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

When Lü Bu's army entered Xiaopei, everyone was stunned to see the city completely deserted, including Lü Bu himself. Although he was somewhat prepared, he was still quite angry.

"Damn it, I never expected Qin Xuan to be so cunning, actually pulling such a drastic stunt! I, Lü Bu, am sworn enemies with him!"

When Chen Gong saw that Xiaopei was deserted and the streets were quiet, he sighed heavily and regretted persuading Lü Bu to come to Xuzhou.

Who could have imagined that Qin Xuan would be so ruthless, actually forcing all the people of Xiaopei to evacuate, leaving them with only an empty city, and forcing them to overturn all their original plans and start over.

"Fengxian, now we can only proceed step by step. Quickly order the army to set up camp. We need to formulate the next plan as soon as possible, otherwise I fear that one day even our food supply will be cut off!"

Chen Gong tried to persuade him from the side.

Now their food supply is controlled by Qin Xuan. Once they can no longer be self-sufficient, tens of thousands of troops could easily launch a rebellion, and the situation would become difficult to control.

"Good!" Lü Bu nodded and then ordered, "The entire army shall set up camp and rest on the spot!"

Just as Lü Bu entered Xiaopei, Xue Rengui led 10,000 troops to garrison the city closest to Xiaopei, so that he could react in time should Lü Bu make any move.

Qin Xuan led five hundred Great Snow Dragon Riders, along with Zhang Liao and Gao Shun, back to Tancheng.

Zhang Liao and his companion remained silent throughout the journey, appearing as if they were mute. Qin Xuan noticed their awkwardness and tried to strike up conversations with them from time to time to ease the tension.

"What's wrong? Is it hard to accept this situation? Let me tell you, this situation is actually the best outcome for both of you!"

Qin Xuan rode his white-hoofed steed at the front, while Zhang Liao and Gao Shun, despite being hostages, were not bound hand and foot. Instead, they were given no restrictions on their movements and were treated with great respect.

"General Qin, what do you mean by this? Marquis Wen has his reasons!"

Zhang Liao was an outgoing person, and upon hearing Qin Xuan's words, he immediately couldn't help but speak up in defense of Lü Bu.

They've all become hostages, yet you say this situation is the best outcome for both of us? Isn't that just belittling Lü Bu? As his long-time subordinate, how could I not stand up and say something?

Upon hearing Zhang Liao's explanation, Qin Xuan suddenly turned his head, stared at Zhang Liao blankly for a moment, and then turned back to explain while urging his horse forward:

"Everyone knows what kind of person Lü Bu is. You were Ding Yuan's subordinates back then, but later Lü Bu joined Dong Zhuo. After Dong Zhuo died, he submitted to the court. His good days didn't last long before he came to Xuzhou."

"Don't you think he's being fickle? If I didn't have a fierce general like Xue Rengui under my command, how could he have made such a compromise?"

"Following him will only lead to your demise sooner or later. In his heart, you subordinates are not even as good as a fallen courtesan. Therefore, becoming hostages is the best outcome for you."

"So, how about joining me? I can give you both a stage to showcase your talents. Don't rush to refuse; think it over before you answer!"

Historically, Zhang Liao and Gao Shun did not fare well under Lü Bu's command, especially Gao Shun. Lü Bu treated him very poorly, not only handing over the 800 elite troops he had trained to Wei Xu, but also constantly being wary of him.

Zhang Liao gradually demonstrated his military leadership abilities after joining Cao Cao's forces and was thus given important responsibilities, which earned him a place in history. If he had sought death back then, the entire history of the Eastern Han and Three Kingdoms period would probably not have had such a brilliant general.

Therefore, Qin Xuan took this opportunity to extend an olive branch.

After hearing Qin Xuan's words, Zhang Liao fell silent, his head down, seemingly lost in thought. Gao Shun, who was already taciturn, became even more silent, as if pondering the truth of Qin Xuan's words.

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Without the large army dragging him down, Qin Xuan returned to Tancheng in just two days.

As soon as he settled Zhang Liao and the other man into the governor's mansion, the system's mechanical voice sounded in his mind:

"Ding! Congratulations, host, you have gained complete control of the entire Xuzhou region and have obtained [a 100,000-strong Great Wall Legion combat set (including 30,000 fine horses), a Qin soldier training manual, military generals Yuwen Chengdu and Qin Qiong, civil official Zhang Juzheng, 2,000 catties each of potato and sweet potato seeds, and 500 catties of cotton seeds]."

"Civil and military officials will appear to join you when the opportunity arises, and various supplies have been distributed to your system space. Please collect them as soon as possible!"

Hearing the system's voice again, Qin Xuan was incredibly excited. The rewards had come at just the right time, and each one was exactly what he needed right now.

Needless to say, the combat suits are revolutionary, but the crop seeds alone are groundbreaking. Potatoes and sweet potatoes have many advantages: they are very filling when stored, and more importantly, they have a high yield, making them perfect as marching rations. Moreover, there are many derivative products available.

As for cotton, it goes without saying that it has excellent heat retention, allowing all people to comfortably get through the harsh winter.

Before long, Qin Xuan arrived at the governor's mansion and saw Liu Bowen staring at the bamboo slips in his hand with a happy expression. He wondered what could make him so happy.

"Bowen, what's making you so happy?"

Liu Bowen, who was examining the bamboo slips, suddenly heard Qin Xuan's voice beside him. Looking up, he saw that his lord had returned. He immediately got up, took the bamboo slips, and went to Qin Xuan's side, saying with a smile:

"My lord, great news! General Li Jing has sent word of victory! He has recaptured Langya, as well as the other unconquered territories of Xuzhou. The entire Xuzhou region is now in our hands!"

"Should our next destination be Qingzhou or Yangzhou?"

"No, we will not mobilize troops for now. The people of Xuzhou cannot afford further turmoil!"

The situation in the various prefectures of Xuzhou was complex. When Tao Qian was alive, he only controlled Pengcheng, Xiapi, and Donghai. As for Guangling and Langya, they were occupied by local powerful families.

Due to various busy matters, Qin Xuan was unable to handle them until he set off for Xiaopei, at which point he sent Li Jing to lead the army to deal with them. Unexpectedly, the task was completed in just a few days, which was truly remarkable.

After pondering for a while, Qin Xuan decided to temporarily refrain from taking any major actions and focus on training his troops.

After all, it was now 195 years, and a major upheaval was about to occur in Chang'an. He could take advantage of this opportunity to gain some benefits. At that time, the royal envoy also brought a secret letter from the emperor.

The document instructed him to find an opportunity to rescue the emperor, but Qin Xuan did not take it seriously. Holding the emperor hostage to command the feudal lords would do him more harm than good.

The emperor still has a group of loyal Han officials by his side. If they were brought to Xuzhou, things would get out of hand. They would all act like big shots and only know how to fight amongst themselves once they are out of danger. There would be too many factors that would cause instability.

Historically, after Cao Cao brought Emperor Xian of Han to Xuchang, Dong Cheng, the emperor's brother-in-law, outwardly cooperated with Cao Cao, but secretly plotted a rebellion.

He conspired with Liu Bei, Ma Teng, and other forces to assassinate Cao Cao. Had it not been exposed, Cao Cao might have actually been assassinated.

Therefore, let's leave the good thing of holding the emperor hostage to command the feudal lords to Cao Cao or Yuan Shao!

Upon hearing Qin Xuan's decision to allow the region to recuperate, Liu Bowen did not object. Xuzhou was too weak to withstand any further turmoil, especially in terms of food supplies, which were insufficient to sustain a major battle, let alone supply Lü Bu's 10,000 troops.

Subsequently, Qin Xuan instructed Liu Bowen to issue a proclamation in Xuzhou, recruiting farmers to work for the government, plant the crop seeds he had obtained, and have them strictly guarded by soldiers. All the harvest would be confiscated by the government, and private individuals would not be allowed to obtain any immature potatoes or sweet potatoes.

The importance of potatoes and sweet potatoes in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, an era of scarcity, is self-evident. However, it is not the time to spread them widely yet. They should first establish a strategic advantage over the feudal lords before spreading them.