Chapter 58: The Chivalrous Spirit of Young Master Zuo

Outside the city of Zhuo.

Liu Bei split his already meager forces into two.

Zhang Fei took a group of men to raid and harass the Administrator's separate estate.

Meanwhile, Liu Bei waited far outside the city of Zhuo until nightfall, whereupon he personally beat the drum for an advance, yet ordered no one to launch an attack.

"My Lord, that Liu Wei is indeed just as you anticipated. The moment he spotted us 'bandits,' he immediately rode out of the city and took every single yamen runner and servant in the county to the separate estate..."

Duan Jiong was conferring with Liu Bei: "However, the gates of Zhuo County are firmly shut right now. Even with no troops left inside the city, it will be extremely difficult for us to enter within a single night. Gongsun Zan should have received word by now, and he can gallop here in a single day..."

Right now, Liu Bei could only operate under the guise of bandit forces; he could not fly the banner of Zou Jing, nor could he allow himself to be recognized.

Furthermore, having marched here in a forced march, they brought no siege equipment whatsoever...

Breaking the city within a single night was indeed nearly impossible.

Gongsun Zan was encamped less than fifty miles from Zhuo County, with a force more than twice the size of Liu Bei's, backed by formidable elite volunteers. Liu Bei could not afford to confront him outside the city walls under the banner of outlaws.

"Actually, it doesn't matter if we cannot enter Zhuo County. As long as the Administrator's separate estate is attacked by bandits, Liu Wei will inevitably direct his fury at Gongsun Zan, leaving Gongsun Zan with no other choice..."

Liu Bei picked up a drumstick, twirled it over the military drum, and said, "If we cannot enter the city tonight, we will withdraw from here and head toward the direction of Beixincheng to seek out the main force of the Taihang bandits. I imagine the Taihang bandits would be quite pleased to acquire an ally who can lead them straight into the Administrator's separate estate... The wealth and grain within Administrator Liu's fortified manor are countless..."

Listening from the side, Zhang Baiqi thought to himself that Liu Bei's method of making friends was far more formidable than Nine-Foot's...

...

Zou Dan was currently very irritable.

He could understand bandits coming to attack the city; although his master had sent men to contact the Taihang bandits, not all of them could be reached, and there were always a few unruly elements.

In any case, the bandits lacked siege equipment, so it was impossible for them to break into the city anytime soon.

Yet those bandits were truly detestable—they kept beating drums all through the night, yet never actually attacked!

He had never expected the Taihang bandits to employ the tactic of exhausting the enemy... Zou Dan was desperately sleepy.

Moreover, with very few capable men left inside the city, Zou Dan could not rest.

This was because Administrator Liu Wei's separate estate and fortified manor were located outside the city.

Presumably because there was too much wealth in the estate to transfer into the city in a short time, Administrator Liu Wei had immediately ridden out of the city upon discovering the bandits' approach, taking every single man from both the commandery and the county to garrison his family's separate estate.

He had left Zou Dan with nothing but an empty yamen in the city.

Seeing this situation, the prominent local families had also led their retainers out of the city, gathering at the Liu family's fortified manor—which also lay east of the city, merely a few miles away from Administrator Liu Wei's separate estate.

With not even a single proper soldier left in the county, it was certainly less safe than staying near the Administrator's estate.

Consequently, Zou Dan was left with only a dozen personal bodyguards, and he had to both maintain defenses and dispatch messengers...

Right now, Zou Dan could only stand atop the city wall, gazing wistfully out of the city like a stone statue waiting for her husband's return.

Fortunately, the bandits beneath the wall showed no intention of scaling it directly; they were likely mere petty thieves.

Once tonight passed, by tomorrow afternoon at the latest, Gongsun Zan would be able to gallop back.

In truth, the city was not entirely devoid of people. Aside from Zou Dan's bodyguards, there were still at least several dozen roamers in Zhuo County who could be considered fighting men, along with dozens of estate guards and retainers assembled by the merchants of the county.

However, these people were unwilling to submit to Zou Dan's command—Gongsun Zan's reputation in the county was abysmal, and since Zou Dan had previously sealed the wine taverns in the city, he had long since become a thorn in the side of the roamers and merchants.

Should bandits attack the city, they would participate in its defense to protect their homes.

But if the bandits did not attack, Zou Dan could dream on if he thought he could order them around.

...

In the night, the sound of drums shook the air.

Zuo Yuan went up to the city wall to take a look.

Yet what Zuo Yuan saw was different from what Zou Dan saw...

Zou Dan saw only a band of outlaws attempting to besiege the city.

Whereas Zuo Yuan beheld a familiar scene—in the dead of night, the battle drums sounding for a charge... yet no one was attacking.

"Dong... Dong-dong... Dong-dong-dong..."

The advance drums of that night beat with the exact same rhythm.

If those beneath the city were truly bandits, how could they beat the charging drums of advance while refusing to attack?

Returning to the guesthouse, Zuo Yuan changed into a set of men's short attire and took up a sword.

The short tunic belonged to Liu Bei, and the sword was the one Liu Bei had used back when he was a roamer.

Zuo Yuan was considered quite tall for a woman, but wearing Liu Bei's clothes, they still appeared somewhat too long.

She drew her sword, sliced off the lower hem, and used the severed strips of cloth to bind a bracer onto her arm.

"My child, what are you..."

Liu Bei's mother watched Zuo Yuan's movements with deep concern. Having lived as a widow for many years, she now had Zuo Yuan's company and regarded her as her own daughter.

"Zuo Yuan is a retainer of the Liu clan; naturally, I must protect our home and defend our master."

Zuo Yuan secured her bracer, twisted her hair up into a casual ponytail, and bowed in farewell to Liu Bei's mother: "Set your mind at ease, Mother. Yuan is going up to the city wall to meet the enemy."

Zuo Yuan truly was Liu Bei's retainer, and moreover, his very first retainer.

Now a woman of good standing, she naturally would no longer remain in Liu Bei's household in the capacity of a maid or a musician.

Taking women as retainers was actually a common practice, and various households had quite a few female retainers, but most of them were weavers or silkworm attendants who earned money for the family.

Zuo Yuan, however, was much more like a warrior.

After all, she had chosen to follow him all the way precisely because Liu Bei had single-handedly fought off the enemy in a desperate, life-or-death struggle.

Liu Bei's mother reached out a hand, but then pulled it back, letting out a deep sigh: "My child, be careful..."

Stepping out of the guesthouse and into the street, she saw dozens of young roamers gathered before the Zhang family's wine tavern, every single one of them armed with sabers and swords.

The tavern had been sealed, but the roamers still loved to gather here.

This was a street intersection, and the roamers had lit numerous torches to illuminate the area—something Liu Bei and Jian Yong used to do, patrolling the city at night during emergencies to prevent outlaws from causing chaos.

"Are you all companions of Master Liu and Judicial Officer Jian?"

Zuo Yuan stepped forward and asked.

"Could it be Sister Zuo? Why are you dressed like this? Why are you not inside keeping Madame company?"

A young man recognized Zuo Yuan and looked somewhat curious upon seeing her armed with a sword.

These youths were indeed friends of Liu Bei and Jian Yong—the very ones who constantly drank and bragged at Zhang Fei's house.

"I am a retainer under Liu Xuande. Now that bandits have come to commit outrages, this is a moment of peril between life and death. I am going to guard the city and protect the home for Master Liu. Brothers, are you willing to fight shoulder to shoulder with me?"

Zuo Yuan was dressed in men's attire and performed a man's formal bow.

Although her graceful feminine physique could not be entirely concealed, at this moment, not a single person could view her as merely a woman.

"Sister... Brother Zuo is heroic, possessing the very same chivalrous spirit as our Eldest Brother! I will go with Brother Zuo!"

The young man solemnly stood up, returned the bow, and changed his form of address, calling her brother.

"We will go with Brother Zuo!"

The roamers stood up one after another.

"Good... Break open these doors, fetch the wine, and let us ascend the city walls!"

Zuo Yuan drew her sword, slashed through the sealing timber on the tavern's door with a single stroke, and broke straight in.

The youths cheered thunderously, drank deeply of the wine inside the tavern, and then ascended the city wall alongside Zuo Yuan.

"Official Zou, since you have no men at your disposal, how about I take charge of defending this city?"

Zuo Dan, still acting as a stone statue upon the ramparts, suddenly heard a woman's voice behind him.

Turning around, he saw Zuo Yuan leading a dozen youths up onto the city wall.

"What are you lot doing here? Are you trying to cause a rebellion? Get down!"

Zou Dan's complexion was utterly foul. He harbored deep grievances against Administrator Liu Wei and was currently seething with irritation; his roar upon turning around was entirely devoid of politeness.

Zuo Yuan had no desire to exchange words with Zou Dan; she drew her sword and thrust it straight forward.

Zou Dan had truly never imagined that this woman would resort to violence without a word, and he hurriedly raised his arms to block the blade.

He blocked it, but his arm was pierced right through.

"How dare you..."

Zou Dan shoved her back with all his might, retreating two steps as he tried to grab the battle-axe leaning against the wall, but pain flared in his arm and he failed to lift it.

"Throw him off the wall. From here on, we take over."

Zuo Yuan did not press the attack further. She despised men who kidnapped other people's mothers, and directly ordered the roamers to take action.

The roamers had long been resentful of the sealing of the Zhang family's wine tavern, and even more furious over the house arrest of Liu Bei and Jian Yong's mothers. Coupled with the wine they had just consumed, their boldness was at its peak. Swarming forward as one, they hurled Zou Dan straight off the ramparts, where he hit the ground below and fell utterly silent.

"Go open the county granary, take out the coin to offer rewards to the brave, dismantle the county administrative offices to get timber for siege-defending engines, and have the merchant families boil human waste and pitch..."

Zuo Yuan commanded the youths, arranging the city defenses: "Open the city gates; I am going outside to take a look."

"Sister Zuo? You're going out of the city? There are so many bandits out there!"

The roamers were shocked; this woman was far too daring.

"Someone has to go out and negotiate a bit... Besides, those outside may not necessarily be bandits. If I haven't returned after two hours, just seal all the city gates shut..."

Zuo Yuan issued her instructions, turned around, and walked toward the outside of the city.

...

"I merely beat the drums a few times to test the waters; I never expected you to actually understand... I thought I was going to have to scale the walls to get in."

Liu Bei looked up and down at Zuo Yuan, who looked like a swordsman: "This outfit suits you very well."

"Ha, do not blame me for ruining my Lord's garments."

Zuo Yuan smiled, gesturing toward the city gates behind her: "Actually, I had no idea whether the person beneath the city was my Lord or not, but I felt I ought to come out and see... Does my Lord wish to enter the city?"

"With you there, I won't enter the city."

Liu Bei raised his head to look at the ramparts: "How long can you hold this city?"

"I cannot hold it for long."

Zuo Yuan maintained her unyielding, poised demeanor: "I just threw Zou Dan off the city wall; my Lord will need to send someone to replace me... Gongsun Bogui knows me."

"No one can replace you... You are far stronger than them."

Liu Bei offered his sincere praise, then turned to give his orders: "Zhang Baiqi, you will enter the city and follow Zuo Yuan's instructions. When necessary, Baiqi, you should step forward and proclaim yourself to be a Taihang bandit."

"My Lord, how long are we to hold out inside the city?"

Zhang Baiqi cupped his fists toward Zuo Yuan, then turned to ask Liu Bei.

"About five days—just hold out until the Taihang bandits launch a massive invasion."

Liu Bei assigned the task to Zhang Baiqi: "Your only duties are to firmly hold the city and step forward to speak with outsiders; Zuo Yuan will arrange everything else."

"Rest assured, my Lord. Five days is not enough time for Gongsun Bogui to build siege engines; we will hold it."

Zhang Baiqi led his underworld veterans and followed Zuo Yuan into the city.

Liu Bei turned around, recalled Zhang Fei, and led the remaining soldiers toward the direction of Beixincheng.

Duan Jiong brought a contingent of auxiliary troops to remain stationed at Ten-Mile Pavilion so as to provide support at a moment's notice.