chapter 325

[?]: Shit! Why wasn’t this reported?
(“…how was this not investigated clearly”)

[?]: Men below, pull us back!

[?]: It’s too late sir!

{sfx: pa~}

chapter 325 Rapid-Fire Tactics
(“joined pearls strategy commences/initiates”)

{sfx: pong~}

{sfx: pong~}

{crowd noise}

[?]: Sir, the Cao army is using catapults!
[?]: Heavy casualty at the front!

[Yue Yi]: All set up in one night, huh…
[YY]: Fuck. Execute every one of those scouts!
{Yuan Fang‘s subordinate Yue Yi}
(not sure if his surname should be spelled “yue” or “le”, but if “Yue Jin” is spelled with “yue”, then maybe it applies here as well)

[YY]: Deputy, is Gao Lan ready?
[?]: Yes.

[?]: He has already taken a troop to the valley on the left!

[YY]: Proceed with Chief Controller‘s plans!
(“act on chief controller’s strategy”)

[?]: Yessir!

[YY]: Voles, how’re you guys doing?

[?]: Sir!
(“report”)

[?]: We couldn’t get into their camp because they had set counter-measure!

[?]: Give me ten days; let us dig twenty more tunnels!
(“the enemy army already had preparation…”)

[YY]: Hoo.

In August of year 200, Yuan Shao‘s army surrounded Cao Cao’s forces. The Yuan army used high platforms to send arrows into the camp, while the Cao army retaliated using catapults.

The Yuan army then dug tunnels, but the Cao army dug trenches inside their encampment to block the intrusion. Both sides used offensive and defensive tactics, and both suffered casualties.

[?]: Sir! General Kong Kui is back…

[?]: Sir! Kong Kui’s troop couldn’t break through the siege…

[?]: What did you say?

[?]: Sir! We encountered Gao Lan in that valley…

[Xiahou Yuan]: Did you say Sun Ce is dead?

[Guo Jia]: Yes. Zhou Yu is quite skilled to have kept it under wraps for months.

[XHY]: Their inaction cost us a lot of unnecessary deployment in Shouchun.

[XHY]: Now that they’re settled, it’ll be risky to transfer the men back.
(“…dangerous…”)

[?]: Don’t worry, Zhou Yu only wants one thing.

[Cao Cao]: Sun Quan inherited his older brother’s position, but without reputation he won’t be able to convince the various clans in the Eastern Region.

[CC]: So, just appoint him to be General Who Punishes Insurgents as well as the Commandery of Kuaiji.

[XHY]: Isn’t he the lucky brat.
(“smell of mother’s milk not yet dried…”)

[XHY]: Oh right, what were you saying?

[?]: Kong Kui…

[GJ]: Kong Kui lost, but that was my intention to mislead the enemy.

[GJ]: While Gao Lan’s troop is in the valley I’ve already sent Xu Huang to Guandu.

[CC]: Guandu… after Han Meng?
(“…target is Han Meng”)

[GJ]: The remiss in vigilance must mean something else is going on…

[GJ]: The give and take,
(“both have offense and defense”)

[CC]: the way you three Geniuses battle it out is really delightful to watch if only I weren’t in the middle of it all.

[GJ]: If you describe our infighting as delightful, my Lord…

[GJ]: I would be ashamed!

In September of the same year, the battle of Guandu between Yuan and Cao allowed Zhou Yu the opportunity to expand influences southward unimpeded.

[?]: Chief Controller,

[?]: you mean Han Meng’s rations transport was attacked?

[Yuan Fang]: Gao Lan’s troop was dispatched to the valley, so he couldn’t come to their aid in time.
[YF]: The rations transport is no match for Xu Huang and Shi Huan who were traveling light.

[?]: We’ve lost a few months of rations needlessly.

[Zhang He]: Such a novice mistake is unlike you, Chief Controller.
(“…shallow remiss…”)

[YF]: Our responsibility is on the attack. Supplying rations is entrusted to the rear base.

[?]: Too bad someone isn’t paying attention.
(“blame the one who is distracted, intention/goal not here”)

[?]: Who do you think should be held accountable?

[ZH]: Now that you mentioned it, Han Meng’s faction is rather well-connected.
(“then, Han Meng’s group’s connection/network is very wide”; ZH looks devious in this panel, so I’m purposely didn’t say explicitly something like, “punishing Han Meng will affect many”; but maybe I’ll change my mind in future revisions. XD)

[YF]: Those who opposed the mobilization should step down now, no?

[YF]: I want them to understand that even when I’m on the front lines,

[YF]: I can still uproot those…
(“but want to make small move behind my back”)

[YF]: who try to be sneaky behind my back.
(“I can definitely pull them out by the roots”)

{Nanban}

{Cao army’s sixth encampment}

[?]: Master Wang, the book’s done.
(“…done calculating”, “wang” here is the given name, not surname)

[?]: Hoo.

[Zhang Wang]: If the fight continues, Zhong Da, even big clans like us or the Shan would collapse.
{Shan Wu Ling‘s foster father, Zhang Wang}

[Sima Yi]: I knew taking on Cao Cao’s war bonds is like stepping into quicksand.
(“I knew war bonds sold by Cao Cao, taking that step means difficult to turn around.”)

[?]: Our business partners at Yanzhou could turn northward if they haven’t already.
(“Yanzhou’s group of merchants should be complaining endlessly, maybe even submit to the north”)

[ZW]: Zhong Da, we’ve seriously underestimated Yuan clan’s wealth.

[SMY]: Don’t worry, I have other investment funds.
(“…have other investment to use”; not sure if he means he has more funding for investment or returns from investment, but the point is he has funding)

[?]: Young Master, mister Tian is here.

[SMY]: Whoa.

[SMY]: This is the Cao camp! Do you want to die?
(“…are you not afraid of death?”)

{nephew of Yuan Shao’s subordinate Tian Feng – Tian De}
[Tian De]: Well… I’m dead either way.
(“certainly… no different from death…”)

[TD]: Ever since the battle of Guandu started the anti-war faction has been systematically targeted by Yuan Fang.

[TD]: The Ju clan lost its influence, and my uncle Tian Feng has been imprisoned under false accusation!

[TD]: Our faction is in total disarray and I really have nowhere to go…
(“…I really have no place that will accept me…”)

[SMY]: Here’s our chance, Master Wang.
(“Wang gramps, opportunity arrived”; a little confusing if you’re not familiar with the names, here “master Wang” is like how some soldiers are calling Xiahou Dun “master Dun”, it’s their given name plus an honorific, and here it’s just for someone senior/respectable/influential, not like master-servant, nor master-pupil)

[SMY]: Old man Gu, make some preparation.
[Gu]: Yessir.

[SMY]: Don’t fret, brother Tian, I’ve been expecting you.

[SMY]: I’ll go with you to Ye to do business.
(“today I’ll follow you to Ye and plan for big event.”)

[SMY]: And let’s make a killing.
(“let’s do a big business, okay?”)

Some say, instead of letting one’s son inherit a bin of gold, pass on a book to him.

But there is also the saying, a head-full of books are worth less than a bag of money.
====