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

child time.

At the west gate of Shuntian, the city gate was tightly closed, and the guards huddled around a brazier inside the city tower to keep warm.

The captain on duty tonight is surnamed Wang. He is an honest and law-abiding soldier who is yawning and planning to go home and take a nap with his wife after his shift ends.

Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from outside the city.

Captain Wang was startled, grabbed his spear, rushed to the top of the city wall, and looked down.

A troop of soldiers was seen rushing towards them from outside the city.

In the torchlight, one could vaguely see the leader wearing a brocade robe, his face familiar—it was none other than Liu Bei, Liu Xuande, the Grand Master of Ceremonies.

"Open the door! Open the door now!" the man on horseback shouted.

Upon closer inspection, Captain Wang realized it was indeed Liu Bei.

Behind him followed a dense, dark mass of men, probably no less than three thousand.

"General Liu!"

Captain Wang shouted, "What are you doing in the dead of night...?"

Liu Bei took out a scroll from his bosom and handed it to the personal guard beside him.

The guard rode forward and held the document high: "Imperial decree! General Liu is here on official business outside the city! Open the gates immediately!"

Lieutenant Wang took the document and leaned closer to examine it under the torchlight.

It was indeed stamped with the Emperor's jade seal, and the characters were clear, unlike a forgery.

He scratched his head, looking somewhat hesitant.

According to the rules set by Ji Xuanyuan, one must have a warrant from the Grand Tutor's Mansion to leave the city at night.

But this imperial edict...

The adjutant beside him whispered, "Captain, General Liu is the Grand Master of Ceremonies, a close advisor to the Emperor. It's normal for him to have the Emperor's decree, isn't it? Besides, we haven't received any orders from the Grand Tutor's residence forbidding us from leaving the city..."

Captain Wang thought about it and agreed.

The Grand Tutor's Mansion did not issue any order forbidding people from leaving the city.

Since there is an imperial decree, then let them pass.

"Open the door!" he waved.

The heavy city gates slowly opened.

Liu Bei spurred his horse and charged forward.

Behind him, three thousand elite guards and imperial guards filed out, their hooves thundering, and soon disappeared into the vast night.

As Captain Wang watched the departing troops, he felt that something was amiss.

But he couldn't explain it.

An hour later, at the Northern Garrison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Ran Min strode into Guo Jia's duty room, his face ashen.

"Fengxiao! Liu Bei has fled!"

Guo Jia, who was bent over his desk reviewing official documents, looked up upon hearing this, his peach blossom eyes narrowing slightly: "Ran away? When?"

Ran Min said, "It was just past midnight when he escaped through the west gate! The captain guarding the city said that Liu Bei had the emperor's decree, and he dared not stop him!"

Guo Jia put down his pen, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly smiled.

There was a hint of helplessness and a hint of understanding in that smile.

"What a shrewd Liu Bei!"

He murmured, "What a fine emperor."

Ran Min said urgently, "Fengxiao, it's not too late to catch up! I'll lead five hundred elite cavalry; we'll definitely catch up before dawn!"

Guo Jia shook his head: "No need to pursue them."

Ran Min was taken aback: "Why?"

Guo Jia stood up, walked to the window, gazed at the dark night outside, and slowly said, "Our lord anticipated that Liu Bei would flee; otherwise, why do you think he would send you to the city gate for questioning so late at night?"

Ran Min was stunned.

Guo Jia continued, "Our lord ordered us to keep watch on the city gate, not to stop Liu Bei, but to see if anyone is helping him."

He turned around, looked at Ran Min, his gaze deep: "An imperial edict. Without the emperor's help, could Liu Bei have escaped?"

Ran Min gasped.

Guo Jia sighed and patted him on the shoulder: "Our lord knows what he's doing. We just need to do our duty."

Outside Shuntian City, on the official road.

Liu Bei led three thousand soldiers and fled at breakneck speed.

He dared not stop, dared not rest, and dared not even look back.

He didn't rein in his horse until the first light of dawn appeared in the east, panting heavily.

"My lord!"

Jian Yong spurred his horse forward: "Which way are we going?"

Liu Bei looked south, towards Ji Province, which was now Ji Xuanyuan's territory.

He looked eastward again, towards Qingzhou.

"Heading to Qingzhou."

Liu Bei said in a deep voice, "We should bypass Ji Province and go through Qing Province."

Xu Chu's eyes widened: "Brother, Ji Province is full of Ji Xuanyuan's men! If we go through Ji Province, isn't that just suicide?"

Liu Bei shook his head: "It is precisely because they are all Ji Xuanyuan's men that he did not expect us to dare to go to Ji Province. Moreover, Ji Province has just been pacified, and the garrisons of each county have not yet been fully controlled. If we travel at night, we may not be discovered."

Xu Sheng said worriedly, "But what if we're discovered..."

Liu Bei took a deep breath, his gaze resolute: "If we are discovered, then it is fate."

He pointed with his whip: "Go!"

Three thousand soldiers, like a sharp arrow, pierced the dangerous land to the north.

Jizhou, late at night.

Three thousand men traversed the desolate mountains and wilderness.

Liu Bei dared not take the official road and could only take the mountain path.

Thorns tore their clothes, and gravel wore through their shoes. The soldiers were exhausted and hungry, but dared not stop.

Xu Chu, standing beside Liu Bei, asked in a muffled voice, "Brother, where are we fleeing to? What happens after Qingzhou?"

Liu Bei was silent for a moment, then slowly said:

"He went to Yanzhou, then crossed the river to Yuzhou, and sought refuge with Sun Wentai."

Xu Chu was taken aback: "Sun Jian? Will he really take us in?"

Liu Bei looked south, his gaze distant: "Sun Wentai and I have a pact made at the Luo River, he... should take us in."

he does not know.

He really didn't know.

Several days later, at the border of Qingzhou.

The three thousand remaining soldiers finally escaped from Jizhou.

They were ragged and emaciated, but their eyes shone with hope.

As long as you're alive, there's still hope.

Liu Bei glanced back at the north, at the land he had once served, the land he would never return to.

"Let's go," he said softly.

Several days later, at the border of Yanzhou, at the Yellow River ferry crossing.

Looking at the surging Yellow River, Liu Bei felt a mix of emotions.

After crossing the Yellow River, you will reach Yanzhou, and after Yanzhou, you will reach Yuzhou.

As long as Sun Jian is found, there is still hope.

"Cross the river!"

Yanzhou, on the south bank of the Yellow River.

Liu Bei's troops had just crossed the Yellow River and had not yet established a firm foothold when they realized something was wrong.

Ahead, smoke and dust billowed, and countless banners fluttered in the wind.

Twenty thousand troops stood in formation, ready to fight.

At the head of the procession was a large banner with a huge character "Cao" written on it.

Cao Cao.

Liu Bei's heart sank.

It’s over.

They were caught up with after all.

Cao Cao spurred his horse forward and reined it in before the battle lines. He was clad in black armor, his face calm and expressionless.

Behind him, Cao Ren, Xiahou Dun, and other generals stood with their troops at rest.

Liu Bei took a deep breath and spurred his horse forward.

The two men faced each other from a distance on the battlefield.

"Brother Mengde."

Liu Bei spoke, his voice hoarse: "You've come to take my life, haven't you?"

Cao Cao looked at him and remained silent for a long time.

Then he smiled.

There was a mix of emotions in that smile, a hint of regret.

"Xuande, how have you been?"

He said slowly, "You and I once swore an oath on the banks of the Luo River that we would never fight each other. I, Cao Cao, have always kept this oath in my heart."

Liu Bei was taken aback.

Cao Cao continued, "Therefore, I will not kill you."

Upon hearing this, not only was Liu Bei stunned, but even Cao Ren and Xiahou Dun, who were behind Cao Cao, looked at each other in bewilderment.

Cao Cao spurred his horse forward a few steps and lowered his voice:

"But the Prime Minister once sent the divine physician Zhang Zhongjing south to save Zhicai's life. I, Cao Cao, cannot forget this favor, so I will not help you."

He raised his head and looked directly into Liu Bei's eyes: "I won't kill you, nor will I help you. I'll pretend I didn't see anything. You take your men and leave."

Liu Bei stared at him blankly, unable to believe his ears.

"Mengde...you..."

Jian Yong called out urgently from behind, "My lord! Let's go quickly! It will be too late if we don't leave now!"

Liu Bei gave Cao Cao a deep look, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Brother Mengde, I will forever remember this kindness and virtue! If I have the opportunity in the future, I will surely repay it handsomely!"

He spurred his horse and led his troops away at breakneck speed.

Behind him, Cao Cao watched the departing troops silently for a long time.

Cao Ren rode forward, puzzled, and said, "My lord, why don't you capture Liu Bei and take him to the court to claim your reward? That would be a great achievement! Ji Xuanyuan will also remember your merit!"

"You think capturing Liu Bei is a good thing?"

Cao Cao gazed in the direction where Liu Bei had disappeared and murmured, "The heroes of the world are only Cao Cao, Xuande, Wentai, and Wenlie."

Cao Ren was taken aback: "My lord, what did you say?"

Cao Cao snapped out of his daze, shook his head, and turned his horse around.

"Back to camp."

Cao Cao's army camp, central command tent.

Cao Cao sat alone in his tent, a map spread out in front of him.

His gaze slowly swept across Shuntian, past Yanzhou and Yuzhou, and finally landed on the vast land of Jiangdong.

The curtain was lifted, and a figure walked in.

Xi Zhicai.

He was recovering from a serious illness, his face was pale and his body was thin, but his eyes were still as sharp as an eagle's.

"My lord."

He sat down opposite Cao Cao and said softly, "You let Liu Bei go."

Cao Cao looked at him and gave a wry smile: "Zhicai, you know everything."

Xi Zhicai nodded, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly asked, "My lord, do you harbor ambitions to unify the world?"

Cao Cao was taken aback.

Xi Zhicai looked directly into his eyes and said, word by word, "If there is a reason, I will do my utmost to assist my lord in achieving great things. If not, I would rather pass away here, which would be a way of repaying Ji Xuanyuan's life-saving grace."

Cao Cao remained silent for a long time.

Then, he spoke slowly, his voice low but firm: "Zhi Cai, of course I, Cao Cao, have him."

A glint flashed in Xi Zhicai's eyes.

Cao Cao continued, "But now, I don't have that strength. You've all seen the fates of Yuan Shao, Han Sui, Ma Teng... No one who opposes Ji Xuanyuan has a good ending."

He stood up, walked to the map, and pointed to the location of Yanzhou: "Ji Xuanyuan controls five or six provinces, with an army of six hundred thousand, fierce generals like clouds, and strategists like rain. And what about me, Cao Cao? I only have a corner of Yanzhou, plus two counties in Xuzhou, with no more than one hundred thousand soldiers. How can I fight him?"

Xi Zhicai slowly said, "So, my lord released Liu Bei because he wanted to..."

Cao Cao turned around and looked at him: "Zhicai, you are right. To fight against Ji Xuanyuan, I alone have no chance. We must make allies and fight against the powerful enemy together."

He walked to the map and pointed to the locations of Yuzhou and Jiangdong: "Sun Jian and Liu Bei are both heroes of our time. From the first time I met them, I knew they were no ordinary people."

"If Liu Bei were to flee to Sun Jian, with his abilities, he would surely be highly valued by Sun Jian. At that time, the two of them would join forces, and with my Cao Cao's help, the three of them together might not be without the power to fight."

Xi Zhicai remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded: "My lord is far-sighted, but... will Sun Jian rebel? He also made a vow with Ji Xuanyuan at the Luo River."

Cao Cao shook his head, his gaze deep: "I don't know, but I do know that Ji Xuanyuan's current strength is enough to make anyone feel fear. Sun Jian is not stupid; he can see that after Ji Xuanyuan deals with Liu Biao and Yuan Shu, who will be next?"

He paused, then his voice turned somber: "The rabbit is killed once the hunt is over; Sun Jian should understand this principle."

Xi Zhicai looked at him, a complex light flashing in his eyes.

"My lord, this road is not easy to travel."

Cao Cao laughed.

That smile held bitterness, helplessness, and a hint of resolve: "Even if it's difficult, I have to go."

He looked out of the tent, towards the north in the direction of Shuntian, and murmured, "Wenlie, don't blame me..."

The Yellow River ferry crossing, on the south bank.

Liu Bei's forces finally escaped from Yanzhou and entered the territory of Yuzhou.

He reined in his horse and glanced back at the north.

There, Cao Cao's army had already disappeared from sight.

He really didn't chase after her.

"My lord!"

Xu Sheng rode up, his face beaming with joy: "Cao Cao really didn't chase us! We escaped!"

Liu Bei nodded, but did not speak.

He felt a mix of emotions.

Did Cao Cao let him go because of the oath they made years ago?

still is……

Jian Yong rode forward and whispered, "My lord, Cao Cao's actions are probably not that simple."

Liu Bei looked at him.

Jian Yong continued, "By letting our lord go, Cao Cao is essentially making enemies for himself. If Ji Xuanyuan finds out, he will definitely suspect him. He did this either because he genuinely cares about our past relationship, or..."

He didn't continue.

Liu Bei remained silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Xianhe, do you mean that Cao Cao is leaving himself a way out?"

Jian Yong nodded: "That is exactly what I mean. Ji Xuanyuan is powerful now, and Cao Cao cannot help but be afraid. If one day Ji Xuanyuan were to take action against Yanzhou, Cao Cao would need allies, and you, my lord, and Sun Jian are his best choices."

Liu Bei gazed southwards, his eyes fixed on the distance.

"Will Sun Wentai...take us in?"

Jian Yong said, "Sun Jian currently occupies three counties in Yangzhou and is confronting Yuan Shu. He needs talent and troops. Your lord's trip is a timely help."

Liu Bei nodded and took a deep breath.

"Let's go."