bookcurios Chapter 185 Yellow Turban Rebellion
Chapter 185 Yellow Turban Rebellion
Although it hurts my pride, I calmly judge that your current strength is probably somewhere between second- and third-rate. However, what sets you apart from others is your mastery of cold weapons, and your archery and horsemanship far surpass your peers. As a result, your superior strength quickly caught the attention of Chunyu Qiong. He initially tried to challenge you, but your improved physical fitness has transformed you. After a hard-fought battle, you triumphed over him with difficulty.
November 11th, the sixth year of Guanghe, is your birthday. You also received the first gift this world has bestowed upon you: you were successfully promoted to the rank of Quchang in the army, and now command five hundred men. Furthermore, you haven't slacked off on your training during this time. According to historical records, the Yellow Turban Rebellion, which profoundly impacted the political landscape of the late Eastern Han Dynasty, will begin in three months, next February. To succeed in this world, you must possess considerable strength.
After more than three months, not only have you advanced in both physical and technical prowess, but you've also learned more about this world. It's not just the military commanders who are powerful in this world; civil officials are equally as formidable. Powerful civil officials can not only resonate with the heavens and earth and alter the weather, but they're even proficient in various battle formations, capable of severely suppressing top-tier military commanders. This is simply bullshit.
So, striving for advancement, you tried becoming a plagiarist and participating in literary gatherings. But this world is too pragmatic. When you're lowly and lack literary fame, you can't even get in. You probably won't have the chance to become a plagiarist anytime soon. There's another fat man in the same boat. Through conversation, you learn his name is He Jin. Not long ago, he was a butcher, and at this point, he hadn't made his fortune, a powerless official with no real power. Like you, he was at the bottom of the contempt hierarchy. Knowing history well, how could you pass up this opportunity? So, through your deliberate efforts, you quickly became close friends.
As the saying goes, "Thirty years in the east, thirty years in the west." Don't despise a young man who's poor. Based on your understanding of history, He Jin will soon rise to power and become a great general. A true man born between heaven and earth cannot remain depressed and subordinate for long. So, at his invitation, you switched sides without hesitation and joined his team. (You earned the achievement: Chameleon.)
In December of the sixth year of the Guanghe era, your friendship with He Jin continued to grow. In mid-December, his sister, Concubine He, became Empress He, and He Jin became a highly sought-after figure. As the first person to successfully place his bet, you were appointed Chief Registrar by He Jin, a significant advancement in your status. He also gifted you with a high-quality Fang Tian Hua Ji, a gift that warmed your heart. Unfortunately, you were about the same age. You obtained the epic weapon: the Fang Tian Hua Ji.
In January of the seventh year of Guanghe, you spent your first New Year's Day in this world since crossing over. Just as you remembered, before launching his rebellion, Zhang Jue dispatched his disciple Tang Zhou to Luoyang to report the eunuchs Feng Yan and Xu Feng, who were supporting him. However, Tang Zhou directly reported Zhang Jue's rebellion to He Jin, and the Yellow Turban rebels, including Ma Yuanyi, were subsequently torn to pieces in Luoyang.
In early February of the seventh year, just as in history, Zhang Jue was forced to launch an uprising in Wei County ahead of schedule due to the exposure of his plan. Within a few months, the entire country responded.
Meanwhile, just three months later, instead of waiting thirty years, your friend and superior, He Jin, finally got his chance. Emperor Ling of Han appointed him Grand General, commanding the five battalions of the Left and Right Imperial Guards to defend the capital. And you, too, received your greatest opportunity since traveling to this world. At He Jin's recommendation, you became Huangfu Song's deputy, serving as Assistant Military Commander, and accompanied him in his campaign against the Yellow Turbans in Yingchuan. According to the original plot, as long as you stayed out of trouble and worked diligently alongside Huangfu Song, you would naturally be able to annihilate the Yellow Turbans and gain sufficient experience.
[In March and April of the seventh year of Guanghe, after you arrived in Yingchuan, you quickly entered a period of continuous warfare. Facts proved your judgment correct. While your combat effectiveness has greatly improved, it's definitely not top-tier. In battles against the less powerful Yellow Turban Army, you don't have an overwhelming advantage. However, thanks to your skilled cold weapon skills, at least on the surface, your record is quite impressive.]
What might surprise you even more is that magic actually exists in this world, and it's quite powerful. Some Yellow Turban leaders can easily summon wind and rain, and turn beans into soldiers. Furthermore, with the added bonus of magic, a Yellow Turban warrior can increase his combat effectiveness by 40-50%, rivaling that of an ordinary general. Even you find it difficult to deal with him.
In the subsequent wars, you didn't gain a significant advantage, but your strength gradually grew through the trials and tribulations of battle. By May, after defeating Bo Cai and Peng Tuo, you felt that your strength had improved significantly compared to when you first arrived in this world, perhaps even approaching the level of a top-tier second-tier general. War truly is the best place to hone one's character.
Especially when facing Peng Tuo, a third-rate general, he was slain by your halberd before he could even withstand ten blows. Furthermore, during these battles, you reacquainted yourself with your old friend Cao Cao, as well as Sun Jian, with whom you'd met several times. Honestly, you'd been tempted to kill Cao Cao several times, but he proved more powerful than you'd imagined, and he commanded several second- and third-rate generals. In desperation, you chose to befriend him.
In August of the seventh year of the Guanghe reign, thanks to your combined efforts, you defeated the Yellow Turban Bu Yi's forces at Cangting, capturing him and killing over 8 men. You contributed nearly one-tenth of this. At this time, Zhang Jue occupied Guangzong and controlled the heartland of Hebei. However, Lu Zhi, who was fighting in Hebei, was framed by eunuchs and recalled. His successor, Dong Zhuo, was defeated. The imperial court then issued an edict ordering Huangfu Song to lead the offensive alongside you.
In Guangzong, you met your adoptive father from your previous life, Dong Zhuo, still incredibly kind. You also encountered two of this world's greatest warriors—Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. In your original time and space, the two of them combined would barely match you, their fighting skills and physical prowess inferior. But in this world, with their sharp weapons and powerful physiques, the result is the exact opposite. You couldn't even defeat one of them—the contrast is quite stark.
You witnessed Guan Yu slay nearly 40 men with a single blow during the battle against the Yellow Turbans, leaving you completely disillusioned with the prospect of fighting him. Ultimately, if it weren't for the exceptionally sharp techniques of Zhang Jue and Zhang Liang, you doubt Guan Yu and Zhang Fei alone could have determined the outcome of the war. And based on your current rate of improvement, it would take at least three to four years before you could even compete with these two brothers, and even then, victory wouldn't be guaranteed.
At the end of August in the seventh year of the Guanghe era, with Zhang Jue's death from illness, the war drew to a close. When Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Cao Cao, Sun Jian... forget it, plus you launched the siege, no one could stop you. In a single day, you captured Guangzong, and Zhang Liang was killed. Over 8 men were killed in action, and over perished by jumping into the river. The Yellow Turban Rebellion was essentially over.