Chapter 38: Pampered, Man Ning

  Several days later, Wang Xu led three thousand soldiers back to Gaoping City.

  But he did not enter the city and bid farewell to Wang Yan and Xu Rui outside the city. The reason for not returning home was that he feared that the warmth of his family would erase the sharpness in his heart.

  After stating his own reasons, he also got high recognition from Wang Yan and Xu Rui.

  Xu Shu and Wang Fei, of course, did not return either. Xu Shu insisted on not leaving Wang Xu, while Wang Fei hoped to venture out with Wang Xu and make a name for himself.

  Wang Yan had considered the safety of Wang Xu and others after losing his army, and he also planned to arrange all five martially strongest guests in his household, including Wang Jian, to follow him.

  But he gave up under Wang Xu's repeated dissuasion, after all, the three people's martial arts were not weak, and in general, there would be no danger. And if it was in a war, having a few more masters to guard would not be of much use, but rather staying at home could play a significant role. Moreover, with more people, it would be less convenient to act. So in the end, he only brought some dry rations, money and their own weapons.

  After reluctantly saying goodbye, Wang Xu and his two companions set out on their journey under the repeated urgings of Wang Yan and Xue Rui...

  This time, because they were traveling light, Wang Xu and the other two arrived at Changyi, the capital of Shanyang Commandery, in just three days.

  Hesitating in the current urgent situation, Wang Xu also had no heart to pay attention to the prosperity of the capital, and directly visited the governor's mansion. After reporting through the guards, he quickly got an audience with Yuan Yi.

  "Haha! Wang Xuhui, you've finally arrived." Because the Yuan and Wang families were old friends, and according to their ancestral generation's relationship, Yuan Yi and Wang Xu should be of the same generation, so he warmly addressed Wang Xu in this way.

  Seeing Yuan Yi walking from the back hall, Wang Xu was suddenly puzzled. "How did Brother Bo Ye know I was coming?"

  "Your esteemed father's swift horse messenger arrived just the other day, how could I not know?" As he spoke, Yuan Yi directly sat down in a kneeling position on the main seat above, and smiled to indicate: "Everyone please be seated!"

  After Wang Xu and the other two sat down, Yuan Yi spoke again: "I have already understood your intention. With your talent, it is a delightful thing that you can make contributions to the country. The matter of repelling the Yellow Turbans' invasion earlier, I have also reported truthfully."

  "Brother Bo is overpraising!" He smiled slightly, but Wang Xu didn't want to continue with the polite conversation and directly got to the point: "I don't know what strategy the imperial court has now?"

  Wang Xu's face showed a worried look, and Yuan Yi smiled: "Brother, don't worry too much. In the face of this Yellow Turban rebellion, the court has also made arrangements to deal with it. Eliminating them is just a matter of time!"

  "Oh? I don't know how it's arranged?"

  Yuan Yi no longer had the worries of the past few days when he first met, and smiled calmly before slowly saying to Wang Xu, who was eager: "The other day, His Majesty appointed He Jin, the governor of Henan, as the Grand General, sealed him as Shen Hou, and led the left and right wing guards to garrison in Duting, repairing military equipment to stabilize the capital. And set up a general at eight major checkpoints including Hangu Pass, Taigong, Guangcheng, Yique, Yuanmen, Xuanmen, Mengjin, and Xiaopingjin to guard important places. Later, he also listened to the suggestion of the governor of Beidi, Huangfu Song, to lift the party ban and pardon all party members in the world."

  Now, Yuan Yi also became somewhat irrepressibly excited. "With the amnesty of the party members, there are countless heroes and brave warriors, what is there to fear about these Yellow Turban bandits? Moreover, Your Majesty has agreed to take out the money and treasures from the Zhong Cang Fu and the fine horses from the Xi Yuan Ji Yu, to reward the generals who go on expedition. At the same time, mobilize the elite troops from all over the country, as well as the large camps, to attack the Yellow Turban bandits separately."

  "Three days ago, Lu Zhi, the great Confucian scholar of the time, was appointed as the Northern Central Lang General, holding a ceremonial axe, with Zong Yuan, the Central Lang General of the Wu Huan tribe, as his assistant. He led part of the five northern military schools and the garrison troops from various prefectures in Hebei to attack the main force of Zhang Jiao in Ji Province. At the same time, Huangfu Song was reappointed as the Left Central Lang General, and Zhu Xu as the Right Central Lang General, leading the remaining soldiers of the five northern military schools, the three rivers cavalry, and over 40,000 brave warriors from the capital to jointly suppress the bandits in Yingchuan. These two groups of bandits were the most elite and the main force of the Yellow Turbans. If we can defeat them, then the remaining Yellow Turban remnants will be nothing to worry about!"

  Upon hearing Yuan Yi's lengthy account of a familiar history, Wang Xu's tense face finally relaxed. In his heart, he secretly let out a sigh of relief, yet also felt some puzzlement - why hadn't Zhang Jue's son, who had traveled through time, altered the distribution of the Yellow Turbans' main forces in advance?

  But now is not the time to think about these things, it's a good thing that everything has returned to a manageable range. He smiled immediately: "That's really great, I wonder how long it will take for General Lu and General Huangfu's two troops to rush to the main battlefield?"

  "According to my estimate, it should take at least another month!" As he spoke, Yuan Yi looked at Wang Xu with curiosity. "Could it be that Brother Xian has the idea of going to assist the imperial army in suppressing the rebellion?"

  "Ah! Exactly what I meant!"

  "Oh?" Upon hearing this, Yuan Yi looked at Wang Xu with deep eyes and praised: "Young brother can be called a young hero, not only is his knowledge extraordinary, but he also has such courage, it's really admirable."

  As he spoke, he picked up the brush on the desk in front of him and said: "Then I will write a letter of recommendation for you, otherwise it may be difficult to gain the trust of the imperial general."

  Wang Xu knew what Yuan Yi meant, that a few young whippersnappers like them going to join the army would be immediately kicked out by people who didn't know any better. "Thanks for your kindness, Brother Bo Ye!"

  "It's nothing! Just a small effort." With a nonchalant wave of his hand, Yuan Yi was about to put down his brush when a young voice suddenly came from outside the door, instantly drawing the attention of everyone in the hall.

  "Warfare is not a child's play, you seem to be too rash! In my opinion, it would be better to read more books for a few years before making comparisons."

  He has a foreign face, with a clear and elegant appearance, and quite dignified. Although his words are straightforward, they can be heard without any sarcasm, showing extremely high language skills.

  Upon seeing the newcomer, Yuan Yi smiled slightly. He then turned to introduce him to Wang Xu: "This is Man Chong, Man Bao Ning. Although he's only over 20 years old, he has great talent. He currently serves as the district postal inspector! However, he speaks his mind somewhat directly, but doesn't mean to offend anyone. I hope you won't take it to heart, brother."

  Where was there still a mind to listen to Yuan Yi's words behind, when the name Man Chong was transmitted to Wang Xu's ears, he had already looked at the comer with shining eyes.

  In his heart, he was secretly calculating how to "abduct" Man Chong, who was one of Cao Cao's top strategists and a rare talent with both literary and military skills. Although his martial arts may not be exceptional, his intelligence was unparalleled, and historical records have praised him for being meticulous in his calculations. He was also adept at handling internal affairs and diplomacy.

  At this time, Wang Xu suddenly remembered that Man Chong himself was a native of Shanyang Changyi, and at the age of 18 he served as the county governor's mail, later changed to Gaoping County magistrate. Only because of flogging a corrupt official to death did he abandon his post and return home, until Cao Cao occupied Yanzhou that he was dug out.

  Seeing Wang Xu's eyes gleaming with a green light like a ferocious wolf, Man Chong couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine. He coughed a few times before slowly speaking: "I happened to hear that you're going to assist the imperial court in suppressing the Yellow Turbans, so I had some words of advice for you earlier. I've also heard of your great name, which is why I hope you'll consider carefully. After all, you're still young, and if you stay home and study diligently, you'll definitely become a great talent in the future. But now, with war being fierce and treacherous, don't ruin your own bright prospects!"