After about the time it takes for one stick of incense to burn, Zhang Niujiao and Hu Cai arrived.
"General, what are your orders?" the two asked, cupping their fists.
Zhang Xin looked at Zhang Niujiao, "Have all the craftsmen been brought out?"
"Yes, there are over five hundred of them," Zhang Niujiao nodded.
Zhang Xin then asked Hu Cai, "Are the wooden materials for crossing the river ready?"
"They are ready, but..." Hu Cai frowned, "Time is short, General, and I couldn't find much wood."
"How many rafts can be built?" Zhang Xin asked.
"This... I'm not a craftsman, how would I know?" Hu Cai chuckled awkwardly.
"Go find a craftsman and ask," Zhang Xin said, pointing at the carriages to Zhang Niujiao, "You also send a squad of Yellow Turban Soldiers to dismantle those carriages and boxes, as many as possible."
"Yes."
Not long after, Zhang Niujiao led an old man over.
"General, this is Yan Lao," Zhang Niujiao introduced, "He is the best craftsman in the city."
Yan Lao looked at Zhang Xin's still somewhat youthful face, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, and bowed, "This old man, Yan Jin, greets the General."
"Yan Lao, there's no need for such formality," Zhang Xin quickly dismounted and helped Yan Jin up.
"Hu Cai, how much wood do you have on your side?"
Hu Cai reported a number.
Zhang Xin asked, "Yan Lao, if these wooden materials are made into rafts that can carry ten people, how many can be built?"
"Different wood has different uses," Yan Jin said, "I'll have to take a look to know."
Hu Cai led everyone to the place where the wooden materials were piled.
After inspecting them, Yan Jin said, "If they are to carry ten people, over fifty rafts can be built."
"Only fifty rafts?" Zhang Xin frowned, pointing at the dismantled carriages and saying, "If these are included, how many can be built?"
Yan Jin made a rough estimate, "Approximately seventy rafts."
"I'll assign all the craftsmen in the city to you. Don't worry about durability, just make sure they can cross the river more than ten times. Can they be ready before the hour of Mao?"
Zhang Xin calculated in his mind, seventy rafts should be enough.
"Yes!" Yan Jin nodded.
"Good," Zhang Xin said happily, "If Yan Lao can build seventy rafts before the hour of Mao, I will reward you handsomely!"
"Thank you, General," Yan Jin bowed.
Zhang Xin waved his hand, dismissing Yan Jin, and said to Zhang Niujiao and Hu Cai, "After these craftsmen finish building the rafts, hand them all over to Li Le for escort. You two will combine your forces, with Zhang Niujiao as the main General and Hu Cai as the vice General."
"First, send thirty rafts to the West Gate later, then wait for my command. If there is no order from me, anyone who opens the city gate without authorization will be executed!"
"Yes," the two responded, cupping their fists.
Zhang Niujiao lowered his hand and frowned, "General, earlier you told me to gather craftsmen, Hu Cai to find wood, Li Le to escort the families, and Zuo Bao to find incendiary materials. This... what about our army's grain?"
Hu Cai was also stunned after hearing this.
"Right, right, what about the grain?"
"You don't need to worry about the grain; I have my own way of dealing with it," Zhang Xin waved his hand, "Go do what you need to do."
The two exchanged glances, cupped their fists, and left.
Coming out of the North Gate, Zhang Xin arrived at the West Gate.
The Yellow Turbans inside the West Gate had already packed the roads, making them impassable, with the shouts of Yellow Turban Soldiers, the snores of those catching up on sleep, and the groans of the wounded all blending together.
It seemed Zhang Bao had probably pulled out every able-bodied man in the city.
Zhang Xin looked at these Yellow Turbans with a complex expression.
He knew that after today, these living people in front of him would become corpses, and their blood would dye the entire river red.
It was he who, with his own hands, sent them to the Han army's slaughter.
Even though Zhang Xin knew that even without his plan, these people wouldn't live for more than two days, at the critical moment, his heart still felt a pang of sadness.
This was the chaotic world.
During the late Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period, heroes emerged in great numbers, and countless people yearned for that era, but who knew that behind the names of these heroes lay the countless bones of the common people?
Before the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the national population was approximately fifty-five million; by the time the Western Jin unified the country, the national population had shrunk to only about sixteen million.
A century of turmoil, with less than three out of ten common people surviving, led to the subsequent collapse of the Central Plains and the chaos of the Five Barbarians.
"Since I'm here, I must find a way to preserve more vitality for the land of Huaxia."
Zhang Xin took a deep breath, and a sense of historical mission welled up from his heart.
Saving these more than five thousand Yellow Turbans today was just the beginning!
"Zi Qing!"
At this moment, a shout came from beside him, interrupting Zhang Xin's thoughts.
He looked back and indeed, it was Zhang Bao.
"Second Uncle," Zhang Xin dismounted and bowed.
"Are things ready on your side?" Zhang Bao asked.
Zhang Xin nodded, "How are things on your side, Second Uncle?"
"As soon as you give the order, we can depart immediately," Zhang Bao looked at Zhang Xin, "Do you have anything else to instruct?"
Zhang Xin thought for a moment, "Please trouble Second Uncle to order that only one torch be lit for every ten Yellow Turban Soldiers."
"Good," Zhang Bao nodded, "Anything else?"
"If Second Uncle encounters a Han army ambush, just make a gesture as if you are crossing the river to the north."
"I've noted that, anything else?"
"No," Zhang Xin looked at Zhang Bao, recalling every little detail from the past two years, and tears welled up in his eyes.
Zhang Bao smiled slightly, "You are now a General; don't act like a child."
He paused, then added, "The future of the Yellow Turbans and Ning'er, I entrust them all to you. You must lead them to live well."
"Xin will not fail Second Uncle!" Zhang Xin bowed and kowtowed.
Zhang Bao gave Zhang Xin a deep look, then turned and left.
The city gate opened, and Yellow Turban Soldiers poured out in a continuous stream.
Zhang Xin remained kneeling until all the Yellow Turbans had left the city, then he stood up and wiped away his tears.
Rubbing his sore knees, Zhang Xin called over a few of his personal guards, instructing them to act as scouts and leave the city to investigate the Han army's movements.
He then ordered someone to close the city gate and called his own fifteen hundred Yellow Turban Soldiers to the West Gate.
The Yellow Turbans' departure from the city caused a great commotion, and soon, the Han army received the news.
"You said the bandit army has left the city?"
In the main army tent, Huangfu Song, dressed in his close-fitting undergarments, rubbed his eyes sleepily.
"How many of the bandit army left the city this time?"
"Approximately fifteen thousand," the scout replied.
"You didn't miscount?" Huangfu Song's spirits lifted.
Fifteen thousand people, that was the entire main force of the Yellow Turbans within the city.
The scout nodded, "The bandit army lit a torch every ten people, so it was easy to count."
"Whose banner did the bandit army display?"
"The General of Earth."
Huangfu Song laughed heartily, all doubts in his heart gone, "Zhang Bao's death is at hand! Come! Summon all the Generals, to discuss matters in the tent!"
Soon, the Han army Generals arrived at the main army tent.
"The scout reports that Zhang Bao led an army of fifteen thousand out from the West Gate."
Huangfu Song sat high on the main seat, fully armored, and said in a deep voice, "I have already set up an ambush at the West Gate. Tonight, the bandit army is abandoning the city and fleeing; this is a heaven-sent opportunity for us to achieve complete victory!"
"The General's foresight is divine," the Generals in the tent all laughed, their faces filled with unsuppressable joy.
They all knew that after this battle, they could go home.
When the imperial court's rewards came down, many of them would be promoted and become wealthy.
Huangfu Song took out an arrow command token and shouted, "Dong Min, Niu Fu, Hu Zhen, Li Jue, Guo Si, Xu Rong!"
"General, present!"
"I order you to lead your cavalry immediately and strike the enemy's flanks!"
"Yes, sir!" Dong Min stepped forward and took the command token.
Huangfu Song then took out another command token, "I order Zong Yuan at the East Gate to immediately raise troops, capture Lower Quyang City, and cut off the bandits' retreat!"
"Yes!" A messenger stepped forward, took the command token, and went to deliver the order.
"I order Zou Jing at the North Gate to attack and prevent the bandits from crossing the river northwards!"
"Yes!"
"The rest of the Generals, follow me to lead the main force into attack!"