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Chapter 201



It was late at night. Even though they were speeding up their march to join the main force, it was natural for everyone to be asleep at this hour, except for the guards on watch.

And Zhang Fei was no exception. In fact, as the commander of the army, he was taking regular sleep to manage his physical condition.

Just as he was deep in sleep, the tent he was in was suddenly lifted, and someone entered. It was Zhang Jin, Zhang Fei’s deputy.

“General, wake up! A messenger has arrived from the main force.”

“Hmm… a messenger, you say?”

The fact that it was called a messenger and not an imperial envoy meant that it was an urgent matter, and formalities were to be skipped.

Zhang Fei’s mind snapped awake, and he quickly rose from his bed.

“Bring them in at once.”

Zhang Jin went out and returned with the messenger. Seeing the messenger’s face, Zhang Fei sensed that the matter was more serious than expected.

“Yuanpi (Bo Guang’s courtesy name), if you’ve come personally, it must be no small matter.”

Zhang Fei remembered Bo Guang well, as he had served Liu Bei for a long time. His abilities were also recognized, and he had even served as the governor of Padong. This time, he had joined the campaign as a special officer managing Liu Bei’s direct command.

In other words, they had sent a high-ranking officer as a messenger.

“Speak quickly. Coming at this late hour means it’s urgent, but it’s also to avoid prying eyes. Has His Majesty decided to make a decisive move?”

Even though Luoyang was not far from Han territory, it was still within Cao Wei’s domain. Cao Wei’s scouts were constantly on the move, tracking the Han army’s movements.

The Han army was also not idle, deploying their own scouts, and while they had captured or killed many, it was impossible to eliminate all of them.

The cover of night allowed them to avoid the scouts’ eyes a bit more, which was why Bo Guang had come to see Zhang Fei at this late hour.

The effort Bo Guang had made indicated the importance of the news he brought.

Despite just waking up, Zhang Fei quickly analyzed the situation, and Bo Guang, impressed, took out a letter from his pocket.

“This is a letter from His Majesty. Please read it first, and after you finish, I will explain further.”

“Understood.”

Zhang Fei unfolded the letter he received from Bo Guang. Whether it was because the letter was written on thin paper for easy disposal or because it was from Emperor Liu Bei, Zhang Fei handled it with great care.

Though the content wasn’t long, Zhang Fei read it carefully, as if chewing over each word.

The letter ended with blessings for good fortune and words of encouragement from Liu Bei as a brother rather than an emperor. After reading every last word, Zhang Fei folded the letter and held it over a lamp. The thin paper quickly burned to ashes.

After a moment of contemplation, Zhang Fei half-opened his eyes and spoke to Bo Guang.

“There’s no need to send a reply. You will come with me.”

Zhang Fei indirectly gave the order to prepare a tent for Bo Guang by telling Zhang Jin to arrange it.

“General? Is there nothing else you wish to ask me?”

There are limits to what can be conveyed in writing. While Chinese characters can convey much in few words, they are still bound by the constraints of language.

Bo Guang had expected questions about the situation not covered in the letter.

“No. That will do.”

Bo Guang wasn’t wrong. The letter couldn’t contain all the details of the main force’s situation and the reasons for choosing this strategy.

But for Zhang Fei, it was enough.

‘You’ve learned well.’

Intentionally revealing a weakness to lure the enemy and then using it to counterattack and secure victory.

That was what Zhang Fei had taught his daughter during the Battle of Tangqu, where he had defeated Zhang He.

Though the letter only mentioned a brief phrase from Chang-ran, Zhang Fei’s mind naturally filled in the rest of the process leading to the outcome.

“That unfilial daughter. Placing this old father in such a dangerous position. Really…”

Despite his complaints, a satisfied smile crept onto Zhang Fei’s face.

‘If my daughter trusts me, then it’s my duty as a father to live up to that trust.’

§

Our forces continued to advance. It was the result of my suggestion being accepted.

And that meant I had been appointed as the actual commander of this battle, which would determine the course of the war.

‘Commander of a hundred thousand troops.’

I thought I had graduated from such pressure, but the weight of responsibility was on a different level when the numbers changed.

‘They say you become numb when the numbers get too big. Maybe it’s because I’m actually among them, not just looking at numbers.’

But getting too caught up in that tension would ruin everything. I kept meditating and breathing deeply to maintain my composure.

While I was still grappling with this unprecedented weight, the soldiers’ footsteps steadily moved forward.

As we moved to secure the hills rather than joining the rear forces, Cao Wei also sped up, as if their feet were on fire.

Even though they were closer in distance and didn’t need to rush, perhaps our urgency made them cautious.

In any case, the result was what we wanted. By the time our forces reached the hills, they had narrowly succeeded in securing them.

“The first step has been successfully taken.”

Looking at the flags of Wei and Wu fluttering on the hill, I muttered softly.

The hill was densely packed with countless people. Between the Luoshui and Yishui rivers, this narrow land was filled with a massive crowd of hundreds of thousands.

Is there really such a thing as a war cloud? The breath of hundreds of thousands of humans armed with weapons to kill must be the cloud that heralds battle.

‘But they won’t move immediately. They must be tired from rushing to secure the hill.’

Since they had made their move, it was now our turn to make ours.

I turned my back and looked behind. Though I couldn’t see him, I felt as if my father was there.

The last news from my father was that he had just crossed the Luoshui. That meant he should be arriving at a suitable location soon.

A place far enough from us but still within the enemy’s reach.

I guessed where my father would be and turned my gaze forward again.

‘The hill, it’s low.’

“Commander Wei, the camp preparations are complete.”

The camp set up beside the hill was a flimsy structure with no palisade, just tents and watchtowers. But the enemy wouldn’t dare to launch a night attack. The high ground, which made it hard to hide, worked against them this time.

“Still, don’t forget to set up the guards properly.”

“Of course.”

Kang Yu immediately went back to finish setting up the camp.

‘The decisive battle will be tomorrow.’

The summer night breeze was unusually cold.

That night passed without incident, as expected.

As the sun rose and the day began to break, the surroundings were still hazy. The mist from the Luoshui and Yishui rivers was unusually thick today.

While the poor visibility would likely be more disadvantageous for us than the enemy, I smiled happily.

“Heaven is on our side.”

It was the perfect situation to move our troops without being detected.

The enemy would also find it difficult to confirm our movements, but from their perspective, the advantages would outweigh the disadvantages.

“Bai Yao, can you feel it?”

“What do you mean, sir?”

“The flow of the battlefield. The enemy is moving.”

Even though I couldn’t see it, I could feel it.

Beyond that mist, the enemy was moving to attack my father, crush him, and take our rear.

When was it? Ah, yes. It felt similar to the Battle of Hanzhong.

When Yang Su was clumsily preparing to retreat, I saw the path of the battlefield.

A path that shouldn’t be visible, a new sensation as if my brain was projecting it before my eyes.

“I must go to His Majesty.”

Even though it was still early, Liu Bei was awake. He nodded as if he had sensed something when I arrived.

“Has the time finally come?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Please give the order to the army.”

We prepared the army for the upcoming battle.

“The mist won’t last long.”

“Indeed.”

“Unlike sea fog, river mist doesn’t last long. By the time it clears, the battle in the rear will be in full swing. And then…”

“It will be our turn.”

As Pang Tong said, the sun slowly rose to the top of the sky, and the mist began to clear.

The moment had come for the battle that would decide the ruler of the land to begin in earnest.


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Rather Than Zhang Ran, Zhang Bao’s Eldest Daughter

Rather Than Zhang Ran, Zhang Bao’s Eldest Daughter

장비의 장녀인 장란이 아니라
Score 9
Status: Completed Type: Author: Released: 2021 Native Language: Korean
A Bonapartist history scholar who had dreamed of becoming Jean Lannes, instead finds himself reincarnated as Zhang Ran and dropped into the world of Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

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