Three Kingdoms: Start by buying a governor.

Zhao Yun nodded and said, "With you personally accompanying them, they should lower their guard. After all, you are the Governor of Youzhou and General of Chariots and Cavalry; your status speaks for itself."

Xu Da frowned and said, "My lord, this is too dangerous. What if they suddenly attack? You're in the pavilion, and there aren't many people with you..."

"Tiande," Liu Ce laughed, "when have you ever seen me do something I wasn't sure of? I have Dian Wei, Xu Chu, and the Eighteen Riders of Yanyun by my side. If they dare to make the first move, they'll die even faster."

He paused, then lowered his voice and said, "Moreover, by then I will have the Eighteen Riders of Yanyun replace their black armor with the same gleaming armor as the Longxiang Battalion. The Wuhuan people don't know that this is their 'nightmare' on the grasslands."

Dian Wei grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth: "My lord, I guarantee that if they dare to make the first move, I'll twist their heads off and use them as a football!"

Xu Chu also said, "Me too!"

Then Liu Ce's voice turned cold as he said, "When I've finished talking with them—when they're completely relaxed and starting to dream—Dian Wei, Xu Chu, the Eighteen Riders of Yanyun, and I will suddenly make our move and kill Qiu Liju, Su Puyan, Wu Yan, and their trusted generals."

"You see the fighting has started over at the pavilion," Liu Ce said, surveying his generals. "Charge immediately! Remember, the key to this operation is speed. Act quickly, end the battle quickly, no dragging things out! Don't give them time to react."

He stood up and walked to the center of the tent: "Once we've dealt with the leaders and trusted generals of these three tribes, the Wuhuan cavalry will be leaderless and inevitably fall into chaos. At that point, we'll press our advantage and annihilate them all! After that, we'll strike straight at their stronghold! Liaoxi, Liaodong, and parts of Youbeiping—we'll reclaim them all this time!"

The generals were filled with excitement.

Liu Ce began to assign specific tasks.

He first looked at Huang Zhong: "Hansheng, your elite archer battalion has the most important position."

Huang Zhong straightened his back: "My lord, please give your orders."

"Once E'lai, Zhongkang, and the Eighteen Riders of Yanyun kill Qiuliju and the others," Liu Ce said, "the Wuhuan cavalry will definitely be blinded by rage and rush over to seek revenge. At that time, your elite archers should use composite bows to fire at them with all their might within range! The arrows must be accurate and deadly, to wear them down first and disrupt their charging formation."

The composite bow had a range of over 300 paces, far exceeding that of ordinary bows and arrows. When the Wuhuan cavalry charged, they would be hit by at least two to three volleys of arrows.

Huang Zhong clasped his hands and said, "Rest assured, my lord, I guarantee every arrow will hit its mark! We'll turn them into hedgehogs!"

Liu Ce then looked at Zhao Yun and Lü Bu: "Zilong, Fengxian, your cavalry will lie in ambush on both flanks. Remember, hide well and don't let the Wuhuan people discover you. Once the fighting starts here, you will attack from the flanks and expand your gains."

He specifically instructed, "The timing of the charge must be well-judged. It can't be too early, or the Wuhuan people might turn around and run away; nor can it be too late, or we'll face too much pressure from the front."

Zhao Yun and Lü Bu replied in unison, "Rest assured, my lord, we understand."

"Ren Gui, Tian De," Liu Ce said, looking at Xue Ren Gui and Xu Da, "you two will follow Zi Long and Feng Xian respectively, and act according to the situation. Ren Gui is good at archery and can specialize in shooting enemy generals; Tian De is good at commanding and can assist the two generals in controlling the rhythm of the battlefield."

Xue Rengui and Xu Da clasped their hands in a fist salute: "Yes, sir!"

At this moment, Qin Qiong and Yuchi Gong could no longer sit still.

"My lord," Qin Qiong asked, "where are the Xuanjia Iron Cavalry? What are we doing?"

Yuchi Gong also watched eagerly.

Liu Ce laughed and said, "The Xuanjia Iron Cavalry is our trump card. After Han Sheng's elite archers have fired a volley of arrows, and the Wuhuan cavalry's charge is thwarted and their formation begins to fall apart, then you charge!"

He gestured dramatically, saying, "Heavy cavalry against light cavalry on flat ground is a crushing defeat! Charge in and completely disrupt their formation!"

Qin Qiong and Yuchi Gong exchanged a glance, both seeing the excitement in each other's eyes. Since their "formation," the Xuanjia Iron Cavalry had never fought a real major battle as a full-scale force, and this time they could finally show their skills.

"Yes, sir!"

Cheng Yaojin rubbed his hands together impatiently and said, "My lord, what will my Mo Dao Battalion do? They can't just stand by and watch the show, can they?"

"Your Mo Dao Battalion," Liu Ce laughed, "has a heavy mission. Once the Xuanjia Iron Cavalry charges and breaks through the Wuhuan cavalry's formation, and they lose their composure, your Mo Dao Battalion will press forward. The Mo Dao is a perfect counter to cavalry! One strike, and both man and horse are shattered!"

Cheng Yaojin grinned from ear to ear: "This is great! This is great! I love chopping off horse legs! Hearing that 'snap' sound is so satisfying!"

Jia Xu then spoke up, slowly saying, "My lord, the plan is very thorough. But... what if the Wuhuan cavalry see that things are not going well and turn to flee? If they run away from behind, we won't be able to catch up. The grasslands are so vast; if they scatter and flee, we can't possibly divide our forces to pursue them, can we?"

This is a crucial question.

All the generals looked at Liu Ce.

Liu Ce smiled mysteriously and said, "They can't escape. I have my own arrangements for the Wuhuan cavalry behind them."

"You have your own arrangements? What arrangements?"

The generals all looked at him curiously, but Liu Ce didn't elaborate, only smiling and saying, "You'll find out when the time comes."

He clapped his hands: "Alright, clear division of labor. Everyone remember your tasks, and act according to plan without fail!"

The generals clasped their hands in unison and said, "Your subordinates obey!"

The sound was so loud that it shook the tent.

Liu Ce nodded in satisfaction, gazing at the darkening sky outside the tent. The setting sun painted the horizon a blood-red hue, as if foreshadowing the impending battle.

Lulong Pass, there, would be the last supper he prepared for the Wuhuan people.

"Alright," he waved his hand, "go back and rest. Conserve your energy; we have to keep traveling tomorrow."

The generals withdrew.

Only Liu Ce and Jia Xu remained in the tent.

Jia Xu asked in a low voice, "My lord, if this plan succeeds, the three leaders of the Wuhuan tribes and some of their elite troops will be wiped out here. We can then take advantage of the situation to recover Liaoxi, Liaodong, and Youbeiping. But afterwards... how will we explain this to the imperial court?"

Liu Ce laughed, a cold laugh, and said, "Explain? Do I need to explain?"

He walked to the tent entrance, gazing at the dark grasslands to the north: "The Wuhuan colluded with Zhang Chun, the governor of Zhongshan, to plot a rebellion. The evidence is conclusive—Zhang Chun's letter is still in our hands. As the governor of Youzhou and General of the Cavalry, I quelled the rebellion and recovered lost territory... Isn't this a merit? The court should reward me."

Jia Xu understood and smiled, "My lord is right. Then let's... proceed according to plan."

"Hmm." Liu Ce nodded, a sharp glint in his eyes.

This time, he wanted to let the Wuhuan people know.

Youzhou is not a place they can come and go as they please.

...