Xiang County Falls
Xiang County, inside the commandery office.
At Mei Gan's summons, the generals of Xiang County came one after another to discuss matters.
The generals mentioned here were not senior officers like Mei Gan and Qiao Rui, but commanders of a thousand men.
According to the Han dynasty military system, the ranks from lowest to highest were squad leader, ten-man leader, dubo, hundred-man commander, yamen commander (cavalry commander, unit commander), separate unit major (commandant), colonel, palace gentleman general, assistant general, deputy general, and general.
Among the various warlords, the ranks of senior officers had long since become muddled. Colonels had originally counted as high-ranking commanders, but now anyone could call himself a general.
Still, the lower-ranking officers were fully accounted for, with every thousand or so men having its own commander.
Mei Gan's force of fifteen thousand soldiers alone had more than ten majors, yamen commanders, and the like.
Aside from the troops guarding the walls and patrolling the city, several low- and mid-ranking defenders had arrived.
At this moment, everyone sat in the hall. Mei Gan occupied the seat of honor, while Qiao Rui sat beside him.
But before the meeting could begin, Mei Gan merely looked at the returned scout cavalryman and asked:
"So, Liu Bei's troops are the only ones advancing this time? Lu Bu has not been seen?"
Hearing this, the scout hurriedly cupped his hands.
"That is correct. Only Liu Bei's army has arrived!"
At those words, Mei Gan could not help looking at Qiao Rui with a frown.
"Did General Qiao not say that Liu Bei and Lu Bu were coming together?"
"Why is there only Liu Bei's army now?"
Qiao Rui shook his head.
"I do not know either. The intelligence had originally said that the two sides intended to take