Chapter 9

On this day, the sky was clear and cloudless.

Yuan Fang sat on his white horse, clad in silver armor, with a sword hanging at his waist, and proudly rode out of Ye City.

Behind him followed his trusted servant Yuan Gui, his personal maid Xiao Cha, and seven or eight close confidants.

Taking one last look at Ye City, a sudden sense of liberation surged in Yuan Fang’s heart.

"Finally, I can leave this city that looks down on me. One day, I will return, with dignity and with your fear of me..."

Yuan Fang secretly vowed, turned his horse, and rode away with his head held high.

Under the clear sky, he felt free to soar.

After traveling several miles out of the city, Yuan Fang passed by his private estate, where he mixed the million coins into his luggage and continued on to Pingyang City, twenty miles away.

By mid-afternoon, Yuan Fang and his entourage arrived at Pingyang City and entered the Pingyang military camp.

The two thousand troops stationed here would be under his command, tasked with conquering Qingzhou.

Showing his military token, he smoothly entered the camp and walked into the main tent, taking his seat as the commander. He then ordered the four military officers and two military secretaries to come and pay their respects.

Yuan Shao had appointed Yuan Fang as a duwei, commanding two units of troops.

In the military system, five hundred men formed a unit, led by a military officer. Two units formed a division, led by a military secretary.

Below the military officers, there were ranks such as troop leaders, squad leaders, decurions, and pentarchs, each commanding a different level of troops.

The military secretaries and military officers were considered the senior officers in Yuan Fang’s army. Naturally, to take command of these two thousand troops, Yuan Fang needed to start by understanding these senior officers.

After half an hour, only one person arrived.

Yuan Fang was somewhat angry and asked the messenger, "Where are the other four? Why haven’t they come to see me?"

"The young master, the three military officers and two military secretaries are sick and have taken leave, so they cannot attend the muster," the messenger replied.

"They are already showing defiance, most likely incited by someone. This is a way to give me a hard time from the start."

Yuan Fang quickly deduced that this was likely a trap set by Yuan Xi. On his first day, his five senior officers claimed to be sick and did not come. How could he lead the troops into battle like this?

Yuan Fang’s eyes flashed, and he drew an order arrow from the desk, shouting, "Yuan Gui, take a few men, and with my order arrow, bring those five men here."

Before long, Yuan Gui brought the three military officers and two military secretaries.

"Master, when we went to get them, these five scoundrels were actually gambling, not sick at all," Yuan Gui said indignantly.

Yuan Fang couldn’t punish them for claiming to be sick, but their gambling gave him a reason.

"As military officers, you dare to lead gambling and openly violate military discipline. This is truly despicable. Bring them down and give them a beating with military sticks," Yuan Fang ordered angrily.

Yuan Gui, following the order, called his trusted subordinates and dragged the five men out without a word, ignoring their pleas for mercy and beating them with large sticks.

Thud, thud, thud...

The dull sounds of the sticks hitting flesh, mixed with cries of pain, screams, and howls, alarmed everyone in the camp.

Anyone familiar with military rules knew this was a beating with military sticks.

The soldiers in the Pingyang camp were all trembling with fear, their legs cramping as they stood with their weapons.

None of them had expected that the second son of the Yuan family, rumored to be a weakling, would have such authority, beating their superiors on his first day.

The five officers, who usually commanded with authority, were now stripped and beaten like pigs, losing all their dignity.

After fifteen minutes, the beating ended.

Yuan Gui entered the tent and bowed, saying, "Master, they have all confessed. Last night, each of them received ten thousand coins, instructing them to undermine the new commander’s authority and prevent you from mustering the troops."

During peacetime, each soldier’s annual expenses were only six thousand coins. Buying off these five men cost fifty thousand coins, a significant sum.

"Yuan Tan and Yuan Xi are truly wealthy, spending so much money just to prevent me from commanding the troops. Well, I won’t let their plans succeed."

Yuan Fang was ruthless, immediately ordering the five officers to be dismissed from their positions and expelled from the camp.

Yuan Fang had known that Yuan Tan and the others would try to sabotage him. Now that he had dismissed these five, he could promote new people and build his own loyal force.

This army would be the foundation of his career, and Yuan Fang needed to ensure its complete loyalty to him, making it his private army.

However, it was Yuan Fang’s first time leading troops, and he was still unfamiliar with military affairs. He needed someone familiar with this army to understand the situation.

At this moment, Yuan Fang’s gaze turned to the military officer standing solemnly in front of the tent.

Among the four military officers, he was the only one who had not claimed to be sick and had come to pay his respects.

The military officer was in his twenties, wearing fish-scale armor and carrying a ring-headed saber at his waist. His muscles bulged under his uniform, giving him a formidable presence.

Moreover, he remained calm, showing no fear despite the sounds of the beating outside, demonstrating some courage.

"Why didn’t you take the money and follow their orders, but instead came to pay your respects?" Yuan Fang asked curiously.

"Military law is as firm as a mountain, and I dare not violate it," the military officer replied calmly.

Yuan Fang nodded slightly, appreciating the officer’s integrity.

Yuan Tan and Yuan Xi had significant influence, while Yuan Fang was an illegitimate son and not well-liked. A "smart" person would know which side they couldn’t afford to offend.

This military officer, knowing the risks, still dared to defy Yuan Tan and Yuan Xi and strictly followed military orders, showing he was a man of principle.

Yuan Fang needed such a person.

"Good, you have some integrity," Yuan Fang nodded in approval. "What is your name? Where are you from?"

"Master, I am Hao Zhao, styled Boyao, from Taiyuan, Bingzhou," the military officer replied loudly.

Hao Zhao!

This name, though not as famous as some, still caused a ripple in Yuan Fang’s heart.

Historically, Hao Zhao had defended Chen仓 with just a few thousand troops against Zhuge Liang’s ten thousand-strong army, proving himself a capable general.

Yuan Fang, a history enthusiast, vaguely remembered that Hao Zhao was indeed from Taiyuan. Therefore, the Hao Zhao before him must be the real one.

"I was worried about the lack of capable people under my command, and now Hao Zhao is here to help me in my time of need..."

Yuan Fang nodded. "You seem to be a capable person. I’ll give you a chance. If you can clearly explain the general situation of the army in a few words, I will promote you to military secretary."

Hao Zhao’s fame came from defending Chen仓 against Zhuge Liang. Yuan Fang needed to test the young Hao Zhao’s capabilities.

Hao Zhao looked at Yuan Fang in surprise, not expecting the third son of the Yuan family to be so strong and willing to promote him.

"Our Pingyang camp is not an elite force from Ji Province but a second-rate army. We have two hundred archers, one thousand five hundred sword and shield soldiers, and three hundred supply troops. We train every three days and have meat every seven days..."

Hao Zhao spoke without hesitation, clearly explaining the situation of the Pingyang camp.

When Yuan Fang asked about the names of the lower-ranking officers, Hao Zhao could answer them all, even remembering the names of ordinary soldiers.

Yuan Fang was amazed. "There are so many people in the army, and you remember all their names. This memory is extraordinary."

"Master, I have a natural good memory. I can remember the names of people I’ve met once," Hao Zhao said, showing some confidence.

"Good!" Yuan Fang nodded in satisfaction. "From now on, you are a military secretary."

Hao Zhao was a man of principle and had a thorough understanding of the army. Yuan Fang saw that he was a capable person and did not hesitate to promote him.

Hao Zhao was greatly surprised and bowed in gratitude. "Thank you, Master, for your promotion. I will serve you faithfully."

Hao Zhao had been a military officer for many years but had not been promoted due to his principled nature. Now, Yuan Fang recognized his talent and promoted him to military secretary, which he could not help but be grateful for.

Yuan Fang then ordered him to gather all the troops from the two units on the parade ground.

Soon, the two thousand soldiers of the Pingyang camp gathered on the eastern parade ground, all curious to see what their new commander, the second son of the Yuan family, was like.

Under the watchful eyes of the soldiers, Yuan Fang stepped onto the platform, and behind him, Yuan Gui directed several guards to carry large chests up.

"Everyone says that the second son of the Yuan family is a cripple, but he doesn’t seem to be. He even has a commanding presence."

"He’s different from what we heard. No wonder he dared to beat those officers on his first day."

The soldiers speculated, all impressed by Yuan Fang’s demeanor and not daring to look him directly in the eye.

Yuan Fang waved his hand, and the guards opened the chests, revealing golden coins that dazzled the two thousand soldiers.

"Listen well. I, Yuan Fang, lead this army to achieve glory. As long as you train diligently and fight bravely under my command, you will not lack for rewards. I have plenty of money. From today, if you die in battle, I will take care of your families."

Yuan Fang grabbed handfuls of coins and threw them back into the chests, the sound of the coins clinking together making the soldiers’ hearts race.

His words, combined with the chests of money, stirred the soldiers’ blood, making their faces flush with excitement.