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

Moments later, the cavalry had charged right up to them.

The leader was Liu Bei, whose eyes were bloodshot and who exuded a murderous aura. He drew his twin swords, one male and one female, and pointed them directly at Zuo Feng.

"Zuo Feng!" Liu Bei's voice was cold and stern. "How dare you slander my mentor! Today I will surely execute you!"

The young Liu Bei was truly fierce!

Zuo Feng was so frightened that he almost fell off his horse.

In the critical moment, Li Chang spurred his horse forward and grabbed Liu Bei's reins, while simultaneously giving Zuo Feng a wink:

"Angel, may I speak with you privately?"

Zuo Feng immediately understood and followed Li Chang to the side.

So that's how it is! One played the good cop and the other the bad cop!

Tsk tsk tsk, these people are really good at pretending!

"Li Junmou, what... what are you going to do?" Zuo Feng asked, feigning confusion as he looked at Li Chang.

Li Chang remained silent, but instead took out a cloth bag from his bosom and stuffed it into Zuo Feng's hand.

Zuo Feng weighed the cloth bag in his hand, and his eyes immediately lit up. He didn't even need to open it; just by the sound, he knew it was full of gold, easily over two hundred taels!

If he hadn't been receiving gifts in Luoyang all year round, he would have had a hard time picking them up!

"Angel, my lord acted rashly in the heat of the moment and offended us greatly. We hope you will forgive him. This gold is a small token of our appreciation. Please accept it."

Zuo Feng's fear vanished, replaced by a broad smile. He patted Li Chang on the shoulder and said:

"Li Junmou, you're too kind! We're all on the same side, a little misunderstanding is nothing to mention! Lord Liu is grateful for his teacher's kindness and couldn't help himself, how could I blame him?"

"But it's not just Li Junmou; there are other matters they want us to handle?"

Li Chang nodded and continued:

"Angels are reasonable people. We have no other requests, only that when you return to the capital, you will not let today's events overshadow our lord's military achievements."

My lord has repeatedly defeated the Yellow Turbans in Youzhou and Quyang, and his military achievements are all genuine. I humbly request that the angel speak well of him.

Zuo Feng weighed the gold in his hand again, and was overjoyed.

He had originally planned to impeach Liu Bei after returning to the capital, accusing him of using his private soldiers to block the prison cart and disrespecting the emperor. However, after seeing so much gold, he had long since abandoned such thoughts.

Then I remembered that Liu Bei seemed to value the above quite a bit...

"Don't worry, Li Junmou!" Zuo Feng patted his chest and assured him.

"Leave this to me! Not only will I not pursue the matter, but after I return to the capital, I will definitely petition His Majesty for Liu's merits!"

To be honest, this generous gift far exceeded our expectations. If you ever need anything in the future, feel free to contact us. In Luoyang, we still have influence!

It's rare to find someone so sensible! In Luoyang, he handles everything once and then has to hand over most of it!

Li Chang bowed slightly and said, "Thank you, angel. I will surely repay you handsomely in the future."

After their conversation, the two gradually moved away from the prison cart, giving Lu Zhi and Liu Bei enough space to be alone.

At this moment, Liu Bei was standing beside the prison cart, looking at Lu Zhi inside, his eyes reddening.

"My beloved teacher..." Liu Bei choked up and sobbed, unable to speak.

Lu Zhi opened his eyes, saw that it was Liu Bei, was first taken aback, then flew into a rage:

"Xuande! How dare you act so recklessly! Who sent you here! I made all the arrangements to keep you out of this mess!"

"Now that you are leading troops to stop the prison carts, if you are accused of treason, you and your thousands of soldiers will all die without a burial place!"

"Master..." Liu Bei lowered his head, like a child who had made a mistake, "Your disciple cannot bear to see you unjustly escorted to Luoyang..."

"Foolish!" Lu Zhi shouted sternly.

"My personal honor or disgrace is nothing to worry about! Protect yourself and guard this army, so that in the future we can restore the Han Dynasty and save the people! This is the most important thing!"

If you truly cherish the bond between teacher and student, immediately lead your troops back to camp, train your soldiers, and quell the Yellow Turban Rebellion! Do not waste your time here!

Liu Bei looked up and saw Lu Zhi's bloodshot eyes, feeling both ashamed and pained.

He knew his teacher was absolutely right! But seeing his teacher in person still left him feeling resentful!

"Master, your disciple is utterly incompetent..." Liu Bei said helplessly, "Your disciple couldn't even protect you..."

Lu Zhi looked at Liu Bei, his anger gradually subsiding, replaced by a sense of relief and tenderness.

He sighed deeply and said in a softer tone:

"Xuande, I am already relieved that you have come in time. Remember my words: take care of yourself and defend the troops. The future of the Han Dynasty will depend on you."

Go back!

Liu Bei gritted his teeth and finally nodded.

He bowed deeply before the prison cart.

"Rest assured, Master, I will never fail you! I will do everything in my power to get you out of prison!"

Lu Zhi remained silent, simply waving his hand to dismiss the crowd.

Liu Bei stood up, glanced at Lu Zhi again, turned and mounted his horse: "Let's go!"

The cavalry turned their horses around and headed back towards the Guangzong camp.

At that moment, he hated himself for being powerless! He hated that he had no voice!

I hate that I witnessed it all but was unable to save my mentor. I yearn to change this world!

Zuo Feng watched the crowd depart, then weighed the gold in his hand, a satisfied smile on his face. He waved to the Imperial Guards, "Continue on your journey back to the capital!"

The prison van wheels started moving again, gradually disappearing into the depths of the rain.

Liu Bei, mounted on his horse, turned back to gaze at his surroundings, his anger growing even stronger.

Li Chang stayed by his side, silent.

But he nodded secretly.

Although Lu Zhi fell, the Yellow Turban rebels were even stronger in comparison! The fact that the Yellow Turban rebels were stronger only highlighted Liu Bei's future power!

Lu Zhi, you'll have to serve your time in prison, albeit reluctantly! Your sacrifice will help Liu Bei grow!

In the future, we will save the Han Dynasty and you from your suffering!

Liu Bei rode back to camp, entered the central command tent without saying a word, and sat alone inside for the entire night.

Outside the tent, cold rain drizzled, while inside, candles burned all night.

He didn't sleep all night, his mind replaying the image of Lu Zhi being handcuffed and put on the train, Zuo Feng's arrogant and triumphant face, and his mentor's parting words, "The future of the Han Dynasty will depend on you."

hatred!

He hated the eunuchs who disrupted the court, hated the loyal officials who were wronged, and hated himself even more for not having enough power to protect himself, not even his mentor!

Finally, he got up, not because he had figured it out, but because it was dawn!

As dawn broke, the tent flap was gently lifted.

Li Chang carried in a bowl of hot porridge and saw Liu Bei sitting at the table, his eyes bloodshot, filled with exhaustion and resentment.

She sighed softly.

He placed the hot porridge in front of Liu Bei, patted him on the shoulder, and didn't preach any grand principles:

"Brother, if you can't figure it out, then don't think about it anymore. If the world is unfair, then we'll straighten it ourselves."

You were never alone; you had us brothers by your side, and thousands of soldiers under your command.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the curtains moved again.

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei entered the tent one after the other.

Guan Yu stroked his long beard, his eyes resolute:

"Brother, whatever decision you make, I will follow Yide to the death."

"That's right! Me too!" Zhang Fei pounded his chest and roared, "If that eunuch dares to cause trouble again, I, Zhang Yide of Yan, will pierce him with a spear! Anyone who dares to insult my elder brother and his mentor, I will kill them!"

Looking at his three brothers who had shared life and death with him, Liu Bei's eyes welled up with tears, and the emotions that had been building up all night surged up suddenly.

He clenched his fists tightly, tears streaming down his face, but there was not a trace of cowardice, only a do-or-die determination. Emperor Zhaolie was beginning to show his sharp edge!

"Good! Good brother! I, Liu Bei, will surely sweep away the treacherous officials, clear my mentor's name, and restore peace to the world!"

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the tent, and Jian Yong rushed in, holding a letter sealed with wax, his face beaming with joy:

"My lord! Good news! Generals Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun have sent messengers!"