A thousand-year-old family begins with one fighting against ten thousand.

First Route General, Yuan Shu, Prefect of Nanyang

Han Fu, the second governor of Jizhou

Kong Zhou, Governor of Yuzhou (3rd Route)

Liu Dai, Governor of Yanzhou (4th Route)

Wang Kuang, the 5th Prefect of Hanoi

Zhang Miao, Prefect of Chenliu, Route 6

Qiao Mao, the 7th Prefect of Dongjun

Yuan Yi, the 8th Prefect of Shanyang

9th Route, Jinbei Xiang Baoxin

Kong Rong, the 10th Prefect of Beihai

Zhang Chao, the 11th Prefect of Guangling

Tao Qian, the 12th Governor of Xuzhou

Ma Teng, the 13th Prefect of Xiliang

Gongsun Zan, the 14th Prefect of Beiping

Zhang Yang, the 15th Prefect of Ludang

Sun Jian, Marquis of Wucheng and Prefect of Changsha (Royalty 16)

Yuan Shao, the 17th Marquis of Qixiang and Prefect of Bohai

Liu Bei, a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan (of the 18th rank)

Apart from Liu Dai, a good-for-nothing, and Liu Bei, a commoner, there wasn't a single member of the royal family among them.

At this special time, every member of the royal family with status was someone that both courts vied to curry favor with.

Since the founding of the Han Dynasty, their status has never been so high.

As long as they remain firmly in power, both sides, regardless of which regime wants to win them over, will have to offer them high-ranking positions and generous salaries.

However, Liu Dai foolishly got involved, instantly rendering him worthless.

Neither the Chang'an regime nor the Luoyang regime would bestow any further rewards upon him.

As for the Chang'an regime, there's no need to say more. Since you've already raised an army to attack me, I'll definitely strip you of all your titles and official positions. How could I possibly still give you rewards?

Not only will they not reward him, they will also target him at all costs.

Otherwise, what if other relatives follow suit?

Do they think that since they've pledged allegiance to the Luoyang court, nothing will happen to them, and the Chang'an court can't deal with them anyway?

To prevent other members of the clan from having such thoughts, the Chang'an regime would absolutely do everything in its power to eliminate them.

Liu Bei was able to rise to become one of the warlords and make a name for himself throughout the Han Dynasty simply because he had no status and was just a commoner. He relied on the alliance of warlords and his status as a member of the Han imperial family to achieve this.

Moreover, with Liu Dai holding the line, the Chang'an court wouldn't target them first.

The 18-route allied forces met in Luoyang, assembled their troops, and marched westward to attack the Chang'an regime.

Faced with the aggressive actions of the Luoyang regime, the young Liu Xie and Dong Zhuo stood on the same side. The two cooperated sincerely and built an elite army of 50, many of whom were veterans of the Han Dynasty.

These bastards, who know nothing but killing, will be assigned to a place near Chang'an after their military service, where they will be resettled as a group.

This was both to ensure their survival and to monitor their movements.

To prevent local riots.

Now that we've reached a critical juncture, we should quickly mobilize them, along with some new recruits. With these veterans around, we can quickly form a fighting force.

Moreover, their combat strength is even greater than the hastily assembled armies of the eighteen warlords.

Not to mention that there were 20 Xiliang cavalrymen inside, who were Dong Zhuo's most valuable asset, truly elite troops who had fought their way up on the battlefield, and all of them were in their prime.

Lu Bu, a fierce general, also joined Dong Zhuo's camp. In the Han Dynasty, duels between generals were highly valued, as they greatly boosted morale.

Furthermore, the inhuman presence of the Wei family further amplified the boost that individual martial prowess had on morale.

After the eighteen feudal lords gathered in Luoyang, they were summoned by the emperor.

Liu Bian sat upright on the dragon throne, letting Empress Dowager He do as she pleased.

Empress Dowager He summoned the eighteen warlords. When she heard Liu Bei's name, considering that he was one of only two imperial relatives who had come to their court, she had the Imperial Clan Minister verify Liu Bei's identity. After verification, she bestowed upon Liu Bei a general with a miscellaneous title.

After all, the lineage of Prince Jing of Zhongshan had not yet declined. As the earliest fiefdom, it received strong support from the imperial court and its development was quite good.

In the imperial court, Emperor Shao of Han had almost no presence; everything was done by Empress Dowager He.

These 18 warlords were all ambitious, and the sanctity of the Han emperor had already been undermined. Now, the behavior of the young emperor only fueled their ambitions.

The emperor is weak; perhaps I can take his place!

"Ink and brush, there are two suns in the sky, and two dynasties in the country. How did the Han Dynasty become like this?"

Liu Bei became increasingly confused. He had been living comfortably in Zhongshan Jingguo, but he felt that Zhongshan Jingguo was located between the Han Dynasty and other vassal states, lacking the power to expand outwards and with its internal class system already solidified. Therefore, he returned to the Han homeland, hoping to make a name for himself.

However, unexpectedly, the Han Dynasty was even more powerful than Zhongshan Jingguo.

This place is not the just and benevolent land depicted in books.

"This shows that the Han Dynasty has reached a point where it needs a new outstanding hero to rebuild the Han Dynasty."

"Like the early emperors, the founding emperor, Wang Mang, Liu Xiu, and Emperor Wu, they reclaimed the lost territories, quelled rebellions, and rebuilt the world!"

"This is the manifest destiny bestowed upon you, Lord Xuande!"

"You were born to quell this chaos and establish a new Han dynasty that truly serves the people."

"The people of this land have suffered for far too long, and they are eagerly awaiting a ruler who can truly govern for them."

"Lord Xuande, are you willing to shoulder the responsibility for all the people under heaven, overcome countless obstacles, and create a new world for them?"

Wei Shu spoke with a heavy tone, saying that their Wei family was already considered the best family for the people, since their interests were intertwined.

Therefore, they understood the actual situation of the people better than any other family.

It's so bitter, so incredibly bitter!

Despite working from morning till night and only having a few days to rest throughout the year, they still can't support themselves or their families.

They are being exploited too much.

"I am willing."

Liu Bei took Wei Shu's hand. "Hanmo, what should I do?"

"This war is your best chance."

Wei Shu glanced at Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, who were inseparable from Liu Bei, and said, "Whether Lord Xuande can distinguish himself in this war depends on these two generals!"

"The two of us?"

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were taken aback. Apart from having some strength and decent martial arts skills, it seemed that they didn't know much else.

"That's right, a duel between generals!"

"We had no soldiers or authority, only 3 miscellaneous troops bestowed by the Empress Dowager, which were wiped out in one charge on the battlefield."

"If you want Lord Xuande to become a true warlord, to step onto the stage of the entire Han Dynasty, and to let the whole world know that there is such a person as Lord Xuande, then the two of you must have an outstanding performance when you fight each other."

"The better you perform, the greater the prestige that Lord Xuande will accumulate, and the higher the official position you will be able to obtain after this battle, regardless of victory or defeat."

Wei Shu explained to Liu Bei and his two brothers that the so-called campaign of the eighteen warlords against Dong Zhuo was actually just a stage for the warlords to promote themselves.

Once you step onto this stage, scholars, literati, and prominent families will naturally recognize your potential and invest in you.