Chapter 008: The Fierce Aunt

Dong Zhuo returned, bringing news that wasn’t very good.

The rebels had regrouped at Jincheng. 

This time, Zhang Wen, the imperial commander tasked with suppressing the rebellion, advocated for a decisive battle against the rebels, a head-on confrontation despite their relative disadvantage in morale and troop strength.

Moreover, there were no strategic maneuvers or tactical plans as backup; it would be a pure, unadulterated clash of arms.

Victory would crush the rebels and reclaim Jincheng in one fell swoop.

Defeat, however, would mean the court lost control of Xiliang, with even Yongzhou and the Three Auxiliaries facing raids.

Long Tian waited at the city gate. Soon, a troop approached.

Leading the charge was a towering woman nearing six feet tall, clad in bronze armor. A long spear strapped to her back, a bullhorn bow hung before her horse.

Her handsome, robust frame and deep-set eyes gave her the statuesque and exotic beauty typically associated with people from the West.

Beside her stood another equally tall figure, a girl with a distinctly childlike face yet remarkably sturdy build, like a muscular Barbie doll.

Her eyes were determined, and her complexion was a bit sallow, battered by the wind and sand.

Long Tian stepped forward respectfully, bowing his hands to the tall, mature woman.

“Greetings, Aunt.” 

He then turned to the other, nearly his own height, and smiled. 

“Little Sister, you’re back. So glad to see you safe.“

The muscular Barbie wrinkled her nose and looked Long Tian up and down, as if recognizing this brother of hers for the first time. 

“Brother, I heard you’re quite a fighter. How about a fight?”

This was Long Tian’s younger sister, Long Le. She’d been close to her aunt since childhood and, as she grew up, had trained alongside her in horseback riding and martial arts.

Recently, she’d been accompanying her aunt on missions to… well, cut people down.

His aunt, Ai Duo, was a woman from a powerful Qiang family and had married Dong Zhuo as a wife. 

This was why Dong Zhuo held such a prestigious reputation within the Qiang tribes.

With his wife’s assistance, he was later able to rely on his own hard work to build a career.

In the Three Kingdoms era, starting from nothing was simply impossible.

There was no one under heaven who truly started from nothing. Even Liu Bang, famed as a rogue, was educated and held the position of chief at Sishui Pavilion, a strategic hub controlling both land and water trade routes. He commanded troops and cultivated countless connections.

To believe such men rose purely from the wilderness is sheer folly.

Ai Duo slapped Long Tian’s shoulder heartily, even pinching his muscles with apparent satisfaction.

“Not bad… You’re starting to look like a real man now. I should’ve brought you along to hack all those bastards to death!”

Previously, Ai Duo’s maternal clan had been attacked by another tribe, and they sent people to ask for help.

Ai Duo immediately set out with her private troops. Her agile form showed no hint that she was a mother of three, a woman who even had a granddaughter.

Tall, sturdy, and even more remarkably, she managed her household with impeccable order.

She could handle the kitchen, grace the reception hall, and even excel in the bridal chamber, a truly perfect candidate.

“There’ll be time for that later. Aunt, you should go rest now. Little sister, you too.”

Long Tian smiled. Regarding such a fierce aunt, he didn’t dare have any ideas. It wasn’t that Ai Duo wasn’t good-looking, but that if things went wrong, he might get chopped into pieces.

Of course, he’d only make a move after careful consideration.

Long Le wrinkled her nose and adjusted her armor. “Got it. You go home early too.”

Accompanying them into the city were dozens of Qiang female soldiers, all strong, sturdy, and nimble. They were all Qiang women, known for their tough character.

Any one of them could make their husband pee his pants just by glaring.

Before long, another cavalry unit appeared in the distance, none other than Dong Zhuo returning from his campaign.

Closely following Dong Zhuo was his son-in-law, Niu Fu, the hapless victim who’d recently been cuckolded by Long Tian.

Following them were trusted generals, including Li Jue and Guo Si. 

Among them stood a muscular, stocky man with the characters “Hua Xiong” prominently displayed on his headgear.

“Little Tian, you’ve waited a long time. Come with me to the manor; there are matters to discuss.” 

Dong Zhuo nodded to Long Tian. This nephew’s capabilities were not to be underestimated, and he now needed his assistance more than ever.

The group hurried back to the county magistrate’s residence, where Dong Zhuo plopped onto the main seat with a heavy thud.

In the North, specifically in these border regions, the seating resembled what a modern person might call a chair. 

In contrast, the seats of the Central Plains and Chang’an were still primarily woven mats. 

These elevated seats were known as Hu chairs, introduced to the region by the Hu people.

The cultural divide was practical as well as social. Because most traditional clothing of the era lacked a closed-crotch lower garment, sitting cross-legged was considered a grave breach of etiquette, as it risked indecent exposure. 

Consequently, the refined elite of the Central Plains adhered to guizuo, a formal kneeling posture.

While kneeling was dignified, it was notoriously impractical; stretching one’s legs forward while eating was seen as uncouth, yet staying tucked in was sheer physical torture.

Longxi Province, situated in the heart of Xiliang, was a melting pot where the Qiang and Hu cultures merged with those of the Western Regions. Here, the practical Hu chair was the standard. 

It was a rugged tradition that happened to suit Long Tian’s modern habits much better than the stiff formalities of the capital.

After taking his seat, Dong Zhuo surveyed his generals. “The imperial commander has ordered me to attack Jincheng and crush the rebel leader Bian Zhang. Do any of you have sound strategies?”

The people below were all rough fellows; how could they have any schemes? So, they all lowered their heads and stayed silent. 

Asking them to fight and charge enemy lines was no problem, but asking them to offer counsel was making things difficult for them.

Only Li Ru pondered for a moment, looking at the map before him. 

“We might employ a strategy of forming alliances and breaking them. Incite Ma Teng and Han Sui to sever ties with the rebels, promising only that we won’t pursue charges for their rebellion. That way, we’d only need to confront Bian Zhang in Jincheng. If our advance is swift enough, Bian Zhang won’t have time to react, and we can capture the city.”

“The military strategist is correct.” “ Niu Fu was the first to jump up in agreement, followed by the others one after another. 

They understood jack-shit; they didn’t understand at all.

Only Long Tian kept his head down, silent. He didn’t understand, nor did he wish to.

Instead, he glanced at a middle-aged man sitting opposite him, head bowed and silent. 

Not for any other reason, but because this portly man seemed somewhat out of place among the Xiliang men, and there were two characters hovering over his head: “Jia Xu!”

Even those unfamiliar with the Three Kingdoms knew Jia Xu’s name.  

Setting aside his cunning, he was the only strategist who could switch allegiances between several lords yet still enjoy a peaceful old age.

Compared to other strategists of his era, who either died or were crippled, only he remained alive and kicking until the very end.

Such a person, no matter the era, was a valuable asset.

Dong Zhuo scanned the room, then turned his gaze to Long Tian. “Little Tian, what are your thoughts?”

“I am of the younger generation, still learning the wisdom and tactics of battle from my elders. Whatever my uncle commands, I shall obey without question.”

Long Tian wasn’t one to show off unnecessarily. The best approach was to remain silent and watch the others make a spectacle of themselves.

Focusing on his own tasks and steadily building his strength was the true path to mastery.

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