NOVPUB...
Since the autumn harvest, when Chen Xi’s plan to encroach upon Qingzhou began, Guan and Zhang had been on the border of Qingzhou and Mount Tai, sometimes gathering refugees, sometimes clearing out Yellow Turbans, or helping Zhao Yun reclaim wasteland in Qingzhou.
Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were constantly busy, leading their limited cavalry along the edge of Qingzhou, continuously provoking the Yellow Turbans. Leveraging the superior speed of their cavalry over infantry, they repeatedly evaded the Yellow Turbans’ encirclement. Once Guo Jia and Fa Zheng arrived in Qingzhou, besides provoking the enemy and weakening their strength, they strived to lure attacks. Then, they transformed the Yellow Turbans into robust refugees and intensified the efforts in land reclamation.
Of course, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were not at all reassured by this approach. After all, among the Yellow Turbans, there were no shortage of stubborn and unruly characters. Indiscriminately incorporating them into the reclamation teams could lead to the entire group being negatively influenced.
However, after expressing their concerns, Guo Jia outlined his reasoning and Guan Yu and Zhang Fei compared the potential losses with the future benefits. Eventually, they decided to follow Guo Jia’s plan for integration but resolved to strengthen management further. They believed that after they had dealt with the Yellow Turbans, those troublesome characters would naturally be unable to cause any more trouble, and currently, their presence was still necessary.
When November and winter arrived, Guan, Zhang, and Zhao each tidied up their belongings and returned to Fenggao. Unlike Guan and Zhang, who only had to manage their troops, Zhao Yun took on a second task upon his return.
The responsibility of caring for the widows and orphans, previously agreed upon between Chen Xi and Lub Su, naturally fell upon Zhao Yun. Only he was personable enough and had traveled extensively across the entire Mount Tai Commandery. Zhao Yun would first scout the area, and after that, Liu Bei’s visit on New Year’s Eve would be more straightforward. 𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙥𝒖𝒃.𝙘𝙤𝒎
Of course, those were just the official tasks. In reality, Zhao Yun’s main assignment, apart from those duties, was to survey the population of the Mount Tai Commandery. The purpose was to prepare for defense against other Feudal Lords’ infiltration and to assess the military potential of the commandery, calculating how to covertly consume Qingzhou without damaging the strength of the common people.
Now, within less than a month, Zhao Yun had returned to Mount Tai, and it seemed that Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Taishi Ci, and others had gathered at Liu Bei’s house to welcome Zhao Yun with a feast. They started eating what was already prepared, after all, as sworn brothers, they were also hosts.
"I pay my respects to our lord!" As Liu Bei entered, all the military generals and civil officials who were eating and drinking threw down what they were holding and stood up to salute him.
"Dispense with the formalities, dispense with the formalities. I didn’t expect Zilong to have already returned to Fenggao so quickly," Liu Bei bowed in response, acknowledging the diligence of the many generals and officials over the past half-year. Then, standing upright, he addressed the crowd, "Today, let us not distinguish between ruler and subject, and seek only to be merry to our heart’s content!"
"Night Illuminating Jade Lion. How could I not be envious? I want one too," Zhang Fei murmured under his breath, yet his booming voice made his words perfectly clear to everyone present.
"You’ll have your fine horses and wine sooner or later. Jizhou, Bingzhou, and Liangzhou all have fine steeds, and the North teems with wild horses. Even Red Hare has had its share of injuries, so why worry about a lack of good horses from the North? Third brother, you’re too impatient," Chen Xi said with a smiling face.
"When I get that fine horse, I must have a black one!" Zhang Fei bit fiercely into a leg of lamb, "And I definitely have to duel with that fellow Lyu Bu a few more times!" As he spoke, Zhang Fei seemed to envision such a scene, excitedly swinging his fists.
"Second Brother, do you have any ambitions?" Chen Xi had nothing to say about Zhang Fei’s straightforwardness. Probably even if Lyu Bu were dead, Zhang Fei would still be brooding over why he didn’t stab Lyu Bu with his spear a few more times while he was alive, and then sulk about it.
"To restore the Han Dynasty!" Guan Yu uttered these majestic words, ending the conversation with Chen Xi, still not over his old habit.
The banquet that Zhang Fei and the others had messed up was cleared away and reset. Thankfully, Liu Bei had plenty of servants at home, including quite a few cooks. When Liu Bei sent for Zang Ba, who was shivering outside, the banquet had already been laid out again.
The living room was heated with fire basins all around. Of course, there were as many as four behind Lub Su. Seeing that fellow roasting to the point of sweating profusely yet still in high spirits, Chen Xi felt something eerie. It couldn’t be that the rise in temperature was getting Lub Su excited, could it? Considering the situation, it was indeed a possibility, so he discreetly increased the distance between them.
Goblets and ladles intersected; Liu Bei personally served wine to each guest, much to their satisfaction. Naturally, they couldn’t help but mention Hua Xiong, who was left in the cold in Yongzhou, and Gan Ning, who was training the navy out at sea. These two unlucky fellows were probably not having an easy time—after all, Yongzhou was far colder than Mount Tai, and the wind at sea was much stronger than what one would experience on Mount Tai. Perhaps these two were in the midst of their own tragedies right now.
Chen Xi knew a thing or two about the plight of these two guys. Hua Xiong had already become the biggest bandit leader in Yongzhou. He wouldn’t rob civilians, only indulged in robbing other robbers. The first time he did this, he was even targeted by other bandits for breaking the rules. Then the bandits who spoke up were also robbed.
Naturally, the many bandits who then banded together against Hua Xiong, hoping to take down his bandit army—an aggregate of thirty to fifty thousand bandits—didn’t expect to be easily defeated by Hua Xiong. After that, Hua Xiong’s infamy in Yongliang spread, even to the point where Li Que tried to recruit him but was rejected.
It was simple after that; the rules are written by the strong. Hua Xiong declared that the bandits within Yongzhou’s borders needed to pay him protection money—a tip given by Chen Xi. Bandits who paid the fee would be protected by Hua Xiong’s forces if they were attacked by other bandits or military forces. Those who didn’t pay, well, they were out of luck—if they suddenly got attacked, that was none of Hua Xiong’s concern.
There are always thorns in the world, making for prime targets for Hua Xiong to establish his domination. With thunderous actions, he wiped out those bandit forces. Now, the bandits of Yongzhou had all become like sheep under his command. With an army of thirty to fifty thousand bandits, Hua Xiong stated that he was ready to fulfill Chen Xi’s request and bring Emperor Xian back to Mount Tai.
Of course, those were just words. The reason Chen Xi gave Hua Xiong enough manpower was to reclaim control over the Yongzhou thieves. After all, Hua Xiong needed a base, and before Dong Zhuo’s death, he brought Jia Xu and Li Ru into play. Later, after Lyu Bu killed Dong Zhuo and Emperor Xian assumed power, Hua Xiong personally went to present tribute, arrogantly predicting the future situation and invited Emperor Xian to relocate to Mount Tai.
At that time, no one would agree, of course. The overly confident Wang Yun and Lyu Bu would never believe it, and it was just an empty gesture. Naturally, Hua Xiong left the supplies and could return to Mount Tai. When Li Que and Guo Si threatened Chang’an, Hua Xiong could charge with his bandit army, show he had done his utmost for the Han Dynasty, then retreat in defeat—a simple matter to justify. If even Lyu Bu was defeated, how could he not be?
In this way, when the Han Emperor sought refuge a few years later, and Liu Bei and Cao Cao came to escort him, the loyal ministers of the Han Dynasty naturally couldn’t face going to Mount Tai, no matter whether they claimed Chenliu was the center of the world, or that Mount Tai was too remote and not prosperous enough to sustain the legacy of the Han Dynasty—whatever the reason. Then, by acknowledging the title of Imperial Uncle and being sent away with some titles and positions, they could save face.
In short, Imperial Uncle Liu Bei had done his part; then if they went to Cao Cao instead, it would just prove they were blind. It was that simple. Then, wielding the title of Han Imperial Kinsman like a flag and playing the part of "Shenn Sheng inside was lost, but Chong Er was safe outside," what a good situation that would be! The biggest banner of the Han would naturally fall upon Liu Bei’s head, paving an easier way forward.
[bookid=3280030,bookname="Immortal Three Kingdoms"]
