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

Chapter 176 Liu Bei Wins a Great Victory by Capturing Two Shepherds in One Battle (Please Follow and Vote!)

Tao Qian understood perfectly.

If it weren't for Gai Xun in Xuzhou, he could have made a comeback even if he had escaped.

However, Gai Xun was still in Xuzhou, so even if Tao Qian escaped, he would find it difficult to regain his footing in Xuzhou.

Tao Qian established himself in Xuzhou based on military force rather than reputation.

This means that once Zang Ba, Yin De, and others who were attached to Tao Qian saw that Tao Qian had lost his military power, they would not follow Tao Qian to wait for death.

Just like the once arrogant Zhang Ju and Zhang Chun, Liu Yu only sent envoys to persuade Qiu Liju and others to submit to the Han Dynasty, and offered a reward for the heads of Zhang Ju and Zhang Chun, which resulted in one of them being killed and the other disappearing.

With Gai Xun's methods, he could also persuade Zang Ba, Yin De, and others to submit, and offer a reward for Tao Qian's head.

At that time, let alone making a comeback, it will be difficult to even survive.

Tao Qian understood this principle, and therefore was unwilling to die in humiliation. If he fought hard, he might still have a chance to kill enemy generals and repel the enemy.

Unfortunately.

Tao Qian chose the wrong opponent.

If the young Tao Qian could still fight Zhang Liao for a while, the old Tao Qian is now facing the young Zhang Liao.

Forget about beheading generals and repelling enemies, Tao Qian couldn't even last ten moves before Zhang Liao knocked his weapon away and dragged him off his horse.

"Tao Qian has been captured alive! Anyone who lays down their weapons and surrenders will be spared death!" Zhang Liao shouted sternly.

The flag bearers behind Tao Qian were shocked to see him captured alive. They threw down their flags in horror and knelt down to beg for their lives.

Zang Ba and his men, who were engaged in fierce fighting, were horrified upon hearing the sound.

Cao Bao and his men, who had climbed the hillside to launch a surprise attack on Liu Bei, were also stunned and stood there dumbfounded.

"it is good!"

Liu Bei stood up and laughed loudly.

"Wen Yuan is valiant; I have no worries about Xuzhou!"

With Liu Bei taking control of Luoyang, the central government, he would inevitably have to assign generals to garrison various regions.

Both Huang Wan and Gai Xun are very old.

Therefore, Liu Bei recruited Xun Yu and Xu Chu, intending to place them in Yu Province.

In Xuzhou, Liu Bei also needed a great general to be stationed there.

Zhang Liao became Liu Bei's first choice for stationing in Xuzhou.

Although Gai Xun was highly respected, he lacked sufficient martial prowess and military might to deter the unruly forces in Xuzhou.

Giving command to Zhang Liao was also a way to help Zhang Liao establish his authority.

Liu Bei wanted to make the rebellious forces in Xuzhou tremble with fear at the mere mention of Zhang Liao's name.

And now.

Zhang Liao captured Tao Qian, the most capable fighter among the rebellious forces in Xuzhou, and this single achievement was enough to terrify them.

"Bring Tao Qian up!"

Liu Bei made a hand gesture, and Zhang Liao ordered Dian Wei, Huang Zhong, and the White Feather Soldiers to take control of the situation. Then, Tao Qian was escorted up the slope.

"General Zang, what do we do now?" Sun Guan looked warily at the fierce-looking Dian Wei and the cold-faced Huang Zhong holding his bow.

These two were so fierce that Sun Guan felt fear at just one glance.

Huang Zhong, in particular, was unerring in his aim, and his eagle-like eyes terrified Sun Guan.

"No rush. Let's wait a bit." Zang Ba was equally frightened.

The reason Zang Ba didn't run wasn't because he didn't want to, but because Huang Zhong's eyes were constantly fixed on him.

Zang Ba had a premonition: he couldn't outrun Huang Zhong's arrows!
Yin De and Liu Kui also dared not move.

Everyone looked toward the hill where Tao Qian was being escorted, awaiting the outcome.

"If you want to kill or behead me, please do as you please!"

Upon seeing Liu Bei, Tao Qian twisted his neck, ready to be slaughtered.

“Governor Tao is holding a grudge against me.” Liu Bei chuckled and bowed. “Back in the Western Garden, I was inconsiderate. I only appointed Governor Gai to replace Governor Tao as the new Governor of Xuzhou, without considering Governor Tao’s feelings.”

"Hmph!" Tao Qian sneered, "Since you understand the reason, you should also understand that I will never surrender to you. Kill me quickly!"

Liu Bei turned to Cao Ang: "Zixiu, do you think I should kill Tao Qian?"

Cao Ang knew that Liu Bei was testing him, and after a moment of contemplation, he said, "Although Tao Qian is not highly regarded in Xuzhou, he has many fierce soldiers from Danyang under his command. If we kill Tao Qian, I'm afraid the fierce soldiers from Danyang will cause trouble in Xuzhou."

"Therefore, I think it would be better to spare his life for now, take him back to Luoyang, appease his former subordinates, and then punish him after Xuzhou is stable."

Tao Qian glared angrily: "You little thief, how vicious! If you want to kill me, then kill me, why humiliate me?"

Liu Bei chuckled and corrected him, "Zixiu may have considered strategy, but he neglected integrity. Since ancient times, death has been inevitable, but a person without integrity cannot stand. It's either kill or don't kill. How can you feign a promise not to kill and then kill him?"

Cao Ang was puzzled: "If we kill him, not only will the fierce soldiers of Danyang cause chaos, but those at the foot of the mountain who have not laid down their weapons may fight to the death; but if we don't kill him, Tao Qian has committed the crime of treason, and if we don't kill him, we cannot uphold the law, and those who have suffered from the ravages of war will die with their eyes open."

"Forgive my ignorance, but if we don't first feign a promise not to kill him and then kill him, what should we do?"

Liu Bei then turned to Tao Qian: "Then it depends on Governor Tao. Do you want one person to die, or do you want your wife, children, and relatives all to die?"

Tao Qian's expression changed, and he looked at Liu Bei with a complicated look: "To the young emperor in Luoyang, I have committed the crime of treason. Now that I have been captured, how can my wife, children, and relatives live?"

"No," Liu Bei corrected. "When the Yuan family rebelled, Dong Zhuo wanted to execute the entire Yuan family in Luoyang, but I insisted on only executing Yuan Wei and Yuan Ji, which saved the entire Yuan family from death."

“Although Governor Tao has committed a capital crime, I can only punish the ringleader and not implicate your former subordinates, wife, children, and relatives. As long as they do not violate the law to serve me in the future, I will not hold them accountable for your crime.”

“I have always valued integrity and trustworthiness. Since I said I would only kill you, I will not go back on my word.”

"You can think it over carefully: do you want to exchange your life for the lives of your former subordinates, wives, children, and relatives, or do you want to reject my offer and force me to eliminate the threat completely?"

Tao Qian remained silent, his gaze towards Liu Bei becoming even more complex.

To kill only one person and spare the lives of everyone else—such benevolence and righteousness was something Tao Qian had never heard of before.

If Tao Qian were Liu Bei, he would never have simply killed one person, especially Tao Qian's former subordinates, whom he would have wiped out completely!
Tao Qian could not refuse Liu Bei's terms.

At the same time, Tao Qian was filled with doubt: "Aren't you afraid that my former subordinates, wife, children, and relatives will cause trouble in the future to avenge me?"

"Hahaha—" Liu Bei laughed loudly, then pointed at Zhang Liao: "This is Zhang Liao, the Colonel of Lingyan Army. Today's battle was all commanded by Zhang Liao."

"Commander Zhang defeated Governor Tao's tens of thousands of troops with only two thousand soldiers, and even captured Governor Tao alive. And I have ten more fierce generals like him!"

"With the help of my generals, why would I be afraid of a bunch of defeated generals causing trouble?" "In the past, Dong Zhuo wanted to kill the entire Yuan clan because Dong Zhuo was too weak and he was afraid that the Yuan clan would cause trouble; but today I will not kill your former generals' wives, children and relatives because I am very powerful and I am not afraid of anyone causing trouble."

Tao Qian's eyes widened as Liu Bei spoke wildly, and his gaze toward Liu Bei was as majestic as Mount Tai.

Mount Tai is majestic and inviolable.

a long time.

Tao Qian sighed deeply, his previous arrogance vanishing as he knelt and bowed his head: "This sinful subject Tao Qian is willing to accept punishment. Please give your instructions, Imperial Uncle."

Seeing Tao Qian, who had been so arrogant just moments before, now willingly kneeling and bowing to Liu Bei, Cao Ang's eyes widened in astonishment.

When dealing with Tao Qian and his former subordinates' wives, children, and relatives, the only method Cao Ang could think of was to first make a feigned promise not to kill them and then kill them.

Liu Bei, however, upheld both integrity and the law in a way that Cao Ang could hardly comprehend.

Looking back at the stunned Cao Ang, Liu Bei smiled calmly and did not disturb Cao Ang's thoughts.

He then ordered Zhang Liao to untie Tao Qian, saying, "Governor Tao, I'll give you half an hour to persuade your former subordinates to submit to me!"

Tao Qian cupped his hands in greeting, then turned and rode his horse down the mountain.

"Uncle, should I follow?" Zhang Liao asked as he approached.

Liu Bei shook his head, his tone slightly stern: "If they are willing to listen to my reasoning, then everyone will be happy; if they are not, then I can only kill them all. Why bother following them?"

When Tao Qian returned on horseback, Zang Ba, Sun Guan, Cao Bao, and the others were all astonished and hurriedly went to greet him and ask him questions.

"My royal uncle has promised that he will only kill me, and all of you will live." Tao Qian said calmly, looking at the different expressions on everyone's faces.

Cao Bao was greatly alarmed: "Why do you say such things, my lord? Are we cowards? Although we have been defeated today, you can always make a comeback. What is there to fear from Liu Bei?"

Zang Ba also said, "If we only kill you, my lord, how could Liu Bei trust us? It might just be a delaying tactic. You shouldn't believe him. We can help you break through the encirclement and then defend the city. How could Liu Bei possibly do anything to us then?"

Everyone tried to persuade him.

It wasn't that everyone was truly loyal to Tao Qian, but rather that if Tao Qian died, they would fall apart.

Even if they are not killed for the time being, it is only a delaying tactic. When the time is right, they will kill these people and then annex the rest.

They were all heroes of a chaotic era, and few of them were kind-hearted; these were common tactics.

“The Imperial Uncle is a man of integrity. As long as you do not violate the law and serve him, he will not hold you accountable because of me.” Tao Qian shook his head, then sighed, “Besides, even if we manage to escape today, what good will it do?”

"Don't just look at the victory or defeat before your eyes. Think about it carefully. The Imperial Uncle defeated not only us, but also Yuan Shu in the south."

"I originally thought that Yuan Yi and the others were being sensible and holding back the Imperial Uncle's troops for us, but now I think that most of the Imperial Uncle's troops have probably gone to fight Yuan Yi and the others."

“Three governors, a dozen prefects, and ministers, with hundreds of thousands of troops, were defeated one by one by the Imperial Uncle with only 20,000 men, and were annihilated in turn.”

"Having suffered such a complete defeat, how can we possibly make a comeback? Since my royal uncle has given me some dignity and given you all a chance, why should we invite further humiliation?"

Zang Ba, Cao Bao, and the others all had drastic changes in expression.

Just now, they were only thinking about how to band together for warmth and make a comeback, and they overlooked the fact that the situation in Xiaopei was actually a three-pronged attack on Liu Bei.

As a result, they not only failed to encircle and annihilate the enemy, but were also defeated one by one by Liu Bei.

Although we haven't received any news from Yanzhou yet, Liu Bei only mobilized about two thousand troops here, so it's not hard to guess where the rest of his troops went.

"Ugh!"

Zang Ba sighed and threw down the weapon in his hand.

As Tao Qian said: "Three governors, a dozen prefects and chancellors, and hundreds of thousands of troops have all lost. How can they possibly make a comeback?"
A delaying tactic?

They were not considered opponents by Liu Bei at all!
If they were truly considered adversaries, they wouldn't have set up an ambush with only two thousand men!
As Zang Ba threw down his weapon, the other officers followed suit, and the sound of weapons falling echoed as the rebels at the foot of the mountain surrendered.

Tao Qian then led Zang Ba and others up the slope to kowtow and beg for forgiveness.

"I'm giving you a chance to redeem yourselves through meritorious service." Liu Bei gestured for Zang Ba and the others to stand up, and said, "Take the rest of your troops, join Ji Lian and Yuan Zhong at the exit, and immediately head to Xiapi to take Zhang Chao's head for me!"

Zang Ba was stunned: "Just us?"

"Oh?" Liu Bei retorted, "Do you think I need to send my fierce generals and valiant soldiers to help you fight Zhang Chao?"

“Uncle, that’s not what I meant, but rather—” Zang Ba hesitated, and Cao Bao and the others were just as uneasy as Zang Ba.

Taking in everyone's expressions, Liu Bei chuckled and said, "Since you have no such intention, go quickly. I will await your good news in Xiaopei."

He then turned to Tao Qian and said, “Governor Tao, you can go back to Tancheng to make arrangements for your affairs, and then bring your family to Xiaopei to find me. Although you are guilty of treason, you still have to return to Luoyang to face His Majesty’s judgment.”

Tao Qian was alarmed, and his tone became even more complicated: "Isn't your royal uncle afraid that I will not return?"

Liu Bei didn't take it seriously: "Governor Tao's family is in Luoyang, and I can protect them. If they go and don't return, in this chaos of war, they might die a violent death in a foreign land."

Zang Ba was intrigued by this and suddenly asked, "Uncle, may I also send my family to Luoyang?"

“Kill Zhang Chao, and I will consider it.” Liu Bei looked at Zang Ba with a hint of appreciation: “You are very smart and pragmatic. But not everyone is worthy of my protection of their family.”

Zang Ba's eyes lit up, and he had no more doubts: "Uncle, rest assured, this humble general will definitely take Zhang Chao's head!"

Liu Bei laughed heartily, then instructed Zhang Liao: "Wen Yuan, take the bodies of the Lingyan Army brothers and we're going back to Xiaopei."

Watching Liu Bei and his entourage depart, the generals of Xuzhou remained silent.

"Liu, if the Imperial Uncle is so certain, will we keep our promise?" Cao Bao's expression was complicated. He glanced at the generals and was about to speak when he was stared at by Zang Ba.

“Cao Bao, I won’t interfere with what you do in the future.” Zang Ba clenched his fist: “But if you try to ruin my fortune now, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”

Behind Zang Ba, Sun Guan, Sun Kang, Wu Dun, and Yin Li also stared fiercely at Cao Bao.

These people all revolved around Zang Ba, and the wealth and status that Zang Ba desired was their wealth and status, so naturally they couldn't let Cao Bao ruin it.

Cao Bao was startled and quickly said, "Gentlemen, please do not have any doubts. Since we are already rich and powerful, we should all seek it together."

Just from the look in Zang Ba's eyes, Cao Bao was afraid that if he answered incorrectly, Zang Ba would kill him on the spot!
From Yanzhou.

Governor Yuan Yi of Yanzhou stared in horror at the blade hovering above his forehead, his entire body stiffening.

The man wielding the knife was none other than Guan Yu.

"Are you the leader of the rebels and the self-proclaimed governor of Yanzhou, Yuan Yi?" A cold voice echoed in Yuan Yi's ears.

Yuan Yi wanted to deny it, but he was intimidated by Guan Yu's cold gaze and worried that he would be beheaded if he denied it.

With his mind racing, Yuan Yi could only steel himself and cautiously reply, "I am Yuan Yi. May I ask who you are, hero?"

"Tie him up!" Guan Yu shouted, and his soldiers quickly stepped forward to bind Yuan Yi.

He then turned and glanced sideways at Yuan Yi: "The one who captured you is Guan Yu, a captain of the Lingyan Army under the Imperial Uncle!"

(End of this chapter)