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

Guan Yu's expression was also grim. He stroked his long beard and said, "Third brother, please calm down. But do the people in the court really not know how urgent the military situation is?"

Zhao Yun put down his gun: "War is indeed no small matter. It's only right that the court needs to weigh the pros and cons."

"Weighing the pros and cons?" Zhang Fei slapped his thigh. "Fourth brother, you tell me! You're the smartest, you give me your opinion on this!"

"Third Brother, no need to rush, let them discuss it." Li Chang smiled. "The longer they discuss it, the more difficult this matter is. The more difficult it is, the greater our contribution will be."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Fei thought it made some sense and scratched his head: "You mean... letting them whine for a few more days is actually beneficial to us?"

"Of course. We have neither manpower nor food right now. Sending troops hastily would be suicide. It will take a long time for the supplies and weapons to be allocated. You'd better hope they drag this out for a few more days."

Zhang Fei was persuaded and stopped shouting.

Liu Bei remained silent, gazing silently in the direction of the palace.

He knew his fourth brother was right, but when the time came, he was still worried about the people suffering in Liangzhou.

Just then, Li Chang walked up to him and said, "Brother, we can't just wait. Let them keep arguing in court, but we have to get moving ourselves."

Liu Bei turned to look at him: "What does Fourth Brother mean?"

"In Luoyang, although it appears that matters are being discussed in the imperial court, many things are actually handled outside the court."

Li Chang said, "When my elder brother was young, he studied with Zigan Gong and lived in Luoyang for a while. He must know a few people there. We should make the necessary connections."

Liu Bei remained silent for a moment, then nodded.

In the days that followed, under the guidance of Li Chang and Lu Zhi, Liu Bei began to take the initiative in his operations.

First was Lu Zhi.

He gave Liu Bei a "Liangzhou lesson" in his residence.

What counties and prefectures were there in Liangzhou? What were the relationships between the various Qiang and Hu tribes? What were the origins of Bian Zhang and Han Sui? How did Duan Jiong fight them back then?

Liu Bei took out paper and pen and wrote everything down.

"I will fight for you in matters of the court."

Lu Zhi patted him on the shoulder, a mixture of pride and helplessness in his expression.

"But you'll have to learn the terrain of Liangzhou and the fighting tactics of the Qiang and Hu tribes yourself. That's all I can teach you."

Liu Bei bowed deeply: "I will remember your teachings, sir."

Lu Zhi then wrote several more letters and had his personal guards deliver them overnight.

He sent a letter to Huangfu Song, asking him to submit a memorial supporting Liu Bei's western expedition as soon as the matter in Ji Province was settled.

A letter was sent to Zhu Jun, asking him to endorse Liu Bei based on his experience in the Battle of Nanyang.

Several other letters were sent to old acquaintances in the army who had served on the frontier in Liangzhou, asking them to speak on Liu Bei's behalf outside the imperial court.

At the same time, he also sent a message to the Situ Mansion through someone, subtly indicating that Liu Bei was willing to accept some of the Yuan family's sons to join the army for training after the war.

This move dispelled Yuan Wei's suspicions.

Liu Bei was not idle either.

He traveled around and found several retired veterans who had served on the frontier in Liangzhou, and invited them to the camp.

The veterans chatted amongst themselves, saying that the Qiang and Hu cavalry were swift as the wind, adept at luring the enemy deep into their territory and ambushing them; that Liangzhou was bitterly cold in winter and filled with sandstorms in summer; and that they recorded the names of the water sources along the way.

Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun also led their troops and listened in for an entire afternoon, each pondering tactics to counter cavalry.

Li Changze took a different path.

During the routine exchange, he again asked his old acquaintance, Huangmen, who was also the one who delivered the imperial edict, to pass on several newly drawn blueprints to Liu Hong.

Once the eunuch accepted the gift, he naturally knew what to do.

A few days later, Liu Hong casually mentioned at the Guoyou Pavilion, "The matter of Liu Bei suppressing the rebellion should be settled as soon as possible," and Zhang Rang nodded in agreement.

Several forces exerted their power simultaneously.

Lu Zhi's former military associates rallied outside the court to support Liu Bei. Yuan Wei stopped opposing Liu Bei because Liu Bei was willing to accept members of the Yuan family. Liu Hong had wanted to use Liu Bei from the very beginning.

Several days later, the court finally finalized the strategy for the expedition.

Liu Bei was appointed General of the Western Expedition, leading his own 8,000 men, plus another 8,000 men from the Northern Army and 4,000 men from Hongnong and other counties, for a total of 20,000 men.

The provisions were initially supplied by the counties along the way, and later allocated by the Grand Minister of Agriculture. They first rested for several days in Chang'an before heading west to Liangzhou.

Zuo Feng was appointed as the military supervisor.

The eunuch carrying the imperial edict left the palace and arrived at Liu Bei's residence in the south of the city.

When Liu Bei knelt to receive the imperial edict, he was extremely excited as he held it above his head with both hands!

"Your subject will certainly not fail in his mission!"

It's finally time to leave Luoyang!

Luoyang, though nice, is ultimately not suitable for him!

After the eunuch left, Zhang Fei couldn't help but curse:

"Those guys are a bunch of useless trash! They're all so arrogant and domineering all the time, but when it comes to fighting, they all cower in fear!"

"Third Brother, calm down," Li Chang said with a smile. "Isn't this perfect? ​​The more useless they are, the more opportunities we have."

"That's true, but the court's efficiency is too low," Zhao Yun said, frowning. "Such a simple decision has taken so long."

Liu Bei sighed, and was about to speak when Jian Yong entered from outside, his expression somewhat troubled:

"My lord, the officials from the Grand Commandant's office and the Minister of Agriculture have come. The provisions and military equipment will not be ready until after the New Year."

"And those transferred troops, we also need to send our own people to reorganize and receive them."

"What?!" Zhang Fei's eyes widened. "After the New Year? That's still a month away!"

"There's nothing I can do," Li Chang said, shrugging.

"That's how things are in Luoyang. I've already sent gifts to their superiors, and they've promised to speed things up as much as possible. But the earliest we can expect to get it is after the New Year."

"Perfect timing! We can use this time to reorganize the army and celebrate the New Year."

After the Lantern Festival, the imperial court's provisions and military equipment were finally ready.

Eight thousand northern soldiers from Luoyang and four thousand soldiers from Hongnong and other places also reported to the camp one after another and were reorganized.

The imperial court conscripted 50,000 laborers along the route to transport grain and supplies.

On the 20th day of the first month of the second year of Zhongping, north of Luoyang City, at the foot of Mangshan Mountain.

The 20,000-strong army was assembled, with banners fluttering and swords and spears standing tall.

Liu Bei, clad in armor and riding a white horse, stood on the command platform. Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun stood to his left and right, while Li Chang and Jian Yong stood behind him.

Liu Bei looked at the soldiers below the platform and said loudly:

"Soldiers! Liangzhou is in rebellion, the Qiang and Hu tribes are invading our borders, the people are displaced, and the Han Dynasty is in imminent danger!"

Today, I, Liu Bei, have been ordered by His Majesty to lead you all to Liangzhou to quell the rebellion!

The journey is long and arduous, the war is fierce, and the chances of survival are slim!

But I believe that as long as we work together and fight bravely, we will surely be able to quell the rebellion, protect the territory of our great Han Dynasty, and save the people from suffering!

Those who perform meritorious service will be rewarded! Those who desert in the face of battle will be executed!

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The 20,000 soldiers roared in unison, their voices shaking the heavens and even making the distant Mangshan Mountain seem to tremble.

Liu Bei drew his twin swords, pointed them westward, and shouted sternly:

"All troops, heed my command! Proceed!"

The massive army marched westward.

Liu Bei reined in his horse and glanced back at Luoyang.

The majestic city walls, bathed in the setting sun, appeared exceptionally magnificent, yet also exuded an air of decay.

He stayed there for several months and witnessed the darkness of the imperial court, the hypocrisy of the aristocratic families, and the absurdity of the emperor.

These past few months have been more tiring than fighting a war.

"Brother, stop looking." Li Chang rode forward on his horse. "We'll be back later."

Liu Bei nodded and turned to look towards Liangzhou in the distance.

There, there is war, smoke, and danger, but there is also opportunity, and more importantly, people waiting for him to save them.

Li Chang looked at Liu Bei's retreating figure, then glanced at the spirited Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun beside him, and a smile crept onto his lips.

Goodbye, Luoyang.

Liangzhou, here we come.