novelraw Chapter 573: Small Cannon Fodder of the Three Kingdoms 15
Chapter 573: Small Cannon Fodder of the Three Kingdoms 15
In the third year of Jian'an, just as the two Yuans in the north were locked in fierce battle, An Ning personally led thirty thousand troops northward (five thousand cavalry, over twenty thousand infantry). In only a few days, she had captured several cities in succession.
The advance was so fast that the two besieged warlords, deep in their own fighting, hadn’t even reacted.
Aside from An Ning’s superior equipment and command, another major reason for this result was simply that these enemy soldiers—especially the lower ranks—were a tiny bit too quick to surrender and lay down their arms.
Ahem—maybe her soldiers were just too formidable and awe-inspiring!
Watching the enemy being surrounded and then sliding down to the ground to surrender and kneel so smoothly left even An Ning momentarily speechless.
There was no denying the scene felt familiar.
“The usual rules: once we enter a city, anyone who burns, kills, robs, or violates women and children will be dealt with by military order!”
“Yes, Young Master!”
From behind, the soldiers led by General Zhao answered in loud, crisp unison.
Zhao Zilong himself was a man of benevolent virtue; he hated any act of plundering and ravaging civilians. Aside from his formidable combat skills, this moral stance was a key reason An Ning trusted him.Being able to openly refuse rewards after a siege, preferring to offend fellow officers rather than take civilians’ homes and goods—during these chaotic times when warlords slaughtered and even used people as food—it was exceedingly rare, one in ten thousand.
It aligned perfectly with An Ning’s own bottom line.
In short, order and military conduct had to be strictly enforced from the start.
Leaving the city aside, the captured soldiers breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Behind them, the officers didn’t object—these rules had been set from the beginning. Besides, An Ning, as their lord, was generous and competent; when the time came, the rewards would be abundant and not stingy.
Seeing a bright future ahead, it wasn’t worth ruining one’s reputation or life, and jeopardizing descendants’ prospects, just for a few trinkets!
With orders given and everything settled, An Ning pressed onward.
Not to mention the anger that must have flared in Yuan’s camp at the news.
As the saying goes, a leaking house meets a sudden storm. At the same time as An Ning’s advance, Cao’s forces from the south also struck.
Ah—this one was even an old childhood friend!
It seemed many were trying to prevent her from unifying the north.
In short: everything had been stolen right from under them—what fight was left?
Of course, on the retreat, Yuan’s main army inevitably clashed with An Ning’s large force.
Only then did Yuan’s faction truly realize the terrifying nature of the army before them.
On paper, the territory the other side controlled amounted to just two commanderies, plus another taken over the past two years—only three commanderies in total. The land was not vast and was mostly mountainous. While easy to defend and hard to attack, the geography naturally limited cavalry development and deployment.
Gains come with losses.
In fact, many of the horses An Ning now commanded were originally acquired cheaply—no, taken during the defense of their homes against invaders.
Plus, her overall manpower had never been that strong.
That was precisely why Yuan Benchu, though wary, had not truly treated her as a major threat before.
But after this engagement, he discovered he had been gravely mistaken—hugely mistaken!
It was unimaginable: his fifty thousand troops were routed by an enemy force of less than twenty thousand, driven into a disgraceful retreat.
Who knows what those people were fed as children? Not only were they robustly built, they fought like they had nothing to lose.
And their weapons…
“My lord!”
“My lord, do not be addicted to fighting—don’t lose the greater for the lesser!”
“It’s only a few territories. As long as you remain, we can still turn this around!”
With officers urging him, Yuan Shao finally drew a deep breath and broke out of the encirclement, leading the remnants southward.
Watching them flee, An Ning never once let the bow in her hand drop.
After the great victory, the army quickly set up camp and rested.
“Compared to Governor Yuan so close by, my lord, you seem more wary of the one in Xudu.”
That night, in a modest camp, amid the intermittent cheers from outside, Guo Jia couldn’t help but chuckle and casually placed a piece on the chessboard.
An Ning unsurprised, also lifted a hand and set down a white jade piece with a crisp sound:
“Isn’t it obvious? Wouldn’t Fengxiao think the same?”
An Ning shot him an amused look.
After all, “many schemes, few essentials,” and “good at planning but poor at deciding” were judgments that person had given with his own mouth.
From An Ning’s perspective, it was largely true. Both sides could turn the tide from adversity, yet favorable situations often suffered a major stumble. But from the initial strength comparison, Yuan Shao had such a solid foundation, and now…
Which of them would pose the greater threat in the future? Wasn’t that obvious?
“Besides, Fengxiao, you should know.”
Under the lamp’s glow, An Ning’s voice carried a quiet tone:
“If there are no accidents, in the coming years, apart from the north, we on this side won’t have major upheavals. In that case, keeping a familiar neighbor is simply more convenient, isn’t it?”
She even intended, if necessary, to lend a helping hand.
“My lord!”
Understanding her intentions, Guo Jia sighed, looking up, his eyes drifting:
“Your treasures are not easy to seize, truly not.”
“What, have you grown soft, Fengxiao?”
An Ning raised a brow with a smile.
Unlike her, this man came from a proper lineage. Although the Yingchuan Guo clan might barely count as second-rate now, he was alone. Yet with friends like Xun Yu, one could tell the quality of his social circle.
Of course, he was only teasing.
From years of interaction, An Ning knew his nature—he wasn’t someone to give up halfway.
And family pedigree? Her gaze flicked to his slightly rumpled blue robes and she shook her head inwardly.
Sure enough, before her tea had fallen from her hand, Guo Jia cupped his chest with both hands and said:
“Fengxiao’s intentions—how could my lord be unaware? It’s just that… my lord, I truly didn’t expect you to be willing to go this far!”
After all, this was for the prize of ruling the realm—the throne…
Over the past few years, as a close observer, Guo Jia saw clearly that if she wished, she could quickly pacify internal affairs through alliances and other means, instead of proceeding in such gradual steps.
Delay invites change—this wasn’t just talk, especially now with so many warlords rising.
Still, the slow approach had its merits.
An Ning took a slow sip, letting the rich warmth of the liquor spread through her limbs. Under the dim light, watching the person opposite with a slightly relaxed, indifferent expression, Guo Jia suddenly smiled:
“The wine here, my lord, truly is one of the world’s finest!”
What a pity he wasn’t the one with the largest supply.
An Ning gave him a mildly speechless look.
With his constitution, meeting a lord who happened to be a competent physician—otherwise that reckless streak of his…
Swallowing the cup briskly, An Ning shook her head.
Of course, his recklessness was only temporary.
After this campaign, An Ning’s name resounded throughout the land, and her territories were incomparable to before. From Changshan Commandery southward, she now controlled nearly half of Ji Prefecture. Not only had her lands multiplied, but the daily affairs she had to handle increased as well.
If An Ning, as the lord, was thus burdened, others were no different!
Yet unlike before, in recent years schools and research institutes had proliferated, and many clever people had been cultivated. Coupled with her increased fame after the battle, many came to join her.
Since she did not plan immediate territorial expansion, her manpower was acceptable for the moment.
But what truly surprised her was this:
Looking at the old man who claimed to be an imperial envoy, An Ning was unusually irritated.
Especially as the man spoke with such certainty, saying that because she had no imperial commission or any political legitimacy, she would inevitably be at a disadvantage among the warlords.
Simply looking at the lack of great clans or famous gentry coming to join her for so long gave some indication.
In the hall, An Ning toyed with her teacup while listening to the man boast shamelessly.
Sure enough, he spoke next:
“Young Lady, you are extraordinarily clever. I’m sure you know the quickest, most legitimate way to attain great righteousness!”
At An Ning’s side, with dangerous glances from the others, the envoy straightened his back and spoke as if it were obvious.
“Oh?” Raising a hand, An Ning lightly checked the rising temper of Si Qi and the others, then smiled gently:
“Such a marvelous method? I must be ignorant not to have heard it!”
The envoy’s face stiffened.
But thinking of the Han emperor still firmly in their custody, the old man suppressed his anger:
“Young Lady was raised among recluse lands, and your skills are extraordinary. Yet do not forget—this world still has law and justice.
Let young lady understand: since the founding of our Great Han, it has benefited the realm for hundreds of years. Even in decline, many still owe it their gratitude and are willing to risk themselves to uphold the Han. Not to mention, the imperial title itself outweighs many other things…”
***
“What a load of nonsense!”
After the envoy was “escorted” away, the most hot-headed, Si Qin, immediately wanted to curse aloud. The others looked equally displeased.
To be honest, since being rescued by their lord, none of them had been this angry before.
Don’t think they didn’t catch the old man’s intent just now.
What did he mean by legitimate title? In these chaotic times, their lord had carved out territory step by step, her people lived prosperously and peacefully, and the army and civilians were united—where was the lack of legitimacy?
Couldn’t they see what he was after?
The emperor’s bloodline shouldn’t automatically claim the mantle of righteousness—bah!
The rhetoric about “restoring the throne” sounded fine. According to those people, if they invited that figure over, future children might be named Shen or Liu, or worse, the entire territory could end up under another family’s name.
Furthermore, those people acted as if their lord were helpless without the imperial banner!
When they expanded into nearby lands before, the great families might have resisted, but the locals were thrilled and practically welcomed them.
The reason the soldiers surrendered so neatly before was that their lord had truly won hearts.
Who needed the gentry’s slogans of “legitimate title”?
As for the gentry themselves—hmph—Si Qi snorted. If they didn’t want to join, An Ning might not want them either. As her lord said, everyone seeks profit; haven’t many joined them recently?
The more she thought, the angrier Si Qi and the others became, especially after sensing the envoy’s real motive just now:
“How dare they insult our lord like this!”
“All right! If you get angrier, Si Qi will really turn into a little chili pepper!”
The best way to calm anger is to present someone angrier than you. At that moment, An Ning casually offered a “calming tea” while propping her chin and teasing lightly.
Seeing her like that, the women calmed a bit.
But their anger still smoldered. Even Zhen Yue, who had just heard of the incident, blushed with fury:
“These so-called gentry and scholars—if they’re useless themselves, they scheme to take what our lord fought for.”
“If those so-called loyal ministers are like them, then what happened before… hmph, it’s no wonder!”
As she spoke, Fourth Young Lady slammed a stack of documents down onto the table with a thud.
An Ning: “………”
Where was her cultured, graceful, composed younger sister?
Ah—work really makes people irritable. That’s been true through the ages.
Her gaze skimmed over the angry faces opposite, and An Ning said, with her usual indifferent tone:
“Marriage alliances and power grabs have been common since ancient times. From noble sons to poor farmers, men and women of all ages do the same.”
What matters is whether the offered stake is sufficient.
Clearly, this offer was far from adequate.
Is an imperial title important? Of course it is.
But in An Ning’s view, every advantage carries drawbacks. Take the one in Xudu who uses the emperor’s authority to command the lords—effective, yes, but it brings political chaos.
“If A-Yue gets upset over this, it would be unwise.”
An Ning smiled.
Upon hearing that, Zhen Yue quickly realized and rose to perform a deep bow, the pale lotus-colored skirt forming a graceful arc.
“Forgive me, Young Master. It was Fourth Young Lady who overreacted.”
Facing An Ning’s consistently clear and composed expression, Zhen Yue bowed and reflected inwardly. Her anger had stemmed partly from thinking the man unworthy and partly from underestimating her lord.
Her master was right: once entering politics, only one identity mattered—merits and faults aside, clinging to gender differences was self-limiting.
Having realized this, Zhen Yue adjusted her words:
“Hmph. In short, those trash won’t get away scot-free. They won’t scheme to steal the great achievements you’ve worked hard to build!”
How clever, thought An Ning, and she couldn’t help but smirk.
Meanwhile, in Xudu.
Once those “loyal ministers” were found secretly doing their troublesome scheming, even Cao Cao felt speechless. When he learned they had acted on their own and the young emperor himself might not have known, Cao moved quickly, executing a purge on grounds of “treacherous intent.” Soon after, something else happened nearby: scouts from Ye City reported that Governor Yuan was gravely ill.
Cao Aman: !!!
What a heaven-sent piece of joy!
At the same time, An Ning received the news and reacted: “???”
No way, buddy!