Heavenly Longevity (3)
Leading my troops to strike against Dong Zhuo, I arrived at Cheonsu, his stronghold.
I expected dust storms on the way, but as soon as we reached Cheonsu, the weather cleared up as if by magic.
Seo Ye, who had been frowning all the way, said in a puzzled voice, “It suddenly cleared up.”
“It’s good for us.”
The weather improved suddenly as if to aid our siege, not hindering our assault on Dong Zhuo.
Could even the heavens be tired of Dong Zhuo’s evil deeds? I’m not an expert in such matters, so I wouldn’t know.
Observing Cheonsu, I noticed signs of fortification.
Since I didn’t give them much time, the defenses didn’t look perfect.
It seems Dong Zhuo himself didn’t want to die. If that was the case, he should have behaved properly from the start.
The opportunity has passed, and Dong Zhuo has crossed the line.
So, what now?
Surround and starve them out? Not a good idea.
After looting all of Chang’an and fleeing, it’s unimaginable how much supplies Dong Zhuo has now.
In actual history, after burning down Nanyang and moving to Chang’an, Dong Zhuo built a fortress named Mio, where he stockpiled food enough for 30 years.
He said he would rise again if the opportunity came, and even if it didn’t, he could live there comfortably for the rest of his life.
It’s ridiculous how he can say such things after killing countless innocent people. How can someone be so shamelessly inhuman?
Unlike Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan, I had no desire to starve out Dong Zhuo and his people by besieging the city.
If a siege is out of the question, that leaves us with stirring up the inside or overpowering them with force…
Regrettably, stirring things up inside won’t work either.
Dong Zhuo is exceptionally good at securing the loyalty of his subordinates, albeit through exploiting the people.
So, the only remaining method is to forcefully break through.
There will be casualties, but it’s not impossible, so that’s the route we have to take.
Just as I was about to move the troops, a scout brought unexpected news.
At the edge of the Western Regions lies the city of Wuwei.
A force had marched out from that distant city and was heading our way.
At this time, only one power based in Wuwei comes to mind.
Seo Ye seemed to reach the same conclusion, frowning and speaking fiercely, “Those are the guys we were fighting against. Did they decide to side with each other within the Western Regions?”
I shook my head in response, “I don’t think so.”
“Huh? Do you know something?”
“He’s an opportunist.”
Han Sui.
A man who raised a rebellion, seizing the opportunity during the chaos of the Yellow Turban Rebellion.
Among the Western Region commanders, known for their martial prowess, he was rare for his political acumen.
It’s unclear exactly what he aimed for with his rebellion, but probably to grab a piece of the pie.
He’s keen on preserving himself and seizing opportunities, likely good at reading the situation.
“Does he really have such foresight?”
Confused by my muttering, Seo Ye asked, “What do you mean?”
“I planned to push through the Western Regions rebels after dealing with Dong Zhuo.”
Han Sui’s ability to catch on to my intentions was commendable.
He chose the right time to rebel, which is why it has lasted this long, despite not being particularly good at fighting.
“He must’ve realized that if he just sits around, he’ll be the next to die after Dong Zhuo.”
Sit quietly and die obediently or do something before death to survive.
Han Sui chose the latter.
“So, he’s not an enemy? I can’t think of anything other than him siding with Dong Zhuo.”
Seo Ye, still innocently puzzled, had a question mark over his head. Always so naive.
I continued with a smile, “We’ll see.”
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As expected, Dong Zhuo seemed intent on holding out inside the fortress, trusting its walls.
Zhang Liao and Hua Xiong were busy organizing their units, while Gao Shun was preparing siege weapons.
With no battles happening, Seo Ye, bored, yawned daily and eventually started sparring with Serye.
I wondered if it was okay for a commanding general to behave like that, but seeing the morale of the soldiers watching their training, it seemed there were no issues.
After several days of standoff outside the city with Dong Zhuo, cavalry appeared from the plains in the distance.
“Looks like those are the Xiongnu.”
The nomads, recognizable by their fur hats and cloaks, clearly had extensive battlefield experience.
Their horses were sturdy and full of vigor, likely as wild as their riders.
The man leading them approached slowly upon spotting me, dismounted, and kneeled on one knee to pay his respects.
“I am Han Sui, here to aid the Grand General in punishing the wicked Dong Zhuo!”
“Hmm…”
I looked back at the soldiers Han Sui had brought.
“Is this your will?”
“Yes!”
“Good.”
Nodding, I smiled at Han Sui, “Your actions in this battle will determine your fate.”
I had heard he recently suffered a defeat against Dong Zhuo but still had a significant number of troops.
With their support, the siege of Cheonsu might proceed more smoothly.
“If you achieve a great merit, I will not only pardon your crimes but also grant you official positions.”
Han Sui shouted even louder in response.
“I will not shy away from any hardship!”
Han Sui’s Western Regions rebels swore allegiance to me.
After positioning Han Sui’s forces near the west gate, I stretched my slightly stiff body, thinking.
Han Sui being here means Ma Teng must be somewhere around too.
Ma Teng.
In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he’s depicted as a loyal servant of Han, but it’s complicated.
He might have loyalty, but he’s not the type to choose death over seeing Han fall.
Originally a government soldier, he surrendered to the rebels and Han Sui to survive when the rebels overpowered the government forces.
Just another common figure among the many warlords of this era.
He’s also the father of the well-known Ma Chao.
At this point in time, Ma Chao would still be very young, but he’ll definitely make his presence known as time passes.
Ma Chao… How could I resist.
It’s like a winning lottery ticket lying on the ground; who wouldn’t pick it up?
Unless Han Sui does something incredibly foolish here, my course of action is pretty much set.
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The morale of Dong Zhuo’s forces in Cheonsu was recently low.
Rats suddenly infested, gnawing at the provisions, flagpoles unexpectedly snapped, and unexplained deaths occurred within the ranks.
An old man described these series of inexplicable events as bad omens, saying heaven had abandoned Dong Zhuo.
Already in a dire mood, the spread of ominous rumors made Dong Zhuo furious.
Dong Zhuo released soldiers to kill the old man, but as if mocking him, the old man vanished from the city.
Unexplained deaths within Dong Zhuo’s forces.
A series
of unusual signs following one after another.
The mysterious old man who vanished after cursing Dong Zhuo.
Everyone in Cheonsu trembled and held their breath in the face of these eerie and bizarre phenomena beyond rational explanation.
And when the reinforcements arrived, their morale completely plummeted.
They had always won battles, but they knew too well how tough those nomads could be.
Now that they had allied with the intimidating Jingleung Army, any remaining hope seemed to fade.
Could we really win against them, even with the city’s walls?
Fear and unease spread throughout Dong Zhuo’s forces.
This atmosphere gave courage to those who had been oppressed by Dong Zhuo.
Now was the time to make the tyrant pay for his unbearable evils and give those who reveled in their wicked deeds a taste of despair.
The attack on the city began.
As Dong Zhuo’s forces busied themselves on the walls to fend off the attackers, it was our moment to show our fury.
The people, each with their own convictions, slowly moved forward.
