Surviving as Guan Yu in the Three Kingdoms

Liu Bei stood up and spoke with resolute determination.

“From now on, we’ll go to suppress the Yellow Turbans according to His Majesty’s edict. Does everyone agree with that?”

Everyone gathered here – Zhang Shiping, me, Zhang Fei, and Gan Ning – all want to suppress the Yellow Turbans and hope for Liu Bei to eventually take over the world, betting everything on following her.

So everyone agreed in unison.

“No objections.”
“Of course we should suppress the Yellow Turbans first.”
“That’s the best course of action for now.”

Liu Bei nodded as if she had expected this and continued speaking.

“Then let’s talk about what we should do after raising a volunteer army. If you have any opinions, feel free to share them.”

I’ve read both the official history and the romantic version of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and thanks to that, I know well who’s a talented person and who’s a bad guy.

Moreover, even though I know how the era will flow in the future, I don’t know much about the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

That’s because while the Yellow Turban Rebellion itself is considered important in history, their subsequent actions and traces left in history are little more than plunder, war, and the beginning of chaos.

The records in between are described very ambiguously, so I don’t know much.

So while I was trying to piece together my insufficient knowledge, Zhang Shiping stood up and said:

“I think it would be best to lend a hand in suppressing the Yellow Turbans rampaging in this Yu Province now.”

Before, Liu Bei would have called Zhang Shiping “sir” and used honorifics, but now that he’s become a subordinate, she asked in a lower tone:

“Why do you think so?”
“The entire Han Empire is in chaos because of the Yellow Turbans, so is there any need to go elsewhere? It would only tire out the soldiers while wasting money and resources.”

Even though this is the late Han period without cars, if just a few people move lightly, it just takes a lot of time and ends with sore feet.

However, when over a thousand soldiers move, it costs an enormous amount as all sorts of things are consumed, including water and food for them and their livestock to eat.

People might get injured or die unnecessarily if we march to distant places.

Zhang Shiping advised Liu Bei with an even more serious expression:

“I’m just a merchant, so I don’t know much about military tactics, but from my experience as a merchant, when many people move at once, it costs a huge amount and accidents occur. So you should always consider this when moving an army.”

Even in 21st century Korea, where they push food supplies with meal trucks and supply water with trucks, all sorts of accidents happen while marching on relatively safe roads.

In this world where people die if even a small injury gets worse, there will surely be non-combat losses for reasons I can’t even imagine.

What Zhang Shiping said is absolutely important and can’t be ignored.

“Also, according to the news I’ve heard, famous generals like Zhonglang General Lu Zhi in Ji Province and Zhang Yin in Jing Province are playing active roles. What kind of name could we make for ourselves if we join under their command with just about a thousand troops?”

No matter where you go, to succeed, your own ability is important, but what’s more important is how to make it stand out that you’re capable.

But if we serve under famous generals of this late Han period like Lu Zhi or Huangfu Song…?

Even if Liu Bei, Zhang Fei, and I work together with our combined efforts, can we achieve enough with an army of just 1,000 men to be remembered in history?

No, even before that, even if Liu Bei somehow gets an opportunity under Lu Zhi as a disciple, the world is unlikely to greatly recognize someone so lowborn and poor.

Liu Bei put her hand on her forehead and sighed at those words.

“A few days ago, Master Lu Zhi came to Ji Province and told us to join in suppressing the Yellow Turbans, so I guess we should decline that.”
“That would be for the best.”

Zhang Fei and Gan Ning agreed as well.

“Lord Zhang is right. We’re not in the weight class to get involved in a fight between whales yet.”
“The head of a snake is more noticeable than the tail of a dragon. So let’s thoroughly suppress the Yellow Turbans that have risen in this Yu Province first.”

I agree with Zhang Shiping’s opinion too.

Now is the time to follow the flow of history and become the head of a snake, revealing to the world that there is a hero named Liu Bei Xuande.

“I think it’s right to do as Lord Zhang said, Lady Liu Bei.”

Liu Bei nodded and spoke as if making a decision:

“Alright, then we’ll now join under the command of the Governor of Yu Province. Let’s hurry as much as we can.”

As everyone at the meeting was about to stand up at those words, I stopped them all.

“It’s good to suppress the Yellow Turbans under the Governor of Yu Province, but you’re not thinking of putting our soldiers directly into actual combat now, are you?”

Zhang Fei answered my question instead of Liu Bei.

“Well, even though none of them have even held a spear before, won’t they get used to it if they just fight desperately with spears in actual combat? I don’t know who the Yellow Turbans the Governor of Yu Province is facing are, but they’re probably similar to the ones we fought in Xu County.”

Well, even in history, the Yellow Turbans under the Governor of Yu Province are recorded as being weak, but…

Even though this era is a bit reckless, isn’t this too much?

To throw people who don’t even know how to properly hold a spear into actual combat without proper training and expect them to adapt on their own…

Liu Bei also spoke as if supporting Zhang Fei’s words:

“I understand what Yunchang wants to say. But it would take at least a year to train these soldiers here to be useful. So isn’t it unavoidable?”

We can’t miss the Yellow Turban suppression that appears as a prologue in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, or like a double experience event in games.

Liu Bei knows this, so she’s trying to raise a volunteer army now by gathering over a thousand able-bodied men, and of course, I don’t intend to spend a year on it either.

“I have a plan to train the soldiers to be more than just a disorganized rabble. But please give me a month.”
“First, let’s hear specifically what you’re going to do.”
“I’ll train them in drill, that is, training soldiers to unify their actions according to the commander’s orders. When the commander says to thrust the spear, everyone thrusts at the same time, and when told to turn left, they can immediately turn left.”

The drill training we receive as soon as we enter boot camp actually has a tremendous meaning.

Of course, there’s the purpose of converting the mindset of people who were just ordinary civilians until now into soldiers by matching and unifying their movements through drill.

It’s about making them into soldiers who can fight the enemy by having everyone move together at once according to the commander’s orders.

Of course, in 21st century Korea, with the emergence of guns and various missiles and fighter jets, opinions sometimes come up even within the military questioning if this is necessary.

But in this era where there aren’t even guns, let alone missiles, and people fight by forming formations with spears and swords, drill training to unify soldiers’ actions and make them follow orders is absolutely necessary training.

Because wars in this era, simply put, are decided by who breaks the enemy formation first, and drill training increases the defense and attack power of our formation.

“Interesting. So how did you come up with this?”

The reason I came up with this training is because, before being a Three Kingdoms enthusiast, I spent two years as an instructor wearing a red hat at Nonsan Training Center, but…

I can’t say that, so I need to explain it roundabout.

“From what I’ve seen of elite soldiers so far, there were two main characteristics. They had a lot of actual combat experience, and all their movements, including how they stepped, were perfectly in sync. Among these, we might not be able to do anything about actual combat experience, but can’t we match their movements to some extent through training?”

Liu Bei nodded in agreement with my words.

“What distinguishes a disorganized rabble from soldiers who can fight properly is whether they can move in unison according to the general’s orders. As Yunchang said, it would be helpful if we could just match their movements.”
“So isn’t it worth trying? If you entrust me with full authority, I’ll produce satisfactory results.”

Since I’ve done this countless times wearing a red hat in Korea, I should be able to do it well enough even if the number of people I have to handle has increased to a thousand for various reasons.

“Yunchang, do as you like then. I’ll trust you.”

**

A few days later, I stood in front of the soldiers wearing a hat dyed red.

As soon as they saw me, they couldn’t hide their anxiety and muttered:

“Why is he wearing a red hat?”
“I don’t know what it is, but it sends chills down my spine.”
“He said he’d train us before going to the battlefield… what on earth is he going to make us do?”

It seems that the red hat worn by instructors has the effect of stimulating people’s fear, whether in 21st century Korea or here.

“Everyone, quiet!”

As I shouted, everyone shut their mouths and became quiet.

“From today, I, Guan Yu, will teach you tactics to survive the Yellow Turban suppression over the course of a month. Depending on how you behave, I can become either a devil or an angel, understood?!”