Three Kingdoms: Zhang Fei was sent flying by a single spear thrust, leaving Liu Bei stunned.

Qingzhou, Beihai.

Cao Cao's main camp was set up outside Ju County.

Unlike Zhang Ziqian's overwhelming victory in Yuzhou, Cao Cao's campaign in Qingzhou was extremely difficult.

The number of Yellow Turban rebels in Qingzhou was simply too great.

While the claim of a million men is an exaggeration, Guan Hai must have gathered at least three to four hundred thousand able-bodied men capable of fighting.

These people, though poorly equipped and poorly trained, were fearless in the face of death.

Because they know that behind them are their wives, children, and elderly parents. If they back down, they will lose their homes.

In order to survive, they can unleash astonishing fighting power.

Cao Cao has led an army of 100,000 to Qingzhou, and it has been almost a month since then.

Dozens of battles, large and small, were fought.

Although Cao Cao's army won every single battle, the victories were extremely fierce.

Often, it's a case of killing a thousand enemies while losing eight hundred of your own.

After a month, Cao Cao's army suffered heavy casualties and morale was somewhat low.

The Yellow Turban Army, however, seemed inexhaustible; they would repel one wave only to be met with another.

This gave Cao Cao a huge headache.

That day, he was in the central command tent, discussing the next battle strategy with Xun Yu, Guo Jia, Xiahou Dun, and others.

"Fengxiao, in your opinion, how should we continue this battle?" Cao Cao rubbed his throbbing temples, looking exhausted.

Guo Jia shook the wine gourd in his hand, took a sip, and then slowly said, "My lord, the problem of the Yellow Turbans lies not in war, but in pacification."

"These people are all destitute. The more we kill, the fiercer their resistance will be. In my opinion, we should change our strategy and focus on winning them over, prioritizing their surrender and winning their hearts and minds."

"We can spread the word that as long as they lay down their weapons, we will give them land and food, ensuring their survival. In that case, how can we not defeat the Yellow Turbans?"

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao nodded: "Fengxiao's words are reasonable. However, our army's provisions are also running low. To feed so many mouths, I'm afraid..."

Xun Yu chimed in, "My lord, do not worry. I have already sent word to Yanzhou, ordering people to expedite the procurement of provisions. Furthermore, we can emulate the strategy employed by the Marquis of Champion in Ruyin, using war to sustain war and requisitioning provisions locally."

When Zhang Ziqian was mentioned, a smile finally appeared on Cao Cao's face.

"I wonder how things are going with Ziqian," he said with some emotion. "Sending him to attack Yuzhou with only eight thousand cavalry... isn't that a bit too much to ask of him?"

Xiahou Dun, speaking in a deep voice, said, "Don't worry, my lord. That kid Ziqian is a monster. Let alone one Yu Province, he could take two of them for you."

Everyone laughed upon hearing this.

The atmosphere inside the tent also relaxed.

Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from outside the tent.

A messenger rushed in, stumbling and crawling, his face beaming with barely suppressed elation.

"Report—!"

"A great victory! A great victory in Yuzhou!"

The messenger held the battle report high above his head.

"The Marquis of Champion has captured the three commanderies of Ruyin, Geyang, and Runan! He has killed Yuan Shu's general Ji Ling in battle and captured Zhang Xun alive! Yuan Shu's 50,000 reinforcements have been completely annihilated by our army! The entire territory of Yuzhou is now under our control!"

"What?!"

The entire tent fell into a deathly silence in an instant.

Everyone was stunned by the news.

Cao Cao jumped up from his seat and snatched the battle report from the messenger's hand.

He opened the battle report and began reading it quickly.

His hands were trembling slightly.

His breathing also became rapid.

In the battle report, Zhang Ziqian described the entire battle in concise and clear language.

From the night raid on Ruyin to the clever capture of the entire prefecture.

From besieging the enemy's stronghold to ambushing reinforcements, to beheading Ji Ling in battle.

From a one-on-one duel with Sun Ce to the army besieging the city.

Finally, Shangcai was captured without bloodshed.

The whole process was smooth and seamless.

It took less than ten days.

The number of casualties was less than a thousand.

The result was the capture of all three counties in Yuzhou and the annihilation of nearly 60,000 enemy troops!

"Good! Good! Good!"

Cao Cao said "good" three times in a row, his face turning red with excitement.

He slammed the battle report on the table and burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! With Ziqian, I am just like Emperor Gaozu with Han Xin! What is there to worry about in unifying the world!"

The generals inside the tent also gathered around, passing around the battle report.

Everyone who saw it was filled with shock and admiration.

"My God, ten days to take over three counties? This... is this something a human could do?" Xiahou Yuan clicked his tongue, his face full of disbelief.

"The most impressive feat was the siege and reinforcement attack. With only 8,000 cavalry, they annihilated an army of 50,000, and even lost a general, Ji Ling. This achievement is unprecedented!" Yu Jin exclaimed.

Guo Jia noticed another detail. Pointing to a section of the battle report, he said, "Look here, Sun Ce, son of Sun Jian, the Tiger of Jiangdong. Ziqian fought him and forced him to sever an arm to survive, fleeing in a sorry state. This martial prowess is truly unparalleled!"

(Note: The original text here states that Huang Gai died to save Sun Ce. For the sake of plot coherence and drama, this can be understood as an exaggeration in the battle report, or an error in intelligence, which is more in line with the characteristics of information transmission in chaotic times.)

Listening to the discussions of the crowd, Cao Cao was overjoyed beyond measure.

He looked around and saw his own side, where people were fighting tooth and nail over a Yellow Turban rebel from Qingzhou.

Meanwhile, Zhang Ziqian, with a few words and a laugh, had taken over the entire Yu Province for himself.

The difference is just too big.

"Pass on my orders!" Cao Cao put away his smile and gave the order in a loud voice.

"Spread the news of the Champion Marquis's great victory in Yuzhou throughout the entire army! Let all the soldiers see the might of our Cao army!"

"Furthermore, I hereby order Ziqian to lead the Flying Bear Army to temporarily garrison Runan, pacify the local area, and reorganize the troops. Rewards will be given after I have pacified Qingzhou!"

"Yes, sir!" the generals responded in unison.

News of the great victory quickly spread throughout Cao Cao's camp in Qingzhou.

The previously low morale was instantly ignited.

"Have you heard? The Marquis of Champion has captured three counties in Yuzhou in just ten days!"

"That's not all! They also wiped out Yuan Shu's 50,000 reinforcements!"

"The Marquis of Champion is truly a god descended from heaven! With him around, what do we have to fear from the Yellow Turban rebels!"

The soldiers were all talking about it, feeling proud and their morale was high.

Cao Cao nodded in satisfaction, seeing the morale of his troops was high.

He knew that what Zhang Ziqian brought was not only a victory, but also a shot in the arm.

He picked up the battle report again, his gaze falling on the last line.

At the end of the battle report, Zhang Ziqian made a small suggestion.

"The Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou are mostly good people who have joined the rebels out of necessity. If our lord can emulate Emperor Guangwu and employ them, selecting the strongest and most capable to form an army called the 'Qingzhou Army,' our strength will surely increase greatly."

"Qingzhou soldiers..."

Cao Cao pondered these three words, his eyes growing brighter and brighter.

This Zhang Ziqian is not only a skilled fighter, but also possesses such a long-term strategic vision!

This young man is truly my Zhang Liang, my Han Xin!

He immediately ordered: "Send word to the entire army to change its strategy! From today onwards, the primary objective will be to persuade them to surrender. Those who voluntarily surrender will not be pursued, but will be given land and registered in the household register!"

"Furthermore, select the elite soldiers from among the surrendered troops to form a new army!"

"Let's call them... Qingzhou Soldiers!"