Working with a swarm of insects, how can I possibly restore the Han Dynasty?

Lieren County, County Government Office.

Lu Zhi knelt at the head of the table, his brow furrowed in distress. To his left knelt a man named Cao Cao, short in stature with a sharp gaze; to his right knelt Dong Zhuo, a man of stout, obese build with thick hair and a heavy beard.

Melons, fruits, and wine were set before the three of them, though there were no musicians playing or beauties dancing in the hall.

Lu Zhi took a sip of wine and let out a long, melancholy sigh.

Seeing him so dejected, Cao Cao felt a flicker of dissatisfaction and spoke up: "Why is Lord Lu like this? It is but a single defeat; have you truly lost your spirit?"

Dong Zhuo's oily, fat face remained impassive, his eyes narrowing as he sized up both Cao Cao and Lu Zhi.

Facing Cao Cao's indignation, Lu Zhi smiled helplessly, "This has nothing to do with victory or defeat."

Cao Cao frowned: "Are you worried about the matter of the immortals and deities?"

Although he and Dong Zhuo had only just arrived in Lieren, they had heard rumors of the Yellow Heaven Holy Infant descending to earth the moment they entered Ji Province.

However, they did not truly believe it, especially Dong Zhuo. He was a reckless man who feared nothing, a man who killed without blinking and scoffed at tales of ghosts and gods.

Cao Cao did not believe it either, yet he could not help but feel a sense of unease, a lack of firm footing.

Lu Zhi nodded slightly: "Indeed. If we do not get to the bottom of this divine matter, our army will surely be defeated should we march."

Cao Cao fixed his sharp gaze upon Lu Zhi, who met it with a look of calm resignation.

"You are merely inflating the morale of the Moth Bandits and crushing your own prestige," Cao Cao said with some displeasure, though he still showed respect for Lu Zhi's world-renowned reputation.

Lu Zhi sighed.

He knew that these generals, forged in the fires of war, would never believe his accounts of the supernatural. They likely assumed he had been defeated by the Yellow Turban Army and had simply lost his nerve.

Cao Cao spoke with fervor: "Lord Lu, I am willing to lead troops to patrol the vicinity of Quzhou and Guangzong to slaughter the Yellow Turban scouts!"

As a Cavalry Commandant of the Imperial Court and a man of immense family wealth, Cao Cao commanded about five thousand men, fifteen hundred of whom were cavalry. They were swift as the wind, perfect for surprise attacks and disrupting the battlefield.

Lu Zhi waved his hand, refusing.

Although he had been stripped of his rank as General of the Middle by the Imperial Court, his prestige was still sufficient to suppress a "newcomer" like Cao Cao. Of course, if Cao Cao were determined to disregard the face of his elder, there was little Lu Zhi could do if he insisted on marching out.

Seeing that Lu Zhi would not relent, Cao Cao turned his gaze toward Dong Zhuo. Dong Zhuo, a shrewd man, kept his head down and drank, having no intention of echoing Cao Cao's call to arms.

He had only eight thousand men under his command—four thousand were his core veterans from Liang Province, and four thousand were provided by the Imperial Court and local authorities.

If he marched out and suffered a defeat, losing his core Liang Province troops, he would be weeping tears of blood.

Cao Cao felt a fire burning in his chest, wishing he could point at these two "cowards" and curse them.

In this world, why does everyone only care about their own petty, sordid interests? Is there no one left who will loyally uphold the Han Dynasty?!

Suppressing his rage, he stood up: "Lord Lu, I suddenly feel unwell. I shall take my leave."

Lu Zhi could clearly see the young man's dissatisfaction, but he did not mind: "No matter, Mengde, go ahead."

Cao Cao turned quickly and strode out of the room; a cold snort drifted back from afar.

Lu Zhi's expression remained unchanged as he focused on his wine, though the sorrow between his brows remained unresolved.

Dong Zhuo, a man of seasoned temperament, did not mention what had just occurred, nor did he speak of the immortals. He simply focused on drinking with Lu Zhi.

The two drank cup after cup until they were hazy with intoxication, and only then did the banquet disperse.

Meanwhile.

In Guangzong City, the gates were wide open.

Tian Feng, with his tall and upright frame, sat on an ox cart, gazing from afar at the dense throngs of people entering and exiting the city. In the fields outside, many farmers were busy rushing to plant wheat, creating a scene of bustling activity.

Tian Feng was secretly astonished: "How is it that this Guangzong City looks nothing like a place preparing for war? It is so lax that they do not even close the gates, and they allow people to farm outside?"

Over ten thousand Han troops were stationed in Lieren County, not far from Guangzong. By all logic, the Yellow Turban Army in Guangzong should have had scouts scouring the countryside, with everyone on edge and the atmosphere grim.

Yet, it was as if it were a time of peace; everyone wore smiles, showing no fear of an enemy attack.

Tian Feng stroked his short beard and gave an order: "Let us enter the city!"

The driver's palms were sweating, and he said with some fear: "Sir, Guangzong is filled with nothing but Moth Bandits, not a single good person among them. They kill without mercy. You are a man of noble status; would it not be better not to go in?"

Tian Feng smiled: "The Yellow Turban Army has posted notices throughout Julu, claiming to have established a Political Academy and a Science Institute to recruit talents from across the realm. They would never kill someone like me who intends to defect."

Tian Feng hailed from the declining Tian Clan of Julu Commandery. His status was far from noble, but he had become famous in his youth for his filial piety and his outstanding strategic talent.

When the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out in Ye City, Ji Province, Tian Feng was vigilant and immediately led his clansmen to take refuge in a rural manor, fortifying it for self-protection.

When Lu Zhi led the Han Army to trap Zhang Jiao in Guangzong, Tian Feng felt greatly relieved and led many of his trusted clansmen to Ye City, a major stronghold of the Han Army.

At that time, he believed that within a few months, Lu Zhi would pacify the Yellow Turbans of Ji Province, and he would be able to return to his home in Julu. But no one expected that the ever-victorious Lu Zhi would actually be defeated!

And he had lost all twenty thousand of his elite troops!

When the news returned, everyone in Ye City was gripped by panic. Had Lu Zhi not remained in Lieren County to show that he was still resisting the Yellow Turban Army, the noble families and powerful clans of Ye City would likely have already migrated to Luoyang.

After all, Ye City was not too far from Luoyang, and it offered the greatest security. After all, no matter how strong the Yellow Turban Army was, they could not possibly take Luoyang, could they?

While shocked, Tian Feng also keenly focused on the rumors of the "Yellow Heaven Holy Infant." He believed that Lu Zhi's defeat was related to it. While many thought the immortals were a lie fabricated by Lu Zhi to escape blame, he felt that this was the key to the war.

Driven by curiosity, the bold and meticulous man rode his ox cart toward Lieren County. In Lieren, he heard even more rumors about the Yellow Heaven Holy Infant and saw the defeated soldiers, who were terrified and shaken by the divine power they had witnessed.

This made him increasingly curious about the Yellow Turban Army and the Sovereign Yellow Absolute God, and he began to lean toward the belief that deities truly existed. When news arrived that the Yellow Turbans in Guangzong were posting notices to recruit talent, he tossed and turned all night, weighing his options until he finally decided to enter Guangzong under an alias to investigate the situation.

As a scion of a renowned clan—even if it was a declining one that could no longer compare to the families of great local magnates—entering a rebel camp alone seemed highly irrational. Yet, Tian Feng understood that after the descent of the immortals and gods, whether real or fake, tens of thousands of Han Army troops had been routed, and the world had fundamentally changed!

If the immortals and gods were false, there were still a hundred thousand Yellow Turban troops sweeping through Ji Province, now bolstered by the "joining" of elite Han Army soldiers. Given just a little time, they would be more than capable of transforming into a formidable army in the true sense of the word.

Furthermore, the world had suffered through a long drought, and the people were living in misery. In such turbulent times, it was anyone's guess who would ultimately rise to power.

If the immortals and gods were real, the Han Dynasty was doomed, and he had to secure a viable path for his family in advance...