CH 25

Ever since the Yellow Turban Army changed their attitude, he realized a ruler didn’t need pity or feelings. Every death and every loss was just a number in his eyes.

No matter how large the number got in his pursuit for power, he wouldn’t bat an eye. This was the basic mentality of any emperor.

Thus the appearance of the hundred imperial guards didn’t affect him. He only spoke a few words to appease them and relate to him so as to protect his government office. Also, he would be safe from any assassinations.

Zhong Yu found out that the soldiers were quite similar to the Yellow Turban Army. In the long run, they would question him after the many battles and casualties just like always. The same went to all who had unquestionable loyalty, all ending up the same way.

Unless there was one among them of impressive potential, showcasing his talent in order to blind them of the bigger picture.

Otherwise, towards men destined to die, it would be impossible to be invested emotionally as It would be irresponsible to himself and  others. 

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Back in the study, Zhong Yu reviewed his next plan to beat the savage alliance with minimal losses. 

He would have the remaining soldiers lead the recruits into cleaning 10 km around the small tribes, one at a time.

To capitalize his obscurity from the truly big tribes, he’d swallow all the other weaker tribes to boost his population. All in preparation for when the true enemies become aware of his presence.

Then, with the hundred man battle side quest he would finish and the expansion main mission, he would have two lottery tickets, boosting his power and allowing him to face the bigger threats. 

That time would also coincide with the ending of the month, and as a viscount, he would have a 100 fortune stipend. With the system exchanging two soldiers for one point, he would get soldiers unlike those Yellow Turban Army, who were nothing more than crazed peasants. 

Although not much stronger than the Yellow Turban Army, as they were only able to take on four men each, they all had something the Yellow Turban Army lacked, discipline.

The strict training they went through only came out in larger and larger battles. 

This was why at the end of the Han dynasty, in time of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, there were so many instances of some generals with a thousand soldiers beating ten thousand men, or three thousand against fifty thousand, five thousand against a hundred thousand and thirty thousand against a million. 

All because the Yellow Turban Army had no coordination, no order, making their superior numbers a disadvantage. It was better to have fewer but disciplined men than a mob. 

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100 fortune translated into 200 ordinary soldiers. This would mean a savage tribe of a thousand people wouldn’t pose a threat even if they sent half of them into war. 

Just with these 200 soldiers and the 300 recruits, along with the remnant Yellow Turban Army, he could even go head to head with those tribes of ten thousand people. Then he’d see who was the real lord over these lands.

But now that he was out of Yellow Turban Army and Wang Daniu’s control, he had free reign to develop his domain.Since he had the 100 imperial guards, which were far stronger than average soldiers. These were good people to keep those malcontent Yellow Turban Army and hateful service army at bay.

‘To say nothing of their equipment and warhorses. I’ve never seen any cavalry in this place so far. There might be something similar, but I doubt it they’re high in number and so well fitted.’  

‘The cavalry offers me extensive tactics and great mobility on the battlefield for strategies I could never implement before.’

If he had them in the last battle, he’d finish off one tribe before the alliance formed, weakening their side.

It would’ve minimized his losses. He chose to do this before because of the constant scouts sent to watch him. 

If he had sent troops, those hunting savages familiar with the land would react far faster, leading to him surrounded and defeated.

With the cavalry, even if the scouts had time to report, it would crush the tribe before reinforcements arrived. This was the advantage of mobility, and why they were called the kings of the battlefield. 

To those ignorant savages who were clueless of the mere concept of armor, the instant they saw his armored cavalry, they would look at them as gods’ envoys, coming down to punish them, losing all morale as  they might not even put up a fight.

The emissaries of ancient China’s dynasties would say, “Await my lord’s imperial troops and ye shall turn to ashes, your bones crushed.”

This sentence alone crushed any will to fight in the rebels, surrendering in an instant. Or their plan from the start was to negotiate better conditions for surrendering.

Zhong Yu fantasized those tribes were no different. Those savages, wrecked with fear, would find their tribe surrounded by the cavalry. Afterwards they would find themselves intimidated by a barrage of arrows. 

“Surrender or die!” This is what would be said after the savages have lost, seeing their fellow warriors bend the knee and kiss the hooves of the opposition.

Wiping the drool of his face, Zhong Yu exited the study with his perfect image, calling the imperial guard captain, Li Yong, to gather fifty men.

Walking out of his mansion, he was eager to see the faces of those traitors at the sight of his cavalry.

‘Would they despair and fall into terror? I Wonder how I should punish them.’ Zhong Yu mused.