Acting

As spring arrived, the clouds of war began to cover the world in earnest.

Generals and troops distributed throughout Han started arriving in Guanzhong one by one. The granaries were packed full of grains, while in contrast the armories were wide open, transforming farmers into soldiers.

Maps with supply lines drawn were delivered to the quartermaster, and Ma Liang’s workload for remaining in Guanzhong to oversee supplies increased to at least double the usual amount.

However, thanks to support personnel who came over from Chengdu, especially Fei Yi whose speed was unrivaled, there were no hitches in handling tasks.

In reality, they could march out immediately if Liu Bei gave the order.

Yet the reason they had not declared war and marched out was not only because sowing had not finished, but also because the final preparations before raising an army had not been completed.

Namely, establishing the chain of command.

With Guan Yu’s death, to whom would the command of the General-in-Chief’s Office be transferred? Excluding Liu Bei’s central army, it had been the largest in scale. Even if it was nearly halved for this war, the number of troops was still considerable.

If it was not to be returned to Emperor Liu Bei, the supreme commander of all forces, it would be right to either appoint a separate commander or dissolve the General-in-Chief’s Office entirely for reorganization.

However, whether due to lingering attachment to Guan Yu or not, Liu Bei was practically neglecting the General-in-Chief’s Office. From what I heard, Zhao Lu, who had been the Governor of the General-in-Chief’s Office, was temporarily handling military affairs, while Guan Ping was comforting the soldiers.

Besides the General-in-Chief’s Office, there was also the issue of which commanding officer to assign the troops gathered from various regions to.

Of course the supreme commander would be Emperor Liu Bei who was personally taking the field, but given the vast theater of operations and massive military force, Liu Bei alone could not control everything. So high-ranking generals like myself or my father would each be entrusted with an army to achieve objectives by devising our own tactics within the grand strategy decided by Liu Bei.

How could we establish a grand strategy and coordinate the details if these things were not properly arranged?

Though Pang Tong and others were submitting memorials and offering advice, Liu Bei kept repeating that he was still thinking about it.

When military councils were held to devise strategies, Pang Tong would again sigh deeply, saying Liu Bei’s hesitation had struck again. Since we were close enough to speak frankly with each other, that’s how it was, but he put on a calm facade when others were present.

‘Still, the framework of the grand strategy is somewhat in place.’

Before formally raising troops, Ma Chao would strike Wei’s Bingzhou along with ethnic minorities to disperse enemy forces.

Afterwards, we would advance from both Guanzhong and Jingzhou to engage the enemy in battle before Luoyang.

Supplies would be transported by land, but mainly by water through the Luo River which leads directly to Luoyang.

Meanwhile, Zhuge Liang would defend against Wu’s attacks from Jingzhou.

This was the basic outline of this war.

However, to successfully follow these steps, detailed specifics needed to be worked out, but with Liu Bei procrastinating, progress was slow.

To resolve this issue, I sought out one person.

“If Father speaks to His Majesty, wouldn’t His Majesty make a decision?”

My father and Liu Bei’s brother, Zhang Fei.

“When the time comes, His Majesty will give orders, so there’s no need to be hasty. We should trust His Majesty and focus on our duties while waiting for that time.”

Those duties are blocked because of Liu Bei, you know?

If I said that, I felt I would end up having an all-out sparring match with Father for the first time in a very long while, so I swallowed back the words that had risen to the tip of my tongue.

Based on our occasional sparring matches and adding my intuition, I had nearly reached Father’s martial prowess. If expressed as a win rate, it would be roughly 55 to 45. I was still at 45 for now. Even at sixty years old this year, Father still exerted monstrous strength.

In modern times with efficient nutrient supply and systematic exercise knowledge, there are grandfathers stronger than national athlete representatives even at 60, but even in this era there were monsters who exerted strength regardless of age.

‘And Father is one of them.’

Anyway, I had to leave Father’s quarters without much result.

Though attempting to move Father, who was Liu Bei’s ultimate shield, could be considered my best effort, I wrote a memorial to Liu Bei like others.

Honestly, my thoughts are not much different from Father’s. This is Liu Bei. A legendary figure who finally became emperor after wandering the world. When the time comes, he will surely be devoted to the task given to him.

‘Besides, there’s still time.’

The most likely timing for marching out is the Beginning of Summer (Lixia), which marks the start of summer. Rice planting takes place from the previous seasonal division of Grain Rain (Guyu) until just before the Beginning of Summer.

‘But now Clear and Bright (Qingming) has just passed. There are still 2 weeks until Grain Rain, when planting begins. If he makes a decision within that time, there will be plenty of time until the Beginning of Summer.’

From the Beginning of Summer, the busy farming season begins in earnest, but that will be the task of the elderly, children, and women who were not drafted. It was the harsh reality of chaotic times where even the old could not rest and young children had to help with labor.

‘Originally, we would have raised troops between harvest and planting during the agricultural off-season, like when I waged the Jingzhou Recovery Campaign, but this time Liu Bei wants to take revenge to coincide with Guan Yu’s memorial service, so the timing has become awkward.’

In this war, the losing side will suffer not only the damage of defeat on top of not being able to farm properly, so the damage will be no small matter.

Of course, mobilizing all men as soldiers would ruin farming, so each country would adjust accordingly when issuing conscription orders. Just looking at us, there was hardly any conscription from the breadbasket of Yizhou.

Actively utilizing ethnic minority soldiers like the Wudang Flying Army composed of Nanzhong ethnic minorities or the Xianbei from Hetao was also to substitute for the farmers of Yizhou.

However, even so, manpower losses due to the war, such as personnel diverted for supply, were inevitable, making a decrease in yields unavoidable.

‘That’s why Pang Tong, Ma Liang, and everyone else are acting anxiously. There’s a lot at stake in this war.’

Jiang Wei says it’s okay to falter a bit in this war, but honestly, it would be better to avoid that if possible.

If we lose this time, we’ll have to enter a national-level closed-door training like how Zhuge Liang focused solely on internal stability and national power recovery after Yiling, closing the borders until the Northern Expedition.

‘Would it have been different if it was next year?’

I thought about it for a moment and shook my head.

If we had dragged it out until next year, Wei and Wu would likely have recovered from their damages and firmly established their alliance system.

Unless we were looking at a long-term war, it’s right to throw the dice this year.

‘The problem is that we’re also making a high-stakes gamble.’

As I was calculating and reconsidering this war in various ways, Liu Bei’s reply to the memorial I had submitted as a formality arrived.

[Enter the palace.]

At this unexpected response, I hurriedly dressed properly and rushed to Miyang Palace.

The throne room was empty as the ministers had not entered court. Liu Bei was seated on the jade throne placed on the dais of the throne room.

“Your subject, General of the Guards Zhang Ran, has come to see Your Imperial Majesty upon receiving your command.”

“You’ve come.”

Though the war was only about a month away, Liu Bei’s demeanor was calm.

“I read your memorial. You said I should step forward to rectify the military system and make preparations to raise troops, correct?”

“That is so, Your Majesty.”

“Yes. That’s right. I’ve worried too many people.”

Liu Bei picked up one of the memorials piled in front of him and unfolded it.

“Everyone asks what to do with the General-in-Chief’s Office. At first, I was going to take charge of it myself. I thought it right for me, as the elder brother, to take in the subordinates Yunchang left behind.”

Abolishing the General-in-Chief’s Office and including it in the central army directly under the emperor. That’s the usual approach. Increasing the troops under imperial management is directly linked to strengthening imperial authority.

“But I didn’t want to. It felt like I would be erasing one of the few remaining traces of Yunchang with my own hands.”

“Then wouldn’t it be good to temporarily entrust the General-in-Chief’s Office to someone else? I believe it would be wise to appoint a temporary position for the duration of this war, and then exercise your sage consideration regarding its treatment after the war ends.”

If so, it would be taken by someone next in rank after General-in-Chief, either the General of Chariots and Cavalry or the General of the Right, but since General of Chariots and Cavalry Ma Chao has already left to attack Wei’s Bingzhou, it would be Father, the General of the Right.

The younger brother taking in the elder brother’s subordinates, it’s not a bad picture. Liu Bei would also feel more at ease entrusting it to Father, another younger brother, than to others.

“Appoint a temporary position, you say.”

Liu Bei rose from the jade throne and began descending from the dais.

After setting foot on the floor, he continued walking until he stood before me. He spoke to me as I was bowing:

“Then will you take charge?”

“Pardon?”

“I heard Yunchang left you his spear as a keepsake?”

“That… is correct.”

“A warrior entrusted you with his weapon. There’s no need to ask what that means.”

Before I could open my mouth to make excuses, Liu Bei immediately drove the point home.

“You take charge. Of the General-in-Chief’s Office.”

A tone so resolute it would not accept refusal.

Though my rank was right after the General of Chariots and Cavalry and General of the Right, with Father here, for me to…?

Struck by a shock comparable to when I first received the tally, I could only open and close my mouth. Unlike me, Liu Bei’s words continued without pause.

“Acting General-in-Chief (Xing Da Jiangjun Shi). This is the title that will now precede your name.”

Acting on behalf of the General-in-Chief.

Though it’s a temporary position with a set term, I had now risen to the pinnacle of the military.

§

The Beginning of Summer (Lixia) in the 4th year of Zhangwu (225 AD).

The Ardent Emperor raised heavenly troops to honor the spirit of the Marquis of Zhangmou, gathering a million-strong army, such that troops and horses were as numerous as rain on the northern, western and southern borders.

Yet the ethnic minorities dared not violate the borders, and instead vied to lead their troops and horses to join the heavenly army, such was the extent of the Ardent Emperor’s sacred virtue influencing all corners of the world.

The Ardent Emperor appointed General of the Guards Zhang Ran as Acting General-in-Chief to be his Grand Commander, and under him were General of the Right Zhang Fei, Governor of Guanzhong Wu Yi, Front General Zhao Yun, Rear General Wei Yan, Commander of the Central Army Shang Cong, General Who Conquers the North Wang Ping, General Who Pacifies the South Guan Ping, Inspector of Wudang Zhang Yi, and Separate Commander Bu Rong. He led them to advance on Luoyang, causing the world to tremble at their might.

《From the Annals of Emperor Lie in the Continuation of the Han Book》