The messenger quickly nodded, took out a secret letter from Yi County from his Pregnant, respectfully handed it over, and slowly said!
“Prefect, the news was jointly reported by the Yi County Magistrate, many officials, and Military Marquis Liu. There is no falsehood; we truly defeated two to three thousand Yellow Turbans.”
The voice continued, and everyone around murmured, both shocked and excited.
They didn't expect Zhuo Commandery to have such a skilled general, capable of annihilating two to three thousand men with just a few hundred.
Wen Shu took the letter and examined it carefully. All the details of annihilating the enemy were recorded.
The final signature was from the Yi County officials jointly, so it seemed that annihilating two to three thousand men was indeed a real event, with no false reporting.
One couldn't blame Wen Shu for first doubting whether the military intelligence was complete, because during this chaotic period, there were many who faked military achievements.
Especially in such cases where a few hundred men could annihilate several times their number, most people, upon hearing the news, would basically find it very fake.
After confirming the news was true, Wen Shu's gloomy face finally broke into a smile. He stroked his beard and laughed heartily!
“Hahahaha.”
“Military Marquis Liu, indeed worthy of being a hero of my Zhuo Commandery! At this critical moment, he sent a morale-boosting battle report, sweeping away my recent gloom.”
The surrounding officials smiled upon hearing this. Finally, the oppressive atmosphere was gone. They had been holding their breath earlier, fearing they might provoke Wen Shu and be punished.
Now seeing him happy, everyone followed suit, all sighing in their hearts that this battle report had come at just the right time.
Zheng Qian, standing in the crowd, was somewhat shocked to hear of this Military Marquis Liu and the battle report from Yi County.
Could it be Liu Jin, whom he had promoted some time ago? He remembered arranging for him to guard Yi County and command that company of soldiers.
Everything matched up now; it seemed it was indeed this person.
After understanding the situation, Zheng Qian was even more shocked. That company of soldiers in Yi County numbered only about two hundred, and with his own Tuncun of soldiers, it was barely three hundred. To be able to annihilate so many enemies was truly astonishing.
After a hearty laugh, Wen Shu felt extremely refreshed. He looked at the people around him and asked loudly!
“I didn’t expect Liu Jin to be so brave. Why have I, the Prefect, never heard of him before?”
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone started to whisper and exchange glances. The name sounded somewhat familiar to them, but they couldn't recall where they had heard it.
Zheng Qian coughed lightly, drawing everyone's attention. He straightened his robes, a smile on his face, and said loudly!
“Prefect, you may not know, but Liu Jin was cultivated by my own hands.”
“He was merely a commoner back then. I saw his extraordinary bravery and developed a fondness for talent, so I promoted him to Tuncun. Later, with just over a hundred soldiers, he annihilated five hundred bandits, gaining a small reputation in the commandery city.”
“After gaining merit, I promoted him again to Military Marquis, to command a company of soldiers and guard Yi County. I never thought he would annihilate two to three thousand enemies and win such a splendid victory, which perfectly validates my judgment.”
Upon hearing this, many people seemed to recall having heard something similar. Some time ago, they heard that the Tuncun of Liye Township, with a hundred men, had killed several hundred bandits, and his name had resonated for a while.
Wen Shu nodded upon hearing this. Although Zheng Qian was trying to take some credit, he didn't expose him.
Who in the commandery city didn't know Zheng Qian's nature? He only cared about money; how could he have a fondness for talent? It was clear that some benefits had been given for the promotion.
However, he didn't concern himself with this matter. As long as there was ability, he valued it more.
Now that a victory had been won, boosting morale, he was very satisfied and naturally wouldn't dwell on whether the promotion was bought with money.
Wen Shu glanced at Zheng Qian beside him and said in a gentle voice!
“Prefect Zheng, since Liu Jin has achieved a great victory, spread this news throughout the city to calm the people and boost morale. Let all the city's residents know that they need not worry, for the bandits outside the city will be suppressed sooner or later.”
Zheng Qian heard this and quickly nodded, bowing and saying!
“Prefect, rest assured, I will immediately send people to spread the news, reassure the soldiers in the city, and boost the army's morale.”
After arranging this matter, Wen Shu pondered for a moment, then looked at the people before him and continued to instruct!
“Since the Yellow Turban threat in Yi County has been resolved, send someone to transmit a message, instructing Liu Jin to lead his troops to encircle and suppress the Yellow Turbans in Zhuo Commandery.”
“If he can quell the unrest in Zhuo Commandery, I, the Prefect, can also report to the imperial court, memorializing his merits, so that he may become a pillar of the Great Han early, and not waste his valiant and skilled heart.”
All the officials nodded upon hearing this.
Since Liu Jin had shown such bravery, if he were to lead his troops here, even if they couldn't defeat the Yellow Turbans outside the city, they could at least stabilize the city's defenses.
They immediately went to make arrangements, preparing to relay this message and have Liu Jin lead his troops to provide support.
After the matters were handled, Wen Shu breathed a sigh of relief.
With Liu Jin's troops arriving, he, the Prefect, could also settle down, no longer having to worry every day, fearing the city would be attacked.
Surrounded by his personal guards, he headed towards the Prefect's Mansion.
Cheng Yuanzhi watched the Prefect's procession disappear from the city wall, knowing that Wen Shu had left. He simply stopped shouting insults from below the city wall.
The person was gone; shouting at the city wall would be useless.
He glared at the city wall, thinking fiercely that once he absorbed the surrounding populace and organized an army of tens of thousands, he would definitely break through this city and kill all the corrupt officials within.
He immediately waved his hand, leading his thousand-plus men, and returned to the military camp in a mighty procession.
A few days later.
Outside Yi County City, in the military camp!
Liu Jin, clad in armor and with a sharp blade at his waist, was drilling the thousand-plus militiamen before him.
A few days ago, all the Yellow Turban leaders were executed, leaving only some ordinary people.
So he gave them a chance: become militiamen, and they could live. If they performed well, they could become imperial soldiers in the future, without bearing the name of a rebel.
This gave these captives hope, and they were all willing to become militiamen.
After a few days of drilling, they barely formed an army. As for their combat effectiveness, it was very low, not much different from the Yellow Turbans.
However, Liu Jin didn't expect these thousand-plus militiamen to achieve much. In a major battle against the Yellow Turbans, they could simply be used as cannon fodder, at least reducing the death rate of the regular soldiers.
One couldn't blame Liu Jin for being cruel. Since these people had joined the bandits, according to imperial law, they should not only be killed but also have their families annihilated.
Now, he had given them a way out, to become militiamen. As long as they performed well, they could become imperial soldiers, saving their lives and even making a future for themselves. This was already considered an extraordinary act of leniency.
Just then, a messenger was galloping at full speed towards this location.
After arriving beside Liu Jin, he dismounted, took out a letter from his Pregnant, and respectfully said!
“Reporting to Military Marquis, news has come from the commandery!”