I can’t do, so I’ll do my best with supplies and rear security.”

Gahu beamed at Sunyu, pointing to himself with a grin.

“I don’t aspire to be the governor of Hanei, but please create a suitable position for me in Hanei, Teacher Sunyu. Hehe.”

“What about the deputy of the Bingzhou governor?”

“Oh dear. The Bingzhou governor should be in Bingzhou.”

“Hmm….”

Sunyu genuinely looked disappointed.

“Indeed… is it impossible to go down purely as a military strategist?”

“If the world were purely innocent, there wouldn’t be any gathering of traitors in the first place, would there?”

“Ugh.”

His disappointment surely stems from not being able to directly command the elite troops of Bingzhou.

‘But you are the Bingzhou governor.’

Is the governor really trying to leave his post recklessly to head to Luoyang?

That would be treading the path of treason.

The act of a governor leading troops and leaving his position is considered treasonous in this context.

“It’s regrettable, so regrettable… That’s why I grow to despise Yuan Shao even more. Yuan Shao, that man, has stirred up the local warlords.”

Moreover, because of Yuan Shao.

“The very act of the governor leaving his jurisdiction to lead troops to Luoyang is akin to responding to Yuan Shao’s call to arms.”

In this world, simply raising an army in the provinces and heading to the capital is now seen as treasonous.

Whether going down as the Bingzhou governor.

Or going down as the governor.

The act of Sunyu descending to Luoyang with the Bingzhou army itself could become a problem.

Even if it’s in Bingzhou where I am.

“Isn’t that right? Just stay in Bingzhou, Teacher Sunyu. This time, it’s neither your turn nor mine.”

“Hmm….”

“Unfortunately, what can we do? Blame the garden, blame the elements. Dong Zhuo will surely take advantage of this.”

“I understand. I will endure.”

In the end, Sun Yu set aside his ambitions.

“Using the full strength of the Bingzhou army to eradicate all the traitors would indeed be the quickest way to defeat them, but…”

Wasn’t that Sun Yu’s plan?

With nearly 10,000 troops from Bingzhou crossing the Yellow River, charging forward in a swift advance to sweep away the traitors in one fell swoop.

With overwhelming power.

But there are more potential enemies in the rear than he had anticipated.

“Instead, I will ensure thorough support for the Bingzhou army stationed in Luoyang. While I cannot send soldiers, as for supplies and provisions… ha.”

“Why again?”

“Nothing. I just feel we need to place someone here as soon as possible.”

Ambition, set aside… right?

Anyway.

“Who do you plan to take as your chief, General?”

“I intend to take Zhang Liao.”

“Are you only taking Zhang Liao?”

“I also plan to bring the soldiers who were stationed at Mengjin before. Along with the infantry commander.”

“Oh, that friend.”

Sun Yu nodded briefly.

“How about stationing them in Mengjin at Luoyang altogether?”

“In Luoyang?”

“Yes. Using the position of the general, we can keep them stationed in Luoyang. Under the pretext of a defense force for the outskirts of Luoyang. As for the title… we could call it Mengjin Cavalry.”

“Hmm.”

“Wait a moment, Teacher Sun Yu. Wouldn’t that mean that friend would be affiliated with Luoyang?”

Gao Hu raised his hand.

“Are we suggesting sending the armed forces of Bingzhou to Luoyang?”

“They are not hostages. Teacher Gao Hu may not feel it directly since you won’t meet him, but he is someone who is thoroughly loyal to ‘the superior.'”

“The superior… Ah, yes. That certainly fits his character.”

“Even if he goes to Luoyang, he won’t be easily swayed by others. He is the right person for the job.”

“Indeed. While stationed as a garrison, when needed, he can be placed under the command of the female general?”

“Yes. I think it would be best for those who were stationed in Maengjin to remain as they are.”

“Sounds good. General, how about following the wishes of Teacher Sunyu?”

If it were before, I would have said ‘unnecessarily.’

“I understand. Let it be so.”

But now, the Byeongju army is in a situation where they need to be in Luoyang.

“After taking the engineers to Maengjin, let’s reorganize the existing military facilities in Maengjin to be like those of the Byeongju army.”

Time is tight for descending, but once we go down, there will be plenty of time.

“Oh, by the way. Are we not taking Seo-hwang with us?”

Seo-hwang.

“What does Teacher Sunyu think? Has the scent of banditry from the Baekpajeok days faded a bit?”

“…Seo-hwang is fading, but the others still do not fit in well. Although the Byeongju army is in charge, they feel awkward.”

If Seo-hwang is excluded, the Baekpajeok group that entered Byeongju could revert to being beasts again.

“Then there’s no helping it. …Let’s finalize the arrangements.”

I moved my body toward the map of Byeongju hanging on the wall.

Byeongju. Huseong. Seo-hwang. Sunyu.

“In Byeongju Jin Yangseong, Huseong and Seo-hwang will be on standby. I will leave the troop deployment regarding them to Teacher Sunyu.”

“I will follow your orders, General.”

“Teacher Gahu. You will head down to Hanae-gun and focus on supply and defense through Songheon, Wisok, and Seongnyeom.”

Hanae. Songheon. Wisok. Seongnyeom. And the Saram family, including Samarang.

“Please do your best in supply in coordination with the Saram family. To ensure the swift movement of the transport unit, also prepare the roads and set up some inns, allowing the soldiers to be released to defend the roads and Hanae-gun.”

“By defense, do you mean against the Heuksan bandits?”

As expected, Gahu.

He already suspects without needing to say it.

And Sunyu is the same.

“After all… Yuan Shao might order a rear disturbance. General, I will also coordinate from Jin Yangseong to prepare for the Heuksan bandits.”

“I appreciate it.”

Although it is still at the stage of suspicion, it is Yuan Shao who occupied Yeonam and instigated a rebellion.

‘If I were him, I would instruct the Heuksan bandits to create a rear disturbance from Byeongju.’

The Heuksan bandits will undoubtedly spring into action.

In the worst-case scenario, the Heuksan bandits might be a group of Yuan Shao’s private soldiers disguised as bandits.

“Leave it to me. This is my specialty in strategy. Then… it seems right to leave this as it is.”

Gahu brought over a wide board and began to move the engraved pieces onto it.

They resembled game pieces, but instead of characters like 車 (car) or 馬 (horse), they were carved with characters like 呂 (Lü), 宋后卫 (Song Houwei), 將 (general), and 曹 (Cao).

“Teacher Sunyu, will Huseong be stationed at Jinyangseong?”

“A thief knows best about thieves. I plan to send the troops from Seohwang and Baekpajeok to patrol the south.”

“Then, to avoid any friction with them… we should station Songheon to the north of Hanae. Since Seongnyeom and Wiesok have become quite close, let them guard the various districts of the Hanae army.”

It’s systematic.

As I consider human relationships and the tendencies of the soldiers, the placements that I would have pondered for at least half a day fall into place in an instant.

‘Indeed, it was wise to call capable people.’

It’s true that those who think should be given tasks that require thinking for efficiency.

How much would Gahu and Sunyu accomplish if I had them dig with shovels?

Therefore.

“I will leave the troop organization to the two of you.”

Since my role here would merely be to nod and say ‘do as you please,’ it is more efficient for me to focus on what I need to do.

“Before we depart for Luoyang, I have a place I need to go.”

“Are you going to wash up?”

“Not that.”

While I do need to store the treasures I brought from Luoyang at home, I have no intention of washing up right now.

“I need to maintain my weapons.”

* * *

Clang, clang, clang!

As the rhythmic sound of hammers echoed, the heat enveloped my skin the moment I stepped into the building.

“Is anyone here?”

“What? Is that you, General Ye?”

“It’s been a while, Lord.”

Inside the forge were an elderly man with white hair and several sturdy men.

Despite it being mid-winter, they were all dressed relatively lightly.

“Is there any major issue with the work?”

“We have plenty of time and a sufficient budget, so what could possibly be a problem with the work! Hahaha!”

“Please take care of your health while working.”

“Yeah, that’s the most important thing. Don’t worry. If you collapse from overwork, you won’t even be able to swing a hammer!”

These are artisans.

Compared to ten years ago, their eyes are more vibrant and full of life, but that also raises quite a few concerns.

“That shouldn’t happen, but has the new guy made you do anything strange?”

“Strange? He just increased the budget and added more people, and the workload has increased too.”

“Hmm….”

“Well, we have ears to hear, so it’s not like we’re complaining. The enemy… was it? Anyway, that b*stard is supposedly starting a rebellion and causing a war, right? So we need to make sure our kids are safe and armor them as best as we can.”

The survival rate of Byeongju-gun depends on this forge.

“So is that why you came to inspect? Hehe.”

“That’s part of it, but it’s also because of this.”

And my survival also depends on them.

“Is it repairable?”

“……No.”

The artisans glare at me with wide eyes.

“You broke it again!”

“Or, I didn’t.”

As expected, it’s easy to see through the artisans’ eyes.

“We told you to handle the Hwageuk with care!”

“I did handle it with care as much as possible. The opponent has been quite strong over the past year, you see.”

Both Seohwang and Hwaung.

“The corrosion is quite severe; did you perhaps dip it in some filthy water?”

“…….”

“Did you not clean off the muddy water properly? The area between the blade and the Hwageuk is in pretty bad shape.”

“Ahem.”

In my rush to get to the Emperor, I ended up bringing the Hwageuk into the Yellow River.

“Listen. As you know, weapons are….”

“They’re consumables with durability! But isn’t this a bit excessive? If you made it as a solid piece, it should last at least five years!”

“Three years is already a long time for this.”

“Oh dear, I can’t believe this.”

The artisan pounds his chest in frustration.

The disciples below also watch the play with bittersweet smiles.

“Hey, I’ve received quite a high position from the Emperor this time. The salary is pretty substantial.”

“Hmm, congratulations.”

“I’ll support you with that, so please let me use it for a while this time.”

“Well… that’s something…”

The master turned his gaze toward a long stone slab hanging on the wall.

It was not just any stone slab, but a mold that seemed perfectly suited for casting the play.

“…Alright. Then let’s make about five of them generously and send them over.”

“Can’t you just make one sturdy one?”

“No way!”

The master raised his voice.

“I once made something for some guys in another town that they could use for a lifetime, and they keep coming back asking for repairs!”

“Isn’t that just because your skills are that impressive?”

“I have to make a living too! Buy a new one!”

It’s a natural thing to say, but from the blacksmiths’ perspective, making something new is obviously more profitable than repair costs.

“So, what I’m saying is, please make one sturdy one for now. At least so that it won’t shatter when I grip the spear.”

“That’s easier said than done. Sigh… Should I take the order just like last time?”

“Yes.”

As always.

“Light enough to wield, but durable enough for long use.”

“Don’t you want to add some fancy patterns? Now that you’ve become a general, can’t you make it a bit more splendid?”

“If I had time to add patterns, I could make three more pickaxes and shovels instead, right? No patterns needed.”

No matter how grand the patterns on the weapon, it ultimately serves the purpose of killing.

“Even though it’s a world where bandits still roam, and I have no choice but to ask for weapons, I hope that you, including you, Noya, will primarily create items necessary for living rather than weapons that kill people.”

Like shovels used for digging water channels.

Or plows used for turning the earth.

“I wish we could use some quality iron for utensils.”

Quality iron chopsticks or iron spoons.

“I want people to be able to live with hammers and sickles, not to become bandits wielding spears and swords.”

* * *

[After a moment.]

“…Has he left?”

“Yes, he has. Master.”

Once Yeopoh had departed, the artisans in the forge finally let out a sigh of relief.

“Phew. That was close.”

“…Isn’t it fine if we get caught?”

“Ugh, you fool. If this is discovered, all our orders will be canceled.”

The old man sighed in relief and unfolded a large cloth that had been covering something.

“Thanks to General Bi, the fire weapons are going so well right now.”

Swish.

Beneath the cloth lay a pile of items resembling the fire weapons used by Yeopoh.

Although most of these weapons were made of wood rather than solid iron, the crescent blades attached to the upward-reaching spears gleamed sharply like a curve.

“And this too, oh my.”

The old man lifted a slightly shorter iron weapon, suitable for one-handed use, with both hands.

“Didn’t General Jangryo order fire weapons like this? A pair that can be wielded, one in each hand!”

“Not just General Jangryo, but other warriors ordered one each as well. …At this rate, all the basic armaments of the generals in the army will become fire weapons.”

“That’s good for us. If everything is unified, we can make them better and stronger.”

The old man pointed to the mold for the fire weapon.

“Even if a fire weapon breaks or shatters, the officer assisting the general can throw their fire weapon for General Ye to use. Our role is to ensure that such a thing never happens, that the fire weapons do not bend, break, or shatter.”

“…Are there really people who can break fire weapons?”

“Who knows? They say after the general fought at Baekpagok, if that Seohwang had used a high-quality axe, it would have been difficult to parry.”

The old man tapped the massive mold resting against one wall.

“Seohwang may not become the general’s enemy, but there are bound to be others in the world similar to him. Such a person could become an enemy to the general.”

“Master….”

“So, we have no choice but to prepare the best we can. The budget…is it not sufficient? Hehe.”

The artisans’ eyes sparkled as they licked their lips.

“Disciples. Set up the mold. This is a golden opportunity to legally create several solid fire weapons.”

“How about mixing in some black iron this time? Or perhaps some fine iron?”

“What if we insert a wooden core right in the middle? We could coat the outside of the wooden pole with something to prevent it from burning.”

“Wood? It might be better to just place a small iron rod inside, solidify it, and then remove it. …That could work, right? We should at least research it… Disciples, let’s try using ‘that’ first.”

“Is that what you mean…? Perhaps…?”

“Yeah, that’s it.”

Joy began to glimmer in the eyes of the artisans.

“This time, the nomads brought a hefty chunk with them when they took the shovels and pickaxes, and they offered it to the general… Ahem. They made a deal, didn’t they?”

At the old man’s command, the disciples brought out a large box, carrying it together.

“Well, heh. I was wondering what this would be used for… It would be perfect for the general’s firework display.”

Inside the box, something black as pitch was glimmering.

“Fallen iron.”

Sometimes.

Certain weapons are made using stones that have fallen from the sky.

＜ The Calm Before the Storm (2) ＞ End