Choose Liu Bei at the start, I am the only one who knows the plot of the Three Kingdoms.

However, the words "Gu Rubing is extremely concerned" and "fears a major change" in Zhou Yu's letter struck his heartstrings like a small hammer.

The suggestion to "increase troop deployment on the border" touched upon a long-held thought deep within him.

Liangzhou...

Sun Jian's gaze involuntarily drifted to the huge map of the Western Regions hanging on the palace wall.

That vast and fertile land, connecting the trade routes between East and West, was rich in water and grass and held an extremely important strategic position. He had long coveted it and always regarded it as a key springboard for the future rise of the Anluo Empire and even the realization of its "westward expansion" strategy!

Sun Wentai was not one to be content with remaining confined to a corner of the world forever.
If we want to develop and grow stronger, sooner or later we will have to turn our attention back to the ancient and vast territory of the Han Dynasty in the east, and Liangzhou is the first step!
"But……"

Sun Jian frowned slightly, a hint of apprehension flashing in his eyes.

"If Liangzhou continues to be controlled by those sorcerers of Penglai..."

This thought made him feel powerless.

The power that Penglai has shown is too incredible. If Liangzhou really becomes Penglai's territory, he will not only be unable to seize it, but he will also find it difficult to even have the slightest thought of resistance. That would be tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock.

However, Zhou Yu's letter brought a turning point! Gu Rubing had already noticed Penglai's actions in Liangzhou and had sent people to investigate!

What does this mean? It means that Gu Rubing and Peng Lai, these old rivals, are very likely to clash head-on again on the land of Liangzhou!

"When the clam and the crane fight, the fisherman benefits..."

A meaningful smile slowly crept onto Sun Jian's lips, his eyes gleaming with calculation.

"Gu Rubing vs. Penglai... This scene is getting more and more interesting."

He rose and strolled slowly through the lavishly carpeted palace. For him, the ideal outcome was neither a resounding victory for Gu Rubing nor an easy capture of Penglai.

"If Gu Rubing wins, given his personality and strength, I can at most follow behind him and share some scraps of Liangzhou. To try and take it all for myself? That's as difficult as climbing to heaven."

Sun Jian muttered to himself.

"But what if Penglai wins..."

Upon considering this possibility, Sun Jian's expression darkened.

"Then I won't even be qualified to get close to them, let alone eat meat and drink soup! Trying to negotiate with a tiger for its skin will only result in being devoured whole, skin and bones!"

Therefore, the best-case scenario is that Gu Rubing and Penglai will be locked in a long and fierce tug-of-war and war of attrition in Liangzhou! Both sides will continuously invest their forces, weakening each other, and ultimately suffering heavy losses!
Only in this way can Sun Jian and his Anluo Empire have a chance to snatch chestnuts from the fire, and seize the greatest benefits at the lowest cost when both sides are exhausted!

It might even be possible for him to realize his long-cherished dream of officially expanding the territory of the Anluo Empire to Liangzhou!
Having thought this through, Sun Jian had already made up his mind.

He walked back to his desk and solemnly instructed the close advisors standing beside him.

"Pass down the order: as requested by Governor Zhou, immediately select 10,000 elite troops from the Imperial Guard, led by..., and secretly march to the eastern border of the Empire to set up camp and await orders!"

Remember, without my order, you are absolutely forbidden to cross the border and provoke any conflict. However, you must keep a close watch on any movement in the Liangzhou direction!

He eventually came to a conclusion.

As long as Gu Rubing's main force remains firmly tied down by Cao Cao on the front lines of Yizhou and cannot break free, then even if there are undercurrents in Liangzhou, a truly full-scale war will not break out for the time being.

Without the intervention of Gu Rubing's main force, Zhao Yun's hundred or so scouts and the local Liangzhou garrison alone were simply not enough to pose a fatal threat to the long-established power of Penglai.

"Before the great battle begins, I should not make any major moves, lest I arouse the suspicion of that scoundrel Gu Rubing."

Sun Jian stroked his neatly trimmed beard, his eyes gleaming.

"But Gongjin's letter was so assertive that reinforcements were needed on the border to guard against unforeseen circumstances, and this cannot be ignored..."

He needs a reason to strengthen border control without appearing too abrupt or arousing suspicion.

Soon, a ready-made excuse was presented to them—the garrison commander on the eastern border sent an urgent report claiming that small groups of unidentified and strangely equipped cavalry had been appearing near the border, harassing caravans and behaving strangely.

"Okay! Let's use this reason!"

Sun Jian immediately made the decision and issued an order to his ministers.

"By order of the King, the eastern border has been repeatedly harassed by unidentified bandits. In order to protect the border and the people, 10,000 Imperial Guards, under the command of General Camille, are hereby dispatched to the border immediately to garrison, suppress the bandits, and closely monitor the situation on the border!"

This order, though seemingly legitimate, concealed the true purpose of the troop reinforcement under the guise of "bandit suppression" and "border protection."

However, the deployment of this elite force of the Anluo Empire to the border with Liangzhou was like a boulder thrown into a lake with turbulent undercurrents.

Although the Anluo Empire did not directly intervene in Liangzhou affairs, its deployment of troops to the border undoubtedly added another layer of unpredictable variables and external pressure to the already complex situation in Liangzhou.

Almost at the same time that Sun Jian made the decision to reinforce his troops, Cao Cao, who was on the front lines in Yizhou, also received a preliminary report from his informants who had been sent to Liangzhou.

The report was largely the same as what the traveling merchant had said before, both mentioning a powerful, disciplined, and ruthless foreign cavalry force operating in southern Liangzhou, causing numerous bloody incidents and creating widespread panic.

However, despite their best efforts, the spies found nothing about the cavalry's origins, leader, or ultimate goal, as if the army had sprung from a rock.

Just then, the spies at the front line who were responsible for monitoring the movements of the Lie Army also sent back some fragmented rumors, mentioning that there seemed to be some vague rumors circulating among the lower-ranking soldiers about "changes in Liangzhou" and "the lord's worries about the west".

When these two pieces of information collided and confirmed in Cao Cao's mind, the last bit of hope in his heart completely disappeared, replaced by a deep sense of helplessness and a trace of bitterness.

He could almost see Gu Rubing frowning, focusing all his vigilance and investigative efforts on the "mysterious cavalry" in Liangzhou.

"Gu Rubing, Gu Rubing, you've been clever all your life, but this time you seem to have chosen the wrong opponent and investigated the wrong direction..."

Cao Cao sighed helplessly to himself.

In his view, Gu Rubing clearly regarded this suddenly appearing cavalry as a "third force" that needed to be dealt with with all his might, and his strategic shift from offense to defense was inevitably to concentrate his efforts on dealing with this "new threat".

Little did they know, this was nothing more than a decoy and a smokescreen deliberately thrown out by Penglai!
Gu Rubing was openly attacking the cavalry, but the real threat—the core strength of Penglai—was likely still lurking in the shadows, watching everything with a cold smile. However, realizing this didn't ease Cao Cao's mind at all; instead, his worries grew like weeds, becoming increasingly heavy.

Penglai's sudden intervention, and its ability to manipulate the situation and play both Gu Rubing and himself with ease, made him feel intensely uneasy and deeply fearful!

This force is clearly beyond the scope of ordinary warlord rivalries!

"Today, Penglai was able to use a scheme to stop Gu Rubing's attack. In the future... will he be able to use even more ruthless methods to deal with me?"

A terrible thought popped into my head uncontrollably.

"If one day Gu Rubing is truly wiped out by a ruthless force like Penglai... then who will be next?"

He couldn't help but think of Sun Jian, who had a "cooperative" relationship with Penglai, and Liu Zhang, who was in Jiaozhou and whose attitude was ambiguous.

“Sun Wentai is a fence-sitter, utterly untrustworthy! Liu Zhang is also a short-sighted wretch! If Penglai offers them great benefits, or rather… uses force to coerce them into joining forces!”

Cao Cao's pupils contracted slightly, as if he had already seen a terrifying scene.

Penglai commanded the armies of Sun Jian and Liu Zhang to launch a pincer attack from the east and south!

Even if Cao Cao possesses extraordinary abilities, he will likely still face a fate of dying without a burial place!

"No! We absolutely cannot sit idly by and wait to die!"

Cao Cao suddenly stood up and paced anxiously a few steps inside the tent.

He had to take the initiative and not be completely at Penglai's mercy!

He stopped, a resolute and adventurous glint in his eyes, and whispered to his trusted advisor standing beside him.

"Pass on my secret order! Have our spies in Liangzhou find a way to try and make contact with that mysterious cavalry!"

The strategist was startled upon hearing this.

"King Wei, isn't this too risky? What if we're exposed..."

Cao Cao interrupted him, his tone resolute.

"We can't worry about that now! We need to know if this cavalry is really connected to Penglai! If they really are from Penglai..."

He paused, lowering his voice even further, with a sense of desperation and resignation.

"...Then find a way to send a message, saying that King Cao Cao of Wei hopes to have a face-to-face talk with the person in charge of Penglai!"

He wanted to meet the people of Penglai in person! Not Yu Ji, not Tong Fei, but the person who could truly make the decisions!
He needs to know what Penglai is trying to do.
What is their ultimate goal in making such a big commotion in Liangzhou?
What is their true attitude towards this "ally"? Could they suddenly turn their guns on them one day?

This feeling of dealing with a tiger for its skin and having an uncertain future made Cao Cao extremely uneasy.

He was willing to take some risks to try and dispel some of the fog, to gain some initiative for himself and for his future. Even just glimpsing a corner of Penglai's true intentions was far better than being completely passively guessing and fearful like he was now!
On the desolate and perilous land of Liangzhou, Zhao Yun and his crossbowmen were like the most resilient sea buckthorn, struggling to survive on the edge of wind, sand and death.

After several days of tracking and observation, they gained a preliminary understanding of the outline of the mysterious cavalry, but the true core secret remained hidden behind the fog.

Finally, an extremely risky but groundbreaking opportunity arose—they successfully ambushed a small patrol and, after paying a price, captured a lone enemy cavalryman who had been separated from his horse after it stumbled!

This prisoner was extremely stubborn. When interrogated, he clenched his teeth and barely uttered a word. His eyes revealed a strange look that was different from that of ordinary soldiers, a mixture of numbness and fanaticism.

However, some information cannot be completely hidden.

Wang Ping, who was in charge of the interrogation, was meticulous. He carefully examined the prisoner's equipment—the uniquely designed yet incredibly fine chainmail, which was far more durable and lighter than ordinary iron armor.
The dry rations he carried were a type of meat jerky and flatbread that he had never seen before, which were high in energy and not easily spoiled; the water in his water sac had a faint herbal smell.
Even among her personal clothing, a small sachet embroidered with strange runes and containing some unknown powder was found.

Based on his observations over the past few days, which revealed the extraordinary endurance and speed of this cavalry unit, as well as the inhuman strength displayed by some of its members, Wang Ping came to a conclusion that even he found chilling!
He immediately found Zhao Yun, who was on guard duty on the perimeter, his voice filled with barely suppressed shock.

"General!
This cavalry force... is probably not any army we know!
Their core, their most valiant knights, are very likely... warriors mass-produced or rather, enhanced through some kind of secret method that we cannot understand!

Its principle is probably the same as the method used by Penglai to create monsters like Tong Fei, only... on a larger scale and more organized!

They weren't recruiting soldiers, they were practically... 'producing' soldiers!

Wang Ping continued his analysis, his tone growing increasingly somber.

"Moreover, their modus operandi is very strange; it doesn't seem like they're trying to occupy a place, but rather like they're... cleaning up!"
They attacked indiscriminately—Han Chinese caravans, Qiang tribes, and even bandits entrenched in the area! Their method was always to exterminate them, leaving no survivors!

This doesn't seem like territorial expansion; it's more like carrying out some kind of 'purification' or 'blockade' mission, like they're searching for something, or perhaps... clearing the area for future actions!

After hearing Wang Ping's deduction, Zhao Yun felt a chill run down his spine and straight to the top of his head!
If Wang Ping's judgment is true, what does that mean?
This means that Penglai is not just lying in wait in Liangzhou, but that they are building a military camp here, a military camp that can mass-produce "non-human" warriors!

The purpose of this cavalry's rampage was likely to eliminate all spies who might be spying on their secrets, ensuring that this area became their absolute domain!

This is no ordinary separatist force; it is a terrifying act that aims to fundamentally overturn the rules of war!
The severity of the situation has far exceeded initial estimates!

"The message must be sent back immediately!"

Zhao Yun made a decisive decision without any further hesitation.

He personally packed and sealed the latest intelligence, along with the interrogation analysis of the prisoner and several representative pieces of evidence.

"You two!"

Zhao Yun pointed out the two captains in the team who were the most agile and had the best endurance.

"Each of you carry a copy of the intelligence and evidence, and set off immediately! Remember, take two completely different routes, even if it's a longer one, to avoid all possible risks!"

"At all costs and as quickly as possible, deliver these things to our lord personally! The fate of Liangzhou may hinge on this!"

"Yes, sir!" (End of Chapter)