Honglou: This bastard is too persuasive.

Chapter 689 Nineteen Road

In the Jinluan Palace of the Great Sui Dynasty, everything was in order as usual. Jia Changsheng's departure did not cause chaos in the court. The prime minister and the ministers fulfilled their duties and maintained the operation of the country. At this time, Jia Changsheng had already stepped into the land of the Han Empire and headed towards Youzhou.

Youzhou, a major city located in the northern border, was not spared in the turbulent times. Although the war did not spread directly here, the people were also overwhelmed by conscription and heavy taxes. Jia Changsheng finally arrived at Youzhou City after a long journey. At the city gate, the soldiers were tiredly checking the passers-by. On the streets of the city, the people looked haggard and hurried.

Jia Changsheng found an inconspicuous inn to stay in. After a short rest, he began to walk around the city to learn about the local situation. He saw many young people gathered on the street, talking about the situation in the world, and their words were full of desire for peace.

"The world is now full of wars and chaos. We ordinary people are suffering terribly." A young man sighed.

"Yes, I heard that the eighteen princes are fighting against Dong Zhuo, and no one knows when the fight will be over." Another young man echoed.

Jia Changsheng's heart moved, he stepped forward, smiled and said: "Brothers, I am a foreigner, I have just arrived, I would like to ask, is there a place in Youzhou that recruits soldiers?"

Everyone looked at him, and one of the smarter young men asked, "You want to be a soldier? Being a soldier means going to the battlefield, where swords and guns have no eyes. Aren't you afraid?"

Jia Changsheng smiled slightly: "Although I am just a commoner, I also want to contribute to this chaotic world. If I can follow a righteous army, maybe I can bring peace to the people."

After hearing this, everyone looked at Jia Changsheng with admiration. The clever young man said, "Speaking of Youzhou, General Gongsun Zan's army is pretty good at the moment, but they have been busy preparing for war recently and haven't mentioned recruiting soldiers much."

Jia Changsheng took note of it, chatted with everyone for a few more words, and then said goodbye and left. Back at the inn, he began to think about how to successfully recruit soldiers in Youzhou. He knew that if he wanted to build a force of his own, he couldn't just rely on passion.

The next day, Jia Changsheng came to the market in Youzhou. Although the market was bustling with people, the business was very quiet. Jia Changsheng saw a stall selling horses. The stall owner was an old man over 50 years old with a weathered face, looking at his horses with a sad face.

"Old man, how much do you want to sell your horse for?" Jia Changsheng walked up and asked politely.

The old man looked at him and sighed: "Alas, who has spare money to buy a horse these days. If you really want one, just give me some money."

Jia Changsheng felt sorry for him. He knew the old man's life was not easy, so he took out a silver ingot and handed it to the old man: "Old man, I'll buy the horse. You take the silver."

The old man took the silver, his eyes widened, and he said quickly: "Sir, this is too much silver. This horse is not worth so much money."

Jia Changsheng smiled and said, "Old man, please accept it. This world is difficult, and it is not easy for you either. If you have any difficulties in the future, you can come to the inn to find me. My name is Jia Shisan."

The old man was filled with gratitude and knelt down to thank him. Jia Changsheng helped the old man up and chatted with him for a few more words. He learned that the old man was a horseman in the army and knew a lot about horses.

"Old man, I have an idea, but I don't know if I should tell you." Jia Changsheng hesitated for a moment and said, "I want to recruit soldiers in Youzhou and form a team to benefit the people. Can you help me find some reliable people to work with me?"

The old man's eyes sparkled when he heard this: "Sir, this is great news! Although I am old, I know a lot of people, all of whom are honest and reliable men, and they all hope to live a peaceful life. I will go and ask for you now."

Jia Changsheng was overjoyed and said quickly, "Then I'll have to trouble you, old man. I'll definitely reward you handsomely after the task is completed."

In the following days, the old man went around and gathered a lot of people for Jia Changsheng. Most of these people were children from poor families, who had a deep understanding of the sufferings of troubled times and were willing to follow Jia Changsheng to do something.

Jia Changsheng began to conduct preliminary training for these people. He passed on the military knowledge and training methods he learned in the Sui Dynasty to everyone. Although the training conditions were difficult, everyone was enthusiastic and studied hard.

At the same time, Jia Changsheng was also actively raising funds to buy weapons and food. He took out some of the precious belongings he brought from the Sui Dynasty and exchanged them for a large amount of money on the black market.

However, Jia Changsheng's actions attracted the attention of some people. A local tyrant in Youzhou City named Liu Ba was very uneasy when he heard that someone was secretly recruiting soldiers.

"Who is this Jia Shisan? How dare he recruit soldiers on my territory? Isn't this stealing my job?" Liu Ba said with a gloomy face while sitting in his mansion.

His men quickly said, "Boss, do you want us to teach him a lesson?"

Liu Ba pondered for a moment and said, "Don't act rashly. Send someone to check his background and find out what his purpose is."

Soon, Liu Ba's men found out some information about Jia Changsheng. After learning that Jia Changsheng was just a foreigner with no background, Liu Ba had an idea in mind.

One day, Liu Ba brought a group of his men to Jia Changsheng's training ground.

"Are you Jia Shisan?" Liu Ba looked at Jia Changsheng and said arrogantly, "I heard that you are recruiting soldiers here. Did you get my consent?"

Jia Changsheng's heart tightened, but he quickly calmed down and said with a smile: "My dear brother, I just want to form a team to protect the country and the people. I have no ill intentions."

"Humph, protecting the territory and the people? That sounds nice!" Liu Ba sneered, "In Youzhou, no one can recruit soldiers without my permission. If you know what's good for you, get out of Youzhou immediately. Otherwise, don't blame me for being rude!" Jia Changsheng looked at Liu Ba and thought to himself, "Although Liu Ba is a local tyrant, if I can use him, it will save me a lot of trouble."

Thinking of this, Jia Changsheng said, "Brother Liu, I think you are also a capable person. How about we cooperate and do something big together?"

Liu Ba was moved when he heard this, but he still pretended to be reserved and said, "Cooperation? Why should I trust you?"

Jia Changsheng smiled and said, "Brother Liu, although I am a foreigner, I have great ambitions. As long as we work together, we will definitely be able to carve out a niche in this chaotic world. Moreover, I have enough funds and resources to rapidly expand our team."

Liu Ba was a little shaken after hearing this. He looked at Jia Changsheng, pondered for a long time, and finally said, "Okay, I'll trust you this time. But let me be frank. If you dare to lie to me, I won't forgive you!"

In this way, Jia Changsheng successfully won Liu Ba over to his camp. With Liu Ba's help, Jia Changsheng's recruitment operation went more smoothly and his team grew stronger and stronger.

During the days in Youzhou, Jia Changsheng's team grew steadily amidst the difficulties. With his extraordinary insight and generous character, he not only united the poor young men initially recruited by the old man, but also attracted many passionate young people who were eager to change the troubled times. Every morning, before the morning light completely dispelled the coolness of the night, the training ground was already a scene of bustling activity.

"Everyone, cheer up! Move more quickly!" Jia Changsheng, wearing simple leather armor, shuttled between the teams, shouting loudly, urging the soldiers to practice. He personally demonstrated various combat moves, from basic spear stabbing to shield defense, explaining every detail in great detail. The soldiers were infected by his enthusiasm and professionalism, and no one complained despite the hard training.

As time went by, the number of infantrymen gradually reached 10,000. These infantrymen came from different places and had different backgrounds, but at this moment they all had the same dream - to end the chaos and bring peace to the people. Jia Changsheng knew that an excellent army must not only have excellent military skills, but also have strong cohesion. Therefore, he often had long talks with the soldiers, understood their lives, listened to their voices, and solved their problems. Thanks to his efforts, the soldiers were full of trust and admiration for him, and the whole team was like a close-knit big family.

The formation of cavalry was even more difficult. The purchase of horses required a lot of money, and excellent riders were hard to come by. Jia Changsheng took out almost all of his savings from the Sui Dynasty, and through Liu Ba's relationship, he bought a thousand good horses on the black market. In order to find riders, he sent people to inquire around. Whenever he heard of someone who was good at riding, he would visit them in person and invite them to join his team.

Finally, with unremitting efforts, a cavalry team of 1,000 people was formed. The cavalrymen rode on vigorous war horses, holding sharp long swords, galloping on the training ground with extraordinary momentum. Jia Changsheng looked at this army that had begun to take shape, and his heart was filled with a sense of accomplishment, but he also knew that this was just the beginning.

At this time, the news that the 18 princes were going to attack Dong Zhuo had spread far and wide. The princes met in Suanzao and prepared to march to Luoyang together. Jia Changsheng realized that this was a great opportunity, so he decided to lead his team to Suanzao to join the dispute that would determine the fate of the world.

Along the way, the troops marched forward in a mighty manner. The infantrymen marched in neat steps, carrying their spears and bags, and were in high spirits; the cavalrymen rode on horses, guarding on both sides of the troops, with the sound of horse hooves. Wherever they went, the people looked at them sideways, as they had never seen such an orderly army.

"Where does this team come from? They look so impressive!" An old man on the roadside pointed at Jia Changsheng's team and said to the people next to him.

"I heard that they are led by a man named Jia Shisan. They are going to Suanzao to join the army to fight against Dong Zhuo." Someone answered.

When the people heard this, they all showed expressions of admiration. They had suffered a lot in the chaotic times and they longed for someone to end the conflict and bring them peace.

After several days of marching, Jia Changsheng's troops finally arrived at Suanzao. At this time, Suanzao was already home to the armies of eighteen princes, with tents lined up and flags flying, making the place extremely lively.

Jia Changsheng came to the tent of the allied forces and said to the guards, "Please inform me that I am Jia Shisan and I am here with 10,000 infantry and 1,000 cavalry. I am willing to join the allied forces to fight against Dong Zhuo."

The guard was surprised when he heard this. He had never seen such a large number of reinforcements coming. He hurried in to report and came out soon after, saying, "Please come in. The leader and the other lords are discussing important matters. They are very happy to hear that you are here."

Jia Changsheng straightened his clothes and strode into the tent. Inside the tent, the eighteen princes were sitting together, discussing the battle plan. When they saw Jia Changsheng coming in, they all cast curious glances at him.

"Are you Jia Shisan?" Yuan Shao, the leader of the alliance, was the first to ask, "I heard that you brought 10,000 infantry and 1,000 cavalry. Is that true?"

Jia Changsheng bowed and said, "That's right. Although I come from an ordinary family, I care about the country. Now Dong Zhuo is causing chaos in the government and the people are suffering. I am willing to lead my team, join the coalition of princes, obey the orders of the leader, and do my part to help defeat Dong Zhuo."

Everyone nodded in praise. Cao Cao stood up, walked to Jia Changsheng, looked at him carefully, and said, "Brother Jia, it is not easy for you to build such a team in troubled times. I see that you are very eloquent and must have some outstanding qualities."

Jia Changsheng said modestly: "General Cao, you are too kind. I just did what I could. This time I came here in the hope of working together with you princes to seek the welfare of the people of the world."

Yuan Shao smiled and said, "Okay, in that case, from today on, you will be the nineteenth lord. Let's discuss a strategy to defeat the enemy and bring Dong Zhuo to justice as soon as possible!"

"Thank you, Lord!" Jia Changsheng bowed again, his heart filled with excitement. He knew that his journey in troubled times had just begun, and in Suanzao, he would write his own legend together with the eighteen princes.

After the Suanzao League, Jia Changsheng, the 19th prince, officially joined the army to attack Dong Zhuo. As the princes' coalition army advanced step by step, the army arrived at Hulao Pass. Hulao Pass, a strategic pass with towering walls and dangerous terrain, is like an insurmountable barrier between the coalition army and Luoyang. On the gate tower, the flags of Dong Zhuo's army fluttered, showing their determination to stick to their guns.

Jia Changsheng, wearing a light armor and a black cape, stood in his own camp, calmly watching everything in front of him. He knew that this was the place where the classic Battle of Hulao Pass in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms was about to take place, and he did not intend to get involved in the fight too early, but just wanted to quietly watch this historical drama develop according to the established trajectory.

"Humph, this old villain Dong Zhuo, hiding behind Hulao Pass, thinks he can stop us eighteen princes?" Yuan Shu said arrogantly while riding on his tall horse, "Today, I want to see how difficult it is to attack Hulao Pass!"

(End of this chapter)