Han Ji

Liu Bei looked at Li Hui.

The old official's uniform was faded from washing, and the cuffs were frayed. His hand pressed against the ground, his knuckles white from the force.

"Get up," Liu Bei said.

Li Hui stood up, his legs swaying slightly.

"I'll accept the secret document." Liu Bei locked the silk scroll into a wooden box. "Since you've pledged your allegiance to me, I will protect you. From today onward, you will continue to serve in the prefectural government as usual. If anything unusual happens, report it to me immediately."

"Thank you, Commandant Xie!"

Keep an eye on Su Yi and Wang Gang.

"I understand." Li Hui hesitated for a moment. "Su Yi is fond of wine and women, and easy to deal with. Wang Gang is a bodyguard raised by Su Gu, and is highly skilled in martial arts. The captain must be careful."

"Know."

After Li Hui left, Liu Bei opened the copy of the secret tent.

Under the candlelight, the ink characters were densely packed:

"In the third month of the first year of the Zhongping era, five thousand shi of salt were privately sold from the salt wells of Mianyang, yielding six million coins. Su Gu received three hundred, Chen Lun one hundred, and Zhao Lü eighty..."

"In June of the same year, the Nanzheng granary was short 2,000 shi of millet, which was accounted for as being caused by rats..."

"In July, the murder case of Wang Chun, a powerful figure in Saigo, was overturned after he bribed officials with three million taels of silver, and the verdict was changed to manslaughter..."

Each and every one of these incidents is shocking.

Xun Cai watched from the side and said softly, "This Su Gu is even more ruthless than a bandit."

"The bandits rob the people, he robs the national treasury." Liu Bei closed the silk scroll. "With this, we have no fear that he won't submit."

"Is my husband going to make a move now?"

"No," Liu Bei shook his head. "The evidence isn't strong enough. The secret ledger is just a copy; the original is in Chen Lun's hands. Moreover, Su Gu has been operating in the prefecture for six years, and his cronies are everywhere. If we act rashly, we'll only be harmed by him."

"That..."

"Let's wipe out the bandits first." Liu Bei stood up and walked to the map. "Those bandit groups in Bashan might be connected to Su Gu. If we take them down, we'll cut off Su Gu's source of income and build up our strength."

He summoned his personal guards: "Call Guan Yu, Yi De, and Xian He here."

Half an hour later, the group gathered together.

Liu Bei briefly recounted the matter of the secret account, omitting Li Hui's name.

Zhang Fei's eyes widened in shock: "Damn it! They're so greedy! Brother, let's arrest them right now!"

"Catch my ass." Jian Yong tapped him on the head. "Didn't you hear what your elder brother said? If we act now, who will the county soldiers listen to? Who will the local magistrates side with? We might end up being accused of 'rebellion'."

Guan Yu pondered, "Brother, do you intend to continue suppressing bandits and accumulating strength?"

"That's right." Liu Bei pointed to the map. "Of the three strongholds in Bashan, we'll attack the richest one, Black Wind Stronghold. Once we take it, we'll have money and supplies in hand. If there are any capable soldiers among the surrendered troops, we'll recruit them. At the same time, we'll have Qian Zhao guard the camp and keep a close watch on Su Gu's movements."

"When should we make our move?" Guan Yu asked.

"Five days later," Liu Bei said. "In these five days, Yun Chang will lead men to scout the terrain, Yi De will train the assault team, and Xian He will prepare provisions and equipment."

"Yes, sir!"

After everyone had left, Liu Bei sat alone in his tent.

Xun Cai draped an outer robe over him: "Husband, are you going in person?"

"We must go to this battle." Liu Bei grasped her hand. "While I'm away, you will be in charge of the camp. If there's any emergency, consult with Qian Zhao and Zhang Wu."

"I understand," Xun Cai said, leaning on his shoulder. "Be careful, my husband."

"rest assured."

That night, Liu Bei summoned Qian Zhao and Zhang Wu for a secret meeting.

"After I leave, the defense of the camp is in your hands," Liu Bei said, looking at them. "If Su Gu sends someone to scout, deal with him as usual. If he dares to use force... show no mercy."

Qian Zhao clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Brother, rest assured, the camp stands as long as we stand."

Zhang Wu grinned: "If those eunuchs dare to come, I'll make them crawl back."

The next day, preparations for battle began in the camp.

Guan Yu led thirty elite cavalry out of the camp, heading towards Bashan. Zhang Fei was training his assault team at the drill ground, focusing on mountain climbing and breaching enemy lines. Jian Yong was checking the supplies of provisions, arrows, and medicine.

Su Yi wandered around the camp and approached Jian Yong: "Chief Clerk Jian, are we about to send out troops?"

"Routine training." Jian Yong said without looking up.

"Training with so many arrows?" Su Yi laughed. "Jian, don't lie to me, are we going to fight the Bashan bandits?"

Jian Yong looked up at him: "If Young Master Su wants to know, he can ask the Commandant."

Su Yi walked away awkwardly and turned to find Wang Gang.

Wang Gang watched Zhang Fei train his troops from the side of the drill ground, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.

That night, Li Hui secretly delivered a message: Su Yi had sent people out of the city towards Bashan.

"He's gone to deliver the message." Liu Bei sneered. "Perfect, let him deliver it."

On the third day, Guan Yu returned to camp.

He unfolded a hand-drawn map of the mountain: "There are about four hundred people in the stronghold. The leader is called Scarface Wolf. He was originally a government army commander, but he fled after committing a crime and has been entrenched here for three years."

"How's the defense?"

"The stockade walls are three zhang high, constructed of wood and stone. There are four watchtowers, commanding a commanding view. The plank roads are only wide enough for two people to walk side by side, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack," Guan Yu said.

Liu Bei stared at the map: "A direct assault would result in heavy casualties; we need to lure them out."

"How do we lure it?" Zhang Fei asked.

Jian Yong suddenly said, "Bandits also need to eat. Black Wind Stronghold often goes down the mountain to rob merchant caravans or trade at the black market at the foot of the mountain. Let's pretend to be a merchant caravan and lure them out."

"Who's dressed up?"

"Me," Jian Yong said, pointing to himself, "I led twenty men, pushing ten carts of goods, and passed through the official road in front of the mountain. Yi De led two hundred men to lie in ambush in the woods by the roadside. If the bandits tried to rob the goods, Yi De would rush out, defeat them, and drive the remaining bandits back into the stronghold. The stronghold gate would surely open to let them in, at which point Yun Chang would lead his elite troops to seize the gate and allow the main force to enter."

Liu Bei thought for a moment: "What if the bandits send out their entire force?"

"That would be even better," Jian Yong laughed. "The stronghold is empty, so Yun Chang can seize it directly. When the bandit leader comes to its rescue, we can attack from both sides."

"Agreed," Liu Bei decided. "Five days later, proceed according to the plan."

Once the plan was decided, everyone made their own preparations.

When Liu Bei returned to his tent, Xun Cai was sewing arm guards. They were made from old armor plates and padded with soft cloth on the inside.

"Husband, give it a try."

Liu Bei put it on, moved his arm, and it didn't bother him.

"His skills have improved."

Xun Cai lowered her head and continued sewing: "This is all I know. The battlefield is dangerous for my husband, so it's good to have extra protection."

Liu Bei looked at her profile, the candlelight softening her features.

"Cai'er," he suddenly said, "if one day I have to make enemies of all the powerful clans and officials in the entire Hanzhong Prefecture, are you afraid?"

Xun Cai stopped the needlework and looked up at him.

"I married Liu Bei," she said softly, "not the Commandant of Hanzhong."

Liu Bei felt a surge of warmth in his heart and pulled her into his arms.

Outside the tent, the spring night wind in Hanzhong still carried a chill.

But some things have begun to fade.

Five days later, at Chen Shi (7-9 AM).

Jian Yong led twenty men, pushing ten large carts, and swayed as they made their way up the official road in front of Bashan Mountain.

The truck was covered with a tarpaulin, bulging and bulging. The wheels left deep ruts on the dirt road, indicating that it was indeed carrying cargo, but it was mostly stones.

Zhang Fei led two hundred men to lie in ambush in the woods by the roadside. Men were gagged, horses were hoofed, and the only sound was the wind.

Guan Yu led 150 elite troops, who had already circled around to the back of the mountain. Each man had a rope around his waist and a short sword on his back, traveling light.

Liu Bei led three hundred main force members and hid in a valley a mile away, ready to provide support at any time.

At 2:45 AM, there was movement in the direction of Black Wind Village.

The gate opened, and seventy or eighty men poured out, carrying knives and bows, rushing down the mountain. The leader was a burly man with a scarred face, shirtless.

"They're here," Jian Yong said in a low voice from inside the car. "Hold on tight and listen to my commands."

The convoy continued to move slowly.

Scarface Wolf led his men to the main road and blocked their way.

"Where did this caravan come from?" He grinned, revealing yellow teeth. "Don't you know the rules? You have to pay a toll to cross the Bashan Mountains."

Jian Yong alighted from the carriage, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Good sir, I am a cloth merchant from Chengdu. This is my first time traveling this road, and I am unfamiliar with the customs. Please accept these small gifts."

He lifted the tarpaulin off a cart, revealing the goods underneath, all of them silk, in various colors and patterns.