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Chapter 97 – Command Transfer in Jiangxia's Army
Translated by Bloodfalcon, Edited by Krayto
“It has been a few days already, but Huang Zhong still hasn't sent his response to us!” Lu Bu’s army stratagem is to instill chaos among the enemy ranks, by lowering morale. However did not have any effect at all.
First they thought that Huang Zhong is willing to bring his son here to save his life, so even if it is a false information, they thought he would want to come here to try the rumor. But, who can predict, that suddenly there is no response from him. Moreover, his vice-commander Su Fei who should be more suspicious of Huang Zhong, instead is trusting Huang Zhong more and more.
If Huang Zhong did not respond at all then that stratagem is useless.
“Do we really have to resort to storm the army?!” Lu Bu’s head really ache from this.
During this time, suddenly Chen Gong rushed into the main tent “Milord, be happy now, rejoice now!!!”
“Rejoice? From where does this happiness comes from?!” Lu Bu is really confused. It is very rare for Chen Gong to be like this.
“Huff, Huff!” Chen Gong huffing and panting heavily. He is overly excited right now, so he ran at full speed after getting the Intel, he is out of breath.
“Slow down, Gongtai, take a deep breath!” Lu Bu went forward to pat Chen Gong's shoulder, helping him to relieve his breath.
“Cough!” Coughing relaxed Chen Gong’s breath and then he said “Milord, we have obtained a big harvest in Jiangxia!!!”
“Obtained a big harvest?!” Is Huang Zu willing to retreat to give pass to us?!” If that is the case, then it is the best. Because these days deadlocked by Huang Zhong’s army has caused Lu Bu army’s grain and provisions to be depleted. It's so depleted, that they cannot continue to Xinye or make a detour to Hanzhong.
“No, it is not that Huang Zu retreated but we have obtained Huang Xu, Huang Xu!!!” Chen Gong saying it excitedly.
“Eh, Huang Xu?! Who is that?!” Lu Bu really pondered. As far as he recalled, he does not remember anyone with that name.
“Huang Xu is Huang Zhong’s son, his only son!” Answered Chen Gong.
“You have news about that?!” Chen Gong is responsible for military Intel so his intelligence personnel was already sent into Jiangxia. This is just a news right? How can Chen Gong be so happy with only a news?
“We do not only obtain news, but we also obtain Huang Xu!!!” Chen Gong said it casually, having regained his consciousness.
“WHAAATTTT?!” Now it is Lu Bu’s turn to be surprised, so surprised he jumped from his seat. “Gongtai, say that again, once more!”
“Milord, I will repeat it once more. Huang Xu, Huang Zhong’s only son, has been obtained by us!” Chen Gong repeat his words. It is true Lu Bu’s army has good luck.
At that time, Chen Gong sent a team of scouts to Jiangxia to inquire news about Huang Xu. But due to Jiangxia being heavily guarded, those team of scouts were camped in Jiangxia's outskirts, unable to enter Jiangxia. But at that same time, there is a team of Jiangxia soldiers getting out from Jiangxia into the forest where Chen Gong's scouts are. When those soldiers met, naturally there was a confrontation.
A team of scouts is only a few people, naturally when meeting a larger number of soldiers, those scouts will be destroyed. But who would have thought that Jiangxia's soldiers were so weak that they were helpless when fighting those scouts. All of them were beheaded save for 1 or 2 people for interrogation purposes.
After the interrogation session, those scouts discovered that this team of Jiangxia's soldiers unexpectedly is Jiangxia’s Eldest son Huang She’s personal soldiers. They appeared outside Jiangxia to go to a safe house near the forest after kidnapping Huang Zhong’s son Huang Xu, which is why they bumped into Chen Gong’s scouts.
“Eh, Huang Zu’s son kidnap Huang Xu?!” Lu Bu really do not understand his motive. Huang Zhong is a general of Jiangxia. Because of his presence, Jiangxia is able to breathe normally. Why did Huang She, Huang Zu’s son want to kidnap his veteran general’s relatives? Did he want to dig his own grave?
“He wants military authority!!!” Replied Chen Gong, dispelling Lu Bu’s doubt “Huang She is Jiangxia’s little lord, although he is Huang Zu’s son, Huang Zu had not given him military authority because of his nearsightedness and stupidity. And also because Huang Zu is very doting to his youngest son who just turned ten years old this year, this Huang She felt threatened out of jealousy and fear that he would not get any inheritance over his brother!!!”
“Military authority?!” Thought Lu Bu while keeping silent. Is it really worth it to fight for? How many warlord’s clan are suffering from this? Father and son become bitter rivals, brothers become mortal enemies. This kind of event is really heart breaking.
“So the one who is commanding Jiangxia's army is Huang She!” Said Lu Bu after getting out from his main tent and looking at the direction of Huangzhou city.
“If Huang She threatened Huang Zhong with Huang Xu’s safety, I am afraid Huang Zhong will obey him!” Said Chen Gong.
“Yes, he will certainly do that!” Lu Bu nodded his head in agreement. What a pity you are Huang Zhong. You have an unrivalled skill in wushu and leadership, but you serve the wrong master. You worked yourself to the death for Jiangxia, but you were stabbed in the back by your lord’s son.
“We will go for a small skirmish tomorrow morning. We need to see who in the end assumed command at Huangzhou city!” Lu Bu distributed the order.
All of the generals present receive their order and returned to their respective camps.
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The Next morning the sky still dark. Lu Bu’s entire army is in action. Fire is lit on the cooking stoves to prepare food. Battle drums are already thundering, the entire army started to move.
Jiangxia's army did not have any movement. They kept defending inside the city which is Huang Zhong’s style.
After Lu Bu’s half-hearted siege, causing casualties of about 100 lives, finally the leader of Jiangxia's army comes out on the wall.
Huang She and Huang Zhong are the ones who come out first, along with Jiangxia's civil and military officers, overlooking all of Lu Bu’s army under the city wall.
“Is he still commander?!” Lu Bu’s eyes are locked-on that long bow veteran. “Has not Huang She already seized military authority?!” Logically speaking, this time Huang Zhong already handed over his authority to Huang She, but why did he still appear above the city wall?!
“No, Milord! Huang Zhong already handed over military authority to Huang She!” Milord, look the standing position of Huang She and Huang Zhong!” Logically, the one who is standing in front must be the commander-in-chief. Even though Huang She is Jiangxia's little lord, but when he goes to battle, his status is only a quartermaster. Evidently he needed to stand behind Huang Zhong.
But now, it is very obvious that Huang She is commander-in-chief and Huang Zhong has been demoted to staff.
“Is this Lu Bu’s army?!” Huang She smiled disdainly while observing Lu Bu’s army. Lu Bu’s army has been trying several times to attack the city but was repelled with no result, causing dozens of casualties under the city. Then Huang She continued “Heh, they are only mediocre!!!”
“Eldest son She, please be vigilant!” Huang Zhong who stood on the side opened his mouth with low voice. “Lu Bu army is only testing us.” Although Huang Zhong has handed over military authority, he does not want to see those soldiers die under Huang She's miscalculation and stupidity, therefore he opened his mouth to remind him.
“Have I told you to speak, huh?! HAVE I???” Huang She did not appreciate Huang Zhong kindness but he continued to sneer “WHO GIVES YOU PERMISSION TO CALL ME ELDEST SON SHE, HUH??? WHO??? CALL ME MASTER LIKE A DOG YOU ARE!!!”
"SCREW YOU!" Huang Zhong glared toward Huang She.
“OOOOHHH, DO YOU NOT WANT TO SEE YOUR SON, HMMMM?!” Huang She whispered to Huang Zhong’s ear.
“GRRRR!!!!” Huang Zhong gripped his hand tightly to calm himself down and then he took a deep breath, said these words while he hung his pride “I am sorry, master!”
“Clever dog! Since you are a dog, you must have a consciousness of a dog!” Huang She slapped Huang Zhong’s face, his hand made a very sick sound.
Huang She continued looking at Lu Bu’s army. Although used a devious method to seize military authority, he was not that stupid. He also knows that Lu Bu's army is a bad case to deal with, therefore he did not dare to act rashly.
But his idea to render meritorious service made it difficult for him to decide which is important, his own rations or repel Lu Bu’s army. Jiangxia's army rations was neglected by him, so now their own rations are also depleting. Huang Zhong’s tactics is to deplete Lu Bu’s army’s grain and provisions in order to make Lu Bu attack, but looking at their current supplies, it is no longer feasible to stay on defense.
Therefore Huang She’s plan is to go on the offensive against Lu Bu’s army.
“Testing huh?!” Huang She talked to himself slowly “FINE THEN! IF YOU CAN TEST ME, I CAN ALSO DO THE SAME!!!”
“YOU, bring 2000 troops to go out of city, meet the enemy head-on!” Huang She pointed at a normal officer.
“HUH?!” The selected officer is surprised very much. Send out 2000 troops to meet the enemy head on?! Although the opposite force did not send out cavalry soldiers due the lands wetness, they have more than 10,000 people. Those 2000 soldiers who are to meet head-on with 10,000 soldiers, is not that asking for death?!
“Eldest, Eldest son She, why me?!” That military officer was already sweating cold sweat profusely.
“What do you fear, HUH?! Behind you is the entire Huangzhou city. I only send you out for testing, nothing more. Moreover, there are 5000 naval units to support you!” Beside Huangzhou city, there is a big river, so those 5000 naval units can become your bodyguard. They can shoot arrows to give Lu Bu’s army a big threat.
Seeing that military officer not move, Huang She become angry and pulled out his sword “WHY YOU DO NOT MOVE NOW? I HAVE GIVEN YOU YOUR ORDER BUT YOU STILL DISOBEYED IT?! IF YOU DO NOT GO NOW, I WILL SHOW YOU THE CONSEQUENCES OF DISOBEDIENCE!!!”
“Yes sir, yes!” That military officer clenched his teeth. If he went, he might die, but if he refused, then it is death that awaits for him! Dying early is better than dying late. So, he prepared himself and said these words “Gentlemen, please excuse Xu Zhi. If Xu Zhi does not come back, please take care my family!”
Other military officers nodded at him with full sympathy.
“Thank you very much!” Then Xu Zhi got down from tower and prepared his soldiers to meet enemy head-on.