CH 94

The northeastern most county city of Henan Region, in the Chenggao County of usually a couple tens of thousand people, found itself overflowing with 200,000 soldiers.

General Han Kai from the east was pushing his army up to Xuanmen Pass in Chenggao County. It was the only defense of Luoyang from the east. The Hulao Pass from the Three Kingdoms novel was inspired by this one. 

As one of the eight passes around Luoyang, Xuanmen Pass had the job of keeping it safe in the east and the Central Plains’s lords from attacks.

There was usually a battalion of 3,000 men stationed here. But now the Great Han was burning everywhere, with the rebel army coming from the south to attack Luoyang.

The army that had just returned from Xiliang, led by Lu Zhi, renominated by the officials and reinstated, was now holding the pass with 40,000 men.

The Xuanmen Pass was locked on tight and under heavy guard, yet all of them stood tense and jittery.

Just beyond the piled stones weren’t some rebels, with shabby gear and mostly starving.

They were the great army of the Yu Empire, all in armor, even better than the ones they had. And by the looks of those columns of smoke they had three square meals instead of just two like them.

They could even feel a gentle breeze blowing the mesmerizing smell of meat. The defenders were boiling with envy.

By how geared up they were, it implied the enemy was getting ready even before the army had assembled. It also showed the Yu Empire’s coffers were filled after pillaging the south.

But three meals a day? That wasn’t something any army could enjoy. It was usually the top officers who could live through such luxury.

On a normal campaign, the army ate rations of dry food, meant only to keep them alive but not full.

While the enemy was enjoying three hot meals and meat on the side.

They were living a higher life than even officers.

It showed the enemy had supplies to spare, for months to come, unlike the defenders.

With the court fighting for two years now, the food was long gone and the army would have since run out of food.

While those on the walls might eat two meals, it couldn’t be said the same for those behind them, who even a meal was a generosity. Just enough to keep them alive.

General Lu Zhi watched from atop the walls and saw for many days how heaps of food were delivered to the enemy camp each day.

The sight gave him a chill, coming from all directions, it implied that all the lands were under enemy occupation.

The clans themselves were siding with the rebels, to the point they were giving up their supplies of food for the enemy to conquer them.

That was why the enemy didn’t care about logistics, because the local powers controlling the people gave them all they needed.

Feeding the enemy usually had much crueler and bloody connotations, from looting and pillaging.

Now though, it looked like mockery, of the open betrayal of the infinitely loyal subjects of the Han Dynasty.

These same clans who cried out in court when it tried to fleece them some more, that they were out of food and would starve, were now giving all of it to the enemy.

All while the Great Han’s army was watching with growling bellies.

And that wasn’t the worst of it. Shabby gear and low morale were acceptable in an army, since an army would listen to orders in the end.

What was worse here was that some soldiers were having second thoughts, of wanting to defect and causing strife among the ranks. 

The main part of the defenders was made of clans’ private forces, who were now watching their masters feeding the enemy instead of them just beyond the wall. 

What would these lowly soldiers think? With their families in the hands of the clans, were they to fight the new master of their masters?

Looking around themselves and finding the same realization on their gaunt faces, a change occurred among the soldiers.

They set an odd gaze on their leader, thinking of better ways to see him slaughtered.

It only needed a spark for the powder keg to blow sky high, for the pass to be threatened by the soldiers of the loyal officials o f Han Dynasty.

Lu Zhi wasn’t going to just sit by, coming down the walls with his personal guard, while sending others to get those relatively reliable soldiers on his side, to his house to deliberate and fight the discontent that was festering among his ranks.

That night, ten carriages stopped in front of Lu Zhi’s residence.

While there were hundreds of officers, he could only trust ten or so to come here. Just this sight alone showed how desperate the situation became.

Lu Zhi and the others were discussing how to deal with it, while also fighting over some issues or another.

Some were thinking of using lighting tactics, eliminating the disloyal officers at once and instilling fear in the soldiers with their hanged heads.

Another saw it as too ruthless and it would only provoke them and turn the pass into chaos.

Another…

On and on it went for the whole night, in a quarrel.

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Though it did stop somewhere close to dawn, in the witching hour. 

A group of soldiers with a green bandanna, in armor and wielding sharp blades crept in on the house.

People joined the processions constantly before even reaching their target, reaching thousands and surrounding the manor.

These people were the officers of clans that were now revolting. They wanted to take the head of the general and exchange it to Zhong Yu for some rewards, even a county perhaps.

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The ever loyal officers of the Han were still unaware the tables turned.

Still arguing on how to proceed.