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

In the autumn of the third year of Jian'an (198 AD), in Yuzhang and Nanchang.

As the autumn winds begin to blow, the reeds on both banks of the Gan River have turned pale.

Liu Bei stood by the river, gazing at the surging waters, and remained silent.

He had been standing here for a full hour.

"My lord."

Jian Yong finally couldn't help but speak up: "It's windy by the river, let's go back."

Liu Bei did not move, but simply looked north.

That direction is towards Shuntian, towards Xuchang, and towards Shouchun.

There, Ji Xuanyuan was deploying troops, Cao Cao was preparing for war, and Sun Jian was purging powerful clans.

As for Liu Bei, he was trapped in the remote Yuzhang and accomplished nothing.

"Constitutional peace".

He suddenly spoke, his voice very soft: "Do you think Sun Jian will restore the Han Dynasty?"

Jian Yong was taken aback, then smiled bitterly: "My lord, Sun Jian doesn't even mention the Han Dynasty anymore. In his eyes, there is only his Jiangdong."

Liu Bei nodded, his gaze deep and thoughtful.

He recalled the scene in Luoyang when the four of them swore an oath facing the Luo River.

At that time, Sun Jian said, "Let us work together to support the Han Dynasty and protect the state."

He believed it then.

But now, Sun Jian only has Yangzhou, Yuzhou, Jingzhou... and the desire and ambition to unify the world.

The Han Dynasty?

He's long forgotten.

"Constitutional peace".

Liu Bei turned around and looked at Jian Yong: "Let's go."

Jian Yong was taken aback: "Leave? Where to?"

Liu Bei looked south, his gaze resolute: "Jiaozhou."

Yuzhang Commandery, Sun Jian's main camp.

Sun Jian was discussing military affairs with Zhang Zhao when a personal guard suddenly came to report: "My lord, Liu Bei requests an audience."

Sun Jian frowned: "What's he doing here?"

He waved his hand: "Let him in."

Liu Bei strode in and knelt on one knee: "Brother Wentai, I have a request to make."

Sun Jian looked at him with a cold gaze, but his tone was polite: "Xuande, please speak freely."

Liu Bei raised his head, his gaze sincere: "Although Yuan Shu is dead, his former subordinates Zhang Xun, Qiao Rui and others still occupy the border of Jiaozhou and have repeatedly invaded our territory. I am willing to lead my troops south to punish the remaining rebels and share the burden with you, Brother Wentai."

Sun Jian's eyes lit up.

Jiaozhou was Shi Xie's territory, which he had long wanted to seize, but he had never had the time or opportunity to do so.

If Liu Bei could lead the charge for him...

"How many people do you need?" Sun Jian asked.

Liu Bei said, "I have three thousand men under my command. If I borrow another two thousand from Brother Wentai, we will have five thousand, which will be enough to pacify Jiaozhou."

Sun Jian pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "Very well, I will lend you two thousand men, along with provisions and weapons. If Xuande can take Jiaozhou, I will reward you handsomely."

Liu Bei bowed deeply: "Thank you very much, Brother Wentai!"

He turned and left, his steps firm.

Behind him, Sun Jian watched his retreating figure, a cold smile appearing on his lips.

Zhang Zhao said softly, "My lord, I'm afraid Liu Bei has other plans for this trip."

Sun Jian waved his hand: "I know, but so what? Jiaozhou is remote and full of barbarians. If Liu Bei can take it, I will have another shield. If he can't take it, he will die there, saving me the trouble of taking action."

Zhang Zhao stopped speaking, only gazing at Liu Bei's departing figure with a complex expression.

Several days later, at the Ganjiang River ferry crossing.

Five thousand men, fully armed and ready to go. Banners fluttered in the wind, and warhorses neighed.

Liu Bei stood by the river, gazing northwards, remaining silent.

Behind him, Xu Chu, Xu Sheng, and Jian Yong stood with their hands on their swords.

"Big brother."

Xu Chu asked in a deep voice, "Will we ever come back?"

Liu Bei did not answer, but instead mounted his horse, pointed with his whip, and commanded, "Let's go!"

Five thousand men, marching in a grand procession, set off southward.

Behind them, Yuzhang City gradually disappeared into the morning mist.

Jiaozhou, Longbian.

Shi Xie, the governor of Jiaozhou, has ruled Jiaozhou for more than 20 years.

He was the biggest local tyrant in Jiaozhou, and also the most obedient minister of the imperial court.

They paid tribute every year without fail; and they never refused to be summoned.

But in his heart, he had never truly submitted to anyone.

"My lord."

Shi Yi rushed in: "A force has come from the north, carrying Liu Bei's banner, saying they want to attack the remnants of Yuan Shu."

Shi Xie frowned: "Liu Bei? The Liu Bei who sided with Sun Jian?"

Shi Yi nodded: "That's right. He brought five thousand men, saying he wanted to pass through Jiaozhou to attack Zhang Xun and Qiao Rui."

Shi Xie sneered: "To attack Zhang Xun? He's targeting me in the future."

Shi Yi asked anxiously, "Then what do we do?"

Shi Xie stood up, walked to the map, and traced the border of Jiaozhou with his finger: "If Liu Bei wants to fight, let him fight. Jiaozhou is high in the mountains and far in the rivers, and is full of barbarians. What waves can his five thousand men stir up? Send down the order that all counties close their city gates and not engage in conflict with him. Let him fight Zhang Xun. When they are both exhausted, we will make our move."

Shi Yi hesitated and said, "But what if Liu Bei really captures Zhang Xun..."

Shi Xie waved his hand: "So what if we take him? Liu Bei is living under someone else's roof, and he has to rely on Sun Jian for food and weapons. How much can Sun Jian give him? When he runs out of food and reinforcements, he will naturally retreat."

Shi Yi said no more and left to carry out his orders.

Zhang Xun's camp on the border of Jiaozhou.

Zhang Xun stood on a high point in the camp, gazing northwards with a gloomy expression.

He was originally a general under Yuan Shu. After Yuan Shu's defeat and death, he led his remaining troops to retreat to the border of Jiaozhou and made a living by plundering.

Now that Liu Bei has come knocking on his door, how can he sit idly by and wait to die?

"General."

The lieutenant rushed over: "Liu Bei's troops have already reached a hundred miles away."

Zhang Xun gritted his teeth: "How many people?"

"About five thousand."

Zhang Xun sneered, "Five thousand? I have five thousand men myself. Are you afraid of him? Send the order: prepare for battle!"

Jiaozhou, deep in the mountains.

Liu Bei's troops trekked arduously through the towering mountains of Jiaozhou.

The road was rugged and filled with miasma; the soldiers were exhausted, yet no one complained.

Xu Chu led the way, clearing the path for the army.

Xu Sheng covered the rear, vigilantly watching his surroundings.

"My lord."

Jian Yong spurred his horse forward: "This is Zhang Xun's territory. He is a former subordinate of Yuan Shu, with five thousand men under his command, all of whom are veterans of countless battles. They are not easy to deal with."

Liu Bei nodded: "I know, that's why we can't fight head-on."

Jian Yong was taken aback: "Does my lord mean...?"

Liu Bei gazed at the distant mountains, his eyes filled with profound thought: "Zhang Xun holds a strategic position, easy to defend and difficult to attack. If we launch a direct assault, the casualties will be heavy. It would be better to lure him out to battle and then ambush him."

He turned around and looked at Jian Yong: "Xianhe, you take a thousand men and go to Zhang Xun's camp to challenge him. You are only allowed to lose, not win. Lead him to the valley in front."

Jian Yong clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes, sir!"

That night, at Zhang Xun's camp.

"Report! Liu Bei's army is here! They're challenging us in front of the camp!"

Zhang Xun donned his armor and stepped out of his tent. He saw that the camp was brightly lit by fire, and a thousand men stood in formation. The general in the lead, dressed as a scholar, was none other than Jian Yong.

"Zhang Xun!"

Jian Yong raised his voice and said, "Yuan Shu is a traitor, and the whole world should condemn him! You aided and abetted this evil, and your crimes are unforgivable! If you surrender today, you may be spared death!"

Zhang Xun was furious: "A mere scholar dares to be so insolent before me!"

He mounted his horse and led three thousand men out of the camp.

Jian Yong turned his horse and rode away, shouting, "Retreat! Retreat quickly!"

A thousand men retreated like the tide.

Zhang Xun was unwilling to give up and led his troops in a frantic pursuit.

They chased for more than ten miles and entered a narrow valley.

Suddenly, shouts of battle erupted from both sides of the mountain.

Logs and boulders rained down like raindrops.

Arrows rained down like locusts, causing Zhang's soldiers to fall and their horses to tumble.

"We've fallen into their trap!" Zhang Xun exclaimed in alarm, turning his horse to flee.

But the valley was narrow and crowded with people and horses, so how could they escape?

Xu Chu charged down from the mountain, Xu Sheng charged in from the valley entrance, and Liu Bei personally led the central army to launch a frontal assault.

Zhang Xun fought desperately to break through the encirclement, but was hit by several arrows and bled profusely.

His personal guards fought desperately to protect him, carving a bloody path and escaping back to the camp.

But when he returned to the camp, he found that the camp had been occupied by Liu Bei's troops.

"General! Let's go!" The guards pulled Zhang Xun and fled towards the back mountain.

Looking back, Zhang Xun saw his camp engulfed in flames, his five thousand men either dead or surrendered, all wiped out.

He looked up to the sky and sighed, tears streaming down his face: "Your Majesty! This humble general is incompetent, this humble general has failed you..."

News of Zhang Xun's defeat and death quickly spread throughout Jiaozhou.

Shi Xie was greatly alarmed and immediately ordered all counties and prefectures to strengthen their defenses.

But what he didn't expect was that Liu Bei didn't take advantage of the victory to attack, but instead stationed himself there to rest and reorganize his troops and appease the people.

Several months later, in Jiaozhou, Longbian.

Shi Xie sat in his residence, with a letter from Liu Bei spread out in front of him.

The letter stated that Bei had been ordered to suppress the rebels and dared not harass Jiaozhou.

Now that Zhang Xun has been defeated, we should return to Yuzhang.

I only hope that Your Excellency will treat the people kindly and not fail the court.

Shi Xie remained silent for a long time after reading the letter.

"My lord."

Shi Yi asked softly, "Will Liu Bei really retreat?"

Shi Xie shook his head, his gaze deep: "Of course he won't retreat. He's telling me that he doesn't want to be my enemy, but he won't leave either. He's waiting, waiting for me to make a mistake."

Shi Yi asked anxiously, "Then what do we do?"

Shi Xie stood up, walked to the window, looked north, and slowly said, "Wait, wait until Sun Jian and Ji Xuanyuan have a result. Whoever wins, we will support them."

Outside the window, the autumn wind was bleak.

Winter is coming soon in Jiaozhou.

Yuzhang, Sun Jian's main camp.

When Sun Jian received Liu Bei's report of victory, he was discussing matters with Zhang Zhao.

After reading the good news, he remained silent for a long time.

"Five thousand against five thousand, annihilate Zhang Xun, and suffer less than five hundred casualties on our side." He raised his head and looked at Zhang Zhao.

"Liu Bei is indeed no simple man."

Zhang Zhao nodded: "My lord, Liu Bei fought a brilliant battle, but after taking the border of Jiaozhou, he did not continue to attack Shi Xie. Instead, he stationed his troops there to rest and recuperate. He is conserving his strength and planning for the long term."

Sun Jian sneered: "He wants to establish himself in Jiaozhou? Dream on. Issue the order to reduce Liu Bei's food supplies and military equipment from today onwards, and see how long he can hold out."

Zhang Zhao hesitated and said, "My lord, if we reduce the grain supplies, Liu Bei will surely harbor rebellious intentions..."

Sun Jian waved his hand: "If he had any ulterior motives, he would have done so long ago. I want to see just how capable Liu Bei is to cause trouble in Jiaozhou."

Shuntian, Tiance Prefecture.

Ji Xuanyuan sat in his study, with a secret report from Jiaozhou spread out in front of him.

Guo Jia took the document, skimmed through it quickly, and his peach blossom eyes curved into a smile: "Liu Bei, with five thousand men against five thousand men, annihilated Zhang Xun completely, while suffering fewer than five hundred casualties on his own side. This battle was indeed brilliant."

Ji Xuanyuan stood up, walked to the map, and traced the location of Jiaozhou with his finger: "Liu Bei has taken the border of Jiaozhou, but he has not continued to attack Shi Xie. He is waiting, waiting for Shi Xie to make a mistake, waiting for Sun Jian to make a mistake, and waiting for us to make our move."

Guo Jia nodded: "My lord is right. Liu Bei is a man who can endure, wait, and seize opportunities. Give him a territory, and he will take root and flourish."

Ji Xuanyuan smiled slightly: "Then give him a piece of land."

Guo Jia was taken aback: "Does my lord mean...?"

Ji Xuanyuan turned around and looked at him with a deep gaze: "Didn't Liu Xie want to help Liu Bei? Then send an order to Liu Bei in the name of the emperor, saying that the court has appointed him as the governor of Jiaozhou and the general who quells rebellion, so that he can rightfully take over Jiaozhou."

Guo Jia's eyes lit up: "If Liu Bei takes Jiaozhou, he will have the confidence to contend with Sun Jian. At that time, it will be difficult for Sun Jian to control him, and Liu Bei, grateful to the court, will surely restrain Sun Jian."