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

"Good, good, good!" Liu Yan clapped his hands and laughed, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothing out.

Liu Bei stepped forward at the opportune moment, bowed respectfully, and earnestly said, following the general script given to him by Li Chang:

"However, I am but a commoner with few soldiers and poor armor. I fear I am not capable of shouldering the heavy responsibility of pacifying the Yellow Turbans in Youzhou, nor can I help the governor pacify Youzhou."

Liu Yan raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise:

"A commoner? What commoner? From this day forward, you are a separate commander of the Youzhou Governor's Office, authorized to lead troops independently and manage your own provisions and equipment!"

He paused, then waved his hand generously: "As for soldiers and armor, you can select elite troops from these Yellow Turban prisoners to replenish your forces; I will also allocate two thousand county soldiers to help you wipe out the remaining bandits within your territory!"

Separate Commander!

A look of delight flashed in the eyes of Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei simultaneously. This was no mere empty title.

They are powerful military officers under the governor who can stand alone and have their own independent command authority, which is perfect for them to fight in the field without being restrained by others!

Liu Yan had a well-thought-out plan: Liu Bei was a capable and obedient soldier, and also a member of the same clan. Sending him out to help him suppress bandits and gain merit would be a good outcome if he won, as it would be due to his good command and ability to recognize and appoint capable people. Even if he lost, the loss would not be significant, making it a sure-fire way to make a profit.

Liu Bei immediately bowed deeply and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Governor! I will certainly live up to your expectations!"

Liu Yan quickly helped him up, feigning displeasure and frowning: "Still calling me Governor? We are both members of the Han imperial family, but in terms of seniority, I am only one generation older than you. From now on, what should you call me in private?"

Liu Bei immediately understood and promptly changed his address to "Uncle!"

"Hahaha! Good nephew!" Liu Yan laughed and pointed at Liu Bei, his gaze unconsciously drifting towards the eighteen-foot spear and the black sword in Li Chang's hand.

Seeing this, Li Jian imagined a scene: 'This kid isn't stupid!'

The troops withdrew and escorted the prisoners back to the city.

Liu Yan's reputation soared, and the whole city was abuzz with news of his great victory over 100,000 Yellow Turban rebels.

As for where the extra 50,000 came from, we dare not ask.

The names Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Li Chang also truly entered the field of vision of the officials and people of Youzhou for the first time, showing their initial brilliance.

In no time, invitations to the banquet piled up like a mountain. Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Li Hongzhang declined as many as they could, preferring to stay in the training ground for some peace and quiet.

Only Liu Bei was naturally good at socializing. He moved between the mansions of various powerful families every day, chatting and laughing, and actually attracted several local small families to take the initiative to join him, sending their sons and provisions, hoping to benefit from his connections and gain a better future.

On the training ground, tens of thousands of Yellow Turban prisoners stood in a dense, dark mass, making a noisy commotion like a marketplace.

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei frowned as they looked at the throng of people in front of them.

"Fourth brother, how should we select these tens of thousands of men?" Guan Yu spoke first, stroking his long beard. "I intend to select farmers who are strong and healthy and have never harmed the people. These people were forced into this situation, and with a little training, they can become good soldiers."

Zhang Fei shook his head and waved his hand: "No, no! If we're going to choose, we'll choose the most capable fighters! Those Yellow Turban elites who have seen blood can fight right away, they're much more useful than farmers!"

The two men each held their own version of events, and both looked at Li Chang.

Li Chang glanced at the prisoners in the arena, already having made up his mind.

Under his command, the prisoners were quickly divided into four groups:

The first group consisted of the elderly, the weak, women, and children;

The second group consisted of thin but innocent farmers;

The third group consisted of strong and robust soldiers who had spilled the blood of innocent people.

The fourth batch consisted of elite Yellow Turban soldiers who had only fought battles and had never engaged in burning, killing, or looting.

From tens of thousands of prisoners, only about two thousand were ultimately selected: one thousand innocent and elite soldiers, and one thousand scoundrels and ruffians.

Looking at the remaining thousand or so burly men, Zhang Fei stamped his feet anxiously, "Fourth brother! Leave some more! Look at those few, their arms are thicker than your thighs, it's such a waste to throw them away!"

Li Chang: "..."

He shook his head and said decisively, "No. These people have all been identified; they've burned villages, looted grain, and killed civilians. They've tasted the sweetness of arson, murder, and plunder; they're used to being undisciplined and can't change at all."

"If they can't change, then beat them!" Zhang Fei thumped his chest, his roar ringing in everyone's ears. "Beat them until they're afraid! I refuse to believe there's anyone I, Old Zhang, can't control!"

"Third Brother, how many can you fight?" Li Chang retorted. "Over a thousand people, you're going to fight them one by one? How long would that take? Do we have that kind of time? If we're any slower, the Yellow Turbans in Youzhou will have been wiped out by others!"

He paused, his expression turning serious: "More importantly, these people are already corrupt at heart. If they stay in the ranks, they will only corrupt our old brothers from Zhuojun. Once morale is low, it will be difficult to win them back."

Zhang Fei opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something more, but Li Chang's next words shut him up:

"And you would never agree to send those innocent farmers and old brothers to the front lines as cannon fodder, right?"

"Cannon fodder?" Guan Yu looked up abruptly, his brows furrowing deeply. "What do you mean?"

"They are the ones who rushed to the front lines to block arrows and fill trenches when the war started," Li Chang explained calmly. "In wars during chaotic times, people inevitably die. Our old brothers have all come with us from Zhuojun. Every one of them who dies is one less to lose, and I can't bear to see them go."

"Absolutely not!" Guan Yu immediately objected sternly, his phoenix eyes wide with fury. "Using people as cannon fodder is no different from being a beast! We raised an army to restore the Han Dynasty and save the people from suffering; how can we do such an inhumane thing!"

His face turned bright red, and his chest heaved violently; he was clearly very angry.

Li Chang did not refute him, but simply looked at him quietly, waiting for him to calm down before slowly speaking:

"Second Brother, I don't want to either. But if we don't use them, we have to use our own brothers. Which do you choose?"

You wouldn't want our old brothers to die in vain because of these Yellow Turban rebels who indiscriminately slaughter innocent people, would you?

"How much innocent blood have those wicked people stained with? Let them be at the forefront and die on the battlefield; that is their atonement."

It's better than letting them live and continue to harm the people, and it's better than letting our brothers die in vain.

The room fell silent instantly.

Guan Yu clenched his fists tightly, his lips pressed into a straight line.

He looked at the dejected prisoners in the distance, and then at the old brothers from Zhuojun who were training not far away.

Among those people were those who had practiced martial arts with him and those who had brought him water; they were all living beings.

His face turned pale and then flushed, and he was struggling internally.

On one side was the "benevolence" he had upheld his entire life, and on the other side were his brothers who had followed him through thick and thin.

After a long while, he finally let out a long sigh and spoke in a hoarse voice:

"Do as you say. Let those who do evil atone for their sins."

Perhaps Guan Yu started late in leading troops into battle, but in terms of learning speed and scope, few people in the entire late Han Dynasty could match him.

He possesses the talent to train cavalry with horses, infantry without horses, and naval forces with ships. He is skilled in routine military training and even some strategic tactics.

Guan Yu raised his head and looked at Li Chang, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "Fourth brother, in the future, just tell me about these things directly. I... understand."

Li Chang felt a warmth in his heart and nodded: "Yes, Second Brother."

Zhang Fei finally realized that Li Chang had planned everything all along. He scratched his head and chuckled.

"Fourth Brother is the best! Leave those bastards to me, Old Zhang, to deal with! I guarantee they won't dare cause trouble!"