Inside Hulao Pass,
Lin Shan, the guard commander of Hulao Pass, was already a bit tipsy.
"Old, old brother, I really can't drink anymore. How about next time, next time?"
"That works too!"
A burly man sitting opposite Lin Shan drained the large bowl in front of him.
"Brother, I'll have to count on you a lot from now on. I'll toast you one last time!"
"Alright, alright..."
Lin Shan, slurring his words, finally raised his wine bowl and clinked it with the burly man.
For no other reason,
than the small bag of gold the man had delivered that afternoon, Lin Shan felt this guy was a good brother.
Of course!
If it weren't for his superior's orders, he wouldn't dare be so reckless.
But since his immediate superior had agreed to let this fellow in, wasn't it obvious?
It was a golden opportunity!
Although the term didn't exist in the late Han Dynasty, the meaning was the same.
With the front lines on the verge of a major battle, wouldn't coming here for a mere formality lead to a swift promotion upon return?
To put it nicely,
He too had been on the battlefield, sword in hand, risking his life for the Emperor!
As for why he wasn't at the front lines but at Hulao Pass?
Did that even need asking?
It was safe!
Did anyone really think those sons of noble families were fools?
Aside from those who had no choice but to fight, most of them were holed up in strategic locations like this.
They claimed to be on the front lines,
but in reality?
It was possible they wouldn't even see the enemy's shadow by the time the war ended.
However,
Such prime positions weren't for just anyone; those who ended up here usually had some backing.
Not only was it difficult to get past the immediate superior, but it was even harder to get past the pass commander if you didn't offer some kind of bribe.
Why?
Because they were the ones in direct charge!
If you didn't offer some benefits, build rapport, and, worse, offend them,
they would genuinely send you to the battlefield!
Even if your backing was powerful, if you died, you were truly dead.
Therefore,
Lin Shan's hands had been so sore from receiving gifts recently that he went to bed drunk every night.
He was used to it anyway!
If he didn't seize this opportunity to make a fortune, who knew when the next one would come?
It wasn't just him who was accustomed to it.
Under his subtle influence, the entire garrison at the pass had also gotten used to it.
After all,
the enemy was still quite a distance away, and the allied forces were holding the front.
Their role?
Purely for show!
If even the allied forces were defeated, what use would their defense of this dilapidated place be?
So,
when the Yellow Turban rebels infiltrated the pass through a shortcut, they were like fish in water.
Gold?
They were never short of it!
Their operational funds were all plundered, and they usually spent as much as they stole.
Once spent, they'd steal more!
With this,
the Yellow Turban leader Guan Hai, whose martial prowess was second to none, successfully infiltrated Hulao Pass and, by evening, had gotten the guard commander Lin Shan drunk.
Even,
Under Guan Hai's intentional flattery and subtle suggestions, he and a few others were on duty that night.
Interestingly,
Out of the eight men guarding the lower section of the pass, five were Guan Hai's men.
The remaining two?
They had already accepted bribes and were inside, keeping warm.
Although it wasn't winter yet, it was close to it.
Standing guard in thin leather armor at night was still quite unbearable.
In the latter half of the night,
Guan Hai, after dealing with the two sleeping guards inside, signaled the others to open the main gate.
As for himself?
With a large saber in hand, he stood behind the pass, waiting.
The opening of the pass gate made quite a noise; he had to be prepared for someone to charge out.
However,
Until they had opened the gate more than halfway, no one had noticed anything amiss.
It was Lin Shan, the guard commander, who heard some commotion when he went to relieve himself in the middle of the night.
"Old, old brother, what are you..."
Half-asleep, he arrived at the pass, but before he could finish his sentence, Lin Shan snapped awake.
"Holy shit?"
"Are you looking to die?!"
"Opening the gate without orders is punishable by death!"
Breaking out in a cold sweat, Lin Shan instinctively waved his hand at Guan Hai.
"Close it quickly, quickly... Huh?"
As he spoke, Lin Shan felt something was off. Why would they open the gate in the middle of the night?
While he was still wondering,
Through the now fully opened gate, Lin Shan saw the situation outside.
"This, this...
"I..."
Looking at the dense mass of Yellow Turban rebels holding torches outside, Lin Shan almost burst into tears.
"Old, brother, can I join the Yellow Turbans?"
"Hmm?"
Guan Hai, who had been about to strike him down, heard this and nodded slightly.
"That depends on your usefulness."
"I, I..."
Seeing the Yellow Turbans already entering the pass, Lin Shan's eyes suddenly lit up.
"I can help you take Sishui Pass!"
---
The next day,
in the early morning,
scouts from the allied forces, with sleepy eyes, began their patrol along the official road.
This was one of their daily routines.
They would patrol along the river every day, checking for any Yellow Turban rebels attempting to cross.
Three times a day!
As long as they confirmed no Yellow Turbans were crossing, they could go back to sleep.
This life, in their opinion, was simply too good.
Because,
every day after their patrol, they could eat hot meals.
This was something they couldn't even have imagined before.
Going out to war and expecting hot food?
Being given some dry rations to fill your stomach was already a great kindness.
However,
Wang Xiaotian, whose turn it was to patrol today, broke out in a cold sweat at the sight before him.
"They, they crossed the river?"
"The Yellow Turbans crossed the river!"
"Oh my god!"
Regaining his senses, Wang Xiaotian turned his horse and galloped towards the main camp without a second thought.
Soon,
the allied army camp, having received the news, fell into a brief panic.
The Yellow Turbans had crossed the river?
How dare they?
Could it be that something had gone wrong somewhere?
"Everyone~!"
Lu Zhi, who was always contemplating strengthening defenses, was also caught off guard by this news.
"Those Yellow Turbans actually dared to cross the river and sneak towards Hulao Pass. What are your thoughts on this?"
"Attack!"
Ding Yuan, who had been itching for a fight, glared at Qin Feng and said with a cold smile,
"Didn't someone say earlier that they wanted to be the vanguard? Now's your chance!"
"Prefect Qin, wouldn't you agree?"
"Heh heh..."
Hearing Ding Yuan's provocation, Qin Feng's lips curled into a slight smile as he looked at him thoughtfully.
"Prefect Ding, have you brought your adopted son? We are all eager to witness the 'God of War's' prowess!"
"You..."
Ding Yuan, whose face had previously been smiling, now lost his smile completely.
Damn it!
He had never been entirely at ease with Lu Bu. On one hand, he had adopted him as a godson to appease him; on the other, he had transferred him to a civilian post.
But who would have thought,
that a sudden imperial decree in the past two days had directly appointed Lu Bu as the Great General of the Vanguard for the allied forces.
Was this some kind of joke?
Did such an official exist in the Han Dynasty?
He had never heard of it!
The crucial point was,
this was an imperial decree personally issued by the Emperor, and he had no right to refuse it.
This had thoroughly disgusted Ding Yuan.
What to do?
There was no choice!
Aside from watching Lu Bu take up his post, he had no power to stop him!
How could he be at peace?
After all,
he was perfectly aware of how he had previously bullied Lu Bu!