The Three Kingdoms: The Oath of the Peach Garden, the Rise of the Han Dynasty

Hearing the hearty laughter over there, devoid of any ulterior motives, the atmosphere here was quite different.

Li Chang nodded, but then asked, "Not a general? Then who is he?"

Jia Xu seemed to truly see through people's hearts: "He is a sharp blade. If used well, he can slay famous generals; if used poorly, he will first harm himself. Ding Jianyang can only control his strength, not his heart."

"Then who can win his heart?"

"Someone who can give him what others can't." Jia Xu turned to look at Li Chang, "Fame, status, and... recognition."

Li Chang smiled and said, "It's a good knife, but it also depends on who wields it and how they wield it!"

Whether it's a sharp blade or a fierce tiger, the current Lü Bu is not yet the patricide, lord-killer, fickle traitor who served three masters.

He was merely a border warrior with unparalleled martial arts skills, yet he was relegated to the position of chief clerk under Ding Yuan, feeling frustrated and unfulfilled.

A good knife needs to be sharpened slowly, and you can even have someone else sharpen it.

……

The time came to December 186.

Luoyang.

Just as the cheers at the Bingzhou training ground had not yet subsided, an urgent battle report, delivered by express courier, struck the chaotic imperial court like a thunderbolt.

Liangzhou has rebelled again! And this time they suffered a crushing defeat!

Beigong Boyu, who had previously fled, rebelled again when the government troops returned. His remaining forces joined forces with the Shaodang Qiang, gathered tens of thousands of people, and once again captured Jincheng, killing Bian Zhang, who had become the prefect.

Grand Commandant Zhang Wen led over 10,000 central army troops and suffered repeated defeats, losing Longguan Pass and retreating all the way to Chang'an. Their food and military supplies were almost completely lost, and the entire army was nearly wiped out!

When the news reached the West Garden, Liu Hong, who was playing a "naked rowing banquet" with palace maids, immediately threw himself off.

"Useless! A bunch of useless trash!"

"Back then, Liu Bei and Huangfu Song fought so easily, how come he couldn't even defeat the Qiang people?"

"How much food and manpower did our Han Dynasty consume!"

This time, he truly felt the crisis!

The rebellion in Liangzhou was impossible to quell; if it wasn't suppressed, the rebellion would continue!

If this continues, even the mighty Han Dynasty will be dragged into poverty!

The next day, there happened to be an early morning court session.

Liu Hong grew increasingly angry and immediately issued an imperial edict:

"By imperial decree! Zhang Wen is dismissed from his post as Grand Commandant, stripped of his rank, and permanently barred from employment! All generals who participated in the war are demoted three ranks but retained in service!"

Once the decree was issued, the court was once again in an uproar.

Stop the fighting and get the Grand Commandant out of here first!

Just when everyone thought the position of Grand Commandant would remain vacant for a while, news that shocked everyone came out.

Cao Song spent 100 million coins to buy the position of Grand Commandant!

One hundred million coins!

How much would one have to be greedy to amass so much?

When the news spread, the entire city of Luoyang was in an uproar.

Some scions of wealthy families were so enraged that they jumped up and down, shouting curses in the street:

"A disgrace to the court! The Han Dynasty has utterly lost face! How could a eunuch's adopted son be appointed Grand Commandant!"

"One hundred million for the Grand Commandant! Is there anything in this world that can't be sold!"

"If the late emperor were alive, he would probably be so angry he'd come back to life!"

But no matter how much you criticize, no one can change anything.

Liu Hong received the money and couldn't stop smiling.

In his view, the title of Grand Commandant was merely an empty honor, and selling it for a hundred million coins was an absolute steal. Moreover, Cao Song was a member of the eunuch faction, which would be perfect for checking He Jin and the powerful clans.

At another morning court session, Cao Song, dressed in his brand-new Grand Commandant's robes, walked proudly into the main hall amidst the disdainful gazes of the court officials.

Standing in the position of Grand Commandant, looking down at the scions of noble families who had once looked down on him, he felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

So what if you look down on me?

Now, I am the Grand Commandant!

The imperial court in Luoyang was in complete chaos, with people fighting and even getting their heads bruised and bloodied.

Meanwhile, Bingzhou, thousands of miles away, is ushering in its best period of development in history.

No one is in charge, that's the best form of management.

A steady stream of refugees from the Central Plains, hearing that Bingzhou offered land, food, and freedom from oppression by powerful families, flocked there with their families.

The border market at Yanmen was exceptionally bustling.

Merchants from the Xianbei, Qiang, Hu, and Xiongnu tribes drove cattle, sheep, and horses, carrying furs and medicinal herbs, to this place to exchange for silk, tea, and ironware from the Central Plains.

Zhang Shiping led his caravan to sell coal, ironware, and horses from Bingzhou to Youzhou and Jizhou, and then transported the goods back from these places.

Only a few people, including Ding Yuan, Cheng Yu, Xun Chen, Zhang Ji, and Xiahou Lan, were slightly tired.

With manpower, food, and money, expanding the army was a logical next step.

After discussing the matter with Liu Bei, Li Chang immediately made the decision to expand the army to 25,000! He would use experienced soldiers to mentor new recruits!

The benefits of improving the quality of recruits have been demonstrated once again. Their brains have been enhanced, and they can immediately become relatively qualified squad leaders or platoon leaders as soon as the army expands!

The soldiers were all recruited from local refugees, farmers, and naturalized Hu people in Bingzhou, as well as servants who had been exploited by aristocratic families.

At this point, Liu Bei's group had 25,000 elite troops, which they claimed to have as... 15,000!

The military has a complete system of military education and propaganda. They know who they are fighting for and why they are fighting!

After nearly two years of accumulation, can it catch up with the Yuan family, a family with a history of hundreds of years?

Li Chang wasn't sure about this, but in order to hone the combat effectiveness of the new recruits, he specifically assigned a task to Xu Huang and Qian Zhao.

Suppress the Black Mountain bandits!

After being defeated in Shangdang last time, Heishan Zhang Yan seemed to have quieted down, and this time it was a good opportunity to use her as a whetstone for new recruits.

Such a powerful force cannot be allowed on the border of Bingzhou!