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

The next morning, at Zhang Fei's manor.

The nine brothers sat around a table with millet porridge and some leftover meat and pickled vegetables.

Ji Xuanyuan only drank a few sips before putting down his bowl and chopsticks. With a smile on his pale face, he looked at Zhang Fei and said, "Yide, you said yesterday that your family is quite wealthy."

Zhang Fei was gulping down his porridge when he heard this. He looked up, wiped his mouth, and said, "Yes, brother, what's wrong?"

"This recruitment of soldiers and horses will inevitably require money and provisions," Ji Xuanyuan said slowly, a sly glint in his eyes.

"Since you have family wealth, you should naturally be the one to pay for this."

Zhang Fei patted his chest and declared, "A man's word is his bond! It's just money, I have it! Brother, just tell me how much you want!"

Ji Xuanyuan stretched out his index finger and waved it in front of everyone, grinning mischievously, "If that's what you're saying... then give me a hundred gold coins first."

"Pfft—" Zhang Fei spat out a mouthful of porridge, but Zhao Yun nimbly dodged it.

"How much?!" Zhang Fei's eyes widened in disbelief.

"One hundred gold coins?! Brother, do you know how much one hundred gold coins is? That's a million coins!"

He stood up anxiously, waving his arms: "Brother, you probably don't know, recruiting soldiers doesn't actually cost much! These days, people are starving. As long as you provide food, plenty of people will come! One tael can recruit a hundred people, ten taels can recruit a thousand, a hundred taels... that's tens of thousands!"

Ji Xuanyuan remained calm, picked up his teacup and took a sip: "Yide, don't be so upset. This money is only a temporary loan. I will definitely pay you back in less than two months, and even double it."

"Double?!" Zhang Fei was stunned.

"Not bad." Ji Xuanyuan put down his teacup. The tea brewed in this era was really hard to swallow. He glanced at everyone.

"With the Yellow Turban Rebellion about to begin, the imperial court will surely offer rewards for suppressing the rebels. If we can achieve a great victory in our first battle, the military supplies we seize will be far more than a hundred taels of gold. Besides... we brothers are plotting something great together, what is a little money?"

His words were spoken lightly, but they put Zhang Fei in a very difficult position.

Zhang Fei's face flushed red as he looked at Ji Xuanyuan and then at his other brothers.

Xiang Yu crossed his arms, a half-smile playing on his lips. Ran Min lowered his head, wiping his double-edged spear as if it were none of his business. Li Cunxiao, munching on a pancake, mumbled, "If Fifth Brother is in a difficult position..."

"Who said I'm in a difficult position!" Zhang Fei stamped his foot.

"Brother is right! When brothers plan something big together, what's a little money? I'll pay for it! Even if I have to sell my possessions, I'll scrape together the money for you!"

"Good!" Ji Xuanyuan clapped his hands and laughed.

"Yide is indeed a generous and forthright man!"

Guan Yu stroked his beard and said, "In that case, my family also has some modest assets..."

"No need," Ji Xuanyuan waved his hand.

"Keep Yun Chang for now; he will be useful in the future."

Zhang Fei immediately went to raise money.

Although he was a butcher, his ancestors had accumulated considerable wealth, owning more than ten butcher shops in Zhuojun and hundreds of acres of fertile land outside the city.

They sold their property and mortgaged their land, scraping together what they could, and finally raised 100 gold coins in five days.

During this time, Ji Xuanyuan was not idle either.

He ordered Xiang Yu and the others to split up: Xiang Yu and Ran Min posted recruitment notices at the four gates of Zhuojun; Li Cunxiao and Lü Bu went to the blacksmith shop to supervise the manufacture of weapons; and Yang Zaixing and Zhao Yun were responsible for taking stock of the grain and fodder stored at Zhang Fei's manor.

Ji Xuanyuan, despite his illness, set aside a quiet room at Zhang Fei's manor, spread out bamboo slips, and began drawing military charts.

"Brother, take a break." Xiang Yu pushed open the door and saw Ji Xuanyuan writing furiously at his desk, so he couldn't help but advise him.

Ji Xuanyuan didn't even look up: "It's alright, Brother Yu. What do you think of this military system? I propose to divide the two thousand soldiers into four divisions, each with five hundred men. You will lead one division, Yongzeng will lead another, Jingsi and Fengxian will jointly lead one division, Zongxing and Zilong will jointly lead one division, and Yunchang and Yide will temporarily serve as my left and right deputies."

Xiang Yu leaned closer to take a look and saw that the characters on the bamboo slips were elegant and upright, standard Han Dynasty clerical script, with a rigorous layout and composition. He couldn't help but praise, "Brother, what fine calligraphy!"

Ji Xuanyuan smiled slightly: "If I couldn't even write properly after three years of studying under Master Shui Jing, wouldn't that be shameful?"

He put down his pen, coughed twice, and said, "Go and call the brothers over; I have something to tell them."

Before long, everyone gathered in the quiet room.

Ji Xuanyuan pushed the bamboo slips to the table: "Before the troops move, the supplies must be ready. I have already allocated Yide's 100 gold coins: 50 gold coins for purchasing grain, 20 gold coins for forging weapons and armor, 10 gold coins for purchasing warhorses, and the remaining 20 gold coins for military pay."

"The purchase of grain will be handled by Yun Chang. Remember, do not buy it in one place, but distribute it to the nearby counties to avoid attracting attention."

"You, Yide, will personally oversee the forging of weapons and armor. Your eighteen-foot spear and Yunchang's Green Dragon Crescent Blade must be made of the finest iron. In addition, forge five hundred sets of leather armor, one thousand spears, eight hundred ring-pommel swords, three hundred bows, and thirty thousand arrows for two thousand soldiers."

Zhang Fei clicked his tongue in astonishment: "Brother, is...is there enough time?"

"Even if it's too late, it's not too late." A sharp glint flashed in Ji Xuanyuan's eyes.

"The Yellow Turban Rebellion will break out within a month or so, and we must form an army before then."

He paused, then looked at Lü Bu: "Fengxian, you and Jingsi go to the horse market. Don't ask for warhorses, pack horses and draft horses will do. Let's gather three hundred horses first."

"Zongxing, Zilong, you two take some men and find a secluded place outside the city to set up camp."

The men accepted the order and left. Ji Xuanyuan then said to Xiang Yu and Ran Min, "You two are fully responsible for recruiting soldiers. Remember, it's better to have fewer but better soldiers. I need soldiers who can fight, not vagrants who just want to eat."

"Don't worry, brother!" Xiang Yu clasped his hands in a fist salute.

In the days that followed, Zhuojun City and its surroundings were bustling with activity.

Zhang Fei's blacksmith shop had its furnace burning day and night, the clanging sounds never ceasing.

Guan Yu led dozens of large carts, traveling through various counties of Zhuojun to purchase grain. Lü Bu and Li Cunxiao haggled with merchants at the horse market.

Yang Zaixing and Zhao Yun found a valley thirty miles outside the city, nestled against the mountains and beside the water, which was a perfect place to set up camp.

As expected, the recruitment notice attracted a large number of applicants.

In front of the notice, Xiang Yu and Ran Min sat side by side.

One had double pupils and an unusual appearance, while the other was cold and dignified. The two of them exuded a chilling aura as they sat there.

"Recruiting! Recruiting!" A literate person read aloud the notice: "The Yellow Turban Rebellion is imminent, and the world is in grave danger. Now, there is a righteous man named Ji Xuanyuan who is gathering people to fight the rebels and protect the people. Anyone with aspirations is welcome to join us. Two meals a day and a monthly stipend of three hundred coins will be provided..."

"Three hundred coins! And meals are included!"

"I'll go! I'll go!"

Refugees flocked to the scene. Xiang Yu rose and roared, "Line up! One by one!"

His gaze swept across the crowd like lightning: "You, come out."

The man chosen was a lean, wiry man, about twenty years old.

Xiang Yu asked, "Have you ever practiced martial arts?"

"I, I used to be a hunter in the mountains..."

"Take this punch," Xiang Yu said, and lightly threw a punch.

The man instinctively blocked the attack and was knocked back several steps, but he did not fall.

"Good." Xiang Yu nodded. "Go to the right and register."

Ran Min's side was even more direct.

He had three stone locks brought over, weighing fifty jin, eighty jin, and one hundred jin respectively.

"Anyone who can lift fifty jin can join my army. Anyone who can lift eighty jin can become a squad leader. Anyone who can lift one hundred jin..." Ran Min paused.

"I will personally teach you martial arts."

These words caused an uproar among the crowd.

At that moment, dozens of men rolled up their sleeves and stepped forward.

This screening method is extremely efficient.

In just ten days, they recruited two thousand strong men.

Although most of these people were thin and sallow, they were strong and muscular, and most of them were hunters or farmers. With a little training, they could be formed into an army.

On the 25th of the third month, the camp was initially completed.

Two thousand new recruits lined up in the valley. Although their armor was incomplete, after ten days of training by Xiang Yu and others, they had begun to resemble a military unit.

Ji Xuanyuan, dressed in white fox fur, stood on the command platform.

The spring breeze was chilly, making his clothes flutter and causing him to cough incessantly.

Xiang Yu held an umbrella for him, his face showing worry.

"From this day forward, you are all soldiers of my Jingnan Army!" Ji Xuanyuan took a deep breath, his voice clear and resonant.

"I know that most of you joined the army just to have a meal, but I must tell you, with the Yellow Turban Rebellion rising, the world will be in chaos. If you only think about getting a meal, you will sooner or later become victims of the bandits!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the audience: "The soldiers I want will not only be well-fed, but will also achieve great deeds! They will not only survive, but also bring honor to their families! From this day forward, strictly adhere to military discipline and train diligently! If they perform meritorious service on the battlefield in the future, I, Ji Xuanyuan, will certainly not treat them unfairly!"

"We will obey the general's orders!" the crowd below responded in unison.

Just then, a fast horse galloped into the valley.

Immediately, a scout dismounted and knelt on one knee: "Report! The Yellow Turban rebel Cheng Yuanzhi's force of 50,000 men has passed Fanyang and is heading straight for Zhuojun! They are less than a hundred li from here!"

The entire audience erupted in uproar.

Ji Xuanyuan remained calm, as if he had expected this all along.

"Perfect timing!" he immediately called out.

"My warriors! The bandits have delivered themselves to our doorstep! This battle will be our chance to make a name for ourselves!"

"Xiang Yu and Ran Min, heed my command!"

"exist!"

"I order you two to lead your 500 men to ambush on both sides of the valley. When our army engages the enemy head-on, charge out on my command!"

"Li Cunxiao and Lü Bu, heed my command!"

"exist!"

"I order you two to lead five hundred cavalry—though they're only packhorses, they'll do—to circle around to the enemy's rear and cut off their retreat!"

"Yang Zaixing, Zhao Yun, listen to my command!"

"exist!"

"I hereby appoint you two to lead five hundred spearmen as the vanguard of the central army!"

"Guan Yu, Zhang Fei!"

"exist!"

"You two will stand with me in the central command, overseeing the overall situation!"

The orders were issued in an orderly manner.

The group accepted the order and set off, each one eager to get started.

Only Zhao Yun gripped his silver spear tightly, a hint of tension flashing in his eyes.

This battle will be his first real battle.

Ji Xuanyuan walked to his side and whispered, "Zilong, are you afraid?"

Zhao Yun shook his head: "I'm not afraid. It's just..."

"Just what?"

"But...elder brother, why did you make Zongxing and me the vanguard? Second and third brothers are more skilled in martial arts..."

Ji Xuanyuan patted his shoulder and said meaningfully, "There are too many opportunities to become famous in this chaotic world, but in this battle, I want you, Zhao Yun, Zhao Zilong... to become famous throughout the world. Brother Yu and the others will also have opportunities in the future. What I want is for the names of the nine of us brothers to spread throughout the thirteen states of the Han Dynasty and be passed down for thousands of generations."

Zhao Yun was startled.

On April 27th, Cheng Yuanzhi's army arrived outside Zhuojun City.

Cheng Yuanzhi was originally the leader of the Taiping Road in Youzhou. When Zhang Jiao started his rebellion, he was ordered to attack and capture Youzhou.

His 50,000 men were mostly displaced people he had coerced, but among them were 3,000 elite Taiping Dao warriors, known as the "Yellow Turban Warriors," each with a yellow turban on their head and a large sword in hand, fearless of death.

"General, we have spotted a government army camp ahead!" a scout reported.

As Cheng Yuanzhi rode his horse, he looked around and saw a camp standing at the mouth of a valley ahead. The gate of the camp was wide open, and only a few hundred spearmen were lined up in front of it.

"Haha! A mere few hundred people dare to stop my fifty thousand troops?"

Cheng Yuanzhi laughed loudly, "Men, charge! Raze this stronghold to the ground, and all the money, grain, and women in Zhuojun City are yours to take!"

"Kill!" The Yellow Turban army surged forward like a tidal wave.

In front of the fortress, Yang Zaixing and Zhao Yun stood side by side on horseback.

Yang Zaixing grinned: "Zilong, are you scared?"

Zhao Yun gripped his silver spear tightly: "I'm not afraid!"

"Good! Today, let these bandits see what the 'Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Spear' truly means!"

Yang Zaixing brandished his golden spear and charged forward first.

Zhao Yun followed closely behind, and the five hundred spearmen, like an iron torrent, met the Yellow Turban army head-on.

The two armies clashed, and blood splattered instantly.

Yang Zaixing took the lead, his golden spear flashing like silver light, causing men and horses to fall wherever he went.

Zhao Yun was a little nervous at first, but as he got into the swing of things, he gradually got into the zone.

The Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Spear was already exquisite, but in his hands it became even more agile, the spear tip pointing precisely at vital points such as the throat and heart.

"Excellent marksmanship!" Yang Zaixing praised amidst his busy schedule.

But there were simply too many Yellow Turban soldiers, and they were killed layer after layer.

Although the five hundred spearmen were brave, they were gradually overwhelmed.

On the stockade wall, Ji Xuanyuan calmly observed the battle situation.

Seeing that the time was right, he waved his flag.

"Left wing, attack!"

On the left side of the valley, Xiang Yu led five hundred ambushing soldiers out.

Wielding the Heavenly Dragon City-Breaking Halberd, he charged ahead, his attack as swift as a dragon, heading straight for the Yellow Turban army's central force.

With double pupils, no one dares to block their gaze.

"Right wing, attack!"

Ran Min charged out from the right, his double-edged spear and hooked halberd flashing like the Grim Reaper's scythe, reaping lives.

Seeing Zhao Yun's unparalleled bravery, Cheng Yuanzhi was furious and immediately sent his deputy general Deng Mao to fight. However, Deng Mao was not expected to last more than two rounds against Zhao Yun before being speared off his horse.

The Yellow Turban army was thrown into chaos.

Cheng Yuanzhi was greatly alarmed and hurriedly ordered the central army to advance.

Just then, a commotion broke out behind them.

Li Cunxiao and Lü Bu led 500 "cavalry" to attack.

Although they rode packhorses, the two were incredibly brave and their Yuwang Spear and Fangtian Halberd were invincible, tearing apart the rear of the Yellow Turban army.

"General! There's an ambush behind us!"

"General! The left flank can't hold!"

Cheng Yuanzhi was sweating profusely and was about to order a retreat when he suddenly saw a young general in white robes break through the encirclement single-handedly and rush straight towards him!

It was Zhao Yun!

After Zhao Yun and Yang Zaixing scattered the enemy in front of them, they saw the Yellow Turban central army banner waving and knew that their commander was there. So Zhao Yun said to Yang Zaixing, "Zongxing, I'll go and get the enemy general's head!"

"I'll clear a path for you!" Yang Zaixing roared, wildly brandishing his golden spear and carving a bloody trail through the enemy lines.

Zhao Yun seized the opportunity to rush in, his silver spear like a dragon, and he killed more than ten Yellow Turban warriors in succession. He was now less than fifty paces away from Cheng Yuanzhi!

"Stop him!" Cheng Yuanzhi exclaimed, filled with shock and anger.

More than ten guards rushed forward.

Zhao Yun, however, did not linger in battle. He pulled on the reins, and his warhorse reared up, leaping over the heads of the crowd!

While in mid-air, the silver spear had already transformed into a cold star, piercing straight for Cheng Yuanzhi's throat!

Cheng Yuanzhi was shocked and raised his sword to block, but Zhao Yun flicked his spear tip, feinted, and actually bypassed the sword, thrusting straight at his face!

"Pfft!"

The spear tip pierced through his brain.

Cheng Yuanzhi stared wide-eyed, unable to believe until his death that he had been killed by a young general.

The hero reveals his prowess today, ready to test his might with his gleaming silver spear.

It displayed its power from the very beginning, and its name was already well-known within three points.

Zhao Yun drew his spear, severed Cheng Yuanzhi's head, and roared, "The traitorous general is dead! Those who surrender will not be killed!"

This roar, imbued with internal force, shook the surrounding area. Upon seeing their commander dead, the Yellow Turban army was thrown into chaos and scattered in all directions.

"All troops, attack!" Ji Xuanyuan waved the command flag again.

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei led the last five hundred fresh troops out to fight. Guan Yu's Green Dragon Crescent Blade was as sharp as a bolt of lightning, and Zhang Fei's eighteen-foot spear was as sharp as a snake's tongue. Blood and flesh flew everywhere they went.

The Yellow Turban army completely collapsed, abandoning their armor and weapons, with countless soldiers kneeling and begging for mercy.

Post-battle inventory revealed that 8,000 were beheaded, 3,200 able-bodied men were captured, and over 400 warhorses, along with countless provisions and weapons, were seized. Meanwhile, the Xuanyuan army suffered fewer than 300 casualties.

As the sun set, the battlefield was in ruins. Ji Xuanyuan, supported by Xiang Yu, inspected the battlefield.

"Brother, this battle is a great victory!" Zhang Fei exclaimed excitedly, his face flushed.

"We've broken through 50,000 with only 2,000; this achievement is enough to shake the world!"

Ji Xuanyuan shook his head: "Don't be arrogant. Cheng Yuanzhi's troops are mostly a rabble. The real battle is yet to come."

He walked up to Zhao Yun, who was wiping his silver spear, the tip still damp with blood.

"Zilong," Ji Xuanyuan smiled.

"From this day forward, the whole world will know Zhao Zilong of Changshan."

Zhao Yun knelt on one knee: "It's all thanks to your leadership, Elder Brother, and the assistance of my fellow disciples!"

"You earned it yourself." Ji Xuanyuan helped him up and then looked at the crowd.

"I will report the merits of this battle to the imperial court truthfully. But more importantly... we now have a foothold."

He pointed to the prisoners, warhorses, and provisions: "These are our real first pot of gold."

That night, a grand celebration was held in the camp.

Ji Xuanyuan sat alone in his tent, writing a letter to Mr. Shui Jing by candlelight.

"...This disciple is unworthy, but I have achieved initial victory. However, my health is deteriorating and I fear I cannot sustain this effort. Fortunately, with the assistance of my brothers, we may be able to secure a glimmer of hope for the people in this chaotic world..."

As he wrote this, he coughed violently, and there were even some scarlet spots on his handkerchief.

Outside the tent, Xiang Yu, holding a bowl of medicine, paused upon hearing the cough, his eyes filled with worry.

The chaos has only just begun, and my elder brother's health...

He dared not think any further, but took a deep breath, lifted the curtain, and entered the tent.

"Big brother, it's time to take your medicine."