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

Guan Yu leaned forward and plucked Cheng Yuanzhi's head, holding it on his crescent blade. The head's eyes were wide open, and drops of blood dripped down the blade to the ground.

He reined in his horse and raised his voice, a booming sound that echoed across the battlefield: "The bandit leader is dead! Those who surrender will not be killed!"

The Yellow Turban rebels around them caught a glimpse of their own commander's head dripping with blood on the blade, and they were instantly terrified.

Someone cried out in a trembling voice, "The general is gone, what's the point of fighting anymore?"

"Lower the price! Lowering it will save your life!"

Their legs buckled and they all knelt down, crying and begging for mercy.

Only a few quick-footed people on the outskirts fled like madmen, wishing they had more legs.

Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei each led a force to gather and surround the enemy, and their two thousand soldiers managed to hold back more than twenty thousand Yellow Turban rebels.

Of the remaining ten thousand or so, some scattered and others perished, and they could no longer amount to anything.

The entire battle didn't even last long; Guan Yu and Zhang Fei's individual abilities secured a decisive victory.

This also confirmed Li Chang's belief that this was a world heavily influenced by fiction!

Li Chang led that rabble back, along with several thousand more Yellow Turban rebels.

A local militiaman rubbed his blood-stained hands and muttered, "I...I also killed a Yellow Turban?"

Someone patted him on the shoulder: "Killed him! You were ruthless just now!"

At this moment, the crowd's initial excitement subsided, and they stared in disbelief at the prisoners scattered across the mountains and fields, unable to believe that they had created such a situation.

Li Chang rode up to Liu Bei and whispered, "Brother, we should send someone to inform Governor Liu and ask him to come and receive the prisoners."

Liu Bei raised an eyebrow, a look of doubt on his face: "Why is that? We have several thousand men, enough to escort these prisoners back to the city."

Li Chang shook his head: "It's different. If my elder brother escorts the enemy back to the city on his own, the credit will all go to him, and Governor Liu will at most gain a reputation for 'knowing how to use people well.' But if we invite him, the credit will go to his skillful command, which is a real military achievement."

Zhang Fei, who was listening nearby, was furious. He roared like thunder: "Why should he get the credit for the battles we brothers fought so hard for? Fourth Brother, I, Zhang Fei, will not accept this!"

"Third Brother, please calm down." Li Chang turned to Zhang Fei. "It's not about letting him go, it's about inviting him to come and receive it. Think about it, we brothers are newcomers, who in the court recognizes us? The credit is in our hands, at most it will be mentioned once in front of the governor."

But when it came to Governor Liu, he was a senior member of the imperial clan and a powerful official. To protect his own future, he would do everything in his power to report to the court.

When the time comes to reward those who have contributed, will he forget us? Our achievements will only be more prominent, our start will be more secure, and we will be able to serve the country even better. This is a win-win-win situation for the Han Dynasty, Governor Liu, and us.

Guan Yu stroked his beard and said slowly, "What Fourth Brother says makes sense. We started this uprising to restore the Han Dynasty, not for temporary fame."

Liu Bei remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded: "Second brother and fourth brother are right. It's not that I'm unwilling to give up my merits, but... never mind, I'll follow fourth brother's plan."

He was not a pedantic person, but he was inevitably stubborn when he was young and impetuous. Now that he had figured things out, he no longer hesitated.

Li Chang summoned several quick-witted soldiers and ordered them to accompany Jian Yong, then whispered instructions to them:

"When you see the governor, just say that our army won a small victory according to the governor's plan, and the bandits have been routed. I'm afraid there may be remnants who will resist. The governor needs to come and take charge to incorporate them in order to achieve this great success."

Jian Yong nodded in agreement, and the group rode their horses toward the city.

Within an hour, several fast horses galloped into the city, heading straight for the governor's mansion. They were quickly received, as no one would cause trouble at this time, for fear of getting into trouble.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd in front of the mansion, Jian Yong dismounted and proclaimed, "Liu Xuande, acting on the governor's orders, has already routed the vanguard of the Yellow Turban rebels! We await the governor's personal arrival to capture tens of thousands of prisoners and achieve this unparalleled feat!"

Liu Yan sat upright in the hall. Upon hearing this, he was taken aback for a moment, then stroked his beard and said, "Oh? My nephew Xuande has already won? He only led a few thousand men, while the other side had fifty thousand Yellow Turbans."

He then looked at Jian Yong, "Nephew Xuande...do you need reinforcements? Or is the battle situation critical, and you're deliberately saying you've won to lure me over?"

Jian Yong said loudly, "Your Excellency is wise! Our army has indeed won a great victory in accordance with Your Excellency's orders. The bandit leaders Cheng Yuanzhi and Deng Mao have been beheaded. However, there are still tens of thousands of bandits scattered and leaderless, which may lead to a mutiny."

Xuande said, "This matter is of utmost importance. Only the governor's personal presence can control the situation. That's why I was urgently dispatched to invite you. I hope the governor will personally lead the army there and accomplish this great feat in one fell swoop!"

Liu Yan dismissed his attendants, leaving only Zou Jing and Jian Yong, and then questioned the soldiers who had come with him: "Did you all see it with your own eyes? Did the Yellow Turbans really collapse? Is Cheng Yuanzhi dead?"

A soldier puffed out his chest: "Reporting to the Governor! I saw it with my own eyes! General Guan, with his red face, cleaved Cheng Yuanzhi in two with a single stroke, and General Zhang killed Deng Mao with a single spear thrust! The bandits were so terrified they wet themselves and all knelt down!"

Ignoring the title of general, Liu Yan confirmed it several times before his face lit up with wild joy. He slammed his hand on the table and exclaimed, "Excellent! Excellent! My nephew Xuande is indeed a pillar of our Han dynasty! Colonel Zou, quickly gather five thousand soldiers and come with me to lend Xuande a hand!"

Zou Jing bowed and accepted the order, then turned to muster the troops.

……

At the foot of Daxing Mountain, Liu Yan led his army to the scene. From afar, he saw thousands of soldiers standing in formation, with tens of thousands of Yellow Turban prisoners encircled in the middle, all of them hanging their heads in dejection, just as Jian Yong had said.

A great weight was lifted from his heart. He spurred his horse to Liu Bei, stroked his beard, and laughed, "Nephew Xuande, you are indeed a young hero! Tens of thousands of Yellow Turbans have been utterly subdued by your few thousand men!"

"It is all thanks to the governor's skillful leadership that I dare not take credit." Liu Bei suppressed his resentment and, following Li Chang's instructions, bowed and replied, "If it weren't for the governor's prior allocation of provisions and troops, and his granting me the pretext of suppressing the bandits, my four brothers and I would have had great difficulty accomplishing this."

Liu Yan listened with satisfaction and laughed heartily: "Nephew Xuande, you are too modest. Tell me, how did you defeat these tens of thousands of Yellow Turban rebels? I heard from Jian Yong that you even used a strategy?"

They're about to start comparing answers!

Liu Bei said loudly:

"That's right. My four brothers and I, following the governor's orders, led two thousand men to meet the vanguard of the Yellow Turbans. At first, the rebels were numerous and powerful. My fourth brother, Li Chang, suggested that the old, weak, and local militia raise dust behind them to create a diversion. Our army first used crossbows to blunt their morale, and the Yellow Turban rebels were indeed frightened."

Then the third brother took the lead, beheading the traitor Deng Mao and disrupting the vanguard.

Zhang Fei couldn't help but interject, "My thrust went straight through Deng Mao's heart!"

Liu Bei glanced at him and continued, "Second brother seized the opportunity to charge out and beheaded the bandit leader Cheng Yuanzhi. With no leader, the bandits naturally collapsed."

He turned to Liu Yan, "In the end, it was only because of the governor's prestige that they dared not resist. Once the governor's army arrived and surrounded them from all sides, they were able to decisively defeat the Yellow Turbans!"

His words were spoken so earnestly, as if that were simply the way things were.

Liu Yan nodded repeatedly, his gaze shifting from the eighteen-foot spear in Zhang Fei's hand. He clapped his hands and said, "Absolutely! Absolutely! My nephew Xuande is both brave and resourceful, my second and third brothers are the bravest in the army, and my fourth brother also has ingenious plans. He is truly a blessing to our Liu family!"

"You have rendered such a great service, I will certainly report to His Majesty and detail your brothers' achievements! His Majesty will be immensely rewarded upon learning that our Liu family possesses such heroes! I also hope that Xuande will achieve many more merits in the future and restore the Han Dynasty!"

Liu Bei cupped his hands in respect: "I am determined to serve you to the death, and I will not fail the governor's high expectations or Your Majesty's great favor!"