Brother, stop curling up! You're curling up like the founder of the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 149 Liu Bei Considers the Situation of the World, Huang Zhong Displays His Divine Archery Skill (Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets)
Wuguan.

After the smoke of war cleared, the people of Nanyang, who had been blocked from entering the pass due to Yuan Shu's surprise attack on Chang'an, gathered again at Wuguan Pass and entered in an orderly manner.

Yuan Shu, relying on the prestigious Yuan clan, led an army of 50,000 to attack Guanzhong. However, he suffered a crushing defeat in Guanzhong and was forced to cut off his beard and abandon his robe in a panic while being pursued by Liu Bei.

Even Yuan Shu's red robe was hanging in front of the pass, and soldiers patiently introduced it to the people of Nanyang who were entering the pass: "This is the red robe that Yuan Shu discarded when he cut off his beard and abandoned his robe." They even vividly described how Yuan Shu cut off his beard and abandoned his robe at that time.

Close it.

Liu Bei watched with great interest the crowd of Nanyang residents gathered below the city to watch "Yuan Shu in his red robe," and whispered:
"Once the world is at peace, we may add a tourist spot here and erect a monument with the inscription 'cutting off his beard and abandoning his robe,' which should make the area around Wuguan prosperous due to tourism."

Although he was a military general, Liu Bei did not like fighting.

For example, when Yuan Shu attacked Guanzhong, the Jingzhou soldiers who were coerced by Yuan Shu and the Nanyang people who wanted to enter Guanzhong were either killed or wounded. On the contrary, Yuan Shu, who provoked the war, only suffered the humiliation of cutting off his beard and abandoning his robe, and returned to Wancheng unharmed.

Deep down, Liu Bei hated this feeling, but he had no choice but to do it.

It is impossible to completely avoid disaster in chaotic times. Even if Liu Bei had a benevolent heart, he could only reduce the killing, not eliminate it.

Therefore, seeing the harmonious relationship between the Yongzhou soldiers and the people of Nanyang at this moment, Liu Bei couldn't help but feel a long-lost sense of nostalgia.

Reading makes people understand principles.

The more the soldiers of Yongzhou read, the better they understood why Liu Bei insisted on promoting the slogan, "We would rather freeze to death than destroy a house, and starve to death than plunder."

Understanding the spirit of "rather freeze to death than break a house, rather starve to death than plunder" and appreciating the close bond between the army and the people can also help reduce the post-traumatic stress disorder of the Yongzhou soldiers.

Military campaigns can make soldiers extremely depressed due to the fear of death and the carnage on the battlefield. If soldiers cannot release and relieve their negative emotions, they are prone to going crazy.

Most generals would use methods such as "looting for three days after breaching a city" to allow their soldiers to vent their emotions.

Therefore, there are often sayings that in chaotic times, human life is less than that of a dog and soldiers are just bandits. In times of chaos, a large number of people will die in war outside the battlefield, such as massacres of cities.

Some people argue that massacring cities is necessary because this is a chaotic world, and a merciful ruler cannot command an army.

Liu Bei always upheld benevolence and righteousness, and he greatly disliked this approach. He also did not agree that a city should be massacred if one was too kind to command an army.

In later times, Liu Bei witnessed a small Western country studying under a powerful Eastern nation. Their soldiers would proudly tell their captives, "We are fighting for the future of our children."

The outer disciples can all understand and successfully implement it.

If Liu Bei, as an inner disciple, cannot understand or successfully execute this plan, it would be extremely shameful.

The establishment of deputy military commanders, deputy military commanders, and deputy squad leaders was intended not only to increase military cohesion but also to promote ideological enlightenment.

Perhaps at first, the sergeant wouldn't understand these profound principles that transcend mere trivialities.

When the world is in chaos and the feudal lords compete to see who is the worst, everyone will understand the truth without being taught.

Liu Bei also hoped that one day, every soldier in Yongzhou could proudly shout, "We are fighting for the future of our children."

Once this generation finishes its war, the next generation won't have to fight anymore.

Just as they were enjoying themselves, someone reported that Sun Jian was requesting an audience.

Liu Bei then abandoned his plans and invited Sun Jian to the pass.

"In this battle, Liu Bei caused Yuan Shu to cut off his beard and abandon his robe in a panic. From now on, Yuan Shu will probably be terrified at the mere mention of Liu Bei's name." Sun Jian said with sincere respect.

"Prefect Sun, you flatter me. If it weren't for your help, how could I have achieved such a great feat?" Liu Bei smiled gently.

Despite this, Sun Jian took it as Liu Bei being modest.

Making Yuan Shu cut off his beard and abandon his robe in a panic was something Sun Jian wouldn't even dare to dream of, yet Liu Bei managed to do it successfully.

Once the news reaches other prefectures and counties, Liu Bei will surely launch a decisive battle that will astound the world.

This filled Sun Jian with both respect and fear.

Before this battle, the two sides had never fought a formal battle. Liu Bei's courage and resourcefulness were evident to Sun Jian when he went to war alone, and Yuan Shu's great defeat was also closely related to Sun Jian's defection.

Therefore, even though the two sides formed an alliance, Sun Jian only respected Liu Bei but did not fear him.

now.

Liu Bei, however, used his military achievements to tell Sun Jian: What you dare not fight, I dare to fight; what you cannot do, I can do; I will advance without hesitation and be invincible; all the heroes of the world tremble at the mere mention of my name.

This made Sun Jian both admire and fear Liu Bei.

After chatting for a while, Sun Jian took his leave of Liu Bei: "Although Yuan Shu has been defeated, the Yuan family's power still exists in various prefectures and counties. I must return to Jiangdong as soon as possible, otherwise my family and relatives, as well as those of the generals in the army, may be harmed by the Yuan family. After that, I will not be able to participate in other matters."

Liu Bei nodded, then took out a letter he had prepared beforehand and handed it to Sun Jian, saying, "Prefect Sun, if you want to return to Jiangdong, you need to pass through the Han River. You can send someone to deliver this letter to Liu Biao first to avoid any misunderstandings."

Sun Jian accepted the letter and thanked him, saying, "I will surely repay Liu Huangshu's kindness in the future. Until we meet again."

As Liu Bei watched Sun Jian's army slowly leave the pass, he quickly reviewed the overall situation and future trends of the world in his mind.

Now that Yuan Shu has been defeated, Huang Wan of Yu Province can lead his troops north to threaten Yuan Shao and others. If they cannot break through Hulao Pass and face threats from the rear, Yuan Shao and others will find it difficult to sustain their campaign.

The future landscape will evolve into a chaotic battleground between the two Yuan brothers in the north and south, the anti-Yuan alliance, the Yellow Turbans, local powerful clans and private armies, and then the big fish will eat the small fish.

The weak are absorbed, and the strong become stronger.

Correspondingly, without the threat of the Eastern Alliance forces in Guanzhong, Dong Zhuo would certainly not be content to remain in Luoyang and would most likely turn his attention to Liu Bei, eliminating Liu Bei's allies outside of Yongzhou.

Liu Bei wanted to establish a powerful Qin dynasty, which also meant squeezing out Dong Zhuo's interests. After the external threats subsided, the conflict between the two sides would gradually become irreconcilable.

“Yuan Shao has only gained power in Hebei in a few years; Huang Wan and Gai Xun are both old and unable to hold Yu and Xu provinces. I don’t have much time, and it’s time to deal with Dong Zhuo first.”

To strike first is to be strong, but to strike later is to suffer disaster.

Liu Bei and Dong Zhuo were never close partners; if Liu Bei didn't strike first, Dong Zhuo would have.

The alliance to check Yuan Shikai is only applicable to checking Yuan Shikai; once Yuan Shikai is destroyed, the alliance will also collapse.

To firmly grasp the reins of power, Liu Bei had to be even more ambitious than Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Cao Cao, and others, to the point that everyone else could only look up to him.

"He Man".

"Lord."

Looking at the increasingly composed He Man, Liu Bei's tone turned slightly stern: "Go back to Yuzhou and tell He Yi and Huang Shao that Gebei is no longer a safe place. Those who trust me can quickly travel to Yingchuan and enter Wanxian, Nanyang."

"Tell He Yi, Huang Shao, and Gong Du that if Huang Wan were to step down as governor of Yuzhou, they should not hesitate to immediately lead the Gebei troops into Nanyang and occupy Wancheng."

He Man was taken aback and asked, "If it's a migration, why not go directly through Wuguan into Guanzhong?"

Liu Bei shook his head: "It's not that I don't want to, but the roads are rugged and food is limited. If we enter Guanzhong from Gebei, countless people will starve or die of exhaustion along the way."

“After this defeat, Yuan Shu will certainly not stay in Nanyang. Given his nature, he will surely plunder Wan County and the surrounding area, forcibly relocating all the people and resources.” “Since he is unwilling to answer my call to enter Guanzhong to avoid disaster, then he can only suffer Yuan Shu’s calamity. My current strength can only protect those who trust me.”

"If Wan County encounters another disaster in the future, it will not be too late to relocate the people of Gebei to Guanzhong."

He Man suddenly realized: "I understand my lord's meaning. I will certainly live up to your expectations."

As someone from Gebei, He Man naturally did not want to see his former neighbors suffer misfortune in Gebei and be unable to save themselves, nor did he want He Yi, Huang Shao, and Gong Du to become enemies by serving other forces in the future.

As for Liu Bei, regardless of how many of the more than 100,000 Gebei soldiers could come, those who did would become his core loyalists in the future.

Especially those three thousand Gebei soldiers, which Liu Bei had lent to Huang Wan to pacify Yuzhou.

Huang Wan will continue to serve as the Governor of Yu Province. Liu Bei doesn't mind that the three thousand Gebei soldiers are in Yu Province. If Huang Wan stops serving as the Governor of Yu Province, the position cannot be given to someone else.

Liu Bei also couldn't determine who He Yi and the other two would turn to after Huang Wan left Yuzhou and lost their support.

If Liu Bei were to cooperate with Yuan Shu again, as is the case in history, he would be furious. He could not accept that the forces he had painstakingly cultivated would be wiped out by Yuan Shu in one fell swoop.

Although Wancheng was nominally under Liu Biao's control, given the current relationship between Liu Bei and Liu Biao, it was perfectly acceptable for Liu Bei to station three thousand Gebei soldiers in Wancheng to guard the northern gateway of Jingzhou.

After everything is settled.

Liu Bei then looked at the people of Nanyang who had entered the pass and the soldiers who were explaining to them the story of "Yuan Shu cutting off his beard and abandoning his robe".

a few days later.

A horse-drawn carriage slowly arrived at Wuguan Pass.

Seeing Huang Zhong's uneasy expression, Xu You chuckled and reassured him, "Why is Lieutenant Huang still worried? Are you afraid that Liu Bei will resent you for not going to the Western Garden Army in the past?"

Huang Zhong looked ashamed: "In the past, when Liu Bei invited me, I didn't go; but now I'm going on my own initiative, so I can't help feeling a little uncomfortable."

Xu You laughed loudly: "Commander Huang, how come your temperament is not as good as a child's? Look at the two of them, they are not nervous at all."

Huang Zhong looked at Wei Yan and Huang Xu, who were sitting in front of the carriage gazing at Wuguan Pass and were startled by the sight, and sighed helplessly.

How could these two children understand the unease in my heart?

Xu You shook his head and smiled, then said nothing more.

Just as Huang Zhong was feeling uneasy, a cavalry force of more than ten men appeared in front of the carriage, led by Liu Bei.

Upon learning that Liu Bei was at Wuguan, Xu You sent someone yesterday to inform Liu Bei about the recruitment of Huang Zhong.

During his stay at Wuguan, Liu Bei also sent people to search for Huang Zhong.

However, with hundreds of thousands of households in Nanyang and the recent war, it would be very difficult to find a Huang Zhong whose exact location was unknown.

Just when Liu Bei thought he would miss the opportunity, Xu You sent someone to tell Liu Bei that he had already recruited Huang Zhong, who had been recruited in the past but had not yet come.

How could Liu Bei not be pleased?

It truly proves the saying: "The flowers you plant with intention may not bloom, while the willows you plant unintentionally may thrive."

Of the five great generals of Shu Han, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and Ma Chao have all returned to their posts, leaving only Huang Zhong of Nanyang who has yet to be recruited.

Although Ma Chao was still young, he was one of the Five Tiger Generals.

Now, Huang Zhong, whom Liu Bei had been searching for for many days, has arrived. He is still a vigorous young man, which is like adding wings to a tiger for Liu Bei.

"I am Liu Bei, the Imperial Uncle and Governor of Yongzhou. Is the man in the carriage Huang Zhong, Huang Hansheng of Nanyang?" His clear voice attracted the attention of the surrounding people of Nanyang.

Everyone looked at Liu Bei in astonishment, then at the carriage, filled with curiosity.

Liu Bei, the Imperial Uncle and Governor of Yongzhou, personally left the pass just to meet a man from Nanyang.

"Who is this Huang Zhong? I, Yin Zhao of Nanyang, have never heard of him before."

"For Liu Bei to come to see me personally, he must be an extraordinary person. However, among the famous scholars of Nanyang that I know, there is no one named Huang Zhong."

"How strange! How strange! If he is not a famous scholar, how could he have Liu Bei come to see him in person? I want to see what this man is capable of!"

"."

The people of Nanyang around them were talking about it. Huang Zhong, who was in the carriage, was stunned. He stiffly turned his head to look at Xu You, his eyes full of doubt.

It's as if it's asking: "Isn't Liu Bei asking about my carriage? Shouldn't we be from the same prefecture, share the same surname, name, and courtesy name?"
"Captain Huang, don't keep the Imperial Uncle waiting too long," Xu You said with a light laugh, gesturing for him to speak.

Huang Zhong then realized what was happening, quickly jumped off the carriage, and looked in Liu Bei's direction.

Liu Bei then cupped his hands and asked again, "May I ask if you are Huang Zhong, Huang Hansheng of Nanyang? I am Liu Bei, the Imperial Uncle and Governor of Yongzhou. Greetings."

Huang Zhong was even more startled, and hurriedly stepped forward to bow: "I am Huang Zhong, a villager, and I dare not accept such a great bow from Liu Huangshu."

Seeing Huang Zhong's obvious warrior attire and hearing him refer to himself as a "villager," the curious Nanyang gentry around him couldn't help but sigh and whisper among themselves.

"I thought he was some famous scholar, but I never expected him to be just a villager. How could such a lowly person have attracted the attention of the Imperial Uncle?"

"I, Yin Zhao, am actually inferior to a mere villager? This is truly infuriating."

"Could it be that the Imperial Uncle really believes this person is capable? Or has he been deceived and mistakenly believes that this person is capable?"

"."

Huang Zhong also heard the whispers around him, and immediately felt his face turn red and his ears burn. He lowered his head and dared not speak again.

Noticing Huang Zhong's predicament, Liu Bei gave Chen Dao a look, and Chen Dao understood and exclaimed, "I am a divine archer under the command of the Imperial Uncle. I have heard that you can draw a bow with a weight of two stones and hit the target every time, so the Imperial Uncle has come to see me in person."

"Judging from your actions just now, there is not a trace of a master archer between your brows. Could you be a mere fame-seeker? If you have the guts, dare you use my iron-rimmed bow to shoot an arrow a hundred paces away?"

Huang Zhong was taken aback, but seeing Liu Bei nod with a smile, he immediately understood Liu Bei's meaning and was deeply moved. He shouted back, "Why wouldn't I dare!"

Seeing Huang Zhong accept the bow, Chen Dao then took an arrow and gave it to Huang Zhong, deliberately provoking him, saying, "Shoot that green robe. If you hit it, I will be convinced."

A knight had already hung his green robe on a thin bamboo pole a hundred paces away.

The Nanyang people who were whispering and talking around were even more astonished. No one believed that Huang Zhong could be so skilled as to shoot a green-robed man a hundred paces away.

Ignoring the surrounding chatter, Huang Zhong jumped onto the carriage and, using the height of the carriage, bent the iron bow to its fullest extent.

With a twang of the bowstring, the arrow vanished in a flash, snapping the slender bamboo pole draped with the green robe in two the next instant.

In an instant, the Nanyang people who had been whispering and discussing all stared in astonishment.

Then Huang Zhong strode forward, picked up the green robe that had fallen to the ground, put it on, clasped his hands and exclaimed, "Thank you, Imperial Uncle, for the robe!"

(End of this chapter)