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

"That's right." Li Chang nodded.

"We sent people to spread the word that a large caravan, carrying 3,000 shi of grain and 200 fine horses, would pass through the Black Pine Forest outside Zhuojun City in three days and head to Jizhou to trade goods."

The bandits of Black Wind Stronghold have long coveted the caravan. Upon hearing this news, they will surely come out in full force to ambush them in the Black Pine Forest. We, on the other hand, will lay an ambush on the outskirts of the Black Pine Forest beforehand, waiting for them to walk into our trap before wiping them out in one fell swoop.

Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei exchanged a glance, all of them looking shocked.

They only thought about confronting the bandits head-on and never imagined they could scheme like this.

"Fourth Brother, this plan is brilliant!" Liu Bei slapped his thigh excitedly. "We can annihilate the bandits without lifting a finger, and at the same time minimize casualties among our brothers!"

Guan Yu stroked his beard and exclaimed, "All warfare is based on deception! Fourth Brother has truly grasped the essence of military strategy!"

Zhang Fei was utterly impressed: "I'm completely convinced! Fourth Brother, how did you come to be so clever? Your brain is sharper than my butcher's knife!"

With the plan settled, everyone immediately split up and took action.

Li Changze quietly walked outside the courtyard and raised his hand to give a special whistle.

A group of dark figures flew down from the sky and landed steadily on his shoulder; it was Xuan Ya.

"Go keep watch near the Black Pine Forest and see when the bandits from Black Wind Stronghold will make their move. If you spot anyone, come back and report to me," Li Chang gently stroked the black crow's feathers and whispered his instructions.

The black crow nuzzled his cheek affectionately, then flapped its wings and disappeared into the sky in an instant.

For the past month, flocks of black crows have been circling over the manor every day, sometimes landing on branches, sometimes skimming over the training ground.

Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei thought they were just wild birds attracted by the popularity of the place, and even secretly felt it was an auspicious omen, never giving it much thought.

Three days later, at dawn, the black crow returned on time, landed on Li Chang's shoulder, and let out a few urgent cries.

A glint flashed in Li Chang's eyes: "They're here! The Black Wind Stronghold bandits have all entered the Black Pine Forest and are setting up an ambush."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei were all startled and turned to look at the black crows on Li Chang's shoulder.

"Fourth brother, these... these crows are yours to raise?" Zhang Fei's eyes widened, his face full of disbelief.

"Exactly." Li Chang nodded with a smile.

"These crows are named Black Crows. I raised them since they were cubs. They can scout ahead, relay messages, and identify tracks. For the past month, they've been helping us investigate the surrounding area. Otherwise, how would we have known that the bandits from Black Wind Stronghold were about to come down the mountain to plunder?"

The three of them suddenly realized that the crows that had been circling overhead for the past month were actually the fourth brother's spies!

Their gazes toward the black crow instantly shifted from curiosity to awe.

Looking at Li Chang again, my admiration for him deepened even further. My fourth brother not only understands military strategy and knows how to manage an army, but he also possesses such extraordinary skills; he is truly unfathomable!

Just as the four brothers were preparing to set out with their troops, a series of rapid hoofbeats suddenly came from outside the village.

A scout rushed in, his face pale, shouting, "My lord! Something terrible has happened! We're hearing fighting coming from the direction of the Black Pine Forest! A caravan has indeed been surrounded by bandits!"

"What?!" Liu Bei's expression changed drastically. "How could a caravan really be passing by?"

Li Chang frowned as well. He didn't do it on purpose; he just wanted to scam as much as possible.

"Now that things have come to this, let's go and rescue them from this dire situation!"

"There's no time to think!" Guan Yu nodded, gripping his long sword tightly at his waist, and said in a deep voice, "Saving lives is the priority!"

"Let's go!" Liu Bei decided immediately. "Assemble everyone and rush to the aid of Black Pine Forest!"

The 1,500 local militiamen quickly assembled, their ranks orderly and without the slightest sign of panic.

Liu Bei led the way, with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei protecting him on either side, Li Chang leading a troop of personal guards to bring up the rear, while black crows circled high in the sky, guiding the way.

A short while later, the group arrived at the Black Pine Forest.

Dust billowed in the forest, and shouts of battle shook the heavens.

Hundreds of ferocious bandits were frantically hacking and slashing at a caravan. The caravan's guards fought desperately, but they were outnumbered and retreated step by step, on the verge of total annihilation.

The two merchants leading the group were Su Shuang and Zhang Shiping. Terrified, they hid behind the carriage, trembling, convinced they were doomed.

"kill!"

Liu Bei roared and charged out first.

Guan Yu wielded his broadsword as if he were in an empty field; with a flash of light, the heads of the bandits fell to the ground.

Holding a long spear, Zhang Fei roared and charged into the enemy ranks. With a sweep of his spear, he instantly felled a group of bandits.

Although it was the first time the local militiamen had gone to the battlefield, they were inevitably nervous, but the muscle memory they had developed through daily training was already ingrained in their bones.

Upon hearing the command, they instinctively raised their swords and spears, formed neat ranks, and charged towards the bandits.

Under the leadership of Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, there was no chaos or rout, only the sound of orderly footsteps and shouts of battle.

The bandits, who thought victory was assured, were thrown into a panic when they saw this disciplined reinforcement.

Especially when they saw Guan Yu and Zhang Fei's unparalleled bravery, they were terrified.

In a short while, several bandit leaders were killed by Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the remaining bandits dared not resist anymore, cried out in alarm, and scattered.

Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei appeared like divine soldiers descending from the heavens, much like Tyson fighting Hawking, and the battle ended quickly.

Su Shuang and Zhang Shiping climbed out from behind the carriage and looked at the corpses of the bandits scattered all over the ground.

Looking at Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, who were covered in blood and exuded an imposing aura, as well as the neatly lined-up local militia, he felt a mixture of surprise, joy, and wariness.

In chaotic times, soldiers and bandits are one family. They were afraid that this group would turn around and plunder them after driving away the bandits!

Just then, Li Chang slowly walked over with his personal guards.

Liu Bei quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting to the two men, and said, "Gentlemen, you have been frightened. I am Liu Bei, courtesy name Xuande, a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan. Upon hearing that the caravan had been attacked, I led my men to its rescue."

"So it's Brother Xuande!" Upon hearing this, Su Shuang and Zhang Shiping's vigilance lessened slightly.

Royal family members? They shouldn't be bandits.

The two men quickly returned the greeting, "Thank you so much, Brother Xuande, for saving our lives! We are Su Shuang and Zhang Shiping, merchants from Youzhou. If it weren't for Brother Xuande arriving with his men in time, we would probably be dead here today."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Su Shuang gritted his teeth and said, "Brother Xuande, we have no way to repay your life-saving grace. We two are willing to offer fifty fine horses, five hundred taels of gold and silver, and one thousand catties of fine iron for military use. We hope you will accept our offer."

Liu Bei was overjoyed and quickly expressed his gratitude: "Thank you both for your generosity! When we quell the Yellow Turban Rebellion, we will certainly report your righteous deeds to the court!"

Li Chang, standing to the side, still felt it wasn't enough. He put on a kind smile and said:

"Gentlemen, you are too kind. Our 4,000-strong local militia will forever remember your righteousness!"

"Four thousand men?" Su Shuang and Zhang Shiping were both taken aback, looking at the fifteen hundred local militiamen on the training ground with doubt in their eyes.

Li Chang smiled slightly and raised his hand to issue orders.

"Attention everyone—turn left!"

The 1,500 local militiamen turned left in unison, their movements perfectly synchronized, as if they were one person.

Turn right!

"Forward march!"

"Halt!"

With each command from Li Chang, the village militia moved with fluid grace, their ranks perfectly aligned.

Although they were all dressed in plain clothes, a chilling aura emanated from them.

Su Shuang and Zhang Shiping stared in disbelief, their faces filled with shock.

Having traveled extensively throughout the country and seen countless county and border troops, they had never encountered a force with such strict discipline and unwavering obedience! Even the most elite border troops of Youzhou were probably no better!

The two exchanged a glance and instantly made up their minds.

Although they were wealthy merchants, they were of low social status and suffered mistreatment at every turn.

If I could invest in this team with unlimited potential, they would achieve great success in the future, and I could also change my status, bring honor to my ancestors, and have my family genealogy opened separately!

Seeing that the two men were moved, Li Jian pressed his advantage, saying:

"As you gentlemen have seen, how strong is our army? Now that the Yellow Turbans are in rebellion, Governor Liu Yan of Youzhou is worried about having no soldiers to use."

My elder brother is a member of the Han imperial family, related to Governor Liu, and is also a disciple of Lu Zhi, the current General of the Northern Army. After we quell the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Youzhou, we will lead our army south to join General Zigan and fight against the Yellow Turbans.

"If the Yellow Turban Rebellion is quelled in the future, my elder brother may be able to obtain the position of prefect based on his military achievements!"

After speaking, Li Chang looked at Su and Zhang with a simple yet consultative expression.

These words, which demonstrated both strength and a vision for the future, completely moved Su Shuang and Zhang Shiping.

At the same time, neither of them expected that this smiling young man was definitely not as easy to talk to as Liu Bei!

He was terrified that if he refused, those 'four thousand men' would treat him as a bandit and deal with him.

Without further hesitation, the two gritted their teeth and said in unison, "We are willing to add another hundred fine horses, a thousand catties of gold and silver, and a month's worth of rations for four thousand men! We will assist Brother Xuande in his campaign against the Yellow Turban rebels!"