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

Liu Bei quickly wiped away his tears, took the letter, and opened it with trembling hands.

In the letter, Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun first denounced the treacherous Ten Attendants and Zuo Feng for framing Lu Zhi, and spoke out in defense of him.

He then praised Liu Bei's achievements in pacifying Youzhou and killing Zhang Bao, saying that he had already reported his merits to the court; finally, he specially summoned Liu Bei to lead his troops to Dongjun in Yanzhou to join forces in suppressing the Yellow Turbans in Yingchuan.

At the end of the letter, a few lines stood out:

"Before his departure, Lord Lu wrote a letter entrusting us with important tasks, saying that Xuande is a pillar of the imperial family and is capable of great things. I hope that Xuande will live up to Lord Lu's expectations, achieve great deeds, restore the Han Dynasty, and wipe out the Yellow Turbans!"

"My beloved teacher..."

Liu Bei clutched the letter, tears welling up in his eyes once more.

It turns out that his mentor had already paved the way for him, and even though he was imprisoned, he was still planning for him!

He took a deep breath, carefully folded the letter and put it in his pocket, the confusion and dejection in his eyes completely disappearing.

"Pass down the order! The entire army will rest for a day, and tomorrow we will break camp and head south to Yanzhou!"

"Yes, sir!"

The crowd responded in unison, their voices echoing throughout the camp.

……

Meanwhile, at Huangfu Song's camp in Dongjun, Yanzhou.

Inside the central command tent, Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun sat facing each other, both with faces full of sorrow.

"It is truly disheartening that Brother Zigan, a man of loyalty and integrity throughout his life, met such an end."

Huangfu Song picked up his teacup and slammed it heavily on the table.

Zhu Jun sighed softly:

"The Ten Attendants control the government, and loyal officials suffer repeatedly. The Han dynasty is already in jeopardy. Fortunately, before Brother Zigan left, he recommended Liu Bei to us."

Although this man was from a distant branch of the imperial clan, he had no powerful family to rely on. Yet, he managed to raise troops on his own to quell the rebellion, pacify Youzhou, and kill Zhang Bao. He was truly a rare and outstanding talent.

"That's right." Huangfu Song nodded. "I have already sent someone to summon him. With his help, we will have a better chance of winning the siege of the Yellow Turbans in Yingchuan."

As the two were talking, a burst of laughter came from outside the tent: "What are the two generals discussing that makes such a commotion?"

Before the words were finished, a short man with sharp, piercing eyes strode into the tent.

Wearing an iron helmet and armor, with a sword at his waist, he exuded the air of a powerful and ruthless leader. He was none other than Cao Cao, the Cavalry Commandant!

"Mengde is here." Huangfu Song smiled and waved. "We were just talking about Liu Bei, Liu Xuande. This man has recently made great achievements in Youzhou and Jizhou, killing Zhang Bao and capturing Quyang. He is young but very capable."

"Liu Bei?" Cao Cao's eyes lit up slightly, and he immediately became interested.

"I've heard of him too. He's a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan, about my age, and started from scratch to build a force of several thousand. He even managed to win the unwavering loyalty of fierce generals like Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. I really want to see what kind of person Liu Xuande is."

He paused, then cupped his hands and said, "Generals, when Liu Bei arrives, may I meet him as well? I want to see if Liu Xuande, who has no family to rely on yet has made great contributions, is truly as outstanding as the rumors suggest."

Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun exchanged a glance and smiled at each other: "Of course. Mengde is also a hero of our time. I'm sure the two of you will appreciate each other when you meet."

……

For the next two weeks, Liu Bei led his army south, sweeping all before him.

The remaining Yellow Turban forces scattered along the way all surrendered upon seeing the enemy.

Liu Bei remained true to his benevolent nature, only punishing the ringleaders and pacifying the people, distributing the captured grain and fodder to the disaster victims.

As the army passed through, the people lined the streets to welcome them, and many young men volunteered to join the army, expanding the force to over ten thousand men. However, the problem of food and supplies became increasingly serious.

Previously, they relied on Liu Yan; later, they relied on Lu Zhi; and now…

Meanwhile, in Guangzong, after Dong Zhuo took over military affairs, he completely abandoned Lu Zhi's steady and cautious strategy, and was eager to make meritorious contributions, so he rashly led his troops to attack the city.

Defeated by Zhang Jiao and suffering heavy losses, they had no choice but to retreat into their camp and dare not fight again.

The situation in Guangzong was actually more dangerous than when Lu Zhi was stationed there.

Upon hearing the news, Liu Bei grew increasingly anxious and immediately ordered his army to speed up their journey.

Finally, in early July of the first year of Zhongping, Liu Bei's army arrived in Dongjun, Yanzhou, and stationed its troops outside Huangfu Song's camp.

The scouts had already relayed the message to the tent, and Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun personally came out of the camp to greet them.

Cao Cao followed behind the two, his gaze fixed on the slowly approaching procession in the distance.

The leader was seven feet five inches tall, with ears that reached his shoulders, hands that reached his knees, and a kind face; he was none other than Liu Bei.

Beside him stood Guan Yu, with a red face and long beard, carrying the Green Dragon Crescent Blade.

Zhang Fei, with his leopard-like head and piercing eyes, held his eighteen-foot-long spear horizontally.

A black raven perched on the shoulder of the young scholar. He was tall and straight, with clear and handsome features, a face like jade, and a refined and otherworldly temperament.

What a handsome young man! A gentleman like jade, unparalleled in the world!

The four walked slowly, with a large army lined up behind them. Despite the long journey, their morale was high and they showed no signs of fatigue!

Huangfu Song and the others were shocked. What Lu Zhi said was true. Just look at his method of governing the army; it was truly rigorous!

You're really capable!

Upon seeing the person, Liu Bei and his three companions immediately bowed and said in unison:

"Greetings to the two Lieutenant Generals!"

Huangfu Song and his companion helped the man up, and said with a smile:

"Xuande, everyone, you've had a long and arduous journey!"

Liu Bei: "I am deeply honored to be summoned by the two generals!"

Zhu Jun looked him up and down, his eyes full of admiration: "Truly, a hero emerges from among the young! Brother Zigan was right about you!"

Liu Bei smiled modestly, his gaze falling on Cao Cao behind the two men.

Cao Cao was also scrutinizing him closely, and the two were both taken aback when their eyes met.

And so, Cao Cao and Liu Bei met each other's eyes for the first time, right before everyone's eyes!

It felt like being electrocuted; I saw another version of myself.

Cao Cao thought to himself: This man has a kind and gentle appearance, but his eyes hide a sharp glint of ambition. He is no ordinary person! A true hero!

Liu Bei was also filled with admiration: This man has sharp eyes and an extraordinary bearing; he is no ordinary general and will surely achieve great things in the future! A true hero!

For a moment, the four stood in front of the camp gate, each with their own thoughts.

Huangfu Song broke the silence by speaking first, raising his hand to invite, "Xuande and everyone else have had a long and arduous journey. Please come with me to the camp to rest."

The group followed Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun into the central army camp.

The soldiers along the way were clad in bright armor and their ranks were well-organized, truly befitting the imperial court's elite main force.

They say there are 20,000, but there are at least 18,000 soldiers!

The tent was already filled with officers from all walks of life, including officers from noble families who were still in school, as well as veterans who had been guarding the border for many years.

Huangfu Song walked to the head seat and loudly introduced:

"Please look, everyone. This is Liu Bei, Liu Xuande, a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan and Commandant of the Vanquishing Army."

"The previous pacification of the rebellion in Youzhou, the slaying of Zhang Bao, and the capture of Quyang were all achieved by Xuande and his generals!"

A chorus of praise immediately arose in the tent, and many generals, filled with admiration, bowed and paid their respects.

Several officers from prominent families remained outwardly calm, but their eyes betrayed a hint of disdain.

They naturally knew who Liu Bei was. In their eyes, Liu Bei was just a distant relative of the imperial family who wove mats and sold shoes, and who had only managed to achieve some military exploits by sheer luck.

Because of the prestige of Huangfu Song and his companion, no one dared to express any dissent in public.

Cao Cao stood to the side, taking in the expressions of everyone in the tent. He then looked at Liu Bei and became even more certain of his judgment.

He was used to seeing the scions of noble families who were all show and no substance, and he also knew the true abilities of heroes from humble backgrounds. Liu Bei was by no means someone who was content with mediocrity!