Brother, stop curling up! You're curling up like the founder of the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 162 Cao Cao Asks for Help, Liu Bei Sends Troops to Rescue Xiaopei (Please Subscribe and Vote)
As Liu Bei explained, Xu Shu, Shi Tao, and the others became increasingly puzzled, and some even whispered among themselves:

"Uncle, what you mentioned earlier was all military equipment, but what you said later is all for us wandering knights?"

"They've even prepared flying sand; could it be that Imperial Uncle was once a wandering knight-errant?"

"They even have blow needles? They seem even more ruthless than us."

"Shh, what nonsense are you talking about? How could the Imperial Uncle have ever been a wandering knight? It must have been prepared by his subordinates."

"But what my royal uncle said sounded too natural."

Liu Bei, with his sharp ears, overheard the whispers and chuckled, “There are many barbarian bandits in You and Bing. If we cannot establish our authority, it will be difficult to deter these villains. These are all things I used when I was in Youzhou. I haven’t prepared them in a long time, and some things can’t be gathered together in a short time. Just make do with them.”

The crowd looked on in astonishment.
What does it mean to make do?
Is this what you call settling?

Uncle, what did you do before?
Seeing the hesitant expressions on everyone's faces, as if they wanted to ask but dared not, Liu Bei smiled again: "There's no need to be so reserved. When I was studying and practicing martial arts in Zhuojun, I was a wandering knight for a few years, and I often went to the borderlands to practice against the barbarian bandits. Now I'm a bit rusty."

With the simple statement, "I also spent a few years as a wandering knight-errant," Liu Bei instantly bridged the gap between himself and the eight men, including Xu Shu.

His stories of chivalry, in particular, earned him the admiration of many.

Although they were all wandering knights, Xu Shu and others' experiences as wandering knights were limited to being someone's henchmen. The only time they avenged someone, Xu Shu was captured.

Compared to Liu Bei directly challenging the barbarian bandits beyond the Great Wall, it was like showing off one's limited skills before an expert.

"Originally, I intended to host a banquet for you all in Luoyang, but I was afraid that there might be spies from the rebels in the city who would find out. If the rebels learned that I had sent you all to Youzhou to contact Gongsun Zan, they would surely send people to intercept and kill you."

"Therefore, I can only bid you farewell outside the city. When you return in triumph, I will surely hold a grand banquet for you in Luoyang."

Liu Bei's sincerity deeply moved Xu Shu and others.

Even though Xu Shu is a figure who has made his mark in history, at this moment he is just an ordinary wandering knight.

Liu Bei, on the other hand, held the titles of Imperial Uncle, Grand Commandant, and Minister of the Imperial Secretariat—none of which were titles that Xu Shu and others could normally access.

However, this person sincerely invited Xu Shu and others to achieve great things, and even prepared a large amount of supplies to reduce the danger to Xu Shu and others.

His speech and behavior were not arrogant, and he did not look down on Xu Shu and others because they were commoners. He also spoke frankly about his past experience as a wandering knight.

It should be noted that a considerable number of people in this world are ashamed to mention their humble past after they have become successful.

Just like the often-quoted saying "If I become rich and powerful, I will not forget my friends," there is also the story of Chen Sheng killing his fellow villagers. This was because after Chen Sheng became king, in order to maintain his personal authority and image, he could not tolerate his fellow villagers mentioning his past when he was poor and lowly, believing that this would damage his dignity.

In contrast, when Liu Bei mentioned his past as a wandering knight-errant, he was nostalgic and proud, considering it an extremely interesting period in his life. He even shared his experiences and lessons learned from his time as a wandering knight-errant with Xu Shu and others, without believing that these past events diminished his dignity.

Studying history can enlighten us, understanding the past can help us learn from the present, and using history as a mirror can help us understand the rise and fall of dynasties.

Liu Bei was well-read and had a deeper understanding of human nature.

People with narrow minds cannot gain genuine support. Take Chen Sheng, for example. When his fellow villagers came to join him, he became enraged and killed them because they mentioned old stories. If you can't even tolerate a few harsh words, how can you achieve great things?
Moreover, if fellow villagers can be killed for a few harsh words, wouldn't others be even more likely to be killed? Who would want to follow a lord who enjoys killing?

Establishing authority requires real ability, not just killing a few people.

Just as Liu Bei was more knowledgeable about chivalry than Xu Shu and others, even with his gentle smile, he was enough to make everyone feel his authority.

This is the natural awe that the weak have for the strong.

Although the farewell ceremony was only held outside the city, Xu Shu and the others had no complaints and only a sincere and shared thought: it is our honor to be able to work for the Imperial Uncle!

Only after Xu Shu and the others had completely disappeared from sight did Liu Bei lead his troops back to Luoyang.

Liu Bei had a personal bias towards Xu Shu.

If Liu Bei had followed the historical trajectory, Xu Shu would not have hesitated to come and join him despite his current predicament.

Although Xu Shu had to leave Liu Bei because his mother was captured by Cao Cao, it was out of necessity and not an intentional betrayal.

Moreover, even Zhuge Liang was recommended to Liu Bei by Xu Shu; without Xu Shu, Liu Bei would not have met Zhuge Liang and would not have achieved his great success.

now.

Although Liu Bei held a high position while Xu Shu was just a wandering knight who hadn't read much, Liu Bei didn't look down on Xu Shu because of his lowly status and impoverished situation, and was willing to give Xu Shu a chance to make a name for himself.

If Xu Shu were simply left in Luoyang, he would likely not gain much experience. After all, Xu Shu is currently just a wandering knight who has recently transitioned into a martial arts master. In terms of martial arts, he cannot compare to the fierce generals under Liu Bei, nor can he compare to Jia Xu, Xu You, and others in terms of academic ability.

For a genius, what Liu Bei needed was to provide learning resources and a training environment.

Not long after returning to the city.

Jia Xu then sought out Liu Bei and delivered a letter requesting assistance.

The letter was sent by Cao Cao.

After glancing at the contents of the letter, Liu Bei couldn't help but twitch his lips.

Although Cao Cao was indeed one of the few capable generals in the late Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period, he still grew up by accumulating experience through numerous defeats, and was not invincible from the beginning.

Yuan Shao seemed to be very angry about Cao Cao's betrayal.

Initially, a bounty of a thousand gold pieces was offered throughout Yanzhou to hunt down Cao Cao.

Now, they are being attacked by Zhang Miao, the governor of Chenliu, Yuan Xu, the governor of Jiyin, Ying Shao, the governor of Shanyang, Qiao Mao, the governor of Dongjun, Zheng Sui, the chancellor of Rencheng, Kong Zhou, the governor of Taishan, and Yuan Yi, the governor of Yanzhou, all appointed by Liu Yu.

Cao Cao currently only has Xiaopei, with less than two thousand soldiers at his disposal. Apart from the one thousand soldiers from Yuzhou given to him by Huang Wan, the rest are able-bodied men recruited by Cao Hong, Xiahou Yuan, and others.

When Cao Cao first heard the news, he was so angry that he jumped up and down cursing.

I am just a nobody with less than two thousand soldiers in Xiaopei, why did you send seven armies to attack me?

Cao Cao originally wanted to seek help from Gai Xun in Xiapi, but Gai Xun was also besieged by Tao Qian, the newly appointed governor of Xuzhou under Liu Yu, together with Cavalry Commandant Zang Ba, former Governor of Yangzhou Zhou Gan, Chancellor of Langya Yin De, Chancellor of Donghai Liu Kui, Chancellor of Pengcheng Ji Lian, Chancellor of Beihai Kong Rong, Chancellor of Pei Yuan Zhong, and Zhang Chao, the newly appointed governor of Yangzhou under Liu Yu.

"Yuan Shao is quite the schemer. In order to prevent me from sending troops to Hebei, he has created so many forces for me. It seems that I have no choice but to send troops."

Currently, apart from Yuan Shu in Runan, who has not yet made any significant moves, Yanzhou and Xuzhou have already begun their counter-offensive against Liu Bei's alliance against Yuan Shu.

"I have long heard that Gongsun Zan is brave and skilled in battle. It will not be easy for Yuan Shao to conquer the north. If Xiaopei and Xiapi are lost, then Yanzhou and Xuzhou will be connected, and it will be quite difficult for you, my lord, to conquer them in the future." Jia Xu carefully analyzed the battle report and said, "Therefore, you, my lord, must save Xiaopei and Xiapi."

“Yuan Shu’s inaction in Runan is surely a sign that he is waiting for the Imperial Uncle to send troops before he can make a move. We can send orders to Liu Biao, the governor of Jingzhou, and Liu Dai, the governor of Yangzhou, to attack Yuan Shu’s rear.”

"Chen King Liu Chong is brave and skilled in battle, but due to his status, he cannot easily leave the State of Chen. Your Highness, you can request an imperial edict to summon Liu Chong to garrison troops on the border of Runan, to assist Huang Wan of Yingchuan in deterring Yuan Shu." Don't be fooled by Jia Xu's usual tendency to slack off; he is quite reliable in crucial moments and will proactively offer solutions to Liu Bei without him even having to ask.

Without hesitation, Liu Bei immediately ordered the Imperial Secretariat to draft a document and submit it to Liu Xie.

To prevent Liu Xie from getting too bored and causing trouble, Liu Bei would normally have the Imperial Secretariat present important documents to Liu Xie for stamping.

Although the process may be a bit complicated, it won't take up much time and can reduce unnecessary internal friction.

After all, Liu Bei was serving the emperor to punish the disobedient, not using the emperor as a hostage to punish the disobedient.

Even if Liu Bei's ultimate goal was to become emperor, that was not now. Why bother fighting for power when the world situation was still uncertain?

Liu Xie was sensible enough not to interfere with Liu Bei's decision except to affix his seal.

Clearly, Liu Xie understood that he had no one to rely on but Liu Bei.

Liu Yu has rebelled, and Liu Yan is likely deliberately hiding in Yizhou and declaring himself king. Who else can they rely on besides Liu Bei?

After entrusting all the affairs of the Secretariat to Jia Xu, Liu Bei went to the military camp and summoned eight generals: Guan Yu, Zhao Yun, Zhang Liao, Xu Huang, Dian Wei, Huang Zhong, Ma Chao, and Lü Bu.

He then informed the generals of his decision to rescue Xiaopei and Xiapi.

"Finally, I can unleash my full potential!" Lü Bu laughed heartily and volunteered first: "Uncle, I am willing to be the vanguard and head to Xiaopei!"

Originally, Lü Bu addressed Liu Bei as "Xuande" regardless of the occasion, and Liu Bei didn't mind; as long as Lü Bu was happy, that was all that mattered.

Liu Bei didn't care, but Guan Yu and others did.

Guan Yu, in particular, felt his ears hurt whenever he heard Lü Bu address him as "Xuande" repeatedly.

So Guan Yu took advantage of Liu Bei's absence and, together with Zhao Yun and others, had a "friendly sparring" session with Lü Bu.

First, Ma Chao challenged Lü Bu and was easily defeated. However, Ma Chao's ruthlessness gave Lü Bu a sense of déjà vu, just like when Lü Bu was young.

Xu Huang then challenged Lü Bu. Although it took some effort, Lü Bu won easily.

Zhang Liao then challenged Lü Bu, who proved to be a formidable opponent and defeated Zhang Liao as well.

Then Zhao Yun went up and fought with Lü Bu for a while. Since Lü Bu had fought with Zhao Yun before, and Zhao Yun did not transform into "Great Wrathful Cloud", the two stopped after a brief exchange.

The first day of "friendly sparring" passed by happily.

Then the next day, Lü Bu was no longer able to remain calm.

Dian Wei went first. Dian Wei admitted that his archery skills were inferior to Lü Bu's and that he wanted to compete with Lü Bu in foot combat. Lü Bu didn't take it seriously, since those who were good at archery were all people with superhuman strength.

In the end, Lu Bu did not gain any advantage at all, which surprised him so much that he wondered if he had not eaten enough today.

After a half-day of fighting, neither side could gain the upper hand, so they stopped short of defeat and went to rest.

Because the duel with Dian Wei had taken a heavy toll, Lü Bu dared not be overconfident any longer. He went out for a big meal to recuperate.

Then on the third day, Huang Zhong challenged Lü Bu to a horse archery contest. At first, Lü Bu didn't take it seriously, thinking that Huang Zhong, a man from Nanyang, wouldn't be very good at horse archery.

Upon seeing that Huang Zhong could draw a bow with a draw weight of two stones and hit the target every time, and that his horsemanship was also superb, Lü Bu was so amazed that he asked Huang Zhong if his ancestors were also from Nanyang.

After competing for most of the day, Lü Bu had used up all the skills he had learned in horsemanship and archery, but he could only manage a draw with Huang Zhong in these skills.

Lu Bu wasn't stupid. He knew that Guan Yu's appearance on the last day must mean he was formidable. He didn't dare to be arrogant and say he would fight Guan Yu that afternoon, let alone the next day. He rested for three days to restore his condition to its peak before having a "friendly sparring session" with Guan Yu.

In this contest, Lü Bu secretly rejoiced that he had not been overconfident. The two had been competing since morning, from foot combat to cavalry combat, from archery to long weapons, and from cavalry combat to hand-to-hand combat. Apart from archery, Lü Bu did not gain any advantage at all!

That evening, Guan Yu challenged Lü Bu to a contest of military strategy and internal affairs. Lü Bu had learned a bit about military strategy under Lu Zhi's guidance and could barely manage, but when it came to internal affairs, Lü Bu was completely dumbfounded.

What made Lü Bu even more devastated was that Guan Yu actually wanted to compare his knowledge of the Analects, Mencius, as well as the Book of Poetry, the Book of Documents, the Book of Rites, the Book of Changes, and the Spring and Autumn Annals.

Lu Bu was practically cursing: "Are you fucking crazy? You're a general! A general! A general!"

After that contest, Lü Bu noticed that Guan Yu and Zhao Yun addressed him as "Royal Uncle" instead of "Big Brother" in formal settings, and he learned his lesson.

Aside from addressing Xuande privately when no one is around, he now refers to him as "Imperial Uncle" in formal settings.

Lu Bu was just lacking in boundaries, not stupid. After a while, he understood why Guan Yu and the others wanted to "spar amicably." The gist of it was: We are so powerful, yet we have to call him "Imperial Uncle." Why do you call him "Xuande"?
It was precisely because Lü Bu knew how to respect Liu Bei in formal settings that Guan Yu, who was always unwilling to fall behind, gave up competing after Lü Bu took the lead.

Seeing that Guan Yu didn't try to take it, Zhao Yun remained silent.

Seeing that Guan Yu and Zhao Yun were not vying for it, Huang Zhong, Dian Wei, Zhang Liao, and Xu Huang also remained silent.

Only the fearless young Ma Chao objected: "Why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut! I can be the vanguard too!"

Seeing that Guan Yu and the others remained silent while Ma Chao spoke up, Lü Bu laughed loudly and said, "Ma Chao, although you are brave, you are still young. You still need your deputy Pang De to help you command the army. If you are the vanguard and lose, wouldn't that dampen your spirits?"

"Don't underestimate a chicken. Even a chicken will bite when cornered. Using my powerful weapon to kill a chicken will surely allow us to capture the general and seize the flag, thus spreading the glory of my Lingyan Army!"

“Ma Chao, this is the first battle of the Lingyan Army. The first battle must be a resounding victory. We must make the rebel army tremble at the mere mention of the three words ‘Lingyan Army’.”

"You'd better not compete with me for the vanguard position."

Ma Chao hesitated, unable to refute the suggestion.

After all, what Lü Bu said made a lot of sense. If the Lingyan Army could not achieve a decisive victory in its first battle, it would be underestimated by the rebels.

After glancing at everyone, Liu Bei made a decision: "The Marquis of Duting is right. This battle is not only the first battle for the Lingyan Army, but also my first battle after taking power. If we cannot defeat the rebels quickly, not only will the rebels underestimate us, but those powerful bandits in Henan who are dissatisfied with the three laws will also be eager to make a move."

"We must not only win this battle, but win it decisively."

"Lu Bu will lead the vanguard. Tomorrow morning, we will head straight for Xiaopei. The rest of the camps will follow me."

Lü Bu was overjoyed: "I will certainly live up to the Emperor's trust!"

Upon hearing this, Guan Yu asked again, "Uncle, if we all go out together, who will stay in Luoyang?"

"It's alright." Liu Bei sneered: "Wenhe has the authority to deploy the Tiger Warriors and Feathered Forest Guards. Most of the current Tiger Warriors and Feathered Forest Guards are from the old Western Garden Army. If anyone dares to cause trouble after I send troops, Wenhe will teach them a lesson."

(End of this chapter)