Rather Than Zhang Ran, Zhang Bao’s Eldest Daughter

In the summer of the 19th year of Jian’an (214 AD), Zhang Ran proposed to Liu Bei to rescue Ma Chao’s family, and Liu Bei accepted after deliberation. Subsequently, Liu Bei appointed Zhang Ran as a General and assigned Zhao Yun, Pang De, and Wei Yan to accompany her, all of whom were among the most renowned fierce generals in the world. Later, when Pang De joined them and broke away from Zhang Lu, the world praised them, calling them the Five Generals Who Broke Through the Pass.
《From “New Annotations to the Chronicles of Han and Jin”》

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Thud thud thud thud thud thud thud thud!!
Horses gallop. Their number was small. Barely more than ten riders. And one of those was pulling a carriage, so there weren’t even nine proper cavalry. However, if those who knew their identities later had seen them, they would have been astonished.

Zhao Yun, the Tiger of Changshan.
Pang De, the commander of the White Horse Cavalry.
Wei Yan, the future General Who Guards the West.
Pang De, the White Horse General.
And me, Zhang Ran.

We five and about ten soldiers were escorting Ma Chao’s wife and children as we ran.

“The pursuit team is close!”
It was Pang De’s shout. Among us, while his martial prowess might be debatable, his horsemanship was undoubtedly the best, so he volunteered to stay at the very rear to gauge the distance with the pursuit team.

“Let’s cut them off once!”
Wei Yan, who was sticking close to the carriage, shouted spiritedly as he turned his horse’s head. A few soldiers who heard his words followed him. Drawing a large arc, Wei Yan turned back. And as if he was a man without any fear, he charged into the pursuing force of thousands.

“Waaah!”
“Kill them!”
“The enemy is only three or four at most!!”

The enemy soldiers’ battle cries and the sound of weapons clashing from the rear gradually faded into the distance.

“Is it alright to leave that fellow like that?”
“Don’t worry. Colonel Wei is a fierce general cherished even by our lord.”

Zhao Yun’s answer to Pang De’s question wasn’t just empty words. As proof, Wei Yan returned to the formation after causing a bloodbath.

“Damn it! We lost one!”
“Hmm…”

The death of one soldier. Is there any life that isn’t precious? Those who followed Wei Yan were elite cavalry personally trained by him. Seeing Wei Yan vent his frustration at the death of a soldier who was no different from a disciple, Pang De grabbed the iron halberd on his back.

“I’ll exact the blood price. Boys, let’s show them the valor of the Xiliang cavalry!”

Although the Xiliang cavalry following Pang De were only two in number, they too turned their horses’ heads without any hesitation. They change direction much more skillfully than Wei Yan. The moment the three riders led by Pang De were swallowed by the pursuit team, blood sprayed, staining the blue sky red.

Pang De’s fight was truly a massacre. While Wei Yan and the Jingzhou cavalry’s charge was certainly an awe-inspiring display of might, Pang De unleashed a ferocity of an even higher level.

When Pang De returned, his prized white horse’s fur stained with blood, the two Xiliang cavalry were still following him.

“Is that enough for the blood price?”
Confirming that they had all returned without losing a single man, Wei Yan clicked his tongue briefly. It must have been a comparison. Perhaps he felt irritated that his own men seemed to fall short. As the distance with the pursuit team narrowed again, Pang De didn’t even have a chance to act before Pang Tong preempted him.

Pang Tong, who had been so reticent that the times he had spoken since departure could be counted on one hand, said:

“Colonel Wei, let’s go once more.”
“Would you like to join?”
“Yes.”

A chariot of slaughter featuring the two twin heads, Pang Tong and Wei Yan, churns through the pursuit team.

Despite the speed limitations of having to protect the carriage, Pang Tong and Wei Yan showed without filter why we hadn’t been caught so far. Pang Tong, who was called a fierce general on par with Zhao Yun, indeed lived up to his reputation.

Unlike Wei Yan who hadn’t yet reached his full potential, Pang Tong, who had already reached the realm of mastery, perfectly grasped when to strike and retreat, repelling the pursuit team several times.

“I didn’t know Liu Xuande had so many fierce generals under him.”
“Indeed. Those country bumpkins, they’re quite good at riding too, aren’t they?”
“Watch your words.”

At Pang De’s warning, the Xiliang cavalryman who had spoken carelessly drew in a sharp breath. Pang De is scary, after all.

But really, it doesn’t seem like we’ll lose.
It feels like we could win even if we completely turned around and engaged in a full battle with the pursuit team. Of course, we wouldn’t do such a crazy thing, leaving behind Ma Chao’s family who we’re supposed to be protecting, but I really think we could win even if we fought.

“General Zhao.”
“I’m against it.”
“How do you know what I was going to do?”
“It’s obvious you want to charge in like them, don’t you?”
“Doesn’t your blood boil as a general?”
“Our lord’s orders take priority over that. I have a duty to protect you.”
“Then come with me.”

I’m sorry. But I have to step up. This was my plan. This happened because I suggested it.

So I can’t just stay in a safe place like someone being protected while the soldiers are risking their lives.

This was a responsibility and duty I had to shoulder.

“This time, I’ll go!”
“We’ll follow you!”
“Ran! You stubborn girl. Lord Pang, please take care of the carriage. Hyah!”

With me at the vanguard, Zhao Yun and Wei Yan flank me on the left and right.
Left Zhao Yun, Right Wei Yan. How many have enjoyed such luxury? Probably only Liu Bei or Zhuge Liang. And even they probably never really charged towards enemy lines with their horse heads aligned like this.

“Hahaha!!”

I’m happy. This moment was enjoyable. Even though I knew what we were about to do was the terrible act of killing enemy soldiers, I felt like crying from the emotion of being at the center of a historic moment.

‘Not yet.’

It’s not too late to savor this ecstasy even after everything is over.
For now, I just focus on the enemies before me.

Swoosh!
A red line of blood is drawn following the path of my spear.

“Block them!”
Slash!
Everything that tries to block is cut down.

“Kuhak, what, strength…”
Thud!

It’s not even worth calling it a battle anymore. Where we three passed, only a path of corpses and blood stretched out. The horses’ legs don’t stop, and our spears continue to harvest lives.

Strength overflows. Is it because of the drug-like substances continuously secreted in the brain? It’s a body that doesn’t feel fatigue. It seemed I wasn’t the only one feeling this way. Zhao Yun and Wei Yan too.

Have you ever seen a fight between giant hornets and honeybees? Honeybees can kill giant hornets too. But to take down one giant hornet, thousands of honeybees die. It’s truly one against a thousand. A massacre.

The battle between us three and the pursuit team was close to that. Unlike honeybees that cling to the giant hornet in suicidal attacks without knowing fear as a collective, humans are creatures that have emotions and feel fear.

Even the severity of orders fades in the face of the fear of death. They deserved praise just for having pursued us this far.
Perhaps they had endured amidst the deaths of over a hundred soldiers each time Wei Yan, Pang De, Pang Tong, and Zhao Yun’s successive attacks hit, thanks to being united by the Five Pecks of Rice religion. But even that had reached its limit now.

Thud thud thud! Swish! Slash!

A finishing blow to the enemies losing their will to fight. It’s Pang De’s appearance. The enemy lines, already churned up by us, rippled again.

At the moment when the military discipline of the soldiers trying somehow to form ranks to push us back wavered.

“Let’s capture the enemy commander!”

I shouted after spotting the enemy commander in the distance. The moment the three fierce generals heard those words and joined me, the world’s finest assault team of the time cut across the enemy lines.

The miracle of Changban that Zhao Yun had achieved, the legend of the White Horse General that Pang De would write, the great merit of the Northern Expedition that Wei Yan would create.

Here, they were happening again, or rather, happening in advance.

“Mo, monsters…”

The enemy commander who faced me spat out curses with a trembling jaw and slurred speech. And that was his last words.

Slash!

My spear cuts through the neck of the enemy commander who couldn’t even resist. His severed head fell to the ground along with his collapsing body. Wei Yan, who skewered the commander’s head rolling on the blood-soaked earth with his spear, raised it high and shouted:

“The enemy commander is dead! Retreat if you don’t want to die!”

The soldiers who had already lost their fighting spirit became dazed and stopped in their tracks, strength leaving their arms holding weapons, now that even the commander to force them to fight was gone.

Unlike when we charged in at full speed, we leisurely returned along the path made over the enemies’ corpses.

Seeing the severed head that Wei Yan had separately taken care of, Pang De said:

“It’s Yang Ling.”
“The enemy commander’s name?”
“He was among the strongest in Zhang Lu’s camp. But it seems he was no match for this heroine. If even the daughter is like this, what kind of monster must Zhang Fei be?”
“Ma Chao wouldn’t be a match for General Zhengliao either.”
“Hmph, that remains to be seen.”

Yet Pang De couldn’t proudly say that Ma Chao was stronger.

Seeing us return with our entire bodies dyed red with blood without exception, Pang Tong, uncharacteristically, said with full of regret:

“I should have gone with you.”
“Aren’t you already a comrade who has shared everything with us?”
“Huh, I suppose so.”

He smiled. Wow, I’m seeing Pang Tong smile for the first time.

“What about me?”
As Pang De brought his horse alongside and asked, Zhao Yun nodded.

“Of course. How could we exclude Lord Pang De when we’ve risked our lives together?”
“It’s an honor.”

We broke through a pursuit force of thousands with just fifteen. And that while repeatedly entering the midst of the pursuit team to hold off the enemies.

Everyone knew. This escape drama would surely go down in history. Their names would certainly be passed down through thousands of years.

But unlike the others, Wei Yan couldn’t easily join in the joy. I could guess the reason. All the soldiers who were with us this time were those trained by Wei Yan.

“Three of them died. Just on our side.”
“I see.”
“We’ll remember them, but who will remember those guys?”

It was a new aspect of Wei Yan, whom I had thought was just a person with broken humanity. Who would have known that Wei Yan, who had bad relationships with superiors and colleagues except for Liu Bei, cared so much for his subordinates?

“I was just lamenting. We should be rejoicing in our great achievement, please forget it.”
“We won’t forget.”
“Pardon?”
“Xing Yao, Bai Jin, Gao Meng.”
“Their names…”
“We’ll remember them.”

I remembered the names of all those who had been with me, even if only for a moment. Although history might forget their names, I would remember them.
Just as I wish to live in someone’s memory, others would want the same.
Because I hope to remain in someone’s memory, I too will remember others.

“…Yes.”

On the way back. The wind blew. Strongly, as if trying to blow away the terrible smell of blood. Yet a gentle wind, as if soothing tired travelers.

The blood-stained cloak I wore for this mission fluttered in the wind.
Every time the cloak fluttered, stains on the lining were revealed. No, not stains. They were letters. Names. Traces of the fallen warriors written in blood.

Instead of the excuse of an honorable death, hoping that someone would know it was a death to be remembered, I returned to Yi Province like that.

Ma Chao came out to Wudu to welcome us. Not long after returning with Ma Chao, a white flag was hung in Chengdu.

It was the moment when Liu Bei finally became the master of Yi Province.