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

"Listen to this! Listen to this!" Zhang Fei patted Zhao Yun on the shoulder, almost making him stumble. "What a sensible young man! Unlike Fourth Brother, who just hides in the back all day drinking tea!"

Li Chang nearly choked, then put down his teacup, half-laughing and half-crying: "Third Brother, am I a scholar? Am I supposed to go up there and get beaten up instead of drinking tea?"

"Get beaten up?" Zhang Fei's eyes lit up. "Fourth brother, you want to learn a few moves too?"

"I don't really want to learn..." Li Changgang was about to refuse when he saw that Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun had already taken their stances. He suddenly felt that this sparring match was a rare opportunity, and even if he couldn't learn it, just watching it would be enjoyable.

"Fine, you guys fight it out, I'll just watch from the sidelines."

Hearing that the three generals were going to have a martial arts contest, the soldiers in the arena swarmed around, pushing and shoving, craning their necks. A bold platoon leader shouted:

"General Guan! General Zhang! Show the brothers what you've got!"

Zhang Fei laughed heartily and waved to the man, "Go, go, find a place to squat, don't hold us up!"

As he spoke, he looked at Zhao Yun, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit.

The three mounted their horses.

"Boy, use your full strength!" Zhang Fei roared, sweeping out his eighteen-foot spear, creating a gust of wind.

Zhao Yun dared not be negligent. He flicked his silver spear and advanced instead of retreating. The tip of his spear, like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, pierced the gap in Zhang Fei's spear stance.

"clang!"

Spears clashed, sparks flew!

Zhang Fei felt a jolt in his hand. Zhao Yun had cleverly deflected most of the force of the spear, and the spear tip slid in along the shaft, pointing directly at his wrist!

"Good heavens!" Zhang Fei roared excitedly, quickly retracting his spear and changing his thrust into a sweep.

The eighteen-foot spear, like a dragon emerging from the sea, flung the bright silver spear away.

Zhao Yun, however, did not meet the attack head-on. He turned his body, his gleaming silver spear grazing the shaft of the spear, using the force against him, and flashed to Zhang Fei's side, the tip of his spear thrusting towards Zhang Fei's shoulder.

Fast and accurate, every move hits the vital point.

Zhang Fei became increasingly alarmed as he fought.

This kid looks quiet and gentle, and his strength is indeed not as good as mine, but his gun technique is simply amazing!

Every thrust landed just as his old strength was waning and his new strength was yet to be generated, forcing him to change his defensive moves each time, making it impossible for him to exert his full strength.

"Bang!"

The eighteen-foot spear swept across again, and this time Zhao Yun did not dodge, but instead met the attack head-on.

"Bang!"

Zhao Yun and his horse both took a step back, and his hand felt slightly numb.

"Hahaha, you can't just take it head-on!" Zhang Fei laughed, seizing the opportunity to press his attack, each spear faster than the last.

But Zhao Yun also used his special skill, probing once, twice, three times, and seven times with the Panlong Spear!

The two went back and forth for over a hundred rounds.

The young Zhao Yun finally showed signs of fatigue, and Zhang Fei seized the opportunity, flicking the spear shaft and sending the bright silver spear flying out of his hand.

"Yide, that's enough." Guan Yu stepped forward, stopping Zhang Fei who was about to fight again, and turned to look at Zhao Yun, his eyes full of admiration.

"Zilong, your marksmanship is the most exquisite I have ever seen. It's just that your strength has not yet reached its peak. Given time, the outcome is still uncertain."

Zhao Yun, panting, clasped his hands and said, "Brother Guan, you flatter me. Brother Guan's strength is indeed beyond my reach."

"That's already very good!" Zhang Fei planted his spear in the ground and stepped forward to put his arm around Zhao Yun's shoulder.

"Fighting with you is more exhausting than fighting with my second brother! My second brother's sword strikes down, and if you can't block it, you lose. With you, I never know where to aim my bullets, it's so frustrating!"

Guan Yu nodded slightly: "Yide is right. Zilong's spear skills are unparalleled in this era. In a few years, when you are at your peak strength, my third brother and I may not be able to defeat you."

Zhao Yun was a little embarrassed by their praise and said in a low voice, "Thank you for your guidance, brothers."

Li Chang watched for a long time, his eyes wide with amazement. Although he didn't understand martial arts, Zhao Yun's graceful and swift movements with his spears were truly a feast for the eyes.

"Zilong," Li Chang couldn't help but stand up, walk up to Zhao Yun, and say earnestly, "Could you teach me those moves?"

"You?" Zhang Fei was the first to laugh. "Fourth brother, you can't even kill Yellow Turban rebels, what are you doing learning to use a spear?"

"Who said I was going to learn how to kill?" Li Chang said confidently. "Besides, do I need to use a gun in close combat to kill people?"

I'll just learn a few stances so I can show them off in front of the enemy and intimidate them.

Guan Yu stroked his beard without speaking, his lips twitching slightly.

Zhao Yun, however, remained serious and earnestly replied, "Since the strategist is so kind, I am naturally willing. But spear skills cannot be mastered overnight..."

"I know, I know, it's just a few poses, as long as you look cool."

Zhao Yun didn't quite understand Li Chang's words, but he roughly grasped the meaning and still explained earnestly:

"Strategist, beautiful moves often lack real power. And true killing moves are often not so beautiful."

"Oh? Is that so?" Li Chang thought for a moment, "Then you will mainly teach me the beautiful moves, with a hidden, cunning one hidden in them!"

This is what they call, "Watch me play the sweet talk and trick them!"

Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun: "..."

They just think it's a lack of martial ethics!

But upon closer reflection, the fourth brother/strategist is not a pure martial artist at all!

If the fourth brother/strategist is forced to go to the battlefield, then what's the point of having them?

Zhao Yun was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Alright, I will create a set of spear techniques for the strategist."

So, that afternoon, a peculiar scene unfolded on the drill ground:

Guan Yu was practicing with his sword, Zhang Fei was wielding his spear, and Zhao Yun was teaching Li Chang how to wield a spear.

The gun was too heavy, so Li Chang took a wooden stick and practiced the motions, but after a long time he only learned how to hold and holster the gun.

"Fourth Brother, relax your wrist, let the spear move with your waist, and let the power originate from your waist."

"so?"

"Your hand is too low; it won't have enough power to stab."

"How about this?"

"..."

The soldiers in the distance watched with great interest, some sighing, "With such a brilliant mind, why did the strategist learn these flashy but useless marksmanship techniques?"

Another person quickly covered his mouth: "Keep your voice down! If General Zhang hears you, you'll be sent into the vanguard camp!"

……

On the training ground, swords clashed and spears flashed, while inside the camp, all was quiet except for the sound of writing and pens being used to handle military affairs.

Jian Yong looked at the mountain of military documents piled on his desk and sighed deeply.

Just then, the tent flap was lifted, and Xiahou Lan entered carrying a stack of scrolls, bowing respectfully.

"Mr. Jian, I have drafted the military discipline regulations for the Vanguard Battalion. Please take a look. I have also checked the details of this month's grain and fodder allocation item by item."

Jian Yong took it and flipped through it, becoming more and more satisfied with what he saw.

The handwriting was neat and the organization was clear. Every point of doubt was marked with a note in vermilion, and there was even a list of "pending matters" attached, which was ordered according to the importance and urgency!

"Brother Xiahou," Jian Yong put down the scroll and looked at him earnestly, "you are truly a capable man. These matters used to take me three days to resolve, but you figured them out in a single day!"

Xiahou Lan lowered her head somewhat embarrassedly: "Mr. Jian, you flatter me. These are just trivial tasks, not difficult at all."

"The most exhausting things are the trivial ones!" Jian Yong slammed his hand on the table, as if his years of pent-up resentment had finally found an outlet.

"That Mingdao guy, every time he says 'I'll go find you a great talent,' he disappears without a trace! Where is that great talent he's looking for? Huh?"

Xiahou Lan: "..."

"Now that's great!" Jian Yong grabbed Xiahou Lan's hand, his eyes shining.

"You are truly a genius! Brother Xiahou, with your abilities, you will be invaluable in all military affairs from now on..."

He paused for a moment, thinking of the best words.

"I'll leave it all to you."

"Huh?" Xiahou Lan was stunned.

"What, you're unwilling?" Jian Yong looked at him with a smile. "Mingdao once said that true trust means entrusting you with the heaviest burden. I'm entrusting you with that burden now! Don't think about anything else, we're on the same side!"

Jian Yong gradually became influenced by Li Chang.

Xiahou Lan was startled.

trust!

I never imagined that what I said back then wasn't just a casual remark!

That's true trust!

He was just the son of a minor official from Changshan, and he had only been with Zhao Yun to join Liu Bei for a few days. Yet Mr. Jian entrusted him with so many important matters!

What is this if not trust?

His eyes were slightly red, and he bowed deeply: "Lan will not fail Mr. Jian's trust!"

"Okay, okay." Jian Yong nodded in satisfaction, then casually picked up a few unfinished booklets from the desk. "These are yours too."

Xiahou Lan took it and glanced at the thickness, and couldn't help but twitch her lips.

Is this the weight of trust?

But he gritted his teeth, grabbed the booklet, and left.