My brothers are all warriors capable of taking on ten thousand men; I'll roam freely in the Thr

Below the hall, Li Ru, Yuwen Chengdu, Li Jue, Guo Si, Fan Chou, Zhang Ji, Xu Rong, and other civil and military officials stood solemnly, none daring to speak.

Li Ru pondered for a moment, then stepped forward and bowed: "Prime Minister, Hua Xiong was indeed wrong to underestimate the enemy and advance rashly. However, Xiang Yu is a man of unparalleled bravery, and his eight hundred cavalrymen are equipped with strange weapons, making them incomparable to ordinary troops. At present, the enemy army has won one battle after another and their morale is high. Our army must not underestimate the enemy again."

He paused, then lowered his voice: "There is another matter that we must consider. Yuan Shao's uncle, Yuan Kui, is currently the Grand Tutor in the court, and his students and former officials are all over Luoyang. If he were to collude with Yuan Shao from within, the harm would be immense!"

Dong Zhuo's pupils suddenly contracted.

Yuan Wei...

That old fox, outwardly respectful, was actually secretly colluding with Yuan Shao.

Now that Yuan Shao is gathering troops in Guandong to attack Dong Zhuo, if Yuan Wei were to act as an inside agent in Luoyang...

"This is something we cannot ignore." Dong Zhuo nodded slowly, a fierce glint in his eyes.

Li Ru continued, "The Yuan family has produced four generations of high-ranking officials, and their disciples and former subordinates are all over the country. If Yuan Kui is kept alive, he will surely become a future problem. It would be better to..."

He made a "cut" gesture.

Dong Zhuo remained silent for a long time, then slammed his fist on the table: "Immediately send troops to surround the Yuan residence! Slaughter Yuan Kui, his family, and his retainers—leave no one alive!"

"Yes, sir!" Li Jue and Guo Si clasped their hands in acceptance of the order.

……

The next day, at the Suanzao Allied Forces camp.

The feudal lords were celebrating their great victory at Sishui Pass when, before the banquet was over, bad news arrived.

"Report! Urgent report from Luoyang! Dong Zhuo, on charges of 'treason and collusion with the enemy,' has dispatched troops to surround and massacre Grand Tutor Yuan Wei's entire family! Over three hundred members of the Yuan household have perished! The mansion has been burned down, and blood has flowed like a river!"

"What?!"

The entire tent was filled with astonishment!

Yuan Shao's wine cup fell to the ground with a "clatter," and his face instantly turned ashen.

"Uncle... Uncle..." He trembled all over, his eyes were bloodshot, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and fell backward!

"Benchu!" Cao Cao, Han Fu, and others hurriedly stepped forward to help him up.

Yuan Shao was helped up, his face ashen, his breathing rapid, but his eyes burned with boundless hatred: "Dong Zhuo... Dong Zhuo, you old traitor! I, Yuan Shao, am sworn enemies with you!"

He struggled to his feet, drew his sword, pointed it to the sky, and swore a bloodcurdling oath: "If I do not kill the traitor Dong Zhuo and avenge this grudge, I, Yuan Shao, swear I am not worthy to be called a man!"

His voice was stern and poignant, moving all who heard it.

Ji Xuanyuan sat in the main seat, his brows slightly furrowed.

Dong Zhuo's actions can be described as insane. Killing Yuan Kui was tantamount to a complete break with the gentry of the land. But this guy held a large army and had the emperor hostage, so he was obviously no longer afraid of anything.

……

Luoyang, the Prime Minister's Residence.

Dong Zhuo had calmed down and began to deploy his troops.

"Li Jue, Guo Si!"

"Your subordinate is here!"

"You two will lead 50,000 troops to the direction of Sishui Pass immediately. Do not engage the enemy in direct combat; simply set up ambushes, harass, and cut off their supply lines along the way. Do everything possible to delay the allied forces' advance! Remember, delay is the only option; do not fight to the death!"

"Yes, sir!"

"My sons Chengdu, Li Ru, Fan Chou, Zhang Ji, and Xu Rong!" Dong Zhuo's gaze swept over them.

"Follow me with 150,000 troops, and march straight to Hulao Pass! Its terrain is treacherous, its walls fortified, it is the last line of defense east of Luoyang! We will fight that rat from Guandong to the death there!"

"Yes, sir!"

Yuwen Chengdu stood with his hand on his sword, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit.

……

At the Allied Forces' camp, the military council convened again.

Ji Xuanyuan sat in the main seat, his expression solemn: "Dong Zhuo has sent Li Jue and Guo Si with 50,000 troops to attack, intending to delay. If our army is tied down here, the situation will become even more difficult once Dong Zhuo's main force rushes to the aid of Hulao Pass."

He surveyed the assembled lords and declared, "My plan is to divide our forces into two routes: one to hold off Li Jue and Guo Si here, and the other to march straight for Hulao Pass, capturing it before Dong Zhuo's main force arrives!"

Yuan Shao, having recovered his breath, rose upon hearing this, his eyes still bloodshot: "Alliance Leader, I request to be the vanguard, to march straight to Hulao Pass! I will surely slay the traitor Dong Zhuo and avenge my blood feud!"

Ji Xuanyuan nodded: "Brother Benchu, please accept my condolences. In that case, the eight lords—Qiao Mao, Bao Xin, Kong Zhou, Kong Rong, Zhang Yang, Tao Qian, Gongsun Zan, and Liu Dai—will unite their forces and accompany you to Hulao Pass to meet the enemy!"

"Yes, sir!" the eight replied in unison.

"Mengde," Ji Xuanyuan said, looking at Cao Cao.

"You shall lead your troops and station them between the two passes of Sishui and Hulao to provide support. If Li Jue and Guo Si attack, you shall be able to stop them. If the battle at Hulao becomes urgent, you shall be able to rush to their aid."

Cao Cao clasped his hands in a fist and said, "I accept your command."

"The rest of you, follow me," Ji Xuanyuan said finally.

"We will march on Hulao Pass and capture Dong Zhuo!"

"We swear to capture Dong Zhuo!" all the lords shouted in unison.

However, while the plan was good, its execution was difficult.

The nineteen warlords each had their own agendas, and none of them wanted their main force to be sent into battle first, thus losing strength.

On the march, they shirked responsibility and hesitated to move forward.

In addition, Li Jue and Guo Si constantly harassed the allied forces, cutting off their supply lines, destroying bridges, and setting ambushes, making slow progress.

In just a few days, Dong Zhuo had personally led an army of 150,000 to occupy Hulao Pass.

When the allied forces of the eight warlords arrived at the pass, they were met with the elite troops of Xiliang who were already in full battle array.

On this day, the Allied Forces camp welcomed a group of special guests.

"Report! General Gongsun Zan, Prefect of Beiping, has arrived! He also brought back three others, claiming to be Liu Bei, a member of the Han imperial family and Magistrate of Pingyuan, along with his sworn brothers Xu Chu and Xu Sheng!"

The princes in the tent were all taken aback.

Liu Bei? Who is he?

Yuan Shu, already irritated by the setbacks in the war, scoffed upon hearing this: "The magistrate of Pingyuan? A mere county magistrate, is he even qualified to participate in the anti-Dong Zhuo alliance? Gongsun Bogui, why are you bringing just anyone here?"

Gongsun Zan's face darkened, and he stood up, saying, "Gonglu, you are mistaken! This is my childhood sworn brother, a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan, and a great-great-grandson of Emperor Jing of Han, Liu Bei, Liu Xuande! Although he is only temporarily serving as a county magistrate, he has great ambitions and is exceptionally brave! Moreover, both of your sworn brothers are fierce generals who have come together to punish the bandits. Why are you treating them with such disrespect?"

He stepped aside to introduce him.

The curtain was lifted, and the three entered.

The man at the front, around thirty years old, had a handsome face, ears that reached his shoulders, and hands that reached past his knees. He wore a worn official robe, yet possessed a gentle and refined air. This was Liu Bei.

On the left was a man with a broad back and a burly waist, a face as black as iron, a bushy beard, and eyes like copper bells. He held a long-handled broadsword that was dark red all over and had hidden fire patterns on the blade. This was Xu Chu.

This sword is named "Fire Cloud," weighs seventy-two catties, and is a family heirloom sword of Xu Chu.

The man on the right, slightly younger, with a resolute face and bright eyes, wore a simple and heavy longsword at his waist—an ancient ingot-shaped broadsword. This was Xu Sheng.

The three entered the tent, neither humble nor arrogant.

Liu Bei cupped his hands in a respectful bow and said, "I, along with my two sworn brothers, pay our respects to the Alliance Leader and all the generals."

The various lords sized up the three men, each with a different expression.

Yuan Shu wanted to make another sarcastic remark, but Ji Xuanyuan, who was in the main seat, had already stood up.

"Lord Xuande," Ji Xuanyuan said with a smile.

"have not seen you for a long time."

The tent fell silent.

Liu Bei was also taken aback and looked up at Ji Xuanyuan.

He did have a memory of that stunning face. He had seen it from afar in Zhuojun back then, but the two had never spoken. So how could it be "long time no see"?

He was puzzled, but remained composed on the surface: "Does Marquis Zhuo recognize Bei?"

Ji Xuanyuan's smile deepened: "I have long heard of Lord Xuande's reputation for benevolence and virtue. I have also heard that when you were in Pingyuan, you pacified the refugees and rectified the administration, which was praised by the people. It is an honor to meet you again today."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Please take a seat."

The servants brought over seats and arranged them in a position among the princes, which was an extremely high honor in the rigidly hierarchical late Han Dynasty.

Liu Bei was even more suspicious, but he remained calm, thanked the host, and took his seat.

Xu Chu and Xu Sheng stood behind him, like two guardian deities.

There's a story behind Liu Bei acquiring these two generals.

When the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out, Liu Bei, under the special care of Ji Xuanyuan, resolutely gave up his job selling straw sandals and took a few fellow villagers with him. By chance, he heard that Xu Chu of Qiao County was incredibly strong and had once pulled an ox by the tail with one hand and walked backwards for a hundred steps, which shocked the villagers.

Liu Bei personally visited him, saying, "The Han Dynasty is in decline, and treacherous officials are in power. A true man should take up his sword, establish unparalleled merit, and restore the state." He also extended an invitation as a member of the Han imperial family.

Xu Chu was fond of martial arts and valued righteousness. Seeing Liu Bei's earnest words and extraordinary demeanor, he led three thousand members of his clan and fellow villagers to follow him.

After the Yellow Turban Rebellion was quelled, Liu Shou was appointed magistrate of Pingyuan. On his way to take up his post, he passed through Langya and met Xu Sheng.

Xu Sheng was originally a commoner from Langya, but he wanted to move his whole family south to Jiangdong to avoid the war.

When Liu Bei spoke with him, he discovered that this man was well-versed in military strategy, knowledgeable in battle formations, and also possessed exceptional martial arts skills.

So he advised him, "The world is about to descend into chaos, where can one find refuge? A true man should rise up with the tide, achieve great deeds, and protect the region."

Moved by his ambition, Xu Sheng abandoned his plan to move south and became sworn brothers with Liu Bei and Xu Chu, vowing to live and die together.

After that, Liu Bei governed the region in Pingyuan, Xu Chu trained troops, and Xu Sheng served as strategist, and they made a name for themselves.

Upon hearing that the feudal lords were attacking Dong Zhuo, the three men led three thousand righteous soldiers to join them.

Inside the tent, Ji Xuanyuan's courteous treatment of Liu Bei surprised the other lords.

Yuan Shu was displeased, but seeing Ji Xuanyuan's clear attitude, he didn't say anything more.

Ji Xuanyuan felt a mix of emotions.

The Liu Bei before us should have been the benevolent ruler who "thrice yielded Xuzhou" and "led the people across the river," and should have had two peerless generals, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, by his side.

But now...

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei became sworn brothers.

Liu Bei was accompanied by Xu Chu and Xu Sheng.

The course of history has been completely altered because of this butterfly.

But the tenacity in Liu Bei's eyes, and the unwavering ambition that never faded even in humble circumstances, remained unchanged.

"Lord Xuande has come a long way and must be tired." Ji Xuanyuan raised his cup.

"Let's drink this cup and discuss a strategy to defeat the enemy later."

Liu Bei raised his cup in a toast: "Thank you, Alliance Leader."