The group chatted for a moment, roughly tallying the results of the battle.
They suffered dozens of casualties, killed over two thousand Yellow Turbans, captured nearly five thousand, and the remaining Yellow Turbans fled in the chaos and dark of night.
As for the captured supplies, there were three thousand shi of grain and over two hundred thousand in cash, along with many miscellaneous items.
The results were quite good; at the very least, this battle eliminated thousands of enemies, which could be considered a great victory, and reporting it to the imperial court would earn considerable merit.
They were originally just a rabble, especially when ambushed at night. Facing the Han Army's encirclement, they could only flee, surrender, or be killed.
As for the loot, it wasn't abundant; they were all poor wretches, starving and rebelling with the Yellow Turbans, so what money could they have?
After a moment of thought, Liu Jin ordered his generals to distribute the captured goods as rewards to the soldiers of the army.
Immediately, he received praise from the entire army, and many soldiers were filled with gratitude.
At the very least, their General did not keep everything he obtained for himself, but used it to reward his soldiers, which easily touched their hearts.
Everyone was filled with adoration and willing to follow Liu Jin to bravely kill enemies and achieve great deeds.
After the matters were handled, the sky gradually brightened.
Liu Jin then ordered his personal guards to send someone to notify the officials and common people in the city not to worry, as the Yellow Turbans had been completely cleared out.
Just then, dozens of figures were approaching from a distance, led by Zhao Ergou!
"Big Brother, the Lord Magistrate from the city is here."
Upon hearing this, Liu Jin immediately looked forward.
The person leading the group was elderly, about fifty years old, wearing a county magistrate's official robe, with a bronze seal and black ribbon at his waist, clearly the Magistrate of Wuji County.
This man approached quickly with a brilliant smile, cupped his hands, and politely said,
"I am Xu Wen, the Magistrate of Wuji County. Greetings, Liu Sima."
Hearing the other party's polite words, Liu Jin did not dare to be negligent. The person in front of him was of the same rank, both officials of the thousand-shi level.
He also smiled kindly, cupped his hands, and politely replied,
"I am Biebu Sima Liu Jin, Liu Wenyi. Greetings, Lord Magistrate."
Xu Wen stroked his beard, his eyes constantly appraising Liu Jin. He was handsome, powerfully built, and possessed a stern demeanor, truly looking like a fierce general of the army.
He sighed with a smile,
"Liu Sima, so young, yet able to lead an army to quell the rebellion for the imperial court and eliminate the Yellow Turbans. Truly, heroes emerge from the young."
Liu Jin smiled and humbly replied,
"Ah, Lord Magistrate Xu, you are too kind."
"Now that the nation is in peril, with Yellow Turbans rising everywhere and causing chaos, as a subject of the Han and a man, one must naturally serve the country, quell the rebellion, and pacify the common people."
Hearing these words, Xu Wen's heart was filled with passion, and he quickly nodded in approval,
"Good!"
"Liu Sima is right. As subjects of the Han, we must naturally serve the country. How can we let these rebels harm the common people?"
He paused for a moment, then continued with a smile,
"Liu Sima, may I address you by your courtesy name?"
Liu Jin smiled and nodded, politely saying,
"Lord Magistrate, as you are older than I, you may certainly address me by my courtesy name."
Hearing this, Xu Wen laughed heartily, then became serious and respectfully said,
"Wen Yi, thank you for leading your army to quell the Yellow Turbans outside Wuji County and saving the lives of tens of thousands of common people in the city."
"I thank you here."
After saying this, he immediately prepared to bow.
Liu Jin quickly reached out to support him, saying loudly,
"Lord Magistrate, there is no need to be so polite. As an official of the imperial court, it is my duty to eliminate these bandits. This is my responsibility."
Seeing this, Xu Wen did not feign modesty. He had merely wanted to express his gratitude. After straightening up, he smiled and introduced,
"Oh, Wen Yi, let me introduce you!"
"This is Zhen Yi, courtesy name Jing'an, the head of the Zhen Family of Wuji County."
"Wuji County was able to hold out for so long without being breached by the Yellow Turbans, thanks to Jing'an, who organized his family members and recruited militiamen to defend the city. Otherwise, the tens of thousands of common people in the city would surely have been massacred."
After saying this, Zhen Yi, who was standing behind him, quickly stepped forward and bowed slightly!
"Greetings, Liu Sima."
Liu Jin was slightly surprised to hear this; he hadn't expected the head of the Zhen Family to be here.
He observed the middle-aged man in front of him. Although he was in his forties or fifties, his face was firm, and his features were clear. In his youth, he could indeed have been called handsome.
No wonder he could father Zhen Mi, the most beautiful woman of the Three Kingdoms.
With a smile on his face, he politely said,
"Jing'an, there's no need for such formality."
Zhen Yi smiled and nodded, standing to the side, his eyes constantly appraising Liu Jin.
From their conversation, it was clear that this man was kind, steady, humble, and polite, without the appearance of a bandit in troubled times.
He could be called a talented individual; no wonder he could lead an army at such a young age. He truly had outstanding qualities.
After they chatted for a moment, Xu Wen suddenly asked,
"Wen Yi, may I ask why you led your army to Wuji County this time?"
Liu Jin heard this and did not hide anything, but spoke,
"I followed the imperial court's orders, leading my troops south from Zhuo Commandery to obey the command of Central Protector-General Lord Lu."
"It just so happened that I passed by Wuji County and discovered Yellow Turbans here, so I sent troops to eliminate them."
Xu Wen and Zhen Yi, who was beside him, nodded upon hearing this, showing expressions of understanding.
They had already suspected something; how could an official army appear in Wuji County without reason?
After this explanation, they understood clearly.
Among all the Yellow Turbans throughout the Han empire, those in Ji Province were the most rampant, capturing cities and territories, having already swept through most of Hebei. The imperial court had sent Lu Zhi to lead the elite soldiers of the Three Rivers and Five Schools, and officials and influential families throughout Ji Province were aware of this.
They even mobilized many troops from various commanderies to provide support, so it was perfectly normal for Liu Jin to pass through here with his troops.
Xu Wen pondered for a moment, then said with a smile,
"Wen Yi, for eliminating the Yellow Turbans and saving tens of thousands of common people in the city this time, we must thank you regardless."
"Tonight, I will prepare a banquet in the city. I hope Wen Yi can grace us with his presence and join us in the city."
Zhen Yi, standing by, also smiled and politely said,
"Yes, Liu Sima, we owe you a great deal for your help this time, which saved my Zhen Family from considerable losses. You must grace us with your presence so my Zhen Family can fulfill its duty as hosts."
Liu Jin heard this and did not hesitate. He naturally wanted to build a good relationship with the Zhen Family head, and even recruit him to his side, using the Zhen Family's wealth to support himself in the future.
He immediately nodded and said with a smile,
"Good!"
"Since Lord Magistrate and Jing'an have extended such a warm invitation, it would be rather ungracious of me to refuse."