The imperial cause at the end of the Han Dynasty was not one of partial peace.

Chapter 93 Rescuing Beihai? Rescuing Yuzhang!

With only half a year left before the chaos began, Liu Bei was naturally very concerned about the speed of replenishment.

He then asked, "How is the replenishment of military equipment progressing?"

At this point, Guan Yu stroked his long beard, a hint of satisfaction appearing in his phoenix eyes, and replied excitedly, "Although the shortage of armor and weapons is large, fortunately, the speed at which they are being replenished is quite remarkable."

"Since last winter, the Kou family's ironworks has delivered 300 suits of armor, 100 sets of iron armor, and more than 3,000 knives, spears, and other weapons to our army. The Huang family's carpentry workshop has delivered more than 100 powerful crossbows and 50,000 arrows. Together, the two families can arm several hundred soldiers every month."

"In addition, the ironworks established by my elder brother are the mainstay of the army's armor and weapons. Guo Rong followed my elder brother south from Zhuojun, bringing with him more than 800 guests from Youzhou. Among them, the ironworkers, bow makers, armor weavers, and carpenters were all veterans who had been making weapons for the army in Hebei."

"Upon arriving in Changsha, Guo Rong, following his elder brother's orders, established an ironworks at the foot of Tongguan Mountain outside Linxiang City, dividing it into smelting, forging, and..."

The five departments—quenching, armor making, bow forging, and steelmaking—work day and night with the furnaces burning continuously for months on end.

"By the last day of May, the government-run ironworks could produce more than a thousand swords, halberds, spears, and daggers, more than four hundred sets of armor, and one hundred sets of iron armor per month."

More than fifty sets of heavy armor and helmets were also produced. In addition, there were over a thousand pieces of miscellaneous military equipment, such as caltrops, chevaux-de-frise, hooks, chains, and nails, all of which were manufactured under Guo Rong's supervision.

"We can produce tens of thousands of bows and arrows every month. The arrowheads are cast from iron molds, the shafts are made from mulberry wood from southern Hunan, and the fletchings are made from goose feathers. The craftsmanship is even more advanced than that of the north."

"Furthermore," Guan Yu's tone became more excited, "Guo Rong has recently successfully tested and manufactured horse armor, and now he can produce [amount] per month."

Three sets. More than a hundred sets of saddles and bridles can be made each month.

Liu Bei nodded slightly; Guo Rong had indeed lived up to expectations.

Back in Zhuo County, Guo Rong had to be wary of the county's eyes and ears, and could only organize a few hundred people to forge weapons for him. Now that he's in Changsha, with no more constraints, he's like a dragon returning to the sea, able to unleash his full potential.

The government-run iron smelting business went much more smoothly than the government-run brocade weaving business.

However, with eight hundred craftsmen working day and night to forge iron, this was already the maximum monthly output. To ensure that every one of the fifteen thousand men was well-equipped with armor and weapons, the government-run ironworks and the Kou and Huang families alone were far from sufficient.

"We still need to increase our procurement." Liu Bei closed the ledger and looked up at Guan Yu.

"What you say is absolutely right, elder brother." Guan Yu stroked his beard and nodded, a hint of a smile appearing in his phoenix eyes. "I and Liu, the chief clerk, have been making arrangements for this matter for quite some time now. Since this spring, our army has been sending letters to all directions in the name of Changsha Prefecture to purchase military equipment."

"The Huang family of Nanjun, besides being the main supplier of bows, crossbows and arrows, is also the main supplier of our warships. Since last winter, Yu has ordered three warships, ten fighting ships, thirty small boats, and one hundred grain transport ships from the Huang family."

"Hundreds of craftsmen from the Huang clan are working day and night in Zhijiang to complete the project."

"At that time, together with the more than 30 warships that our army already has, the navy will have four large warships, more than 20 fighting ships, more than 60 small boats, and more than 100 grain transport and civilian ships—nearly 200 warships of all sizes, and 3,000 naval personnel, which can advance by both land and water and control the Yangtze River."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei nodded with satisfaction.

With nearly two hundred warships, this scale constitutes a formidable naval force in the waters around Jingzhou.

The key point is that this navy is not only capable of sailing on the Yangtze River, but also has great uses in the Central Plains.

With two hundred ships of various sizes, he could advance by both land and sea, greatly reducing the pressure of transporting grain!

But considering the enormous expense involved, Liu Bei felt a heavy burden and asked, "How much did the procurement cost?"

Guan Yu's hand stroking his long beard froze instantly. He replied, "The Huang family's warships consist of three large warships, each priced at 800,000 coins, totaling 3.2 million. Ten fighting ships, each 120,000 coins, totaling 1.2 million. Thirty small boats, each 30,000 coins, totaling 900,000. One hundred grain transport ships, each 8,000 coins, totaling 800,000. The warships alone amount to 6.1 million,000 coins, of which we have already paid a deposit of 600,000 coins."

"The Kou family has paid a total of 4.8 million for iron armor, ring-pommel swords, spear tips, and arrowheads since last winter."

"In addition, military supplies such as cowhide, sinew, horn, raw lacquer, and tung oil were purchased from Jiangling, Xiangyang, and Wancheng, with a total expenditure of over two million."

"The three items combined, including the purchase of military equipment alone, have already cost over ten million."

The purchase of military supplies alone has already exceeded ten million dollars!

Moreover, this was under the condition that the entire army was not well-equipped; there were only a few hundred iron armors and probably less than twenty horse armors to date!

To ensure the entire army is fully equipped with advanced weaponry, has a 30% armor coverage rate, and possesses hundreds of iron horses, the cost would likely be dozens of times greater.

This only covers the cost of procurement; it does not include the salaries, materials, and charcoal for the eight hundred craftsmen at the state-run ironworks, nor does it include the monthly salaries, provisions, and clothing for the fifteen thousand soldiers.

How much tax revenue does Changsha actually generate in total?

Maintaining officials, artisans, and soldiers all require money!

How many ten million yuan can Changsha's entire tax revenue come from?

Zhang Fei was oblivious to the cost of living; he was only concerned with training his troops and fighting battles. Whenever he lacked something, he would simply ask the granary official for help. If Liu Zihui hesitated or gave a vague answer, Zhang Fei would glare at him, slam his fist on the table, and start cursing.

Hearing his second brother calculate the sums up today, he realized how much pressure his eldest brother was under! Every day, he would discuss matters with Ju Shou, Mi Zhu, and others in the prefectural government until late at night, not in idle talk, but in racking his brains over the ten million or twenty million hole.

Zhang Fei's smug smile gradually faded. He gritted his teeth, as if he had made a tremendous decision: "Brother, if it's truly difficult, I'll go back and comfort the soldiers! We've shared life and death for so many years, can't we be motivated by a few summer clothes and some silk?"

"Back when we raised our army in Zhuojun, we couldn't even gather enough armor, yet we still routed the Yellow Turban rebels!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei slammed his hand on the table and resolutely declared, "Absolutely not!"

"Back in Zhuojun, we were commoners who gathered together, without an inch of land. The soldiers followed us because of their passion and loyalty."

"But now, we possess Changsha, a land of fertile plains, a population of millions, granaries full of grain, and markets brimming with money—are we really going to let our soldiers suffer from hunger and cold?"

"If today we reduce annual stipends and delay clothing payments because of a tight treasury, who will fight for you on the battlefield tomorrow? Who will go through fire and water for you?"

He stood up, put his hands behind his back, and walked into the tent: "Last year, I petitioned the Emperor to reduce Changsha's taxes for half a year to alleviate the people's suffering. Now May has arrived, and the half-year period has expired. The taxes should be collected by June at the latest. Before that, I will use all the money and grain in the treasury to make up for the shortfall."

"Private property?" Zhang Fei was taken aback.

Guan Yu's phoenix eyes widened suddenly. Of course he knew what his elder brother meant by the county government's private wealth! It was his sister-in-law's entire dowry!

Back in Zhongshan, when the Zhen family married off their daughter, the sheer size of the dowry shocked Hebei. Ten thousand catties of gold, thirty million coins, and thousands of bolts of colorful silk—such a grand gesture was not even comparable to the dowry given by Liu Yang, the Prince of Zhending, when he married off his niece Guo Shengtong to Emperor Guangwu.

Zhen Shi used this to express her determination, imitating the story of Prince Ding, betting that Liu Bei could achieve the great cause of Emperor Guangwu.

Over the years, the eldest brother has treated virtuous men with respect and rewarded the army, spending more than 4,000 catties of gold. Now, all that remains is 5,000 catties of gold and more than 20 million coins.

This amount of personal wealth, if used to support his family, would make him incredibly rich. But if used to support 15,000 elite infantry and cavalry, especially those with strong armor and weapons and generous salaries, it would only last for a few months at most.

"Brother!" Guan Yu rose and clasped his hands in a fist salute, his voice deep and solemn. "That was my sister-in-law's dowry, the wealth entrusted to us by the entire Zhen clan, not public funds from the treasury. If something were to happen to you, how would you explain it to my sister-in-law? How would you explain it to the Zhen family?"

Zhang Fei also grew anxious and quickly stepped forward, saying impatiently, "Brother, Second Brother is right! That was Sister-in-law's dowry! I'm just a rough man, but I know it doesn't look good if word gets out that a woman's dowry is being used. Sister-in-law is virtuous and never cares about these things, but we brothers feel bad about it!"

Looking at his two sworn brothers, one upright and prudent, the other bold and sincere, Liu Bei was filled with emotion.

He walked between the two men, grabbed Guan Yu's wrist with one hand, and pressed down on Zhang Fei's shoulder with the other.

"Second brother, third brother! These 15,000 soldiers are all my brothers, all righteous warriors fighting for the common people. If I, Liu Bei, cannot even ensure their food and clothing, how can I talk about a great cause? How can I talk about bringing peace to the world?"

Then, he flicked the sleeves of his brocade robe and said with great emotion, "The Book of Rites says: 'Goods are abhorred to be wasted on the ground, and need not be hoarded for oneself.' We are acting for the sake of the common people, how could we care about mere personal wealth! If Lady Zhen were here, she would surely be of one mind with me. There is no need to discuss this matter further."

Guan Yu's sense of righteousness was immediately restored. He clasped his hands in a salute and said, "Brother, you have the world in your heart and treat your men with integrity and righteousness. You truly are the qualities of a wise ruler!"

Zhang Fei, standing to the side, also grinned and laughed heartily: "Hahahaha! Good! Good! Good! The proudest thing in my life is following my elder brother!"

As soon as noon passed, Zhang Fei spurred his horse back to the Gengshi Camp training ground.

Two thousand armored soldiers were practicing their spear formation under the scorching sun when they saw their commander arrive on horseback, and they all put down their spears and stopped.

Zhang Fei dismounted and strode to the general's platform in the center of the training ground. He then solemnly ordered the drums to be beaten to gather the generals.

In an instant, the three armies formed a solemn and imposing array, with their square formations towering and their spears like a forest.

Every soldier eagerly awaited the arrival of the soldiers.

Zhang Fei stepped forward and roared, "My men! Listen to me!"

"Today I went to see my elder brother, intending to urge him to accept those summer clothes and the annual allowance. Guess what he said?"

The drill ground was completely silent.

"Brother said," Zhang Fei took a deep breath, his voice suddenly rising, "that governance cannot function without integrity! The soldiers trust us brothers, and we cannot let them down! Today, the prefectural government will use every last penny of its treasury to ensure that your summer uniforms and annual stipends are distributed in full!"

He suddenly drew his ring-pommel sword from his waist, raised it high above his head, the blade gleaming coldly in the blazing sun, and roared, "My men! Tell me, is it worth following such a wise ruler?!"

The two thousand armored soldiers responded like a landslide and a tsunami: "Worth it! Worth it! Worth it!"

"Long live Lord Liu!"

Someone shouted first, and then thousands of people raised their arms and shouted in unison, their voices echoing across the fields.

"Long live Lord Liu!"

"Long live Lord Liu!"

The soldiers from the neighboring archer and infantry battalions, not understanding what was going on, flocked to the edge of the camp to watch.

After hearing the reason, cheers erupted from the other side.

In a short while, the entire Linxiang camp was in an uproar.

Inside the central command tent, Liu Bei and Guan Yu stood side by side in front of the tent entrance, watching the thunderous roar of the troops on the training ground through the curtain.

Guan Yu stroked his long beard and exclaimed in admiration, "This is the heart of the people, and the morale is soaring!"

But if the morale of the three armies is high but cannot be used, it is also a waste.

He turned to look at Liu Bei and sighed, "Brother, 15,000 infantry and cavalry, their food and supplies cost nearly ten million coins a month. It's a waste that we're spending so much money to maintain such a large and elite force if we have no use for them."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei turned around and patted Guan Yu's broad arm: "Second brother, who said we won't need them? Don't worry, their time to rise up in righteousness and martial prowess will come soon."

Guan Yu's phoenix eyes suddenly lit up, and he was about to ask further questions when Liu Bei turned around and looked back at the map of Jingnan.

In fact, this moment came even sooner than Liu Bei had anticipated. In the fifth year of the Zhongping era, the world was already filled with the impending storm.

Later generations often believed that Dong Zhuo's misrule led to the collapse of the Han Dynasty. In fact, the opposite is true: the empire was already in disarray, which gave Dong Zhuo the opportunity to seize power.

In the same year that Liu Bei entered Changsha, almost every one of the thirteen prefectures of the Han Dynasty rebelled and every county was in turmoil.

There's no need to elaborate on Jingbei. Yang Xu, the prefect of Nanyang, and Liu Xiang, the prefect of Jiangxia, were both promoted based on their military achievements, and the rebellions they quelled were only a year or two ago.

In the four commanderies of Jingnan, the rebellion of Qu Xing swept through Changsha, Lingling, and Wuling. Taking advantage of the situation, the barbarians rose up, attacking cities and seizing territories. If Liu Bei had not led his elite troops to quell the rebellion within a few months, Jingnan would probably still be engulfed in flames of war today.

In Yizhou, west of Jingzhou, the rebellion is still raging. In June of the fifth year of Zhongping, Ma Xiang, a Yellow Turban leader in Yizhou, proclaimed himself "Emperor" and gathered more than 100,000 followers. He successively captured the three commanderies of Guanghan, Shu, and Jianwei. Xi Jian, the governor of Yizhou, abandoned the city and fled. The prefecture was devastated, and the court and the people were shocked.

The imperial court is currently deliberating on selecting a senior member of the imperial family to serve as the governor of Yizhou, in order to pacify the Bashu region.

Yangzhou, east of Jingzhou, was also in dire straits. Several years ago, the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out in Yangzhou, attacking and destroying counties and prefectures. The imperial court urgently summoned Yang Xu to serve as the prefect of Lujiang. After arriving in the prefecture, Yang Xu mobilized all men over the age of twenty in the county to take up arms and form ranks, which led to a great victory over the Yellow Turbans and the pacification of the prefecture.

However, given the vastness of Yangzhou, while the rebellion north of the Yangtze River was temporarily suppressed, flames of war reignited south of the Yangtze River in Yuzhang County, with the Yellow Turban Rebellion breaking out again.

The remaining forces regrouped, gathering tens of thousands of followers, and attacked counties and towns, growing in strength day by day.

The so-called "Yellow Turban Rebellion" was never completely ended in the first year of Zhongping. Since Zhang Jiao raised his arms and called for action in the seventh year of Guanghe, which led to the uprising in eight provinces, the remnants of the Yellow Turbans rose up again and again like weeds.

In the first year of Zhongping, Zhang Jiao was beheaded, and Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao were successively killed. In the second year of Zhongping, the Black Mountain tribes rose up again in Taihang. In the third year of Zhongping, Yangzhou and Yuzhang successively raised their banners.

These rebellions, whether under the banner of the Yellow Turbans or led by self-proclaimed generals, were all rooted in the chaos of the land, the annexation of territory by powerful clans, unequal taxation, and famine among the people.

As the folk song that spread throughout the world goes: "Hair like chives, cut it and it grows back; head like a rooster, cut it and it crows again. Officials need not be feared, but the common people should never be looked down upon."

On that day, a fast horse came from the east, its hooves clattering rapidly, and went straight into the Linxiang camp.

The messenger, covered in dust and sweat, was almost unsteady on his feet when he dismounted. He was carried into the central command tent by two guards.

"Report!" The messenger knelt on one knee, presenting a scroll of silk with both hands. His voice was hoarse and urgent. "The Yellow Turbans have risen again in Yuzhang County! The bandit leader Zhang Ya has gathered tens of thousands of followers and has successively captured Jiancheng, Shangcai, and Xingan counties. He is now besieging Yichun! Lu Gongjie, the magistrate of Yichun County, has sent a messenger to report the emergency, requesting Lord Liu to send troops to rescue us!"

Liu Bei took the silk scroll and unfolded it. He saw that the handwriting was messy and there were even a few bloodstains mixed in with the ink, which showed that the situation under the city was extremely precarious.

The sender's surname was Lu, given name Lun, courtesy name Gongjie, and he was a cousin of Lu Kang, the prefect of Lujiang.

Lu Kang hailed from the Lu clan of Wu Commandery, a leading aristocratic family in Jiangdong, whose members held the rank of two thousand shi (a unit of grain measure) for generations, and whose disciples and former officials were found throughout Yangzhou and other areas.

Yu.

Lu Kang himself was a famous minister of his time, known for his uprightness and willingness to speak out. He had just succeeded Yang Xu as the governor of Lujiang and was deeply loved by the people.

Lu Lun, a member of the Lu family, was recommended for the position of magistrate of Yichun County. The area was located at the junction of Yuzhang and Changsha, with a population of only a few thousand, low city walls, and a mere few hundred soldiers.

Zhang Ya's tens of thousands of troops besieged the city, and it could be breached in a matter of days.

Liu Bei then ordered his men to summon his civil and military officials to the prefectural government for a meeting, and soon everyone had arrived.

On the left, Guan Yu is the head of the military officers, followed by Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Wen Chou, Gao Lan, Cheng Pu, Qian Zhao, and Tian Yu.

On the right, the civil officials were led by Ju Shou and Tian Feng, with Jian Yong, Sun Qian, Mi Zhu, Cui Yan, Guo Yuan, Chen Qun, Huan Jie, and others seated according to their respective ranks.

Liu Bei ordered Jian Yong to read aloud the urgent message from Yichun to everyone. After hearing it, everyone had different expressions.

Zhang Fei was the first to lose his composure. His leopard-like eyes widened, and he excitedly stood up, saying, "Since a neighboring prefecture has requested help, we should quickly raise an army and go to their aid! We can gain military merit and seize a great many spoils, relieving the prefecture from its current predicament!"

But the others were clearly not as reckless as Zhang Fei. The civil officials exchanged glances, and Sun Qian was the first to stand up.

He served Liu Bei closely, and was responsible for many missions, including making diplomatic liaisons and pacifying powerful local figures. He was very clear about the delicate relationship between Changsha and the surrounding prefectures and counties.

At this moment, he stepped forward and said in a different voice, "My lord, this matter must be handled with utmost care."

"Yichun is a county under the jurisdiction of Yuzhang, which in turn belongs to Yangzhou. According to the Han system, the prefect is not allowed to leave the territory of the prefecture without an imperial edict, let alone cross the prefecture to attack. If we rashly send troops to aid them, we will not only violate the boundaries of the prefecture, but also the boundaries of the prefecture. This is the first point."

Then he glanced at everyone in the tent and solemnly said, "Secondly, although the powerful clans of Changsha are intimidated by the might of our lord's army and dare not openly oppose us, they have secretly sent people to Jiangling to plead with Lord Wang and report us for secretly harboring assassins and for our soldiers violating regulations."

"The Governor of Jingzhou, Lord Wang, has sent envoys to Linxiang several times to question us about our troops."

"The first time was in October last winter. When the magistrate heard that the lord was recruiting soldiers in Changsha, he sent his servant to ask what Liu Bei intended to do with the old number of soldiers in Changsha County, which was no more than five hundred.

"Qian replied: Although Qu Xing has been pacified, the remaining forces are scattered in the mountains and marshes; the Wuling and Lingling barbarians are stirring up trouble upon hearing the news. Five hundred soldiers from the prefecture are not enough to guard the borders. Therefore, we are temporarily recruiting young men from the prefecture to secure the borders. Once the four borders are at peace, we will naturally weed them out and return them to farming."

"The second time was in February of this year. When Governor Wang heard that the number of soldiers in Changsha had exceeded ten thousand, he sent his subordinates to inquire again, saying that with ten thousand soldiers, the daily cost was a lot of money, and how could Changsha's taxes support it?"

Qian replied: "Changsha has fertile land for thousands of miles, with rice yielding two harvests a year, and the taxes are sufficient to support the army. Moreover, most of the soldiers recruited are supported by the private funds of the prefecture and government, without consuming public funds."

"The third time was just the day before yesterday. Prefect Wang, hearing that Changsha already had over several dozen warships and more than ten thousand infantry and cavalry, sent another envoy to inquire, saying that Changsha maintained over ten thousand soldiers and dozens of ships, far exceeding the capacity of a single prefecture. Local powerful figures have repeatedly sent letters to the Prefect's office, saying that Prefect Liu's military might is too great, and they fear he harbors rebellious intentions."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Fei slammed his fist on the table and rose to his feet, his leopard-like eyes wide with fury. He roared, "Is Wang Rui also a traitor who abandons his benefactor after using him? Back in Jiangling, when we were needed to quell the rebellion, he said something about 'Langya and Taishan being separated only by a strip of water'!"

"Now look what's happened! They've sent envoys time and again to question my elder brother about how he pacified Qu Xing and swept through the four prefectures in Changsha, saving Wang Rui so much trouble, and yet he's starting to suspect him!"

Sun Qian had dealt with Wang Rui quite a bit, so he said, "The situation now is different from last year. The Changsha region has been pacified, and the local strongmen have repeatedly written to Governor Wang and his old friends in the court, saying that the Changsha troops have violated the rules, which is ultimately a hidden danger."

"Prefect Wang is an upright man. Although he and our lord are from the same hometown, he is, after all, an official in charge of supervising a prefecture. He has a duty to perform and cannot turn a blind eye to this."

"If our lord sends troops to Yuezhou again this time, the local strongmen will surely use this as an excuse to exaggerate and report to the governor. At that time, even if Governor Wang wants to protect him, he will find it difficult to justify his actions."

This is indeed a thorny issue at the moment.

Liu Bei recruited more than 15,000 soldiers in Changsha, and although they were stationed in scattered locations, he tried his best to avoid attracting attention.

But anyone in the prefecture who isn’t blind can see that the people of Changsha have seriously violated the rules.

The county garrison numbered over 15,000, which was several times the usual number even for suppressing a rebellion. Yet Liu Bei remained calm, rose from his seat, and solemnly said, "What you are worried about is all true."

"But why did the Emperor appoint me to guard Changsha? Wasn't it because he valued my military prowess and my ability to command respect in the region? If, upon arriving in Changsha, I were to act like an ordinary prefect, merely sitting in my post and worrying about my own gains and losses, how would I be any different from those mediocre officials who flee at the first sign of trouble?"

"How was Yang Xu able to quell the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Lujiang? He mobilized all men over twenty years old in the prefecture, armed them, and assembled tens of thousands of men before finally defeating the rebels. In Nanyang, didn't he also conscript a large number of soldiers to quell the rebellion of Zhao Ci? If we accept the claim by the local magistrates that the number of soldiers violated regulations, Yang Xu should be the first to be punished! But did the court punish him? The emperor not only did not punish him, but also praised his loyalty and bravery, intending to promote him to Grand Commandant!"

Then, with a flourish of his sleeves, he declared with conviction: "The Sima Code states: 'To kill someone and bring peace to the people is permissible; to attack a country and cherish its people is permissible; to use war to stop war is permissible, even if it means war.' The great generals of old were never bound by the boundaries of mere prefectures. Bai Qi crossed the border of Han to capture Shangdang, and Han Xin crossed the Yellow River to defeat Wei Bao—both raised armies without waiting for the emperor's command. Who in later generations does not praise their achievements?"

"Today, the Yellow Turbans have risen again in Yuzhang, and tens of thousands of them have besieged Yichun. If we are timid and hesitant, and sit idly by while the rebels grow stronger, after they sweep through Yuzhang, their next step will be to cross the Luoxiao Mountains and invade Changsha."

"Therefore, I believe that—now, to claim victory through conquest, to cross borders and attack, in order to protect a foreign land, is to be punished for this. How can I be ashamed before the rest of the country!"

These words caused a stir throughout the tent.

Guan Yu stroked his long beard, a glint of light flashing in his phoenix eyes, and clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, saying, "Brother, you are absolutely right! A true man roams the world!"

In this time, we must consider the lives of our people. Although Yichun is located in Yangzhou, its people are all subjects of the Han Dynasty. To stand idly by and watch tens of thousands of bandits slaughter the city without offering any assistance is hardly the act of a loyal and righteous person!

Zhang Fei slapped his thigh excitedly, his blood boiling: "Well said! Brother's words give me a lot of energy!"

"Who cares about whether it's good or bad, we're going to quell the rebellion, not to conquer cities and seize territory!"

"Anyone who dares to utter a word of criticism, I, Old Zhang, will be the first to drag him to the outskirts of Yichun City and see for myself those people besieged by bandits. Let him try uttering another word of 'violation of regulations'!"

Since Liu Bei had already set the agenda, Tian Feng could only assess the enemy's situation and devise countermeasures.

This is also the significance of Liu Bei appointing him to oversee the three armies and strategize within the command tent.

Tian Feng then stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "Since my lord has made this decision, I believe that the elite cavalry should go first, followed by the navy."

"Yichun and Liling are separated only by a narrow strip of water and are very close. If we use the Jingse Iron Cavalry as the vanguard and advance by land and water, traveling day and night, we can reach the city of Yichun in a single day."

"The bandits will not expect us to come to their aid in Yuzhang. Moreover, most of them are refugees who have been gathered together in a motley crew. When they see the iron cavalry suddenly arriving, they will surely be terrified and scatter. At that time, the main army will arrive and we can wipe them out in one fell swoop."

Liu Bei nodded excitedly, for this was the time for Guan Yu's naval forces to display their righteous and martial prowess.

We will see the results of his naval training today.

Moreover, if Lu Kangcongzi is saved, it can be considered that a relationship has been established with the Lu family.

In the future, won't Lu Xun be easily captured?

Liu Bei then waved his hand and said with great enthusiasm, "Then let Zilong be the vanguard, leading the Jing Sai cavalry ahead! Yunchang will follow with the navy. With four thousand infantry and cavalry, we will crush the bandits of Yuzhang in one fell swoop!"

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