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

[Ding~~ Congratulations, host, for conquering Jiaozhou and eliminating the long-standing Shi Xie forces. You have gained Guo Ziyi, a commander-in-chief of the late Tang Dynasty, and more than 7,000 Mo Dao soldiers (commanded by Li Siye)!]

Late April, 200 AD.

Upon learning of Ma Teng's defeat in Sili, Qin Xuan led the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry in a surprise attack on Hanoi, putting pressure on Cao Cao and forcing him to withdraw his army from the front lines, thus relieving the pressure on Li Jing's forces.

Unexpectedly, halfway through his march, that long-lost mechanical voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

"Damn it, is this system stupid? It's so slow to react!"

Qin Xuan didn't feel happy about the rewards given by the system; instead, he started complaining.

He learned about Gan Ning and his men's capture of Jiaozhou a few days ago through the Black Ice Platform, but the system didn't make a sound at the time, which made him worry for a long time, wondering if the system had quietly run away.

However, the system remained completely silent, as if it were merely going through the motions, distributing the rewards and then disappearing without a trace.

"Tsk tsk tsk, this reward is not bad. Another commander-level general has arrived. It's like my wish has come true. The Mo Dao Army is also a strong army. With them, we have nothing to fear from any iron cavalry!"

The rewards gained from this conquest of Jiaozhou are truly exhilarating.

Guo Ziyi was a general who turned the tide in the late Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty had been established for nearly three hundred years and had a strong military, but there were only a handful of people who could save the country from collapse when it was in danger.

Without Guo Ziyi, the Tang Dynasty would likely have had a hard time surviving the An Lushan Rebellion.

This veteran general was a military officer who had served as a low-ranking officer in a border town in his early years. He was nearly 60 years old when the An Lushan Rebellion broke out, and he fought almost the entire battle. He commanded the famous Battle of Xiangji Temple, a peak battle of cavalry.

His legendary experience of remaining vigorous in his old age is even more brilliant than that of Huang Zhong.

The Mo Dao Army was an elite heavy infantry force that emerged in the mid-to-late Tang Dynasty. They were famous for using specially made long-handled swords called "Mo Dao". Those selected for the Mo Dao Army were all tall and strong.

They are suitable for a variety of combat scenarios and are the best choice for infantry to counter cavalry, bar none.

"Meng Guang!"

Qin Xuan suddenly shouted.

"Young Master!"

Riding behind Qin Xuan, Meng Guang was on edge, waiting for Qin Xuan's instructions at any moment.

"Immediately send a letter from the Black Ice Guard to Jinling, ordering Jia Xu to send 7,000 Mo Dao soldiers to support Li Jing, and ordering Guo Ziyi to lead 15,000 garrison troops to Jiaozhou. He will then take charge of Jiaozhou."

The system had already provided a plausible origin for these rewards, and Qin Xuan's generals only thought that these were talents secretly cultivated by Qin Xuan, so they did not have much suspicion. Even if they did, it would be a waste of effort.

Qin Xuan could not possibly explain this to them.

"Here you go!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Meng Guang immediately spurred his horse away from the group and ordered his men to draft a letter.

Qin Xuan made this arrangement because of trust issues. Those who can govern a region are all system figures, since they are 100% loyal.

Qin Xuan's primary criterion for hiring people is loyalty; ability is secondary.

Although the local characters are quite loyal, they are ultimately not products of the system.

As for what others think, that's not important; we can explain it later.

·············

Feng Cheng, Cangwu County.

The Qin banners fluttered atop the low city walls.

Gan Ning was fully armed, with a sword at his waist and his eyes fixed intently on the direction of Guiyang County, followed by his trusted confidants.

"General, what are you looking at?"

His trusted confidant was puzzled.

"I'm looking at Jingzhou. Before meeting my lord, I was a bandit with the Brocade Sail, roaming Jingzhou for many years. Now, as I'm about to set foot in Jingzhou, I'm filled with emotion!"

Gan Ning explained with a smile that the change in his status had touched him deeply. If it weren't for Qin Xuan's high regard for him, he would probably still be robbing and plundering on the Yangtze River, living a life on the run.

"General, the soldiers are already impatiently waiting for our attack!"

The confidant suddenly asked.

They were naval soldiers who rarely had the opportunity to fight, and their achievements were negligible compared to those of other fraternal units. Now that they finally had the chance to be the main force, they naturally wouldn't let it go.

"I don't know, the lord hasn't given any orders yet!"

Gan Ning shook his head repeatedly, his tone filled with melancholy, but before his confidants could think further, he changed the subject and his tone became stern:

"Tell the soldiers not to let their guard down; the time for us to launch our attack is fast approaching!"

Gan Ning's words were not unfounded, because the Qin army's reinforcements had gradually taken over the defense of various places in Jiaozhou, which gave his elite naval forces the opportunity to assemble.

···

Time is like a wild donkey; once it starts running, it can't stop. In the blink of an eye, it's already early May.

Gan Ning of Jiaozhou and Li Jing of Yuzhou launched their campaigns in Jingzhou at almost the same time, thus beginning the Qin army's strategic offensive.

···········

At midnight that day, the courtyard of Cai Mao's residence in Xiangyang was filled with swordsmen and axemen, each with a cold expression and making no sound.

The flickering candlelight in the vast main hall cast contorted and grotesque shadows.

Cai Mao, clad in armor and wielding a long sword, stared intently at the crowd, the atmosphere heavy and oppressive.

There were about five or six people inside the hall, all dressed in armor and holding long swords. They were all trusted confidants promoted by Cai Mao in the army.

"Is everything ready? This operation can only succeed, it cannot fail!"

Cai Mao's voice was deep and resonant, and his resolute face remained unchanged.

"Ready, but~~~"

Someone hesitated to speak, but before they could finish, Cai Mao raised his hand to interrupt them:

"No, we've come this far, there's no turning back!"

"Here you go!"

The group exchanged glances after hearing this, and finally made up their minds.

Cai Mao nodded in satisfaction and sent the group away.

Not long after his trusted confidants left, Liu Bowen, dressed in a plain-colored robe, calmly walked out from the back hall, his expression as calm as still water, showing no sign of tension.

"General Cai, let's move out!"

Liu Bowen casually uttered these words, then left the hall without looking back.

Cai Mao gritted his teeth, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and strode out after him.

"Set off!"

··········

Not far from Cai Mao's residence, the governor's mansion was brightly lit, and a tense atmosphere permeated the entire mansion. There were many more soldiers on guard than before, and the security was exceptionally tight.

Liu Biao, nearing the end of his life, lay on his bed, almost unresponsive, his breathing extremely weak.

Kuai Liang, Huang Zu, Madam Cai, and others were all there to accompany him.

After all this turmoil, Liu Biao's life is coming to an end; he may not make it through the night.

These important officials gathered here to send Liu Biao off on his final journey and to determine his successor.

Of course, with the eldest son Liu Qi dead, the only heir could be Liu Cong, born to Lady Cai. However, Liu Cong was still a minor and not yet capable of shouldering such an important responsibility, so he needed to be assisted by ministers.

That's what they're fighting for.

"Why hasn't Cai Mao arrived yet? What is he doing?"

Huang Zu, growing impatient with Cai Mao's prolonged absence, began to grumble.

However, no one dared to reply. Everyone knew that the power struggle between Huang Zu and Cai Mao had reached a fever pitch these days. Both of them were military bigwigs, and they dared not take sides clearly in front of Liu Biao's entrustment of his son.

"Cai Mao is probably tied up with military affairs and can't get away for the time being!"

Lady Cai stepped forward to calm Huang Zu down. She knew Cai Mao's plan, and at this moment, she had to prevent Huang Zu from noticing anything amiss and leaving the governor's mansion.

"Heh, really? He really thinks he's something special, acting all high and mighty!"

Huang Zu sneered, his words full of sarcasm, taking the opportunity to sow discord between Cai Mao and Cai Mao.

Lady Cai did not answer, but simply stayed by Liu Biao's side, waiting for Cai Mao to take the stage and complete the power transition.