The Three Kingdoms: Rise to Power Starting with Intercepting Liu Bei

The sky was completely shrouded in thick, dark clouds, the full moon was nowhere to be seen, and darkness overflowed like a tide.

Qin Xuan arrived at Liu Bowen's residence with a stern face. Liu Bowen, who was preparing to rest, was somewhat puzzled by Qin Xuan's visit, but still hurriedly welcomed him into the reception room next to the bedroom.

Since they had only occupied Tancheng for a short time, the residences of Liu Bowen and others were only temporarily requisitioned, and their luxury and comfort were nowhere near that of the governor's mansion in Xuzhou.

"My lord, it's so late and you've come in person. Has something serious happened again?"

Liu Bowen poured a cup of tea and placed it on the table, asking with a puzzled expression. They had just finished discussing Liu Bei not long ago, how long had it been!

Qin Xuan didn't speak first. He simply sat down, picked up his teacup, took a sip to calm himself, and then looked at the other person with a very serious expression.

"My men just reported that Liu Bei, accompanied by Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, visited Mi Zhu and Tao Qian this afternoon, and did not return to the inn until evening."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bowen immediately began to ponder. Liu Bei's purpose in visiting these two men was self-evident. In addition, Tao Qian was being sidelined and must harbor resentment. If this was not dealt with in time, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Thinking of this, Liu Bowen blurted out, "My lord, there's no time to lose. We must get rid of Liu Bei as soon as possible, and we must also deal with Mi Zhu and Tao Qian."

"Once they're ready, we'll be the ones at a disadvantage!"

"Only by getting rid of Liu Bei can we have a greater chance of success. We must not alarm Cao Cao, otherwise he may come back and take this opportunity to annex Xuzhou."

Liu Bowen's idea was very thorough. Only by getting Liu Bei and the others to leave Tancheng as soon as possible and go to Xiapi, which was in conflict with Yuan Shu's forces, could they better deal with Mi Zhu and Tao Qian. After all, the three brothers Liu, Guan, and Zhang were not to be trifled with.

"Bowen, you and I are thinking the same thing. Go to Tao Qian first thing tomorrow morning and ask him to order Liu Bei to garrison Xiapi."

"Yes, my lord, rest assured!"

At the same time, Xue Rengui led the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry, and after a long period of lying in wait, finally launched a surprise attack when Cao Cao's army quietly withdrew under the cover of night.

Faced with the snow dragon cavalry, Cao Cao's soldiers were caught off guard and fled in panic, abandoning their armor and weapons. Cao Cao, who was already in poor health, once again succumbed to the shock and fainted.

By the time Xue Rengui ordered a halt to the pursuit, they had annihilated countless Cao soldiers and seized a large quantity of weapons and armor. They did not return to Tancheng with their spoils until dawn.

When the people learned of Cao Cao's army's crushing defeat and retreat, they flocked to the streets to celebrate this long-awaited victory.

However, not everyone was so happy. When Liu Bei woke up in the inn and learned the news from the waiter, he was extremely depressed and couldn't be happy at all.

Why did Cao Cao's army not retreat earlier or later? They waited until they had almost exhausted their resources before retreating. If only they had retreated when I came yesterday, I might have been able to pick up some armor or something.

Amidst the joyful cheers of the city's residents, Liu Bei finished his meal in a depressed mood and then summoned Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun to the governor's mansion.

Yesterday, he made a deal with Tao Qian. Tao Qian would help him acquire a prefecture, and in return, he would raise an army to help Tao Qian kill Qin Xuan.

Liu Bei was determined to win this deal, since his greatest advantage was his ability to gain the support of the people. Given enough time, he believed he could eventually build a powerful army to contend for supremacy.

When Liu Bei and his entourage arrived at the governor's mansion, almost all the officials of Xuzhou had arrived.

Apart from Qin Xuan, Liu Bowen, and Xue Rengui, everyone else looked completely bewildered. They had heard early in the morning that Cao Cao had withdrawn his troops. Xue Rengui had led his men in a surprise attack the previous night when the enemy was retreating, capturing countless suits of armor and weapons.

There's a sense of unreality to it, but seeing Xue Rengui's armor covered in blood makes it hard not to believe it.

After everyone had arrived, Tao Qian made a few symbolic opening remarks, and then it was Qin Xuan's turn, the actual wartime leader, to assign tasks.

Qin Xuan looked at all the Xuzhou officials and Liu Bei and his three companions below the hall, cleared his throat, and said in his slightly immature voice:

"Fellow colleagues in Xuzhou, thanks to the united resistance of the soldiers and civilians of Xuzhou, Cao Cao's army withdrew at midnight yesterday. General Xue led his troops in a surprise attack and achieved great success."

"The crisis in Xuzhou, which lasted for months, has officially been resolved!"

"But our next task is not yet complete. A large number of people have been displaced, so our next phase of work is to recover lost territory and restore production!"

"Therefore, I order that, effective immediately, all troops in the city proceed to the various counties of Xuzhou to recapture the cities occupied by Cao Cao's army, and at the same time, recruit 50,000 young laborers to form laborer teams to rebuild the city!"

"This task was overseen by General Xue Rengui."

"General Cao Bao is to lead his troops to maintain order in all counties of Xuzhou. Any acts that obstruct post-war reconstruction are to be dealt with without warning, without needing to be reported. Once discovered, they will be executed without exception!"

"All other officials shall perform their duties diligently; any who neglect their duties will be severely punished!"

"Whoosh!"

As he spoke, Qin Xuan drew his sword from his waist and casually slashed at the wooden table in front of him. With just one strike, the thick wooden table was instantly split in two.

This sudden action stunned everyone, especially Liu Bei and the others, who stared wide-eyed in shock, gaining a new understanding of Qin Xuan.

Guan Yu, in particular, squinted his eyes, constantly stroking his long beard. Although his face remained expressionless and he appeared remarkably calm, his heart was already churning with turbulent emotions.

"This Qin Xuan's strength is terrifying. That wooden table was probably half a foot thick, and he chopped it in two with a casual wave of his hand. It seems this kid is no ordinary person!" Guan Yu thought to himself.

As a top-notch military general, his observation and perception were far superior to those of the civil officials present. Ordinary people would never be able to split a thick wooden table in two with such a casual strike.

"Yes, we obey!"

Upon seeing this, the civil officials trembled and readily agreed, fearing that Qin Xuan would execute them.

The significance of Qin Xuan's promulgation of these measures is extraordinary. The 50,000-strong labor force can be put into battle after training. Since they have not yet been officially appointed by the court, they can only operate in this way behind the scenes.

After all, no one can make a fuss about this.

After doing all this, Qin Xuan turned his gaze to Liu Bei and the others, a slight smile appearing on his lips:

"Lord Xuande suffered heavy losses in his rescue of Xuzhou. Therefore, after discussions with Governor Tao, we have decided to allocate three thousand elite troops from Xuzhou, along with ten days' worth of rations, to Lord Xuande to depart immediately and garrison Xiapi to guard against Yuan Shu!"

"Xiaopei will be entrusted to General Cao Bao to lead troops to garrison it, to guard against Cao Cao!"

Everyone was stunned by these words, especially Chen Deng, whose face was full of disbelief.

"Brother, what are you doing? Xiapi is a crucial town in Xuzhou! You're handing it over to Liu Bei? Are you out of your mind?"

Chen Deng felt his head buzzing, completely clueless about what Qin Xuan was up to.

"Could it be that I misjudged him?"

Unlike Chen Deng's bewilderment, Liu Bei was overjoyed. He immediately bowed to Qin Xuan with his hands clasped, his smile barely concealed, as if he were about to kneel down and kowtow to him.

Not only did he gain three thousand soldiers for free, but he also acquired Xiapi, a place of great fortune. His good days were about to begin.

Qin Xuan, you are such a good person, Liu Bei thought to himself.

Seeing the smile on Liu Bei's face below, a cold glint flashed in Qin Xuan's eyes:

"Laugh now, then you'll know how to cry."

That afternoon, Qin Xuan prepared all the supplies and manpower for Liu Bei and sent him on his way.

The efficiency was incredibly fast. Before leaving, Liu Bei even gave Qin Xuan a deep bow to express his gratitude.