Three Kingdoms: Start by buying a governor.

Just as I was thinking this, a guard came in from outside the tent to report:

"Reporting to the lord! Generals Liu Bei, Fang Yue, and Wang Shuang request an audience outside the tent!"

Liu Ce waved his hand and casually said, "Let them in."

The tent flap was lifted, and Liu Bei led the way in, with Fang Yue and Wang Shuang following behind him on either side.

Although Fang Yue and Wang Shuang were still injured, they were still able to move around a little normally.

The three of them looked extremely solemn.

Liu Ce was smiling and about to speak...

totally unexpected!

As soon as Liu Bei reached the center of the tent, he knelt down on one knee with a thud and clasped his hands in a fist salute!

Fang Yue and Wang Shuang also knelt down in unison!

This completely stumped Liu Ce!

Liu Ce slammed the teacup on the table with a clatter, spilling hot tea all over the table.

His eyes widened in shock, he froze in his seat, and his mind went completely blank.

"What's going on?"

"Liu Bei? Liu Xuande? That Emperor Zhaolie who fought alongside Cao Cao and Sun Quan to divide the world into three kingdoms, refusing to bow down even in the face of death?"

"You knelt down before me?"

"Am I still asleep? Or is this guy up to something?"

Liu Ce's mind went blank, with only "Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit" spamming the screen.

Guo Jia and Xi Zhicai, who were standing nearby, were also taken aback.

Guo Jia's fan froze in mid-air, and Xi Zhicai's teacup, which he was about to drink from, also stopped.

The two exchanged a glance, both seeing the same meaning in each other's eyes:

"What's going on?"

Then, without prior arrangement, the two lowered their heads, pretending to organize documents, but the corners of their mouths couldn't help but turn up. This kind of performance was a rare treat! Let's see how our lord responds!

Liu Bei, who was kneeling on the ground, raised his head and said, with utmost solemnity, word by word:

"Your Highness! This humble general, Liu Bei, was fortunate enough to be taken in by Your Highness a few days ago. We will never forget your kindness in saving our lives!"

"Last night, this humble general spent a sleepless night in his tent, pondering everything thoroughly. Today, I have come to Your Highness's tent to express my loyalty!"

He took a deep breath and said in an increasingly firm voice:

"This humble general vows to serve Your Highness with unwavering loyalty, serving you faithfully and charging into battle without ever wavering! If I break this oath, may I be struck down by heaven and earth and die a horrible death!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Fang Yue and Wang Shuang behind him shouted in unison:

"We are willing to serve His Highness Prince Yan alongside our elder brother! We will go through fire and water without hesitation! If we have any disloyalty, we are willing to accept punishment under military law!"

The sound was so loud that the candlelight inside the tent flickered.

Liu Ce was still in a daze, staring at the three brothers kneeling on the ground, unable to come to his senses for a long time.

He thought to himself:

"Huh? Buy one get two free? All delivered together?"

"I just wanted to keep these three guys around to prevent them from running around causing trouble, but they ended up coming to my door and kneeling down to pledge their loyalty?"

"Is this a windfall, falling right into my mouth?"

"Wait a minute, this is Liu Bei! He changed patrons six times in history and never truly submitted to anyone. Yet today he's pledging his loyalty to me?"

"Did the sun rise in the west?"

Liu Ce was stunned for several seconds before he suddenly came to his senses.

He quickly got up, rushed over in three strides, and helped Liu Bei up, stammering as he said:

"Xuande! You...you get up! Get up now! No, what are you doing? Did I hear that right? You're going to pledge allegiance to me?"

Liu Bei was helped up, his face full of determination. He bowed deeply to Liu Ce again, his tone as sincere as could be, and said:

"Your Highness, this humble general has thought it through clearly, and is not joking in the slightest!"

He straightened up and looked directly at Liu Ce, saying:

"I am merely a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan, and have been wandering for years. I have a heart full of passion to support the Han Dynasty, but I have no ability to make the people live a good life or to suppress those treacherous villains who are causing chaos in the court."

"But Your Highness is different! You quelled the Yellow Turban Rebellion, swept across the northern border, and protected the border people from being bullied by foreign tribes—that's true responsibility! You governed You, Ji, and Bing, ensuring that every family had surplus grain and every household had clothes to wear. When the people talk about you, everyone gives you a thumbs up!"

"In this chaotic world, only Your Highness can truly revitalize the Han Dynasty and bring peace to the land!"

He clasped his hands in a fist salute again, and said in a firm voice:

"This humble general has no other skills but to lead troops into battle. I am willing to follow Your Highness, to charge into battle for you, and to fight for a peaceful world for the people of the Han Dynasty! I will never have any other intentions in this life!"

Hearing this, and seeing the sincerity in Liu Bei's eyes, Liu Ce finally understood and said:

This guy is serious! He's not playing any tricks!

Good heavens! This is Liu Bei! He's been brought under his command directly?

This is a huge profit!

He immediately burst into laughter, grabbed Liu Bei's shoulder with such force that Liu Bei almost stumbled.

"Excellent! Excellent! Xuande! With your three brothers' words, I, Liu Ce, am like a tiger with wings!"

His face was beaming with joy.

"Don't worry! Since you trust me, Liu Ce, and are working for me, I will never let you down! When the world is at peace in the future, you and your brothers will be blessed with immense wealth!"

He then bent down to help Fang Yue and Wang Shuang up, and said with a smile:

"Get up! From now on, we'll fight together to conquer the world, protect the people, and uphold the Han Dynasty!"

Fang Yue and Wang Shuang stood up, bowed to Liu Ce again, their eyes full of admiration.

Guo Jia, who was standing nearby, finally couldn't hold back his laughter and stepped forward, cupping his hands in greeting:

"Congratulations, my lord! With the assistance of General Xuande and his two brothers, you are like having two powerful arms! Your victory in the south to quell the rebellion is now virtually assured!"

Xi Zhicai also cupped his hands and smiled, "Congratulations, my lord!"

Liu Ce was still thinking to himself:

"I'm still a bit dazed... Liu Bei actually pledged allegiance to me?"

"This is outrageous!!"

He glanced at Liu Bei, then at Fang Yue and Wang Shuang, and found them increasingly pleasing to the eye.

Yeah, this one's a sure thing!

...

A few days ago.

When Liu Ce led the First Army to the vicinity of Suanzao, he handed over full command of the First Army to Li Jing.

The moment Li Jing took over military command, he was stunned when he looked at the army before him.

The First Army's lineup:

Zhao Yun's 10,000 cavalrymen were the elite of the elite, each capable of drawing a strong bow and riding a fierce horse, and they fought like a gust of wind.

Lu Bu's 10,000 cavalrymen were ironclad warriors, personally trained by Lu Bu. Every single one of them was fearless and their charge was like a mountain collapsing and the earth splitting.

Zhang Liao's 10,000 infantrymen were disciplined, well-trained, and their formation changes were as fluid as flowing water.

Guan Yu's 10,000 infantrymen were fearless in the face of any enemy they dared not cut down with their broadswords. The soldiers were all extremely proud because their general was Guan Yu.

Zhang Fei's 10,000 infantrymen were loud, strong, and roared in battle, as if they were on steroids.

In addition, everyone was fully armored, each wearing a set of bright armor, with a horizontal sword, a composite bow, a Zhuge crossbow... standard equipment, their weapons and equipment were so good that they could dazzle people.

Looking at this army, Li Jing had only one thought in his mind:

"Damn it, I've never fought such a rich battle before!"