Rather Than Zhang Ran, Zhang Bao’s Eldest Daughter

Shortly after the 20th year of Jian’an (215 AD), I left for Baxi Commandery, where my father was, leading my troops whose organization I had formally completed.

Of course, I, Zhang Ran, the General Who Protects the Flank, was the commander, and under me, Ma Dai was assigned as Colonel in charge of cavalry and Liu Xun as Colonel in charge of infantry. The Junhou and Dunzhang positions were also quite well filled, and after repeated training with the two Colonels during our stay in Chengdu, they were starting to show signs of being elite troops.

The reason for going to Baxi Commandery was to assist my father, Zhang Fei, the Governor of Baxi, in suppressing the barbarian tribes and bandits, but in reality, it was largely to send me, still young at 15 despite coming of age, to my father’s side to be better nurtured.

I followed Liu Bei’s measures without complaint, even though he still treated me like a child despite giving me the rank of general. There was no point in opposing as nothing would change, and there was no need to give a bad impression, but I had my own ulterior motives.

‘Baxi is a treasure trove of talent!’

Isn’t collecting talent the real fun of the Three Kingdoms?

Although I had assembled a somewhat luxurious staff with Ma Dai and Liu Xun, there was still something lacking. Not all Colonels are the same as commanders of a thousand. Although the number of soldiers was 2,000, Liu Xun and Ma Dai were each in charge of different numbers.

The reason, of course, was the value of warhorses. To form an army centered on cavalry, I invested all the reward money I received in purchasing horses. Even then, the cavalry barely reached 300.

From the start, horses were an extremely difficult resource to obtain in Yi Province. Since Xiliang, which was rich in horses, had already fallen into Cao Cao’s hands, horses, which were already expensive, were literally worth whatever price was asked in Yi Province.

Even in the 40,000-strong expedition force led by Liu Bei at the Battle of Yiling, there were only 2,000 to 3,000 cavalry, which says it all.

While the soldiers from Jingzhou quickly adapted to horses, those from Yi Province looked quite awkward. And it was no different for Colonel Liu Xun; the sight of Liu Xun riding a horse next to me looked quite precarious.

“Colonel Liu, relax a bit more. Think of it as matching yourself to the horse’s movements.”

“Hmm, I understand. This, entrusting movement to another creature, oof, is quite unfamiliar.”

Liu Xun is maintaining his balance quite well for someone riding a horse for the first time.

“You must find it even more difficult with the sword on your back.”

I naturally nodded at Ma Dai’s words. Indeed, Liu Xun had a large greatsword on his back, which looked about twice the length of a normal sword.

It was called a zhanmadao. It was funny that he used a sword for cutting down horses as his main weapon despite riding a horse, but Liu Xun was adamant.

“It’s a weapon I’ve been with for a long time. I could give up the horse, but I can’t give this up.”

Ma Dai, who as a Xiliang native regarded horses as companions and lived with them, seemed quite uncomfortable with this answer and said sourly:

“It must be a precious item.”

“Yes. It’s my favorite sword, received from the best blacksmith I know.”

Oh, that’s a bit intriguing. Someone of Liu Xun’s caliber would have a discerning eye for weapons. For him to call someone the best without any hesitation, the blacksmith’s skill must be truly extraordinary.

“If it’s alright, would you introduce me to him?”

“Ah, his name is Pu Yuan. When it comes to handling iron, there are few in the world who surpass him.”

“Pu Yuan, you say? How do you know him?”

I was so surprised that I didn’t even mind my speech.

Pu Yuan was someone I knew well too. He was the actual creator of the legendary wooden ox and gliding horse said to have been developed by Zhuge Liang. Although not the over-technology that appears in the Romance, the wooden ox and gliding horse were real objects. The wooden ox was a single-wheeled cart, and the gliding horse was a four-wheeled cart.

“Actually, I don’t know him personally, but he’s an acquaintance of my friend Wenran.”

“Wenran is the friend you said you entrusted with investigating the gambling den last time, right?”

Liu Xun had two friends from Shu, Du Zheng and Liu Shen, and Wenran was Du Zheng’s courtesy name.

The commotion at the gambling den where Liu Xun and I met. The reason Liu Xun was there was not to gamble, but to carry out a request from his friend Du Zheng, who was working as an attendant. With complaints already coming in about gamblers fleecing soldiers, Du Zheng had sent Liu Xun to properly secure evidence and identities. A kind of undercover investigation, you could say?

Anyway, if Pu Yuan made Liu Xun’s zhanmadao, it’s understandable why Liu Xun can’t give it up. Famous swords tend to captivate people. It’s not for nothing that swords like the Yitian Sword or the Qinggang Sword appear in later generations.

“Now I want to meet him too.”

“When this matter is over, I’ll pass the word to Wenran.”

“Please do.”

After several days of marching while gaining such unexpected harvests, we smoothly arrived at Baxi Commandery.

Despite being busy with official duties, my father came out personally to greet me. Hmm, no. Maybe he used me as an excuse to escape from the paperwork hell because he was so busy with official duties. Still, I felt good that my father welcomed me warmly.

To shake off the fatigue from the march, to reunite with my father, and to make a report, I instructed Ma Dai and Liu Xun to oversee the soldiers’ encampment. My father also showed consideration to ensure my soldiers could rest comfortably.

How should I take the fact that he’s stricter than anyone with his own soldiers but takes care of those under his daughter? I’ve already separated Fan Jiang and Zhang Da from my father using the merit of conquering Yi Province as an excuse, but the fundamental problem remains.

“Father, thank you for caring for my soldiers, but shouldn’t you also take care of the subordinates under you?”

“My taking care of your soldiers is merely following your leadership style, not out of consideration for those soldiers.”

Hearing the answer that he was following my pursuit of the virtuous general’s path of treating soldiers well, I put more weight on other methods instead of trying to change my father.

After all, the more self-made a person is, the firmer their beliefs tend to be, and someone like my father would probably listen with one ear and let it out the other even if his beloved daughter chatters beside him.

Even when Liu Bei, worried about my father, directly admonished the soldiers not to be too harsh, almost to the point of rebuke, he didn’t budge an inch. What could I hope for?

‘The only option is to attach as many virtuous generals as possible as my father’s subordinates.’

My father is also more polite and courteous than anyone to capable people. As I was quickly searching through my mind for personnel that would be good to attach to my father, we soon arrived at the official residence.

Forgetting the father-daughter relationship for a moment and becoming the General Who Protects the Flank and the Governor of Baxi, I made my report, and my father listened silently to the end before asking:

“You want to subjugate the Ba tribe?”

“Yes. Although Zhang Lu is standing against Cao Cao, it’s clear that he will soon be defeated and surrender or be destroyed. Previously, only Fan Shun helped Zhang Lu against Liu Zhang, so if Zhang Lu falls, he will surely try to follow Cao Cao.”

“That’s a reasonable point.”

“If they go over to Cao Cao, they will return as Cao Cao’s pawns in the future, so I thought it would be right to eliminate them in advance.”

This was a rationale that both Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang had accepted. However, since the actual implementation of the subjugation operation was delegated to my father, the Governor of Baxi, I had to persuade my father to be able to move according to my plan.

“If you answer two questions, I’ll allow it.”

I puffed out my chest proudly, as if ready to answer any question immediately.

“One is whether you can handle it alone, given that the Ba tribe’s forces are not small. The troops I command are needed to maintain public order and discipline in the army, so I can’t provide support. If you had my cooperation in mind, I can’t accept that.”

“Those who follow me are enough.”

Zhang Fei silently looked at me as if asking for more explanation.

“I didn’t set out without any information either. The Ba tribe is divided under three leaders: Du Hu, Fu Hu, and Yuan Yue. Defeating them separately would be the best strategy, but even if we have to face them simultaneously, they are undisciplined without military regulations, while our troops have proper military discipline, so how could we lose?”

Originally, battles are always about momentum. If morale collapses, numbers don’t matter. Moreover, in battles against barbarian tribes who are not the armies of the Central Plains fighting with thorough armament and proper battle formations, the share held by fierce generals is particularly large.

Look at Xiang Yu’s Battle of Pengcheng, where he defeated over 500,000 enemies with 30,000. That’s what a fierce general is. Not only does their mere presence completely shatter the enemy’s morale, but it also breaks their mental state and makes them lose all will to fight.

Although I can’t dare compare myself to Xiang Yu, Liu Xun and I are more than enough to play the role of Xiang Yu to the barbarians.

‘Xiang Yu of the countryside.’

Since Zhang Fei himself was living proof of the value of a fierce general, my father nodded at my answer and asked the next question.

“Next is time. We need to capture them before Cao Cao brings down Zhang Lu, but seeing your confidence, that doesn’t seem to be a problem either. Fine. Do as you wish.”

“I will prove your trust, Father.”

As I bowed my head with my hands clasped, my father patted my shoulder and said:

“Although you seem to have learned a lot about Baxi Commandery, it’s still an unfamiliar place you’re visiting for the first time. It’s difficult to provide military support, but I’ll at least assign you a guide.”

“Ah, about that. I have someone in mind.”

I quickly seized the opportunity that came so easily.

“Oh? Who might that be?”

“A man named Ma Chong.”