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

Guan Yu, dressed in green robes and wielding the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, arrived with over a thousand men. Following closely behind were three thousand infantry and cavalry led by Xu Rong.

"Brother!" Guan Yu reined in his horse and dismounted. "Alas, I'm too late!"

Xu Rong cupped his hands and said, "My lord, we were ordered to come to provide support, but we were unable to join the battle. Please forgive us."

Liu Bei helped the two up:

"Yun Chang and Xu Rong, you have made great contributions by discovering the enemy's presence while defending the city! Without you, we would not be able to fight this battle here with peace of mind!"

"But you've come at the right time; I have something I need to discuss with you."

The group returned to the central command tent and sat down as host and guest.

Some suggested continuing the pursuit and killing them directly at their lair, a coordinated attack from within and without Zhao Yun.

But they were quickly rejected. Their supplies were insufficient, and the burden was too great. Their main focus was on developing Yanmen!

Li Chang pointed to the map on the wall and said:

"Brother, the Xianbei have fled far away, and the crisis at Yanmen has been temporarily resolved. But we cannot stop here. I suggest sending a few thousand men to patrol the two prefectures of Yunzhong and Wuyuan."

Qian Zhao frowned. Although he was young, he was not a pure military general. He was quite adept at governing local areas and dealing with the Hu people.

"Prefect, Yunzhong and Wuyuan have been abandoned for many years. The city walls are dilapidated and the population is sparse. What remains are scattered small tribes of Hu people."

If we were to send troops to garrison the area, all our supplies would have to be transported through Yanmen Pass, which would be extremely costly, and with our current strength, we simply couldn't sustain it.

Occupying it would be a losing proposition and would only increase the burden on the people of Yanmen!

Li Chang nodded in approval. This was a rare person in the team, besides Xiahou Lan, who was both literate and skilled in martial arts!

explained:

"Zijing has misunderstood. I am not sending troops to occupy the two prefectures. What we want is only a nominal recapture and basic information."

Send several thousand light cavalrymen quickly to the Han Dynasty, plant the Han banners, survey the terrain, record the location and strength of each tribe, and tell the local Hu people: The Han Dynasty has returned!

Then my elder brother and I would write to the imperial court, requesting that displaced people and prisoners from the Central Plains be relocated here to cultivate land and be exempted from punishment!

With gradual management, the two prefectures can recover within ten years. If we don't secure our rightful place now, they will truly become the territory of the barbarians once the court forgets about them!

Liu Bei nodded repeatedly: "Fourth brother is absolutely right. If the name is not correct, the words will not be proper. As long as the banner of the Han Dynasty is planted there, that place is the territory of the Han Dynasty."

"Expanding territory and recovering lost lands! This is a tremendous achievement!" Zhang Fei slapped his thigh. "Brother, let me go! I guarantee I'll wipe out all the barbarians in Yunzhong and Wuyuan!"

"Third brother, you mustn't," Liu Bei shook his head. "Yanmen has just experienced a major battle, and everything is in need of rebuilding. We still need you to guard it."

Guan Yu stood up and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Brother, I am willing to go to Yunzhong County. I will definitely plant the banner of the Han Dynasty on the city walls of Yunzhong."

"This humble general is willing to go to Wuyuan County," Xu Rong said in a deep voice.

Those two missed the great war!

"Good!" Liu Bei was overjoyed. "Guan Yu, lead a thousand troops to Yunzhong, and Xu Rong, lead a thousand infantry and cavalry to Wuyuan. Remember, focus on achieving victory and avoid starting a war. Go quickly and return quickly, back to Yanmen within a month."

"Yes, ma'am!" the two replied in unison.

The next morning, Guan Yu and Xu Rong each led their troops and went their separate ways.

A few days later, Liu Bei led his main army back to Yanmen.

The army entered Yanmen, and the number of people gradually increased. The city gates of the prefecture were opened wide.

The people of Yanmen, young and old, lined the streets with food and drink to welcome him!

"Welcome back in triumph, General Liu!"

"Thank you so much, General Liu, for saving us!"

"General Liu!!!"

Cheers erupted everywhere. Liu Bei's prestige had almost reached its peak!

Previously, it was simply a rise in public morale that gave people hope for their lives.

But this time, they truly witnessed Liu Bei's strength; Liu Bei had the ability to protect them and safeguard their homeland!

Without Liu Bei, they would have no home!

loyalty!

An elderly man with white hair, carrying a bowl of wine, walked shakily to Liu Bei and knelt down, but Liu Bei helped him up.

"I've lived to be over seventy years old and have witnessed more than a dozen Xianbei invasions to the south. Each time before, we either lost our families or were forced to leave our homes."

Only this year, thanks to you, not a single grain of food was stolen, and not a single relative was killed. You are truly a second parent to the people of Yanmen!

Liu Bei helped the old man up, saying, "Please rise, sir. Protecting the territory and ensuring the safety of the people is my duty, Liu Bei."

Looking at the people who were still kneeling, he shouted, "Fellow villagers, rest assured, with me here, I will not allow the Xianbei to invade the south!"

"General!!"

Everyone present was so moved that they wept tears of joy!

The army slowly entered the city. Along the way, the people stuffed eggs and rice with beans into the hands of the soldiers.

The soldiers couldn't refuse, and they all smiled as if they were experiencing a different kind of soldiering!

They couldn't quite describe the feeling; it was as if their hearts were filled with something warm and comforting!

The small tribes of the Hu people, who had been observing the situation, learned of the Han army's great victory over the Xianbei and dared not harbor any disloyalty. They all brought cattle, sheep, and other tributes to submit to the Han.

They actively sought to assimilate into Han culture, learning the Han language, writing system, and farming techniques, and sending their sons to serve in the Han army.

Looking at the magnificent scene before him, Pang De exclaimed, "In my decades in Xiliang, I have never seen the Hu people so sincerely submit. It is our blessing to follow such a lord."

Jia Xu stood behind Liu Bei, stroking his beard, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

He had been forced by Li Chang to be his "bodyguard," and he cursed Li Chang for setting a trap for him the whole way, only thinking about protecting himself.

Seeing firsthand the people offering food and drink, and the Hu people genuinely submitting, he finally understood for the first time: there truly is a ruler in this world who can win the hearts of all people.

Perhaps by following them, one can truly create a different kind of career.

It is precisely because such a radiant lord needs treacherous and cunning individuals like him and Li Chang who possess all sorts of abilities that he needs even more.

At this moment, deep in the grassland.

He Lian led his 30,000 main force to observe the entire process. Seeing the great defeat of the Western Xianbei and the great victory of the Han army, his face turned gloomy.

He reined in his horse, glanced deeply in the direction of Yanmen Pass, and turned his horse around: "Let's go and conquer the western Xianbei, and restore my father's glory!"

……

An urgent battle report, delivered by express courier, traveled from Yanmen Pass day and night to Luoyang.

The battle report detailed Liu Bei's achievements in defeating the Xianbei, killing Suli, and recovering the three prefectures of Yunzhong, Wuyuan, and Dingxiang.

Even though these three prefectures were already in ruins and combined were not as good as a single county of another country, at least they were nominally recovered!

Fruit and Vegetable Pavilion.

Liu Hong has finished his role-playing for today.

These days, with all the grand celebrations and banquets, he's been working himself to the bone.

Taking advantage of this "wise man" mode, I couldn't stop smiling as I looked at the battle report:

"Excellent! Excellent Liu Bei! Excellent Li Chang! Not only did they repel the Xianbei, but they also recovered three lost commanderies! Truly pillars of our great Han Dynasty!"

He immediately gave the order:

"By imperial decree, Liu Bei and Li Chang shall be granted additional fiefs of 100 households each! Guan Yu shall be appointed Prefect of Dingxiang, Zhang Fei Prefect of Wuyuan, and Zhao Yun Prefect of Yunzhong. Pang De and Xu Rong shall each be granted the title of Marquis within the Passes!"

His request was granted, and 30,000 prisoners and refugees from the Central Plains were relocated to Bingzhou to replenish the population!

Keeping those people around is a waste of food; it would be better to send it to someone who wants it!

Even if he dies now, his ancestors will have something to say about him!

Zhang Rang bowed: "Your Majesty is wise. However... Liu Bei now commands a large army and occupies most of Bingzhou. Could it be...?"

"What are you afraid of?" Liu Hong waved his hand.

"Liu Bei is a distant relative of the imperial clan, and a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan! He has no foundation or background, and he was promoted entirely by me."

He will only be loyal to me. Besides, with him guarding the north, the Xiongnu and Xianbei will not dare to invade southward. I can then focus on building the palace, emulating Prince Jing of Zhongshan!

Zhang Rang quickly echoed, "Your Majesty is wise."

The more Liu Hong compared them, the more he felt the disparity between people!

Both were battles, but Liu Bei resolved the situation in one fell swoop. Li Chang was sensible and a fellow traveler!

But Liangzhou was different! Huangfu Song went there and temporarily quelled the rebellion, but when he returned, it started again!

Several groups of people have come and gone, and it's been almost a year, but the problem is still not solved!

The national treasury is almost empty!