Reborn Liu Bei: I'll lead this Three Kingdoms to victory!

Liu Qi came out of Cai Mao's residence with his palms still sweating.

Just now in the hall, he had defiantly stood his ground against Cai Mao and made his statement, but the moment he stepped out the door, his legs went weak. Liu Cong supported him and whispered, "Brother, were you really not afraid just now?"

Liu Qi did not speak.

He was afraid. But he was even more afraid of dying.

Back at the manor, it was already dark. Liu Qi sat in his room, lost in thought, when Liu Cong brought in a bowl of hot soup. He had just taken a sip when there was a knock at the door.

Liu Qi opened the door, and there stood a person outside—Zhuge Liang.

"Mr. Zhuge?" Liu Qi was stunned. "How could you...?"

Zhuge Liang waved his hand and slipped inside. He looked around and lowered his voice, "Young Master Liu, I've heard about what happened today. You did the right thing, but it wasn't enough."

Liu Qi looked at him: "Teach me, sir."

Zhuge Liang took out two items from his bosom. One was a letter stamped with Liu Bei's private seal; the other was a token engraved with the character "Liu".

"Lord Liu said that as long as you agree, 30,000 troops can arrive in Xiangyang within five days." Zhuge Liang handed over the letter. "They're not here to fight, but to 'replace troops.' The Qingzhou troops are just being transferred to Nanyang and are only passing through."

Liu Qi took the letter, his hand trembling slightly.

"What about Cai Mao..."

Zhuge Liang smiled: "What Cai Mao fears most right now is not whether you have anyone backing you up. It's that he doesn't know exactly how many people are backing you up."

Liu Qi understood.

The next morning, Liu Qi went out to visit Han Song. As soon as he entered the Han residence, Han Song knelt down: "Young Master, please don't say anything more, I support you." Liu Qi was stunned. Han Song raised his head: "Master Zhuge came last night and told me everything."

The same drama played out in the homes of Kuai Yue and Fu Xun. Those who had originally followed Cai Mao all changed their tune overnight.

Cai Mao couldn't sit still on the third day.

He stormed into Liu Qi's residence with his personal guards, pointing his finger at Liu Qi and demanding, "Liu Qi, what kind of sorcery have you used?"

Liu Qi was sitting in the hall drinking tea, without even standing up. He put down his teacup and said slowly, "General Cai, I didn't use any magic. I just told them that Governor Liu promised that after Jingzhou surrenders, their original official positions will remain unchanged, but their salaries will be doubled."

Cai Mao's face flushed crimson: "You—!"

Before he could finish speaking, a personal guard rushed in, his face pale: "General! Something terrible has happened! A huge army has arrived outside the city, countless in number!"

Cai Mao ignored Liu Qi and led his men to rush up the city wall.

He looked down and was completely dumbfounded.

Thirty thousand soldiers lined up beneath the city walls, their swords and spears like a forest, their banners blotting out the sky. On the foremost banner was embroidered a huge character, "Guan" (关). Beneath the banner stood a man with a red face and long beard, a Green Dragon Crescent Blade held horizontally across his horse, coldly watching the city walls.

Guan Yu.

Cai Mao's legs went weak, and he almost knelt down.

Beneath the city walls, Guan Yu brandished his sword, and his thirty thousand soldiers shouted in unison, "Lord Liu commands—those who surrender Jingzhou will not be harmed in the slightest! Those who resist will be slaughtered without mercy on the day the city falls!"

The shouts were deafening, and the soldiers guarding the city walls turned pale, their hands almost dropping their swords.

Cai Mao, leaning against the wall, managed to squeeze out a sentence after a long while: "Open...open the city gate."

That afternoon, Liu Qi, as the ruler of Jingzhou, stood on the city wall and announced: of the eight counties of Jingzhou, seven would be under the jurisdiction of Lord Liu, while he would only remain in Nanyang County to retire.

Cai Mao was granted the title of "Marquis of Guiyi" and set off immediately for Liaodong to assume his post. As he departed, he held Kuai Yue's hand, his eyes reddening, and said, "Brother Zhongxuan, why didn't you tell me sooner that Liu Bei was so ruthless?"

Kuai Yue withdrew his hand and said calmly, "I told you, but you wouldn't listen."

Three days later, Zhuge Liang and Zhao Yun returned to Xiangyang. Liu Qi personally went out of the city to greet them, holding Zhuge Liang's hand tightly: "Mr. Zhuge, I've kept that letter of yours with me every day, even when I sleep."

Zhuge Liang smiled and said, "Young Master Liu, it's not my letter that's effective. It's General Guan's sword that's effective."

Inside Xiangyang, the people lined the streets and cheered. The news spread like wildfire: "Lord Liu is benevolent and righteous; Jingzhou has submitted, and we are exempt from taxes for a year!"

Standing in the crowd, watching Zhuge Liang and Zhao Yun ride past, Liu Cong suddenly asked Liu Qi beside him, "Brother, did we make the right move?"

Looking at the large "Liu" banner fluttering in the wind in the distance, Liu Qi nodded: "We've come to the right place."

In the winter of the seventh year of Jian'an (200 AD), in Xuchang.

Liu Bei stood before the map, with Pang Tong, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Xu Shu, and Xun You all present.

Pang Tong took a swig of wine and pointed to Ye City on the map: "Cao Pi has declared himself emperor in Ye City, and the state is called Wei. That kid can't wait any longer."

Liu Bei remained silent.

Pang Tong continued, "He has just ascended the throne, and his position is unstable. Cao Cao's old subordinates are all harboring their own thoughts. Although Xiahou Dun has surrendered to us, Cao Ren is still in Ye City, and people like Cheng Yu and Jia Xu may not be truly loyal to him."

Liu Bei finally spoke: "You mean...?"

"Strike him." Pang Tong put down his wine gourd. "Before he's even settled in, kill him with one blow."

Guan Yu stepped forward: "Brother, this humble general requests permission to lead the army on a northern expedition!"

Zhang Fei also shouted, "I'm going too!"

Liu Bei raised his hand to stop them and looked at the map. After looking at it for a long time, he turned around and said, "Yun Chang, Yi De, and Zi Long, each lead an army of 50,000 and march north in three routes. Yuan Zhi will stay in Xuchang, and Kong Ming will accompany the army as an advisor. Xun Gongda, put your 'Han Dian' aside for now and come with me."

Xun You was taken aback: "Your subject is going too?"

Liu Bei laughed: "You are Xiao He, and Xiao He cannot just write books."

Three armies, totaling 150,000 men, marched in a mighty force towards Ye City.

When Cao Pi received the news in Ye City, he was drinking with his newly acquired concubine. The wine cup in his hand fell to the ground with a "clatter": "What? Liu Bei has attacked?"

Cheng Yu said from the side, "Your Majesty, Liu Bei is coming with great force. We must quickly mobilize our troops."

Cao Pi scrambled to his feet in a flurry: "Yes, yes, mobilize troops! Quickly mobilize troops! Send Cao Ren! Send Xiahou Shang!"

Cheng Yu sighed inwardly as he looked at him like this.

The three armies advanced with unstoppable momentum. Guan Yu marched from the west, Zhang Fei from the center, and Zhao Yun from the east, capturing twenty cities in half a month. Cao Cao's troops surrendered at the mere sight of them, some even opening the city gates to welcome them directly.

Cao Pi could no longer sit still in Ye City and personally led an army of 80,000 to meet the enemy.

The two armies met on the banks of the Zhang River.

Guan Yu immediately drew his sword, looked at the formation of Cao Cao's army opposite him, and sneered: "Is that all?"

He glanced back at the Mo Dao squad behind him, raised his sword, and shouted, "Charge!"

Thirty thousand Mo Dao soldiers surged forward like a tidal wave. With flashes of light, the front ranks of Cao Cao's army fell like wheat being harvested. Cao Pi watched from behind, his face turning pale.

Zhao Yun led his White Horse Cavalry to flank Cao Cao, while Zhang Fei attacked from the rear. Cao Cao's army was attacked from three sides, and their formation was completely thrown into chaos. Cao Pi, protected by his personal guards, fled backwards. After running twenty li, he looked back and saw that only a few hundred men remained by his side.

He was panting heavily and just wanted to take a break when a group of people suddenly rushed out from in front of him.

Leading the way was Zhao Yun, silver spear in hand, riding a white horse as white as snow. He looked at Cao Pi and said calmly, "Cao Pi, dismount and surrender."

Cao Pi's legs went weak, and he tumbled off his horse, kneeling on the ground: "General Zhao, spare my life! I surrender! I surrender!"

Zhao Yun dismounted, walked up to him, and looked down at him. Cao Pi lay prostrate on the ground, trembling all over, not daring to lift his head.

Zhao Yun reached out and lifted him up.

"Let's go, His Majesty wishes to see you."

The gates of Ye City swung open, and Liu Bei's army entered the city. The people of the city lined the streets to welcome him; some knelt on the ground and kowtowed, while others shouted, "Long live Lord Liu!" Liu Bei marched into the city and headed straight for the imperial palace.

Inside the main hall of the palace, Cao Pi knelt on the ground, not daring to raise his head.

Liu Bei stopped in front of him and looked at him for a long time. Then he spoke: "Cao Pi, your father Cao Cao, I buried him with the rites due to a duke or marquis. What about you?"

Cao Pi trembled even more violently: "I...I..."

Pang Tong added from the side, "His Majesty is asking you a question."

Cao Pi raised his head, his face streaked with tears and snot: "Lord Liu, spare my life! I surrender! I wish to be a Han subject for generations to come!"

Liu Bei remained silent, turning to leave. Reaching the door, he tossed out the order: "Take him away and imprison him in Luoyang. He shall never leave the manor again."

Cao Pi was dragged away, wailing all the way.

Pang Tong took a swig of wine and walked to Liu Bei's side: "Your Majesty, the north is pacified."

Liu Bei looked at the setting sun in the distance and nodded.

"It's settled."