Chapter Fifty-Two: Ballad

While Peng Tuo could sleep soundly, Xu Kang could not. Within the vast camp, more than sixty thousand Yellow Turban soldiers were gathered. Although they had already surrendered, they remained an unstable element—should the situation change, they might instantly revert to being rebels.

Xu Kang himself commanded only four thousand troops. There was simply no way to absorb fifteen times his own force in such a short period; even if he could just barely manage it, equipping them with weapons would be a tremendous challenge. He certainly couldn’t send them into battle as before, wielding hoes and rakes. Moreover, among the sixty thousand Yellow Turbans, many were the elderly, women, or children—such people would only become cannon fodder on the battlefield and serve little purpose.

Therefore, Xu Kang issued a strict order for the selection of soldiers—only able-bodied men aged sixteen to thirty-five would be chosen. With this directive, ninety percent were immediately excluded, leaving just over six thousand. This number happened to be the maximum the army could quickly absorb at present.

To facilitate management, Xu Kang formed these men into a new independent corps, naming them the Huai River Regiment, in commemoration of the bloody battle fought by the Huai River the previous night. Once reorganized, these men donned armor, took up long halberds, and in the blink of an eye, became Han infantry.

To reassure them, Xu Kang distributed a magical bread to each of them, just as he did for the cavalry and artillery regiments, to demonstrate equality. As for the elderly, women, and children excluded from selection, Xu Kang arranged for the soldiers to cook porridge and distribute it among them, which greatly eased their unease.

By the time all was properly settled, dawn was breaking. Although Xu Kang was eager to proceed to Changshe, he knew that both his own troops and the newly absorbed Yellow Turbans needed time to rest and reorganize.

Thus, he summoned the military leaders Zhao Hong, Zhang Cheng, and Niu Sheng to his side and issued his orders.

“Pass down my command: today, we rest. Soldiers are free to do as they wish—they may leave the camp or remain inside to recover, but causing trouble is strictly forbidden!”

He paused, then quickly added as something occurred to him, “Also, no one is to harass the women and children in the camp. Since they have surrendered, I regard them as my own people. Anyone who dares to mistreat them will be executed without mercy!”

“Yes, sir!” the generals responded at once, their expressions earnest as they cupped their fists in salute.

Seeing this, Xu Kang nodded in satisfaction and waved his hand, “Good. Zhao Hong and Zhang Cheng, stay. The rest of you, go carry out my orders. Once you’re done, go wash up—a bunch of you stink to high heaven. Now get out!”

Their familiarity with Xu Kang’s manner made the generals burst into laughter. Joking and arm-in-arm, they left the tent.

Once the others had departed, Zhang Cheng smiled and saluted Xu Kang. “My lord, is there something special you wish us to do?”

“Indeed!” Xu Kang grinned, having his intention so readily discerned. He took out the paper he had written the night before and handed it to them.

“As the saying goes, there can be no order without rules. These are the military regulations I spent the whole night devising. Take a look—if you see any issues, speak up.”

“Military regulations?” Zhang Cheng and Zhao Hong immediately took the paper and eagerly examined its contents.

“The Three Main Rules and Eight Points of Attention?”

Reading through, their eyes grew ever brighter. At last, they saluted Xu Kang with heartfelt respect.

“My lord, these regulations are excellent! With such a weapon, our army will surely grow strong!”

“Indeed, I believe they should be posted and read aloud in every unit immediately, so all soldiers learn them by heart!”

That was precisely Xu Kang’s intention, and he nodded with a smile. “Very well, if you both approve, see that it is done. Take advantage of today’s rest to make sure everyone knows them!”

“Yes, sir!” Zhao Hong and Zhang Cheng replied, then took the regulations and left the tent. They quickly had more than a hundred copies made and went about the camp, reading them aloud to every unit.

“Lord Xu has issued new regulations—the Three Main Rules and Eight Points of Attention. Everyone must learn them by heart! Any violations will be severely punished!”

“The Three Main Rules: First, always obey orders. Second, do not take so much as a needle or thread from the people. Third, all spoils must be turned over to the collective.”

“The Eight Points of Attention: One, speak kindly. Two, fairness in trade. Three, return what you borrow. Four, compensate for any damage. Five, do not strike or insult others. Six, do not harm crops. Seven, do not harass women. Eight, do not mistreat prisoners!”

“Let me repeat—everyone, pay attention! The Three Main Rules and Eight Points of Attention…”

The soldiers assigned to read the regulations recited them again and again—four or five times before leaving, and after one or two hours, they would return to repeat the process.

There was little choice; most people could not read, so repetition was necessary. Even those charged with reading the regulations could barely recognize the characters—Zhao Hong and Zhang Cheng had to first recite them aloud, then have the others commit them to memory by rote.

Fortunately, the rules were brief and phrased simply, making them easy to remember. By afternoon, not only the soldiers but even the Yellow Turban women, children, and elderly in the camp could recite them.

The institution of these regulations brought great reassurance to the women and children, and a cheerful atmosphere began to emerge in the camp. Some women, washing clothes, even began to sing:

“I have thornbushes, Lord Cen cuts them down. I have locusts, Lord Cen restrains them. Dogs bark without fear, your steps raise no dust. With full bellies and contented hearts, who fears disaster? I rejoice to live in these times—blessed am I, Lord Cen, oh, let peace endure…”

As they sang, Xu Kang stood nearby, listening. Though he could not understand every line, he knew the song praised a man named Lord Cen.

At the end, Xu Kang could not help but sigh. “Alas, in this world, an official merely fulfilling his duty is exalted in song by the people. What a world, where gratitude is so rare…”

As he spoke these words, he made a quiet vow: so long as his abilities allowed, in every post he held, he would strive to benefit the people. Not for fame, nor for fortune, but for the suffering masses of this land, and for those brothers-in-arms who followed him through fire and blood.

The thought filled Xu Kang with hot-blooded resolve. Unable to restrain himself, he began to sing his favorite song—“Devotion to Country”:

“A beacon fire rises, gazing north over the land,
Dragons stir, horses whinny, blades flash like frost.
My heart, vast as the Yellow River,
In twenty years of war, who can withstand me?

Hatred surges wild, my long blade leads the way,
How many brothers’ loyal souls lie buried in foreign soil?
A hundred deaths I would not regret, repaying my homeland—
Yet I sigh in silence, blood and tears filling my eyes…”

As his song rang out, the soldiers sitting on the ground one by one rose to their feet. They stared at Xu Kang, tears glimmering in their eyes.

Night was falling.