Chapter 36

At night, in the large military camp of Guangzong, the lights were bright, and the outer perimeter was heavily guarded, indicating that the commander was about to deploy troops. Inside, there were cheers and laughter as soldiers from various units celebrated their victory.

The vast camp, spanning several miles, was bustling with activity, except for one place that was unusually quiet—Liu Bei's quarters.

Liu Bei was a newcomer and had not participated in the ambush and annihilation led by Qin Feng. In the army, there was always a preference for the old over the new. Moreover, Liu Bei was an irregular soldier, and he was particularly “plain and unremarkable” in this regard.

At the first watch of the night, Liu Bei, unable to sit still in his tent, began pacing outside. Every time he heard the hearty laughter from the central command tent, he would stomp his feet. He thought to himself, "When will I be able to sit at the main table?"

It was hot in the summer, and Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were sitting on the ground in their tent, their chests exposed, one with black chest hair and the other with red. They were fanning themselves with large palm-leaf fans.

Guan Yu, with his squinting eyes and low eyelids, constantly had sweat streaming down his face. Even so, he didn't open his eyes. He wiped his armpits with a hemp cloth and said, "General Qin will surely be promoted to a high rank this time. The battle achievements are too great. Goodness, a hundred thousand Yellow Turbans were eliminated in one go. Impressive, impressive!"

Zhang Fei scratched his chest hair and said, "General Qin is a good man. Many people along the way have spoken well of him. He would rather go hungry himself than let the refugees go without food. There are few people like him in this world."

Outside, Liu Bei's large ears flapped like an elephant's, and his face twitched. He suddenly felt worried. After all, he had only known Guan Yu and Zhang Fei for a short time and feared they might join Qin Feng. He wanted to tell his two brothers, "You don't know, when I first met Qin Zijin, he was even poorer than I was. He even used my sword to kill Yellow Turbans and broke it without offering to pay for it. He always had dark circles under his eyes and wore a big floral shorts, looking like a nobody. He was as shameless and despicable as they come."

However, Liu Bei felt he couldn't say it. First, it would offend Qin Feng, and second, it wouldn't have much effect on his two brothers.

As time passed, Liu Bei felt he couldn't wait any longer and decided to take the initiative. "I have also made contributions in Zhuo County. When it's quiet later, I will go to my teacher and ask for an official position."

On the other hand, the banquet in the central command tent had ended, and as the others left, Lu Zhi specifically retained Qin Feng.

Qin Feng remained calm, waiting to see what Lu Zhi had to say.

Lu Zhi sighed and said, "Every day, more and more Yellow Turbans gather in Guangzong. The leader, Zhang Jue, has almost two hundred thousand troops. The enemy is too strong to attack directly. I, being incompetent, have adopted the strategy of the ancient general Lian Po, using defense instead of attack to prevent the enemy from moving. We will wait until the Yellow Turbans in other areas are defeated and then surround Guangzong."

Qin Feng nodded in acknowledgment but had other thoughts. "Your strategy is like Lian Po's, but Emperor Ling is like King Zhao, who made the mistake of replacing you with the foolish Dong Zhuo."

However, he didn't say it outright or try to make it sound like a calculation. Qin Feng had already lived through the Three Kingdoms era in his previous life and knew that changing history at this point would only make things worse for himself.

Lu Zhi continued, "Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao have joined forces, leading over two hundred thousand Yellow Turbans to threaten Wan and Luo. They are also aided by Zhang Yan of Heishan. General Huangfu Song is outnumbered and has retreated to Changshe with General Zhu Jun. If they are defeated, the Yellow Turbans will march straight to the capital, Luoyang, which must not happen!"

Qin Feng nodded again, thinking that a direct threat to the capital was like a stab to the heart. The Yellow Turbans weren't just fighting blindly; they had some strategy. He could guess what Lu Zhi would say next.

Sure enough, Lu Zhi said earnestly, "Zijin, you are young and talented, a rare find in my life. You should use your abilities to serve the state and bring peace to the people. I have no further tasks for you here. Are you willing to lead troops to assist General Huangfu Song? If you agree, I will provide you with two thousand troops, and you can set out soon!"

Qin Feng smiled and stood up. "My lifelong wish is to protect the state and the people. How can I refuse? However, I am just a commoner and may not be able to command two thousand troops."

Lu Zhi quickly stood up and said, "Zijin, you are indeed a great asset to the court. I have already thought about what you said. You have achieved great feats, and the court will certainly reward you." He then called for his personal guard to bring out the "emblem" and said, "Today, I represent the court and appoint you as a Special Commandant!"

Qin Feng was startled, remembering that Lu Zhi was not only the Northern Commander of the Five Armies but also a Commander with the authority to appoint and punish officers of equivalent rank without the court's approval.

Special Commandant! A rank equivalent to a thousand stones, this was no small position. Sun Jian had to accumulate many achievements and seek favors to become a Special Commandant, and now Qin Feng was one, with a bright future ahead.

Just a thousand stones. Qin Feng smacked his lips, thinking he still needed another thousand stones to marry his desired wife.

But perhaps only he dared to think this way. Others would be overjoyed to become a high-ranking official with a thousand stones in less than a month.

At this moment, Lu Zhi took out the seal and sash of the Special Commandant and said, "Tomorrow, I will send a fast horse to the court to report. I hope you will serve the Han Dynasty wholeheartedly. With your abilities, your future achievements will surely surpass mine. Becoming a general and a minister is not impossible."

However, Lu Zhi underestimated the young man before him. The young man's ambitions went far beyond becoming a general and a minister.

Qin Feng's goals were lofty, but he needed to focus on the present. He accepted the seal and sash and said solemnly, "General Lu, please rest assured. I will lead the troops to Changshe early tomorrow to support General Huangfu Song!"

Lu Zhi was very pleased and personally escorted Qin Feng out of the tent.

Speaking of Qin Feng, when he returned to his tent, Dian Wei and Xu Chu greeted him. Dian Wei, holding the seal and sash, was very dissatisfied and said, "Just a thousand stones, that's too little. It should be at least two thousand!"

"How much does the court pay for a thousand stones a year?"

Qin Feng smiled, remembering a story from the future. When Guan Hai besieged Beihai, he demanded ten thousand stones to leave. Clearly, a thousand stones was not a small amount.

While Qin Feng was complaining about his position with only a thousand stones, Liu Bei had already mustered the courage to see Lu Zhi.

"Xuande, what brings you here?" Lu Zhi asked, puzzled.

Liu Bei first paid his respects, calling Lu Zhi his teacher, and knelt, saying, "Ever since I heard your lectures, I have been striving to improve. When I learned that you were fighting the Yellow Turbans in Guangzong, I spent all my wealth to recruit five hundred local soldiers to assist. The other day, I did not disappoint your teachings and defeated fifty thousand Yellow Turbans in Zhuo County, killing their leader Cheng Yuanzhi and general Deng Mao!"

Liu Bei only spoke of his military achievements. Lu Zhi, with his lifetime of experience, immediately understood his intentions, "He is here to claim credit."

Although Lu Zhi had been an official for a lifetime, he was a clean official and detested those who sought credit. He was very displeased and coldly said, "Xuande, in Zhuo County, you did have some merit after Qin Feng defeated the Yellow Turbans!"

Liu Bei was startled, realizing that Lu Zhi was well-informed about the battle in Zhuo County.

Lu Zhi didn't make things too difficult for Liu Bei. After all, Liu Bei carried the banner of the "Imperial Assistance Army," which, though not a strong force, represented the local militias. Therefore, Lu Zhi couldn't discourage him and said, "Why don't you follow Qin Feng to Changshe? If you can achieve more, the court will certainly reward you."

Lu Zhi waved his hand, indicating that Liu Bei could leave. He thought to himself, "Zijin is truly capable, coming up with the idea of the 'Imperial Assistance Army.' It's a pity that Liu Bei took it. In time, Zijin will surely become a great asset to the Han Dynasty!"

Lu Zhi, considering the overall situation of the "Imperial Assistance Army," gave Liu Bei a chance. However, if he knew the future implications of the "Imperial Assistance Army," he would have been horrified.

Liu Bei left, feeling resentful and unhappy.

The next day, Qin Feng got up early and went straight to Zhang He's tent. Since he had met one of the Five Excellent Generals and the Marquis of Keding from his previous life, he couldn't let this opportunity slip by.

Zhang He, a mere two-hundred-stone village chief, had already received the order of Qin Feng's promotion to Military Commandant, which had spread throughout the Five Armies. When he saw Qin Feng, he immediately saluted, "General Qin!"

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