When Xun Ye had considered venturing out into the world, he'd thought about whether to use a different name, but after mulling it over, he decided against it.
Though these were chaotic times of war, anyone traveling far from home still had to carry a guosuo—the household registration document of this era.
Generally speaking, as long as one didn't deal with the authorities, there was no need to produce the guosuo. The physical descriptions recorded on it were far too brief—even officials couldn't tell at a glance whether they matched. That was why many people who committed crimes would change their names to evade capture.
But the guosuo had records filed with the government. Physical appearance and age had some room for ambiguity, but personal connections did not. If the officials inspecting travel documents didn't care, then it was fine—but if anyone bothered to investigate seriously, discrepancies would surely surface.
He had never committed any crime, had nothing to hide, and certainly wasn't an enemy spy infiltrating the army with ulterior motives. As an upstanding son of a good family, there was no need for him to fabricate anything. He could present his credentials openly and without hesitation.
Zhang Liao turned the guosuo over and over, examining it several times, then looked at the clear-eyed young man before him. After confirming that the person matched the document, he grew even more puzzled. "Young master wishes to join the army? Do the elders of your family know about this?"
It wasn't that he was timid or overly cautious—it was that he truly didn't dare accept someone with this identity.
"The elders know." Xun Ye caught the implication behind the man's words and quickly explained, "Yesterday, bandit soldiers attempted to plunder our village, and fortunately General Zhang upheld the law and sought justice for the people. The elders of my family praised the general for his fearlessness in the face of danger and his hatred of evil—truly a model for our generation. I was deeply inspired, so I came specifically to offer my service."
He hadn't snuck away from home—he had come because he admired General Zhang's bearing.
The elders of his family knew he wanted to join the army. Not only did they know, they fully supported his decision.
Was it because he was clever enough that the elders felt at ease letting him go? No—it was all thanks to General Zhang!
Zhang Liao was flattered and taken aback. "Is that so?"
So the ones who had delivered those bandit soldiers yesterday were the Buqu of the Xun clan. Yesterday he'd been too busy cursing the Liangzhou soldiers for bullying common folk just like the barbarians beyond the frontier—by the time he'd finished executing them and thought to ask questions, the men had already left.
What had he, Zhang Wenyuan, done to deserve such praise from the Xun clan elders? Was it the Sikong himself who had praised him, or some other elder of the Xun family? Besides calling him someone who hated evil, what else had they said?
Ahem, what he meant was—the fact that anyone from the Yingchuan Xun clan even knew who he, Zhang Wenyuan, was, was already astonishing enough.
At twenty years old, Zhang Liao hadn't yet learned to hide his emotions. The distance from listless to radiant was bridged by just a few words of praise. If not for the soldiers watching nearby, he would have slung an arm around the young man's shoulder right then and there.
The capital was hard to navigate, and it was rare to encounter a family with good judgment—he'd better cherish this.
But joy aside, there were still questions that needed asking.
He trusted that the Yingchuan Xun clan wouldn't harm their own young, and he was confident he was an outstanding and reliable commander. But in this world, confidence alone wasn't enough. If he truly had real ability, he wouldn't have been sent to cool his heels outside the capital.
Mixian was three hundred li from Luoyang—even riding at full speed would take two days. Even if all of Chancellor Dong's trusted confidants were dead and he finally remembered that there was a Zhang Wenyuan tucked away in some forgotten corner, what would he be able to accomplish by the time he reached Luoyangcheng? The daylilies would have gone cold long ago!
Blame his ill fortune for being born in the era of Dong Zhuo's rule. When luck was bad, no one could do anything about it.
He admitted that having a big fist was the ultimate truth, but having a good family background could save a lot of trouble. Even Chancellor Dong owed his rise to the patronage of the Runan Yuan Clan—what ability did he have to make a noble scion follow him?
Honestly, he felt it shouldn't be the young master coming to find him. It should be him leading his thousand-odd green recruits to beg the Xun clan to help them find a way forward.
If he'd known there was a noble family taking refuge in the nearby mountains, he might well have gone knocking on their door before the young master came to him.
Following him would only mean sitting on a cold bench in a corner. Perhaps the young master should reconsider?
"No need for that. I have come today after careful deliberation." Xun Ye replied with a smile. "General Zhang is a Heaven-sent Talent; given time, you will surely rise to prominence."
Zhang Liao had been a direct subordinate of the Dajiangjun He Jin and a former retainer of the Zhijinwu Ding Yuan. After both He Jin and Ding Yuan were killed in succession, his treatment couldn't have been good.
Uncle Wenruo had always kept a close eye on the situation in the capital. Before Xun Ye left, he had already analyzed Zhang Liao's circumstances thoroughly for him.
There was no need for him to seek office in the capital—his family could pull strings for him elsewhere. For instance, they could arrange for the neglected Zhang Liao and his new recruits to be transferred back to the capital.
It was easy to add flowers to brocade, but hard to deliver charcoal in snow. Rather than foolishly waiting together for a summons that might never come, having Zhang Liao owe him a personal favor would be far more beneficial for his future development in the military.
Uncle Wenruo's strategic planning was unmatched—listening to him was always the right choice.
But this couldn't be said now, nor could it be said too bluntly, or it would seem like he was leveraging a favor for repayment. If he wasn't careful, instead of making a friend, he'd make an enemy.
Zhang Liao saw his resolute attitude, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl upward. "This isn't a good place to talk. Come, let's speak in my tent."
Although it didn't feel like the best choice to throw in his lot with him, the fact that the young master of the Xun clan had given up a bright future within easy reach to come find him and called him a Heaven-sent Talent still made his heart bloom with joy.
As expected of one from a noble house—his words were pleasant to the ear.
He wasn't one of those famous scholars who could be welcomed as an honored guest anywhere they went, so the young master had no reason to travel all this way just to mock him. His praise must be sincere.
That's right, that's right—Zhang Wenyuan might be a tiger fallen to the plains now, but once his fortune turned, he would surely make a name for himself and shake the four corners of the world.
He was exactly the extraordinary talent the young master spoke of, one who would astonish the world given time, hahahahaha!
Xun Ye was skilled at dealing with people. Zhang Liao and Guo Jia were close in age, not much older than him, and friendship between young men needed no preamble. In just a short while, the two went from the formal "General Zhang" and "Young Master" to "Brother Wenyuan" and "Wise Brother Ming Guang."
What a pity the tent was so spartan—otherwise, the two of them could have staged a proper "boiling wine and discussing heroes" on the spot.
Zhang Liao had just arrived at Mixian to set up camp. His superiors only told him to settle there without mentioning how provisions would be supplied. With over a thousand mouths to feed under his command, he'd been worrying these past few days about how to request grain from Jingcheng.
No matter whose subordinate he'd been before, he now answered to Chancellor Dong. Even stationed at Mixian, the capital had to be responsible for his supplies.
He wasn't part of some rebel army, so there was no reason for him to exhaust his personal fortune to feed his troops. And even if he were to switch sides and join the rebels, he had no fortune left to exhaust anyway.
Xun Ye shook his head as he listened. He knew Zhang Liao's situation was difficult, but he hadn't expected it to be this bad.
Dong Zhuo too—how could he not even guarantee food and clothing for his own officers and men? Or was it that only his confidants from Liangzhou counted as his soldiers, and everyone else could go hang?
If that were really the case, then Lu Bu, who was also from Bingzhou, was probably putting on a good show on the surface while his actual situation wasn't much better than Zhang Liao's.
…What good news!
The two talked at length, and when the conversation grew lively, they even went outside to spar a few rounds.
Zhang Liao had grown up amid war, fighting the Hu barbarians at Yanmen Commandery since he was fifteen or sixteen. His skills were no joke.
He'd assumed a young master from a noble house would only know the proper, rigid Junzi Liuyi, but once they crossed hands, he was genuinely taken aback.
If he had any real authority right now, he'd find some official post for his wise younger brother—a man with such eloquence, such martial skill, and such sharp judgment.
A squad leader or platoon leader wasn't good enough for his brother. If he was to hold any title, it should be general.
Unfortunately, he was merely a secretary assisting his commanding officer with military affairs—he couldn't even properly claim the title of general himself, let alone anything else.
The sun was slanting toward the west when Xun Ye rose to take his leave. He'd only brought his travel permit when he left today, no luggage, so he needed to get back into the mountains before dark.
Zhang Liao waved his hand grandly. "I'll escort my brother back."
It wasn't that he was trying to latch onto the Xun clan—it was that this was, after all, a military camp with a few usable horses, and riding was more convenient than walking back on two legs.
Besides, with the young master of the Xun family in his camp, would the Xun clan just sit by and watch their young one waste his days in obscurity?
When a man is down on his luck, even drinking water can get stuck in his teeth, but when fortune comes, nothing can stop it. Was there anyone in the world luckier than him? No!
The evening clouds blazed across the horizon as fine horses galloped down the official road, and in the blink of an eye, they went from the riverside camp to the foot of the mountain.
Xun Ye bid farewell to Zhang Liao, whose very back radiated excitement, and patted his own head, feeling a bit foolish about how he'd set out that morning. The camp had horses, and his home had horses too—he hadn't been heading into the mountains to hunt today, and the official road ran right below the mountain. Why hadn't he thought to ride?
In the thatched cottage among the mountains, Xun Yu had already set the time for their next departure.
As he had expected, most of the villagers were unwilling to travel too far from Yingchuan—those going to Jizhou together numbered less than a third of those who had come.
What was unexpected was that the villagers who had followed their eldest brother here all chose, without exception, to follow him again.
Xun Ye returned and immediately gathered his idle father and uncles together. He first recounted the situation in the tent that afternoon, then analyzed seriously, "Zhang Liao's army is short on grain, and he wouldn't mind someone lending a hand. Or rather, he desperately needs someone to lend a hand."
It wasn't that they were forcing themselves on him—on the contrary, it was Zhang Liao who was more eager now.
This was a mutual coming together, so Father and the uncles could rest easy.
"The letter has already been sent to your grand-uncle. If nothing goes wrong, the transfer order should arrive within three days." Xun Yu patted his nephew, who was now nearly as tall as he was, and sighed softly. "Are you afraid?"
"Not afraid." Xun Ye looked away. He couldn't stand this kind of atmosphere—if they kept going, he'd surely grow reluctant. "Uncle, Father said that once one sets out to gain experience in the world, one has come of age. After much deliberation last night, he settled on 'Ming Guang' as my courtesy name. From now on, you can't call me by my childhood name anymore."
Xun Yu laughed softly, at a loss for words. "Very well, Ming Guang."
Once the mood was broken, it was hard to build it back up again. Xun Yue knew the silly boy was changing the subject because he was afraid of shedding golden beans in front of everyone, but even if he did, what needed to be said still had to be said. "I originally didn't want to make a fuss during the New Year, but the various rebel armies have been arriving at Suanzao County in Chenliu one after another. Once A'jiu enters the capital, we'll set out and leave Jiluoshan."
The county seat of Suanzao was not far to the northeast of Mi County. The small town was unremarkable, yet now it had gathered over a hundred thousand troops.
Banners stretched for miles, striking fear into the hearts of the common folk who gazed upon them with trepidation. They truly could not delay any longer.
Xun Ye rubbed his face and asked, "Is everyone leaving?"
Xun Yue sighed. "No. Jizhou is too far away, and many of our fellow townsfolk are reluctant to leave their homeland."
They had said what needed to be said and persuaded what needed to be persuaded, but the villagers still clung to the hope that with the world in such chaos, the rebel armies would not reach their homes.
They had thought the same way when the Huangjin Rebellion first broke out years ago. And what happened? The entire Yingchuan commandery suffered devastating casualties, and it was only when Zuozhonglangjiang Huangfu Song and Youzhonglangjiang Zhu Jun joined forces that they barely managed to suppress the rebels.
Mind you, for Jizhou—the Huangjin headquarters where Zhang Jiao and his brothers held sway—only Beizhonglangjiang Lu Zhi had been sent with a single force. Yet for Yingchuan, a single commandery, not only had two Zhonglangjiang been mobilized, but even with their combined forces they had repeatedly found themselves at a disadvantage. One could see how brutal the fighting had been.
Now that various righteous armies had begun to move, who could guarantee that none of those troops would harass the people?
Xun Ye frowned. "Going back to Yingchuan now, who knows how many armies we might run into on the road. No, no—I'll go persuade them."
People always fled from danger; no one willingly ran into the thick of it. Going back to Yingchuan now was no different from walking to one's death. Homeland may be precious, but life is worth more. They could not pin their hopes on some vague, intangible luck. As for the villages near Jiluoshan, they would persuade whoever they could, one by one.
Xun Yue blinked at his younger brothers beside him. "With A-jie handling the villagers, there's no need to worry. The only one left to persuade now is Fengxiao."
Xun Yu curved his lips, his brows arching into a smile. "No need to worry about Fengxiao either. Later, we'll bring him and Zhicai both to Jizhou."
Guo Jia had no idea he had already been neatly arranged for. At this moment, he was watching the little fool at work.
Brother Zhongyu was quiet and reserved—had he let his son do all the talking for him?
Impressive!
The sun set and rose again. In the mountains, preparations for relocating to avoid disaster proceeded with tense efficiency.
Three hundred li away in the city of Luoyang, Dong Zhuo, the Xiangguo, glared at the tiny mark of Suanzao on the war map, murderous intent flashing in his eyes.
Thin wisps of green smoke curled up from the incense burner. The bamboo slips on the desk lay in complete disarray, many scattered on the floor—clearly, the Xiangguo had just thrown a fit.
Just then, the gatekeeper hurried in to report that Sikong Xun had come seeking an audience.
Beneath the eaves of the corridor, the tall and powerfully built peerless warrior glanced inside, then yawned expressionlessly.
Another day of crackling chaos. How dull.