27 Fanyang
Zhao Yun was training his 499 men seeing that they would do well in quick skirmishes but not for a long battle as they seemed exhausted while running in armor before standing and learning some basic positions that Yun learned from Athena.
His men were equipped with normal shields made out of wood with a spear and sword. He needed them to be able to carry their weight since in war the weakest link could destroy their formation and kill everyone.
Yun relied on Spartan's tactic. Making his troop learn the ins-and-outs around the shield even if it wasn't really sturdy because they were using spare wood shields and not iron or bronze shields. But he had to deal with what he had at the moment as he made his men run into each other while one side was holding the line while the other had to breakthrough it.
He was training them for less than a month when the command for them to move North came when he pulled his ten men to the side and says, "The orders were delivered. We will be deployed to the North to help with the Cavalry. It seems they need help even when they are fighting a smaller group of rebels."
"I don't think all will survive our campaign against the rebels in the North as we did before here in Guangzong," says Tang Shi as Yun nods.
"I don't expect that everyone will survive but what I expect is that we will have at least small casualties. We can't save everyone as we did in our small group before. There are too many now," says Yun as he sighs knowing full well that to win a war he requires to sacrifice people.
"We can see it as a baptism by fire for the men," says Tang Shi as Yun looked at the men training.
They walked towards the training men as Tang Shi takes their attention making them form a formation in front of him and Yun when Yun says, "We received today the order to deploy for the North to help Colonel Zou Jing."
The men were nervous as Yun continues firmly, "I won't lie to you since we all know that you aren't done with your training. But if you follow what you have learned in the last few days many of you all will survive this campaign."
"I want you to look at the person beside you since they will be the ones that will keep you alive. But don't forget they will be expecting the same from you. I want you all to keep a calm mind. Once you lose your calmness you lose the war because you make a wrong decision and that will not only kill you but also the people beside you, remember that," says Yun before telling them to rest since they will be leaving tomorrow.
The next morning Yun was sitting on Thunder leading his men while the cavalry was riding slowly in front of them. It took almost two weeks to reach their destination that was Fanyang as it was a town near the border between Ji and You Provinces as they would be in Zhuo commandery.
"It seems we are finally there," says Yun to Tang Shi as they could see the city in the far.
"I really hope this ends fast. I want to return home," says Tang Shi as Yun smiles.
"Not only you," says Yun as they reached the town and entered it.
They find many people laying on the ground with bandages as Yun says, "Let make our camp around here. I and Commander You will go and meet with Colonel Zou Jing to find out more about the situation around the north."
"Yes," says Tang Shi as Yun leaves to find Commander You Xin.
You Xin is the Cavalry Commander that was ordered with Zhao Yun to go North and help there. He is from Ganling Commandery and the same age as Zhao Xian making him a veteran and he shows it since he has lost his left eye to an enemy.
Yun went to search for him when he finds old acquaintances on his way. He finds the three brothers with their roughly forty men that could still fight. He just passed them without saying anything because he thought that it wouldn't help the overall situation if he trash-talked them.
But it seemed that he wasn't lucky since the youngest of the three recognized Yun as he passed them and asks, "Isn't he the one that humiliated us back then?"
"He is. But what is he doing here?" says Guan Yu asking himself as Zhang Fei smiles.
"He must have become a messenger," says Zhang Fei wanting to trash-talk Yun who wanted to ignore them.
"I'm not here to deliver a message. I'm here because I was deployed from Guangzong to Fanyang. I don't know why your group takes this long to take down the rebels. Ji has already been pacified as well as Jing with Yu having some rebels but they are scattered making You the only one that hasn't shown any progress so far," says Yun looking at them as he begins to leave.
"I heard that the commander of the forces to pacify Ji is a corrupt swine," says Zhang Fei as he wanted to provoke Zhao Yun.
"He is not corrupt, I can tell you that. He was released after the investigation was over and reinstated into the position of General because of the merits he could bring forward to claim his innocence," says Zhao Yun as he wasn't really interested in fighting them.
"Now then I will leave. I don't have that much time as you had in entering Guangzong to try and persuade people into following you. What do you think the Court would have to say about that," says Yun as he was leaving them behind while Liu Bei seemed a bit pale since the Emperor gave one order and it was to show no sympathy to the rebels that are trying to destroy the Han Dynasty.
Yun was near the Cavalry that he was looking for when he finds You Xin taking care of his horse.
"You are here, good. Then let us go and find Colonel Zou Jing and get our orders," says You Xin seeing Yun as he let go of his horse and both begin to move.
"How old are you again?" asks You Xin as they walked through the town.
"I'm eighteen, what is so important about my age?" asks Yun as You Xin holds his thin while walking.
"I heard about what you did back in Guangzong. I have a son that is five years younger than you but he is more interested in books and women, instead of actual practice or horse riding. Could I send him to you so he could learn a thing or two?" says You Xin surprising Zhao Yun as he stopped even walking.
"If you sent him to me, he will be trained as hard as my soldiers. Is that what you want?" asks Yun as You Xin nods.
"Yes, he was too long in his mother's embrace. Now it is time that he learns that if he wants something he needs to earn it," says You Xin as Yun picked up the pace again.
"See it done when once the war is over and he is fifteen sent him to me," says Yun as You Xin nods having a little smile on his face.
"Then let us try to survive this campaign," says You Xin as they arrived at Zou Jing's tent.
"Are you the two commanders sent from the south?" asks the guard protecting the tent.
"Yes, we are still not believing that you are taking so long," says You Xin giving them his opinion on this matter.
"The Colonel is inside with some of the others. We have lost some battles because some people can't follow orders as intended. We had to exclude them from this meeting," says the guard.
"Then you should have just used military law on him and had him executed for disobeying or not following orders," says Yun seriously because he believed a strong hand was needed if they don't want to follow your orders as intended.
"Zou Jing would have done so if he wouldn't be too afraid of killing a person named Liu. Hell could break loose if he did so without knowing if he is related to the Imperial Family or not. That's why Liu Bei is still alive," says the guard as he made way.
"I really hope he doesn't get placed on my squad," says You Xin as Yun sighs.
"Be happy he has only Infantry troops. He will be most likely placed under me. What rotten luck I have," says Yun as he hated the idea that it could happen.
They enter the tent and find Zou Jing standing over a table with a map of Zhuo Commandery with three people beside him.
"You are the reinforcements that they sent from Guangzong?" asks Zou Jing while not looking up.
"Yes, You Xin Cavalry Commander of 2000-man and beside me is Infantry Commander Zhao Yun. He commands 500 men," says You Xin presenting both to them.
"We could really need your help. We have lost many people because of some mistakes that someone made," says Zou Jing as both nod.
"We have heard so from the guard outside," says Yun as Zou Jing sighs after seeing Zhao Yun thinking that he got his position because he bribed his way somewhere there.
"Let me show you the map," says Zou Jing as both got nearer to the table.
"We need to take Zhuo before we can think of attacking Guangyang Commandery. We tried to siege them but they seem to await reinforcements from the south that won't arrive," says Zou Jing as Yun and Xin were confused.
"Haven't you tell them that Zhang Jiao and Zhang Liang have died. I even heard that Zhang Bao is almost dead if we go by how the south was going," says You Xin as Zou Jing nods.
"We have but they seem delusional not accepting that their Leader is death," says Zou Jing as he showed them the map while planning their tactics for the next battle against them.
"I have a question," says Yun looking at the terrain.
"Yes?" asks Zou Jing when Yun pointed at a forest nearby.
"Have they tried to chase you when you retreated?" asks Yun as Zou Jing nods.
"Yes, more than once," says Zou Jing as Yun smiled.
"How about we bait them out then?" asks Yun as they looked at him confused.
"What do you mean bait them out?" asks Zou Jing.
"I mean we fake a retreat once we lose some men. Commander You Xin could be staying inside this small forest hiding in plain sight with me. You lure them there and You Xin and his men flank them," says Yun as Xin liked that plan.
"They will most likely leave the gate unmanned making it easy for me and my troops to take the gate," says Yun as he looked at Zou Jing to give his blessing.
"I hope this will work. We will lose a lot of men if it doesn't," says Zou Jing as he began to distribute the remaining troops.
