Chapter Forty-Nine: Triumphant Return to the Capital

Sun Ce prided himself on swift and decisive action. With his army's morale soaring, he could seize victory in a single charge. In war, the spirit of the troops is paramount. The tales of the Overlord breaking his cauldrons and Han Xin fighting with his back to the river all attest that with high morale, soldiers can stand against overwhelming odds.

“All forces, prepare to meet the enemy!” Yan Baihu bellowed, unleashing his thirty-thousand-strong army. But their formation was chaotic—many soldiers died before even engaging the enemy, trampled by their own side. Sun Ce watched the scene and burst into laughter. “All troops, follow Sun Bofu and slay the enemy!”

Yan Er shouted commands to his nearby soldiers, but a halberd descended and he lost consciousness in an instant. Gan Xingba rampaged through the battlefield, wielding twin halberds; with a single furious swing, he claimed the life of one of Yan Baihu’s generals.

With his Overlord’s spear gripped tightly, Sun Ce swept through the ranks like a raging tiger. Bandits fell under his blows, armor shattered and blood spilled. With a mighty roar, he surged forward, unleashing the strength of the spear and piercing five enemy soldiers at once.

Sun Ce’s men descended the mountain like tigers, each fighting valiantly. The din of battle thundered across the field; their eyes gleamed with bloodlust, growing fiercer with every clash.

Defeat came like a landslide. Yan Baihu slew a soldier before him, but a gaping wound opened on his arm, pain forcing a sharp intake of breath. “Retreat!” he shouted.

At that command, Yan Baihu’s army dissolved into chaos. Soldiers fled in panic, casting aside everything, many even discarding their armor.

Witnessing this, Jiang Wen thought of Cao Cao’s Qingzhou army; there was truly no difference, both were similarly inept in combat.

In the battle at Shenting Ridge, Sun Ce crushed Yan Baihu, slaying ten thousand of the enemy. After such defeat, Yan Baihu dared not leave Wu County, holding it in terror.

Yan Baihu was never a formidable foe; Jiang Wen was not surprised by this outcome. He was more arrogant than Yuan Shu—Yuan Shu at least had Yuzhou, but Yan Baihu, with merely ten thousand men and holding only Wu County, dared proclaim himself king. Judging by his character, he was certainly no ordinary man.

The moon hung high above, casting pale light across the tranquil land. The army marched back toward Dantu. Victory made everything beautiful—even the sorrowful moonlight seemed full of flavor tonight.

A soldier wracked his brains, piecing together a few simple phrases into a so-called poem, earning nothing but laughter from his comrades.

“Speaking of poetry, Chief Su is seasoned in such matters. I wonder, can you compose a verse?” Sun Ce rode up to Jiang Wen, smiling as he asked.

“At this very moment, I just happen to have a poem in mind,” Jiang Wen replied with a gentle smile.

“Moving the boat to anchor at misty islets, as dusk falls, a guest’s sorrow stirs anew.
The wild expanse, sky low over trees; clear river, moon close to man.”

“You hear that? The adjutant's poem compared to yours—yours hardly counts as poetry!”

“The adjutant possesses heavenly wisdom and the talent of a king's advisor. Of course I can't compare; you can’t even recognize the words, so how dare you mock me?”

“I can fight better than you—just now I slew three men!”

The soldiers’ banter drew smiles from the generals, and Jiang Wen himself chuckled softly.

The journey home was long, but thanks to their victory, the pace was leisurely compared to usual.

Lu Meng yawned, “Gongjin is living comfortably, keeping company with his beloved in Moling. She is truly devoted to him, followed him from Lujiang to Moling through the chaos of war; it must have been hard on her.”

“Lu Min and you grew up together; she’s upright in every way—why do you sound so envious?” Sun Ce teased.

“It’s because we were childhood friends that I know how painful it is to study!” Lu Meng grimaced. “Why doesn’t she consider my feelings? I only want to be a general on the battlefield, not a scholar plotting in the tent.”

“It’s precisely out of concern for you that she urges you to study. Chief Su once said, ‘If Ziming can master both the pen and the sword, he will stand out among men.’” Sun Ce laughed. “Yan Baihu is nothing but a bandit, utterly lacking in ability. After a year of campaigns, this expedition should soon end.”

Jiang Wen spoke with a hint of melancholy, “A year we have campaigned in Jiangdong: taken Moling, subdued Baihu. Yet in the Central Plains, Hebei, Yizhou, Xuzhou… so many enemies remain in this world, none comparable to Yan Baihu.”

“A true man born in troubled times should wield a three-foot sword and accomplish feats unparalleled!” Taishi Ci laughed. “I know little of the adjutant, but that day in the camp, I had a brief encounter. Among the generals and soldiers, he commands great respect, and the common folk praise him endlessly. Such wisdom and resourcefulness—though foes abound, why not sweep the realm for the general?”

Jiang Wen nodded calmly. “Ziyi speaks true.”

In the year 197, after three months of rest in Dantu, the army once more set out to campaign against Yan Baihu in Wu County.

Twenty thousand troops besieged Yan Baihu, who refused to leave the city, fortifying his defenses. Whenever Sun Ce’s forces approached, he repelled them with volleys of arrows. The campaign yielded no results, though fortunately losses were not severe.

Within Sun Ce’s main camp, the generals gathered for council.

Sun Ce frowned at the city before him, Jiang Wen pondering silently at his side, and the generals remained wordless. If Yan Baihu would face him in open battle, Sun Ce would have no fear. But after the lesson of fighting Liu Yao, he no longer underestimated anyone. As long as Yan Baihu held the city, Sun Ce knew he must proceed with caution.

“Report to the general—Military Advisor wishes to see you!”

“Gongjin has arrived, let him in!”

“Subordinate Zhou Yu greets the General of Chariots!”

“The advisor has come from afar—does he have a plan to defeat the enemy?”

Zhou Yu glanced at Jiang Wen. “Has the adjutant not devised a strategy?”

Jiang Wen shook his head. “My wit is shallow; I have yet to find a way to defeat the enemy.”

“It’s not difficult…”

Sun Ce’s troops were not drilling today. Instead, they made bundles of straw and wove them into human shapes, though none knew the purpose. Still, orders were orders.

“What do you think the general wants us to make these for?”

“Don’t ask, just do it. I hear it’s a new tactic.”

“Did the adjutant come up with another clever plan?”

“No, this time it’s the Military Advisor.”

“Will it work, though?”

“You know nothing! The advisor outranks the adjutant. If the adjutant is so clever, the advisor must be even more extraordinary!”

In a few short days, twenty thousand soldiers wove forty thousand straw men. Late at night, Sun Ce led four thousand troops to place them outside Wu County’s gates, then shouted in unison.

“Kill!”

Yan Baihu grew tense and immediately ordered, “Loose arrows, quickly!”

The soldiers drew their bows; arrows whistled through the air, striking the straw figures. Yan Baihu laughed. “As long as I hold firm, Sun Ce is nothing but a rat!”

Arrow after arrow pierced the enemy—yet none fell. Yan Baihu grew puzzled. Why had no one dropped?

He squinted, surveying his surroundings closely.

At the nearest spot, he confirmed the truth: they were all straw men.

“Stop!”

Yan Baihu ordered his troops to cease fire. Sun Ce’s men rushed out, grabbed the straw figures, and quickly withdrew.

Back in Sun Ce’s camp, the haul amounted to over three thousand arrows—a fine harvest, if not a victory.

Lu Meng, puzzled, asked Zhou Yu, “Gongjin, do you intend to keep draining Yan Baihu’s arrows? If so, he’s no fool. Once he realizes it’s straw men, he’ll stop shooting. How long would it take to use up all his arrows?”

Zhou Yu smiled without answering, exchanging a glance with Jiang Wen.

Sun Ce didn’t press further; he trusted Jiang Wen and Zhou Yu implicitly.

The next night, Jiang Qin and Gan Ning led ten thousand troops, placing straw men outside the gates.

“Kill!”

“Loose arrows!”

Day after day, the generals took turns shouting at the city gates by night, never actually attacking—only retreating once the straw figures were filled with arrows.

Generals and soldiers alike grew doubtful. Did the advisor really intend to exhaust Yan Baihu’s arrows?

Lately, fewer arrows adorned the straw men. But none could say whether Yan Baihu was running out of arrows or had simply seen through the plan and stopped shooting.

Zhou Yu inspected the straw men daily; as the number of arrows dwindled, his smile grew wider.

Two months passed quickly.

“Kill!”

Yan Baihu arrived at the gate, gnawing on a pig’s knuckle. “Is Sun Ce here to shout again?”

“Reporting, Your Majesty, yes.”

Yan Baihu no longer bothered to look outside. “Ignore it, just straw.”

Sun Ce’s troops shouted for about an hour, not a single arrow flew, then withdrew.

Zhou Yu waited outside the wooden walls, watching the troops return and inspecting the straw men—only a handful of arrows, nothing more. He smiled.

In Sun Ce’s camp, the quartermaster reported: their grain stores were down to ten thousand bushels, and supplies were running low.

Yan Baihu had plundered the people, and even in Dantu, a land rich in fish and rice, there was little extra grain. If they needed more, it would have to come from Moling, but distance and slow transport meant it might not arrive before supplies ran out.

Gan Ning bowed. “Let’s fight, General! Yan Baihu is no fool; he’s seen through the plan. It’s impossible to exhaust his arrows!”

Taishi Ci and the other generals stepped forward in agreement. Sun Ce, seated at the command platform, looked to Jiang Wen for his opinion.

Jiang Wen bowed to the generals. “Please, wait for the advisor’s return before discussing further.”

“For days, the advisor has ordered us to shout without attacking. How can we defeat the enemy this way? The strategy has been exposed, yet he persists—I say the advisor is unwise!” Jiang Qin complained.

Lu Meng grew displeased, about to retort, when Zhou Yu entered. “Subordinate Zhou Yu greets the General of Chariots and the generals.”

Zhou Yu, magnanimous as ever, bore no ill will despite Jiang Qin’s words.

Jiang Wen noted Zhou Yu’s expression. “Advisor, you seem very pleased—has the plan succeeded?”

“Of course.”

“What plan?” Lu Meng asked, baffled.

“Tomorrow, the situation will be decided.”

Late at night, Sun Ce’s twenty thousand troops moved slowly toward Wu County. The guards atop the gate drank and feasted, laughing as they watched the approaching mass.

“Look, Sun Ce has come again.”

“Forget it, just keep eating.”

“Reporting, Your Majesty, Sun Ce’s forces are at the gate!”

“Oh? That brat thinks I’m stupid. Tell the troops not to shoot.”

“Yes.”

Sun Ce signaled Taishi Ci and Gan Ning, who beckoned several hundred soldiers carrying scaling ladders toward the gates.

As the shadows drew close, the guards did not loose a single arrow. Taishi Ci and his men reached the gate quickly, set the ladders.

The guards looked at the newcomers. “Are you here to relieve us? The rest's up to you.”

“Spit!”

Blood dripped to the ground. “Hey, hurry up, the meat’s almost gone!”

“Kill!”

Gan Xingba roared, and hundreds of soldiers brandished long blades, cutting down the nearest guards!

“Enemy attack!”

Steel flashed, blood sprayed—another soldier fell to Taishi Ci.

They seized the gatehouse. The soldiers below were startled by the commotion. “Damn, scared me to death! Sun Ce’s an idiot, tempting us when he knows we won’t shoot.”

“Whizz!” An arrow struck a soldier’s skull, dropping him where he stood. Taishi Ci drew his bow and fired, and his troops rushed down to engage the enemy.

Taishi Ci shouted, “Open the gates!”

Yan Baihu, hearing the uproar outside, grew irritable. “Why is there such noise?”

“Reporting, Your Majesty, the gates have fallen and Sun Ce’s army is inside!”

Yan Baihu’s face went pale. Terrified, he leapt up. “Quick, prepare swift horses for me and my concubines!”

Gan Ning, wielding twin halberds, fought in the alleyways. He grabbed an enemy by the head and smashed it against the wall, cracks spidering out. He spun and kicked another attacker several meters away.

His halberds shone like the moon—round and cold.

In the grand hall at Xiangyang, Sun Jian read the military report. “My son is mighty! Yan Baihu has been defeated!”

“We congratulate the Prime Minister!”

“Announce it to the city—my son will soon return in triumph. I shall host a grand banquet to celebrate!”

At the Jiang residence, a middle-aged man and a beautiful woman played chess, following the moves in the manual.

“Reporting, Madam, the master has triumphed in Wu County and begun his return!”

“Really?!” Tao’er stood up in delight. “Tell the cook to clear the kitchen—I’ll prepare the meal myself!”

PS: Fell asleep while writing, but fortunately it’s not cold here…