Chapter 33

Chapter 667: Force Killing a Hundred Soldiers, Great Killing a Thousand Soldiers (1)

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"How is that, Master?"

"General, in the Records of the Grand Historian, there is a clear passage stating that the crossbows from Jizhou and the bows made in Xiafu can shoot arrows over six hundred paces."

Lü Bu waved his hand.

"Really... The ancients seem to exaggerate a lot. I don't know where Jizhou is... If the range of the bows made in Xiafu is six hundred paces, why are we in this state now?"

Sima Qian, who wrote the Records of the Grand Historian, was a person from the reign of Emperor Wu. Since Emperor Wu was the seventh emperor of the Western Han, bows like the Gongshi and Jiao Yi should have been produced even after that time.

However, even Lü Bu, who had extensive experience in military affairs, had never heard of such names.

"They must have been lost. Isn't Han a country that fell and was rebuilt? It wouldn't be strange if something happened."

"Alright, let's assume that's true."

Lü Bu gestured to Dong Guojuan and continued.

"I acknowledge it. If such bows were widely used, the nature of war would be completely different. But what's the point of a lost technology?"

"The Warring States period was the longest period of turmoil since the beginning of recorded history. Military strategies and technologies that could change the course of war developed the most during the Warring States period."

"So, the bow that can shoot six hundred paces was actually made during the Warring States period?"

Dong Guojuan nodded.

"Is that all? The Jingling Mountains stretch for a considerable distance from east to west. We named a place we don't even know the location of 'Warring States Arsenal.' How disappointing! It's incredibly disappointing!"

"Calm down. It's not unreasonable to sound strange."

"Do I need to explain how long the Jingling Mountains stretch from east to west?"

The Jingling Mountains are a massive mountain range that spans Guanzhong and Hanzhong.

The Ziwu Road, which Xiang Yu burned out of fear that his army might be sent to Shu, was also located in the Jingling Mountains.

The famous Fuyu Mountain in the Jingling Mountains boasts a size of eight hundred li in all directions. To think that they need to find the Warring States Arsenal somewhere in the Jingling Mountains is simply mind-boggling.

* * *

"There is a way to find it. There are at least three people in the world who might know its location."

"Do you know any of these three people?"

"Sima from Henei, Huang from Xingzhou, and Ma from Xiliang."

Dong Guojuan's words made Lü Bu regretfully slap his knee.

"Ah! If I had known this, I would have kept Sima around..."

Guo Jia added.

"By now, Zhang from Dongguan might have released the Ma family's general..."

Dong Guojuan raised his hand.

"We don't know which of the three knows. Moreover, all three might know, or none of them might."

"Deep in the mountains. The Sima clan has left Wen, I don't know who the Huang clan from Xingzhou is, and the Ma clan from Xiliang..."

Dong Guojuan passed the ball to Shang Shan Chao Weng.

"Please tell us about the task assigned to Zhao."

Shang Shan Chao Weng then turned his gaze to Zhao Qinglong.

"Zhao, where is Hua now and what is he doing?"

"Yes, Chao Weng. The last time I saw Hua was last spring. He said he found something that could be a clue and asked for help to connect with the Ma family in Xiliang."

Shang Shan Chao Weng nodded.

"The Ma family is certainly a possibility."

Guo Jia also nodded.

"Considering the ancestors of the Ma family, it's a strong possibility. The intelligence provided by the Sima clan was about the Nine Palaces. The Huang family from Xingzhou is deeply connected to the state of Chu but is now just a dormant giant."

Guo Jia focused on the Ma family from Xiliang. Given that their ancestral home is Wuling and their ancestor was the famous Zhao general, Zhao She, it was reasonable to consider them.

"If I had known that Hua's mission was this, I wouldn't have introduced him to such a person..."

Zhao Qinglong bit his lower lip, feeling uncomfortable.

"General Zhao Qinglong, can you tell us who you introduced him to?"

Zhao Qinglong had only muttered to himself, but Guo Jia showed interest.

"Why...?"

"If we know who he is, we can look for him. Then we can naturally find out where Hua is, right?"

Guo Jia's wit left Zhao Qinglong speechless, and he nodded repeatedly.

"His name is Ma Jun, with the courtesy name De Xing."

Yanbilunzhi (恬筆倫紙).

Meng Tian made pens, and Cai Lun made paper.

Junjiaorenzhuo (鈞巧任釣).

Ma Jun was a master craftsman, and Ren Gongzi made fishing rods.

Ma Jun was a remarkable master craftsman whose name was passed down to later generations, worthy of being mentioned in the Thousand Character Classic.

However, his talents had not yet blossomed. He was merely a headache for the Ma family.

"I have never heard of this name."

Guo Jia admitted he didn't know Ma Jun and clasped his hands together.

"Is there anyone here who knows about Ma Jun, De Xing, from the Ma family of Wuling?"

No one stepped forward. Guo Jia sighed.

"If Master Jia were here, we wouldn't have such worries..."

"Master Guo, don't be too disappointed. Soon, Huang Baosun's army will fall into our trap. The Ma family will also be like rats in a pot with Huang Baosun. It won't be too late to investigate this later."

* * *

Lü Bu addressed the fangshi.

"We can't predict what kind of harmony the wind and clouds will create. If so, we are back to square one. Master Guo will inform us of what our army needs, and I hope for the fangshi's assistance."

Lü Bu gestured to Guo Jia, who then revealed the situation in Xiliang.

"Our army's military advisor, Master Jia, has set out with General Hua Xiong to conquer Xiliang. However, a minor issue has arisen there."

Guo Jia wanted information that could help decide which faction of the Qiang people Lü Bu's army should ally with. Ji Da stepped forward.

"I can help with this matter."

"Ah! Good. How can you help?"

"I am someone who enjoys traveling the world. I have been to Xiliang many times and am quite knowledgeable about the Qiang people."

Ji Da provided useful information.

"Most people in Zhongyuan don't know much about Xiliang, but I am fortunate. I have friends among the Qiang people, so I have heard many of their stories."

"Then you must know about the alliances and conflicts among the Qiang factions?"

"Of course. But there is something more important to mention. If you win the heart of a mother, it's not hard to win the heart of her child."

Guo Jia thought Ji Da was talking nonsense.

"That's not the right time to bring up such a topic..."

Ji Da waved his hands enthusiastically.

"No, it is. Because I need to tell you who the mother of the Qiang people is."

"The mother of the Qiang people?"

Guo Jia tilted his head.

It sounded like nonsense. Wu Yiyuan, the ancestor of the Qiang people, was from the Warring States period. It was impossible for the woman he married to still be alive after several hundred years.

"It's not unreasonable to doubt. However, the Xiaohu Clan can be considered the true lineage of the Qiang people. A woman from the Xiaohu Clan can be a leader."

Ji Da then gave Guo Jia a name.

"Pi Dongqian."

"Is this the name of the woman called the 'mother of the Qiang people'?"

"The name of the woman who was called the 'mother of the Qiang people.' A woman from the Xiaohu Clan is revered as a mother by many Qiang factions."

Guo Jia didn't believe Ji Da's words but continued listening.

"The Xiaohu Clan produces shamans among the Qiang people."

"Fangshi and shamans... They do have some connection."

Guo Jia mocked, but he received a cold stare from Pi Zhangfang. Ji Da continued undeterred.

"All shamans in Western Qiang are women. Although it may be hard to believe, most shamans from the Xiaohu Clan are over a hundred years old. They pass down wisdom from generation to generation, and the most wise woman becomes the chief shaman of Western Qiang."

"If what you say is true, our army should ally with the chief shaman?"

"If we win the heart of the chief shaman, we can gain the support of at least four out of ten Qiang factions."

Lü Bu nodded repeatedly.

"Master Guo, send this information to Master Jia via messenger. Although we can send a messenger from Hedu to Hantong, we cannot send one from here to there, so we need to send a messenger."

The weakness of the messenger system using homing pigeons is this. Of course, using homing pigeons to send messages is also impractical. Ultimately, someone must go in person.

Ji Da confidently stepped forward.

"I am confident in my lightness of foot. Please entrust the messenger's task to me. I will show you that the fangshi have skills beyond just alchemy."

Lü Bu turned his gaze to Pi Zhangfang. After exchanging a look, Pi Zhangfang nodded slightly.

"General, please trust this Daoist and entrust this task to him. Daoist Ji's lightness of foot is as fast as riding a horse on flat ground, so he can deliver the news without delay."

"Alright. Master Guo, give Daoist Ji a token to prove his identity along with the message."

"Your humble servant, Guo Jia Fengxiao, accepts the order."

* * *

A short while later, Ji Da's group galloped northwest from the Zhongtian Prefecture. In contrast, a group of people set sail southeast from the ferry.

They were messengers carrying Zhang Xi's letter to Huang Baosun.

The journey from Zhongtian to Huayin was not far. This meant that the distance between Lü Bu and Huang Baosun was not great.

Zhang Xi's letter reached Huang Baosun's hands not long after it left hers.

"Ahahaha! Good, very good!"

"Lord, it seems Zhang Xi has brought good news."

At the attendant's words, Huang Baosun nodded repeatedly with a satisfied look.

"Good news indeed. Zhang Xi seems to have successfully charmed Lü Bu. She says they share a bed every night."

"Indeed, Zhang Xi. Lü Bu was said to have only one wife and no concubines, but it seems he couldn't resist Zhang Xi's beauty."

"Heaven is helping me. It seems things will go smoothly. Zhang Xi mentioned in her letter that Lü Bu has a concubine named Huo Ren."

The attendant tilted his head.

"Why didn't we know this? Lü Bu is different from you. He rose to power quickly, so there might be many factions under his command that he doesn't fully control. It's hard to believe that such information was kept secret."

"People didn't pay attention. Moreover, if he indulges in women, it would be hard to know if he changes partners frequently."

"Zhang Xi might also be treated that way. Even if her beauty is outstanding, no flower stays red for ten days."

Huang Baosun handed the letter to the attendant.

"Zhang Xi is also worried about this."

"Is there a plan? Pregnancy doesn't always happen as one wishes."

"A quickly heated pot cools quickly. Even if Lü Bu is completely charmed by Zhang Xi, his infatuation might fade. There are few ways to bind someone's heart. The best way now is for Zhang Xi to bear Lü Bu's child. Nothing binds a relationship more strongly than blood."

However, pregnancy doesn't always happen as one wishes.

Especially for Huang Baosun's beauties, pregnancy was almost impossible. This was because Huang Baosun didn't want his descendants to disrupt the succession. Therefore, they took a potion to prevent pregnancy. This was also mentioned in Zhang Xi's letter.

"Pregnancy is difficult, but giving Lü Bu another beauty is easy. Zhang Xi needs Zhong Xi and Re Jun."

The attendant frowned.

"Re Jun too? Ah!"

"We raised these girls for such a time. Send them to Lü Bu quickly, and we will immediately cross the Hangu Pass."