Chapter 69: Unexpectedly Obtaining A General
Zhang Zhongjing was called Zhang Ji, courtesy name Zhongjing, about forty years old, with a thin and refined appearance, three strands of black beard under his chin, and a quite scholarly image. Seeing Gan Ning visit, he cupped his fists in salute and said: “This subordinate, County Assistant Zhang Ji, thanks General Gan for strict military discipline and not harming citizens!”
Gan Ning smiled faintly: “Citizens are our clothes and food parents; how could we easily harm them.”
Zhang Zhongjing sighed: “Everyone understands the principle, but how many vassal lords can truly achieve it? General Gan understands righteousness; it is the fortune of E County and the luck of Yuzhang citizens!”
Zhang Zhongjing invited Gan Ning into the hall to sit, then had his wife serve tea.
Gan Ning nodded slightly, then smiled at Zhang Zhongjing: “Though Gan Ning is young, he has heard of many cases and is quite puzzled in his heart. For example, plagues are different: some break out in winter, some are severe in summer—what is the reason for this?”
Zhang Zhongjing smiled faintly: “Plagues, as the name implies, are hot diseases. They break out more in summer, mostly transmitted through diarrhea polluting water sources, such as typhoid fever, transmitted via fecal-oral route. Clearly in the height of summer, many patients die from loss of body heat.
The kind that breaks out in winter is actually cold plague, mainly affecting the lungs, transmitted through coughing. Generally speaking, warm plagues are treated with cold methods, cold plagues with warm methods, but the main thing is prevention: wash hands frequently, drink boiled water, and isolate patients promptly.”
“I understand. Many thanks to County Assistant Zhang for your good advice!”
Gan Ning pondered for a moment and said: “I want to appoint you as E County Magistrate; how about it?”
Zhang Zhongjing shook his head: “To tell the truth, I have no interest in being an official. These years I have treated countless illnesses and have some insights I want to write down, but I am disturbed all day by various mundane affairs, unable to settle my mind. Yet not taking office would offend Governor Liu’s face, and I also need to support my family, so I am in a dilemma.”
Gan Ning was just testing Zhang Zhongjing. Zhang Zhongjing would roughly be appointed Changsha Commandery Prefect in the year after next, serve for two years, then resign, succeeded by Han Xuan.
Gan Ning’s real purpose was to invite Zhang Zhongjing to station in Nanchang. With the Sage of Medicine in Nanchang, he would not worry about plagues ravaging Yuzhang Commandery.
He even more did not want to disrupt Zhang Zhongjing’s historical trajectory, making 《Treatise on Cold Damage Disorders》 unable to come into being—that would truly make him a sinner in history.
Seeing that Zhang Zhongjing truly did not want to be an official, Gan Ning smiled faintly: “I plan to build a medical school in Nanchang and invite you to serve as rector. You can teach students in normal times, then devote yourself to medical research, while also having ample income to support your family. Please do not decline, sir!”
Zhang Zhongjing was overjoyed—this was the position he had dreamed of!
He stroked his beard and smiled: “I have long heard that Longhu Mountain has superb scenery, which I have admired for a long time. To go to Nanchang and devote myself to writing books is my great fortune!”
Gan Ning was greatly pleased and immediately had Xu Shu arrange to send Zhang Zhongjing’s family to Nanchang. He also wrote a letter to Lu Su at the same time, ordering him to immediately establish the medical school and properly accommodate Zhang Zhongjing.
………
Gan Ning returned to the barracks and saw countless soldiers in the center of the barracks forming a large circle, continuously cheering and applauding. Inside the circle, Xu Sheng was competing in martial arts with a general; the two were locked in fierce combat, indistinguishable, and Gan Ning had never seen this general before.
Gan Ning was stunned: who was this general?
Ding Feng saw Gan Ning and hurried over to report: “Reporting to my lord, this is a surrendered general. Deng Long was exposed by him. This general’s martial arts are extremely strong, but he was buried in obscurity.”
“What is his name?”
“Reporting to my lord, he is called Wei Yan!”
Gan Ning was stunned: Wei Yan had actually emerged—completely unexpected!
“What position does he hold in the army?”
“Just a Tooth General, commanding two hundred men.”
Tooth General is Gate General, same rank as Company Commander, but Wei Yan had only two hundred subordinates, so he was a small Company Commander. If it were a large company, he would have five hundred men under him.
It seemed Wei Yan was not doing well, just a low-level general.
Although Han Dynasty official system was chaotic, with ranks like Colonel and General of the Middle Army being both military and civil positions, in the army it was relatively clear: soldier, Sergeant, Squad Leader, Battalion Commander or Hundred-man General, Company Commander or Military Officer or Gate General, Commandant, Colonel, General of the Middle Army, General, Great General.
Now Gan Ning was enfeoffed as General of the Middle Army, but his army actually numbered thirty-six thousand men, so General of the Middle Army was too low—at least he should be a Miscellaneous General.
With Gan Ning promoted to General of the Middle Army, his subordinates also rose with the tide: Shen Mi, Lou Fa, Wang Ping, Ding Feng, Xu Sheng—the five were enfeoffed as Colonels by Gan Ning; generals like Wang Xiaoman, Zhang Xi, Chen Mu, Zhang Tai, Qin Yi, Chang Nu were enfeoffed as Commandants.
Gan Ning nodded: “Bring him to see me!”
Gan Ning returned to the main army tent. Soon, Wei Yan followed Ding Feng into the tent.
Historically, after Liu Bei arrived in Jingzhou, he made many small moves, extensively recruiting Jingzhou’s low-level generals like Liao Hua, Huo Jun, Fu Tong, and so on, and Wei Yan was one of them.
Wei Yan was from Yiyang, born poor. Though his martial arts were strong, he was not heavily used. He encountered a strawbag superior Deng Long; he kindly reminded him to use fire attack, but Deng Long publicly humiliated him. Wei Yan harbored resentment and unhesitatingly betrayed him when Deng Long disguised himself to flee.
“Subordinate General Wei Yan pays respects to the General!”
Gan Ning saw he was about twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, tall and majestic, with powerful arms, dark skin, an aquiline nose, brush-like eyebrows, triangular eyes, and a very fierce appearance.
Gan Ning nodded: “I captured Deng Long alive. How to dispose of him—does General Wei have good suggestions?”
“Reporting to General, Deng Long once shot and killed Sun Jian. This subordinate suggests sending him to Jiangdong as a favor.”
“Was Sun Jian really shot dead by Deng Long?”
Wei Yan nodded: “Back then Deng Long was like this subordinate, just a Battalion Commander, and we were even from the same hometown. But Deng Long had good luck; one arrow shot and killed Sun Jian, earning Huang Zu’s favor, who took him as son-in-law. Now he has even been promoted to General of the Middle Army.”
Gan Ning slapped the desk in anger: “So you resented him and betrayed him, didn’t you?”
Wei Yan was startled and hurriedly explained: “This subordinate did not envy him. Before General’s fleet arrived, I suggested to him that Yuzhang Army would surely attack by water, requiring massive preparations of fire oil and straw to break the enemy army. He did not listen and publicly insulted me.
At that time I knew the general situation was lost, so I decided to surrender to the General, leading my two hundred subordinates down from the city walls. General can go check: my two hundred subordinates were not one injured, all safe and sound. Since I decided to surrender, of course I had to capture Deng Long to earn merit—it was not betraying him.”
Ding Feng also saluted: “Everything General Wei says is true. Please discern clearly, my lord!”
Wei Yan even knew to use fire attack—indeed a talent. Gan Ning nodded: “My army does not look at background, only at military merit. You captured Deng Long with merit; I promote you one level to Commandant, commanding one thousand men, following Colonel Ding. This time you will receive reward together. If you earn great merit in the future, I will continue to promote you.”
Wei Yan was overjoyed and knelt on one knee: “Wei Yan is willing to serve my lord with utmost effort!”
Though Wei Yan was a historical famous general, Gan Ning did not plan to promote him highly. Promoting without principle often leads to the situation of ‘a peck of rice as grace, a dou of rice as enmity.’ If the official position rises too high, Wei Yan would not only not be grateful but feel it is deserved—he might even want to be Deputy General.
The mistake Liu Bei made was exactly this: promoting Wei Yan too high all at once, making Wei Yan carried away.
The army extremely values seniority. An enemy army Gate General, upon surrender promoted directly to Colonel—his own subordinates would not accept it! But if the position is too low, Wei Yan would see no hope. So promoting him one level to Commandant based on the merit of capturing Deng Long is most appropriate.
Valuing his martial arts, affirming his merit, giving him a small promotion one level—Wei Yan’s heart would only be filled with gratitude.
