Chapter 16: When You Have Enough Lice, You Stop Feeling the Itch

The setting sun hung low in the vast expanse, accompanied by the whistling of a bitter northern wind.

"Uncle, Jinyang lies just ahead. With no warlord armies currently garrisoned within the city walls, the defense is maintained solely by the private retainers of local noble families and the common folk themselves."

Chen Cong looked up. It was unlike any Central Plain city he had imagined. As the administrative center of Bing Province, Jinyang appeared bleak from afar and desolate upon closer inspection. The formidable city walls were riddled with unpatched craters, and the mottled city gates were stained a deep, dark red.

The guards atop the walls were far from being well-equipped; they lacked armor and bows, and many held nothing more than wooden poles sharpened at one end to serve as spears.

The refugees entering the city formed a long, self-organized queue. They were scantily clad, sallow and emaciated, their steps so unsteady it seemed a mere breeze could topple them. Yet, this group of beggar-like survivors possessed eyes as fierce as wolves, with kitchen knives or cudgels tucked into their waistbands.

In other regions, commoners would either scatter or cower on the roadsides at the sight of soldiers. Here, it was entirely different. Seeing the iron cavalry approaching from afar, they consciously cleared a path and stood on both sides of the road, their eyes filled with something unexpected: longing.

At the city gate, a ragged gatekeeper hurried to Chen Cong’s horse. Standing straight despite his frail frame, he reported loudly, "Gatekeeper Hu Si greets the General! May I ask where the General hails from?"

Meeting the yearning gazes of those around him, Chen Cong slowly dismounted and patted Hu Si on the shoulder. He announced in a clear voice, "By the mandate of the General Who Conquers the West, I, Chen Cong, Governor of Bing Province, have come to preside over this land."

Hu Si’s eyes lit up. Fighting back the moisture in his eyes, he trembled, "Pardon my boldness, but... may I ask if you are the Chen the Invincible who made such a name for himself in the Sili region?"

"I am he!"

Overcome with excitement, Hu Si threw down his broken stick and sprinted into the city, shouting at the top of his lungs: "Chen the Invincible has succeeded as Governor of Bing Province! Chen the Invincible from Qiao County is our new Governor! Come out! Everyone, come out! Chen the Invincible is here!"

The people outside the gates were equally stirred. The chaotic clamor gradually unified into a single roar that pierced the clouds:

"We respectfully invite General Invincible to enter the city!"

Chen Cong took a deep breath, retrieved his halberd, remounted his horse, and clasped his hands toward the surrounding crowd. He shouted, "Form ranks! Enter the city!"

In an instant, the eighteen hundred elite cavalrymen shifted into a long, orderly column. Those who had been carrying women on their mounts gently set them down, leveled their lances, and followed the formation into the city.

Following Hu Si’s clamor, the news spread like wildfire. The city dwellers poured into the streets, weeping in each other’s arms, dancing with joy, or shouting at the top of their voices.

Compared to the mottled exterior walls, the interior of the city was relatively prosperous—though only by comparison to the desolation outside. Everywhere one looked, half-demolished farmhouses rose with thin wisps of smoke; they were not abandoned, but had been dismantled to provide stones and timber for the city's defense. Children playing in the streets held not bamboo horses or wooden swords, but sickles and sharpened sticks. Where their coarse linen clothes failed to cover them, the bodies of the adult men revealed gruesome, old scars. Occasionally, one would spot an elderly man missing an arm or a leg.

And this was merely Jinyang, the administrative seat in the heart of Bing Province, protected by solid walls. It was hard to imagine the state of affairs further north in Yanmen.

The Governor’s Mansion was located at the end of the main street, flanked to the west by a barracks capable of housing and training an army of thirty thousand. The mansion was left with only a few elderly servants, yet it was kept spotlessly clean inside and out.

Once the cavalry had been settled into their camps, the group gathered in the main hall of the Governor’s Mansion.

Chen Qun spoke first. "Uncle, the administration of the Governor’s Mansion has come to a complete standstill. The most urgent priority is to recruit the talented from the noble families, audit the tax laws and miscellaneous levies to replenish the treasury, and mobilize private family militias to restore the defenses of the various commanderies and counties."

Chen Cong tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table. He used to think Cao Cao looked pretentious when doing this, but now, he realized that when one’s mind was overworked, keeping one's fingers moving helped ward off fatigue.

The vast Bing Province had been tossed to him by Cao Cao with no support whatsoever. Of course, he could send a letter to Luoyang requesting funds and grain. But with Cao Cao’s forces unable to cross the Hangu Pass, any supply route would have to pass through Shangdang Commandery to reach Jinyang. This created a new problem: Zhang Yang, the Administrator of Shangdang.

Zhang Yang, being near Ji Province, was already inclined toward Yuan Shao; he had only refrained from acting due to the strength of Cao Cao’s army. Shipping supplies through his territory would be fine for a short while, but once Chen Cong moved his forces north, or Cao Cao attacked Yanzhou in the east, Zhang Yang’s loyalty could not be guaranteed. After all, gaining a supply train while having Yuan Shao’s backing was a temptation few could resist.

Yet, Chen Cong had no easy way to deal with him. While his eighteen hundred cavalry were invincible in open field combat, they could not fly over walls if Zhang Yang chose to hole up in his city. Without external support, he would have to find another way.

However, Chen Cong could not bring himself to squeeze the people with more taxes. Though he was not a politician, he had eyes. Bing Province was bitter and cold; if Jinyang was in this state, other places would only be worse. The autumn harvest was still five months away; to seize the people's food now would be to drive them to rebellion or death.

"Changwen, tell me... does the Wang family of Taiyuan have grain?"

"Are you asking of the Wang family of Jinyang, or the Wang family of Qi County, Uncle?"

Chen Cong rubbed his chin. "Whichever branch the Minister of the Masses belongs to, that is the one I am asking about."

It was difficult to offend other noble families for the time being, but as for Wang Yun’s kin... one offense was already done, and a second would hardly matter. Lice don't mind an extra bite.

"The Wang family of Qi County is a prominent clan in Bing Province, having held high office for generations. With the Grand Tutor Wang Yun himself serving in the imperial court, they are immensely wealthy. If we were to 'borrow' from them, it would certainly resolve our immediate crisis."

As a member of a noble family himself, Chen Qun seemed indifferent. In truth, the great clans of the late Han were not monolithic. Even without close ties between the Chen family of Yingchuan and the Wang family of Qi County, Chen Qun would be perfectly willing to see the Wangs ruined if it served the interests of his own house.

"Did you not say it, Changwen?" Chen Cong asked. "We shall 'borrow' from them."

As a descendant of the Qu-Ni lineage, a General of Invincibility, and the Governor of Bing Province, he would stoop to borrow grain for the sake of the people. If the Wang family refused to show him respect, then they would have only themselves to blame for what followed.

"Shall I entrust this matter to you, Changwen?"

Chen Qun pondered for a moment. "If you allow five hundred of the Flying Bear cavalry to accompany me, it shall be done."

Chen Cong was delighted. "Good! Daxiong, tomorrow you shall muster five hundred Flying Bears and go with Changwen."

"Understood."

"As for the mobilization of the private militias..." Chen Cong’s gaze drifted to Cheng Yu, but he dismissed the thought—Cheng Yu’s personality was too volatile and would likely cause unnecessary offense. He turned instead to Jia Xu. "Jia, you are the Administrator of Bing Province, after all. It is time you did your part."